Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Dec-2019 i Amateur Photographer

In 2019, births, deaths and anniversaries played a larger than usual role in our world. We celebrated the centenary of Olympus, and 135 years of AP. We said goodbye to some of the greatest names in photography, and announced a couple of great new initiatives: a bursary of £5,000 to enable one lucky photographer to pursue a dream project, and a new Unsung Hero award, launched this week (page 46) to recognise someone who uses photography to make the world a better place for others. In between we’ve reviewed some amazing kit, told many inspiring stories and showed lots of incredible images. This week’s Christmas Special looks back at our highlights. Why not subscribe today and get all of this for less? You’ll find the details on page 90. See…

KELLY Haskett, from Chelmsford, loves the challenge that photography brings. She doesn't, however, have what some might call a ‘proper' camera. In fact, her winning image was taken using her Samsung Galaxy S8+ phone. ‘I love capturing the moment,' she says. ‘It's such a good way of keeping memories alive. These days, having such good phones available and being able to snap wherever you happen to be means you can have real fun with photography. I do what I can with what I have.' Her successful photograph was a simple set-up, using an old piece of jewellery – a Christmas earring that had broken – placed on to a fluffy scarf her mother had given her as a gift. ‘I played around with it until it worked, taking quite a…

NO REVIEW of 2019 could avoid the B word – Brexit. It's a period of great uncertainty, but one thing is sure: any continued weakness in the value of the pound is unlikely to make cameras and lenses cheaper any time soon. We've seen this throughout 2019, and the relatively high price of new kit partially explains the current boom in buying second-hand. A weaker pound could, however, be better news for British exporters of photo accessories, as it helps them stay competitive in a tough global market. ‘Hard’ times? If there is any further delay to a Brexit deal after the general election, or a perception in the City that a deal is too ‘hard', the pound is likely to stay weak, again keeping prices of imported tech higher.…

IT'S DECEMBER 1965. Dr Zhivago has just opened and, at AP Towers, the secretary has been persuaded to dress up as Mrs Christmas and show off her shiny new Fujifilm X-E3. Inside, E Teskey-King takes us through the complex process of making photographic Christmas cards, which involved either sticking photos onto artwork (or models) and then re-photographing them, or using multiple printing techniques. Kids today don't know they're born with their fancy Photoshop. Meanwhile a small child offers Santa a few gift ideas, which include a pack of five flashbulbs (3s 9d), and an AP diary (7s 6d). For more extravagant readers the ‘Over £5' section included a Weston Master V (£10 15s) a Werra 1 camera, with Tessar f/2.8 lens (£19 18s) or, best of all, an AP subscription…

1 CaronSteele 148pts 2 Tom Franklin de Waart 96pts 3 MarcoTagliarino 94pts 4 NeilBurnell 83pts 5 JayBirmingham 62pts 6 SteveJames 61pts 7 PatrickReilly 54pts 8 DarrenRose 53pts 9 JudithDuddle 52pts 10 HelenTrust 51pts…

1 Skin tone Use Lightroom's Adjustment Brush tool and select the 'Soften Skin' preset. With ‘Auto Mask' selected, paint over the skin using a soft brush. Increase detail in the skin by moving the Clarity slider on the 'Soften Skin' preset back to around 50. Pressing ‘o' reveals your mask. 2 Add Clarity and Contrast Add some global Clarity and Contrast to your image to make the image ‘pop'. (Global adjustments make changes to the whole image whereas local adjustments just affect a specific area) Be careful not to add too much Clarity as this can make your image look very unnatural. 3 Spot Healing Every photographer has their favourite, but my go-to tool in Photoshop has to be the Spot Healing Brush, which can be found with the rest…

‘Advertising holds up a mirror to the tastes and obsessions of the age in which they were created’ When we published our 135th anniversary issue in October, which looked back at AP’s history, we received several letters from readers asking why we didn’t feature any of the advertising from AP’s past. It was a good point, because advertising has been an intrinsic part of AP since the very first issue. Indeed, the very first cover, below the masthead, was entirely comprised of ads. Not just one but five: Mawson & Swan, a Geordie retailer whose negative varnish was ‘by far the best and most reliable’, Walter Lawley, of London’s Ludgate Circus, the place to go for ‘Amateur Photographers... desirous of purchasing really good Apparatus’, WW Rouch of The Strand, promoting…

Michael Topham I've long been a fan of Fujifilm's X series and shortly after finding out secondhand examples of the X-T10 can be picked up reasonably cheaply, I decided to snap one up. Black examples seemed hard to come by at the time, so I settled for the black and silver finish, which I've grown to like. If I were given a fiver for every comment I've had from other photographers telling me how good it looks I'd be a rich man by now. In the eight or so months since owning it, I've found it my go-to camera for times when I don't want to cart my professional DSLRs around and just want to use something that I can sling over my shoulder that I'm not too possessive about.…

Sony Alpha 7R IV I always look forward to this time of year, when I can write about the best kit I've been fortunate enough to get my hands on and test for AP. I usually sit at my desk, pondering all the cameras and lenses I've reviewed, before whittling them down to my favourites. However, this year my decision was made quickly, with the standout product being Sony's Alpha 7R IV. Now that Canon and Nikon have passed their one-year anniversaries in the full-frame mirrorless market, with both gaining momentum (helped by an increasing number of RF-mount and Z-mount lenses) Sony has realised that to maintain market share and keep attracting photographers to its system, it's vital it maintains its reputation as a pioneer of innovation. During the press…

Alan Howe Photographing London by George Johnson. Just brilliant and rammed with tips too. Ross Hicks Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton. A great book on so many levels. Steve McCurry's Untold: The Stories Behind the Photographs. Grant Silverthorn Pictures Volume Two by Jeff Bridges. Nigel Boulton Unreasonable Behaviour, Don McCullin's autobiography. Garry Clarkson A signed first-edition copy of Larry Sultan's Pictures from Home has pride of place on my shelf. John Angerson's English Journey is the best book this year. Sara Newell Definitely Remembering Lions (Wildlife Photographers United). It's a beautiful book as well as a fantastic cause. Sam Atkins Uncommon Places by Stephen Shore. Bob Peeling Trouble and Strife by David Bailey. Paul Greenfield A Father’s Tale by Borut Peterlin. Steve Hawkins Ian Weldon's I Am Not…

I NEVER consciously decided to switch from using DSLRs to mirrorless; it just sort-of happened. Like many other photographers, I shot with 35mm autofocus SLRs in the 1990s, then switched to APS-C DSLRs in the early 2000s. In 2006 I went back to full-frame with the original Canon EOS 5D, because it would work better with the lens collection that I'd assembled for film. But I've always liked to have a smaller camera too, and when Panasonic introduced its compact-bodied GF1 in 2009 with the fabulous little 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens, I was smitten. Here, finally, was a replacement for the fast-lensed 1970s 35mm compact rangefinders that I'd often used to shoot indoors with high-speed black & white film. By modern standards, the GF1 wasn't a great camera. But it…

In 2002, I was privileged to be on assignment for the Telegraph Magazine, photographing rehearsals for the Wintershall nativity play, arguably the most spectacular re-enactment of the birth of Christ on show over Christmas in England. Set in an 18th century barn on a hill in the 1,000-acre Guildford estate (that’s estate as in Brideshead Revisited not council), you didn’t see shepherds wearing dressing gowns with a tea towel on their head. The sheep were real and the biblical clothes authentic. Joseph and Mary emerged dramatically from behind their Toyota Corolla on a real donkey called Scamp. The three kings arrived on real horses. They used to ride in on camels but they were phased out after the foot and mouth epidemic. Religious conversion The Wintershall nativity is the result…

Fun in the Rigging by Fox Photos THIS charming moment captures a passenger on the LNER steamer Vienna climbing up on the rigging to accept a tempting invitation from a young lady with a bunch of mistletoe. The fact that they are crossing the North Sea does not seem to be deterring them from enjoying Christmas traditions. The SS Vienna was built in 1929 – just three years before this photo was taken. In 1941 the ship was requisitioned by the Ministry of War Transport in order to serve time in the Mediterranean Sea off Algiers and Bari. By 1945, SS Vienna was a permanent leave ship for the British Army of the Rhine between Harwich and Hook of Holland. The ship was scrapped in Ghent in 1960.…

January ● The RPS revealed its 100 Heroines, a non-ranked list of top contemporary female photographers. The number of nominations from the public was bigger than expected. ● The Travel Photographer of the Year award went to Stefano Pensotti from Italy. He beat over 20,000 images from 142 countries. March ● Fujifilm follows up the X-T3 with the XT-30, equipped with a 26.1MP APS sensor. Other highlights include a 425-point AF system and 30fps burst shooting. ● Leica updated its Q fixed-lens, full-frame compact with the Q2. The new camera got a significant boost in resolution, from 24.2MP to 47.3MP. May ● Despite being a Sony France ambassador and social-media star, an ‘overwhelmed’ Victor Habchy announced he was giving up photography altogether. ● Some interesting new lenses came out, including…

As the general election has reminded us, Britain is a very divided country and while plenty of people are pretty comfortably off, many others live on the breadline. The resentment this stirs up often spills into AP's Inbox, with emails asking, ‘Why do you review such expensive cameras?' and, ‘Who can afford them?' The answer to the first question is that part of our remit is to offer authoritative and unbiased reviews of all new cameras, and few of them are cheap these days. The obvious response to the second question is: lots of people. Clearly. Otherwise the entire photo industry would come to an abrupt end, and all our camera shops would have closed down. Time and money A few letters point to our largely retired readership as a…

Coincidence? How do these things happen? Thirty-odd years ago my eldest brother and I were both using Minolta SR-T SLR's. And now, it turns out, we both have a Panasonic FZ82! I chose mine for the price and its 20-1200mm zoom. I expect that Eric had similar needs. Much to my surprise I learned that he's using his for freelancing. Pretty good for a near octogenarian! Unlike him though I'm just a ‘happy snapper!' Bill Houlder Taking stock I've just finished your excellent article on how to make a few extra drinking vouchers by attempting to place pictures with a stock agency (Stock market: cash or crash?, 2 November). Having tried this route in the past I was slightly dismayed however to see that some brand names are clearly visible…

1st With an astonishing total score of 148 points, Caron Steele won this year's competition in some style, placing 52 points ahead of second-placed Tom Franklin de Waart. She consistently placed high up the leaderboard, and won two categories – Animal Magic and After Dark. Her superb shot of a Dalmatian pelican also won the Bird Photographer of the Year award (see page 21). As AP's editor Nigel Atherton says, ‘Caron has submitted some simply stunning photographs this year. Her work demonstrates not only a great empathy with the natural world and an eye for composition, but also a considerable level of technical skill in both the capture and the editing. She is a worthy winner of this year's title.' You can read an in-depth interview with Caron, and see…

1 Split toning Use the ‘Split Toning' module in Lightroom to start your colour grading adventure. I like to add a little yellow/ gold to the highlights and blue to the shadows. Try using the ‘Balance' slider after, to fine-tune your adjustments. 2 Check the original Keep referring back to your original image in Lightroom by using the ‘/' key. It's good to keep track of your progress. 3 Dodge and burn Use the ‘Dodge' and ‘Burn' presets with the Lightroom Adjustment Brush and paint over the highlight and shadow areas to add some dimension. 4 Add a new edit pin Be sure to click on the ‘New' brush button before starting another adjustment. This adds a new edit pin on your image and won't affect…

Angela Nicholson Photographer and journalist Angela Nicholson started reviewing cameras for Amateur Photographer in 2004 and was our Technical Editor before leaving for new pastures in 2010. Last year she founded SheClicks, a community for female photographers. Angela also runs a camera news and review site at www.camerajabber. com. See squeezymedia.com. Camera 1 Update the firmware As well as ironing-out bugs, manufacturers sometimes issue firmware updates to make cameras compatible with new accessories and lenses or to add useful new features. The easiest way to find out if your camera has a firmware update is to head to the manufacturer's website and visit the support pages. With a little searching you'll find out how to check your camera's firmware version, if there's been an update issued, and how to download…

Fujifilm X-T3 I took a Fujifilm X-T3 on two extended trips to the other side of the world this year and absolutely love it. Full-frame might be the buzzword of the moment but the compact X-T3 is a great travel photographers' camera. The APS-C sensor produces great image quality and there's a wide choice of superb and relatively small lenses to choose from, including some beautiful fast primes. I especially love the 56mm f/1.2 for portraits, and the 16mm f/1.4 for low light documentary work. The JPEGs are excellent right out of the camera, whether shooting in colour or using the lovely Acros B&W mode. To be fair, most of these benefits aren't exclusive to the X-T3 but what is unique is the old-school user interface. Call me old-fashioned but…

Christmas comes but once a year, as does our annual cover competition. It’s the one time we throw caution to the wind and allow you, the readers, to put forward your most seasonal images for consideration for our front cover. Since we first launched the competition in 2013, we’ve had everything from robins to steam trains take over what is the most important page of any magazine. Nearly 1,300 images were uploaded to Photocrowd for judging. The criteria for the competition are the same as for the other 50 covers we choose each year: the image has to be bold and striking; it has to reflect the content of the magazine; there has to be a strong focal point; and there has to be plenty of space to include the…

Olympus, which chalked up a century in business and got good reviews for its E-M1X Sigma, which surprised everyone by bringing out the fp full-frame mirrorless and lenses Indian legend Raghu Rai, who trousered €120,000 after winning the William Klein Académie des Beaux Arts Photography Award Huawei, blocked from using Google services and Android on its phones, and facing delays to its own operating system Jessops, forced to appoint administrators to property arm JR Prop Limited in order to restructure its debt US photographer Robert Koester, 52, jailed for 25 years for molesting young models…

£80,000 The annual salary offered for a lifestyle photographer to follow a British family around the world $84 billion Apple's revenue for 2019 first quarter, hit by an iPhone sales slump 96.7% Canon and Nikon's combined share of the Japanese DSLR market $195,000 The Buy it Now price on eBay for a rare contact sheet featuring photos of Marilyn Monroe 5km The closest you can now fly drones around UK airports 169 Number of different Nikon F-mount bodies released since 1959 81% Decline in Canon's operating profit in the first quarter of 2019 2,400 Number of previously unseen pictures of 9/11 found on CDs at a house-clearance sale 85 Number of years Fujifilm has been in business; it's been a busy year 1 billion The…

WE END on a poignant note, remembering some of the celebrated AP journalists who died this year, along with some great photographers. It was a big shock to all of us on AP to learn of the death of our freelance colleague Roger Hicks on 7 April. As well as being a true gentleman and a fine writer and photographer, Roger did so much for AP over the years, and was determined to keep writing his Final Analysis column as long as he could. Back in March, we reported the death of former editor Roy Green, who ran AP from 1980 to 1985, and helped the magazine achieve its highest-ever circulation. Ivor Matanle, another respected freelancer and expert on vintage cameras, also passed away in February. As for great photographers…

Your mention of Mike Maloney in Inbox (9 November issue) reminded me of the times I'd send in contributions for his AP critique page. On one occasion Mike rang me to say one of my images had won his Pic of the Week. At first I thought it was a wind up until I realised I was indeed speaking to the Fleet Street legend. A few months later Mike rang again. But it wasn't to say I'd won pic of the week this time. He'd been impressed with a shot of an arch I'd taken at St Mary's Cathedral in my home town of Newcastle. He suggested the photo would make a good fine art print. I followed his suggestion and had a few copies printed off. A mate put…

Caron Steele has won Round 8 of APOY – and with it, the whole competition! Her prize is any Sigma product of up to £1,000 in value (based on Sigma's RRP). If her choice is above this amount, she can choose to pay the difference. The SIGMA 28mm F1.4 DG HSM | A (RRP £1,099.99) has a wide aperture that's perfect for low-light conditions. It stands up to poor weather, too, with its dust- and splash-proof design. The Sigma 70-200mm F2.8 DG OS HSM | S (RRP £1,349.99) has a versatile zoom range that makes it a great all-rounder. It features Intelligent OS and high-speed autofocus.…

Chris Bailey Chris Bailey is a professional portrait photographer based in the South West of England. Chris loves both the technical and visual challenge of capturing people, as every face is unique. Check out his portfolio of work at www.chrisbaileyphotography.co.uk. 1 Reduce the Red Primary slider in Camera Calibration in Lightroom. 2 Raise the shadow slider to reveal more detail in the darker areas. 3 Use the Adjustment Brush tool and select the ‘Iris Enhance' preset. Gently paint over the eyes to reveal detail. 4 Drag the Saturation and Vibrance sliders down to give the image a darker, moodier and more ‘Cinematic' look. On a normal day in the studio I shoot with a Canon EOS 6D and a Sigma 85mm Art series lens. The 85mm focal length is perfect…

WhiteWall's Jan-Ole Schmidt has some expert recommendations for printing and presenting this portrait image. He says: ‘Chris Bailey perfectly captured the spirit of this man. This image would work great as a matte Photo Print On Aluminium Backing. Adding our black Copenhagen frame accents the image and perfectly puts the focus on the picture. ‘With over 80 framing options at WhiteWall, there are numerous different ways to show off Chris's picture. How about a very traditional look with our Solid Wood Frame With Passe-Partout? For those seeking a classic, textured appearance, I would highly recommend the Hahnemühle Torchon Fine Art paper. Then I would add an alder brown passe-partout frame with Mirogard museum glass to present the piece in the best light.' Jan-Ole Schmidt, Product Manager, WhiteWall.com…

Fujifilm GFX100 For all of our earlier protestations that the best kit of the year isn't necessarily the highest specified, I think it would be impossible for any serious photographer to use the Fujifilm GFX100 and not come away incredibly impressed. Because here's a camera that doesn't just offer breathtaking resolution and dynamic range that's far beyond most photographers' wildest dreams, it also makes it absurdly easy to achieve the full potential of its 102MP medium-format sensor, backed up by the firm's stunning GF lenses. It's an astonishing piece of kit that blows away our usual preconceptions that shooting at such ultra-high resolution must inevitably be hard work. When I started testing the GFX100, I put it on a tripod all the time because that's what you're supposed to do…

TO CHANGE or not to change? This is the question I've asked myself numerous times over the past couple of years. Camera manufacturers are continuing to throw their resources into their mirrorless systems in order to tempt those who haven't already ditched their DSLRs in favour of newer technology to do so. I'm a firm believer that mirrorless is the future and in fewer than five years I can't envisage any new DSLRs rolling off camera manufacturers' production lines. Why is it, then, that I keep turning to my DSLRs? ‘I’m sure I’m not alone when I say I’m quite frightened by the cost of switching systems ’ My argument for holding onto my trusty pair of Canon EOS 5D Mark III bodies and eclectic mix of Canon and Sigma…