Innholdsfortegnelse for 16/01/2021 i Amateur Photographer

Welcome to the first Premium Edition of what I hope will be a better year. We’re getting off to the best start we can with an issue dedicated to low-light photography. We’ve got lots of great tips for high-ISO and long-exposure shooting, and for getting the best from image stabilisation. We look at the best lenses and software for low-light shooters and Ben Hall shares his wildlife photography expertise. If it’s inspiration you seek we have plenty: try Liam Wong’s stunning vision of nocturnal Tokyo; David Sheldrick’s mesmerising UV portraits; Nicolas Asfouri’s powerful reportage of the Hong Kong protests; Ashok Sinha’s tribute to LA’s roadside diners and Aishwarya Sridhar’s amazing image of fireflies at night. We also reveal our verdicts on the new Sigma 100-400mm DG DN lens for mirrorless…

Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr or Twitter using #appicoftheweek. PermaJet proudly supports the online picture of the week winner, who will receive a top-quality print of their image on the finest PermaJet paper*. It is important to bring images to life outside the digital sphere, so we encourage everyone to get printing today! Visit www.permajet.com to learn more. We also liked... Bamburgh Castle Sunrise by Scott Antcliffe Nikon D750, 24-85mm lens, 1/6sec at f/11, ISO 160 ‘The picture was taken on the beach at Bamburgh Castle during sunrise on 29 October 2020,’ says Scott, who is a primary school teacher from Chesterfield but also a keen writer and photographer. It’s a popular subject but one that Scott has made his own by using the…

18 January 1967 IN 1967 Amateur Photographer was confident enough as a brand to change the masthead to just a simple ‘AP’, though not quite confident enough not to write the full name underneath, just in case. There were no coverlines either – buyers could only guess at the delights inside. In fact this issue contained an informative feature on advanced portraiture, and a charming photo story about a piglet raised with Dachshunds. Also, if you wanted to know how it could be possible to be happy despite being married, John Cope had the answer: don’t spend too much on camera gear. To prove it he put a Russian Cosmic 35 through its paces which, he enthused, had a remarkable specification for £5 19s 6d. (£112 today) and delivered pleasing…

Starlight Guy Edwardes Based in Dorset, Guy has been a professional landscape and nature photographer for over 25 years. His work has been widely published and he runs photographic workshops worldwide. See guyedwardes.com and @guyedwardes. FOR THE past three years I’ve been refining my technique for wide-field astro-landscape photography, mainly working close to home along Dorset’s Jurassic Coast. Looking south from this coastline, there is very little light pollution, making it ideal for capturing the night sky. This area can get very busy with tourists during the day, but at night I often have these beautiful locations to myself. Anywhere with minimal light pollution can work well on a clear night, so head into the countryside away from towns and villages. I always look for a strong landscape composition –…

SIGMA has a knack of identifying gaps in the market and releasing lenses where there’s a shortage. Before the release of this zoom there weren’t many full-frame lenses to choose covering the 100-400mm focal length in E mount or L mount so it’s always welcome to see a manufacturer like Sigma step up and deliver an exceptional example. Although it does force you to push the sensitivity higher than you would on a telezoom with a faster variable maximum aperture of f/4.5-5.6, you get a reasonably compact lens that doesn’t upset the balance of a full-frame mirrorless camera or feel too heavy. It backs up its excellent portability with superb contrast and sharpness that exceeded my expectations and then some. There’s its optical stabilisation to factor in too, that when…

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE Screen Idol by Len Trievnor French screen goddess Brigitte Bardot is surrounded by photographers on the set of her latest film, the Edward Dmytryk western Shalako. The film also starred Sean Connery and was shot at Shepperton Studios, near London, with on-location filming taking place in the Tabernas Desert, Almeria, Spain. Despite the star names attached to the project, it received mixed critical reviews and was a box-office disappointment. Bardot started acting in 1952, and also had a successful singing career. She retired from the entertainment industry in 1973 to become an animal rights activist. 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, today it houses over…

Is long-exposure portraiture a distinctive and valuable technique for drawing out character, or merely a technical necessity when using certain sorts of camera, and one that actually adversely influences the look of your subject? I’m talking about shots when the subject is required to hold a stationary pose for seconds, or in extreme cases minutes, not when a long exposure is aimed at capturing movement such as light trails or still and motion combinations as with rear-curtain sync flash. I was pondering the matter recently while testing a Polaroid OneStep Plus, which allows you to choose long exposures via an app. Turning off the flash to take advantage of a dark and moody environment while shooting a portrait, the camera’s meter indicated an exposure time of 15 seconds. Unfortunately, my…

I captured these whooper swans just as the sun was sinking. The light levels were low, but the vivid winter sky and the visible sun meant that shutter speeds were fast enough to freeze the birds. The intensity of the sun was muted by a layer of hazy cloud near the horizon, which meant I could capture the colour of the sun without underexposing the rest of the image. I used a tele-zoom lens and zoomed out to show the birds in the environment. Luckily, there is good separation between each of the swans. The trees frame the birds and draw the viewer’s eye into the image, and there is an interesting contrast between the warm winter sky and the cool blue hues of the snow-covered trees.…

Check weather and moon cycle Astrophotography relies upon dark, clear skies, so check as many weather forecasts as you can and use an app to ensure the moon won’t be up, as it’s guaranteed to spoil the show. Don’t be deterred if there’s a little cloud, as great night sky images can be taken through a brief break in the clouds. Useful apps There are plenty of apps that allow you to work out the position of the Milky Way such as PhotoPills, The Photographer’s Ephemeris and Planit Pro. My Aurora Forecast is a great free app for predicting the Northern Lights and Lumos is another useful app for following the phases of the moon, as well as moonrise and set times. Get to know your camera Familiarise yourself with…

When was the last time you saw a truly original portrait? For many of you reading this, the answer will be the reason you picked up this issue and why you stopped on this page. The UV Collection, produced by photographer David Sheldrick and award-winning hair artist Seung Ki Baek, stopped me in my tracks when I first saw them. Their mix of pulsing, vibrant colour and hints of majestic movement make for a truly mesmerising combination. What’s more, the stillness of the models, appearing from the darkness, with their fantastical hair pieces drifting about their poised expressions, perfectly encapsulates the theme behind the images. The series was inspired by creatures of the deep and their magical bioluminescent structures. A chance meeting between David and Seung Ki on a photoshoot…

Aishwarya’s camera of choice is the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, which she uses alongside her Canon EOS 5D Mark III. As far as lenses go, her kit includes an EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III USM, EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM, and EF 600mm F/4L IS III USM. She says, ‘Canon offers me the perfect blend of high-end technology, speed and low-light capabilities. In particular, I enjoy using the macro lens and wideangle as they offer a different perspective into the lives of these creatures. It’s pictures captured with habitats that interest me most.’…

1 Try to find a strong light source. If you can’t find one, introduce one. I find that if you’re practising low light then the easiest place to start is to find a window that’s lit up at night because you’re going to find a way to expose that. 2 Put effort into learning how to focus in low light. Most cameras have live view mode which certainly helps, but I also usually take a torch with me. Some people don’t live in big cities, so find a window in your house that you can shoot from outside and get used to focusing. 3 The bit where I really improved was when I started to get quick with manual focus. So I’d customise my Sony, open up the aperture, make…

Meets Mondays at 8pm throughout the year. During the pandemic, we’re meeting online via Zoom. Usually we get together in Forest Hill Membership £67 – full member. £45 – new member offer for the first year, unemployed and full-time student. Free – under 18. £20 digital membership – we’re offering this until April 2021 Contact membership.southlondonps@gmail.com Website southlondonps.org.uk…

The DJI Mini 2 is more stable and less easily buffeted by the wind than the Mavic Mini so the footage looks very smooth with plenty of detail visible. In addition, the enhanced transmission technology seems to make the connection between the controller and drone more reliable. It’s also very easy to fly and is great fun for anyone looking for their first drone or a small easily portable drone to take anywhere. However, a set of magnetic ND filters is essential to anyone who wants the best-quality video.…

● £160 ● www.lowepro.com LOWEPRO’S ProTactic collection of camera bags has recently been updated with an emphasis on improving organisation, access and protection. The ProTactic BP 300 AW II is the smallest of three backpacks and is aimed at photographers who’d like to split their camera gear 50/50 with personal belongings. The bottom camera compartment features a removable QuickShelf system and can be accessed either from the top when the upper compartment is empty, or via access points on both sides. Having side access is invaluable when you’d like to grab your kit quickly and by being able to lower the bag off one shoulder to gain entry means you don’t have to rest it down in the dirt, keeping your clothing mud-free. The camera compartment measures 28x12.5x27cm, which was…

Olympus Tough TG-6 ● £370 ● www.olympus.co.uk Olympus’s Tough compacts have habitually won our underwater camera group tests, and this latest model is still the best of its type. It’s waterproof to 15m, shockproof against a 2.4m drop, crushproof and freezeproof. The 25-100mm equivalent lens is paired with a 12MP sensor, and viewing is via a 3in LCD. This is also one of the few rugged cameras that can record raw files. Panasonic LX100 II ● £729 ● www.panasonic.com/uk A high-end compact for creative photography, the LX100 II is based around a 24-75mm equivalent f/1.7-2.8 lens and a 17MP Four Thirds sensor that features a true multi aspect-ratio design. It also boasts a full range of traditional analogue control dials, and the corner-mounted viewfinder is complemented by touchscreen LCD. Reviewed…

AP picture of the week Steel Town at Twilight by Paul Potts Sony A7R IV, Sigma DG DN 85mm f/1.4, 45 secs at f/8, ISO 50 ‘I have always enjoyed the juxtaposition of the valleys, sea, and steelworks of my home town of Port Talbot. They are very striking at night,’ says Paul, whose name might sound familiar. ‘Ordinarily I spend a good deal of time travelling, as a singer, following my win in Britain’s Got Talent in 2007,’ he tells us. ‘I first bought a Canon 400D to record my travels as I toured around the world. The more I travelled, the more I shot. This year, after trips to Seoul and Tokyo, I had a long enforced break at home, before a Christmas tour in Denmark which had…

Telephoto or tele-zoom lens To tackle subjects such as garden birds and other winter wildlife, a long focal length is a must. At least 400mm will be required for most subjects in the UK. If you have a shorter lens, a teleconverter can be used to increase focal length, but you will lose at least one stop of light. Wideangle lens This might seem a strange choice for wildlife photography, but provided that you have close access to your subject, a wideangle can be used to show the animal in context and will offer a fresh and interesting perspective. Beanbag As an alternative to a tripod, a beanbag is perfect for those ground-level images. It will not only give you a rock-solid support for even the longest lenses, but also…

1 Use shutter priority to select a speed of at least 1/1000sec in order to freeze the motion of a bird in flight. 2 Adjust your ISO setting according to the amount of available light. Don’t be afraid of increasing the ISO if light levels are low, as noise can always be reduced at the post-processing stage. 3 Expand the focus area to give you more margin for error when tracking a moving subject. When shooting against the sky, the active point may prove more effective. 4 Switch to high-speed drive continuous shooting. This will allow you to fire off a burst of frames at one time, giving you a greater chance of success. 5 Take a test shot and check the histogram. Look carefully at the right-hand side of…

Peter Benson, Suffolk About Peter I am now retired but still teach night photography, which is my passion. Favourite subjects Cities and towns at night, especially where there is a waterway or seafront. How did you get into photography? I’d always had cameras, but was quite point and click. After doing a short course at college and joining a local club, my photography took off. What do you love about photography? A scene changes from ordinary during the day to mesmerising at night. Also, the weather has a major effect on an image, and should be embraced. Current kit My bodies are a Canon EOS 5DS SLR and an EOS M5. My main lenses are EF 17-40mm f/4L, EF 24-105mm f/4L, EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III and an EF 40mm…

Don’t believe your eyes When you’re shooting in the dark, your eyes naturally become accustomed to the gloom, and therefore an exposure on screen can look a lot brighter than it really is. Try using the exposure histogram to make sure you’re not underexposing. Limit your locations It depends on your outlook for low-light shooting, but remember if you want natural light in the scene or sky, you need to work fast. The light may only be right for 20-30 minutes, so get there early and try to limit your expectations in terms of moving to other locations. The right white Rather than leaving your camera set to auto, try picking a white balance that matches the dominant illumination in your low-light scene. Setting tungsten, for instance, will give bulbs…

1 Make sure everyone wears high-factor sun protection on set. You need to blackout the entire studio, meaning that UV is the only source of light. Even in the makeup area where they’re prepping the models, because they need to see exactly what the UV is doing. 2 Get some UV bulbs for lamps that can light up workstation areas. 3 To minimise exposure, only turn on the UV lights when and where you need them. 4 Use exposures of 1-2 seconds to enhance the glowing effect of UV light. 5 Use a hairdryer or fan to blast some motion into the hair and/or outfit. 6 Direct your model to be as still as possible. 7 Fire UV filtered strobes as many times as you can within the time frame…

Aishwarya Sridhar is a 23-year-old photographer, conservationist and filmmaker from Mumbai, India. Her work has appeared in BBC Wildlife, The Guardian, Mongabay, Sanctuary Asia, Saevus and Times of India, among other titles. She has also presented the Nature For Future series on Discovery Channel India. In 2020, Aishwarya was awarded a Highly Commended in the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition – the first Indian woman to have done so.Visit www.aishwaryasridhar.com.…

Slim down and simplify In common, I suspect, with many people who have built up a collection of lenses, and often camera bodies, for their chosen system, I have increasingly found myself spoilt for choice. Going out with a camera and two or three lenses invariably resulted in me having the wrong lens on the camera at a crucial moment. Taking the camera and just one lens meant a period of agonising uncertainty before leaving home, followed by the inevitable thought that I should really have brought a zoom/prime/ wideangle or whatever. For me the solution has been counter-intuitive but surprisingly satisfying. Having lusted for years after a Fuji X100 camera I finally bought an ‘open box’ X100F from my local dealer at a very good price late in the…

The Yashica Mimy is a half frame 35mm camera that was introduced in 1963. Half-frame cameras were popular for two reasons, for one thing you got twice as many photos from each film, and of course the cameras tended to be smaller. Whereas conventional 35mm cameras take landscape format negatives measuring 24x36mm, half-frame cameras use a portrait format at 18x24mm. This means that with a 36-exposure film you get a whopping 72 pictures per roll, which can be a bit daunting. From the point of view of economy, you certainly saved money on film, but if you planned to get them all printed, the savings became somewhat more modest. These cameras were aimed at the keen amateur, and while the smaller negative was adequate for standard album prints, it wouldn’t…

On 17 April 2015, British photographer Quintin Lake left St Paul’s Cathedral, London, and headed south along the River Thames. Five years later, he arrived back at the same spot where he was met by his wife, family and a stream of followers, journalists and TV crews. He had just walked 6,835 miles clockwise around the entire British coastline and worn through seven pairs of walking boots. I’ve known Quintin for many years and have been closely following his journey. So it was a real honour when on a perfect late summer’s day in September 2020 I met him at Canary Wharf to accompany him on the last leg of his walk. We walked the remaining six kilometres reflecting on the magnitude of the journey and its imminent conclusion. I…