Photography News Issue 54

Spring is finally here and if you’re taking the opportunity to get in some landscape photography, this issue is packed with tips and techniques. We also reveal the last Camera Club that has made it through to our final shoot-out and if you’ve been thinking of buying some new kit, then discover why the Fujifilm X-H1 is well worth considering and check out more gear in our first tests.

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography news Photography Issue 54 9 April – 10May News Tests Reviews Interviews Techniques Competitions Exhibitions Clubs Produced by

DIGITAL EDITION every month* *at photographynews.co.uk FREE GET YOUR

A Samsung 128GB memory card Enter thecompetition onpage48 WIN!

Fujifilm X-H1 rated Find out what our experts think of the brand-new X Series flagship. See page 32

First tests Get to grips with all the latest gear and find out if it deserves a place in your kitbag. Turn to page 36

Camera Club of the Year Round 5's winners and sinners revealed! See page 15

Make a difference New Canon report reveals how to shoot your most compelling images yet

Canon,inpartnershipwiththeWorldPress Photo organisation, has conducted some insightful research into how experienced photojournalists ‘get the shot’. So, what’s the difference between capturing a moment that challenges and changes perspectives – or missing out? According to the report, called ‘Visual Storytelling: Getting the Shot’, it comes down to a number of factors. The most important factor was planning; almost 95%of the photographers surveyed said preparation was paramount to capturing a perfect shot, which included fully researching the story and angle. The next most important factor according to the survey was reliable kit. 94% of the photographers said they need to eliminate any chance of malfunctions, which could ultimately result in missing themoment; intuitive, easy-to-use gearwas cited by 76% as key. Do these photojournalists know when they’ve got the shot? Over half of the respondents (56%) said they did, instantly recognising the feeling of success they get as soon they took the photo. Backing this up, Canon Ambassador and World Press Photo 2018 category award nominee, and two-time award winner, Giulio Di Sturco, said: “The moment you get the shot… You feel that everything in the frame is in the right place and importantly, you’ve captured the essence of the story.”

Don’t miss out on Photo 24 Missed the deadline? You don’t need to miss out. Find out how you can still make it to PN’s amazing 24-hour photo event inside. Join us for an action- packed day in the capital, sponsored by Fujifilm; it's 24 hours of photography around London with contests, photo walks and free camera loans. Details on page 7.

So what is that essence? Over half (55%) of photographers said that ‘provoking a change in perspective on a topic or issue’ was the most important factor, followed closely by one that drives emotion (48%), and has a strong narrative (31%). Interestingly, these massively outweighed good composition with just (24%). The study also examined the future of photojournalism. 45% believed there will be growth in quality photojournalism led

by social media and the ease of sharing images and telling stories online. But while over half thought virtual reality (52%) and augmented reality (49%) would play a role in the future of the medium, only 47% of the photographers’ kitbags had so far expanded to include a broader range of kit beyond DSLRs, lenses and accessories. Would your clubmembers agree?

canon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Interfit LM-inates darkness

Manfrotto is bringing several new products to photographers: an innovative sling bag, a rechargeable LED light and three new accessories for the HiLite illuminated background system. Tackling the latter first, the three HiLite accessories take advantage of the HiLite’s appeal as a huge, full length softbox, helping to control the shape, direction and intensity of the light; there’s the Window Voile, the Shaper and the Shaper & Masks set, all of which fit the HiLite 1.8x2.15m system. The Window Voile (£123.95), supplied with a collapsible aluminium pole and clipping to the top of the HiLite, with the curtain hanging below, gives an easy window lighting effect. The Shaper (£108.95) uses the same pole design as the Voile, and hangs an 86cm wide black panel which masks the light from the HiLite. The Shaper can be moved to any position along the pole, making strips or masking the photographer when shooting with the HiLite behind. The Shapers & Masks set (£245.95), in addition to the Shaper, has three masks, attaching to the top and the sides of the HiLite to prevent spill. For £104.95, the Lumimuse 8 is a small, powerful light, which can be mounted on a variety of supports using a 1/4in connector, or an included hotshoe adapter. Featuring eight LEDs, the light is built from aluminium, uses a rechargeable lithium battery with a running time of up to an hour and comes Interfit has had a busy month, releasing a new range of LED lights called LM8. The lights are aimed at what’s seen as an increasing number of pros and enthusiasts wanting to shoot both video and stills. The range includes Soft Light Pads, Studio Panels, a 100W Monolight withBowens S-Mount fit, Studio Ring Lights and a selection of kits. Thanks to using either a mains AC adapter or batteries they can be used on location or in the studio; the LM8 lights can use NP-F Sony or V-Lock type batteries, and an external battery pack for the 100W monolight will be available this summer. The LM8 Soft Light Pads are available in 100 and 400 LED counts (at £49.99/159.99) and their bicolour (3200-5600K) bulbs are set behind a diffuser providing a soft light source. The LM8 LED Studio Panels, available with

either a 600 or 1200 LED count (at £209.99/369.99) and also bicolour, give more powerful illumination. The LED Studio Panels also come with a set of metal barndoors, one transparent and one frosted filter, a power cord and case. The LM8 100WLEDMono Light (£189.99) is a daylight balanced (5600K) LED that uses a Bowens- fit accessory mount and a Pop- Up Softbox ring, making it fully compatible with Interfit’s range of modifiers and accessories. Finally, the LM8 LED Ring Light is available in both bicolour and daylight balanced versions (at £209.99/189.99), with a circular emitter that provides very even illumination on the subject, and it comes with a mirror, mobile phone bracket, cables and case. All the LM8 lights are available now.

interfitphotographic.com

Manfrottohighlights

Laowa’s 25mm5x macroandmore

In what could be a real treat for macro shooters, Laowa has released the 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5x Ultra Macro. This new lens offers close-ups from 2.5x to 5x life-size, so should give some incredibly detailed views of tiny subjects. The lens has an extended working distance of 45mm at 2.5x and 40mm at 2x, allowing easier lighting of your subject, and is available now in Sony E, Canon, Nikon and Pentax mounts, costing £399. Also from Laowa is the 9mm f/2.8 Zero-D lens, boasting an ultra-wide 113° angle of view. Designed for use with mirrorless cameras, the lens is small and light, weighing in at only 215g, and features two aspherical elements and three extra-low dispersion elements in its 15 elements, 10 group construction.

It’s available now in Sony E, Fujifilm X and Canon EOS-M fits with a price of £499. Finally Laowa has introduced a new mount converter for using full-frame lenses on Fujifilm G series cameras. The Laowa Magic Format Converter enlarges the image circle produced by these lenses to match the larger sensor of the Fujifilm GFX 50S, so there is no vignetting. The Laowa Magic Format Converter has a focal length multiplier of 1.4x and reduces the maximum aperture by 1 stop, so for instance a 12mm f/2.8 will be an effective 17mm f/4 lens. The Converter comes in two variants, allowing you to use either Canon EF or Nikon F lenses, and is available now, costing £319.

laowalens.co.uk

with three colour filters and a diffuser. Most interesting of all, up to 13 Lumimuse lights can be controlled wirelessly via Bluetooth and a free app. Finally, Manfrotto’s Pro Light FastTrack-8 is a clever sling bag that incorporates a camera strap. This means you can keep

a camera connected at all times whether it’s stowed or in use, and the bag also has space for two additional lenses, a tablet and accessories. It’ll set you back £109.95. Check out this month’s Buyers Guide for more info.

manfrotto.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Tenba wraps and bags

Mastering Exposure Photography is a new book from Ammonite Press, exploring the challenges of photographing scenes that the eye often cannot see. Packed with stunning images and expert advice from the author, Antony Zacharias, the book covers everything from star trails and cityscapes at dusk to painting with light and using blur creatively. Available from this month, Mastering Long Exposure Photography is priced £19.99 and the book spans 176 pages including hundreds of beautiful full-colour examples. Long exposures made easy Long

Tenba is offering a new series of Protective Wraps for cameras, lenses and photo accessories. Available in three sizes and four colours – black, grey, blue and lime – the wraps can be used to protect

bodies, lenses, flashes, filters and all sorts of other accessories. Made of soft, brushed tricot, water-resistant nylon and foam, the wraps use Velcro fasteners allowing you to secure them anywhere on the material, and therefore hugging any shape of accessory. A 12in wrap is £14, a 16in £17, and a 20in wrap £20.

Tenba’s Cooper range of camerabags is alsogrowing with four new models unveiled at TPS. The Cooper range eschews a traditional camera bag look, instead going for a charcoal grey ‘lifestyle’ finish, and uses a water-resistant Cordura Canvas peach wax cotton outer, while the bottom of each has a waterproof leather pad.

The Cooper 6 shoulder bag (at £100) is for mirrorless systems or small DSLRs, holding a body and up to two lenses, with a slip pocket on the back for a smartphone and a zippedpocket on the front for smaller items. The Cooper 15 Slim messenger bag (at £215) will swallow a CSC or DSLR with extra space for up to six lenses, including an 70-200mm f/2.8. There’s also space for a 15in laptop, a trolly strap, external pockets and aWeatherWrap. Of the two backpacks launched, the Cooper Slim Backpack (at £150) has a classic

daysack design allowing general gear in the top section, with a dedicated, padded, removable camera protection insert below. In the latter you can fit a mirrorless or compact DSLR, with three additional lenses up to 24-70mm f/2.8 in size. There’s also room for a nine-inch tablet and other accessory pockets. The Cooper DSLR Backpack (at £170), pictured left, is much like the Slim in design, but fits larger DSLR camera systems, holding a DSLR body, three lenses including a 70- 200mm, and up to a ten-inch tablet.

ammonitepress.com

tenba.com/uk

Benro goes through the gears

News in brief

Benro has revealed an innovative new filter system, a new geared tripod head and additions to its Slim tripod range. First up, the new filter system includes a patented 100mm holder design that incorporates a screw-in polariser bay and geared adjustment for square filters. The FH100M2 therefore allows precise adjustment to the height of graduated NDs; a grooved frame is fitted to the filter, which is slotted into the mechanism and moved up or down with the turn of a knob. The Benro FH100M2 is designed for use with both the 100x100mm and 100x150mm filters. The range of filters includes resin models (a four-stop ND, two- to four-stop hard and soft grads, and reverse grads) and glass (six- and 10-stop NDs, and two- to five-

The two new tripods in the Benro Slim range are a travel and a video model. The Slim Travel Kit will be available in aluminium or carbon (at £100 or £135), while the Slim Video Tripod Kit is just in aluminium (at £120). Designed for CSCs and small DSLRs, both are light and streamlined. The Travel tripods weigh 1.2kg and 1.07kg respectively, use five-section legs with twist locks, reach a maximum of 130cm, packing to 31.5cm, have a maximum load of 4kg and a compact N00ball head is included. The Video Kit weighs 1.48kg, has four sections, comes with an S2 Pan & Tilt head and has a top load of 2.5kg. Maximumheight is 147cm and it folds to 50cm.

Beautiful newBillingham Billingham has added the Hadley Small Pro to its range. The bag fits CSCs, rangefinders and mid-sized DSLRs and is rugged and weather resistant. There are six colour combinations and it'll cost you £200.

stop grads). Price for a 100x150mm grad is £45, a glass 100x100mm 10-stop ND is £100 and a glass 100x150mm grad is £130. Next up, the GD3WH Geared Head allows precision movement along three axes, allowing a vertical tilt of +90/-30º and landscape tilt

of -90/+30º and uses an Arca-style quick release plate. For large movements, the gearing can be disengaged, and it has three built-in bubble levels. The head is made frommagnesium alloy, weighs 0.87kg and has a maximum load of 6kg.

billingham.co.uk

benroeu.com

LeicaStealthEdition The Leica M Monochrom (Typ 246) has been given a special edition in striking matte black. Designed by Marcus Wainwright of fashion label rag & bone, it costs £13,000.

Making a name for yourself

A Port photographer has snapped up a national photography prize. Adrian Waine won the specialist EEF National Manufacturing gifted Ellesmere

Photography Award, now in its eight year. The competition sought images that captured the essence of modern manufacturing in traditional or high-tech sectors,

with Adrian’s image showing stone-cutting using diamond tooling and compressed air.

en.leica-camera.com

eef.org.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Practice makes perfect

LASTCALL

Photo 24 Join us for an action-packed day in the capital. Now in its sixth year, Photo 24, sponsored by Fujifilm, is literally 24 hours of photography around the streets of London, plus there will be contests, photo walks and free camera loans

This year’s Photo 24 kicks off at 3pm on 29 June and you can be part of the free event if you get your application in before the 12 April deadline. However, if this is the first you have heard of Photo 24 and that deadline has passed, we will keep applications open for the reserve list until the final date of 20 April. The simple reason for this is that not everyone who gets offered a place will accept it. So if a successful applicant turns down their place, that place will be offered, firstly to readers who met the original 12 April deadline and after that to those on the reserve list. Photo 24 is a free event in terms of cost, but also in terms of what you choose to shoot on it and how long you stay. Many participants endeavour to keep going and shoot for the duration of the event, while others may do a few hours on the Friday and then a few more on the Saturday, and yet others will attend for just a couple of hours. The choice is yours. The event is sponsored by Fujifilm and participants will have the option of a free Fujifilm X Series camera loan for the day. If you have limited knowledge of the capital or you need advice about street shooting, we will also have photo walks around the

“All tools are extensions of the human body and the camera, in whatever form, be it a smartphone or a DSLR, is an extension of the eye andmind." So says a new book, Zen Camera , which seeks to guide photographers into a daily practice of improving creative skills by drawing on mindfulness and Zen Buddhism. The author, David Ulrich, has taught photography for 40 years, and this is encapsulated in six profound lessons for developing self-expression. Zen Camera encourages you to build a visual practice called your ‘Daily Record’ in which photography can become a path of self-discovery; rather then being distracted by technology, the aim is to gain an insight into the nature of seeing, art and attention. Spanning 224 pages and beautifully illustrated with 83 photographs, Zen Camera is available now for £18.99.

streets of London led by expert Fujifilm X-Photographers who will be on hand to help anyone who needs it. London offers endless photo opportunities and we plan to add a couple more including a flash studio set-up where you can try for yourself the magnificent Fujifilm GFX 50S medium- format camera. And if you fancy a creative challenge there’ll also be photo contests with valuable Fujifilm prizes to be won. All in all, Photo 24 is a great fun day of photography so go to our website, fill in the application and we may see you on the day.

• Closing date for applications: 12 April • Successful applicants notifiedweek commencing 23 April • Deadline to accept your place: 8May KEY DATES

thegmcgroup.com

photographynews.co.uk

Get ProfessionalPhoto magazine

Whether you fancy trying your hand at selling a few portraits, or you’ve already shot a wedding professionally, Professional Photo is for you. Offering aspiring professional and working photographers inspirational ways to sign more clients, sell more images and save more cash, every issue is packed with business tips, techniques and beautiful images. Issue 144, on sale now, includes a test of Fujifilm’s new X-H1; takes you behind the scenes on a pro location shoot and profiles the career of editorial, beauty and fashion shooter Chris Floyd. Issue 145 goes on sale on 26 April, with a focus on weddings. Use the coupon opposite to buy either issue of Professional Photo fromWHSmith and save £1 off the usual £4.75 cover price.

ToTheCustomer:Simplycutoutthiscouponandhand ittoyour WHSmithHighStreetretailertoclaimyourcopyof Professional Photo for£3.75 insteadoftheusual£4.75.Thiscouponcanbe usedaspartpaymentfor issue144or145of ProfessionalPhoto on salebetween29Marchand23May2018.Onlyonecouponcanbe usedagainsteach itempurchased.Nocashalternative isavailable. Nottobeused inconjunctionwithanyotheroffer. TotheWHSmithRetailer:Pleaseacceptthisvoucheraspart paymentofonecopyof ProfessionalPhoto onsalebetween 29Marchand23May2018.Thisvoucher isworth£1plusa2p handlingallowance.Theoffer isvalidtotheconsumerupto23 May2018andmustbereturnedtoyourclearinghousetoarrive no laterthan25April2018(issue144),23May2018(issue145).As yourshopbelongstoamultiplegroup,pleasehandle intheusual way.Thisvoucher isnotredeemableagainstanyother itemand is onlyvalid intheUK. Offer subject to availability andwhile stocks last

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Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards

Gear of the year 2017 Awardwinners 2017 The Photography Show at the NEC was the perfect opportunity for Will Cheung, PN’s editor, to hand out the trophies to this year’s deserving winners of the Photography News Awards 2017

Tim Carter of Nikon UK collects an award for the Advanced DSLR of the year, the much acclaimed Nikon D850.

Olympuswon Consumer CSCof the year with itsOM-DE-M10Mark III andOlympus’s Georgie Pavelin collected the prize.

Daniel Benjamin (left), Stephanie Howard and Neale Conroy (right) of Canon UK collected Awards for the Consumer DSLR of the year for the EOS 80D, Advanced CSC of the year for the EOS M6 and the Professional DSLR of the year for the EOS 5DMark IV.

Best shoulder/sling bag winner was the Think Tank StreetWalker V2. The prize was collected by the SnapperStuff team, from the left, Peter Atkinson, Louise Brettle, Chris Butcher and Helen Atkinson.

Hahnemühle’s Simon Waller collected the trophy for its Hahnemühle William Turner 310gsm paper winning the inkjet media: fine art finish category.

GrahamArmitage (right) and Paul Reynolds (left) of Sigma Imaging received the Award for best wide-angle lens, the Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSMArt, for the second year running.

Tamron’s Dieter Stein and JerryMartin of UK distributor Intro 2020won best superzoom for the Tamron SP 18-400mmf/3.5-6.3Di II VCHLDand best standard lens for the Tamron SP 24-70mmf/2.8Di VCUSD. V2 lens.

The Kenro Compact Tripod (Aluminium) 102 won best tripod: alloy. Paul Kench is pictured collecting his award.

Best mains flash was won by Pixapro for its Pixapro Storm II 600 and Ling Tan is seen here collecting the prize.

The Elinchrom ELB 1200 won the best portable flash category and Elinchrom’s Chris Whittle is seen here with the trophy.

Regular winners of the filter category did it againwith the Lee Filters ProGlass IRND. Here’s Ralph Young of Lee Filters picking up the prize.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards

PNYwon the best memory card category with its SD Elite Performance 256GB card. The prize was accepted by PNY’s Steve Hockney.

Paul Hill of Manfrotto UK picked up the prize for best tripod: carbon fibre for the 190 Go! Carbon 4-section.

X-Rite ColorMunki Photo was voted best colour management device and Color Confidence’s Dave Mobbs collected the trophy.

AdamKidman of Zeiss UK collected the prize for best telephoto lens, the Zeiss Otus 85mm f/1.4.

Fujifilm scooped awards for the best compact/bridge camera for the FujifilmX100F, best professional CSC for the FujifilmX-T2 and best medium-format camera for the FujifilmGFX 50S. Jeannie Corby collected the prizes.

For the second year running, Epson’s SureColor SC-P600 won the inkjet printer award and the prize was collected by Dom Gurney from Epson.

The BenQ SW320 Pro 32in IPS LCD won the monitor award and here we see Jessica Liu of BenQ getting the trophy.

Here’s the team from the Jessops Academy collecting its award for best training provider. From the left, Niall Stansfield, Pete Walker, Lee Rolfe.

Wilkinson Cameras won best retailer and the prize was collected by the company’s David Parkinson.

Winners not present

Best on-camera flash Profoto A1

Best macro lens Voigtlander E-Mount 65mm f/2 Macro Apo-Lanthar 

Best external storage device Samsung Portable SSD T5

Innovation of the year went to Rotolight for its NEO2 continuous light and HSS Flash and the prize was collected by Rotolight’s Rod Aaron Gammons.

The Peli Air Case 1535 won the best hard roller/hard case category and Peli’s Indy Gevgun collected the prize.

Calum Thompson from Loxley Colour receives the award for best processing lab.

The best used specialist retailer award was won by mpb.com, with Clare Anderson and Ben Anderson collecting the trophy.

Abi Symons of PermaJet received the prize for PermaJet FBMono Gloss Baryta 320, winning inkjet media: photographic finish.

Zenfolio won best photo website provider (again!) and Zenfolio’s Arnaud Collin came along for the prize.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Advertisement feature 10

Built to compete Panasonic’s LUMIX G9 is designed to keep pace with the world’s finest athletes, as Getty Images’ Jan Kruger found out at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games Price £1499 Sensor

Elite level – LUMIXG9

Shot Mode providing massive resolution for large prints. The G9’s expanded ISO of 100-25,600 also means that you can shoot under the toughest lighting conditions. “In good daylight on the slopes,” says Jan, “I thought the camera was fantastic at low ISO and high shutter speeds to capture athletes flying by. Overall, I thought the tracking workedverywell and the Leica lenses supplied were excellent.” PASM, iAuto, scene modes Exposure compensation +/-5EV in 0.3EV steps Monitor Free-angle 3in touch screen LCD with 1040k dots Viewfinder EVF (3680k dot) Focusing Contrast AF (EV -4 to 18 (ISO100 equivalent)) Focus points 225 area Video 4K (60/50p) Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI-A, micro-B USB Storagemedia 2x SD/SDHC/SDXC cards Dimensions 136.9x97.3x91.6mm Weight 658g (with battery and 1x SD card) Contact Panasonic.co.uk 20.3-megapixels Sensor format Four Thirds Live MOS (5184x3888 pixels) ISO range 100-25,600 in 0.3EV steps Shutter range 30secs to 1/32,000sec (depends on mode) plus Bulb Drivemodes 20fps with AF (60fps 4K Photo) Metering system Mult-segment, spot, centre-weighted Exposuremodes

Speed. Concentration. Endurance. These are just some of the attributes you need to succeed at an Olympic level. The very best athletes combine them and win gold. So what does it take to make a champion camera? What features create an imaging powerhouse that can keep upwith the best of winter athletes? And can they be found in Panasonic’s newLUMIXG9 camera? According to Getty Images’ JanKruger, who trialled the LUMIX G9 at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games, they certainly can. These were Jan’s third Olympic Winter Games as part of the Getty Images commercial assignment team, which services all picture requirements for major sponsors during the Winter Olympics. “So when the office asked if I’d be interested in using the new LUMIX G9 camera I jumped at the opportunity. As a sport photographer, documenting the world’s best athletes competing at the Winter Olympics is a fantastic privilege and experience. I have enjoyed putting the LUMIXG9 to the test.” Jan received the LUMIX G9 and lenses a couple of days before his departure to South Korea and immediately started to play around with it, using the body’s highly customisable features: “I set the camera up in a way that felt familiar tome; but these settings changeddaily as I got to know the camera and realised that different focus points and shutter choiceswork better for some disciplines and not others.” Fortunately, the LUMIX G9’s Status LCD also makes it easy to see and change settings with just one quick glance. Strength. Power.

As a pro sports photographer, Jan says it’s “important to get to know your equipment and work to maximise its strengths to get the desired images. “The Winter Olympics are fast in nature, in a cold climate, andmostly in the evening under artificial light, and the camera performed well. The more I used it, the more confident I felt in achieving the shots I was after.” A complex range of conditions then, but problems that he felt the G9 mastered, with its record-breaking 20fps burst mode with Continuous AF, the world’s fastest AF speed of 0.04sec, DUAL Image Stabilization giving a massive 6.5 stop advantage, and blackout-free electronic viewfinder, meaning that you can concentrate entirely on the action, and keep it pin sharp at all times.

The LUMIX G9’s 3680k dot EVF also has a clever switchable magnification, going from 0.83x to 0.77x or 0.7x, allowing you to pick out the subject more easily. The camera is tough, too, with amagnesium alloy chassis and weather sealing to keep it dust and splash proof. In the extremely harsh conditions of the Korean winter, operating temperature also becomes a big factor, and the G9 can shoot down to -10°Cwithout missing a beat. Of course, this all counts for nothing if a camera can’t record the action with perfect clarity, but here again the LUMIX G9 excels, with its 20MP optical low pass free sensor boasting exceptional image quality and improved resolution. If you need even more detail, the LUMIX G9 has an 80MP High Res

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

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

How to submit

Deadline for the next issue: 4May 2018

We need words and pictures by 4 May 2018 for the next issue of Photography News , which will be available from 14 May 2018. Write your story in a Word document (400 words max). Please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event: website, meeting times, opening times, whatever is relevant. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension, any colour space, and image credits should be included. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster) or

one from the event. If it includes people, please identify them. Attach the Word document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Yorkshire Photographic Union

The Yorkshire PU is holding its annual exhibition in the centre of Sheffield, 5-18 May where selected images from photographic clubs and societies across Yorkshire will be on display. The YPU Annual Exhibition showcases images selected from members of 73 clubs from throughout Yorkshire. Many award-winning and critically-acclaimed photographers will be displaying the finest examples from their portfolios. The 200 print and 200 digital images are selected from hundreds of entries and guarantee the highest standard and finest examples of photography from members of Yorkshire’s photographic clubs. Many of these images will go on to represent Yorkshire at national level at the Photographic Alliance of Great Britain and in turn at international level. Alan Stopher, CPAGB, president of the Yorkshire Photographic Union, commented “The Annual Exhibition is the high point of the Yorkshire Photographic Union’s calendar. The

exhibition is a showcase for the best amateur photography in the county and I’m delighted that it is returning to Sheffield this year.” The categories for print and projected digital images include land/seascape, portrait, travel, nature and wildlife, altered reality, action and architecture in both colour and monochrome. There is something for everyone with every genre of photography represented to enthuse and inspire visitors to the exhibition. Stewards will be on hand during the day to answer questions or discuss photography. The exhibition is free and takes place at the Channing Hall, Surrey Street, Sheffield S1 2LG. Opening hours are 10am – 5pm on 5 May and 11am –4pm, 7-18 May. Closed Sundays.

ypu.org.uk

Right: The image quality you can expect at the YPUAnnual Exhibition.

Earl ShiltonCC goeswild

Earl Shilton CC is pleased to announce an evening with professional wildlife photographer Des Ong. This will take place on 23 May from 7.30pm at Earl Shilton Constitutional Club, 75, Station Road, Earl Shilton LE9 7GE. You can pay at the door or tickets can be ordered by sending a stamped addressed

envelope to: John Smith, 62 Montgomery Road, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire LE9 7AT. Cheques must be made payable to Earl Shilton Camera Club. Tickets can also be ordered by sending payment to the same address with an email address to receive e-tickets.

Cheltenham CC welcomes you to its annual exhibition, which also features accepted entries for the Gloucestershire Young Photographer 2018, at the superb Chapel Arts Gallery, Knapp Road, Cheltenham GL50 3QQ. The free exhibition opens on 21 April and continues 25-28 April and 2-5 May. Members’ prints and projected images judged by John Chamberlin FRPS will be on display. Awards are given in the various categories including CheltenhamCC

Portrait, Nature, Creative and the Best Image. The 15th Gloucestershire Young Photographer of the Year received more than 1000 images this year. The winners and a selection of images highlighting the wealth of young talent in the area will be displayed alongside members’ prints at the exhibition. Cheltenham CC meets weekly onThursdayevenings,September to May, at Holy Apostles Church Hall, CharltonKings, Cheltenham GL52 6HW.

earlshiltoncameraclub.org.uk

Colchester PS

Colchester PS held its annual ‘Three on a theme and Digital Triptych’ competition, aimed at challenging members’ creative skills. The evening was a great success with an increased number of high- quality prints and PDIs. Judged by Tom Peck, a sublime panel of three prints by Chrissie Hart ARPS was the winner of the challenge, and Ben Heather CPAGB won the Digital Triptych, with an almost impressionistic view of the Institut Valencia d’Art Modern.

cheltenhamcameraclub.co.uk

colchesterphotosoc.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

Dronfield CC Dronfield CC is holding its annual exhibition of members’ work on 21 April in the Peel Centre on High Street, Dronfield S18 1PX. Disabled access is available and refreshments will be served.

Celebratewith Bottisham

Bottisham & Burwell PC is 45 years old this year and to mark the occasion a display of its members’ work takes place on 12 May. Admission is free and the event takes place at The Royal British Legion Social Club, 31 Downing Close, Bottisham, Cambridge CB25 9DD. Doors open at 10.30am.

The club celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2015 and has about 40 members with varied interests in monochrome and colour digital photography. It meets on Thursday nights at 8pm in the Peel Centre, and new members are always welcome,

whether they are experienced photographers or beginners who are eager to learn new skills and techniques.

bottburpc.org

dronfieldcamera.org

Eastbourne PS Eastbourne PS held its principal PDI competitions for members for this season over the last fewweeks.

GuisboroughPG Guisborough Photo Group is 65 years old this year. To celebrate, the Group is holding a major exhibition of its members’ work, from beginners to experts. The exhibition takes place on 14 April at Guisborough Methodist Church Westgate, Guisborough TS14 6AF, open from 9am to mid-afternoon.

Overall winner Mark Huntley said, “I am extremely pleased to have won the Projected Digital Image of theYear 2018.My image ‘TheLongest Wave’, taken on Seaford seafront during the recent storms, won first place in the Established category and then gained the overall title. The competition was incredibly strong and to have won is an honour. A big thank you goes to all at EPS who run a great photography club, organising great workshops at every level, a selection of interesting talks on a range of topics with inspiring visits from well-known photographers and very strong internal and external competitions.” Roy Morris was delighted to win the Digital Themes competition againststiffoppositionwithhisseries entitled ‘Landscapes of Wyoming’. The clubwill be holding its annual exhibition at the Da Vinci Art Hotel, 10 Howard Square, Eastbourne, 10am-4pmdaily, 5May to 4 June.

guisboroughphotogroup. co.uk

Brentwood &District PC

epscameraclub.co.uk

Stevenage PS

Brentwood&DistrictPChasits annual exhibition throughout April at Brentwood Library, New Road CM14 4BP, behind the Bay Tree Shopping Centre. Open during library hours, the exhibition shows use of a wide variety of subjects and techniques. Admission is free.

Morethan100printsbymembers of Stevenage PS are on display in the town’s Gordon Craig Theatre Pi Bistro &Gallery until 24 April. The pictures on show have been curated by exhibition organiser Chris Pike, drawing from a pool of members’ favourites and the highest scoring images in club competitions throughout the current season. Chris explains that “the exhibition proudly demonstrates the varying talents in our club from novices to more experienced photographers, and

illustrates members’ skills and the breadth of their styles, coveringsubjectsfromlandscapes and natural history to sport and portraiture.” Club chairman Andy Roo Smith says, “We are delighted that the Gordon Craig Theatre will once again host our society’s annual exhibition. I am sure that visitors to the gallery will enjoy viewing our images, and hope that some will be enticed to come along and join us when our new season’s programme

bdpc.uk

begins in September. Whatever your level of experience and area of interest, the society is a great place to learn, discuss, collaborate and show off your

efforts, and we look forward to welcoming you.”

stevenagephotographicsociety. org.uk

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

CameraClubof theYear

in associationwith

After five hard-fought rounds, we have our line-up of finalists for the shoot-out where the destiny of this year’s trophy and title will be decided Camera Club of the Year 2017-18

The final itself will be a full day’s shoot-out where all the photographers will have to use five different Fujifilm cameras – including the medium-format GFX 50S, X-H1 and X-E3 – to tackle a range of photographic challenges within a set time. Everyone will be briefed on the cameras before the final and Fujifilm’s team of product specialists will be on hand to lend any technical support needed. Our challenges will be a mix of indoor and outdoor taskswithplentyof opportunity for each

individual photographer to express themselves. Every finalist has to hand in one finished picture per task and the results will be judged by a team of experts and scored on the day. We’ll have a full report on the final in issue PN 56, andwewill beusingFacebookandTwitter to post updates; accounts below. It’s going to be a great, fun day.

Scores for Round 5

Words byWill Cheung

Leicester Forest Photographic Society

CongratulationstoLeicesterForestPhotographic Society for being the fifth and final qualifier for the day-long shoot-out where this year’s Camera Club of the Year 2017-18will be decided. Round 5 was a hard-fought contest but Leicester Forest PS emerged the victors and they now join Great Notley PC, Eastbourne PS, Eastwood PS and Caister PC to battle it out later this spring.

Ayr PS

ImageZ Camera Club

Steyning Camera Club

Facebook.com/photonewspn @PhotonewsPN

Synergy

Wisbech & District Camera Club

*Eastbourne PS

Seaford PS

PICO

Preston Photographic Society

Bedford Camera Club

Peterborough Photographic Society

Tonbridge

Beckenham Photographic Society

Harlow PS

Harpenden PS

Norfolk Photographers Camera Club

Norwich & District Photographic Society

Park Street Camera Club

Midlothian Camera Club

Wilmslow Guild Photographic Society

Blandford Forum Camera Club

Brentwood & District Photographic Club

Windsor Photographic Society

About the FujifilmX-H1

Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club

City Photo Club

The X-H1’s video credentials are also impressive and the best yet seen on a Fujifilm X Series camera. Two 4K options, F-log, time coding and a new Film Simulation mode called ETERNA are the headliners. Its features list for still capture has been beefed up too, in particular its autofocus system which has increased sensitivity in low light, better tracking and is better able to deal with low contrast, high frequency surfaces such as animal fur. The X-H1 costs £1699 body only or £1949 for the body with the Vertical Booster Grip.

The X-H1 is the vanguard of a new product collection of high performance Fujifilm X Series cameras. At its heart beats the tried- and-tested X-Trans CMOS III APS-C format sensor with a resolution of 24.3 megapixels seen in other Fujifilm X Series cameras, but there is a host of exciting developments to broaden the camera’s appeal. The body has been restyled and resized to give it more of a DSLR appeal and the body shell itself is 25% thicker for even greater durability. Also gone is the top-plate exposure compensation dial, to be replaced by a button that works in conjunction with an input dial and a large, full read-out LCD panel.

Medway DSLR Camera Club

*Caister Photography Club

Dronfield

Frome Wessex Camera Club

Maidenhead

City of London and Cripplegate PS

Image The FujifilmX-H1 is a highly capable stills camera but it is also a seriouslywell-equipped 4K movie camera.

Consett PS

fujifilm.eu/uk

*Already qualified for the final

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Technique 16

Seaside scenics Go Coastal Almost all landscape photography is dependent on planning. There are lots of apps and websites out there to help you do it, such as PhotoPills andThePhotographer’sEphemeris, and these will help plot the position of the sun and moon, what time the golden and blue hours begin, what elevation and views you can expect, plus lots more. But at the seaside, there’s another very important factor – the tide. Words and pictures by Kingsley Singleton The UK has over seven thousand miles of coastline to enjoy with your camera; find out how to make the most of the coast this spring which these simple technique tips… 1. Planning pays off Accessories for seaside shooting Regular landscape gear works just as well at the seaside, though there are a few pointers you can follow when filling your bag. For instance, whether to take hard or soft graduated NDs? The former can be better suited to the unbroken horizon of the sea, although it depends on the amount of reflected light coming off the water; it’s best to pack both. Regular ‘full’ NDs, such as 1-,

2- or 3-stop versions, are vital if you want proper control over the movement of the water, but if your desire is to blur moving water in full daylight, or create exposures of many minutes, you’ll also need to pack a much stronger 10-stop ND. In that case, a cable release is also a good idea. As for your choice of tripod, stability can be compromised at the coast due to wet rocks and sinking sands; if your model has the option of spiked feet, install those and drive them into the sand. If you’re working on slippery rocks, regular rubber feet can be fine. When done, wash the sand off with seawater, but also hose down the tripod when you get home. Finally, if you have an all- weather cover, make sure to pack it in case you’re caught in sea spray or sudden storms.

The rising and falling waterline changes the landscape hour by hour, meaning that at one time of day you might have a very different scene to another. When the tide is out you’re more likely to get interesting rock formations, and sea stacks will seem taller. A receding tide can also leave behind acres of wet sand, adding lots of reflections. Tide times and levels vary enormously fromone part of theUK to another, so make sure you check them carefully before your seaside

Above This low tide shot looks very different from the scene at high tide.

shoot, using a site like tidetimes. org.uk as much for your own safety as for how photogenic they make the location. If you’re lucky enough to be able to revisit a coastal spot often you’ll

see the benefit in getting to know the tides and what they reveal there. With experience you’ll be able to plot when the best water level and the best light coincide, and make a point of visiting then.

Above Apps help you plan a shoot.

2. Find some Balance

Shooting at the seaside you’ll find there’s a lot of empty space about; water, sand and sky. This is part of the attraction, but also a problem for photographers. If you use the space incorrectly the picture can feel extremely unbalanced, with, for example, craggy cliffs running up one side and nothing on the other to counterbalance it. Try to frame up so that there’s something balancing the composition; for instance, shooting from one side of a bay to the other should allow you to get some clifftop foreground into the mix, too. Or try to get low enough to the beach so that you pick out detail in rocks or sand to anchor the composition. Ideally, youmight find an island or a large rock out in the water to use as a subject, but you can also use the rising or setting sun. If you include it in the composition,

Above The sheer amount of open space provided by the sea can lead to problems in composition, mainly a lack of balance in the image. Above, the picture on the right is dominated by detail on the right hand side of the frame; but in the pic on the left there’s a better balance between the foreground and the cliffs and sun in the distance.

it will create a focal point towards the top of the frame, drawing the eye and balancing the foreground. You’ll need to use graduated ND filters to counteract its brightness.

Above A tripod with spiked feet is helpful on sand, and ND filters help you blur water.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Technique

3. Find seaside reflections

4. Look for simple compositions

Rather than just looking for traditional landscapes, try hunting out more abstract or simple compositions at the coast. A lone rock sticking out of the sea is perfect for this, especially when combined with a long exposure, which will seem to make it hang in a mist of water. For more on setting up long exposures see this month’s Camera School page. The most important thing, though, is to get your framing right. If you compose too wide, you’ll provide too much context and lose the simplicity; instead, crop closely on the subject, making it the dominant element in the scene. To help, try shooting with a telephoto zoom or prime; a 70-200mm or 70-300mm zoom gives lots of reach and versatility, but primes like an 85mm portrait lens, or a 105mm macro can give you enough magnification, too.

Wet sand might not be your camera’s friend, but the way it reflects light can certainly help your landscape images. This is especially true when faced with a lack of foreground interest. Wet sand, rocks and pools of shallow standing water will glimmer, so long as you make sure to shoot at least partially towards the light. The sun doesn’t need to

be low, as it is at dawn or dusk, in order to get reflections either. Most of the time, you’ll get the best reflections when the tide is going out, though on very flat beaches it can wetten as the water comes in, or stay that way all day. Position yourself close to the ground when composing, and tilt the camera until you see the reflections appear.

Crop closely on the subject, making it the dominant element in the scene... with a telephoto zoom or prime

Above Lone rocks work well with long exposures.

5. You don’t always need the sun

The coast can often be a harsh environment and landscape photography can reflect that; it’s not always about warm light and twinkling shorelines. So, don’t give up if the conditions are bleak, instead embrace it and use them to tell the story of your location. Dark and stormy days mean a lack of light, but that just makes it easier to shoot long exposures; these will add motion to heavy clouds giving storms a brooding purpose. If shooting in high winds, you may find it difficult to steady your tripod though; to help weigh it down, attach your bag or something else heavy to the hook on the bottom of the centre column or at the collar. And of course, make sure to keep a rain cover to hand in case you get caught in a squall.

Above You may think that rutted wet sand is an uninspiring foreground, but position your camera low enough to pick up the contrast and reflections and it will enliven any seaside scene.

Above Shoot in dim and stormy conditions and you can be in for dramatic seas and skies. The gloommakes long exposures easier, too.

6. Increase your distance

Landscapes don’t always need to be shot as wide-angles or panoramas and, like any other scenic subject, seaside views can benefit from a telephoto approach. The cropped viewhelps you pick out details, and simplifywhat, at the seaside, can be a chaotic subject. A telephoto approach also lets you more easily frame man-made subjects against the sea, showing their fragility against nature, and if you’re lucky enough to get to the coast during a celestial event like a full or new moon, or even an eclipse, a long-lens view will help

A cropped view helps you pick out details and simplify the subject

you feature it more prominently in the composition, assuming you get it low enough in the sky. If you’re using a large and heavy telephoto lens and it has a tripod collar, make sure you use that to mount it on your tripod head for

extra stability. If you don’t, the set- up can become very front heavy, dragging the lens down, and any minor movements will blur the fine details you’re trying to capture, especially if you’re shooting at slower shutter speeds.

Right You don’t need be right next to the water for good seaside shots. Break out your telephoto lenses and shoot from further back for simpler scenes.

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Canon feature 20

Photography News | Issue 54 | photographynews.co.uk

Full in the frame The full-frame 35mm camera has so much to offer the keen photographer: excellent image quality, great handling and huge supporting lens systems. Join PN for a hands-on experience using Canon full-frame DSLRs

Words and images byWill Cheung

Full-frame cameras have been around for over 100 years and despite the growth in smaller formats, the interest in 24x36mm format cameras is as strong as ever. APS-C and Micro Four Thirds format cameras are popular for good reason and they deliver excellent image quality in very portable packages, but there remains something really special about the 35mm full-frame format. Indeed, it is whymany smaller format camera users aspire to owning one. For some photographers the appeal is purely physical; that full-frame cameras are bigger is a major attraction, not just for those with larger hands, but also to photographers who prefer more space and easier access to controls. Also, most 35mm cameras provide a viewing image with an optical, reflex system rather than use an electronic viewfinder, so there is a purity in the viewing image. Then there is the matter of image quality. Bigger sensors give superior image quality with even more detail in your shots and this becomes more evident when you make big prints. Fine detail remains cleanly and crisply resolved with no smudginess detracting from your beautifully created compositions. Start climbing the ISO scale and full-frame holds the advantage here, too. The smaller the sensor, the greater the risk of digital noise and the image debilitating consequences that come with it. So, at higher ISOs, full- frame holds sway which is important if the situation or poor lighting means you have no option other than to shoot at ISO 3200, 6400 or beyond. I recently got the chance to use two of Canon’s full-frame models. The 26.2-megapixel EOS 6D Mark II is aimed at the first-time full-frame user or current full-frame shooters looking to upgrade their existing camera, while the 30.4-megapixel EOS 5D Mark IV has the feature set to appeal

to the more experienced or professional DSLR photographer. Using lovely cameras is one thing but having the chance to use them in a beautiful city with an award-winning pro standing next to you offering advice is something special, which explains why I was in Milan with CanonAmbassador and two-timeWorld Press Photo Award winner Giulio Di Sturco.

Milan is Italy’s second biggest city and famous for its manufacturing (Alfa Romeo, Pirelli), its football teams (AC Milan and Inter Milan), its fashion (Armani, Versace) and its history and culture. The first stop for most visitors is the Duomo, Milan’s cathedral, and it was very high up on my shooting list, too. As was the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which is next to the Duomo and is the world’s oldest active – and surely the most architecturally awesome – shopping centre. I also had some extra organised scenarios to shoot: models by ultraviolet light, chaps showing off their parkour skills and muscles, and a studio shoot featuring a Dutch chef who literally creates art with food. The chef studio shoot was lit by powerful continuous lights so shooting handheld at ISO 400 was no problem. For this shoot I used the EOS 5DMark IVwith several Canon EF lenses including the 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM and the 11-24mm f/4L USM. The latter was brilliant for a strong foreground, although getting in this close meant I came away splattered with blue yoghurt and beetroot juice. I retreated and swapped to the 24-70mm for the shot shown on the left. Exploring the high ISO skills of the EOS 6D Mark II and EOS 5D Mark IV came next in the ultraviolet studio. With the recently launched 85mm f/1.4 I was able to shoot at wide apertures at ISO 800 and got shutter

Bigger sensors give superior image quality... Fine detail remains cleanly and crisply resolved with no smudginess detracting from your beautifully created compositions Above The ceiling of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shot in the low light of early evening. The exposure was 1/30sec at f/4 and ISO 800 using a handheld Canon EOS 5DMark IV fitted with the 11-24mm f/4 at 11mm. Left The 24-70mm f/2.8 set to 30mm and fixed to an EOS 5DMark IV was used for this portrait lit by continuous lighting. The exposure was 1/125sec at f/10 and ISO 200, the shutter speed was fast enough to freeze any action and the small aperture gave plenty of depth-of-field.

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