Innholdsfortegnelse for 21-Nov-2020 i Amateur Photographer

Welcome to our second of our monthly Premium Editions, which this week focuses on the world of accessories. We explain why, despite advances in image stabilisation systems, a tripod is still required for many types of photography. We look at filters for landscape photography, discuss different types of lighting, and get the story behind one of Joe McNally’s multi-flash extravaganzas. We talk to Stephen Dalton about his life as a pioneer of high-speed photography and present a selection of Photoshop alternatives. If you’re looking for gift ideas our selection of 50 great photo accessories should help you. We’ve also managed to squeeze in a fascinating feature on 1960s Edinburgh, a heart-warming photo story from Africa, and an extraordinary tale revolving around a photo taken on the day of JFK’s assassination.…

AP RECENTLY secured an in-depth interview with Toshi Iida, Fujifilm’s new European President and Managing Director, who answered a wide range of questions about the company’s performance and the tough market conditions. ‘Looking at the camera industry, we understand that, in general, the global demand for digital cameras has dropped by 40% since the start of April 2020, according to CIPA,’ he observed. ‘Fujifilm, however, has been performing significantly better. This was thanks to the great performance of new products such as the X-T4 and the X100V.’ He also stressed the company is sticking with APS-C sensors. ‘To us, it is clear that APS-C is the best-balanced system.’ He added, ‘APS-C is the best answer for those downsizing due to the smaller, lighter lenses, as well as the camera body.…

Sony ZV-1 • £699 • www.sony.co.uk ALTHOUGH it has quite a bit in common with Sony’s RX100 series of compact cameras, including the 1-inch type stacked Exmor RS CMOS sensor with 20.1million effective pixels and Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 9.4-25.7mm f/1.8-2.8 lens with an effective focal length of 24-70mm, the ZV-1 has been designed specifically for vlogging. Typically Sony, the ZV-1 is capable of producing 4K video with full-pixel readout and has a total of 315 phase detection AF points, giving good coverage across the scene. This is accompanied by Real-time Eye AF which does a brilliant job of spotting eyes in the frame and focusing on one. There’s also an excellent stabilisation system and a few novel features designed to meet specific requirements of vloggers. For example, Product Showcase mode…

What subjects are suitable for Masterprint? Some subjects need a bigger presentation size to show their full potential – details become visible and motifs are given meaning. Outstanding photographs of many subjects are perfect for the WhiteWall Masterprint. What data is suitable for Masterprint? Depending on the format, high resolutions are of course necessary, especially medium format cameras, and photograph composites constructed with single shots are suitable. How is a WhiteWall Masterprint delivered? Delivery is discussed in advance with our Art Service and support is provided if necessary. Make sure you consider stairs or narrow corridors! Is a proof offered? For productions of this size, a hard proof will always be prepared in advance. Of course, we offer this, in consultation with our Art Service. What location is suitable for…

To be a photographer is to be a student and lover of light. But lighting comes in many forms. And while some may enjoy the challenge and simplicity of working with natural light alone, sometimes we need additional lighting to capture a scene as intended. Instead of being at the mercy of ambient illumination, lighting and lighting accessories allow us to take control of the situation and create images that reflect our vision. After all, mastering the light is core to our purpose as photographers. In this article we focus on three of the most common forms of external lighting – battery powered, LED and studio lighting – drawing on the experience of professionals who have mastered each type. Our pros share plenty of valuable insights and offer practical advice…

UV Also known as haze filters, UVs are designed to block ultraviolet light and cut through atmospheric haze, moisture and air pollution, all of which can degrade image quality. Once recommended for shooting near water, at high altitude or in snow, these clear screw-ins are now mostly used as protective filters due to digital sensors being nowhere near as sensitive to UV light as film. Warming/cooling Used to correct or enhance colour casts and manipulate the white balance of light reaching the sensor or film, warming and cooling filters still have a part to play in the digital world, particularly when working with unusual light and shooting underwater. Also known as colour-compensating or colour-correcting filters, these screw-ins can reduce editing time and are great fun to experiment with. Special effects…

Choose your best and discard the rest I have a website to showcase my portfolio. I take time to select which images to show on there; I want to keep the viewer interested and have them leave with a good impression. I also look through images in your publication and online from other photographers, and am constantly amazed by what I see. However, one of the things I come across regularly on websites is a huge number of photos of the same thing. An example I saw just yesterday is a portrait shoot where the photographer had the model in about four different poses, but there were over 600 photos in the album. After looking at the first ten, all virtually the same, I got bored. As a result, I…

My first SLR camera was a Praktica LLC, which cost me £139 when I was 16. One of my brother’s friends bought a Nikon F – he was from a wealthy family, and always liked to outdo anyone else’s purchases. I’m not sure he ever used it for taking photos, but it cost him around £400. After a couple of years the shutter in my Praktica failed, and I replaced it with a Nikkormat FTn, for £189. In case one is tempted to say that photography was inexpensive in those days, it’s worthwhile adjusting for inflation. According to the Bank of England inflation calculator, the Praktica cost me £2,200 in today’s money. No wonder it took all of my savings. The Nikkormat cost the equivalent of £2,500, whilst the Nikon…

The Enchanted Forest by Christine Hunt Nikon D5300, Sigma 16-250mm, 1.3sec at f/10, ISO 160 Christine is retired and lives on the Isle of Man. She enjoys spending her time taking pictures of her ‘beautiful island’, including this enchanting image. ‘We do not have much broadleaf woodland here but we do have lots of plantations,’ she explains. ‘This time of year there is an abundance of fungi everywhere. I saw the way the mushrooms seem to lead a path into the spooky trees, making a boring plantation look magical.’ It certainly does, thanks in part to the nocturnal light and Christine’s decision to avoid the obvious close-up and go for a wider view. All that’s missing is a few fairies and perhaps a unicorn in the middle distance. Chris is…

18 March 1964 THE HIGHLIGHT of this week’s issue must surely be AP Editor Reg Mason’s telling of the story of Voigtlander, after returning from a visit to the company’s factory in Brunswick, Germany – how the company was founded in Vienna in the year of Mozart’s birth, and of the company’s many firsts. He then went on to describe the ‘very modern factory’ employing 3,000 people. ‘Under conditions of scientific cleanliness and with the aid of precision machinery, much of it automated, and with scrupulous quality control, the whole range of Vito cameras, Vitomatics and Bessamatics are produced,’ he informed us. ‘The very latest – the Ultramatic – which has more than 900 parts, has over 1,000 inspections. The tolerance allowed on working parts is 0.003mm, 1/300th the thickness…

THE FIRST step in creating a vlog is deciding what you want to vlog about and what your key messages are. You might, for example, want to create a vlog about a local beauty spot and explain aspects such as how to find it, where to park, the best time to visit and the best shooting locations. By making these decisions you can think through (and write down) the shots that you need to capture so that you’ll be more organised when it comes to shooting. You also need to think about your script. Some people like to write a complete script while others prefer bullet points; however, when you’re starting out, I’d encourage you to write down everything that you want to say because this will help you ensure…

Perhaps the X-S10’s most notable change from previous X Series bodies is its large grip, which gives DSLR users assured handling all day, as well as helping to balance longer lenses. Plus, the regular PASM dial is backed up by three customisable command dials, and lots of manual buttons make control quick and easy. At its heart though, the X-S10 is still very much a mirrorless X Series camera, enjoying all the benefits that mirorless brings: faster shooting, improved AF and instant feedback through the EVF. Using the legendary X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor Pro 4 engine, it produces a great combination of detail and colour, bringing exotic locations to life. It’s also the latest X Series camera to include in-body stabilisation; this along with the broad 160-12,800 ISO…

‘How would you like to go to South East Asia and do some guest lectures?’ It was our friend Ben Brain. He was recruiting photography lecturers for Holland-America cruises. A few weeks later we were embarking onto the Maasdam – which carries 1,200 passengers – for our six-week teaching assignment in South-East Asia. Cruise director KK Robbins, from Texas, created the ship’s cultural and entertainment programme, which included Travellers’ Tales presented by guest presenters and staff. One evening KK had no one booked in, so decided to step into the breach herself. She said she was going to talk about her mother and how her life changed forever because of a photograph. KK handed around photocopies of the front page of the Dallas Times Herald from November 1963 that had…

TODAY freezing wildlife motion is significantly less involved, simply because of the advances in photographic technology, including the arguably lazy practice of extracting stills from high-res video. However, if you’re using flash, two basic tenets still hold true – you need to be working with a camera that offers fast shutter speeds (preferably 1/8000th of a second or faster) and you’ll need a very brief flash illumination (which means working with low flash output ratios with your flashgun). Make sure your camera can work at high shutter speeds and that you have a compatible flashgun that has the required output and speed. A few companies offer high-speed camera triggering options, which can be great for capturing birds in flight. The MIOPS Smart+ trigger uses a laser source so the camera…

1 Go manual Set manual exposure mode and manual focus (or use back button focus) to ensure focus is locked. Compose, focus and meter without the ND in place (but use any other filters necessary). Zoom in to check focus and use the histogram to check exposure. If necessary, make adjustments and reshoot. 2 Use an app Calculate what the filtered exposure should be and remember that each stop requires a doubling of the exposure. You can do this manually, or use the ‘cheat sheet’ that most filter manufacturers supply. Alternatively, there are various apps which will do the calculation for you. 3 Set shutter speed Fit the filter and set the shutter speed you calculated. For exposures longer than 30 seconds, set Bulb mode, which allows you to lock…

I am among the many who have made the switch to mirrorless and don’t regret it for one minute. For me I find many benefits over my old DSLR. One such benefit is the lenses available from my new chosen manufacturer – not just the brilliant results but the build quality is so much better. The lens was considered but wasn’t foremost in my mind in making my decision, but now I have built up my system I have to say that it’s the lenses that I am most pleased with and, I would suggest, the more important part of the decision if you want to switch systems. Interestingly I got into conversation recently and was asked the question, ‘What do you use: Sony or Fuji?’ It used to be…

WHEN I reviewed the M10 Monochrom earlier this year, I said I’d love to see Leica offer the same concept in its Q2 and SL2 designs. Clearly the firm was already thinking along the same lines, and with the Q2 Monochrom, it’s opened up the concept of the black & white-only camera to a slightly wider audience. Having had my hands on a sample for a week before launch, I’ve found it to be every bit as lovely as I’d hoped. Sadly, though, that £5,000 price tag means its considerable charms will still be far beyond the reach of most photographers.…

Angela Nicholson Photographer and journalist Angela Nicholson is our former Technical Editor and the founder of SheClicks, a community for female photographers. She’s been testing camera gear since 2004 and is regularly behind and in front of the camera, shooting stills and video for a variety of platforms. See squeezymedia.com. At its simplest, vlogging is the practice of posting short videos online, but there’s usually a motive behind it such as documenting an activity or location or explaining a point of view. In some cases, the vlogger talks directly to the camera throughout the video a bit like a newsreader, however many vloggers take their cameras out and about, shooting a wide variety of subjects, which is more interesting from a photographic standpoint. Vloggers with a large following make serious…

Manfrotto Pixi ● £24 ● www.manfrotto.com This inexpensive mini tripod doubles as a comfortable grip to hold your camera at arm’s length and it locks tight enough to hold quite large SLRs and mirrorless cameras. When you’re not holding it, you can use the Pixi as a tripod and support your camera on a or as you record your audio, looking into the lens. X-Rite ColorChecker Passport Video ● £124 ● www.xrite.com It might seem expensive but the ColorChecker Passport Video can save you a heap of pain, especially if you’re shooting Log footage, as it enables you to set a consistent white balance whatever the lighting. Some video grading software such as DaVinci Resolve, Color Finale, 3D LUT Creator and CinemaGrade can even use a clip with the Passport…

Joe McNally’s career has included assignments in nearly 70 countries. He has shot numerous cover stories for magazines including LIFE, National Geographic and Sports Illustrated. His commercial clients include FedEx, Nikon, Adidas and Epson. McNally won the first Alfred Eisenstaedt Award for Journalistic Impact for a LIFE coverage The Panorama of War. He is known for his extraordinary technical ability, including expert use of Speedlights, and has workshops worldwide. See www.joemcnally.com.…

1 Polarisers are typically screw-in filters, available in a range of filter thread sizes to match different diameter lenses. However, if you regularly use a filter holder, you may prefer to buy a polariser that’s compatible with your system as this will enable you to combine filters more easily. 2 A wide variety of scenes suit using a polariser. When shooting landscapes with blue skies, the most pronounced effect will occur when at a 90-degree angle to the sun, but the strongest effect will not always produce the best results. Beware of uneven polarisation. This is when the level of polarisation varies in different parts of the sky and is a problem that’s most common in wideangle photos. 3 Polarisers absorb up to 2 stops of light, but your camera’s…

Under £30 NiSi Clever Cleaner for square filters ● £7 ● www.nisioptics.co.uk If you’re a regular user of square filters, you’ll know how it easy it is to get them covered in fingerprints from sliding them into the holder and removing them after use. This handy device springs open to reveal a rectangular felt cleaning pad, to help keep their surfaces clean and in perfect condition. Packed up it measures just 8x4x1.5cm, so will slip easily into a pocket in your bag. Spudz Microfibre lens cloths ● From £8 ● www.amazon.co.uk These high-quality microfibre lens cloths are available in a large range of patterns and sizes. The cloth is attached inside a small neoprene pouch that comes complete with its own hook for attaching it to a zipper in your…

A photograph can offer us many things. It can elucidate, educate, appeal and move us. It can occupy the space left when something is ‘beyond words’. It can stimulate the mind and make our heart jump in our chest. But then, oftentimes, a picture can simply be rather nice to look at. ‘I don’t think photography has anything remotely to do with the brain,’ Horst P. Horst once said. ‘It has to do with eye appeal.’ In many ways, he’s right. Take any of the best examples of the most hard-hitting and politically-charged documentary photography and you can begin to see what he means. While the goal is to engage our brain (and perhaps our heart), it’s our hungry eye that must first be appeased. Whatever the genre, form and…