Innholdsfortegnelse for 20/12/2022 i Amateur Photographer

In the words of the great Noddy Holder ‘It’s Christmas!’ This means it’s time for our bumper Review of the Year, which looks back at the highs and lows in the world of photography during the past year. It has been a testing year in more ways than one – some great new kit has graced the AP testbench, but we’ve seen more than our fair share of tragedy and bad news, all of which has been caught on camera for posterity. It’s all here in this issue – the best kit, the best photos, our favourite books and purchases. In these tough times we can be thankful for the joyful distraction that photography gives us, and there’s no better (and better-value) way to get the best from our hobby…

AS YOU’D expect in tough and uncertain economic times, more and more customers are choosing to buy a secondhand camera or lens with a warranty, rather than splashing out on new kit. According to Matt Barker, CEO of MPB, ‘The supply chain problems have affected us too, but we’ve seen more people willing to sell their used kit to us as it’s become easier to get their hands on new cameras. It takes a while for trends to shift, and one of our best sellers remains the EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR. We are also seeing EOS R5s and EOS R6s sell well, so the shift to mirrorless continues. One big change from a few years ago is that not so many people are swapping their entire system – customers…

Winter is an amazing time of year to shoot landscapes. Not only are sunrise and sunset at more palatable times than in summer, but frost and snow can transform scenes into winter wonderlands where the often dark and featureless landscape takes on renewed visual interest. This image was taken during an amazing day in Glen Coe after it had been snowing throughout the night before and most of the morning. Conditions allowed for continuous shooting throughout the day, and as the sun began to fall behind The Buachaille this composition immediately revealed itself. A soft ND grad was used to maintain detail in the sky without darkening the mountain too much. But with the snow-covered rocks in the foreground less than 50cm in front of the camera, it was essential…

Untitled street photoIsabella Ruffatti, Online Writer Fujifilm X-T3, 18-55mm at 49mm, 1/60sec at f/5.6, ISO 640 I discovered street photography in 2016 when I moved from El Salvador to London to study, and photography became an integral part of who I was when I decided to become a photojournalist after graduating. The pandemic paused my plans, I left the UK and struggled to find direction again. I barely took any photographs in the ensuing two years and my Instagram became a graveyard. Since returning to London this year, I have finally started to put my Fujifilm X-T3 (my graduation gift from my parents) to good use. This photo was taken while out on a photo walk in Covent Garden with a friend. I didn’t really think much of it at…

Round Ten Action Action is one of the trickier rounds in APOY to judge, perhaps because it has the potential to encompass so many different subjects. In many ways it’s almost an open round in terms of genre, where anything goes – within reason. Everything from sports to wildlife to street photography can make a great action shot, but imbuing the image with imagination and creativity is where the challenge lies. We want to see more than just great panning technique coupled with an ultra-fast shutter speed. As with every round in APOY, we want something memorable that fuses technical skill and originality – be that shooting from an unusual angle, a treatment of a subject that we may not have seen very often, or glorious light that lifts a…

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…

Cartier for Christmas by Dave Fieldhouse Fujifilm X-T2, XF10-24mm F4 R OIS, 8 secs f/20, ISO 100 Dave shot his winning image on New Bond Street, London. ‘The shops try to outdo each other during the festive season with fabulous displays,’ he explains, ‘but for several years now I think the Cartier store has taken the crown. I took this in December 2019 and could not believe my luck to see the AC Cobra in prime position (it’s usually a white van or black cab). The pavements were busy with shoppers, so I used a tripod and a long shutter speed to “ghost” the figures, to look like nobody was around.’ Mount Titlis Mala Vadgama Canon EOS 5D Mark II, 24-70mm f/2.8L, 1/250sec at f/3.5 Mala is a female photographer…

‘A few years ago, I noticed I wasn’t getting much fashion work,’ John Swannell tells me. ‘Well – I wasn’t getting as much as I had the year before, and I was thinking, “Oh, God, I’m finished.” I mentioned it to my wife and she said, “John, you’re in your seventies! Fashion is a young person’s business.” Come to think of it, you’re photographing an 18-year-old model, the stylist is about 24, the hairdresser is 25, the make-up artist is 29, and there I am in my seventies. I said “Shit, yes, you’re right!” You forget. I thought I was still as young as I was once, and I’m still taking fashion pictures the way I’ve always done – and they are still good. But these young fashion editors want…

For over seven decades Her Majesty The Queen was probably the most photographed woman in the world. From her first official portrait sitting as monarch, on 26 February 1952, with Dorothy Wilding, to the final photograph shot by Jane Barlow at Balmoral Castle on Tuesday 6 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II was photographed millions of times during her 70-year-plus reign. To get a sense of what it was like to meet and photograph the Queen, we spoke to and researched interviews with a number of photographers who photographed the late, legendary monarch from the 1950s onwards. Some were commissioned to shoot a portrait, while others encountered the Queen at an event or were sent to capture her in more informal settings. Each story is unique. Terry O’Neill CBE Terry O’Neill…

Rotolight AEOS 2 and NEO 3 I ENJOY portrait photography but don’t do as much of it as I’d like to. So when Rotolight loaned AP a set of its new AEOS 2 and NEO 3 lights I saw an opportunity to arrange some photo shoots to see what they could do. Having used previous generations of Rotolights before, I was already familiar with them, and was already sold on the benefits of continuous lighting, especially with the recent generations of mirrorless cameras. When the camera lets you see exactly what you’re going to get in real time before you press the shutter, you kind of want your lights to do the same. Often when new versions of products are released the differences are small, but the NEO 3 and…

Taking first place is Tommaso Carrara, who shot his winning image using a Fujinon XF16-55mm F2.8 R LM WR, which is equivalent to 24-84mm in full-frame terms. This model features 17 elements in 12 groups, including three aspherical elements to control pincushion and barrel distortion. The constant f/2.8 aperture allows shooting in low light, while the nine rounded diaphragm blades give pleasing bokeh. This lens received five stars when reviewed in AP, and can be found at MPB for between £679 and £814. In eighth place, Jade Collier captured the leaping whippet using a Sigma 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM | Art. When reviewed in AP its image quality was described as ‘nothing short of stunning, with the 135mm f/1.8 DG HSM delivering pin-sharp results in the centre of the frame…

Photo Critique I’m sure I’ve told you before how this column works. My commissioning editor either sends me a picture from a current exhibition or book or, as in this case, a selection of images on a particular theme (obviously, this week, the theme is Christmas). There was really no competition this time; this image shone out like a beacon. For a start, it’s by Ernst Haas, a huge favourite of mine and secondly because it made me smile. Haas is renowned for bridging the gap between photojournalism and the use of photography as a medium for expression and creativity. In addition, for me, at the beginning of my love affair with photography, he shot in colour. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love black & white as much as…

January ● Leica released the M11, a rangefinder with a 60MP back-side illuminated full-frame sensor, the highest resolution yet for an M camera. ● Canon announced that there would be no more flagship DSLRs released after the EOS-1D X Mark III and that it would be shifting its focus to mirrorless cameras. February ● Panasonic finally added the 25.2MP Lumix GH6 to its Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera range following delays. ● OM Digital Solutions released its much-hyped OM-1 Micro Four Thirds camera with a 20MP stacked BSI Live MOS sensor. This was the last camera to feature the Olympus brand. March ● Sigma unveiled its first lenses for Fujifilm X-mount cameras in the shape of three primes: a 16mm F1.4, a 30mm F1.4 and a 56mm F1.4. ● Man…

LETTER OF THE WEEK Remembering dad I lost my dad a couple of months ago; although he was 80 it was sudden and unexpected. I’ve found the grief and loss very difficult to cope with. My dad and I loved each other but we were never terribly close. Now that he’s gone I’ve floundered somewhat, trying to make sense of how I’m feeling and how I’m supposed to move on. In the weeks following my dad’s death, on a weird whim I bought a refurbished Canon FTb QL off eBay, with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 FD lens. I’d been trying out shooting film since the second lockdown but I became a little obsessed with this Canon SLR, which is almost the same age as me. Maybe it offers some sort…

Martin Higgs is Official Photographer for leading photography events company, The Creativity Hub – known for their lavishly styled photo shoots in stately homes and other spectacular locations. Martin’s conversion to Rotolight came when Rotolight became The Creativity Hub’s official lighting partner. ‘Using constant light instead of flash took a bit of getting used to at first,’ he recalls, ‘but working with mirrorless cameras in particular, being able to see there and then what you’re going to get was really cool. Just moving the light around the model to get Rembrandt lighting and seeing immediately when you have got it, as opposed to having to do a few test shots, that’s so useful.’ Martin was not only converted but he’s now a Rotolight Master of Light, and his preferred lighting…