Innholdsfortegnelse for 01-Dec-2018 i Amateur Photographer

Photography is a marriage of art and science, and this week’s issue illustrates that more than most. Lynne Douglas’s impressionistic landscapes are the perfect riposte to those who believe a successful image needs front-to-back sharpness and a full range of tones. They’re less about recording the scenes as she saw them, and more about capturing those moments as she felt them. At the other end of the scale we reveal the winners of the IET photography competition, on the theme of engineering and technology, which demonstrate the power of thinking outside the box . We also bring you murder on the streets of Latin America and portraiture on the streets of Britain, recreate an Irving Penn classic and test two great products from Sigma and Panasonic. Enjoy! JOIN US ONLINE…

LASTOLITE has released a clever lighting device called the HaloCompact, an easily collapsible reflector/ diffuser. The 85cm (33.5inch) HaloCompact incorporates a lightweight aluminium frame that quickly slots together, with the reflector or diffuser fabric clipping onto the frame. The frame can be broken down into multiple sections and along with the folded fabric packs into a carry case measuring 6.5 x 27 x 6.5cm and weighing only 335g. This means a reflector/diffuser can always be in a camera bag. A carabiner style clip lets the device be clipped on to your belt if you're without a bag on location. HaloCompact is available as a double-sided reflector with silver one side and white on the other, and as a two-stop diffuser. Both cost £71.95. See www.manfrotto.co.uk/lastolite.…

‘REVEAL your hidden gifts! With Johnson Chemicals.' We don't write coverlines like that any more (it's probably just as well). Christmas shopping got under way quite early back in the 1950s, as now, so under a rather parsimonious sprig of mistletoe, a very 1950s couple are about to exchange gifts, and we guess, a kiss. The lady appears to be about to get the engine from a flying saucer – but this outlandish-looking gift is a cine camera. We're not entirely sure what the bloke is getting, but his slightly rakish expression suggests it's his lucky day... Moving quickly on, this issue had a major spread on potential Christmas presents, and there are some interesting bits of photographic archaeology in there. Highlights include a gadget bag from Boots in ‘attractive…

Test shot 1 This is too static, and the image just looks unintentionally blurred. Test shot 2 This has too much movement and any object definition is lost altogether. Test shot 3 Not too fast, not too slow, and like Goldilocks's porridge you will get it just right.…

• The touchscreen is very clever and really intuitive, and being able to touch the screen and take a picture is great. I could trust the camera to do that even though I was shooting in relatively low light, and for the most part, it nails the focus very well. • It's small and neat, which makes it an advantage for location shoots. Despite its small form factor, it is really well made and robust. It's got the waterproof capabilities of the EOS 5D Mark III, and although it's a prosumer camera, it still feels like a pro camera. • With the EF-EOS adapter, we're now seeing improvements in the existing EF lenses. For example, I saw an improvement using the EF 50mm f/1.2 with the EOS R. • For…

I'm writing in response to your request for stories about early digital cameras (Inbox, AP 17 November). I'd like to tell you the story of mine - a Nikon D40. Whilst not the earliest of digital cameras, it was my first foray into digital photography back in 2007. I was pregnant with my daughter in 2007, and we'd had a terrible time with health scare after health scare; we were never sure if we'd get to full term and actually have a baby at the end of it all. Once I started to recover, we decided to buy a proper SLR camera to record our memories. We bought a Nikon D40 with two lenses - the usual 18-55mm and a 55-200mm. I planned to spend my time off before baby…

1 Outfit The original portrait was takenfor Vogue in New York City. Penn was renowned for being meticulous about detail, clean lines and shape so we needed to ensure we matched the original as closely as possible. We found a similar looking top for our model from www.prettylittlething.com for £5. 2 Accessories It was important we sourced similar-looking accessories, as it’s the details that help make this image so unique. We bought a hat, fake nails (with stick-on pads) and a fake cigarette from Amazon and the pearl drop earrings came from Claire’s Accessories. The total cost came in at £45 including postage. 3 Styling We picked our model, Jess, from Gingersnap modelling agency. She had a similar profile to Mary Jane Russell. To replicate her classic 1950s look, we…

With its Four Thirds sensor and fast zoom lens, the LX100 II gives excellent image quality for a fixed-zoom compact. Its 17MP resolution is sufficient to make detailed A3 prints, and when shooting at low ISOs, there's plenty of latitude in the raw files to pull extra detail out of the shadows. Its high ISO performance is also very good, with files being quite usable – if visibly noisy – at ISO 6400. Take into account the large-aperture lens, and there's a case to be made that it will offer consistently high quality across a wider range of conditions than any of its peers. Resolution At its lowest setting of ISO 100 and in the 4:3 aspect ratio, the LX100 II resolves close to 3,500 lines per picture height, which…

Priced at £1,199, this Sigma zoom presents a very attractive saving over its closest rivals and puts up a strong fight against them in terms of optical performance. The effective image stabilisation system gives it one up on Canon's alternative and it weighs less than Nikon's offering too; however both of these and Sony's lens provide weather-sealing, which is the Achilles' heel of this lens. With the fast and quiet autofocus, robust build and overall design, it shares a likeness to Sigma's 24-105mm f/4 DG OS HSM Art. As you'd expect for paying double the price of that lens though, it's optically superior, presents the option to create images with a shallower depth of field and allows you to shoot more comfortably when challenged by low-light situations. It's not a…

• £149.99 • uk.polaroidoriginals.com Tripod mount A standard 1/4in thread in the base allows mounting onto a tripod, which is pretty much essential to take advantage of the remote-control features. Plus button Activates the built-in Bluetooth, allowing remote control from a smartphone via the free Polaroid Originals app for Android and iOS. Tapping twice engages a self-timer. USB charge The camera uses a built-in battery that should be good for 15-20 film packs. It’s charged using a standard Micro USB port. Film packs Polaroid Originals i-Type film packs are available in both colour and black & white, and cost £14.99 for eight exposures. LOOKING like it's been teleported straight out of the 1970s, the Polaroid OneStep+ is an unashamedly retro-styled instant camera. It's a development of the OneStep 2, adding…

Looking for a new camera or accessory and need some advice? The experts at Wex Photo Video are here to help. Contact us at ap@ti-media.com or on Twitter at @AP_Magazine and #AskAP Tips to keep camera bag warm and dry in winter Q With the oncoming winter looking to bring some extreme weather into the UK and Europe (judging by autumn's standards), is there a way to keep the inside of my camera bag warm and dry so I don't have issues with loss of battery charge and so on? I do a lot of all-day walking and am planning to visit the Alps this winter, so any advice on this would be fantastic. Jonathan Davies A Extreme temperature changes and humidity, which are especially common in winter, are never…

Q Owning a Canon EOS 6D Mark II and a 24-105mm lens has been fantastic to take my photography to the next level. However, I am really looking to get a fast prime lens for the system, especially as we lose a lot of hours of natural light in winter. I am happy to spend up to £650, but I would like to consider lower-cost lenses as well because, as I understand it, they can often be very good quality when it comes to primes. I was hoping for a 50mm prime as that's the focal length I use my 24-105mm at most. What can you recommend? Andy Brown A It’s true that a lower-cost prime may meet your needs just fine. Prime lenses, at wide or standard focal lengths,…

AF Nikon AF lenses driven from camera AF-S Nikon lenses with Silent Wave Motor AF-P Nikon lenses with stepper motors AL Pentax lenses with aspheric elements APD Fujifilm lenses with apodisation elements APO Sigma Apochromatic lenses ASPH Aspherical elements AT-X Tokina’s Advanced Technology Extra Pro AW Pentax all-weather lenses CS Samyang lenses for APS-C cropped sensors D Nikon lenses that communicate distance info DA Pentax lenses optimised for APS-C-sized sensors DC Nikon defocus-control portrait lenses DC Sigma’s lenses for APS-C digital DG Sigma’s designation for full-frame lenses Di Tamron lenses for full-frame sensors Di-II Tamron lenses designed for APS-C DSLRs Di-III Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras DN Sigma’s lenses for mirrorless cameras DO Canon diffractive optical element lenses DT Sony lenses for APS-C-sized sensors DX Nikon’s lenses for DX-format digital…

Beaches Waves, whether shot freehand or panned with a camera, are particularly well suited to this type of work regardless of the weather. Mountains Dragging the camera upwards over graphic shapes often produces interesting results, although sideways movements also work. Reflections Using the water as the moving target can produce fabulous images. Canals and boats are a good subject, as are trees above the water. Landscapes If a more recognisable landscape is the target, then you'll find that short bursts of 0.4-1sec exposures with small dragging movements work well. Flowers Abstractions from flowers can be very interesting at extreme close up. Try using the camera on a tripod and use a macro lens or just a zoom. Leaves The forest floor is a great place to start with some easy…

The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) holds an annual photography competition, supported by Amateur Photographer. At its heart, the competition aims to challenge existing misconceptions about engineering – of it being all about hard hats, high-vis bibs and oily boiler suits – and encourage more young people, and especially women, to consider a scientific career. Launched earlier in the year the contest was open to any photograph of an engineering-related subject that captures the dynamic, creative and progressive face of engineering and engineers today. A panel of judges (below left), fronted by The Gadget Show’s Georgie Barrat and including AP Editor Nigel Atherton, assessed more than 400 photos entered into 11 categories. Here are the winning entries, along with a selection of our favourite commended ones. The judges Nigel…

The original This iconic portrait of Mary Jane Russell was taken for Vogue in 1951. Penn was US Vogue's longest-standing photographer and shot 165 covers during the 66 years he contributed to the magazine. He was known for meticulous detail and how he posed subjects in an abstract juxtaposition against neutral backdrops. In the original, Russell posed in a ladylike fashion, while repeatedly flicking a bit of cigarette tobacco off her tongue. Penn said, ‘She brought to her posing as a model, concentration and tenderness, rare in the fashion medium today.' Our version There were a number of shapes and angles we had to consider, which individually were achievable, but putting them all together proved rather tricky. We also discovered after starting the shoot that the brim of the hat…

Inspiration has countless roots, just like a tree, where each root divides into smaller roots, then rootlets, then hair-fine capillaries. Any of those capillaries – visual, verbal, imaginary – can give rise to a picture. Here we are presented with a whole set of capillaries in the form of ‘Oblique Strategies’, a set of cards with inspirational notes/challenges written by Brian Eno in 1975; Google them. An exhibition earlier this year was also called Oblique Strategies and was organised by the Ealing branch of London Independent Photographers (www.ealinglondonphotography.co.uk); Terakopian’s was the lead picture. You should be able to read at least some of the slogans in the picture, and that’s one of the first things to notice: how very artfully the cards are arranged, so that even if we can’t…

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@ti-media.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 28. Via our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr group, Facebook page, Twitter feed, or the gallery on our website. See details above.…

SIGMA has revealed pricing of the 70-200mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM, a large-aperture telephoto zoom which is part of its Sports range. It is keenly priced for a high-end zoom, costing £1,349.99 – much cheaper than comparable Canon and Nikon glass. The key features include nine F low dispersion glass elements along with one special low dispersion glass element to combat colour aberration. Fast AF is facilitated by an updated Hyper Sonic Monitor that promises high-speed AF, and there's a customisable AF Function button. The lens is dust-, water-, oil- and splash-resistant. A Canon EF mount will be out in December and Nikon F mount will follow in the new year. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

You see it a lot online. In fact, if you're a photographer in 2018, it's almost impossible to avoid it. The tsunami of competitions with promises of career-boosting, career-making awards, of fame, riches and glory. Surely there's a catch? There's always a catch because there's never ever a substitute for the hard work, dedication and patience that is the foundation of every endeavour. The catch is that you're pitched against your peers in, so often, paid competition. While it might be argued that in an era of faltering, failing traditions within publishing, new options for increasing revenue streams must be sought if an entity is to survive financially, rarely, if ever, are the profits generated from pay-to-enter competitions disclosed. One simple fact is also never admitted – competing will not…

Lens selection Generally speaking, a longer lens will give you more options with the shutter speed, but a wideangle lens works just as well. A long focal length works best when the camera is used handheld, but the wideangle does a better job if using a tripod. Filters When blurring and movement are essential, you need to cut the light and lengthen the shutter speed. I use neutral density filters alone or in combination with graduated filters in most of my work. Tripod If you fancy trying some of the more minimal abstract shots with simple lines or panels of colour, then using a tripod or monopod to pan will help keep the horizon line straight and level. Waterproofs Some of the best outdoor abstracts are made in the rain…

Following a career change over a decade ago, to follow his life-long ambition of becoming a photographer and filmmaker, Clive Booth has worked for a number of high-profile brands on advertising campaigns, commercials and short films. With a proven track record of creating dynamic, standout images, Clive’s recent commission with the Birmingham Royal Ballet resulted in another powerful performance. Not only was he tasked with creating an emphatic series of images to publicise its new programme, Fire and Fury, but he also had the new Canon EOS R to put through its paces. Being a dedicated Canon user, Clive was intrigued to see what this latest mirrorless system had to offer. ‘I’ve been with Canon as a brand for over a decade now and I’ve been very fortunate to see…

Focus on lenses I feel that the next big challenge to companies like Nikon and Canon and Sigma is not cameras but lenses. In your Nikon Z 7 review (AP 13 October) you state that all IBIS systems become increasingly ineffective with longer lenses because they are too heavy for the image stabilisation to work well. The weight drags the camera down, so stable images are nearly impossible to achieve. I know this as I have a Sigma f/2.8 zoom with IS – with horizontal orientation it's fine, but shoot vertical and the images are ever so slightly out of focus. Tiny light lenses like those in mirrorless systems would remove that barrier to photographers getting great blur-free images every time they shoot. I think we need to focus on…

Irving Penn: Photographs by Irving Penn Little, Brown US, 1988 This retrospective book showcases 90 standout images from Irving Penn’s long and successful career. Images range from portraits of native people to famous artists and writers, fashion editorials, as well as nudes and still lifes. Irving Penn – Centennial Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2017 Celebrating the centenary of Penn’s birth, this book is the largest collection of his work ever compiled. It includes iconic works, previously unpublished images, and essays that explore how cultural, social and environmental issues played a part in his career. Food in Vogue Abrams, 2017 Penn saw food, flowers and fashion as ephemeral objects that held their beauty throughout their life. This book showcases a collection of food photography, much of it shot by Irving Penn,…

Filter thread At the front of the lens you’ll find a 43mm thread, which accepts both the supplied clip-on cap and screw-in filters. In addition, a cosmetic cover in front of the aperture ring conceals a bayonet mount for the optional LFAC1 auto lens cap. Flash There’s no built-in flash, but a hotshoe centred with the lens accepts external units. A tiny slide-on flash is included in the box, with a fixed forward-facing tube and a guide number of 7m at ISO 100. It draws its power directly from the camera body. Battery The DMW-BLG10E battery is shared with a number of Panasonic cameras, and is rated for up to 340 shots per charge using the LCD, or 270 with the EVF. Switching to the ‘Eco’ 30fps viewfinder setting increases…

Resolution Users will find that centre and corner sharpness improves considerably by stopping the lens down from f/2.8. Centre sharpness at all focal lengths peaks between f/4-f/5.6, with the best edge-to-edge sharpness being located between f/5.6-f/8. Corner sharpness never reaches the same level as centre sharpness, and our results tell us that it delivers sharper results into the corners at wider focal lengths than it does at the far end of the zoom. Shading Use the lens at the widest point in the zoom range at f/2.8 and the corners of images appear darker than the centre by around 1.4EV. This reduces to 1EV at f/4, with shading almost completely absent by the time you reach f/5.6. Vignetting isn’t quite as severe in the middle to far end of the…

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM The newly designed ‘nifty fifty' is an easy one to keep in the kit bag. It has a lightweight, small design and features Canon's STM focusing system for quick, near-silent focusing. This is good for everyday photography as well as videography. It's super-sharp and has a fast maximum aperture to let in lots of light. With the lowest RRP among our three lenses it is huge on value for money and works perfectly on full-frame (as well as APS-C sized) Canon DSLRs. £119 • Near-silent focusing with Canon’s STM system • Super Spectra coatings to reduce ghosting and flaring • 7-blade aperture and minimum focusing distance of 35cm Samyang 50mm f/1.4 AS UMC Covering our mid-range in terms of budget, this offering from Samyang brings…

Cameras Interchangeable-lens cameras come in two types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, and mirrorless models with electronic viewing 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. 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. Viewfinder The biggest difference between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is that the latter use electronic, rather than optical viewfinders. They’re more power…