Innholdsfortegnelse for 22-Jun-2019 i Amateur Photographer

On the face of it landscape photography seems easy. We live in a country blessed with a great variety of scenic beauty. All we need to do is head to somewhere pretty, point our cameras and click. Of course we all know that there is much more to it than merely capturing a factual record of the topography. There is a vast gulf between simple snaps and the work of the great landscape photographers. So how do we get our own work to a point where it stirs the emotions and touches the soul in the way that great landscape photography does? There is no secret formula, but this week’s issue is dedicated to the various ways in which we can move our own landscape photography further away from the…

TAMRON has released full details of the SP 35mm F/1.4 Di USD prime lens for Canon and Nikon full-frame DSLRs, which was first announced at the CP+ camera show in Japan in February this year. This rain- and moisture-resistant lens features 14 elements in 10 groups, including four LD (Low Dispersion) and three GM (Glass Molded Aspherical) elements. Tamron claims that this minimises chromatic aberration, while delivering superior optical performance towards the edges of the frame when shooting wide open at f/1.4. It has a nine-bladed circular aperture, and employs a USD (Ultrasonic Silent Drive) for fast and quiet autofocus. Another feature, called the Dynamic Rolling-cam mechanism, has been specifically designed for this lens. It reportedly minimises the drive load placed on the focus lens. The lens also has a…

What a view! Tripod out, camera and lens on. Wide angle. Frame and compose. Look for lead-in lines, a focal point. Rule of thirds. Is the horizon straight? Focus. Stop down to f/16. Depth-of-field preview check. Meter highlights and shadows. Better add an ND grad. What about a polariser? Meter again, check focus. Remote release on. Ready? Most readers will recognise the above as the litany of the landscape photographer, one that has been astutely observed since a tripod was first planted into the chalk cliffs overlooking Durdle Door or the limestone pavements above Malham Cove. Iconic viewpoints such as these have inspired tons of photographers, but despite all the pretty postcards, comforting calendars and workshop bookings, a wind of change is stirring on the misty dawn horizon of the…

Resolution At its widest focal length, the lens appears to be sharpest in the f/4-5.6 region, although corners lag behind the centre. Consistency improves at mid-range apertures, although at the expense of overall resolution. This is mirrored at the 28mm end although overall constancy is better here, with the lens working best around the f/5.6-11 range. Shading Vignetting is visible at the 16mm end of the lens, but this is only mild and soon gets better as you stop down the aperture. It does seem to be a little more stubborn towards middle apertures, however. Things are better at the 28mm end wide open, with vignetting disappearing when you stop down to f/4. Curvilinear distortion Barrel distortion at the wider end of the lens is very slight, and this improves…

On the table There's something to be said for carrying a small but sturdy table-top tripod with you all the time, which you can deploy in situations where full-size tripods can't be used. The key lies in finding one that's sturdy enough. Contenders include the Cullmann Magnesit Copter, which comes either alone for £15 or with the small but surprisingly strong CB2 head for around £30; the erstwhile and much-copied Manfrotto 709B (£40), the multifunctional Sirui 3T-35 (£80) that's well-suited to video as well as stills, and the fantastic-but-pricey Gitzo Mini Traveller, which features dual-angle legs and a neatly designed ball head, but costs £189. Go anywhere Some situations and locations simply aren't amenable to a conventional tripod. For instance, when you're shooting at ground level or propping your camera…

1 Extend the centre column as little as possible for maximum rigidity. 2 On uneven ground, adjust the lowest, thinnest leg sections to ensure the tripod is level. 3 Hang a bag off the centre column hook to help dampen vibrations. 4 Make sure all controls are locked down completely tight before shooting. 5 Use a remote release to fire the camera's shutter. 6 In portrait format, use an L-bracket to keep the camera directly above the head.…

Hoya Ultra-Pro Circular Polariser ● £52-179 ● www.intro2020.co.uk HOYA'S Ultra-Pro range of circular polarisers is the company's premium offering, available in 13 sizes from 37mm to 82mm. Compared to cheaper versions, they have tougher glass, feature 16 layers of anti-reflective coatings and offer higher light transmission. They're also designed to repel water and oil while being scratch- and stain-resistant. An ultra-thin rotating aluminium frame prevents vignetting when used with wideangle lenses. In our tests the filters did a fine job of overcoming reflections and enhancing colour, with blue skies and green foliage being considerably richer and more saturated. If you want one of the finest examples of screw-in polariser that money can buy, look no further. Michael Topham, reviewed AP 3 March 2018 PNY The Outdoor Charger ● £19 ●…

THIS street scene was uploaded to our Twitter page using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. It was taken by photographer Paul Crudgington. He tells us, ‘I recently purchased my first vintage M42 film lens, and having tried it for macro photography I was eager to see how it performed for street. The area around Manchester Town Hall is a great spot, because in the late afternoon the sun creates interesting, high-contrast scenes. Having found the right composition, it was a matter of patience until the right person walked by to complete the scene. I darkened the shadows and brightened the highlights to produce the final result.'…

AFTER just a couple of sessions shooting with it, I suspect that the FE 200-600mm F5.6-6.3 G OSS is set to be a big success for Sony, and will be strongly in demand by photographers who enjoy shooting subjects such as wildlife, sports and airshows. Despite its extremely useful super-telephoto range, it isn't too heavy or unwieldy, and crucially it appears to focus quickly and deliver decently sharp images wide open across the full zoom range – at least in good light. Not only is it likely to be high on many Alpha 7-series users' wish lists, but it's also a unique lens that could itself help induce photographers to buy into Sony's system. I'm looking forward to giving it a more thorough test when review samples become available.…

BOOK Ganga Ma By Giulio Di Sturco, GOST Books, £35, 136 pages, hardback, ISBN 978-1-910401-28-6 From 2008 to 2018, the Italian photographer Giulio Di Sturco worked his way down the 2,500km length of the Ganges (the titular Ganga Ma translating to Mother Ganges). On his way, he photographed the river and those whose lives are intrinsically linked to it. While his style is distant in a physical sense, it doesn't lack emotion. If anything, as a viewer, it feels you are looking over his shoulder and seeing what he sees. Rarely are his subjects looking at the camera; often they have their backs turned, adding to the sense of detachment. This approach isn't everyone's cup of tea, but for me it works beautifully and suits the pale, bleached-out treatment that…

In AP's seascapes technique feature ( Coast to Coast , 25 May), one of the photographers, Paul Sanders, quoted Minor White, ‘Be still until the object of your attention affirms your presence.' Profoundly useful advice that was also proposed by Bill Brandt, ‘See the subject first. Do not try to force it to be a picture... Stand apart from it. Then something will happen. The subject will reveal itself.' Brandt wrote this in his 1948 Focal Press book Camera in London . On a slightly different subject, of the 59 photographs in the book, all but four were taken using a Rolleiflex Automat with a Tessar lens. Great advice from the experts, Peter. Thanks for sharing it with us – Nigel Atherton, editor LETTER OF THE WEEK WINS A SAMSUNG…

Mobile phone Make sure your phone is fully charged, and conserve power. If you’re heading to a location with poor reception, check the last place where you had a strong signal just in case you have to make an emergency call. Ordnance Survey map Carry an OS map of your location and know how to read it. If you don’t want to carry a bulky map, then before you head out download the section you need from the internet (try Bing Maps), do an A4 printout, and put it in a waterproof sleeve. Head torch and whistle If your phone fails you can still attract attention in an emergency. Learn the correct sequence of blasts or flashes to aid rescuers. A torch, preferably a head torch, should be carried at…

The four obvious headline specifications when comparing tripods are maximum height, folded length, weight and load capacity. But also check the height without the centre column extended – the taller this is, the more stable the tripod is likely to be. If you're interested in low-level work, also pay attention to the minimum height, and how much disassembly of the tripod's centre column is required to get there – split columns are quickest and easiest to use. But note that load ratings should be taken as a very rough guide only; manufacturers determine them in different ways, and they tend to be optimistic.…

It’s quite rare to see a photojournalist change the course of history… but that’s exactly what happened when Ian Berry photographed the Sharpeville Massacre in South Africa in 1960. Berry was working for the South African magazine Drum when his editor, Tom Hopkinson, asked him to go to the black township of Sharpeville following reports of a shooting. He duly went, and because he was used to working in that part of Africa, he ignored the advice of guards to vacate the area. Not long afterwards, thinking all was peaceful at the protest against pass laws at the nearby police station, Berry took a last check of the scene… and then the shooting started. Berry photographed what he could with his 35mm cameras and realised he was the only person…

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

I believe there's an unwritten rule that all photographers should adhere to when working in close proximity to other photographers. If someone makes the effort to set their alarm earlier than you, treks several miles to a remote location and sets up their tripod in the perfect spot, it's only fair that you respect that they were there first. There's nothing wrong with shooting from a different angle or politely asking if they'd mind you setting up nearby, but you must be mindful of not getting in the way and always work sympathetically. Just like golfers take offence to someone walking across their line on the putting green, photographers can't bare other photographers who amble into the frame unexpectedly or selfishly ruin a shot to benefit their own. Outrageous behaviour…

EVEN by the objectifying standards of the 1980s, we are struggling to find any connection between the cover model and the coverlines this issue… She definitely isn't from Kathmandu, or anything to do with Jessops. Anyway, she's very striking, even though the shades and hair are disturbingly reminiscent of Agent Smith from The Matrix [you have a sick mind – Ed]. Swimwear eye-candy aside, there is a lot of interesting and engaging content in the magazine, including an interview with intrepid underwater photographer Martha Holmes (hence the rather creaky ‘new depths' coverline), and a review of the Olympus OM40 SLR. Although it was manual focus, it had a fancy Electro-Sensitive Pattern (ESP) metering system. As the '80s progress, more clever automated features start to appear in higher end cameras, paving…

Really Right Stuff BH-55 There is no ballhead more sturdy or more heavyweight than this one. It’s the most stable of platforms and essential for my long-lens landscape work. L-bracket By keeping the centre of gravity over the centre of the tripod, the L-bracket ensures the most stable of images, whether you are using landscape or portrait orientation. Levelling base I’m a panoramaholic, so I use a levelling base – it ensures a flat plane of rotation in one motion, without all the faff of levelling the legs individually.…

Enhancing tones Raw files can often initially look flat, but that's because you're expected to make your own enhancements. So to begin, try increasing contrast, tweak shadows and highlights, boost saturation and experiment with Clarity and Dehaze. Here opening up the shadows reveals greater detail in the rocks. Crop and level If, like the image here, the horizon is slightly wonky then Lightroom can automatically fix it with the Level button within the Transform Panel. You might also want to crop the image slightly. Lightroom offers various helpful crop overlays that adhere to different compositional rules. Hit O to cycle between them. White balance With raws, you can set the white balance either by choosing a preset, like sunny, cloudy or tungsten, from the preset dropdown here, or grab the…

Lenses such as these are clearly intended for landscapes, interiors and other tripod-based applications, but their wide constant apertures open them up to other handheld work. Trying to cater for such a wide variety of uses is challenging, but this lens certainly has a number of things going right for it. While lab testing shows it to be less sharp wide open, Tokina has been clear that it's optimised for apertures of f/4 onwards. The way it manages to correct for aberrations in general is great to see, particularly distortion and vignetting. At such a highly competitive price, it's unreasonable to expect weather-sealing or perfectly silent autofocus performance as we have elsewhere, but these are things the average user can live without. When you consider what this lens allows you…

Lightweight bargains Decent tripods don't have to weigh a ton or cost a fortune, and it's possible to get lightweight but sturdy tripods for under £100. Compromises include a lower maximum height and recommended load, meaning these tripods are best suited for use with smaller DSLR or mirrorless cameras with tilting screens, and not ideal for shooting with large lenses. Our top pick is the Benro Slim Carbon Fibre tripod + N00 ball head kit, which extends to 146cm, packs to 51cm, and weighs just 1kg. At just £89, it's an absolute steal. Another great choice is the Vanguard VEO 235AB, which uses a unique swivelling column to fold down to 38cm, while extending to 145cm. Weighing 1.5kg, it can be bought for as little as £80. The solid workhorse…

Ball heads By far the most popular type of tripod head, these win on light weight and speed of use, but can be difficult to adjust really precisely. The best have an independently lockable panning base, and a friction control to adjust the drag on the ball movement. Sirui's K-X series heads are particularly fine examples, featuring a well-designed friction control, Arca Swiss-type quick release and multiple bubble levels. Prices range from around £100 for the smallest K-10X to £160 for the top-of-the-range K-40X. Vanguard's Alta BH range is a great budget alternative, at £50 for the BH-100 to £90 for the larger BH-300. 3-way heads The 3-way, or pan-and-tilt type of head, is almost ubiquitous on cheap aluminium-and-plastic tripods, but gets progressively less popular as prices rise. It has…

● £64.99 ● www.3leggedthing.com 3 LEGGED Thing is known for giving unusual names to its products. Having reviewed Zelda (AP 23 March) – an L-bracket made for Nikon's Z 6 and Z 7 cameras, we're now looking at Ellie, which builds on the QR11 from 2017 and brings another dimension of universal compatibility to a range of cameras. Designed to replace the quick-release plate that comes supplied with a ballhead, L-brackets are popular with landscape photographers and anyone who regularly uses a tripod. They make switching between landscape and portrait orientations easier without altering the angle of the horizon, and they prevent the weight of a heavy camera and lens being off-centre from the tripod head. Ellie differs to other L-brackets in the way the length of its base is…