Innholdsfortegnelse for 1-Oct-2016 i Amateur Photographer

Humans love symmetry. According to scientists, the more symmetrical a person’s body is, the more attractive they look to the opposite sex. The reason for this is that signs of asymmetry can be signs of genetic or environmental stress – in other words, indicators of biological weakness. The ancient Greeks were among the first to recognise that humans use symmetry as a tool to assess how beautiful an object is, and since then, artists, interior designers and countless other creatives have used this knowledge to inform their work. To be truly symmetrical, a picture needs to be made up of similar parts either facing each other or based around an axis – think mountains reflected in a lake, with a line of ground dividing the frame in two. 1 Looking…

Jerry Webb and Jo Teasdale: Parallels Jerry Webb and Jo Teasdale have collaborated for the first time to contrast their images of similar places, spaces and themes: Jerry with his individual methods and distinctive style, and Jo’s witty and imaginative eye for the moment. You can see the work for free at My Brighton’s Merkaba Bar. Until 30 October, www.facebook.com/webbteasdale Astrophotography Turning your lens to the heavens has exploded in popularity. If you’re looking to try it, then Dave Wilkinson can guide you at Godlee Observatory. Booking is essential for this free event, but be quick as places are likely to fill up fast. 10 October, bit.ly/2cW33pW Harry Benson The Scottish Parliament is hosting a free exhibition of Glasgow-born Harry Benson’s work shot in America in the 1960s…

Think Tank Photo Retrospective 5 shoulder bag • £124.25 • www.thinktankphoto.com THINK Tank Photo has always prided itself on providing camera-carrying solutions that enable photographers to access gear quickly and easily. Founders of the company include Deanne Fitzmaurice, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 2005, and Kurt Rogers, a long-time photographer for the San Francisco Chronicle . This understanding of how photographers genuinely work has led to them developing a number of innovative products, including the Shape Shifter series, which allows you to build your own bag by attaching Skin Pouches or Lens Changers. For street work, the Retrospective shoulder bag range is hard to beat. The Retrospective 5 is an old-school camera bag with a sand-washed cotton-canvas exterior, giving it an unassuming, attractively worn look. The…

PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE is the X-Pro2's ability to focus faster and more accurately than any other X-series model we had tested before. With the X-T2, Fujifilm has gone one step further to ensure it satisfies photographers who demand that their camera is capable of capturing the fastest of subjects sharp at any split second. For tracking focus on moving subjects, the X-T2 introduces five presets in the AF-C custom settings. These can be used to fine tune how the camera reacts to the way in which the subject moves within the frame, how fast the subject moves and where in the frame the camera prioritises focus. They are designed to enable the AF to perform at its best in a host of different circumstances. While Set 1 is the standard multipurpose…

At a glance Price £249.99 Inks £8.99 (£14.99 for XL) Multipack £54.49 (£89.49 for XL) Both packs contain six colours Hard drives and other removable media are likely to fail at some point, so printing photographs is probably the safest way of ensuring they don't become a distant memory. For photographers who own a quality camera, A3-size printers are an ideal choice, but the reality is that many users don't need to produce large prints regularly. If you want to produce great-looking photos and the occasional A3 print, the Epson Expression Photo XP-960 all-in-one unit could be the answer. It's an A4 printer with a built-in scanner that also prints on A3 sized photo media. Features and setting up The XP-960 has a small footprint of 479x356x148mm, which is slightly…

Frigid Beauty by Tamer Amara Canon EOS 5D Mark III, 16-35mm, 0.6sec at f/16, ISO 50 This image by Tamer Amara was uploaded to our Flickr page and shows the otherworldly beauty of the Stokksnes and Vestrahorn mountains in the south of Iceland. Iceland has been featured multiple times in AP. The region has an inherent quality that always calls photographers back. This image is a fine example of why that is. As you can see, Iceland has landscapes quite unlike anywhere else. It feels ancient and mythical. The strange cast of light, and the way it plays upon the jutting geometric scene, is a visual playground for any photographer. The landscape is interesting, whether it's in the foreground, middle or background. It really is an incredible place. Win! Each…

AN ‘intensely dramatic' image of a US tornado has earned UK-based photo enthusiast Tim Moxon the title of Weather Photographer of the Year. Tim, who captured the winning shot near Wray, Colorado, in May, said: ‘We were just ahead of the storm as the tornado started and we tracked it as it grew from a fine funnel to a sizeable cone tornado. ‘At this moment the twister was at its most photogenic… We were among a number of people, including those you see in the shot, nervously enjoying the epic display nature put on for us.' The Surrey-based winner, who works in IT by day, used a Canon EOS 5DS R with a Canon 24-105mm f/4 IS lens. He shot at 1/160sec at f/5.6 and ISO 400. Weather Photographer of…

Stuart Franklin is better placed than most to examine the human ‘need’ to document the world, as he now combines his photographic career with teaching. ‘I’m a professor of documentary photography in a university up here,’ he explains down a Skype line from Norway. ‘I run a BA and a Masters programme in documentary photography. I do it 50 per cent of the time – of which half is spent on research and the rest of the time I spend photographing.’ The recent result of Franklin’s research and his views on documenting the world are contained in his new book The Documentary Impulse, which is an in-depth examination of humankind’s desire to document – from cave paintings to today’s digital world. His suitability for authoring this tome is reinforced when…

Power Booster The Power Booster Grip (VPB-XT2) brings no end of performance gains to the X-T2. With regards to shooting stamina, it ups the 330-shot limit of a single battery to 970 shots with the grip attached and two additional batteries inserted. Switch the camera to its ‘Boost’ mode and the 200-shot limit of a single battery increases to 580 shots with the power booster attached. Note that these figures are based on using the camera’s electronic viewfinder. Ports and sockets Turn to the side and behind a weather-sealed door you’ll find a 3.5mm mic port, USB 3.0 interface, HDMI micro connector (type D) and a 2.5mm remote port. Hotshoe If you’re going to be working in scenes that require additional illumination, you can attach a flash unit such as…

THE MARKET is awash with printers and all-in-ones at every price point, but what makes the Epson Expression Photo XP-960 stand out from others is that it is a well-constructed multifunction unit incorporating a useful A3 printing ability. The XP-960 performed faultlessly throughout this test and continually produced very high-quality photographic prints. Epson has produced an all-in-one worthy of serious consideration for keen photographers. For and against + High-quality photo printing up to A3 + Supports most popular memory cards + Superb 10.9cm LCD screen + Price - Small-capacity ink cartridges (XL cartridges provide better value) - Slight magenta cast in scans when used in the standalone copy mode Data file Ink technology Claria Photo HD Ink Printing resolution 5,760x1,440dpi Printing speed 11 seconds per 10x15cm photo Colours Black, cyan,…

YOU WAIT ages for a new camera to be launched, and then three of them come along at once! Panasonic has announced three new models, where potentially the most interesting is the Lumix DMC-FZ2000. Designed for high-end amateurs or the ‘prosumer', the flagship bridge camera is being trumpeted as the ultimate photo/video hybrid model. The FZ2000 sports a nine-blade-aperture 24-480mm (35mm equivalent) f/2.8 lens and a 20-million-pixel, 1in-type imaging sensor. The Leica DC Vario-Elmarit optic is built from 16 elements in 11 groups. Other features include a 3in, 1.04-million-dot LCD touchscreen and a 2.36-million-dot EVF. Classed as a camcorder The camera has been classed as a ‘camcorder' for VAT purposes, unlike consumer stills cameras with a movie mode. This means the 4K video – including the ability to capture time…

LEICA, not typically known for cameras under £1,000, has announced the launch of a £215 instant camera called the Leica Sofort. Due out in November, the Leica Sofort accepts colour or black & white film, priced £9.50 and £11 respectively (ten photos). Features include multiple and timed exposures, plus a special mode for self-portraits, using a rectangular mirror on the front of the camera. The Leica Sofort also houses a built-in flash, and the shooting modes include party and people, sport and action, and macro. For the latest news visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk…

The laws regarding street photography can sometimes seem nonsensical, but if you follow our basic guidelines you stand a much better chance of staying on the straight and narrow – and taking some great pictures too. The tips that follow are intended for shooting on UK streets, but much of the advice is also relevant to non-UK cities and towns – just check the local laws before you head off. Be prepared to explain yourself If you are questioned by a member of the public, try to remain respectful and be prepared to explain yourself. Most people will question your motives out of sheer curiosity or fear, so don't be too quick to judge. If someone suggests that you are breaking the law (and you know otherwise), ask for clarification…

A blast from the past I recently purchased an old book called the Minolta System Handbook (1976). I was leafing through it and came across a photograph taken by former AP contributor Victor Blackman. It reminded me of an article he wrote on Singapore's Bugis Street. He was amazed at how good looking the bar ‘girls' were; they looked much better than the girls (ladies of the night). He was sitting with a few. I'm not sure who took the photo, but he seemed to be enjoying himself. I used to follow his page in AP, and it was usually the first page that I turned to. Keep the magazine going with a bit more for us film people. I am still using my Minolta SR-T 101 (pictured below), which…

HOW TO ENTER To enter via email, follow the link at the bottom of this page. We need to know where and how you took your image, plus the camera and lens used with the aperture and focal-length details. Remember to include a telephone number and your postal address so we can contact you if you win. To enter by post, send a covering letter with your image, including the information mentioned above, letting us know if you would like your entry returned to you after judging (please enclose an SAE). Entries should be sent to APOY, Amateur Photographer, Pinehurst 2, Pinehurst Road, Farnborough Business Park, Farnborough, Hants GU14 7BF. Plan your APOY 2016 year Below is a list of this year's rounds, a synopsis of what we're looking for…

Visualisation THE KEY to great images is to think about how colour translates into tone. Notice the tones in the scene and the proportion of shadows and highlights. Patterns and textures WHEN colour is removed, a scene can look flat if there's nothing of interest to see. Since you can't rely on bold colours for impact, you could always try incorporating textures and patterns into your image. Atmosphere BLACK & white can be used to create real atmosphere at the right event and location. Nicky Nunn's image taken during a boxing match (above) is a perfect example of how mood in monochrome can be captured. Silhouettes EXPOSING for the highlights can create a striking image. This is particularly effective if you're looking to achieve black & white silhouettes. Just make…

At a glance £1,399body only • 24.3-million-pixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS III • 200-12,800 (100-51,200 extended) • 325-point or 91-point hybrid AF • Up to 14fps continuous shooting • Dual SD slots • 4K video For and against Data file EVER since Fujifilm announced its first model in the X series in 2011, the system has been evolving at quite a pace. The number of interchangeable-lens cameras in the X series now stands at eight models, and there's a healthy range of19 premium XF lenses to choose from – a far cry from the three optics that were initially available with the release of the X-Pro1. Today, it's the X-Pro2 that claims the title of being the flagship model in the line-up, but it's the introduction of the X-T2 that seems…

Primitive life is far from perfect: it’s easy to romanticise the noble savage living in balance with nature. However, when you see the effects of imposing ‘civilization’ via colonialism, often one set of problems is simply exchanged for another. The Paraguayan Chaco is an excellent example. In the early 1930s the region was colonised by Mennonites, a Christian sect somewhat like the Amish. They set up ranches, their ‘property’ rights trumping any rights previously enjoyed by the semi-nomadic locals. The Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia (1932-35) consolidated their supremacy. Over the next few decades numerous missionaries, aided and abetted by the Mennonite settlers, ‘civilized’ the native population and urbanized them. Much of what had been familiar in the past was simply removed from the indigenous people’s everyday experience. Giada…