Innholdsfortegnelse for 11/14/2023 i Amateur Photographer

People take photos for many reasons, but one of the most important is to make a record of the world that we live in – its people, places and events. To shine a light on some aspect of life and, in doing so, perhaps even help to change it. Today’s documentary photography is tomorrow’s history. Story-telling through photography is not easy, but there is one school in the world where the skill has been taught so well that its alumni have become the most respected and influential in their field. This week, to mark the 50th anniversary of David Hurn’s Documentary course in South Wales, Amy Davies presents an in-depth tribute. Also this week we present top tips for great bird photos, and test Apple’s flagship iPhone 15 Pro Max.…

7 daysA week in photography A NEW version of the Pixii digital rangefinder, which takes Leica L lenses and uses your smartphone to view images, has been released. The Pixii+ features an extended rangefinder, designed to aid focusing, along with support for lens bodies up to 72mm. Other additions include a 1.5x magnifier to help focus longer focal lengths, such as 50mm or 75mm, and an Auto ISO exposure mode. A Focus peaking and Zoom feature is also available in the updated app. The new camera has the same 26MP APS-C sensor as its predecessor. Prices start from €2,699 (around £2,360) for the 16GB version. For more details, visit pixii.fr/…

7 daysA week in photography IN MORE competition news, the Dog Photography Awards winners have been announced, recognising the best canine-related creativity worldwide. There was no overall winner, just winners of the four categories: Portrait & Landscape, Action, Studio, and Dogs & People. This year’s contest received over 1,440 entries from 50 countries, with prizes including €500 cash for each category winner, photography equipment from Manfrotto, Sabatini and Profoto, and an engraved trophy. Notable winners included ‘Caravaggio today’ by Mercury Megaloudis, in the Dogs & People category, and ‘Ballerina’ by Anna Averianova, in the Studio category. To see the winners and runners-up, visit dogphotographyawards.com/awards-2023…

7 daysA week in photography AP picture of the week Something in the Air by Iago Pritchard Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5.6-6.3, 1/640sec at f/7.1, ISO 1600 ‘I was looking for the native red squirrel population on the island of Anglesey when all of a sudden this brave youngster leaped onto the perch around – perfect for me and the camera!’ Instagram: iagpritch.photo #appicoftheweek Win! The AP Pic of the Week winner currently wins a large Wandrd X1 Crossbody Bag* worth £99.99! This versatile bag is ideal for carrying smaller items including phone, wallet, keys, lens caps, filters, notebooks, even a Kindle. Made from UHP Carbon Fibre Composite ripstop fabric, the large X1 bag features six internal organisation pockets including a hidden AirTag pocket and the…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH This is Gwithian Towans, a stunning beach on the north coast of Cornwall, and one of my favourite places to photograph. I visit here often, but the sight of the sea fret drifting in and out, hugging the coast and creating the most beautifully diffused light, is not an everyday occurrence. Once on the beach, and before setting up my camera, I spent time just watching the meandering shapes and textures left by the receding waves. I knew I could shoot facing into the sun without creating strong contrasts because of the misty cloud softening the harsh sun. The beach was busy though, so I decided very early on that I would make a square crop to simplify the composition, and I was glad to be wearing…

Photo Critique Having known Philippa James and her work for a number of years I have selected this piece at this time when a new flurry of discussion is emerging around harassment online and the ever-changing lines of what is tolerated and accepted. As a woman in my mid 50’s many of my generation tolerated inappropriate comments as teenage girls from teachers, family friends and early ‘working life’ colleagues. Thankfully progression in society has meant with each decade there is less and less ‘toleration’ of this behaviour and more education on what to do and say should you experience it. However, that is in the ‘real-life’ world and doesn’t often transfer to online behaviours. If you add to the dynamic the teenage desire to share everything about their life and…

AMY DAVIES Features Editor Amy interviews tutors and students past and present of Newport’s famous photo course HOLLIE LATHAM HUCKER Technique Editor Hollie shares tips and techniques from award-winning bird photographers JESSICA MILLER Dep. Online Editor The manager of our social media channels selects great images by AP readers on page 10 LUCIE AVERILL Top seascape photographer Lucie shows us how she prepared one of her shots for printing MUSA BWANALI Staff Writer Musa tests the Rode Wireless ME, an ultra-compact microphone set for content creators JOHN WADE Our expert on vintage cameras looks at another gem in his regular Blast From The Past column…

7 daysA week in photography WEX Photo Video has announced that its 15th store, located in Putney, south London, will open on 6 December at 10am. The opening ceremony will be hosted by award-winning photographer Martin Parr, and the event will include a talk by Martin and a Q&A session. This marks the third Wex Photo Video store to open this year and the second in London. In addition to the usual facilities, the Putney store will feature a seminar suite for live demonstrations and other events. The address is: Unit 2 Tileman House, 133 Upper Richmond Road, London SW15 2TR.…

Rachel Bigsby Considered to be a leading wildlife photographer amongst her contemporaries, Rachel Bigsby has achieved a wealth of accolades as a finalist in five of the world’s leading wildlife photography competitions at the age of just 26, with her passion for photographing seabirds and natural artistry. See more of her work at www.rachelbigsby.com or on Instagram @rachelbigsby Seabirds provide me with a portal into another world. I am mesmerised by their epic voyages, resilience, characterful behaviours, unique beauty and by the staggering fact that they are the only animal capable of surviving on the water, under the water, in the air and on land. They are the true masters of living life to the fullest, and perhaps my fascination is fuelled by a longing to be a part of…

IN ASSOCIATION WITH Olympus Tough TG-6 ● £399 ● explore.omsystem.com Olympus’s Tough compacts have habitually won our underwater camera group tests, and this latest model is still the best of its type. It’s waterproof to 15m, shockproof against a 2.4m drop, crushproof and freezeproof. The 25-100mm equivalent lens is paired with a 12MP sensor, and viewing is via a 3in LCD. This is also one of the few rugged cameras that can record raw files. Reviewed Dec 2022 Ricoh GR III ● £949 ● ricohgr.eu/en-gb A favourite of street photographers, the GR III combines a 24MP APS-C sensor and a sharp 28mm equivalent f/2.8 lens in a slim, pocketable body. It offers sensitivities up to ISO 102,400 and 4fps shooting, while in-body image stabilisation helps keeps image sharp. Viewing is…

CANON has introduced three new, and very different, lenses for its EOS R mirrorless cameras. Firstly, the RF 24-105mm F2.8L IS USM Z is a standard zoom designed for both stills and video use, with a powered zoom option via an add-on motorised controller. Second, the RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS STM is a full-frame ultra-telephoto zoom for wildlife and sports photography. Last but not least, there’s the RF-S 10-18mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM, a tiny and inexpensive ultra-wide zoom for APS-C cameras. All three are due in the shops in December. Canon says the 24-105mm f/2.8 is the first in a new line of high-end hybrid lenses. It boasts optical stabilisation and employs Dual Nano USM motors for autofocus. The optical design aims to suppress focus breathing, while any focus shift…

In 1973, Magnum photographer David Hurn established the now world-famous Documentary Photography course in Newport. Now running at the University of South Wales (USW) in Cardiff, this year it celebrates an amazing 50 years. Knowing just how many well-respected alumni it had, not to mention the luminaries who had taught on it over the years, an anniversary piece seemed like an obvious idea. I had little clue that it would end up spanning more than 20 different interviews with a broad range of people – and I could have gone on to interview dozens, if not hundreds, more. Such is the influence of this course, that every time you speak to someone, they insist that you really ought to get in contact with this person, or that person. I’ve no…