Innholdsfortegnelse for 09-Nov-2019 i Amateur Photographer

As much as I’m a cheerleader for the convenience and image quality of modern digital cameras, I’m the first to admit that digital offers nothing to match the magic of watching a print develop before your eyes in a dish. It’s a thrill I had forgotten but was reminded of by this week’s darkroom features. It has been years since I had a darkroom at home but this has inspired me to consider setting one up again. But first I should probably go out and shoot some black & white landscapes, following the advice of our feature on page 16. I’m also very excited this week to announce a new bursary we have launched in conjunction with MPB, which gives one aspiring documentary photographer the chance to pursue a dream…

WHAT is believed to be the world's oldest photograph of a living animal – as in alive at the time – has recently been displayed in New York by Hans P. Kraus Jr. Fine Photographs. The image, of cows resting in a market in Rome's ancient Forum, was taken as a daguerreotype by French photographer Joseph-Philibert Girault de Prangey (1804–1892). Photography historian Stephen C Pinson, who wrote a book on de Prangey, has worked out that he took the image between April and July 1842, while on a Mediterranean journey (De Prangey took the earliest-surviving images of Greece, Palestine, Egypt, Syria, and Turkey). Louis Daguerre had announced his daguerreotype process only three years before, so the innocuous image, with the comically abrupt title of ‘Rome, Forum, Boeufs', dates back to…

When Michael Gove famously said that ‘people have had enough of experts' he was onto something – even though his quote was taken out of context. We live in the age of Google, where everyone can be their own expert. Don't know anything about quantum physics?Just Google it, read the first couple of search results and voilà. Sorry physicists, you're no longer required. Feeling unwell? Thanks to the internet we can tell the doctor we already know we have rabies – we just need him to cure us. In a world seemingly overrun with anti-vaxxers, creationists, climate-change deniers and so forth, who needs scientific evidence? World-leading economists' warnings of economic disaster in the event of a no-deal Brexit can be happily dismissed as wrong by people who have zero understanding…

Barricane Beach by James Maloney Nikon Z 6, 14-30mm, 0.6sec at f/11, ISO 100 THE RUGGED coastline and rock formations at Barricane Beach in North Devon make it a rich hunting ground for photographers, as James Maloney explains. ‘While the sun was setting and the tide was coming in, I wanted to smooth out the water but still retain texture. I controlled the light using a polariser and medium graduated filter. As a local resident, James can often be found photographing the coasts and moors around Devon and Cornwall. He uploaded this shot to our Instagram page using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. Picked by Nigel Atherton, Editor, as our #appicoftheweek…

135th birthday congratulations Below the title of the austere blue front cover of Issue I of Amateur Photographer, dated Friday 10 October 1884 are the words: ‘A Popular Journal devoted to the interests of photography and kindred arts and sciences.' Now 135 years later, little has changed, as below the title of AP, as it is affectionately known, you can find a similar description: ‘Passionate about photography since 1884.' How many institutions, and AP is an institution and a venerable one at that, can claim such a pedigree of excellence and unstinting desire to bring the world of photography in all its forms so seamlessly to such a wide public within the covers of its publication? I have been reading AP since I was a teenager and every week I…

Having spent the first few years of my journey into photography shooting what I would call ‘traditional landscapes’ (where I would religiously avoid shooting the human form) it came as a shock as to how much I enjoyed street photography when I finally plucked up the courage to try it. Although it’s way out of my comfort zone, I was soon bitten by the bug and began to play with colour, abstracts and contrast. I even pushed the dehaze slider past 10 (but shhh, don’t tell anyone!). All the things I tended to frown at when trying to capture a realistic landscape were OK when it came to street. When out on the streets I keep my kit simple. I use a Fujifilm X-Pro2 with either the Fujinon 23mm or…

The 90D is a versatile and reliable DSLR, capable of producing excellent images in a multitude of different shooting situations. The resolution increase will benefit sports, action and wildlife photographers, but to achieve the finest image quality possible you'll really want to pair it with higher quality lenses than the kit zooms Canon sells it with. 4K video has been long overdue on Canon's double-digit DSLRs, so it's good to see it making an appearance, albeit without a 24p setting or a Log gamma option for colour grading. I'd have liked to see a USB Type-C interface with support for charging too, but with a 1,300-shot battery life you'll be unlikely to need to top it up in a hurry. Being able to shoot a continuous burst at 10fps is…

● £90 ● www.tenba.com/en-gb Five-year guarantee Tenba guarantees its bags for five years against original manufacturing or materials defects. Tripod carrier An expanding fabric pocket can be used, in concert with a stabilising strap above, to hold a small tripod. Organiser pocket The flat front pocket will accept a 10.5in tablet, maps, notebook and pens, etc. Bottle pocket A stretchy mesh side-pocket is ideal for carrying a water bottle, umbrella or any other item you need to get at quickly. WHEN you head out for a day to take photos, you'll often want to carry more than you can fit into a shoulder bag. The Tenba Fulton 14L accommodates a decent-sized camera kit, but also has an expandable upper section for holding everything else: food, waterproofs and the like. Its…

It's an interesting fact that a modern mirrorless digital camera is cheaper to manufacture than a lens. A camera comprises assembly items that are mass produced using lithography (printing) processes. Compared with a film camera, the mechanical film movement has been replaced by a semiconductor sensor, the opto-mechanical viewfinder assembly is replaced by an LCD or OLED display, produced using essentially the same processes as semiconductors. Only the mechanical shutter remains as a component requiring precision assembly from various mechanical parts – and there's a slow transition from mechanical to electronic occurring with respect to shutters. By contrast, lenses still consist of numerous optical and mechanical parts, requiring precision hand assembly. As a result, the cost equation between cameras and lenses has steadily changed, with lenses becoming relatively more expensive…

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE Penny for the Guy by Fox Photos 5 NOVEMBER 1933: This cheerful image shows ‘Bob' the canine film star assisting a child with his Guy Fawkes collection. Creating effigies from old rags to parade around the streets, and shouts of ‘Penny for the Guy' is not something you'll hear or see on the streets of Britain with much regularity these days, the custom seeming to have died down in the past 40 or so years. Children from working-class backgrounds largely carried out the tradition as a way to make some extra pocket money. Now, for kids at least, Bonfire Night has been somewhat eclipsed by Halloween celebrations, something we can no doubt attribute to the popularity of the Americans. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is…

Canon EOS M6 Mark II Audley Jarvis investigates what this latest APS-C mirrorless camera offers Olympus 25mm F1.2 Pro This ultra-large aperture lens gives lovely blurred backgrounds, says Andy Westlake In for the long haul We find out what inspires three exponents of the long-form documentary genre…

I enjoyed AP's 135th Anniversary issue (12 October). Lots of references to 135 over the 135 years that you have been publishing AP, including 135 tips and the Sigma 135mm lens prize. There is, however, a 135 that you have omitted, unless I haven't spotted it - the most significant 135 in the history of photography. In 1934, Kodak designated its new film cassette size for using 35mm width motion film in ‘miniature' still film cameras such as the 1927 Leica I, as type 135, still to be seen on Kodak film boxes today. It's a shame that no one makes a 135GB memory card, otherwise that could have been the ideal reward for the star letter of your 135 issue! John Langham Well spotted, John. We too noticed the…

Tell us more about yourself and how you got into photography. My interest in photography came about as a result of visiting several exhibitions. One in particular that stood out was the World Press Photo in Valencia. I was inspired by how the professional photographers could tell a story with images, so I directed my studies towards this area. On my course I learnt all about analogue photography, and my curiosity and desire increased. Today, I am in a continuous process of development, and am studying a degree in Audiovisual Communication at the Universitat Jaume I in Castellón, where I am preparing to take the final course. How did it feel to win the 2019 Student Photographer of the Year at the Sony World Photo Awards? It was a great…

1 Keep an eye on the histogram When producing a high-contrast image it is still important to avoid any clipping of the highlights or shadows. These won't look great on a printed image. 2 View your image at 100% Printing is expensive so it's worth taking your time to scrutinise the final edit before pushing the button. Take a good look around the image looking for any potential faults or flaws. 3 Feel the noise Most of the time we aim to remove as much noise as possible after sharpening, but some photographers prefer a grainy look to their street shots. The choice is yours, but make sure you have the look you want when you are ready to sign it off. 4 Resolution Don't forget…

Wi-Fi connectivity is built into the 90D, offering photographers the freedom to control the camera wirelessly from a smartphone or tablet that's running Canon's excellent Camera Connect app. There's also connectivity via Bluetooth to form a permanent connection to a smartphone – a feature previously seen on existing EOS models like the EOS 800D and EOS 77D. It allows your phone to be used as a remote control at any time, without having to mess around setting up a Wi-Fi connection between devices. The Bluetooth connection can also instruct the camera to fire up its Wi-Fi for when you want to copy images across to your phone, or use full remote control with live view. The Auto transfer option, which automatically downloads images taken with the camera to a smartphone…

Breaking Free by Paul Cronin Canon EOS 5D Mk IV, 100-400mm, 3.2sec at f/13, ISO 100 ‘AUTUMN/winter is my favourite time of the year to photograph,' says Paul Cronin. ‘While the inclement whether can be demoralising, the shorter days and easier sunsets and sunrises can soften the mood and light.' Paul was walking in the woods when he came across a chestnut tree and lots of seeds scattered on the path. ‘The hardest part was finding a good composition within the chaos of seeds, capsules and leaves,' he recalls. ‘I found a spot with a solitary capsule delicately atop of the moss and carried out a spot of ‘gardening' to tidy up the scene. I had spent a good hour or so looking about – it just shows how easy…

Coffee and cake It’s important to wrap up warm but your body uses energy so I always take a flask of hot milky coffee and cake – lemon drizzle is a favourite. LEE Filter system I always use filters in the winter, especially graduated filters. When it is snowy or frosty, I usually invert the filter to tone down the foreground of the shot. Blunt umbrella It shields the wind, rain and snow off my camera. The Blunt umbrellas are pretty much indestructible which makes them a good investment. Shutter release To avoid nudging the camera during those long exposure times, Neil uses a remote shutter release. Lens cloth There’s nothing like a big raindrop running down the front of your lens to ruin your image. A lens cloth is…

TWENTY years ago this week, the AP Editor Nigel Atherton was the Features Editor and the cover story was his six-page love letter to his trusty Nikon F4. It seems he'd been tempted by a newer trinket but decided to stay faithful, in wedded bliss. [We're divorced now. I traded it in for a D700 – Ed]. Meanwhile the Technical Editor could barely contain his excitement at the arrival of the Minolta Dimage RD-3000 (based on its Vectis APS SLRs – remember those?) a tardy 14 months after it was announced. At the time, a 2.7 megapixel camera was ‘an exciting prospect', and its price of £6,000 + VAT was ‘well below that of equivalent cameras.' By the time it went on sale that price had dropped to just £3,200…

WHITEWALL's Product Manager, Jan-Ole Schmidt, has some advice about Dave's image. He says, ‘Street photography at its best! In his black & white picture, Dave Fieldhouse creates an atmospheric ambience in which the architecture plays a pivotal role. With over 1,000 product variations at WhiteWall, there are perfect printing, mounting, and framing options for every photo. ‘For Dave Fieldhouse, I would recommend a photo print on Ilford B/W paper mounted under matte acrylic glass. For a frame, I'd go with our black Copenhagen model or our black Aluminium ArtBox. Both options are perfect for directing attention to what's important: the image. Those who prefer a more traditional look will find our Hamburg passe-partout frame to be worth its weight in gold. To really bring out the best in this image,…

All you have to do to be in with a chance of being named the MPB Rising Star Bursary winner is to provide the following: ● A personal statement outlining your proposed photographic project around the theme of ‘Change’, with a limit of 1,500 words. ● A link to a portfolio of your current photography. These images can be about anything at this stage, and do not need to be about ‘Change’. ● Links to relevant websites or social media feeds showcasing your photography, e.g. Instagram, Flickr, Twitter etc. ● Your photographic biography and a (brief) CV. Email risingstarbursary@ti-media.com and visit amateurphotographer.com/latest/bursary2020 The entries will be judged by AP staff and the overall winner will be contacted by email. Full terms and conditions can be found on the website at…

It has been a while since a review of a DSLR has graced the pages of AP. So far this year 90% of the cameras we've reviewed have been mirrorless, so for Canon to come out and release a new DSLR at the same time as evolving its mirrorless systems is intriguing. It shows Canon's intent on strengthening its EOS DSLR line-up at the same time as developing and expanding its EOS M and EOS R mirrorless ranges, but for how long this will continue when mirrorless looks to be the future nobody knows. Just to recap, the EOS 90D arrives three years after Canon last refreshed its double-digit series of DSLRs. It is the successor to the popular EOS 80D and is out to appeal to enthusiasts who would…

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industry-standard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software. Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details At the time of writing the 90D offers the highest resolution of any APS-C camera on the market, and once again we see the sensor overlaid with an optical low-pass filter to help keep moiré and false colour artefacts under control. While this does come at the expense of fine image detail, users will remain enthralled by the quality of the 90D's images when they are inspected closely. There's excellent latitude when you'd like to return detail too. Raw files let you to pull back lots of information from deep shadowed regions – well illustrated by the opening image to this review. Resolution An inspection of our resolution chart tells us the…