Photography News 64 by Bright Publishing

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Issue 64 12 Mar-15 Apr

news

On test: Panasonic Lumix S1R 47.3 megapixels, full-frame and mirrorless page 64

On test: Olympus OM-D E-M1X The ideal camera for action and nature ? page 58

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography

Awards 2018 The results are in. It’s time to salute the winners page 15

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A Samsung 256GB memory card Enter the competition on page 88

Boasting Fujifilm’s latest X-Trans sensor plus a host of exciting features, the X-T30 is destined for great things

Following in the footsteps of a bigselling camera is always a challenge, but there’s no doubt the Fujifilm X-T30 has all the attributes to make it as popular as its predecessor, the X-T20. At the X-T30’s heart is the 26.1megapixel APS-C format X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor and X-Processor 4 image processor. This is the same combination found in the X-T3, the winner of the Professional CSC Camera category in our Awards 2018. There is also a new AF system on board that features a frame-filling on-sensor phase detection system that gives great performance down to -3EV. The body also has a focus lever for fast focus point selection. The X-T30, priced at £899 with the XC15-45mm lens and £1199 with the XF18-55mm, is available in black or silver now, with charcoal silver available from May. Find out more in this issue with our first look on the Fujifilm X-T30. See also page 3 for more Fujifilm news.

Canon offers full-frame to newbies The Canon EOS RP offers the chance to go full-frame on a budget. This 26.2-megapixel camera is also Canon’s smallest and lightest full-frame camera to date. Priced at £2329 for the EOS RP body, the Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. See page 3 for more on this exciting camera. canon.co.uk

fujifilm.eu/uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Compacts from Ricoh

Three from Fujifilm X-T30 key features APS-C 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor ISO 160-12,800, expansion 80 to 51,200 Up to 30fps shooting with electronic shutter and 1.25x crop, 20fps uncropped Intelligent hybrid AF with 91 areas 4K 4096x2160 video 16 film simulation modes 15mins to 1/32,000sec electronic shutter Wi-Fi 256-zone TTL metering 1xSD card slot

Fujifilm’s new X-T30 features the same X-Trans CMOS 4 image sensor and X-Processor 4 image processing engine as that found in the X-T3, and at 26.1 megapixels offers one of the highest resolutions among APS-C cameras. It features a new AF system with on-sensor phase-detection AF area covering the entire frame and can operate in -3EV. Taken from the X-T3, the X-T30 now also features the face-selection function for more control over focusing when shooting images that include several people. The body features a focus lever, which replaces the selector buttons on previous X Series models, providing users with extra space to grip the camera. The rear LCD is also 1.3mm thinner and offers an improved touchscreen response.

As for video functionality, the X-T30 offers 6K (6250x3510) recording to produce stunning quality 4K (3810x2160). 4K/30P video can be recorded at 4:2:0 8-bit to an SD card and F-log recording can be done at 4:2:2 10-bit via HDMI port. This X Series camera also includes Fujifilm’s Film Simulations, which now include ETERNA. You can also make monochrome adjustments in ACROS and there's a Color Chrome effect with two strength options. The X-T30 will be available in black or silver now, and also in charcoal silver from May 2019. It is priced at £849.99 with the XC1545mm kit priced at £899 and the XF18-55mm kit at £1199. The new XF16mm f/2.8 R WR lens offers a 35mm equivalent focal

length of 24mm and features an inner focus system that is driven by a stepping motor to offer a fast and quiet autofocus. It weighs just 155g and is 45.4mm in length. The XF16mmF2.8 R WR will be available in silver and black from March and in charcoal silver in May, at £349. The final launch is the FinePix XP140, which joins Fujifilm’s line of tough XP cameras. The XP140 is dust proof, waterproof to 25m, shockproof to 1.8mm and freeze proof. It weighs just 207g and features a 28mm lens with 5x optical zoom. The XP140 will be available in lime, yellow, graphite and sky blue from now, at £179.

FZ1000 II will be available from the end of March at £769.99. The Lumix TZ95 features a 20.3-megapixel sensor, 4K photo and video, 10fps high-speed burst shooting and is capable of shooting Raws and JPEGs. For convenience the camera can be charged via USB and with a fully charged battery you can shoot approximately 380 shots. The TZ95 will be available this April, in black and black silver, with a price of £399.99. panasonic.co.uk

ricoh-imaging.co.uk

fujifilm.eu/uk

Two from Panasonic Panasonic has announced the addition of the FZ1000 II bridge camera and TZ95 compact camera to its Lumix collection. The Panasonic FZ1000 II boasts a 1in 20.1-megapixel CMOS sensor and an autofocus system that can focus in as little as 0.09secs. Its Leica DC lens has a 16x optical zoom, offering a 35mm equivalent focal range of 25-400mm and an aperture range of f/2.8-4. With both an OLED viewfinder that offers a 2360k-dot resolution and 0.74x magnification, and a 3in, 1250k-dot free-angle monitor, composition at awkward angles is easy. Additional features include 4K photo, post focus, focus stacking, and photo styles for incamera editing, which includes a newly added L.Monochrome D mode and low-energy Bluetooth. The Panasonic Lumix

The Ricoh GR III is equipped with a 24.24-megapixel sensor and newly developed GR ENGINE 6 for improved image quality. It features a 18.3mm f/2.8 lens (28mm in 35mm format), with a macro mode with a minimum focusing distance of 6cm. The new WG-6 is waterproof to 20m, shockproof to 2.1m, freeze proof to -10°C and crush proof to 100kg; the toughest body of the WG series. Ricoh has also announced the G900 aimed at those working in areas such as civil engineering, construction and disaster relief. All three are available from this March. The GR III is £799.99, the WG-6 is £379.99 and the G900 is £699.99. Ricoh has also announced the Theta Z1 360 which captures 23-megapixel images, as well as 360˚ videos in 4K (3840x1920). It is available from April at £899.99.

Key features Full-frame 26.2-megapixel CMOS sensor with optical low pass filter ISO 100-40,000, expansion 50 to 102.400 4fps shooting with AF tracking Vari-angle 3in touchscreen monitor 4779 AF positions, 88% horizontal and 100% vertical coverage 4K video Wi-Fi Silent shooting

Canon adds EOS RP Canon has unveiled the second model in the EOS R mirrorless fullframe range, the EOS RP. It’s the smallest and lightest full-frame camera from Canon so far. While the EOS R was targeted at more experienced users the EOS RP is aimed at advanced amateurs. It features the same DIGIC 8 processor as the EOS R, but has a lower resolution, 26.2-megapixel sensor that captures 14-bit CR3 Raw files and the option of smaller C-Raw. The maximum native ISO is 40,000 with the option to extend up to 102,400. While it doesn’t feature the Dual Pixel Raw function of the EOS R, it does have the Dual Pixel

CMOS AF system making it capable of focusing down to -5EV. Additional features include Canon’s Creative Assist offering a range of filters, effects and controls in camera, a 7.5cm vari-angle touchscreen, and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity. It also has Dual Sensing, five-axis IS, with ISequipped lenses to reduce camera shake and a Digital Lens Optimiser (DLO) which can be applied in camera to RF lenses, as well as up to five EF lenses when registered in the camera to help achieve optimal clarity. The EOS RP is compatible with all of Canon’s EF and EF-S lenses,

23 custom features 1xSD card slot

thanks to three EF-EOS R adapter options, and Canon has now also announced the development of six new lenses for the EOS R system. These are: the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM DS; the RF 24-70mm f/2.8L IS USM; the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM; the RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM; and the RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM. The new Canon EOS RP weighs 485g and is available now for £1399.99 for the EOS RP body with the Mount Adapter EF-EOS R and £2329.99 with the addition of the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. canon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Sony’s latest Master

Samyang widest wide Samyang’s XP 10mm f/3.5 lens is claimed to be the world’s widest non-fisheye prime lens. It provides an ultra-wide-angle coverage up to 130º and features 18 lens elements in 11 groups, seven special optical elements, three aspherical elements, one high-refractive element and three extra-low dispersion elements. The XP 10mm f/3.5 will be available for Canon full-frame DSLR cameras this March 2019 at £949.99. A Nikon F-mount will also be available. intro2020.co.uk

The FE 135mm f/1.8 GM lens is Sony’s 31st native full-frame mirrorless lens. Aimed at professional portrait, wedding and sports photographers, the lens has been equipped with Sony’s XD linear motors to achieve rapid AF tracking; it also features a control algorithm to help ensure quiet and low vibration AF. Both XA (extreme aspherical) and Super ED (extra-low dispersion) glass elements are incorporated to suppress lens aberrations, while a Super ED element minimises chromatic aberrations and colour fringing. It features Sony’s Nano AR coating to reduce flare and ghosting.

Nikon unveils its first Z Pro lens

Design-wise, the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM features an aperture ring, focus ring and a focus range limiter, as well as two customisable focus hold buttons and a focus mode switch. It weighs in at 950g. For bokeh, the lens has an 11-blade circular aperture mechanism and it also offers a minimum focus distance of 70cm for close shooting. The lens is due in April with a price of £1750. Sony has also announced seven circular polariser filters in sizes from 49mm to 82mm, which will also ship in April. sony.co.uk

Sigma’s 11 Art lenses Sigma is a member of L-Mount Alliance and it has just announced its first products using this fitting. Sigma’s line-up of Art full-frame lenses, which consists of 11 primes from 14mm to 135mm, is now available in L-Mount. All lenses feature optimised AF with the AF Drive control program and high-speed communication being tuned to each lens. They’re also compatible with in-camera image stabilisation and in-camera aberration control, thanks to preloaded data which matches corrections to the optical characteristics of the

lens. Design-wise, the lenses feature a surface treatment, brass bayonet mount and rubber sealing to a dustand splash-proof construction. Pricing and availability of the lenses have yet to be confirmed. Sigma has also released the MC-21 Mount Converter, allowing you to fit Sigma SA and Sigma Canon EF mount lenses to L-Mount camera bodies. This means that a total of 29 Sigma lenses can be used with L-Mount cameras. No price or availability details yet.

Nikon has now announced its first f/2.8 Pro lens for the Z system. The optical design of the 2470mm f/2.8 S has a rounded nine-blade aperture for smoothly graded bokeh, plus 17 elements in 15 groups, with anti-reflective Arneo and Nano Crystal coatings. The lens also has a customisable control ring that allows you to choose between manual focusing, silent aperture control and exposure compensation. The L-Fn button can also be assigned up to 21 different functions. Other features include an OLED display panel, allowing you to quickly check settings

sigma-imaging-uk.com

One, two, three from Tamron Marking the 40th anniversary of its SP lens series, Tamron has announced the development of three lenses. The fast aperture SP 35mm f/1.4 Di USD has high-speed and high-precision AF and its features are available when used on a mirrorless camera via an adapter. For full-frame DSLRs, Tamron has introduced the 35-150mm f/2.8-4 Di VC

OSD, targeted at portrait photographers. It has a minimum focusing distance of 45cm across the entire focal range and features a Dual MPU (Micro-Processing Unit) system for optimal AF performance and vibration compensation. The third lens is the 17-28mm f/2.8 Di III RXD for Sony E-mount cameras. This high-speed ultra, wide-angle zoom

is powered by its RXD (rapid extra-silent stepping drive) stepping motor unit, to offer both quiet and high-speed AF when shooting stills or video. This lens has a 67mm filter size and a minimum focusing distance of 19cm. All prices and availability to be confirmed. intro2020.co.uk

such as aperture, focus distance, focal length and depth-of-field. It has a minimum focusing distance of 38cm and is fully weather sealed. Tim Carter, senior product manager, Nikon UK, says: “If you can only take one lens with you, the Nikkor Z 24– 70mm f/2.8 S offers the ideal combination of compact build and pro performance. Every component of a scene is rendered with lifelike clarity, and the full weather sealing readies this lens for any location.” Sales start from April and guide price is £2199. nikon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Lasting Legacy from Fotospeed Having released its Platinum C o t t o n 305 OBAfree paper last year, Fotospeed has now launched its sister paper, Legacy Gloss 325. This 100% cotton fine art paper has an unglazed gloss surface, high D-MAX, wide colour gamut and print life of more than 85 years. The brand new paper will be unveiled at The Photography Show on Fotospeed’s stand (F31). Legacy Gloss is available now in A4, A3, A3+ and A2 sheets, as well as 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in and 60in rolls. Sheet prices start from £37 (25 sheets, A4). There is a First Test on this lovely material in this issue. fotospeed.com

More memory from PNY PNY has announced a new range of performance flash cards, with capacities varying from 16GB to 512GB. The microSD range includes the Performance Plus, Elite, Elite-X and Pro Elite, while the SD includes the Elite, Elite-X and Pro-Elite. The Pro-Elite SD card and microSD offer read speeds of 100 MB/s and write speed up to 90MB/s. The new flash cards are available now. pny.com

Samyang's first RF lenses The MF 14mm f/2.8 and MF 85mm f/1.4 RF are the first two out of eight lenses to be announced in Samyang’s spring collection. Earlier this year Samyang announced that it would be releasing eight new lenses this spring. It has now released the first

Images The first RF lenses feature a new exterior design

two lenses, the MF 14mm f/2.8 RF and MF 85mm f/1.4 RF. The first two EOS RF mount lenses from Samyang reflect some of its key models in its exciting wideangle and telephoto line-up. The MF 14mm f/2.8 RF offers a 115.7˚angle of view, making it ideal for landscapes and interior, while the MF 85mm f/1.4 RF is aimed at portraiture. Both lenses feature a new exterior design and weather sealing, protection from light rain and snow and an Ultra Multi Coating to minimise aberration. Both lenses will be on display at The Photography Show on the Intro2020 stand and visitors will be able to get hands-on. Pricing is yet to be confirmed.

Charlie Waite becomes Olympus Mentor

intro2020.co.uk

Benro’s first 3-axis gimbal stabiliser To meet the needs of aspiring filmmakers and bloggers, Benro has announced a new range of three-axis electronic gimbals. The first model in the new series is the Benro RedDog R1, which is available now for £350. The RedDog R1 weighs 879g (without batteries) and is ideal for mirrorless camera systems, with the capability of holding up to 1.8kg of weight. It offers functionality to operate shutter and video on/off on Panasonic and Sony models, and will also allow you to control the zoom of Sony powerzoom lenses. Key features include a swivel handle which is

designed to allow filming from different angles and also makes the gimbal compact for travelling with. It offers three shoot modes: Locked-Down Mode, Horizontal Follow Mode and Universal Follow Mode and is also compatible with the Benro RedDog App allowing you to remotely control the gimbal and upgrade firmware. Its battery is stated as being able to last for 12 hours on a full charge, which takes only three hours. It also comes with a quick-storage case for fast and easy set-up. benroeu.com

Olympus has announced that leading landscape photographer Charlie Waite has joined its programme of photographers as an Olympus Mentor. The photographer programme sees Olympus work with a number of photographers to support individual requirements and offer various opportunities to them. The programme includes Ambassadors, Mentors and Visionaries. Georgina Pavelin, Olympus marketing manager said: “Landscape photography is an ideal genre that supports Olympus’ portability message with our lightweight professional kit. Charlie’s work is simply stunning, and we are looking forward to sharing this amazing project.”

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Olympus goes for power Olympus’ M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 offers a 16.6x magnification, giving a 35mm equivalent focal length of 24-400mm, currently making it one of the most powerful zoom lenses for Micro Four Thirds cameras. Like the rest of the M.Zuiko lens range, the lens is compact and lightweight, weighing 455g and measuring 77.5 x 99.7mm. It’s dust, splash and freeze proof, and it is also equipped with the MSC (Movie and Still Compatible) focus mechanism, offering highspeed AF

performance. To suppress chromatic aberrations and distortions, as well as reducing ghosting and flaring it has a Super ED lens, aspherical lenses, and a ZERO (Zuiko Extra-low Reflection Optical) coating which suppresses flare. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-200mm f/3.5-6.3 will be available from late March at £799.99. The lens comes with a free sixmonth warranty extension when registered via the MyOlympus platform at my.olympus.eu. olympus.co.uk

3 Legged Thing introduces Ellie L-Bracket 3 Legged Thing has announced an evolution of its universal L-Bracket. The Ellie features two different screw mount slots on its base and the length of the bracket base can also be adjusted using its rigid stainless steel sliding bars, allowing users to choose the best position for their camera. T h e vertical side of the bracket has an opening allowing users with L-shaped cable pins to connect accessories with ease, while both ends of the vertical aspect have two 1/4in-20 threads so you can attach

accessories such as microphones or mounting arms to the bracket. 3LT’s Danny Lenihan commented: “Ellie is the culmination of a year’s development and testing, and is built on the foundations of QR11 and hundreds of comments and emails from customers since the QR11 launched in 2017.” Ellie is made from aerospace grade magnesium alloy and will be available in two anodized finishes; Copper (orange) and Metallic Slate Grey. Ellie has a suggested retail price of £64.99. 3leggedthing.com

This year’s competition saw over 20,000 entries, the highest number of entries in the eight years that the Outdoor Photographer of the Year competition has been running for. Robert Birkby from the UK bagged himself the overall winning title, as well as winning the Light in the Land category. Detailing his shot, taken near Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, Robert said “Much of the higher ground in the South Pennines is relatively featureless, but these sheep had found shelter between a snowdrift and a dry stone wall. The conditions during this storm were some of the worst I’ve

encountered and the gale force wind was driving snow straight at me. I used my trusty 50mm lens with its small front element, cupping my left hand around it as a makeshift lens hood. Holding the camera still in the wind was difficult, so I used a fast shutter speed to keep things sharp and capture the falling snowflakes.” Speaking of the competition, head judge Steve Watkins, editor of Outdoor Photography magazine, said: “The judges were blown away by the quality of work that we looked at this year. It shows that the world of outdoor photography is thriving like never before, thanks to the hard work,

fresh thinking and deep passion brought by the photographers. There were so many outstanding images and it was incredibly tough to boil it all down to the final selection; those photographs that had an extra edge and impact to them, in terms of creative or technical expertise, or both. The competition is going from strength to strength, with the quality bar being raised each year.” The Young Outdoor Photographer of the year was named as Riccardo Marchegiani from Italy, with his shot of Simien National Park, Ethiopia, with Anya Burnell from the UK

B r i t i s h graphic designer Luke Wesley P r i c e brought his love for space exploration to life by creating Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey, commemorating 30 years of space shuttle exploration. The book collates details of every space shuttle mission, including launch dates and crew lists, with stunning photos showing launch sequences, space walks and in-flight maintenance. Available in April, the book is £30 from Ammonite Press. ammonitepress.com

Outdoor Photographer of the Year winners announced

Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey

taking the runner-up spot with her shot of Berry Head, Brixham, Devon. You can see the full list of winners and find out more about the competition at opoty.co.uk.

Above Overall winner of OPOTY was Robert Birkby, with this image of sheep in the snow taken near Hebden Bridge in Yorkshire

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Tell us your club’s latest news, email: clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Camera club news If your club has any news you want to share with the world, these are the pages for it. Your story might be about your club’s success in a contest, or a member’s personal achievements; it could be about a group outing you had recently or when the annual exhibition is on show. Any news is eligible for inclusion, so club publicity officers please take note of the submission guidelines (right) and get your stories in

Clubs

Here’s how to submit

We need words and pictures by 7 April 2019 for the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 16 April 2019. If you want to submit, follow these guidelines: yy Write your story in 250 words or fewer. Include the club’s website, meeting times, what the event is, opening times, entrance costs – anything relevant. yy We need an image for every story. JPEGs, 2000 pixels max on the longest dimension, any colour space, credits should be included in your text. yy We DO NOT use posters or images with words on the image front. yy Before the above deadline, attach the text document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

open mono; portraits and figure studies; scapes; and wet prints silver prints plus alternative processes. Further information can be found at midland-mono.co.uk. Smethwick is also hosting the 1st National AV Festival, 13 to 14 April. See the new website for more details of this and other events. smethwickps.co.uk

Helpful dates We’re always keen to receive club submissions. To help with the planning and timing of submissions, here are the publication and deadline dates for the next few issues of Photography News. Issue 65, out from 16 April Deadline for contributions: 7 April Issue 66, out from 14 May Deadline for contributions: 3 May Issue 67, out from 18 June Deadline for contributions: 10 June Issue 68, out from 16 July Deadline for contributions: 8 July Issue 69, out from 13 August Deadline for contributions: 5 August Issue 70, out from 10 September Deadline for contributions: 1 September

Cranleigh CC © Chris Flood

rtps.org.uk

Harpenden PS’s annual exhibition takes place this year on 27 April at High Street Methodist Church, Harpenden, from 10am till 4.30pm. One of the cultural highlights of the county’s events calendar, Harpenden PS warmly welcomes all to visit its exciting exhibition, featuring the inspirational work of many local photographers. Harpenden PS chairman Peter Stevens FRPS, comments: “The society’s annual photography exhibition is an incredible showcase of the very best images from our members. Each year our exhibition gets bigger and better, and we’re delighted to

once again welcome everyone to come along and be inspired by the wonderful work on display.” HPS members will be on hand throughout the day to answer any questions you might have about membership. harpendenphoto graphicsociety.co.uk © David Whitbread

Opening times are 10.30am to 5.30pm (every day including Easter bank holidays). Admission £2, children free. Most of the prints will be available to buy along with a selection of greetings cards and used photo books and equipment. Refreshments will be available in the Landmark café where visitors can watch an additional display of digital images. The Society, which meets every Thursday at 8pm at Kew Community Centre, has around 150 members, from beginners to professionals. New members are always welcome.

Harpenden PS © Peter Wilson

Richmond & Twickenham PS More than 500 photographs will be on display at Richmond & Twickenham PS’s annual exhibition at The Landmark Arts Centre in Teddington, south west London, from 11 to 22 April. The Landmark is in Ferry Road, TW11 9NN, website landmarkartscentre.org. The exhibition will boast a range of genres and styles from a society which is one of the largest in the country. In addition, the RPS’s Visual Art Group will be showing its 2019 Print Exhibition. Some RTPS members will also be displaying panels of images which recently gained them RPS distinctions.

Smethwick PS Smethwick PS will be hosting the MidPhot 2019 exhibition 20 to 24 March. The contest, run by the MCPF, is now in its 56th year and shows the best of Midlands photography. The event takes place at the Old Schoolhouse, Churchbridge, Oldbury B69 2AS. Doors are open Wednesday to Friday from 7pm (AVs start 8pm), admission £3, Saturday to Sunday 10am to 5pm, admission £5 (all day). See mcpf.co.uk for full details. The first Midland Monochrome national competition run by Smethwick PS opens on 20 March. If you are a keen mono print photographer, don’t miss out on submitting to this new exciting competition. There are four sections:

Deadline for the next issue: 7 April 2019

Cranleigh CC’s annual show features an impressively varied, interesting range of colour and monochrome images, both printed and projected on screen. On display will be more than 300 photographs featuring a wide range of different subjects and the entries were assessed by David Mendus, a highly experienced judge. Many of the prints are for sale. Refreshments are available and parking is easy – Cranleigh’s main car park is only a few yards past the Village Hall down Village Way. cranleighcameraclub.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Tell us your club’s latest news, email: clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Clubs

Keen to maintain the special relationship it is forging with friends across the pond, City of London & Cripplegate PS (COLCPS) has repeated its competition with the Camera Club of Hendersonville (CCOH) in North Carolina, USA. This friendly competition started in 2017 because the clubs have two members who attend both, depending on which country they are in. “We have called it ‘Hands across the sea’,” says COLCPS chair Natalie Robinson. “It provides a great opportunity to pit our creative skills against our American friends and see how we both approach a photographic theme. “The rules are that each club provides five images in four

categories; these are scored blind and the highest total score determines which club wins. To

Cheltenham CC is pleased to announce the seventh Cheltenham International Salon of Photography (CISP). There are five sections: colour, monochrome; creative; nature;

February saw the annual Fosse Inter Cities PDI trophy. This is a four image event which this year had entries from 16 clubs across the Midlands and was judged by Peter Yeo FRPS. Earl Shilton emerged in first place – actually, joint first with Leicester Forest PS – scoring 75 from a possible 80. From Earl Shilton CC’s four entries, Jules Holbeche-Maund received the Gold Medal for her image ‘White Feathered Goddess’ and Ian Waite achieved a highly commended for ‘The Scamp’ – both scored the top mark of 20. The other images were ‘Vestrahorn’ by Phil Mallin scoring 18 and ‘Swooping falcon’ by Peter Lawrance scoring 17. Earl Shilton CC also has a presentation night on the 29 May at the Mary Forryan Centre in Hinckley with Charlie Waite. Tickets are available from Earl Shilton CC’s website. earlshiltoncameraclub.org.uk

biggleswadecameraclub.co.uk

Cheltenham International

there’s a bar! Visitors may attend three meetings free before deciding to join – there is a visitor’s charge of £3 on lecture nights. The subscription for the remainder of the season is just £20 (half price for under 18s and full-time students).

Earl Shilton CC

a warm and friendly welcome with help and advice freely given – and

and travel. Entries can be made online. Closing date for entries is 1 April. cheltenhamcameraclub. co.uk/wordpress/salon

viewfinderphoto.org

The Viewfinder PS is hosting a talk by Heather Angel at the Parkway Cinema, Beverley, East Yorkshire on 8 April 2019. starting at 7.30pm. Heather Angel has been at the forefront of wildlife photography for several decades and her images appear in magazines and books all over the world. Her passion for photographing mammals, plants and macro subjects has led to many awards in Britain and overseas. China has a special fascination for Heather and her frequent visits to the wilder parts of this enigmatic country have resulted in three books on pandas alone. In recent years, she has also invested a lot of time working at Kew Gardens in London, documenting the wildlife for her book and exhibition, Wild Kew. Tickets (£10 adults, £5 students) are available from beverley.parkwaycinemas.co.uk

cityandcripplegate-ps.org

Biggleswade & District CC Biggleswade & District CC has a new venue, the Sullivan Room at The Weatherley Centre, Orchard Close, Biggleswade SG18 0NE. If you enjoy taking photos and want to increase your knowledge, then please go along any Thursday at 7.30pm for 8pm start until approximately 10pm from September to April. You will receive

Viewfinder PS

encourage wide participation, COLCPS members can submit as many images as they like,

but in the final selection each member can have only one image per category. “In 2017 COLCPS chose the categories and provided the judge; CCOH came out on top and we contributed the winning image in one category. “In 2018 it was the turn of CCOH to choose a judge and decide on the categories, which were: dramatic light; motion; urban life; and weather. This time we came out on top (hurrah!) and our members’ images were winners in three categories, with a joint winner in the fourth. “With the honours now even in this friendly competition, we are hoping that it will continue for a number of years yet”.

City & Cripplegate extends its hand across the sea

Maidstone’s KCPA double The 2018-19 season is proving to be a real success story for Maidstone CC. Each year the Kent County Photographic Association (KCPA) holds two major competitions open to affiliated clubs: the Ross Cup for prints and the Diamond Jubilee for PDIs. Maidstone were joint winners with Beckenham PS of the 68th Ross Cup and outright winners of the 9th Annual Diamond Jubilee

competition. Maidstone member Steve Carroll ARPS also won the Premier Award Certificate and Ashford PS Shield with his image ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’. Maidstone CC meets every Tuesday evening from September to May at Madginford Hall, Bearsted ME15 8LH, from 7.30pm. New members are always welcome. maidstonecameraclub.org.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards Gear of the Year

Photography News Awards 2018 WINNERS The competition is over, the votes have been counted and the results are in. Discover what Photography News readers consider to be the best imaging kit available over the next three pages. It’s a top gear fest!

Photography is very much about workflow – and the Photography News Awards 2018 reflect that accordingly. We begin with the capture categories, which includes the expected cameras and lenses, but also covers memory cards, tripods, filters, bags and lighting. Once you have your images, you need to do something with them, so we recognise that with our categories for software, colour management kit and monitors. After you have worked on your images, you need to output them. We all know most pictures stay on hard drives or get posted online, but there is nothing like holding a lovely print; thus we have awards for printers and inkjet media.

From umpteen product categories, it doesn’t seem fair to highlight any particular winner, but we’re going to anyway. The Innovation Award went to the L-Mount Alliance between Leica, Panasonic and Sigma. Major brands collaborating isn’t especially innovative and it probably happens all the time at some level, but we just don’t know about it. The L-Mount alliance with two major brands such as Panasonic and Sigma adopting the lens mount of another, Leica, is less usual, but it makes sense. Panasonic has already announced two mirrorless full-frame cameras (the Lumix S1R test is in this issue) and Sigma has recently unveiled an 11 prime lens line-up

using the L-Mount (see page 3). It would be a major surprise if L-mount products don’t figure prominently in the 2019 awards. Medium format digital is never going to be mass market, but there is no doubt Fujifilm has made the joys of bigger images more affordable than ever with its GFX system. This year’s winning medium format camera is the GFX 50R and, while its sensor and processor are known quantities, packaging it in a different and more compact body and with handling reminiscent of its old roll-film cameras has definitely attracted plaudits. Enjoy, and thank you for supporting the awards. It is, as always, massively appreciated.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

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The power of prints

Print and save with the Epson EcoTank ET-7750 Photography is a linear process, from previsualisation and capture through to editing, ultimately ending in something tangible: a print. There is nothing more satisfying than enjoying a pile of prints after a shoot or trip, and producing those prints at home only intensifies the experience. It is stating the obvious, but enjoying your creativity on-screen is essentially free, while making prints costs money. The printer itself is a significant initial investment but over time it is the cost of consumables that hurts. The Epson EcoTank ET-7750 is an all-inone A3 printer/copier/scanner unit offering cartridge-free printing with its easy-to-refill, five-colour inks selling for £699.99. The ET7750 is one of several models in the EcoTank family and it offers up to A3 output. Set-up is quick and easy – all you have to do is fill each cartridge from the supplied ink. It’s mostly mess-free – although I managed to spill a few drops of ink so it’s worth having some kitchen towel handy and perhaps some newspaper under the ink tank area to preserve your tabletop. The printer comes with two bottles of each colour ink and there is a spare maintenance tank too (one is supplied already fitted). Once the tanks are filled, it is a matter of initialisation (which gives you time for a cuppa) and connecting to

Epson at The Photography Show Epson will be demonstrating the EcoTank ET-7750 along with its full range of fine art printers and media at The Photography Show, 16-17 March at the NEC, stand E81.

Images: Set-up is quick and easy, and filling the cartridges with the supplied inks is relatively mess free

Spec Price £699.99 Replacement inks: 105 black 140ml £17.99, EcoTank 106 cyan, magenta, yellow, photo black 70ml £11.99. Maintenance tank £8.99 In the box ET-7750, manual, CD, power cord, two bottles 105 black 140ml, two 70ml bottles each 106 cyan, magenta, yellow, photo black. Maintenance tank supplied fitted and one spare included Ink technology Pigment black and four dye colour inks

Printing method Epson Micro Piezo print head – 360 nozzles black, 180 per colour Minimum droplet size 1.5picolitre with variable-sized droplet technology Printing resolution 5760x1440dpi LCD screen 6.8cm colour Card format SD

Paper formats Up to A4 in paper tray, A3 in rear tray feed

Operating systems Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, Server Mac OS X 10.6 to 10.12

CD/DVD printing Yes

Interfaces Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct, USB, Ethernet, USB host

Accepted paper weights 64 to 300gsm

Dimensions (WxDxH) 52.6x41.5x16.8cm

Scanner resolution 1200x2400dpi (hxv)

Weight 10.5kg

your network. There are Ethernet and USB interfaces available if you prefer hardwiring but getting the unit working wirelessly is easy. The EcoTank ET-7750 suits a range of media including Epson Photo Paper Glossy. Generic ICC profiles were not available for this printer so you have several options: let the printer manage colours, try sRGB or Adobe RGB through Photoshop or make your own. I tried all three with a good level of success notably with colour images. Perhaps not surprisingly prints via my homemade profile usually looked the best but the same files outputted via Photoshop and sRGB looked very good too and on occasion looked superior. The Photoshop/sRGB combination worked very well on the papers where I didn’t bother to make a custom profile. My monochromes, while acceptable, were a little short of what I’d like, but then my usual Epson printer, the SC-P800, has several black inks. Deep shadows and blacks looked fine but mid-tones lacked depth and tonal smoothness and several monochromes came out with delicate colour casts.

In use, the printer was quiet and fast. An A3 print took about two minutes and out of 30 prints, I had two misfeeds. I tried topping the ink tanks up to full just to check that the process was simple – it was. Verdict The Epson EcoTank ET-7750 is a capable photo printer and the proposition it offers – photo-quality output with low running costs – is very tempting. The fact that it also scans and copies is an added bonus. At £699.99 the ET-7750’s initial investment is higher than Epson’s dedicated A3+ printers – the SCP600 sells at £549 while the SC-P400 is £454 – but produce prints in good numbers and the extra cost is soon recouped. If running costs has deterred you from home printing, Epson’s ET-7750 could be the answer. Epson.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards

CONSUMER DSLR WINNER: Canon EOS 800D Nominations: yy Canon EOS 2000D yy Nikon D3500 yy Nikon D7200 yy Pentax K-70 yy Sony A68

ADVANCED CSC Winner: Panasonic Lumix DC-G9 Nominations: yy Canon EOS R yy Fujifilm X-T20 yy Leica M10-P yy Nikon Z 6 yy Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II yy Sony A7 III

ADVANCED DSLR Winner: Nikon D850 Nominations: yy Canon EOS 6D Mark ll yy Canon EOS 7D Mark ll yy Nikon D500 yy Pentax K-1 Mark II yy Sony A77 II

PROFESSIONAL CSC Winner: Fujifilm X-T3 Nominations: yy Nikon Z 7 yy Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S yy Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II yy Sony A7R III yy Sony A9

PROFESSIONAL DSLR Winner: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Nominations: yy Canon EOS 5DS R yy Canon EOS-1D X Mark II yy Nikon D5 yy Sony a99 II

CONSUMER CSC Winner: Olympus PEN E-PL9 Nominations: yy Canon EOS M50 yy Fujifilm X-T100 yy Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III yy Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX80

WIDE-ANGLE LENS Winner: Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art Nominations: yy Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM yy Fujifilm XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR yy Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28mm f/1.4E ED yy Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F yy Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM Art yy Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM yy Tamron SP 15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 yy Tokina Fírin 20mm f/2 FE AF yy Zeiss Milvus 25mm f/1.4

STANDARD LENS Winner: Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Nominations: yy Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM yy Fujifilm XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR yy Fujifilm XF35mm f/2 R WR yy Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S yy Olympus M.Zuiko 25mm f/1.2 PRO yy Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM Art yy Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art yy Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art yy Tokina Opera 50mm f/1.4 FF

COMPACT /BRIDGE Winner: Panasonic Lumix LX100 II Nominations: yy Canon PowerShot SX740 HS yy Fujifilm XF10 yy Leica C-Lux yy Nikon Coolpix P1000 yy Sony DSC-HX95

TELEPHOTO LENS Winner: Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM Sport Nominations: yy Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM yy Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM yy Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR yy Fujifilm XF200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR yy Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR yy Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF yy Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art yy Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS yy Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD

MEDIUM FORMAT Winner: Fujifilm GFX 50R Nominations: yy Fujifilm GFX 50S yy Hasselblad H6D-400c MS yy Hasselblad X1D-50c yy Leica S (Typ 007) yy Phase One XF IQ3 100MP

SUPERZOOM LENS Winner: Olympus M.Zuiko 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Nominations: yy Fujifilm XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR yy Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR yy Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS yy Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD yy Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD

MACRO LENS Winner: Voigtländer 65mm f/2 Macro Apo-Lanthar Nominations: yy Fujifilm XF80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro yy Laowa 25mm f/2.8 Ultra Macro yy Olympus M.Zuiko 30mm f/3.5 Macro yy Sigma 70mm f/2.8 DG Macro Art yy Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD

MEDIUM FORMAT LENS Winner: Hasselblad XCD 80mm f/1.9 Nominations: yy Hasselblad XCD 21mm f/4 yy Fujifilm GF110mm f/2 R LM WR yy Fujifilm GF250mm f/4 R LM OIS WR TRIPOD: ALLOY Winner: Manfrotto BeFree Aluminium Travel Nominations: yy 3 Legged Thing Punks Travis yy Benro Slim Travel – Aluminium yy Kenro Karoo Compact Tripod (Large, Aluminium) yy Nest Traveller NT-6294AK Tripod yy Slik PRO 700DX

TRIPOD: CARBON FIBRE Winner: Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel Tripod (Carbon Fibre) 401C Nominations: yy 3 Legged Thing Equinox Albert yy Gitzo GT3543LS Systematic yy Manfrotto BeFree GT carbon yy Novo Explora T20 yy Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CGHT

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards MONITOR Winner: BenQ SW320 Pro 32in IPS LCD Nominations: yy BenQ SW240 24in IPS LCD yy Dell UltraSharp 32 UP3216Q yy Eizo ColorEdge CG318-4K 31in yy Philips Brilliance 40in 4K Ultra HD LCD (BDM4037UW) yy Samsung 32in QLED 4K UHD U32H850

FILTER Winner: Marumi Magnetic Filter System Nominations: yy Benro 100mm Filter System yy H&Y magnetic Filter System yy Hoya Ultra-Pro Filters yy Lee Filters Reverse ND Filter yy SRB Elite Filter System

PRINTER Winner: Epson EcoTank ET-7750 Nominations: yy Canon Pixma PRO-100S yy DNP DS820A yy Fujifilm Frontier-S yy Mitsubishi Smart D90EV yy Tomy KiiPix

ON-CAMERA FLASH Winner: Rotolight NEO 2 Nominations: yy Hähnel Modus 600RT yy Metz Mecablitz 64 AF-1 yy Nissin Di700A yy Pixapro Li-ION580 MKII TTL yy Pixel X900 yy Profoto A1

INNOVATION Winner: L-Mount Alliance: Leica Camera AG, Panasonic and Sigma Nominations: yy Canon EOS R System yy Nikon Z System

MEMORY CARD Winner: Lexar Professional 1000x SDHC/ SDXC UHS-II Nominations: yy PNY Elite Performance 512GB SDXC UHS-I yy Samsung MicroSDXC PRO Endurance 128GB yy SanDisk Extreme microSD UHS-I 400GB yy Sony SD SF-G TOUGH UHS-II PORTABLE FLASH Winner: Profoto B10 Nominations: yy Broncolor Siros 400 L yy Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL yy Elinchrom ELB 1200 yy Interfit S1 yy Pixapro Pika200 TTL yy Profoto B1X

EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE Winner: G-Technology G-DRIVE Mobile SSD Nominations: yy Drobo 8D yy LaCie Portable SSD yy Samsung Portable SSD X5 yy Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

INKJET MEDIA: PHOTOGRAPHIC FINISH Winner: PermaJet Photo Lustre 310 Nominations: yy Canson Infinity Platine Fibre Rag 310GSM – satin yy Fotospeed Platinum Baryta 300 Signature yy Hahnemühle Photo yy Gloss Baryta 320

SOFTWARE Winner: Serif Affinity Photo Nominations: yy Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC yy Portrait Professional v18 yy DxO PhotoLab 2

BEST RETAILER Winner: CameraWorld

SOFT BAG/BACKPACK Winner: Tenba Shootout 16L DSLR Backpack Nominations: yy Crumpler Kingpin Camera Bag 9000 yy Gitzo Adventury 45L yy Lowepro FreeLine BP 350 AW yy MindShift FirstLight 30L yy Think Tank StreetWalker V2.0

INKJET MEDIA: FINE ART FINISH Winner: Hahnemühle William Turner 310 Nominations: yy Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 310gsm yy Fotospeed Platinum Cotton 305 yy Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic yy PermaJet Photo Art Silk 290 MAINS FLASH Winner: Interfit Honey Badger 320Ws Nominations: yy Broncolor Siros 400 S yy Elinchrom ELC Pro HD yy Profoto D2

BEST USED SPECIALIST RETAILER Winner: MPB

PROCESSING LAB Winner: One Vision

PHOTO WEBSITE PROVIDER Winner: Amazing Internet

CONTINUOUS LIGHT Winner: NanGuang RGB LED Tube Light Nominations: yy Interfit LM8 18in Daylight LED Ring Light yy Rotolight Anova PRO 2 Bi-Colour

ROLLER/HARD CASE Winner: Vanguard Alta Fly 55T Nominations: yy Manfrotto ProLight Reloader Tough-55 LowLid yy Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 yy Think Tank Airport TakeOff V2.0 T499

COLOUR MANAGEMENT DEVICE Winner: DataColor Spyder5PRO+ Nominations: yy Datacolor Spyder5CAPTURE PRO X-Rite yy X-Rite ColorMunki Photographer Kit yy X-Rite i1Studio

TRAINING PROVIDER Winner: The Photographer Academy

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

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Learn Profoto

If you’re attending The Photography Show, make sure to visit the Profoto stand (E121) to learn top tips and techniques from professional photographers who use Profoto kit on a day-to-day basis Hannah Couzens Award-winning portrait photographer Hannah Couzens opened her first portrait studio at the age of 22. She has worked with a number of high-profile clients, including actors and musicians and even worked as a freelance photographer in New Zealand.

Sanjay Jogia Hannah now travels all over the world sharing her knowledge and teaching. She is giving two demos at The Photography Show this year, on all four days. The first is ‘Maximum impact with minimal kit portraits’ (B10) where Hannah will demonstrate how you can create multiple looks using just two B10 and two light shapers. In her second demo, ‘Creating Atmospheric Portraits with the B10’

you’ll be able to see how to create mood and depth to your images. For this demo, Hannah is building her lighting set-up one light at a time so you can see the effects each light and position makes. In addition, Hannah is giving a free talk on creative character portraits between 13:00 and 13:30 on the Monday. hcphotography.co.uk

Named as one of the top six wedding photographers in the world by Professional Photographer magazine, Sanjay Jogia is a multiple award-winning luxury wedding photographer, alongside his partner Roshni Jogia. Together, they form Eye Jogia. Sanjay is giving his ‘Inspiring Light – Expert Secrets’ talk on

the Profoto stand on the Saturday, Sunday and Tuesday. He will be sharing his lighting secrets for weddings. eyejogia.com

Visit Sanjay • Saturday 14:30 • Sunday 16:00 • Tuesday 13:30

Andy Hoàng Visit Hannah • • • •

Saturday 10:30 and 13:30 Sunday 10:30 and 14:00 Monday 10:30 and 16:00 Tuesday 10:30 and 15:30

Rory Lewis Rory Lewis has spent over a decade photographing some of the world’s most recognised faces from William Shatner, David Cameron, Sir Derek Jacobi, Iain Glen and Natalie Dormer. His list of clients includes Pepsi, Universal Pictures, the British Army, Cancer Research UK, The Times and many more. He has won the Portrait of Britain award two years in a row and has also had

some work acquired by the National Portrait Gallery. Rory is giving his talk ‘Portability Portraiture’ across all four days on the Profoto stand, where he will discuss how he uses the B2 To-Go kits and other portable Profoto equipment for his work. rorylewis.co.uk

Visit Rory • • • •

Saturday 12:00 Sunday 12:00 Monday 14:00 Tuesday 14:00

Visit Andy • Monday 13:30 • Tuesday 11:30

London-based fashion and commercial photographer Andy Hoàng specialises in studio lighting and has had his worked published on the front cover of magazines in London and New York. His ‘Creating light with reflectors’ talk will show you how to create great images using the Profoto B10s and a range of handheld reflectors. andyhoang.com

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

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secrets at TPS! Amanda Thomas Established fashion and portrait photographer, Amanda Thomas, has more than 20 years of experience working with creative agencies, art directors and business owners of small, exciting fashion brands.

Tina Eisen Amanda is also known for working with sustainable fashion brands. Her talk, ‘Creative Portrait: one light, three ways’, will show you how to get creative and light your subjects differently through live demonstrations. amandathomasphotographer.co.uk

Visit Tina • Saturday 11:30 and 16:00 • Sunday 12:30 and 15:00 • Monday 11:30 and 14:30

Visit Amanda • Saturday 12:30 • Sunday 13:30

Kate & Brent Kirkman Husband and wife team, Kate (previously Kate Hopewell-Smith) and Brent Kirkman are specialists in luxury and destination wedding photography and cinematography. Together they have photographed intimate celebrations for stars from the worlds of TV, film and music. The couple also run Training byLumiere where they share their knowledge through workshops. Kate and Brent are giving two talks on the Profoto stand, ‘Shedding light on weddings’, where they will provide their insight into when, how and why they use artificial lighting for weddings. The second talk ‘Where there is darkness, let

Known for her editorial, commercial beauty and fashion work, Tina Eisen has more than 10 years of experience in the industry and has worked with clients such as Sephora, ASOS, Harvey Nichols and more. Tina runs workshops across Europe and North America and is a regular speaker and educator for a number of brands, including Profoto. At this year’s show, Tina is giving three talks demonstrating six different set-ups using the Profoto A1. tinaeisen.com

there be light’ will include a demonstration on how to use simple but effective lighting techniques for bridal and groom portraits, as well as couple shots. They are also giving a talk titled ‘The Hour of No Second Chances’ on the Wedding and Portrait stage on the Tuesday at 11am, where they’ll share their tips on how to navigate through the toughest hour of a wedding. bylumiere.co.uk

Discover more

Visit Kate & Brent • Saturday 15:30 • Sunday 11:00 • Monday 12:30 and 15:30

To find out more about Profoto’s products visit stand E121at The Photography Show or head to profoto.com profoto.com

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First look

Specs Prices X-T30 body only £849, X-T30 with XC15-45mm lens £899, X-T30 with XF18-55mm lens £ 1199 Sensor 26.1-megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4 Sensor format 23.5x15.6mm, APS-C ISO range 200-12,800, expanded ISO 80, 100, 125, 25,600, 51,200 Shutter range Mechanical shutter 30secs to 1/4000sec, electronic shutter 30secs to 1/32,000sec, flash sync 1/180sec Drive modes Mechanical shutter 8fps top speed, 20fps with electronic shutter, up to 30fps electronic shutter with 1.25x crop Metering system 256-zone, multi, spot, average, centre-weighted Exposure modes PASM, Advanced SR Auto Exposure compensation +/-5EV, autobracketing up to nine frames Monitor 3in, 1.04 million dot Viewfinder 2.36 million dot OLED, 100% view Focusing Intelligent hybrid AF, (TTL contrast/ TTL phase detect AF) Focus points 13x9 or 25x17 zones. Zone AF 3x3, 5x5, 7x7 from 91 areas on 13x9 grid. Wide tracking AF (up to 18 areas). Single and All Video 4K 4096x2160 29.97p, 25p, 24p, 23.98p, 200Mbps/100Mbps up to ten mins, Full HD

Fujifilm X-T30 The small and perfectly formed Fujifilm X-T30 builds on the considerable success of the X-T20 and offers much of the impressive feature set of the pro-spec X-T3, but in a compact form and at a killer price Words by Terry Hope In the eyes of many, small is beautiful – and for a number of very good reasons. For a start, the more compact a camera is, the more likely you are to carry it around with you. There’s also the advantage that it will take up less space in your luggage if you’re travelling, and it’s going to be lighter carry for long periods. For sure, there might be an assumption that a ‘serious’ camera needs to be a certain size to have credibility, but then again, if you look at the feature set offered by the latest Fujifilm X-T30, then you’ll quickly understand this is not necessarily the case. The Fujifilm X-T20 has proved itself to be one of the most successful cameras in the company’s history, and the design team has clearly taken note. So it is that the formula hasn’t been messed with and the new X-T30 is remarkably similar in appearance and size, with just a little shaved off thanks to a slimmeddown LCD screen. From the front, it’s virtually identical, while on the back

the only really noticeable change is the welcome addition of a focus lever to make negotiation of the menu a little simpler. Most of the updates have happened internally, and the good

Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, geotagging, USB 3.1, HDMI micro Other key features 16 Film Simulation modes, eight advanced filters (toy camera, miniature, soft focus, etc), in-body Raw conversion, ISO, film simulation and focus bracketing (1-999steps)

The X-T30 comes with around 90% of the feature set of the more expensive, but still hugely popular, X-T3

Storage media 1 x SD card Dimensions (wxhxd) 118.4x82.8x46.8mm Weight 383g body with battery

Left The Fujifilm X-T30 sports the company’s latest APS-C sensor: a 26 megapixel X-Trans CMOS 4

Contact fujifilm.eu

A pro’s view: Marianne Chua Professional photographer Marianne Chua was given an X-T30 to use, and she passed on her comments about the camera at the launch. “About 90% of what I cover is weddings,” she says, “and the remainder is corporate and press events. I received an X-T30 in January and, although I didn’t have any weddings taking place then, I had a couple of trips lined up. I took a pre-production camera with me on these, fitted with the XF18-55mm lens.

“For me the experience was highly enjoyable and I loved the freedom of being about to walk around with a camera that was so compact I hardly felt like I was even carrying anything. I could tuck it under my coat while I was walking around Istanbul, so it was inconspicuous. “Though I love taking pictures and really enjoy my professional work, I have to say that, making my living from photography, I’m not so keen

on picking up my professional X-T3 camera on my days off. However, working with the X-T30 was different and liberating, and I was more than happy to be walking around taking pictures for my own pleasure. It didn’t feel like work – I was like an enthusiast, looking for pictures and shooting for myself. “The speed of the autofocus and the eye and face detection was amazing and I did a little whoop of delight when I realised the new

camera had a focus lever, which was something I’d fed back to Fujifilm I was looking for. It’s great to think their designers might be taking on board the comments of its users. “As a professional, I’ll be sticking with my X-T3 cameras for weddings, but the X-T30 will certainly have a role to play as a back-up body, and it’s also a camera I’ll be using extensively for my personal projects.” mariannechua.com

news is the X-T30 comes with around 90% of the feature set of the more expensive, but still highly popular, X-T3, while being more compact and around 65% of the price. It features the same updated 26.1-megapixel APS-C X-Trans CMOS 4 sensor as its big brother, backed up by the latest X-Processor 4 with Quad-Core CPU, which is around three times faster than the previous version. The camera weighs in at just 383g (body only) and feels light and well balanced in the hands. For those with sausage fingers, it might almost be a tad too compact since the various buttons are, by necessity, very close together, but I found it easy to find my way around and very similar in operation to the X-T20. For those who know that particular camera, this will be a logical step up, and Fujifilm is building on a proven success that offers just that little bit extra.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First look Andreas Georghiades, marketing manager of electronic imaging, Fujifilm The X-T20 is our best-selling X Series camera ever and so Fujifilm was never going to move away from a popular formula. Around 90% of the sales for this camera were to non-professionals and, for this audience, it’s not just the performance of the camera that’s important, but also the look of it. It’s a lifestyle product and they want something that’s nicelooking, as well as being easy to carry around. With that in mind, the X-T30 is very similar in appearance to the X-T20 and it’s similarly compact. Inside, it’s got much of the functionality of the hugely popular X-T3, which picked up a camera of the year award last year, while costing considerably less. Of course, there are a few compromises given how much smaller the camera is, but these are things we feel many people will be happy to live with, particularly if they are looking for a compact model. So, while video functionality is right up there, there’s no headphone socket included, although one can be used via a 3.5mm adaptor connected to the USB-C port. It also won’t deliver 4K 60p recording, because there isn’t room on board for a large enough heat sink, and the tilting LCD touchscreen is two- rather than three-way. There’s also a single SD card slot rather than the two on the X-T3, but all of these are things we believe many enthusiasts would trade off against a more compact and flexible model. The camera is a result of Fujifilm reaching out to its customers and responding to their needs. We’re asking things like: what firmware updates do they want to see? What lenses would they like to see introduced next? The ability of modern cameras to be updated throughout their lifetime is also crucial. At the time of its launch, the X-T30 will have the latest firmware algorithms and there will be regular updates available down the line. These days, when people buy a camera, they don’t want to feel it’s out of date a year or so later, and this way we’ll be able to keep it at the cutting edge for much longer.

The camera offers blackoutfree 30fps in ES with a 1.25x crop, while the AF is formidable on a number of levels For those who enjoy photographing high action, the camera offers blackout-free 30fps in ES (electronic shutter) with a 1.25x crop, while the AF is formidable on a number of levels. The X-T30 offers real-time face and eye detection thanks to an improved algorithm, which currently betters the features offered by the X-T3 (until the next firmware update kicks in). It also comes with low-light AF that works down to -3.0 EV, 240 simultaneous AF/AE calculations and 300% faster PDAF focusing between near and far subjects. In use, the AF felt very responsive and the X-T30 would make a formidable street camera. Also highly impressive were the video specifications – something more and more hybrid operators need to be aware of. The X-T30 comes with advanced 4K 30p video functionality, including eye tracking

Above The X-T30 offers cutting-edge image quality in a compact, nicely priced package during video recording. It can also record in 6K to create high-quality 4K footage and the camera supports the DCI format (17:9) to enable a cinematic look. Meanwhile, 4K 30p video can be recorded at 4:2:0 8-bit to an SD card, while F-Log recording

and 4:2:2 10-bit via the HDMI port capabilities means the camera can record video suitable for more serious videographers. In short, this camera can do almost anything the X-T3 can on the video front – except from 4K 60p recording. Quite an

achievement for a camera at this level and at this price point. Overall, this appears to be an important addition to the Fujifilm range and one can only imagine it will follow in the footsteps of the X-T20 and become hugely popular.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Profile Meet the group

Creative Eye In the first of a new regular feature on photo groups, we take a look at the Creative Eye Group of the Royal Photographic Society and catch up with the group’s chair, Moira Ellice ARPS and Steve Varman LRPS © Margaret Rainey FRPS

Photography News: Can you tell PN readers about the RPS’s Creative Eye Group? Moira Ellice & Steve Varman: The Creative Eye group is one of 17 special interest groups that allow RPS members to focus on different areas of photography. The group is unique in that it isn’t restricted to conventional photographic genres. A limitless choice of subject matter with imaginative use of equipment and software – and of course the photographer’s own creative eye – makes the group an exciting and inspiring place to explore photographic possibilities. PN: Wasn’t the group originally called the Creative Group? Why the name change? ME & SV: That’s right, we changed the

name last year. We wanted to make it clearer that we’re not just about creating images in software, which was a growing misconception. Although creative software techniques are very much a part of who we are, the group was originally conceived in 1991 to give members more freedom with their photographic visions. It removed the constraints, rules and conventions that some other groups carry. Changing the name to Creative Eye is a better representation of the group’s ethos. PN: Moira, how long have you been chair, and why did you take on the role? ME: I have been chair for one year. Unfortunately, the untimely death of the chair-elect, followed by the early resignation

Left Bronze medal winner, DPI – Rush hour, Grand Central by Margaret Rainey FRPS Above Gold medal winner, DPI – Southwold, Suffolk by David Turner LRPS

For the 2019 exhibition, the Creative Eye group invited PN editor Will Cheung FRPS to do the selection. “It is always a privilege to get asked to judge or select pictures – and a heavy responsibility, too,” says Will. “Usually, selection and judging is done by a panel of three judges – but here I was on my own, although that wasn’t an issue. “I was walked through the judging process when I arrived and told that every entrant got a picture into the final exhibition. That seemed very fair and

gives everyone a sense of achievement. Ultimately, though, in prints and in DPI, I needed five final images for the gold, silver and bronze awards, plus one highly commended and one commended. With over 400 images in total it was going to be a long but enjoyable day.” “The biggest challenge was judging such a diversity of images, not only in subject matter but in techniques, too. Nature, abstracts, portraits, heavily edited creations, monochrome and

scenics, all were covered. There was a lot of great stuff, perhaps some less so. “Being a photographer and magazine editor probably gives me a different perspective from judges deeply ensconced in the club competitions and salon world. Put simply, I’m not swayed by what’s trending in the club world and I just favour images that I think are well executed, show good content and great composition, and are what I personally like looking at.”

A judge’s perspective

Above (left to right) Moira Ellice ARPS with Martin Heathcote LRPS, silver medal winner (prints), with Will Cheung FRPS

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Profile © Sandy Cleland FRPS

Above Silver medal winner, DPI – Untitled by Steve Geer ARPS. Right Gold medal winner, prints – Corridor by Sandy Cleland FRPS

I am keen to encourage members to take part of the chair who took his place, left us with the need to restore some stability to the role. I felt I could fulfil that task, and I also had some ideas about expanding the group’s activities. These ideas, so far, appear to have been well received. PN: Do you have anything specific you want to achieve in your term as chair? ME: I am keen to encourage members to take part in activities that will meet their expectations in terms of enjoyment of their photography. PN: What sort of events does the group hold during the year? ME: An AGM, followed by the members’ exhibition selection, takes place each spring. Further events include members’ days, field trips, photo competitions, workshops,

seminars and lectures. Field trips and lectures are often held jointly with a region and/or a photographic society, local to where the field trip or lecture is taking place. We organise displays of members’ recent RPS distinction panels and encourage retrospective exhibitions. PN: How long has the Creative Eye exhibition been going? ME: The exhibition has been running for 26 years, with the first showing at the Smethwick Photographic Society in 1993. The exhibition is showcased each year at Wingfield Barns in Suffolk, the Smethwick Photographic Society in the West Midlands, and at the Edinburgh Photographic Society on Great King Street. For the first time, last year the exhibition was shown overseas at the Swiss chapter’s

Below left Silver medal winner, prints – Yellow baboons at dawn by Martin Heathcote LRPS. Below Bronze medal winner, prints – Victorian lad by Melvyn Frewin LRPS

meeting in Lausanne, organised by Rob Kershaw ARPS.

PN: Can you explain a little about how Creative Eye Group members can enter the exhibition, and what were the entry numbers like compared with last year? ME: All Creative Eye Group members are invited to enter the exhibition. Notification of the exhibition selection day and details on how to enter go out to members at the end of the year. The notification, entry form and rules are also included in January’s edition of the group’s Creative Eye magazine. [Steve Varman LRPS is the editor]. Members can enter the print and projected sections of the exhibition, or if they wish, one of the sections. The number of members entering this year’s exhibition was 79, which was up by 11.

Contact To see more about the Creative Eye group and the RPS, see the website. Our thanks to Steve Varman LRPS and Moira Ellice ARPS for compiling this feature. rps.org/creativeeye

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Club profile Meet the clubs

Fstop Foto Group Our new feature kicks off with the UK’s newest camera club. We catch up with its founder, Steve Mundy © Jonathan Bowker

Club biography Membership Current membership is 40 Subscription “We decided to dispense with the subscription model and make a simple charge per week of £5. This keeps us focused on delivering content that members really want” Meeting time and place 7.30pm on Wednesdays at Woodlands Park Village Centre, Manifold Way, Waltham Road, Maidenhead SL6 3GW Facilities Large meeting room with an adjoining kitchen for hot drinks Specialist groups “We currently do not have any specialist groups, but this is something we are looking to formalise in the near future” Annual exhibition An annual exhibition is still under consideration as it is early days in the life of the club Contact Steve Mundy admin@fstopfoto.group Web address fstopfoto.group

of the worst are judges showing their own work. The quality of speakers overall has certainly dropped over the years. More importantly, there is typically very little opportunity for learning and development, or for showing images that are not competition images. Fstop Foto Group was created to address these perceived failings. Our key aims were to better engage with members, offer a format for developing everyone’s photographic journey, and to review and enjoy members images in an open environment. A key item for each meeting is a ten to 15-minute slot where one member is invited to present their images on whatever topic they choose. This has proven to be a real hit, with a number of incredible images and experiences being shared that would never see the light of day in a traditional club. We try to schedule in a development topic every couple of

Incredible images are shared that would never see the light of day in a traditional club © Laurraine Price

Photography News: So, Steve, tell us why you decided to set up a new club? Steve Mundy: My brother, Dave, and I had been members of Maidenhead Camera Club for many years but were becoming increasingly frustrated by the stale nature of the camera club scene. There was a significant difference of opinion with the club’s chairman over the handling of an incident, which proved to be the trigger point for us leaving the club and starting our own. In our view, the camera club scene has not developed and moved on with the times. There is the same old programme year after year with the same competitions, judges and speakers. Too many judges have lost touch with contemporary trends and mark solely on ‘camera club competition image’ rules, with inconsistent comments and scores. The club is forced to book speakers to fill the programme, but many are very poor presenters with poor images and, surprisingly, many

weeks, which started off with Dave and me sharing camera, subject and processing tips and techniques. To our delight, we soon found unknown skills among members who were happy to run a session on their particular interest, which has proven to be another big hit. These have included panorama images, multiple exposures, intentional camera movement and composites, with many more in the pipeline. PN: How long has it been going? SM: Our first meeting was midOctober, so we have been going just over four months. PN: What was the first step? SM: The first step was to talk to a number of people to gauge interest in joining another club with different aims. We were convinced by our idea, but it is always good to do some market research. The main challenges were then to find a venue with availability in the general area. Fortunately, we found

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Club profile © Dave Mundy

our current venue very quickly and snapped up the Wednesday evening slot that was still available. We then had to purchase equipment (we started with nothing so a projector and a screen were the two immediate requirements), create a website to provide a focal point for members, and purchase the relevant insurance protection.

PN: Do you have competitions? SM: Given the failings of the standard club competitions, we decided on a different approach. We set a monthly theme to focus the efforts and the mind, with one of our experienced members setting the theme and sharing some examples. The members then have a month or so to take their images and submit them for an evening’s critique. The author introduces their image and gives a little background, then it is critiqued by two experienced members with the opportunity for the author to challenge their views and for the rest of the members to offer theirs, too. Clearly this format only works for a smaller number of members/images, but it has proven to be incredibly well received so far. This generates much more

We have run a full day training course on introductory Lightroom, with another one on LR and an introduction to Photoshop in the works

engagement within the club, but still allows a balanced critique of each image. It is specifically not a competition so there are no scores or winners, but rather an open learning environment. PN: What about practical evenings and club location trips? If not, do you have or intend to have such activities? SM: We recently ran our first fullon practical evening concentrating on flash and table-top photography. We provided a number of flashguns, a studio flash set-up and some LED torches, along with a selection of subjects and backgrounds for the members to try out. This has prompted requests for dedicated sessions for camera flash, studio set-up and portraits, which we are currently putting together along with several other ideas. We have also run a separate full day training course on introductory Lightroom, with another one on LR and an introduction to Photoshop in the works. Regular club trips are another very popular activity. Recently we

PN: It is obviously still early days for the club, but are you happy with the response you’ve had so far? SM: Yes absolutely, the response and engagement has exceeded our expectations. It is still early days but the initial response has been incredibly positive, with a membership of 40 after only a few weeks, and that is on an invitation-only basis without any outside publicity. Almost all of our members were also members of Maidenhead Camera Club, and many still attend their evenings, too, but an increasing number now only attend Fstop Foto. We will do some publicity soon to attract more new members, but we have no desire to grow too large as we want to retain the open and interactive environment.

PN: Can you give us an idea of the skill level within the club? SM: Many of the members are at the relatively early stages of their photographic journey, and are delighted with the level of involvement and tuition available each week. We are fortunate that we also have a good spread of intermediate and advanced members, too.

have been to Windsor Castle and Highcliffe beach, with the next one scheduled for the British Wildlife Centre. We also have our first extended trip in April, with Steve leading about 15 members to West Cornwall for five days. PN: What are your long-term aims for your club? SM: Our aim is to provide a mechanism for members to learn and develop on their photographic journey in an open and inclusive environment… and to have fun along the way.

Calling all clubs Do you want your club featured in Photography News? Your club can be big or small, old or new, online or bricks and mortar, connected to a company or not, packed with beginners or members with strings of letters after their names. Our door is open to everyone. Please email the editor at willcheung@bright-publishing. com in the first instance and we can go from there.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview

David Hicks Profile

Photography News: You’re known for owning two card and gift businesses, Really Good and Soul, but how did you get into photography? Have you always had an interest and, if so, when did you decide to pursue it? David Hicks: I got into photography from a very young age. At probably eight or nine years old, it vaguely interested me. I did a photography O level, although that was using film, obviously, black & white only and old Russian cameras. After doing that course, I took a long break while I established the publishing companies, but then got back into it after I realised I needed my own creative outlet. I’d been working with artists for years doing stuff that was commercial and creative, but forgot about me.

David Hicks has visited over 90 countries, photographing everything and anything that captures his attention. His work has been displayed in a variety of unique, creative ways as well as in 150 galleries on his website

PN: Does your photography work ever influence your design businesses, or vice versa? DH: No, never. I keep them necessarily separate. But my travels do influence the businesses. By walking the streets of a city, I often come across an interesting retail outlet, or an interesting product, or maybe an interesting gallery, so that might be an influence. But not my photography. PN: How would you describe your style of photography? Do you use particular techniques in your work? DH: My work is social comment, done in an artistic way. The galleries are themed in a worldwide way, or a very local way. They can take many years to shoot, or 30 minutes if it’s very local. As for particular techniques, not really. But I have learned to ‘shoot from the hip’ pretty well in order to get candid shots, and I prefer a higher contrast compared with other photographers. PN: What about gear? Do you have a favourite go-to lens or set-up? DH: Currently I’m using my Nikon Df. It’s

styled as an old school, old-fashioned camera, so I can take it around the world without people suspecting it’s actually quite a good camera. I shoot quickly, so I only use one zoom lens that I don’t have to change over and risk missing shots or getting dust on the sensor. Purists would argue I should be using prime lenses only, but I’d miss too many shots. I pack a spare camera, my Sony compact, which packs a punch bigger than you would © David Hicks

The galleries are themed in a worldwide way, or a very local way. They can take many years to shoot

Left Taken from David’s Monsoon Moped gallery, shot in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam during – perhaps obviously – monsoon season! Despite the heaviness of the rain, bikers still zip about in the downpours

expect. I dropped and broke my camera once, but luckily I was in New York so I could sort something else out. I learned a lesson, though, and always packed a spare from that moment, as there are plenty of countries where you’re really screwed if you break your gear. PN: After seeing so much, what have you learned about the world through your experiences? How do you feel your images reflect this? DH: That regardless of governments, which tend to make things hard, people on the street are great. Not all, but a lot. If you give them time and a smile, they’ll do the same. It’s very humbling and I appreciate my own life more when I return. Simple comforts that we’ve come to expect are utter luxuries in a lot of places. People generally want the same things: shelter, food and a safe place for them and their families. I hope my work just reflects the fact that we’re all just human. I don’t aim to criticise, but to celebrate the differences in our lifestyles and attitudes. PN: When it comes to creating a website and showcasing work, we’re often told to not show too much. Why did you decide to feature 150 galleries? DH: And counting! I know, and I’ve been told that, too, and not to bring stuff out so often. Well, it’s not ‘their’ game, it’s yours. I do exactly what I like and if ‘they’ can’t keep up, it’s not

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview © David Hicks

Images David’s travels take him all over the world, “looking at things others would consider dreary”. His work has been described as ‘vivid, evocative, whimsical, graphically powerful and surprising – in their content as well as in the way he invents themes for his sets of images’ fit into the themes you have, but to create new themes? DH: I always look to create new themes, unless it’s an exceptional photograph in the making. I walk the streets a lot when I travel and just come across things. It’s hard to seek shots out, because you never know what direction to walk in. I can’t say that they come to me exactly, but I stumble across things.

I’ve printed on tabletops, rear view mirrors, sari silk, goatskin and old double glazing panels my problem. I’m creative and won’t be slowed down to a pace that might suit others. ‘They’ want to pigeonhole and sell a brand. If I’m branded, I can’t produce what I want or think I should, so success isn’t always creative. PN: Each gallery has a very specific theme, for example, ‘Those Pesky Pigeons’, ‘World Time’ and ‘The Jumpers’. Which came first, the themes or the images? Can you talk us through the process? DH: Good question. The images in the first instance. But there are a number of trips when you start photographing things where you’re not sure if you’ll ever see another one again or it’s ‘a thing’ in the country you’re in. Then you think of a title and you get excited and start seeking whatever out. From the

galleries you mentioned, though, always the images, as they all took several years to complete. PN: Of all of the themes, do you have a particular favourite? What about a favourite image and why? DH: My favourite gallery is always the next one I’m working on. It’s important to love it and get excited by it. However, I have a slight weakness for ‘With or Without You’, ‘The Optimists’ and ‘The Light of the Darkness’. As for favourite image, that’s even harder. Today, it’s this (previous page, top). Tomorrow... Who knows? PN: Are you always on the lookout for new types of shots to capture – not only to

PN: Are there any other themes you’ve yet to publish, or themes that you’d like to shoot? DH: There are loads always waiting to process and upload. Some I’ll look at with fresh eyes at some point and a small percentage will never see the light of day. With others I may decide I’ve strayed from my original intention, but there are plenty I just have to edit intensively. Sometimes it’s about being harsh and not showing certain images I might love, in order for the gallery to work. I don’t really seek out themes, but there are plenty that I have to add to ongoing projects if I stumble upon them. My latest gallery was released on 31 January.

PN: Finding new ways to be creative with photography can sometimes be a difficult challenge, but you seem to have it spot on. How do you do it? DH: In part, I’ve taken my experience of designing and creating giftware to think sideways. I’m always under pressure to think of something new and different for that market, so I used the same thinking process. PN: Have you got anything coming up that we should look out for? DH: No exhibitions planned (as we speak), but lots happening in terms of new work. Also, I’m testing a new substrate to print on.

Contact © David Hicks

PN: We hear you’ve printed your images on materials such as glass, wood and even silk. Can you talk us through your ‘photomentary’ process? DH: Yes, I’m keen on this. Obviously, I can’t do it with every theme, just the ones you can physically print on something appropriate. I started by thinking how boring photography had got. Too much printing, mounting and Ikea framing. If photography is art, then it had got lazy and needed to take the hard path of presenting the work on other things. So, photomentary was born. So far, I've printed on tabletops, rear-view mirrors, sari silk, old greenhouse glass, goatskins, old bus windows and old double-glazing panels. They need a certain type of printing that you don’t find everywhere, and of course searching out the substrates and testing if it’s possible in the first place. It takes time, but good art should. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of fantastic photographers out there, but I just wanted to focus on how photography could move on in terms of presenting the art.

PN: One of your most recent exhibitions, ‘Tabletops’, features images of tabletops printed onto tabletops – it’s such a simple yet effective idea. Was this something you always had in mind when taking these photographs, or is it an idea that you developed later? DH: To be honest, it happened during the shooting of them. Just being framed or on an online gallery didn’t seem right to me, so I made it harder for myself and started printing them on actual tables. It works really well.

To enjoy David’s ever-growing galleries – which includes short ‘stills’ films and images from exhibitions using David’s photomentary process – visit his website hixposure.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

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Colorworld Imaging Over the next five issues we’ll be taking a closer look at Colorworld Imaging and its professional-quality printing services. First, we hear from business development director Mike Brydon, who has been with the company since 2007 Photography News: Can you tell us a bit about Colorworld Imaging and your role in the company? Mike Brydon: Colorworld Ltd was launched in 1967 by Terry White and Jim Simpson. The first lab they owned was actually in an old abattoir that had a gutter in the middle of the building for the blood to run down. This gutter was perfect for the waste chemistry to drain away. How times have changed… for the better I would say! Times have definitely changed. The company used to process thousands of films every week, but now those film processors have all been removed to make way for newer technologies, such as inkjet printers, digital presses and album-making machines. We are constantly working hard to invest in new technologies to allow us to bring the latest professional products to our customers. My role involves developing new ideas and systems to bring new business to the company. I also look after all the IT hardware and software in the business as my background is in IT. Previously, I had my own software consultancy working for many bluechip companies across the UK, including British Airways, British Gas Technology, BNFL, One2One and NTL, to name a few. I also develop internal software systems for the business to assist with the automated input and tracking of customer orders. I’m not all IT though – I really enjoy speaking to customers and determining how Colorworld Imaging can help them. Every customer requires something unique, and we’re the right size business to be able to accommodate many different requirements. PN: Why is printing images so important, especially in the digital age? MB: The digital age has been an incredible revolution for the industry and has transformed a profession that was once for the few to something many people can enjoy. Digital photography and image manipulation has allowed skilled artists to really enhance and experiment with their ideas in a way that was never possible before. The issue

the industry has faced recently is images remaining digital and never being printed. This is to the detriment of the professional photographer and the customer. Printed images are still by far the best way to experience an image. As a company, we have had professional photographers in tears in our reception as they had never seen their work in print before they came to our lab. Printed images create far more emotion and excitement than images viewed on a screen. Making this area even more exciting is the way the images can be printed on a huge variety of media. Professional lustre and gloss paper have been around for decades, but the range of fine-art media printed on highquality inkjet printers has brought another dimension to the industry.

We are more than happy to offer test prints to customers, should they wish to see their work printed by us. PN: What makes your printing so good? MB: Making a great print requires several components, but I would say the most important component is excellent staff. Several of our staff have been with Colorworld for over 40 years and have an immense amount of knowledge in colour management, C-type printing and quality control. As part of our normal day operations, our printers are calibrated several times a day to ensure we provide the very best print possible. Being a pro lab, our job is to provide the best. PN: What are the most popular products, and do you have a favourite? MB: Our most popular products range from our digital albums and framed prints to school photography printing. I think my favourite area of the business has to be the school photography printing, as it requires a lot of automation in order to be efficient. This means I’ve had to spend a large amount of time on software and hardware development. PN: Can you tell us more about your integration service? MB: The integration service allows us, as a lab, to connect fully to our customers’ internal

systems. This service is usually developed in conjunction with our larger clients who send us many orders every day. This is especially useful for our customers in the US and New Zealand, where time zones can affect our normal email and telephone communication. The integration allows the input of orders into our production system to be automated, while updating the customers’ own systems with status updates. PN: Why should our readers use Colorworld over other labs? MB: Colorworld Imaging has been influential in the photographic industry for many decades and will continue to be for many years to come. While we are not the largest professional lab in the UK, we believe we offer excellent products and outstanding customer service. We’re not a company that simply prints an image and posts it to a customer. We also support them with advice and guidance on numerous aspects of their business to ensure they can offer the full range of services to their customers. colorworldimaging.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Feature New book

Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey Author and graphic designer Luke Wesley Price tells us all about his journey curating this set of stunning imagery that commemorates an iconic era of space travel

The idea of self-publishing a book is both an exciting and a terrifying one, but that’s exactly what I decided to do after a four-year project had finally reached its conclusion. 2013 saw the release of a huge and ambitious project I had initially taken on as a personal hobby, but later developed into something much bigger. The title of the book was Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey, and things were about to lift off! “The dream is alive”: these were the triumphant words spoken by legendary astronaut John Young after bringing home the very first space shuttle from its maiden orbital flight in April 1981. This was a landmark in manned space travel, due to the fact NASA had succeeded in making the world’s first reusable space vehicle. I was just two years old when the renowned Gemini and Apollo veteran made this historic space flight as commander of the space shuttle Columbia on STS-1 (Space Transportation System-1). Fast forward a few decades and my passion for NASA’s space history is as strong as ever. In 2009, I began combining my hobby with my work as a graphic designer. I spent many years in the world of graphic design and worked for a number of design agencies before starting my own small agency. What started out as a hobby after a hard day’s graft at my graphic design studio slowly became my obsession. After contacting NASA in 2009 and setting out my intentions, I was put in touch with the sources to start making my dream a reality. I made it my mission to search through thousands of official NASA photographs, changing my mind constantly, but ultimately making sure I stayed true to my concept. I painstakingly scoured through the vaults in order to eventually end up with what I consider to be my personal favourites, as well as a selection I felt would inspire the reader; no matter their age or

previous space knowledge, long after the shuttle has taken its rightful place in the history books. I really wanted to use this opportunity to pay homage to the orbiters and entice the reader to take some time to appreciate the sheer beauty of the design, detail and elegance of the space shuttle. 2011 marked the last ever space flight of the space shuttle and this book was designed to commemorate 30 years of manned space flight aboard this American treasure.

I made it my mission to search through thousands of official NASA photographs

Images Luke Wesley Price wanted to curate a selection of images that would inspire the reader, regardless of age or space knowledge, and help them appreciate the beauty of the space shuttle

In 2013, two years after the space shuttle Atlantis made its final voyage into space, Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey was finally self-published and released in a limited first edition of 1981 copies – the year of the first flight of the space shuttle. I had personally funded the project and overseen every aspect, from the writing to the design and layout, and from the printing decisions to the distribution challenges. It was a huge challenge, but a worthwhile one. The book received high praise across the world and, even though the run was fairly small, it made a fairly big impact in the world of space. After the success of the limited first run, I had interest from various publishers who were looking to re-release the book in a second edition, which would allow it to reach a much wider audience. I eventually decided to team up with Ammonite

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Feature

Images The collection commemorates 30 years of American-manned space flight Press (GMC Publications) because the team had so much respect and passion for getting the book out into the wider world, and their work and reputation for high-quality photographic and art books is fantastic. For this upgraded and stunning second edition (which is being released this spring), we have an exciting new edition to the book. Astronaut Christopher Ferguson, commander of the final space shuttle mission, has written the foreword for Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey. Even more exciting, coming soon is a custom-designed,

signed edition by Christopher Ferguson. It comes in a custom slipcase and there will only be 135 copies available (corresponding to the 135 shuttle missions). For details on this limited signed edition, email info@spaceshuttlebook.com. The book pays tribute to the five spaceworthy orbiter vehicles built by NASA, and exhibits them in some of the most amazing space shuttle images you will ever see. From the dangerous launch sequence – ripping through Earth’s atmosphere and reaching for the stars – to some of the most vivid

mission photographs, such as space walks, extraordinary astronaut maintenance work, docking with the International Space Station and more. I have endeavoured to make sure every image has a little extra something that makes it stand out from the rest, something that will evoke a reaction from the reader. During the production of this book, I became friends with the late space shuttle astronaut, Bruce McCandless. Along with the support from Christopher Ferguson, Bruce helped me out earlier with a few design decisions and hailed it as “a true masterpiece”, so he was very keen to see the book get re-published and sent out into the world. Even though this project was primarily about the orbiters themselves, it was also important to acknowledge each and every crew member who flew aboard the space shuttle. At the back of the book, you can find details of every STS mission launched, including documentation of every astronaut to serve aboard any of the five orbiters. Also, within the back pages of the book, you can find a colourful section archiving the space shuttle mission patches designed for every single STS mission. So, that’s a brief story behind the making of this book. It’s more than just a photo album: it’s a commendation, a memorial if you will, a labour of love. The end result is a stunning collection of classic favourites, along with some sensational and perhaps unusual forgotten treasures that take you on a journey, which I hope you’ll revisit time and time again. The dream is alive.

Get the book

Available from April, Space Shuttle: A Photographic Journey by Luke Wesley Price has a recommended retail price of £30 and can be bought from Ammonite Press. thegmcgroup.com

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview Profile

Oliver Hellowell Oliver is a 21-year-old wildlife photographer, and an inspiration and reminder to us all that dreams can come true. He was born with Down syndrome and needed open heart surgery at three months old – now he’s published photo books and appeared twice on BBC’s The One Show. We caught up with Oliver and his mum Wendy O’Carroll to hear more of his story…

Photography News: What is your earliest memory of photography and when did your passion for it really develop? Oliver Hellowell: I picked up my Dad’s camera when I was about 11 years old – I think I was born into photography. I took pictures when we went fishing. I took pictures on holiday in Wales and Scotland. PN: What do you love so much about wildlife and photographing it? OH: I love birds, and I like mixes – like having different species. I like sitting up close; I don’t get nervous even sitting in with the swans. PN: Do you have a particular favourite animal to photograph? What is it about their nature or characteristics that is so interesting to try and capture? OH: I like birds best. My favourite bird is the osprey, but I would really like to get a hornbill. I’m going to a special hide soon and I’m hoping to get a kingfisher. I liked taking pictures of the red deer in Scotland and the white-tailed deer in the US Smoky Mountains. PN: We hear you’re a big fan of Sir David Attenborough. Who else inspires you? OH: Chris Packham, Steve Backshall, Iolo Williams, Andy Rouse, Bence Matte, Jasper Doest, Ben Hall and Ross Hoddinott. PN: What do you look for when creating wildlife shots? OH: If the bird is small like a nuthatch I want to get the whole bird in, but big birds I like to get in close and get the eye. PN: You’ve been to various locations to photograph wildlife, including the Farne Islands. If you could travel anywhere in the world to photograph wildlife, where would you travel to? OH: I really want to go to Iceland, the Canadian Rockies, New Zealand and Madagascar. Or on a safari in Africa. PN: Do you have any funny stories, or highlights from your experiences? OH: On the Farne Islands I was attacked by terns with Jim Bennett. Wendy O'Carroll: Oliver met Jim on the boat out to the Farnes – he does tend to make friends wherever he goes!

OH: I think it’s funny when I use my father as a tripod! My highlight was meeting Ken Jenkins and I love to see Iolo Williams. WO: Tennessee Tourism paid for Oliver to go to the Smoky Mountains in Tennessee to capture the area in his own style. They thought it would be nice to introduce Oliver to Ken Jenkins, a well-known resident and photographer of the Smokies – Ken and Oliver just bonded over a bacon breakfast and talked about birds, and now seem to be soul mates, despite living across the world from each other! Iolo Williams is a Welsh wildlife presenter – he presented Winterwatch recently – and Oliver adores him. Any opportunity to spend time with Iolo is a big highlight for Oliver.

PN: Can you tell us what techniques you use when searching for and shooting wildlife? OH: I can’t climb mountains – I really don’t like walking up hills much – but I want to be at the top. I like to get pictures of everything both ways – portrait and landscape shots of each view. I like to use the hides and have a hot chocolate and bacon sandwiches. PN: You published your first book in 2015, and also published Oliver’s Birds at the

I like to get pictures of everything both ways – portrait and landscape shots of each view

Images Oliver uses a Canon EOS 5D Mk III with Canon 17-40mm, 28-80mm and 100400mm lenses, plus a Sigma 135-400mm

beginning of this year. Can you tell us more about this? Why did you decide to publish a book and how did you decide which images to include? OH: Simon Weitzman, my producer, suggested it and helped us get it. I sat with my mum and went through all the pictures on the computer. It took a long time, we had to keep choosing favourites and it went on for ages! I hope it will be a good seller so I can do another one – I’d like to do ‘Oliver’s Landscapes’ next, or I’d really like to do ‘Oliver’s Wales’ with Iolo. WO: Simon Weitzman is a filmmaker who found Oliver after he appeared on a BBC news item in 2014. He has since staunchly supported Oliver in any and every way, and has tirelessly worked to ensure opportunities are made available to him. It was through him the amazing trip to the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee was commissioned by Tennessee Tourism and through him, again, that this book deal was secured with ACC Art Books. PN: You recently appeared on BBC’s The One Show. Can you tell us how this came about and how you found the experience? OH: Simon helped to do it, and he made the film in Scotland. I was on The One Show before

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview © Oliver Hellowell

PN: Can you tell us what it was like to win the National Diversity Award for UK Positive Role Model for Disability? OH: I went to Liverpool for my award – in the big cathedral – and I had bacon, egg and chips while everyone else had posh food, and everyone else was jealous of my plate. I went up on stage and blew kisses to my fans in the crowd. It was a good night. WO: I had contacted them beforehand and said that I was rather worried Oliver wouldn’t eat any of the rather expensive, unpronounceable

food they were going to be serving – you know, a swirl of this, and a layered ‘ballotine’ and ‘quenelle’ of that… And bless them, I told them what he loved and he was served just that – much to the jealousy of everyone else on our posh table! In his acceptance speech he said, “I’ve got Down syndrome. They said it would be hard. But I found it easy!” I think that’s a great quote! PN: What advice would you give to other photographers? OS: Just discover your eye and take some good images – always notice the detail in everything, and make sure you get down low to do the flowers; make sure it’s in the centre, look at the detail, sometimes use a tripod. I like to keep moving, but I use a tripod for long shutter speed shots of moving water. When © Oliver Hellowell

images Despite having a wide-ranging portfolio, Oliver's favourite subject is wildlife

you take a landscape, make sure the trees are in focus, the twigs and everything. WO: Oliver is not constrained by photography rules and does not seek to impress. He knows about the rule of thirds but is not bothered by it, and is still very happy to most frequently sit his target in the centre of the frame. He also is more than happy to have a twig/branch/stem/ blade of grass, or whatever, go across in front of his feathered subject, as long as he has the eye sharp. He finds tripods frustrating and restrictive as he likes to keep moving and has his eye drawn to something catching the light, the shape and form, often taking pictures of things you wouldn’t expect. Followers of his Facebook page often send messages and make comments saying, “Oliver is my eyes now I can’t get out any more” or, “Whenever I’m out with my camera now I think, ‘I wonder what Oliver would take a picture of here’”, or, “You have really encouraged me to get my camera out again and renew my love for photography, which I think I lost along the way somewhere”. Countless messages are received daily from people saying how inspired they are by Oliver and his achievements, and from parents of children with additional needs saying how encouraged and reassured they are about their child’s future because they follow Oliver’s page. Oliver, without even realising it, reaches out to people all over the world and says, “Look at me. If I can do this – just imagine what you could do…”

in 2015 and this was a catch-up – it was really lovely to meet Matt Baker and Alex James again. Matt came and chatted to me in the room for ages before we went on. He is my mate and it was lovely. I felt a bit nervous, but I did it!

Oliver’s Birds

Oliver’s book, Oliver’s Birds, published by ACC Art Books, is available to buy now through Amazon, or if purchased through his website for £17.99, you’ll receive a signed copy. oliverhellowell.com Facebook.com/ OliverHellowellPhotographer

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Stage Guide & Event Diary

Want to find out about the newest cameras and best kit, or be inspired by one of the incredible stages or workshops? Check out our comprehensive events diary and floor plan for more details!

*Session requires an extra activity ticket as well as an entry ticket to the show. If you haven’t pre-booked your tickets at photographyshow.com you can buy them from the box office at the show. Subject to availability.

Explore the show This year, we’ve got lots to spark your interest and get your creative juices flowing. The Great Outdoors and the Wedding & Portrait stages are back by popular demand, and there’ll be a bigger focus on video and moving image, interactive features around the hall and workshops, and after-hours events led by our partners, exhibitors and legends of photography. This is your chance to learn something new, brush up on your skills and add more enjoyment to your passion than ever before. Don’t miss out! NOTE: Any free-to-attend stages and theatres do not need pre-booking. Seating is available on a first come, first served basis.

SUPER STAGE* (located at Toute Suite)

Get insight into the lives and careers of photography greats: find out how they approach projects, create their own style and the barriers they’ve overcome to get to where they are now. Guests include Lindsay Adler, Martin Parr, Gordon Buchanan, Chris Burkard, Pete Souza, Annie Griffiths and Moose Peterson. Saturday, 16 March 13:15–14:30 Behind-the-scenes with President Obama 15:30–16:45 Photobiography Sunday, 17 March 13:15–14:30 From birds to planes: stories of passion 15:30–16:45 Photography for good Monday, 18 March 13:15–14:30 The creative edge Tuesday, 19 March 13:15–14:30 The hard way home: Lessons learned from a decade in cold water travel 15:30–16:45 Weird, wild and wonderful: Over 25 years of wildlife film-making

WEDDING AND PORTRAIT

Due to popular demand, the Wedding & Portrait Stage is making a comeback. Get the perfect shot of a happy couple on their big day, tackle the challenges of unpredictable weather (and guests!) or learn how to capture the essence of emotion within your portraits – we’ll have a full programme available for everyone intrigued by or specialising in these genres. Saturday, 16 March 11:00–11:30 Natural light portraits – getting the best from your environment and your model 12:00–12:30 Great family portraits 13:00–13:30 It’s not about other photographers, it’s about YOU! 14:00–14:30 Small is beautiful 15:00–15:30 Don’t say cheese – curating memories as a documentary wedding photographer 16:00–16:30 Fine equine art Sunday, 17 March 11:00–11:30 Creative single light portraits, three ways 12:00–12:30 Resilience when running a wedding business 13:00–13:30 In a sea of rich tea, be a ginger nut: How to find inspiration outside the wedding industry to make your work unique 14:00–14:30 Creative lighting on location 15:00–15:30 One light? No problem! 16:00–16:30 Four images in sixty seconds Monday, 18 March 11:00–11:30 Who do you want to be? 12:00–12:30 The Art of High Volume Headshots 13:00–13:30 Super charge your social business 14:00–14:30 Developing portraiture: From style to shoot 15:00–15:30 Working together – wedding photography and videography 16:00–16:30 Marketing to your niche, booking your ideal client Tuesday, 19 March 11:00–11:30 The hour of no second chances 12:00–12:30 How to be an awesome ally for your LGBTQ+ clients 13:00–13:30 Getting three looks in a ten-minute male portrait session 14:00–14:30 Creative flow posing and lighting - using off-camera flash and LEDs 15:00–15:30 Smartphone weddings 16:00–16:30 Weird and wonderful weddings with Jason Lanier

PHOTO LIVE

Cameras at the ready! Photo Live is the stage to be at for colourful, inspiring and sometimes explosive demos; giving you the ideas and techniques you need to take a variety of awesome and dramatic stills. The programme is action packed, and includes a skills focus on important elements, such as lighting and capturing movement. Saturday, 16 March 11:00–11:30 All the action 12:00–12:30 High-tech, low-fi(nance) – using ordinary objects to create extra-ordinary photos 13:00–13:30 Prime lenses, planning and people 14:00–14:30 Making delicious pictures - storytelling and styling for food 15:00–15:40 Keys to success – building your profile 16:00–16:45 Simple light set-ups to the max Sunday, 17 March 11:00–11:30 Photography hacks 12:00–12:30 Concept portraits on a tiny budget 13:00–13:30 Images with imagination: compelling images based on storytelling 14:00–14:30 Simple light set-ups to the max 15:00–15:30 Making your picture perfect 16:00–16:45 Concept, capture, create: from idea to print Monday, 18 March 11:00–11:30 Silent street photography 12:00–12:30 In conversation with Dickie Pelham 13:00–13:30 Creative character portraits 14:00–14:30 A little extra 15:00–15:30 Portable lighting on location 16:00–16:45 Finding a picture with Joe McNally Tuesday, 19 March 11:00–11:30 Close up and personal 12:00–12:30 Historic portraits with modern means 13:00–13:30 Building the narrative of a food shoot 14:00– 14:30 A tale of two portraits: Creating timeless images 15:00–15:30 Creative lighting for fashion photography

BEHIND THE LENS

Get more out of your camera! The Behind the Lens Theatre caters for those looking for inspiration and expert tuition – ultimately, to help you refine your technique, up your knowledge (be it business or project-based) and come up with unique style and creative ideas for your own photography. Saturday, 16 March 10:55–11:00 Welcome 11:00–11:40 From street to field 12:00–12:40 Remembering wildlife 13:00–13:40 Collaboration not competition 14:00–14:40 From capture to print, longexposure landscapes 15:00–15:40 Behind the scenes of a great food story 16:00–16:40 Making the most of your next wildlife photography trip Sunday, 17 March 10:55–11:00 Welcome 11:00–11:40 From beautiful to meaningful 12:00–12:40 Australia’s Wild World 13:00–13:40 A different approach to astrophotography 14:00–14:40 Making and sharing meaningful images 15:00–15:40 Right time, right place – automotive photography 16:00–16:40 Keeping it baby focused Monday, 18 March 10:55–11:00 Welcome 11:00–11:40 Land of giants 12:00–12:40 Cameras don’t take pictures 13:00–13:40 Close-up and macro photography 14:00–14:40 Wedding photography: creativity and mindset 15:00–15:40 He shoots, he scores 16:00–16:40 River voices – the photographs behind the book Tuesday, 19 March 10:55–11:00 Welcome 11:00–11:40 Chasing the unicorn – making money from photography 12:00–12:40 Digital legacy for photographers: What will happen to your work? 13:00–13:40 30 years of photography; photojournalism and beyond 14:00–14:40 How to be a successful photographer: Shared practice and advice from the winners of the Sony World Photography Awards 15:00–15:40 Ten things that can go wrong in photography 16:00–16:40 Taking the viewer on a journey

SOCIAL STAGE

Led by key influencers and masters of social media, discover how to get your best photos shared, build your following, engage with your community and make the most of your community to nurture your photography talent. Whether pro or amateur, a photographer can get a huge amount of benefit from getting their images out there in the right way.

Saturday, 16 March 10:30–11:00 Why starting a YouTube channel was one of the best decisions for my photography 11:30–12:00 Mirrorless Magic 12:30–13:00 Food photography on your phone 13:30–14:00 Social media photography: Long exposure, time-lapse, and going viral 14:30–15:00 Instagram followers: quality over quantity 15:30–16:00 More than just amazing images Sunday, 17 March 10:30–11:00 Vlogging – a day in the life 12:30–13:00 How to build your first 10,000 subscribers on YouTube 13:30–14:00 The Drone Lass – a girl from above 14:30–15:00 Behind the scenes 15:30–16:00 Vlogging – a day in the life Monday, 18 March 10:30–11:00 Community matters 11:30–12:00 M is for Marketing 12:30–13:00 Instagram for business: On brief and on story – how to keep clients engaged and working with us for the longer term 13:30–14:00 Portability matters! 14:30–15:00 Social’s not secondary 15:30–16:00 A social media photography toolkit for Instagram Tuesday, 19 March 10:30–11:00 101 video marketing – how to use video to market your brand 11:30–12:00 I lost my heart in San Francisco 12:30–13:00 How to market yourself in portrait and beauty photography 13:30–14:00 A vlogging masterclass 14:30–15:00 Visual story telling on Instagram – improve your travel and street photography

15:00–15:30 Getting to grips with green screens Monday, 18 March 11:00–11:30 Going live! Producing and streaming live video content 12:00–12:30 Magic Mic: getting the sound right on your videos 13:00–13:30 Is smartphone video really a professional tool? 14:00–14:30 Corporate video shoot: A how-to guide 15:00–15:30 Creative fashion film 16:00–16:30 Cinematic shooting on a budget Tuesday, 19 March 11:00–11:30 Getting pro results with gimbals 12:00–12:30 Using external monitor-recorders to improve your video work 13:00–13:30 Simple lighting for social media 14:00–14:45 Lightweight film-making: shooting a travel series on your own 15:00–15:30 Sound scenarios

GREAT OUTDOORS

And breathe... The Great Outdoors Stage will draw you into the realm of landscape, wildlife and nature photography in all its glory; from tips on how to set up dramatic time-lapse and the tech needed for macro shots, to tackling lighting challenges on a rainy day when you finally spot that rare creature... Saturday, 16 March 10:30-11:00 The way I see it 11:30-12:00 Mirrorless landscapes 12:30-13:00 How to become a superhero 13:30-14:00 It’s in the air 14:30-15:00 Photography as adventure 15:30-16:00 Whimsical wildlife

Whether you’re an aspiring documentary-maker, a 360° video professional or a wedding videographer looking to get the edge, learn the tricks of the trade at the In Motion Theatre. Discover how to produce engaging video content across various genres of moving image, using a variety of techniques.

Sunday, 17 March 10:30-11:00 It’s in the air 11:30-12:00 Walking with polar bears 12:30-13:00 Make the most of your travels, no matter the weather 13:30-14:00 Passion 14:30-15:00 Photography as adventure 15:30-16:00 Using long exposure in outdoor photography

Saturday, 16 March 11:00–11:40 Golden rules of audio 12:00–12:40 Making an adventure documentary 13:00–13:40 Film festivals – what are we looking for in the judging process? 14:00–14:40 Baby Steps – getting into wildlife film-making 15:00–15:40 The principles of film-making with drones 16:00–16:40 Storytelling through cinematic videography

Monday, 18 March 10:30-11:00 The magic of Madagascar 11:30-12:00 Close encounters 12:30-13:00 Weddings come rain or shine 13:30-14:00 A beautiful silence 14:30-15:00 Travel photography storytelling with natural light 15:30-16:00 Behind the photograph

Sunday, 17 March 11:00–11:40 Create and explore: travel film 12:00–12:40 From videography to cinematography 13:00–13:40 Understanding codecs, compression and colour 14:00–14:40 Anamorphic film-making 15:00–15:40 Getting into professional videography 16:00–16:40 Film-making with mirrorless

Tuesday, 19 March 10:30-11:00 From insects and frogs to puffins 11:30-12:00 Entrusted into our care 12:30-13:00 In his element 13:30- 14:00 Wildlife photography around the world – the secrets behind the lens 14:30-15:00 Guided by the stars 15:30-16:00 Filming underwater wildlife with DSLR and action cams

IN MOTION

Monday, 18 March 11:00–11:40 Becoming a robust videographer 12:00–12:40 From videography to cinematography 13:00–13:40 How to make the perfect charity film 14:00–14:40 HDR video 15:00–15:40 It’s not as hard as you think: Moving in to professional video 16:00–16:40 The greatest footballer never to play football: telling incredible stories with cinematic style Tuesday, 19 March 11:00–11:40 Falling into film-making 12:00–12:40 The art and tech of 360 video 14:00–14:40 How AI and Hybrid Cloud are set to revolutionize video management 15:00–15:40 Bad Touch: Creating a music video from start to finish 16:00–16:40 Storytelling through cinematic videography

VIDEO LIVE

And action! Learn from lively, fun and practical demonstrations at Video Live. The programme is action packed, with sessions on sound, lighting and camera technique across a multitude of fields. Saturday, 16 March 11:00–11:30 Creating interactive video content in 360s 12:00–12:30 Better sound for better videos 13:00–13:30 Cinematic shooting on a budget 14:00–14:30 Going live! Producing and streaming live video content 15:00–15:30 Shooting for the edit Sunday, 17 March 11:00–11:30 Cinematic shooting on a budget 12:00–12:30 What a difference a drone makes 13:00–13:30 Asian wedding dance off! 14:00–14:30 Improving the sound on your videos - an expert panel

PRO LOUNGE LIVE

Our Pro Lounge Live sessions focus on specific challenges experienced by the pro day to day – from business faux pas to legal complexities – sometimes dry subjects but ones about which a little knowledge goes a long way. The schedule runs throughout the event. Saturday, 16 March 11:00-12:00 Award-winning wedding images and how to light them 13:00-14:00 Lumix S Series pro preview 15:00-16:00 Women in portraits – high-value sales techniques 16:00-17:00 Pro Happy Hour Sunday, 17 March 11:00-12:00 Creating more revenue with albums 13:00-14:00 Lumix S Series pro preview 15:00-16:00 Women’s pro photography meetup 16:00-17:00 Pro Happy Hour Monday, 18 March 11:00-12:00 Profitable portraits 13:00-14:00 Lumix S Series pro preview 15:00-16:00 The business of newborn and baby photography 16:00-17:00 Lumix S Series pro preview Tuesday, 19 March 11:00-12:00 Wedding business clinic 13:00-14:00 The business of pet photography 15:00-16:00 Lumix S Series pro preview OTHER WORKSHOPS AND THEATRES Toute Suite: Beginners’ Masterclass – Photo* • Beginners’ Masterclass – Video* • Pro Conference – Photo • Turning Pro Masterclass* Piazza Suites • Editing and Post-Production Suite • Student Plus – Photo

Every effort has been made by the publishers to ensure that information contained regarding The Photography Show 2019, including session times, is correct at time of going to press. However, Bright Publishing Ltd, The Photography Show and the exhibitors and advertisers included herein cannot accept responsibility for any loss, inaccuracy or omission resulting from the publishing of any information regarding The Photography Show 2019 in this publication.

The Photography Show 2019 Floor Plan

Click Props

Bob Rigby

GotPhoto

Light Blue

Intro 2020

Ultim

Fundy Designer

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Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

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Smooth your workflow with Lexar Modern imaging has led to a number of buzzwords and 'workflow' is definitely one of them. Of course, photographers and video makers have always had a workflow because the process of seeing, taking and making pictures is linear so a logical stepby-step process is inevitable. The thing is, though, your digital workflow needs to be as streamlined as possible because that saves time and that potentially saves money. What's more, a good workflow also makes the process a pleasure rather than a chore – it can be hard work so there’s no point in making the situation any worse than it is. A good workflow should take you from the instant of capture all the way through to the final print, on-screen image or completed presentation, so it makes sense to get off to a great start by using the best tools to record your images and then to get those files into your editing workflow. This is where Lexar leads the way. Yet it was only back in June 2017 that Lexar’s then parent company, Micron, announced that the brand was to be discontinued. Lexar was founded in 1996 and a leading innovator in the sphere of digital storage. It had built an enviable reputation for cutting-edge memory cards, readers and storage devices and was used by imagemakers the world over. The announcement that the brand was to disappear off the scene was a seriously big shock. But given Lexar's brand strength and reputation, it was no surprise that the brand was acquired. In fact, it was little over two months after the announcement of the brand’s discontinuation that it was bought by Longsys Electronics Ltd, a very successful and innovative Chinese company specialising in NAND flash memory software and hardware products. From acquiring the brand in autumn 2017, Longsys announced on 1 August 2018 that the Lexar range of flash memory products and readers was in full production and shipping worldwide. In September 2018, Lexar exhibited at Photokina, the world’s biggest imaging fair, to let the world know that the brand was back from the brink. Since then, significant new products have been announced including the new high-performing NS100 and NS200 2.5in SATA solid state drives. This is impressive stuff, even in the rapidly moving world of storage technology.

Vis Lexar a it Photog t The raph Show, y stand G 8 5!

Lexar’s current line-up of memory cards covers all bases, so we have CompactFlash, CFast 2.0, microSDHC/micro SDXC and SDHC/SDXC. The card featured here is the Lexar Professional 1000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card, a speed that gives a data transfer rate of up to 150MB/s. With still cameras offering incredibly fast continuous shooting speeds from their high megapixel count sensors, a fast card such as this Lexar one can help you keep the instances of buffering to a minimum, enabling you to stay focused on what's happening in the viewfinder. Once you have finished shooting, you need to get the images off the card. Here the collection of Lexar Professional Workflow Hub products is an ingenious modular download solution. It's a four bay hub, available with USB 3.0 (model HR1) or Thunderbolt 2/USB 3.0 (model HR2) interfaces and readers for all popular card formats: SDHC/SDXC, CompactFlash, CFast and CFast 2.0, microSDHC/microSDXC and XQD. You can use card readers of the same format or mix readers to suit the job in hand and you can also download images from several cards at the same time. Load the Lexar Portable SSD drive and you have the benefit of extra storage with fast read/write speeds and reliability of solid state drive flash storage. LEDs on the unit’s front tell you at a glance how much storage space you have left.

The Workflow Hub is simple to set up and use and if you need to travel light, each card reader can be used as a stand-alone unit using a USB 3.0 cable to connect it to the computer. The Hub’s modular concept means it is future-proof, too. So, as new storage card formats are introduced, Lexar can introduce a new reader to use in the Hub.

Contact A comprehensive range of Lexar storage cards, USB drives and card readers is available and distributed in the UK by Swains International, the country’s leading photo wholesaler. Its product line-up includes Lexar, plus many more worldleading and most-recognised photo and video brands. swains.co.uk lexar.com

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Feature Seascape photography

Rachael Talibart Fotospeed photographer Rachael Talibart is a former lawyer turned professional photographer who specialises in seascapes. She is most known for her Sirens portfolio – critically acclaimed photographs of stormy seas, named after creatures of myth and legend. Rachael shares her love for seascape photography and the importance of seeing your images in print

Rachael Talibart first became interested in photography in her teens, but the obsession really set in when she took her first 35mm camera on a nine-week solo backpacking trip around the world. “I’d just qualified as a solicitor and, when I got back, I spent my first pay cheque on an SLR. That was it – I was completely hooked,” Rachael explains. “I left the legal profession in 2000 and went back to university to study part-time while my children were young.” After obtaining a Masters in Victorian Literature and Art from Royal Holloway, University of London (her dissertation was, unsurprisingly, about maritime literature), Rachael considered doing a PhD, but the lure of photography led her to decide to make it a career instead. The sea has always been a huge part of Rachael’s life. Growing up on the south coast of England, her father was a keen yachtsman, which meant she spend every weekend and school holiday at sea. “These days our lives are so complicated – the sea is an antidote. Elemental, indifferent and mysterious, it makes me feel small and it makes my petty issues seems insignificant. How could it fail to inspire?” Rachael asks. Over the years, Rachael has dabbled in many genres, including street photography and macro photography, predominantly focusing on insects – proving that mastering the sea isn’t all about focusing on the coast. “Photographing bees in flight, for example, is not unlike photographing monster waves – both of them require fast reactions and lots of practice,” Rachael explains. From graceful rollers to foamy shore breaks, Rachael finds the possibilities are endless when waves are your subject, and keeps finding new ways to photograph them. “I try to make pictures that are less about documenting scenery and more about

Above Taking striking photographs of waves requires fast reactions and lots of practice communicating how it felt to be there. I find simplicity of composition is often key, and seascapes are a great genre for this as the view is almost always simple.” So, how do you ensure you’re choosing the right location? Rachael believes finding places you can get to easily and then visiting them repeatedly is important. “Not only will you learn the vagaries of the place, which will help you make the most of all conditions, you will also be more willing to risk spending time on experiments. Fleeting visits tend to result in standard compositions,” she says. When it comes to capturing the shot, there isn’t always a prescriptive way to do so. For

Rachael, making the creative moment happen when clicking the shutter on location is important, not because she considers it more ‘pure’ to get it right in camera first, but simply because she feels more inspired by the sea rather than at her computer later. “After I’ve clicked the shutter, I usually review the image and its histogram and make another photograph if I’d like to change something. When I’m capturing storm waves, however, it’s different. It’s more like sports photography – the decisive moment becomes key. After a few checks of the histogram to make sure I’m nailing the exposure, I just get on with making photographs,” she says. © Rachael Talibart

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Feature Â© Rachael Talibart

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Feature © Rachael Talibart

I try to make pictures that are less about documenting scenery and more about communicating how it felt to be there

The next time she reviews the pictures is usually when she uploads them to her desktop, a stage she likes to delay as long as possible. “If I review the pictures too soon, I’m almost always disappointed. The excitement is too fresh and it’s impossible to be objective.” Fine art, limited-edition prints are the main element of Rachael’s business, so printing is an important and enjoyable stage of the process for her – from choosing the right paper to watching it come out of the machine. “My work is fully digital now and I love it, but it has perhaps been at the expense of that feeling of craft that comes from a more tactile process,” she explains. For Rachael, printing brings some of that tangibility back. “There’s nothing like holding a print in your hand. Photographs come to life when they’re printed, they seem to take on a significance that doesn’t tend to exist in the ephemeral world of digital sharing.” Almost all of Rachael’s editing takes place in Adobe Lightroom – she rarely does anything that couldn’t have been done easily in the wet darkroom. Once she thinks an image is finished, she will print it and pin it to her wall, living with it for days, or even weeks. “By doing this, I find I notice things I want to change, so I change them and print it again. Finally, if I’m happy with a picture after this, it’s ready for my portfolio.” This process has had a positive impact on her own work, helping her to improve her photography, “It has forced me to slow down and be more considered,” she says.

Contact

Rachael uses a range of papers when it comes to printing her work, including Fotospeed’s NST Bright White 315 and Platinum Etching 285. She says: “I prefer matte paper for black & white – NST Bright White 315 captures a wide range of tones with a gentle, natural texture and a pure white base. The grainier texture and warmth of Platinum Etching 285 is perfect for my Perigee portfolio.” rachaeltalibart.com www.fotospeed.com

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Competition

Win fabulous prizes at The Photography Show Kase & Vanguard competition in association with fotoVUE It’s that time of year again: The Photography Show is here. To celebrate, Kase Filters UK and Vanguard UK have teamed up to create an amazing competition, with over £2500* worth of products up for grabs. Just visit the stands to enter! First prize bundle worth £1400 Kase Wolverine High End Kit Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CGHT award-winning Tripod & Head Vanguard Alta Fly 55T award-winning Backpack/Trolley Set of ten fotoVUE photobooks

Kase can be found on stand C73

Second prize bundle worth £750 Kase K8 Holder Kit Kase Wolverine 16 stop ND Filter 100x100 Vanguard VEO 2 GO 265CB Tripod

Kase are manufacturers of optical filters and accessories for photographers and videographers. Our Wolverine Series of filters is made from toughened pro glass and the filters have scratch-resistant, water and dust-repelling properties. They also have virtually no colour cast, and no degrading of image quality. Our Wolverine glass and our holder systems are available in both 100mm and 150mm varieties. A Kase Wolverine filter is not only extra tough, its optical qualities are also first class. You get extra peace of mind and unbelievable clarity. Its special Nano Coatings make it a joy to use in the wild, giving it both anti-reflective properties and making it easy to clean: no more smudging from water and sea spray. Combine it with our ingenious K8 100mm holder system with magnetic CPL for the perfect partnership. #Capture with confidence

kasefilters.com

Vanguard VEO GO 34M KG Bag

Set of ten fotoVUE photobooks

Third prize bundle worth £180

Four runner-up prizes Vanguard can be found on stand F61

Kase 100mm Soft Filter Bag Vanguard VESTA Mini Tripod

Kase K8 Holder Kit Vanguard VEO 2 AM-234TR Monopod

Kase Filters UK & Vanguard UK @ The Photography Show 2019 Competition in association with fotoVUE ENTRY FORM Name: Email: Phone No:

Vanguard has been designing, manufacturing and selling high-quality, feature-packed, multi awardwinning tripods, camera bags, waterproof cases and binoculars since 1986. This includes 12 TIPA awards, including Best Tripod for 2017 and 2018 with the versatile Alta Pro 2+ range and the Red Dot Design award for the bestselling Alta Sky 51D. With a comprehensive range for DSLR users, Vanguard is launching a wide range of products for the growing numbers of mirrorless kit users at The Photography Show 2019. These are based on stylish designs with high-quality materials, without compromising on the functionality and protection you’d expect to keep your valuable kits safe. So before you buy, don’t forget to check out what’s available from Vanguard on stand F61 in the centre of the show and #MakeUpYourOwnMind

vanguardworld.co.uk

QUESTION Which two items does Ben Kapur, Kase Pro and Vanguard Ambassador, say he loves using? Tick the two relevant boxes: answers can be found on the Kase (C73) and Vanguard (F61) stands.

 Kase K8 holder  Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ Tripod

 Kase Wolverine Filters  Vanguard Alta Sky 53 Bag

Closing date is 5pm 19 March 2019, and winners will be contacted by email or phone soon after this.  Tick this box if you're happy to be added to mailing lists for Kase UK, Vanguard UK and fotoVUE. Kase UK, Vanguard UK and fotoVUE fully comply with GDPR rules. *All prize values are based on full retail prices including delivery. For full terms and conditions please email either enquiry@kasefilters.com or marketing@vanguardworld.co.uk

fotoVUE works with the best landscape and outdoor photographers to produce and publish high-quality photo location guidebooks. As well as guiding you to the best places to take photographs in an area, our guidebooks are full of inspirational photography and give technical advice on how to take the best photographs. Make sure you check out the website for more info.

fotovue.com

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Readers’ profiles

Hall of fame Celebrating success

In this new feature, Photography News will celebrate the success and outstanding achievements of its readers To enjoy Peter Stevens’ successful Fellowship application, visit his website (see below).

Peter Stevens FRPS

Peter’s preferred subject matter is landscapes and cityscapes, and he is excited by the way that Photoshop can be an integral part of the creative process alongside the camera. He is currently the chair of Harpenden Photographic Society. He uses a Nikon D750 with Nikkor zoom lenses, and is exploring the mirrorless option. Enjoy his successful Fellowship panel on his website.

“I was delighted to be awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS) in Fine Art Photography in November 2018. It was many years ago that I gained my Associateship of the ARPS and in the intervening years, whilst I had aspired to a Fellowship, it had always seemed out of my grasp, too big a step. But that changed. “Once the core idea became clear to me, my Fellowship panel of pictures came together very quickly, in less than a year, and I passed first time. “It all started in the summer of 2017 and developed in stages. I had been experimenting with multiple exposures and was really taken with the blurred, impressionist effect it produced. There were definitely some technical hurdles to overcome, with many failures on the way. “I know some people take multiple exposures ‘in camera’ but having tried this approach I found it really didn’t work for me. I now much prefer taking individual photographs and then blending them in Photoshop. This give much more flexibility, although it is astonishing how many completely different final images can be produced by blending the same, say, ten photographs in different ways.

peterstevensphotography.co.uk

Above Photographers need to demonstrate outstanding and distinguished photographic ability to be awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society

“The panel is titled City Break, and the idea was to capture the experience of a visitor to London. Typically, a visitor has just a few days to see all the attractions and tries to cram in as much as they can in the limited time available.”

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

“Inevitably, the visitor’s memory becomes a blur, and the details of the attractions fade or are even forgotten. My panel was made up of London locations, captured using the multiple exposure technique, to reflect these blurred memories. “Being able to express the core idea early on was important as it gave great clarity and direction to the picture-taking. The spring and

summer of 2018 was spent in a single-minded pursuit of images. I must have produced 50 to 60 in total over the six-month period. “I did attend an RPS Distinctions Advisory day – 20 images are required for the Fellowship, and I had 20 images to show plus a few spares, which I displayed in a draft layout. What I wanted to hear was whether the idea itself was sound and whether any of the images

were good enough. This was a really important day. The advisors were very positive about the idea, and gave me sound direction on which images were good and which were not so good. I ended up changing around half the panel to produce the final selection. “Gaining the Fellowship feels like a significant achievement in itself and certainly brings a sense of pride. But it has also been a

great learning experience that I’m sure will help shape my photography going forward. For example, working on a project definitely produced greater energy and motivation. Having a clear purpose in mind provides clear direction to the picture-taking. And working in ‘panels’ rather than trying to take a single ‘wow’ image now seems the right thing to do. We’ll see if I can carry this through.”

Connie's favourite subjects are still life and back garden wildlife, and she loves the coast, too. She uses a Nikon D7200 with several lenses, and loves the Nikon macro lens. She is a member of Park Street Camera Club.

“I have been quite successful within my club, but I wanted to see how my work shaped up in the wider world. It was a choice of the RPS or the CPAGB. I hadn’t attempted any panel work, so opted for the CPAGB. I failed last November, so it is pleasing to pass this time. Last year all the advisory days were fully booked, so I had very little feedback on my entry – my score was 194 (200 being a pass mark). When I reapplied, I immediately booked myself onto an advisory day – which was very helpful and encouraging – and I came away feeling I had a few strong entries and a better idea of what I needed to do for the rest. I used the two highest scoring entries from my first attempt, which gave me a head start. I was happy with some macro insect shots taken in my garden as well. This left me just four or five images to finalise my entry. For me, choosing my final selection was more nerve racking than the actual judging:

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

By image eight I knew I had a very good chance of passing, and by image nine I knew for sure losing confidence in an image that yesterday you loved but today you hate, and going back and forth – finding some miniscule reason to do yet another reprint and then going back to the first one anyway. Once the entry was in, I could stop thinking about it and just hope for the best. “As a second-timer you get a discount on your entry fee – which I booked without checking the location of the adjudication. I was a bit taken back when I discovered it was 160 miles away in Pontefract, Yorkshire, and prints had to be handed in no later than 9.30am. “I went up a day early and did a dummy run that night to the location, which was Pontefract Town Hall, with parking a bit of a walk away. It was dark, rush hour, and seemed a nightmare journey. “In the morning I over-compensated and got up stupid early, and off I went. In daylight and with no traffic it turned out to be an absolute breeze of a journey, so I arrived way too early! It was fascinating, though, sitting in the town square, spotting dozens of other entrants beginning to walk up the hill to the town hall with their tell-tale black photographic folders. “The staff waiting for us at the town hall were very organised and were superkind and friendly, knowing many of us had travelled some way and were perhaps a little apprehensive. “The showing, title reading, judging and smooth transition of everyone’s prints back to their cases was really quite remarkable. The hosting by Rod Wheelan was great, treating us all with respect whilst managing

to make us laugh out loud, mostly at ourselves for going to all this trouble in the first place! “The atmosphere, therefore, once we had all settled into our chairs was relaxed, jovial and friendly. All the images are anonymous to the judges and are staggered with the other entries – this meant waiting for maybe 30 or 40 images to be scored before the first one of mine came out. “I got a good start with 25 for my first image (20 being a pass) and so began the long day of watching another 30 or 40 images being judged, comparing them to my own, guessing what I may get for the next one, and then suddenly another of mine would pop up. It always seemed that the length of time from my image coming up, the title being read and hearing the score was much, much longer than everyone else’s. But then holding your breath seems to slow time down. By image eight I knew I had a very good chance of passing, and by image nine I knew for sure. “Luckily, both myself and the lady I sat next to both passed. In fact, we had identical scores and were able to pat each other on the back. “There was another lady I spoke to before judging, who had brought along her own and two other club members’ entries who could not attend on the day but would be waiting for her to call. The worst case scenario happened in that she and one other passed and the other failed. A tricky phone call, I imagine. “We had to wait till the very end for badges, photos and so forth. The return of

Above Connie Fitzgerald agonised over her picture selection, but the effort paid off with her second and successful attempt at the CPAGB distinction our images was necessarily a bit of an admin procedure, but a very helpful lady allowed me to get mine first so I could begin the fourhour journey home. “I don’t have any thoughts just yet on taking the next step to the DPAGB, but I may try putting a panel together for an RPS distinction. “I would definitely encourage anyone thinking about entering to attend an advisory workshop and take heed of the friendly advice, and check the location of the adjudication. Trust your first instinct and definitely attend on the day if at all possible to receive your round of applause and your little blue badge.”

Calling photographers everywhere PN's Hall of Fame feature is to recoginise and celebrate achievement – and to tell the world all about it. So if you’ve recently gained a photographic distinction (RPS, PAGB, FIAP etc); won a major imaging competition; overcome adversity to achieve something photographically brilliant; or had your first (or 50th!) solo exhibition, we’d love to hear from you. Please send brief details (100 words and a couple of supporting low res JPEGs) of your achievement in the first instance to willcheung@bright-publishing.com, with Hall of Fame in the subject box.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Recommendations

The ultimate magazine for next generation filmmakers Whether you’re interested in using your mirrorless or DSLR camera for shooting videos just for fun, or a professional photographer looking to offer your clients moving footage alongside your existing stills, then Pro Moviemaker is the ideal magazine for you. It’s the only title out there that’s entirely dedicated to this rapidly-growing sector of hybrid stills and video shooters, as well as filmmaking professionals looking for the latest information,

inspiration and reviews to take their business to the next level. Each issue is bursting with expert advice, technique and a wide range of reviews and tests of all the latest gear, delivering the complete package for those looking to learn about what it takes to make the grade in the modern world of filmmaking. Our specialist sections deliver technical and business advice, expert feedback on products

Features

Some of the most successful commercial filmmakers around the world have interesting stories to tell and insightful information to share and every issue we pick the cream of the crop to feature. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn first-hand from successful industry professionals working in many different genres, to hear about how they first broke in and made their way in the industry and to share in their secrets of success. You’ll learn from those at the top.

ranging from the latest high-profile cameras through to essential accessories, and focus on key areas, such as drone operation and the world of VR and 360˚ filmmaking. Here’s a taste of what to expect inside, so take a look and join the growing band of professionals and pro-minded enthusiasts who are discovering for themselves what filmmaking has to offer! promoviemaker.net

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Movie matters

We reveal the ins and outs of how to run a thriving filmmaking business, with our panel of experts ready to advise on a variety of topics. Acclaimed post-production house Soho Editors takes a step-by-step walk through the editing process, and we look at regular pro issues, from kit hire to producing a killer showreel.

Gear

Aerial filmmaker The magazine’s team of expert reviewers always gets its hands on the latest, cutting-edge gear and is ideally placed to deliver a realworld verdict to help you to decide whether a piece of kit might be exactly what your business needs. We don’t just focus on cameras, as we review the full range of gear, from lenses and grip to memory devices, monitors, software and more. And in every issue our Group Test feature compares and contrasts different bits of kit to help you cut through the hype.

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Nothing has had quite the impact on filmmaking as drones have in the past few years. These easy-to-fly aircraft have changed the world of commercial filmmaking in a dramatic way and now it’s within the grasp of even low-budget productions to feature incredible aerial footage. We talk to the pioneers in drone cinematography to hear about how these incredible devices are being used and also take a look at the latest news and gossip to be coming out of this thriving sector.

Continually building your skills is key to ensuring your filmmaking is as current as possible. So to help you, we’ve got some of the world’s top experts writing for us, explaining such things as how to master awesome audio skills, how to pull off cinematic shots in your productions and how to transition from a career in photography to one in filmmaking. It’s the ultimate place to learn the craft of successful moviemaking.

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Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Specs Prices £2799 body only Sensor 20.4-megapixel sensor working with two TruePic VIII processors Sensor format Live MOS Micro Four Thirds, 17.4x13mm, 5184x3888 pixels, 12-bit Raw capture ISO range 200-25,600, expanded to ISO 64 Shutter range 60secs to 1/8000sec, plus B, Live Bulb/Live Time up to 30mins, 1/250sec flash sync. Electronic shutter 60secs-1/32,000sec Drive modes Continuous high: 15fps max up to 103 Raws. Silent continuous: 60fps max up to 49 Raws. Pro Capture: captures up to 35 previous frames, Pro Capture: High 60fps High Res Shot In JPEG 8160x6120pixels (50MP), Raw 10,368x7776 (80MP). Handheld High Res Shot mode with electronic shutter: JPEG/Raw 8160x6120 (50MP). Metering system Multi-zone digital ESP with 324 zones, centre-weighted, spot, spot with highlight/shadow control Image stabiliser Five-axis, four modes, 7.5EV claimed benefit with 12-100mm f/4 Exposure modes PASM Exposure compensation +/-5EV, bracketing up to seven frames Monitor 3in, 1037k dots, touch control, vari-angle Viewfinder 0.83x, 2.36k dots, 120fps frame rate Focus points AF point customisation, intelligent subject tracking – aeroplanes, trains, motor sports Focus bracketing and focus stacking modes Face and eye detection – eye detection with nearer-eye, right-eye and left-eye priority Video 4K (up to 30fps), 1080p (up to 60fps) Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB-C, USB 3.0, Micro HDMI, Bluetooth Other key features Body is splash, dust and freeze proof, in-body image stabilisation Storage media Two SD slots, both UHS-II Power Two BLH-1 batteries but does work with one. USB charging. Capacity up to 2580 shots Dimensions (wxhxd) 144.4x146.8x75.4mm Weight 997g body only with two BLH-1 batteries and two cards Contact olympus.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Olympus OM-D E-M1X

The OM-D E-M1X is a top-end Micro Four Thirds camera with an integrated handgrip aimed at action and nature photographers. However, this innovationpacked, high-performing camera is likely to have a much broader appeal Words and images by Will Cheung Last September, before all the rumours (about what turned out to be the OM-D E-M1X) started circulating, I had a one-to-one chat with an Olympus executive. Against the background of three full-frame system launches, I was obviously curious if Olympus would do a Panasonic – ie go full-frame while continuing its commitment to Micro Four Thirds. The short answer was ‘no’, followed by generous use of the word ‘mobility’ and its importance when it came to Olympus cameras. So, now we have the OM-D E-M1X, with its integrated vertical handgrip – the biggest Olympus Micro Four Thirds camera we have seen to date. It is a rugged camera with, according to Olympus, world leading dust, splash and freeze proofing, signalling the start of a new dynasty. Existing pro models like the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and optional HLD-9 vertical power grip continue to be available. So, reading between the lines, we’ll still see pro-level products with body and grip available as separate entities and more cameras with integrated grips. The latter will probably depend on the success of the E-M1X. It is interesting the E-M1X and E-M1 Mark II share the same 20.4-megapixel sensor. Given the E-M1 Mark II was announced back in September 2016, it is perhaps a surprise we didn’t see a new sensor in the new camera, maybe with more megapixels or much better high-ISO performance. It would, for example, provide a very clear user benefit to those using older cameras – an obvious reason to upgrade. But that is not the case, so we have what we have. The E-M1X’s sensor does have an updated coating for improved light sensitivity and works with a pair of TruPic VIII processors. Having dual processors gives the E-M1X a faster performance in key areas: quicker start-up, faster recovery from sleep mode, support for two UHS-II SD card slots and features like Subject Detection AF and High Res Shot modes, including a handheld shooting

option, in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) and Live ND. The E-M1X integral grip means all the key controls for horizontal shooting are precisely replicated for vertical shooting, and that is a good thing. There’s also room to accommodate two batteries. The benefit of two batteries (it can run on one) is shooting capacity instead of shooting speed. Two fully charged BLH-1 cells allows for over 2500 shots. I had three days with the camera and got the impression this figure was generous based on the 600-odd shots I took on each day. But then I was previewing a lot of my shots, exploring the menu a great deal and shooting quite a few shots using the High Res Shot modes – so perhaps not a true reflection of battery capacity in normal use.

The OM-D E-M1X sensor has an updated coating for improved light sensitivity

The good news is the batteries can be charged via the camera’s USB-C socket using a power bank, with LEDs to indicate charging. I think USB charging should be made compulsory on all new cameras, because it is such a handy backup to have. Well done to Olympus for including it. The E-M1X is a chunky-looking camera but there is nothing wrong, in my view, with the control layout. The on/off switch is on the left side, around the base of a control dial mode that has three function controls, drive/flash, bracketing and AF/AE settings. The dominant dial on the right is the lockable exposure mode dial, with four assignable custom settings plus the usual PASM settings and a movie setting. The remaining controls on the

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: ISO Original image

The test shots here were taken with an OM-D E-M1X fitted with a 12-100mm f/4 lens. The camera was fixed to a Novo Explora T20 tripod and shots taken with the self-timer. No in-camera noise reduction was applied, nor was any used in processing. We did try Adobe Lightroom /DxO PhotoLab to check out the potential benefits of noise reduction. The E-M1X showed itself to have a capable digital noise

right are the movie record button, shutter release and, very usefully, the ISO and exposure compensation buttons. Having the compensation and ISO buttons next to the shutter release is ideal – the ISO button even has a dimpled finish so you can tell the difference by touch. It’s an unfussy layout and, along with input dials, front and rear, I thought handling was intuitive. The rear is dominated by the 3in touchscreen, which is surrounded by various buttons and controls. Push the menu button and you’ll see a deep menu structure, from A1 to J3, totalling 123 options. It is useful you can create your own menu comprising up to 35 separate items. As you would expect, there is plenty of customisation potential to set up the camera to your liking. I was, however, a little perplexed by the inclusion of a card button. With dual slot cameras, I have all images saved to both in case of card failure. That’s it. Touch wood, I have not had that particular experience, but that is my set-up. Very rarely have I had to decide to save to one card or the other, but that is what Olympus has dedicated a button to. I would understand it much more if the card button let me, on those rare occasions I felt the need, save Raws to one and JPEGs to the other, or change my saving options, but it doesn’t. Those options are available through the menu H1 Card Slot settings, but perhaps that will change with a firmware update. You do need fast C SD cards to benefit from the E-M1X’s dual processors, which have enhanced

performance, even though its sensor, which is the same as used in the OM-D E-M1 Mark II, is not the latest. You can see noise start appearing in areas of even tone at ISO 500, although some noise reduction software will get rid of that. The grain effect of noise is more evident at ISO 800 and gets progressively more obvious through to ISO 3200, especially in areas of plain tone and shadows. With some diligent

noise reduction, top-quality images suitable for critical use and big prints are achievable. Venture beyond ISO 3200 and images are less recoverable in terms of noise reduction, but results are still okay until ISO 6400 and beyond, where noise and its impact on fine details becomes more significant All in all, the E-M1X’s sensor is capable, given its age and the small Micro Four Thirds format.

ISO 200

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

Images This low-light scene was shot with a 12-100mm f/4 lens on a tripod mounted camera. The OM-D E-M1X has the same sensor as the OM-D E-M1 Mark II and you can see noise starts to become evident at ISO 800, then gets progressively more obvious

Performance: exposure latitude This set of OM-D E-M1X Raws was manually bracketed from the correct meter reading of 1/125sec at f/11, ISO 200. The bracketed shots were exposure corrected in Adobe Lightroom Classic CC. The -1EV and -2EV shots recovered well and look tonally spot on and colour cast free, with some acceptable noise visible in the shadows. The -3EV and -4EV shots also look tonally fine after exposure adjustment, but digital noise is more evident in the shadows and mid-tones, and intricate details suffer.

For high-quality results, the underexposure limit is -2EV. With overexposure, +2EV is the limit. The corrected +1EV and +2EV shots look great, with crisp highlights full of details, excellent tonal balance and not a trace of any noise. The +3EV shot is also artefact free, but the strong highlights are burnt out and could not be recovered at all. The exposure latitude of E-M1X Raws where quality is critical is +2EV and -2EV, which is good, but not the best around.

-4EV

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

+3EV

Original image

+4EV

Images These shots were bracketed from 1/125sec at f/11, ISO 200 and corrected in Lightroom Classic CC. -2EV to +2EV, the OM-D E-M1X performs well. Outside this range, images show noise or burnt out highlights

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: High Res Shot modes High Res Shot mode gives you the chance to shoot bigger files with more detail and minimise noise. The E-M1X has Tripod HRS to give 50-megapixel JPEGs and 80-megapixel Raws. In Handheld HRS, you get 50 megapixels in both file types.

The four pictures here were taken with a 12-100mm lens using exposure settings of 0.8sec at f/8, ISO 100. The out-ofcamera JPEGs have been sharpened by the camera, while unsharp mask was added to the Raws in Adobe Photoshop.

Normal JPEG

Normal Raw

JPEG in Tripod HRS

Raw in Tripod HRS mode

Original image

The pub interior was shot handheld with a 12-100mm f/4 lens at 1/4sec at f/4, ISO 200. Both were processed in Lightroom with unsharp mask added in Photoshop. With the Handheld HRS shot viewed at 100% and the normal Raw viewed at

157%, identical subjects are the same size on screen. Both images viewed at 100% showed how effective Handheld HRS proved to be, even with a relatively slow exposure. Noise levels are significantly lower, too.

Original image

Normal Raw

shooting speeds. UHS-II SD cards can be identified by their two rows of electrical contacts. The camera can capture Raws at 60fps with exposure and focus locked, and shoot up to 18fps with AE/AF tracking. With the dual processor and fast cards, at 10fps you can shoot 280 Raws in a single burst with AE/ AF tracking and no buffering. At 15fps, this drops to a burst of 148 Raws without buffering. I didn’t get to truly check out the camera’s action shooting prowess in the time I had the camera – even the ever-dependable horse racing was off – so I made do with the nearest motorway. I certainly didn’t manage to get to the point of buffering,

To demonstrate the noise-reducing benefits of using Tripod HRS, a series of comparison shots were taken from ISO 200 up to ISO 1600 – the maximum allowed by the mode. The exposure for the shots was 1/4sec at f/8, ISO 1600.

Tripod HRS shots are twice the size of normal Raws, so shots were checked out at the same subject size and also at the same magnification. Either way, the benefit of Tripod HRS on noise performance was significant and obvious.

Original image

Handheld HRS

and I’d imagine the figures quoted by Olympus would be more than enough frames for all but the most enthusiastic machine-gunners. There is significant innovation in the camera’s AF department. The 121zone AF system offers plenty of setup options, with the choice of single zone (large or small), five, nine, 25 and all 121 working. The single and zone options can be moved around the whole 121-zone layout and each pattern can be scrolled through by pushing in the AF joystick and using the front input dial. Aside from a focus joystick to move AF points around, the four-way rear control pad can also be used. If that wasn’t enough, you can also use the

Normal Raw, ISO 1600

touchscreen, whether your eye is up to the viewfinder eyepiece or not. There is even more potential in the A2 AF/MF menu under the item Target Mode Settings. Here, you can make your own custom AF grid using the 11x11 121 zone to suit the subject. So, you can choose a 1x9 AF pattern to photograph a tall, thin subject (a giraffe!) for example, or you can go for a horizontal 3x8 AF grid to deal with boats. Your custom grids can be added to the default list of AF patterns to scroll through. For most users, the single point or small zone options would be more than enough, but the potential is there for more specialist users and their subjects.

Tripod High Res Shot, ISO 1600

You can make your own custom AF 11x11 121 zone to suit the subject Speaking of specialist subjects, the E-M1X’s menu item A3 AF/MF has a Tracking Subject option, where there’s the choice of motor sports, trains or aeroplanes for continuous AF tracking. I tried the aeroplane tracking mode on commercial jets in the absence of anything faster and the motor sports mode on cars

joining a motorway, both using the Olympus 300mm f/4 lens. Neither subject was ideal in the context of what Olympus had in mind for this feature, but it was the best I could manage in the time I had. In both cases, you could see the focus zones picking on the subject, but I could also see zones missing too. It is an interesting concept,

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Verdict

Performance: IBIS system The E-M1X’s five-axis IBIS system features a new gyro and uses the dual processors to give an even better stabilisation performance. The claim is there’s a 7.5EV benefit to using the 12-100mm f/4 lens at 100mm. This is the

35mm equivalent of 200mm, so if we generously assume 1/250sec is the minimum handheld shutter speed, then a 7.5EV benefit is 0.7secs, i.e. between 1/2sec and 1sec. Handholding to get sharp shots at such shutter speeds with

Above This was a 1.3secs at f/4.5 handheld -exposure, ISO 200 with the 12-100mm f/4 at 100mm, so the 35mm equivalent of 200mm. The enlargement of the sign shows the effectiveness of the camera’s revamped IBIS system

but I would have thought pro shooters would prefer something more controllable and predictable and stick with single or a small zone – or use their own pattern produced with the Target Mode option. AF was generally responsive, quick and sensitive in low light. It struggled a little on high-frequency subjects. It was more twitchy on bird feathers, for example, but most systems would probably struggle.

the 35mm equivalent of 200mm would be impressive, so I did some indoor and outdoor testing. It has to be said that the IBIS system does a great job. Based on my little test, Olympus’s 7.5EV claim is justified,

Above The E-M1X was fitted with the 12-100mm at 44mm, and the exposure was 1sec at f/5. It was calm, as you can tell from the spiderweb. Even viewed at 100% on screen, the strands are crisply recorded – remarkable. Shots taken at 2secs at f/7.1 were almost as good

In better light with subjects with more contrast, AF was impressively slick and accurate, locking in with very few issues. I tried various modes, but stuck mostly with single point or small zone – and those modes delivered time after time. In-body image stabilisers (IBIS) help you get sharp stills and video, so are very much a good thing. See Performance: IBIS system (above) for more on the E-M1X’s shake-

Performance: Focus stacking

Focus bracketing and focus stacking (with compatible lenses) are available on the E-M1 Mark II and E-M5 Mark II. With stacking, eight exposures are shot and merged. On the E-M1X, you can choose between three to 15 separate exposures to produce the merged JPEG file. If you have Raw and JPEG image quality set, you have individual images saved in both formats so you can focus

merge in software in post-production. In this example, a 12-100mm f/4 lens at 70mm was used with an

but of course, as always, there are many variables when it comes to handholding. My test shots were done after a full day’s shooting and a lunch with wine. I still got great results at silly slow shutter speeds. That’s impressive.

exposure of 0.4secs at f/4. The 15 shot option was chosen, with a focusing differential of 5. This was my first focus stack with this camera, so I picked 5 on the simple premise that it was in the middle of the range. I started by focusing on the lid of the top box about 30cm from the camera and framed up with the subject well inside the frame outline in the viewfinder.

You can see from the finished stacked image that it is bigger in the frame compared to the starting images. I pressed the shutter button and let the camera do its thing. Looking at the JPEGs afterwards, I noticed the first shot was sharp on the lid, then the camera focused even closer before racking out towards infinity. The final stacked result looked spot on.

defeating skills. A really handy benefit of IBIS is the ability to capture even more from a suitable scene. Olympus’ High Res Shot mode – seen on the E-M1 Mark II and E-M5 Mark II – merges eight separate exposures into one for a high megapixel file. Between each exposure, the sensor is moved by a pixel or half a pixel, so you get much more data from a Bayer sensor, with its two green, one red and one blue pixel array. The E-M1X has High Res Shot (HRS) mode with two options: Tripod HRS and Handheld HRS modes. With Tripod HRS mode, the camera takes eight sequential shots with its electronic silent shutter. In low light, this means the exposure sequence can be several seconds. In this mode, Raws are 10,369x7776 pixels (80 megapixels) and JPEGs 8160x6120 pixels (50 megapixels). This compares with normal Raw/ JPEG shooting, where the file size is 5184x3888 pixels, ie 20 megapixels. You are limited to a top ISO of 1600 and the smallest aperture is f/8. And, of course, you need a stable camera and scene that is static. Handheld HRS mode gives Raws and JPEGs of 8160x6120 pixels (50 megapixels), so still much larger than usual. In this mode, up to 16 separate exposures are taken, with the IBIS gyro and camera’s dual processors correcting for any camera movement between each shot. Then the images are merged. The camera locks up during the merging process. It takes about 1215 seconds for Handheld HRS, a few seconds longer than Tripod HRS. Because the slightest camera or subject movement of even a pixel will ruin a Tripod HRS image, there is a selectable time delay between pressing the shutter button and the beginning of the exposure. This ensures the camera has fully settled down by the time the exposure sequence begins. In Handheld HRS, IBIS detects shake and merges stabilised images, so you can have the shutter release

There is much to admire, enjoy and exploit in the Olympus OM-D E-M1X. I was rather taken with the Handheld High Res Shot mode. It’s not a mode to use all the time – it wouldn’t suit most subjects, anyway – but in the right situation and when a big file is needed, it works remarkably well. It still needs to be used with care, but when it worked, it worked very well indeed. There’s plenty more good stuff. The potential benefits of the 121-zone AF system are clear, the continuous shooting capacity is impressive and the vertical grip is great in use. And there’s the issue of mobility. The camera is not compact by any means, but look at the lens system. The 300mm f/4 (600mm equivalent in the 35mm format) is a pure delight, so there are plenty of advantages when it comes to lugging a long lens E-M1X outfit around. As for price, the E-M1X body is £2799 , which is competitive in the world of pro, deep-bodied cameras, but then you can buy the E-M1 Mark II with the HLD-9 grip for £1648 – over £1000 less. Of course, they offer different things, but it is a comparison some people will inevitably make. By the time you read this, stocks should be in the shops, so we’ll have a better idea of how this latest Olympus will be received by the person who matters most: the customer. But there’s no denying it’s a very capable camera with massive potential. Features 23/25 No new sensor, but great features like Handheld High Res Shot Handling 24/25 Suited my hands and handling needs very well Performance 23/25 Excellent with exposures, AF more than competent, lovely results Value for money 21/25 You get a lot of camera for your money – but £2799 is a lot of money Overall 91/100 The E-M1X is a great way for Olympus to kick off its centenary Pros Build quality, handling, IBIS, High Res Shot mode, customisible AF patterns, produces sharp, correctly exposed images reliably Cons Big for an MFT camera, fixed grip won’t suit everyone, same resolution sensor as E-M1 Mark II

behaving as normal – or perhaps with a brief time delay – before the camera starts shooting. You can see the IBIS system working when you take Handheld HRS shots. For flash shooting, a time delay can also be set between each exposure to allow for flash recycling. I tried Tripod High Res Shot mode to assess the benefits and also tried with Handheld HRS to check out the practical issues. See the accompanying panel and images to see how the OM-D E-M1X’s HRS performed.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Specs Prices S1R body £3399, S1 body £2199, S1R kit with 24-105mm £4199, S1 kit with 24-105mm £2999 Sensor S1R 47.3-megapixel, CMOS sensor, S1 24.2-megapixel, CMOS sensor Sensor format S1R 24x36mm, 8368x5584 pixels. High res mode 16,736x11168 pixels, 6K photo 5184x3456 pixels, 4K photo 3504x2336 pixels, HLG photo 6464x4320 full res S1 35.6x23.8mm, 6000x4000 pixels. High res mode 12,000x8000 pixels, 6K photo 5184x3456 pixels, 4K photo 3504x2336 pixels, HLG photo 5984x4000 full res Aspect ratios: 3:2, 4:3, 16:9, 1:1, 65:24, 2:1 ISO range S1R 100-25,600. 50 and 51,200 extended S1 100-51,200. 50, 102,400 and 204,800 extended Shutter range 60secs-1/8000sec, B max 30 mins Electronic front shutter curtain 60secs to 1/2000sec, B max 30 mins Electronic shutter 60secs to 1/16,000sec (S1R), 1/8000sec (S1) Motion picture 1/25-1/16,000sec

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Panasonic Lumix S1R

Panasonic has embraced the sales opportunities of mirrorless full-frame with alacrity, introducing two Lumix cameras and three lenses to kick off its S series. The Lumix S1 has a 24.2-megapixel resolution, but in this test we look at its higher-resolution and externally identical big brother, the 47.3-megapixel S1R

Drive modes Burst shooting in AFS and MF: H 9fps, M 5fps (with live view), L 2fps. In AF-C 6fps max (with live view). 6K photo 30fps, 4K photo 30fps Exposure modes PASM Monitor 3.2in 2100k dots, tiltable, touchscreen Viewfinder OLED with 5760k dots, 100% view, 0.78x, three magnification options Focusing AF works from -6EV to 18EV Focus points 225 area. Auto detection (face, eye, body, animal, tracking, zone (vertical/ horizontal), zone (oval and square), single area, single area pinpoint, custom modes, full area touch Video Continuous recording 150 min (rear monitor), 140 min LVF Actual recordable time 75 min (rear monitor), 70 min LVF Recording file format S1 MP4, H:264/MPEG-4 AVC, S1R MP4, H:264, MPEG-4 S1R 4K (3840x2160) 59.94/50/29.97/25/23.98 MP4, highspeed video (3840x2160) 29.97 (sensor output 60fps) S1 4K (3840x2160) 59.94/50/29.97/25/23.98 MP4, highspeed video (3840x2160) 29.97 (sensor output 60fps), 4K MP4 HEVC (3840x2160) 29.97 72Mbps Connectivity Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, HDMI, USB-C 3.1 Image stabiliser Image sensor shift 5-axis/5.5EV benefit. Dual IS 6EV benefit Other key features Dust and splash resistant, USB charging Storage media 1 x SD, 1 x XQD Dimensions (wxhxd) 148.9x110x96.7mm Weight S1R body 899g, S1 body 898g Contact panasonic.co.uk

Words and images by Will Cheung Whether you like it or not, the days of optical viewfinders and the familiar click-clack of the instantreturn reflex mirror are numbered as the mirrorless bandwagon rolls mercilessly on. Panasonic is already big in mirrorless with its popular Micro Four Thirds cameras, and it has now joined the rank of full-frame mirrorless providers with the launch of a new system, the S series. Two cameras are on offer:

the 24.2-megapixel S1 and the 47.3-megapixel S1R, priced at £2199 and £3399 body only, respectively. The Panasonic Lumix S1R is the highest resolution full-frame camera currently available. Buying into a new system demands a considerable leap of faith, but Panasonic and Sigma have formed an alliance with Leica to use the latter’s L-Mount, so prospective S series buyers have plenty of choice when it comes to lenses. Leica has a good range out already and Sigma has just announced L-Mount versions of its highly regarded Art

There is the perception that mirrorless means compact

primes – 11 lenses in all. I tried the Lumix S1R with two of the three lenses Panasonic has made available so far: the 50mm f/1.4 and the 70-200mm f/4. There is the perception that mirrorless means compact. It is true that doing away with the reflex viewing system does offer the chance for smaller cameras, but Panasonic’s no-compromise approach has meant the S1R is comparable in size to non-gripped DSLRs like the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Nikon D850. Add the 50mm f/1.4 – a huge lens, considering its focal length and

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: ISO The camera’s native ISO range is 100-25,600, with expansion available, taking this to 50 to 51,200. I took a set of shots within the native ISO range in twilight with the base ISO 100 exposure being 1.6secs at f/5.6 using the 50mm f/1.4 standard lens. The test shots were processed in Silkypix Developer Studio Pro8 with default noise reduction. Such are expectations now that I’d be disappointed if a new camera didn’t deliver an impressive ISO performance. The S1R certainly doesn’t disappoint, especially given its sky-high resolution, where noise is potentially more of an issue. The images at lower ISO speeds are amazing – really clean with staggering detail. Full-resolution files measure 27.8x18.6in at 300ppi and, if you wanted to, you could shoot at ISO 800 and see minimal difference between this and slower speeds at 100%. To be honest (obviously depending on your personal expectations and what you want from the files) but the resolution of detail and low noise at ISO 800

are so good you could use that as your base ISO. Noise does increase, but marginally, up to ISO 3200, and there’s no reason at all why you shouldn’t use this setting if lighting conditions dictate – and a little noise reduction in processing will mean critical-quality shots. It is true that when venturing beyond ISO 3200 detail suffers and there’s greater evidence of colour

noise but if push came to shove and I needed too, I’d have no problem setting ISO 6400 knowing that the results would still be impressive. Higher resolution sensors are meant to be less good when it comes to digital noise performance, so in that context it’s impossible not be impressed with the S1R’s 47.3-megapixel sensor. Also, with that in mind, the 24.2-megapixel S1 is going to be even more awesome.

ISO 100

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12,800

ISO 25,600

Images Worcester Cathedral at twilight was the subject for our ISO test. The images here are processed Raws using Silkypix Developer Studio Pro8 with default noise reduction

The layout works well and means you can control core features by touch with the camera up to the eye

aperture – and this camera is a seriously weighty package. All round handling, though, is good. Most commonly used features are quickly accessible via dedicated controls that are well positioned. So, for example, next to the shutter button are the white-balance, ISO and exposure compensation buttons. The layout works well and means you can control core features by touch with the camera up to the eye. I found the WB button the easiest to use, but for me it’s the least used. In fact, I can’t recall ever adjusting white-balance with the camera up to

the eye. Its function can be altered, but it’s all white-balance related. I like the on/off switch to be on the right side, because it makes bringing the camera up to the eye and switching it on a seamless, single-handed process. The S1R does have a right-side on/off switch so, in theory, it should suit me, yet Panasonic has somehow contrived to make the process less comfortable than it should be, but that’s my view. One negative aspect – as perceived by many DSLR users – is that electronic viewfinders are not as good as optical ones. I get that,

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: exposure latitude

Above The Lumix S1R’s camera layout is elegant and simple and should hold no fears for keen photographers especially with older EVFs, where a flickering, smeary, low-resolution, laggy image is off-putting. Give a photographer a camera and the first thing they do (after turning it on) is put it up to the eye, so the viewfinder is a crucial feature. Panasonic has done a great job here, because the S1R’s EVF is excellent and a world away from EVFs of old. If your experience with EVFs has not been good to date, check out the S1R’s, because I’m certain you’ll be impressed. It’s a high-resolution 5760K EVF and it resolves fine detail superbly and, having used all of the latest cameras, the S1R’s EVF is the closest I’ve seen to being optical. It has two refresh rates, 60fps and the better, but more power hungry, 120fps. I also like having the option of three magnifications, and camera settings are shown in a black surround outside the image area. The adjustable monitor works well and the touch functionality for menu setting and picture reviewing was fine. In mechanical shutter mode, push the shutter button and you get a lowpitched sound and any vibration is nicely absorbed by the hefty body. Handholding at slow shutter speeds is perfectly manageable, with the in-body, five-axis system claiming a 5.5EV benefit and 6EV with lenses installed with OIS.

The S1R packs a 47.3-megapixel resolution, the highest of any full-frame camera currently available I did some handholding tests, shooting stills and video with the 50mm f/1.4 and 70-200mm f/4. With video, walking and filming you do get remarkably steady results, while in stills with the 50mm I was more than happy with sharpness at 1/4sec and I had a high success rate at that speed. By success rate, I mean the results were razor-sharp. Going to 1/2sec and 1sec proved less successful and, while I am unfairly comparing apples with oranges, the OIS skills of the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, also tested in this issue, are more impressive. Perhaps we should talk about the camera’s resolution and a key point of difference between the S1R and S1. The S1R packs a 47.3-megapixel resolution, the highest of any fullframe camera currently available. This does mean if you shoot Raws, you get big files – Fine JPEGs are around 20MB and Raws 65MB. Open files up and you get 8368x5584 pixels, which equates to prints of 27.9x18.6in at 300ppi without

interpolation – A2 is 23.4x16.5in. It also means if you like cropping in editing you have lots of pixels at your disposal. Panasonic supplied Silkypix Developer Studio Pro8 for Raw processing – the Adobe software had not been updated to deal with the Panasonic’s Raws at the time of writing this test. Processed Raw images, almost regardless of ISO, looked amazing. Even dull shots looked beautiful, with sharpness and detail. It’s true many of my shots were taken with the £2299 50mm f/1.4 lens, so you’d expect great results, but expectations were exceeded – and by some way. The S1R offers even more, with a high resolution mode to capture even more detail and to minimise noise. In this mode, eight shots are taken, with the sensor moving between shots. Use this and you get an equivalent resolution of 187 megapixels – file sizes are around 350MB. These open up to 16,736x11,168 pixels – this means prints of 55x36in. With some interpolation, you’ll be able to get

At the time of testing, Lightroom could not process S1R’s Raws, so Silkypix Developer Studio Pro8 was used. On this software, the limit for exposure correction was +/-3EV. The shot was taken using the 50mm f/1.4 lens and the metered correct exposure was 1/250sec at f/6.3, ISO 100. On the evidence of this test with this software, the ability of S1R’s Raws to handle overexposure isn’t overly impressive. The +3EV shot looked unacceptable, with flat grey highlights, although the shadow details looked absolutely fine. Even the +2EV shot didn’t look great, with the blue sky picking up a cyan cast, although this can be corrected with more

diligent processing. Again, there was absolutely nothing wrong with the shadows. On underexposure, there were no real issues. The -3EV and -2EV shots looked fine after software recovery in tonality and colour saturation. Viewed on-screen at 100%, the -3EV shot showed visible noise – notably in shadows – but it was acceptable and could be minimised in software if needed. The -2EV shot looked cleaner, while the -1EV image was identical to the correctly exposed frame. The Panasonic Lumix S1R’s Raw showed a reasonable, but not spectacular, resistance to exposure abuse, and ideally you need to be within +/-2EV.

Original image

-3EV

-2EV

-1EV

+1EV

+2EV

Performance: in-body image stabilisation The S1R features five-axis, inbody image stabilisation, offering up to a 5.5EV benefit on its own and 6EV with lenses featuring IS, such as the 24-105mm f/4 OIS.

With an OIS lens, the in-body feature gives Dual IS, with the two systems working together to give extra correction for yaw and pitch. The shot below was

taken with a handheld S1R with a 50mm f/1.4 lens and a shutter speed of 1/4sec. As you can see, five shots taken at this speed of this scene were all pin-sharp.

+3EV

Images The effectiveness of the S1R’s IBIS system is helped by the camera’s heft, which aids stability

Images The Raw exposure bracket shot with a Lumix S1R corrected nicely in the +/-2EV range. Go beyond that, though, especially with overexposure, and the exposure corrected results do not look so good

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Camera test Performance: high resolution mode High res mode takes eight shots with the image sensor moved between shots, and the final image is merged in-camera, giving images of a 187-megapixel resolution. Processed files open up to 16,736x11,168 pixels and at 300ppi prints are 55x36in. After shooting, the Raw takes about ten seconds to write. In that time, the camera is locked up. For high-res shooting, you need the camera to be on a solid tripod and a time delay mode helps ensure total stability. ISO 100 Raw

awesome prints the size of a house with no problem at all. Buy the S1R and you will need to look at your storage strategy and a faster computer might be a good idea, too. See the panel above on how the high resolution mode performed. With such large sizes, you need to use fast storage media. The S1R has SD and XQD slots. To check shooting and write times, I used a Sony G XQD 64GB card with a claimed 400Mbps write time. In continuous shooting in the high setting with Raws only, I got 40 Raws at 9fps and then it slowed down to about 3fps and the full buffer took around 15 secs to clear. With Fine JPEGs, only continuous shooting gave 55 shots before any signs of slowing down. For faster shooting, the camera offers 6K and 4K photo modes. Amid the backdrop of the S1R’s great skills, one feature I found less amazing was the camera’s AF. The S1R uses Panasonic’s highly respected Depth From Defocus (DFD) contrast detect AF system, which has been around for a few years and used on its compacts and MFT models. Contrast detect AF systems usually work by going through the point of focus and then racking back to give a sharp image. This is done very quickly, but that brief hunting time as the camera focuses back and forth is still lost time. Panasonic’s DFD system checks images at different focus points very quickly to determine what should be sharp and the lens is quickly adjusted to give sharp focus. All this is done in the blink of an eye – the sensor and lens can communicate at up to 480fps. While I found the S1R mostly decisive, fast and accurate, on occasions DFD struggled and hunted back and forth even in decent light.

In Mode 1, you need static subjects, while Mode 2 can handle gentle movement, such as the leaves of a tree in the breeze. This works by comparing the fine detail of the eight images. The merging process takes no longer than normal high res mode. This scene at IWM, Duxford, was done at various ISO settings with normal Raw and high-res Raw, with images processed in Silkypix Developer Studio Pro8. High res mode is limited to a top ISO of 3200. ISO 800 high-res Raw

From the enlargements, with the subject at the same size (the high res mode shots are twice the size of normal Raws) you can see the benefit clearly to fine-detail resolution and ISO performance. The detail improvement, from an already high base, is very impressive. The noise levels of the high ISO shots are significantly lower, too. With suitable subjects, and when you need all the resolution the camera is a capable of, high res mode is worth using. ISO 800

Original image

ISO 3200 high-res Raw

ISO 3200

Verdict I think Panasonic has got a lot right with the Lumix S1R, from its design concept and control layout to its brilliant EVF and very capable sensor. I like it. I like it a lot. It is an impressive camera with a great deal going for it. When all is said and done, though, this is a top-end, pro-level camera with a relatively small potential market to tap into, and a vast number of those possible buyers are very likely already deeply committed. Whether the S series is going to tempt users to divorce their existing system and switch, only time will tell, because it’d be a hugely expensive process and a massive leap of faith. To those not yet committed or moving up from a smaller format, the S1R has a compelling feature set and very high performance levels, so it’s impossible to dismiss from consideration. Features 24/25 Awesome sensor, stunning EVF and built to work, hard Handling 23/25 Assured and there is much to like in use, including the EVF – but with the odd niggle Performance 24/25 Produces top-quality images even at high ISOs. AF can be twitchy

Put it in poor light, indoors or with floodlit night scenes, it was even less sure-footed. Panasonic claims good AF in light as low as -3EV in normal mode (-6EV in Low Light AF mode), but that seems optimistic. It was also not very good with small subjects and even with pinpoint AF the system failed to lock on. It is true

The occasional AF lapse was the only negative aspect

DFD did well much of the time, but it did stumble on scenes you would expect it to cope with easily. The occasional AF lapse was the only negative aspect of the S1R’s performance. Autoexposures using the multi-zone system were reliably spot on, while auto white-balance consistently delivered fine results.

Value for money 23/25 It’s a leading-edge camera and priced accordingly. That said, you get a lot for your cash Overall 94/100 Panasonic’s first full-frame camera is an impressive beast, hugely capable and good to use Pros Excellent image quality, amazing EVF, build, feature set Cons Menu, on/off switch position, AF can be indecisive

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature

Trade show

The Photography Show 2019 Plan your days at The Photography Show with our top picks

Chillblast

PermaJet

Stand: G154

Stand: F91

Chillblast is showcasing its full range of photo and video editing workstations at The Photography Show on stand G154. At the stand, you can compare the

performance in editing tasks to a flagship Apple Mac Pro, as well as witness amazing virtual sculptures being created by VR artist Sean Rodrigo.

PermaJet’s range of award-winning inkjet media includes something to suit everyone; from the avid home-printer and the competition and exhibition creators, to the high-volume professional labs. Whether you shoot portraits or landscapes, colour or monochrome, documentary or fine art, there’s a paper that will make your images excel. As well as inkjet media and accessories, PermaJet offers a full spectrum of services, from creating custom ICC profiles to ensure you get the best prints possible, to a selection of workshops at the PermaJet Print Academy, where you can spend a day learning how to print or a weekend photographing period actors on location. For more information, exclusive show offers and the chance to see the whole range in the flesh, visit PermaJet at The Photography Show, stand F91.

Zeiss

Stand: B21 CameraWorld

Stand: D21 CameraWorld’s aim is to bring you the very best deals – and this year is no different. With fabulous product launches from Canon, Nikon, Sony, Olympus and more it will be an exciting show. Fancy a tradeup? Bring your old gear for an on-the-spot valuation and take away a shiny new toy. CameraWorld offers high prices on partexchange and, along with its incredible show offers, is a worthwhile visit.

There are also incredibly low prices on Lexar memory cards, Benro tripods, Velbon tripods, Crumpler bags and lots, lots more. If you are looking for a new printer, the right time to buy is now with the lowest UK prices on Epson – and if you want to take it away, they’ll give you a free trolley, too! Visit the CameraWorld stand at The Photography Show and you won’t be disappointed.

Visit Zeiss on stand B21 at this year’s Photography Show to try out its extensive range of lenses for both mirrorless and DSLR camera systems. At the show, Zeiss will be giving away a Batis 2/40 CF lens – the newest member of the Batis family. Entry to the prize draw is free – simply submit your details via one of the iPads on the Zeiss stand. Winners will be selected at random from all online and show entries. The Zeiss Batis family has been specially developed for mirrorless full-frame system cameras from Sony, offering fast, quiet autofocus, protection against dust and weather, and an innovative OLED depth-of-field display. There will be daily talks from Zeiss ambassadors throughout the main show programme. On Saturday, Drew Gardener will be sharing his top tips on ‘Prime Lenses, Planning and People’ at 1pm. Lisa Beaney will show you how to get stunning portraits with just one light on Sunday at 3pm. Join Jonathan Edwards for ‘Create & Explore: Travel Film’ on Sunday at 11am and ‘Working in Commercial and Branded Content’ on Monday at 12:30pm.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature Sony

Wex Photo Video

Stand: D51

Stand: C120

Visit the Sony stand and get hands-on with the full imaging range and be the first to see the recently announced E-mount camera, the A6400. Sony is also hosting a programme on the Sony Stage, with a range of talks from some of the most exciting voices in photography and videography. A full schedule of talks will be displayed on

the Sony stand throughout the duration of The Photography Show. Product specialists are on hand throughout the show to answer questions and give live product demonstrations on the stand. There is also a pro-support desk, and a dedicated pro video area will feature on the stand.

Head to Wex Photo Video at stand C120 for the best offers across the widest range of gear on display at the show. Alongside the equipment and deals, they’ll have whileyou-wait trade-in opportunities; a vast array of fully tested second-hand products for sale, all with a 12-month warranty; expert advice and consultation; exclusive free gifts and a competition to win a fantastic photography set-up, including the Sony A7 III and a Gitzo tripod kit. Join the Wex team to get hands-on with products from the biggest brands in the

industry, alongside an array of smaller manufacturers and own-brand items. Whatever your requirements, budget or level of experience, visit the Wex stand for friendly, impartial advice, inspiration, buying tips and the biggest discounts you'll find at the show.

Fotospeed

Stand: F31 Fotospeed is unveiling a brand-new paper as part of its fine art range at The Photography Show 2019. With no OBAs, Legacy Gloss 325 offers the highest archival properties to photographers looking to make a lasting print. With a print life of more than 85 years, Legacy Gloss 325 offers photographers a high D-MAX and a wide colour gamut, making it the paper of choice for both colour and black & white

prints. Other highlights at Fotospeed’s stand include Fotospeed Talks, where you can hear leading photographers – such as Joe Cornish, Charlie Waite, and Rachael Talibart – give their professional insights on all things photography and print. There is also the return of Fotospeed's Photographer of the Year. You can find Fotospeed at stand F31 during the The Photography Show. © Will Cheung

Rode Microphones

Stand: H65 If you have ever shot any video on your camera, you’ll know that having good sound is an essential part of delivering professional work! Sonic hero Rode Microphones is on hand at The Photography Show with

its entire range of VideoMics for you to test, enjoy and buy at stand H65. Also, make sure you don’t miss the 'How to get professional audio for total beginners' presentations on Saturday and Sunday in the Masterclass Theatre!

The Photographer Academy

Stand: D111 Hähnel

Stand: G44 As well as showcasing the Hähnel product range, including the award-winning Modus Speedlight & ProCube Charger, the stand is also exhibiting partner brands, including Feiyutech, Tokina, Miggo and Litra. Go say hello, meet the team and get hands-on with some amazing products!

At The Flash Centre and Elinchrom stand D111, Mark Cleghorn, the training director of The Photographer Academy, is doing a lighting demonstration on 18 Monday at 3pm. Join Mark for this insight into the capabilities and versatility of the Elinchrom studio lighting systems and accessories. Looking at the basics, through to advanced lighting techniques, this is one demo at the show not to be missed.

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Imaging kit

First tests

We get our hands on the latest kit and share our first impressions – so you know whether or not to add it to your wish list Reviews by Will Cheung

Specs

Rotatrim Professional M20 £222

Price £222 Max cutting length 20in, 510mm Cut capacity 3mm Suitable for Inkjet prints, mountboard, canvas, card, digital prints, photo film, paper, transparencies, self-adhesive film and much more Paper size guide A3+ landscape Two way cut User optional Dimensions 68x39x8cm Weight 7.5kg

Images The trimmer is set for a square cut when you get it, and did a good job cutting through both inkjet prints and mountboard. I was pleased with the results, which looked as if they could have been machine cut

Contact rotatrim.com

Above An underside view of the cutting carriage reveals the Sheffield steel blade. Each trimmer has a five-year manufacturing warranty and a lifetime labour-free servicing guarantee. Spare parts are available, too

Rotatrim rotary trimmers have been delivering sterling service in offices, schools and workplaces for over 50 years. This English brand – it still makes its products in England – is synonymous with trimmers and if you want a product built to perform to exacting standards and withstand regular use, look no further because Rotatrim has a product range to suit users and budgets of all levels. The Professional M20 is a new addition to the range, designed to cut a wide range of materials up to 3mm thick, so it can cope with mountboard and its 20in cut makes it perfect for working with A3+ (19x13in) prints. A trimmer is probably not at the top of every photographer’s shopping list (certainly not if you never print!) but if you do make and mount prints, it’s an invaluable and even indispensable tool that saves time and potentially

fingers. Many will make do with a straight edge and a craft knife, but that is very dangerous and not a method PN would advocate. Not only that but a bad cut means a waste of time and money. A bad cut (or cut fingers!) is something you won’t get with the M20. It features a Sheffield steel selfsharpening precision blade that runs very smoothly on twin chrome steel rails. I tested the trimmer with a range of inkjet media from gloss and baryta types to matt and canvas, and also standard 2mm mountboard. The user guide advises the trimmer is placed on a flat work surface and lengthways on, with the twin rails furthest away from you so you are cutting right to left. To use, slide the cutting carriage to the right, position your work using the rule or the grid to help, hold it in place and when you

are ready, make your cut in a smooth motion before returning the carriage to its starting point. The default cutting method is one way, but the M20 can be user-modified for a two-way cut. The trimmer leaves the factory set for a square cut and I was getting a square cut from the beginning, which was reassuring. Over time, that can change and details on the website show what to do to square things up. With inkjet prints, the trimmer cut through really smoothly, minimal effort was needed and cut edges were clean. With mountboard obviously more effort was needed, but again the cut was clean without any tiny remnants left on the trimmed edge. An actual test for this trimmer was when I needed a bunch of A5 size prints quickly, but only had A3 paper on hand. For speed, I printed four images on each A3 sheet and cut them

Verdict Make and mount prints and you need a top-class trimmer like the M20; and given its build quality it’s a truly worthwhile long-term investment. Not only will the M20 save you time and, quite possibly your fingers too, it is a pleasure to use and cut quality is excellent. Pros Exemplary build quality, precision cut Cons Nothing

to size afterwards. I ended up with a neat stack of prints that looked like they could have been machine cut. I think that speaks volumes for the trimmer’s skills. WC

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs

Affinity Photo 1.6.7 £48.99

Panorama merge

Price Desktop version £48.99 (£19.99 for iPad) SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS (DESKTOP VERSION) MAC Hardware Mac Pro, iMac, iMac Pro, MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Mini Processor Intel 64-bit Core 2 Duo or better (from 2007) Memory 2GB RAM minimum Operating System 10.9 Mavericks and later Hard Disk 1.07GB of available space; more during installation Display 1280x768 display size or better, supports regular, retina, and expanded gamut DCI-P3 displays WINDOWS Hardware Windows-based PC with mouse or equivalent input device. DirectX 10-compatible graphics cards and above Memory 2GB RAM (4GB RAM recommended) Operating systems (64 bit) Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7 (Service Pack 1; Aero enabled), Windows 10 Hard Disk 670MB of available space; more during installation Display 1280x768 display size or better Contact serif.com

Many cameras allow in-body Raw processing and all offer filters and colour settings for brilliant out-ofcamera JPEGs. So you could argue there’s no need for post-processing. Ultimately, though, we all know that to make the most of our images we need a powerful software – and editing is part and parcel of image creation. Affinity Photo is available for Mac and Windows, and there is a tablet version, too. The tablet app costs £19.99 and offers many of the features of the computer version, but it is the desktop version, which sells at £48.99, we will focus on here. There is a comprehensive collection of non-destructive Raw processing tools, including lens corrections and distortion control, as well as core effects like lens corrections and exposure, clarity and black point setting. Once the Raw has been developed, you have editing functions, including curves, cloning and healing, shadow and highlight control and hue/saturation controls. There is also a wide range of image improvement options, including de-noise and a good number of image adjustment presets. For the more creative, selection tools and layers give even more potential to fine-tune your shots. As always with a new software, it takes a little while to get acquainted. However, I did find Affinity Photo decently user-friendly. The first thing for me is to get a workspace I can deal with. There is a Separated Mode, as opposed to the default Merge All Windows mode, which suited my two-screen set-up. It lets

There is a comprehensive collection of Raw processing tools, including lens corrections and distortion control me place toolbars wherever I want on the second screen and have the image on the other. This mode suits single-screen use too. In Merge All Windows, the tools are arranged on the left and above the image area and, on the right, are the many palettes. These can be left open or minimised, depending on your preference. You can also tailor the look of the palettes, so you can have dark and moody or nice and bright with larger type. The icons are similar to those found in other imaging software, but if you’re not sure, hovering the cursor over the icon reveals its name. Affinity Photo lets you enjoy techniques, such as focus stacking, HDR, panorama stitching and stacking, too. There’s nothing new here and these techniques are possible with Lightroom/Photoshop but, with focus stacking for example, Affinity Photo gives a fully automated workflow non-Photoshop experts can enjoy. All you have to do is select the images you want to focus stack and a couple of clicks later, you can have a cuppa while the software does its job. I used a focus-bracketed macro scene shot with a Fujifilm GFX 50R with a 120mm macro lens, and a 2012

Mac Mini with 16GB of RAM running the latest Mojave OS system. The 100 JPEGs were put in a folder (2.88GB total size) and, from start to finish, it took around 17 minutes to finish the stack. The software did a great job. Normal stacking is also possible in Affinity Photo – for that I tried a sequence of star shots. I like to shoot handheld panoramas, so I tried Affinity Photo with a nineimage pano shot taken on a Nikon D850. Total file size was around 500MB and the saved Affinity Photo project was 1.05TB. The process took around ten minutes, producing a file measuring 18,854x8030pixels, which I cropped down. Unlike Lightroom or dedicated stitching softwares, there was no projection option here, but the job looked well done, with no patchiness or other stitching gremlins in the area of smooth sky, for example. Images produced in Affinity can be saved as .afphoto files should you want to go back to them at a later date, or they can be exported as JPEGs, TIFFs and PNGs, among other options. Overall, Affinity Photo is a wellendowed software with an expansive feature set to suit photographers of all levels – with good handling too. WC

Above This handheld panorama started life as nine images. Affinity Photo did a fine stitching job, with no unevenness or joining flaws

Verdict Affinity Photo is a user-friendly, powerful editing software. At under £50 for an outright purchase, it’s great value, too. Its feature list is impressive and it has the editing versatility you would expect from full-blown Photoshop. There are plenty of enticing extras, too, including focus merge and panoramic stitching. A terrific value editing app. Pros Great price, amazing feature set that includes focus stacking and panorama stitching Cons Seems slow, a better indication that the software is working would be good

Focus stacking

Above Affinity Photo’s focus merge feature did a great job with this 100-shot focus bracket taken on a Fujifilm GFX 50R. The 100 JPEGs measured 2.88GB, so there’s a lot of information to be handled. The merging process took around 17 minutes

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Price £899 Format Full-frame, APS-C (15-27mm focal length equivalent) Mount Sony E/FE Autofocus Manual only Construction 14 elements in 10 groups Special lens elements 2 x aspherical glass, 1 x ED glass Coatings Frog Eye coating Filter size Rear-mounted 37mm screw thread Aperture range F/4.5-5.6 to f/22. Selectable click-stopped or clickless Diaphragm Five blades Internal focus Yes Minimum focus 15cm Focus limiter No Maximum magnification 0.25x Distance scale Yes Depth-of-field scale No Image stabiliser No Tripod collar No

Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 FE £899 The choice of lenses facing Sony fullframe users is growing all the time. Indeed, we are even seeing lenses coming out for Sony E users that aren’t available for Canikon owners. The Laowa 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 is one such lens. This manual focus optic is the widest zoom lens currently available for Sony E-mount full-frame cameras. Its closest Sony rival is the 12-24mm f/4 G, which is close to twice the Laowa’s price. I tried this ultra-wide zoom on a Sony A7R II. The lens is compact and combines well with this camera, giving a nice balance. The manual focusing barrel covers the lens’s infinity to 15cm focusing distance in about one third of a rotation. But focusing from infinity down to 1m is covered in less than 1cm of movement. This does mean focusing is critical. You might think with such a wide lens you can just set the focus barrel at a point somewhere between at 1m and infinity and shoot away. Well, at f/11 and smaller you probably can, but at wider apertures you need to take a little care. The lack of a depth-of-field scale doesn’t help and nor does the dark viewing image thanks to the lens’s modest maximum aperture. I did try the camera’s focus peaking feature, but it didn’t help because I just got outlines around everything, making the viewing image a mess and adding a distraction from composing.

I really like the pictorial effect you get with this lens – it has character

So, it is worth taking your time with focus – assuming you have that luxury – by using the focus magnifier when possible. Ultra-wide lenses suit filter use less well but, with this lens, filter users are catered for in two ways. There is a 37mm rear screw thread – there is a plain glass filter in place so just remove this. If you want to try a polariser, that means working out the required filter

10mm

14mm

18mm

F/4.5

F/5

F/5.6

F/8

F/11

Lens hood Built-in hood Weather-sealed No Dimensions (dxl) 70x90.9mm Weight 496g Contact ukdigital.co.uk

alignment before remounting the lens. Laowa’s other solution is a magnetic filter holder system. Optically, this lens is a decent performer. The centre is impressively sharp at the three tested focal lengths, but dig into the corners and you’ll see fringing and a noticeable sharpness drop-off. Stopping down to f/11 or f/16 improves the corners significantly and helps the central area too. Overall, performance was very slightly better at 10mm than 18mm, although at the shorter settings the stretched wide-angle look with closer subjects is more apparent. This isn’t a negative thing. On the contrary, I really like the pictorial effect you get with this lens. With the slight vignetting and softer corners at wider apertures combined with the ‘wide-angle’ look, you have images with character. Speaking of character, if you shoot scenes with pinpoint light sources, you get the chance to capture interesting ten-point highlights. Laowa has installed a five straightblade diaphragm iris in this lens, so that is worth exploring – especially wide open at the 10mm setting. WC

Verdict

F/11

F/16

F/22

Images Shot on Sony A7R II mounted on a Gitzo Systematic Series 4 tripod with self-timer. Raws processed in Lightroom CC

At £899, the Laowa 10-18mm f/4.55.6 is a good value lens and is the widest full-frame zoom currently available in Sony E-mount. Focusing isn’t easy: its slow variable maximum aperture and the slightly tight zoom barrel are handling negatives, but the lens, on the whole, is great fun to use. Its ultra-wide view offers the chance for dramatic compositions with bold foreground and powerful lead-in lines. It’s compact, too, so you can have it in the bag just in case you want to get all creative. Pros Lens with character, extreme wide view so great for shots with drama, decent optical performer Cons Manual focusing tricky, no EXIF data, slow maximum aperture

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs KENKO TELEPLUS HD PRO 1.4X DGX Price £220 Availability Canon EF and Nikon F* Magnification 1.4x Exposure adjustment 1EV Depth-of-field 1/1.4 of prime lens Construction 5 elements in 4 groups Minimum focus distance Same as prime lens Diaphragm coupling Auto Coating Multi-coating Dimension (lxd) 19.4x67.5mm Weight 129g KENKO TELEPLUS HD PRO 2X DGX Price £269.99 Availability Canon EF and Nikon F* Magnification 2x Exposure adjustment 2EV Depth-of-field 1/1.4 of prime lens Construction 7 elements in 5 groups Minimum focus distance Same as prime lens Diaphragm coupling Auto Coating Multi-coating Dimension (lxd) 39.9x67.5mm Weight 178g Contact intro2020.co.uk * Compatible only with proprietary Canon/Nikon lenses and Tokina lenses (except Tokina AT-X 70-200mm f/4 PRO FX VCM-S and opera 50mm f/1.4 FF Nikon mount).

Kenko Teleplus HD pro 1.4x DGX £220 and 2x DGX £269.99 Teleconverters aren’t as fashionable as they once were, but they are mightily handy accessories. Fitting between the camera and lens, teleconverters increase the lens’s focal length range, often by a factor of 1.4x or 2x as with these two new Kenko converters. Canon and Nikon both offer teleconverters in their systems but due to the lens/converter design, the lenses that are compatible with them are limited. Kenko offers a third party solution and with these converters there is no such restriction; so if you need more pulling power from your telephotos, these teleconverters offer a cost-effective solution. But nothing comes for free and the thing is, put anything optical between the lens and camera body and there is a negative impact on image quality. These new premium converters replace Kenko’s PRO300 converters and a refreshed optical design aims to minimise any quality loss and to make the most of the latest high resolution cameras. Both converters also have full electrical contacts so you get autofocusing, full exposure control and EXIF data recorded on your files. Something Kenko can’t do anything about is the light loss caused by moving the lens away from the camera body. Use a 1.4x converter and there is a one stop light loss and it is double that with a 2x model. In practice, you have a darker viewing image and also possibly less responsive autofocus. I tried this duo on a Nikon D850 with the 70-200mm f/2.8 G and 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6 G. The 1.4x converter is a lovely slim accessory, taking up little space in the bag. The 70-200mm f/2.8 becomes an effective 98-280mm f/4 yet the converter is so compact it is barely noticeable and has minimal impact on handling. Autofocusing remains responsive and accurate, just as if you were using the lens on its own. Optical quality is impacted, however. With the lens set to f/2.8, effectively f/4, the fine detail looks good and stopping down to f/5.6 or f/8 gives a decent level of quality. Apertures from f/11 don’t look so good. The 2x converter gave good

Above Shot at the long end of a 70-200mm and then on the right with the 1.4x (280mm) and 2x (400mm) converters. Images taken at IWM Duxford sharpness at f/2.8 – effective aperture f/5.6 – and fine detail looked good. Stopping down the lens to f/5.6, which gave the best results, and f/8 did conjure up a significant benefit to image quality before falling away at the smaller apertures. Autofocusing with the 2x converter attached was less dependable than the lens on its own, but with the lens being 2EV slower that was no surprise. With contrasty scenes, AF did lock on fine but did less well with moving subjects in servo AF. Both teleconverters suffered from fringing (as least with the lenses we used), which needs to be edited out in post-processing. WC

Verdict Teleconverters are handy accessories, well suited to action and nature photographers who need more pulling power from their lenses. These Kenko units are worth looking at and are cheaper and more versatile in terms of what lenses they can be used with than those from Canon and Nikon. They are decent performers and while there is image quality fall off, used with high-quality optics the results should be acceptable for most purposes. Pros Decent quality once stopped down Cons Wide aperture performance could be better, AF on the 2x model a bit twitchy

280mm

400mm

F/4

F/5.6

F/8

F/11

F/16

F/22

F/32

F/45

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs

Fotospeed Legacy Gloss 325 From £37

Prices A4 £37 25 sheets £1.48 a sheet, A3 £70 25 sheets £2.80 a sheet, A3+ £86.99 25 sheets £3.48 a sheet, A2 25 sheets £139.99, £5.60 a sheet Availability A4, A3, A3+, A2. 17in, 24in, 36in, 44in and 60in rolls Thickness 390microns Coating type Microporous Gloss OBAs No Whiteness (CIE) 75 Weight 325gsm Contact www.fotospeed.com

OBAs impact print longevity and Legacy promises archival stability

Fotospeed has introduced this fibre paper as a sister product to the brand’s popular Platinum Cotton, a paper much loved by scenic workers in particular. Legacy Gloss 325 has an unglazed gloss finish, so while it has a sheen it is not mirror-like. In the darkroom I always preferred air-dried fibre papers and the look of Legacy is reminiscent of those papers. The base is creamy off-white. It has a warmish, yellow tinge because no optical brightening agents have been used. OBAs impact print longevity and Legacy promises archival stability. Used with pigment inks, print longevity is quoted of at least 85 years – obviously this is subject to any number of variables, but the odds are the prints will outlast you by some distance. I started my test by making my own ICC profiles using an X-Rite i1 Studio, which I did for colour and monochrome output. Then I printed my usual selection of test prints and then a selection of my latest shots. From the first test print, I knew this was a paper I was going to love.

The colours have a rich liveliness and vibrancy that was right up my strasse. It wasn’t over the top yet there was deepness to them, so I knew the material would suit vibrant scenics nicely. But it was equally at home with more delicate hues, too, which looked lovely and again had depth without losing their subtlety. It performed really well on the dull-day or earlymorning shots I printed. It did very well with my ‘polar bears in snow’ shots, too, with fabulous fur detail with really smooth tonal gradation. I had the same excellent results on monochrome shots as well. My gritty, contrasty shots had plenty of punch and the claimed high D-Max was evident with gorgeous rich blacks looking bottomless where it should be, but still with detail in the deep shadows. Shadow detail can look slightly grey and ghostly on some papers, but not here. Mono shots that were more shades of grey and bright highlights rather than kicking blacks were equally successful and, as with the colour shots, displayed impressive tonal smoothness.

I was delighted and impressed in equal measure by this paper’s ability to handle such a range of images so well as I’ve often found some papers deal with certain subjects better than others. But to say that this is a jack of all trades and master of none wouldn’t be fair; it dealt brilliantly with everything I threw at it. WC

Above In my prints using Legacy the colours were rich, lively and deep, so it was ideal for printing my vibrant scenic shots, while also coping well with subtler and more delicate shades. It’s one of the few papers I’ve tried that suits a full range of image style

Verdict Fotospeed Legacy Gloss 325 is simply a gorgeous paper. Its off-white base has a tint of friendly warmth, it is image friendly, suiting bold and subtle images alike, and is equally adept at handling black & white images of all sorts, too. While it is a premium product, its price is acceptable for what you get and I can envisage many photographers adopting Legacy Gloss as their paper of choice when the very best is needed. Most definitely worth trying.

Above right The Legacy paper coped excellently with my polar bear shots, showing excellent fur detail

Pros Off-white base, weight, no OBAs for excellent print longevity Cons Price

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests Specs Prices Control Unit Mk II £119.94, Wireless Multi Sensor £59.94, IR transmitter (battery powered) £29.94, Camera cable (Nikon) £9.60, TSJX-25 2.5mm camera joiner £4.80, 5m camera trigger extension cable £9.60 Trigger input 433MHz wireless link, or hard wired input from other sensors Wireless channels 16 programmable Digital trigger timer 0.1 to 9.9secs Digital delay timer 1 to 100ms and 1/10sec to 10secs Timing accuracy 2% or better Trigger modes Manual, auto one shot, auto re-arm Focus activation Manual Trigger outputs Camera and auxiliary Sensor modes Light, infrared beam, sound Waterproofing IP53 Power requirements Two PP3 batteries Dimensions (wxdxh) 15x10x3.5cm Weight 200g Contact flaghead.co.uk

TriggerSmart Control Unit Mk II £119.94 Bursting balloons, water droplets, wildlife and bugs in flight are the sort of images you can capture with the TriggerSmart Mk II. The original TriggerSmart is still available, as are many of its accessories, which work with the Mk II. The key advantages of the Mk II over the original, are that it is wireless and with time delays now digitally controlled for precision. The Classic had dials for this. For this test, I was supplied with the Mk II Digital Controller unit (DC2), Wireless Multi Sensor (WMS) module, an infrared transmitter, a ten-pin Nikon camera cable and a 5m extension cable. I happened to have a couple of tiny tripods to hold the sensors. After unpacking the first thing I did was read through the instructions. It was been some years since I used the original TriggerSmart so I was effectively starting from scratch. The DC2 and WMS link wirelessly automatically and there’s a 30m working range between the two units. Turn the DSC on and you’ll see the default work space. Red LEDs show for SENSITIVITY, RESET and SHORT (mS) and 01 and 0.1 in the DELAY ON and FIRE ON displays. The unit always starts in this manner, so it is worth making note of settings, especially the times, once you have a process that works for you. There are two ranges for delay on times, 0.1 to 100mS and 0.1 to 10secs. This adjusts the time delay between the sensors detecting sound/ movement/light and the shutter firing. You’ll need to experiment with what timings work for the situation you are working in. For example, I went for a

Go see the demo If you are visiting The Photography Show at the NEC, 16-19 March, go to the Flaghead stand (G91) where

the TriggerSmart MkII will be on demonstration and experts available to answer your questions.

delay of 40mS for the droplets I shot for this test but tried with 20mS and 90mS too. The FIRE ON time range is 0.1 to 9.9secs and this is the time you want the camera to run for once a signal has been detected. With the camera set to continuous shooting you can shoot a sequence lasting a set time period. Turn on the WMS and start with the red LED next to the SENS and SND settings. SND stands for sound and is one of the four trigger modes – IRB for infrared, LIS for light and AUX auxiliary are the others. You can do a quick check if the units are talking to each other by tapping either of the boxes. A yellow LED lights up next to the words SIGNAL TRIG on the DCS unit to confirm operation. Knowing that it was all working I decided to shoot water droplets. If the trigger can pick up tiny falling water droplets then strawberries, darts, mammals and the like will be a piece of cake. My set-up was very basic, as you can see bottom left. In a semi

darkened room to keep out any big sources of IR I set the WMS to IRB mode and placed this facing the IR transmitter across a dish of water. On the WMS I adjusted sensitivity using the up arrow until the red SIG LED showed, then pushed the down arrow to extinguish it. With the camera connected and the lead plugged into the DCS, I checked it was working by breaking the IR beam with my finger. It took a little finetuning but it was soon working. I started dripping water droplets in front of the beam and adjusted the times. I started with DELAY ON at 40ms – a pure guess but as it happens a good one. I had TIME ON at three seconds and the camera in continuous shooting mode. To determine focusing I pushed the INHIBIT button, which stops the DCS triggering the camera. I then moved a drinking straw into the invisible IR beam. Yellow LEDs on the DCS flash when the beam is broken so you have an idea that you are in

the right spot. With the straw positioned in the right place I focused up on that. I dripped water from a handheld syringe, varying position until the camera fired. It was an ad hoc set-up and a more reliable and consistent water drop system would be good. It would make composition more precise too. Despite my haphazard set-up I soon racked up 300 shots with focusing and timing changes being made as I went along. I added a blue plastic sheet for some colour too. Success rate wasn’t high, but the fact that I got some half decent shots without much effort soon after unpacking the package was good going. If I bought a TriggerSmart to do this sort of work I’d soon be developing a more reliable way of working and pushing the creative envelope a tad more, but the main thing is that the unit did its job very well without too much fuss. WC

Verdict

Above This was the basic set-up to capture the water droplet image shown above right. The camera was a Nikon D850 with a 105mm macro lens with light supplied by an off-camera Hahnel Modus 600RT with a Viper TTL trigger on the hotshoe. The flashgun was set to manual mode and at 1/128 power for the briefest flash duration – around 1/20,000sec. The exposure was 1/60sec at f/8 and ISO 400. Water was dripped into the dish using a syringe, which – when the alignment was correct – fired the camera and flash. The time delay set on the console was varied between 20ms and 90ms.

The TriggerSmart Mk II is nicely priced at £120, but you need to budget for a few accessories depending on what you want to shoot. The outfit I used was around £230, which is very reasonable for the shooting opportunities it offers to the imaginative user, and it certainly works well. Pros It works, versatile, fun, potential Cons Control unit resets when switched off

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

First tests

ThinkTank Airport Commuter £199 Specs Price £199 Key features • Conforms to international airline hand baggage regulations • Combination cable lock • Lockable YKK zips • Takes laptop and tablet • Two padded handstraps, plus bottom pull strap • Waist strap • Cushioned shoulder straps with sternum strap • Elasticated exterior pocket • Document/accessory pocket Capacity • One deep-bodied/gripped DSLR • Long prime or zoom telephoto • Five/six additional lenses • Flashgun • Accessories • 10in tablet • 15in laptop Exterior materials • Durable water-repellant (DWR) coating • Polyurethane coating • 1680D ballistic nylon • YKK RC Fuse (abrasionresistant) zips • Antique nickel-plated metal hardware • Nylon webbing Interior • 210D silver-toned nylon • Polyurethane backed velex liner & dividers • 2x polyurethane coated nylon 210T seam-sealed rain cover • Closed cell foam & PE board reinforced dividers • Clear mesh pockets Internal dimensions (wxhxd) 29.2x41.4x17.3cm External dimensions (wxhxd) 31.6x45.7x21.6cm Laptop/tablet compartment (wxhxd) 27.9x40.6x3.3cm Weight 1.5kg Contact snapperstuff.com

Wheelie bags are popular among travellers for their comfort and carrying convenience. In many ways, though, a conventional backpack is a better option and has the advantage of being good for everyday use too. The ThinkTank Airport Commuter is a fine example of a purpose-designed travel backpack but has appeal as a multi-purpose bag too. It conforms to international airline hand baggage regulations, its deep body lets you stand lenses on their end which helps with capacity and it has the custom pockets for those travel essentials, a laptop (15in) and a tablet (10in). Being wheel-free also means the bag is relatively lightweight at 1.5kg before you start loading it up. And when you do start filling the bag its capacity is impressive. The interior of the main compartment features two bag-length, padded dividers and ten thin dividers. With the bag interior (base and sides) and dividers fitted with hook and loop fastening, you have plenty of freedom when it comes to configuring the bag to suit your needs. Its depth (around 17cm) also means that a fast aperture telephoto – even something like a 400mm f/2.8

or 500mm f/4 – will happily fit and be well protected. I don’t own such exotic telephotos so went with a mixed format Fujifilm travel outfit to test capacity. This amounted to a medium-format GFX 50R with three lenses and two X-Series bodies, one fitted with a lens, plus four extra lenses and a Lee Filters system. The kit was rounded off with a 13in laptop and a 9.7in tablet and a few accessories. Getting my outfit safely housed with high protection levels in this bag was no problem at all. Total laden bag weight tipped the scales at 13kg so significant but for travelling around it is perfectly fine and it proved very comfortable. WC

Verdict The Airport Commuter is a quality product, and at under £200 is a backpack that offers excellent value for money. Pros Great capacity, fitted combination cable lock, comfortable in use Cons Deep body means you need to swing round with care

Specs Price £149 Key features • Extreme abrasion, tear and weather resistant Sailcloth with X-Pac technology • Tarpaulin bottom • Weather resistant YKK zips • Cross body stabiliser strap • Tablet and laptop pocket • Rear trolley strap • Available in black (tested here) and solar flare Capacity • One full-frame/APS-C DSLR body with standard/ tele zoom attached • Two/three additional lenses • Accessories • 10in tablet/13in laptop Exterior materials • Exterior fabric has a durable water-repellant (DWR) coating, plus underside has a polyurethane coating • YKK AquaGuard® (weather resistant) zips • High-performance Sailcloth • 420D velocity nylon • 600D polyester, heavyduty nylon tarpaulin • UltraMesh pockets • Anodized aluminium hardware Interior • PE board reinforced removable closed-cell foam dividers • 200D liner • Polyurethane backed nylex liner • 2x polyurethane coated nylon 190T seam-sealed taffeta rain covers Internal dimensions (wxhxd) 35x23x12.5cm External dimensions (wxhxd) 41x27.7x10.6cm Laptop/tablet compartment (wxhxd) 34x24.5.6x2.5cm Tablet pocket (wxhxd) 30x12x2cm Weight 1.2kg Contact snapperstuff.com

MindShift Exposure 13 £149 If you need a rugged shoulder bag, the MindShift Exposure 13 could very likely be your perfect partner and its ruggedness means it’s the ideal bag when you don’t know what conditions are round the corner. A waterproof tarpaulin base, use of Sailcloth, weatherresistant zips and all round thoughtful design means your kit will get good protection against the elements. The interior is just wide enough to hold a full-frame camera even with an L-grip attached. A Nikon D850 with a 24-70mm f/2.8 went in lensfirst no problem at all; that left room for two more lenses including a 70-200mm f/2.8. I had a medium-format Fujifilm GFX 50R three lens kit around at the time of testing, and this fitted perfectly into the Exposure 13 too. A 13in MacBook fitted perfectly into the internal laptop pocket and I stowed a 9.7in iPad in the front zipped pocket. There are three external, non-zipped pockets suitable for a couple of filters, batteries and even a flashgun. Finally, I’m not a fan of the tripod stowage on the bag’s base (you can’t rest the bag on the ground without resting it against something) so I took off the locking clips so the bag could free-stand on the ground. Those locking clips can be used on the bag’s flap which has

Verdict The Exposure 13 is not the biggest shoulder bag you can buy for £149 but what you lose on the swings you gain on the roundabouts. Its build quality is really impressive as are its skills when it comes to keeping out dust and rain, and space-wise it is still roomy enough for a three lens outfit and your laptop. This is a shoulder bag of undoubted quality and has got to be on your shortlist.

Pros All weather build quality, capacity Cons Shoulder strap could be broader and more padded, under bag tripod stowage not ideal

loops, so that might be a small tripod carrying solution, though again not that convenient. If I had any gripe about the Exposure 13 it is with the strap. The shoulder section could be wider and feature better padding and the attaching clips could be better too. WC

Photography News | Issue 64 | photographynews.co.uk

Competition

Editor’s letter

Days of judgement Over the years I have literally judged thousands, probably hundreds of thousands, of photographs. I’m using the word judging in a loose sense here, meaning everything from selecting images to print in the pages of PN to picking competition winners and structured formal events like exhibition selections. I would never claim to have got it right every time. Indeed, given that only the winning or selected photographers think you have got it correct, from the perspective of everyone else I have got it wrong. That means over 99% of the time I have got it wrong. Where else can you get it wrong and annoy/upset/brass off so many people and still enjoy it? But I can honestly say that judging photographs is a pleasure. Of course, the ultimate is enjoying and working on your own output, but seeing through other peoples’ eyes and what they have created is right up there. I especially love travel images, because you can go round the globe and enjoy some simply awesome sights without leaving the office. The world is full of spectacular sights – all you need is time and money to enjoy them and I have neither. Judging is frustrating, too. Sometimes you do think if only the photographer had taken a step to the left, or zoomed their lens or got up earlier, their image would be a world-beater instead of an also-ran. Margins between success and failure can be tiny. But they can be chasm-like too. Rarely is it technical failure nowadays thanks to the sophistication of the modern kit; rather it’s what photographers decide to include in their compositions and what they get up to in editing software. I do see some simply ghastly, utterly forgettable,cringeworthyimagesthatshouldhave stayed locked in the photographer’s imagination. This is obviously my opinion so feel free to disagree. I did, however, have a very agreeable judging session last month, selecting the RPS’s Creative

WIN!

A Samsung memory card! Capture life’s magical moments across all devices with the Samsung EVO Plus 256GB microSDXC memory card with SD adapter offering read speeds up to 100MB/s and write speeds of up to 90MB/s. Samsung’s latest cards are also ultra reliable and are water, temperature, X-ray and magnet proof, so shooting in the most challenging conditions isn’t an issue. We have one 256GB Samsung EVO Plus microSDXC card with SD adapter worth £74.99 for the eagle-eyed winner. Complete the word search below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photographynews.co.uk with that word in the subject box by 14 April 2019 and the winner will be randomly drawn from all correct entries received. The correct answer to PN62’s word search was Spiral and the Samsung 256GB EVO Plus card was won by D Darbyshire, Cheshire. samsung.com/uk/memory-cards

Eye group’s annual exhibition. Over 400 varied and many excellent pictures on a sunny Sunday showed all’s well in the world. Speaking of technical failure, I had a mini disaster the other day. I recently bought a couple of LeRouge medium format pinhole cameras – a 6x6cm and a 6x12cm – and took them on a shooting trip to the south coast alongside my digital kit. These French-made cameras are really beautifully made and the only control is the shutter, a wooden flap you move out of the way to make the exposure. I processed my first film to find I hadn’t moved the ‘shutter’ far enough so it was in the corner of my shots. What an idiot! But as they say, “every day is a school day”. I haven’t processed a film for a year or so, so it was with great excitement that I opened up the developing tank to check out the results and despite my stupid error, which I saw instantly, I’m delighted with my efforts. I have a couple of projects in mind for my pinholes, so when I get it right I’ll report back with progress in due course. Finally, if you have collected this copy of PN at The Photography Show and happen to be reading this, please feel free to come over for a chat. You’ll make my day. See you next month.

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