Innholdsfortegnelse for 10-Sep-2016 i Amateur Photographer

Wildlife photographers, like photojournalists, are often witness to scenes of cruelty, suffering and injustice that are difficult to ignore, whether at the hands of man or nature. Sometimes they get directly involved, but mostly they let their pictures do the talking in the hope that they will be a catalyst for action. Now, as the world’s elephant population continues to be decimated by poaching, the wildlife photography community has united to try to stop the decline. To find out more, turn to pages 35-37. Meanwhile, on a very different note, we want our camera tests to be as informative as possible for our readers so we’ve made our resolution tests easier to read. We’ve reduced the magnification of the crops we print, and added an overview of the test pattern…

Published by Prestel Price £45 192 pages hardback ISBN 978-3-79138-297-5 In Dearborn, Michigan, USA, there stands a monument to human ingenuity and utopic industrialisation. It was once considered one of the most advanced of its kind in the world and represented the pinnacle of American industrial achievement. Between1917 and1928 the Ford River Rouge complex was the largest integrated factory the world had ever seen. Nothing like it had been attempted before, and it was thanks to the vision of Henry Ford and the interpretation of that dream by architect Albert Kahn that a thronging, almost alive, industrial Shangri-La was conceived. The site, a Ford Motor Company automobile factory complex, was a modernist dream. Take, for example, the glass walls that were lightweight, inexpensive and allowed the sun to stream in…

Twitter Lois Greenfield @Lois_Greenfield Lois captures the graceful art of dance like no other photographer. Her images are full of life, and the subjects almost seem to jump off the page. Read our interview with Lois in AP 23 January and at www.amateurphotographer.co.uk. Join the conversation @AP_Magazine Flickr William Dore William’s striking image of waves washing up against craggy rocks evokes the sounds and smells of the coast. The repetition of forms in the rocks and sky create a beautifully balanced composition. This image was taken in Scotland, and if you’d like to see more of what Scotland can offer turn to page 22. Submit your photos to apmag.co/flickr Instagram Eric Paré @ericparephoto We featured Eric Paré’s extraordinary light-painting images in our 6 August issue. In the article he…

1 The first consideration is the background – it needs to be plain, light and preferably free of texture or complex patterns. It might be coloured, but you can always use gels on your lights to transform a white backdrop into a wash of green, blue, red and so on. 2 The next step is to position your lights (or off-camera flash) behind the subject, pointing towards the backdrop. The idea is to create a wide flood of light that will bounce off the background. You may need to play around with the distance between the light and the background in order to achieve the effect you desire. The closer they are, the more immediate the fall-off. 3 Once you've got the basics you might like to experiment with partial…

Based in the city of Innsbruck, Austria, Erwin has plenty of raw material on his doorstep, but he also likes to travel to gain fresh inspiration and meet other photographers. If you’d like to see more of Erwin’s photography, visit www.whynotart.at ‘The technique of creating silhouettes in an image appeals to me because I know that the viewer's attention will be taken directly to the main subject,' says Erwin. ‘Of all the things you can shoot, my preferred subjects tend to be people, but I believe that every photograph should tell a necessary story. With that in mind, I try to put people into some sort of context. Sometimes I will find the perfect location but there are too many people milling about, so I have to wait for things…

‘We have managed to enlist 65 of the world’s leading wildlife photographers, including eight winners of Wildlife Photographer of the Year’ In just the past 16 years around 14 species of animals have become extinct, including the eastern cougar and baiji dolphin. While extinction may seem like the narrative device of literature and cinema, the threat is all too real. Now imagine, if you can, waking up one morning to find that the elephant population in Africa no longer exists. Does it seem like a faraway fantasy, something that couldn’t possibly occur in your lifetime? Does it perhaps help to read that around 30,000 elephants are wiped out every year as a result of poaching? Or that one elephant is killed every 15 minutes? These are the statistics driving…

How to apply a lens profile I THINK I recognise this as the pedestrian bridge at Edgware Road station in London. Graham Borthwick shot it using a Canon EOS 5D Mark II with a Canon EF 15mm fisheye lens. As the name suggests, this lens captures a non-corrected fisheye-view image where straight lines will appear curved. It is an interesting lens to use if you want to capture a distorted look and can be useful for capturing panoramic shots that can be merged to produce a composite 360° image. When editing such images in Camera Raw or Lightroom, you can apply lens-profile corrections to the perspective. A fisheye-lens photograph can also be edited using the Adaptive Wide Angle filter in Photoshop to create more natural-looking wideangle views. 1 Basic panel…

Resolution Resolution remains above 2,800l/ph between ISO 100 and 800. More specifically, at ISO 100 the sensor resolves closer to 3,000l/ph, dropping to a fraction under 2,800l/ph at ISO 1,600. Beyond this point detail begins to drops off more noticeably, with 2,600l/ph resolved at ISO 3,200 and 2,400l/ph at ISO 6400. Dynamic range The 1300D’s dynamic range result measures 11.7EV at ISO 100 in our Applied Imaging test. As the graph below illustrates, the figure stays above 10EV up to ISO 400. Results at ISO 1,600, 3,200 and 6,400 drop to 8.8EV, 7.7EV and 6.5EV respectively. This reflects the fact that shadowed areas get increasingly nosier as you push towards the ISO 12,800 limit. Noise In-camera JPEG processing provides excellent results at ISO 100-200. A small amount of luminance noise…

AP AND Lonely Planet Traveller have joined forces to offer one lucky reader the chance to win a seven-night holiday for two to The Gambia. The Inspired Travel Photographer 2016 competition will also give away a Fujifilm X-T10 to winners of the three categories: People, Places, and Nature and wildlife. The overall winner will stay for three nights in the stunning Ngala Lodge and four nights in the Mandina Lodges in the Makasutu Forest. They will be invited to photograph the trip, and have their work featured in Lonely Planet Traveller and AP. The closing date is 30 November 2016. Enter online at amateurphotographer.co.uk/inspiredtraveller. For more details see page 50. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

Tom bought his first camera in 1978, and in 2009 he wrote Light Travel: Photography on the Go, a paperback sharing what he had learned from more than 30 years on the road. You can see more of Tom’s photography at photoseek.com ‘For me, silhouettes turn a photograph into a kind of Rorschach test,' says Tom. ‘Details are reduced down to a stark black outline, and the viewer's eye switches rapidly from positive to negative space, adding a sense of atmosphere, mystery and drama. Subjects with recognisable outlines, such as human and animal figures, make the strongest silhouettes, but it's important not to let the shapes overlap. ‘To obtain a good exposure, I take a meter reading from a medium tone in the bright background, being careful not to blow…

Chris can often be found in abandoned buildings and tunnels in the middle of the night. When he’s not waving lights around in the dark he works as a self-employed interior design consultant in Nottinghamshire. Visit www.flickr.com/people/fastchris ‘For me, silhouettes provide a frame to fill with other lighting effects,' says Chris. ‘The human form makes ideal subject matter, but I'm also a fan of sculptures – although it can be hard to access these at night. First I work out what I want to place inside the silhouette, then I decide how to pose the main subject. As with traditional silhouettes, I expose for the background, but this is where the similarities end. For one, I have my camera in manual mode, but with the shutter speed set to bulb.…

You answered… A Yes, it’s one of my main photography subjects 24% B Yes, occasionally 31% C No, it doesn’t stay still long enough 7% D No, I don’t have a pet 38% What you said ‘I do enjoy taking photos of our photogenic dog Eddie, but he is a reluctant subject and has an uncanny knack of looking away at the last moment!’ ‘I don’t have a pet, but take loads of pictures of the in-laws’ pets when we see them.’ ‘I have 13 male rats at the moment and they make some of the cutest subjects. However, they only seem to become active in the evening when we are back from work and light levels are starting to get low, and they move very fast. I’ve had better…

The Crack Gerhard Aust Commended – Portfolio ‘The Fairy Pools near Glenbrittle offer so many waterfalls that I could stay there for hours and hours,' says Gerhard. ‘Here, I liked the contrast between the brown and green, with the white stone in the foreground and the mountains in the background.' This is a scene that really utilises the natural composition of the land to great effect. Loch Dochard, Argyll Paul Holloway Commended – Overall ‘After an overnight camp I awoke to see light snow had formed wonderful patterns on the ice of the partially frozen loch,' says Paul, of this shot commended in the overall category. ‘As the sun rose, the mountains turned gold creating a wonderful backdrop to the loch.' Plodda Falls Colin Campbell Commended – Landscape ‘This image…

Carbon-fibre legs The carbon-fibre legs are tough and thick, with handy spiked ends for easier use on soft ground. Quick-release plate The Arca-Swiss-style quick-release plate soon becomes second nature. You can also buy a smartphone adapter accessory. Leg locks Not for everyone, perhaps, but the twist-grip locks are well made and reliable. • £315 • www.mefoto.com/uk/products At a glance • Lightweight carbon-fibre tripod available in a choice of colours • Arca-Swiss quick-release plate • Integrated monopod DESPITE the choice of funky colours, MeFOTO's GlobeTrotter tripods are serious pieces of kit and can support up to 26.4lb (12kg), which is more than enough for mainstream travel photography. Both carbon-fibre and aluminium versions pack down in seconds to a very compact 16.1in (41cm), and while the GlobeTrotter isn't the lightest travel tripod…

The overall winner will stay for three nights in the stunning Ngala Lodge and four nights in the Mandina Lodges in the Makasutu Forest where you’ll receive: • Guided forest walks • River trip by pirogue • Return flights from Gatwick • Half-board at the Mandina Lodges and b&b at the Ngala Lodge The overall winner will also be invited to photograph this dream trip and have their work featured in Lonely Planet Traveller and Amateur Photographer magazines. PLUS Each category winner will win a Fujifilm X-T10 camera worth £779. This compact mirrorless digital camera turns any trip, whether in everyday life or to the other side of the world, into the ultimate photo opportunity. Visit fuji.co.uk/x-t10.…

Wi-Fi & NFC connectivity Built-in Wi-Fi connectivity allows users to transfer captured images to a smartphone or tablet via Canon’s free Camera Connect app. In addition, the app can be used to control the Auto Lighting Optimizer Accessible via either the quick menu or the main in-camera menu, this long-standing Canon feature is designed to lighten shadow areas when the camera is faced with backlit subjects or high-contrast situations. Mode dial This provides direct access to all the camera’s exposure modes. In addition to the standard PASM quartet, the 1300D provides a generous range of fully automatic exposure modes for snapshots. Rear LCD display The fixed 3in LCD screen has a resolution of 920,000 dots – an improvement on the 460,000-dot screen found on the 1200D. Quick menu Accessed via…

Operation Assist LED lights LED lights are placed around the body to allow greater visibility in low light. Four are located on the back of the rear display, with further lights inside the card slots, above the lens mount and inside the remote-release port. 300,000-shot shutter Ricoh Imaging states that the K-1’s shutter has been engineered to withstand 300,000 actuations. While it’s clearly difficult to verify this, it’s considerably higher than the 150K-200K figure that’s often quoted for cameras at this level. Top-plate LCD The top-plate LCD is significantly smaller than those on similar cameras, with space for just basic exposure information and battery life. It can be illuminated with a press of a button to its side. Smart Function This dial provides immediate access to a variety of camera…

Assembly The Dome hide is lightweight, compact, quick to put up and freestanding. Material A separate scrim cover is also available (£98.66 for the standard dome) made from quick-drying nylon scrim net. Openings The Dome hide has one main front window and two side windows. An optional lens snoot for the front window is available that ‘hugs’ the lens. Dome hide WHEN I first started photographing nature, there was only one hide available – the Fensman. Essentially a 1m2 cube, the Fensman consisted of four adjustable upright poles and top cross-braces plus a heavy green canvas cover. For most purposes it worked well (particularly on uneven ground) but, for long vigils it was on the small side and if it rained the roof would slowly droop under the weight! Then,…

FUJIFILM has revealed full details of its new wideangle lens, due out at the end of this month. The Fujinon XF 23mm f/2 R WR, which weighs 180g and costs £419, will be available in traditional black but also, from next January, an optional silver finish. Of a similar size and design to the Fujinon XF 35mm f/2, the ‘weather-and dust-resistant' lens should deliver the equivalent of a 35mm lens in 35mm format. The10-element-in-six-groups optic includes two aspherical elements. A stepping motor aims to deliver fast and quiet AF. In 2017, Fuji is due to launch two more similarly styled primes: a 50mm f/2 R WR and a 80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro.…

Modern man (Homo sapiens) evolved with a more creative brain than any other species. At the same time, the conscious mind developed, so, with his dexterous hands, modern man found he possessed the ability to solve daily survival problems creatively. As social animals, we love to communicate ideas and experiences. And as a species, we have become so successful that we have invented machines to manufacture machines that allow us to overcome the sort of dangers we faced in the past. As such, most of us no longer need to face life-or-death decisions any more, while in schools there is less emphasis on creative skills. As a result, these days we can find ourselves sitting around idly while machines cater to our survival needs. Yet we find idleness unbearable. We…

Nikon D810 With a 36.3MP FX-format sensor and an ultra-wide ISO range (64-12,800), the Nikon D810 is a great DSLR for silhouettes. Make sure the Active D-Lighting is switched off before you start shooting silhouettes. Nikon 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR When you’re shooting silhouettes of skittish (and sometimes dangerous) wildlife, it’s a good idea to keep your distance. The AF-S Nikkor 800mm f/5.6E FL ED VR lens includes a 1.25x teleconverter that extends the focal length to 1000mm. Sony A7R II A palm-sized camera such as the Sony Alpha 7R II, with its high sensitivity and 42.4MP sensor, is ideal for night shoots. One of the main benefits is that you can attach a huge range of Canon and Nikon lenses to the camera using lens-mount adapters. LED Lenser…

Laurent has travelled the world shooting some of the planet’s last remaining protected areas. Laurent is a UNEP Goodwill Ambassador, and also a supporter of WWF and the GoodPlanet Foundation. You can see more of his photography at www.laurentbaheux.com ‘Most of my work captures simple, everyday scenes shot in atmospheric locations,' says Laurent. ‘I enjoy shooting silhouettes because they allow me to focus purely on light, contrast and shadow – the very essence of black & white photography. Big mammals, such as elephants and giraffes, make perfect subjects because their shapes are so distinctive. In my line of work I have to be an opportunist – every safari is seen as a new adventure, even if I have been to the same location many times. ‘One thing that remains the…

The way ahead for camera makers looks like a bumpy path, judging by our own family's experience. As a group with17 adults across different generations, five have cameras but only two use them. The remaining15 take their photos on mobile phones or tablet-style devices. Reasons for the ‘dump the camera' trend vary, although they mainly settle on having the ability to pass on images quickly to others. Even pocket-sized cameras are losing favour because people don't want to carry them when a mobile phone is instantly available. A recent family celebration illustrated the shift away when I found I was the only camera user among a cluster of ‘phone-(ph)anatics'. All this may not be scientific, but it shows how quickly times are changing. It's going to take some smart thinking…

• £86 (1TB), £125 (2TB) • www.freecom.co.uk/mhddslim DIGITAL photography is a storage-hungry activity, so portable hard drives are useful to keep your photos safely backed up. There are a number of these on the market, but one that stands out from the crowd is this slim mobile drive from Freecom. It combines stylish design with broad device compatibility and a useful on-board software package. Available in 1TB or 2TB capacities, the drive comes pre-formatted to be compatible with both Apple Macs and Microsoft Windows PCs. As normal, a USB 3.0 cable is provided, but usefully a USB Type-C cable is also included in the box, allowing the drive to be connected to a wider range of devices, including the latest MacBook Air. In fact, the drive is available in a…

One thing that's certain is the K-1 has an excellent sensor at its heart, which captures images with superb detail and a wide dynamic range. In some ways, its performance is as expected for a 36MP full-frame sensor, but comparing its results to those of some of its rivals shows it to have some advantages, too. Considering that the only cameras that currently beat it for resolution are far pricier than the K-1, these really are noteworthy results. One slight oddity is the broad ISO range on offer; while noise is well controlled throughout much of the range, the level of noise at the highest two settings explains why other manufacturers cap sensitivity more modestly with similar sensors. Dynamic range For a camera with a sensor of its type, the…

‘These are classic tableau photographs: people costumed, arranged and photographed to tell a story. I was torn between “Death” and “Pestilence” but all four are brilliant’ The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are first described in the sixth chapter of the Book of Revelation in the New Testament in the Bible. In order of appearance, as so often in real life, they are War, Pestilence, Famine and Death. Good Omens , by the late Sir Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, fills out the characters considerably. Andrey Kezzyn shows us what they look like. These are classic ‘tableau’ photographs: people costumed, arranged and photographed to tell a story. Each picture contains two adults and a child. When trying to select which picture to reproduce here, I was torn between Death and…