Innholdsfortegnelse for 03/01/2023 i Amateur Photographer

If you’re reading this it means you survived 2022 – so many sadly didn’t – and, like the rest of us, are bracing yourself for a difficult year ahead. It may be tempting to hibernate like dormice and set our alarm clocks for six months’ time, but there are lots of fun things we can do for little or no cost that would enhance our photography in some way, whether that be a place to visit or an activity to do at home. We’ve come up with over 40 ideas in this week’s issue to keep you going for the next few months. A bonus suggestion is to create fun tableau using miniature figures such as Lego characters. We talk to three people who did just that. Finally don’t miss…

7 days A week in photography I’ve been reviewing smartphones in relation to their photographic capabilities for well over a decade now. In all that time, Apple has resolutely refused to add a professional or manual mode to its iPhones when using the default camera app. Every time a new one comes out, all the reviewers – myself included – moan about how there’s no such mode and how it’s a travesty. Google’s Pixel phones came out a bit later, but their native apps are very similar to the iPhone’s – and guess what, there’s no Pro mode there either. For ages, we’d gripe about the lack of a raw-format shooting mode too, but Apple finally relented and allowed that in 2020 with the launch of the iPhone 12 Pro.…

Tracy Calder Tracy is a photographer, writer and former editor of Outdoor Photography magazine. In 2018 she co-founded Close-up Photographer of the Year (CUPOTY) – a competition celebrating close-up, macro and micro photography. Her work has been exhibited at The Photographers’ Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery and Saatchi Gallery in London. To see more, visit Instagram @tracy_calder_photo and www.cupoty.com Low-cost days out Eat cake The NGS has more than 3,500 private gardens on its books across the UK. Whether you want to photograph well-tended blooms, chat with gardeners or just eat a slice of homemade cake, there’s something for everyone. Also, the NGS is keen to build up a library of images to help promote the charity, so if you shoot something you’d later like to donate get in touch…

LETTER OF THE WEEK Chris Killip I found your feature on Chris Killip (Killip Unpacked, 29 November) very poignant. In 1988 I purchased his book In Flagrante. Within his essay in the book John Berger writes, ‘Since Mrs Thatcher was first voted into office the number of people living below the official poverty line has doubled. They now number about 12 million. By contrast, during the last four years, the number of millionaires has risen from 7,000 to 20,000. In the North-East it is estimated that there are 1,500 deaths a year due to exposure or starvation.’ Now, in 2022, it is estimated that 34 million out of a population of 68 million are in poverty within the UK, with hundreds of thousands of children not even having a bed…

Photo Critique Why did the chicken cross the road…? This image is one of over 40 featured in the book Nosey Parker, the first title to be published on Platform, the new publishing project by RRB Photobooks which aims to support emerging voices in British documentary photography. For the past ten years, Hannah Platt has been photographing Leeds and the surrounding area, creating an archive of signs, shop fronts and streets. The book’s title draws upon Platt’s compulsion to explore and document nooks and crannies with her iPhone XR with 4.25mm f/1.8 lens in the spirit of a nosey parker. The phrase Nosey Parker is believed by some to refer to Matthew Parker, Archbishop of Canterbury (1559-75), who had a reputation for prying into the affairs of others. The problem…

ONLINE photography-sharing platforms SmugMug and Flickr have set up the Flickr Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to keeping billions of historic and culturally significant photographs safe and accessible for future generations. The idea for the foundation developed from The Commons project set up by then-Flickr designer George Oates in 2008 in order to help the world’s cultural institutions share their photography collections. SmugMug acquired the loss-making Flickr from Yahoo! in 2018, and the Flickr Commons now includes a very large collection of public domain and historically significant images from a range of contributors, including the Smithsonian, the British Library, NASA, The Library of Congress, and academic institutions around the world. Oates returned to Flickr in 2020 to help revitalise The Commons after participation had flagged. ‘The (new) foundation’s mission is…

A NEW audiobook, Landscape Photography: For Mirrorless and Digital SLR Users, is now available for download on Amazon/Audible, Google Play and other popular platforms. The book is written by well-known landscape/nature photographer and regular AP contributor Ross Hoddinott, along with veteran photography journalist Daniel Lezano. ‘It provides professional insight on a range of subjects, including choosing the best gear, filter choice, mastering exposure, composition, and sharpness, as well as covering advanced techniques and providing a series of tasks to help broaden the listener’s range of skills,’ said the authors.…

● £174 ● www.tiffen.com THE DOMKE Camera Backpack departs from the company’s usual shoulder bags, but the core values of using high-quality materials and American manufacture remain. Measuring 48 x 33 x 23cm, it provides a large storage volume whilst weighing just 1.37kg. It’s made from Cordura fabric, which is lightweight but rugged and water-resistant; when I threw a cup of water over it, the water beaded and rolled off. But there are no promises about how it would perform with a more severe downpour. Neither of the bag’s two zips is sealed for waterproofing, though the main one is covered with a fabric flap. Still, Domke is confident enough that no additional rain cover is included. The bag has a basic design with a large main compartment. At its…

AP picture of the week Misty Glow by Gary Angus Nikon Z 6II, Z 24-70mm f/4 S at 34mm, 0.4sec at f/11, ISO 100, polarising and grad filter ‘After watching the weather, I left for the Trossachs expecting glorious autumn colours, reflections and a little mist. However, I found very thick mist. Walking from the car park at Loch Achray I noticed the water was high, with vegetation appearing above the water line offering some minimalist compositions. Realising that the mist was going to take some time to clear I set up and waited for first light. Not the first time I’ve come home with a different image than what I planned for!’ Instagram: @gary__angus #appicoftheweek Win! To congratulate the AP Pic of the Week winner, Fujifilm is giving the…

Steve Berry Steve is a self-employed creative, working in graphic design, photography and film-making. His photographs of famous movie sets started as a lockdown project back in March 2020, needing something to occupy his mind after losing out on a new contract thanks to the pandemic. Steve believes that model and miniature photography is an art form which deserves more recognition, and would relish further opportunity to work with galleries, at events and with brands. See robotwig.com I decided I would teach myself product photography and learn how to use my camera for studio-type shots. That started out quite basic, such as bottles of Pepsi, but it rapidly became boring until I remembered I had a few bits of Lego knocking around. I thought I’d create some movie scenes with…