Innholdsfortegnelse for 6/6/2023 i Amateur Photographer

Few subjects offer more variety for photography than our fellow humans. Shoot indoors or outdoors, posed or candid, happy or moody, in high key or low key, and with natural light or a fancy studio set-up – I could go on. This issue we present advice, tips and inspiration from expert portrait photographers embracing a wide range of styles, from Kate Hopewell-Smith’s beautifully lit beauty and boudoir work to Carolyn Mendelsohn’s natural light outdoor portraits. We compare a range of phones and editing software from a portraiture perspective and AP readers share their favourite kit. We also take a close look at Nikon’s new Z 85mm f/1.2 S portrait lens, and test Canon’s R series APS-C mirrorless camera, the EOS R50. Our cover image this issue is by Swedish photographer…

Et tu, Adobe? For at least the last decade the photo industry has viewed the smartphone as an enemy that posed an existential threat, but it turns out that the assassin has been standing right next to us the whole time, like Brutus, waiting for just the right moment to bury a knife in photography’s back. The emergence of AI ‘photography’ will have a profound impact on our world, but despite its name, it isn’t actually photography at all, it’s a computer simulation of photography. Nevertheless the technology enables anyone, without the need for a camera, to create images that look to the untrained eye just like photos, and the technology is improving by the day. It will almost certainly make life harder for many pro photographers, and who knows…

In association with MPB Round Three Macro More than any other subject, macro photography brings us closer – yes, literally – to the natural world, giving both photographer and viewer an insight into nature’s machinations that wouldn’t otherwise be possible. It’s a highly contemplative practice, too, requiring patience and time as well as knowledge of the subject and its environment. Of course, macro doesn’t only have to be close-ups of insects on a leaf – it can be a constructed still life or an inanimate abstract, too. However tiny the subject, it has a story to tell, and we are always full of admiration for the entrants to this category who are skilled in revealing those tales to us. 1 Benjamin Salb USA 100pts OM System OM-1, 90mm, 1/100sec…

Anila Hussain, London About Anila Anila is a 999 despatcher for the Metropolitan police service. You can see more of her great photography at Instagram.com/akhussainphotography Favourite subjects I wish I had just one. It’s everything. Architecture will always be my first love. But I hate seeing anything head on – I adore angles, details, reflections and symmetry. Ballet and dance photography is another. The grace a ballerina or dancer has, I absolutely adore it. Candid portraits and events I love – the little kiss, the gentle touch, the cheeky wink. Those special private moments. Street photography – chasing light, shooting in black & white, reflections, the genre is so vast. How did you get into photography? My best friend encouraged me while I was in the Maldives for my 40th…

When does a horse talk on the phone? Whinny wants to! At the age of 13, with a thick head of hair and even thicker black spectacles, Martin O’Neill joined his school’s camera club located in the northern England town of Eccles near Manchester. In the red-light darkroom among the slop of chemicals, he immediately realised that he wanted to be a press photographer. When he told his mother he wanted to be a press photographer, her response was abrupt. ’Photography? There’s no money in that, son.’ Undeterred, O’Neill has been a professional photographer since 1978, working on local papers from the age of 18 before going freelance four years later for a range of magazines, newspapers and PR firms. Swing those legs From the mid 1970s to the early…

KATE HOPEWELL-SMITH The top pro shares guidance on lighting your people pictures HOLLIE LATHAM HUCKER Technique Editor Hollie spoke to three portrait pros who share insights AILSA MCWHINNIE Our APOY co-ordinator brings you the results of Round 5 ROD LAWTON Editing expert Rod Lawton checks out the best portrait editing software programs ANDY WESTLAKE Technical Editor Our chief reviewer tests the Canon EOS R50, Canon’s APS-C model AMY DAVIES Features Editor Amy conducts our big interview, looks at the best phones and tests a lens…

Gida by Lynn Fraser Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Sigma 50mm 1.4 DG HSM Art, 1/200sec at f/2.8, ISO 200 ‘I love to travel and experience cultures different from my own. In February, I went to the Lower Omo Valley in Ethiopia with a ‘Tribal Traits and Traditions’ photo tour. The Arbore people were one of the tribes we visited. The women wear colourful accessories, considered necessary to be more attractive, and black cloths to protect their heads from the sun.’ Instagram: @lynnfraserphotography FB: www.facebook.com/MyJourneywithaCamera Website: www.lynnfraserphotography.com #appicoftheweek Win! The AP Pic of the Week winner currently wins an annual subscription to Skylum Luminar Neo, worth £99. Designed for photographers of all skill levels, Luminar Neo is an advanced but fun-to-use photo editor for Mac and PC, available also as…

In association with MPB Round five Portraits Whether in the street, at home or in the studio, a portrait should be a collaboration between subject and photographer. Viewers want to have an idea of the sitter’s personality and life experience, and this can be conveyed via clothing and expression, and even light. Whether using natural or studio light, maintain a catchlight in the eyes, and ensure any shadows enhance the overall result. For formal shots, don’t overcomplicate the pose or lighting; simplicity gives a more polished image. Your guest judge Your guest judge for Round Five, Portraits, is Carolyn Mendelsohn, a UK-based artist and portrait photographer, whose practice is rooted in telling stories and amplifying the voices of those who are not always heard. Her book, Being Inbetween, was…

Ivelin Marev Instagram: @ivelinmarev FAVOURITE KIT: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM has become my favourite lens due to its compact size, affordability, and impressive image quality. Its fast maximum aperture of f/1.8 allows for shallow-depth-of-field effects and low-light shooting, making it ideal for portrait, street and low-light photography. The lens is also sharp, with minimal distortion and vignetting, resulting in high-quality images. One of the biggest advantages of the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM is its affordability. The lens is relatively inexpensive, making it an excellent choice for beginner photographers who are just starting out. Despite its low price, the lens delivers great image quality and a solid build quality. It’s lightweight, weighing only 160 grams, making it easy to carry around and use…

Kate Hopewell-Smith Kate has run her photography business since 2010 (www.katehopewellsmith.com) and along with her cinematographer husband, Brent, represents Sony as a European Imaging Ambassador and Rotolight as a Master of Light. Together, Kate and Brent are directors of wedding brand, byLumiere (www.bylumiere.co.uk), commercial content brand, Create (www.createhub.uk), and MUSE, a luxury boudoir business, www.museboudoir.co.uk Many years ago, I discovered the importance of the direction of light and its relationship to photography. Understanding that there are essentially three directions, each requiring a different approach to exposure, immediately had a fundamental and long-lasting impact on my work and my confidence. At its simplest you can categorise light into frontal, side, and backlighting. Each direction of light has a very different effect on the form of the subject – largely due to…

LETTER OF THE WEEK Don’t rush to judge What was a boring reportage photo of a bunch of ladies having a break at bowls was rescued by turning it in to another cheap shot at white South Africans (Final Analysis, 16 May). I emigrated to South Africa in 1971 at the age of 22 and lived there till 1999. Perhaps if Jillian had engaged with the ladies and got their take on the state of the country back in 1981, she may well have found, as I did, that not everyone was a black-hating white supremacist. Many were ordinary people trying to make a positive change for the better, which we managed to do in 1990 when we voted for one man one vote, prior to unbanning the ANC and…

Gigi Umbrasaite Gigi is a Lithuanian fashion and portrait photographer based in Brighton. She grew up in a family of photographers and started shooting from an early age. After finishing school in Lithuania, Gigi moved to study in England where her photography career took off. Now Gigi is working with magazines, fashion and commercial brands, and modelling agencies all over the world. See www.gg-photo.com or @ggphotographyofficial on Instagram Luke Clark This shot of Luke Clark was taken in Greenwich, London, on a sunny day that had intermittent, crazy downpours. We ended up in a pub for shelter until the showers passed over. While we were sitting and waiting, I noticed the light coming through the window right next to our table and just decided to snap some portraits. I was…

Portrait enhancement was once done with lighting and makeup and darkroom retouching, and more recently with Photoshop and other photo editors. But today we have another set of tools at our disposal – AI-powered portrait enhancement software. Portrait enhancement tools are extremely effective but potentially controversial too. On the one hand they can achieve digitally things that we previously had to manage with props and setups. On the other, they have reinforced ideas about ‘beauty’ that can be difficult to accept or live up to. So, any discussion about portrait software comes with a caveat. The tools are out there, and they are very effective, but it’s up to you to decide how far to take them. Nevertheless, whether you’re perfecting a wedding shoot, running a commercial portrait studio, illustrating…