Innholdsfortegnelse for 23-Sep-2017 i Amateur Photographer

Cars have long been a compelling subject for photographers, whether it’s motor sports, advertising shots or even taking snaps of your hatchback to sell on Auto Trader . So we asked three accomplished car photographers to share their tips for making the car the star. On the subject of fast-moving objects, top sports photographer Bob Martin reveals why he’s become a huge fan of the turbo-charged Sony Alpha 9 on page 40. Moving to a different dimension, we reveal the jaw-dropping winners of this year’s Insight Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. A bit closer to home, we’ve also found a great buy carbon-fibre tripod for a very reasonable price. It’d make a perfect companion for a city break or even an early Christmas present (did I say Christmas already?)…

Cecil Beaton exhibition Sotheby’s is holding an exhibition of photographs of stage and film actress Vivien Leigh taken by renowned photographer Cecil Beaton, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of her death and to coincide with the sale of ‘The Vivien Leigh Collection’. The prints will be on sale, with prices starting from £3,000. 12-26 September, www.sothebys.com Martin Parr talk World-famous photographer Martin Parr hosts a talk at The Photo Space gallery in Ludlow. He will discuss his work, as well as judge a competition – organisers also promise some surprises. Booking highly recommended; tickets are £15. 23 September, 7.30pm, www.ludlowassemblyrooms.co.uk Portrait photography workshop Organised by the RPS and led by Simon Ellingworth, this full-day workshop takes place in the studio. It aims to equip you with…

DAVID Slater, the photographer famous for the Monkey Selfie image which launched a global copyright tussle, has reached an out of court settlement with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), who was suing him on behalf of the monkey. Slater has agreed to donate 25% of any future revenue derived from using or selling the image to charities that protect the habitat of crested macaques in Indonesia. He told AP he was happy an agreement had been reached but is still considering taking action against Wikipedia for publishing the image. It claimed he never had copyright as the monkey activated the shutter release. ‘I feel my passion for photography has been rekindled. I'm getting offers to go back out to Indonesia, which is great.' See www.facebook.com/ DavidJSlater…

It’s elemental Before Cliff Andrews (Tech Support 19 August) attempts the frustrating exercise of learning to use Lightroom, when he was previously content with Elements 2, why not try installing Elements 2 on the Windows 7 PC using the original CD? It should work, according to the Adobe support website (https://forums.adobe.com/thread/1413350). If not, I can confirm that Elements 7 works on my Windows 7 PC, and also that it works without problems if Lightroom 5 is also installed. Adobe provides a DNG converter that can be downloaded. A quick internet search shows that the oldest version you can still buy new is Elements 11 on CD for £69, or newer versions for more money, from some UK retailers. Beware download-only versions – having a CD is more useful if you…

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…

It wasn't so much the ‘decisive moment' I was waiting for as the decisive expression. I was shooting with an 85mm lens (on a full frame) for those tight-crop and small group portraits, along with a 27mm (on an APS-C, making it a pleasing 42mm semi-wide equivalent). That gave me nice prime lens performance along with flexibility of framing, eschewing the traditional 24-70mm zoom. Guests of the wedding party were nervously, perhaps slightly excitedly, interacting with each other prior to the ceremony itself. There was a buzz, an energy – the familiarity of friends and due deference to the importance of the occasion. Documentary-style photography is intended to capture the emotions, unposed and unrehearsed. I wanted that special moment, the genuine smile, some raucous laughter and a little empathy in…

Tobacco road Oh, how I enjoyed David Noton's article on the folly of the past (Flares, flower power & filters, 2 September), when those of us of a certain age thought that using the various Cokin filters was cool. I had at least 10 different ones, and used them with such enthusiasm at the time. Several great pictures I took of Paris in the 1970s were ruined by the use of a red filter with a clear spot in the middle, a graduated grey and the dreaded tobacco filter – which contrary to David's article, Hollywood hasn't yet dispensed with. Thankfully we photographers have moved on from that fad but thank you David Noton for humorously reminding us of the folly of following a ‘trend'. Roger Lush David is still…

‘Ghost World’ by Mikkel Beiter (Denmark) Winner, Aurorae During October 2016 Beiter observed the waves from the sea slowly rolling up on this long beach in Iceland making the sand wet, resulting in great conditions for catching some reflections. Suddenly, clouds emerged from the nearby mountains and floated across the sea allowing him to capture this other-worldly scene of a powerful, teal aurora sweeping across the night sky in Stokksnes, Iceland. Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24 mm f/2 lens, 6secs, ISO 1600 ‘The Rho Ophiuchi Clouds’ by Artem Mironov (Russia) Winner, Stars and Nebulae, and overall winner Taken over three nights at a farm in Namibia near Gamsberg Mountain, this image depicts the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. Sometimes known as ‘Rho Oph' for short or the Ophiuchus molecular cloud,…

Round Four City Clickers Lee Stoneman wins a Sigma sd Quattro and 30mm f/1.4 DC HSM Art lens. The Sigma sd Quattro features a mirrorless structure and Sigma SA mount. It has an APS-C-sized sensor, offers medium-format image quality with 39 million pixels and is compatible with all Sigma lenses. The Sigma 30mm f/1.4 is a large-aperture standard lens with an angle of view equivalent to 45mm on a 35mm camera. It's a superb go-to lens for an APS-C-format digital SLR. That's a total prize value of £1,049.99. 1 Lee Stoneman UK 50pts Canon EOS 600D, 28-80mm, 1/40sec at f/22, ISO 100 This image scored consistently well with all the judges. There's much to love in this shot of the Sage Concert Hall in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. It's multilayered,…

Carry bag The kit comes with a lightweight nylon carry bag. Spirit levels Bubble levels on the spider and quick-release clamp help to set the camera straight and level. Arca Swiss clamp The narrow quick-release clamp is compatible with the widely used Arca Swiss dovetail pattern. Weight hook A small spring hook at the end of the centre column allows you to hang your camera bag for greater stability. • £120 • www.benroeu.com WITH photographic gear getting ever more expensive, seeing a carbon-fibre tripod launched for just £120 might appear too good to be true. But that's exactly what Benro has achieved with this new Slim model (TSL08CN00). This isn't for just the leg set, either, as a ball-and-socket head is included in the price. So how has Benro achieved…

LAUNCHED 1935 PRICE AT LAUNCH £65-£87 GUIDE PRICE NOW £800-£1,200 ORIGINALLY known simply as the Contaflex, this twin-lens reflex (TLR) camera later acquired its ‘twin lens' tag to distinguish it from a range of single-lens reflexes with the same name made in the 1950s. Unusually for a TLR, it takes 35mm film. The Contaflex was the first camera equipped with a built-in photoelectric exposure meter, whose selenium cell is found under a flap above the viewing lens. This drives a needle in a window beside the viewfinder that is linked to a lever that moves shutter speeds against an aperture scale. Adjusting the lever until the needle matches a central symbol indicates correct exposure on the two scales. This is then set manually. The shooting lens has a 50mm focal…

New Lastolite panoramic backgrounds Built around a three-panel collapsible lightweight aluminium framework, Lastolite’s new panoramic backgrounds will be available in granite and limestone shades. The stretchable fabric background is crease-free for seamless backdrops, and can be assembled in minutes. It is completely freestanding and is ideal for shooting groups. It costs £600. Canon to open new Japanese factory The world’s biggest camera manufacturer is set to open a new Japanese factory in 2019. Heavily reliant on automation, it will take over production of DSLR cameras. Just over half of Canon’s cameras are made in Japan – the factory aims to boost that number to 60%. Fujifilm teams up with Magnum Camera manufacturer Fujifilm has launched a new collaboration with renowned picture agency Magnum for a major project. Called ‘Home’, an…

THE NEW Insta360 ONE camera shoots 360° 4K video and 24-megapixel photos, with the new model introducing a FreeCapture mode. With it, users can pick out key moments from a 360° video at a later date, using their smartphone display as a viewfinder. Users can move their phone around the scene, as if it was happening in front of them, selecting standard ratio footage and stills. Editing footage this way has not been available on a phone before, and works as if a multi-cam setup covering every angle of the scene had been in place. Other features include six-axis image stabilisation, with an onboard gyroscope for smooth video recording, and a SmartTrack feature. The Insta360 ONE comes as part of a package that includes a case, a camera stand, microSD…

Twenty wildlife accessories Get that perfect shot with help from our selection of choice accessories Wildlife for all seasons What to shoot and where to go in spring, summer, autumn and winter Frans Lanting We talk to the wildlife photography master about his new book Into Africa CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE…

How to isolate the action JUDY Plant took this photograph along London's South Bank. The shot was perfectly timed, but significant portions of the frame add nothing to the story. The main point of interest is the young man balanced in mid-air, so I cropped the image to focus tightly on the action. I then used local adjustments to lighten the surroundings to help isolate him from the background. On a technical note, the photo was captured at 1/25sec. This was fast enough to capture a perfectly sharp image, but with just a small amount of movement blur in the legs. 1 Crop the image The first thing I did was to select the Crop tool and crop the image to apply a portrait format crop. In the Basic panel…

Eleanor Stobbart, Torquay Eleanor has been shooting since she got her first SLR at the age of just 13. This was soon followed by darkroom equipment at the age of 14 and since then doesn't go anywhere without her camera. Her passion lies with portrait, in particular fashion, photography. A tomboy at heart, fashion shoots help Eleanor express her creativity and feminine side. She loves creating stories with her images and injecting her personality into what she captures. While it's a dream to become a professional fashion photographer, Eleanor is always up for new challenges and simply enjoys just shooting! 1 Roksana, Instow Beach At the time Eleanor wanted to add some beach portraits to her portfolio. She’s captured a soft and dreamy shot, which focuses on the beautiful bracelets…

The moment I saw this, I knew I wanted it for this column. It puts me in mind of the painted illustrations in ornithology books from long ago: beautiful, soft, floating in light, along with just about all that you could possibly need to identify the species. I was looking at Adrian’s site because I especially admired his picture of lightning over Brighton Pier; then I saw this. He is excessively modest about it, as though anyone could have taken it. He set up a feeder to attract the blue tits, ‘otherwise they won’t come’, and then pulled the branch into place with a stake and some string so that there was a neutral background behind the bird (the side of a barn). After that, it was ‘only a question…