Innholdsfortegnelse for 9/9/25 i Amateur Photographer

Today, sadly, the USA is a troubled place but this week we share a glorious selection of photos by Ben Geier that record the last remnants of a more optimistic post-war America of roadside diners, quirky signs and flamboyant architecture. It was a culture which, viewed through the prism of Hollywood movies, made America the envy of the world. We also showcase another great American creation from the 1950s, Edward Steichen’s groundbreaking Family of Man exhibition, which debuted at New York’s MoMA in 1955 and is today permanently housed at a castle in Luxembourg. AP’s Peter Dench went to visit. Finally, on page 25 you can find out what the world’s photography press regard as the best cameras and lenses you can buy right now. Our cover image was taken…

DxO has announced its PureRAW 5.3 raw-processing software, bringing its acclaimed denoising and demosaicing technology to the latest Fujifilm APS-C cameras – including full support for the X-T5, X-H2 and X100VI. The update is free for users of PureRAW 5, while it costs £69.99 for owners of version 3 or 4 to upgrade, or £109.99 for a new license. The company also announced DxO Photo Lab 9, featuring AI-powered masking tools, local adjustments for denoising, demosaicing and lens sharpness optimisation, workflow enhancements and support for Apple HEIC/ HEIF and ProRAW images. A new license costs £219.99, while owners of versions 7 or 8 can upgrade for £109.99.…

Always do the same thing, always get the same results, runs the adage. By contrast, challenging ourselves and thinking outside of the box refreshes and reinvigorates creativity. Especially when it comes to photography. Most of us, however, have been conditioned to believe a large part of getting a great picture simply comes down to having a great camera in our hands. Me included. Granted, recent AI enhancements to autofocus, particularly when it comes to locking onto and tracking a subject, have almost enabled photographers to get the shot with their eyes closed. But that’s not the full picture. Literally. Something I’ve been guilty of myself is making the lens I use a secondary consideration. The sensor in the camera might be incredible, but without sufficiently high-quality glass to match and…

Many people will have heard of the subminiature Minox spy cameras, staple tools in the kit of any self-respecting espionage agent in the cold war era, and perhaps best known through the James Bond films. The commonest subminiature format uses 16mm film, and there are countless examples to be found. Minox cameras use an even smaller 9.2mm film, and until recently, I didn’t know that Yashica also made a Minox format camera. The Atoron, which was introduced in 1965, is a little larger than the equivalent Minox, but nevertheless can easily be secreted in a pocket. I’ve previously written about the cheap and cheerful disc cameras from the 1980s, which made tiny, poor-quality negatives measuring 8x11mm. It happens that Minox and Atoron negatives are exactly the same size, but the…

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 Capturing Shadows, Hong Kong by Sarah Muirhead Canon AE-1, Ilford Delta 400 ‘This photo was taken in Hong Kong on an elevated pedestrian walkway a sunny day. I am enjoying taking photos with black & white film. Without colour, I focus on light, shadow and form, embracing simplicity in composition.…

Let’s be honest. If you were a camera club judge presented with this picture, you might tell the photographer to go home and brush up on technique before submitting anything else. Looking at it purely objectively we see an image that is poorly lit, far too contrasty, out of focus and covered in grain. So, given all that, tell me: Why do I love this picture so very much? Let’s talk about the man who took it. Fred Judge was born in Yorkshire in 1872, developing an interest in photography at an early age. In Sussex in 1902 he founded a company called Judges Postcards. Initially he concentrated on selling photographic goods, prints of local views and hiring out darkrooms. In 1903, he issued his first postcard, laying the foundations…

ANDY WESTLAKE Technical Editor The best cameras, lenses and smartphones in the EISA Awards 2025-26 PETER DENCH Peter Dench travels to The Family of Man’s permanent home to find out what still makes it click DAVID CLARK Ben Geier aims to find subjects that evoke a sense of nostalgia and solitude, he tells David Clark AILSA MCWHINNIE Our APOY project manager finds Low Light inspiration from last year’s top ten photographers ANGELA NICHOLSON Angela Nicholson tries out Peak Design’s smallest outdoor backpack JESSICA MILLLER Dep Online Editor Jessica chooses more of your stunning images in It’s good to share…

Android smartphone maker Honor has announced the Magic V5, the world’s slimmest folding phone (a mere 4.1mm unfolded and 8.8mm folded). Clever design aside, the Magic V5 features a 50MP main camera (f/1.6, optical image stabilisation); a 50MP ultra-wide (f/2, OIS); a 64MP 3x zoom telephoto (f/2.5 OIS); and dual 20MP front cameras (f/2.2). It can record 4K 30/60fps video and offers a 4K 30fps selfie camera video, too. AI editing features include AI Enhanced Portrait, AI Super Zoom, and Motion Sensing Capture. The Magic V5 is on sale now for £1,699 or on contract.…

Ben Geier’s favourite way to spend his free time is to pick up his camera and go on a long road trip from his home in Illinois in America’s Midwest. So far, he has been to 15 US states, from New Jersey in the north-east to New Mexico in the south-west. He sometimes drives over 1,000 miles in a weekend. His motivation on these mammoth journeys is to photograph vintage movie theatre facades, motels, shop fronts, neon signs, petrol stations and other examples of mainly 1950s and ’60s roadside culture scattered across the country. These distinctive and sometimes offbeat features sprang up in the postwar period in response to the rapid growth of car ownership and the popularity of road trips. Golden age For Ben, such roadside attractions represent a…

Which are the best cameras, lenses and photographic accessories you can buy right now? According to the 15 expert magazines and websites that form the photography group within the Expert Imaging and Sound Association (EISA), the answer can be found right here, in the EISA Awards 2025-2026. EISA is a collective of 53 special-interest magazines and websites from 26 countries around the world, covering Hi-Fi, photography, mobile devices, in-car electronics, home theatre display & video, and home theatre audio. Each member is renowned for its expertise within its subject area, and for the rigour and integrity of its testing. As a founding member of the organisation, back in 1982, AP is an integral part of EISA’s Photography Panel, and we work closely with our fellow panellists, all of which are…

LETTER OF THE WEEK Macro magic Your recent macro special issue was a really interesting read. As a result, I beat a path to my local nature reserve, taking my Ricoh GR III, and was pleasantly surprised by the results, given that I use it exclusively for street photography. Which, I suppose reinforces the point that you should experiment with the equipment you have. Jim Fanning A great result Jim, considering that macro isn’t your usual genre – and as you say, a reminder that we should never box ourselves in to one particular approach when it comes to photography. Today’s cameras and lenses are just so versatile. Feeling manipulated I was dismayed to view the selected images for the 161st Edinburgh International Photography Exhibition (see below). The debate around…

Dominic Beaven, Harrow Sony A7 Mark III, 50mm, 1/160sec at f/2.5, ISO 1600 Dominic was awarded fifth spot in 2025’s Dawn to Dusk category for his atmospheric night shot. The judges said: ‘A different treatment of the Dusk to Dawn theme. The model’s pose is intriguing, and opens up all sorts of possibilities about the story behind the image. Dominic used lighting and a smoke machine to subtle effect.’ Dominic says: ‘This was one of those nights where everything just clicked – the light, the setting, and the atmosphere all fell into place. I shot it late on night in a quieter corner of Chinatown, using an old red phone booth as both a visual anchor and a nostalgic detail that gave the scene some character. I wasn’t trying to…

● £169.99 ● peakdesign.com Sitting below the 25L and 45L models, the Peak Design Outdoor Backpack 18L is the smallest backpack in the company’s Outdoor series. It’s aimed at photographers and outdoor enthusiasts who want a comfortable, low-profile bag for day trips or light loads. As with the rest of the range, Camera Cubes are an extra cost. Like the 25L version, the 18L is made from Peak Design’s Terra Shell 210D Ripstop Nylon, which is weather-resistant, 100% recycled, Bluesign-approved and PFAS-free. The fabric feels tough yet light, and while the bag doesn’t ship with a rain cover (Rain Fly), one is available separately for £29.99 if you need the extra protection. The 18L version of the backpack keeps things simpler than the 25L and 45L bags with a fixed-capacity…

Roberto @photoroma69 I would like to but I’m always in the office and so it’s more of a useless burden than anything else. Mark Buckley Yes, usually the smallest working SLR I have, a polariser and some form of support, currently a Gorillapod. You don’t get lucky all the time, but you can get lucky sometimes... Gary Player said the more I practise the luckier I get – same applies to photography. Yellow Blob @doomhiker Pretty much every day, usually a small Olympus half frame that fits in my pocket. Dan K @ZDP189 I carry a phone these days and it’s good enough for 80% of my needs. Carrying a camera, especially a film camera implies proper artistic intent and a goal in mind, not EDC. Because I’m lazy AF…