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A week in photography COVER PICTURES © SAROTE PRUKSACHAT/GETTY IMAGES / TOM OLDHAM

This week we return to a subject that resonates with many readers: mental health, and the role that photography can play in helping people overcome, or at least manage, a range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression and PTSD. We talk to two photographers who share their journey with us and offer a few tips that may help others in a similar

This week’s cover image

situation. We also reveal our verdict on the new Olympus E-M5 Mark III, compare portable hard drives, and present the first of a new series on using your camera with dedicated smartphone apps. Peter Dench interviews award-winning documentary photographer Tom Oldham, and Tesni Ward goes in search of water voles. If you don’t already subscribe, find out how to save money on page 54. Nigel Atherton, Editor

Contribute to Amateur Photographer If you’d like to see your words or pictures published in Amateur Photographer, here’s how:

Something to say? Write to us at ap@ti-media.com with your letters, opinion columns (max 500 words) or article suggestions.

Pictures Send us a link to your website or gallery, or attach a set of low-res sample images (up to a total of 5MB) to appicturedesk@ti-media.com.

Join our online communities Post your pictures into our Flickr, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram communities or the gallery on our website.

This week’s cover image by Sarote Pruksachat conveys perfectly the therapeutic value of being in a beautiful location with your camera.

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This week in 1949

In this issue

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE

3 7 days

12 It’s Good to Share 14 When photography is a life-saver 21 Inbox 24 From club culture to crooners 28 In the saddle 32 Behind the Print 35 Sony Imaging Edge Mobile 38 Wildlife Watch 40 Reader Portfolio 42 Join the Club 44 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

55 Accessories 56 Tech Talk 66 Final Analysis

© GETTY IMAGES

50 Portable hard drives round-up

Elephant and Castle by Bert Hardy TAKEN by Hulton legend Bert Hardy, this intriguing image was originally published as part of the ‘Life at the Elephant’ story in a 1949 issue of the Picture Post.

The name of this area of London derives from a coaching inn – the earliest official record of the name comes from 1765. It also gets a mention in

Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night from around 1601 when the character Antonio says ‘in the south suburbs, at the Elephant, is best to lodge’. The inn site, presently the Elephant and Castle pub, is found at the junction of New Kent Road and Newington Causeway and was part of the extensive 1960s redevelopment of the area.

The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding of the London Stereoscopic Company in 1854, today it houses over 80 million images spanning the birth of photography to the digital age. Explore it at www.gettyimages.com.

NEWS ROUND-UP

By Geoff Harris and Andy Westlake

3 Legged Thing updates pro tripod range

Tripod maker 3 Legged Thing has announced the Pro Range 2.0, a new line-up of professional tripods. Updated features include three detachable legs rather than one, and improved leg locks promising greater rigidity. Each of the three tripods can be purchased as the legs only or with a matched head. Prices start at £219.99 for the LEO 2 (legs only). See www.3leggedthing.com/pro-range.

Zeiss ZX1 out soon?

Adobe Camera Raw has been updated to include support for new cameras and phones including the Canon EOS M200, EOS Ra, Nikon Z 50, Sigma fp, Leica SL2 and Google Pixel 4. The wild card is the inclusion of the Zeiss ZX1 full-frame mirrorless model, prompting online speculation that it will be out soon.

Canon hints at new releases for Photokina

Sony has good Black Friday

© CANON UK

Sony emerged as the best-selling maker during Black Friday and Cyber Monday at B+H in New York, one of the world’s biggest camera stores.

The top-selling body was the new Sony Alpha 7R IV, but the older, discounted Sony Alpha 7 III also sold well (as did the 2014-vintage Nikon D750 DSLR). Meanwhile the top-selling lenses were Sony’s FE 50mm 1.8 prime and the FE 24-105mm f/4 G zoom.

Canon RF 70-200mm firmware fix coming

Focusing issues affecting Canon’s RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM have been widely reported online, with the lens apparently front focusing when used closer to the MFD (minimum focus distance). The company has confirmed it is working on a firmware fix. ‘Canon has become aware of this phenomenon, and a firmware update will be released as quickly as possible.’

4

© SARAH SK NNER / COMEDY W LDL FE PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2019

Although Nikon, Olympus and Leica are skipping the Photokina show in Cologne from 27-30 May, Sony, Canon and Panasonic have confirmed attendance. ‘Canon is eager to introduce new products and concept products at Photokina, thereby contributing to the industry’s success,’ revealed senior executive, Go Tokura.

Full details of the event at www.photokina.com.

BIG

picture

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards 2019 THIS eyecatching image by Sarah Skinner ‘Grab life by the...’ was crowned overall winner in last year’s Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. It shows a cub ‘playing’ with an adult lion in Botswana. As Sarah says, ‘I am happy to report that this cub continues to thrive in the pride, having seen her again in

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Words & numbers The camera is an excuse to be someplace you otherwise don’t belong. It gives me both a point of connection and a point of separation Susan Meiselas

$11

SOURCE: ADOBE

October. I can only hope and encourage everyone, as a collective, to each do our part in the conservation of all wildlife species, so that future generations can enjoy them.’

The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards resulted from a concept for a photography competition that was light-hearted and upbeat about wildlife doing funny things, as well as the very real desire to highlight serious conservation issues.

billion Adobe’s annual revenue in 2019

US documentary photographer subscribe 0330 333 1113 I www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 11 January 2020

5

Leica’s ultra-fast 90mm portrait prime FOR THOSE photographers who can never get shallow enough depth of field, Leica has announced the Summilux-M 90 f/1.5 ASPH for its M-system rangefinder cameras. This ultra-fast short-telephoto prime employs 8 elements in 6 groups, two of which are aspherical in profile and crafted from specialised glass. According to Leica, this delivers high contrast and fine detail even at maximum aperture, while minimising vignetting and distortion. The minimum focus is 1 metre, and a floating element is employed to maintain image quality over the full distance range. With a specialist portrait lens of this type, the out-of-focus rendition is just as important as in-focus sharpness, and Leica is accordingly promising ‘stunningly beautiful’ bokeh.

Physically the lens is a sizeable beast, measuring 74mm in diameter and 91mm in length, and tipping the scales at over a kilogram. It features a 67mm filter thread, along with an integrated slide-out and lockable lens hood to block stray light. It’s available to pre-order now for £10,700.

Twitter engineer Nolan O’Brien, naturally enough, used Twitter to relay the news about JPEGs

Twitter eases off on JPEG compression WHILE Twitter remains a very popular social media platform for photographers, along with Instagram and to a lesser extent Facebook, the amount of compression it applies to JPEGs uploaded by members is less popular. The company has now announced it will preserve JPEGs as they are encoded for upload on Twitter with immediate effect – although with a couple of caveats. First, there will still be limits to file size and resolution, but these are ‘very generous’, according to Twitter engineer, Nolan O’ Brien (who, appropriately, announced the news on his Twitter feed).

‘Pretty much any 8 megapixel photo will be preserved and even up to 16 megapixels can be preserved (in square aspect ratio),’ he explained. Second, the EXIF data on your uploaded images will not be preserved.

O’Brien provided an example of the changes on his feed at twitter.com/NolanOBrien.

Leica’s ultra-fast short-telephoto prime is available to pre-order now

M10-P Ghost Edition

The M10-P Ghost Edition is limited to 250 units worldwide

Also new from Leica is a special edition of its M10-P rangefinder, designed in collaboration with luxury goods retailer Hodinkee. It features matte grey top and base plates with darker grey cowhide leather covering, and comes with a matched Summilux-M 35 f/1.4 ASPH. Only 250 units will be available worldwide, with a price tag of $14,995 (before shipping and taxes).

Earliest picture of day trip to Stonehenge?

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© THE ROUTH FAMILY

Subscribe to

AN 1875 photograph, believed to be the earliest family snap taken at Stonehenge, features in a new exhibition at the ancient site chronicling 150 years of public visits.

The image was shared by the descendants of Isabel, Maud and Robert Routh, who are shown in a horse and carriage enjoying a day out at the stone circle. The wider exhibition, organised by English Heritage, is called Your Stonehenge and includes 148 curated images which span three centuries, many from the general public. The images tell the story of ‘Stonehenge as a backdrop for romance, poignant moments and enduring family memories,’ according to English Heritage.

Martin Parr was involved in selecting the final 148 images on display, and took one of a couple kissing as they took a selfie. He is eager

The Routh family on a trip to Stonehenge in1875

to find out who the couple are so he can present them with the picture – full details at bit.ly/stonehengevisits. The exhibition runs at Stonehenge until late August 2020.

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So good, we got it... ... again!

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Submit a quote at www.wex.co.uk/part-ex or call us on 01603 481836 Monday-Friday 8.30am-6pm Terms and Conditions: *Trade-in for cash is applicable on selected items, online only. Wex Photo Video reserve the right to remove trade-in for cash applicable items and alter trade-in values at any time. For more details visit wex.com/help/terms-and-conditions. Cash for trade-in values based on used item being a very light use. Subject to full inspection. Wex Photo Video is a trading name of Calumet Photographic Limited (Company Registration Number: 00425579) and Warehouse Express Limited (Company Registration Number: 03366976). VAT Number: 108 2374 32. Registered office: 13 Frensham Road, Sweet Briar Industrial Estate, Norwich, Norfolk, NR3 2BT. © Warehouse Express Limited 2020.

Samode, inner courtyard

India

By Andreas H Bitesnich India must surely be a candidate for the most photogenic country in the world. Nigel Atherton takes a trip via this luscious visual feast of a book BOOK 8

teNeues, 256pages, hardback, ISBN 978-3-8327-9480, €79.90 ★★★★★

A

ndreas Bitesnich is one of the world’s leading photographers of beauty and fine-art nudes, with numerous books and exhibitions to his name. So we have all the basic ingredients for a great book. In fact, this is a reprint of a book that was originally released in 2011, so you may well already have it, or at least seen it. You would certainly remember it if you dropped it on your foot with its 256 large-format pages printed on heavyweight matt paper.

Bitesnich made three trips to different parts of India between 2006 and 2008.

With the pictures organised by the regions he visited, all the subjects that you would expect to find in a book about India are present and correct here: the snake

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ALL PICTURES © ANDREAS H BITESNICH

Also out now A taste of some of the latest photographic exhibitions

© SOHRAB HURA

Jama Masjid, Delhi, 2007. One of the largest mosques in India

EXHIBITION

Homelands: Art from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan Runs until 2 February 2020 at University of Cambridge, Cambridge. Free.

CURATED by Dr Devika Singh, Curator of International Art at the Tate Modern, this exhibition features the work of 11 contemporary artists. As well as photography, it also includes paintings, drawings, video and installation.

A highlight of the exhibition is a new photographic project by Munem Wasif, entitled Spring Song (2019).

This work records objects that Rohingya people brought with them to Bangladesh when forced into exile by Myanmar’s military dictatorship. Another set of images taken by Sohrab Hura is taken from the ongoing series Snow (2014-present), which were created over a course of several prolonged trips to the contested region of Kashmir.

The other works – photographic or otherwise – are moving, appealing to our collective sense of what it means to be ‘at home’, regardless of our origins.

Amy Davies

Barber shop in Pushkar, near Jaipur

EXHIBITION

Simon Annand: The Half charmers, street sellers, elephants, food, trains, railway stations, people bathing in the Ganges. India’s rich Moghul and colonial architecture is well represented too. Indeed the book opens with an image of the Taj Mahal.

Wideangle views and candid street shots alternate with close-up portraits of people who stare intently into the lens.

Around half of the photos in the book are in punchy black & white or sepia – which for a country as bright and vibrant as India was a bold creative decision – and the rest are in colour but with muted, green-tinged hue. There’s a lovely tonality to the images, with the deep rich, velvety blacks enhanced by the matt paper.

Bitesnich describes his approach as

‘Bitesnich describes his approach as earthy, direct and honest’ earthy, direct and honest.

‘People tell me that you can almost smell India when you look at the book,’ he says. There’s certainly a smell, though it’s more of ink than exotic spices, but we get his point. ‘My pictures are what India decided to show me of herself,’ he continues. ‘It is a land full of extremes, surprises, contradictions and scents.

‘Capturing those scents in photos is nearly impossible, though that didn’t stop me from trying.’

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Runs at Lawrence Batley Theatre, Huddersfield, until 1 Feb 2020. Free ONE OF the UK’s leading portrait photographers Simon Annand has created this project that documents the time when ‘The Half’ is called over the loudspeaker backstage, indicating that a 35-minute countdown to facing the audience has begun.

In this exhibition, which spans a quarter of a century, 74 photographs of stage-performers that have never been seen before are displayed. Stars include David Tennant, Helen Mirren, Lily James and Stephen Fry. The images were taken in some of the world’s most prestigious venues, from the National Theatre to the Royal Court in the UK, to those further afield such as the Moscow Arts Theatre and the Comédie Française.

Whether you’re interested in celebrities – and the theatre – or not, this is a masterclass in environmental portrait photography. Amy Davies 9

Viewpoint Jon Bentley

In next week’s issue

On sale Tuesday 14 January © JOHN WADE

The camera never lies? Well, in this digital world you have to question everything you see. The deepfake landscape is one where nothing is as it seems, as Jon has discovered for himself

I

Then there’s the practice of generating human faces using ‘forensic DNA phenotyping’, a technology which attempts to construct a human face based on DNA samples. The process is predictive and algorithms can produce a range of photo-like faces from one sample.

Something to worry about?

Surely these images can’t be allowed to masquerade as photographs and the discipline needs to be cleansed of such artifice, as a matter of urgency. Maybe, but there is an alternative view.

Airbrushing and Photoshop have been playing with the notion of representation for years. Those artificially generated A convincing look portraits on ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com In the past you arguably stood a chance look very eerie suggesting that, perhaps as a casual viewer of telling when a at a subconscious level, we’re still smart drawing was pretending to be reality, or enough to outwit the algorithms. Fictitious when a photo had been heavily photo montages were alive and well in the manipulated to fool you. Thanks to AI, 19th century. imitation photos can look so accomplished So, is it or isn’t it something to worry and convincing, they play with our notion about, a new fascinating form of image of what a photograph is in new and making or a playground of deceit? To be disturbing ways. honest I’m not sure. If had to bet on how Even if deepfakes are photography, things will pan out though, I’d come down where do you draw the line? What if on the side of these new developments neither the original image or the being seen as an intriguing new dimension superimposed face is real? The website to photography rather than one which ThisPersonDoesNotExist.com uses AI to shakes our fundamental photographic generate an indefinite number of fake notions to the core. faces. Can they be considered Jon Bentley is a TV producer and presenter best known photographs, especially if combined together or merged with a genuine image? for Top Gear and Channel 5’s The Gadget Show

Do you have something you’d like to get off your chest? Send us your thoughts in around 500 words to the address on page 21 and win a year’s digital subscription to AP, worth £79.99 10

Digitise your archive

A still of ‘deepfake’ Jon in a concocted persona – that of a talented guitarist

John Wade’s practical guide to preserving your photographic legacy

Nikon Z 50

CONTENT FOR NEXT WEEK S SSUE MAY BE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

THE V EWS EXPRESSED N TH S COLUMN ARE NOT NECESSAR LY THOSE OF AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZ NE OR T MED A L M TED

was recently ‘deepfaked’ for an episode of The Gadget Show. For those unfamiliar with the term, it’s derived from ‘deep-learning’, a form of artificial intelligence (AI), and ‘fake’.

The AI is used to take a person in a photograph or video and replace them with someone else’s likeness. Nobody was really convinced by our concoction, where my face was superimposed on the body of a talented guitarist in an attempt to prove that I could play the instrument. However there are very real fears that deepfakes of politicians and others could add another dimension to the credibility of fake news, implicate the innocent in pornography scandals, or subject the vulnerable to internet scams by emulating a trusted individual, to name but a few undesirable scenarios.

Less worrying but a concern nevertheless is the effect this form of AI has on our understanding of photography.

Is a still image produced by such a process a photograph or something entirely different? It goes right to the core of the question of whether photography has to involve light and be lens-based and representational. Should it be so by definition, or if it isn’t, is there a responsibility on those who create fabricated images to declare the fact?

Michael Topham tests Nikon’s first DX-format mirrorless camera

David Yarrow

We talk to the master wildlife photographer about his work and new book

Great handling

We review six pairs of gloves specifically designed for photographers

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The best pictures on social media this week

#appicoftheweek Autumn in Sutton Park

by Chris Fletcher

*PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, 80mm, 1/60sec at f/8, ISO 160 CHRIS is an amateur photographer who specialises in nature and architectural photography. He uploaded this image to Twitter using #appicoftheweek. ‘I love shooting woodland in foggy conditions at sunrise and autumn colours are always an added bonus. The sunlight was very bright, so I lowered my exposure by two stops and exposed for a darker area to retain details.’ See more of Chris’s pictures on Twitter @cpf photoart. Picked by Andy Westlake, technical editor

Each week we choose our favourite picture on Facebook, Instagram, Flickr, Twitter or the reader gallery using #appicoftheweek. PermaJet proudly Win! supports the online picture of the week winner, who will receive a top-quality print of their image on the finest PermaJet paper*. It is important to bring images to life outside the digital sphere, so we encourage everyone to get printing today!

Visit www.permajet.com to learn more.

We also likedÉ Señora De La Muerte

by Ranil Athauda Nikon D750, 1/100sec at f/2.8, ISO 100 ‘I AM FROM Sri Lanka and a self-taught photographer/hobbyist and a full-time banker. This shot was inspired by the Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebration in Mexico. It was shot indoors using a ring light and a black background. Post processing on Lightroom for exposure correction and sharpening eyes, Photoshop (clone stamp tool/ brush tool) to fix minute details on the face.’ See more of Ranil’s work on Instagram @rathauda.

Picked by Amy Davies, features editor 12

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SOCIAL MEDIA

Tate Britain

by Matt McIlroy

Nikon D90, 50mm, 1/6sec at f/5, ISO 1600 THIS image was uploaded to Instagram using the hashtag #appicoftheweek. Matt explains, ‘The exhibition at Tate Britain was not a display of photos, paintings or sculpture, but instead an audio-visual piece under a replica of a flyover on the M53. The material on screen was captivating, which meant people stayed still, and this resulted in really nice silhouettes in the vast dark space. It was so pleasing to the eye, I just had to capture it in the moment.’ The majority of Matt’s photography is posted on Instagram using the handle @s_nappe_r.

Picked by Nigel Atherton, editor

Mathematics

by Ken Barley

Pentax K-3 II, 31mm, 1/125sec at f/5.6, ISO 3200 KEN TOOK this sculptural image at the Winton Gallery in the Science Museum in London. ‘It was half-term with the grandchildren and it was bedlam. We found this gallery with wonderful shapes by Zaha Hadid Architects. Just time for a few shots before feeding time!’ He uploaded this image to our Flickr page. In-camera noise reduction was set to low, with minor tweaks in Lightroom. See more of Ken’s work on Want to see your pictures here? Post them into our Flickr – Ken Barley.

Instagram, Twitter, Flickr or Facebook communities Picked by Michael Topham, reviews editor or the gallery on our website. See page 3.

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Technique

PHOTO THERAPY

A leaping polar bear Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, 600mm lens, 1/640sec at f/5.6, ISO 800

An expertly captured image of a kingfisher Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, 100-400mm lens, 1/250sec at f/5.6, ISO 500

ALL P CTURES © PAUL W LL AMS

A great close-up of a puffin with lunch Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, 500mm lens, 1/320sec at f/14, ISO 620

When photograp When Paul Williams and Matt Doogue hit rock bottom, picking up a camera helped them repair their lives and rediscover the beauty of the natural world, as Tracy Calder discovers 14

Paul Williams, wildlife photographer

O

n a warm spring day in March 2010 Paul Williams’ life changed forever. As a policeman, ex-soldier, and former mental-health specialist he had witnessed plenty of unsettling events, so when a tall, unkempt woman burst into Bournemouth police station, whipped out a samurai sword, and threatened to kill everyone in the room he reacted swiftly.

‘I diverted her attention from others by shouting at her, trying to make myself the

target,’ he recalls. ‘She raised the sword above her head, and I instinctively found my [pepper] spray, dispensing the contents into her eyes.’ The woman (who was suffering from schizophrenia) dropped the weapon, ‘screaming and clawing at her face’ as the spray took effect. She was arrested (and later sectioned under the Mental Health Act), while Paul was left to complete a mountain of paperwork, and get on with his job. Three months later, on the eve of his 50th birthday, this stoic man

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hy is a life-saver was lying on a hospital bed with a wall of machines monitoring his vital signs. Paul believed he was having a heart attack, but the health professionals disagreed with his self-diagnosis. Having seen his GP, he was signed off work with stress-related symptoms. It was the beginning of a ‘living hell’.

Getting out of the abyss In the months that followed, Paul’s mental health deteriorated and a diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and severe recurrent depression was made. But Paul wasn’t ready to accept this

label, and his denial plunged him deeper into the abyss. By 2011 he had hit rock bottom, and attempted suicide three times. Despite the bleakness of his situation, some of the dark, angst-filled days were punctuated with flashes of light and hope. ‘I discovered I had a lot of birdlife and a family of mice and voles living outside my kitchen window,’ he reveals. Paul began looking forward to the arrival of these opportunistic creatures, and decided to dig out his camera and record their comings and goings. ‘I got a lot of pleasure out of the fact that the shots weren’t easy to get,’ he admits.

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Paul Williams

Paul rediscovered his love for photography after being diagnosed with PTSD and depression. Since then his work has been widely published as well as being shortlisted in major competitions. His book, Wildlife Photography: Saving My Life One Frame At A Time, was published in 2019. See www.paulwilliams.photography.

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What helped

Two sparrowhawks fighting Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, 100-400mm lens, 1/800sec at f/5.6, ISO 1000

Paul’s practical tips to help cope with tough times

Setting achievable goals ‘I started taking pictures of the animals in my garden from my kitchen window. If you have a garden, start there.’

Macro photography ‘Taking pictures of snails and insects gave me time out from the almost incessant chatter going on in my head. To get the shots right, at least to my satisfaction, I had to be fully present in the moment.’

Keeping fit ‘Aside from the obvious benefits to my health, keeping fit means I can tolerate extremes of weather and tiredness too.’

‘Let go of what has gone before, and live in the here and now. Make the most of the day you’re in, and try not to worry about tomorrow, because our tomorrows are not shaped. Today we can do something with.’

Getting outdoors ‘As a species, we need to reconnect with what’s going on outdoors. After a couple of days I can feel myself needing a hit.’

Making a contribution ‘The early links I made with Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT) resulted in me facilitating photography workshops on Brownsea Island. I also created all the images for its 2019 calendar.’

Connecting with wildlife ‘Looking for wildlife, trying to be stealthy and seeing animals before they see me, became part of my therapy.’

Keeping playback to a minimum ‘Don’t look at the back of your camera for 10 minutes assessing what you may or may not have got. If the exposure is right and the shutter speed is right you know it’s on the camera – concentrate on being in the moment instead.’

Switching to mirrorless ‘I recently went from a Canon DSLR to a Sony A7R IV mirrorless camera. The resolution, the speed of the autofocus and the lack of sound means I have no regrets.

Now I can sit in a hide and be totally quiet.’

Finding a new purpose ‘When you lose a role, an identity, your self-esteem and self-confidence disappears too. Photography gave me those things back. I can’t recommend it highly enough for people trying to heal their mental and physical wounds.’

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© PAUL WILLIAMS

Being mindful

‘I think there is a danger of us becoming oversaturated with negative messages... it’s not too late’ ‘I don’t believe wildlife should always be easy to photograph – I think you should have to work for it.’ With some trepidation, Paul posted a few images on Facebook, and received a favourable response, which boosted his self-esteem.

Before long this oft-housebound man was in the garden searching for subjects to photograph.

Not exactly a newcomer to the scene, Paul’s background in photography dates back to the 1980s when he had a penchant for landscapes. When he picked up the camera again it was macro and wildlife that offered the greatest distraction from the symptoms of his PTSD. ‘When you’re out shooting insects you’re concentrating, and for 10 or 15 minutes whatever was troubling you just disappears into the background because you’re so focused,’ he suggests. ‘It was also good for me physically as it got me moving my body outside in the fresh air and sunshine rather than being cooped up in my house.’

In terms of recovery, it was still early days, but the relationship Paul was fostering with his local wildlife was providing both comfort and a striking collection of images. ‘There’s something unique about having a small insight into the life of a wild animal,’ he enthuses. ‘It’s a privilege to experience.’ In time he found the strength to widen his search beyond

the back garden, and began actively looking for wild subjects. The way forward was becoming clearer.

Celebratory images One of Paul’s excursions led him to Brownsea Island, not far from his Dorset home. Here he encountered red squirrels, peacocks and sika deer. Taking the short boat trip to the island meant that he could leave his troubles on the mainland. As wildlife became his lifeline, Paul began to realise that many species in the UK are critically endangered. ‘Wildlife is struggling on a global scale,’ he warns. ‘It feels important to document these animals to raise awareness and to make people realise that we are impacting on them on a daily basis.’

Some photographers inspire action by showing us images of wildlife in distress: birds feeding plastic to their young, orphaned rhino calves or marine life entangled in discarded nets, for example, but Paul’s images are celebratory. ‘I think there’s a danger of us becoming oversaturated with negative messages, which might lead people to think that there is no point in planting flowers for bees, or saving something, because the planet is messed up anyway,’ he warns. ‘So one of the messages I’m trying to get out is that this stuff is worth saving, it’s important, and it’s not too late – everybody can make a difference.’

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PHOTO THERAPY

Technique

Matt Doogue, macro photographer

I

Matt Doogue

Award-winning macro photographer Matt Doogue has appeared on BBC’s Autumnwatch, and his work published in most of the UK’s leading photographic titles. In his spare time Matt regularly visits schools to educate children of all ages on the importance of our natural world. See www.mattsmacro.co.uk. imparted his wisdom, he packs up his gear and heads off to begin an eight-hour shift at work. ‘I feel great, because I’ve met all these kids and I’ve had a sort of pat on the back,’ he laughs. ‘We don’t pat ourselves on the back enough.’

Keeping the mind busy But Matt hasn’t always felt this positive.

In 2011 he was diagnosed with depression, anxiety disorder, acute paranoia and anger issues, although there were signs of trouble earlier than this. At times the despair was so great that he contemplated suicide. After a trip to the doctor, a prescription for antidepressants and some counselling, Matt decided he needed something to preoccupy his mind. ‘My wife’s uncle and I would go on walks, and I felt great when I came home,’ he says. ‘He was a photographer – mainly shooting birds and landscapes – and I was fascinated by what he showed me on the back of the camera. I’d never really thought about pursuing photography before, but he lent me one of his old cameras and I decided to give it a bash.’

A charming close-up of a frog, with great bokeh Canon EOS 6D, 180mm lens, 1/320sec at f/2.8, ISO 800

© MATT DOOGUE

Alongside this call to action, Paul uses his images to share some of the privileged encounters he has with wildlife. ‘Less than three years ago the main thought I had each morning was is this the day I’m going to kill myself,’ he confides. ‘One of the ways I help my mental health is by sharing pictures that I’ve taken with people who might not otherwise get the chance to see these things.’

It’s no wonder that giving something back makes Paul feel better; contribution is considered by many as essential to wellbeing, whether or not you suffer from a mental or physical health condition.

‘I’m a strong believer in putting back in and not just taking out of the system,’ echoes Paul. As a result, he works closely with Dorset Wildlife Trust (DWT). ‘It’s a great partnership. DWT has been very good to me, and I like to reciprocate – they’ve got most of my portfolio to use as they wish.’ Paul also contributes via his workshops, which he gets a lot out of.

Paul’s military career might have played a part in the decline of his mental health, but it had a few unexpected benefits too, in terms of fostering willpower and discipline and a great emphasis on fitness.

Having faced some seriously bleak times, Paul has a level of self-awareness that’s refreshing to encounter. ‘I’m no longer lost in a forest, but I’m not out of the woods, and probably never will be,’ he admits. ‘It takes a lot of effort, but you’ve got to keep sight of the fact that, irrespective of your problems, there is a way to re-channel your energies and move forwards. You’re on a journey, and that’s crucial.’

n 2018 a number of schools in London were closed due ‘infestations’ of false widow spiders. These arthropods have bulbous bodies with striking markings and are often mistaken for the more dangerous black widow spider. In truth, false widows can deliver a relatively painful bite, but surely closing schools and fumigating buildings sends the wrong message out to a generation already experiencing a serious disconnect with nature. According to a report by the Natural History Museum (NHM), ‘When young people are connected to nature, it has positive impacts on their education, physical health, emotional wellbeing and personal and social skills.’ What’s more, when we encourage children to enjoy the natural world they are more likely to take an active role in protecting it.

Reconnecting children with nature is something that photographer Matt Doogue feels very passionate about. In recent years he has hosted classroom sessions in primary schools all over Scotland, armed with creepy crawlies (including spiders) and a desire to showcase the beauty of the natural world, while also sparking a passion for conservation.

‘To begin with most of the kids are scared and they don’t want to touch anything,’ he admits. ‘I explain to them that their fear is inherited – it’s come from the media, films, parents – in reality there’s no reason to be scared.’ By the end of the session these same children are queuing up to hold a praying mantis or a spider. ‘Even if I only change one child’s mind it’s worth it,’ says Matt. Having

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17

Technique

PHOTO THERAPY

What helped Matt received help from various quarters and found these strategies worked

Constant experimentation To avoid becoming overly self-critical Matt tries to experiment with different approaches to macro photography – his Belle Âme series is a case in point.

Joining online forums When Matt didn’t feel able to socialise, he connected with fellow photographers via online forums. ‘It allowed me to speak with people without actually meeting them.’ © MATT DOOGUE

Beautifully lit fungi Canon EOS 6D, 180mm lens, 1/160sec at f/2.8, ISO 50

Matt had been interested in nature since he was a child, but growing up in Salford ‘that stuff wasn’t considered cool’, so he had put his passion to one side.

To begin with he tried multiple genres.

‘I shot portraits, glamour, fashion and landscapes, but I kept coming back to macro,’ he explains. ‘You’re basically transported from this world into the world of the arthropods, through the lens.’

Sitting quietly and watching a spider spinning its web or a praying mantis cleaning itself gave Matt a break from his problems. ‘While you’re watching you’re not worried about the world, social media comparisons, or the pressure to live or act in a certain way,’ he suggests.

Matt focuses on wildlife, shooting everything from butterflies to grasshoppers, and he’s quick to point out that being outdoors offers another welcome boost to mental health and wellbeing. ‘Being in the woods, the parks, or by the lochs you disconnect completely and reconnect with nature.’

Another of Matt’s exquisite close-ups with spectacular bokeh Canon EOS 6D, 180mm lens, 1/250sec at f/2.8, ISO 320

Beating negative self-talk Matt’s interest in photography gave him the impetus to leave the house, and establish new relationships. At the same time Matt was posting images online, potentially opening himself up to criticism. While many of the comments were positive, some were not. ‘It taught me self-resilience,’ he laughs. ‘I made mistakes and I learnt from them.’ Matt admits he is his own worst critic and often compares his work to that of other photographers.

Thankfully, he has a clever way of minimising any negative self-talk. ‘I keep experimenting,’ he explains, ‘that way I’m always pushing myself, and it stops me from being over-critical of my work.’

There’s compelling evidence to suggest that we all need a creative outlet. But those facing challenges with their mental health seem to feel this more acutely. ‘I think a lot of the reasons people struggle with their mental wellbeing is because they have this creativity and they don’t know what to do with it,’ says Matt. ‘You need to put your energy and what you’re feeling into something. When you find a creative outlet you can explore your emotions, feelings and thoughts, and actually do something with them.’ For Matt, this exploration comes in the form of macro photography – a passion that shows no sign of abating.

‘I didn’t set out for photography to be my cure,’ he admits. ‘It just happened. It works for me, and I guess we tend to stick with what works.’

Matt regularly visits schools, sharing his passion for wildlife and the environment via his macro classroom sessions. Later this year he will also be embarking on a series of BioBlitzes in school grounds.

Gaining some perspective ‘If you’re having a bad day it’s just a bad day, not a bad rest of your life,’ assures Matt. ‘You can’t always change what’s going on around you, but you can change how you react.’

Being outdoors Reconnecting with nature is a natural human instinct and has been shown to lower blood pressure, slow down heart rate, and generally lower stress levels.

Awarding himself a pat on the back We are so used to negative self-talk that we often forget to congratulate ourselves for what we have already achieved. The size of the achievement doesn’t matter; the way we talk to ourselves does.

Getting out in the garden ‘You can find nature on your doorstep,’ suggests Matt. ‘Even if you’ve just got a yard you can go outside, turn a stone over and you will find a spider or a woodlouse.’

Reviewing his back catalogue When I’m feeling rubbish one of my coping mechanisms is to look at the work I’ve created and acknowledge how far I’ve come,’ says Matt. ‘I will have a little cry and then I will be fine.’

Finding a creative outlet

GETTING HELP

© MATT DOOGUE

Finding a way to contribute

BACP www.bacp.co.uk Inspire www.inspirewellbeing.org (Ireland) Mind www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393 Rethink www.rethink.org The Samaritans www.samaritans.org, 116 123 SAMH www.samh.org.uk (Scotland) SANE www.sane.org.uk, 0300 304 7000

‘When you have a creative outlet you learn so much about yourself,’ says Matt. ‘Your moods, emotions, how you are as a person and how you interpret the world we live in.’

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Kneejerk conservatism

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Editorial team Group Editor Nigel Atherton Geoff Harris Deputy Editor Andy Westlake Technical Editor Michael Topham Reviews Editor Amy Davies Features Editor Technique Editor Hollie Latham Hucker Jacqueline Porter Production Editor Chief Sub Editor/Features Jolene Menezes Acting Chief Sub/Features Amanda Stroud Sarah Foster Art Editor Steph Tebboth Senior Designer Andrew Sydenham Studio Manager Photo-Science Consultant Professor Robert Newman Hollie Bishop Office Manager Special thanks to The moderators of the AP website: Andrew Robertson, lisadb, Nick Roberts, The Fat Controller

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I was rather taken aback by the deeply reactionary, kneejerk conservatism that was expressed in two Viewpoint articles, by editor Nigel Atherton (AP 9 November) and deputy editor Geoff Harris (AP 23 November).

Atherton was scathing about ‘art photography’, in which it was ‘no longer necessary to know how to use a camera creatively [...] If you can somehow find a way to reference topics such as ‘gender identity’ or ‘white male privilege’, Atherton said, ‘you’ll have the art world fighting over you’, provided, of course you ‘do NOT attempt to make your work aesthetically pleasing through the use of composition or lighting’. Harris’s column expanded on this allegedly fixed body of classical knowledge, apparently discarded by Atherton’s ‘Guardian art critic types’, likening photography to learning to play guitar, in which the first year is spent learning chords and scales, ‘fundamentals’, like the ‘basics of focusing and composition’.

I’ve enjoyed both photography and guitar for over 30 years, yet I struggle to recognise anything I know in either article. The joy of guitar is that it can be picked up and played within minutes, with no need for prior knowledge. A couple of chords gleaned from a friend, the internet, or the box the instrument comes in is all you need to start you off. Harris’s year-long apprenticeship to nothing but scales is a pure fantasy. Photography is even more democratic: Kodak’s old slogan, ‘You Press the Button, We Do the Rest’, has never been more true My guess is Atherton and Harris’s take on ‘composition’ is the kind of advice that was originally presented in

Win!

Henry Peach Robinson’s Pictorial Effect in Photography (1881) and widely repeated in magazines like AP which made direct references to the book as late as the 1950s. It’s fascinating to delve into just where Robinson’s compositional rules came from: they are, in fact, hand-me-down, cast-offs from the earlier works of Victorian patriarch Joshua Reynolds that, by the time Robinson was writing, were already long obsolete in contemporary art circles. Fine art – today’s ‘art photography’ included – has always quested after new, unfamiliar, and exciting ways of making images, and, as 20th century art history will evidence, that’s exactly what artists proceeded to do.

Given the visual literacy and sensitivity of some of AP’s other staff, who always manage to make often difficult fine art discussions accessible to a wider readership – it was a little disheartening to witness AP’s editor and deputy editor take such a stand.

Does AP really want to be the bastion of a tired, formulaic, Victorian photography, or would it rather be like Daido Moriyama, so admired by Harris, whose Provoke magazine set the tone of Japanese photography for decades?

Dr Dennis Low A robust letter. I stand by my assertion that newbies should focus on the basics of learning anything, but if you picked up the guitar in ‘minutes,’ well done. The variety of content in AP would surely suggest Nigel and I are indeed open to diverse approaches, as does my championing of Moriyama-sensei – Geoff Harris, Deputy Editor

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Peter is not happy with the lack of printed manuals

PDF manuals

I was considering the new Canon 90D but I have learned that the instruction book that came with the camera is, to say the least, inadequate. Apparently this now common practice with manufacturers and the reason they give is environmental. I can download a PDF file from Canon for free but it is some 600 pages. I did try to do this but it would not download, so the only solution would be to read the instruction book online, which I feel is unacceptable. I would be interested in AP’s viewpoint.

Peter Richardson I suspect the reason for the lack of a manual is more about cost saving than the environment, but one advantage of a PDF version is that you can download it to your smartphone. This way you will always have it with you to refer to at any time. A physical manual would be heavy and inconvenient to carry around and would get torn and dog-eared over time. However, where there is a vacuum someone will always fill it and there are third-party books, in full colour, available to buy for most popular cameras, such as the Canon EOS 90D pocketbook by Nina Bailey (£7.95 on Amazon) – Nigel Atherton, editor 21

YOUR LETTERS

Putting on the Metz

About five years ago I sold all my Canon equipment and now use Fuji cameras and lenses. I had completely forgotten that at the time of selling off the Canon gear I kept two Metz flashguns, a 36 AF-40 and a 58 AF-2, which I then stored in the back of a cupboard and never used. Thinking now of getting a speedlight for my X-T2 I retrieved the Metz models and found to my amazement that although I had left four AA batteries in the 58 AF-2, there was no hint or sign of corrosion, dust cobwebs etc. The compartment and the batteries looked like new, the same with the smaller flashgun from which I had removed the batteries. I loaded four new batteries in each gun; they instantly came to life and worked without a hitch. I have ordered a flash cord as I intend to use them for off-camera lighting. All I can say is well done, Metz!

Dawn Penso

fantastic? We should rejoice in the many ways in which we can produce fantastic images which inspire, intrigue, and delight – irrespective of which of the fabulous technologies we decide to use to capture our art with. (PS. Mirrorless rangefinder APS-C cameras rock!)

Steve Curzon

A wander through the AP archive. This week we pay a visit to January 1990

An institution

Dawn has rediscovered her old Metz flashguns

minutes at a time my neck starts to tense up and can become quite painful, and often my tinnitus (of which I am a sufferer) is triggered. This happens despite experimenting with having the screen at different heights, using different seating positions etc, nothing seems to help.

Even writing this e-mail had to be done in a couple of sessions, as I had to take a break halfway through. If my neck becomes tense and painful because I have spent too long sitting at my The quality of your computer, I can relieve the batteries probably had symptoms by going for a something to do with this walk for an hour in the Dawn but nonetheless fresh air, stopping you had a lucky escape! occasionally to do some – Nigel Atherton, editor neck exercises which a physio recommended, but it is not always convenient I have to sympathise with to do this. I never use my reader Jeremy O’Keefe computer in the evening and his problem with because I know I will not electronic viewfinders get a good night’s sleep (Inbox, 7 December). I otherwise. Modern recently handled some of technology may be the latest mirrorless wonderful in all sorts of cameras in a store, and ways, but as I have found, it while not suffering the is not always good for one’s motion sickness that Mr health and well being.

O’Keefe experienced when Douglas Thomson using an electronic viewfinder, I was aware of a I’m as guilty as anyone else definite feeling of unease, about banging on about and had to accept that DSLR vs Mirrorless, none of these cameras rangefinder vs SLR style were for me. cameras, street vs Worse for me is the landscape, etc. But isn’t it effect that looking at my the diversity and variety of computer screen has on approach and viewpoint me. If I use my computer which makes our hobby for more than 15 to 20

Screen discomfort

Rejoice

22

Back in the day

Your readership extends to most walks of life and as a Fellow of the IET I read with interest the article They blinded us with science in the 7 December issue. I should, however, like to draw your attention to the fact that the IET is an Institution and not an Institute as stated in the opening sentence of the article. There is a subtle difference between these words as may be seen in the Oxford English Dictionary. That aside I am delighted to see recognition of engineering, in my view a very underappreciated profession, in your magazine. Please continue to broaden your content with this type of competition.

Geoffrey H. Robinson

DSLR backpacks

I needed a new backpack to carry my kit so I did a tour of the main retailers in London, and what I found was rather intriguing. It seems most backpacks now cater for mirrorless systems and ones for pro-size DSLRs are getting scarce. There are still a few larger bags and roll-on cases but smaller backpacks were very much absent. It seems the trend for mirrorless cameras is also straying into the realm of accessories.

I’m in favour of change and innovation but not at the expense of driving DSLR users online to find kit. Could retailers please not forget their longstanding and core customers who still need to renew kit and accessories.

Nigel Boulton

1990

IT SEEMS that photographers have always needed something to worry about; in 1990 it was airport X-ray machines. So AP took a bag of exposed films of various types and ISO speeds to Heathrow and subjected them to multiple passes through the machines in front of Austin Mitchell MP, two Fleet Street ’togs, and members of Heathrow’s Security and PR teams. The verdict? X-ray machines were totally safe, even for high ISO films – at Heathrow Airport, at least. AP also announced its Salesperson of the Year Award in which Nina Bailey of Park Cameras won a Ford Sierra Sapphire. Nina is still a well-respected industry figure, writing camera guides (see page 21) and doing workshops. The cherry on the cake was an interview with fine art photography legend Joyce Tenneson, whose image graced the cover. And if you’re wondering what could be had for under £100 in 1990, the answer was something from the Soviet Union or East Germany.

AP’s X-ray machine test (left) and Nina Bailey (right)

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TOM OLDHAM

From club culture

to crooners

ALL PICTURES © TOM OLDHAM, EXCEPT WHERE NOTED

Tom Oldham often deals with subjects at their extreme and admits to a well-rounded obsession with his craft. Peter Dench finds out more

T

he tall frame of photographer Tom Oldham is hunched over the computer in his tiny office at the top of his modest house in East London. Competition images are ready to submit but Tom isn’t ready to submit them. What if they don’t win? He would think less of the work. Tom doesn’t want to think less of the work, he thinks it’s very good. The sound of wrappedup revellers can be heard exiting The Lauriston pub. The faint smell of marijuana taints the winter air outside. The deadline is less than an hour away. It’s time to decide.

I first met Tom in 2013 on a half-day journey to Falmouth University where we were scheduled to give a talk to students. Our paths 24

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had nearly crossed many times before. When Tom was selling suits at fashion retailer Next in Bournemouth town centre, I was touting trousers in Top Man a few doors along. When Tom’s National Diploma (ND) course application to what was then the Bournemouth and Poole College of Art & Design was rejected, mine was accepted.

When Tom was dancing to Fabio & Grooverider in the drum and bass room at the legendary Sterns Nightclub close to Worthing, I was gurning along to the happy-house tunes spun by DJ Sasha in the room below instead.

Tom credits the early 1990s rave culture for his diversion from the straight-legged existence of men’s retail and into creativity. After

Above: Gilbert & George, 9am, 20 June 2016, from the project The Longest Day

Left: The Prodigy, from the project On:Off

completing his ND in Photography at the art college in Plymouth and remaining on to work as technician, he felt ostracised from the rave revolution happening in the South East of England. He jacked in his job and moved 204 miles east along the coast to Brighton. ‘A s a hungry music and club photographer, I religiously shot my nights out and sent in the film to Sleaze Nation – the coolest magazine in the newsagent – with the vague hope something might be worthy enough to grace their monochrome club-listing pages. I can’t begin to tell you how much I wanted to get a shot in there; the only way of telling if I had contributed something was dashing down to check the shelves every month.’ In 1999 it happened.

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Opening the magazine, there was his full-bleed, black & white photograph of two naked ravers, arms aloft in the sea off Brighton beach. In his commercial work, Tom has come eye to eye with many of his heroes but no image has ever surpassed the rush of excitement he got when opening that issue of Sleaze. ‘It may seem trivial if you don’t know the title but this was such an astonishingly cool outlet. It meant everything to me. It proved that if photography could make me feel this way, it was definitely worth chucking in the full-time job and giving freelancing a bloody good go.’

I meet Tom at home where he lives with his wife and two young sons for a chat and to take his portrait. Stood on his roof 25

TOM OLDHAM

terrace, dark clouds roll in from the east, harsh sunlight penetrates from the west. It’s dramatic. ‘Dial up the flash,’ advises Tom. ‘If you shoot a portrait in available light they look like snaps.’

I take a step back. ‘Everything I do is lit. Lights exist for a reason. It gives portraits the polish they deserve.’ I take a step back. ‘I’m all about the faces.’ He tugs at his thick spiky hair, I take a step back. ‘The execution of a portrait must be perfection.’ I’m perilously close to the low wall of a high drop, the scene is comparable to a Hitchcockian thriller. ‘Let’s go down to the basement,’ directs Tom as the sun is smothered by darkness.

Tom’s work often deals with subjects at their extreme. In his project, On:Off, he spent five years capturing the candid moments of musicians immediately before and seconds after a performance. Inside The Pain Cave, cyclists are theatrically photographed collapsed by the road after an agonising ride.

The Herder Boys of Lesotho are a powerful series of portraits of emblematic figures who make a living in the toughest of circumstances. For Eldmóður, he explores what makes Crossfit athletes push themselves to the brink in savage environments.

The basement is a place of comfort and calm except for an aesthetically painful table of Lego

one portrait an hour, Dalston to Shoreditch, Walthamstow and Bethnal Green. Night club performers to car cleaners, a dog walker, Imam, style blogger, air ambulance doctor, cycle courier, elite junior divers, pub landlords and Gilbert & George among others, were all featured in the accompanying free newspaper, showing the eclectic make up of East London and distributed at tube stations the week of the Brexit result. A demanding project and extraordinary effort. ‘You’ve got to put yourself out there, how else how will you ever know?’ smiles Tom. in a room with otherwise perfect feng shui. We turn our backs on the plastic bricks (enough to fund a small nation coup) and study the rows of alphabetised photography books. ‘Photography has become the whole of my entire existence. You need to be obsessed to cope. I want to share a moment with my photography that the audience would rarely be able to see themselves,’ says Tom succinctly, anticipating my question.

Obsessively sharing rare moments is what Tom has consistently done.

The Herder Boys of Lesotho took seven years to complete. ‘The articulation of this project is as close to perfection as I’ve ever come.’ The Longest Day, shot on 20 June 2016, brought Tom and his assistants to their knees. Midnight to midnight,

Above: Tom Oldham on the roof at his home in East London, photographed by Peter Dench

Below left: From the project The Herder Boys of Lesotho Below right: From the project Inside The Pain Cave

Latest work His current project also hopes to shine a light into a rarely seen corner that needs a higher level of contemporary understanding. Shoot An Arrow and Go Real High (the last line in the film, Paris is Burning, a documentary about the development of drag and transgender culture amongst black and Latino queer communities in New York City during the 1980s), is an empowering look at the characters in the world of drag balls and voguing (a highly stylised, modern house dance). A visitor to Tom’s Herder Boys exhibition in London invited him along to an LGBTQ+ event. ‘It exposed me to ballroom culture like a slap around the face. It’s creative, physical and

TOM OLDHAM

inclusive,’ much like the man who says this. Eighty-five portraits were shot at that first event in London.

Another few hundred have been shot at events in New York and Paris. The portraits are exquisite and each sitter receives a copy. ‘It has to be collaborative. The scene has a lot of protocol. You have to earn your right to be there. For me to bring this to my audience is very necessary,’ he emphasises.

We climb up from the basement, past a portrait of a waving Jack Nicholson, a pouting Marilyn Monroe and resting Roxanne Shante and walk out towards Victoria and Mile End parks. ‘It’s about what I’m aiming for. What I’ve yet to do not what I’ve done,’ says Tom as people relax on the grass with their paperback books.

‘There’s no point in doing something if it isn’t truthful or real,’ a yoga class does the downward dog. ‘I don’t earn a living from my projects.

I earn a living so I can shoot them,’ the sound of a clarinet drifts from the shadow of a Chinese Pagoda.

‘My greatest achievement as a photographer is still being a

Above: The Palm Tree Pub, from the project The Last of the Crooners

Pubs like The Palm Tree used to exist all over London’s East End. Sartorially sharp singers would pour their souls into a set of jazz standards from the Great American Songbook, warming the hearts of punters along with the single malt whiskies and winter fuel fires. The Palm Tree is sadly the only venue that remains and the last for the Winning images crooners to deliver their craft. ‘I shot On that brisk January night, Tom it because I realised life wouldn’t did decide. A few minutes before the always look like this. It had to be competition deadline, he hit submit. photographed, the characters are so A few months later, The Last of the incredible. They represent a passing Crooners was announced as first of time,’ reflects Tom. Fame and place winner in the portrait glory may have passed these category for the Sony World crooners by but they have been Photography Award 2018. We enter forever and authentically preserved the stalwart The Palm Tree pub, a in Tom’s photographs. middle finger at the gentrification of ‘Everybody wants to leave glass new builds. ‘The weekend’s something behind them. Some going to be a lovely 28°C on Sunday impression, some mark upon the but we’re due the coldest winter for world,’ says a protagonist from Paris 30 years,’ live streams the longis Burning. Tom has already more term landlady Val from the than left a mark and I’m sure has tabloid newspaper in front of her. already laid the foundations for I order a cider and Tom a spicy many, many more. tomato juice. He’s lived a life of If you have any books for schools please tweet sobriety for the past six-and-a-half or Instagram @tommyophoto of his 48 years. photographer after nearly 30 years,’ plastic bags shuffle in the wind outside the Ecology Pavilion. I suggest one of his greatest achievements is leveraging social media to collect over 400 photography books to support underfunded art departments in state secondary schools.

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27

Photo Stories

In the saddle B

lazing Saddles, a 1974 comedyWestern directed by spoof-master Mel Brooks, is a brilliant satire on the racism in Hollywood films of the American West. The hero is Bart (played by Cleavon Little), a sophisticated urbanite appointed sheriff to ‘save’ an all-white town. It’s wildly inappropriate, endlessly hilarious, conveys the idea of a black sheriff as absurd and black cowboys unheard of. Historians suggest that black cowboys in the American West actually accounted for around 25% from as early as the 1860s. Those who had skills in cattle handling headed West at the end of the Civil War along with many Mexicans and Native Americans – a far more diverse group than those who saddled up alongside actor John Wayne.

Freelance photojournalist Rory Doyle wasn’t immediately aware of the history. I meet him at the National Portrait Gallery in London where he has five (of his six) submitted images on display at the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize. They are from his Delta Hill Riders series which was also screened at the Visa pour l’image Festival of Photojournalism in France, won the 2019 ZEISS Photography Award and exhibited as part of the Sony World Photography Awards. ‘It started randomly, it wasn’t something I researched, or even a topic that’s common knowledge in the Mississippi Delta,’ explains Rory. ‘A lot of people don’t know there’s been black riders for generations.

In reality, it’s been in front of everyone’s eyes for quite a while.’ The project started in 2016 at a Christmas parade. ‘At the end of the parade there was a small group of African American cowboys. I realised I had never thought about black cowboys before.’

Rory walked into the parade and asked one of the riders for their name and a photograph and was subsequently invited along to a rodeo. From there it developed organically as many photographic collaborations do. Rory, who looks more Irish clergyman than cowboy, grew up in Maine, north-east USA, a 25-hour drive from Cleveland, Mississippi, where he has lived for a decade. ‘I was immediately accepted and welcomed into the community with my cameras. People were super-excited to be photographed. When I first started the Delta Hill Riders project, I felt a little bit

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embarrassed that I didn’t know there was this much diversity in cowboy culture.’

The reportage goes beyond the obvious images of the trail ride, horse shows, rodeo and riding into the sunset. It’s a complete story of who these people are. The photographs take the viewer into the home – newborn Jestin is welcomed by his father Jessie, into the church and out on the town where a raucous group are snapped frolicking around a pole at Club Black Castle. They’re more about the community, recreation and the love for their horses. The social identity of owning a horse, grooming and riding a horse, wearing the hats and boots. One remarkable image captures three men stood dancing on their horses beneath the golden arches of a McDonald’s.

‘Older cowboys would probably shake their head and think they were being silly and should ride properly. No-one really gets too upset with them. It’s a little bit like showing off, to demonstrate how athletic they are,’ says Rory.

Finding stories There are plans to interview the Delta Hill Riders. There are distant desires for a book.

Rory recently documented a ‘chaotic’ visit by the Trump campaign. On a separate project for Zeiss, he photographed aspects of the LGBTQ community in Mississippi where they are often under-reported or where the narrative can be hateful and negative. He will return to photograph the Delta Hill Riders soon. ‘It’s a life task to which I will remain faithful. It’s become an integral part of my soul, I feel connected to the people. I’m curious to see how the community develops over time and how the younger generation identifies with it.

I could expand the project further; similar communities exist in Tennessee, Arkansas and Louisiana. My project geographically, is a two-hour radius of driving, all within the Mississippi Delta region. I’ve been very intentional about that. I want to focus on where I live and shine a light on the people that are often left out of national stories.’

Receiving the ZEISS award has shone a light on the work that Rory does. His Delta Hill Riders reportage forced a reassessment of the American cowboy myth, helping to break the stereotypes that often distort the public image of Afro-American cowboy culture.

ALL IMAGES © RORY DOYLE

Peter Dench speaks to photojournalist Rory Doyle about his intriguing and multi award-winning series, Delta Hill Riders

Rory Doyle

A working photographer based in Cleveland, Mississippi, Rory Doyle has won multiple awards for his work. He has also been featured in dozens of different publications, and has been exhibited many times. For more information, see rorydoylephoto.com

Left: Tyrese Evans, Jeremy Melvin and Gee McGee dance atop their horses in the McDonald’s parking lot in Cleveland, Mississippi Left: Newborn Jestin Brown is held by his father, Jessie, at their home in Cleveland Right: James McGee on his horse in Bolivar County

Below left: Frank poses for a portrait inside his home in Shelby, Mississippi

Below: A group of cowboys take to the dance floor at Club Black Castle in Ruleville, Mississippi

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Technique

Behind the

print Oscar Dewhurst shares his tips for photographing wildlife and presenting the results at their best Instead of the Adobe Standard profile, I picked Vivid, as it suits the scene.

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Lightroom’s healing brush removed sensor spots before printing the image.

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Oscar Dewhurst

The clarity and dehaze sliders were both increased to +10 to increase contrast and fine detail in the image.

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The image was cropped slightly, with some negative space on the right cut to improve composition.

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Oscar is an awardwinning wildlife photographer from London. He has photographed a wide range of subjects, from urban foxes to the rainforest wildlife of the Peruvian Amazon.

See www.oscardewhurst.com.

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don’t tend to get many of my images printed, for various reasons, but this is one of the few I have hanging at home.

This photo shows a red deer stag taken in Richmond Park during the annual rut.

Over the years I have spent many hours photographing

PREPARING FOR PRINTING

1 Reduce exposure

I shot in aperture priority and my camera’s metering made the image too bright. I dropped the exposure down by using curves to recreate the look the scene had at the time of capture, where the deer and tree were silhouetted.

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2 Tweak colour

The image had a slightly green tinge, so I increased the tint slider in Lightroom to +20.

I was happy with the colour temperature as shot, which was 5,350K.

3 Localised adjustments

I then used Lightroom’s adjustment brush to increase the exposure and shadows slightly in the long grass in the foreground. It was only a fairly moderate change that would be just enough to retain some detail there.

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IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Printing and framing tips Oscar’s tips for ensuring the best-possible results Calibrate your monitor

1

Without calibating your monitor, you run the risk that your printed image will not have the same appearance as it did on screen, which in some cases may ruin the resulting print.

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Watch the edges

When editing your photographs, think about the edges of the image.

Use the crop tool to ensure that you do not include any distracting elements and that you keep the composition balanced too.

3 What to print on

The choice is huge, from more traditional paper to materials such as canvas, aluminium and acrylic. If you are able to, experiment with different types so that you can see which ones you prefer. Often, certain types of image will suit a particular surface.

Additionally, different surfaces may require images to be processed slightly differently in order to look their best. WhiteWall’s customer advisers will be happy to talk you through the many options. there, particularly in the autumn when the stags compete with each other to mate with as many females as they can.

Having seen that the overnight conditions looked promising, I arrived before sunrise to give me time to find a suitable subject before

the sun came above the horizon. It didn’t take me long to find this stag that was roaring around a few oak trees. I always like to shoot into the sun at either end of the day, and the misty conditions meant it was possible to include the sun without it being too bright.

As the stag got near one of the oak trees, I used that and some of the low-hanging leaves to frame the image and add some balance. Then, I simply waited for it to tip its head back and utter another roar, and I got my image. Hard work, but well worth the effort.

4 Framing

When choosing a frame, think about how it will complement the print and make sure that it does not overpower the image. Colours and thicknesses are always down to personal preference, so just as with choosing the printing surface, it pays to try out different things to work out which ones you favour.

WhiteWall recommends

4 Sharpening up I tend to sharpen images that I’m going to print, more than if they are simply going online.

However, using masking means I can ensure just the subject is sharpened, and not the background, as this would introduce noise.

WhiteWall’s Jan-Ole Schmidt says, ‘Oscar Dewhurst must have been very patient to capture this one-ofa-kind shot of a bleating deer during a misty sunrise.

To make sure the image is presented perfectly, WhiteWall offers more than 1,000 product variations.

This can be a little overwhelming, but I would recommend matte or glossy acrylic glass mounting, depending on what effect you want to create. Our Original Photo Print Under Glossy Acrylic Glass is a great choice for intensifying the image’s contrasts. If you’re more interested in putting the focus on the mild colours and emphasising the fog, the Original Photo Print Under Matte Acrylic Glass would be the ideal option. With acrylic glass mounting, you can really underline the scenic atmosphere.

‘In both cases, my recommendation would be that adding WhiteWall’s Basel Floater Frame in alder brown adds the perfect finishing touch. Finally, you will definitely want the picture to be at least 60x40cm, or else the picture will look too small.’

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CAMERA CONNECTIVITY

Testbench

Images can be transferred individually or in batches using Sony’s Imaging Edge Mobile app

Sony Imaging Edge Mobile In the first of a new series looking at how to connect your camera to your smartphone, Richard Sibley outlines the key features of Sony Imaging Edge Mobile

I

f you have a Sony Alpha or RX, HX or even QX (remember them?) series camera that was introduced after 2012, Sony’s Imaging Edge Mobile App should allow you to connect your smartphone to your camera. Exactly what functionality you will have can vary greatly from camera to camera so it’s worth visiting www.sony.co. uk/electronics/support/cameras-camcorders from where you can find out what your camera can do.

Although Imaging Edge Mobile was only released last year, it is actually a rebranded version of the PlayMemories Mobile app that was previously used to connect Sony cameras. The idea behind the rebranding is that it brings the software in line with Sony’s Imaging Edge desktop computer software.

Connectivity There are three ways to connect your camera to your smartphone, and again, which you use will depend on your camera and smart device. Near Field Connectivity (NFC) is probably the fastest and smoothest method of making that initial connection, as this simply involves selecting the NFC option and touching the NFC points on the camera and your phone together to set up the Wi-Fi connection.

QR codes provide the next method, which is equally as simple and the preferred option for iOS users. The app allows you to photograph a QR code on the camera which provides the information for the smartphone to create a Wi-Fi connection.

Finally you can connect, the ‘old-fashioned’ way by selecting the camera in your phone’s

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For and against 24-million-pixel JPEG transferred in 17 secs (A7 III + iPhone XS) iOS and Android Professional features available for free Full resolution JPEG transfer NFC connectivity No autofocusing control App looks a little dated A few quirks in terms of operation 35

Testbench

CAMERA CONNECTIVITY

Wi-Fi connection screen and use the password shown on the camera.

A further option is to pair your camera and smartphone via Bluetooth to allow for location, time and date information to be added to the metadata of each image.

A few years ago, with the launch of the third generation of A7 cameras, Sony upgraded the operating system on its cameras, creating a new menu system. Although the new operating system is a big improvement, one thing that was lost was the ability to be able to download and use PlayMemories mobile apps. The apps are still available for download and if you have a compatible camera it is worth having a browse as there are some useful apps, although you do have to pay for some. You can find the full selection by visiting www.playmemories cameraapps.com/portal.

Remote shooting allows you to fire the shutter and adjust key exposure settings from your handheld device

Live view and remote shooting With the connection to the smartphone made you can now shoot remotely. Like any app, the responsiveness of the live view display depends on the connection strength. Overall I found that there was little lag time between the onscreen camera display and the smartphone display, though like any such connection, there is the

odd second where it stalls from time to time.

It is worth noting that the features available when remote shooting will vary depending on the camera (and possibly firmware) that you are using. On cameras with a physical mode dial you cannot change the exposure mode ie. switch from aperture priority to shutter priority. With the Sony A7 III, for example, if you are in aperture priority mode you can change the aperture, exposure compensation and ISO sensitivity. If the mode dial is set to Manual you will have full exposure control at your disposal.

Other settings that can be changed include the white balance, self timer, continuous shooting settings and the flash control settings.

Sadly this is about it for the A7 III and other recent Sony cameras. It’s not possible to change the metering mode or any of the image styles such as Creative Styles, Picture Profiles or Dynamic Range Optimisation styles.

Autofocus A small thumbnail and status bar pops up once you’ve chosen an image or group of images that you’d like to transfer

You’ll also notice one other major omission – the autofocus settings. With the Sony A7 III and the other more recent Sony cameras,

HOW TO CONNECT YOUR SONY CAMERA TO YOUR SMARTPHONE 1 Search and download for free

Download the Sony Imaging Edge app from the Google Play or iOS App Store on your smartphone or tablet. On your phone make sure that you have both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on.

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2 Connection settings

With the app installed, open the connection settings on your compatible Sony camera. The location may vary depending on camera, but on the A7 III it can be found at Network1 > Ctrl w/Smartphone.

3 Wi-Fi signal

On the Ctrl w/Smartphone screen select Connection, which will open the connection screen and start emitting a Wi-Fi signal from the camera.

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there is no option to change any of the autofocus settings, but perhaps most disappointing is that there is no way to change the AF point, or use touch AF. Given that this is most likely one of the key features of a remote control app, it does seem to be a huge oversight from Sony to not feature this.

Pressing the shutter button on the live view remote screen acts in exactly the same way as the camera’s physical camera shutter, so keep this in mind when remote shooting and set up the AF accordingly.

Video With the camera switched to its video setting Imaging Edge Mobile allows for the exposure mode to be changed with the choice of manual, aperture or shutter priority, and the exposure settings changed accordingly.

As before the white balance can be set, but the Picture Profiles cannot, so that will need to be set beforehand. Recordings can be started and stopped using the app, and it is possible to transfer video, including 4K footage, from the camera to the smartphone, although transfer speed and playback is very dependent on the smartphone or tablet being used.

Image transfer Like the vast majority of cameras and apps, Imaging Edge Mobile only allows for the transfer of JPEG, and not raw, images. The JPEGs can be transferred in three sizes, VGA (640x480 pixels), 2-million-pixel, or full resolution. When you are shooting remotely a 2-million-pixel preview image is saved to your smartphone after the image has been taken.

Images can be transferred individually or in batches, and there is the option to select them either on the camera or on the smartphone screen. The Fn button makes it easy to call up the image transfer screen when in the Playback mode, which saves having to delve deep into the camera’s main menu.

Standout feature Transfer and Tag ALONGSIDE the Imaging Edge Mobile app is a companion application called Transfer and Tag. The app is primarily designed for professional photographers needing to add titles, keywords and other information to images and then send them quickly to a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server. However, it can also be useful for those wanting to back up important images to their own server back home whilst they are travelling.

Currently the Sony A9, A9II, A7 III, A7R III and A7R IV can be used with the Transfer and Tag app. For more details on the app see support.d-imaging.sony.co.jp/app/transfer/en/ instruction/index.php.

Location data

With regards to sizes, I would prefer another resolution in-between 2 million pixels and full resolution. On cameras such as the A7R IV a 2-million-pixel or 61-million-pixel image is quite an extreme jump.

Using an iPhone XS and A7 III, it took less than three seconds to transfer a 2-millionpixel JPEG image, and around 17 seconds to transfer a full 24-million-pixel JPEG. Obviously these times will vary depending on your camera, phone, Wi-Fi connection and also the detail in the image, both in terms of resolution and file size due to JPEG compression.

The very latest Sony cameras can also transfer images in the background of the app, even when the camera is switched off. To take advantage of this feature you must have a Sony A9 (firmware 4.00 or higher is needed), A9 II, A7R IV, RX100 VI or RX100 VII.

By using a low-energy Bluetooth connection, the more recent Sony cameras can add location data to images. The first step is to pair the camera and phone via Bluetooth. This is done by selecting Network2>Bluetooth Function and switching to On. Then go to Network2>Bluetooth Function>Pairing and then to Location Information Linkage in the Imaging Edge Mobile app and follow the simple onscreen instructions.

You should only need to set up and pair your smartphone and camera once. From this point, as long as Bluetooth remains set to ‘On’ on your camera, the camera and smartphone should pair automatically. Any images that you now shoot will take the location, date and time from your smartphone and add it to the metadata of the images that you shoot.

It’s clever and most importantly, it works!

5 Photograph the QR code

6 Connecting manually

4 Pairing

On the Sony Imaging Edge app you should now select your connection method. For NFC select Scan NFC on the camera on the app and just touch the NFC points on your camera and smartphone together.

If connecting via QR code, select this option in the app which will open the phone’s camera and allow you to photograph the QR code on the camera. Allow the connection to take place.

Your smartphone should now be connected.

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Alternatively you can connect manually. Search for your camera’s Wi-Fi connection and use the password displayed on the camera to allow the Wi-Fi to connect. Once your camera and smartphone are paired via Wi-Fi, open the app.

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WILDLIFE WATCH ALL P CTURES © TESN WARD

Technique

Using a wide aperture and creative defocus keeps attention on the vole Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II , 12-40mm, f/2.8 at 1/250sec, ISO 1000

WILDLIFE WATCH

Water voles

Water vole populations have declined, so they can be a challenge to find. But persevere and you will be richly rewarded, says Tesni Ward ONCE widespread, water voles have suffered significant declines to their population in recent years. While some locations are recovering, many still don’t support a viable and self-sustaining population. If you’re lucky enough to live near a stable population and have had the pleasure of photographing them, you will know all too well the excitement you feel as you catch your first glimpse of the day as they pitter patter across the banks or swim across the water. For those photographers who do not yet have a reliable location, it’s important to scout as many waterways and sites as possible. These mammals spend the majority of their time underground, so knowing the telltale signs that they are around is key.

One obvious sign are burrows that line the waterways.

They will often be at multiple levels and averagely the size

▲

Bean bag

As you will often be lying prone along the side of a waterway, a bean bag can help to stabilise you both while shooting and also when waiting. Try to opt for a quiet filling rather than something loud as it risks startling the subject.

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Binoculars

▲

KIT LIST

of a tennis ball, and can be accompanied by worn-down mud and subtle paths where the voles regularly run. There will often be several entrances below the water line, too, so depending on the water levels, don’t be surprised if a vole pops out of nowhere! Latrines are used to mark territories and will often have Tic-Tac shaped and sized droppings that have been partially smothered into the ground.

Looking for chewed vegetation and food rafts is another key indicator, but don’t forget to keep your ears open at all times as you may hear the distinctive ‘plop’ as a water vole dives underwater out of sight. It’s important when scoping out new sites to stay off the banks as there is always a risk of accidentally damaging burrows and tunnel systems. Try wherever possible to keep your distance and consider using binoculars or a telephoto lens to look for signs.

Binoculars can help to get a closer look at signs of water voles being present, such as looking for latrines, droppings, food rafts and trimmed vegetation.

Tesni Ward

Tesni Ward is an award-winning wildlife photographer based near the Peak District. While the majority of her work focuses on British wildlife, she also photographs projects across the world and has aspirations to promote conservation through her images.

See www. tesniward.co.uk.

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Remember the rules of good framing and composition too Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II, 7-14mm, f/3.2 at 1/500sec, ISO 320

Shooting advice The majority of water voles in the UK are a uniform brown colour. However, there are some populations with black fur. This makes them slightly easier to expose for and photograph but backlighting is quite challenging due to the contrast with their surroundings. I recommend opting for a bright but overcast day as this will help to balance the scene’s contrast, making it much easier to capture an aesthetically pleasing image. Use a single autofocus point and try to focus this on the eye whenever possible or on the cheek - this is even more imperative when your subject is partially hidden from view.

Water voles can live in very clustered habitats so you may find yourself shooting through vegetation which is why I opt for shooting with my aperture wide open. The lower the angle you shoot from, the greater the perspective, but again try to avoid lying along banks with burrow entrances or getting into the water.

Where there’s a high risk of damage or disturbance, I opt for controlling my camera with my phone or tablet and positioning it just above the water’s level with a multi-angle tripod. As my camera has a silent shutter, there’s no disturbance. A polariser can increase the reflection of the voles or help to darken the water.

A longer lens is essential for details and close-ups Olympus E-M1 Mark II, 500mm, f/5.6 at 1/320sec, ISO 640

About water voles Water voles are easiest to find and photograph during the breeding season when they develop territories. Search along waterways and lakes and look for telltale signs including holes at multiple levels, Tic-Tac sized brown droppings, food rafts, worn-down banks and chewed vegetation. ● Location Rivers and wetlands across the UK ● Size 150-300g, up to 230mm long with the tail averaging half the size ● Nest Burrows along the waterways with extensive tunnels ● Diet Almost all vegetation including fruits and bulbs ● UK population Between 600,000 and 900,000 in the UK 39

Reader Portfolio Spotlight on readers’ excellent images and how they captured them 1

Josh Myers, Sheffield

Josh’s love of photography began about four years ago when he joined his dad on trips photographing wildlife in the Peak District.

In 2016, Josh was officially diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, but has noticed that when out with his camera his physical and verbal tics are significantly reduced. He says, ‘Photography is almost like a therapy for me.’ He is passionate about wildlife and nature, and won the 2017 RSPCA young photographer award. He’d love to follow a career in photography – seeing more of the world doing something he loves.

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Red Squirrel

1 This was taken from a hide in Scotland. Josh had limited space, so used a bean bag for stability, allowing him to shoot at a slower shutter speed Nikon D5100, 300mm, 1/100sec at f/5.6, ISO 800, bean bag

Weasel

2 While returning from photographing bluebells, Josh suddenly noticed this weasel in the leaves.

He had to think on his feet to get the small, fast animal in focus Nikon D5100, 18-270mm, 1/320sec at f/6.3, ISO 800 3

NOTE: PR ZE APPL ES TO UK AND EU RES DENTS ONLY

YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

The Reader Portfolio winner chosen every week will receive a copy of Skylum Luminar 4, worth £81. See www.skylum.com

Luminar is a fully featured photo editor for Mac and PC designed for photographers of all skill levels, blending pro-level tools with remarkable ease of use and an enjoyable experience. A new Library feature lets you organise, find and rate images easily, while over 100 editing features, plus a suite of fast AI-powered technologies under the hood, will make any image stand out.

Wolf Spider

3 Josh loves macro photography and this superb image deservedly won the 2017 RSPCA Young Photographer Award (12-16 age group). He took it in his garden in Sheffield, proving you don’t always have to travel far to get a winning shot Nikon D7000, 90mm, 1/320sec at f/22, ISO 200

Barn Owl

4 This engaging shot was taken at a bird of prey centre in Bridlington. Josh took a series of five shots in a burst as the owl took flight. ‘The fact that the owl is looking directly at me and the face is nice and sharp really adds a lot,’ he explains Nikon D7000, 150-600mm, 1/800sec at f/5.6, ISO 125

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4

Submit your images Please see the ‘Send us your pictures’ section on page 3 for details or visit www.amateurphotographer. co.uk/portfolio

Stag

5 ‘Timing the shot to get the most amount of visible breath was the main challenge, once I had an exposure I was happy with,’ says Josh of this shot, taken early in the morning during rutting season at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham Nikon D7000, 150-600mm, 1/125sec at f/6, ISO 800 41

YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

Club the

This week’s club is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2020 When was the club founded?

The club was founded in March 1960 when 16 amateur photographers met in an ex-servicemen’s hut in the village of Shillington in Bedfordshire. The club moved to its present location in Barton-le-Clay in 2009.

What does your club offer to new members?

We aim to welcome new members with the chance to become more informed about their photography, to entertain them with lectures about all aspects of photography and to promote photography as a hobby for fun and enjoyment. The club welcomes photographers of any gender, of all ages and all abilities. It does not matter what equipment people use.

Describe a typical club meeting.

From 7pm on club nights the hall is prepared for the lecture or competition. Chairs are set out, the screen lowered, print stands are erected and the projector is checked over. The guest speaker or judge is welcomed and members start to drift in. The all-important weekly subscriptions are paid to the treasurer and members form small groups to chat. The emphasis is all about creating a friendly, 42

© ANDY COLE

Join

© GARY NORMAN

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welcoming club whilst ensuring the club’s high reputation is maintained. At 7.45pm chairwoman Shirley Hollis formally welcomes the guest speaker or judge with a few words about the person and their work. At ‘half time’ coffee and biscuits are provided – there is a rota for refreshment duty – members can browse prints on the stands and talk about future plans. Often, lecturers give technical briefings about all aspects of photography whilst the basics about the use of light, composition, and post production work on the computer are never forgotten. The evening usually wraps up about 10pm with a vote of thanks to the visiting judge or lecturer.

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1 St Paul’s at Night by Gary Norman A beautifully executed nightscape of a well-known location gives it fresh perspective.

2 Fading Tulip by Andy Cole An artfully shot and composed still-life image that would work well as a fine art print, displayed on a gallery wall.

chosen by the committee. Various destinations are chosen all with the aim of presenting particular subjects for submitting to our ‘Taken on a Club Outing’ competition, which is held every September. This year the location was the historic university city of Cambridge.

Any funny stories you can share?

Members enjoy their photography and continue to be delighted and amazed when images are chosen for particularly positive Do you invite guest speakers?

Yes. Our programme secretary José Currant is mentions or win awards. Apparently one member was so pleased with a commended closely involved with the task of ensuring judges are invited for competition evenings and award that the certificate was placed in pride of place on the mantelpiece. More recently lecturers invited to entertain and inform on a variety of themes and topics. The club also has another club member was so surprised to receive an award she asked the judge several member nights when a club member gives an times if he was sure that it was her image he illustrated talk on a subject of their choosing. meant to choose!

Do members compete in competitions?

What are the club’s goals for the future?

The club enters a number of external The club is keen to attract younger members competitions including the annual ‘Battle of as the age profile is currently around the the S’s’ that involves a competition against 40-plus age range. Our overall aim is to make Sheffield and Solihull. Other competitions are sure the club maintains its reputation for the Chelmsford panel of six prints, the high-quality photography whilst producing the Cambridge Digital Competition, the St Ives images continues to be fun and enjoyable. New Inter-Print contest and the Melbourn Trophy. initiatives include ‘Capture to Critique’ evenings The club also enters the East Anglian which are devised to cover aspects from Federation annual exhibition. Individual capturing images using studio lighting and a still members enter other exhibitions and life set-up, computer post-production work competitions outside the club and over the and finally printing and mounting the printed years many members have achieved awards images. The club has redesigned the website, and RPS, PAGB and FIAP distinctions. to make it more user-friendly, and we have recently set up a public Facebook page How many members do you have? alongside a closed Facebook group that’s Currently the club has 45 members with an specifically for members. average attendance of 28 members.

Are any residential trips or outings planned?

The club has an annual outing to a location

Want to see your club featured on these pages? Drop us a line for more information at ap@ti-media.com

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YOUR PICTURES IN PRINT

© GARY BAKER

3 Clean Hands by Keith Knight ARPS EFIAP An intriguing shot that tells an interesting story in the frame.

4

© KEITH KNIGHT

4 Coiffure Dilemma by Gary Baker Spotting a moment like this is a finely attuned skill, as is the execution of the shot, which is fantastic. © SH RLEY HOLLIS

6

© IRENE FROY

5

6 Ballachulish in November by Irene Froy EFIAP MPAGB HonPAGB BPE4* A gorgeous landscape set off by the perfect framing of the house.

5 Emerging Bud by Shirley Hollis ARPS AFIAP The treatment of this shot has elevated it above what might be an otherwise fairly mundane subject.

Club essentials

Shillington and District Camera Club

© SH RLEY HOLL S

7 Fun in the Fountains

by Shirley Hollis ARPS AFIAP You really get a sense of being there observing the scene yourself from this wonderful composition.

7

Barton-le-Clay Village Hall, Hexton Road, Bedfordshire, MK45 4JY Meets Monday evenings at 7.45pm between 14 September and April Membership See website for full details. www.shillingtoncc.org.uk Contact www.shillingtoncc.org.uk/contact-us www.facebook.com/shillingtondcc 43

Testbench

CAMERA TEST

At a glance

£1,100 body only ● 20.4MP Four Thirds sensor ● 121-point phase detection

autofocus ● 10fps shooting with continuous AF ● 5-axis in-body stabilisation ● Cinema 4K video recording

Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III Andy Westlake examines whether Olympus’s latest compact, lightweight but fully featured mirrorless model can hold its own against the APS-C competition For and against Small size and light weight make it easy to carry everywhere Superbly designed control layout is a pleasure to use Incredibly effective in-body stabilisation gives sharper images handheld Effective weather-sealing Excellent JPEG output No AF-point joystick ALL PR CES ARE APPROX MATE STREET PR CES

Raw image quality lags behind its peers Many advanced features are buried in menus Users with large hands may find the grip too cramped 44

Data file Sensor Output size Lens mount Shutter speeds

20.4MP CMOS, 17.3 x 13mm 5184 x 3888 Micro Four Thirds 60-1/8000sec (mechanical), 60-1/32,000 (electronic) Sensitivity ISO 200-6400 (standard), ISO 64-25,600 (extended) Exposure modes PASM, Auto, Bulb, Scene, Movie Metering Pattern, average, spot, highlight, shadow Exposure comp +/- 5 EV in 0.3 EV steps Cont shooting 30fps; 10fps with C-AF Screen 3in, 1.04m-dot touchscreen Viewfinder 2.36m-dot OLED. 0.67x mag.

AF points 121 cross-type phase detection Video C4K (4096 x 2160) 24p, 237Mbps External mic 3.5mm stereo Memory card SD, SDHC, SDXC; UHS-II Power BLS-50 rechargeable Li-Ion Battery life 310 shots Dimensions 125.3 x 85.2 x 49.7mm Weight 414g

I

t’s now almost eight years since Olympus introduced the original OM-D E-M5, and with it, the concept of a small, fully featured and weathersealed mirrorless camera aimed squarely at enthusiasts. But while its successor, the Mark II, brought a slew of updates and improvements in 2015, the market has moved on considerably since. Other firms have introduced multiple models with progressive advances in features and image quality, so the latest iteration feels long overdue.

On the whole, the Mark III retains the core characteristics that have made the E-M5 range so appealing. Its petite body measures just 125x85x50mm yet finds space for an extensive complement of external controls, along with Olympus’s class-leading 5-axis in-body image stabilisation.

The main update is the addition of

a 20MP sensor borrowed from the flagship OM-D E-M1 Mark II that includes on-chip phase detection for much-improved autofocus. However the E-M5 III is also 55g lighter than its predecessor at 414g, thanks to the body shell being made from polycarbonate rather than metal.

The result is a camera with a rare combination of portability, ruggedness and high capability that’s a real pleasure to use.

The E-M5 III is available in silver or black for £1,099.99 body only; £1,249.99 with the 14-42mm F3.5-5.6 EZ pancake zoom; £1,399.99 with the 14-140mm F4-5.6 II; £1,599.99 with the 12-200mm F3.5-6.3; and £1,699.99 with the premium, large-aperture 12-40mm F2.8 PRO. The latter three lenses are all weather-sealed to match the camera.

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Here I exposed for the bright sky, and was able to lift the underexposed foreground by a couple of stops in raw processing Olympus 9-18mm f/4-5.6 at 9mm, 1sec at f/4, ISO 200

Features In almost every respect, the Mark III is a well-judged update, with a range of internal improvements and external design tweaks that aim to bring its core capabilities up-to-date. The headline upgrade is that 20MP sensor along with the TruePic VIII processor, and while the increased resolution compared to its 16MP predecessor is welcome, the phase detection autofocus is far more important, as it transforms the camera’s ability to focus on moving subjects. You don’t quite get a mini E-M1 II, though, as the E-M5 III can’t shoot as fast.

Let’s take a quick tour through the core specifications. The standard sensitivity settings cover ISO 200 to 6400, along with a ‘Low’ option equivalent to ISO 64, and extended settings up to ISO 25,600. Shutter speeds range

from 60sec to 1/8,000sec using the mechanical shutter; switching to the silent electronic shutter expands this to 1/32,000sec, but with the risk of image distortion due to rolling shutter effects, and banding under artificial light.

Turning our attention to continuous shooting, the E-M5 III is capable of up to 10 frames per second using its mechanical shutter with a huge 150-shot raw buffer, and up to 30fps in electronic mode with a 23-shot buffer. At these speeds, focus and exposure are fixed at the start of the burst, and once the buffer is full, the camera drops to a steady pace of around 4.5fps. If you need autofocus adjustment and live view between frames, you have to switch to the Sequential Low settings, which achieve 6fps with the mechanical shutter and 10fps in electronic mode. Olympus has

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also included its unique Pro Capture option, which employs the electronic shutter and buffers up to 14 frames from before the shutter button is fully pressed. This enables you to capture fast, unpredictable action in situations where you wouldn’t normally have time to react.

In-body stabilisation has long been one of Olympus’s most significant strengths, and a new mechanism is rated for up to 5.5 stops stabilisation on its own, or 6.5 stops when used with one of the firm’s optically stabilised lenses. In practice, this gives an unmatched ability to shoot handheld at slow shutter speeds, sometimes in the order of seconds. This in turn allows you to keep the ISO low in poor light to offset the noise disadvantage of the smaller sensor, or to use creative motion-blur effects.

There are plenty more advanced features, many of which you won’t find elsewhere. They include a comprehensive intervalometer and time-lapse movie mode; focus bracketing and in-camera focus stacking for close-up photography; keystone correction for converging verticals and horizontals previewed live in the viewfinder; and in-camera rectilinear conversion with the 8mm F1.8 Fisheye Pro lens. Olympus’s Live Time and Live Bulb allow you to watch long exposures build up in real time, while Live Composite is designed for light painting or shooting light trails. There’s also a tripod-based high-resolution composite mode that constructs 50MP JPEG images or 80MP raw files from eight exposures, using the IBIS unit to sample the scene in higher detail by moving the sensor precisely between 45

This portrait was captured using the tiny, inexpensive 45mm f/1.8 prime Olympus 45mm f/1.8, 1/640sec at f/1.8, ISO 200

each. Unfortunately many of these features are buried in the menus, and much harder to access than they are on the cheaper E-M10 Mark III. Olympus has also failed to include the My Menu option it implemented so effectively on the E-M1X, which would have allowed users to gather their favourite functions together for quick access.

Hopefully it’ll relent and add one via a firmware update.

The camera also gains a major upgrade to its video abilities, and is now capable of recording Cinema 4K at 24fps and 237Mbps. In combination with the IBIS, this provides a really capable option for ‘run and gun’ videographers who like to shoot on the move with lightweight kit. Other features include Full HD recording at up to 120fps for slow-motion work, and a built-in microphone socket for higher quality audio.

In terms of connectivity, both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are built in.

Using the free OI.Share app, you can use your phone as either a simple wireless remote release or a comprehensive remote control, complete with live view display.

You can also browse through your images and copy your favourites across to your phone for sharing on social media. Indeed thanks to 46

Bluetooth, it’s now possible to do this when the camera is switched off and packed away in a bag. In addition, the free OI.Track app can be used for geotagging your images using location data recorded by your phone.

Build and handling Olympus has progressively refined its OM-D models over the years, and the E-M5 III provides an excellent shooting experience straight out of the box. All of the key controls are placed right at your fingertips, which isn’t always the case with small cameras.

Pretty much every aspect of its operation is customisable too, so it should be possible to get it working exactly the way you want.

Compared to its predecessor, the exposure mode dial has moved beside the twin control dials, to match the other models in the OM-D range. It gains both a B position for quick access to Live Bulb, Live Composite and Live Time modes, and a C position for saving a custom user set-up for quick recall. There are also new dedicated buttons for drive mode, ISO and exposure compensation, while the AEL button is far better positioned, as is the surrounding switch that’s used to select between focus modes. The

controls all operate positively, and are sufficiently well spaced that the camera is perfectly usable when shooting with lightweight gloves. Disappointingly, though, there’s no AF joystick, so users still have to make do with using the d-pad to move the focus area, which is never quite as fast.

Other key settings that don’t have their own dedicated control are accessed by pressing the OK button to call up the on-screen Super Control Panel. It’s not as clearly laid out as those on other brands, and it isn’t customisable, but it gets the job done. Olympus’s menu system, and in particular the settings section, is as vast and impenetrable as ever, but thankfully you don’t need to access it often.

While the Mark III’s body shell is made from plastic rather than metal, it still feels perfectly robust.

The handgrip may be small, but it provides an unexpectedly secure purchase even when shooting with larger lenses, and is significantly improved over the Mark II’s despite being barely any bigger.

However, users with larger hands may well find it all a bit too cramped. Olympus is offering the £179.99 ECG-5 extension grip, which provides a more comfortable hold and has its own shutter button and electronic

control dial, but at this point you’re probably better off springing for the E-M1 II instead.

Viewfinder and screen The Mark III sports a 2.36m-dot OLED electronic viewfinder which, at 0.67x magnification, is fractionally smaller than that in the Mark II. The payoff is that it’s both

CAMERA TEST Autofocus

Focal points There’s some seriously impressive technology inside the E-M5 Mark III’s compact, rugged body

IPX1 sealing

The E-M5 III is certified to be resistant to 1mm rainfall per minute, for a minimum of 10 minutes. It’s also dustproof and freezeproof to -10°C.

Anti-dust

Olympus’s Super Sonic Wave Filter is one of the most effective sensorcleaning systems around. It runs when you turn the camera on or off, and whenever you change lenses.

Live Composite

This overlays multiple longexposure shots, adding only brighter areas onto the original frame. It allows light trails to be built up without overexposing the entire image.

49.7 mm

Probably the biggest practical improvement over the E-M5 II is the AF system. It’s lifted directly from the E-M1 II, with 121 cross-type points covering almost the entire frame, but with updated control algorithms designed to make the focus less likely to jump to the background. It’s possible to select between single-point focusing and groups of 5, 9 or 25 points, which is particularly handy for focusing on moving subjects.

The usual face- and eye-detection and tracking options are available.

With static subjects in S-AF mode, the E-M5 III focuses in the blink of an eye. Thanks to the cross-type focus points it’s noticeably more decisive than the Mark II, and less prone to hunting in low light. Because the image sensor is used for focusing it’s also very accurate in situations where DSLRs can struggle, such as with shooting off-centre subjects using fast primes.

It’s when you switch to C-AF, though, that the E-M5 III starts to shine. Paired with a high-end lens such as the 40-150mm f/2.8 zoom, it’s impressively capable of keeping up with fast-moving subjects. Its focus tracking works well with large subjects, especially when they’re brightly coloured relative to the background, but it falls over more quickly with difficult subjects compared to Sony’s industry-leading AI-based Real-time Tracking. Just be

Flash

The included FL-LM3 flash unit is dust- and splash-proof, has a bounce-and-swivel head, and can even control off-camera units wirelessly.

Even with a cheap telezoom, the E-M5 III succeeded in focusing on these mountain bikers Olympus 40-150mm f/4-5.6 at 150mm, 1/2000sec at f/5.6, ISO 200

Connectors

Olympus’s old proprietary USB connector has gone, replaced by a standard Micro USB port beside the HDMI output. The 2.5mm remote release and 3.5mm stereo mic connectors have their own covers for improved weather-sealing.

85.2 mm

visibly brighter and easier to see clearly into the corners, especially if you wear glasses. As usual it can display such aids as electronic levels and a live histogram, while providing an accurate preview of exposure and colour. If you prefer, engaging the simulated OVF (S-OVF) setting gives a more neutral, SLR-like view. But one flaw is that in S-OVF mode under LED lighting, the viewfinder flickers disconcertingly. The E-M5 II doesn’t share this affliction, so hopefully it’s a simple firmware fix.

Below the EVF, the fully articulated touchscreen LCD provides excellent flexibility for shooting at unusual angles. Unlike the tilt-only screens found on most other cameras at this price point, it’s equally useful when you turn the camera 90 degrees to the portrait orientation.

Disappointingly, though, the eye sensor is no longer disabled when the screen is folded out, which means that the screen is prone to blacking out if you move the camera close to your body during waist-level shooting. The touchscreen isn’t as comprehensively integrated into the control system compared to those used by Canon, Nikon or Panasonic, but it’s responsive and provides the most useful functions. You can use it to specify the AF point, choose a setting to change in the Super Control Panel, and browse through images in playback.

Testbench

Power

125.3 mm

The Mark III uses the BLS-50 battery, rather than the BLN-1 employed by the previous E-M5 models. It’s rated for 310 shots per charge and supports USB charging.

Olympus has been using this battery for years in the PEN and E-M10 ranges, so spares are easy to find.

47

Olympus’s trademark JPEG colour rendition has given a lovely result with this autumnal scene Olympus 12-200mm at 112mm, 1/640sec at f/6.3, ISO 200

aware that by default the camera prioritises focus accuracy over frame rate, which delivers an impressively high percentage of in-focus shots, but can slow the frame rate right down with fast-moving subjects close to the camera. If you’d rather the camera shoot at maximum speed regardless, set C-AF Release Priority to On in the menu.

Switching to manual focus requires just a flick of the switch beside the EVF. You get a choice of live view magnification or peaking as focus aids, both of which can be automatically initiated when you turn the focus ring, then dismiss a few seconds afterwards. Alternatively if you regularly use non-electronic

lenses, either option can be assigned to a function button. It all works really well.

Performance When it comes to working with the E-M5 Mark III, there’s very little to complain about. Like other mirrorless models it takes a second or so to fire up, but from then on it reacts to the controls just as snappily as you could hope.

Load up a UHS-II SD card and it’ll shoot as fast and for as long as most photographers will need.

Olympus’s in-body stabilisation is extremely effective, and has the advantage of working with any lens, including types that aren’t often optically stabilised such as wideangles and fast primes. For

Olympus’s superb IBIS is invaluable in low light Olympus 12-200mm at 20mm, 1/5sec at f/4.4, ISO 6400 48

example, I was able to get consistently sharp shots using the 12-40mm f/2.8 handheld at a shutter speed of 1.6 seconds, which is a remarkable result not many other systems can match.

With subjects that won’t be spoiled by motion blur, this allows you to keep shutter speeds slower than would otherwise be possible, and therefore offset the noise disadvantage of the smaller sensor by using lower ISOs. Olympus’s special features generally work well too, although it’s a shame that a lot of them are accessed via the menu, and not necessarily intuitive to use. Even so, Keystone Correction is really useful when shooting architecture, while the various Live modes take the usual guesswork out of long-exposure shooting. Highresolution composite mode gives much cleaner, more detailed images that surpass anything you’ll get from an APS-C camera. But it only works with static scenes when you’re able to use a tripod, which limits its real-world usefulness.

Also despite the nominal 50MP JPEG and 80MP raw output, a lack of pixel-level sharpness at these sizes means that it’s no substitute for a modern highresolution full-frame camera.

One appealing feature you won’t glean from any spec sheet is the incredibly quiet and refined shutter action; few cameras are less obtrusive. Battery life may not

match a DSLR but is still perfectly respectable, especially with inexpensive third-party spares being easy to come by (the Ansmann clone costs less than £20). I can also vouch for the effectiveness of the weathersealing; I shot during a couple of heavy rain showers with absolutely no ill effects.

As usual for Olympus, the E-M5 II delivers very attractive JPEG images direct from the camera.

Well-judged exposure and white balance complement the firm’s signature punchy colour reproduction, while in highcontrast situations, enabling the Auto Gradation setting usually does a good job of balancing highlight and shadow detail. As a result it often outputs files that I’d happily print or share without any further work.

Raw image quality inevitably lags a little behind its peers that use the larger APS-C sensor, with higher noise visible at any given ISO setting. Likewise, you don’t get the extreme dynamic range and processing flexibility we’ve become accustomed to from the best sensors. However, when shooting at ISO 200 you can still underexpose to maintain highlights and push the rest of the image two or three stops in post-processing. But you do have to be prepared to employ a touch of noise reduction to keep the dark tones looking clean.

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CAMERA TEST

Lab results

Verdict

Andrew Sydenham’s lab tests reveal just how the camera performs

Our cameras and lenses are tested using the industrystandard Image Engineering IQ-Analyser software.

Visit www.image-engineering.de for more details With its 20MP Four Thirds sensor, the E-M5 Mark III inevitably lags behind its APS-C peers for high-ISO noise, while also being clearly surpassed by the latest 26.2MP and 32.5MP models from Fujifilm and Canon in terms of resolution. However this has to be placed in context: it can still record easily enough detail to make a fine A3+ print, and gives decent results up to ISO 3200. So unless you regularly make larger prints, shoot frequently in very low light or regularly do a lot of post-processing, it may well do the job just fine.

Resolution In our tests using the Olympus 60mm f/2.8 macro at f/4, the E-M5 III resolves around 3600 l/ph at low ISOs, which is about as much as we’d expect from its 20MP sensor. But it drops only slowly as the sensitivity is raised, achieving approximately 3400 l/ph at ISO 1600.

RAW ISO 64

At the top standard setting of ISO 6400, it still records around 3000 l/ph, but the extended sensitivities drop off more quickly, with just 2,400 l/ph registered at the top ISO 25,600 setting. Unsurprisingly, this is essentially the same as Olympus’s other 20MP models.

RAW ISO 1600

RAW ISO 6400

RAW ISO 25,600

On the right we show details from our resolution chart test pattern (above). Multiply the number beneath the lines by 200 to give the resolution in lines per picture height.

Noise At ISO 64 the E-M5 III delivers detailed files with minimal noise, but with a risk of clipping highlights compared to ISO 200. Images remain clean up to ISO 400, but above that, noise starts to have an impact on image quality.

Olympus’s JPEG processing heavily prioritises colour saturation over retaining fine detail, which is OK for social media or small prints, but I suspect many users will prefer to set the Noise Filter to Low, which strikes a better balance. Raw files retain strikingly more detail, and I’d be quite The crops shown below are taken happy using settings up to ISO 3200, and would accept ISO 6400 at a from the area outlined above in red pinch. But the higher settings really aren’t great, and I’d steer well clear.

RAWISO64

RAW ISO 400

RAW ISO 3200

RAW ISO 6400

RAW ISO 12,800

RAW ISO 25,600

Testbench

GOLD IT CAN be tempting to think of Olympus’s E-M5 line as being all about nostalgia, given the retro styling. But the Mark III offers plenty of substance too, with a lovely tactile design and photographer-friendly control setup. Olympus has always been at its best when making small, fully featured cameras, and the E-M5 III is a fine example. It retains the best features of its predecessors – compact size, light weight, weather-sealed build and superb image stabilisation – while improving the image quality and handling, and dramatically increasing the autofocus and shooting speed. The only thing missing is a metal body shell.

As always with Micro Four Thirds, you have to accept that the smaller sensor brings increased high-ISO image noise and a reduced potential for blurring backgrounds.

But in return, you get access to arguably the best range of small, high-quality lenses around, plenty of which are weather-sealed.

As a result, the E-M5 III is a remarkably versatile lightweight travel camera.

Looking at the competition, it’s not really possible to find an APS-C camera with quite the same blend of benefits. Fujifilm’s X-T30 is a lovely small camera but has neither weather-sealing nor IBIS, and while Sony’s A6500 and A6600 are similar in size and benefit from IBIS, they suffer from an out-dated design. The closest rival overall is probably the Panasonic Lumix G90, but it’s bulkier and lacks the E-M5 III’s retro charm.

So while the market is now more crowded than when its predecessor appeared, the E-M5 III still finds its own niche. There’s plenty here to tempt existing E-M5 or E-M10 series owners to update, and it’s also an interesting option for anyone looking for a more portable alternative to a DSLR system.

If you like the sound of a camera that’s small, handles well and gives attractive images, and value usability above staring at pixels, it should be high on your shortlist.

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9/10 9/10 9/10 8/10 9/10 7/10 8/10 8/10 49

Testbench

ROUND-UP

Portable hard drives

High-capacity hard drives are getting smaller and smaller.

James Abbott takes a closer look at the best mechanical and solid state drives available today

Laptop considerations

Most laptops have low capacity SSDs built-in, so a 1TB external SSD is an ideal option for Lightroom catalogues.

Transfer speed

For the fastest read and write times a solid state hard drive is the best option, as well as being the smallest.

Rugged design

If you plan to use your hard drive in harsh outdoor environments, rugged hard drives offer the most protection from the elements.

USB compatibility

Most hard drives now offer USB 3.0 alongside USB-C and USB-A connections, but most options are backwards compatible to USB 2.0.

High capacity

Data file

Available Drive type capacities

Interface

Compatibility

Transfer rate

Toshiba Canvio Advance

Mechanical 1,2,3,4TB

USB 3.0

Windows 7 / macOS Up to 5.0 10.10 and above Gbit/s

Western Digital My Passport

Mechanical 1,2,4,5TB

USB 3.2 Gen 1

Windows 8.1 / Not specified 107.2 x 75 x requiresreformatting 11.15mm for Mac

210g

From £68

G-Technology ArmorATD

Mechanical 1,2,4TB

USB-C ready, USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3

Windows 7 / macOS Up to 10.12 and above 140MB/s

30 x 18 x 47cm

358g

From £86

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

Solid state 250GB, 500GB, USB-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 Windows 8 / macOS up to 1TB 10.6 and above 550MB/s

33 x 101 x 127mm

79g

From £76

Samsung Portable SSD T5

Solid state 250GB, 500GB, USB-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 Windows 7 / macOS Up to 1TB, 2TB 10.9 and above 540MB/s

74 x 57.3 x 10.5mm

52g

From £80

Lacie Rugged SSD

Solid state 500GB, 1TB, 2TB

97.9 x 64.9 x 100g 17mm

USB-C USB 3.1 Gen 2 Windows 7 / macOS Up to 10.11 or later 950MB/s

Dimensions Weight Price Up to 109 x 78 Up to x 19mm 210g

From £50

From £189

Traditional mechanical hard drives still offer the best cost to storage ratio making them the best option for long term storage.

Toshiba Canvio Advance

Western Digital My Passport

G-Technology ArmorATD

● From £50 ● www.toshiba-storage.com

● From £68 ● shop.westerndigital.com

● From £86 ● shop.westerndigital.com

HARD drives have been becoming more and more affordable, with high-capacity drives in the 2.5-inch format now commonly available.

So, not only does this mean that your image storage need not take up valuable desk space, you can also easily travel with most, if not all, of your image files should you need to.

The Toshiba Canvio Advance is a reasonably priced mechanical hard drive available with storage capacities of 1,2,3 and 4TB, starting at £50 for the 1TB version and costing £105 for the 4TB version. Drives are available in black, white, red or blue so you can choose the colour you like best if that’s important to you.

Out of the box The Canvio is plug and play and really couldn’t be simpler to use. Out of the box, it’s formatted to NTFS for Windows, so Mac users will need to format the drive in Disk Utility before using it. If you are a Mac user, it’s worth noting that the drive comes preloaded with PDF instruction manuals and a link to the free downloadable software, so since Macs can read NTFS drives but not write to them, you can copy these files to your computer before formatting.

The free software that can be downloaded from the Toshiba website includes Toshiba Storage Backup Software that allows you to specify individual files and folders to automatically backup, as well as to control backup settings. The other software is Toshiba Storage Security Software which allows you to password-protect the drive.

The interface is USB 3.0, which is backwards compatible to USB 2.0. The transfer time of a 10.3GB folder of images from a laptop with an SSD drive was one minute 45 seconds. This isn’t a scientific test, of course, but it does show average real-world transfer times of a typical folder of images after a day or two of shooting.

As the least expensive hard drive in the test, combined with reasonable transfer speeds, the Toshiba Canvio Advance GOLD represents excellent value for money.

THERE are some hard drive companies that need little introduction, and Western Digital is certainly one of them. The My Passport product line has long been popular, and here we take a look at the latest version of a compact hard drive that’s available in 1,2,4 and 5TB storage capacities, and comes in black, blue and red enclosures. The 1TB version costs £68 while the 5TB version costs £180, which is well priced considering it’s five times the capacity of the 1TB drive.

This is once again a plug and play device with no need for a separate power supply, like the Toshiba and G-Technology drives, which keeps cables to a minimum and makes use extremely easy whether using purely at home on a desk, travelling or moving files between computers.

RUGGED hard drives have been around for a long time and, being aimed at photographers and filmmakers working in the field, this style of hard drive will likely remain a popular option for the foreseeable future. The G-Technology ArmorATD is a premium drive with good looks and build quality to match, but with all the protection it’s also the largest drive in the test.

If you plan to use your computer and hard drive in harsh environments, the ArmorATD does have some impressive credentials including triple-layer shock resistance, crush resistance up to 1000lbs, as well as dust and moisture resistance. Some of this comes in part as a result of the protective rubber bumper that surrounds the edges of the drive and includes a cover for the USB-C port.

Password protection The Western Digital My Passport comes NTFS formatted for Windows, so Mac and Linux users will need to format the drive before use.

But like the Toshiba drive, Mac users should view the drive contents before formatting because there is a disk image (DMG file) on the drive to install the free WD Discovery software.

There’s also an EXE file for Windows users.

This software includes WD Backup and password protection, as well as the ability to connect to popular social media and cloud storage services including Facebook, Dropbox, and Google Drive. This will be particularly useful to those who back up their images and files to one of these popular services.

The interface used by the drive is USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is backwards compatible with USB 2.0. The transfer time of a 10.3GB folder of images from a laptop with an SSD drive was one minute 31 seconds, which makes it marginally quicker than the Toshiba drive.

The My Passport is compact and lightweight, and its sleek design looks and feels great.

Although, like the Toshiba drive, it lacks the rugged build including rain and dust resistance of the G-Technology drive. This means it’s much more suited to use where it’s GOLD unlikely to be exposed to harsh elements.

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Built like a tank The ArmorATD is available in 1,2 and 4TB capacities starting at £86 for the 1TB version and £163 for the 4TB version. This essentially makes it the most expensive mechanical drive in the test, but not by a margin worth worrying about if this is the style of hard drive you’re looking for. The Toshiba and Western Digital certainly wouldn’t stand up to the abuse this hard drive could.

The interface used by the drive is USB-C 3.1 Gen 1, and a USB-C to USB-A adapter is included. The transfer time of a 10.3GB folder of images from a laptop with an SSD drive was one minute 45 seconds with a direct USB-C connection and the same with the USB-A adapter. This is surprising given the Toshiba uses slightly older USB technology and transferred the data in the same amount of time, while the more advanced My Passport with USB 3.2 was the fastest of the mechanical drives. This is likely because the drive is factory formatted exFAT to work with macOS and Windows out of the box, so a reformat makes sense for better performance.

Overall, the ArmorATD is a tough workhorse that’ll be good for location-based photographers who need a Recommended more robust backup and archiving hard drive.

51

Testbench

ROUND-UP

SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

Samsung Portable SSD T5

● From £76 ● shop.westerndigital.com

● From £80 ● www.samsung.com

SOLID state drives, or SSDs, provide a much more secure way to store your images because these drives don’t contain moving parts like mechanical drives. They’re faster and smaller, and although their cost is coming down they remain a much more expensive option than mechanical drives for large-scale backups.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is a palm-sized drive that’s perfect for backing up on the move and costs £76 for the 250GB, while the 1TB version will set you back £227.

So, as you’ll immediately notice this is considerably more than the average mechanical drive, but SSDs are a different proposition. The SanDisk also features an IP55 rating, which means it has dust protection and can also withstand rain, splashes and spills, although it’s not fully waterproof.

IF GOOD things come in small packages, then the Samsung Portable SSD T5 will be a great option for photographers looking for a pocket-sized hard drive that’s smaller than the average wallet. In terms of price, it sits in the middle with the 250GB version costing £80, while the 2TB version costs £309. It also comes in either a black, blue or red stylish metallic enclosure.

The Samsung drive is the smallest and lightest of all drives in the test at just 52g and takes up virtually no desk space when in use.

You’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a delicate hard drive based on the way it looks and feels – it looks more smart than tough – but the T5 can withstand drops of up to 2m thanks to a shock-resistant build.

WHEN it comes to rugged hard drives LaCie is one of the best-known brands producing these types of products. The LaCie Rugged SSD maintains this heritage while incorporating the latest technology for on-location file access with impressive features to help to keep the drive, and most importantly your data, safe in adverse conditions.

The LaCie Rugged SSD is a palm-sized, completely rubberised hard drive that comes in the classic Rugged orange that immediately tells you the manufacturer and model series of the drive. This is one of the more expensive drives in the test with the 500GB costing £189, and the 2TB version costs a staggering £530. This is considerably more expensive than both the Samsung and SanDisk SSDs, so what do you get with the LaCie that makes it stand out from its closest competition?

Shock-resistant build

Water and dust resistant

Quick transfer times

The Samsung T5 comes with software for PCs The drive comes preformatted exFAT to make and Macs to password protect the drive, and to it compatible with both macOS and Windows download the latest firmware updates as out of the box, and when you first plug the they’re released. You can also download a drive in, you’ll see that there’s an EXE for mobile app for Android smartphones and Windows and a download link for Mac users on tablets, which provides all the functionality of the drive for SanDisk SecureAccess – software the desktop app except the ability to update to password protect your files. the firmware.

The interface used by the drive is USB-C The interface used by the drive is USB 3.2 (USB 3.1 Gen 2), and the device comes with a Gen 2 and comes with both USB-C and USB-A adapter for those who don’t have a USB-A cables. The transfer time of a 10.3GB USB-C port on their computer. The transfer folder of images from a laptop with an SSD time of a 10.3GB folder of images from a drive was 47 seconds. This is slightly slower laptop with an SSD drive was 37 seconds, than the other SSD drives, but certainly isn’t a which is extremely fast and matched only by deal-breaker and still represents a fast transfer the Lacie SSD that achieved an identical speed for on-location backups. The T5 comes transfer time. To put this into context, all of the formatted exFAT to make it compatible with mechanical drives tested took over 1.5 minutes Windows, macOS and Android out of the box. to transfer this data so the time savings when Samsung Portable SSD T5 is incredibly small on the move aren’t to be sniffed at. The and lightweight which makes it a great option SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is small, for image backups on the move and to transfer lightweight and incredibly fast – everything data from one computer to another. Plus, the you’d want and expect from a portable SSD. shock-resistant build is a welcome feature. Data And while it wouldn’t serve the needs of most transfers are slightly slower than those of the photographers as a main image backup Lacie and SanDisk, but at just 10 seconds solution, for day to day use slower this is negligible for and backup on location it’s most users. Those editing an excellent option. It’s so video from an external hard fast, you can even easily drive may, however, benefit run a Lightroom catalogue from the slightly faster GOLD GOLD from it with no noticeable transfer speed of the other slowdowns.

SSD drives in this roundup.

52

LaCie Rugged SSD ● From £189 ● www.lacie.com

The LaCie drive is IP67 rated, which means it’s both water and dust resistant to the point where it can be submerged by up to 1.5m for up to 30 minutes. Of course, it’s unlikely you’d ever submerge the device in this way but if you work in locations where there’s potential to drop your hard drive into water, this combined with the fact the LaCie is drop resistant up to 3m and offers up to 2 tonnes of crush resistance, will be attractive.

The interface used by the drive is USB 3.1 Gen 2, and it comes with both USB-C and USB-A cables so you can use the connection type you prefer. The transfer time of a 10.3GB folder of images from a laptop with an SSD drive was an impressive 37 seconds putting it on a par with the times recorded by the SanDisk drive.

The Lacie Rugged SSD is an excellent performer as one of the two fastest hard drives in the test alongside the SanDisk. The rugged build is best in class and provides the ultimate amount of protection if this is what you require.

The biggest hurdle with the LaCie is simply price – it’s a premium product with a price to match – but for some photographers, this will be a small price to pay to know that their images are safe in even the harshest Recommended conditions and environments.

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ACCESSORIES

Testbench

ALL PRICES ARE APPROXIMATE STREET PRICES

Tile Essentials kit

Andy Westlake tries out a Bluetooth system for keeping track of valuables

At a glance

● www.thetileapp.com ● £64.99

● Works with Apple and

IF YOU got a shiny new camera for Slim Christmas, the last thing you’ll want is to This credit-cardlose it. So a stick-on finding device from sized Tile is just 2.4mm a firm that bills itself as ‘the world’s thick, and uses a largest lost-and-found community’ non-replaceable battery might sound very tempting, especially that should last given its claim that 90% of Tiles three years. reported as lost are later found.

The concept is simple: each Tile is a small Bluetooth device that’s paired to your smartphone. The Tile app constantly looks for each Tile, and makes a note of your location whenever they’re within range (which is 150ft or more). This keeps track of where they are, and registers a last known location if you lose one. Each Tile also has a built-in speaker and can be instructed to play a tune from the app, to help you find it. A Bluetooth signal-strength display indicates how close you are. This also works in reverse; pressing the button on a Tile can be used to ring your phone.

Unlike some similar Bluetooth devices, though, the app won’t sound an alarm when the connection to your phone is lost. As it’s not a GPS tracker itself, a Tile also can’t tell you where it currently is – only where you lost contact with it. So it won’t necessarily be much use in the event of deliberate theft. However here the system does have a unique trick; its Community Find feature can alert you if another user’s phone detects your Tile, and where. But obviously, there’s more than an element of luck to this.

Tiles themselves come in various shapes and sizes. The Essentials kit includes a credit card-sized Slim for your wallet, a Mate to tag your bag or keys, and two Stickers that are designed to be attached to valuables such as cameras. These Tiles are also all available singly and in other sets.

Unfortunately, though, it turns out few cameras actually have a clear, flat surface large enough to hold a Sticker, and for those that do, it’s often on the viewfinder housing, which ends up looking ugly. Interestingly though Tile’s technology is now being integrated into other Bluetooth devices such as headphones, and with most new cameras now including Bluetooth, this would surely be a better approach.

Verdict Tiles certainly have their uses; they’re great as a means of finding your keys, wallet or phone around the house, for example. I’m not convinced Stickers are a great fit for cameras, but I’m tempted to sneak a Mate into my camera bag. subscribe 0330 333 1113 I www.amateurphotographer.co

Mate

Intended for tagging items such as keys or bags, this is 35mm square, 6.2mm thick, and uses a replaceable CR1632 battery.

● Bluetooth device finder

Android smartphones ● Uses free Tile app ● Essentials set includes four Tiles

Recommended

Tile app

The app is neatly and intuitively laid out. Each of your Tiles can be given a custom name and image, and phones or tablets with the app installed also show up as Tiles.

The Stickers are designed to be attached to valuables, such as cameras

Sticker

Waterproof and with an adhesive base for sticking to valuables such as cameras, this is 27mm in diameter, 7.3mm thick, and has a three-year battery.

TILE PREMIUM While the main Tile service is free, there’s also a Premium option.

For an annual subscription of £29.99, you can set up Smart Alerts that tell you when you’ve left a Tile at home or any other specified location, a 30-day location history, and share Tiles with family members or friends.

55

Tech Talk Voigtländer Vitomatic IIa with the sought-after 50mm f/2 Ultron lens

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John Wade reveals a very usable German classic from Voigtländer LAUNCHED 1960

View from the top, showing the match-needle metering, shutter release and recessed rewind knob

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There are two versions. The better one, with a 50mm f/2 Ultron lens, is the more valuable.

But you can buy the 50mm f/2.8 Color Skopar version for as little as £30. It’s still a great camera.

Measuring only 11x7.5x7cm with the Ultron on board, it weighs a surprisingly heavy 800 grams.

It’s a 35mm camera with a coincident image rangefinder in the viewfinder coupled to the focusing ring. A selenium cell meter beside the viewfinder feeds information to the shutter speed and aperture controls. First the desired shutter speed is set, then the aperture ring is turned until a moving needle lines with an index mark in both the viewfinder and in a window on the top plate. When

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they are aligned, the correct exposure has been set. Thereafter, as the shutter speed is changed, the aperture automatically changes with it to retain the same overall exposure.

Many cameras of this era are cursed with small viewfinders, but the Vitomatic viewfinder is enormous, very bright and exceptionally clear, incorporating a guide to the picture area and parallax compensation. Film wind is

by lever and the frame counter is in the base of the camera. Because the ratchet that engages with the film’s sprocket holes is interlocked with the shutter release, the shutter will not fire unless a film is loaded and wound. When the back is opened to load the film, part of the base plate also drops down to make loading easier than usual.

For many photographers of the 1960s, the Voigtländer Vitomatic IIa was considered among the best 35mm rangefinder cameras on the market.

What’s good Quality lenses, easy film loading, flash sync at all speeds.

The drop-down section of the baseplate makes film loading easier

What’s bad Very heavy for its size,

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short rangefinder base makes it less accurate than some.

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Liquids specifically designed and manufactured to remove greas oil, pollen, fingerprints etc whilst still being safe for your precious sensor. When used in conjunction with the correct swab they make light work of removing matter that would otherwise degrade your image. With the current popularity of mirrorless cameras and their potential for the ingress of dirt and foreign bodies due to lack of a mirror, keep these products in your gadget bag ready for use.

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65

Photo Critique

Final Analysis Damien Demolder considers…

‘The Jimi Hendrix Experience’, 1968

Beyond the obvious I’ve picked this picture to write about though as it demonstrates something important that we can learn and use in our own photography. I call it ‘first thought/second thought’ and it involves thinking beyond what is right there in front of us and shooting beyond the obvious to elevate the picture beyond the ordinary. Few of us want to shoot ordinary pictures, so this ‘second thought’ is a useful idea to help us avoid being average.

The second thought requires us to take a moment. This is important, and to take that moment we need to achieve a degree of calm that prevents us from rushing into something without thinking enough about what we want to achieve.

It is slightly criminal that we don’t know who shot this picture – it is just credited to

© GETTY ARCHIVE

W

e don’t get enough Hendrix in AP so I thought it was about time we had some dressed up as a way to demonstrate something important. In case you didn’t recognise them, here is The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968. The band was coming to the end of its short life and Jimi was probably plotting his departure and a solo career without Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell.

To be authentic I tried to listen to the album of that time, Electric Ladyland, as I wrote this piece. Frankly, I couldn’t concentrate so I had to switch it off before the end of the third track. I’m not very rock ‘n’ roll I’m afraid!

I will persevere with it later in the car.

‘This particular image is still used today because it highlights something that was special about the band beyond their music’ Getty Archive – but whoever took it could be forgiven for feeling a little under pressure during the shoot.

The Jimi Hendrix Experience was hot property at the time and the band had become incredibly successful in a very short period. The photographer managed a good composition that demonstrates in an instant who the boss is and what each of the key players looks like. He may have been happy with the composition on its own, and whoever commissioned the picture would probably also have been happy. But as a standard shot of the band it would have then disappeared into history.

The reason this particular image is still used today is because it also highlights something that was special about the band beyond their music and their faces – their big hair.

Finding the visual hook To shoot the hair in the way it has been done here requires a process. The photographer has to make a conscious effort to stop and think ‘What is visually special about these guys, and how do I make that a feature of the shot?’ Having done that and identified that their hair was a significant part of their identity, a light could be placed behind the band to lift the hair from the

background. And an ordinary picture is magically elevated to extra-ordinary.

We create the extraordinary by not shooting and moving on, by not shooting without thinking, by not taking a picture when we haven’t worked out already what it is in the scene that appeals to us, and by not pressing the shutter release before we have determined what there is to say, what we want to say and how we are going to say it.

If you don’t have the confidence to take your time and not feel rushed, pretend for a moment that you do. The first thought is important of course, but know that it is the second thought that will make the difference.

Photographer and journalist Damien Demolder has worked in the photographic publishing industry since 1997 and is the former Editor of Amateur Photographer. He writes regularly about photography for a number of leading publications and has also been a judge on a number of prestigious international photo competitions. See his website at www.damiendemolder.com.

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