amateur photographer - may 31 2014 uk

www.amateurphotographer.co.ukRLDS NO.1WEEKLY PHOTOMAGAZINE

FIRST LOOK:SONYRX10MK IIIWITHPOP-UPEVF

NEWNIKONCSCTOARRIVE INJUNE

Saturday 31May 2014

PAGE45

PAGE26

THEPERFECT LIGHTHow Rupert Vandervell usescontrast for his street photos

PAGE33

CANONG1XMARK IIWe put Canons top-of-the-rangePowerShot camera to the test

ONTEST

INCREDIBLE INFRAREDFollow our step-by-step guideto taking these striking images

APGUIDE

STREETPHOTOGRAPHY

Your best animal images in print, as we revealthe winners in the latest round of APOY 2014

ANIMALMAGIC

HOW TO HAVE YOUR PICTURES PUBLISHED IN READER SPOTLIGHT Send in a selection of up to ten images. They can be either a selection of different images or all have the same theme.Digital les sent on CD should be saved in a Photoshop-compatible format, such as JPEG or TIFF, with a contact sheet and submission form. Visit www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/spotlight for details.We cannot publish images without the necessary technical details. Each RGB image should be a minimum of 2480 pixels along its longest length. Transparencies and prints are also accepted. Werecommend that transparencies are sent without glass mounts and posted via Special Delivery. For transparencies, prints or discs to be returned you must include an SAE with sufcient postage.

HOW TO CONTACT US Amateur Photographer, IPC Media, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU AP Editorial Telephone: 0203 148 4138 Fax 0203 148 8123Email [email protected] AP Advertising Telephone: 0203 148 2516 Email [email protected] AP Subscriptions Telephone: 0844 848 0848Email [email protected] AP test reports Telephone: 01707 273 773 www.testreports.co.uk/photography/ap

NEWS,VIEWS&REVIEWS

5NEWSInnocent photographer in shock over deletion of picture; Junedebut for Nikon 1 S2; Canon unwraps new wideangle zooms;Pentax 645D price slashed 50% in four years; Jessopslaunchesmotorsport courses; Calumet reopens US stores

11REVIEWThe latest books, exhibitions and websites

44MASTERINGDSLRVIDEOTake part in our one-day DSLR video tuition seminar atPinewood Studios with leading lm-maker Victoria Grech, inassociation with Tiffen

90THEFINALFRAMETime is the basis of all value, says Roger Hicks, and weshould spend it wisely, whether in photography or in life

TECHNIQUE

16PHOTO INSIGHTPhotographer andmountaineer Doug Kofsky discusseshis epic image of the Baltoro Glacier in Pakistan and theadvances in camera technology that havemade his imagesmore easily achieved

TESTS&TECHNICAL

6SONYCYBER-SHOTDSC-RX100MARK IIIMichael Topham takes a rst look at Sonys Cyber-shotDSC-RX100Mark III the rst premium compact camerato feature a pop-up electronic viewnder

1APGUID NNFRAREDLANDSCAPESfrared doesnt have to be daunting. Phil Hall revealsow to take striking infrared landscape images

3TESTBENCHyelead Sensor Gel Stick and Be-ez LA Robe graphite bag

5CANONPOWERSHOT1XMARK IIanons latest premium compact sets its sights on improvinghere the PowerShot G1 X left off. Michael Topham nds outhether the newmodel is a signicantly better camera

3SAMSUNGNXMINIeet the worlds smallest and lightest interchangeable-lensamera, the 20.5-million-pixel NXmini. Jon Devo takes a loo

6 INTERFIT EX400Ti 2-LIGHTOFTBOXKITndrew Sydenham tests Interts most powerful offeringrom the well-established EX budget range of ash heads

9GITZOMOUNTAINEERGT1542aunched back in the 1990s, Gitzos carbon-bre Mountaineerange of tripods still have a reputation for excellence. Now theyave been given an overhaul, as CallumMcInerney-Riley explain

0ASKAPur experts answer your questions

OURWORDS&PICTURES

4 LETTERSP readers speak out on the weeks issues

5BACKCHATP reader DaveMason takes a lighthearted look at theengths people go to in their quest to upgrade their camera

6APOYRESULTSROUND2e reveal the top 30 photographs in our Animal Planetound of Amateur Photographer of the Year

8APPRAISALamien Demolder examines your images, offeringords of wisdom and constructive advice

EATURES

3SPIRITOFHESTREETine-art photographerupert Vandervelliscusses the themesehind his personalnd haunting take ontreet photographynd explains how theight camera helpedim realise his vision.liver Atwell reports

subscribe08448480848 31May2014 I www.amateurphotographer.co.uk 3

Amateur Photographer For everyone who loves photography

WHEN I was learning to print in the darkroom,I was fortunate enough to spend some of mytime trying to print in colour. I say trying, as intotal darkness, with only a kettle to help keep theexpensive chemicals at the right temperature,the results were somewhat hit and miss. I quicklygave up on colour printing and didnt take it upagain until I was at university, when I usedautomated developing processors.I guess my initial experience was similar to that

of Rupert Vandervell (see page 33). He shunnedthe complexity of colour darkroom printing, buteven with the simplicity of digital imaging he stillshoots only in black & white. The power of his

stunning street photographs comes fromthe dramatic contrast between highlight andshadow they would lose theirhaunting quality if they wereshown in colour.We can all learn something

from just concentrating on lookinat highlights and shadows. Thisweek, why not shoot solely inblack & white and see whatdifference it makes to yourphotography? Then send usa selection of yo r i tshow us how yo

Richard Sibley

THEAPREADERSPOLLIN AP 10MAYWEASKEDWhen you buy new camera gear, do you prefer to shop onthe high street or online?Contents

COVERPICTURES:

STEVEWEBB,PHILHALLANDRUPERTVANDERVELL

YOU ANSWEREDA On the high street I prefer dealing face to face 25%B Online its more convenient and/or cheaper 27%C It depends on the price of the item 20%D I look online but buy on the high street 14%E I look on the high street but buy online 8%F None of the above 6%

THIS WEEKWE ASK How do you create black &white images?OTE ONLINEwww.amateurphotographer.co.uk

BC

DE

A

F

e test CanonowerShot G1ark II premiuompact camer

45

RUPERT

VANDER

VELL

P33

AN80-year-old photographyenthusiast has told of his shockafter police urged him to deletean image of a child playing ona bungee trampoline inside ashopping centre.Mike ORegan (pictured)

had been taking pictures whilewaiting for his wife inside theWesteld Centre in Derby onEaster Saturday (19 April).A woman identifying herself

as the boys mother complainedto the malls security guards,who alerted police.ORegan told AP: I used

my [Samsung Galaxy S4]phone to take a shot of aningenious bungee/trampolinedevice for children.I took three shots in quick

succession, all showing thecomplete trampoline apparatus,and the same small boystrapped into it.It then transpired that a lady

had complained to two securityguards that I had taken a shotof her son.

A Derbyshire Policespokeswoman told AP thatORegan who says the boywas fully clothed agreed todelete the photo when askedby ofcers, although he hadnot broken any laws.ORegan says guards

prevented him from leavingthe scene until police ofcersarrived, but did not explainwhy he had been stopped.I was not physically touched

by the security guards, butwhen I made a move to ndmy wife (who was in M&S) theymoved in to block my way.ORegan said two police

ofcers arrived around 30minutes later, took down hisname and address and insistedhe erase the offending shotfrom his phone.In the end, he erased all

three. I found this episode bothupsetting and embarrassing,said ORegan, who lives in Toton,Nottinghamshire, and has beena keen photo enthusiast formore than 60 years.The attitude of all those

involved was not what an80-year-old should have

to endure.ORegan added: I was so

shocked that I didnt think totake any badge numbers ofeither the security guards orpolicewomen.A spokeswoman for the mall,

which has since become partof property group Intu, told APthere are signs at entrancesabout photography.ORegan does not recall

seeing any notices.In a statement, Intu Derby

added: Staff acted according

News I Analysis I Comment 31/5/14

to Westelds policies, whowere the owner and managerat the time.Child protection is, of course,

our number-one priority, butwe also support families right totake photographs of their lovedones and our photography andlming policies reect this.We are currently training

all our staff at the centre onIntus policies and procedures,including those aroundphotography.Derbyshire Police said in

a statement: A complainthad been made to securitystaff regarding a man takingphotographs inside the centre.Ofcers attended and spoke

to the man and asked him todelete one of several images hehad taken. This was done on therequest of a woman whose sonappeared in the picture.The man deleted the image

as requested. No offencestook place.The force says it works

closely with the centres staffand security personnel toensure the safety of the centreand its customers.


Doyouhave

a story?Contact Chris CheesmanTel: 0203 148 4129Fax: 0203 148 [email protected]

Sony camera salesfell by a third in theyear to 31 March 2014.Combined sales ofcompact system,compacts andlens-style camerasdropped by 32.3% to11.5 million. Sonypartly blamed thedecline on asignicant fall in unitsales of compacts.Sony expects demandto decrease to 8million in the nextyear. Overall salesrevenue at SonysImaging Products &Solutions division fell2% to 741.2m yen.

Olympus hastweaked its Pen E-P5CSC and Stylus 1compact cameravia new rmwareupgrades. Claimedimprovements of E-P5rmware version 1.4and Stylus 1 rmware1.1 include improvedremote controlfunctionality whenusing the OlympusImage Share app. Forfull details, and todownload, visitwww.olympus.co.uk.

Shopping centre pics spark complaint Security staff alert police

us w en youthought a pocketcompact couldntget any betterSony Cyber-shot DSC-RX100 III, page 6

RIGHTSWATCH

Committed to defendingyour photographic rights!

Police took no action againstORegan, who said securityguards had detained him

NIKON UK has conrmed that its newNikon1S2 compact system camera willbe out in June.The S2 carries a14.2-million-pixel

imaging sensor,135 AF points (including73 phase-detection points) and sensitivityranging from ISO 200 to12,800.It will be out in a kit with an11-27.5mm

lens, priced 379.99, while an outt thatadds a 30-110mm zoom will cost 529.99.

Nikon claims that the camera is idealfor people wanting to make the stepup from smartphones and compactcameras.The S2 incorporates an Expeed 4A

dual-engine image processor and boastsa 20-frames-per-second burst rate, forup to ten raw images.It will be available in a choice of black, red,

white and yellow.

JUNEDEBUT PLANNED FORNIKON 1 S2 CSC

INNOCENTPHOTOGRAPHERINSHOCKOVERPICDELETION

6 4 subscribe08448480848

THE PRICE of the Pentax645D medium-formatcamera has dropped to lessthan half what it was whenlaunched in the UK underfour years ago.The 645D (pictured below)

has fallen from 8,999.99

a reduction of 4,750.Pentax had already cut

the price to 6,299.99 inOctober 2012.The price repositioning is

one of several announced byPentax camera maker RicohImaging, which includes the

.99), theK-50 (now 499.99) andQ7 (now 339.99).Ricoh has also cut the price

of15 Pentax lenses, includingsistant DFA

100mm f/2.8 macro, whichis now 549.99.

For full details, visitwww.shop-uk.ricoh-

ing.eu.

PENTAX 645D SLASHED50% IN FOUR YEARS

Just when you thought a pocket compact couldnt get anybetter, Sony unveils the RX100 III.Michael Topham reports

Sony Cyber-shotDSC-RX100 Mark III

AP hands-on

CANONUNWRAPSNEWWIDEANGLEZOOMLENSES

16-35mm and 10-18mm

THERES been a lot of talk in the pasttwo years about the future of the compactcamera, and more so about the directiontheyll take given the ever-evolving natureof smartphones. Never one for resting onits laurels, Sony understood that to ensurethe compact camera had a future it hadto improve signicantly for the better something the manufacturer successfullyachieved in 2012 by launching the RX100.At the time of its launch, the RX100

was revolutionary in the way it managed tosqueeze a1in sensor inside a tough, travel-friendly aluminium body. With a sensorapproximately 4x larger than conventional1/2.3in-type versions found in traditionalpoint-and-shoot compacts, the RX100quickly became the compact to own forthose who wanted to resolve the highestlevel of detail from a pocket camera.Ever since, Sony has been working hard

to develop the RX100 to ensure it staysone step ahead of its competition, and12months later, the Mark II version arrived.Improvements included a back-illuminatedExmor R CMOS sensor that was claimed tobe 40%more sensitive to light, a tiltable 3inWhiteMagic LCD screen that improved onthe xed variety found on its predecessor,and the addition of a multi-interface shoe,which opened up the opportunity to attachan external ash, electronic viewnder orstereo microphone.

In addition to these new features, theRX100 II introduced Wi-Fi/NFC connectivityand the option to shoot HD video at 24pfor cinematically styled movies. Anotheryear on, and Sony has gone one better byreleasing the third member in the RX100series the RX100 III.

FEATURES

After consulting consumers about theexperience and expectations from theRX100 II, Sony looked to improve itsRX100 III premium compact in three keyareas. While the1in, 20.1-million-pixel

With a ick of a switch at the side ofthe body, the RX100 IIIs electronicviewnder pops up ready to be used

CANON has unveiled a pairof wideangle zoom lenses inthe shape of the EF16-35mm f/4L IS USM and EF-S10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM.Aimed at professionals and

enthusiasts, the16-35mmzoom is Canons rst ultra-wide L-series lens to includeoptical Image Stabilizer (IS)technology (offering a 4-stopadvantage over non-IS lenses).It features a nine-blade

circular aperture and boasts awater and dust-resistant build.The compact and

lightweight EF-S10-18mmf/4.5-5.6 IS STM is designedfor DSLRs with an APS-C-

sized imaging sensor.The10-18mm lens is

due out this month priced299.99, while the16-35mmzoom is expected to cost1,199.99 when it is releasedin June.


A

20.1-million-pixel1in Exmor CMOSsensor

Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/1.8-2.8

Bionz X image-processingengine

ISO 80-25,600 Retractable OLEDTru-Finder

5-axis imagestabilisation

3in, 1.23-million-dot, tilt-angleLCD

Price to beannounced

Exmor sensor is essentially the same as thatfound in the RX100 II, it is now partneredwith Sonys latest and most powerful Bionzimage processor, which has already

seen use in other recent cameras such asthe Sony Alpha 77 II. Claimed to operate3x faster than the previous Bionz engine,the RX100 III maintains a maximumsensitivity of ISO 25,600 and is capable ofshooting at up to10fps in its speed prioritycontinuous shooting mode.The biggest change of all is found in

front of the sensor, with the RX100 IIIslens better suited to those who would liketo squeeze more into the frame. Equivalentto 24-70mm, the lens doesnt extendas far as its predecessor at the long end,although it is a brighter optic that permitsan aperture of f/2.8 to be used at fulltelephoto. Added to this, the improvedfocusing distance of the lens sees it capableof focusing up to 30cm from a subject atthe long end of the zoom. The improvedlight-gathering capabilities of the lens alsoallow faster shutter speeds to be used tofreeze fast-moving subjects, while theaddition of a built-in ND lter gives usersthe option to use slower shutter speedsin bright lighting conditions.Another area Sony has looked

to improve in the RX100 III is itsviewnder. Those familiar with theRX100 II will remember the optional, andvery expensive (309), EV1MK electronicviewnder that was designed to clip ontothe camera via the hotshoe andconnect via the accessory port.The accessory port and hotshoehave both been removed fromthe RX100 III and inis a pop-up ash thausing a small switch abovethe screen.Instead of clipping

a viewnder ontothe body, Sonyhas produced therst-ever premiumcompact with apop-up EVF. This risesingeniously from the corner of

the body, helping to keep the camera asstreamlined as possible. It features 1.44million dots and uses a Zeiss T coating toreduce reections and deliver excellentedge-to-edge clarity. Impressively, it canalso be used to power up the camera asan alternative to using the on/off button.Other improvements to note on the

RX100 III include the option to record fullHD video footage at up to 50Mbps, orup to100fps in the XAVC S format. Dualvideo recording will also be appreciatedby those who would like to record high-quality AVCHD/XAVC S footage alongsidea smaller MP4 format le thats easierto share. To help ensure steadier moviesare created, the RX100 III also features a5-axis stabilisation system a rst on theRX100 series.Working out at just 9g heavier than the

RX100 II, the RX100 III also features a 3inXtra Fine LCD that ips by180 and downby 45. It is perhaps no surprise to ndthat Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity have alsocarried over, and with the support of SonysPlayMemories app, theres the option toenhance the cameras functionality by usinga selection of free or paid-for creativeeffects and lters.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Although the shape and design of theRX100 III are very similar to the earliermodels in the RX100 series, the removalof the multi-interface shoe makes it looka little more like the original RX100 thanthe RX100 II. In the hand, the RX100 IIIfeels every bit the same as the RX100 II,and for those who purchased an RX100but didnt feel there was enough on theRX100 II to justify an upgrade, the RX100III is a tempting proposition for its in-builtelectronic viewnder alone.The way Sony has engineered the

1.44-million-dot OLED Tru-Finder into thebody is a great technological achievementconsidering how small the camera is.

Flicking the EVF switch pops up theviewnder much like a pop-up ash, theonly difference being that youre requiredto pull the EVF towards you slightly beforeit can be used. I didnt nd this to be aproblem, though, and the eye sensorperformed responsively just as wevecome to expect from Sonys electronicviewnders. Up to the eye, the viewnderoffers a clear, bright view with good clarity.The resolution sadly doesnt match thatof the clip-on viewnder as offered forthe RX100 II, but itll be more than goodenough for most users.Beneting from Sonys new Bionz X

processor, the cameras autofocus andlock-on speed seemed just as snappy asthat of the RX100 II, locking onto subjectswith minimal fuss, even in fairly low-lightconditions. Some users will appreciatethe improved customisation control, andthe customisation thats been added tothe control ring is an advantage over theprevious model. Anyone coming to theRX100 III from a previous version will beable to pick it up and use it from the wordgo very little has changed in the menuother than a few new additions.Overall, its an improvement on an

already excellent premium compact. TheRX100 II picked up numerous accoladesand theres no reason to say the RX100III will be any different. Now with anin-built EVF, it offers the perfect blendof what users want from a premiumcompact camera. The only question is,how much will consumers have to pay toget their hands on it? Pricing informationwas unavailable at the time of writing, butbased on the launch price of the RX100II and the benet of having a new EVFbuilt in, Im guessing that the price of theRX100 III wont be a million miles awayfrom a four-gure sum. The good news,however, is that anyone looking at theRX100 or RX100 II can expect the priceof both to fall in the coming months.AP

Left: Other than the pop-up EVF andpop-up ash, the design of the RX100III is much the same as its predecessor

Above: The RX100 IIIs brighter lensallows a maximum aperture of f/2.8 tobe used at the long end of the zoom

JESSOPS has announcedthe dates for a series ofphotography courses formotorsports enthusiasts.The next Jessops Academy

Motorsport PhotographyExperience will take place on 21June at Snetterton in Norfolk.Sessions are also planned

at Brands Hatch, Kent, on 29August and at Donnington Park,Derbyshire, on 13 September.Hosted by Volkswagen Racing

UK, the 199 course promisesa behind the garage doors

experience, plus the chance tomeet competitors taking partin the Milltek Sport VolkswagenRacing Cup.Areas covered will include

focusing methods and effectivepanning. Participants areadvised to bring a DSLR, atelephoto lens, spare batteryand a monopod.The courses run from

8.30am-3.30pm.For details call 0844 800

4444 or visit www.jessops.com/academy.

JESSOPSLAUNCHESMOTORSPORTCOURSES

CALUMETREOPENSUSSTORES

8 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 31May2014

Amateurs andprofessionals areurged to enter theTaylor WessingPhotographic PortraitPrize, which offers12,000 to the winner.The deadline forentry to thecompetition is 7 July2014. An exhibition willopen at the NationalPortrait Gallery inNovember. For fulldetails visit www.npg.org.uk/photoprize.

Dozens ofphotographers are dueto be laid off at one ofAustralias biggestpublishers. FairfaxMedia Ltd, whichpublishes newspapersincluding The SydneyMorning Herald,plans to reduce itsphotographic teamfrom 50 to 20, reportednews agency Reuters.Staff threatened to goon strike over the costcuts, which will alsoaffect journalists.

CALUMET has reopened the rst of its US stores sincebeing rescued by C&A Marketing, the licensee of Polaroidinstant digital cameras. The store is the Oak Brook shop, which isaround a 30-mile drive from Calumets Chicago base and one ofthe newer locations.C&A recently bought Calumet Photographic, a 75-year-old chain

that was forced into bankruptcy in March, closing its14 US stores.C&A, which is based in New Jersey, said the reopened shop

employs core staff.In a statement, the rm added: For 75 years, Calumet dened

photo retailing to professionals and C&A is determined to rebuildthe brand as quickly and efciently as possible.The statement added: C&A will make further reopening

announcements shortly. However, it is not clear what otherCalumet stores are due to reopen.In March, Calumet UK said the closure of the US stores would

have no direct impact on the UK, where it runs nine shops.Calumet said its European operations are nancially and

operationally independent.

JONATHANHOBLEY

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Sublime Nature:Photographs thatAwe & InspireByCristinaMittermeier

NationalGeographic, 27.50, hardback,

224pages, ISBN978-1-42621-301-4

WHATS left to say about NationalGeographic? Its a name that has basicallybecome a kind of shorthand form ofpeerlessly good photography. CristinaMittermeiers collection of images fromNational Geographic is titled Sublime Nature,and is just that. The beauty of the subjectsis at times overwhelming, but its the skill

of the photographers thats often moston show here. Sit back and appreciatethe intrepidness of Frans Lanting, thecompositional skill of Art Wolfe and thepainterly wisdom of Jim Brandenburg. Ihave to make a personal special mentionfor David Doubilets half-in, half-outunderwater images (see top right), whichare absolute triumphs of composition andtiming. When you view these, it wont bethe last time the book will make you say,How did he do that?, but itll probably bethe loudest. Honestly, its hard not to justkeep gushing Paul Nicklens Arctic andunderwater images (top left and above

left) are well worth a mention, and theawe-inspiring landscapes of Carsten Peterand George Steinmetz display not only thebeauty of nature, but also its power.Its hard not to read the book with a

little melancholy, though. As the scienticcommunitys warnings grow increasinglydire, you cant help but wonder if youregoing to have to explain to your children andgrandchildren why the amazing things theseexceptional photographerscaptured no longer exist.Still, its a really coolbook to have on yourcoffee table.

BOOK

APReviewThe latest photography books, exhibitions and websites. By Jon Stapley

Books, exhibitions andwebsites


DAVDDOUB

LETGEORGE

STENMETZ

PAULNCKLEN

JOELSARTORE

PAULNCKLEN

www.photographyblogger.net

ASA SOURCE of inspiration, this site isslick, readable and easy to lose yourself in.Posts come generally twice a day, and offerbite-sized chunks on various subjects. Thereare some good tips on getting the mostout of your gear, as well as short interviewsand galleries that throw the spotlight onindividual photographers. None of it is terriblycomplicated, nor does itgive of the impression oftaking all that much time oreffort to pull together, butits eminently consumable.

WEBSITE

12 www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 31May2014 subscribe08448480848


The worlds best-selling

weekly photographymagazine

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CONDENSEDREADINGA round-up of the latestphotography books on the market

CANON POWERSHOT G16: THEEXPANDEDGUIDE by David Taylor,

14.99 The Canon PowerShot G16 isone of the best premium compactsaround and it has plenty of nicefeatures good Wi-Fi with geotagging,excellent image quality and a lovelyfast f/1.8-2.8 lens. It is an easy camerato get to know, so you may well be ableto survive without a strategy guide,but if you do need a helping handDavid Taylor is, as ever, here to help. NEWYORK by Ron Galella, 34The godfather of modern paparazzigets a book to himself, and if youdont nd that thought off-puttingthen you may enjoy this collection.Most of the book consists of famousfaces squint in the glare of poppingash. There is artistry, I suppose, inphotographing people who clearlydont want to be photographed. Ronhimself is a character. At one pointhe recounts a story of sneakingpast airport security to pap BrookeShields and John Travolta, and usesthis anecdote to liken himself toCartier-Bresson. Hmm. PIKIN SLEEby Viviane Sassen, 30 VivianeSassen takes a detour from thefashion work for which shes knownto focus on inhabitants of a villageon the Upper Suriname River on thecoast of South America. The villageis inhabited by the descendants ofpeople who escaped slavery underthe Dutch. Theres a lot of focus onthe signicance of objects, seeminglyhumdrum things that neverthelessform integral parts of these peopleslives. Theres beauty in the everyday,to paraphrase Sassen herself.

Double Exposure Portraits7-22 June. ZebraOneGallery, 1 Perrins Court, Hampstead,

LondonNW3 1QX. Tel: 0207794 1281.Website:www.zebraonegallery.com.

OpenTue-Sun 11am-4pm.Admission free

THE DOUBLE Exposure Portraitsexhibition is the culmination of a ten-month project by YOUYOU Mentoring thatbrings together the work of four aspiringphotographers from London and Essex.Mohamed Abdi (18), Marina Tilahun (20),Susannah Alltimes (20) and Chloe Thacker(21) were mentored by professional

photographers and the fruits of their laboursare displayed in a series of celebrity portraits,including Game of Thrones star MaisieWilliams (above) and Spandau Ballets MartinKemp, whose daughter Harley Moon Kempis one of the mentors. Its fantastic to see aproject like this giving young photographersa start in an ever more difcult industry.

EXHIBITION

SUSANN

AHALLTMES

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Letters


Have your say

Share your views and opinions with fellow AP readers every week

MEMORIES OF 126

Does anyone remember those little SupaSnaps Snappit cameras from the1990sthat used126 cartridges and produced square photographs? Mine was a brightpink one that came with stickers and was the rst camera I ever owned when I wasa kid. My gramps used give me tips on how to get the best pictures. Looking backthrough some of my dark and blurry photos, it seems I didnt take much heed of hisadvice. One time, I used up an entire lm by taking pictures of pigeons in Warringtontown centre in Cheshire. When I got the pictures developed, my mum conscatedmy camera for a month for wasting her money.I still have that camera under my bed. The stickers are hanging off, but I bet it

would still work. Its a shame they dont make126 lms any more, as it would be funto use the camera again to take more pictures of stupid things, as my mum wouldsay. Gareth Houghton, Merseyside

I dont remember the camera, but the story mademe laugh, Gareth. Your mumsounds like someone not to bemessed with! Nigel Atherton, Group Editor

Write toLetters at the usualAP address (see page3) fax to 020 31488130 or email [email protected] andinclude your fullpostal address

Earn 50BackchatSend your thoughtsor views (about 500words) to Backchatat the usual APaddress (see page 3).A fee of 50 will bepaid on publication

:PRIZEAPPLIES

TOUKANDEURESIDEN

TSONLY

LETTEROFTHEWEEK

Wins a great shockproof,waterproof and dustproof 5-ProoTechnology 16GB Samsung SDHCPlus memory card offering up to48MB/sec transfer speed.www.samsung.com/memorycard

OPPOSITE EXPERIENCE

Mike Hay paints a rosy picture indeed ofthe merits of independent retailers (Letters,AP17 May). I dont dispute that this is anaccurate mirror of his personal experience,but Im afraid my experience was theexact opposite.About ten years ago, I wanted to by a

Konica Minolta Dimage A2. This was abridge camera that was highly regarded inits day and it retailed, if I remember rightly,for around 450 (even now, incidentally,that camera is an object lesson in ergonomicdesign, although image quality is obviouslysomewhat lacking by modern standards).

My local retailer had the camera in stock,but I couldnt help noticing that I could getthe camera for 100 less online, which wasa very large difference in percentage terms.It seems slightly quaint now, but like manypeople ten years ago I was nervous aboutmaking a major purchase online, so I went tothe shop, looked at the camera and liked it.Then I made my big mistake and said,

This is being sold for 100 less online, but Ialso appreciate that you have overheads andgive personal service and advice that I value,so can we compromise halfway? The replywas, If you wish to do that, you may leavethese premises and never come back again.

Needless to say, that retailer wasinstrumental in pushing me into the onlineexperience which I have been doing eversince. Personally, I only use online retailerswho also have a main showroom attached totheir operation or those who operate a chainof shops as well. I nd that if I pay a visit, Iinvariably get good advice from enthusiasticstaff, but the really big advantage is that theycarry a vastly bigger range of stock than anyindependent can hope to do. Judging fromthe way the market has changed in the pastten years, I suspect I am not alone.Roger King, Essex

I wonder if that independent retailer yourefer to is still in business. It certainlydoesnt deserve to be, if your experienceis anything to go by Nigel Atherton,Group Editor

MORE ABOUTMOVIES

I read with interest that your magazineis going to give more attention tovideographers (Letters, AP19 April). I havebeen reading AP since the late1950s and,as I was working selling cameras whencameras were cameras (just joking) with GEWilliamson a big name in Glasgow I havefollowed cine cameras, from 9.5mm, 8mm,Super 8 and now digital. My interest wasstill photographs, with a passing interest inmovie photography.But six years ago, I bought a budget

Panasonic camcorder and, with helpof iMovie and YouTube, I became anenthusiast. I am sure there are thousandsof keen moviemakers out there lming theirinterests. I nd it odd there has never beena magazine for the amateur in this eld.Maybe its because there is plenty adviceon the net. But its still nice to read reviews,advice and comments the old way relaxingin an armchair! I am glad to hear that youintend to rectify this. I wait with eagerenthusiasm.Stuart Smith, Ayrshire

I should make it clear that we are notgoing to start writing about camcorders,but we will be offering advice on gettingmore from the movie-mode buttonon still cameras. Were also about tohold our rst masterclass on video atPinewood Studios, details of which canbe found on page 44 of this issue NigelAtherton, Group Editor

CAMERA TEST QUERY

Your tests provide a good picture ofhandling of a camera, but they tell thereader nothing about the extent of intra-camera variability within a particular modelpopulation. For example, if I were a cameradistributor, I would ensure that the specimenreceived by AP for testing was faultless,so how condent can a reader be that theindividual camera they buy off the shelfor online will meet the same standards ofquality as the model tested by AP?You always focus on the contrasts

between different models, but never on thevariability within a specic model population.

AP reader Dave Mason takes alighthearted look at the lengthssome people may go to in theirquest to upgrade their camera

THE 1970S were notorious for crimes against good taste,and yet against all odds the period produced some extremelyattractive cameras a point not missed by Fujifilm andOlympus, among others, which have taken advantageof the retro trend.In your review of the Fujifilm X-T1 (AP15 March), I read

that I should prepare to want one. Thank you. I do now.However, the problem is one of funds because my incomejust cant keep up with the speed of upgrades and newcameras. Unfortunately, my original wealth-creation plan,to create a global brand of potato-sack pockets for thediscerning photographer who wants to discreetly carry hislarge DSLR, failed. With cameras in said pockets, robustbraces were necessary to offset gravity. However, duringfield trials, an unforeseen side effect was that with the bracesattached, my trousers behaved like a berserk bungee jumper,resulting in what was described by our local police officeras repeat boxer shorts-related incidents. My solution toliberate some components from the Clifton SuspensionBridge has been stalled by not being able to work out whatwont be missed. So its time for plan B.Under cover of darkness, I shall write anonymously to

all the camera manufacturers, detailing enhancements totheir existing cameras that will truly recreate that retro filmexperience. These suggestions will be so irresistible that theywill be unable to help themselves as they claim them for theirown, and so the next generation of cameras will be born.As everyone part exchanges their old cameras, I shall takeadvantage of the now over-supply of equipment. Simple.Its a work in progress at the moment, but Im thinking along

the lines of a scratch-and-sniff panel with that authentic filmsmell, for when you put the card in the camera. Or, how aboutno matter how many gigabytes on the card, it will only save36 pictures? Maybe, when downloading, it will take a weekto transfer the pictures to the computer, with the equivalentcost of postage deducted from your bank account. As anadded bonus, random images could be stamped with a digitallabel stating overexposed or camera shake. These could beautomatically uploaded to photo-sharing websites, for a gameof photo bingo, creating a whole new entertainment industry.Of course, there is an alternative. I could just get off the

upgrade express, rather than letting my lack of willpowerconsign me to a life of camera envy and angst. Wouldthat be so bad? Film, digital, APS-C or full frame? I couldgo on. Each solution has itsown characteristics that willfind favour with some andfault with others. Whateveryour preference, they areall different roads to thesame destination takingphotographs. That said, though,I still wouldnt mind if my roadwere 1970s shaped with atwist of the 21st century.

Have your say

The increasing hostility towards photography in public places by the public, while theexponential growth in surveillance of the public continues unabated, is one of themost depressing aspects of modern life. The only thing that saddens me more thanseeing us sleepwalking towards Orwells vision is the widespread support for it fromlarge sections of society.However, a school sports day is another matter. Giving out copies of the video to

other parents who want them is one thing, but selling them is another. Schools arenot public places and they have a duty to protect the children in their care. Thereare good reasons why some childrens identities and whereabouts need to keptout of the public realm Nigel Atherton, Group Editor

Just how consistent are individual cameraswithin the same model range? It would beilluminating if you were to test, say, threespecimens of the same camera and assessjust how consistent is their performance.I should hasten to add in APs defence

that this is not an issue peculiar to AP.Whichever magazine or website onechooses to read, just how condent can areader be that the camera they purchasewill perform as well as (or better than) thespecimen provided for magazine/websitetesting? Pete Jeans, Gloucestershire

Most cameras we receive for test aresealed and packed in the same way asthey would be when sent to a store orto a consumer. Manufacturers buildtheir products to within a certaintolerance, and having visited factoriesmyself, I know that these tolerancesare very small, and that manufacturers

test a number of items that roll of theproduction line in each batch. Sensors,for example, are rejected if they have acertain number of defective pixels.To really test any form of consistency,

I would suggest that a test of a lot morethan three cameras would be needed,all of which would probably come fromthe same initial batch. The problem is,manufacturers have a limited number ofreview samples and a lot of publicationswanting to test them, so even if theywere from different batches, hoggingpotentially the entire loan stock of a newmodel for a test would not be possible unless it were done once everyoneelse had nished with them, in whichcase who knows what knocks and bangsthey may have endured along the way.Besides which, AP always strives tobe rst on the list for samples, not thelast Richard Sibley, deputy editor

KEEP UP THE FIGHT

I was shocked to see that the screening thecouncil had put up around a primary schoolin Woodford Green, north-east London, hasstarted to break. Shock horror! This meanssomeone walking down the road might seea child playing hop, skip and jump. ShouldI ring the police or try to repair it myself?Actually, of course, the screening has longbeen a local joke a perfect example of theparanoia of todays world.My son, Dr Patrick Green, who has

been photographing the developmentof the Olympic site nearby as a record,says he nds it virtually impossible to

visit the area today without being stoppedby security guards or police. We willsoon be like Hungary where, as reported(AP19 April), one should not photographif there are people in the area unless onehas their permission.Years ago a friend recorded a video of

his grandsons sports day. He took12copies to sell at the Christmas Bazaar.The headmaster was horried.I hope AP will keep up the ght for

photographers to photograph in a publicplace otherwise, in a few years, the use ofthe camera in public places will be banned.Alan Green, via email


PHOTONSIGHT

Photographer andmountaineer DougKofsky discusseshis epic image ofPakistans Baltoro Glacierand his fascinationwith the history ofmountaineering

THE REASONS for my love ofmountaineering are very personal. Theearliest parts of my life were spent growingup in the suburbs of Boston in the USA,and when I reached the age of18 I decidedto take my rst trip. I spent a month hikingin the Sangre de Cristo [Blood of Christ]mountains, a subrange of the ColoradoRockies. I was following in the footsteps ofmy father, who had been on expeditionsto the Alps in Nepal and to Pakistan. Hehad this beautiful book full of newspaperclippings that I would leaf through on analmost daily basis. I was struck by how theseadventurers would go to these places andthen come back with images to show thatthese kinds of places existed.When I went on my rst trip, it was,

without any sense of hyperbole, absolutelylife-changing. While I was in the Rockies, Idiscovered a different order and structure.It gave me a lot of strength. I had just startedphotography around the same time and Irealised that my success lay in combiningmy twin passions of photography andmountains. I quickly understood thatphotography is about more than justskill its about knowing what to shoot. If youshoot something you really care about, it willconsistently show through in your images.That gave me the focus to concentrate onone subject in my photography, and, as aresult, photograph the greatest mountainsin world in the best possible way I could.This image was taken on the Baltoro

Glacier in Baltistan, Pakistan. Its a regionthat is particularly signicant for me. Ivespent a lot of time studying the exploits ofworld mountaineers, and the stories andhistory that dened them. The great Britishmountaineer Chris Bonington has been onexpeditions to this area, and in 2011, I nallygot the chance to travel there myself.The picture was taken about halfway down

the glacier near a camp called Urdukas,which is the last place you can step onto theglacier. The glacier is potentially the biggestcliff in the world, and Id read about thevarious attempts to get to the summit.The Baltoro track is very hemmed in.

Youre always looking at the huge glacierlooming above you. I was standing on agrassy slope where I could trek a little wayup the glacier. I only hiked a little waybecause everywhere you go youre afraidsomethings going to fall on your head. Youneed to be a bit of a climbing arachnid!During my trips, I always make a point

of getting up when its still dark because I

nd that I have the greatest luck with thelight as its rising over the landscape. Onthis occasion, the sun shone through a thickbank of clouds and gave a stunning pop oflight on each of these mountains acrossthe glacier. It was incredible and I spent theentire morning documenting the scene.On my rst few trips to the Himalayas

I took a compact camera. The pictures I

The sun shone through a thick bank ofclouds and gave a stunning pop of light oneach of these mountains across the glacier


Photo insight Doug Kofsky

DOUGKOFSKYAmerican photographerDoug Kofsky tookhis rst hike intothe mountains whenhe was just 18 andright away begandocumenting thesites through hisphotographic work.Since then, he hastravelled to variouslocations throughoutthe world, includingthe Himalayas in 2008.He lives in New YorkCity. To see more ofhis work, visit www.dougkofsky.com.

BRINGINGYOUESSENTIALEXPERTADVICEEVERYWEEK

DOUG

KOFSKY

Doug Kofsky Photo insight

produced were very disappointing. Thecamera unfortunately suffered on thepixel front when it came to trying to makebig prints. The picture here was takenusing a Canon EOS 500D with a 50mmlens. I chose the EOS 500D over a moreprofessional DSLR because of weight.The digital sensor of the EOS 500Dis fairly close to that of a more expensivecamera, although what you do get withthe more professional camera is weathersealing, which I knew Id miss. However,the need to travel light outweighed myother requirements.I fund my own expeditions, which take

place every12-18 months and usually lastfor a minimum of ve weeks. The longestI have been at a location is around tenweeks. You have to consider the logisticsof getting to somewhere like Asia, thealtitude and also the fact that some ofthe areas are quite remote so it can takea while to get there.I enjoy travelling in Asia the region has a

mythical feel to it. Gaining an understandingof the cultures in these areas is somethingI nd fullling. Its interesting because the14 greatest mountains in the world are all inthe areas of Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet. Thelogistics of how people travel to these places

also fascinates me. For example, when theDuke of Abruzzi, an Italian mountaineerand explorer, rst came to the Baltoro in1909, he had 500 porters and probablybrought four-poster beds. Im fascinated bythe evolution that has taken place over thepast100 years or so, and whats possiblenow compared to what they did then. Whenthe Italian photographer and mountaineerVittorio Sella visited the Himalayas, heused horses to transport his tripod, large-format camera and around 40 30x40cmglass plates. Now, all I need is a convertedbackpack and a DSLR full-frame camera.It couldnt be simpler.AP

Doug Kofskywas talking toOliver Atwell


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Infrared AP guide

ShootinginfraredlandscapesInfrared doesn't have to bedaunting. Phil Hall revealshow you take strikinginfrared landscape images

AP guide to...Infrared can

produce somewonderful

effects that givethe image real

bite with asurreal look

AP guide Infrared


THANKS to its unique characteristics,infrared photography can produce sometruly beautiful results that have a lovelyethereal quality about them. Its a perfectechnique for landscapes, and one thatdoesnt require you to get up at the crackof dawn for the best light. Well discoverwhy a little later, but rst we need tounderstand a little more about thescience behind infrared.In a nutshell, infrared light is a spectrum of

light beyond what the human eye can see.This is because our eyes can only detect asmall range of wavelengths that make upthe frequencies of visible and invisible light,known as the electromagnetic spectrum.The light we see is classed as visible lightand ranges from red to blue (violet), withthe typical human eye responding towavelengths from about 390-650nm(nanometers). Infrared light has awavelength longer than is visible to thered receptors in our eyes at 700nm andsits just below visible red light in theelectromagnetic spectrum. This results inan invisible infrared light world that lookscompletely different to the one wereaccustomed to, with subjects reectingback infrared light as well as visible light.

INFRARED LIGHT

The sun is by far the best source of infraredlight, although how much infrared light asubject reects back will vary, with somesubjects reecting infrared light better thanothers. For instance, we perceive a leaf tobe green as the chlorophyll in the leaveshas a high green reectivity. However, italso reects infrared light incredibly well, sowhen you're shooting an infrared black &white image, it results in foliage appearing aghostly bright white.In contrast to this, bright-blue skies

absorb infrared light, rendering them almostpitch black, while even relatively pale skiescan take on a much darker tone. In bothinstances, the effect is most pronouncedwhen the sun is at its most intense duringthe middle of the day. While shooting undersuch conditions normally means harshshadows and high contrast that arent suitedto a lot of landscape images, its perfectfor infrared, with the combination of thebright-white foliage and rich, dark skiesresulting in an image with bags of contrastthat has real bite.

SHOOTING INFRARED

While shooting with lm simply required adedicated infrared lm and lter, things area little different for digital imaging. This isbecause digital sensors have been designedto block out infrared light to ensure that thecaptured visible light is rendered faithfully,with sensors engineered with an infraredblocking lter (also known as a hot-mirrorlter) that sits in front of the sensor.To shoot infrared, one option is to remove

the hot-mirror lter from the sensor lterpack and replace it with another lter of thesame thickness that only allows infraredlight to pass through it. There are a numberof lter strengths available, but perhaps the

most popular is the 720nm lter. Blockingout the entire visible colour spectrum, onlyinfrared light can pass through. It requiresonly around +1EV of exposure adjustment,so handheld shooting is possible. Andbecause the lter isnt blocking the optical

path between the lens and the viewnder,you can compose and focus as you woulddo normally.This is a great option if you wish to shoot

infrared regularly, but because the cameracan no longer capture visible light, the more

Compared tounfiltered images,infrared imagesrender foliagebright white andblue skies almostpitch black

Hoyas R72 filter is

point for infraredphotography

Unltered

INFRARED lters are almost black inappearance, and by blocking out any visiblelight they bring with them their own specicshooting characteristics.The rst of these is that the exposure time will

be extended considerably, increasing by 5-6 stops,so even in bright conditions a tripod or supportwill be required. The knock-on effect of this isthat in many instances, it wont be possible tofreeze elements of your scene.Just as you might have experienced when

shooting with a strong neutral density lter,focusing and composition also need to be setbefore the lter is tted. This isnt too much of aninconvenience once you get used to this process,but youll need to take extra care with focusing.Lenses are designed to focus on visible light andnot infrared light, so its advisable to offset yourfocus accordingly to compensate for this. While notso prevalent on mode lenses, many optics carryan infrared focus marker to indicate how far youmust offset your focus to compensate for infraredlight. This is merely a guide as it will vary depending

on the lter you use, and so long as an apertureof around f/8-11 is used, it should be enough toensure that the depth of eld is sufcient to bemaintained throughout the scene.Finally, perhaps the most important creative

decision you make when shooting infrared iswhether you want your images to display adramatic mono look or amore surreal colourtreatment. Black & whiteimages offer a morereadily acceptedrepresentation, withcolour infrared imagesa little too unnaturalfor many viewers.

Infrared AP guide


Older lensesfeature an infraredfocus marker, as isthe case with thewhite dot on thisNikon lens

When shooting infrared, you have the choice of shooting false colour or more traditional mono shots

False colour Traditionalmono

HOWTOSHOOTINFRARED

If youre seriousabout infrared,you may wantto think aboutconverting a DSLR

casual shooter will need a second or thirdbody that can be converted. Opening upand operating on your DSLR and removingthe hot-mirror lter is a skilled job, withsome DSLRs being easier to adapt thanothers. This is because some hot-mirror

lters are glued in place and requirechemicals to release them from theirmounts, while in other cases its just notpractical to convert certain models.If you do fancy taking the conversion

route, look for an affordable second-handmodel and either attempt the conversionyourself or use one of the specialistcompanies that offers infrared conversion,such as www.advancedcameraservices.

co.uk. They offer conversions from 290and will be able to tell you whether or notyour desired model can be converted.

FILTERS

The alternative to converting your camerato infrared is to attach a dedicated infraredlter to the front of your lens, allowinginfrared light to pass through but blockingout all or most visible light. This is a muchmore cost-effective solution.Infrared lters are available from the

likes of B+W, Cokin, Hoya and Tiffen, andare available in various strengths, indicatedby the wavelength at which it passes light,measured in nanometers (nm). The strengthyou opt for will depend on their intendedapplication (some are used in the scienticeld, for example), but for general infraredphotography, Hoyas R72 circular infraredlter is a popular choice. Available in threadsizes from 46-77mm (35-85), the lterhas a strength of 720nm and is classed asnear-infrared as its near the redlight wavelength (600-700nm) onthe electromagnetic spectrum.

Infrared

AP guide Infrared


1Best practice is to shoot in raw and set a customwhite balance. With your infrared lter attached,select custom white balance from your cameras

menu and then, pointing the camera downwards, take areading from a patch of grass. This will massively reducethe appearance of red in the display.

2Remove the lter and frame up your image beforesetting the focus. Then set the focus to manual andif your lens has an infrared focus marker, use that to

adjust focus. Failing that, ensure youre using a smalleraperture than usual to ensure theres sufcient depth ofeld in your shot to compensate for this.

3Shooting in manual or aperture priority, take a testexposure and then review the histogram. Yourelooking for a wide histogram that spreads out to the

edges as much as possible. This will perhaps require +2 to3EV exposure compensation to achieve this. Adjust, shootagain and then review.

STEP BY STEP GUIDEWhitebalance ReviewhistogramComposeand focus

Andy Lindenwww.andylinden.co.uk

I FIRST tried infraredphotography about 25years ago with an OlympusOM-1, Kodak High Speedinfrared lm and a red lter. Iloved the photos I could getwith it, but the lm was quite

tricky to process without fogging it.With the advent of digital, I started using

the Hoya R72 Infrared lter. The onlyproblem with this technique is that the lteris opaque to normal light and the minimumexposure time required is about 30secs. Itspossible to take decent photographs in this

TROUBLESHOOTINGLENSESTHERE are a couple of pitfallsthat can beset you when shootinginfrared. One major issue is thelens you shoot with, as some canproduce a hotspot at the centreof the photograph caused byinternal reections of the infraredlight within the lens. With this ismind, its worth experimentingwith the lenses you intend toshoot with at different aperturesand focal lengths to assess howthey perform, while there areextensive lists online of suitablelenses for a range of systems.

way, but Ive found that the long exposureoften causes a lot of noise in the nal image.It was then that I decided to invest in

a camera converted to infrared, allowingme to take infrared photos handheld, withnormal exposure times, and without theneed for a tripod. I bought a second-handCanon EOS1000D and had it converted,opting for the 720nm lter. In the old daysof lm, taking an infrared picture was veryhit and miss, and the nal result would beunpredictable, so the great thing about aconverted digital camera is that you cansee straightaway whether a shot is goingto work or not. Images straight out of thecamera usually have a reddish-brown tone,so I usually adjust the colours a little inLightroom and Photoshop.

ANDYLNDEN

ANDYLNDEN


5To swap the brownish red cast that youve probablygot in the sky, we need to channel swap the Red andBlue channels. Select the Channel Mixer from the

Adjustments panel and for the Red Output Channel set Redat 0 and Blue at 100, while for the Blue Output Channel,reverse this.

6If you want to produce a mono infrared image, selectBlack & White from the Adjustments panel andadjust the sliders until youre happy with the look of

the image. Noise can be introduced here, so make sure youassess the image at 100% to ensure that the image hasntbeen compromised.

Auto colour

MonoFalse colour

4Bring the images into Bridge and open them in AdobeCamera Raw. Here you can make some minoradjustments to the contrast and exposure, but the

biggest change in the colour characteristics of the imageneeds to happen in Photoshop. First, open your image andthen go to Image>Auto Color.

Lee Casterwww.leecaster.com

I HAVE only recentlystarted shooting infrared,but am already a massivefan. I nd its perfectfor producing impactfullandscape and architecturalimages, especially when

the light is too harsh, or too dull for shootingdecent colour images. Although its great forshooting the more usual trees and clouds,Ive also been very impressed by the extradimension it has added to my more usualblack & white shots, nding clouds andcontrast in seemingly empty blue skies, andbringing out shadow details which are barelyvisible on the standard spectrum.I had my Canon EOS 5D Mark II

converted with a 720nm lter, shooting in

raw to give complete control over the imagein processing. I have the camera mode setto black & white, and using live view I can geta fairly accurate impression of what the nalshot will look like as it takes a little gettingused to seeing the world in infrared. Thedirection of the sun in relation to the camerahas a massive impact. Shooting into low suncan make for a very washed-out image,whereas shooting with your back to the sun,or side on, can totally transform a scene.

Lee loves infraredfor the extradimension it giveshis mono images

LEECASTER

The UKs most prestigious competition for amateur photographers


2MarkHelliwell

Cheshire 49ptsNikon D300, 18-200mm, 1/125sec at f/5.6, ISO 100Hes Behind You Judges say Looking at this imageof two owls a great grey and a horned theres avery famous photograph that instantly springs tomind: David Baileys image of the Kray twins. Thisis such a different and humorous take on animalportraiture that we couldnt help but award itsecond place

1

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2ndPRIZE

Gerard Sexton, of Wallingford in Oxon, is thewinner of our Animal Planet round of APOY2014. Gerard will receive an Olympus OM-DE-M10 with a 14-42mm EZ Pancake zoom, a45mm f/1.8 portrait lens, a 40-150mm zoom, a9mm sheye lens, a macro adapter and a streetcase. Thats a total retail price of 1,200. TheE-M10 has a 16.1-million-pixel, four thirds-sizedCMOS sensor and a TruePic VII image processingsystem. The 14-42mm EZ Pancake zoom lens isthe most compact pancake lens and the 45mmf/1.8 portrait optic is ideal for low-light portraitwork without ash.Our second-placed winner is Mark Helliwell,

of Maccleseld in Cheshire, who will receive anOlympus Pen E-PL5 camera plus a 14-42mmand 40-150mm twin-lens zoom kit worth 500.Despite its small size, the E-PL5 offers seriousimage quality with its powerful 16.1-million-pixel sensor and a new OM-D component in theTruePic VI image processor. It also has lightning-fast autofocus.Ellie Willis, of Newton Abbot in Devon,

nished third and wins an Olympus StylusSP-100EE Ultra Zoom camera, with a 16-million-pixel sensor and 3in LCD screen. The SP-100EEincludes an autofocus lock so you need neverlose a shot due to fuzzy focusing. The cameraalso features a 50x optical Ultra Zoom lens witha focal length ranging from 24-1,200mm.

1 Jevgenijs Scolokovs 82pts

2 DanDeakin 79pts

3 ChrisWood 70pts

4 Conrad Ziebland 68pts

5 StevenWebb 64pts

6 George Taylor 61pts

6 Jianwei Yang 61pts

8 AndrewBlake 60pts

9 GerardSexton 59pts

10 DusicaParipovic 58pts

THE2014LEADERBOARDJevgenijs Scolokovs from Latvia has leapt into the top spot with 82pts,having taken tenth place two months in a row. In second place with 79ptswe nd 2012 APOY winner Dan Deakin. In third place is Chris Wood, whotook fourth place in the rst round and 28th in this round

Animal PlanetThere were a number of strong entries for

round 2 of APOY 2014. Here we reveal the top 30

photographs from our Animal Planet round


3 EllieWillis

Devon 48ptsNikon D90, 18-50mm, 1/125sec at f/16, ISO200, 2-point ash lighting and two largesoftbox attachmentsFerrets Judges say Ellies image of herbrother and his two beloved ferrets afterbuilding them a new home was a shot wekept revisiting. Where it succeeds is in itssimplicity. Its a portrait that brings togetherthe human and animal world in a clean andunfussy photographic manner and whodoesnt love ferrets?

1 GerardSextonOxon 50ptsCanon EOS 1DMark 1V, 400mm, 1.4xconverter, 1/3200sec at f/4.5, ISO 800Heron Judges say This was one ofthose shots where the judges had tostop and stare to work out whetheror not the heron was real. The reasonis that its such a perfectly capturedmoment. The position of the legs, thespread of the wings and the arc of thebranch have all come together to forma dynamic image. Not only that, butthe subtle lighting has resulted in adramatic and engaging shot

3

In association with

OF THE YEARCOMPETITION

1stPRIZE

3rdPRIZE



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4 Chris DixonHampshire 47ptsNikon D700, 70-200mm, 1/500sec at f/2.8, ISO 200Working on the chain gang Judges say Amoving imagefrom Chris bringing home the reality of captive animals

5 IainMcConnellWrexham 46ptsOlympus E-510, 14-45mm, 1/160sec at f/8, ISO 100, 2 remoteashes with RF-602 triggersCat and toy Judges say Iains accomplished image reallyimpressed the judges and is more than deserving of fth place

6 AngelaNelson Tyne andWear 45ptsCanon EOS 60D, 60mmmacro, 1/200sec at f/18, ISO 100Baby tree frog Judges say Angela keeps frogs as pets, andas such, is well equipped to capture these small creatures inunique ways

7 SteveWebbWest Midlands 44ptsSigma DP1Merrill, 19mm, 1/160sec at f/7.1, ISO 100Derwent the duck Judges say This was a very popular shot withthe judges. Getting down low, Steve has given us a ducks-eye view

8 LeoWaltonNottingham 43ptsNikon D600, 70-200mm, TC-14E teleconverter, 1/1250secat f/4, ISO 200, tripodGoing for a waddle Judges say Taken in Antarctica, this shot ofchinstrap penguins makes great use of simplicity and depth of eld

9 Dennis LowWest Sussex 42ptsSony Alpha 7R, 50mm, 1/125sec at f/1.8, ISO 320Orphaned lambs Judges say The colour and light are the keyingredients here in this nicely observed shot from Dennis

10 Jevgenijs Scolokovs Latvia 41ptsCanon EOS 5D, 35mm, 1/2000sec at f/1.6, ISO 100On a lead Judges say The success of this image hinges on twofactors perspective and depth of led. The monochrome is alsovital in its ability to reveal the details

11 SusanHardingWest Sussex 40ptsNikon D800, 70mmmacro, 1/8sec at f/2.8, ISO 640Daydreaming Judges say This was shot during a day trip to theBritishWildlife Centre and is an imagemany of us could easily miss

12 YehyaBelhadad Algeria 39ptsSony Alpha 33, 18-55mm, 1/125sec at f/7.1, ISO 400Buttery Judges sayWhat a beautiful image. The backgroundcolour and insects details are genuinely mesmerising

13 Bill Sell Carmarthenshire 38ptsNikon D100, 50mm, 1/200sec at f/1.8, ISO 500Eye of the duck Judges say This is a typically excellent imagefrom Bill. The focus on the eye really draws in the viewer

14 Conrad ZieblandHertfordshire 37ptsPentax K-3, 35mm, 1/180sec at f/3.2, ISO 400, ash, radio triggerThe look Judges sayPet portraits are not an easy task, but with alittle technical ingenuity Conrad has certainly pulled it off

15 IanBramham Cheshire 36ptsNikon D700, 16-35mm, 1/100sec at f/4, ISO 6400Moon jellysh Judges say Theres an eerie alien quality to thesemoon jellysh, photographed in Ians local aquarium

16 Al Punja East Sussex 35ptsCanon EOS 7D, 15-85mm, 1/800sec at f/4.5, ISO 100Lunch in the park Judges say Theres so much to say about thisshot. Its a great nd and exposes one of the great virtues of havinga keen photographic eye capturing the moments others maymiss


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In association with


17 PeterWarringtonOxon 34ptsOlympus E-3, 14-60mm, 1/3500sec at f/22, ISO 100Gull perch Judges sayPeter waited near a post that was popularwith gulls to catch this nice backlit image

18 Farid Sani Iran 33ptsOlympus E-30, 12-50mm, 1/400sec at f/5.6, ISO 320Bluethroat bird Judges say The vivid colours and simplecomposition made this a real stand-out image in the competition

19 MarkCrockerGreater London 32ptsCanon EOS 5DMark III, 70-200mm, 1/2500sec at f/6.3, ISO 800Stag Judges say A truly majestic representation of an iconic andrevered creature. This image oozes atmosphere

20 Florinel SanduRomania 31ptsNikon D90, 150-500mm, 1/400sec at f/8, ISO 500Great tit Judges say Florinels image of a great tit benets from avivid clean background and pin-sharp focus on the subject

21 DanDeakinBristol 30ptsNikon D700, 24-70mm, 1/125sec at f/11, ISO 560, Speedlight,softboxJoey Judges say A lovable portrait of a friends dog from APOY2012 champion Dan Deakin. Using just a small squeaky toy, Danwas able to grab the dogs attention for just a couple of seconds

22 SeshikanthMiddelaManchester 29ptsCanon EOS 5D, 70-300mm, 1/250sec at f/5.6, ISO 3200Capuchin monkey in a glass house Judges sayPatience is a virtue.Seshikanth waited for over an hour to get this beautifully abstractportrait of a capuchin monkey through enclosure glass

23 JennyCoughlan Ireland 28ptsNikon D700, 70-300mm, 1/125sec at f/5, ISO 200Toowit Judges say This is a stark andmoody portrait, one thatbenets from the fact that Jenny has exposed for the highlights

24 Alison LythgoeBuckinghamshire 27ptsNikon D600, 70-200mm, 1/4000sec at f/5.6, ISO 1250Four mallard ducklings Judges sayWhat an idyllic scene. Thestill water and haze of the sun are beautiful elements

25 AaronKarnovskiKent 26ptsNikon D800, 180mm, 1/500sec at f/4, ISO 800Red squirrel Judges say Considering the declining numbers ofred squirrels, its always a pleasing sight to see images of them,particularly when the pictures are as good as this

26 George TaylorNottinghamshire 25ptsOlympus OM-D E-M5, 75mm, 1/160sec at f/5.6, ISO 1250Walking with my dogs Judges sayGeorge was looking to capturethe power and grace of his Weimaraner dogs with this image

27 David Tolliday Cheshire 24ptsCanon EOS 7D, 100-400mm, 1/320sec at f/5.6, ISO 400Kruger National Park, South Africa Judges say This is a beautifullylit monochrome image that exudes a tender atmosphere

28 ChrisWoodGloucestershire 23ptsCanonEOS7D, 100-400mm,1/125secat f/1.8, ISO100Bow to the king Judges say Sometimes all you need is a simplycomposed portrait to convey the power of a subject

29 AndrewBlakeNorth Yorkshire 22ptsCanon EOS 400D, 70-300mm, 1/640sec at f/22, ISO 1600Tchaikovsky Judges sayWhat a stunning image. The reectionadds necessary compositional balance to lead the viewers eye

30 DusicaParipovic Sweden 21ptsNikon D5000, 35mm, 1/250sec at f/6.3, ISO 200Wet through Judges say APOYs 2013 overall winner enters oursecond round with a hilarious shot of her cat post-bath

17

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Black &white Street photography


Spirit of the streetFine-art photographer Rupert Vandervell discusses the

themes behind his personal and haunting take on street

photography and explains how the right camera came to

help him to realise his vision. He talks to Oliver Atwell

THE CITY can be a lonely place. Despitethe rapid rise in population and the seemingovernight construction of architecture toaccommodate the swarm, cities can oftenmake you feel like youre the last personon earth. These themes of isolation are theunderpinning of a body of work createdby London-based photographer RupertVandervell, a man who revels in the solitudelife can bring. Each graphic image in fourseries called Urbanites, Man on Earth,Late Night Tales and Duel tells itsown story, yet easily functions within anoverarching narrative about urban isolation.Im obsessed with one particular

theme the lone gure in the street, hesays. Ive often asked myself why. Theidea of isolation is very indicative of mycharacter. I have always enjoyed spendingtime alone. Sometimes I feel like Im takinga photograph of myself in these guressurrounded by light and shade.It would be easy to imagine Rupert

as a morose misanthrope from thisopening admission. In fact, nothing couldbe further from the truth. During ourconversation, it becomes clear that Rupertis an individual infected by the joy ofimage-making, particularly when itcomes to shooting in the city.I feel happiest when Im shooting in

the urban environment, says Rupert.That really is the only place I want totake photographs. I love concrete andarchitecture, and the way light interacts withit. Its never the same two days in a row.The sun is always moving, which of coursecreates different lines and shadows. I getgenuinely excited when I see these things,and I feel compelled to record them.Rupert shoots exclusively in London,

which is his home town. However, it ismore than convenience the architecturethat makes up the buzzing metropolisperfectly complements the imagesRupert forms in his head.Im drawn to the modern side of London,

says Rupert, particularly in the smoothsurfaces that often go hand-in-hand with

these buildings. The way the light comesoff smooth modern structures is interestingand clean. Theres an area I adore aroundthe Barbican. Its freshly done and theroads look great. It looks like a scene from aFuturist lm. The great thing about shootingin London is that its always changing.Every time you wake up, theres anotherfascinating structure.

THE RIGHT LIGHT

Ruperts images are a wonderful exampleof the interaction between form, light andshade. Of course, such considered imagesneed the right conditions and Rupert hasstrict ideas about what he requires.Ill only ever go out when the light is right,

he says. The summer is perfect because ofthe brilliant sun we often experience overLondon. I always look for what the light isdoing in a location. Ill then gure out whereI want to photograph it from and where I canmake the most interesting picture. I need toconsider how the geometry of the locationwill work with the light. It can sometimestake a while to get it all right.As any street photographer worth his

or her salt will tell you, the time of dayyou shoot is crucial. Different times offerdifferent types of light, and for Rupertsimages to work he must act within arelatively tight window.I cant go out all day, he says. The best

time for me seems to be between 10am

and11am. If you have guaranteed sunshine,its a good hour to work. The middle of theday is the worst. Its like when you have auorescent bulb in a room its harsh lightwhere nothing looks attering. I could alsoshoot between 4pm and 6pm, but thingscan look a little softened then. Morninglights seems to be a little cleaner. If theresany kind of optimism in my work, its to befound in that clean light.

PEOPLE AND PLACES

The human element is what each ofRuperts images hinges on, and all thateach image requires is a single gure.However, working in such a populatedcity can often be a problem.Its becoming harder and harder to get

the right kind of gure in my images, saysRupert. And even when I do have the rightperson, sometimes someone extra wandersinto the frame. Its often the case that Illnd the right location, but theres too muchpedestrian trafc. This will mean I have toreturn to the location another time, but ofcourse that means the look of the light willhave changed.That said, revisiting locations is

not something Rupert is averseto. In fact, it forms part of hisworking method.

Left: Rupert uses

architecture, light

and shade to frame

his human subjects

Below: While

daylight figures in

much of Ruperts

work, he is not

averse to working

at night

The time of day that Rupert shoots is crucial. He tends to favour

the hour from 10am to 11am, when he says the light is cleaner

Street photography Black &white


ALLPCTURESRUPERTVANDERVELL

Its often the case that Ill ndthe right location, but therestoo much pedestrian trafc

RUPERT generally exposes for thehighlights in his images. The details inthose areas of the frame are crucial tothe image, so I cant afford to blow themout, he says. Given the times of day Ilike to work, exposing for those areasworks perfectly. Ill see where the lightshottest point is and ensure everything

is correctly exposed in that area. As Imsure everyone knows, blown highlightscan be a nightmare to x. There are acouple of minor tweaks I have to makein Photoshop such as the Levels butotherwise I try to get everything right onlocation. Doing everything in Photoshopjust wouldnt look right at all.

EXPOSINGFORHIGHLIGHTS

I do tend to go back to placesbecause, as Ive said, they alwayslook different each time, says

Rupert. As places are often reconstructedand altered, the way the light falls on themdiffers. Consequently, the way peopleinteract and walk within the space changes.Thats all part of the picture-making process.One thing I do nd particularly benecial

is giving myself restrictions, continuesRupert. These days, I shoot mostly withina square mile. When I restrict myself tosmall areas, I look harder for shots ratherthan casting my net too wide. It benetsa project to introduce restrictions. Whenyou work with the minimum resources,creativity kicks in.In addition to the location and light,

stark black & white serves to furthercommunicate the themes of urban solitude.By his own admission, colour would donothing more than complicate matters.I guess Im a black & white person

through and through, he says. I dont wearcolourful clothes and my house featuresminimal tones, much to the dismay of mygirlfriend. Black & white has always spokento me. To be honest, I get a little confusedby colour. Theres a quality to black & whitethats sorrowful and Im very happy withhow the aesthetic functions. Even when Imfaced with a vivid colourful scene, Im alwaysthinking how it can function within theparameters of monochrome.Of course, Rupert isnt averse to colour

as a medium. In fact, hes full of admirationfor those who are able to master it.Honestly, my opinion is formed from the

fact that I began my journey in photographyby producing black & white prints in thedarkroom, he admits. Printing in colourwas never an option for me becausethe resources simply werent available.

Therefore, my images have always takenplace within the world of black & white.

OLYMPUS FEVER

Most photographers have their favouredweapon of choice, and for Rupert therehas only ever been one camera brand thathas accompanied him on his photographyodyssey Olympus.Im a big fan of Olympus OM-D series,

says Rupert. I actually had a break fromphotography for around 25 years. Duringthat time, I was working making shortfashion lms for brands such as Vogue andGlamour. Prior to that, I was working inphotography capturing minimalist naturallandscapes that look similar to the work Icreate now. I used Olympus cameras, thenand returned to them when I put down thevideo camera and picked up an OlympusOM-D E-M5 camera. Once Olympusproduced its micro four thirds technology,I knew Id found what I was looking for.The size of the camera is perhaps the

biggest appeal for Rupert. The ease ofcarrying around such a compact camerameans that it can be slipped into his jacketpocket with no concern for bulk and size.I have no interest in carrying around

something like a Canon EOS 5D, saysRupert. Ive used the EOS 5D for video andif I was working in a studio perhaps Id bemore tolerant. But for street work, I needsomething I can easily carry and conceal.I dont want people to know Im carryingaround a camera. Its difcult to blendin when youre advertising yourself as aphotographer. You stand out and, as a result,the nature of your subjects actions change.That thinking extends to the lens too I usea 20mm f/1.7 pancake lens. I dont want touse a zoom lens, as Id prefer to be in thebest position to begin with.Ruperts upcoming project continues

the themes so familiar from his previouswork. This time the project is less about thearchitecture and more about the abstract.Im working in similar locations to my

previous projects says Rupert. However,this time Im also including a couple ofshots from Barcelona. The way the lightfalls on this Spanish city is fantastic and itsbeen brilliant for my latest work. Im usingthe human gure in a much more abstractway. Its like looking at a piece from anincomplete puzzle youre not quite surewhat youre looking at. Its been a challenge,but Ive had a lot of fun doing it.AP

Below: Using

a lightweight

Olympus OM-D

E-M5, Rupert is

able to get covert

shots in the city

Above left:

Through the

considered use

of location and

subject, Rupert

is able to hint

at mysterious

narratives


Street photography Black &white

AS RUPERT wanted to do a series where he was able tocontrol things a little more, he worked with some models sohe could position them in a way that he wanted. The imageshave a very lm noir feel to them, he says. That particulargenre and its aesthetic is something Ive always loved. WithLate Night Tales, I thought it would be interesting to createsomething where there was more of a narrative runningthrough it. I could dress the models up and direct them.I was able to create a bunch of characters from all walksof life. I found some places in the East End of London thatwere fantastic, such as in Bethnal Green. All the imagesare set at night. At that time, these areas were like ghosttowns. Something else that was new for me was workingwith articial light. Sometimes the characters needed a littleextra illumination, so I used a single portable light panel.

LATENIGHTTALES

It benets a project to introducerestrictions. When you work with theminimum resources, creativity kicks in

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SubmityourpicturesSend up to six prints,slides or images on CD(please include theoriginal les from thecamera along withyour submittedversions on your CD).Tell us about thepictures and includedetails of equipmentused and exposuresettings. Send yourimages to Appraisal atthe address on page 3.Enclose an SAE if youwant them returned

WINThe person who takesthe picture of theweek* in Appraisalwill win a ManfrottoAdvanced ActiveBackpack 1 worth79.95. The ActiveBackpack 1 is a high-capacity yet compactrucksack that can alsobe used as a standarddaypack. It can holda DSLR systemwithtwo standard lenses,a 15in laptop, as wellas personal items andplenty of accessories,including a ash,laptop, documents andiPad. This is a usefuleveryday bag that isstrong yet exibleenough for anyonewho wants to carry awide variety of photogear and other items.

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Natural

Your pictures assessed


APappraisalExpert advice, help and tips from AP Editor Damien

WEALL love to be amazed by the tricksof a conjurer and feel a sense of wonder.Here the conjurer is Sergiy. Through sleightof hand and subtle suggestion, he showsus a massive view but forces us to look ata tiny part of it. The draw is undeniable andirresistible. When the picture is seen at theright size, the rst thing our eyes go to isthe skier even though he occupiesonly a minuscule part of the frame.The skier stands out for several reasons:

he is the only black part of the scene; hecontrasts dramatically with the bright tonesbehind him; he is perched on the seam wherethe groundmeets the distant slopes; and he

is the only person in a subtle landscape.Blowing the image up to study it closer,

I noticed that some of the detail andedges are a little crunchy and digitalfrom oversharpening. If you shoot in JPEGformat, this is sometimes an effect thecamera introduces to

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