Innholdsfortegnelse for 10/14/25 i Amateur Photographer

Welcome

Photography gives the world a front row seat to history as it happens and nowhere is this better demonstrated than through the annual World Press Photo awards, which this year celebrates its 70th birthday. We look back at some of the great photojournalism that it has brought us over the years. Photography and music are kindred spirits and the Abbey Road Music Photography Awards proves every year that the marriage of the two is a match made in heaven. We present a selection of this year’s winners. For the kit lovers we test the world’s fastest 200mm full-frame prime lens, from Sigma, while pro press photographer Ian Tennant sings the praises of his Fujifilm X-H2. Our cover image by Platon shows the hand of musical genius Nile Rodgers. It is…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

New versions of Photoshop, Premiere Elements

ADOBE has updated its more beginner-friendly photo editing and video programs, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. Photoshop Elements in particular continues to be popular with photographers who don’t need the complexity of Photoshop and Lightroom, or don’t want to pay a monthly Creative Cloud subscription for them. Generative AI is all over Photoshop Elements 2026, so you can type in what you need, and the Generative Image feature will come back with an AI creation. With Insert Object, you can also brush over an area in an image, describe what you want, and AI will cook up something suitable. Meanwhile, Restore Photo uses AI to fix signs of wear and tear on older scanned-in images. You can also remove unwanted background distractions with upgraded Restore and Remove tools. Key…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

A senior ‘shreds’

‘Gangster Granny’, by Jack Currie, is amongst the finalists for this year’s AOP Emerging Talent Awards, which recognises the best work from photographers who have been practising their craft for less than three years. Jack’s image and other finalists’ work will be exhibited alongside the 40th AOP Photography Award Finalists at the AOP Awards Showcase in London, with all winners announced on 9 October (too late for this issue of AP but check out our website). You can see more emerging talent finalists at bit.ly/aoptalent…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Books & exhibitions

Utterly Lazy and Inattentive: Martin Parr in Words and Pictures by Martin Parr and Wendy Jones £30, Particular Books, hardback, 306 pages, ISBN: 978241740828 If there’s one thing Martin Parr has never been, it’s inattentive. His first and only autobiography, Utterly Lazy and Inattentive – its title taken from a damning school report – is proof of a career spent noticing everything. The format is simple and perfectly judged: a photograph on the right-hand page, a short text on the left. It’s a rhythm that lets Parr’s images breathe while his words cut in with the wry, bone-dry commentary that has made him such a singular voice in photography. The images span his earliest b&w experiments to his famous, hyper-saturated portraits of British seaside life, along with recent work. The…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Framing history

A woman’s face streaked with tears sat in the rubble of an earthquake. An exhausted soldier resting in a bunker. A plume of black smoke rising from a skyline, its ominous curl as recognisable as the sound of an air-raid siren. We have all seen images like these in newspapers, on websites, flickering across TV screens. Many of them have been World Press Photo winners, elevated for their emotional immediacy, technical skill and storytelling power. They have lodged themselves in our collective visual memory, shaping not just how we remember events but how we picture the world itself. A familiar frame, new question But what happens when you revisit these images and thousands like them with a more critical eye? What patterns emerge? And what do they say about the…

8 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports

The Sigma 200mm F2 DG OS | Sports is a unique addition to the company’s full-frame mirrorless lens line-up, claiming the title of the world’s first 200mm f/2 lens for the format. Designed to appeal to portrait, sports and indoor event photographers, this telephoto prime lens promises a bright aperture, robust build and high-speed focusing in a package tailored to demanding conditions. It could be an attractive alternative to a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens for those who routinely use their zoom lens at its longest focal length and widest aperture. Given its specification, it should be no surprise to hear that this lens isn’t cheap, coming in at £2,999. The lens is available for both L-mount and Sony E-mount cameras, and I tested the Sony version. Features Built for full-frame mirrorless…

7 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Amateur Photograp her of the Year

Round seven Animal Kingdom Always a very popular round, this category reflects photographers’ appreciation of and love for the animal world. You’re not restricted to wildlife in this round – images of domestic animals and pets are also welcome as we want to see mammals, birds, insects – everything. You don’t have to spend huge sums of money on trips to safari locations in order to capture an original shot. There is endless scope for photographing wildlife subjects in towns and cities, and even our own gardens. Try telling a story about the way in which a creature lives by showing it in context – be that an urban fox foraging around dustbins, or a seagull stealing chips from a tourist. Or go the other way, and fill the frame…

3 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

It's good to share

AP Picture of the Week 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 Buttermere Autumn Awakening by Mark Hetherington Sony A7 IV with Sony 24-105mm lens, with Kase 6-stop ND filter, 10sec at f/14, ISO 50 ‘Buttermere in the Lake District delivered landscape photography perfection on this morning. Still water, flawless reflections, and the first golden light touching…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTORS

PETER DENCH Acting Features Ed Peter looks at a landmark exhibition marking 70 years of World Press Photo JESSICA MILLER Dep Online Editor Jessica presents the winners of Abbey Road Music Photography Awards 2025 IAN TENNANT Professional editorial photographer Ian explains why the Fujifilm X-H2 is his perfect camera ANGELA NICHOLSON The AP regular tests the Sigma 200mm F2, a full-frame prime for mirrorless AILSA MCWHINNIE Our APOY project manager launches Round Seven of our APOY contest – Animal Kingdom ANDY WESTLAKE Technical Editor AP’s resident kit expert rounds up the best cameras and accessories in Best Buys…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Tamron telezoom now for Nikon Z

TAMRON has announced that its 70-180mm F2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 telephoto zoom lens is now available in Nikon Z mount. As with the Sony E-mount version which was announced in 2023, the lens features 20 lens elements in 15 groups, image stabilisation and Tamron’s VXD technology for quiet and accurate autofocus. Tamron claims that the lens is ‘the world’s smallest and lightest F2.8 tele-zoom lens,’ as it weighs in at 865g. The new lens will be available from 23 October, priced at £999.…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Mujahid Ur Rehman

It is now one year after my career pivot from software architecture to photography and filmmaking. This symbolic passage of time begs a retrospective of whether I am on target with my expectations. So it is worthwhile to recall what made me take the plunge to quit my formal career, which I trained and worked in for 20 years, to seek new pastures in photography. I am not from a privileged background, and my parents worked hard to give me education. Yet I realised early in my career as a programmer that I did not enjoy it, but financial responsibilities kept me at the grindstone. The feeling of quiet desperation nonetheless plagued me, and it coloured my world view. I could not get away from the sense of being an…

3 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Coreen Simpson: A Monograph

£50, Aperture, hardcover, 236 pages, ISBN: 9781597115858 Coreen Simpson: A Monograph marks a richly overdue tribute to one of Brooklyn’s most transformative visual voices. As the second volume in Aperture’s Vision & Justice book series coedited by Sarah Lewis, Leigh Raiford, and Deborah Willis, this is Simpson’s first major retrospective, offering a full and deeply resonant survey of her work. Across 236 pages and showcasing 179 images, it presents a wide-ranging ensemble of Simpson’s multifaceted creative output. Over five decades, she has excelled as photographer, writer, and jeweller, each discipline informing the others. Her early career is evoked through published work for Essence, Unique New York, The Village Voice, and Vogue, where she chronicled New York’s vibrant art, fashion, and cultural scenes with intelligence, empathy, and style. The monograph features…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Abbey Road Music Photography Awards

The world’s most famous recording studio has revealed this year’s winners of its annual celebration of the best in music photography. Lead judge Rankin said: ‘It’s so great to see music photography thriving. It has never felt more vital, and these images remind us why it’s such a powerful art form.’ David Bailey CBE received a special one-off Lifetime Achievement Award. His wife Catherine collected the award, which was presented by music legend Nile Rodgers. Meanwhile, Anton Corbijn received the legendary Icon Award, which was presented by 2024 Icon winner Jill Furmanovsky. All the nominated and winning images will be displayed on the walls of the Amphi Corridor at London’s Royal Albert Hall from 22 October until 3 November. There will also be an open day on 25 October between…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Ulanzi MA38 Mobile Phone Photography Stand

● $58.79 (approx. £44) ● ulanzi.com The Ulanzi MA38 is a multi-functional device for holding a smartphone. It can be used either on its own as a desktop stand or mini tripod, or as an adapter for attaching phones onto Arca-Swiss tripod-head clamps. With its Magsafe-type ring mount, it’ll hold recent iPhones directly, but Android phones will need the supplied metal adapter ring. There is, however, a lot more to the MA38 than just that. Thanks to magnets in its base, it’ll also clamp firmly onto steel objects. There’s a 1/4in thread for fitting it onto non-Arca tripods, and a small fold-out hook for hanging it off such things as car windows. Ulanzi even suggests you can use it as a handgrip. In short, if you want a means of…

3 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Inbox

LETTER OF THE WEEK Caught short My first digital camera was a Nikon Coolpix 5000 purchased in 2005. On my first outdoor excursion to test it, it started to rain, so I unzipped my anorak and concealed it inside with the strap around my neck. I was about to cross an old stone bridge when I noticed scores of budding giant hogweed on the other side and decided to take a picture. Alas, when I tried to unzip my anorak, it jammed and refused to budge. My only option was to lift up the front of my anorak, and bracing my knees on a low stone wall, use the LCD viewer to frame my shot. Just then an angry voice behind me remarked, ‘Find somewhere private to do that!’ I…

3 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Join the Club

When was the club founded? The club was founded in 1947 as part of the Bramhall Village Community Club, just after WW2. This was the brainchild of wartime Fire Marshal Gerald Whittaker, and reflects the comradeship of the village in that time. For 18 years, meetings were held in the Methodist Hall, until 1966, when the Village Club built their own clubhouse, made possible by the generosity of local villagers. Bramhall Photographic Society emerged from this original post-war club. What does your club offer to new members? We welcome both beginners and experienced amateur photographers, to meet, learn and improve their photography in a friendly environment. For beginners, there is the opportunity to have help from a member with similar equipment and assistance with processing their pictures. For experienced photographers,…

3 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Final Analysis

Two aspects of this picture evoke happy memories for me: the pigeons in Trafalgar Square and Max Wall. The Square, situated very near the exact centre of London and named in honour of Lord Nelson’s victory at the battle of Trafalgar in 1805, was once home to thousands of pigeons. When I was a kid, they covered every inch of the ground within the perimeters of the Square like an ankle-deep, undulating, flapping, cooing, feathery blanket. A man in one corner of the Square sold bird seed for 6d (2½p) a bag. Anyone who bought a bag – and just about everyone did – would immediately find themselves smothered in birds. My dad took me there when I was young and when I became a dad I took my own…

3 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Leica on a roll in centenary year

LEICA’S latest financial results have been announced, with the company generating record sales in the 2024/2025 financial year. Revenue increased by 7.6% from April 2024 to the end of March 2025 to around €596 million (approximately US$700,220). This is up from €554 million in the previous financial year. The uplift was largely driven by growth in the core photo and mobile phone segments; while there is not a standalone Leica phone, the company works closely with Android handset maker Xiaomi. Regionally, the biggest revenue growth came in Europe (7.6%), with Leica’s home turf of Germany chalking up an 11.4% growth. Leica will also be happy with the +7.3% growth in Asia, including the increasingly important Chinese market, while revenue in North America grew by 6.2%. This is respectable considering the…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

DxO FilmPack 8 lands

DXO HAS announced a new version of its analogue film emulation software, FilmPack 8. Key additions include Time Warp Mode. This includes Time Travel, a slider that allows you to see how an image would look with various styles and effects added from the history of photography. Then there’s the ‘Ageify’ slider, which lets you progressively age and distress your images, drawing on ‘authentically recreated’ film stocks and a range of effects. FilmPack 8 also features new film simulations, including Harman Phoenix 200, and closer Photoshop integration. DxO FilmPack 8 costs £129, or users of version 7 can upgrade for £69.99. You can also download a free trial. See DxO.com for more information.…

1 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

The Stillness of Life by Don McCullin

£80, GOST, hardcover, 112 pages, ISBN 9781915423948 Sir Don McCullin’s 90th birthday is marked by The Stillness of Life, a book that showcases a quieter, deeply personal side to one of the world’s most celebrated photographers. Known for his searing war reportage, McCullin has long found refuge in still life and landscape photography, genres he has been quietly pursuing since the early 1980s in his Somerset home. The still lifes, most never before published, are composed in his garden shed with the precision of a painter. Cut flowers, lilies, foxgloves, and gladioli, share space with travel keepsakes: a bronze dragon from the Orient, a Hindu goddess, a timeworn vase. These arrangements feel like shrines, meditations on the tension between transience and permanence. Beauty, memory, and the seasons’ inevitable passing are…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

The Fumes of Mars by Katerina Angelopoulou

£45, GOST, hardcover, 232 pages, ISBN 9781915423887 Katerina Angelopoulou’s The Fumes of Mars is a searing act of personal and collective remembrance, forged in the aftermath of one of Greece’s deadliest wildfires. On 23 July 2018, a blaze fuelled by 40°C heat and winds of over 100 km/h tore through towns just 30km from Athens. Over 100 people died. Angelopoulou, visiting a friend’s home with her mother and three-year-old daughter, fled by car before being forced to abandon it and take refuge in the sea for hours until rescue. The fire reached the shoreline in little more than 90 minutes, swallowing everything in its path. The book resists being just a survivor’s memoir. Angelopoulou blends black & white photos of the charred aftermath with harrowing eyewitness testimonies, her own images…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Professional eXcellence

As a professional photographer, I specialise in media, PR, marketing and editorial photography. I can often find myself having to undertake a wide range of demanding photographic assignments. Therefore, having a camera that can handle a variety of subjects, that I feel confident in while using, and that is totally reliable, is absolutely paramount. It also needs to be capable of producing high-resolution images of supreme quality and clarity that really pop. My commissions can cover everything from fast-moving action, such as motorsport, to a simple portrait of a CEO or a celebrity and everything in between. This equates to anything, anywhere at any time, day or night! In the corporate arena, I specialise in creating inspiring images for businesses to use in their marketing and public relations campaigns. This…

15 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Voigtländer Vitessa

LAUNCHED 1950 PRICE AT LAUNCH approximately £35 GUIDE PRICE NOW £80-120 Voigtländer could often be relied upon to tackle traditional camera design in new ways. Most folding cameras of the 1950s involved dropping down a bed from the body with a lens that self-erected on struts and bellows. Voigtländer improved on that by using an arrangement usually known as barn doors. Folded, the Vitessa measures 13x7x3cm, small enough to slip into a decent size pocket, although at 700 grams it’s a bit hefty. As first pressure is taken on the shutter release, the twin barn doors jump open and the lens leaps forward ready for action. At the same time, a 4.5cm long plunger launches itself from the top plate. Pressing this back all the way down tensions the shutter…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

THIS WEEK WE ASKED...

You said... Andy McDonald I use the veteran Sony A7R II that I picked up second-hand last year – you don’t need the very latest model to take pictures! Jimmy Palmer @JimiPalmr Fujifilm X-T3 photo and Sony alpha S for video. Harri Rae My main camera and soon to be my only camera is my trusty EOS 5D, 12.8MP. I like the newfangled tech of high fps and fancy focus tracking but the sense of accomplishment similar to film shooting is what I thrive for. Spray and picking the best is not my style. Beverley Birchley OM Mark II x2 – I just use different lens for different circumstances. Mark D Curtis For digital I am still using the same Nikon D50 I’ve had for 20 years, and for film…

2 min

Amateur Photographer|10/14/25

Best Buys

BEST BUYS REVISITING GREAT KIT FROM OUR TEST ARCHIVES OM System Tough TG-7 ● £499 ● explore.omsystem.com This latest model in a long line of class-leading rugged cameras is waterproof to 15m, shockproof against a 2.1m drop, crushproof and freezeproof. The 25-100mm equivalent lens is paired with a 12MP sensor, with in-body stabilisation to combat shake. Viewing is via a 3in LCD. The TG-7 is also one of the few cameras of its type that can record raw files. Reviewed 2 Apr 2024 Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark III ● £699 ● www.canon.co.uk This lovely little pocket camera provides a good range of features for both photography and video. You get a 20MP 1in sensor, 24-100mm equivalent f/1.8-2.8 zoom lens, 4K 30p video recording, and a tilting rear screen. It’s…

12 min