Innholdsfortegnelse for 30/01/2021 i Amateur Photographer

Nikon UK has released an update on its store, saying, ‘Please note that, as we navigate the changes brought on by Brexit, we will temporarily not be taking any new orders. If you have already placed an order with us, we are working hard to ensure your order arrives as soon as possible.’ Happily, Nikon UK has now told AP that, ‘Like many brands, Nikon had been experiencing some issues with delivery due to the impact of Brexit delays, however shipments are now up and running again.’…

Robert Pugh is a wedding and portrait photographer, and although he shoots raw files at the same time as JPEGs, the raw files are only a back-up and he doesn’t touch them unless something has gone wrong with a JPEG – usually a sudden change in the light causing a change in the white balance. He explains, ‘I like to get as much as I possibly can right in-camera because it saves me spending time at my computer processing raw files. I still shoot raw files just in case, but I’ve set my camera so that raw files go to one card and JPEGs to the other. I only import the JPEGs to my computer and if I need a raw file, I only download the one I require from…

At the Door 1 I like the warm red colour and the framing of this image from Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan. I feel it has a sense of mystery. Nikon D3100, 18-55mm, 1/500sec at f/5.6, ISO 100 Holy Site 2 There’s a pleasing contrast between the column on the left and the dynamism of the Sikh man tying his turban. Taken at Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Delhi, India. Nikon D3100, 18-55mm, 1/400sec at f/5.6, ISO 100 Shades of Blue 3 There’s a nice balance to this image from a Nubian village in Aswan, Egypt. I like the cool tones, too. Canon EOS 600D, 18-55mm, 1/60sec at f/8, ISO 100 In Shali Town 4 The old Coca-Cola advertisement caught my eye on this house in Shali Town, Siwa Oasis, Egypt. Canon EOS…

This darkest of stories begins with a bright, sunny day in May. The year is 2018 and I’m sitting on a step at Somerset House, London, overlooking the marquees erected in the Georgian courtyard for that year’s Photo London. With me is the Toronto-based animal rights activist and photojournalist Jo-Anne McArthur. We are not entirely strangers to each other as a few days earlier I interviewed her for a magazine profile and then we were both the focus of attention as part of the group behind the campaign and publishing project, Photographers Against Wildlife Crime, culminating in the launch of a book of the same name and an exhibition in Mayfair. Sitting in the warm spring sunshine, it really did feel like we were basking in the afterglow of something…

DSLR Lenses Interchangeable lenses come in a huge array of types for shooting different kinds of subjects IN GENERAL, the easiest way to expand the kinds of pictures you can take is by buying different types of lenses. For example, telephoto lenses let you zoom in on distant subjects, while macro lenses enable close-ups of small objects. Large-aperture lenses allow you to isolate subjects against blurred backgrounds, or shoot in low light without having to raise the ISO too high. Meanwhile, all-in-one superzooms cover a wide range of subjects, but usually with rather lower optical quality. Lens mounts Each manufacturer has its own lens mount and most aren’t compatible with one another. For example, a Canon DSLR can’t use Nikon lenses, although you can use independent brands if you get…

LAST year was a challenging one for most of the big camera makers, but Canon has started the new year with some positive news. The company announced in mid-January that it is raising its consolidated net income for the fiscal year ending December 2020, thanks to strong sales of digital cameras in China – particularly the EOS R5 and R6 full-frame mirrorless cameras. The Nikkei business newspaper reported that Canon’s consolidated net income for the fiscal year ending December will be 80 billion yen (approximately £565 million) – although this represents a 36% decline year on year, it is still 28 billion yen higher than the company’s previous forecast. As well as the positive performance of new full-frame mirrorless cameras in the Chinese market, printer ink sales increased owing to…

THE PINK Lady Food Photographer of the Year competition is premiering its tenth-anniversary exhibition at the Royal Photographic Society HQ in Bristol. The exhibition will feature the winning and highly commended images from this year’s competition, which there is still time to enter (entries close at midnight, 7 February). This year’s global judging panel, chaired by well-known food photographer, David Loftus, includes Fiona Shields, head of photography, Guardian News & Media, Susan Bright, writer and curator, and Nik Sharma, cookbook author and photographer. ‘The RPS is excited to present the visual feast that will be the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year 2021 exhibition at its new gallery space in Bristol and are proud to be the first venue to host the finalist work outside London,’ said Dr Michael…

1 First decision When you’re setting up your camera for the first time, one of the decisions that you have to make is what file format you want to shoot in. This usually comes down to a choice of two formats, JPEG and raw, with the option to shoot both simultaneously. If you’re new to photography and the concept of editing images, JPEGs make a good choice because they are universally recognised and can be opened and viewed by any image-viewing or editing software. You can upload them to Facebook or email them to a friend and they are visible. Raw files, on the other hand, can only be opened and viewed in specialist software. Thankfully, this is provided by the camera manufacturer and there are alternatives from third-party software…

On the bridge Roger Braga’s letter about how complicated modern cameras are rang true with me to a certain extent. I also agree you can use a complicated camera as a simple camera. I generally just used aperture priority most of the time. I am 78 and found the weight of the camera and lenses a burden. I no longer strive for perfection, just to enjoy what I take, so I have exchanged all my kit at MPB for a Panasonic FZ1000 bridge camera plus a load of cash. I can cover all my needs with the zoom lens and get good results with a lighter bit of kit. MPB were quick and reasonably priced, particularly taking into account the service they gave. Thank you for a fine magazine. John…

It’s little surprise that Kevin Cummins ended up as a photographer as he received a camera for his fifth birthday present and both his father and maternal grandfather had home darkrooms. After developing his own darkroom skills at a young age he studied graphic design and photography in Salford, ‘much to my parents’ annoyance… they never thought it was a real job’. He regularly viewed the reportage photography in the Sunday supplements but admits, ‘I was more interested in portraiture. The three photographers whose work I really liked were August Sander, Bill Brandt and Diane Arbus. That taught me a lot about connecting with people, how to photograph them. Arbus had only just killed herself when I started my first year [at college], but that idea that you didn’t just…

Why do people collect cameras with no intention of using them? Okay, maybe that’s a little unfair. Some collectors do enjoy using their vintage cameras. But for most collectors, buying classic and antique cameras is more about the joy of owning and admiring something special and different, while researching and learning about its place in the history of photography. There are a lot of old cameras around, many of which are of no intrinsic value or deserving of a special place either in photographic history, or on a camera collector’s shelves. So how do you tell what is collectable? Sometimes it’s a matter of age, other times it’s the manufacturer or perhaps the country of origin. It could be a camera’s rarity, an unusual specification or method of working, a…

A-Z of Photography by Mike J Smith £1.99 / £5.99, Independently published, eBook / softback,178 pages, ISBN: 979-8579545473 Delve into the people, history, manufacturers, techniques and images of photography from the gear and artists of today as well as those at its birth in the early 1800s. This book is presented in sections devoted to every letter of the alphabet, with two per letter leaving you with 52 detailed explanations of topics, some of which will be familiar, some of which won’t. There’s everything here from Manuel Álvarez Bravo and Bronica through to Image Stabilisation and Zeiss. The book is also illustrated with 55 images and extensive hyperlinking (in the digital version) to allow you to expore each subject further. A great reference manual to flick through. The Relation Between…

Carolyn Mendelsohn is a photographer and filmmaker. Her passion is photographic and film work on a large scale, based on the lives of individuals and their stories. She says, ‘Whether on location or in a studio, I love having complete control of the creative process and I am happiest when I am shooting raw files in manual exposure mode. I aim to get everything right in camera, however occasionally if I am working in challenging lighting conditions – changeable weather on location or dealing inside with different lighting sources – then I need to tweak the file post-capture. I choose to shoot in raw format because it is a brilliant starting point; all the information is contained within the file, and no processing has been applied (unlike JPEGs). The file…

I have read with interest the frequent exchanges in Inbox regarding AP reviewing higher-end, relatively expensive cameras. Much of the critique seems to boil down to: ‘I can’t afford camera X and therefore you shouldn’t review it.’ It seems to me arrogant to assume that any one person’s particular set of life choices and circumstances should act as a proxy for a whole extraordinarily disparate group such as photographers. For any particular piece of high-end kit there will be a whole range of responses to it, and to those who choose to own it. These might include envy, ridicule, and dismissing it as irrelevant, while others will see its availability as aspirational and a sign of a healthy industry. I strongly support AP reviewing the whole range of camera kit…

Sony has been building up its full-frame mirrorless lens range longer than anyone else, having launched its Alpha 7 system in 2013. As it’s gained experience in making high-end optics, the firm has also refined its design philosophy. Its early efforts were often criticised for being too large and heavy, but its more recent lenses have delivered stellar performance in a more compact form, exemplified by the superb FE 24mm F1.4 GM. Now, it’s applied the same idea to the 35mm focal length. Those familiar with Sony’s range will know that it already makes the Zeiss-badged Distagon T* 35mm F1.4 ZA, which dates from early 2015. However the FE 35mm F1.4 GM is distinctly smaller and lighter, focuses closer, and uses 11 diaphragm blades rather than nine. It costs £1,500…