Innholdsfortegnelse for 12-Sep-2020 i Amateur Photographer

As summer starts to draw to a close the consolation prize is that we are now heading towards the most photogenic time of the year for lovers of the outdoors. This week, to get you in the mood for the coming season, we present a guide to the kind of wildlife pictures you can take, if you’ve got the patience – and a decent lens. If you’re a Sony user perhaps something like the ground-breaking new 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS that so impressed Michael Topham in our test this week. If you’re more of a people person we’ve got some great stories for you: documentary legend Tom Stoddart looks back at some of the extraordinary women he has photographed, Harry Borden discusses his personal project photographing single dads, and Peter…

THE WINNERS of the second annual Minimalist Photography Awards have been announced. More than 4,200 photographs from 41 countries were submitted; Australian photographer George Byrne won the title of Minimalist Photographer of the Year 2020 and a $2,000 prize for his series called ‘Exit Vision.’ Categories included Abstract, Conceptual, Architecture, Landscape, Night and Portrait. ‘Whether you are a portrait, architecture, landscape etc. photographer, minimalist photos are always an option as long as you have a minimal look toward your surroundings,’ said the president of the awards, Milad Safabakhsh. The top three prize winners in each category will be published in a book and exhibited at Galerie Minimal Berlin when it reopens.See minimalistphotographyawards.com.…

DESPITE the rise of mirrorless, Pentax appears to be sticking with the DSLR, and has released a limited-edition silver version of its flagship K-1 Mark II camera. Key features include a full-frame 36.4MP sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation and a 33-point AF system. The body and the detachable battery grip feature a high-grade silver coating, with a silver SR badge on the front. Each camera has been given a unique serial number, from 0000001 to 0001000. The camera still features a couple of black parts, namely the shutter release button and the hot shoe, and the silver edition will come in a special box. Only 1,000 units will be released worldwide. Three silver editions of Pentax ‘Star’ lenses have also been released: the D FA 50mm F1.4 SDM AW, the D…

Autumn is a fantastic time for wildlife photography. After late summer, when birds are often quiet and can look scruffy after the efforts expended during the breeding season, I always look forward to the approach of autumn. For one thing, gone are the days of exhausting 3.30am alarms to get out before the sun rises! Long hot days are replaced by gorgeous cold misty mornings and the chance of that first frost carpeting the ground. Autumn brings with it a totally new palette of colours: the greens of summer are followed by a fantastic array of yellows, oranges and reds before the leaves fall and the colours are superseded by the bleakness of winter. Best time of day to shoot As the days get shorter, the lower angle of the…

I use mainly Fujifilm; I love the way they feel in the hand and their analogue-type controls. But I really want the new Sony for its cutting-edge technology and features. I wish I could merge the X-T4 with the A7S III to get my perfect camera. Mobile phones are taking over much of the photography market. Camera manufacturers are having a hard time of it, with sales reducing by up to 80% over the past ten years. Unless they wish to become niche manufacturers like Leica then something has got to change. Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, Skoda: each builds their cars using the same platform. But you still get an exciting range to choose from. Panasonic/ Leica had the same cameras, but they are still different enough to give you a…

Luminar is a fully featured photo editor for Mac and PC designed for photographers of all skill levels, blending pro-level tools with remarkable ease of use and an enjoyable experience. A new Library feature lets you organise, find and rate images easily, while over 100 editing features, plus a suite of fast AI-powered technologies under the hood, will make any image stand out.…

THE LEE85 system is essentially an updated version of the Seven5 micro filter system that shares many similarities with the LEE100 system. With it you get a better-thought-through filter holder, which provides superior locking control, lets you alter filter slot configurations easily and provides the option to clip on a polariser at the front. As we said when we reviewed the LEE100 system, the only downside is that filters aren’t as quick to attach as some alternative systems that use clip-on magnetic frames that also help to protect filters from getting chipped and damaged. In summary, if you’re prepared to throw some money at a practical, lightweight filter system to complement your small camera system, the LEE85 system makes a fine choice.…

Cunningham was a relatively late bloomer with the art of photography. At the age of 18, in 1901, she bought her first view camera, a 4x5 purchased via mail order. But it wasn’t really until 1906, while studying in Seattle, that she began to take photography seriously. At the time, as with so many things, photography was not seen as a viable pursuit for women. The medium was dominated by men, which didn’t exactly make it the most welcoming or inclusive of art forms. However, Cunningham was inspired by an encounter with the work of Gertrude Käsebier, a significant but criminally overlooked figure in the history of photography. Käsebier gained acclaim for her portraits of motherhood and Native Americans, but it’s her promotion of photography as a viable career for…

Chic Shoes by Joseph McKeown A poodle adds a touch of chic to an array of footwear designed by 26-year-old Jean Matthew to follow what were current American and Italian trends. A graduate of the Royal Collage of Art, Jean worked for H & M Rayne, shoemakers to the royal family. This picture was part of a story in the Picture Post entitled ‘She Plans Shoes Fit for a Queen’. McKeown was one of the most well-known contributors to Picture Post, whose work covered a vast array of subjects. As well as photographing fashion, royalty and high society, he also produced a great deal of social documentary and foreign correspondence work. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding…

CANON has released a firmware update for its flagship mirrorless camera, the EOS R5. According to Canon, the firmware should help extend video shooting times in some situations. It improves the R5’s temperature detection and stops the camera from disabling the overheat control when an external monitor or recorder is used. ‘The accuracy of remaining movie recording time display has been improved in situations where the camera is frequently turned on and off between recording consecutive, short videos,’ Canon said. New firmware for the EOS-1D X Mark III has also been released, which improves its video performance. Full details at bit.ly/canonfirmware.…

Weather sealed The barrel is sealed in 11 places against dust and moisture, and freezeproof to -10°C. X mount The lens is exclusively for use on Fujifilm’s X-system APS-C mirrorless cameras. At a glance £1,499 ■ Takes 77mm filters ■ 70cm minimum focus ■ 87mm diameter x 104mm length ■ 845g in weight BACK in January, Fujifilm showed us one of the first working samples of its latest and most striking optic: the Fujinon XF 50mm F1.0 R WR. Now the lens has arrived for real. This super-large aperture, short telephoto prime is designed for wedding and portrait shooters, allowing isolation of the subject against a smooth, blurred background. On the firm’s APS-C cameras, it provides a pictorial effect similar to a 75mm f/1.4 lens on full frame, in terms…

Binoculars When I’m out with my camera, I will invariably have a pair of binoculars with me. Not only are they great for finding my subjects, being so much lighter (and clearer to look through) than a camera and telephoto lens, but also sometimes it’s nice to put the camera down and just watch. Waterproofs There can be a lot of moisture around in the mornings, and just walking through long grass will be enough to get your legs soaked, as I have found out in the past! Waterproofs will mean you stay dry, particularly if you are going to be lying down to photograph from ground level. Gloves Autumnal mornings can be cold before the sun gets up, so I always keep a pair of gloves in my camera…

Get your timing right The deer rut runs between mid-September to the end of October, peaking in early to mid-October. Set your alarm Deer are most active first thing, and this coincides with the best conditions like frost, low sunlight and mist. Watch the weather Clear skies and mist are perfect as you can get some wonderfully atmospheric images. When it’s cold, the deer’s breath will condense too. Take gloves Although it can be warm during autumn days, before the sun comes up it can be really quite cold, particularly when you’re carrying around a metal tripod. Gloves can be essential! Wear waterproofs Even if it’s not raining, long dew-laden grass can drench your trousers – I’ve learnt the hard way. Put some waterproof trousers and boots on so you’re…

LEE Filters will be selling its LEE85 system in four different kits. First of these is the LEE85 Discover Kit (£199) that comprises a LEE85 filter holder, LEE 0.6ND medium grad, three adapter rings (58mm, 67mm and 72mm) and a filter pouch. The LEE85 Develop kit (£265) offers everything you get in the Discover kit, plus a 10-stop Big Stopper filter protected in its own storage tin. The LEE85 Aspire kit (£349) adds a 0.9 medium grad, filter wash and cleaning cloth to everything you get in the Develop kit, while the LEE85 Deluxe kit (£499) includes all of the above with the addition of the LEE85 Polariser. All LEE85 kits are supplied with three adapter rings in the box (58mm, 67mm and 72mm); other adapter rings, with thread sizes…

Options Ray is available in two colours, bronze or grey, and either with or without a head. The leg-set alone costs £320. Levels Bubble levels on the spider and quick release platform aid in setting the tripod and camera level. Multi-tool This can be used to fasten the quick release plate, adjust the tension of the leg hinges, and attach a bag beneath the tripod for extra stability. Carry bag The well-padded nylon bag has an outer pocket for accessories. In a particularly neat touch, its removable strap can be attached directly to the tripod. ● £389 ● www.3leggedthing.com OVER the past decade or so, we’ve seen tripods transform from being straightforward devices into multifunctional kits. British firm 3 Legged Thing has taken this further than most, exemplified by the…

AP picture of the week Mam Tor by Lewis Cain Nikon D600, 1/100sec at f/16, ISO 250 Lewis tells us, ‘Photography is one of my major passions in life, with landscapes and sports being the genres I like to shoot most. I’ve always loved landscape photography as it gives me the chance to get out and experience the freedom of outdoors and see nature. To keep up with my sports photography I am currently the club photographer for non-league football team Dronfield Town FC.’ This wonderful image was taken at Mam Tor, one of the most popular locations in the Peak District. Lewis explains, ‘I’d always wanted to shoot this gate after seeing it in many Peak District books. This was my first visit to Mam Tor and I wasn’t…

WITH unauthorised image usage arising from Google search results continuing to be a problem for photographers trying to make money from their pictures, Google has teamed up with stock library Shutterstock to launch a new ‘Licensable’ badge feature. When you specify license information for images on your website, the image can display with a Licensable badge on image thumbnails in Google Images. This tells people that license information is available for the image, and provides a link to the license in the Image Viewer, which offers more detail on how someone can use the image. This feature is available on mobile and desktop, and in all regions and languages that Google Search is available. To find out how to add the badges to your images, see bit.ly/newgooglebadge.…

I was lucky enough to be able to try a pre-production sample of the Fujinon XF 50mm F1.0 R WR for a couple of days, but it really only took five minutes of shooting to see that this looks set to be a very special lens. It’s as sharp as it needs to be at f/1, no matter where you place the subject within the frame, and becomes bitingly sharp on stopping down to f/5.6. Crucially, it focuses accurately without any fuss, and the AF speed is just fine as long as you accept that it’s a portrait lens, and not designed for indoor sports. Despite its bulk, the lens handles perfectly well on the X-T4, although its large diameter means the camera won’t sit flat on a table. There’s…

Garden birds As the weather gets colder, you will likely see more birds appearing in your garden again, so it’s a great time to get some bird feeders out. Find some natural perches and place them so that the birds will land there before they get to the feeder, but think carefully about the backgrounds. Jays collecting food In autumn, birds such as jays will be starting to cache food for the cold lean winter months. When acorns become ripe, you may often see jays regularly returning to the same tree, before heading off to store it somewhere for later use. Wildlife in autumn leaves The ground becomes carpeted in reds, oranges and yellows, which can look lovely in photos. Try throwing some birdseed or nuts into the leaf litter…

All people deserve respect No doubt your readers have seen in the national press that Martin Parr has quit as artistic director of the Bristol Photo Festival, which is run in conjunction with the University of the West of England (UWE). This was because he wrote a foreword to the 2017 edition of the book London by Gian Butterini, which was first published in 1969. In that book was an image of a black woman opposite a page with a gorilla in a cage. I have seen this image, and it is absolutely dreadful. Last year a young student named Mercedes Halliday picketed outside the National Portrait Gallery about this image, after her father had given the book to her as a present, unaware of the image inside. Magnum Photos…

Jonathan found his parents’ digital Kodak camera a source of fascination from a young age. Fast forward to 2018 and he took the plunge and bought his first ‘proper’ camera, a Canon EOS 77D. He loves taking photos of nature, believing that we all need to look after the environment for generations to come. He loves the feeling that photography gives him. ‘As someone with numerous health issues there are times when I’m bed-bound for days, sometimes weeks. When I am well enough I get back out with my camera and enjoy the natural world.’…

IF YOU’D like to get even closer to your subject than 600mm allows, the lens can be turned into a longer zoom by coupling a teleconverter between the camera body and lens. Pairing it with Sony’s 1.4x teleconveter for E-mount (£479) turns it into an impressive 280-840mm F8-9 lens, whereas if it’s used with Sony’s 2x teleconverter for E-mount (£499) it gives users a whopping 400-1200mm range with a variable aperture of F11-13. The alternative way to get extra reach without any additional outlay or light loss is to take advantage of the APS-C/Super 35mm mode offered by A7-series cameras. This turns it into a 300-900mm equivalent F5.6-6.3, albeit at reduced resolution (26MP in the case of the Sony A7R IV used for this review).…

Behemoth is not a word that I get to use very often, but it’s an appropriate moniker for the massive Kiev 60 medium format SLR. This is one of the few cameras that I actively sought out on eBay, as opposed to passively acquiring while browsing charity shops or car boot sales. I fancied having a go with a medium format SLR, and the old Soviet models offer an affordable way to dip your toe in the water. What attracted me particularly to this eBay lot was that it included the 30mm Zodiak fisheye lens as well as the standard 80mm Arsat lens. There’s nothing particularly unusual in itself about a medium format single lens reflex – think of the Bronicas, Mamiyas and Hasselblads that were the workhorses of a…