Innholdsfortegnelse for 8/19/25 i Amateur Photographer

It may seem odd to have a World Photography Week in a world where billions of photos are taken every day anyway, but it does shine a light on the medium and encourage people to be more thoughtful in their photo-taking, which can only be a good thing. This week we talk to the organisers. We’re also thrilled to be able to share some stunning pictures of ruined buildings that really prove there is beauty to be found in decay. We have some great kit on the testbench this week too, including a Fujifilm telezoom, an innovative studio flash head and an equally neat tripod head. If you don’t yet subscribe, why not consider saving time and money by doing so? See page 45 for details. Nigel Atherton, Editor Connect…

TAMRON has announced the availability of the Tamron 18-300mm F/3.5-6.3 Di III-A VC VXD lens for Nikon Z and Canon RF mounts. It originally launched for Sony E and Fujifilm X mounts back in 2021, when it was the world’s first lens with a 16.6x zoom range for mirrorless cameras. Key features include 19 lens elements in 15 groups, Tamron’s Vibration Control (VC) optical stabilisation system and the VXD linear motor system, which provides faster and quieter autofocus than the more traditional geared motor systems. With a minimum focusing distance of just 0.15 metres in wide-angle mode, the lens has a magnification ratio of 1:2 (half actual size), making it also handy for macro shots. As with other Tamron lenses for mirrorless cameras, the filter size is 67mm. In addition,…

Gina Soden (b. 1985) is a British fine-art photographer known for her distinctive images of abandoned buildings across Europe. With a background in portraiture and a passion for travel, she began exploring derelict spaces in 2009 and has since developed a signature style that combines painterly composition with rigorous UrbEx discipline. Her work has been exhibited widely, including at the Royal Academy, leading galleries across the UK and Europe, and major US and European art fairs. Her work is held in both private collections and in nine Soho House collections worldwide. Soden lives in the UK and continues to produce limited edition series from carefully researched locations, balancing the thrill of exploration with the ethics of preservation. Soden’s images have a hushed grandeur – rich in detail but devoid of…

LAUNCHED 1978PRICE AT LAUNCH approximately £450GUIDE PRICE NOW £150-200 This is not a camera for the faint of heart or weak of arm. With its standard lens and pentaprism metered head in place it measures a whopping 17x16x15cm and weighs in at just under 2 kilograms. It is, in short, a bit of a beast. But it’s also a beauty. Made at the Kiev Arsenal in Ukraine, it shoots 12 6x6cm pictures on 120 film or 24 on 220. The Vega-12B 90mm f/2.8 standard lens attaches to the body via a breach lock mount, which it shares with the East German Pentacon Six. Film is wound by a lever which has an odd method of rotating in the normal way, while at the time sliding horizontally. The shutter release is…

Ben Burchell Not a new lens, but it was still the last lens I bought. I picked up a Tamron 90mm f/2.5 Adaptall lens. Main reason for picking it up was for scanning film negatives. Look Photo Studio @LukaIIIYT Plena. One and only. It’s always worth buying a good lens. This one I use for everything possible, from portraits and products, to nature and reproduction. Lovable and perfect. Steve Walker @spwalker Nikkor Z 100-400mm (plus 1.4 extender) for a trip to Antarctica. The extender was important for wildlife shots. Matt Scott The last lens I bought was the only time I’ve ever bought one new. Viltrox 20mm f/2.8 Z for my Nikon Z50. Got it to use as my lens for a trip to Rome, and it was an excellent…

JADE BURRELL Inside World Photography Week… regular AP writer Jade tells us more about this global celebration PETER DENCH Acting Features Ed. Peter talks to urban exploration photographer Gina Soden about art and ethics ANDY WESTLAKE Technical Editor Andy reviews Fujifilm’s compact and affordable telezoom, the XF 70-300mm DAMIEN DEMOLDER AP’s former editor tests the Neewer Q6, which offers lots of flash power at a great price MICHAEL TOPHAM In Second-hand Classic, our former reviews editor revisits the Canon EOS R5 JESSICA MILLER Dep. Online Editor Our social media manager curates It’s good to share and This Week we Asked...…

ADOBE has rolled out the latest batch of AI-powered image-editing tools for Photoshop, although they are still only at the beta stage. The most notable tools for photographers are Generative Upscale, which claims to boost image resolution by up to 8 megapixels without losing clarity. The Remove tool has also been improved, offering more natural-looking edits with fewer artifacts. The new AI tools are available now for Photoshop Creative Cloud subscribers.…

What’s the photo that means the most to you? A perfectly timed shot? A technical masterpiece? Or just a simple picture that stirs a powerful memory? This question lies at the heart of World Photography Day – an annual celebration that invites photographers worldwide to pause, reflect and share on 19 August. This year’s theme, Your Favourite Photo, encourages everyone – from seasoned pros to casual phone photographers – to think deeper about the images that matter most to them. So what’s the bigger picture behind the day? What is it really trying to achieve? World Photography Day isn’t just about sharing photos; it’s about shifting focus from technical perfection to real storytelling and emotional connection. In a world flooded with flawless images, the campaign asks: Why did I take…

Round five Celebrating colour This is a new round for 2025, and should inspire creativity in all those who love to shoot in colour, because here’s your opportunity to make it central to your image. You might choose to fill the frame with just one or two colours, or to make something semi-abstract, or to fill your composition with as much tone and hue as you can manage. The subject can be anything at all, but don’t let the theme of this round stop you concentrating on all the usual crucial elements that make a good photograph: composition, depth, intrigue, story, light – they all count as much here as they would in any other category. And don’t feel that images need to be in the boldest, brightest colours –…

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 Eyes of the Wild by Caspar Vinall Sony A1, Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM, 1/1000sec at f/2.8, ISO 500, 400mm ‘I turned a corner and suddenly locked eyes with this beautiful fox before it slipped into the hedge, but I had a feeling it might come back. I sat in…

Cameras Cameras come in three types: DSLRs with optical viewfinders, mirrorless models with electronic viewing, and compact cameras with non-interchangeable lenses ALMOST all serious photographers prefer to use cameras with interchangeable lenses, as this gives the greatest degree of creative flexibility. At one time, this meant digital single-lens-reflex (DSLR) cameras, but these have now been joined by mirrorless cameras that use electronic viewfinders. The latest models are true alternatives to DSLRs, offering the same image quality and creative options. Camera manufacturers offer a range of options, from simple, relatively inexpensive beginner-friendly designs, to sophisticated professional models. In the middle of the range you’ll find enthusiast cameras with more-advanced control layouts. Meanwhile the term ‘compact’ refers to cameras with built-in lenses, regardless of their size. Many offer excellent image quality and…

TO MARK its 70th anniversary, World Press Photo – which champions the power of photojournalism and documentary photography – is holding a major exhibition called What Have We Done? It kicks off in Groningen in the Netherlands on 19 September, with more tour dates to be announced. The exhibition will feature iconic images by such big names as Don McCullin, Eddie Adams, Steve McCurry and Sara Naomi Lewkowicz, and is curated by artist and photographer Cristina de Middel. See www.worldpressphoto.org for full details.…

WE ARE sad to report the death of David Bell. David, who died at the beginning of August aged 69, managed Fujifilm UK’s film business during the rise of digital cameras and remained a huge advocate of analogue photography. He then moved to Leica UK, and under his leadership in the early 2000s, the firm begin its transformation from a niche presence in independent dealerships into a luxury brand. He championed the establishment of a flagship store in Mayfair, London, and helped to move Leica UK’s base from Milton Keynes to the capital. Tributes have come in from across the industry. ‘I met David when he joined Fujifilm UK in 2000,’ said the firm’s general manager, Theo Georghiades. ‘Creative, charismatic and a bit eccentric to say the least, he was…

If photography is as powerful as we lead ourselves to believe it is, surely there’d be no war. If it was enough just to capture suffering and injustice anywhere in the world and show the good folks back home the realities of it all, there would be no more conflicts. OK, not all photojournalism is brilliant, and sometimes the rules of composition and the technicalities of camera craft aren’t followed with as much care as they should be, but even before the current crop of confrontations we’d had a history’s worth of first-class photographers getting their pictures out there to the masses. Any one of us, even those bad with names, could make a list of great photographers who have shown us what war looks like and what happens when…