Innholdsfortegnelse for 21/08/2021 i Amateur Photographer

The art of photography is to a great extent about the interplay between light and the absence of it, and nowhere is that expressed in a more simple and binary way than with the humble shadow. Whether cast by the sun, or created ourselves using artificial light, shadows can make for very powerful images. This week we shine a spotlight on shadows and reveal how to use them creatively. From the shadows we move on to The Beatles, as AP lifetime achievement award winner Harry Benson discusses his fascinating behind-the-scenes photos of Paul McCartney, which span a period of 30 years. Also this week, we show how to blend old photos of your local town with new shots taken from the same viewpoint, to show how the locations have changed…

MEANWHILE, Tamron has announced that it’s in the process of developing two new lenses for Sony E-mount full-frame mirrorless cameras, with both due for release by the end of this year. As yet, there’s no indication of pricing. First up, the 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD will be the first E-mount zoom to boast a super-fast maximum aperture of f/2. The firm claims it will be ideal for travel photography, thanks to its broad zoom range and 33cm minimum focus distance. As we’d expect, Tamron also says that the lens will deliver excellent optical performance throughout its zoom range, complemented by fast, precise autofocus driven by a VXD linear motor. Second is the 28-75mm F/2.8 Di III VXD G2 – a successor to the current E-mount 28-75mm f/2.8 RXD. It’s…

Experiment with colour Shadows don’t have to be grey (or black). If a colourful translucent object blocks rays of light then the end result will be colourful shadows! Experiment with balloons, colourful glass vases or children’s toys as these can have really striking shapes. Look for shadows Go out with the intention of capturing shadows and nothing else. Once you get your eye in, you’ll start noticing all of the dark recesses and hidden corners in your immediate environment. Exploit all of this fresh picture potential! Think about surfaces Consider how the surface your shadow falls on will affect its shape, intensity etc. Experiment with different textures, colours and forms, and remember that some surfaces will act like reflectors bouncing light back onto your subject. Make it black & white…

Beach Teapot by Fox Photos A novel teabar in the shape of a teapot on Blackpool Beach. During its heyday in the early part of the 20th century, tourists would flock to the resort, particularly during ‘Wakes Week’, a period of two weeks in the summer particularly observed in the North West and Scotland. Tourism to Blackpool declined during the 1970s and 80s as cheap package holidays to Mediterranean destinations became more popular. Unsurprisingly however, as Covid restrictions have precluded travel, UK holidays have had a resurgence. Last year, Blackpool saw the highest number of visitors in the summer months for over a decade. 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,…

MEYER Optik Görlitz, until recently just a brand name, is operating as an independent lens maker again. Back in the 1930s the storied German company was producing 100,000 lenses year but it fell on hard times in the post-war years. At the end of 2018, OPC Optics took over the brand and built a new structure, with the reborn Meyer Optik Görlitz operating under its umbrella. ‘The Trioplan 35 II, Biotar 58 II and Biotar 75 II are expected to be released in the fourth quarter, expanding the portfolio of lenses,’ said a spokesperson, adding that new products are also in the pipeline. See www.meyer-optik-goerlitz.com for updates.…

23 August 1997 ‘AN ALTERNATIVE view of Brits by the seaside’ ran the sub-head on this week’s cover. Or, to put it another way, here’s a selection of Martin Parr’s latest pictures. Martin has made a career out of upsetting folk with his often unflattering depictions of English culture, and he did it again by describing West Bay, Dorset, as ‘down at heel’. ‘Parr is already well-known for his perceptive, if rather brutal, observations of the British holiday-maker, which he began in the early 1980s using a 6x7 camera with colour film and fill-in flash,’ explained our writer. ‘The West Bay pictures mark a change in technique for Parr, who has abandoned medium format for a 35mm Nikon complete with macro lens and ringflash.’ In addition to his choice of…

When your photography is supposed to cover your mortgage, rather than just occupy your spare time, there’s a certain amount of pressure to do the things that make money. This often involves taking on things you’d rather not, or which you wouldn’t choose to, just to meet the bills. It is all very well armchair philosophers on the internet proclaiming we can all be whoever we want to be and we should follow our dreams, but that doesn’t always stop the gas being cut off at the end of the month. As a general rule (and it’s only a general rule) the things we enjoy most don’t earn as much money as the things we’d rather swerve, and thus artists sometimes feel the need to compromise their values in order…

1 Reduce saturation Starting with the old image in Lightroom, I slightly desaturate it. It’s likely the detail is less than perfect, but it’s all part of the contrast in the two images. Increase the clarity to try to highlight some detail while reducing texture to remove noise and also any small blemishes that may be present. 2 Compare scenes If any major flaws need removing, I open the image in Photoshop and use the Spot Healing Brush tool. I then return to the library panel in Lightroom and use the compare mode to study my images to determine which one best appears to align to the old image. Apply any lens corrections required now. 3 Brighten up In Lightroom’s Basic panel I tweak a few of the parameters to…

THERE’S a wealth of options for creatives looking for a true hybrid camera in the sub-£2,000 price bracket. This includes the original GH5, which bears a strong resemblance to this latest Lumix offering. So why shouldn’t you just buy a GH5? Firstly, it’s pretty much ‘end of life’ now and hard to find brand new. Secondly, the improvements incorporated into the GH5 II bring it in line with many of the features and functionality that hybrid shooters will now expect from their main camera. Small additions such as the ability to stream directly from the camera via app or tether, and USB-C power delivery, make a huge difference in terms of how you can utilise its capabilities. The same can be said for its compatibility with higher-capacity BLK22 batteries. Then…

AP picture of the week Bubble by Ben Wootton Canon EOS 2000D, 18-55mm lens, 1/400sec, f/5.6 ‘I bought my first DSLR in February 2021 and to be honest didn’t expect a lot, but I couldn’t have been more wrong,’ says Ben, from Oakley in Hampshire. ‘It has been a real eye-opener. I’ve learnt so much about my surroundings in this short space of time. I took this photo in the garden when we had my step-brother around with his children, and it was a real challenge to shoot.’ Ben is on Instagram @benwootton. We also liked... Pheasant in Bluebells by Michael White Nikon D500, 80-400mm lens at 400mm, 1/500 sec at f/5.6, ISO 3600 ‘I’d had this idea for a while to shoot some wildlife in the local woods when…

A NEW documentary called Picture Stories celebrates the legacy of Picture Post, the highly influential magazine that shaped perceptions of British life during and after World War II. Ahead of its UK release on 24 September, the documentary will also have special screenings at the Royal Photographic Society in Bristol on 15 September, and the Photography Show on 18 September. Picture Stories will then be released on digital download on 30 September. According to the makers, the story of Picture Post is told by its photographers, writers and editors, while leading contemporary photographers reflect on its heritage. ‘Using the freedom of new camera technology, Picture Post’s photographers portrayed the lives of ordinary people, at home, on the street, unposed – in a way they had never been seen before.’ For…

In his wonderful (if occasionally offensive) 1933 essay In Praise of Shadows, author Junichiro Tanizaki considers the role that shadows play in Japanese culture. From architecture to theatre and food, he argues that the sensitive use of shadow and light can heighten the beauty of spaces, faces and objects. ‘Our ancestors, forced to live in dark rooms, presently came to discover beauty in shadows,’ he reveals, ‘ultimately to guide shadows towards beauty’s ends.’ For Tanizaki, shadows create a sense of mystery, tranquillity and depth. He marvels at the beauty of heavy shadows against light, the sensory richness of dark spaces and areas of contrast. ‘Were it not for shadows,’ he says, ‘there would be no beauty.’ In the West, however, it’s fair to say that our relationship to shadows hasn’t…

After admiring from afar the images captured by the plethora of Ricoh GR III street shooters on Instagram, I decided to take the plunge and picked up an older Ricoh GR II for a very reasonable price (despite some of the online prices that are just extortionate). I wasn’t sure how well this 16MP model would do but I must confess, I’ve been absolutely blown away by it (attached is an image I took during a recent day trip to Blackpool). I’m an amateur street shooter from Birmingham, and my go-to camera is the Fuji X-T20. After arriving early doors on the Blackpool Promenade I spent an hour or so shooting with the Fuji before deciding to give the Ricoh a whirl. As I walked along the North Pier I…

The modern camera is as much an electronic device as it is an optical one. Anyone who keeps an eye on the news will have read about the current semiconductor shortage, so how does this affect the camera industry? The first thing to consider is how this shortage arose. Strictly it’s not a ‘shortage’ but a supply imbalance. The supply and demand that drives this market tends to be related to fabrication capacity. The equipment required for this is very expensive, and to gain a return on their investment, semiconductor producers need to keep it in constant use. The present problem is due to the Covid pandemic and the reduction that it caused in car sales. The automotive segment accounts for about 8.5% of global semiconductor output, about the same…

The difference between patriotism and nationalism is easy to confuse in the heat of battle. The patriot loves his country whatever its failings. The nationalist also loves his country, but chooses to see the failings in other countries before he sees them in his own. The nationalist is rarely content to see these faults without holding them up for all to see, and often devises catchy songs on the subject. While nationalism looks like strength and power, fear is its reality when alone in bed in the dark. One of the remarkable elements of the recent European football tournament was the tribalism that surfaced across the continent – making patriots and nationalists of a large section of the population. Citizens who usually wouldn’t give two thoughts to where they live…