Innholdsfortegnelse for 02-Sep-2017 i Amateur Photographer

How do you define a classic camera? It’s a complex question that will yield a variety of answers but I think most readers would agree that it’s an innovative camera which effectively combines form and function, and, of course, delivers knockout images. This issue focuses on some of the many classic cameras of yesterday, both film and digital. Whether you’re looking for an investment piece, a quirky way to take pictures or just to save money, you’ll find something of interest here. Lenses are covered too, and we’ve got a full guide to using older lenses on modern cameras via lens adapters on page 22. On a lighter note, we also send landscape pro David Noton out with a tobacco grad filter. Turn to page 28 for the full story.…

Hadrian’s Wall walk Geoff Chrisp is leading a five-mile walk supported by Marj Baillie LRPS along part of Hadrian’s Wall. Points of interest will include the Sycamore Gap, Steel Rigg, Crag Lough and excellent views from north of the wall towards the Whin Sill. The walk will take place from 10.30am-5pm and is described as ‘fairly strenuous’. 10 September, www.rps.org/events Capturing Corfe LPOTY winner Andy Farrer will spend the day showing you his favourite viewpoints of Corfe Castle in Dorset. The profile for the castle differs from each angle, providing new opportunities. Andy will be on hand to show you how to take full advantage of the location, and capture some dramatic images. 27 September, www.lightandland.co.uk Macro and Art Photography John Humphrey FRPS will lead you…

SMARTPHONE usage is breeding a new photography generation, according to the UK's biggest poll of amateur and professional photographers. In the initial findings of the National Photographic Survey 2017, 44% of people said they now know someone who has been introduced to the discipline after taking pictures on their phone. A total of 58% said a DSLR camera was then purchased, which allowed them to extend their interest in the hobby. Some 5,000 people took part in the nationwide questionnaire, organised by retailer Calumet Photographic. It was created to find out current trends in the photography industry and seek feedback from photographers about the latest equipment they are using.…

Dispensing with the 35mm equivalent There's still a lot of reference made in the photographic press to the ‘35mm equivalent' when comparing lenses. This is great for those of us old enough to remember the days of film, but how long does AP plan to continue using this? For newer photographers surely it will have no real meaning as they will have been introduced to the world of crop factors from the start and have no need for comparisons to older technologies. After all, as Frank Zappa says, ‘Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible.' David Richards, Shropshire You would think so wouldn't you, David. But the fact that Olympus and Panasonic chose to name their brand-new system, built for the digital age, after an archaic TV camera…

1 Aperture selection For sharpest results, it's usually best to close the aperture down a stop or two to suppress aberrations. However, going too far will cause excessive diffraction blurring. The optimum aperture depends on your camera's sensor size; I'd usually avoid going beyond f/8 on Micro Four Thirds, f/11 on APS-C, and f/16 on full frame. 2 Shutter speed selection With a lot of cameras, you won't get image stabilisation, so be sure to select a high enough shutter speed to avoid blur. Employ the 1/equivalent focal length rule as a minimum; for example with a 100mm lens on APS-C, use at least 1/160sec. To be absolutely sure of sharp images, go a stop faster. 3 Don’t be afraid of high ISO A grainy image is almost always far…

Building a kit for photography can be very expensive, with the costs of high-end DSLRs, specialist lenses and high quality accessories all adding up. Don't let this put you off though - there are ways to minimise the cost of expanding and upgrading your set-up. Forget new, go ‘like new’ Buying new may seem appealing, but it isn't necessary. You can save massively by purchasing a secondhand camera in excellent condition, with hardly any signs of use. There are several options for where to buy used gear. Peer-to-peer sales on auction sites and online classified marketplaces sometimes offer attractive prices, however the anonymity of these sites make them risky options that can lead to issues and even further expenses down the road. In addition, there's also a possibility that items…

David Noton David Noton is recognised as a leading landscape and travel photographer. His passion for photography, travel and the world’s beautiful places are the defining influences that have shaped his life, work and creative approach to photography. His images sell all over the world – both as fine art photography and commercially in advertising and publishing. Visit www.davidnoton.com . I am ashamed to admit that in the past I did something I now bitterly regret. The time has come to own up, here on these pages, to the shocking truth. In 1987, or thereabouts, I used a graduated tobacco filter. There, it’s out; but that’s not all, it gets worse. I also owned, and used, a Champagne filter. It was an 81EF warming and diffusing filter in one; I…

Lou Owen-Jones, UK In 2013 Lou bought a Nikon D700 and took it with her on a seven-week trip to America and Australia. Her interest in photography began some years before this, but by the end of the extended holiday it had become a passion. Lou mainly photographs wildlife and events (including weddings) but she also has an interest in landscapes, and hopes to take more in the future. One of her goals is to shoot the Aurora Borealis and capture the beauty of star trails. To see more of her work visit www.louowenjones.com. Feeding time 1 When Lou was taking this shot the main challenge she faced was staying awake – she was in a hide observing the birds for 16 hours! Nikon D750, 600mm, 1/1600sec at f/6.3, ISO…

Diffusion dome The diffusion dome is made from tough polycarbonate Lexan. Compatibility The Lumu Power is compatible with iOS devices using a Lightning connector running iOS 8+. Metering The Lumu Power can measure ambient light and flash output, as well as colour temperature. Housing A stainless-steel housing protects the unit from damage. • US $299/£230 • www.lu.mu ONE of the many great things to enter the world of photography from the crowd-funding website Kickstarter is the Lumu Power light meter. The company achieved its project goal 12 times over, and it was launched at last year's Photokina trade show. The Lumu light meter plugs into the Lightning connector on an iPhone, and via the free iOS Lumu app gives users the correct exposure reading for aperture and shutter speed at…

How far will your photography excess take you? We have that ceaseless itch to scratch, that need to take photos, that urge that is always looking for the next opportunity to record the moment, capture the scene, permanently etch those photons onto a JPG for the posterity of history. And, of course, to do that you need to be able to pack enough gear. I'm all too aware that at the ‘ease-of-use' end of the spectrum the smartphone is the ultimate accessory – the image quality remarkable and the ability to edit and share both ubiquitous and instantaneous. But for many AP readers that isn't enough – it doesn't flex the creative muscle sufficiently and, not only that, dedicated cameras are simply… better! But, the big question: what do you…

To get the best from your lenses, it helps to understand their optical characteristics, such as which apertures are sharpest. You can test this using a subject that has detail across the frame, such as a landscape or, if you're feeling less imaginative, a brick wall. Mount the camera on a sturdy tripod, set it to its lowest ISO, turn on the self timer, focus using magnified view, then shoot a series of frames across the aperture range. Bear in mind that if you use the same lens on cameras with different sensor sizes, the optimum aperture is likely to be different for each.…

THE International Photography Hall of Fame in the USA has announced that actor and country music legend Kenny Rogers (pictured) will receive its first-ever Lifetime Achievement Award. Rogers is a long-time proponent of the artform, and has written several books on photography. He also holds an honorary masters degree in the subject. Nine photographers or photography industry visionaries who demonstrate the artistry, passion and revolution of the past and present craft of photography, including portraitist Harry Benson, war photographer James Nachtwey and colour pioneer William Eggleston, have been selected for induction in the Hall of Fame. They will all be honoured at the IPHF ceremony to be held on 17 November in St Louis, Missouri, USA. Rogers and this year's inductees will join 79 previous innovators. For the latest news…

You answered… A Ink and paper costs 44% B Calibrating screen and printer 20% C Poor print quality 5% D Frequent printer gremlins 12% E I get my printing done by a lab 13% F I don’t print my pictures 6% What you said ‘There isn’t an option in the answers for not having a problem. I only print up to A2, but don’t find it that expensive and there are many positives to printing your own.’ ‘I’ve given up printing photos at home, as I got fed up being ripped off for the ink. It probably costs just pence a bucketful to produce and they sell it for the price of gold!’ ‘There is really nothing about home printing that annoys me.’ ‘Finding that one of the colours has…

If you have a camera with in-body stabilisation, you'll have to manually enter the focal length of the lens you're using for it to work properly. This is fine with primes, but if you use zooms, it's easier to turn IS off. • On Panasonic cameras with in-body stabilisation, the camera prompts you to specify the focal length when you turn it on. • On Sony cameras, first locate the SteadyShot Settings menu item, then adjust the SteadyS Focal Len value to match your lens. I prefer to assign this to a custom button for one-touch access. Sony's in-body works well at focal lengths up to about 200mm, but becomes increasingly less effective with longer telephotos. • On Olympus cameras, things are more convoluted. Press the OK button to access…

Round Six Creative eye This round is about abstract photography – a way of exploring the world through details. That doesn't mean just getting in close with a macro lens, though – it means shooting a subject in such a way that it is separated from its usual representations. It can mean shooting and framing your images so the primary concern is squarely on the patterns, shapes and textures that make up the world around us. Finding abstract images means treating the world around you in a different way. Every nook and cranny holds potential: the moss growing on a garden wall; the rust of your car door; the ice in your freezer. You can be as experimental as you like, even down to using in-camera techniques such as slow…

How to add soft focus PAUL BURWOOD shot this candid moment down the back alley of a restaurant using a long focus lens. This resulted in a nice shallow depth of field, which has helped isolate the man captured here from the busy background. Because the photo was captured using a 1/60sec exposure, the image is still reasonably sharp, although it was necessary to add a little extra sharpening to the face. However, what I mainly wanted to show was how you can add a localised, negative Dehaze adjustment to add a soft-focus effect. 1 Crop the image I selected the Crop tool and applied the crop shown here to focus attention on the man. In the Basic panel I lightened the Exposure half a stop and reduced the Highlights…

Do you have more than one lens? What about a tripod, carry case or any additional video or audio equipment? The value of all your kit soon mounts up – but would you be able to replace it if something happened? Cameras are designed to be taken out and about, whether to shoot your next landscape, capture wildlife or travel photos for your portfolio, or just to capture those precious family moments. Plus, if you’re passionate about photography, as well as investing your time, you’ve probably invested heavily financially too. That’s why we’ve teamed up with well-known insurance provider, Thistle Insurance Services Limited, to bring you the cover you may need. Amateur Photographer Insurance Services can provide protection against theft and accidental damage for your camera and accessories up to…

‘These cameras weren’t just cheap – they were basic’ The word ‘amateur' implies someone who does something for the love of it, rather than to earn a living, and by that definition there's no doubt that I am an amateur photographer, even though I also write for Amateur Photographer. I take pictures to please myself, and it's great if other people sometimes like them, but that's not why I take them – which is just as well when you see this shot of a newly wed couple cutting the cake (right). Of course, had I been planning to do some serious photography at the wedding I probably wouldn't have chosen to use a battered old folding camera, and if I had decided to use it I hope I would have…

‘Pinholes always give a “dawn of photography” look. When it’s done right, it’s an effect I love’ We’ve all done it: acquired a new camera, and looked for subjects to shoot with it. Only very rarely, though, do we have the ability to create a striking new series that is heavily dependent on the camera. Zou has, however, achieved it. Admittedly, the camera is pretty weird: a Zero Image ultra-wideangle pinhole 5x4in. Depth of field is effectively (though not theoretically) infinite, and that the only real limit on extreme wideangles is Cos4 vignetting. This allows the photographer to exercise a unique vision. Then again, the photographer must have a unique vision before they can exercise it. Zou has. Google ‘Zou pinhole’ and it should take you to his Flickr pages…