Innholdsfortegnelse for 22/02/2022 i Amateur Photographer

The term ‘street photography’ is used as shorthand for the act of photographing people and scenes in public places, whether it’s on an actual street or not. Over the last hundred-odd years this genre has provided a priceless visual history of humanity, and some of the most iconic images ever taken are from this genre. But there’s a lot of confusion these days about who and what photographers can and cannot photograph in public places, fuelled partly by news stories and by changing social attitudes. There’s a growing public caution about how our image may be used and abused in a digital world where social media has so much reach and power. So we thought it was time we produced an updated guide to our rights and responsibilities. I hope…

A Winter’s Moon by Dhiaan Dhillon Sony A7 III, 24-240mm at 80mm, 1/10sec at f/5.6, ISO 400 Dhiaan, a 21-year-old photographer, tells us, ‘I have been interested in photography for many years now and I invested in my camera almost two years ago – it was the best decision I made! For the past few months I have been focusing a lot more on this passion and turning it into a stable income. This image was taken in January from the window of my sister’s bedroom. I caught a glimpse of the moon at the time of day where the sky looks beautiful and my first thought was to grab the camera. I wanted to include a foreground element to add depth to the image and this was a blurred…

THE COMPANY has also released two new lenses. As shown on previous Olympus / OM System lens roadmaps, the new M. Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm F4 PRO lens is said to be the most compact and lightweight 300mm-equivalent zoom lens available with a fixed f/4.0 aperture. Offering IP53-rated weather-resistance and a close focusing distance of 70cm at all focal lengths, the lens offers an 80-300mm equivalent range. Optically it’s made up of 15 elements in 9 groups, and is designed to deliver high resolution at its maximum aperture across the zoom range. The 40-150mm F4 PRO costs £899.99. The new M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-40mm F2.8 II PRO lens is designed to offer improved weather-resistance, with an IP53 rating. The lens also benefits from a flourine coating on the front element,…

21 February 1998 THIS week in 1998 AP was preoccupied with the nascent digital revolution. Our report from the annual PMA trade show in the US, from which AP had just returned, led with an interesting prototype: a drop-in electronic cartridge that would convert any 35mm camera to digital. ‘The Imagek electronic film system (EFS-1) was unveiled last week at the PMA show in New Orleans to a disbelieving press audience,’ we wrote. ‘The source of its incredulity was an innocuous cartridge that slots into the film chamber of a 35mm SLR or compact camera converting it to a 1.3MP digital camera.’ The press were, as it turned out, right to be incredulous – the device never made it to market – but our cover story reported on why press…

Ask for samples If you’re using a professional printing service (like Newspaper Club) ask for samples to assess the best paper type and size for your project. It could save you a lot of heartache down the line. Think about postage costs If you decide to sell your zine, like Tommaso, don’t underestimate the cost of postage (especially sending overseas), and don’t stick anything bulky to your zine or it could impact the postage price. Be honest When you’ve discovered something fun, moving or just plain bizarre, a zine is a great way to get your message across quickly and in a pure, honest fashion. Tommaso’s Haystack Heroes project is a great example. Consider collaboration Shutter Hub (a popular photography community) prints its exhibition images (and catalogues) on newsprint. This…

THERE are a number of very good reasons that specialist lenses often cost a lot of money, and when they don’t we need to tread carefully. For an extreme wide angle from a marque brand this RF 16mm F2.8 STM does not cost very much at all. Clearly the STM AF system presents a saving, as does the PMo aspherical element and the plastic body, while the f/2.8 maximum aperture is relatively moderate in this day and age. It seems, though, that the greatest saving has been made in an optical design that only half corrects common issues and leaves the rest to the ‘free’ effects of software. Uncorrected, the lens renders images with considerable barrel distortion, strong vignetting and ugly colour fringing from lateral chromatic aberration. But sadly, in…

If you already own a set of 100mm filters, you’ll need to fit them into frames. This is very easy; they simply drop into place, and are secured using a screw-on tab. Just don’t think for a moment you might swap them around in the field; you’ll really need to buy frames for all your filters and fit them at home. Frames are available in three sizes: 100x100mm for NDs, 100x143.5mm for Cokin GNDs, and 100x150mm for GNDs from other brands. They’re designed to hold 2mm-thick glass filters, which are pretty much standard, and cost £17.99 each.…

‘Like many of the older Kodak cameras, the No.3A was in production for a long time’ Regular readers will know that for a decade I used a different film camera each week, a self-imposed labour that involved 520 cameras. Since completing that two years ago, I’ve set myself more manageable monthly projects. So in 2021 I decided to use as many different film formats as I could, starting with the smallest (a Minox camera) and working my way up the common and not-so-common sizes. By December I’d reached the camera with the largest negative size in my collection, a Kodak No.3A Autographic. I’ve known this camera all my life. It belonged to my grandfather, and as children we were allowed to handle it under supervision. But even then the film…

I am regularly told by other photographers that shooting this or that is illegal and that they avoid street photography because they don’t want to get arrested. Sometimes it takes quite a lot of effort for me to convince them that their fears are unfounded, and it always makes me wonder where these ill-formed ideas come from and who spreads them. Terror threats in the wake of 9/11 and the attacks in this country for a while did make life difficult for photographers, as suddenly taking pictures in public places was seen as a security risk by some police officers and lots of photographers were wrongfully stopped. Fortunately, that time has passed. It seems, though, the hang-over from those days of suspicion still has an influence on some photographers –…

1 Follow your heart Your zine doesn’t need to be about anything grand or serious – if you’ve got 200 pictures of cats, doorways or finger rolls then have some fun with them! 2 Loosen up Don’t worry about perfecting your layout, you can get your photographs onto the page via printing, gluing or even sewing! Just experiment. 3 Think big (or small) Unlike traditional photo books, your handmade zine can be any shape or size. Try folding paper or transferring your pictures onto fabric. 4 Make a team effort Get other people involved in making your zine – maybe you know someone with beautiful handwriting, great ideas or just stacks of craft supplies. 5 Consider touch Turning your pictures into something tangible can be rewarding, so make the most…

The Spider’s Lair by Josh McNamara Nikon D3400, 1/8sec at f/5.6, ISO 100 ‘I decided to head out with my camera on a very frosty morning. I was just walking along and spotted this lone frost-touched wild teasel plant – I loved the spiky shape and texture of it and how the two stems either side resembled a spider’s legs,’ says Josh, an amateur photographer living in Haywards Heath. He added. ‘The spider web hanging off it essentially attracted me to it the most, which told a story. I decided to zoom in close, making sure I framed it well each side and went for a shallow depth of field which created a nice blurring effect to the colours in the background.’ See Instagram @joshmcnamara_photography Flying Scotsman by Robert Falconer…

THE NEW ‘Olympus’ OM-1 gives Micro Four Thirds fans the latest technology as well as a long-overdue, and long-wished-for, BSI Stacked Live MOS sensor. This should give users a real step up in image quality and noise performance, something that has been lagging behind other cameras. It also re-introduces the OM-1 name, in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the original OM-1. The new name dramatically simplifies the long-winded and often confusing naming system found on previous Olympus cameras. However, this is tinged with a bitter-sweet sorrow, as this is the last camera to bear the Olympus branding, and the official name of the camera is ‘OM System OM-1’. If you enjoy shooting with Olympus cameras, then the refinements made with the OM-1, along with the improved image quality, performance,…

SIGMA has announced the ultra-compact, wide-aperture 20mm F2 DG DN I Contemporary wideangle lens for E-mount and L-mount systems. It’s a full-frame compact prime for mirrorless cameras and is the seventh lens in Sigma’s fast-growing I-series line-up, following the 90mm F2.8 DG DN. It’s also the widest-angle lens in the range so far, so can open up fresh photographic possibilities for I-series users. The lens is compatible with Sony, Leica, Panasonic Lumix and Sigma cameras. It weighs 370g and measures 72.4mm in length (L-mount version), making it easily portable. The 20mm focal length can be used for landscapes, wideangle portraits, weddings and interiors. Priced £649.99, it goes on sale from 25 February. During the live online launch of the lens Sigma’s CEO, Kazuto Yamaki, also revealed the firm is likely…

Showcasing over 50 recent contemporary acquisitions for V&A’s permanent collection, some of the world’s biggest names and emerging talents are on display in this show. The title of the exhibition, Known and Strange, originally a line from the poem Postscript by Seamus Heany, is borrowed from a series of photographs by Andy Sewell. It has been chosen as it captures the sentiment of all the works on display. The artists have been selected for their stylistic experimentation and intellectual inquiry, which the curators say represents some of the most compelling achievements in contemporary photography. Well worthy of a visit, especially since it’s a free exhibition and is close by to other fantastic exhibitions currently on display, including Amazonia (Science Museum) and Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Natural History Musuem).…

Neil Scott, Edinburgh About Neil Neil is a retired university lecturer and a member of both Edinburgh Photographic Society and Midlothian Camera Club. Favourite subjects My two favourite subjects are street photography and still-life photography, particularly abstract and surreal subjects. How did you get into photography? I’ve been taking photographs ever since I was about eight or nine. Both my father and an uncle were avid photographers. What do you love about photography? The ability to be creative, and sometimes provocative. First camera I can’t remember – it was some 75 years ago! Current kit Fujifilm X-T2 and X-T20 bodies, plus half a dozen lenses. Favourite lens Fujinon XF 18-55mm f/2.8-4. Dream purchase I am happy with what I’ve got. What software do you use? Photoshop CC. Favourite photographers Elliott…

At £690, this is the most comprehensive NX-Series kit. It contains the filter holder along with adapter rings for 82mm, 77mm and 72mm lenses, plus a matched cap. Seven filters are included: a CPL; 3-stop, 6-stop and 10-stop NDs; and hard, soft and reverse 3-stop GNDs. Everything fits into the supplied case, which boasts both a shoulder strap and a detachable rain cover. For those who already own a set of 100mm filters, a basic NX-Series Starter Kit is available, with the holder, polariser and a couple of frames for £220. Cokin also offers three other kits with various combinations of filters at intermediate prices.…

THERE’S plenty of competition when it comes to high-quality 100mm filter systems, but Cokin has made a very strong case for itself with its new NX-Series holder and kits. It’s quick and easy to use, won’t vignette with lenses as wide as 15mm at least, and the Nuances Extreme filters are of high quality. My only real criticism is that the polariser isn’t as easy to swap in and out as with some other systems. At £690, the Master Kit may look pricey. But with seven filters included, it represents excellent value for money. Compared to the Kase K9 Master Kit, for example, you get an extra filter for £100 less. It’s also surprisingly rare to get a reverse grad in this kind of kit, perhaps because they’re considered to…

● £924 (tripod), £210 (ball head) ● www.gearingco.com Trek Kit This £35 kit comes with a pair each of handles, spikes and snow baskets, for making fully-featured trekking poles from two legs. Carry bag Gearing offers a cordura case with a carry handle and shoulder strap. It boasts a clever roll top to take different-sized heads. Feet Unusually, the legs come fitted with carbide tips that have push-on rubber boots. They can be swapped out for longer spikes. Removable legs All three legs are removable. You can join one to the centre column to form a monopod, or use them as trekking poles. WE LIVE in an age of waste, with many products expected to be used for a few years and then just discarded. Few are designed to be…

Cameras Cameras come in three types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, mirrorless models with electronic viewing, and compact cameras with non-interchangeable lenses Handgrip DSLRs traditionally have relatively large handgrips, while many mirrorless models have much smaller grips to keep size down. However, some can accept accessory grips to improve handling with larger lenses. Lens mount Each camera brand uses its own lens mount, and mirrorless cameras use different lenses to DSLRs even from the same brand. However, mirrorless models can often use DSLR lenses via a mount adapter. Controls Entry-level cameras tend to have simple, easy-to-understand controls, while more expensive models add lots of buttons and dials to give quick access to settings. Viewfinder The biggest difference between DSLRs and mirrorless cameras is that the latter use electronic, rather than optical…

I love portraiture and the idea of a formal portrait to mark an occasion. When I’m allowed I shoot portraits of my children on birthdays and around specific events to act as little markers in their life. In years to come we’ll be able to see exactly where that person was on that date and at that moment in their journey. They are fun, and because the pictures are linked to significant occasions I won’t so easily forget when they were taken – the dates and circumstances will be embedded in the family history. When I shoot, I try to show the person as they are – natural, and unaffected. The pictures are about that present moment and where the person is at right now, with all the passing hairstyles,…