Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Jan-2018 i Amateur Photographer

Given the UK’s range of garden birds and wilder varieties, the popularity of bird photography is no surprise. To get standout shots of our feathered friends can be a challenge though, because you can’t ask them to go back on the twig if you fluff the shot the first time. Never fear, however, as we bring you essential bird photography tips from one of the UK’s finest photographers (page 30) – tips that will be as useful in your garden as at an RSPB reserve. Another highlight of this week’s issue is our review of the impressive mirrorless all-rounder: the Sony Alpha 7R III (page 40). For film buffs, we have part two of Tim Rudman’s guide to creative darkroom toning (page 14), and a review of a stripped-back, keenly…

What's the ideal focal length? You might reply: ‘To photograph what, and how?' The focal length needs to suit the subject and the result you want. It also depends on film (or sensor) format, the foreshortening needed, your photographic style, how sharp you want your image to be (fixed focal length/ prime lenses being usually sharper and less prone to flare than zooms), the freedom to vary framing and viewpoint, and of course what is available to fit your camera: Nikon's F system has never, in my recollection, included a 90mm,120mm or 150mm as other manufacturers did. Photographers debate the range of the ‘ideal' standard zoom. The near 3x ratio of the full-frame Nikon 28-105mm f/3.5-4.5D AF-D IF lens I have is useful for the schools' photography that I do.…

I am a committee member of the RPS Analogue Group whose Chair is your contributor David Healey. He recently showed me a copy of your reply to Bob Hall (‘Stitching sections' in Inbox , AP 16 December 2017) concerning the use of the Fotodiox Pro Lens Mount Adapter for mounting a digital camera body onto a 4x5in view camera. I would like to point out some limitations of using this device. While the mechanical mounting of a digital (or any other) camera body onto a view camera may be possible, there would be limitations to the amount of image area the digital/film sensor can capture. (Note that I am not talking about mounting/film backs onto a view camera). This is due to the sensor/film being located some distance from the…

Simple iron blue Toning on a warmtone paper can give lovely rich blues. This image of the boat out at sea is reminiscent of a quiet sunny summer day on the water, where everything around you is a beautiful, calming blue. Dilute developer A much cooler blue and a blue-grey duotone will result if the blue-toned image is passed briefly through very dilute developer. The richness or coolness of the blue is also influenced by the paper and toner choice. Sepia and blue toning Sepia brown upper tones with blue shadows is the result of sepia split-toning followed by blue toner. The crossover point is determined in the sepia bleach. The colours vary with paper types and toner formulation. Selenium and blue duotoning Brown shadows with blue upper tones result…

The county of Kent has a lot going for it and is often referred to as the garden of England. The North Kent coast might not be well known for its splendour, but just a few miles east of the town Herne Bay lies a gem of a location that's well worth a visit. The 12th-century towers of the former monastic church is a dominant feature in the small village of Reculver and stands out on the skyline for miles around. An unknown fact is that the sea close to the towers was once used to test Barnes Wallis's bouncing bombs during the Second World War, but over hundreds of years the effect of costal erosion has seen much of the original site being lost to the sea. To find…

Photographing garden birds can be the perfect way to juggle a busy family life with photography. But even without time constraints there is an excellent advantage in being on the spot to make the most of good light, frost or snow. It takes thought and patience to do well, as there are many factors to take into account when planning a garden bird shoot. Many of the techniques or opportunities I suggest here could be pursued in a local park where birds may be fed or are tame enough to approach. In the garden you need to decide where you are going to photograph from. Maybe a kitchen window can be opened, with a camouflage net or dark cloth used to help conceal your presence. You might have a garden…

How to alter the viewpoint ROBERT CAPA said, ‘If your photographs aren't good enough, you're not close enough.' David Travis has boldly followed this advice by getting up close to his subject. The original version is well composed. David has balanced the flag with the EDL slogan, the pit bull dog plus owner striking a Winston Churchill pose. In this context, the woman is something of a distraction. The main thing I did was to use a Guided Upright adjustment to distort the perspective deliberately and make it look as if the photo had been taken from a lower angle. 1 Adjust the perspective I began by selecting the Transform tool and clicked on the Guided Upright button. I added a vertical guide that followed the angle of the flagpole…

Connectors On the left side of the body, behind flush-fitting plastic connectors, you’ll find a microphone, headphone, PC sync, HDMI, USB-C, and micro-USB sockets (the latter will accept Sony’s RM-VPR1 wired remote release). Accessories The Alpha 7R III is compatible with the same VG-C3EM Vertical Grip as that used by the Alpha 9. Flash There’s no built-in flash, but the camera has a hotshoe for attaching external units. A PC sync flash socket is also on board for working with studio strobes. Dual card slots Like the Alpha 9 the camera has two SD slots behind a single door, with the lower one adopting the fast UHS-II standard. Power Shared with the Alpha 9, the NP-FZ100 battery is specified for 650 shots using the LCD, or 530 with the EVF.…

Readers of AP are a mixed bunch with diverse interests, but I'm pretty sure this book would appeal to most. It features the work of16 leading landscape exponents, most of whom our readers will be very familiar with – Art Wolfe, Joe Cornish, Tom Mackie, Valda Bailey, and David Noton. There are some curious omissions, the biggest ones being Charlie Waite and Jeremy Walker, but this is nonetheless a good cross section of talent. The book's consultant editor is Ross Hoddinott, a regular AP contributor and talented landscape photographer in his own right, and you can tell that a pro was involved. As well as the judicious choice of images and plethora of technical detail, there are some enlightening Q and As and infograms, which give an insight into the…

Panasonic Lumix G9 Michael Topham tests the impressively spec’d G9 in wild South Africa Huawei Mate 10 Pro Andy Westlake assesses the true potential of this phone’s unique camera The edge of the light Ian Plant shares his pointers on the art of shooting wildlife in low light…

Tim Rudman Tim Rudman works exclusively with film and darkroom printing processes. He has taught masterclass printing workshops around the world, and his books on printing include the go-to book on toning The Master Photographers Toning Book. His latest book, Iceland: An Uneasy Calm, is available from www.iceland-anuneasycalm.com. The exhibition is currently touring the UK. For more, see www.timrudman.com . Toning is an integral part of the darkroom print-making process and it has often been said that a print is never finished until it is toned. As discussed in the first part of this feature (AP 18 November, Get terrific tones) toning is commonly undertaken to increase print luminosity and archival ‘permanence’ with or without significant colour change. In this second part we look at a different group of toners…

Have some fun These toners are easy and fun to use. Colour can be such an important communicator in monochrome prints. Common features Although brands are often formulated differently, the metal ferrocyanide family of toners all work in similar ways and have a number of features in common. Take care These are usually mono-bath toners, where the bleach and toner are mixed together just before use. Use small amounts and replace frequently. Ensure you lift the print to assess progress or slide into a waterbath. Wash well These toners will mercilessly expose any sloppy pre-toning technique. Make sure your prints are fully developed, properly fixed and well washed before you begin. Without a darkroom You can work in normal room lighting here. However, strong direct sunlight is better avoided. Always…

Before jumping in your car and heading off to a great photo location, it's always worth doing some research so you know the best way to approach it. Here are a few tips to get the most out of your visit to Reculver. Best time Reculver Towers can be quite a difficult location to shoot, because you need the lighting conditions and tide to be perfect at the same time. Judge it right though and you'll walk away very satisfied. If you'd like to frame the flowing water in the bottom left corner of the frame and not have the drop of the water (from the ledge into the sea) spoilt by the rising tide, you're best attempting the shot when the tide is out. During October the sun sets…

Plan for the weather When snow or frost is forecast ensure your perches or any other props are in place the night before. If a heavy frost is on the cards try spraying a perch, plus any attractive berries or foliage, with water to emphasise the frosty look the next day. Create a pool Garden birds like to drink and bathe, so try to create a natural-looking pool. A shallow tray from a garden centre sunk in the ground close to cover and decorated with moss and stones will make a photogenic set-up. But beware of attracting local cats that may try to make a kill. Get creative When birds are bathing or perched in falling snow, a slower shutter speed will blur the water or streak the snow for…

SONY HAS INTRODUCED a new ‘Pixel Shift Multi Shooting' mode that uses the IS system to take four frames of the same scene while shifting the sensor precisely one pixel between each, rather like we've previously seen on Pentax DSLRs. It writes four standard ARW raw files to card, which can then be combined to a new ARQ format using Sony's Imaging Edge software on a laptop or desktop computer. This produces a composite file with full-colour sampling at each pixel location, which can be output in either JPEG or TIFF format. In the camera's default set-up, the mode can only be engaged from the menu, but I added it as a shortcut to the Fn menu in place of focus mode. One disadvantage is that the camera has to…

Thread mount The standardised 3/8in tripod thread in the unit’s base means the unit can be mounted on a stand or grip. LED modelling lamp There’s a 1W LED modelling lamp and 8W flash with five steps of adjustment ranging from 1:1 to 1:16. Bluetooth The built-in Bluetooth 4.0 module communicates with smartphones via the Quadralite Photo App. Magnetic mount The magnetic patch allows easy mounting to smartphones and metal surfaces. USB input The A1 features USB-C and 2.5mm flash sync cable inputs. • £79 • www.quadralite.eu WHILE the image quality of smartphones is constantly improving, their small sensors still struggle at times. A number of lighting products promise to boost the low-light performance of smartphone cameras, but the Quadralite A1 offers a little extra. If it looks familiar, this…

Nikon unveils pro-spec zoom at CES Nikon has used the CES 2018 tech show to release its new professional-spec telephoto zoom: the AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR. This FX-format lens features a built-in 1.4x teleconverter. When employed the teleconverter turns it into a 252-560mm lens with a 1-stop reduction in maximum aperture. This monster lens weighs a whopping 3.5kg, is fully weather sealed and supports drop-in 40.5mm filters. It’s expected to be available from March with a price tag of £10,999. New Nik Collection promised this year DxO, the company that purchased Nik Collection from Google last year, has publicly announced its plans to create a new version of the photo-editing software. No details have been given on the exact release date or how much it will…

SAMYANG'S first autofocus lens for Canon cameras has been announced in the shape of the wideangle AF 14mm f/2.8 EF prime lens. The optical construction of the lens features a total of 15 lenses in 10 groups. These include two aspherical lenses, four high-refractive lenses and one extra-low dispersion lens, which are included to minimise distortion and various aberrations, while also producing super-high resolution. The minimised weight and movement of the focusing lens group aims to enable quiet and accurate autofocusing. Weighing only 486g (without lens cap and hood), the new optic also features weather-sealing and a built-in AF/MF switch. Available from February, the Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 EF lens will retail for around £649. That makes it significantly cheaper than Canon's own EF 14mm f/2.8L II USM lens which…

Toner kits Liquid kits are for mixing immediately before use. The Fotospeed Palette multi-toner kit includes yellow, blue and red (iron and copper), which can be combined for other colours. Trays Use clearly labelled graduates and trays. Use small amounts of toners and standby trays for water baths, developer, salt solution and fixer. Salt Household salt and possibly some sodium thiosulphite (hypo) and sodium carbonate. The latter are useful but not essential. Nitrile gloves I find gloves are far better than tongs with these toners, as print handling is more accurate and secure. Handle only by the borders and avoid any unnecessary contact or contamination. Cotton wool swabs Useful for cleaning print borders and gently swabbing the print surface as deposits build up. Copper toning gives a velvety surface that…

Kelly McCann, Hong Kong Having moved to Hong Kong earlier this year, Kelly regularly finds herself seeking harmony and isolation in the crowded, urban chaos around her. She has been interested in photography since her father bought her a second-hand camera at the age of 17, and loves the way that the medium allows her to share her view of the world. At the age of 23, she decided to leave her job and study photography full time. Since graduating, Kelly has continued to explore different genres and is now developing her abstract, architectural and minimalist portfolios. 1 Salisbury Road Kelly was aiming for a symmetrical, high-contrast image of the Auditoria building in the Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 24-105mm, 1/160sec at f/18, ISO 100…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details Sony has used the same 42.4MP BSI CMOS sensor as we previously saw in the Alpha 7R II, and just as in that camera, it gives absolutely superb results. Not only does it provide stunning levels of detail at low sensitivities, it also provides perfectly usable images at much higher settings than you might expect, with ISO 12,800 or even ISO 25,600 being perfectly feasible. The raw files are highly malleable, too, and it's possible to extract a lot of extra detail from deep shadows in post-processing without bringing up excessive noise. Resolution With its 42.4MP sensor and no low-pass filter, the A7R III gives impressive results, resolving 4,800 l/ph before the…

For well over 100 years, BJP Almanacs were definitive and indispensable books. Each year, our most excellent rival, the British Journal of Photography, published a new volume replete with technical information, new products, an epitome of progress, obituaries, chemical formulae and wonderful advertisements. For the student of photographic history, they are equally invaluable. I first encountered them around 50 years ago and today I have quite a few. This is from the Gravure section of the 1937 Almanac (my 1937 and 1932 Almanacs are falling apart, so I checked them first as the easiest to copy from). Thanks to the Vandyck Printers Ltd of Bristol, reproduction quality was superb, and subject matter widely varied: landscapes, still lifes, genre scenes and much else. In the 1920s and 1930s, though, Keith Dannatt’s…