Innholdsfortegnelse for 07/06/2022 i Amateur Photographer

The UK is a great place to be a photographer. It may be modest in size, but the variety of our landscapes, our rich architectural heritage and our ever-changing weather provide endless subjects for pictorial photographers. In addition, Britain’s class-obsessed society offers a similarly rich vein of material for social documentary photographers. This week we celebrate the photo opportunities found within the UK, even when it’s raining. A highlight for me is a peek at Gerry Badger’s Another Country, a fantastic new book featuring the finest British documentary photography since 1945 that should be on every AP reader’s coffee table. We also present a round-up of outstanding British photo brands, and a selection of top British photographers across multiple genres that we think you should know about. Enjoy with a…

To congratulate the AP Pic of the Week winner, Fujifilm is giving the winner a £25 voucher* to spend on any photo prints or gifts at myFUJIFILM.co.uk, so that they can print their image any way they like! Simply go to myFUJIFILM.co.uk, select what you want, then enter your given voucher code at checkout. The voucher is valid for 6 months and can be used in multiple transactions. No monetary eligibility or exchange. Need help using your code? Contact myfujifilm_uk@fujifilm.com *NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK RESIDENTS ONLY…

Christie Goodwin There had been a gradual evolution with what artists did on their album covers, pushing creativity always a tiny bit further. With the cover of The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s LP, Peter Blake broke all boundaries and expanded our notion of creative possibilities. It was a visual gamechanger. Aubrey Powell The Beatles had taken a step forward in making the LP cover an important art form. It was an intentional design. There were decisions on the day of flowers and plants to fill spaces, and how The Beatles should be arranged within the staging, but by and large the geometry and design remained as conceived. Genius. Rankin Possibly the greatest album cover of all time. It’s conceptual, it has two versions of the band, every celebrity that was important,…

Inge Schuster in 4th place and Bogdan Zarkowski in 8th place both shot their images using a Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Launched in 2012, this full-frame DSLR workhorse features a 22.3MP CMOS sensor and DIGIC 5+ image processor, with 61-point autofocus, 63-zone metering system and 6fps continuous shooting. When reviewed in AP, it was described as ‘extremely fast and responsive’, and ‘difficult to fault’. This camera can be found at MPB from £369 for a heavily used model to £739 for one in excellent conition. In third place, Peter Murrell chose to shoot with a Nikon AF-S 50mm f/1.8G lens. This focal length is ideal for the travel images, and this particular lens is lightweight and compact. The maximum aperture of f/1.8 makes it great for low-light photography, while…

Clive Nichols Clive is one of the UK’s best-known and widely published garden photographers, with a photo library of over 110,000 images. He also lectures for the RHS. See clivenichols.com and Instagram: @clivenichols The National Garden Scheme/Scotland Garden Scheme is a great way to find gardens. When I started out, I used to visit a lot of the open gardens to arrange a time to come back to get better light – usually first thing in the morning or dusk. With bigger gardens owned by The National Trust, for example, access can be difficult. You can end up shooting in the middle of the day with the sun high in the sky, leading to burnt out highlights and very dark shadows. In the summer, 4 or 5am or 7-8pm is often…

Lens hood Helps keep your lens dry as well as protect it from being knocked. Long lens Use it to compress perspective and create a misty effect. Tripod Often needed for longer exposures, which can yield interesting effects. Microfibre cloth To dry your lens: much better than your shirt. Phone Downpours can be unpredictable, so take a phone for safety. Phone weather apps can also alert you to sunny spells, which may mean some great rainbows. Decent gear Waterproofs will keep you shooting longer.…

From the very first announcements of photography in 1839, Britain has played a significant role in its development. This is seen in the different industries which soon arose to supply photographers with all manner of equipment and materials. Many have come and gone. Some produced cameras, lenses and various accessories, while others, brands of film, photographic paper and other consumables. However, there are still many different businesses directly involved in photography based in the UK, and in most instances, manufacturing here. I got in touch with 14 such companies producing a wide range of products and operating at different levels and sizes of production – from Harman Technology, which continues to produce the iconic brand Ilford Photo, to manufacturers of filters, tripods, lighting, camera bags, straps, darkroom equipment and what…

The winner of each round of APOY 2022 receives a £500 voucher to spend on anything at MPB. You could choose to put it towards a Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S lens. This compact zoom has a constant aperture of f/4. It also features a 30cm minimum focusing distance and in-camera Vibration Reduction. Find it at MPB for between £379 and £439. The full-frame mirrorless Canon EOS R features a 30.3MP CMOS sensor and a DIGIC 8 image processor, and has an ISO range of 100-40,000. Its review in AP said it ‘delivers stunning images’. This model can be bought at MPB from £1,319. The Sony A9 features a 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor, high-speed continuous shooting of up to 20fps and 5-axis image stabilisation. It was described in AP as…

LOTS of photographers love 35mm equivalent lenses and I put myself firmly in that camp. I like that the angle of view is slightly wider than that of our eyes so you tend to step forward into the scene and get involved with your subject. The relatively short focal length also means you can get lots of depth of field when you want it, but if you go close to your target and open the aperture wide, you can also blur the background very effectively. It’s a great focal length if you’re going out for the day and you only want to take one lens. That effective focal length also seems an especially good pairing with Fujifilm X-series cameras like the X-T4 or the X-Pro3. The XF 23mm F1.4 R…

Hulton and Wisdom by Thurston Hopkins The journalist and founder of Picture Post, Edward Hulton (1906 - 1988), congratulates the comedian Norman Wisdom on his successful day running the magazine for a comic photostory. The image was published in a 1954 Picture Post story entitled ‘How to Run Picture Post’. The Hulton Archive – where we draw our weekly picture in AP from – was set up by Edward Hulton as a semi-independent operation. It was sold several times before Getty acquired it in 1996 for £8.6m, where it is still retained to this day. The archive contains everything from images from the 19th century, through to the political movements of the 1930s, pop culture of the 1960s and many more contemporary photographs. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one…

FOUR years ago, Fujifilm launched the X-H1, its first camera to feature in-body stabilisation. While it was a very competent performer, it was eclipsed six months later by the appearance of the X-T3, which was more charismatic, and crucially debuted a new 26.2MP sensor. Out-spec’ed by its younger sibling, the supposed flagship faded from view. Fujifilm has been determined not to make the same mistake again, and as a result, the new X-H2S is a very different proposition. Instead, this pro-spec model debuts a new sensor, which is the same 26.2MP resolution as before, but now employs stacked technology for faster shooting speeds. It also introduces Fujifilm’s first AI-based subject recognition system for autofocus tracking. As a result, not only does the X-H2S become the undisputed king of the X-system…

Nikon is offering photographers a range of ’Instant Savings’ deals on cameras and lenses for its mirrorless and DSLR systems. The savings are applicable when purchasing selected camera bodies, including the Nikon Z 5, Z 6II, and Z 7II full-frame mirrorless models, along with the APS-C Z fc. For example, a Nikon Z 7II body can be bought for £2,919 instead of £3,099, while the Nikon Z fc body is available at £859 instead of the usual £949. There are also savings on 14 mirrorless lenses – from the Nikkor Z 24-200mm f/4-6.3 VR (at £769 instead of £949) up to the Nikkor Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S (at £2,319 instead of £2,499) – and four Nikkor DSLR lenses. Check the Nikon Store and participating retailers. Offers run until 18 July…

Lenses An obvious choice for soaking up the subject within its wider context is a wideangle zoom. A good starting point is a 16-35mm (or equivalent), which is handy for both interior and exterior work. But many interesting buildings will also have fascinating details, and to capture these, especially if you can’t get close access, try a 24-70mm or 70-200mm zoom (or equivalent). Tilt and shift lenses Converging verticals/leaning-lines don’t look very professional, so for the slickest results, consider a tilt and shift lens. Wideangle 24mm lenses tend to be ideal for architectural exteriors, while wider optics are great for interiors. These don’t come cheap, however, with few choices under £1,500 – so try hiring one. See our recent round-up at bit.ly/aptiltshift Filters A neutral density filter can help to…

Round Three Travel The aim of nearly all photography is to give a sense of place. Even if the viewer has never been to the location depicted, they should be left feeling as if they have stepped into the scene, and have an idea of its atmosphere, light, sounds, temperature, even smell. This is particularly true of the travel genre, where the whole point of the image is to transport the person looking at it. At the same time, the image has to be elevated beyond the picture postcard. It has to tell a story and take the viewer beneath the superficial. It’s an art, and a surprisingly tricky genre to master. Happily, all the images in our top ten fulfil this brief in imaginative and creative ways. 1 Osama…

Tripod I like tripods that are very quick to set up, such as the Manfrotto BeFree – you often have to work quickly to capture the great light. Tripods help with long exposures and make you more mindful of composition. Zoom lenses My favourite lenses are a Canon 70-200m zoom and a 24-70mm f/2.8. I don’t like going too wide as it disorts the image a bit too much. I might use a 17mm or 22mm, but I don’t like to foreshorten the perspective too much. Canon DSLR As well as the BBC Weather app – I prefer to shoot when it’s as still as possible – I swear by the Canon 5DSR. It’s the best camera I’ve ever owned, with 50.6MP on offer. It’s perfect for capturing complex garden…

1 Take a partner and take it in turns to keep each other dry with an umbrella. 2 Use a very fast shutter speed to capture rods of rain coming down or use a very slow speed for a misty effect. 3 Become familiar with your terrain, keep notes and use a phone to record a particular skyline. 4 Use a UV filter, it’s better to get moisture on the filter than on your lens. 5 Play around with the reflections in puddles on the ground. 6 A cold, wet atmosphere can make for a moody portrait with soft light. 7 Prefocus on a landmark then recompose into the reflection or part of the pavement and wait for a subject. 8 Go for medium-to-high ISO settings to get enough shutter…

● £119.99 ● www.vanguardworld.co.uk When you’re using a tripod, it pays to have the correct head. It needs to be strong enough to support your heaviest kit, yet not be excessively weighty. It should also enable smooth camera adjustment and then lock down without shifting your composition. It’s in such respects that more expensive heads stand apart from budget offerings. Vanguard’s VEO BH-160S is a relatively recent addition to the firm’s range, alongside the similar, but smaller BH-110S. It’s a fairly hefty unit that’s rated to support a 15kg maximum load, while weighing in at a shade under 500g. Essentially, it promises to comfortably hold a full-frame camera with a sizeable telephoto lens attached. But where it differs from most heads lies in the incorporation of a second panning mechanism…

The blossoming of photography in China came after the decline of the Qing dynasty in the latter half of the 19th century. During this period of dramatic change in China and the West, a growing curiosity about China resulted in photographic studios opening, and many images were seen from the studios and travellers through China. Early photographs of China reached an international audience through photo albums, cartes-de-visites, stereographs, postcards, and press photographs. After 1949, China’s Communist Party, which controlled the publishing industry as a part of the state-controlled media, produced political propaganda in order to motivate the masses to participate in a new socialist culture. So contemporary Chinese photography is a relatively new phenomenon. The Victoria and Albert exhibition Between Past and Future in 2005, showed 40 contemporary Chinese artists…

AP picture of the week Reflecting by Claire Marsh Sony Alpha 7, Samyang 35mm, 1/4000sec at f/1.8, ISO 80 Claire tells us, ‘This shot was taken at Hengistbury Head in Dorset, where there are numerous beach huts known to sell for upwards of £350,000! I am not the biggest fan of shooting in harsh or bright light, and so in these conditions will look for the detail in a scene. Whilst exploring the area on this occasion, I was taken with the reflections in the window of this particular hut. I used a wide aperture to show depth, and muted the colour a little in post-processing.’ Instagram: @clairemarshphoto We also liked... Avocet by Darren Price Canon EOS R6, Canon EF 500mm F4 IS Mark II, Canon 1.4x Mark II Converter…

ALONGSIDE the X-H2S, Fujifilm has announced two new lenses that reveal the firm’s thinking about the kind of jobs the camera is designed to do. First is the XF 18-120mm F4 R LM PZ WR, which is a power zoom lens that’s optimised for both stills and video shooting. It offers a 27-180mm equivalent range, with an internal zoom design that doesn’t change the length or balance when using a gimbal. There are three means of operating the zoom, with each offering different benefits: a traditional ring for stills, a lever for controlled zooming during video recording, and a pair of buttons for precise control. The latter can also be used to adjust the focus. The lens measures 77.3mm in diameter, 123mm in length, and 470g. It’s due to go…

Musicians: George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Sounds Inc. (horns), Neil Aspinall, Geoff Emerick, Mal Evans, George Martin. Released: 26 May 1967 (EMI). Best chart performance: No. 1 in the US, UK, West Germany, Australia, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden. Sales: Over 32,000,000 certified sales. Fascinating fact: There is some dispute over exactly who shot the cover, with Cooper’s assistant on the day, Nigel Hartnup, telling the music magazine MOJO he had released the shutter. The stage set’s images of famous people were created by shooting pictures from image libraries and enlarging them to life-size on 20x16in paper. They were then sent off to be professionally mounted.…

Things are always tight at this early stage of the competition, and with only 60 points separating first and joint-seventh places in the main competition, there is still a long way to go. As the rounds continue, we are likely to see new names appearing in the leaderboard. Things are equally competitive in Young APOY, with several entrants on the same points as each other. It all goes to demonstrate the value of entering as many rounds as possible. In the camera clubs leaderboard, Launceston are still in the lead, but Kempsey are slowly but surely creeping up on them. APOY 1 Azim Khan Ronnie 150 2 TommasoCarrara 120 3= Bogdan Zarkowski 110 3= IanBramham 110 3= Sabrina Garofoli 110 6= Osama Elolemy 100 6= Tom Ponessa 100 7= AlesKrivec…

Round five Best of British It’s time to go all out and have fun. There are so many things that make Britain British, the biggest problem you’ll have is deciding what to shoot. You might choose to capture a stunning landscape, or our native wildlife. Then there are the characterful people that make up the population, or a quirky tradition that’s part of the fabric of where you live. The possibilities are enormous, and we want to see vibrant, distinctive images that capture the uniqueness of these islands. Your guest judge Your guest judge for Round Five, Best of British, is Peter Dench. A regular contributor to AP, Peter is a UK-based photographer, writer, presenter, educator and curator. His accolades include a World Press Photo award for his reportage, Drinking…

Luminar is a fully featured photo editor for Mac and PC designed for photographers of all skill levels, blending pro-level tools with remarkable ease of use and an enjoyable experience. A new Library feature lets you organise, find and rate images easily, while over 100 editing features, plus a suite of fast AI-powered technologies under the hood, will make any image stand out. NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK AND EU RESIDENTS ONLY…