Innholdsfortegnelse for 09-May-2020 i Amateur Photographer

Weeks and weeks into lockdown and you may be wondering what is left to shoot around the house and garden – after all, you don’t want your hard-won skills to atrophy. One possibility is food, but don’t worry, we aren’t suggesting you attempt fussily lit shots of gourmet dishes. As Claire Gillo’s feature on page 14 reveals, modern food photography encompasses a lot of styles and techniques, so why not have a go? There’s also a hearty serving of new hardware – including a field test of the Sigma fp, the world’s smallest full-frame mirrorless camera, and a test of the Nikon P950 bridge. Last but not least is a photographic commemoration of VE Day, which took place 75 years ago – so there are all the ingredients for another…

As a qualified drone pilot one of my biggest headaches is finding somewhere that I can take off and land. That's because although you can fly over ground you don't own, legally you have to have the permission of the landowner to take off and land. I've contacted farmers, local councils, golf courses and all sorts, and I've been lucky enough to get a couple of agreements in place, but I'd love to have a few more. A number of drone pilots I've spoken with on the matter say they take the approach that it's easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission. That's probably true, but it's a short-term solution that will ultimately damage the reputation of drones and those who fly them. Flouting the law also makes it…

100mm macro lens For close-ups try a macro lens with a 1:1 ratio aspect; it doesn’t have to cost a bomb. Third-party lenses like the Tokina AF 100mm F/2.8 Macro AT-X 100AF Pro D are a good option. Try second-hand lenses from trusted firms too. 5 in 1 Reflector This handy piece of kit will come to the rescue on many occasions. From bouncing light back into the shadows to brighten your image, to flagging the light with the black side to enhance the shadows. Whatever the result you’re after, this will help you achieve that result. Flashgun Studio lights are pricey so if you can’t afford one of these then an excellent substitute is an external flashgun. Not only can you use these remotely you can also set up…

1 Create a tabletop studio It's relativity easy to set up a small makeshift tabletop studio at home. If you're using artificial lights then darken the room first so the ambient light doesn't interfere and confuse your creative lighting. 2 Light the scene I used a Manfrotto Lykos Bi-Color as my main light source which allows control of colour temperature and intensity. For a back/rim light I used a small Manfrotto Lumimuse. I also used a small reflector to fill shadow areas. 3 Select a backdrop For a rich black background, a sheet of black velvet is perfect as it absorbs lots of light. However, a white background can be just as effective. Think carefully about which will work best to express the character of your potato. 4 Position the…

Many people with various physical and mental challenges find photography a hugely beneficial and therapeutic pursuit, a subject we have covered widely in AP. Getting paid for your photography is another matter. So, we’re really happy to be celebrating the remarkable work of Mohit Ahuja, a former advertising copywriter who is helping to turn disabled people into pro-standard photographers in India – a society which, while changing fast, still has traditionally conservative attitudes to disability. Mohit is a colourful and bighearted character who is as passionate about motorcycling as he is about helping disabled people reach their full potential through photography. ‘I started photography back in college with a point-and-shoot camera borrowed from a friend,’ he explains. ‘Initially it was to click anything and everything and we’d just pose with…

Even large-format A3+ printers nowadays tend to enable very high-resolution output, typically of 4,800x2,400dpi for Canon and 5,760x1,440dpi for Epson. This is made possible by an extremely fine matrix of nozzles in the print heads. A fundamental difference between Canon and Epson is that Canon uses thermal inkjet technology, where the ink is effectively boiled to force it out of the nozzles under pressure, whereas Epson uses a Micro Piezo system for squeezing ink out of the nozzles. In both cases, it's possible for nozzles within print heads to become blocked. In our experience, Epson printers suffer from this more often than Canon printers, but you can experience problems with both makes. Especially before printing a large-format print, it's worth running a nozzle-check routine. If you spot problems in the…

WHEN it comes to movies, the fp is a heavy hitter. It can record raw video in the CinemaDNG format at up to 24fps in 4K, or 60fps in Full HD. Although 4K raw is limited to 8-bit internally, 12-bit output over USB-C straight to an SSD is supported, which will be good news to a lot of film makers. Full HD can be recorded up to 12-bit internally. In addition to raw, the fp can also shoot .MOV video at 440 megabits per second in 4K at 24 or 30fps, or up to 120fps in Full HD. The camera is able to take numerous ‘bolt ons' so can work well as part of a bigger rig, but the sometimes erratic continuous AF for video could be an issue for…

FOR THE second of our weekly reports on how camera retailers are coping with the lockdown, we turn to Grays of Westminster, the established used and new Nikon specialists. ‘Rather than beat our clients over the head with promotion after promotion, we are trying to contribute to people's enjoyment and appreciation of photography via live streams,' says founder and owner Gray Levett. ‘The response has been impressive, and heartening too. Photography gives you a sense of the joy of creation. Via live stream, YouTube videos, newsletter, etc, we hope to lift people's spirits until we can welcome them back into the shop.' Levett says the most popular live feed so far has been on the Nikon Z 6, but he also plans to do videos himself, focusing on some of…

#appicoftheweek The Joy of Anticipation by Leon van Kemenade Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 100mm, 1/125sec at f/4, ISO 1600 Leon explains, ‘I came to photography late in life and enjoy mostly urban, street and architectural imagery although I will try my hand at most types of photography if given the opportunity. I was on the Southbank in London watching a “bubble man” amuse the children when the little boy in my photo caught my eye. His pure joy at bursting bubble after bubble, a wide grin on his face, was infectious and walking away later I couldn't stop smiling.' See more of Leon's pictures on Flickr at www.flickr.com/photos/leonvankemenade/. Chosen by Nigel Atherton, Editor, as our #appicoftheweek. Win! Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter…

Napalm Girl I've been meaning to write to you about ‘Napalm Girl' since your interview with Nick Ut (AP 7 March), but it took Shaun Parker's letter (Inbox 11 April) to remind me. Thanks, Shaun. I still recall the colossal impact of this picture when I saw it on first publication in 1972, and in the form that you (and most others) published it – it has lost none of its power in the last 48 years. However, I also remember being equally shocked when some years later I saw the uncropped version. I wonder what exactly was going through the mind of the photographer on the right of the picture, for him to conclude that changing the film in his camera was more important than helping the child with…

Know your subject Spend a little time getting to know our subject, even if it's a potato. Ask yourself how best to capture its character. One light at a time Start with one light and then build from that, adding more lights and/ or reflectors to suit the look that you're going for. Tethered shooting In a small controlled studio environment like this, try tethered shooting by connecting your camera directly to your computer for a more efficient workflow. Shoot raw It's often a good idea to shoot in raw as it allows you a little more creative freedom and flexibility at the processing stage. Processing ACR and/or Lightroom will help you to fully realise your vision and is an important part of the creative process.…

1 Download the Lumix Sync app Download the Lumix Sync app from the Google Play or iOS App Store on your phone or tablet. Go into your mobile device settings and double check that you have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on. 2 Open the app Next, click on the Lumix Sync app icon on the homescreen of your mobile device. Opening the app for the first time loads a guide that'll explain the various steps and will walk you through the connection process. 3 Bluetooth menu Press the Menu button on the camera and go to the Bluetooth Menu. Select Set and then Pairing and check the camera's Device Name. 4 Select the camera The Device Name should now be displayed in the app, underneath the ‘Cameras detected' heading. Select…

THE HARLEY-DAVIDSON showroom assignment was the first big commission landed by the photographers at KnowDisability.org. ‘After that, the boys started getting calls to cover events, shoot products and for e-commerce jobs,' Mohit explains. ‘About a year later, I had a conversation with Panasonic and we came up with the idea of celebrating World Photography Day with a film and an exhibition. Soon, Beyond Frames was shot and my students Vikas, Shaishav, Tarit, Tanmay, Bharat, Shiva and Siddharth got featured in the film. Next, Panasonic Lumix sponsored their first official exhibition, see the YouTube video at bit.ly/ youtubemohit.'…

WHILE the Nikon P950 and P1000 remain the undisputed kings when it comes to maximum telephoto reach, neither offer a 1in 20.1MP sensor like the mighty Sony RX10 IV (£1,699). As far as other small-sensor superzooms go, the Canon SX70 HS (£499) is undoubtedly one of the Nikon P950's closest rivals. While the SX70 HS squeezes more resolution from its 20.3MP 1/2.3-inch sensor and matches the P950's raw and 4K video capture abilities, its zoom can only extend to 1350mm. For superzoom buyers looking to prioritise maximum zoom range above all else, the P950 is an undoubted contender. Aside from the Nikon P1000 (£899), there isn't anything else on the market with its extended range for the price. You could, of course, opt for the older P900 instead while this…

If you’re stuck at home a great way to keep yourself entertained is to immerse yourself in a food photography project. You may think you need lots of fancy kit, but this simply isn’t true. As long as you have some food, a camera and lens you can have a go at this great genre, and the creative opportunities will stretch as far as your imagination can go! Some of the images in this feature have been shortlisted for the Pink Lady® Food Photographer of the Year competition, who have also just announced the winners. For further details, see www. pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com. Ready steady throw! Throwing or dropping food into the frame is an effective way to create an interesting result. This image was taken using one external flashgun, a reflector,…

While you’re stuck at home in this period of lockdown, why not flex your creative muscles and see how you can artistically capture the beauty of a potato. Yep, you read that right, whether you’re drawn to the simplicity of a King Edward, seduced by the gentle curves of a Yukon Gold or inspired by the magnificent Maris Piper, photographing potatoes can be more fun than you might at first think. While it might sound silly, in 2016 a photograph of a potato, taken by acclaimed photographer Kevin Abosch, sold for $1million. It is a splendid photograph and just goes to show that there’s an appetite for potato-based photo-art. There can be a lot to learn from photographing a potato. As an exercise in lighting, it’s a useful object to…

As chance would have it... the Potato Photographer of the Year competition has just launched. There are some amazing prizes up for grabs including a Fujifilm X-A7, a year's membership to the Royal Photographic Society and more. The prestigious judging panel includes Martin Parr, Paul Hill and AP's very own Nigel Atherton. All proceeds from the competition will go towards the Trussell Trust which supports a nationwide network of food banks that provides emergency food and support to people locked in poverty. Visit www.photocrowd. com/potato.…

A USEFUL feature found within the Lumix Sync app is the ability to save and transfer camera settings. This very simple-to-use mode transfers the current camera settings to a smartphone, where they are then saved. By default the settings are named after the camera used and then the date and time, but they can be renamed, making it easy to create your own custom settings. For example you could create and save your own wildlife, street, landscape, portraits or sports settings and save them to the app. When you want to use them on the camera simply hit transfer and the settings will be sent and immediately activated for use.…

David Handley, Wrexham David has fond childhood memories of his father's many family photographs, and started taking photographs himself when he was only eight years old. He bought his first camera – a Kodak 127 rollfilm – while on holiday in the Channel Islands, and has never looked back. Over the past few years, he has developed an interest in action photography in particular and, when he can, visits sports venues close to where he lives, including Oulton Park Circuit and Hawkstone Park Motocross Circuit. In the sand 1 ‘I took this picture at the Barmouth Beach Race in north Wales,’ David says. ‘I shot as the rider was coming out of a corner for more impact.’ Canon EOS 40D, 138mm, 1/1600sec at f/6.3, ISO 400 E-Type Jaguar 2 ‘The…

With the right kind of printer, you can expect magnificent mono photo prints as well as great colour reproduction. Again, you're best off with a large-format printer that will typically have more ink cartridges, but some are better for black & white photos than others. The Canon Pro-10S, for example, includes what most of us would consider a basic black & white line-up for a pigment-based printer, namely with matte black, photo black and grey inks on tap. This enables faithful output on both matte and glossy media, utilising either the matte or photo black ink accordingly. The Canon Pro-1 goes further still, with matte black, photo black and no less than three dark-, medium- and light-grey cartridges for superb tonal fidelity. Meanwhile, the Epson SC-P600 and SC-P800 use dual…

Price £799 Sensor 16MP CMOS, 6.2 x 4.6mm Output size 4608 x 3456 pixels Focal length mag 5.6x Lens 24-2000mm equivalent, f/2.8-6.5 Shutter speeds 30-1/2,000 sec (30-1/4,000sec in Moon mode) Sensitivity ISO 100-6400 Exposure modes PASM, Auto, Scene, Moon, Birdwatching, Creative, Custom Metering Matrix, Centre-weighted, Spot Exposure comp ±2EV in 1/3EV steps Continuous shooting 7fps in AF-S Screen 3.2in, 921k-dot vari-angle LCD Viewfinder 0.39in, 2.36m-dot EVF AF points 99, contrast-detection Video 4K (3840x2160) 30p, Full HD (1920x1080) 30p External mic 3.5mm stereo Memory card SD, SDHC, SDXC Power Rechargeable EN-EL20a Li-ion Battery life Approx 290 shots per charge Dimensions 140.2x109.6x149.8mm Weight 1,005g (with battery and card)…

Overall the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a very impressive pocket camera, which offers another reminder of just how capable smartphones have become. While it doesn't live up to the firm's most hyperbolic claims regarding the 108MP sensor or the 100x ‘space zoom', this shouldn't detract from the fact that it's still one of the best phone cameras available. It provides an incredibly flexible set of lenses from ultra-wide to telephoto, and takes great-looking photos with attractive colour and plenty of detail, although as usual, image-quality purists should stick to the three native focal lengths. The big question is whether you can live with the device's sheer size, or the huge psychological hurdle of that four-figure price tag. If you'd prefer something smaller and cheaper, the Mate10+ remains an excellent…