Innholdsfortegnelse for 03-Mar-2018 i Amateur Photographer

This week we’re all about photographing the familiar in fun, creative ways – be it spring flowers or garden birds. Turn to page 12 for lots of ideas and inspirational tips for flower images you’ll treasure all year long. Meanwhile, Andrew Fusek Peters shares excellent techniques on how to use flash to transform those otherwise ho-hum shots of garden birds (page 32). As we’ve said before, great photography is not dependant on fancy gear, and minimalist master Michael Kenna proves this again (page 18) with his beautiful images taken with a Holga ‘toy’ camera. There’s loads to enjoy, but before I sign off, a big thanks to all our readers for helping AP post an impressive circulation increase in the latest magazine sales figures from the Audit Bureau of Circulation…

Build quality The X-H1’s magnesium alloy body is 25% thicker than the X-T2’s body Exposure compensation There is a new exposure compensation button that’s positioned to the side of the shutter button Dual card slots The X-H1 features dual card slots, both of which are UHS-II compatible to handle high-data rates Start-up The start-up time of the X-H1 is rated at 0.4sec – marginally slower than the X-T2 (0.3sec) Shutter Fujifilm has made the X-H1’s mechanical shutter quieter by surrounding the shutter unit with shock absorbers THE arrival of the Fujifilm X-H1 is the most exciting release in the X-series since the launch of the X-T2, slotting in at the top of the X-series line-up above its sister model and the X-Pro2. It has a comprehensive specification for serious stills…

Ross Hoddinott Ross Hoddinott is one of the UK’s leading outdoor photographers. He is a multi-award winning artist and author of eight books. Ross has been an Ambassador for Manfrotto and Nikon UK. To see more of his work, visit www.rosshoddinott.co.uk . Wildflower landscapes We all love close-ups of flowers, but to provide context swap your macro lens for a wideangle one. Wideangles typically have a short minimum-focusing distance, enabling photographers to take photographs from up-close, often within 50cm. By getting close and going wide, you can show blooms within their environment and capture flower images with a three-dimensional feel. You could buy a dedicated wideangle macro – like Laowa's LX FX 15mm f/4 Wide Angle macro – but a standard wideangle lens will also suffice. 1 Tread carefully When…

Street smarties I know the feeling experienced by Stevie Smith in his letter ‘Who you looking at?' (‘Inbox' in AP 17 February). It is intimidating to go out there and do something others might not approve of or would even strongly object to. I've been a keen street photographer for six years now – started with photographing the backs of people, then progressed to facing them, but from a distance. Then I decided I just needed to display some confidence and see how it went. In all these years, I have only been confronted once, and then too the people who confronted me weren't even the subjects I was photographing. On most occasions, a smile does the trick. I use three golden rules: (1) Act confidently, even if you don't…

Interchangeable-lens cameras come in two types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, and mirrorless models with electronic viewing Controls Entry-level cameras tend to have simple, easy-to-understand controls, while more expensive models add lots of buttons and dials to give quick access to settings. Handgrip DSLRs traditionally have relatively large handgrips, while many mirrorless models have much smaller grips to keep size down. However, some can accept accessory grips to improve handling with larger lenses. Lens mount Each camera brand uses its own lens mount, and mirrorless cameras use different lenses to DSLRs even from the same brand. However, mirrorless models can often use DSLR lenses via a mount adapter. Viewfinder The biggest difference between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is that the latter use electronic, rather than optical viewfinders. They’re more power hungry,…

‘It boasts near-zero distortion and minimal chromatic aberration, flare and ghosting’ SIGMA has announced a new wideangle Art lens to add to its ever-expanding, high-performance Art lens series, designed specifically for superior sharpness. The company says the 14-24mm f/2.8 HSM Art lens is targeted towards high-resolution cameras of 50MP and above, such as the Canon EOS 5DSR, as the lens achieves ultimate sharpness. Though there are no other DSLRs offering such a high resolution, cameras such as the Nikon D850 get pretty close with a 45.7MP sensor. Lens design comprises three FLD glass elements, three SLD glass elements and three aspherical lens elements, including one 80mm high-precision moulded glass aspherical element. Boasting near-zero distortion and minimal chromatic aberration, flare and ghosting, the lens also offers a constant f/2.8 aperture throughout…

A MAJOR PUBLISHER of local newspapers, Newsquest, has upset some press photographers and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) after giving out awards to titles that use a lot of photos from camera clubs they've set up. The company's Weymouth centre, which produces the Dorset Echo and Bridport & Lyme Regis News has been awarded £4,000 for having both the highest percentage of unpaid community content and camera club pictures. Toby Granville, Newsquest's editorial development director, told Holdthefrontpage.co.uk that ‘The UGC (user-generated content) contest was focused on using more of the fantastic photographs produced by our very successful camera clubs.' However, the NUJ is launching a campaign aimed at ensuring fair payment for amateur photographers. A freelance press photographer, who wished to remain anonymous, said to AP: ‘Newsquest is making…

I write to compliment Tracy Calder on her ‘Viewpoint' column in AP 24 February. The term ‘monkey chatter' describes perfectly what often goes on in my head. When coupled with my tinnitus, concentration on making a photograph can be difficult. I feel Tracy may also be acquainted with the book Wherever You Go, There You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn – a book that has nothing to do with photography, but everything to do with calming those monkeys. Having a small photography project really helps me to concentrate and subdue the effects of monkey chatter, and bring to the fore my creativity. It is also very interesting that Tracy's piece was linked to Geoff Harris's article (‘Photography can save your life' in AP 24 February) which deals with stress, anxiety and…

1 An overcast day, rain or snow are brilliant conditions for this kind of high-speed flash work, as the flashguns won't be fighting against the sunlight. 2 Your camera and lens need to be at exact right-angles to the feeders and branch set-up. If birds flare up, you have a better chance of catching them. 3 Make sure your wireless flash trigger is seated firmly in the hotshoe and adjust the settings on the back of your camera to manual, full zoom and to 1/32 power. 4 Focus on the exact spot where the food is hidden. If necessary, put something on the spot and use live focus zoomed 5 If exposing for darkness, start with 1/200sec at f/16 to f/20 and ISO 400 to ISO 1,250, depending on the…

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…

LENSBABY has revealed the Burnside 35, the world's first wideangle lens to use a Petzval design. With a maximum aperture of f/2.8, the lens is designed to have a bright central area that gives sharp focus as well as striking colour rendition. Another stand-out feature of the lens is an effect slider, which acts as a second internal iris to change the shape and amount of swirl in the bokeh, while adding or removing vignette and centre brightness. Featuring an all-metal construction, the lens will be available for Canon EF, Nikon F, Sony A, Pentax K, Micro Four Thirds, Sony E, Fujifilm X and even Samsung NX mount. Subscribe to Amature photographer SAVE 35%* Visit amateurphotographersubs.co.uk/14AW (or see p46) * when you pay by UK Direct Debit…

NOBODY can accuse AP's cover image from 1982 of not being eye-catching, but it would be so for all the wrong reasons today. That dress is putting up a brave struggle, but we fear it's about to lose the fight... Nice lighting, though. The rest of the coverlines had more CAPITALS than a social media row about Brexit – everything was bold, brassy and in your face back then. Inside the magazine, ‘Garlic, Gauloises and a Good Time' was a not-at-all-stereotypical photo-documentary jaunt around France, while the editor betrayed his musical tastes by running a big piece on ethereal prog-rock chanteuse Annie Haslam (anyone remember Northern Lights?). The Renaissance warbler could take a mean photograph too. Technique-wise, there were some great tutorials, and ‘Working with Wets' – nothing to do…

‘Decay is so popular because it’s the perfect photographic storm’ Why do so many photographers love architectural decay? From America's Eric Holubow and Johnny Joo, to Niki Feijen from the Netherlands, and Britain's Rebecca Bathory and Matt Emmett, it seems that an increasing number of image makers, the world over are seeking out derelict buildings to record in loving detail. Maybe it's because decay is actually quite attractive. Like painters before them, photographers have been drawn to ruins from the earliest days. William Henry Fox Talbot chose the tomb of Sir Walter Scott buried in the Gothic ruins of Dryburgh Abbey for a shot in 1847, and another 19th-century pioneer, Frederick Archer, made the derelict Kenilworth Castle one of his first subjects. By the 1870s a ‘Society for Photographing Relics…

When Robert Doisneau died in April 1994, he left behind some 450,000 negatives. An impressive figure, considering photography was not his first profession. Doisneau was born in Gentilly, France, in April 1912, and was raised by his aunt; his father died in WWI and his mother died when he was seven. He spent his youth ‘behind the macramé curtains of a conventional middle-class family’. His aunt was keen to educate him in music and the arts, and was not impressed when he expressed an interest in photography. As a result, Doisneau learnt engraving and lithography at the Estienne School in Paris, graduating in 1929. Having completed his studies, his attention returned to his first love: photography. While working for the advertising department of a pharmaceutical company, he began roaming the…

Windows Photo Editor swap Q I currently use an Olympus Pen E-PL6 compact camera. Images are downloaded to my laptop via the Olympus Viewer software. Previously, I used to edit pictures using the Windows Photo Editor program, but I recently had to update my laptop to a new version of Windows 7. Can you suggest some free or inexpensive editing software I could use, which is compatible with Windows 7, as I no longer have the Windows editing software. I can edit thumbnails in the Olympus Viewer but need something to edit photos in library mode. Any help is appreciated. Mhairi Chambers A It sounds like what you need is the photo-editing component of Microsoft’s free Windows Live Essentials suite. Microsoft ended support for this a year ago and also…

‘It wasn’t so much the FSA that pulled the USA out of the Depression. It was more likely World War Two’ Some pictures jump out and grab you, and it takes a little while to understand why. Obviously the extremely dramatic lighting plays a large part here, but the straw hats, dungarees, bare feet and fishing pole are important, too. They are the stuff of a thousand saccharine pictures in which modern kids are dressed up as poverty-stricken urchins from the1930s and1940s, photographed in black & white, and then hand coloured. The photographs, that is, not the kids. Now, I do not want to imply for a moment that the children were not enjoying themselves. I can remember only too well what it was like to be a very lightly…