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Issue 20 | Photography News

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Kit launches galore from Leica, Pentax, Olympus, Canon, Fujifilm & Zeiss All the latest releases you want to know about

Fujifilm has enjoyed huge success with its X-series system and the X-T10 looks set to build the brand’s reputation further. Essentially it’s a smaller version of the popular X-T1 and packed with great features including the renowned X-Trans CMOS II 16.3-megapixel sensor. The X-T10’s AF system uses a 49-point system and in the new Zone and Wide/Tracking modes, 77 AF points are used for rapid AF of moving subjects whether they are moving up, down or sideways. The X-T10’s EVF gives an excellent, very bright view with a claimed lag time of 0.005sec so there’s minimal image smear. An articulating monitor is also provided. Other notable features include the option of a silent electronic shutter with a 1/32,000sec top speed, continuous shooting at eight frames-per-second, film simulation modes and Full HD video recording. The X-T10’s body price is £499 or £599 with the XC16-50mm and it will be in store from mid-June. A XF90mm f/2 lens has also been announced and that is due late July at a price of £699. π To find out more, go to fujifilm.eu/uk.

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Hot off the press is news of the latest Fujifilm X-series camera, the X-T10

Our first Camera Club of the Year winner revealed Which club nets the Canon & David Noton prize?

Test verdict on attractively priced Samsung NX500 Plus how to present your work to best effect

Issue 20 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 20

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Latest photography news

Leica’s latest mono delight SPECS PRICE £5750 body only RESOLUTION 24 megapixels SENSOR 35.8x23.9mm CMOS with no AA filter IMAGE SIZE 5952x3968 pixels LENS MOUNT Leica M ISO Auto 320-25,000 SHUTTER RANGE 60secs to 1/4000sec MONITOR 3in, 921k dots STORAGE CARD SD/SDHC/SDXC DIMENSIONS 139x42x80mm BODY WEIGHT 680g

Leica announced its second monochromeonly camera recently, and editor Will Cheung got hands-on with it at the launch Words by Will Cheung One of the many joys of shooting digital is that you can decide whether you want colour or black & white pictures when you’re in front of the computer. What then is the appeal of a camera that shoots monochrome only and costs £5750 for the body only so £7000 by the time you get a lens on it? Well, that’s exactly what Leica’s latest M rangefinder offers and despite its hefty price tag, I can see why it will appeal to dedicated monochrome workers. The M Monochrom (Typ 246) is the second monochrome-only Leica and offers the latest significant performance benefits – 24 instead of 18 megapixels, a top ISO of 25,000 instead of 10,000 and improved handling. The Monchrom’s Belgian-made 14-bit sensor has no RGB colour filter array like other digital cameras

so it can’t produce colour images, and it means each pixel site can do a great job of recording levels of grey. The result is better dynamic range and excellent noise performance in DNG Raw or JPEG files. Detail rendition is helped further by not having a low-pass filter. The files I shot in my brief foray with the Monochrom looked excellent, even those at ISO 12,500 and 25,000. My test shots were processed through Lightroom 5.7 with no noise reduction. Handling-wise the Monochrom is excellent if a little quirky, although if you have had the good fortune to use the Leica M9, you will be perfectly comfortable picking up and getting on with the Monochrom immediately. After one press of the shutter release one thing is instantly apparent – this camera is much quieter than the M9.

It’s aperture-priority or manual for exposure but focusing is manual only using Leica’s famed optical rangefinder system. There is live view with focus peaking. Manual focusing seems a throwback but there is something special in using Leica’s system and the depth-of-field scales on Leica lenses means you can focus hyperfocally. That process is helped by the camera’s ISO performance. The minimum ISO 320 is on the high side given the camera’s top shutter speed of 1/4000sec so small apertures and ND filters might be needed on bright days. The M Monochrom is clearly not for everyone and even monochrome only shooters will need deep pockets, but it’s undeniably fine and capable.

π To find out more about the M Monochrom (Typ 246), go to www.leica-camera.com.

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Issue 20 | Photography News

Latest photography news

Scanner redesign and relaunch

NEWS IN BRIEF

If you’re a film or slide user, you’ll no doubt own or at least have heard of the OpticFilm 120 scanner. Well, that classic model is now being relaunched after manufacturer Plustek partnered with LaserSoft Imaging to improve and enhance its original features to make scanning a more streamlined and efficient experience. Scanning can be a laborious process, but the improvements made to the OpticFilm’s workflow make batch scanning much easier.

PRINT AND GO Canon’s Selphy CP1000 is a compact printer that promises to deliver high-quality images anywhere. It can print straight from your camera, USB or memory card in less than one minute and there’s a tilting screen so you can get see what’s going on. www.canon.co.uk

Another really useful feature that the firm has incorporated into the model is the ability to monitor the progress of a scan or batch scan via your iPhone, which means no more hanging around. If you already own an OpticFilm 120 scanner, visit www.silverfast.com/plustek-archive-suite to download a free SilverFast Ai Studio 8.5 upgrade. π To find out more, go to www.plustek.com.

Stick it to the selfie

SONY BACKS PAGB COMPETITION The PAGB’s exhibition is one of the most coveted of its kind, but now it has the benefit of receiving sponsorship from imaging giants Sony. A series of seminars will be hosted by Sony as part of the sponsorship and will give punters a chance to find out more about Sony’s range of cameras. www.sony.co.uk X-RITE ON TOUR Learn more about colour management in one of X-Rite’s events as they tour the country until the end of June. The tour takes in major UK cities including Norwich, Bristol and London. There’ll be exclusive discounts available for purchases made on the day. www.xrite.com LATEST BOOKS FROM HARMAN Photographer Sheila Rock has released a new monochrome book about England’s relationship with the sea. Photographer Dave Butcher also released Land Light and Snow Light which showcase his black & white landscape work. All books are available from Amazon UK. www.sheilarock.com & www.davebutcher.co.uk

Not just for the likes of the Kardashians, selfie sticks can come in handy for the more earnest photographer too. Rollei has unleashed four new selfie sticks from the entry-level 4 Fun (£14.99) which extends up to 90cm to the 4 Life (£29.99) which extends to 90cm (but closes to a small 22cm) and has a Bluetooth shutter built into the handle. In the middle of the range are the 4 Style stick and 4 Smile stick, both of which retail at £24.99 and offer Bluetooth control, with the latter extending to 104cm compared to the 4 Style’s 50cm.

On your hike Nest has launched two bag ranges. The Hiker range has plenty of choice in there for the adventure-seeking photographer, including three sizes of shoulder bags and two backpacks. The shoulder bags range from £49.99 for the smallest up to £74.99 for the largest, with standard black versions being the cheaper option compared with the camouflage equivalents. Padded interiors, pouches and pockets keep everything from your iPad to your camera, lenses and accessories safe. Having your gear stowed away safely is one thing, but being able to access your kit quickly whenever you need to is a must too. With the zipped top and side openings it’s easy. Nest hasn’t forgotten about comfort either, with all its shoulder bags coming with a padded shoulder strap – and if it rains there’s also a waterproof cover.

π To find out more, go to www.rollei.com.

Comfort is key with the backpacks too, each featuring padded straps and lumbar support. Each has a strap and foot that will keep your tripod or monopod securely attached and the bags themselves also come with a waterproof cover. The larger version, the 200, costs from £119.99 and has extra space for a 15.6in laptop, whilst the smaller 100 will set you back £99.99. For photographers who need to carry large amounts of kit there are two Falconer backpacks on offer, the EB600 and EB800 costing £129.99 and £149.99 respectively. Made from tough 750D waterproof twill and with plenty of padding, your gear will be well protected for the great outdoors. In addition Nest has also released new Vantage Pro Video Tripods: the M10 (£149.99) and M20 (£199.99), both of which come with a pan and tilt head.

π To find out more, go to www.nest-style.com.

Twice as Zeiss Sony’s standard zoom and wide-angle full-frame Zeiss lenses have undergone enhancements and are to be released as new lenses. The Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm f/2.8 ZA SSM II standard zoom and the 16-35mm f/2.8 wide-angle zoom equivalent have been tinkered with to reduce ghosting and improve AF functions as well as to deliver overall better imaging quality. With the AF upgrades you get faster, more powerful processing, an improvement that’s

Photography News | Issue 20

quantifiable at around 4x the subject tracking speed of the lenses’ predecessors. The pair are designed for use with cameras from the Sony A-mount family, but owners of an E-mount camera can get an adapter. Both models are now dust and moisture resistant and both are available for pre-order now. π To find out more, go to www.sony.co.uk. www.absolutephoto.com

Latest photography news

Fujifilm X-T10 Following in the X-T1’s popular footsteps is the X-T10. Will Cheung gets his hands on it

Words by Will Cheung The X-T10 is significantly smaller than the X-T1 but it’s still not that compact. Fitted with a standard zoom, it’d squeeze into a large jacket pocket. The good news is that the smaller body doesn’t compromise features and the X-T10 is bristling with great stuff. The AF system was responsive and swift even in low light. Our X-T10 sample was tried alongside an X-T1 with v3 firmware and the X-T10 snapped into focus in a way the older camera didn’t. X-T1 owners can enjoy the same AF system when firmware v4 is released later in June (see page 8). Viewing options are provided by the articulating monitor and an EVF with claimed minimal lag so no smearing during panning. The EVF image is smaller but noticeably brighter than the X-T1’s.

Pentax flagship Pentax announced the K-3 II as its flagship APS-C format DSLR. With the acclaim being enjoyed by the medium-format 645Z and a full-frame DSLR due later in the year, the brand is certainly on an upward curve. The K-3 II has a 24.3-megapixel CMOS sensor with no low-pass filter to maximise the camera’s ability to capture detail. There’s an anti-alias filter simulator in the menu in case. The camera uses the PRIME III imaging engine, as does the 645Z, and is known for giving low noise at high ISO settings – the K-3 II tops out at ISO 51,200. With 92 seals around the camera’s magnesium body and stainless steel chassis, the K-3 II is weather resistant. It has exciting practical features like an improved shake reduction system and a Pixel Shift Resolution Shift System, which captures four images with the sensor moved one pixel between each shot before combining the files to produce a higher quality file.

We got our hands on a pre-production K-3 II. The camera feels solid and navigating around is easy with the bright, fixed monitor and plenty of controls to minimise diving into the clear menu. Once camera set-up is complete you don’t have to go into it often either. Push the INFO button and at a glance 18 common features appear; these can be set with the four-way button cluster. There are physical buttons for Raw or JPEG shooting, metering pattern and ISO changing. Pentax kept with the option of its own Raw format (PEF) and the open standard Adobe DNG. The K-3 II has two SD slots with options of how images are stored. AF speed is swift and responsive, and the AF button means changing mode or sensor can be done with the camera up to the eye. We’ll test the K-3 II when the sample arrives, but it’s promising. The K-3 II is available from the end of May at £770 body only and £850 with the 18-55mm WR zoom.

The smaller body could have resulted in some design compromises but the X-T10’s control layout is sensible and all key controls are there. The only thing missing is a dedicated ISO dial but that aspect can be dedicated to one of the seven function controls. The choice of features that can be assigned to these buttons is excellent. Having spent a short while with the X-T10, I’ve no fully formed views yet, especially as we couldn’t check image quality, but the X-Trans sensor is a proven performer so there should be no issues there. The Fujifilm X-T10’s price has been confirmed at £499 body only. It’s £599 with the XC16-50mm and £799 with the XF1855mm zoom. The new £699 XF90mm f/2 R LM WR telephoto claims to have fast AF, give beautiful bokeh and focuses to 60cm. π To find out more about the K-3 II, go to www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk.

π To find out more about the X-T10, go to www.fujifilm.eu/uk/.

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Issue 20 | Photography News

Latest photography news

Canon’s prime time The Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II was a damn decent lens, but camp Canon has only gone and outdone itself by releasing a successor in the form of the EF 50mm f/1.8 STM. The main improvement is a fast, near-silent and super-smooth focusing system, which can get you as close as 0.35m to your subject whilst still delivering clear results. You’ll see a difference in imaging quality too compared with its predecessor as its seven-blade aperture delivers really beautiful blur and out-of-

focus highlights whilst spectra coating minimises ghosting and flare as well as reflections. Smaller changes have been made too, such as the mount being redesigned for a more robust fit with your camera. Weighing in at 160g, it’ll keep your kitbag light but your wallet will still feel full as it’s retailing at a reasonable £129.99. π To find out more, go to www.canon.co.uk.

Memory magic Keeping abreast with innovations in imaging technology, which is now making cameras quicker and images richer in detail, Samsung has released two new line-ups of SD and microSD memory cards. The Pro Plus and EVO Plus can handle more data faster, as well as support 4K and UHD video recording. Coming in 64GB and 34GB storage capacities, the Pro Plus range has read speeds of up to 95MB/s and write speeds of an equally impressive 90MB/s. The larger of the two can store almost 110 minutes of 4K footage or 490 minutes of Full HD video. The EVO Plus cards come in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities, with the largest of the lot being able to store a maximum of nearly 11,000 photos or 980 minutes of Full HD video. The EVO Plus range has read speeds of up to 80MB/s and write speeds of up to 20MB/s, a vastly improved performance compared to the original EVO line-up. The Plus line-up also has the added bonus of being able to withstand up to 72 hours submerged in seawater (that’s 48 hours more than existing Samsung cards). The microSD cards are available this month with SD versions following later.

Another Fujifilm firmware update Many owners of the Fujifilm X-T1 rejoiced when firmware update v3 with 26 handling improvements was announced a few months back. And surely the bell-ringing, beacon-burning and merriment will be even greater when v4 comes out in late June. V4 brings a new AF system as well as other handling benefits to X-T1 and X-T1 Graphite cameras. The existing 49-point system has been embellished with new Zone and Wide/ Tracking modes, which use 77 AF points

across a broader area to improve the X-T1’s AF skills. AF accuracy has been improved too with smaller zones in single-point AF and greatly enhanced sensitivity in low light, low contrast situations. The update also brings in Eye detection AF, which automatically focuses on the human eye even in complex scenes, and there is an Auto Macro setting too, which frees up the macro function button for another use. Go online in late June for the v4 update.

π To find out more about the new cards, go to www.samsung.co.uk. π To find out more about the update, go to www.fujifilm.com/x-t1/ver4/.

Olympus launches lenses Two optics join the PRO line-up, plus a limited edition E-M5 MkII Olympus’s range of Micro Four Thirds lenses has grown by two, with the ED 8mm fisheye f/1.8 PRO and the ED 7-14mm f/2.8 PRO, selling for £799.99 and £999.99 respectively. Both lenses will be in the shops from June. The 8mm at f/1.8 is claimed to be the world’s fastest fisheye lens and with the x2 crop factor of Micro Four Thirds, it’s equal to a 16mm in 35mm format terms. Like the rest of the PRO range the 7-14mm is weather-proofed with 11 separate seals and with a minimum focus of 7.5cm from the lens front, you can really get in close for dramatic wide effects.

A limited edition OM-D E-M5 Mark II will be available from June, body only at £999.99 or with the 14-150mm f/4-5.6 at £1349.99 (from Jessops). This titanium-coloured camera is in homage to an Olympus classic, the OM-3Ti that came out more than 20 years ago. Only 7000 of these special edition bodies will be made and the cameras will be numbered one to 7000. Also for OM-D E-M10 and E-M1 potential buyers and existing owners, Olympus is offering cashback and trade-in bonuses on these two bodies and selected lenses. See the summer special website below for more details.

π To find out more about the new kit or offers, go to www.olympus.co.uk/cameras or www.olympus.eu/summerspecial. Photography News | Issue 20

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Latest photography news

FLASHES ARE GO Finally on sale, Nissin’s Di700 Air and Commander Air 1 are available in Canon, Nikon and Sony fits. www.nissindigital.com NO MORE NOISE Macphun’s new app Noiseless as good as eliminates noise from a photo in just one click, but you can also take more control. It’s available in standard and pro versions. www.macphun.com CAN’T WAIT TO READ PN? Register on the website for your digital copy of PN and each month you’ll get a link to view the paper as soon as it’s published. Simple! absolutephoto.com

World Photography winners revealed The world’s largest photography competition, the Sony World Photography Awards recently announced the winners, including the recipient of the Photographer of the Year/L’Iris d’Or award. American photographer John Moore, of Getty Images, was named as the Photographer of the Year and as well as the title, he received $25,000 and Sony kit for his hard-hitting series of images, Ebola Crisis Overwhelms Liberian Capital. German photographer Armin Appel was named as the Open Photographer of the Year and received $5000 for his image, Schoolyard. His image was chosen from the almost 80,000 that were entered into the competition by a panel of experts from the World Photography Organisation. Four British names were among the award winners: Simon Norfolk, Professional Landscape; Antony Crossfield, Open Enhanced; Norman Quinn, Open Panoramic; and 14-year-old Stephanie Anjo, Youth Portraiture. All the winning and shortlisted images feature in this year’s Sony World Photography Awards book, available from the website.

NEWS IN BRIEF

π To find out more about the World Photography Organisation, go to www.worldphoto.org.

IGPOTY’s shades of grey © Matthew Woodhouse

Canon goes to town Canon has published guides offering a ‘unique perspective’ to six cities across Europe. The six guides – to London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin, Milan and Amsterdam – are available to download from Canon’s Come and See website and feature in the Companion app to the EOS 760D, 750D and M3. Rather like Rough Guides or Lonely Planet books, each guide is curated by a local personality, offering an everyday look at the cities and encouraging photographers to look at familiar sights and to discover hidden gems. π To find out more about the guides, go to www.canon.co.uk.

Learn with the RPS & OU The International Garden Photographer of the Year (IGPOTY) has announced the winner of one of its two Photo Project competitions. The Monochrome Photo Project first place went to Matthew Woodhouse, who wins £500 for his image, Three, above. The other Photo Project is Macro Art, which closes on 30 June – so you’ve still time to enter. π To find out more, go to www.igpoty.com.

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Combining the Royal Photographic Society’s 160 years of photography experience and the Open University’s expertise in delivering education online, a new course, Digital Photography: Creating and Sharing Better Images, is now available worldwide and is suitable for complete beginners as well as those looking to improve their skills. The ten-week course develops skills through weekly practical assignments and participants will benefit from

a vibrant online community and receive feedback from expert photographers on their final assignment. It costs £200 and students who successfully complete the course will receive an RPS Certificate in Photography, and be fully prepared to tackle their LRPS. π To find out more about the course, go to www.rps.org/ online-courses.

Issue 20 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 20

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Camera clubs

Camera club news If your club has any news that you want to share with the rest of the world, this is the page for it. Your story might be about your club’s success in a contest, or a member’s personal achievement; 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 and get your stories in

HOW TO SUBMIT Make sure you allow plenty of time. For the next issue of Photography News, which will be available from 11 June, we need words and pictures by 4 June. Write your story in a Word document (400 words maximum) and attach it to an email to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk. In the story please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event – website, meeting times, opening times, whatever is relevant to the story. Images: yes please, and attach these to the email too. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension and any colour space. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster), the winning image or one of the event. If the picture includes people please identify them in the Word document. Deadline for the next issue: 4 June 2015

Annual Exhibition in Hailsham

Club members honoured by PAGB Long service recognised by Photographic Alliance of Great Britain The Photographic Alliance of Great Britain has awarded two club members Associateships for their photographic services: Potters Bar & District Photographic Society’s Graham Caldrick and Farnborough Camera Club’s Clifford Derricutt. Potters Bar member and expresident, Graham Caldrick was awarded his Associateship in recognition of sustained support of the society and wider photographic organisations for over 40 years. Announcing the award, the society’s president, Helen Frost said: “Potters Bar and District Photographic Society would not be the club it is today without Graham. We’d like to thank

him for everything he’s done for us and we can think of no better way than the award of APAGB.” Former Potters Bar member and chairman of the PAGB Awards Committee, Christine Langford presented the award to a surprised Graham, who said he’ll “treasure the moment”. Farnborough member and exsecretary, Clifford Derricutt received his award from PAGB president, Leo Rich, who praised Clifford’s dedicated service to the club as well as the SCPF and PAGB. As well as his dedicated service, the award acknowledges his support of the club since joining in 1985 and the encouragement he’s given other photographers.

Yellow House, Iceland by Pat Broad ARPS AFIAP.

From Monday 15 to Saturday 20 June, Hailsham Photographic Society’s annual exhibition is on show at Hailsham’s Charles Hunt Centre. The exhibition will comprise 140 prints in both colour and black & white. It’s open 10am to 4pm and entry is free. Refreshments will be available and car parking nearby is free. Visitors can vote for their favourite photograph and enter a picture raffle with the opportunity to win their favourite print. A selection of prints and cards will also be on sale.

π To find out more about Potters Bar & District Photographic Society, go to www.pottersbarphotosoc.org.uk. π To find out more about Farnborough Camera Club, go to farnboroughcameraclub.org.

Beacon welcomes David Ward

NEWS IN BRIEF

Free judging software

Landscape photographer discusses colour and our perception of it Worcester’s Swan Theatre is the venue for landscape photographer David Ward’s presentation Colour, hosted by Beacon Camera Club. Acutely aware of the importance of colour, David Ward will examine the wonders of colour, uncovering many of its secrets and discussing how our perception of colour is influenced by biology. He will also look at many aspects of colour within photography, such balancing hues and working with contrasts, and show many of his images, including several not seen in public before. The talk starts at 7.30pm on Friday 19 June, and tickets cost £15; available from the theatre box office. www.absolutephoto.com

π To find out more about the exhibition, go to www.hailshamphotographicsociety.co.uk.

Bergs by David Ward.

π To find out more about Beacon Camera Club, go to www.beaconcameraclub.co.uk.

Most camera clubs run competitions and many use software to help with the judging. For clubs who don’t yet have a software or would like to try a new one, here’s a free one to consider. Written by PN reader Mark Kemp, Pictures is Windows only. It’s essentially a slide-show software with features dedicated to competitions. It can keep scores, retain a shortlist, randomise playback to ensure fairness, work on two screens and run interclub battles. It’s free to download the software and the instruction manual from the website.

INTERNATIONAL SALON OPEN The fourth South Devon Salon of International Photography is now open for entry. The three categories are Open, Creative and Nature, with 11 gold medals available across the categories, as well as silvers and ribbons. Full details for submission, which is online only, can be found on Newton Abbot Photographic Club’s website. Entry closes on 19 July 2015. www.newtonabbotphotoclub.org.uk.

π To find out more about Pictures, go to www.cameraclubsoftware.net. Issue 20 | Photography News

Profile INTERVIEW

Benji Lanyado

There’s a revolution happening in the world of stock photography, which claims to offer a much fairer deal to photographers. We spoke to Picfair founder, Benji Lanyado, to find out what’s behind this brave new landscape

BIOGRAPHY Years in the photo industry: Four Current location: East London Last picture taken: Picfair’s new office Hobbies: I’m a football addict with a serious West Ham problem When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? An air hostess, a pilot, a footballer then a writer

Dogs or cats? Dogs. They understand me Toast or cereal? Toast Email or phone call? Neither. Slack or WhatsApp

How did Picfair come about? I worked as a travel writer and editor and was amazed how difficult it was to find and license non-professional images. I looked into how the industry worked and couldn’t believe how oldschool agencies were: excluding amateurs, fixing prices and taking a vast majority of royalties – an average of 74%! This outdated business model serves neither buyers or photographers. Airbnb is an inspiration – before them, thousands of holiday rental agencies constricted supply and took the majority of the money. The image industry is the same. It seemed an amazing opportunity to apply a new business model to image licensing. So I quit my job, learned how to code and then released a prototype of Picfair in late 2013. In a few months there were over 10,000 images by amateur and pro photographers in 20 countries. We had our first front-page image during the storms of January 2014. It very quickly became clear that this wasn’t a bad idea and there was an appetite from both sides of the market. What’s so different about Picfair compared with the more established stock agencies? We’re alternative – Shutterstock we ain’t! By opening our platform to anyone, we attracted a new wave of pro-amateur photographers who’ve been excluded from image licensing for years. We’re better value as our prices are dictated by the market, not a stock agency executive. The photographer is at the heart of what we do – we let them set their own prices, change them whenever they want and get 100% of the fee when an image sells (we add a 20% commission on top). It’s also simple to use – within three clicks of opening Picfair, you could have images for sale! How do you compete with free imagery? We don’t. People who want free images find free images – they don’t make this a $6bn industry. We’re interested in the growing commercial Photography News | Issue 20

content space with editorial buyers. If the price is competitive, there will always be buyers. Many photographers won’t know the value of their images – can you give pricing assistance? We’re going to do a lot more on guiding first-time sellers. We don’t want them to undersell images, but we don’t want them to price themselves out of the market. A good guide is to upload the first batch at £10 each (for a single-use licence), then see how it goes. Eventually we want to offer a way to let the market control the price. How many images do you need to contribute to stand a good chance of making money? As long as you upload more than ten, the number doesn’t matter – it’s image quality that matters. Our search algorithm prefers photographers who have a lot of stars (our in-house editorial pick), social media links and a lot of page views. It’s also important to tag images as diligently as possible. As the value of stock has dropped, how would you encourage photographers that stock is a worthwhile investment of their time? While the earnings of early adopters to stock and average image prices have dropped, money being spent on images has massively increased. It’s just being distributed to a much larger pool of photographers as there are more fit-for-market images out there. It might be more difficult to become a full-time stock photographer, but it’s easy for a semi-pro or freelance photographer to make a great side income from stock photography. What sells best? While traditional images of objects on white backgrounds always have a market, we see more and more sales of ‘alternative stock’ – images shot with the necessary crispness and focus, but telling alternative stories: a model who isn’t thin, shiny and traditionally beautiful; vistas with grungy filters rather than Disney colours. Overall though, if it’s a well-defined shot, there’s a market for it. Are there any images/photographers you’re looking to attract? We’re increasing our library – so photographers with big collections! But in terms of scope, we want everyone from incredibly niche medical stock photographers to zeitgeisty Instagrammers! How do you encourage people to submit work to you and not the Big Boys of stock? For the photographer, the major agencies have morphed into margin-hungry monsters, who’ve forgotten about the people who are providing their goods. The image industry has gotten progressively worse for photographers, but Picfair puts them back in control.

The image industry has gotten progressively worse for photographers, but Picfair puts them back in control

Can you compete with the likes of Getty/Alamy as far as image buyers are concerned? Our proposition to photographers is dramatically different from Getty or Shutterstock and we’re gradually offering similar propositions to buyers. With no agency overheads or executives fixing prices, we can offer buyers game-changing value. We also offer access to a new generation of image makers that agencies have excluded for years. We’re going to dramatically simplify the way images are licensed. The current royalty free and rights managed status quo is an outdated quagmire – Getty has 320,000 ways to license a single image. This is mad, and nobody wants it. We want to get rid of royalty free altogether and offer buyers what they want – simplicity. We’re only just getting started on this, stay tuned! How do you maintain the quality of images – is there a vetting process? It’s a combination of human and algorithmic filtering; every image is viewed and sorted by a picture editor. We monitor view counts, sales, social referral and page dwell, all of which is fed to our search algorithm. Every photographer and image has an algorithmic score that changes daily. Ultimately, our aim is to algorithmically differentiate the wheat from the chaff. How do you compete with Flickr and 500pix, or editors contacting photographers directly? We can’t stop direct contact, but mostly we actually experience this in reverse – buyers contact a photographer and are referred to their Picfair profile. Negotiating rates/payment is a hassle – we handle payment and licensing so they can concentrate on photography. We don’t see Flickr and 500px as direct competitors. Where do you see Picfair in five years’ time? I want us to have dramatically changed online image licensing and have made millions of pounds for our photographers in the process! π To find out more, go to www.picfair.com. www.absolutephoto.com

Opinion

BEFORE THE JUDGE

Micki Aston CPAGB MEET THE JUDGE

Each issue, a respected judge or exhibition selector shares their thoughts and experiences. This month, we hear from esteemed photographer, judge and lecturer Micki Aston CPAGB Words by Micki Aston

Micki Aston CPAGB: Widely

Home club:

Windsor Photographic Society

Favourite camera:

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Favourite lens:

Canon 28-135mm

Favourite photographers:

Frank Hurley, Elliott Erwitt and Don McCullin

Favourite subjects: Character portraiture, derelict buildings, beaches and movement combined with stillness

I became a camera club member in the midnineties, having been recruited into my local club when they’d seen an exhibition of mine. I had many reservations about joining a photographic club and what it would entail. How wrong I was! Through the camera club, a master printer took me under his wing and taught me everything he knew about darkroom skills. That knowledge gave me endless hours of blissful creativity. At the start of the digital revolution another club member taught me all I needed to know about Adobe Lightroom, so my digital darkroom seamlessly replaced the real one. I’ll be forever grateful to these members and to many others who’ve helped me over the years. In 1997, I attended a seminar about training potential judges within the Chiltern Association of Camera Clubs (CACC). I discovered that my knack for public speaking (I’m a lady toastmaster) held me in good stead and I recognised that my natural inclination to teach was very useful. Probably most importantly, I realised that judging was a way to give something back to the camera club community. I judge at and give talks to many clubs throughout the southern area of the UK. Judging by feedback, club members feel my enthusiasm and passion for photography. I don’t enter into discussion with individuals once I’ve scored an image. At the outset of a competition I explain that, as an outsider, I can better assess work than the authors themselves whose subjectivity will bias their opinion. Of course, it’s human nature that judges have likes and dislikes, so judges need to work hard to be objective, analysing and judging with a clear, unbiased eye. There are several aspects of judging about which I feel very strongly:

published and exhibited as a photographer herself, Micki has caught the travel bug and lectures extensively on her travel photography as well as judging throughout the country.

n Judges should judge for the right reasons, namely to encourage club members by building their knowledge and confidence. Judges should generate enthusiasm to motivate entrants to improve and try again. Negative comments can put them off photography for life, something that happened to someone I know personally. n Judges should not be on a personal ego trip, a common occurrence. They should give clear, concise and relevant critique to help the author improve their photography and be helpful to all. n Judges should assess and comment on the ‘feel’ of an image, its atmosphere and emotion. Judges shouldn’t rigidly dismiss images if they don’t meet the rule of thirds, have no lead-in lines etc.

Judges should judge for the right reasons, namely to encourage club members by building their knowledge and confidence

ABOVE Taken early in the morning in Montana’s Glacier National Park. LEFT Cheetahs in the Masai Mara, Kenya. www.absolutephoto.com

n Judges do not need to bang authors on the head with very low marks, the verbal critique should suffice. I never award a mark below 13 out of 20. n As well as informing, teaching and guiding, judges should be entertaining. There’s nothing worse than members snoring during a competition! Judges are responsible for ensuring members enjoy themselves and, whilst taking the judging of images very seriously, try to include anecdotes and teaching points to enhance the evening. I feel so strongly about recruiting the right people to be judges that I’m an assessor at CACC’s annual selection of new candidates. I have no compunction about rejecting unsuitable candidates and am very protective of camera club members who work so hard at their photography. I consider it a mark of respect that the right people should be selected for the job of judging members’ beloved images. In judging a wide range of competitions I see many superb images that inspire me. Analysing why an image ‘works’ is very satisfying, while images that don’t ‘work’ give me the challenge of assessing why not, how the image could be improved and telling the audience. It’s this process I find totally absorbing. π To find out more, go to www.astonimages.com.

What do you think? Have you seen a photographic judge at work who you’d like to see profiled in Photography News? If so please drop us a line to opinion@photography-news.co.uk with the judge’s name and, if possible, their contact details.

Issue 20 | Photography News

Competitions INTERVIEW

City slicking Working for CBRE, a leading global real estate advisory firm, Paul Suchman, global chief marketing officer, found himself involved in one of the most successful competitions of its kind, the Urban Photographer of the Year competition. Here he explains more about the roots and aims of the distinguished awards Interview by Megan Croft

simple yet pervasive idea that has relevance in all markets. The clarity and possibility of this brief has helped it catch fire in every market.

CBRE is a global real estate services and investment firm. Where did the idea for a photography competition come from? The competition started in Portugal in 2006, to engage the local community by celebrating the beauty and technical sophistication of the built environment. It was so well received that we extended it across Europe, then Asia and eventually globally. The theme of UPOTY is ‘cities at work’, a

The competition set out to enhance the profile of the built environment. Has that happened? Absolutely. Our cities are in a constant state of reinvention as populations grow, economies flex and consumption trends evolve. Documenting and honouring the built environment is a very powerful way to understand its impact on the wider environment and communities. As the world’s largest commercial real estate services and

Photography News | Issue 20

Why the theme ‘cities at work’ specifically? At CBRE, the built environment is the canvas we paint upon. We play a pivotal role in the development of urban environments and remain committed to positively shaping the future of our cities. The competition enables an inspiring glimpse into urban environments around the globe, views we might not otherwise see. The photos submitted constantly influence our perceptions and thinking about cities. It’s fascinating, highly educational and often humbling.

Simplicity and creativity... a powerful recipe

ABOVE LEFT 2014 Youth Category 13-15 Winner Sarah Scarborough’s A Distant Silhouette. ABOVE RIGHT 2014 Americas Winner Johanna Siegmann’s Buffer Zone.

Johanna Siegmann

Sarah Scarborough

Can you tell us about your role within the competition and how you came to be involved? As the global chief marketing officer, all CBRE’s brand building and campaign-focused programmes roll up to me. When I joined the firm the Urban Photographer of the Year (UPOTY) competition was well established and very healthy. I inherited a powerful and wonderfully creative gem. My role in UPOTY is threefold: to extend the competition’s reach to global markets; to elevate the creativity and investment into promotional work supporting the competition; and to give our regional marketing teams the space to drive awareness and participation. We’ve got an incredibly talented and passionate team driving this.

investment firm, we are aware of this responsibility. Our collection of Urban Photographer books is rapidly becoming an archive of changing fashions, landscapes and cultures. Why do you think this competition in particular has been so successful and grown so quickly? Two reasons: firstly, the world of photography has opened up to a wider audience with the rise of mobile technology and the accessibility to less expensive and higher quality equipment. Taking photos is now as pervasive as texting and people use them to document every aspect of their daily life. Secondly, the competition and all supporting communications have an aspirational nature, appealing to both amateur and professional photographers. We’ve built an outlet for creativity that allows people to share their perspectives on the urban environment with people across the globe. Simplicity and creativity… a powerful recipe. Where do you receive the most entries from and where would you like to get more from? The competition began in Europe and the momentum remains strong across the continent. www.absolutephoto.com

Competitions

15 Ly Hoang Long

Today, the highest numbers of entries come from that region, Eastern Europe in particular. As we expanded globally, entries from India and China have been growing. We want that to continue and to gain momentum across more Asian markets. The power of the images from this region is simply stunning. The Americas too is growing and we’re pleased with the raw creativity from that region. Our penetration in tier-one markets is very strong as would be expected given the built environment brief, but as new economies emerge, we expect growth from new markets. Have any entries stood out to you in particular over the years? We’ve received almost 50,000 photographs since the competition started, so it’s quite a challenge to highlight just a few. That said, those entries that challenge our perceptions or shed a new light on an existing topic tend to stand out the most. Has the competition changed or influenced your perception of how people interact with their cities? Yes, it has. Regardless of cultural and economic differences, the human race has more in common than we might think. At a basic level, we’re all rising, commuting, working, striving, eating and socialising every day. It’s amazing to get glimpses into how these activities are impacted by urban environments across the globe. Participants can enter up to 24 photos to represent the hours of the day. Have many taken up the full challenge? The average number of photos per participant has risen year-on-year, but we don’t see many people submitting 24 images. Unique to UPOTY is the sheer volume of winners. We award an overall winner, one per region and 24-hourly winners. We also have a student category, and this year have introduced a mobile category. These new additions are dramatically increasing entries as the mobile device affords such immediacy. Is there a particular hour that generally throws up the most interesting kinds of shots? The majority of entries are taken between 8am and 10pm, so it’s a challenge to stand out during those hours. While we receive less volume of photos midnight to 8am, these are often the most provocative and interesting. The use of light, activities captured and general tone of the photos during these hours are fantastic.

We have received almost 50,000 photographs since the competition started

ABOVE 2014 Asia Pacific Winner Ly Haong Long’s Net Mending. BELOW 2014 Overall Winner Marius Vieth’s Mask of Society.

How did you go about selecting the judging panel? What kind of mix did you want? We have a great group of judges, a number of whom have been on the panel for years. We are delighted to have Caroline Metcalfe with her deep knowledge of photo editing and publication, and Riccardo Busi who brings us closer to FIAP. Going forward, we’ll continue to diversify the panel geographically and from an industry perspective. What was the motivation behind appointing Martin Grahame-Dunn as chairman of judges? While the competition started in Europe, Asia and the Middle East (EMEA), the long-term objective is to become truly global. Martin reflects this ambition and is a respected teacher and judge with a long list of fellowships. He has established assessment criteria and judging panels for many national photographic associations and chaired international competition judging panels in EMEA. He’s an international member of and trains extensively with the board of the Professional Photographers Association.

Marius Vieth

What are the judges looking for? Is it technique or subject? Neither; those are table stakes we expect from all entries. Rather, we ask our judges to look for people who capture something special and tell a story through their image. That’s what unifies the photographers who make it into our book, an ability to capture an acute and unique observation. What are your top tips for success in UPOTY? We receive a lot of common perspectives, familiar subjects and angles. We long for unusual views, different approaches to capturing emotion and innovative use of light and environments. We want people to capture truth, energy and passion. What makes a winning image? If you look through the book, you’ll notice a theme. Each image captures a story and brings a city to life. It’s not enough to take a photo of a stunning skyscraper; we are looking for images that tell stories and provide a view into the urban environment that others might not see.

www.absolutephoto.com

Do different countries have micro trends in terms of what city life typically looks like? Inevitably, yes. Trends unique to European, Asian and American cities are captured. Some expected, others not. It’s remarkable how many similarities can be drawn, even among the most diverse cities. Is there any city scene you’d like to see represented more within UPOTY? And why? As the competition evolves and photos taken on mobile devices increase, we hope to see more amazing, split second moments. We want people to extend their creative potential finding new ways to celebrate the built environment. Are the winning images exhibited anywhere? We exhibit them in our offices worldwide and publish them in the highly coveted Urban Photographer of the Year book. It’s exclusive though we often get requests to purchase the book. We’re exploring formal exhibition opportunities, so we can share the creativity and diversity of the images with broader communities. What are your ambitions for UPOTY’s future? Next year we celebrate the competition’s tenth year and we’ll plan for something special to commemorate the milestone. UPOTY enables our brand to flex its creative muscle and makes us more relevant to general consumers. We’ll look to build on this creativity and brand elasticity. π To find out more, go to www.cbreupoty.com.

Calling all urbanites Take your camera with you on your commute, get snapping on a day trip to the city but whatever you do make sure you enter your best shots in this year’s Urban Photographer of the Year competition. You can submit an image to represent any hour of the day, but be sure to get it in before the closing date of 31 July 2015. All entries must be submitted via the website.

Issue 20 | Photography News

Latest photography news

A day of opportunities

In association with

It’s the final countdown to a full 24 hours of photo fun. Still need convincing to join us? Read on

WIN BIG AT PHOTO 24 The best overall Photo 24 2015 image wins a Nikon D750 full-frame DSLR with 24-85mm lens, and you can also win a Nikon 1 J5 plus 10-30mm lens for the best image taken at each meet-up location. There’s a Nikon Coolpix AW130 on offer for the best shot added to the Photo 24 Photo Wall and a Nikon Coolpix P900 for the winner of the Treasure Hunt competition.

LAST FEW PHOTO 24 SPACES!

Photography News | Issue 20

Okay, now it’s getting exciting. There’s just over a month to go until the shutters snap open on this year’s Photo 24 event in London, sponsored by Nikon and Nikon School, and if you’ve not yet reserved your place, then what are you waiting for? The free event kicks off at noon on Saturday 20 June and brings together hundreds of like-minded enthusiast and amateur photographers for a full 24 hours of shooting in one of the world’s greatest cities. We have literally only a few tickets left (due to cancellations) so if you want to join us please check for availability by emailing Rebecca Kalama on rebeccakalama@ bright-publishing.com. To whet the appetites of confirmed participants, and to convince anyone who’s still undecided, on this page you’ll find a few of the many brilliant images shot by readers on last year’s Photo 24. It is also worth saying that everyone is welcome to enjoy Photo 24, regardless of experience level and which camera brand you own. And to make it even more exciting, Nikon is giving away some amazing prizes to reward great shots taken on the day. For the best image taken at each of the itinerary’s meet-up locations, there’s a Nikon 1 J5 and 10-30mm lens on offer, and for the best overall image taken on the day, a Nikon D750 plus 24-85mm lens awaits. So, if you fancy indulging your passion for photography in one of the world’s leading and most photogenic cities with a whole bunch of like-minded folk, please email Rebecca now. Remember, the event is free although there is the option of paid-for events, such a sunset shoot from the London Eye.

Secured your spot for Photo 24 yet? Brilliant – see you there! Keep up with the latest news and details on Twitter @Photo24London.

Nikon taster sessions This year’s Photo 24 sponsors are Nikon and Nikon School, and that means there’s not only a host of great prizes (see panel above), you’ll also have the opportunity for some expert advice and tuition throughout the day. There will also be Nikon Taster Sessions, which are special paid-for events (Photo 24 itself is free), taking in specialist subjects including urban portraiture, film noir and macro photography for a small fee. Each will be led by one of the expert tutors at the Nikon School at 63-64 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SW, and that’s where the sessions will start. Sessions can be booked when applying for Photo 24 tickets. All people booking on a Nikon Taster Session will be eligible for a £25 discount when booking on a full training course at the Nikon School.

www.absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature

MANFROTTO TRAVEL & OUTDOORS

Get travel ready with Manfrotto Whatever the British weather throws at us this summer, you’ll be sure of a fun photographic adventure with Manfrotto’s specially designed range of accessories Sometimes the most rewarding pictures are the most challenging, and there’s no better place to put your photography skills to the test than the great outdoors. Without the luxury of having full access to all your kit though, you want to make sure the gear you do take is absolutely up to the job. Steady as a rock Travelling for a day, a week or longer, you’ll want your kit to be as high performing as possible, but not only that you’ll want it to be lightweight enough to comfortably carry. In terms of accessories, one of the most essential pieces of kit to consider is your tripod. Manfrotto’s Off Road Tripod (SRP £119.95) is designed to do exactly what it says on the tin. Engineered by Manfrotto in collaboration with outdoor sports pole experts Fizan, the design is exceptionally portable. In fact, it’s the lightest tripod in the Manfrotto range. It doesn’t take up much room either with a tiny diameter of 5cm. There’s no faffing around when it comes to setting up the Off Road Tripod; a universal quarter-inch camera attachment combined with a quick wheel makes it really easy and fast to attach and detach your camera. To give a steady base on difficult ground, the feet have spiked bases but there are rubber covers too so you’re sorted whatever the terrain. It doesn’t get much more compact than a monopod and the Manfrotto 294 Carbon Fibre monopod (SRP £74.99), which features a four-section carbon composite leg, is as lightweight and portable as you like. It’ll last trip after trip too, with hard-wearing tension-adjustable leg locks, keeping you adventuring even longer. Out of the dark One of the trickier aspects to nail outdoors is lighting. With unpredictable weather and shadowy environments it isn’t always easy to get it right in-camera. You don’t have to spend ages tweaking in post-production and you certainly don’t need to cart cumbersome lighting gear around, all you need is a LUMIE LED light or two. Palm-sized but high performing, the LUMIE LEDs (SRP from £44.95) are the ideal travel companion. Aside from size, the other most important credential is battery life and the LUMIEs can keep on going for an impressive length of time. They have excellent colour accuracy (<94 CRI) too and there are a range of colour filters and mounting options so you can mix it up and achieve more precise results.

Carry on capturing You’ve decided which kit you’ll be taking with you, now what to carry it in? It has to keep your gear safer than safe – the Manfrotto Travel Backpack (SRP £109.95) is the one for the job. It comes with a rain protector and is made from waterrepellent material to save your gear from any inclement weather, and there are dividers and compartments to cushion and protect. The Travel Backpack has plenty of room, fitting in a camera with lens attached, plus two extra lenses, a flash and accessories all in the main compartment, which also gives you quick access to the bulk of your gear via a side zip. There’s space to strap your tripod on too and for extra items, there’s an expandable padded side pocket. If you like to edit on the go, there’s room for a 13in laptop in the dedicated back compartment and if you want to make the most of the bag when you aren’t photographing, the dividers can be removed and you’ll have an everyday backpack to use. Venturing further afield? The Manfrotto Travel Backpack meets most cabin luggage restrictions. Get travel ready this summer by choosing from Manfrotto’s specially designed range of accessories. π To find out more, go to www.manfrotto.co.uk.

www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 20 | Photography News

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Camera Club of the Year 2014-15

Over 50 of the country’s leading camera clubs and societies entered the first Photography News Camera Club of the Year competition, sponsored by Canon After hours of judging by the PN editorial team, Amersham Photographic Society emerged top of the heap, winning by just a single point. It simply couldn’t have been any closer, so congratulations to Amersham PS and all its members. The club wins a £3000 Canon multimedia projector, 25 £45 subscriptions to Canon’s image service, irista, plus a day with top landscape and travel photographer David Noton. “A couple of members saw the contest advertised in PN and said it was an event we should be entering,” said John Caton, chairman of Amersham PS. “We had a few moans about our projector, which has a purple spot on the screen, so possibly winning a top Canon projector was tempting too.”

Congratulations to Amersham PS and all its members

“We have about 140 members, including several fellows and associates of the RPS and MPAGB too so have experienced success in the past. “As a club we offer a great deal to members of all levels. We have a digital group, a mono group, a beginners group and a PIC group that helps members to work in themes and produce panels for distinctions. “Obviously we are delighted with our success and it has made the effort thoroughly worthwhile. Being able to change images right up to the last minute was great; I know we updated our entry in the final week. “Thanks to everyone at Photography News and Canon, and we look forward to receiving our prizes.”

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Buffalo Road by Steve Brabner; November in Suburbia by Vic Attfield; Seal’s Whiskers by Nigel Cox; and Apetani Tribesman by Sandra Crook. Photography News | Issue 20

www.absolutephoto.com

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

The results are in

Each club had to submit 25 pictures on five themes and each image was scored out of 20 points so the highest possible score was 500 if every image scored a maximum. Images were assessed for creativity, theme interpretation and technical competence 1st

Amersham Photographic Society

416

19th Parkwood Camera Club

400

39th Winchester Photographic Society

387

Ayr Photographic Society

415

Watford Camera Club

400

39th Beckenham Photographic Society

387

Halstead & District Photographic Society

382

f8 Image Group

412

399

3rd

Harlow Photographic Society

412

23rd Cheltenham Camera Club

397

42nd Solihull Photographic Society

Clacton Camera Club

381

Dorchester Camera Club

411

396

6th

New City Photographic Society

410

25th The Grange Photographic Society

395

44th Ringwood Camera Club

376

6th

Preston Photographic Society

410

25th Wakefield Camera Club

395

45th Stirling & District Camera Club

375

8th

Peterborough Photographic Society

409

27th York Photographic Society

395

46th Bath Photographic Society

373

Ipswich & District Photographic Society

Blandford Forum Camera Club

377

Ashford Photographic Society

408

9th

Maidenhead Camera Club

408

28th Kingswood Photographic Society

392

48th Hampstead Photographic Society

11th

West Wickham Photographic Society

408

28th Thurrock Camera Club

392

49th Stewartry Camera Club

368

11th

DAPA Group

408

31st

391

50th Petersfield Photographic Society

366

13th Beacon Camera Club, Malvern

406

32nd Carluke Camera Club

390

51st

Wirral 20 Photography Club

358

14th Derby City Photographic Club

404

33rd Holmfirth Camera Club

389

51st

Reflex Photographic Club

358

City of London & Cripplegate Photographic Society 392

Chapel Camera Club

Wokingham & East Berkshire Camera Club

371 370

403

389

Peterhead Camera Club

358

15th Exmouth Photo Group

403

35th Bromsgrove Photographic Society

388

51st

Skegness Camera Club

358

388

Thorne Camera Club

358

Exeter Camera Club

Northallerton Camera Club

402

18th Macclesfield Camera Club

401

35th Earl Shilton Camera Club

388

19th North Cheshire Photographic Society

400

35th Ross on Wye Photographic Society

388

Wisbech and District Camera Club

Cymru Monochrome

What Amersham PS wins Amersham PS scoop a Canon XEED WUX450 multimedia projector worth more than £3000. This top-end projector features Widescreen Ultra Extended Graphics Array technology for a 16:10 screen aspect ratio with a huge display resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. www.canon.co.uk

IMAGE OF THE MONTH

David Kelly, Ipswich & District PS Our final theme was Trees, a theme that sounds simple but to score highly, creative vision was an essential ingredient. Image of the Month in this round was Park Avenue by David Kelly, Ipswich & District Photographic Society. On the shortlist were Tuscan Waves by John Webster, Northallerton CC; Winter Birch by Peter Paterson, Stirling & District CC; Finale by Ian Mountford, Derby City PC; and Desert Trio by Steven Coyne, Macclesfield CC.

25 of Amersham’s members will receive irista subscriptions worth £45 a year and that gives 50GB of storage capacity. Irista offers a new way to manage, organise and share images online and is JPEG and Raw compatible. Everyone can sign up to the service for free and immediately have 10GB of storage space. www.irista.com

Amersham also wins an experience day with top professional landscape photographer David Noton. David has travelled the world and captured many brilliant images on his Canon cameras and lenses. Photography News will be bringing you a report on the experience day in due course. www.davidnoton.com

www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 20 | Photography News

Advertisement feature PROFOTO B1 & B2

A truly flexible flash family Photographers who are serious about the quality of their work invariably look at using supplementary light, perhaps to boost the available light that’s already there or to even out the contrast within a scene. The problem until fairly recently was that you either had to take bulky and unwieldy battery operated kit out into the field or you needed to work with speedlights, with all the attendant issues of lack of power and limited access to modifiers. While many persevered regardless, and often achieved amazing results with off-camera flash, it was a challenge for the professional to work in this way and to guarantee the high-quality images their clients demanded. The whole market fundamentally changed, however, with the launch of Profoto’s game-changing B1 lights towards the end of 2013. Suddenly here was a location light that coupled the ease and much of the portability of a speedlight with the kind of power that you might expect from a studio unit. Furthermore it was compatible with the full range of Profoto lighting modifiers, giving the user a wide range of options and opening the door to a whole new way of working. The B1 was joined earlier this year by the B2, plus a further range of dedicated OCF light shaping tools, including four new softboxes – a square 1’3”x1’3”, a 1x3ft strip, a Recta 2x3ft and an Octa 2ft – and the family was complete. Still powerful – far outstripping the performance of even the most well-specified of speedlights – but even more compact than the B1, the new model is designed to use as a light in its own right or, as so many professionals are already doing, as a partner to its sibling, enabling a wellrounded kit to be pieced together that’s light to carry and can be used to tackle pretty much any location job that might be in the offing.

The latest B2 system is a more compact sibling for the B1, and together they are the ideal companions for photographers working inside or out on location

The whole market fundamentally changed, however, with the launch of Profoto’s gamechanging B1

LEFT The B1 and B2 OCF system offers lightweight, but powerful lighting. Photography News | Issue 20

ABOVE One of the first to pre-order the B1, J Dhillon now packs this and his B2 for his destination wedding shoots, packing everything securely into his hand luggage.

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Portable and light One of those who has appreciated the new Profoto family of location lights is portrait photographer Richard Bradbury, and it’s fundamentally changed the way he’s been able to work. “When I first started to use the B1 I was amazed by how compact the kit was,” he says. “On overseas shoots I could pack all the kit I needed in a single rucksack and then take it on to the aeroplane as hand luggage. Up until that point I lost count of the number of times I was called back to the gate to explain the lights and batteries that I’d packed in my hold luggage: it used to get a lot of attention, but with the lights in my hand luggage I could explain quickly and easily what I had and it saved no end of trouble. It also meant that I always had my gear with me as well, and that makes everything much more secure. “The other massive advantage for me was the TTL capability of the lights. In TTL mode the lights continuously change their power settings in the blink of an eye to match your chosen aperture and it’s quite fascinating to stand behind one of the units whilst someone else is shooting. They are constantly recalibrating and the flash power output numbers change with every shot. I tried it out with a model running towards me through constantly changing ambient light, and even at that speed it was able to keep up and to adjust the light output perfectly every time. “These lights are very capable in a studio but it’s outdoors where they really come into their own,” continues Richard. “They were designed to mix with daylight and offer constant colour temperature optimisation during normal shooting. In TTL you are able to set plus and minus exposure adjustment in exactly the same way that you would with your dedicated speedlight. Think of the heads as giant speedlights that happen to be compatible with one of the most comprehensive light shaping systems in the world. Not only that, but the way that the shapers fit to the lights has remained consistent for a huge amount of time. “I had a studio in Nottingham at least 20 years ago and thought at the time what a remarkably simple system Profoto had, almost like a giant rubber band that held the modifier in place and allowed you to move it backwards and forwards to change the effect,” Richard recalls. “It’s amazing to me that all these years later the same delightfully straightforward and efficient system is being used by two of the most advanced lighting systems in the world, namely the B1 and the B2, and absolutely everything is still compatible. For me that’s a massive plus.”

These lights are very capable in a studio, but it’s outdoors when they really come into their own

Perfect for weddings Asian wedding specialist J Dhillon was one of the very first to invest in the B1 system and he was so bowled over by its performance that he’s added a B2 kit to the line-up and he now regularly combines both outfits on his location shoots. “From the moment I moved into photography I was using supplementary lights,” he says, “whether this was LED units, video lights or speedlights. However I read about the B1 lights when they were first announced and I knew immediately that this was what I needed to take my business to the next level, and I immediately put an outfit on pre-order. People now know me for the fact that I use them so regularly, and my saying is simply this: why chase the light when you can create it? “One of the big areas of my business is destination weddings: I did eight of these last year plus a further four pre-wedding shoots abroad, and this is an area that I’m very © J Dhillon

much developing. I’ve been to places such as the Valley of Fire in Nevada, the Sahara Desert in Morocco, Venice, Kenya, Mexico and Paris, and it’s a joy to be able to travel so light. Everything, including all my B1 and B2 lighting heads, light stands, Canon EOS-1D X camera and lenses, goes into one backpack and this travels with me as hand luggage. It’s so straightforward and simple and I have this with me at all times, meaning that it’s secure and I know I’ll have the kit I need to work with alongside me at all times. “The batteries for the kit are also small and portable and have a really long life, but I’ll always carry spares with me for safety’s sake. Even so they charge very quickly and so I can get everything up to full power during a lunch break, and so I never need to worry about running low on charge.” For J another key feature of the Profoto lights is the High-Speed Sync (HSS) feature, which was introduced for the B1 late last year. “With the new Profoto HSS upgrade installed I can switch to HSS Mode with a simple buttonpress,” he says. “I can then shoot at shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000sec, and this allows me to work with wider apertures and to achieve the shallow depth-of-field that I’m looking for in some of my shots. Previously the only way I could do this was to work with a set of ND filters, but now it’s just so simple. For someone like me who doesn’t particularly like reading a manual it’s just so straightforward.” And that’s the beauty of the B1 and B2 family. Easy to set up and use and a delight to carry around, they really are the perfect way for the modern photographer in any number of fields to work, and together they’ve created a seismic change in the way that professionals are working.

π To find out more, go to www.profoto.com/uk. www.absolutephoto.com

Issue 20 | Photography News

Competitions READER EXPERIENCE

Portrait perfection

Choose four competition winners, give them each a Pentax 645Z with a selection of lenses for the day and the result is beautiful contemporary portraits

Words by Will Cheung Our sister title, Advanced Photographer called this event unmissable and it certainly was. Four lucky readers won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shoot contemporary portraiture with the Pentax 645Z, one of the world’s most sought-after cameras. And so it was a quartet of photographers found themselves in an exclusive Northampton venue on a Friday morning, being briefed on the mediumformat marvel. With Mark Elshaw and Adrian Uden from Ricoh Imaging, Pentax’s parent company, on hand to offer technical support throughout the shoot and a wide selection of lenses, from ultra-wide to long telephoto on offer, the four shooters were well equipped. Lighting was provided by Elinchrom Quadra Rangers and a good selection of modifiers, backed up by two experts from The Flash Centre. Six models were available for the duration of the shoot, with a variety of outfits and experience. Also on offer was a wide selection of props and the venue provided plenty of backgrounds – even the ladies loos had potential. Each of the four photographers shot gigabytes’ worth of images during the shoot, with guidance and support from the experts and editor, Will Cheung. And after the shoot, they shared their thoughts on the experience, both of the shoot and the revolutionary Pentax 645Z, with its class leading list of features, including 51.4 megapixels, top ISO of 204,800 and excellent battery capacity. Read on to find out exactly what they thought. Photography News | Issue 20

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT (back) Garry Clarke, shoot organiser; Mark Elshaw and Adrian Uden from Ricoh Imaging; Simon Burfoot and Brian Ollier from The Flash Centre; Photography News editor Will Cheung; (front) readers Tony Presland, Richard Scourfield, Chris Mills and Damian Hall.

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Competitions

About the Pentax 645Z The Pentax 645Z is a fully featured medium-format DSLR. Among its headline features are the 51.4-megapixel CMOS sensor, a top ISO of 204,800, articulating monitor and Full HD video capability. Shoot medium-format and you would expect great quality images. The Pentax’s 44x33mm CMOS sensor gives files measuring 8256x6192 pixels, which translates to prints measuring 27.5x20.6in at 300ppi without any interpolation. You get this top quality in a camera that is equally at home in the studio as on location and it’s supported by an impressive array of high-spec Pentax lenses. Handling is slick, AF responsive and accurate, the exposure system uses an 86,000 pixel RGB sensor and the battery has capacity for up to 650 shots.

To find out more about the 645Z, go to www.ricoh-imaging.co.uk.

Each of the four photographers shot gigabytes’ worth of images, with guidance and support from the experts

Thanks to… IMAGES With a wide selection of Pentax lenses and a veritable plethora of backdrops on offer, it was a great opportunity to realise the 645Z’s potential. www.absolutephoto.com

… Borjia. Our location for the shoot, Borjia is an exclusive nightclub in the heart of Northampton. It’s one of the city’s hottest and very popular venues for a few drinks in a convivial atmosphere. bit.ly/BorjiaBar … Megan, Laura, Rachelle, Billy, Lucy and Marie, our models. … Garry Clarke and Paul Clarke for all their help setting up the event and on the day.

Issue 20 | Photography News

Competitions Chris Mills What an excellent day, the highlight being getting the chance to use the stunning Pentax 645Z and the multitude of lenses. I have been a Pentax user for many years starting with the K1000 through to the Z1P and then digital with the *ist, K10 and I currently use the K-5 and K-5 IIs. The 645Z is just like an oversized DSLR, superb to handle and giving absolutely stunning image quality. My shots using ambient light and high ISOs were superb. For me, the 645Z is a brilliant portrait and landscape camera and it is supported by some great lenses. The shallow depth-of-field with the larger image sensor makes shooting portraits where you want a very tight focus effect extremely easy. On the day itself going into an unknown venue meant it was a challenging shoot. Walking in and looking at the superb and compact location and working out what to shoot was a challenge, particularly due to the low levels of ambient lighting. I’ve photographed models before, both professional and amateur as well as friends, so I am generally confident at trying to put the subject at ease and getting the best from the shoot. So working with the less experienced models on the day wasn’t an issue. Thanks to everyone for giving us such a superb day.

Superb to handle and giving absolutely stunning image quality

Damian Hall I had a really enjoyable day with likeminded people, so I am glad I entered the competition and got to play and create. My highlight was the opportunity to try the Pentax 645Z in a real-world setting with a load of lenses. The 645Z’s image quality is stunning. In comparison with a DSLR, the dynamic range is spectacular, and getting up close with one of those 51-megapixel files on a 30in monitor is eye-opening. What impresses most though is the beautifully smooth and creamy gradations. Skin tones are fantastic straight out of the camera and in good light there is very little post-processing needed. I thought general camera handling was exceptional for a camera of its size. It certainly doesn’t feel unwieldy and its lack of weight adds to this feeling. The body feels solid and the buttons give good feedback. The focus point and menu options are a very sensible bit of design. I love the 25mm f/4 and 300mm f/4 lenses; the 300mm melts the background into a creamy loveliness. I was genuinely surprised by AF speed in good light. The AF has limits in dark conditions, but my existing kit would have struggled with that too. I was also impressed by the speed of the shot to shot time, especially as there was lot of data being moved around.

Photography News | Issue 20

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Competitions

Richard Scourfield It was an awesome day, and a great experience so thanks to everyone involved. It was a fabulous opportunity to shoot with some amazing equipment and a variety of models in an interesting location – what more could you want? Before I got there I thought everything was going to be set up for us and all we had to do was press the button, but the reality was that it was down to us – that made it much

more daunting, but also more fun. I did wonder how I was going to fill the day, but once I got into the swing of things, time flew by. This was the first time I’d shot medium-format and I didn’t appreciate how shallow the depth-of-field could be at the wider apertures. The camera itself is great and even though it is larger than I am used too, it wasn’t at all cumbersome.

Handling was fine even in the tighter spots, such as in the ladies toilet. The image quality is simply stunning. Looking at my images at 100% on screen, the clarity is amazing. I have worked with models before, but this was my first time in such a format and it definitely built my confidence. I’m now itching to do more.

The image quality provided by the Pentax 645Z is tremendous

Tony Presland I enjoyed the experience and the highlight for me was the opportunity to use quality equipment like the Pentax 645Z for an extended period and to assess its potential. Overall, the 645Z handles very well indeed. Other than the shape of the camera body, it is not significantly heavier than a pro-spec full-frame DSLR. It was a challenge trying to make use of the camera’s immense abilities. The image quality provided by the Pentax 645Z is tremendous, but I probably didn’t push it to its limits on this short acquaintance. I have limited experience working with models, and I’d have preferred to work for a longer period with a single model. Generally, though, I had a good time and the venue could form the basis for some really interesting shots.

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Issue 20 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 20

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Issue 20 | Photography News

Camera test SPECS PRICE £599 with 16-50mm power zoom CONTACT samsung.com SENSOR 28.2 megapixels, CMOS, 6480x4320 pixels SENSOR FORMAT APS-C 23.5x15.7mm, 1.5x crop factor

FULL TEST

Samsung NX500

Competitively priced at £599, the NX500 has the highest resolution in its class with an impressive 28 megapixels, but that’s not all it has to offer

ISO RANGE 100-25,600, expandable to 51,200, auto SHUTTER 30secs-1/6000sec, B (limited to 8mins), flash sync 1/200sec DRIVE MODES Single, continuous at 9fps METERING SYSTEM Multi-zone (221 segments), centreweighted, spot EXPOSURE MODES PASM, auto, custom COMPENSATION 5EV in 0.3EV steps MONITOR 3in articulating, touchscreen Super AMOLED, 1036k dots FOCUSING Hybrid AF with active, single, continuous and manual focusing FOCUSING POINTS 205 phase-detect, 153 cross-type, 209 contrast-detect VIDEO 4096x2160 (24fps), in 4K angle of view is narrowed by 1.68x CONNECTIVITY USB 2.0, HDMI, wireless, Bluetooth STORAGE MEDIA SD, SDHC, SDXC DIMENSIONS 119.5x63.6x42.5mm WEIGHT 292g body only

RIGHT The supplied 16-50mm zoom has a decent minimum focusing distance enabling close-ups like this.

Words by Will Cheung

The Samsung NX500 comes out hot on the heels of the flagship NX1 launched late year and, while it’s a £599 camera and lens outfit, it shares many highlights with its £1300 body-only bigger brother. It’s definitely worth dwelling on the key points of difference as well as the similarities. The two highlights in terms of feature sharing are the APS-C BSI sensor and the AF system. This means the NX500 has an amazing 28.2-megapixel resolution, producing images packed with exquisite fine detail especially at the lower ISO speeds. The NX500’s AF system features 205 phasedetect sensors with 153 cross-type that cover over 90% of the image area so it’s very flexible if you like placing subjects at the extremes of the frame. AF sensitivity and responsiveness, as with the NX1, are impressively fast and accurate in good conditions but fall off as light levels drop. The built-in AF lamp comes into its own when it’s darker, but it’s not something to use if you are trying to steal some candid shots down the pub. Another feature common to both cameras is 4K video shooting. However, the NX500 crops 4K footage by a factor of 1.68x. Pick up the two cameras and one difference is immediately apparent. The NX500 is much lighter – the body weighs in at 292g against the 550g of the NX1. It’s not as rugged and lacks the environment seals of the NX1. There’s no EVF either – and no option to fit one. As we are all getting used to monitors, this might not be an issue but it will inevitably deter people who prefer shooting with the camera up to the eye. It’s a good thing, though, that the NX500’s monitor does provide a bright image. The monitor itself folds up to face forwards – handy for selfie and low-level shooting too. Much has been made of the NX1’s ability to blitz through full-size files at 15fps, the fastest continuous shooting speed currently on offer. The NX500’s not so fast but still clocks a more than respectable 9fps (up to a maximum of ISO 6400), although its smaller buffer means fewer frames are available before buffering. I got five Raws before buffering and 31 super fine JPEGs using a Samsung PRO SD card with about 25 seconds needed for the buffer to completely clear. Like the NX1, shooting Raws at its maximum shooting speeds means files are automatically changed from 14-bit to 12-bit. Raws can also be shot in normal or lossless compression; the latter saves card space but is slightly slower.

There is also a Burst mode. Here you can capture 30 frames in one second with one push of the shutter button but resolution is limited to seven megapixels. Having spent a couple of months using the Samsung NX1, I found moving onto the NX500 really comfortable because I was familiar with the menu structure and key points of handling. Not everyone will have that advantage, but there is absolutely no reason why newcomers to the NX500 will struggle. Control layout and the menu are easy to navigate and I found the NX500 overall a pleasure to use. The fact that it’s much lighter and smaller is a significant contributing factor in this. For example, I could slip the NX500 with the power zoom into a pocket and carry it while out cycling without feeling the strain. And having 28 megapixels at my disposal meant I wasn’t compromising on ultimate image quality. Design-wise, I think Samsung could have made the NX500 more NX1-like in terms of body shape (even excepting the lack of an EVF) and that could have given the NX family more of a filial identity. Perhaps the NX50 (or whatever it will be called) will be more closely related in terms of body form but as it is, the NX500 is very different from the NX1. Clearly it is not a fault of the NX500 but I did find myself on occasion lifting the camera up to

my eye (it’s an instinctive action) and I did miss an EVF. But the monitor is good and I am happy with its touch operation. With practice, you instinctively check where the AF point is in case it has been inadvertently banished to a far-flung corner and the feature is handy for both candid shooting and for scenics with the camera on the tripod. During tripod use, being able to focus on one part of the scene and expose for another is a great feature and saves shifting the camera. I found the NX500’s exposure performance to be very consistent and the multi-zone system can be relied upon to deliver spot-on results in most cases. The same can be said for the AF system in good light, however, in poor light there is some hunting and while focusing is achieved, it takes a little longer to get there. Overall, performance and handling rate pretty highly and are impressive for a CSC at this price.

Control layout and the menu are easy to navigate and I found the NX500 overall a pleasure to use. The fact that it’s much lighter and smaller than the NX1 is a significant contributing factor in this

Photography News | Issue 20

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Camera test Long exposure NR The NX500 has the option of long exposure noise reduction for which the camera makes a dark frame exposure. This effectively doubles the actual exposure time. These test images were shot on a NX 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 at 30secs and f/16 at ISO 100. The shot without NR was very clean and noisefree in the first instance so the NR shot only shows a marginal benefit. With exposures running into several minutes the benefit will probably be much more apparent. FULL-FRAME IMAGE

NO NR

WITH NR

High ISO noise reduction

29 ISO comparison

FULL-FRAME IMAGE

The NX500 has an impressive ISO range from ISO 100 to 25,600, with the option of expansion to 51,200. These twilight shots were taken with the supplied 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 power zoom at 29mm and f/8. The base exposure at ISO 100 was 3secs. Digital noise performance is sound and the images up to ISO 800 are very clean and fine detail is crisply defined. At ISO 800 and beyond noise starts producing a mottled pattern in even-toned areas and this gets more pronounced as speed increases. Shooting in JPEG, performance is good up to ISO 1600 – in Raw you can go to ISO 2500 for comparable image quality. I think ISO 3200 is about the limit for a balance of acceptable image quality and a useable speed for poor light shooting but even here detail lacks the definition of images shot at lower settings. At ISO 6400 and upwards fine detail is much more affected by noise. Intricate detail looks mushy and there is noticeable mottling in areas of even tone. If shooting critically, ISO 6400 is just about the limit and higher speeds are best avoided unless you absolutely have no alternative. By the time you get to the highest native ISO setting of 25,600 noise makes images appear almost painterly and colourful noise is clearly evident.

ISO 100

ISO 400

ISO 800

ISO 1600

ISO 3200

ISO 6400

ISO 12800

ISO 25600

ISO 51200

FULL-FRAME IMAGE

The verdict The Samsung NX500 is an attractively priced, highly capable CSC. Its impressive sensor delivers detail-packed enlargements and it has competent exposure and autofocus systems. It offers formidable competition to the likes of the Sony A6000, Panasonic Lumix GX7 and Olympus OM-D E-M10. It appeals on two levels. One, as a quality CSC attracting discerning but budget-conscious photographers wanting a high level of performance. And two, it could tempt prospective NX system buyers who are currently committed to another brand but want to sample what Samsung has to offer without breaking the bank. Either way, the NX500 could be a very handy backup as well as being a highly capable camera in its own right. The latter point is important because the NX500 makes for a fine take-anywhere camera with features to develop your photography.

The NX500 has a high ISO noise reduction mode that works with JPEGs and has three options, low, normal and high. Using noise reduction improves JPEGs shot at high ISO settings and even the lowest setting lessens the grainy, noise effect albeit at the cost of detail. The choice, which applies to all high ISO settings, is between the low and normal settings really, because the high option smudges fine detail too much. Given the choice, go low – or shoot Raw and lessen noise during processing. ISO 6400

NO NR

LOW NR

NORMAL NR

HIGH NR

ISO 12,800

SAMSUNG NX500 FEATURES

21/25

PERFORMANCE

23/25

HANDLING

22/25

VALUE FOR MONEY

25/25

Has much to offer but no EVF is a minus Fine image quality

Good but buttons are small

NO NR

LOW NR

NORMAL NR

HIGH NR

ISO 25,600

28 megapixels at this price is terrific

OVERALL 91/100 Sub-£600 for a CSC with this spec is excellent value PROS Compact, lightweight, sensor, AF system in good light, flexible monitor CONS No EVF, no body-only option at the moment

NO NR

www.absolutephoto.com

LOW NR

NORMAL NR

HIGH NR

Issue 20 | Photography News

Kit guide MEDIA GUIDE

Perfect Presentation ideas Free your best shots from their digital dungeon and put them on display for all to see with these eight great products for better presentation. You’ll be glad you did when the compliments start flooding in.

There’s no doubting that, despite shooting more images than ever before, we do less with them. Sharing online is common, but printing has declined from the days when we had no other choice but to use labs or home darkrooms. There’s certainly little expense to viewing images digitally, on mobile devices or TVs, but is it the best way? Not always. There’s a definite thrill that comes from seeing your shot as a finished print; digital is cheap and fleeting, whereas a physical page, a framed print, canvas or a book is lasting. It’s also still the most fitting way to complete an image. After all, you don’t see art galleries full of LCD screens, do you? A properly presented image can also turns your photography into a gift, and is hugely important when dealing with clients; pick the right product to show off your photography and you’ll have a big impact on their level of satisfaction. In spite of (or perhaps due to) the relentless charge towards digital image making and viewing, manufacturers have fought back, finding more and more interesting and high-quality ways to present your photos. Today, we’re really spoilt for choice, and almost anything you can think of is out there to be ordered, from traditional prints, large and small, to canvas, metal and acrylic substrates. Home printing has also come on in leaps and bounds, with advances in paper technology keeping pace with the demands of photographers using state-of-the-art cameras and printers, so if you gave up on inkjet printing years ago, prepare to have your opinions changed. Making your inkjet prints is influenced by your skills as a printmaker, sure, but also the quality of the paper used; the right stock gives a brighter base that holds inks better, producing more detail, and adding to the longevity of the print, while thicker papers are also less likely to crease and tear. Another way that presentation has evolved is shown in photobooks; again the variations on the theme are wide, but the essential pleasure of holding a well-printed and bound book of your photography holds true. So, take a look at these presentation ideas and make sure you give one of them a go.

Hahnemühle Photo Silk baryta One of the common problems when it comes to printing your shots at home on an inkjet machine is that the results can feel very different to traditional photographic prints; pick the wrong paper and they simply won’t have the sheen and depth you’re looking for. That’s not a problem you’ll face if printing on Hahnemühle’s Photo Silk Baryta 310gsm paper, because the stock’s bright white gloss surface gives a finish that’s almost identical to the silver halide photo paper you’d get from a lab. The substrate is made from 100% alpha cellulose (the most stable component of the pulp), and it’s also acid-free, providing an immensely durable surface for your images to exist on. The coating uses barium sulphate, which in turn provides a very wide range of tones, so you’re protected from banded highlights and blocked out shadows, instead enjoying a smoothness and depth in both areas, with especially deep and velvety blacks. Printed details are vivid and crisp, and because of the way the paper handles colours they can be as bright or as pastel-toned as you want them to be. At 310gsm, it’s got a reassuringly weighty feel and comes in sizes from A4 to A2 as well as rolls up to 50in wide for very large prints. CONTACT: hahnemuehle.com

Photography News | Issue 20

Getting pics ready for printing While the products and services here all get the thumbs up from PN, when submitting images for print or doing it yourself at home, you need to be careful, no matter what you’re making. This just means being selective in what you print, and forensic in your editing, so that no imperfections or duff images creep through. For instance, you don’t want to print a book of your shots, only to discover a badly edited picture has crept through and has now wrecked the whole thing in classic sore-thumb style. Go over your images with

from £10

It has a finish almost identical to the silver halide prints

a fine-toothed comb, because, unless you ask them to, the guys at the sharp end don’t know that a blob of sensor dirt or a stray hair isn’t supposed to be there. Make sure you spend time thinking about the selection and order, too; even give yourself a cooling-off period to decide if it still works. And when uploading or inkjetting, take note of the colour profiles and levels of sharpening advised by the manufacturer. If in doubt, ask for advice; the companies here are all the friendly and experienced sort and it can make a world of difference to the results.

Picture Bloc Display blocks If you want something more interesting than a standard frame on your desk, Picture Bloc supply a range of neat free-standing desktop display blocks made from clear acrylic. This gives images an eyecatching three-dimensional feel where the pictures are visible through the top and sides. They come in several sizes and formats, the most basic being the seamless Picture Bloc where your photo is bonded onto a thick 25mm acrylic block, up to 10x12in in size; a chunkier 40mm block is also available up to 8x8in. One of the advantages of this, is that when bonded to the material you won’t ever have to worry about dirt getting between it and the crystal clear acrylic, as you would with a regular frame. If you want to swap images from time to time, there’s also the Magnet Bloc (up to 8x10in), which grips your shot between two acrylic frames using magnets at the corners, for a free-floating look; and the Slide Bloc (up to 6x8in) which features a thick block that slides into a clear back frame with your image sitting between the two. Uploading is simple and flexible and all the blocks come with a velvet backing, as well as being delivered in presentation boxes, so you can make a great gift from your photography.

from £15

CONTACT: picturebloc.com

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Kit guide

Canson Infinity Photo Lustre

OneVision Impress photobooks

As anyone who’s done it will know, producing great images from your inkjet printer is dependent on many factors, not least of which are your skills as a printmaker, the performance of the machine and inks you’re using, and – of course – the quality of the paper you’re putting through it. This Canson Infinity Photo Lustre Premium Resin Coated 310gsm stock is a great example of a highquality media that certainly takes care of the paper side of things at least, leaving you to worry about the rest. But don’t just take our word for it, TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) think so too. It was the recipient for Best Inkjet Photo Paper at this year’s TIPA awards. Canson Infinity Photo Lustre is made from bright, white acid-free alpha-cellulose stock and its coating provides a beautifully lustrous surface for your prints. Compatible with both pigment and dye-based inks, its microporous surface means it dries very quickly and it’s also designed to have a very long lifespan, so you can expect to avoid fading or warping of the tones in your precious photographs. As you’d expect from a professional-level paper, it’s also very strong and the 310gsm weight tops off the high-quality feel making it easier to mount and withstand damage when handling.

With a photobook, design is a big concern; your pictures could be top-class, but without proper attention to layout, they may not be shown to best effect. The Impress lay flat book from One Vision helps by solving a particular design problem: pictures running across a spread. Traditionally you’ll find important parts of the picture falling into the ‘gutter’ between pages and getting hidden by the bend in the paper. This looks particularly bad on portraits, but the Impress lay flat photobook promises a seamless, gutter-free experience; thanks to specialist finishing there’s no break and images can be run across two pages without concern. Books are ordered though One Vision’s easy to use ‘Creator’ software with pages printed on 296gsm stock and topped off with a classic lustre finish. Available in 10 colours with textured cottonstyle wrap-around covers and spines, sizes run to A4, A5 and 8x8in and can include 10-30 spreads; you’re looking at £55 for a 10 spread A5 version, with each extra spread adding £1. Creating a very nice impression for clients (or anyone else), the books come in a presentation box and you can tie them up with a personalised ribbon (at £6), too. Classy stuff.

from £14 Even very dark prints hold the inks well, so you should avoid a loss of detail in the shadows and highlights and retain fine detail. Available in sizes from A4 to A3+ and also a whopping 17x22in you can also get it in rolls up to 60in wide for large-format printing. A typical A4 or A3 box of 25 sheets will set you back around £14/28. CONTACT: canson-infinity.com

CONTACT: onevisionimaging.com

Loxley Colour Book & USB box

Procanvas canvas prints

This cracking little presentation package offers a superb solution for delivering your images, nomatter who the client is. It’s also got great gift appeal for friends and family, too. If you’re a working photographer, then it’s the sort of thing you can make part of your package, using it as a free sample of shots, which customers could then order larger versions of, and for weddings in particular it’s a really nice way for a couple to share shots without their relatives and friends needing to commit to a much larger format. What you get for your money is a compact but high-quality photo book with a proper photographic feel, covering up to 30 spreads, double-sided, as well as a personalised 8GB USB stick containing all the images on the pages. Both are presented in an archival box, which not only looks good but prevents shelf-wear on the book itself. The book is offered in landscape format at a size of 9x6in, which is a little larger than A5, and the presentation box comes in at 13x7in with the USB neatly held alongside it. The leatherette book cover, box and the USB stick can be printed with a title or cover design (there are 27 of these professional-looking motifs, covering baby, boudoir, wedding, kids & family and lifestyle), and there are 21 colours available.

Dealing principally with pro photographers and artists, Procanvas places real emphasis on quality, advice and customer service, allowing a great range of choice, bespoke features and attention to detail. After creating an account, you select between a deep (2in) or narrow (1.25in) frame, depending on whether you want a chunky look or a more low-profile affair. Next, you pick the size and choose a finish from three museum-grade varnishes (matte, satin or gloss), which protect from scuffs and moisture (and can be wiped with a damp cloth if required). At this stage you can also add notes to the order, requesting for instance whether the image should be wrapped around the edges, or to have a border there. After ordering and paying via Sagepay, you can upload via a web page, email or send shots via an FTP route. Pricing, of course, depends on your choices. Canvases start at 8x8in (£27), but a typical 18x24in is an affordable £60. Images are printed on canvas that’s free from brightening agents and therefore much more long-lasting. Completing the package, the jointed frames combine strength and straightness thanks to using European Redwood pine and are taped and bumpered ready for hanging.

Dunns Imaging Swept frames Nothing says ‘presentation’ quite like a framed print. Don’t believe us? Just take a look around your local art gallery; seldom will you see pictures without a frame, because adding the edge defines the photo and completes it; without one, pics can look raggedy, like posters on a teenager’s bedroom wall. The range of frames on the market is huge, so to help you out, here’s a nice example from Dunns – the Swept Frame range, which have a pleasingly sculpted and intricate Rococo edges. There are two patterns available, are finished in black or off-white and the moulded detailing gives them a classic, classy look without straying into anything too ostentatious. Available in a broad range of sizes to meet your requirements; the frames are either 2in or 3in wide and run from 16x20in through to 36x48in in size. Ordering is easy via Dunns’ online system and after picking a frame size and orientation you select a mount style (single or double, the latter of which adds just over £1 extra to your order) and colour, again in black or white. Prices include the printed image itself, and a 2in thick 16x20in frame, with mount will only set you back around £45 plus delivery; the largest 3in thick 36x48in frame is about £115. CONTACT: dunnsimaging.co.uk

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from £55

from £99

Ordering is about as easy as it gets, via Loxley’s downloadable ‘Designer Pro’ software and pricing depends on the number of spreads and whether you require the extra hard-wearing UV printing to personalise the package; prices start at £99, based on a book containing 10 spreads, rising to £124 for the full 30, and UV printing costs an additional £10. CONTACT: loxleycolour.com

from £27

CONTACT: procanvas.co.uk

from £45

Adding an edge defines the photo and completes it; without it, pics look raggedy

Permajet Snapshut Folio Here’s a nice idea from Permajet; a neat way of creating a book from your prints, but crucially one in which you can remove and refresh the content at any time. Available in sizes to hold pages from A5 to A3+, the Snapshut Folio secures pictures with a flexible, glue-free hinge. This means it’s perfect for wedding proof portfolios or events work, where you can build up a book of images with clients on the fly. Alternatively, it’s a great looking way to catalogue an ongoing photo project, or archive monthly competitions at your camera club. The Snapshut stores anything from a single page, up to 100 sheets of plain paper or around 50 leaves of inkjet stock, based on a 250gsm weight, so with something like Permajet’s Oyster 271gsm (which won The Societies Best Inkjet Media award for 2014) you’d get close to that number. Of course, if you use something thicker, like Permajet’s FB Gold Silk 315gsm fine-art baryta paper you’ll have to reconcile using fewer pages. From that point of view using double-sided papers can also be a good idea. Operation is a simple matter of folding the two covers back on themselves to release the hinge, inserting the pages you want to use and then folding back. The book is available in a scratch-resistant leather-effect or smooth finish and in black or cream

from £10 colouring. It also comes in portrait or landscape format and in thicknesses of 15mm or 25mm, the former holding around 35 inkjet pages to the latter’s 50. Price-wise, you’re looking at around £10/15 for the 15/25mm spine A5 book, £15/£20 for the A4 and £30/35 for the A3 version, so it’s an affordable and adaptable presentation idea. CONTACT: permajet.com

Issue 20 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 20

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Technique

PHOTO SCHOOL

Camera class Everyone has to start somewhere and in Photo School we look at the skills every beginner needs. This month, how to use Auto ISO for sharper shots and control digital noise in Lightroom Words & pictures by Kingsley Singleton

Three settings make up a photographic exposure: shutter speed, aperture and ISO sensitivity. For best results you should take control over one or both of the first two, as this will let you make creative decisions about the depth-of-field and/or whether any moving elements are sharp or blurred. ISO sensitivity, like film speed, is there to help you adapt to varying levels of light. So if you’re shooting in aperture-priority mode, you might manually lower the ISO to allow a longer shutter speed or raise it to allow a faster one. So how does Auto ISO fit into this? Well, it’s an automated setting that helps get good exposures in unpredictable light – like shooting a car moving in patches of sunshine and shade, or at a concert. It’s also good for keeping shutter speed at a certain level to prevent camera shake or the subject’s movement being picked up. Although in Auto ISO, you’re liable to use higher settings than you’d ideally want, the improvements in ISO performance make it a better option than ever before, and a little extra grain is better than a soft shot, so it’s worth knowing how to use it. n How Auto ISO works Say you’re in aperture-priority mode and want to shoot at f/4, the camera will take any manual ISO level you’ve set into account, then choose a shutter speed that it thinks will give a good exposure. Depending on light

ADOBE LIGHTROOM

Software skills

SHARP WITH GRAIN

levels, this could be fast or slow; the camera doesn’t know what you want. Problems most commonly arise when a slow shutter speed is set and is too lengthy for a sharp shot. In that case you’d reset the ISO to a higher level to compensate, but this takes time and wastes opportunities, which is where Auto ISO can help. In Auto ISO mode, the camera raises or lowers sensitivity automatically, keeping the shutter speed up at a decent level. n Setting up Auto ISO To use Auto ISO, first decide on the highest ISO sensitivity you want the camera to reach. To do this, take some test shots and examine the noise produced at different levels. If you decide that, for instance, ISO 3200 is the highest you can tolerate, that’s the one to go for. Next, head into your shooting or custom menu and find the Auto ISO settings (often grouped with other ISO parameters). There you’ll be asked to set the maximum ISO setting that will be reached in Auto mode and sometimes a default or base level. On many DSLRs you’ll also get to pick a minimum shutter speed, which the camera won’t go below unless the maximum Auto ISO is reached (you’ll get a warning). Remember to turn the mode off if the light gets more predictable or you want manual control, otherwise you’ll use higher ISO settings than required.

BEFORE

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TOP Shot at 1/125sec (ISO 800) sharpness is achieved at the expense of a little extra grain. MIDDLE Shot at 1/30sec (ISO 200) the pic is smoother, but the shutter speed is too slow for a sharp shot. ABOVE LEFT & RIGHT Setting the maximum Auto ISO your camera will reach is done by accessing the ISO settings within the shooting or custom menus.

n In the Develop module, click the Detail tab to find the Noise Reduction options. If you see a ‘!’ at the top of the palette you aren’t viewing the picture at 1:1, which is required to see the effect you’re having, so zoom to 1:1 or at the top of the Detail tab use the arrow to open a 1:1 loupe. You can then use the cross hairs to pinpoint specific parts of the picture. n Under Noise Reduction move the Luminance slider right

Clean up your pictures with Noise Reduction in Lightroom Digital noise is something that can make or break a picture. This grain-like interference grows as ISO sensitivity is increased and can make your shots look like a blotchy mess. In-camera noise reduction (NR) can reduce grain caused by shooting at high ISOs, but often only works on JPEG files, not Raws, so if you shoot the latter, you need to know how to control interference in post-production. If you use in-camera NR, you might find it better to do it on the computer where you can tailor settings to individual pics. Noise reduction also helps if you’ve made aggressive changes to the exposure, particularly when lightening underexposed pics with lots of noise in the shadows. In Lightroom, some noise reduction is added by default, but only to colour noise, which causes red, green and blue blotches, and not luminance noise, which is often more noticeable. Here’s how it works…

BLURRED WITHOUT

AFTER

until the grain flattens out to the extent you want (hold the Alt key for a greyscale preview, which makes judging the effect easier). The Luminance Detail slider is used to retain detail and compensate for the flattening effect; a high setting will firm up the details, but at the expense of smoothness, while a low setting will soften details and compromise sharpness. Applying lots of noise reduction to high ISO images can also leave images looking washed out, which the Contrast slider compensates for; high values will retain contrast but keep more of the noise, while lower settings will look smoother, but can make the pic look flatter overall.

n For removing colour noise, the Color slider controls the general amount of reduction and tends to be set to 25 by default. Take it left and you’ll see blotchy colour information return while using very high settings can make the picture look a bit washed out. Much like its counterpart for Luminance noise, the Detail slider can be used to stop the image softening, particularly around edges, but at the expense of a little more colour noise in those areas. Smoothness can help reduce any further stubborn blotches and is useful if you’ve got JPEGs saved at low quality.

Issue 20 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 20

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Issue 20 | Photography News

Photography News | Issue 20

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Issue 20 | Photography News

Prize wordsearch Win Samsung memory duo!

Capture life’s special moments across all devices with the ultra-reliable Samsung EVO Micro SDHC and PRO SDHC cards. Use the former with a smartphone or tablet with an adapter. Use a PRO SDHC card with a DSLR or camcorder and, being shock and waterproof, resistant to extreme temperatures, X-rays and magnets, it will keep your photos safe and sound. We’re giving away a 32GB EVO Micro SDHC with an SD adapter and a 16GB PRO SDHC card to just one lucky winner. Just complete the wordsearch below, and you’ll find one word in the list that’s not in the grid. Email us on puzzle@photography-news. co.uk with that word in the subject line by 15 June 2015.

π To find out more, go to www.samsung.com/ memorycard. I

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Photography News | Issue 20

EDITORIAL TEAM Editorial director Roger Payne Editor Will Cheung FRPS 01223 499469 willcheung@bright-publishing.com Contributing editor Kingsley Singleton kingsleysingleton@bright-publishing.com Features writer Megan Croft megancroft@bright-publishing.com Sub editors Lisa Clatworthy & Catherine Brodie

ADVERTISING TEAM Sales director Matt Snow 01223 499453 mattsnow@bright-publishing.com Sales executive Krishan Parmar 01223 499462 krishanparmar@bright-publishing.com DESIGN TEAM Design director Andy Jennings Designers Katy Bowman, Emily Stowe Junior designer Lucy Woolcomb

PUBLISHING TEAM Managing director Andy Brogden Managing director Matt Pluck Head of circulation Chris Haslum As well as your local camera club, you can pick up Photography News instore from: Calumet, Cameraworld, Castle Cameras, Jessops, London Camera Exchange, Park Cameras, Wilkinson Cameras

n Photography News is published on the third Monday of every month by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. n No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. n Photography News is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. n The advertisements published in Photography News that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. n The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. n While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it can’t be guaranteed. n Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.

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Advertisement feature

More for less with Canon’s cashback offers

Fill your kitbag without emptying your wallet by taking advantage of Canon’s unmissable summer cashback offers You know you’re investing in quality when you buy from Canon but you don’t have to spend a pretty penny to get the gear you want with Canon’s tempting cashback offers on a whole range of kit. From DSLRs and compacts including the EOS M3 with a whopping £50 cashback, through lenses like the EF-S 24mm f/2.8 lens with £25 cashback and video

EF-S 24mm f/2.8 STM SPECS AF ACTUATOR STM CLOSE FOCUSING DISTANCE 0.16mm FILTER THREAD 52mm DIMENSIONS (DXL) 68.2x22.8mm WEIGHT 125g

cameras, to printers like the PIXMA MG7550 with £20 cashback, you can make your money go even further. Act fast: offers are only available until 19 August 2015. π To find out more, go to www.canon.co.uk/springcashback.

PIXMA MG7550

£25

If you’re big into your travel or street photography, your kitbag won’t be complete CASHBACK without a 24mm f/2.8 pancake lens. The very nature of the lens means that it’s slim, but Canon has pushed its proportions even further with a super-slim design, making it really easy to carry with you wherever you go, so it’s ready whenever you need. It works extra hard in those challenging situations so you don’t have to, facilitating everything from hand-held to low-light shooting thanks to its bright f/2.8 maximum aperture. Fancy capturing a film? The 24mm’s near-silent STM autofocusing mechanism means you can have exceptionally high imaging quality without worrying about spoiling the sound quality. The best part? You can take home this high performance pancake lens and save yourself £25 in the process.

EOS M3 SPECS

£50

SENSOR SIZE/TYPE CMOS RESOLUTION 24.2 megapixels

Taken a print-worthy photo? It’s easier than ever to get a hard copy of your best pics thanks to the PIXMA MG7550, but that’s not all it’s capable of as it’s able to scan and copy too, making it a handy all-in-one. This printer doesn’t just do it all though, it does it all exceptionally well, producing photos in rich colour as well as mono prints that are of extraordinary quality and up to pro standards. It has six single inks and using FINE technology produces up to 9600dpi resolution, all in impressively quick time, turning around a 10x15cm borderless print in 21 seconds. To connect up and print pictures, all it takes is a couple of touches on your smartphone and you’ll have your photos in your hands in next to no time. You can also print directly from some cameras and straight from Facebook, Twitter or your online albums via Cloud connectivity. Get printing for even less with Canon’s £20 cashback offer on the PIXMA MG7550.

CASHBACK

ISO SENSITIVITY 100-12,800 SHUTTER SPEED RANGE 30secs-1/4000sec REAR LCD 7.5cm tiltable touchscreen, approx 1040k dots DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 110.9x68x44.4mm WEIGHT 366g (including battery and memory card)

Canon has come up with the ultimate solution, delivering a camera that is not only portable but is powerful too. The EOS M3 performs like a DSLR but has the proportions of a compact, ticking the boxes for a high performing second camera complete with interchangeable lenses and full manual controls or a lightweight travel companion. Let this clever camera take the challenge out of shooting in tricky conditions and bring the fun back into photography. The M3 features an APS-C sized sensor that delivers 24.2-megapixel images in stunning clarity even when the lights are low thanks to its wide ISO range. It’s fast too and is able to work at up to 4.2fps to make sure you freeze the frame

Photography News | Issue 20

right on time. To get you on target, an improved AF system features 49 points for accurate focusing. When you’ve spotted a great composition, it shouldn’t be a struggle to navigate your camera’s menus to nail the perfect settings. Canon has designed the M3 to be incredibly userfriendly with an intuitive touchscreen that will have you focusing and shooting in just a single tap. In addition, the screen tilts up and down, so you can shoot comfortably from any angle. Sharing images and remotely controlling the M3 is easy too, thanks to Wi-Fi and Near Field Communication (NFC). If you’re as quick off the mark as this speedy shooter, you can save yourself a whopping £50 too.

SPECS

£20 CASHBACK

PRINT RESOLUTION 9600x2400dpi NUMBER OF INKS 6 PHOTO PRINT SPEED Borderless 10x15cm approx 21 seconds WIRELESS Yes DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 435x370x148mm WEIGHT 7.9kg

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Photography news

Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridgeshire, CB22 3HJ www.bright-publishing.com When you have finished with this newspaper, please recycle it

Photography News | Issue 20

n Photography News is published on the third Monday of every month by Bright Publishing Ltd, Bright House, 82 High Street, Sawston, Cambridge CB22 3HJ. n No part of this magazine can be used without prior written permission of Bright Publishing Ltd. n Photography News is a registered trademark of Bright Publishing Ltd. n The advertisements published in Photography News that have been written, designed or produced by employees of Bright Publishing Ltd remain the copyright of Bright Publishing Ltd and may not be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. n The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. n While Bright Publishing makes every effort to ensure accuracy, it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be guaranteed. n Street pricing at the time of writing is quoted for products.