Innholdsfortegnelse for 09-Jun-2018 i Amateur Photographer

I recently bought a return flight to Milan for £50, which is less than it costs for a peak day return train ticket from Brighton to London. Travelling to Europe has never been cheaper, and the internet makes it easy to find the perfect hotel at a bargain price. This is all great news if you’re into street, travel or architectural photography. This week frequent traveller Geoff Harris presents some tips on how to make the most of a short break to Europe, to ensure you return with pictures to be proud of. If you’d like to do some editing while you’re away James Paterson offers tips on using the Lightroom CC for Mobile app. Finally we talk to photojournalist Patrick Brown about his powerful work on the Rohingya crisis,…

A COLLABORATIVE photography project ‘24hrLDN' is aiming to capture a photograph of the capital city London from each hour of a single day. The final project will feature 24 images by 24 photographers and will be displayed as part of the London Photo Show at the Bargehouse Gallery in October this year. This project is an attempt to freeze 24 moments in the story of the city of London. 24hrLDN is seeking 24 photographers of any level or background. Tutors from the 36exp Photographers' School will help the selected photographers. You can apply to be one of the photographers by visiting londonphotoshow.org/24hrldn-project/, and briefly tell the organisers why you think you're right for the project as well as including a link to some of your work. Visit amateurphotographersubs.co.uk/15CS (or…

OH, the sins of the fathers. Last week we had nudes on the floor cavorting with apples, the week before we were treated to a bikini-clad model on a sheepskin rug and this week we have a not-at-all-offensive image of a fenced-in woman, missing a bra. The coverline clanger manages to make things even worse: ‘Pictures designed to snare!' She also appears to be on the set of Dr Who or Blake’s 7 judging by the hokey sci-fi background. Thankfully things get sensible inside, with an in-depth look at second-generation Minolta AF compacts, and an evocative photo project on rural life in the Lake District. These craggy rustics are probably long gone, and their cottages used as holiday homes by BBC producers from Manchester, but there you go. There's also…

Pentax is one of the most iconic brands in photography. Indeed for anyone who started out in the latter part of the last century, it belongs alongside Canon, Nikon, and Olympus as one of the finest makers of 35mm SLRs. It was responsible for classics such as the inexpensive K1000 on which many photographers first cut their teeth, or at the other end of the scale, the pro-grade LX that remained in production for more than two decades. Sadly, though, there's another group of contemporaries I could also mention, including Konica, Minolta and Yashica. All were companies that once upon a time made excellent products but who, for one reason or another, ended up leaving the camera business. It's this group that I fear Pentax seems destined to join. Pentax…

Try long exposures Even in tourist hotspots, taking a long exposure at the blue hour can be very satisfying. Street lights become interesting star bursts and heavy traffic turns into colourful traffic trails. For star bursts try a smaller aperture between f/14 and f/20, and a shutter speed between 10-20 sec for traffic trails. A tripod is usually a must. If you can’t beat ’em, ghost ’em Even if you get up early it can be hard to avoid crowds, and sometimes people give more atmosphere to your shots. Setting a slower shutter speed, e.g. below 1/15sec, enables you to create motion blur or ‘ghost' crowds, which can be a pleasing effect. A Lee Filters Big Stopper can be used to blur people out. Exposure modes and ISO Manual exposure…

Justin Minns Justin is a landscape photographer and workshop leader who has been working with the National Trust for several years. His images have been widely recognised in photography competitions including Landscape Photographer of the Year.Visit www.justinminns.co.uk. Symmetry Balance is at the heart of composition. Often that means visually balancing elements, tones or colours within the image to create a feeling of harmony rather than a literal, symmetrical balance. Occasionally though a subject lends itself to using symmetry, and Bodiam Castle is just such a place. To embrace the castle's horizontal and vertical symmetry, shoot straight on and position everything centrally in the frame. Placing the subject in the centre is usually something to avoid as it can result in a static composition, but in this case it reinforces the…

Probably the Mark II's most intriguing feature is its handheld pixel-shift mode. This is enabled by setting Pixel Shift Resolution function to ‘Image Stabilisation On'. The camera will then take four exposures and align them to produce a composite file. It's clear from the outset that this mode isn't doing the same thing as conventional pixel-shift. For a start, the camera uses the mechanical (rather than electronic) shutter to shoot the four frames, in noticeably quicker succession. But it then spends an inordinate amount of time aligning the exposures and processing the file, locking you out from taking another picture for 30 seconds or more. As with conventional pixel-shift you end up with a raw file that's typically 170MB, compared to 45MB for a single shot, meaning it contains the…

When set to its lowest ISO 100 setting, the K-1 Mark II delivers extremely clean, detailed images that surpass almost anything else at its price point. Noise only starts to become visible beyond ISO 800 when examining images close-up, and detail is still maintained very well at ISO 3200. After this things progressively degrade, with ISO 25,600 losing all fine detail and suffering from reduced colour saturation. By ISO 51,200, files are barely usable and just like the original K-1, higher settings should be avoided. The top two ISOs seem to be little more than a marketing gimmick, giving extremely noisy images in which the subject is barely even recognisable.…

AT A time when awareness of the impact of negative body image is growing, and when the public can now spot a Photoshop fail a mile off, retouching tools like this may attract a degree of controversy or suspicion. But Portrait Professional is very, very good – not just in terms of its overall results, but in treading that fine line between enhancement and idealisation. However, you do need to be able to see where that line is. If you cross it, your subject stops looking like the real-life person you photographed and instead starts to look like a model, and that can be flattering and unflattering at the same time. It's great for professional models whether they are male or female (Portrait Professional is equally good at both), but…

Manfrotto’s Pro Light collection is made up of a wide variety of bags to cater for all types of DSLR and mirrorless users. If you’re after a bag with more space for camera kit than the Pro Light FastTrack-8 sling offers, the Pro Light RedBee-210 (£149) or Pro Light Bumblebee-130 (£177) are worth a look. If you like the sound of having some additional space for non-camera related items, Manfrotto’s Pro Light backpack 3N1-26 (£159) makes a good choice and the larger version of this bag is the Pro Light backpack 3N1-35 (£199).…

Jack Delano, 1914-1997, is one of my favourite photographers; and fortunately, a great deal of his work is available at the US Library of Congress, because of the work he did for the US Government. This is typical of his portraiture: his son described it as ‘one human baring its soul to another.’ Everything in it is of its time: the clothes, the welding gear, the wood-sided wagon with its faded Chicago and North Western Line logo. It is also timeless, though, because it shows all that it needs to show, and no more. Each of the three principal components is cropped by the edge of the frame, with even Mr Evans cropped off at the knees. The last is a real no-no in the eyes of an old-fashioned camera…

Following violent attacks on Myanmar’s mostly Muslim Rohingya minority by the Burmese military, refugees have been pouring into neighbouring Bangladesh from Myanmar’s Rakhine province in their hundreds of thousands since last August. Based in Bangkok, Sheffield-born photojournalist Patrick Brown was on the scene very quickly. ‘I have worked in a lot of trying and difficult areas but I was simply unprepared for what I was about to see,’ recalls the multi-award-winning photographer who is currently working for UNICEF. ‘Literally thousands of people pouring over the border from Burma to Bangladesh, and those thousands turned into tens of thousands, and now we have nine hundred thousand people.’ Patrick has been photographing the refugee crisis for many months but the scale of the suffering was brought home to the West recently when…

Geoff Harris As well as being AP’s deputy editor, Geoff is a keen travel photographer who loves city breaks as much as longer-haul trips. In 2016, he reached the finals of the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year with a travel image (before joining the staff of AP). The world has really shrunk over the past couple of decades, and thanks to competition between budget airlines, flying to Rome or Barcelona can be cheaper than getting the train to London, Manchester or Aberdeen. City breaks have never been more popular, and most AP readers will want to take along at least some of their camera gear for photo opportunities. However getting to that wonderfully photogenic European city, or a picturesque British town like Oxford or Durham, is the easy…

Tony Bond's letter (Inbox, 19 May) gives an interesting insight into the processes and understanding that goes into the development of a product such as photographic paper. Last year I attended a Permajet print workshop at Clifton Cameras in Dursley, and the Permajet representative talked about the different fibre bases and coatings of various paper types for use with inkjet printers, and how the ink penetrated the coatings into the fibre base. In addition he spoke about the importance of using acid-free paper and boxes for long-term storage because many other products produce gases that degrade prints over time. This gave everyone an insight into the understanding behind the development of modern print papers. Graham Ashton (Inbox, 19 May) talks about the cost involved in changing to a Sony Alpha…

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. 1 New Profiles The new Profiles feature that works so well with Lightroom Classic and Camera Raw is also available in Lightroom Mobile. It’s a great way to kick-off your mobile image editing with a range of useful starting points for raw files as well as a range of trendy one-click effects. 2 Clever touch gestures You can press and hold on any image with your finger to see the unedited original version…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details While the Mark II's image quality isn't obviously changed from the original, it's still very fine, and overall the best you can get for the price. Indeed, with static subjects amenable to pixel-shift mode, the K-1 Mark II will outperform any other full-frame camera, aside from the £3,200 Sony A7R III. At low ISOs the sensor delivers superb detail and dynamic range, while high-ISO image quality is pretty good, too, with quite acceptable results at ISO 12,800. I'd avoid going higher than this, and found the new ISO 409,600 and ISO 819,200 settings to be completely unusable.…

With the Pentax K-1 Mark II, Ricoh has taken its flagship full-frame DSLR and added a few small improvements. The result turns out to be a minor update, but a timely reminder of the K-1's qualities. I'm sure this camera would be much more highly appreciated if it had a Canon or Nikon badge on the prism. Indeed, with its rugged body, extensive controls and excellent image quality, the K-1 Mark II can lay claim to being the most capable sub-£2,000 DSLR on the market, unless you specifically need high-speed shooting and rapid autofocus tracking. It would be a great choice for landscape photography, for anyone prepared to cart around a 1kg body. However, almost anyone thinking of buying a £1,600 camera will already be heavily invested in a favoured…

If you’d like to see your work published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how to send us your images: Email Email a selection of low-res images (up to 5MB of attachments in total) to appicturedesk@timeinc.com.CD/DVD Send us a disc of high-resolution JPEG, TIFF or PSD images (at least 2480 pixels along its longest length), with a contact sheet, to the address on page 53. Via our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr group, Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the gallery on our website. See details above. Transparencies/prints Well-packaged prints or slides (without glass mounts) should be sent by Special Delivery, with a return SAE, to the address on page 53.…

Patrick's kit comprises two Canon EOS 5D Mark II bodies with 35mm and 24mm lenses. ‘I like the Mark II chip,' he says, ‘as for me it acts a lot like film. I understand its parameters and its temperament.' He shoots in full manual-exposure mode and even uses a handheld light meter, taking incident readings from the scene. ‘I don't use the meter on the camera,' he says. ‘I want a really true light reading. I only go to aperture or shutter priority if it's something really busy.' Patrick has also recently started using a Fujifilm GFX 50S. ‘I didn't like it at first because of the digital viewfinder, as I'm very much an optical guy. But I just needed to trust what it was doing, and I like it…

Compact SLR or mirrorless camera Lighter camera and lens combos are easier to pack and carry on a break. We recommend the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III with a small but sharp lens, such as the 17mm f/1.8 or 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6. The Fujifilm X-T20 with Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4 R is neat, too. Batteries and cards Take plenty of pre-formatted cards, store them in a plastic case to avoid damage, and keep in a traveller’s pouch. A battery charger is a must-pack, and an extra battery grip is always handy. Try to copy the day’s shots to online storage daily. Filters By all means take a Big Stopper kit if there is room, but a more compact screw-on lens filter, such as a polariser or variable ND grad, can also…

1 Tablet vs laptop A tablet is usually far less bulky than a laptop and usually cheaper to replace if lost. Cameras with built-in Wi-Fi ensure you can copy the day's images to your tablet back at the hotel, and even edit them with apps like Lightroom CC for Mobile (see page 34). 2 Hold or cabin baggage? Try and get your photo gear in your cabin bag rather than your checked-in luggage. Don't risk it getting lost or damaged by careless airport-baggage handlers. 3 Check the regulations about cabin-bag size Easyjet's maximum size allowance is pretty typical: 56x45x25cm, including handles and wheels. Any bigger and you might have to put it in the hold, which is risky with fragile lenses. 4 Get deep pockets If you are really pushed…

Panasonic LUMIX DC-G9 The G9 compact system camera delivers ultimate image quality, perfect for all the detail and symmetry of Bodiam Castle. Leica DG Vario 8-18mm f/2.8-4 lens Wide, fast and pin sharp from corner-to-corner, this 8-18mm lens is the ideal choice for reflections and symmetrical compositions. Panasonic LUMIX DMC-LX15 compact camera A 24-72mm zoom lens and one-inch sensor in a small body make this a great choice for travelling light. The articulated screen helps with getting down low for reflection shots. Circular polariser An essential filter for cutting glare from reflective surfaces and saturating colours, a polariser is good for bright sunny days. Look for a slim one to avoid vignetting if using it on a wideangle lens.…

• By car: 1.5 miles (2.2km) east, off B2244, 3 miles (5.6km) south of Hawkhurst. Look out for The Curlew restaurant on the crossroads opposite turning to Bodiam. Three miles (5.6km) east of A21 at southern end of Hurst Green village, midway between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings. • By bus: 349 Stagecoach from Hastings train station to Hawkhurst, stops opposite the entrance to the main car park. Operates Monday to Saturday. A new Sunday service will operate until further notice – see the Stagecoach website for details: www.stagecoachbus.com.…

Christine Smart, Conwy, Wales Christine worked in a camera shop for several years before she took an interest in creating her own photographs. It all started when a friend invited her out for the day to shoot some landscapes. Living in Wales offers Christine plenty of stunning scenery to shoot; however she can also be found running about her garden admiring nature with a macro lens. Dolbadarn Castle 1 Christine has used the dark and stormy weather conditions to her advantage and captured a scene full of atmosphere Canon EOS 5D Mk II, 24-105mm, 1/13sec at f/16, ISO 100, tripod, 0.9ND grad filter Llyn Padarn 2 With a beautiful focal point and great sky detail, this image has captured a lovely reflection in the water for a wonderfully balanced composition…

One of the most useful features of LED lighting is the ability to control colour temperature. Bi-colour LEDs, like the Rotolight AEOS heads used here, allow you to change the colour temperature with a flick of a dial. So when you’re shooting on location you can balance your LEDs with the ambient light in a matter of seconds or, if you like, experiment with unusual colour shifts and mixed temperatures. The Rotolights offer a range from 3,150-6,300K, which goes from warm tungsten hues to cool daylight tones. What’s more, they score very highly on the Colour Rendering Index (CRI) scale: a universal rating that measures the accuracy of a light source in comparison with a reference light. A score of 85% or higher is considered very accurate – the Rotolights…

Dual SD Twin SD card slots are found behind a door on the handgrip. You can either record to them sequentially, back up files to both simultaneously, or record raws to one and JPEGs to the other. Illumination Strategically placed LEDs can be used to light up the lens mount, card slots, remote release connector and rear controls, via the top-plate button. This can be a real aid to low-light shooting. GPS In addition to geotagging your images, the GPS can record a log of your travels during the day. It’s turned on and off using a small button on the side of the pentaprism. IR receivers A port for an infrared remote control is built into the front of the handgrip. Unusually, and usefully, there’s a second on the…

At low ISOs, the K-1 Mark II resolves an impressive level of detail; our resolution chart shows clean separation of lines at up to 4,600 l/ph. At this point, aliasing becomes apparent, while false detail is rendered at higher frequencies due to the lack of a low-pass filter. Resolution is maintained well as the sensitivity is raised, with over 4,200 l/ph still measurable at ISO 1600, and very nearly 4,000 l/ph at ISO 12,800. Even at ISO 102,400 it registers around 2800 l/ph, but everything falls apart at higher settings. On the right we show details from our resolution chart test pattern (above). Multiply the number beneath the lines by 400 to give the resolution in lines per picture height.…

Lockable zippers Zippers can be fed through a safety loop to prevent a thief gaining quick access to your kit. Buckles The two camera buckles feature a red sliding lock to prevent them accidentally being unclipped. Grab handle There’s a large grab handle that makes the bag easy to pick up from the floor. Water repellent The material of the bag is water repellent and will keep your kit dry if you get caught out in a rain shower. • £110 • www.manfrotto.co.uk THE INCREASED popularity of mirrorless cameras has seen a steady rise in the number of smaller photo bags being made. One of the most intriguing examples to be released of late is Manfrotto's Pro Light FastTrack sling, which is like no other sling bag we've seen before.…

Choosing classic lenses for a Nikon DSLR Q I use a Nikon D300S and if truth be told I can't quite justify replacing it at the moment. I really want a D800 but I'm still saving my pennies and it would have to be a second-hand one anyway. But in the meantime I'm setting aside a small budget for some inexpensive old manual focus lenses. Do you have any tips on choosing lenses like these based on my criteria? I really don't want to spend more than £100 and would like a decent wideangle (around 24mm) and a semi-wide, for street photography. Dean Jennings A The most important thing you need to know is which lenses will work properly with your current D300s and planned D800. Old manual focus Nikon-mount…

Q I'm curious to know if, like me, there are others who never reuse memory cards; I buy, fill, then buy another. I always keep a couple spare. If I fill my current card, I start on a spare but immediately open the Amazon app and order a replacement spare. I do the same with USB sticks – copy the card to the USB drive, edit on the USB and then file away. The original card is kept untouched as my master card. Is this unusual? Pixelpuffin (AP forum) A Use-once memory cards are not new. SanDisk actually launched a line of camera memory cards, called ‘Shoot & Store’, in 2004, aimed at helping film photographers move to digital. The cards were competitively priced and designed to be used once…

One of the terminological slip-ups that I can get aerated about is misuse of the term ‘post-processing. This is a term borrowed from the film and video industry and, according to Wikipedia, it ‘is the process of changing the perceived quality of a video on playback (done after the decoding process). I think that the clause in parentheses is key – post-processing is clearly what happens after processing. Why is this distinction important? It is because ‘processing' is a key stage in the photographic method, and learning to get what you want from it is important. The processing phase is when the latent image is transformed into a visible image, and inevitably involves the loss of some information that was contained in that latent image. In film days, you could…