Innholdsfortegnelse for 06-Jan-2018 i Amateur Photographer

Portrait photography is tough enough as it is, but imagine setting yourself the challenge of shooting the SAME person in 50 different ways. After you’ve tried a few locations and assorted hats, I wager you’d start to run out of ideas, but it can be done – turn to page 12 to see how one photographer did it. Other highlights of our portrait special include the best people shots from APOY, and a fascinating interview with a photographer who shot yoga masters using the Victorian wet collodion process. The images look amazing, but wet collodion is about the longest route possible to getting a picture – turn to page 28 for the full story. Factor in a review of Leica’s CL mirrorless and a review of a Tokina prime, and…

The internet hosts a marvellous melange of quotations concerning chimpanzees and typewriters; you know the kind. That an infinite number of chimps, thumping away, over an infinite number of typewriters, would eventually write an episode of Hancock’s Half Hour. However, given enough time, perhaps, as much as a half hour, I believe you could take one of those chimps and teach it to edit a tabloid newspaper. Now, I would say that, wouldn't I? Me – an angry, bitter, has-been, ex-picture editor, with an axe to grind because he feels his career was cut short. Not by the fickle hand of fate, but by short-sighted editors. In reality though it was the digital disrupters who threw me on the scrap heap. I loathe the digital economy in particular, and the…

‘The book explores camera techniques that cover a range of portrait scenarios’ Written from the perspective of both photographer and model, One Face, Fifty Ways is an illustrated book that offers an insight into how to expand your skills as a portrait photographer. The book explores camera techniques over a range of portrait scenarios, and provides an insight into how to best communicate with your models and work with them to achieve the best results. The duo behind the book also created WeeklyImogen, a YouTube channel, that provides photography tutorials on their joint experiences as both a model and photographer as they venture out to different locations. The aim, unusually, is to show the portrait shoot from not only the perspective of the photographer but also that of the model.…

THE WET collodion process was invented by Frederick Scott Archer in 1851. Put very simply, the process involves adding a soluble iodide to a solution of collodion (cellulose nitrate) and coating a glass plate with the mixture to create an image. The photographic material needs to be coated, sensitised, exposed and developed in less than 15 minutes, so exponents need a darkroom, either fixed or portable. Francesco used a custom-made camera, which was built for him in 2005, and an 1870 Petzval lens with a focal length between 85-100mm. ‘It has a very shallow depth of field. The sharpness of the subject and the shallowness of the background is one thing, and then there is the relative sharpness of the subject and the movement of the background. I love the…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details Inside the Leica CL is a thoroughly modern 24.2-million-pixel APS-C sensor, which means its raw image quality is very good indeed, and essentially a match for modern APS-C DSLRs. The camera delivers a huge amount of detail at low sensitivities, aided by Leica's excellent lenses, and there's huge scope for pulling extra detail out of deep shadows. Noise only really becomes visible at ISO 1600 and above, and I'd be perfectly happy to shoot at ISO 6400 as a matter of course. Resolution Tested using the new Leica Elmarit-TL 18mm f/2.8 lens set to an aperture of f/5.6, the CL delivers impressive results in our resolution tests. At ISO 100, it achieves…

Removable shoulder strap This tough webbing sling is adjustable across a huge range of lengths, from 1m to 1.7m. Base pad If you need extra depth, the 3cm-thick padded base can be removed from the bag completely. Front pocket A simple slip-in pocket at the front of the bag will hold spare batteries, memory cards, and maybe a filter or two. Carry loop Allows the bag to be slotted on to a belt for extra security, although it’s pretty bulky to carry this way. • www.billingham.co.uk • £99.99 British camera bag maker Billingham has been busy over the past year, filling-out its catalogue beyond its staple line-up of hardwearing shoulder bags for SLR systems. Its latest model, the 72, is its smallest camera bag of all. Designed for petite…

‘Technical problems large and small, are all part of the fun’ Zeiss Ikon and Voigtländer are two of the big names in 20th-century European camera making. They were rivals for decades, so it comes as something of a surprise to find both names appearing on one camera. The explanation is that the former bought the latter in1956, and for a short time until around 1970, both names appeared on some of the cameras. It was week 410 of my self-imposed quest to use a different film camera each week when it was the Vitessa 500 AE's turn. I think it's fair to say that in the eight years of the project so far, I've learned a little bit about a lot of cameras. Even one I've never seen before usually…

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…

Nikon D800, 28-300mm, 1/1600sec at f/6.3, ISO 200 This early-morning shot was uploaded to our Twitter page using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. It was taken by photographer Andrea Heribanova. She tells us, ‘I mostly shoot landscapes, but this autumn I visited Richmond Park in London at sunrise and fell in love with the place, and returned a number of times since then. I visit once or twice a week. This particular morning was the best with mist, frost and sunshine. I was following this stag for quite some time until he disappeared in the thick mist. It was a wonderful morning with an amazing light and I enjoyed watching the stag's behaviour. For a while I even forgot I'm in the city!' Win!  Each week we choose our favourite picture on…

Round Eight Portraits MARCO TAGLIARINO from Italy is the winner of the final round of APOY 2017. Marco takes home a Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens worth £1,199.99. The lens is popular with portrait photographers, partly owing to the attractive bokeh it delivers. The effect is so precise that you can focus on the pupil of the subject's eye, while blurring the eyelashes. The lens delivers ultra-high resolution, and is an excellent match for full-frame DSLRs offering 50-million-pixel or higher resolution. 1 Marco Tagliarino Italy 50pts Canon EOS 6D, 16-35mm, 1/500sec at f/4, ISO 200 Point of view is everything in this portrait. Using a 16-35mm lens at f/4 has allowed Marco to include plenty of the net, while simultaneously throwing any potentially distracting details out of focus.…

WHEN users search Instagram for hashtags associated with harmful behaviour to animals or the environment, such as #koalaselfie, #slowloris, and #elephantride, they will see an advisory screen. Instagram is also directing people charities that work to combat wildlife crime to find out more, including the World Wildlife Fund, TRAFFIC and World Animal Protection. The screen that appears reads: ‘Animal abuse and the sale of endangered animals or their parts is not allowed on Instagram. You are searching for a hashtag that may be associated with posts that encourage harmful behaviour to animals or the environment.' SAVE 42%* Visit magazinesdirect.com/ap1, code BXM7 (see page 50) * when you pay by UK Direct Debit…

IN THE week that Never Ever by All Saints topped the UK pop charts, AP led with our exclusive interview with David Bailey in celebration of his 60th birthday. One of his portraits of Jean Shrimpton graced the cover. Another AP regular Bob Carlos Clarke, also featured. Current AP editor Nigel Atherton was Technique editor at the time and wrote about photographing lightning. Our crystal ball must have been in need of a service that week, as our feature on APS film predicted a rosy future for the format. Oh dear. We clearly didn't see the digital juggernaut speeding towards us. In the ad pages City Camera Exchange was offering a Canon EOS 50 E, with 28-80mm lens, for £489.99 in its ‘Price Blitz'- a saving of £160. A Nikon…

I've been an avid reader of your magazine for years. I love taking photos and also researching the latest equipment. I am forever learning and find many articles really interesting and helpful. However, I never enter competitions; I doubt my photos are good enough. But I was prompted by your news article inviting entries for the BBC Children in Need This is Britain book sponsored by Photobox, with images chosen by Rankin (News Round-up in 14 October 2017). I decided to send in a favourite image taken at the National Tramway Museum in Crich, Derbyshire. Then I forgot about it, until I got an email from Rory Scott at Photobox telling me my photo had not only been chosen, but was on the front cover. At first I thought it…

AP receives a steady stream of books for review, so it takes something special to stop us in our tracks. Yoga: The Secret of Life by US photographer Francesco Mastalia is one such book, being a collection of portraits of yoga masters taken using the Victorian wet collodion process. The images are stunningly beautiful. Compared to digital photography, wet collodion is mind bogglingly time-consuming and fiddly, so we caught up with Francesco to find out why (and how) he used a 19th-century process to document 21st-century yoga masters. Francesco lives and works in the Hudson valley in New York State, and cut his photographic teeth in New York City as assistant to commercial photographers. ‘I knew from an early age that I wanted to be a photographer and when I…

Wi-Fi Allows image sharing and remote control from a smartphone using the free Leica CL app for Android or iOS. Connectors There’s no point in looking for USB, HDMI, or remote release ports. The CL doesn’t have any. Hotshoe There’s no built-in flash, but external add-on flash units can be used, such as Leica’s compact but fully featured SF 40. OLED display A small top-plate panel shows key exposure settings, including shutter speed, aperture, exposure compensation and ISO, and is especially useful when shooting with the viewfinder. Battery The CL employs the same BP-DC12 Li-ion battery as the Leica Q, promising 220 shots per charge. It can only be charged externally.…

Sharpness Tested on the 42MP Alpha 7R II, our Image Engineering MTF 50 results mirror real-world observations. The lens is stunningly sharp in the centre at f/2, with peak results measured at f/2.8. The corners are quite a long way behind at large apertures, but sharpen up progressively on stopping down, giving very good results by f/5.6. At f/16, diffraction softens the image slightly. Shading As tends to be the case with full-frame fast primes, we see considerable vignetting at f/2, with illumination in the corners of the frame two stops lower compared to the centre. Close down the aperture to f/4 and this drops to one stop, but it doesn’t reduce any further at smaller settings. Curvilinear Distortion While measured distortion figures are very low, examination of the pattern…

Olympus fisheye bodycap lens on a Lumix G7? QI am thinking of getting an Olympus body cap fisheye lens to use with my Panasonic Lumix G7, which is also pretty new to me and is my first camera using interchangeable lenses. Is this lens compatible with the G7, and what is the best setting to use? I understand it has no digital contacts. Salwa Leighton A Yes, it's compatible. You can use this lens on your G7 in either M (Manual) or A (Aperture priority) modes. The lens has a fixed aperture and there is no autofocusing. In M mode you will need to set the shutter speed yourself. In A mode the camera will automatically adjust the shutter speed in response to the brightness of the scene even though…

Ah, winter! Snowy peaks under blue skies; bracing walks. Gorgeous landscapes in the Alps, the Himalayas, the Rockies – choose your continent. Or alternatively, grey skies and driving snow. Which, let’s face it, most of us are more likely to see when it snows. So what can we do? The answer, as so often in photography and indeed in life itself, is that we work with what we’ve got. Forget cameras and lenses, I’m talking about places, thoughts, emotions, experiences. I chose this picture for two reasons. First, I wanted something wintry that didn’t reflect all the clichés. Second, I like its ambiguity. Is he trying to get away from it all, whatever ‘it all’ may be? If so, why? Time to think, time to nurse a broken heart, or…