Innholdsfortegnelse for 12-Jan-2019 i Amateur Photographer

Few things in photography are more visually satisfying than the rich blacks and almost tangible grain you get in skilfully developed black & white film images, but not everyone has the time or inclination to acquire the necessary darkroom and printing skills. So this issue we explain how to get the classic black & white aesthetic with digital cameras and software, and the results are a lot more satisfying and authentic than you’d initially expect. Another highlight of this issue is our in-depth (and glowing) review of the Nikon Z 6, in many ways a game-changing full-frame mirrorless camera and a very important one for Nikon. Anyone in the market for a new smartphone definitely needs to check out our Huawei Mate 20 Pro review too. JOIN US ONLINE amateurphotographer.co.uk…

THE YEAR 2018 was one to forget for Facebook, with the social media giant excoriated for selling user data to controversial companies such as Cambridge Analytica, being lax about security, and allegedly turning a blind eye to hate speech and cyber-bullying all over the world. To round off this annus horribilis, Facebook has admitted that a recent bug meant that as many as 6.8 million user photos could be accessed by third-party app developers between 13 and 25 September – including images that users never intended to share publicly. In other words, if you gave an app or program permission to access your photos it could see everything during this period, including pictures you chose not to post for various reasons. Have you been affected? Facebook has now fixed the…

With China established as a superpower and rarely out of the news owing to rancorous trade and territorial disputes, this collection of images by Magnum photographers is very timely. Covering mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Magnum China covers a period of seismic transformation, from1938 to 2017. The book begins when China as a nation state was wilting under sustained attack from its neighbour, Japan, and violent political factionalism. The first image, taken in 1938 by Robert Capa, shows a mob of hungry, desperate people at the European perimeter in Hankou, one of the few areas protected from Japanese bombing. The final images, taken in 2015 and 2017, depict a much more affluent and rapidly modernising society. So the book shows how much China and associated regions have changed, but…

1 Silver Efex The gold standard of black & white apps, this comes as part of the Nik Collection (recently acquired by DxO). There's an array of useful presets, film stocks and contrast controls, plus the excellent Control Point system for making selective adjustments. The grain and vintage effects are excellent too. 2 Alien Skin Exposure This is a full-blown raw editor that features a huge variety of excellent film presets. After selecting a preset from the library of 500+ famous old films, you can go on to customise it to suit your image. It's available both as a standalone app and as a plug-in for Photoshop and Lightroom. 3 Free Lightroom presets You can find tons of free Lightroom presets available online, many of which let you emulate different…

Heavy vignetting often occurred in old film cameras because early lenses struggled to draw in as much light around the edges of the frame as they could in the centre, resulting in darker corners. So by adding a vignette, we can give our black & white treatment a vintage feel. Aside from this, a vignette can be a powerful way to draw attention to our subject and away from the edges of the frame. The viewer's eye is naturally drawn to the lighter areas of an image, so by darkening the edges we can guide the eye towards the more important areas nearer the centre of the frame. To add a vignette in Lightroom, use the Radial Filter tool and drag a circular adjustment over the image (or double-click to…

Wideangle lens This location has a ‘big’ feel to it, despite its diminutive size. You will want to try to cram as much in as possible – whether it’s an impressive big sky or just an interesting rock you found that provides a rich foreground, a wider angle will help you squeeze it all in. Filters and tripod Long-exposure techniques work well here, so a solid tripod and ND filter like a Lee Big Stopper can be useful. It’s also handy to have a few grad filters in your bag to help balance exposures if the sky is particularly brighter than the foreground.…

Shutter durability To tie-in with the camera’s lightweight yet robust magnesium alloy body and extensive weather-sealing, the Z 6 features a durable, high-precision shutter that Nikon claims is good for as many as 200,000 shutter actuations. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity are built-in. A Bluetooth LE connection can be set-up between the Z 6 and your phone too, enabling every single picture you shoot to be automatically transferred to your smartphone. i-menu Hit the ‘i’ menu button just above the four-way controller and you’ll be presented with access to 12 commonly used settings. This function is integrated into the touchscreen and is fully customisable, meaning you can specify exactly how it’s arranged and used. DX Crop mode The Z 6 has a DX Crop mode for those…

METZ has released a compact and keenly priced flashgun, suitable for the latest mirrorless cameras as well as DSLRs. The Mecablitz M360 is 64mm wide x 100mm high x 80mm deep and weighs in at just 190g. It is also particularly easy to use, according to the company. Only two buttons are required: a power button turns the flash on and off, while the second button displays the various operating states (flash ready, exposure OK, standby, etc.) and also triggers the test-flash. ‘The camera determines the correct illumination of the subject via TTL (through-the-lens) metering and the maximum guide number of 36 at ISO 100 provides enough power for almost all lighting requirements,' Metz claims. Other features include power zoom (24-105mm), fully swivelling head, extendable reflector card and an integrated…

In the1960s, Edward Steichen took piles of his negatives, set fire to them and buried the remains in a swamp. In the book Steichen in Color his wife, Joanna, recalls seeing bundles of them being taken into the middle of a pond and dumped during a ‘frantic' process of destruction. Steichen was in his seventies at the time and ‘wanted to leave behind only negatives that he found of aesthetic value or historical importance' His desire to control his legacy is not unique. On his 80th birthday Brett Weston threw 75 of his negatives into a fireplace at his Californian home, having invited100 friends and associates over to watch them burn. He later destroyed all but12 of his remaining negatives. It was an act Weston had been planning for 20…

In Professor Newman's article on lens and format size ( Tech Talk , AP 3 November), he talks about the Micro Four Thirds format being possibly in danger of becoming obsolescent, or at best, becoming a niche market – in part because consumers and manufacturers appear to be jumping on the bandwagon that is mirrorless full-frame. As a long-time Micro Four Thirds fan, I was not a little perplexed by this. I see on the internet that there are indeed many articles proclaiming that the days of Micro Four Thirds are numbered (and it's also been suggested that the APS-C format may not survive much longer either) – all because of this apparent desire to embrace the world of full-frame without slapping mirrors. Recently Canon and Nikon entered the full-frame…

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…

1 Messy borders A messy border gives your monochrome image a vintage look. We used a wet plate border here, created by using a scan of an old photograph found on Wikimedia commons. Search for wet plate, then erase the middle of the frame and drop on top of your image. 2 Washed-out shadows For a retro-toning effect add a Curves layer, and drag the bottom left point on the curve line upwards to wash out the shadows, and the top right point downwards to dull the highlights. You can also use Curves to add colour toning. Target the Blue channel and flatten the line as shown for a blue-yellow effect. 3 Hidden toning tools There's an excellent array of toning presets hidden within Photoshop's Gradient Map tool. Add a…

This location can be photographed at sunrise or sunset, but I think it looks best when the weather is at its worst. Late autumn can be especially good here, when the dying bracken contrasts well with the grey, looming skies. Ensure you have plenty of warm, waterproof clothing and good boots or wellies. Most cameras these days have an element of water resistance but it's a good idea to pack a rain cover and plenty of lens cloths. Also, choose the lens that gives you the most flexibility. You don't want to be swapping and changing lenses if the weather is bad. There's also a saying in these parts: ‘If you don't like the weather you're getting, just wait five minutes, it will soon change.' Try something different Don't rush…

DXO AUTOMATICALLY applies noise reduction to every photo you bring in to the application. But when it does so, it compromises on the finest quality for the sake of speed. However, DxO recognises that good things come to those who wait, so it's also included a Prime noise feature. Once enabled, the Prime feature signals that you're happy to wait while a more refined correction takes place during the Export. It may take several minutes for a single photo but the noise correction is worth waiting for, especially when used on high-ISO images. DxO claims that the Prime noise-correction feature effectively gives you an extra stop of exposure, meaning, for example, you can shoot at ISO 1600 and get the same noise levels as if shooting at ISO 800. The…

Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter or the reader gallery using #appicoftheweek. PermaJet proudly supports the online picture of the week winner, who will receive a top-quality print of their image on the finest PermaJet paper*. It is important to bring images to life outside the digital sphere, so we encourage everyone to get printing today! Visit www.permajet.com to learn more. *PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY Send us your pictures 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…

IF YOU'RE suffering from the post-Christmas blues and thinking about your next overseas trip, then 2019 Destinations: The Holiday & Travel Show is offering a series of useful travel photography workshops in London and Manchester, led by AP contributor, Steve Davey. Steve's courses include an Introduction to Photography, Advanced DSLR Skills, Telling A Story with Composition and Shooting Travel Portraits. He will also host a Capturing A Sense Of Place session at Olympia London. ‘These two-hour masterclasses will help aspiring photographers to sharpen their skills, iron out bad habits and give a better understanding of their camera's functions to enhance travel images,' say the organisers. The dates of the shows are 17–20 January (Manchester Event City) and 31 January to 3 February (London Olympia). In addition, award-winning wildlife photographer Paul…

Smartphones round-up Amy Davies checks out 6 smartphones to find out which has the best camera Paper choices We explain what you need to consider when choosing paper for printing X-Rite i1Studio Andy Westlake tests a complete colour-management system for photographers CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK’S ISSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE…

CLEARLY a winter sports break was on the mind of the hard-pressed AP staff back in 1934 with the cover showing a very plucky young woman skier about to tackle a frankly terrifying-looking slope. Those were the days when people climbed Himalayan peaks in tweed jackets and a stout pair of walking shoes; our cover model looks similarly underdressed compared to the outfits skiers wear in our health-and-safety-obsessed age. There is lots more about winter sports photography inside the magazine, including a diagram on why an image of an airborne skier works, so you should never assume that worrying about the rule of thirds is a more modern thing. The readers' letters were interesting too, with various epistles on the sins of bromoil, plus exposure meters and miniature camera work.…

Portraits are a classic choice for monochrome treatment. Colour can sometimes be an unnecessary distraction in a portrait, especially in close-ups. By stripping it out, we can draw attention to an expression or emphasise the texture of a person's skin. Here, for example, while the colour version is certainly vibrant and eye-catching, the black & white treatment arguably reveals more about the subject. Besides, with portraits we already know what skin colour looks like, so the presence of colour isn't always necessary. You could argue that the necklace and beads here are stronger in colour, but the lack of colour highlights the patterns and textures instead. There's no right or wrong; it's about understanding how the choices we make in post-processing affect not just the look of an image, but…

CUMBRIA gets more than its fair share of rain, which helps to create the landscape of ‘The Lakes'. Sometimes there can be no avoiding the elements, and it's on these occasions I look for a location that works better in bad weather than in good. Devoke (pronounced ‘Duvvock') is one of the most remote locations I visit in the Lake District, but is easy to get to. The journey itself, following the road over Birker Fell, can be breathtaking as it climbs over 800ft across the National Park. It can be accessed from the road linking the Duddon Valley with Eskdale. From Eskdale Green head towards Hardknott Pass and at the King George IV pub continue straight on, signposted Ulpha and Broughton. Just under 3 miles away there is roadside…

Smart Lighting for faces This intelligent feature automatically corrects for under or overexposure. It can even detect faces (as long as they're not in profile), and lighten them when underexposed or recover the detail if they're overexposed. An intensity slider lets you control the strength of the effect. Microcontrast control This lets you crisp up details and enhance sharpness. It's more refined than many similar tools in other programs, as it doesn't result in the nasty haloes or pixel break-up you often see when midtone contrast is pushed too far. The Fine contrast control next to Microcontrast is equally adept. Lens Sharpness tool This is another example of how PhotoLab applies tailored corrections by drawing on analysis of specific lens and camera combinations. Lens Sharpness can detect your choice of…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details For landscape photographers and anyone who demands a 45.7MP sensor capable of super-high-resolution output, the Nikon Z 7 gets the nod over its sibling. For serious amateurs, enthusiasts, semi-pros and professionals who fancy a lower-resolution alternative that is well suited to a wider array of applications at lower cost, the Z 6 is undisputedly a better buy. The sensor offers good scope when it comes to returning detail to dark shadowed regions, and users are able to push high into the sensitivity range before noise starts to encumber fine detail. Resolution The sensor resolves a level of detail that we’d expect from a 24.5MP sensor equipped with an optical low-pass filter to…

Superficially, the Mate 20 Pro's triple-lens camera looks similar to that on the Samsung Galaxy A9. However, the A9's ultra-wideangle lens has a much wider 120° field of view, and suffers from strong fisheye-like distortion. At the other end of the range, its telephoto is a 2x zoom, making it 56mm or so; the Huawei's 80mm telephoto should be better for portraits. As a result the Mate 20 Pro's camera set-up looks more appealing to serious photographers. On the other hand the A9 is considerably cheaper, at £549.…

If you’d like a filter pouch in the same style as your memory wallet, take a look at Lowepro’s GearUp Filter Pouch 100. This accessory provides softly lined sleeves to store and protect up to 10 sheet filters, with two additional internal pockets to hold two circular screw-in types of filter. Fitting your filter holder within it doesn’t compromise the internal space as you get an excellent dedicated pocket for this on the outside. If you don’t own a filter pouch like this, it’s a small price to pay to keep your expensive and vulnerable filters in tip-top condition.…

This was going to have been a portrait: a Kodachrome from the 1940s. I wanted to illustrate how much easier things are nowadays, with better colour, faster lenses, and much higher ISO speeds. But I got side-tracked. That’s one of the joys of browsing through the photographs in the Library of Congress. In a sense it’s a strange choice; at first sight even a little fetishistic. Why on earth would anyone, except a fetishist, photograph a shoe? Well, advertising and fashion. How far is either separable from fetishism? Second, who is going to look at the diamanté heels? The buckle: maybe. The heels? Come on. This is conspicuous consumption of the worst kind. It’s almost as if it’s designed to be photographed rather than worn. ‘This is an early example…