Innholdsfortegnelse for 08-Feb-2020 i Amateur Photographer

The photography world seems to have gone bonkers for full frame recently. If you’re still using a smaller-sensor camera you could be forgiven for feeling pressured to upgrade and go large, so I’m delighted to bring you a story this week about a photographer who ‘went small’, and one of the UK’s leading nature pros at that. Read David Tipling’s fascinating and beautifully illustrated story on page 42. As he reminds us, we all have different needs and long may we have such a wide choice of systems available to satisfy them. Of course if you want to shoot full frame inexpensively you can always go back to the original – 35mm film. We feature a group on a worthy mission to fix and return 100,000 broken film cameras back…

RENOWNED photojournalist David Hurn is set to give his last public appearance on 15 February at Cardiff University's School of Journalism, Media and Culture. The Welsh photographer began his career in 1955 as an assistant at the Reflex Agency, gaining international recognition for his reportage of the 1956 Hungarian revolution. He became an associate member of Magnum in 1965, and a full member in 1967. He also set up the famous school of documentary photography in Newport, South Wales in 1973. He resigned from the school in 1989, but has since been in constant demand to lecture and give workshops worldwide. At the event, David will reflect on the key decisions in his life and career, and the wide-ranging impact of his work. Speakers from the journalism school, Magnum Photos,…

‘If a man comes to the door of poetry untouched by the madness of the Muses, believing that technique alone will make him a good poet, he and his sane compositions never reach perfection, but are utterly eclipsed by the performances of the inspired madman'. That's a quote from Socrates, the Greek philosopher (not the Brazilian footballer). It was written over 2,000 years ago, and yet it seems as relevant today as it did then. The reason for its relevance can be understood by another quote, one found under hundreds, if not thousands, of images that simply says, ‘All they did was press a button! I could have done that!' But you didn't did you? Someone else thought to take that image. The difference between the two is perhaps the…

1 Search and download for free Visit the app store on your phone (App Store for Apple or Google Play for Android) and download the free Fujifilm Camera Remote app. Make sure Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are both activated. 2 Activate Bluetooth on your Fujifilm camera Head to the Connection setting in the Menu system and make sure the Bluetooth feature is activated before selecting the Pairing Registration option. 3 Pair the camera with the app Open the Fujifilm Camera Remote app and follow the prompts. Next, select which Fujifilm camera you're using from the menu choices and the app will then detect your camera, enabling you to pair the two devices. 4 Set the date/time The first time you connect the camera to the smartphone, the camera will display a…

Paul Nadin, Cheshire Paul bought a second-hand Canon AE-1 SLR 35 years ago to upgrade his instant camera and was immediately hooked on the potential to create evocative images. He loves landscape photography and is particularly interested in unusual cloud formations and the use of black & white to draw attention to form and texture. He likes to think of photography as the marriage between art and science, engaging both left and right brain to create something unique that people want to keep coming back to. Dovestone 1 ‘I decided to look for something in the foreground to either complement or contrast with the cloud. Using filters during mono conversion I was able to make the greens lighter than the browns creating almost a mirror image.’ Olympus E-M1 Mark II,…

1 Inspect at 100% While it's all well and good looking and editing images at screen size, it's important to get into the habit of inspecting shots at 100% magnification, which can highlight imperfections such as sensor dust. Doing this before printing will result in flawless prints. 2 Retouch on a new layer It's easy to load an image into your software and start retouching without giving it a second thought. Creating a Duplicate Layer (Layer>Duplicate Layer) will stop you accidentally saving over the original file and will allow you to turn the visibility of the retouched layer on and off to see the improvement. 3 Increase History States Increasing the number of History States is a good idea if you'd like to go a long way back in your…

THE SEYCHELLES is famed as the place to photograph the beautiful fairy tern and I had imagined coming home with lots of pictures of terns hovering against a blue sky. They are curious birds and will fly over to check you out. On Cosmoledo the opportunities for some really striking images were there if only the sun had shone. But because the weather was so unusual on this trip my fairy tern opportunities were always against a grey or white sky. But in situations like this, particularly with a pale bird, it can be very effective to overexpose by two or three stops, and produce what is known as a high-key image. A little experimentation is required to make the sky as white as you can, pushing your pixels as…

Price £699 with XC 15-45mm lens Sensor 24.2MP CCMOS, 23.5x15.7mm Output size 6000x4000 pixels Focal length mag 1.5x Lens mount Fujifilm X mount Kit lens Fujinon XC 15-45mm f/3.5-5.6 OIS PZ power zoom Shutter speeds 30-1/4000sec mechanical, 4-1/32,000 electronic Sensitivity ISO 200-12,000, ISO 100-51,200 expanded Exposure modes PASM, Scene Recognition, Advanced Filter, Scene, Panorama Metering Multi, Spot, Average Exposure comp +/-5EV in 1/3EV steps Cont. shooting 6fps Screen 3.5in, 2,760k-dot vari-angle touchscreen AF points 425 points Video 4K at 30p, 25p, 24p Full HD at up to 60p External mic Yes, 2.5mm mini jack Memory card SD, SDHC, SDXC Power NP-W126S Li-ion battery Dimensions 119x67.7x41.1mm Weight 320g with battery and card…

Clean, noise-free images are produced by the X-A7’s sensor between ISO 100 and ISO 800. It’s only when you push to ISO 1600 and ISO 3200 that you start to notice noise creeping in under close inspection. Shoot in raw at ISO 3200 or ISO 6400 and usable results can be achieved with a touch of noise reduction applied, though you will notice softening is more pronounced in JPEGs due to in-camera noise reduction.…

Accessories The kit comes with a square quick-release plate, a short centre column with 1/4in-3/8in thread adapter, a set of spiked feet, and a pair of Allen keys for maintenance. Carry bag This is nicely padded, but it lacks a pocket for accessories, and the drawstring is short and thin. So it’s better for storing the tripod than carrying it. Level The small circular bubble level on the quick-release platform helps with keeping your camera straight and level. Hook A large retractable hook allows you to hang your camera bag under the centre column for extra stability. ● £179 ● www.vanguardworld.co.uk TRIPODS are essential for shooting long exposures, for instance to record motion blur or keep ISOs low in dim light. Often, the biggest barrier to using one is size…

Letizia Battaglia (born 1935 in Sicily) started her career later than some, waiting for her children to grow up before pursuing her goal of becoming a writer. To embark on this professional life meant leaving her husband in 1971 and moving to Milan, where she worked as a writer with an anti-Mafia, anti-Fascist newspaper. She was asked to produce pictures for her articles, so she bought herself a camera. In 1974 she was offered a job as a photographer in Palermo, Sicily, at L’Ora newspaper. Almost in tandem, as her career in photography grew, the Sicilian Mafia began its transition from organised crime to the heroin trade, heralding a violent and gruesome chapter in Sicily’s history. A power struggle ensued between opposing clans competing to control the narcotics trade. This…

King Penguins by Topical Press Agency A KEEPER at London Zoo breaks the ice in the penguin pool. The first live penguin to appear at ZSL London Zoo was a King Penguin, which arrived in 1865 – it was in fact the first to be seen at any UK zoo. The annual report describes its transfer to the UK, reporting that it was ‘skilfully conveyed to this country by Commander Fenwick of HMS Harrier … this strange looking bird attracted universal attention.' Other species of penguin, including the rock hopper, gentoo, jackass, blue and yellow-crested, all arrived at the zoo between 1873 and 1891. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding of the London Stereoscopic Company in 1854,…

RICOH has revealed a premium telephoto zoom for Pentax DSLRs, in the shape of the HD Pentax-D FA 70-210mm F4 ED SDM WR. It can be used on both full-frame and APS-C camera bodies, giving a 105-315mm equivalent range with the latter. The optical formula comprises 20 elements in 14 groups, with HD coating employed to combat flare and ghosting. The lens's weather-resistant construction is complemented by SP coating on the front element to repel water and grease. A ring-type SDM motor promises fast and silent autofocus, with a minimum focus distance of 95cm. The lens accepts 67mm filters, measures 78.5mm in diameter and 175mm in length, and weighs 819g. Available to pre-order now, it'll cost £1,199.…

#appicoftheweek King of Hearts by Henrik Spranz Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 105mm, 1/1000sec at f/1.4, ISO 500 Henrik is a software developer with a passion for photography. As he says, ‘I started taking pictures in 2006, like many others, documenting my travels but soon landscape photography and the small world drew me in. This is Cookie, the Sheltie, photographed right after sunset in a park in Vienna. To get this bokeh in fore- and background I used a very low point of view with the Sigma 105mm f/1.4 being wide open shooting against the light.' See more of his pictures on Instagram @henrik_spranz Chosen by Amy Davies, Features Editor as #appicoftheweek Win! Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter or the reader gallery using…

Before reading the ‘Back in the day' article in your Christmas issue (21-28 December) I was immediately drawn to the camera being held. It does very much look like a camera from the XE range from Fujifilm and my initial reaction was to check the front cover to determine that this wasn't the issue planned for 1 April! The article stated (very matter of factly) that the young lady was indeed showing off her ‘shiny new X-E3' which confused me further. I like what Fujifilm is doing with both its camera design and its kaizen philosophy but if it's responsible for creating a working time machine I really think it should tell someone. My suggestion would be Neil deGrasse Tyson (other astrophysicists are available!). Could someone please let me know…

Easily one of the most striking sets of images on display at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition last year, Ocean Ambassadors took the second place in the Natural World and Wildlife category of the professional competition. I caught up with the photographer, Christian Vizl, to discover more about this fascinating project. Christian's passion for the natural world – and in particular marine life – stretches back to his childhood. He tells me, ‘Ever since I can remember, I was attracted to the sea. I dreamt about what lay beneath the waves, and how it would look if suddenly all the water vanished. I'd be able to walk inside the ocean and see all the animals, suspended for a moment in time and space.' It wasn't until 2010 however that…

APPLE users who have upgraded to iOS 13 (the latest version of the operating platform that was launched in September 2019), may experience some issues with the Fujifilm app. Fujifilm has addressed these issues on its official website and offered advice to make the app more stable. These include changing the Location status on the smartphone to ‘Always On' and changing the status of the Auto-Join Hotspot option to ‘Never'. While testing the app with the X-T3 I found that deleting the app and reinstalling it, a process that takes just a few seconds, was the key to securing a Wi-Fi connection between an Apple iPhone and the Fujifilm camera.…

‘Like Michael Topham says, having your own shots printed is definitely worth it because it brings your memories to life. WhiteWall offers several helpful options including personal advice in our stores or from our customer service team. Michael's image is a perfect example of a picture that would look great mounted or framed in many different ways. I would recommend one of two options to underline the image perfectly. First, there is our Original Photo Print Under Matte Acrylic Glass. This mounting draws on, and amplifies, the picture's misty atmosphere. If the goal is to create a calm contrast to the image itself, then I would choose a black, 20mm, solid wood frame. Adding a bright white passe-partout in combination with our Hahnemühle Torchon paper can create the impression of…

PROS ● Light and compact ● Silent shutter, a big advantage for shy subjects when you need to work discreetly ● Fast frame rates plus Pro Capture gives the ability to capture images that would be impossible if relying on your reaction time ● Highly effective image stabilisation negates the need for a tripod in many situations ● Olympus weather-proofing ensures you can keep shooting in the worst of the weather ● Host of clever features including image stacking and high-res mode for landscapes or static subjects CONS ● Smaller sensor means low-light capability isn't as good as that of a full-frame DSLR ● The size of sensor also means you are more limited by how much you can crop ● Bigger depth of field owing to sensor size can…

Priced as it is at £699 with the 15-45mm kit lens, the X-A7 is on the expensive side for an entry-level mirrorless camera. Though its price is destined to drop in time and it provides better image quality and control than you'll get from a smartphone, its handling experience, plasticky build quality and lacklustre performance with regard to its buffer and focusing in low light leaves a lot to be desired. It'll suffice for those who just want to point and shoot, and resolve a fine level of detail in bright light or challenging conditions, but its lack of electronic viewfinder, dedicated quick menu button and fiddly power zoom will leave aspiring photographers wanting. Given that the Fujifilm X-T100 can be snapped up for £350 with the 15-45mm kit lens,…

BILLED as the ‘ideal step up from your smartphone', Fujifilm's X-T200 is an entry-level SLR-shaped mirrorless camera that aims to offer intuitive beginner-friendly controls. It updates the current X-T100 by adding a large 3.5in, fully articulated touchscreen, along with a results-orientated touch interface similar to that on last year's X-A7. Core features include a 24MP APS-C sensor, 8 frames per second shooting, and face detection autofocus. In addition, it's capable of 4K video recording at 30p, with a new electronic stabilisation mode and support for HDR (high dynamic range) video. The X-T200 will be available in a choice of three colours – silver, dark silver, and champagne – for £749 in a kit with the XC 15-45mm F3.5-5.6 powerzoom lens. Inexpensive prime Fujifilm has also announced its most affordable X-system…

1959 PHOTOGRAPHY was in rude health in 1959. Of the 116 pages in this issue, 80 were ads. The ‘sparkling character' on the cover looks like he's just stepped out of a Carry On film, but the lighting gives it a slightly creepy undertone. You'd never see such a close-range picture of a subject like this on a mainstream magazine cover today, but it was unusual even back then. Sadly we don't know how well it sold. But then this was an era when you didn't even need coverlines to tell people what was inside. Which in this case is a pity because it contained a Masters of Portraiture feature on Gaby of Montreal (Gabriel Desmarais) whose work, while superficially similar to Kevin MacDonnell's cover image, was a world away…

1 Check the highlights After loading a raw file into Camera Raw one of the first things I do is check for any clipping to the highlights and shadows. This is very easy to do by hitting the letters O and U, which are the keyboard shortcuts. For this shot I set the highlights to -100 to retain the water droplets and highlight detail on the far left of the image. 2 Apply lens corrections Zoom lenses can be prone to distortion. The NIKKOR AW 11-27.5mm f/3.5-5.6 lens that I used with the Nikon 1 AW1 camera is no exception and exhibits noticeable barrel distortion towards the edges. To remove it I headed to the Lens Corrections tab and placed a tick in the Enable Profile Corrections box. 3 Use…