Innholdsfortegnelse for 20-Oct-2018 i Amateur Photographer

While I’m lamenting the end of 2018’s wonderful summer, I’m simultaneously excited by the onset of what is without question the prettiest season for photography. Since last autumn your creative eye may well be as rusty as the leaves now covering the ground, so we asked our macro expert Tracy Calder for a refresher on how to shoot great autumnal close-ups. Elsewhere John Wade looks back at early digital cameras. I remember getting excited about some of these models when they came out, which seems laughable now. How fast technology has progressed! You can barely give some of these cameras away now, but remember: today’s junk is tomorrow’s treasure. If you enjoy this issue why not treat yourself to a subscription – you’ll save money and get it delivered. Details…

New Forest National Park, Hampshire Thanks to the high concentration of ancient trees, the New Forest is one of the most important areas in Britain and Europe for lichens, beetles, bats and fungi. Autumn colours can be seen all over, but Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, Bolderwood and Eyeworth Pond are particularly photogenic. Visit www.newforestnpa.gov.uk Westonbirt National Arboretum, Gloucestershire In the 1820s Robert Holford, a landowner and keen gardener, began planting trees at his country retreat. His desire to create the best arboretum in England was shared by his son, and the family was soon hosting ‘colour picnics' beneath the Japanese maples in autumn. Follow the Silk Wood Trail to view the spectacle from the treetop walkway. Visit www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt Dawyck Botanic Garden, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh Home to…

Mean streets? This is in regard to the article ‘AP reader embroiled in street photo row' (7Days, AP 6 October). To me, the described confrontation could have been handled differently, given that the response Rob gave to the brother, according to the article, leapt straight into legalities. This misses the point: if someone is unhappy to be photographed, whether legally or otherwise, I suggest that their wishes for the photos to be deleted should be respected. I'd further suggest that the key to getting people on board in this type of situation is preparation. Was Rob carrying details of the competition? Did he have cards with his details on, just in case? Did he explain why he took the photos? A bit of courtesy can go a long way. I…

Waterproofs & hiking boots It can be bleak and freezing so wear sensible clothing and sturdy hiking boots that can withstand those bogs. Full head-to-toe waterproofs will also be a blessing when the bad weather hits. Lens choice There is no doubt that a 16-35mm will get used a lot in this wild location, but also pack a telephoto lens such as a 70-200mm – you’ll be glad of it if you want to shoot some stretching panoramas. Tripod You’ll have to compromise between a lightweight model for carrying and a heavier one for stability as the winds can whip round in the open spaces. Secure your tripod by hanging your camera bag from the centre column.…

Ade's photographic journey began after a bizarre turn of events. He was out walking along the coast one day when he tripped over and tumbled down onto a pebble beach. The view he saw from his slumped position inspired him. Rather than getting back up, he took out his phone and captured the scene in front of him. Since then he has travelled further afield to capture more stunning sights. With a passion for landscapes, seascapes and wildlife, Ade enjoys exploring, and capturing images that have a story to tell.…

PENTAX-OWNER Ricoh has announced its GRII compact camera will be updated in 2019. The Ricoh GRIII will include a 24.2 MP APS-C sensor and new image engine, raw shooting and 3-axis image stabilsation, backed up by a 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens. The ISO range is yet to be confirmed and the GRIII lacks a built-in flashgun or the ability to record 4K video, but you can now use Pentax-compatible TTL flashguns on the hotshoe. The GRIII is set to go on sale early next year, with pricing to be confirmed. For more information see www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

OLA'S GO-TO camera for event photography is a Pentax K-3, often with a Pentax 55mm f/1.4 or a Tamron 70-200mm lens. However, she finds that her Fujifilm X-T10 attracts less attention when she's shooting street photography, so she likes to use that instead of the K-3. Pairing the X-T10 with a 35mm lens works well for her environmental shots while the XF 50mm f/2 R WR is a nice focal length for portraits. Ola also often carries a Fujinon XF 50-140mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR lens to give her a bit more reach and greater flexibility with framing.…

Light source A portable LED light (like the Manfrotto Lumimuse 3) is ideal for lifting shadows under mushrooms and backlighting leaves and insect wings. As it’s a continuous light source you can see the effects before releasing the shutter. Macro lens When purchasing a macro lens consider the maximum magnification it can achieve (e.g. life-size, half life-size) and the minimum focusing distance (how close you can get to the subject before focusing becomes impossible). Waterproofs Waterproof trousers are a must when shooting fungi or leaf details. Over the years I’ve used bin bags, ground mats and picnic rugs, but you can’t beat a pair of waterproof strides. I favour the Women’s Cascada II Trousers from Páramo. Beanbag A beanbag can be purchased filled or unfilled, with lining or without. Wildlife…

Looking at Barbara Cole’s fantastic underwater work, you’d be forgiven for assuming you’d stumbled across a painter’s back catalogue. Look a little bit closer though and you’ll begin to see that these sublimely ethereal pictures are indeed photographs. AP fortuitously bumped into Cole at this year’s Photo London, where her work was one of the most compelling and standout displays of the exhibition. Cole spent several years working as a fashion editor before turning her hand to photography. Perhaps surprisingly for someone with a journalistic background, she was never interested in photography’s ability to convey realism, and was almost immediately drawn to the idea of creating abstracts. Cole was once a passionate advocate of Polaroid, for which she had a particular fondness due to the way it was able to…

Having entered most rounds of this year's APOY I have to say that the standard of entries for each round has been extremely high. In the ‘World in Motion' round my entry achieved a position of 236, which I am more than happy with. But what did surprise me was the lack of entries – only 364 images were submitted from 255 photographers. Is this not a disappointment? Until this year I hadn't heard of Photocrowd; I only joined in order to enter APOY. I use the results to gauge my standard against theirs, which allows me to work on how I can improve my photography skills. I have since entered a good number of Photocrowd competitions with varying degrees of success, and have also joined in rating images, which…

When to go Dartmoor can be photographed 24/7, 365 days of the year! Each season has different things to offer, so you can see snow-capped tors in the winter and blooming bluebells and idyllic hawthorn trees in the summer. Food and lodging There are plenty of local pubs, restaurants, and cafes dotted around Dartmoor. For a traditional cream tea to satisfy the stomach take a trip to Badgers Holt and enjoy its beautiful garden setting at Dartmeet. It is possible to wild camp at Dartmoor for one or two nights if your location is well away from any roads or settlements and you abide by the no-impact rule. However, camping isn't for everyone, and if comfort is what you're after then Prince Hall Hotel is worth a look, or for…

The Reader Portfolio winner chosen every week will receive a Manfrotto PIXI EVO tripod worth £44.95. Visit www.manfrotto.co.uk Lightweight and portable, the Manfrotto PIXI EVO boasts two different leg angles with a sliding selector enabling you to shoot ground-level images. It’s adjustable, with two-section legs featuring five different steps that adapt the footprint to uneven surfaces. With a payload of 2.5kg, you can tilt the camera 90° to capture incredible images. Submit your images Please see the ‘Send us your pictures’ section on page 3 for details or visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/portfolio NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY…

1 Live Brush Previews This feature will impress those of us used to using Photoshop brushes. The Affinity Brush tool cursor has a live preview that shows how it will work before we start painting – including any blend modes or opacity settings (handy for hand-colouring old photos by painting a layer set to the Colour Blend Mode here). It works brilliantly when painting layer masks too. 2 Macros Macros are recordable operations similar to Photoshop Actions. We open the Macro Panel (View>Studio>Macros) and hit record, then any edits we make are recorded. Unlike Photoshop, we can tweak the settings within the macro steps. The saved macro appears in the Library Panel, ready to be applied to other photos or used for batch-processing. 3 Non-destructive resizing If you resize a…

• Old digital cameras can be temperamental. Check that all functions are working before buying. • When using a low megapixel camera, fill the frame with the subject to avoid having to crop the image later. • Be aware that older LCD screens, on camera backs and in some viewfinders, can be difficult to view in bright light. • Invest in a multi-card reader that accepts Compact Flash cards, SD cards and older memory sticks. • A 3.5MP camera can yield good quality 10x8in images with a little interpolation, or if printed at 200dpi. • If you are happy with smaller images, like old-time film enprints, as low as 2MP still works. • Make sure the camera you buy comes with its battery. • Buy a universal charger (around £10-£15…

IF YOU don't already own a filter holder, or one that's compatible with H&Y's magnetic filter frames through the use of magnetic holder adapter strips, you may want to consider H&Y's K-series holder. It features its own HD MRC CPL – a 95mm polarising filter made from German Schott B270 glass that when inserted can be adjusted via a smooth geared mechanism, preventing you from having to touch the filter. The holder is supplied with four adapter rings (67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm), along with a cover plate that's exchanged for the polarising filter when it's not being used. The holder also features a foam gasket above and below the hole of the fascia to create a light-tight seal with long-exposure filters. As I discovered, this is slightly raised from…

If you're a regular user of 100x100mm or 100x150mm filters and you would like a faster, easier and more convenient way of attaching your filters to your filter holder, H&Y's magnetic filter frame system is a great solution. Not only will you find that it speeds up your workflow, allowing you to painlessly remove a filter and reattach it in seconds, there's also the potential to stack filters on top of one another and align them with the markings on your filter holder to create results with better consistency. What's more, the magnetic frames themselves offer better protection for your filters and help prevent damage and troublesome fingerprint marks. I did find that the magnetic filter frames needed a little persuading to fit my filters though. Also, because all the…

What’s the best type of tripod head for me? Q I'm buying my first decent tripod soon and I'm trying to work out which type of tripod head to go for. Should I get a pan-and-tilt head or a ball head? I am a fairly versatile photographer and shoot landscapes, portraits, wildlife, etc. Some advice on the pros and cons of each type of tripod head would be gratefully received. Jen Sewell A By far the most popular type of tripod head is the ball type. They are available in a wide range of sizes and can be very compact and light, if desired. They can also be relatively inexpensive, although higher-specification ones made from exotic materials can be pricey. Pan-and-tilt heads, by their very nature, are relatively bulky as…

‘It breaks from the norm when it comes to the shutter’ The Pentina M was made in the early1960s in East Germany. While the well-known Praktica and Exakta cameras from the GDR were sold in large numbers in the UK in the1960s and '70s, the Pentina M was not intended for the export market, and as a consequence is quite rare here. At first glance, you might take it to be a somewhat chunky rangefinder camera rather than the single lens reflex that is. It lacks the signature pentaprism housing that usually signals an SLR, and has a large exposure meter window across the front, making it look like an oversized compact. If you're familiar with Eastern Bloc cameras from the Cold War era, you'll probably recognise its angular features.…

ZENIT is a name well known to many AP readers, and the recently revived brand used September's Photokina show to unveil a full-frame rangefinder. The camera is called the Zenit M and is based on the Leica M (Typ 240), so it was created in partnership with the German camera manufacturer. Zenit says it has made hardware and software tweaks, so it's not just a retro-sounding rebadge. The Zenit M will feature a Zenitar 35mm f/1 lens, designed in Russia rather than Wetzlar, and the new camera will go on sale as soon as December this year. It's a limited edition of only 500 cameras: 450 silver and 50 black. More specifications and pricing details as we get them.…

WITH a major exhibition of Don McCullin's incredible documentary work scheduled to open on 5 February next year at Tate Britain, this is a timely issue of AP to look back on, as Sir Don was also featured in an article in this issue. He wasn't always regarded with quite so much reverence, however, and seems to have been damned with faint praise on the contents page. ‘Don McCullin has an eye for the sordid side of life but has compiled an important photographic documentary.' It makes it sound like Don used to hang around seedy cinemas in Soho as well as cover major post-war conflicts and disasters, but perhaps the sub-editor was just off form that day… Other highlights include the Cosina CT-10 – an unusual package for the…

I've been working as a writer in the photography industry for the lifespan of the iPhone, and it has, in many ways, been a fascinating journey to watch. I can vividly remember the very first iPhone arriving at the office where I worked back in 2008, while a crowd of enthusiastic journalists crowded around the table to gawp and stare at it. For a long time, Apple traded on the idea that the iPhone was a bona fide camera for use by everybody, from amateur snappers all the way up to the professional working in the field. You may have been met with sneers if you turned up to a photographic outing with an iPhone but it started to become obvious that the old adage was right, the best camera…

Try black & white When you're surrounded by rich autumn colour it's easy to overlook the skeletal shapes of trees and leaves, but these can make eye-catching subjects. Set your image quality to raw + JPEG and experiment with monochrome settings. For the best results, process the raw file later. Check the edges Grass, twigs and leaves can sneak into the frame when you're concentrating on the main subject. Most of the time you can crop these out later, but it's good practice to get things right in-camera. Use live view and magnify the focus area. Now pan around the frame, paying particular attention to the edges. Monitor wind speed When wind speeds rise above 10mph, leaves and flowers tend to leap about. At times like this you can focus…

DARTMOOR is a wild, adventurous and unforgiving landscape for the outdoor photographer. To start your tour, take a walk down to Nun's Cross Farm, about 21 ×2 miles south east of Princetown. This old, abandoned building sits conveniently between two identical trees. There's also an old granite cross that stands to the left of the farm. Both of these offer plenty of pleasing compositions for the photographer. If you're after an iconic Dartmoor tor the biggest and most well known is Haytor; however drive round a bit further and you'll find Hound Tor. This towering stack of granite rocks takes your breath away and by hiking to the top you can frame an attractive composition with Haytor in the background. Saddle Tor has many hidden gems, from bluebells in May…

Isn’t it great when a piece of kit excels at more than one task? For example, take a macro lens – ideal not just for close-ups, but also useful as a portrait lens. How about a trusty 5-in-1 reflector? Invaluable for bouncing light, flagging it, diffusing it and even making for a handy dry spot when perching on wet ground. The point is, when your gear can multitask, it lightens the load on both your wallet and your kit bag. With lighting kit we don’t tend to expect much in the way of multitasking – most just offer an on/off switch and an output control. But Rotolight’s range of LEDs buck the trend. Not only do they give you constant LED light in combination with colour temperature controls, they also…

Early digital cameras that once cost up to £900 are now available on eBay for less than £20. For users, they provide an inexpensive way to shoot quality digital images. For collectors, they make a cheap way to learn about digital-camera history. (For info, any dollar-to-pound exchange rates quoted are approximate for the appropriate years.) The history The first digital camera was the brainchild of American scientist and electrical engineer Steven Sasson, who joined American company Eastman Kodak in 1973. A few years earlier, in 1969, the charge coupled device (CCD) had been conceived by physicists Willard Boyle and George E Smith at Bell Labs in America. In 1975, Sasson utilised that technology to build an electronic camera that used a CCD in place of film. With six circuit boards,…

1 Remove the filter slots Start off by placing your filter holder on a flat surface. Use a flat-head screwdriver to loosen the screws that secure the filter slots to the filter holder. Once the screws are removed, place the slots and screws in a sealed bag so you can keep them safe and reuse them again. 2 Unpack the contents Open the contents within the H&Y holder adapter strips box. You'll find the contents divided into two smaller boxes – one of which contains a set of screws and screwdriver. In the other you'll find the magnetic strips. Separate the larger screws from the smaller ones. 3 Secure the metal strips Pick up the flatter of the two metal strips (the ones that aren't marked with white lines) and…

DC in The light can be powered off a 5V AC adapter. Kaiser’s version costs £46, but generic options are much cheaper. Dimmer switch A single rotary control is used for turning the light on and adjusting the output. Adapter rings The light fits onto the lens via screw-in adapters similar to those used by ‘P’-sized filter systems. Six are supplied: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm and 67mm. Battery holders Four AA batteries slot into compartments around the light. They’re a tight fit and near-impossible to remove without using a knife to prise them out – a pretty basic flaw. • £76 • www.fotospeed.com ANYONE who's tried their hand at close-up photography will know that lighting is often a problem. It's often necessary to shoot at small apertures for extended…

In 1945, Odhams Press published The Victory Book. They’d presumably been planning it for a while, but equally, they got it out in a rush. Enough of a rush that the copyright notice appears before the end: they added the last eight pages just after VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, a (very) few weeks after VE (Victory in Europe) Day. You can still find it for a few pounds. As well as being a slice of history, it is an astonishing book of photography. Although some pictures are surprisingly excellent, others are equally surprisingly awful: soft, grainy, blurry from poor focus or camera shake. The latter often have far more impact than the former. Imagine the retreat from Moscow. You’re utterly exhausted and at least half starving on a claustrophobic…