Innholdsfortegnelse for 16-Dec-2017 i Amateur Photographer

Landscapes are justifiably popular, but we wouldn’t blame even the stoutest soul from choosing to stay by the fire rather than yomp around in the freezing mud with tons of camera gear. So to make it easier for you, we asked James Abbott to compile a guide to taking moody winter scenes with minimal gear. He’s done a great job, as you can see on page 14. Other highlights of this packed pre-Christmas issue include a money-saving guide to the best Lightroom alternatives for processing raw files (page 38) and a test of Canon’s fast 85mm (page 47) – a great last-minute stocking filler! Also the winning entries from the British Wildlife Photographer of the Year are on page 26, which will offer tons of inspiration for next year’s entrants.…

1 Think about time of day The most popular time for shooting landscapes is around sunrise and sunset, both of which give the best light quality. But in winter, when the sun is low in the sky for most of the day, you can often get great light in the morning and afternoon too. 2 Check the weather Don't necessarily think of bad weather as a reason not to head out with your camera. Inclement weather can bring with it a great deal of drama, and days when there's a fine line between sunshine and rain can be among the best. 3 Shoot in raw To take advantage of the dynamic range of your camera sensor, and retain more control over how detail and colour are presented in the final…

1 Overall adjustments This sunset needed a bit of a lift, so the first step was to apply some overall global adjustments to warm up the white balance, increase the exposure and contrast, and bring down the highlights a little. 2 Local adjustments The sky needed separate treatment to bring out the details, though, so that meant adding a new adjustment layer with a gradient mask. The sky’s white balance is warmed up further and it is given a strong clarity boost. 3 Copying adjustments There are other photos from the same shoot that need the same treatment. Doing this is easy – there’s an Adjustments tool which can be used to copy all those changes. You can see all the changes displayed in the Adjustments Clipboard. 4 Applying adjustments…

1 Raw Develop filter Luminar doesn’t have a raw develop mode as such. Instead, it opens raw files directly and offers a special Raw Develop filter for adjusting the raw data. Let’s see what it can do with this flat-looking night shot. 2 Adjust controls The Raw Develop Adjust tab offers a relatively limited range of adjustments for just basic parameters such as white balance, tonal controls and a clarity slider. Adjusting these has only brought modest improvements to this image. 3 Lens and Transform controls Luminar does not currently offer automatic lens corrections. Distortion, chromatic aberration and vignette adjustments must be made manually. It’s not hard to get good results, but you will have to crop off distorted edges. 4 Post-raw adjustments Any further enhancements, such as saturation, denoise…

Resolution Sharpness is marginally higher at the centre than at the edge when the lens is used at f/1.4, then improves and peaks at f/5.6. The graph clearly shows the noticeable increase in corner sharpness between f/2.8 and f/5.6, and for the sharpest results from corner to corner, photographers will want to use the lens around its sweet spot of f/5.6-f/8. Good results can be achieved beyond this point, but users should beware that diffraction has the effect of softening images from f/16 onwards. Shading At maximum aperture, corners of images appear approximately 1.4EV darker than the centre. This vignetting isn’t offensive, though, and can help draw the viewer’s eye towards centrally positioned subjects. Stopping down to f/2 sees vignetting reduce considerably and by f/2.8, it’s gone altogether. Curvilinear distortion…

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…

BRITISH LED lighting manufacturer Rotolight has announced its latest continuous light and High Speed Sync (HSS) flash – the Anova Pro 2. Hailed as one of the brightest LED lights ever launched in its class, the Anova Pro 2 delivers 10,700 lux at 3ft. Now in its fourth generation, the Anova Pro 2 is aimed primarily at professional photographers, film and television producers. It offers 70% more power output than its predecessor, with energy-efficient LED panels designed to keep running costs low and battery performance high. Highly accurate colour reproduction is promised, which eliminates or reduces the need for expensive post-production. There is also electronically adjustable colour temperature in both flash and continuous modes. Despite the performance increase, the Anova Pro 2 is the same size as the previous model.…

A NEW feature set to be part of an upcoming release of Photoshop CC has been previewed by Adobe. The ‘Select Subject' tool uses artificial intelligence to detect a subject, creating a selection outline from it. With the tool, you can simply click anywhere on the image and Adobe's Sensei algorithm will automatically identify and select subjects – it even works with multiple subjects. Previewing the new tool on Adobe's YouTube channel, it seems there's some work still needed to make the algorithm perfect, but it should be a quicker and more convenient starting point for making selections than current methods. Most Photoshop users will choose tools such as the Magic Wand, Pen, Lasso and Quick Selection tools to complete a job like this – but this can be laborious,…

‘Photographic tours can have an impact on photogenic places’ I've recently returned from a holiday to Morocco, which I heartily recommend from a photographic perspective (I eschewed Marrakesh in favour of the historic city of Fez, and the unique ‘blue town' of Chefchaouen). When photographer friends heard I was going there, a few warned me that the locals made it 'really hard' to get pictures. I thought about this as I wandered the souks and narrow streets and it is true that you tend to be told 'no photo' by the citizenry more than you do in say, Southeast Asia. You also need to be very respectful of cultural and religious sensibilities regarding the photographing of Muslim women. But are these restrictions such a bad thing? The residents of Fez…

James Abbott James Abbott is a landscape and portrait photographer based in Cambridge. He’s also a freelance photography journalist and editor specialising in photography techniques, tutorials and reviews. If you can think of a subject, he’s probably photographed it. See more of his work at www.jamesaphoto.co.uk KIT LIST Mirrorless camera You can shoot with any camera, and the one you prefer will always be best. While a mirrorless camera isn’t essential, APS-C mirrorless cameras are small and lightweight. Wideangle lens A wideangle lens is always useful and the Samyang 12mm f/2 is a great option. It is ideal for standard landscapes, and perfect for astrophotography, thanks to its large maximum aperture. Travel tripod For keeping weight down, travel tripods are a no-brainer. The Manfrotto Be Free Aluminium Travel Tripod with…

Mike Hilton, Cumbria Mike has always had a passion for creative arts but it wasn't until the first year of his Art Foundation course at college, that he was introduced to film-based photography – and the darkroom and his passion grew from there. Due to his love of technology, digital cameras were a swift progression. With an interest in the outdoors and nature, Mike soon invested in his first DSLR and lenses for wildlife, macro and landscape shooting. In 2015 he moved to the Lake District. Helm Crag Dawn 1 This picture was taken at the summit of Helm Crag overlooking Grasmere after an overnight snow shower. Mike’s decision to include himself in the scene adds a great sense of scale to this epic scene Sony Alpha 7R II, 16-35mm,…

1 Automatic corrections PhotoLab’s default correction profile has made a big difference to this interior shot, lightening the gloomy shadows in the corners of the room and straightening the bowed barrel distortion near the frame edges. 2 Strong Smart Lighting By using DxO’s Smart Lighting tool you can balance the darkest and brightest parts of the picture to produce improved detail in both areas. But pushing the default ‘Slight’ value up to ‘Strong’ improves this picture even further. 3 DxO ClearView DxO’s ClearView tool enables you to reduce haze in outdoor shots in one click. It is also great for boosting clarity and local contrast in general, and it gives this picture added punch. You only get ClearView with the PhotoLab Elite edition. 4 DxO ViewPoint DxO has made its…

Padded bag A simple drawstring bag is included for carrying and storing the tripod. Quick release The camera plate uses the common Arca Swiss dovetail pattern. Carry grip The removable monopod leg has a foam grip, making it more comfortable to hold and carry. Weight hook A retracting hook at the end of the centre column can be used to hang your camera bag for additional stability. Interchangeable feet The rubber feet can be unscrewed and replaced with the supplied metal spikes. • £149.95 • www.manfrotto.co.uk OVER the past few years, Manfrotto has branched out into camera bags and accessories, but I suspect most photographers still see it as primarily a tripod company. Indeed, for decades the Italian brand was the go-to option for serious shooters. Recently, though, it has…

Laurent spent two hours watching the changing light above the Italian town of San Vito di Cadore. It was worth it, he says, and this picture certainly bears out his assertion. One of the strange things about this sort of landscape photography – if there is such a thing as ‘this sort of landscape photography’ – is that it can look unreal and overdone. The simple truth, though, is that nature doesn’t have to fit in with our concepts of restraint and good taste. Sometimes, it just is absolutely over the top, as in this picture, and all we can do is record it. Then we get blamed for over-processing the pictures. Laurent is based in France, and travels all over Europe in a camper van. It is a lot…

PHOTOGRAPHERS can join a series of free Christmas market photography tours taking place in a number of locations across the country including Leeds, Reading, St Albans and Nottingham. The walks, offered in a collaboration between Panasonic and Jessops, will give customers the opportunity to go ‘hands on' with newly announced kit, including the Panasonic Lumix G9. You can also use your own kit. Aimed at all skill levels, a tutor will lead the tour to give you advice on how to capture the best shots, starting with a briefing at a nearby Jessops store. Places are free, but are offered on a first come, first served basis. To book, send an email to events@jessops.com. Subscribe to SAVE 42% * Visit magazinesdirect.com/xmas23, code BNA7. Seepage 7. * when you pay by UK…

This fascinating book focuses on the work of photographer Todd Webb, produced in New York City in the1940s and1950s. Webb photographed the Big Apple day and night, in all seasons and weather. It is classic street photography from an era when the term was seldom used, and covers the whole city, from Brooklyn Bridge to Harlem – all life is here. The book is a rich portrait of the daily life and architecture of New York at its 20th-century cultural peak. Broadway, Sinatra, big cars, a booming postwar economy... It's hard to think of a more brash and confident town than NYC in the 50s, before the anger and alienation of the Vietnam era and decay and soaring crime of the 70s. The city is still fascinating to shoot, but…

Benson and dredgers Excellent interview and piece by Steve Fairclough on the great Harry Benson (‘Harry's Fame' in AP 18 November). I feel it justifies my taking out another year's subscription. Must admit that, back in the 1960's, AP was known by some as ‘Amateur Pornographer'. Would be nice to see more photojournalism features like this, not necessarily pegged on a new book. Peter J Griffiths Those were different times, Peter, but thanks for the nice words! And yes, you can expect a lot more great photojournalism in AP, though a book release means globally celebrated photographers such as Harry are usually easier to pin down for an interview – Nigel Atherton, editor Don’t clear the history I take AP on subscription and generally enjoy it very much. My only…

1 Default raw conversion Affinity Photo’s initial raw conversions look distinctly flat and unsaturated, but this is simply an initial ‘look’ which you can work on very quickly to produce a much stronger-looking image. 2 Basic adjustments Head to the Basics panel to apply simple raw adjustments. This photo benefits from a small Clarity adjustment, substantial Vibrance and Saturation boosts and a small tweak to the White Balance Temperature and Tint sliders to warm up the colours. 3 Detail Refinement If you zoom in to 100%, the fine details in raw files can look a little soft, but that’s before you apply any enhancements. The Detail Refinement panel sharpens up details very effectively with its Radius and Amount sliders. 4 Adjustments and Overlays A useful feature is that you can…