Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-Mar-2018 i Amateur Photographer

Sharpness, like peace and love, is something many of us strive for but can find difficult to achieve. So in this issue, James Paterson rolls up his sleeves and gets to grips with sharpening tools in the popular editing programs Lightroom and Photoshop (page 20). Rather than general admonitions, there are lots of specific tips to help you get your images as sharp as possible. This is also the time of the year when we see some new cameras roll out, starting with Canon’s first ‘serious’ mainstream mirrorless: the EOS M50. Turn to page 8 for full details. If you want more ‘classic’ technology, check out Part 2 of Matt Parry’s comprehensive guide to black & white film shooting (page 14), stuffed with more helpful exposure and developing tips than…

Cassette end cap remover These are moulded to the top of a 35mm cassette and allow you to quickly remove the end cap. A bottle opener can work just as well. An alternative is a film retriever to pull the film back through the felt opening. Household items A number of household items will come in useful, including scissors to cut the film from the spool and pegs/clips to hang the film. Specially made film clips include a hook. You will need two clips/pegs per filmstrip. Developing tank and spiral This is a light-tight container that allows you to develop film in daylight (once the film has been loaded into it in the dark). The tanks come in a variety of sizes to fit single or multiple film rolls (including…

1 Before you start (in light) Until the film is developed it cannot be exposed to light. Make your workspace light tight or use a changing bag (beginners may find these slightly awkward to use at first). 2 Preparation (in light) Processing a film requires several steps, so get your equipment and work space prepared and organised – especially for the parts that take place in darkness. 3 Mixing your chemicals (in light) Find the required volumes and temperature (normally 20°C), and then mix your developer, stop bath and fixer solutions into labelled containers. 4 Opening the cassette (in darkness) In a light-sealed room (or in a changing bag) open the film cassette with your end cap remover (or film retriever) and find and cut the film's leader. 5 Loading…

Praise for the mental health feature Full marks to AP for the article on how photography can help to improve one's mental health (‘Photography can save your life' in AP 24 February). As someone who works in the community, youth and social work fields, I can vouch for the positive benefits that photography can have on mental health and well-being. I often run and commission photography workshops for young people with challenging behaviours, and have found it a great tool to build self-confidence, improve self-esteem, and other positive changes. Taking pictures helps them to not only learn and explore the world around them, but can also change the way they perceive themselves. When used in a therapeutic environment this can often lead to growth and healing. There are different therapy…

The North of England is home to many areas of outstanding natural beauty, mixed with famous landmarks that go back hundreds of years. One of the most impressive is Ribblehead Viaduct in North Yorkshire, which crosses Batty Moss in the valley of the River Ribble. Built by the navvies between 1870 and 1874, it's made up of 24 arches and is still used today for its original purpose of carrying passengers and freight traffic across by rail. The viaduct is accessed via an off-road track from the B6255 Low Sleights Road, which is a stone's throw from the Station Inn pub. Follow the track for half a mile and it'll take you to the foot of the impressive structure where there are opportunities to capture shots of the arches looking…

Voigtländer Vito shutter won’t fire Q In a local charity shop, I saw an old film camera – a Voigtländer Vito B, priced just £5. I fell in love with it and bought it. It's the first film camera that I have ever owned, or even held, come to think of it. I believe it uses 35mm film but don't have any yet. I am a bit worried that the camera is faulty because the shutter button doesn't do anything. I know this camera is entirely mechanical and doesn't use batteries. My father pointed out that a lever needs to be used to make the shutter work, but it doesn't seem to work. He used to have a film camera, but not like this. Do you have any suggestions? I…

Vision, in the sense of ‘a unique personal way of seeing’, is easier to recognise than to define. If you need help in recognising it, go to www.photomh.com – the ‘mh’ stands for Michael Hassoun. Just about every picture on the website betokens a unique and powerful vision. As happens so often, it was difficult to choose a single representative picture. I hesitated before choosing this one because it is so spectacularly Jewish: the young man on the left, the old man on the poster/ advertisement in the middle, the young-to-middle-aged man in the shtreimel (fur hat) on the right. And, of course, the Hebrew writing is a big giveaway. But then there’s the rainy street, traffic lights, pedestrian crossing, weather-shredded notices on the utility pole: stuff we’ve all seen…

Nikon D850, 600mm, 1/800 sec at f/5.6, ISO 360 This stunning mountain hare portrait was uploaded to our Twitter page using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. It was taken by photographer Nick Hurst. He tells us, ‘The Peak District is well known for its desolate and open tracts of moorland, but not so much for the small population of mountain hares who frequent these slopes. Their white coats are perfectly suited to the winter terrain and in the snow they are particularly difficult to spot. It's always a challenge to capture your subject in harsh weather conditions and sub-zero temperatures. But the cloud had cleared momentarily, and positioned on the snow-covered heather was this handsome chap who seemed quite unperturbed by my presence. I just like the symmetry in this image which…

A GLANCE at the specs sheet of the new Pentax K-1 Mark II suggests that the camera is an incremental upgrade, but there are a couple of interesting new specifications none the less. Most intriguing is Pixel Shift Resolution System II, which now has a new mode that can be used when shooting handheld. Ricoh claims Dynamic Pixel Shift Resolution mode can be used in conjunction with the camera's shake-reduction mechanism to create high-resolution shots without evidence of camera shake. Another new feature is a newly incorporated accelerator unit, designed to help when shooting in low light to produce images with low levels of noise and high detail. ISO sensitivity has also been increased to ISO 819,200, with the promise of improved noise reduction even at such high levels. Features…

Enjoying a spot of winter light, I came across this inscription on a gravestone in Edinburgh's Grange cemetery: ‘He came as an unknown refugee and left a respectable citizen. Human history is a story of migration. Empires were founded by people who moved. Countries have been shaped by people who came from elsewhere to live in them. We have numerous words to describe those who find themselves somewhere other than where they expected to be – for example, refugees, émigrés, expatriates, and economic migrants. Humans do not only experience the pain of exile because of persecution, punishment or flight, but countless humans also feel alienated because of loss, illness, oppression, the breakdown of relations, betrayal and cultural isolation. In such circumstances art can be therapeutic. Photography is a creative outlet…

Liquid or powder developers Film developers come in liquid and powder form. For first-time users I would recommend a liquid developer, as they are very easy to mix and use. Powder developers are typically more economical to use and are perfect for more confident or experienced users. Label the cylinders It is best to prepare all your chemicals in advance for efficient processing. It is worth investing in three sets of measuring cylinders and label them ‘Dev', ‘Stop' and ‘Fix' to avoid contamination. If you have to reuse the same cylinder, wash it thoroughly between chemicals. Correct temperature If you are working in a cold area then you will need to keep your prepared solutions at the correct temperature until you need to use them. To do this you can…

James Paterson James is as skilled a photo editor as he is a photographer. His work has appeared in countless magazines and books, and in 2014 he was appointed editor of Practical Photoshop magazine. His subjects range from portraits to landscapes, architecture and underwater scenes. For James, Photoshop is more than just a work tool. Visit www.patersonphotos.com Sharpening is one of those image-editing tasks that can be frustratingly ambiguous. For those new to the idea of sharpening their photos, several questions arise: When do we sharpen? What tools do we use? And crucially, what is the optimum amount of sharpening to apply? The sharpening tools in Photoshop and Lightroom can be powerful, but for the uninitiated, the terms can seem confusing. For instance, ‘Unsharp Mask’ – one of the best…

1 Sharpening amount Head to Lightroom's Develop Module (or open it in Photoshop's Camera Raw) and go to the Detail Panel. Sharpening is best judged at 100% view (double-click the Zoom tool in Camera Raw or click 1:1 in Lightroom's Navigator Panel). Begin by dragging the Amount slider across to increase the sharpening strength. But note that too much sharpening will increase noise. 2 Control the edges Sharpening is effectively just a very localised shift in contrast – where dark edges meet light edges, the dark side becomes darker, the brighter side lighter. The Radius slider determines the area in which this shift in contrast occurs. For instance, when set to 1.0, the contrast change happens for a distance of one pixel from the edge. I recommend keeping the value…

In the article ‘Get your best-ever prints' in AP 17 February, you infer that Epson does not have ‘gloss optimizer' in its earlier models of photo printers. I have to point out that Epson does have cartridges of this ‘ink'. I have used Epson printers 1290 and R1800, both of which hold cartridges of gloss optimizer, and I guess subsequent models do so as well. If the gloss optimizer box in the printer drivers is set to ‘Auto' it appears to even out the glossy surface of the print on both gloss and lustre papers. I use Ilford Galerie Smooth and PermaJet 280 papers exclusively. For the sake of Epson printer users, could you clarify this point? R King What I wrote was this (apologies if it didn't come through…

Best time Personally, I've always found the viaduct best to photograph later in the day during the winter months as the sun starts to set. This presents the chance to silhouette the arches and create a striking backlit image of a train sweeping across the top. Don't totally disregard a visit on a gloomy or cloudy day though, as there are some very moody, atmospheric black & white shots to be had – just remember to pack your ND grad filter. Attempt the treacherous journey to the viaduct in the snow and you'll be rewarded with a stunning panoramic shot of the outline of the arches against a blanket of white. Steam trains There's no better sight at Ribblehead Viaduct than watching a steam train pass across. It's quite rare…

THE NEW Samyang XP 50mm f/1.2 lens for Canon full-frame DSLRs boasts a resolution of more than 50MP. High-resolution cameras such as the Canon EOS 5DS R are perfectly suited for the lens, but it can of course be used with other Canon DSLRs. With a wide aperture of f/1.2 and manual focusing, the lens is particularly targeted towards portrait photographers, offering a shallow depth-of-field effect. The lens design comprises of nine blades to deliver beautiful bokeh, starburst and out-focusing effects. Designed to minimise distortion, as well as various aberrations, the lens should be available from March 2018, priced around £799. Subscribe to Amateur Photographer SAVE 35%* Visit amateurphotographersubs.co.uk/14AW (or see p54) * when you pay by UK Direct Debit…

THIS week the AP time machine is whizzing back to March 1963, and lots of big events are taking place in the world: the first Beatles LP is about to come out, the civil rights movement is gaining momentum in the USA, and more ominously, a certain Lee Harvey Oswald buys a rifle via mail order. AP's 13 March issue, meanwhile, was focusing on spring, with a picture of a heavily sedated-looking model posing with daffodils on the cover, and a child who seems to want to bite into a lamb's neck on the editor's intro page. The editor, Mr Sowerby, was about to go off to Photokina, the large photography trade show still held in Cologne,Germany; so some things never change. His editorial is interesting, as he talks a…

Matt Parry Matt Parry is an award-winning travel photographer and a regular contributor to magazines and blogs. He is also the marketing manager for Harman Technology (ILFORD Photo), a role that has reignited his love for film photography. See www.mattparryphotography.com If you grew up with film photography then you will no doubt remember the plethora of processing labs in supermarkets, high street chemists and photo retailers. These labs were geared towards processing and printing the large volume of colour film that was being shot. Despite evolving into online or mini-lab services catering primarily to digital prints, there are still many colour facilities on the high street, whereas the options for black & white film have always remained relatively limited. This is mainly because black & white film requires different chemicals…

Photo-chemicals are not hazardous; however it is always worth taking sensible precautions, such as wearing goggles or rubber gloves, to avoid skin irritations or splashes. It is common to get drips when agitating or pouring chemicals, so clean your work surfaces thoroughly. If you use household containers to mix chemicals please do not use them again for preparing food (even after washing). If you have any doubts or concerns when working with chemicals, check the labels on the bottles/boxes as these should contain all the necessary health and safety details as well as information on the safe handling and disposal of the chemicals. These should also be available on the manufacturer's website in a ‘Material Safety Data Sheet'.…

The High Pass technique In Photoshop, hit Cmd/Ctrl+J to duplicate the layer. In the Layers Panel, right-click the layer and ‘Convert to Smart Object', then go to Filter>Other>High Pass. Set amount to about three pixels and hit OK, then change the layer Blend Mode to Overlay for a lovely sharpening effect. If you need to tweak the strength, double-click the layer's smart filter. Sharpening for print When sharpening for print, you should always do so after resizing. The correct resolution for prints is 300 pixels per inch. So a 10in print should be 3,000 pixels wide. Prints have a higher crispness threshold than on-screen, so in general, push the sharpening effect slightly further than you would with an on-screen image. Settings for landscapes and portraits Several sharpening tools offer a…

Ansel Adams is considered one of the most important and influential landscape photographers of the 20th century. He is best known for his iconic images that document US national parks, including, most famously, Yosemite National Park and other protected areas of the great American West. Adams (1902-1984) was born in San Francisco and grew up in the Golden Gate area; his love for nature was developed exploring as a child. His grandfather founded a successful lumber business which his father later inherited, but it collapsed in the financial Panic of 1907. Adams had a troubled school life, and it is thought that he suffered from dyslexia and was even diagnosed as hyperactive. When he was 12 years old, he was withdrawn from the education system and tutored at home. It…

Yasir Mehmood A designer by profession, Yasir Mehmood has been an art lover since an early age. In 2009, he bought his first DSLR, an Olympus E-410, and his passion for photography – in particular, nature – took off. ‘I see insects as objects of genuine beauty,' he says. ‘For me, photography is more than a hobby – it is a tool for gaining an insight into the natural world.' Yasir likes to experiment with techniques and visit various locations in search of new macro subjects. He is also keen to stress that the lack of a macro lens should not inhibit your creativity. ‘I sometimes use a Sigma 70-300mm lens with extension tubes and close-up filters,' he explains, ‘And I love the results.' Visitwww.facebook.com/yasirwildlifephotographer 1 Butterfly heart As a…

Resolution Like most superzooms, the 12-100mm is sharpest in the image centre at wideangle, as confirmed by our Applied Imaging MTF50 tests. It gets progressively softer as you zoom in, but not to a troublesome degree. It’s also much sharper in the corners than lesser-quality high-ratio zooms, especially at longer focal lengths. In general, best results are obtained at f/4-f/5.6. Shading Smaller sensor formats usually suffer less from vignetting, and that’s exactly what we get here. At first sight, things might look bad, with a precipitous drop-off into the corners, but it’s the numbers that matter and at less than 0.7 stops, vignetting is barely visible in real-world use. Closing the aperture down a stop eliminates the effect, too. Curvilinear distortion With software correction automatically applied at every stage in…

Easy to use Simply align two yellow markings and shut the door to load the film. Film slot The Instax print pops out of the slot at the front. USB charging Give the SP-3 a power boost by charging via USB. Print display LEDs indicate how many prints you have left. • £174.99 • www.fujifilm.co.uk INSTAX is Fujifilm's instant camera and printer brand. The SP-3 is a wireless printer that connects to your smartphone or tablet to print any photo stored within (whether taken on your phone or otherwise). If you have one of Fujifilm's newer cameras, such as the X-E3, you will also be able to send your shots taken on the camera directly to the printer. Images are printed at 800x800 dots at 300dpi, which Fujifilm says is…

Some cameras have obscure or esoteric names, for example, the Olympus Ecru that I wrote about in AP 2 December. But there's no mystery with this offering from Agfa – its onomatopoeic name sums it up perfectly. The Clack is dumpy, chunky and boxy. Also, at first sight, you might think the Clack takes square photos, but in fact it shoots 6cm x 9cm negatives, giving eight exposures out of a roll of120 film. I'm in my fifth decade of camera acquisition, and really can't remember where this one came from. It resurfaced in a box of ‘junk' cameras that I'd consigned to the loft many years ago, before I set about using a different one each week. My guess is that it came from a jumble sale in the…