Innholdsfortegnelse for 15-Aug-2020 i Amateur Photographer

Everyone loves a beautiful landscape but certain views have been photographed so many times that when we see another one, no matter how skilfully executed the shot or sublime the light, a tiny corner of our souls lets out a little sigh. In our main feature this week Ben Brain encourages us to drive past those tripod holes in the ground, put away those ND grads, and think about a new way of looking at the landscape. I say new but it really isn’t – renowned photographers like Stephen Shore have been taking pictures like this all their lives. On the other hand, if you prefer your subjects smaller and closer to home we offer an alternative take on garden macro. We also examine the world of photo competitions, share…

Standing Out by Claire Marsh Sony Alpha 7, 35mm, 1/500sec at f/.4, ISO 50, ND 1.2 grad Claire is an amateur photographer from Dorset who enjoys shooting mainly landscapes and seascapes as well as experimenting with long exposures. Photography has been a hobby of her for the past 13 years or so. Claire explains, ‘Each spring I scout the local countryside for poppy fields. These more unusual pink opium poppies are grown locally for use in pain medicine for the NHS. On the evening I arrived at this field, the sky just kept getting more and more colourful as time went by. It was such a lovely thing to witness as these flowers don’t hang around too long.’ Chosen by Geoff Harris, Deputy Editor The Round House by Martin Waters…

I’ve been using the E-M10 IV for a week before its launch, and it looks like a solid update. It may not boast a single killer feature, but it delivers the lovely JPEG output that Olympus is known for, and my initial impression is that its continuous autofocus works rather well. Its launch price looks high compared to its predecessor, but on the other hand it’s competitive with other recent entry-level models such as the Fujifilm X-T200 or Sony Alpha 6100. It promises to be an attractive and well-rounded camera for beginners and more experienced users alike.…

It is undeniably invigorating to find oneself in a stunning ‘honeypot’ location at the magic hour. To witness the beauty can be a marvel to behold and a delight to capture. However, all too often photographs of such experiences and locations are sterile, formulaic, and if I’m brutally honest a little one-dimensional. I sense they don’t truly speak to the experience of being there. While they may gain superficial traction, kudos, and likes on social media et al, do they really capture the photographers’ connection or relationship with the location? I’m making sweeping generalisations, of course, but I have seen an awful lot of landscape images over the years and by far the most successful photographs in my view are those where it’s clear there has been some engagement with…

Camera Lucida Roland Barthes The French thinker’s seminal book is a standard issue for students of photography. It is however accessible to all, thought-provoking and offers valuable lessons in ‘reading’ photographs. Beauty in Photography: Essays in Defense of Traditional Values Robert Adams (published in 1981) Thoughtful and accessible insight into the art of photography. I’ve had a copy of this book for the past 30 years and always seem to learn something new when I dip into it – which I do frequently. Approaching Photography Paul Hill Now in its third edition, Hill’s brilliant book has been updated to reflect some aspects of digital photography but at its core, it remains an insightful guiding beacon for photographers. On Being a Photographer Bill Jay and David Hurn Not specifically relevant to…

A four-month backpacking trip around Mexico in 1997 inspired Ian to take his photography more seriously. When he returned home he bought his first second-hand SLR and along with a book The Young Photographer he learnt all he needed at that time. The rest he picked up on various adventures. He loves being outdoors and gets enormous satisfaction from creating a memorable image. He realises that landscape photography has made him see the natural world in a completely different light.…

1 The wake is a strong part of the composition and adds a layer of meaning to the broader context of my work 2 The conditions were serene and soft; combined with the inherent ‘flatness’ of a raw file necessitated a contrast boost 3 A very slight straightening of the horizon using the Crop tool in ACR – I was shooting from a ship after all 4 The yellow hue to the sky was from natural wildfires that were raging in the region; I was keen to preserve this…

1 In-Camera Get as much as you can right in-camera. I shoot raw and JPEG, I use the raw files for final prints, but the JPEGs out of my Fujifilm GFX 50R are excellent for quickly sharing. I often use a customised preset that helps me visualise the end result in the field. 2 Control Ensuring the colours on your screen match those of your prints is vital so I work in a controlled environment with calibrated monitors and the right profiles for my output. A little bit of time spent understanding this will be seen in the end result. 3 Colour Understanding where an image will be finally seen is important and should be reflected in the processing and profiling. For example, the CMYK file needed…

WITH the D5 Nikon introduced face recognition when using 3D Autofocus. It works remarkably well and is my favoured AF mode at events like Wimbledon tennis. It’s a little strange at first as it’s a new experience watching the cursor track a player around the court, with you, the photographer simply starting the AF either on the player’s face or the shirt. On the D6 this system has been improved with the addition of Eye priority to the face recognition and with the extra Group AF and Auto Area AF modes. All three AF modes have the option to turn on or off this feature. It can also be used with the two custom Group AF settings. So to really test this I needed some sports people and was fortunate…

PsX This invites you to download the free Photoshop Express app, including a collage maker. Slider Fine tune exposure and other key settings here, once you have applied the Lens effect. Magic wand The magic wand icon adds a quick auto fix to your image – if it’s underexposed, for instance. Lenses All the installed Lenses are listed here, which can be applied as you take a picture, or during editing. ● Free ● From Google Play Store and Apple App Store THIS is a somewhat confusingly named app, but one that grows on you. Despite its title, Adobe Photoshop Camera (PsC) doesn’t try to replicate the heavy-duty image manipulation and editing features of Photoshop proper; it’s much more about adding a range of looks and creative effects/filters to images…

Online gallery Drop Top Images is selling prints from a stash of long-forgotten negatives of classic rock acts such as Led Zeppelin (above), The Who and Fleetwood Mac, recently rediscovered by former music photographer Pete Minall. Minall, who got to know many of the bands in the early days of their careers, sometimes got access backstage as well as taking live shots, and found the negs among family photographs. ‘It was a fabulous surprise, having no idea they still existed,’ he explains. ‘At the time, they were just fun shots to take.’ AP readers can get a 15% discount by quoting AP100. See bit.ly/minallprints…

PHASE one of the new-look Amateur Photographer magazine website is under development, and regular visitors will note a cleaner, more easily navigable interface, along with faster links to our social media feeds. The revamp includes a new second-hand section, dedicated to this increasingly important segment of the camera market – whether you are a buyer or a seller. The improved navigation bar, with drop-down menus, will make it easier to find key sections, such as our unrivalled camera and lens reviews and first looks, and you’ll be able to sign up to our regular weekly newsletter. ‘We’re excited to be lauching our fresher, cleaner site, but this is only stage one, and we will be further developing the site over the next year,’ said AP editor, Nigel Atherton. You will…

Olympus has also introduced an ultra-telephoto zoom, the M. Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5-6.3 IS. With a 200-800mm equivalent range, optical stabilisation and rugged construction, it’s designed for shooting subjects such as wildlife and sports outdoors. It’s surprisingly large given its modest aperture, measuring 206mm in length and weighing 1,120g without the supplied tripod mount, which features an Arca Swiss-compatible dovetail profile. The lens accepts 72mm filters and can focus as close as 1.3m. Olympus says the 100-400mm is dust-, splash- and freeze-proof to the same standard as its Pro-series lenses, which have earned a strong reputation for their robustness. Its optical stabilisation promises three stops of compensation, but doesn’t support Olympus’s Dual IS technology to work in concert with the camera’s in-body stabilisation, which instead gets disabled. Optically the…

‘If you have the time, explore without your camera and really get to know a place. Ask yourself how the place really resonates with you’ THIS photograph was taken on the outskirts of the city I live in; it’s a decidedly unglamorous underpass that I run under most days. During my runs, I have seen the location in all weather and at all times of the day. I had a clear idea of the kind of image I wanted to make. The concrete ‘sky’ and dominant mass of pillar provides a stark contrast to the delicate form of the foliage. The fragility of the plants is amplified by the gentle movement caused by the wind that has been captured with a slight motion blur through the use of a long(ish)…

No calibration required In the intro to your article on calibrating lenses, it would have been a good idea to point out that only DSLR bodies suffer from this phenomenon and may need calibration, as the focus sensor is separate from the image sensor. Therefore, there can be tiny differences in the length of the light path from the lens to the separate sensors, thereby causing back or front focus errors. On mirrorless bodies, the focus sensors are mounted on the image sensor, so there can be no difference in path from the lens to the sensors. I suspect that in your readership, there will have been many CSC users out there looking through the menu systems of their cameras for the lens correction setting, and not finding it. This…

Shooting portraits of sports stars is often difficult. Unlike photographing members of a pop band, for instance, where they recognise a shoot is part of the publicity process, sports stars aren’t usually relying on photographers to promote them. For them, a shoot isn’t exciting or a novelty, it’s a pain in the neck. Therefore, in my experience, you’re often relying on their innate personality to get the pictures you want. Photographing basketball player Kevin Garnett, back in 2001, was a notable exception. That was partly because he’s a good-natured person, and partly because he was doing the›shoot for an article linked›to the launch of his clothing brand. Garnett isn’t well known in the UK, but he’s a huge name in American sport; if I tell Americans I’ve photographed him they’re…

Benedict Brain is a UK-based photographer and award-winning journalist; He practises as a fine-art and commercial photographer and as a workshop leader. He also sits on the distinctions panel for the RPS. Much of my personal practice is concerned with the relationship between humans and the environment. More often than not the human-trace in the landscape is obvious, such as a building, a highway, the scars of deforestation or suburban sprawl. Sometimes it can be more subtle, as seen in this image taken in Alaska last summer where the human evidence is more nuanced. On first impressions, it’s a delightfully calm and tranquil seascape that would work well as the backdrop to a cringe-worthy corporate motivational poster. However, the rippling-wake that’s breaking the still water acts a subtle reminder of…

For this beautiful landscape picture by Benedict, I recommend our Original Photo Print under Acrylic Glass. The acrylic glass fits in matte or glossy to this picture. From my personal point of view, I would choose the matte glass to support the foggy style of this picture. Furthermore, this motif deserves a simple and noble frame. The WhiteWall Aluminum Case ‘Slimline’ in silver offers this photograph the best possible presentation. Jan-Ole Schmidt, Product Manager, WhiteWall.com…

This month’s camera is a middle-of-the-range medium-format folder from the late 1950s. The German company that made it Franka-Kamerawerk was quite prolific – in the 60-plus years of its existence, it made numerous cameras. McKeown’s guide lists nearly 200 models, with the Solida name carried by around 40 of these. Like many German firms, there is a clear stylistic difference between its pre- and post-war cameras. The pre-war Solidas were generally a vertical format, while those from the 1950s adopted a horizontal layout. There were a number of variants, some of the later versions even had built in exposure meters and rangefinders. This particular one was made in 1957, which fits nicely with the serial number on the lens. Tessar type design While the more basic models in the range…

Canary Wharf by Andrew Dare Nikon D810, 14mm, 1/125sec at f/6.3, ISO 64 Andrew is an amateur photographer from Brentwood in Essex. He mainly works in black & white and has a passion for modern architecture in all its forms. He’s been using a Nikon D810 since starting out in photography three years ago and has recently purchased a Fujifilm GFX100 to continue his creative journey. He tells us, ‘The attached image was taken at Canary Wharf shopping centre looking up the escalators towards the dome at the top. I use Photoshop for processing the raw files then for all my black & white work I import them into Silver Efex Pro 2.’ See more of Andrew’s shots on Instagram @darkside_ov_photography and at his website www.darksideofphotography.co.uk. Chosen by Nigel Atherton,…

Tripod maker 3 Legged Thing has unveiled new additions to its Legends range. The tripods are called Bucky and Ray, with the Ray being an ‘ultra-compact’ traveller tripod, with a folded length of 35.6cm, the ability to support loads up to 30kg and a two-section centre column. Bucky, meanwhile, has a maximum height of 1.89 metres with a minimum height of 11cm; it also has a three-section column for greater versatility. Both are made from carbon fibre and magnesium alloy and the company has also announced a new tripod head, the AirHed Vu. Prices as follows: Ray legs only, £319.99; Ray kit with AirHed Vu, £389.99. Bucky legs only £379.99; Bucky kit with AirHed Vu £449.99. See www.3leggedthing.com.…

Somewhere in a pile of notebooks and paperwork sitting on my desk is a college prospectus I shot some images for around ten years ago. Occasionally I uncover it when I’m having a sort-out and it never fails to make me cringe. While the portraits that adorn the cover are passable, it’s what they represent that really troubles me. I was asked to shoot portraits of students from a range of courses on offer. Instead of picking out people who have worked hard or are gifted, the college chose the most underrepresented minority on each course. For example, it picked one of the only women on the car mechanics course or the burly man doing floristry. While we absolutely should be promoting diversity, this is not it. It masquerades as…

1 To start with (and especially in these COVID times) choose a location close to your home; there is no need to head to ‘epic’ honeypot locations to make interesting images. 2 Ideally, visit the location several times without your camera in different conditions and different times of the day to get a sense of the place. 3 Use your other senses, such as smell, hearing, and touch. Take notes using words to describe the place and how it makes you feel. 4 Think about the location when you’re not there, and again make observations about what you remember. 5 Return with your camera and meditate on how you’re going to translate your thoughts into a meaningful image. 6 Decide what you’re going to leave in and out of the…

It is frequently said in AP that you don’t need the latest and the best kit to make a decent photograph. Quite so. I have bought several digital cameras, none of them new. I am years behind the curve, and it suits me fine. I like cameras, I just don’t like their price tags. Likewise lenses. I recently bought a used Nikon D40 from Ffordes for £59. The model may date back to 2006 but this one had only 566 shutter actuations. The battery wouldn’t take a charge but Ffordes sorted that out double-quick at no cost. I was thrilled. Then in your 11 July issue I saw your absorbing article about home portraiture by Lorraine Milligan illustrated with excellent photographs taken on… a Nikon D40 – and mostly using…

1 Get sorted I use Adobe Bridge (a Photoshop plug-in) to download, name, sort, and edit my files. This initial stage of the process is vital in selecting the right image to print and establish how the photo will work in the broader context of a project. 2 Camera Raw I use the Adobe Camera Raw plug-in to process my raw files. I use a medium format Fujiulflm GFX 50R so the files are big with a wide range of tones and detail. I’m pretty fastidious about my verticals and horizontals so will start off by ensuring these are straight. 3 Get the look I have a ‘look’ that is broadly characterised by relatively high-key tonality and delicate colour harmonies. I have developed a preset but inevitably this needs tweaking…

WHEN the 100-400mm first appeared on Olympus’s roadmap, I had high hopes that it would prove to be a worthy competitor to Panasonic’s well-liked version. But after a couple of weeks using it, and several thousand shots, I’m still not quite convinced. Indeed in what feels like a rare misstep from Olympus, it’s somehow delivered a lens that’s considerably larger and heavier than its rival, despite having a two-thirds stop aperture disadvantage at 100mm, which narrows only gradually as you zoom in. This bulk makes it noticeably more awkward to use, so it only really handles nicely on E-M1 series bodies, despite a price that seems aimed more towards E-M5 users. It also lacks a number of useful features that you get with the Panasonic. This doesn’t mean the lens…