Innholdsfortegnelse for 6/3/25 i Amateur Photographer

Professional wildlife photography has changed a lot in the past few years. It’s now less about just taking pretty pictures of pretty animals and has become more of a campaigning, conservation mission to save them from extinction. And that is reflected in many of the stories we share this issue. But it isn’t all doom and gloom, as we enjoy a selection from the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards, and Federico Veronesi’s dramatic photos of elephants. We also test a variety of products of interest to the wildlife enthusiast, including two big telephoto zoom lenses from Sigma and Sony, a Nikon bridge camera with a whopping 3000mm (equiv) reach, and a clever monopod with a difference. Enjoy! Our main cover image this week is by Federico Veronesi. Read our interview with…

Sony has launched the GP-VPT3 Wireless Shooting Grip – which also functions as a small tripod – and also launched a remote commander. The new grip enables one-handed operation of zoom and focus controls, suitable for both left- and right-handed camera users, and includes a tilt mechanism for adjustable shooting angles. There’s also a head mechanism for switching between selfies and outward-facing portrait shots. Supporting up to 1.5kg in weight, the GP-VPT3 can connect to Sony Alpha and Vlog Camera Series models via Bluetooth. The company has also released the RMT-VP2 remote commander, which can be used independently or with the GP-VPT3 grip for added flexibility. It comes with a Movie button, Zoom/Focus controls, and a customisable C1 button for one-handed remote operation. The RMT-VP2 connects via Bluetooth to compatible…

DORSET-BASED photographer Andrew Newey is selling limited-edition prints of his internationally acclaimed Honey Hunters of Nepal project, with all proceeds going to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Newey set up the sale to celebrate World Bee Day on 20 May, and it will run until 10 June. His pictures focus on the ancient tradition of honey-hunting among the Gurung people in the Himalayan foothills, as they risk their lives to harvest honey from the world’s largest honeybee. Both Newey and the WWF are keen to remind people of the vital role bees play in the survival of global ecosystems. ‘There are more than 250 species of bees in the UK alone,’ said Dr Benedict Dempsey, People and Nature Advisor at WWF-UK. ‘Bees help pollinate the food we eat,…

WIN! The AP Pic of the Week winner will receive a beautifully framed print of their winning image worth up to £100. If you Love it, Frame it! ThisPicture.com is an experienced, high-quality framing company with a unique, easy-to-use website. Build single or multi-image frames with a few clicks of your mouse and select from a wide range of frames, window mounts and glazing options. Each frame comes with a three-year guarantee and FREE P&P within the UK. Visit thispicture.co.uk Sweet Moment by Claire Norman Nikon Z7, 70-200mm, 1/2500sec at f/4, ISO 800, at 200mm ‘This is a local fox that lives in a small cemetery with the rest of his fox family. He was a cub himself last year and now has four of his own. He seems to…

LETTER OF THE WEEK The social side The letter from David Price about ‘Clubs in danger’ is interesting. I am a member of a small club in Merthyr Tydfil, South Wales, and we are just about recovering from the Covid dip in activity. But while we are not seeing younger people at our club, I have little doubt about the social and well-being value of the gatherings for our members. In this era anyone can learn lots about camera skills from many different sources, not least YouTube and other platforms. We don’t need to leave our sofas. Working out a niche for a club is important. Not unlike the battle to ‘save the local High Street’, perhaps the focus should be on the social gathering offered and not just the…

When it came to ingenuity with a dash of eccentricity, George R Lawrence was your man. He was a pioneer in flash photography leading to explosions that burned off his hair, eyebrows and moustache, and aerial photography, suspending himself from balloons or with a camera attached to a string of kites. So when the Chicago and Alton Railway Company built what they called ‘the handsomest train in the world’, they turned to Lawrence for a very special picture of it. Lawrence complied by building the world’s biggest camera. The Mammoth, seen here on a spring day in 1900 when the train picture was being taken, was 20ft long with rubber bellows on steel track wheels. Wideangle and telephoto lenses were built for it with focal lengths of 5½ft and 10ft.…

GRAEME GREEN The top photographer interviews Federico Veronesi and also interviews Dudley Edmondson JADE BURRELL Photo student Jade on Remembering Wildlife’s tenth anniversary; and the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards PETER DENCH Acting Features Ed Peter finds out more about Brent Stirton’s Amboseli Under Threat project ANDY WESTLAKE Technical Editor Andy takes a first look at the Fujifilm X half and tests the Sony 400-800mm for Sony E-mount DAMIEN DEMOLDER AP’s former editor reviews new sports and wildlife zoom lens, the Sigma 300-600mm F4 AMY DAVIES Features Editor Amy tests Nikon’s P1100, that has a 125x zoom lens and DSLR-like handling…

The DC-A1 Camera Monitor, a 7in 1920x1080 touchscreen for photographers and video makers, has been released by Viltrox, a company best known for its budget lenses. Key features include a maximum brightness of 2800nits, along with the ability to display images and video at 4K resolution at 60Hz; there are also monitoring tools and functions, such as 3D LUT, gyroscope, focus peaking, false colour, anamorphic de-squeeze and more. A fan automatically adjusts speed according to the temperature of the monitor, in order to keep it cool. The DC-A1 is relatively compact and lightweight at 188x110x28mm and 348g. It is powered by mains, batteries or USB-C and includes a carrying case and tilt and swivel mount. The DC-A1 costs £211 from bit.ly/viltroxmonitor…

With new higher-end full-frame cameras priced around £4,500 these days, which is a big chunk of anyone’s budget – are these price tags justified compared to what you were paying 10, 20 years ago? To find out, I’ve fired up my time machine and compared older Canon EOS cameras’ launch prices to new camera prices of today. As a Canon professional photographer, and former editor of the Canon magazine PhotoPlus, I’ve used every EOS 5-series camera, from the 5D to the R5 Mark II. Today I shoot with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS R5. So, to keep things on a level playing field for this price comparison, I’ve focused on the popular EOS 5D to EOS R5 series cameras, from 2005 to 2025. Full disclosure – I…

In 2015 wildlife photographer Margot Raggett MBE launched Remembering Wildlife, a series of crowdfunded photography books aimed at raising funds for endangered species conservation. Now marking its tenth anniversary, the project has, to date, raised more than £1.2million and has supported 79 conservation projects in 34 countries. Each book focuses on a different endangered species, using beautiful photography to inspire action and generate protection funds. The first book, Remembering Elephants, was funded through Kickstarter in 2016 and raised over £135,000 for The Born Free Foundation, marking the beginning of what would become a decade-long movement. Since then, 54,000 copies of the nine books have been sold globally. All monies raised via Kickstarter are used to fund the production and printing of books and, if enough is raised, to pay for…

Kevin Eastwood As a press teenager I had a 110 camera and then I seem to remember a Kodak disc camera. The first proper camera I had when I was earning money was a Yashica 230AF. Gareth Hughes Halina 35x – terrible but still have one in the collection. Carole Garside Kodak Instamatic 100 (1972). Long gone, but I still have the first shots taken with it. Geoff Brown Photography @Geebee1963 First camera was a Halina Simplette, not an idea what happened to it. My first proper camera was a Yashica MC Electro, and my very first SLR was a Yashica TL Electro; both I’ve still got, but both need their light seals replacing and servicing – I’d love to use them again one day. Philip Sykes My first camera…

Peyman Naderi, Iran Sony A7R III, 24-70mm at 70mm, 1/160sec at f/5.6, ISO 64 Peyman came fourth in last year’s People round with his stunning studio portrait, which is titled ‘Lorca’. The judges said: ‘This is stunning, with the costume and hair contributing to the scene as much as the model and pose. It’s like an imagined still from a fairytale or a myth, and the audience is invited to construct their own story.’ Peyman says: ‘Lorca is the story of a girl who lived through a period of history but was never seen. Though immensely artistic, she concealed herself from the world, guarding her identity in silence until a moment of quiet rebellion allowed her to be remembered on her own terms. This image is my interpretation of that…

This year, the Nikon Comedy Wildlife Awards celebrates its tenth anniversary – a milestone marked not just by a decade of laugh-out-loud animal photos but also by a growing global community connecting conservation, creativity, and humour. It all started in 2015 when Paul Joynson-Hicks photographed a brown snake eagle in Tanzania, capturing the bird peering at him upside down through its legs. The funny moment sparked an idea: a competition dedicated to humorous wildlife imagery, a niche with no real home for photographers. After a call with Tom Sullam, who became co-founder, the idea evolved – humour could be a powerful tool for promoting conservation. ‘Pictures of dead, slaughtered elephants and rhinos are vital,’ Paul says. ‘But I wanted something alongside that – something uplifting that could connect people emotionally…

20 June 1962 I recently learned that my in-laws’ neighbour, Marion, was once a model who had featured on the cover of AP. It seemed too good an opportunity to miss so here she is today, holding the very issue that she appeared on (below). The cover photo was taken on Shoreham Beach, West Sussex, on a windy day (the struggle with the umbrella is real) by a local snapper who, with his wife, ran an agency taking and selling such images to the press. Marion gave up modelling shortly after to start a family and still lives nearby. This issue, which was edited by ALM Sowerby, comprised 160 pages, of which 30 were editorial and 130 were ads. Apart from a four-page colour section in the middle (two of…

● £129.99 monopod only● £169.99 with Docz tripod base● 3leggedthing.com If you shoot a lot of wildlife photography, chances are you’ll end up with a large telephoto lens. And while these are getting increasingly manageable, many are still too heavy to use handheld for extended periods. This is where a monopod comes in, to take the weight so you can keep on shooting. 3 Legged Thing’s Alana is a 5-section carbon-fibre monopod with quick twist locks for adjusting its height. It’s reasonably light at 643g, with a travel-friendly 45cm folded length. It can be bought either on its own, or with the Docz tripod stabiliser. There’s a choice of either an all-black finish or Grey, which has attractive dark metallic-green metalwork. Used on its own, the Alana is a straightforward…

Reader Portfolio winners receive a one-year subscription to a Gold Portfolio Series website worth £300. UK domain name included. Amazing Internet designs, builds and hosts amazing websites for creative people and companies. It has specialised in creating websites for photographers since 1999 and has services to suit all budgets. Whether you need a simple template-based site for £60 per year or a fully bespoke site, they’ve got you covered. www.amazinginternet.com Submit your images See page 3 for details of how to submit. You could see your photos here in a future issue! Please note: the prize is subject to change. Noah Crick, Liverpool About Noah Noah has been making a living from photography since 2022. You can see more of his work at www.njd.photos How did you get into photography?…

In 2019 Federico Veronesi heard about a striking ‘great tusker’ elephant that aerial patrols carried out by the Tsavo Trust NGO had spotted roaming in Tsavo East National Park. He says, ‘In one of their reports, they showed a photograph, taken from the air, of a huge, amazing great tusker, with the tusks meeting at the tip, perfectly curved and symmetrical. The tusks were so impressive – very thick, very heavy, scraping the ground. I thought this elephant, named Balguda, was one of the most stunning tuskers I’d ever seen.’ Finding and photographing Balguda became Veronesi’s mission. But it wasn’t easy. ‘Very few people have seen him at all, and from the ground even less,’ he explains. ‘I tried many, many times in many different areas, along rivers, around watering…