Photography News Issue 45

The summer months are upon us and with them lots of exciting events. Races, airshows, museum open days, public gardens... they all bring photo opportunities, and this month’s technique feature will show you how to make the most of them. We also bring you news of Camera Club of the Year’s grand final, all the best interviews, and must-read tests of the latest gear.

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography news Photography Issue 45 12 June – 13 July News Tests Reviews Interviews Techniques Competitions Exhibitions Clubs Produced by

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A Samsung 128GB memory card Enter the competition on page 48 WIN!

First tests

Canon EOS 77D Is Canon’s new 24.2-megapixel DSLRworth the upgrade? Find out on page 34

Win £200 of prints Scoop pro-quality L.Type prints from LumeJet. Get involved on page 4

The best new kit reviewed by our photo experts, starting on page 40

The wide bunch Nikon has bolstered its FX and DX lens line-ups with three exciting wide-angle options – and they’re sure to interest scenic shooters

Capping a year of creative competition, this month five talented camera clubs battled it out for the ultimate accolade – but who was crowned CCOTY 2017? Find out on page 7. Camera Club of the Year: The Grand Final

Nikon’s wide-angle range has been swelled by the AF-S 28mm f/1.4E ED, AF-S Fisheye 8-15mm f/3.5–4.5E ED andAF-PDX10-20mmf/4.5-5.6GVR. These new optics are sure to excite Nikon shooters who favour wide views and exaggerated perspectives. The 28mm f/1.4 is the latest in Nikon’s line-up of ultra-fast glass, opening up expressive shallowdepth- of-field effects and faster low-light shooting. A minimum focus of 28cm adds evenmore versatility.

The Fisheye 8-15mm provides two fisheye effects in one lens; a circular viewat 8mm, anda frame-fillingeffect at 15mm. With a minimum focus of 16cm, and edge-to-edge sharpness promised, even at the widest f/3.5 setting, you can expect highly detailed creative shots. Both full-frame lenses have a dust- and drip-resistant build to help you tackle scenics in challengingweather. Completing the picture is the AF-P DX 10-20mm VR. Aimed at

users wanting wide-angle stills and video on Nikon’s APS-C DSLRs, its AF-P stepping motor should deliver smooth, responsive and near-silent autofocus. And with Vibration Reduction on board, you can rely on sharper imageswhenhand-holding at slower shutter speeds. All the lenses will be available from the end of June, priced £2079.99, £1299.99 and £329.99 respectively.

nikon.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

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Tough and techy

News in brief

There’s a new hard nut on the block; Olympus’s flagship Tough TG-5. Updating and improving on the previousTG-4, thenewcameraboasts a 12-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor, instead of the 16-megapixel unit in the TG-4. This lower resolution, combined with the Olympus’s latest TruePic VIII processor (as used in the OM-D E-M1 Mark II), is claimed to deliver better low-light sensitivity and an improvedwider dynamic range. The TG-5 also borrows the OM-D series’ Pro Capture mode which records a burst of shots to ensure you don’t miss a moment. There’s a bright, 25-100mm equivalent f/2.0 lens on board, with a macro setting focusing as close as 1cm from the lens, and the camera also benefits from 4K and 120fps Full HD movie recording. Combined with its tough features, easy access controls for when you’re wearing gloves, and dual pane anti- fog glass to prevent the lens from misting up, this should mean some fantastic slow-motion video in almost any environment. As for those tough features, Successor to the award-winning Profoto B1, the B1X is built for photographers needing dependable, high-quality lighting on location. As a battery-powered monolight, the B1X can be used almost anywhere, providing lighting control even in broad daylight, and with no power pack to worry about there’s no risk of tripping over cables. The 500Ws flash supports Profoto’s AirTTL system for point and shoot simplicity, and power can be set manual over nine stops down to 2Ws. There’s also a High- Speed Sync (HSS) mode letting you fire the flash with shutter speeds up to 1/8000sec, so overpowering the sun and using flash with large apertures in broad daylight should be easy. Wireless triggering can be achieved at up to 300mm using the Profoto Air Remote. You’ll also get up to 20 flashes per second, with flash durations of as little as 1/19,000sec and recycling times of between 0.05-1.9sec. The B1X’s rechargeable, exchangeable Lithium-ion battery should provide up to 325 full-power flashes, so there’ll be little danger of running out of juice on location. A B1X 500 AirTTL To-Go Kit will cost you £1630. Also from Profoto this month are two new reflectors, the OCF Zoom (£110) and OCF Magnum (£150). With an adjustable 55-85º

Macphun onWindows Macphun’s TIPA Award-

winning software, previously an Apple exclusive, is coming to Windows computers. The first packages to be released will be Macphun’s Luminar and Aurora HDR. Luminar has just claimed the TIPA Award for Best Imaging Software 2017 and is an image-editing package similar to Lightroom and Aperture. Aurora HDR is a smart exposure blending package used to produce high dynamic range images from single or multiple exposures. A public Beta of Luminar will be release in July, with Aurora to follow soon after. macphun.com

the camera is waterproof to 15m, shockproofed against drops of up to 2.1m, crush proof to 100kg, and freeze proof to -10°C. The TG-5 also adds temperature data to its field sensor system which already includes GPS, compass and a manometer (pressure sensor). All this can be transferred with images and video via the camera’s WiFi connection to the free OI.Track app. The Tough TG-5 is available now in red or black, costing £399.

olympus.co.uk

Locationpower

ThirdAF lens fromSamyang Samyang has released its third autofocus lens, the AF 35mm f/2.8 FE, joining the AF 14mm f/2.8 FE and AF 50mm f/1.4 FE. The AF 35mm f/2.8 FE is a small, lightweight lens, measuring only 3.3cm long and weighing 85g, and is designed for use with Sony E System cameras; it’s a full-frame lens, hence the ‘FE’ designation. The 35mm focal length and fast aperture make it a very adaptable low-light lens, while on E System cameras with an APS-C sensor, like the A6000, the lens gives an equivalent of 52mm; a classic standard view. AF is claimed to be fast and accurate, and it has a minimum focusing distance of 0.35mmaking it ideal for street, portrait and close focus photography. The lens’s construction features seven elements in six groups, two aspherical lenses and one high refractive lens plus an Ultra Multi Coating to minimise aberration and unnecessary light dispersion. This means that the lens should deliver high resolution images from the centre to the corners of the image. The AF 35mm f/2.8 FE will be available from July at £279.

Intro2020.co.uk

beam angle, the OCF Zoom can double the effective light output at two meters range (giving up to +1.2 stops compared with built-in reflector). Adjustable from40-80º, the slightly larger OCF Magnum ups this to +1.8 f-stop compared with built-in reflector.

profoto.com

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Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

News

Sony goes wide

News in brief

Imaging giant Sony has announced two new lenses for its E Mount cameras; the FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM and FE 12-24mm f/4 G. The FE 16-35mm f/2.8 GM is part of Sony’s G Master series and joins other fast-aperture lenses in the lineup, such as the FE 24-70mm f/2.8 GM and FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM. The front element is the largest XA element Sony has yet produced, and the lens’s construction includes two Extra-low Dispersion (ED) glass elements to keep chromatic aberration to a minimum while maximising resolution. It’ll be available from August at around £2,300. The FE 12-24mm G is Sony’s widest E-mount full-frame lens, boasting outstanding image quality in a compact, lightweight design, weighing 566g. The lens features an optical design with four aspherical elements, claiming to provide corner-to-corner sharpness, three ED glass elements and one Super ED glass element to minimise chromatic aberration. Available from July it'll be priced around £1,700. Both lenses employ Sony’s original Nano AR coating to suppress internal reflections and increase image contrast and clarity. They also feature ‘near circular’ aperture shapes at all settings, as well as two DDSSMs (Direct Drive Super SonicWaveMotors) and a floating focusing system to improve AF performance.

NewNDs fromSRB SRB Photographic has updated its range of filters with a new set of solid NDs. Made in the UK, the company’s Full Neutral Density Filter Set has seen advancements over the previous product, including improved resin quality that’s claimed to result in very minimal colour shift compared to the unfiltered view, therefore providing more accurate hues. The filters are also said to have a new low-profile design and better build quality. The set has 0.3 (1 stop), 0.6 (2 stop), and 0.9 (3 stop) filters and they’re available in P and A sizes. Filters are priced £14.95 each, but you can get the set for £39.95, which also includes a protective wallet (normally £4.95). srb-photographic.co.uk

sony.co.uk

L-egant printing for all

LumeJet has announced its latest print product, the L.Type. This new development has taken years of research into silver-halide compounds, with L.Type prints applying 21st century digital technology to that century-old medium. The fusion of these analogue and digital methods is claimed to allow perfectly precise replication of your photography. The precision of L.Type prints also enables pin-sharp text and graphics to be used alongside photos, allowing "the creation of lay-flat books that truly attain a superior level of quality". Every L.Type image is hand-checked at each stage of the production process. LumeJet’s printing service uses 400dpi true continuous tone imaging of the paper from the company’s

proprietary print head, coupled with end-to-end colour management, which is something that’s certainly impressed discerning professionals and enthusiast photographers alike. The L.Type prints stay true to this, according to photographer and filmmaker, Jonathan Glynn- Smith: “L.Type prints have allowedme to produce prints, the likes of which I have never seen before… they reproduce detail with such clarity and sharpness it’ll amaze any photographer who wants the very best. L.Type is pure printing perfection for professionals and that’s why it’s now my print of choice.” If you want to try it out for yourself, check out the contest below.

Above Pro photographer Jonathan Glynn- Smith has been impressed by L.Type prints.

LumeJet.com

Winprints worth£200

Photography News has teamed up with the expert photo printers at LumeJet to bring you a fabulous opportunity: the chance of seeing your favourite photographs produced as a glorious LumeJet L.Type print. Yes, if you win this free-to-enter photo contest you’ll have £200 to spend on L.Type prints from the LumeJet website. L.Type by LumeJet is the latest step in the company’s printing development and represents the culmination of over 15 years of research into silver halide. LumeJet has always been passionateaboutprintingbeautiful photography and nowwith L.Type the fusion of classic analogue silver halide materials, cutting-edge digital print technology and super- accurate colour management enables the faithful replication of a photographic vision with hitherto unseen precision and sensitivity. To be in with the chance of winning LumeJet prints worth £200, just take a great picture of a family event. This could be a

magical wedding shot, a candid at a christening or a fun shot at a summer barbecue. Upload images to flickr.com/ groups/familypncontest/. There is no fee to enter but you will have to join flickr.com, which is free. Only one photograph per person can be submitted and the entrant must also be UK based. Images should be 1500 pixels across and we will contact you if we need higher resolution files to judge or publish. Entries are judged by the editor and his decisions made relating to this contest are final. For full terms and conditions please see the absolutephoto.comwebsite. The closing date for entries is 10 July 2017 and the winner will be announced in PN issue 46 which is out from 17 July 2017. The winner of last month’s ‘Red, White & Blue’ contest is Linda Hall, whose image is shown on the right. Congratulations to Linda and we're sure she’ll enjoy her LumeJet L.Type prints.

Above Linda Hall’s winning image from the ‘Red, White & Blue’ round.

lumejet.com

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Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

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Club class

Phase One and Hasselblad have both announced 100-megapixel cameras this month. Phase One’s iXG Camera System comes in 50 and 100-megapixel configurations, with exchangeable repro lenses (72mm and 120mm macro) guaranteeing onemillion actuations. The cameras are designed for Cultural Heritage digitisation projects, and though you won’t get much change out of £50,000, you do get a lens thrown in. Hasselblad’s new 100-megapixel model is the A6D-100c, the latest in the company’s range of aerial cameras. If 100-megapixels isn’t enough, up to eight units can be synchronised. Imagine Photoshop trying to deal with all those pixels. 100Mp cameras ahoy

Above Congratulations to New City PS for winning Camera Club of the Year 2016-17. Its members (left to right), Jamie White, Colin Mill, Mark Jones and Dave Cromack collected the trophy from PN 's Will Cheung.

hasselblad.com phaseOne.com

Adventure mode

The wait is finally over. The winner of PN ’s huge Camera Club of the Year (CCOTY) contest has been crowned, and what a worthy set of champions this year’s competition produced. Not only did New City Photographic Society fight off scores of other clubs to gain entry into the CCOTY final, they also had to compete against four other clubs on the big day, each vying for the top prize. And what a day it was. Our five finalists arrived with only the most basic of briefs on the subjects they’d be tackling. Thrown in at the deep end, they had to tackle five separate challenges across the day, shooting a mixture of subjects, processing their images and submitting themwithin tense one-hour time slots. On their side, they had CCOTY sponsors, Fujifilm, which supplied leading-edge cameras for the day, as well as expert technical advice. Amongst other gear,

contestants got to use the amazing medium-format GFX 50S, X-Pro2 and X-T2 cameras, plus a host of brilliant Fujifilm lenses. And the location, centred around the Natural Light Spaces studio in Northampton, certainly helped too; with a mix of pro-level facilities and dramatic backgrounds around its Weedon Bec setting, a Georgian-era Royal Ordnance factory, there was plenty to shoot. Plus, of course, the PN team were on hand to shout encouragement and crack the whip. Praise should also be heaped upon the other competing clubs, Dorchester, Exeter, Great Notley and Harpenden, all of whom put in an amazing effort, missing out on the big prize by only the smallest of margins. For a full report on a fantastic day of challenges and creative zeal, make sure you check out the next issue of Photography News .

Nikon’s latest all-weather camera is the Coolpix W300, a 16-megapixel compact that can be used at depths of up to 30m without a specialist housing. It’s also freeze proof down to -10°C, dust proof and shockproof when dropped from heights of up to 2.4m, so should suit even the most butterfingered of giants. On the imaging side, there’s a 1/2.3in back-illuminated 16-megapixel CMOS sensor allied to a 5x f/2.8 optical zoomgiving a 24-120mmequivalent. Reach the end of the zoom and the Dynamic Fine Zoom doubles the reach with no loss of pixel dimension. For your adventure videos, theW300 can shoot at up to 4K resolution (at 30p), and a new auto exposure lock helps capture flicker free video footage as light levels change, which is a particular concern underwater. Nikon’s HybridVibrationReduction feature is also on board, delivering sharper pics at slower shutter speeds, which again should help underwater applications. A decent grip, large monitor, and bigger buttons make control easier in gloves, and the camera also adds GPS and other data to your shots, such as the number of steps taken, altitude and pressure. The W300 should be out by the time you read this, costing £389.99.

Live in thewow Joining the growing number of 360º and virtual reality devices is the Ion360 U camera, claimed to be the first “seamless 360º camera that’s also a protective case and charger for phones”. The Ion360 U snaps onto your phone, turning it into a 360º camera, so you don’t need a separate device. Versions are available for iPhone7/7 Plus and Samsung S8/8+. The device also produces eight-megapixel stills and 4K videos, with a recording time of two hours, and its app can live stream content to your chosen social media platform, like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter or Instagram. It’s currently priced at £299.99 with £80 off and free shipping in the UK.

ion360.com

nikon.co.uk

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News

Thinking bags It’s been a busy month for Think Tank Photo, with the company releasing lots of new products. First up is the Signature range; a classic shoulder bag with modern engineering. Available in two and has a large 33x47x13-17cm inner compartment for cameras and lenses, as well as laptop and tablet pockets. It uses 80mm wheels with sealed bearings for quiet movement, and has a retractable handle. There’s also a tripod or water bottle pocket, YKK zippers, and water-resistant, 1680D ballistic nylon.

News in brief

Left The Signature 10 Below The Airport Takeoff V2

models, the Signature 10 (£244.99) and 13 (£269.99), and coming in subtle slate grey or olive colouring, they have full-grain leather, antique- plated metal hardware, and YKK zippers. The bags’ outers use durable 240Dwater-resistant fabric, while the underside is coated with polyurethane. As well as camera and lenses, they have space for 10in or 13in laptops, respectively. Access is via a secure front flap which can be used one-handed for speed. There’salsotheThinkTankAirport TakeOff V2, a rollerbag/backpack that’s claimed to be 15% lighter than its predecessor. The TakeOff V2 is all about moving lots of gear in comfort,

Thinktankphoto.com

VenusMagic Converter Venus Optics, maker of Laowa camera lenses, has announced the Laowa Magic Format Converter (MFC). This is the world’s first FujifilmGFX adapter which allows users to mount Canon or Nikon full- frame lenses. The converter enlarges the image circle of those lenses, so that it fits the larger Fujifilm GFX 50S camera sensor. The MFC has a focal length multiplier of 1.4x and reduces maximum aperture by one stop, so for example a Laowa 12mm f/2.8 Zero-lens would become roughly a 17mm f/4 lens. There are existing converters that allowmounting of non-Fujifilm lenses to the GFX 50S, but often with lots of vignetting and degraded quality at the edges. The Laowa Magic Format Converter will be available in Canon EF to Fujifilm G, and Nikon AI to Fujifilm G models, arriving in July 2017 with price TBC. laowalens.co.uk software specialist, Anthropics (maker of well-known titles like Portrait Professional), Smart Photo Editor (SPE) is a new package that offers Photoshop style image editing, albeit it at a fraction of the cost. SPE contains lots of powerful and easy to use tools for enhancing images, including smart selection brushes, that help make local adjustments, combine images and remove objects. There’s also a community sourced gallery of effects that’s continually updated, and where you can share your own editing recipes. Usually priced £39.90, the software is currently half price at £19.95, and PN readers can get a further 10% with the code PN45T. smartphotoeditor.com Smart Photo Editor Recently released from

Lighting Guang

Kenro is introducing three new portable LED on-camera lights from lighting specialists, NanGuang. Designed for use on DSLRs, CSCs and camcorders, they are attached via the hotshoe, and use bright, low-energy LEDs to produce cool, flicker-free lighting. There are two small panel lights and one powerful on- camera Fresnel spotlight. TheCNB144andCNLUX1600C panelsbothuse anadjustable angle bracket to help direct the light up or down, and each has amaximum output of 1005 lumen. Both have stepless dimmer control, and can be locked to other units of the same type to make much large panels. At £89.94, the CNB144 comes with an ultra-soft diffuser, as well as pink and 3200K filters; unfiltered it’s balanced to 5600K.

Costing the CNLUX1600C is a bi-colour unit, withstepless temperature between 3200K and 5600K. The panel is also supplied with an ultrasoft diffuser, as well as pink and blue filters. At £239.94, the CN8F Fresnel Light can be adjusted to give a beam of between 10 and 60 degrees, and its brightness can be steplessly controlled down from a maximum 560 lumen. A locking knob on the side allows the light to be directed up or down and a rotating frame on the lens can hold up to three filters of 65x70mm. 3200K and 6500K filters are included in the kit along with a gelatin holder, barn doors, and a padded case. £119.94,

Manfrotto has unveiled a new series of bags; the Manhattan Collection. Designed for city-based photographers, the bags use Manfrotto’s new Insert System and Flexy Camera Shell; a removable inner and modular protective inserts that let you quickly convert the bags fromphotography to lifestyle, or adapt them to any kit you’re carrying. There are three models; a backpack, a shoulder bag and a messenger bag,andeachincludespaddedcompartments,hiddenpockets,multi-purpose webbing and straps to secure a tripod, helmet, jacket or other items. The Mover 50 backpack holds a medium DSLR with a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached and five lenses, plus up to a 15.6in laptop. The Speedy 10 messenger bag fits a CSC or entry level DSLR with a standard zoom attached, two additional lenses and up to a 12in laptop. The Charger 20 is a three-way shoulder bag that’ll swallow a CSC or entry-level DSLRwith up to a 70-200mm f/2.8 lens attached and two additional lenses. There’s also room for a 15in laptop. Available now, with prices starting at £79, all of the bags in the range use ballistic fabric, premium zippers, a coated base and water-repellant external fabric, but araincover is included if you'recaught inadownpour. Manhattanproject

kenro.co.uk

manfrotto.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

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Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

News

TPOTY open for entries

Queen in 3-D

The Travel Photographer of the Year 2017 (TPOTY) contest is open for entries and you have until 25 September to get your shots in. The overall winner gets £4000 in cash, £750 of Paramo clothing and a Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio case. The winners of each portfolio category –CelebrationofHumanity, Earth&Climate andTales ofAdventure – win a FujifilmX Series professional camera and lens of their choice. Entry is open to all photographers of all ages, and fromall countries. Judging is done by an international panel of photographers and imaging experts. For creative inspiration there are two free TPOTY exhibitions on show. The first closes on 30 June and is taking place at the Princes Quay, Hull; the second is in London at the University of Greenwich, 10 Stockwell Street from 4 August through to 3 September. It costs £8 to enter the one-shot single image categories, £15 for the New Talent and portfolio categories, while Young TPOTY is free. Also see the profile on TPOTY’s founder, Chris Coe, in this issue of PN .

Queen guitarist Brian May has been an avid stereo photography enthusiast ever since he got a free viewer in a Weetabix packet, aged 12. His book, Queen in 3-D, has been three years in the making and features previously unseen pictures of the band both at work and relaxing. Over 300 pictures are featured and there’s a story behind each one. With the book comes a 3-D viewer (called the OWL) so you get to enjoy the images properly. Published by the London Stereoscopic Society, Queen in 3-D is out now and costs £50.

tpoty.com

Ammonite’s latest book is Mastering Macro Photography by David Taylor and it's out now with a cover price of £19.99. Exploring the world of close-up photography is great fun and can be technically challenging, too. David’s book is sure to help you make the most of this fascinating subject. It is the definitive guide to modern macro photography, covering core techniques including creative focusing, exposure and magnification ratios but also explains in detail topics such as focus stacking, using smartphone apps and using Wi-Fi to compose and take your pictures. Mastermacro

queenin3-d.com

ammonitepress.com

EPOTY hits ten TheEnvironmentalPhotographer of the Year (EPOTY) competition is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2017, and this year’s contest has five categories including Built Environment, Mobile Phone and Young EPOTY. The organiser of the contest, CIWEM (Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management), has assembled a panel of celebrity judges including Stephen Fry, Ben Fogle and Christine Lampard. There are cash prizes for each category – the Environmental Photographer of the Year scoops £3000, for example – except for Young EPOTY where the winner receives an Olympus OM-D E-M10Mark II camera. Entry is open to UK and international photographers of all ages. There is no entry fee, but there is an entry limit of ten pictures per photographer. Entries for Environmental Photographer of the Year close on 8 September 2017.

Get theEye Michael Freeman’s book The Photographer’s Eye came out ten years ago and was an instant success; to date, over 500,000 copies of the book have been sold. It has now been digitally remastered, bringing it right up to date. Its update makes it the ideal book for those modern photographers keen on learning how to make the most of a scene or subject, using the opportunities offered by new techniques of digital capture and editing. The book is out now priced at £35.

ciwem.org

octopusbooks.co.uk

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Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

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: 3 July 2017

We need words and pictures by 3 July 2017 for the next issue of Photography News , which will be available from 17 July 2017. 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

Bromsgrove Photographic Society 2017 Awards Night

Upcoming camera club exhibitions

NewburyCameraClubPrint Exhibition, 5 to 30 July 2017, at West Berkshire Museum, TheWharf, Newbury RG14 5AS. West Berkshire Museum is open Wednesday to Sunday, 10am to 4pm. Entry is free. newburycameraclub.org.uk PhotographicExhibition, 8 to 16 July at King John’s House, Romsey, Hampshire, SO51 8BT. Admission is free; opening hours are 10am to 4pmMonday to Saturday and 11am to 4pmon the Sundays. viewfinderscameraclub.org. uk ViewfindersofRomsey CameraClubAnnual

Another glittering occasion took place at Avoncroft Arts Centre on 16 Maywhen Bromsgrove Photographic Society held its annual awards event to celebrate and congratulate members on their achievements throughout the year. The evening commenced with a buffet supper, then over to the serious business of handing out some 412 certificates and 43 trophies representing the successes and high standards reached this year. Roger Lewis, Chair commented: “Another excitingyearwith lots of our new members submitting work into the competitions pushing standards higher. On many occasions, this has given our judges a hard time picking overall winners. I’d like to say well

done to those who received awards, but in particular to congratulate Sue Vernon for achieving Best Newcomer with 47 certificates of achievement plus eight trophies. Congratulations also to accomplished photographer Mike Troth in the advanced section for obtaining 26 certificates of achievement (of which six were first places) plus six trophies. Well done Mike for leading a very competitive field. The Photographic Achievement Award went to Dr Colin Close for representing the society this year in external national and international competitions and salons achieving 59 acceptances in the UK and 93 internationally.”

Above Left to right: BPS Chairman Roger Lewis, Advanced Section winner Mike Troth, BPS President Barry Green, BPS Competition Secretary Nigel Taylor.

Above Left to right: BPS Chairman Roger Lewis, Best Newcomer Sue Vernon, BPS President Barry Green.

bromsgroveps.co.uk

Chris Burrows, deputy chairman of Hampstead Photographic Society (HPS), has had one of his pictures accepted for display in the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, which runs in their main galleries from 13 June to 20 August 2017. This makes him the third HPS photographer to achieve this acclaim. This is a major achievement for Chris, as the selection process is brutal: in two stages, a panel of distinguished judges fromacross the art world has to agree to select your work to be among the final 1200. Those are whittled down from more than 15,000 entries sourced from all around the world. It’s this ultra-tough competition that makes acceptance so impressive. Success for Hampstead PSmember

StratfordPhotoGroup AnnualPhotographic Exhibition, 13 to 31 July at Stratford Arts House, Rother Street, Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 6LU. Entry is free and SPG Members will be on hand to talk about the club and the images; opening hours 10am to 5pm Monday to Friday, 10am to 1pm Saturday. stratfordphotographic.org.uk SevenoaksCameraClub Exhibition 20 June to 1 July in the Kaleidoscope Gallery, Sevenoaks Library, Buckhurst Lane, Sevenoaks. The show is open during normal library hours, admission is free. sevenoakscameraclub.org.uk WakefieldCameraClub Annual Prints Exhibition, 14 to 16 July at The Ridings Centre in Wakefield. Admission free. wakefieldcameraclub.org.uk

Are youpuzzledbydepth-of-field?Doblownhighlights and wonky horizons spoil your prints?Would you like the opportunity to learn how to produce better pictures with your camera or how tomake successful prints? Building on the success of last year’s course, Chingford Photographic Society is again running its series of summer workshops. It’s a great opportunity to get to grips with the basics of your camera, or if you are an experienced user, learnmore about composition, which lens forwhichsituation, andhowtodevelopyour photographic creativity. Afee of £50covers sixworkshops heldeachMonday between 17 July and 21 August, outings and sixmonths’ membership of the society. The workshops are held at Chingford Horticultural Hall, Larkshall Road, ChingfordE4 6PE. For more information contact Chris Lafbury on 020 8524 2359 or email: PhotographicWorkshops 2017 Chingford

hampsteadphotosoc.org.uk

Right Chris Burrows’ successful image, Man and Dog.

barob007@yahoo.co.uk chingfordphotographic.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

15 Interview

Profile Chris Coe This month’s chat is with Chris Coe, the inspiration behind the hugely successful Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) contest

Can you tell our readers a bit about your photographic background? As a child I hated photography. My father collected cameras and always had one pointed at my siblings and me. However, in my first summer holiday at university I got a working visa and travelled around the USA with a compact camera – an Olympus Trip. I found that I loved taking pictures and this fired my enthusiasm for photography. I’m completely self-taught. I discovered technique by trial and error but always trying to learn from thefailures.I’vealwayshadagoodeye for composition, it comes naturally to me, but the most interesting part of improving my photography was when I had to deconstruct what came naturally to me so that I could teach it to others. My passion for photography is wrapped up in time and light. The subject is less important – I like the variety and the challenge. Do you have time to take your own pictures? If so, what do you like to photograph? TPOTY has largely sidelined my own photography as it has got bigger and more demanding. However, in the last few years I’ve been making a conscious effort toshootmoreand the plan is for this to grow year on year. If I have time to myself I’d probably lean towards photographing the natural world but I like playing with movement and low light. How many people do you have working on the TPOTY team? This may be hard to imagine but there are only two full-time; well not really full-time because Karen and I both have other businesses. Then we have someone working part time in the office and temporary staff during the exhibitions. The plan is to employ two people on a full-time basis in the not too distant future. What brought you to the idea of introducing TPOTY? Frustration and my passion for photography. In 2002, on my way back frommeetings inLondonwhere I’d been showing my photography to various picture editors, I was mulling over the frustrations of being a photographer, walking door to door to showmy portfolio. While I was listening to the radio on the journey home, presenter Simon Mayo was talking about travel photography. He said anyone could be a travel photographer! All you needed was a camera and a ticket to somewhere. My response was, ‘Right, I’ll show you!’ and TPOTY was born. Having decided to create a showcase for great travel photography in the

form of a competition which would generate an exhibition, I then set about defining travel photography itself. At that time picture editors largely classified travel photography as pictures of people on holiday. Of course it is much more than that and rather than being a genre in its own right, it’s a collection of genres which define the travel experience – people, cultures, landscape, wildlife, food, place, architecture (old and new) etc. etc. This may seem obvious now but back then, in largely pre-internet days it wasn’t and I’d like to think that TPOTY has played some small part in changing perceptions. It’s important to remember that back then there were very few photo competitions, let alone travel photography ones, and there were none open to everyone – young and old, amateur and professional. My wife Karen and I created TPOTY, and launched in February 2003 with prizes from Adobe, Fujifilm and Plastic Sandwich. What were your aims when you first launched the contest? To create a showcase for great travel photography, to get the work of talented photographers who were shooting varied aspects of travel in front of the general public and, rather grandly, to change people’s perception of what a travel image is. What were the major challenges in the early years of TPOTY? Firstly being new, independent and unknown in a world that was largely dependent on print media for exposure at the time. This was pre-internet as we know it now. Interestingly as soon as we got our first winners people and the media started taking us seriously and growing from there was about being tenacious, professional and engaging with photographers around the world. It was about being different, being friendly and respecting photographers and their copyright. How has TPOTY developed over the years? It’s unrecognisable from the early days. Then we were opening mountains of prints and labelling them so that they were trackable throughout the judging process. Online entry makes this process so much more streamlined but importantly, we have kept the final judging of prints. This is really important.Somanyimageslookgreat online but not in print. The online one is immediate and transient. The print one is more enduring, it’s about quality, tone, shadows and highlights. It is less rushed and more engaging. Images with real enduring interest sing out as prints.

Biography

Years in the photo industry? 25 Current location? Suffolk. Last picture taken? The TPOTY exhibition in Hull last week. Personally, the last frosts of spring a month or so ago and the Northern Lights in Svalbard in February. The latter is a magical place. When youwere younger, what did youwant to bewhen you grewup? An engine driver when I was very young (my grandfather was a station master) and when I was a bit older, a doctor. Dogs or cats? I love both Toast or cereal? Toast most often. Email or phone call? Always a phone call – so much more personal and better communication.

©TimothyAllen/tpoty.com

What has pleased you most about how TPOTY has grown? We’ve stayed true to our ethics and morality. It isn’t, and never has been, exploitative. TPOTY now has a huge international presence and the importance of this is that the photographers who win, or even get placed, benefit from the profile that we’ve created. Can you give us some idea of the judging process? Judging takes place over three rounds. Round one weeds out the weaker images and those which don’t fit the criteria. This is done by a small panel of judges. Round two involves all the judges, wherever they are in the world, and is an online shortlisting process with judges independently choosing the best images in each category. Their combined efforts give us a shortlist for each category. The final round is done by a panel of seven to nine judges in the same room reviewing the shortlisted images as prints. It’s a lively but highly enjoyable two dayswith lots of discussion and lots of disagreement, but the judges have great respect for each other and a casewell arguedwill win the day. Do you ever hear back from past winners who might have progressed their photography further? Absolutely! We stay in touch and publicise their successes whenever we can. It’s a mutually supportive community for most of them. The young winners are part of this too and it’s great to see their interest in photography progress into careers. Do you have some advice for those photographers thinking of entering this year’s contest? It’s the same advice whenever I’m asked this and it applies to any photography competition. First, read the brief for each category and follow

it. Don’t be tempted to enter your favourite images. Enter your best but make sure they fit the brief. If they don’t save them for another year. Second, never underestimate the judges. They are highly knowledgeable and they see thousands of images in the course of a year. Third, don’t copy last year’s winners. The winners are different each year, just look at the winners’ galleries – an impersonation of the last winner simply isn’t going to win. What is one aspect of TPOTY of which you are most proud? Two things. Seeing the winning photographers reap the benefits of the international profile which we’ve created to springboard their profile or careers, and seeing the way the awards and exhibitions inspire people and make them aspire to be better photographers. What is your personal favourite pictures from all the winners? Wow, that’s a tricky one with so many great images over the years! One of my favourites is an image by British photographer, Timothy Allen (above). It’s a black & white image of a woman in Mali, sheltering from the rain under a tin roof. It’s moody and magnificent. Another is a shot of a polar bear with a seal carcass by Australian, Joshua Holko. It’s poignant and speaks about survival and environment as well as the obvious in the image. The third is by French photographer, Remi Benali, of a boy, also in Mali, wearing a red jacket. It is such a joyous image. Where do you see TPOTY in, say, five years time? The plan is to develop a touring exhibition programme including 25 international venues during that period. We’re not looking to send the exhibition to every venue that will have it.Wewant to keep it prestigious whilst broadening its reach.

Never underestimate the judges.

They are highly knowledgeable and see thousands of images in the course of a year

Enter now

TPOTY 2017 is open for entry now and a closing date is 25 September. With a diverse range of categories, fabulous prizes including a £5000 prize package for the overall winner and entry open to enthusiasts and pros of all ages, TPOTY is worth entering and you have plenty of time to shoot images on your travels this summer. For full details please see the website. tpoty.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

17

Profile

Before the judge TonyWinfield

Join us for our monthly chat with a photographic judge. When it comes to picking winners, TonyWinfield’s passions centre on the mood and feel that good photography can capture...

Competitions are a major part of a camera club’s activities. They probably account for a third of a club’s programme. They are a great way for club members to share their work and get ideas on how to improve their images. The feedback from competent judges promotes self-development as photographers, and the impact of competitions is medium to long term – the more you experience, the greater the benefit. I have been a Midland Counties Photographic Federation (MCPF) listed judge for several years following my early retirement. Each year I judge at around 20 clubs and I do get invited back which is one measure of success. I also present lectures to camera clubs. I have enjoyed camera club photography as an amateur photographer for over 40 years and felt I should give something back. After all, without willing volunteers to judge there would be no more competitions. Camera club members often say to me that they couldn’t be a judge; that it is too difficult. In my younger years I might have agreed with them. Speaking in front of a group of people is challenging for most people. However, the more you do, the less this will bother you. I had the benefit of delivering training courses to groups of people at work, so appearing in front of camera club audiences was not much of a stretch. Judges require a combination of abilities.Theymustbeabletoanalyse and evaluate pictures quickly. To do this they must have sufficient knowledge of photography and what constitutes a good photograph, be able to describe shortcomings in a tactful way, and suggest how the work may be improved. As well as constructive advice on how to overcome shortcomings, a judge must also be able to identify good features of an image. Making comments which show a lack of knowledge, understanding or experience greatly diminishes the judge’s credibility. Harsh, rude or nasty comments should always be avoided – potentially good

Biography

Howmany years in photography? Over 40 Home club? Stafford Camera Club

What is your favourite camera? Panasonic Lumix LX100 compact camera. What is your favourite lens? Sigma 12–24mm f/4.5–5.6 DG HSM What is your favourite photo accessory?

Manfrotto Monopod 679 Who is your favourite

photographer? Simon Marsden

What is your favourite photographic subject or technique? Infrared What awards/distinctions/ medals have youwon? A gold medal for best monochrome print at MIDPHOT, an annual exhibition by Midlands camera club photographers. One of my images was selected and published in collection 9 of the Landscape Photographer of the Year book. I won best nature print in a competition run by the National Memorial Arboretum. I achieved both print of the year and DPI of the year in this year’s annual competitions at my home club. I have recently published my first photographic book – A Guide to Monochrome Infrared Photography.

I don’t have a system of judging other than saying something positive about each picture, pointing out where a picture could be improved and praising good features in pictures that are successful. The hardest part of judging for me is quickly deciding my final order of preference if there are many exceptionally good shortlisted images. The standardof clubphotography is generally good (some outstanding) but it depends largely on the size of the club and the number of advanced photographers that it has. In my experience, photographers entering a club’s novice competition class commonly fail to understand the need to avoid distractions in backgrounds that take away from the main subject. Uncluttered backgrounds work best. Highlight areas carry strong visual weight and the viewer’s eyes are drawn immediately to these areas. Highlights unintentionally included in a picture should be removed or darkened to avoid drawing the viewer’s eye to them. Photography is a subtractive process. A strong image is as much about what you leave out as what you include. It usually proves to be an enjoyable, rewarding experience judging at camera clubs. It gives me a chance to talk with like-minded photo enthusiasts, to see some terrific images and toget ideas formy own photography. I get a real buzz when I see a good picture. When at the end of the night individual members approach me unsolicited and tell me that they have had an enjoyable night even though they did not win, then it is a jobwell done.

photographers have been lost to club photography because of ill-advised comments by judges. Photography is both a technical exercise and artistic expression. For me, what the picture communicates carries greater weight in my scoring than picture content or technical aspects. I favour images that convey feelings, emotions and mood, those that tell a story, and those that show inventiveness or present an idea. Record type pictures, with little interpretation by the photographer, rarely make my shortlist. I cannot think of an instance when I have rejected an outstandingly good picture artistically because of poor technical execution. In my experience, those capable of great artistic expression do not lack technical ability. The winners on the night are those that had the most emotional pull for me personally. I always listen carefully to a judge’s comments when my own work is being assessed. It is always difficult distancing yourself from your own work so another knowledgeable person’s opinion

is valuable. I don’t always agree with a judge, which is OK since as individuals we all have our own opinion when looking at a piece of artwork. When one of my images bombed at a competition I was asked by a fellow club member if I accepted the judge’s decision. I said yes and she asked why. I replied, “He was the judge”. It is important that the judge is shown respect by club members on the competition night. Before judging, I always point out to the audience that they are getting my personal opinion about their images and that another judge would undoubtedly have a different order of preference. Judges can be the object of criticism when they make ill- considered comments. A judge once gave a print of mine top marks, giving the reason that his girlfriend would have liked that sort of image hanging on her wall at home. She wasn’t actually there doing the judging! The same judge gave a creative flower print of mine 10 marks saying it would have got 20 marks if it hadn’t been given a Latin title. Some judges have pet hates. One judge is known to dock marks for every duck that appears in a picture. Another judge dislikes white vignetting around picture edges. Another thinks that nature shots should be in colour only. A creative monochrome shot of a duck with white vignetting around the edges and a Latin title would be an instant competition failure! Judges should avoid talking about themselves and their photography (unless asked to do so) and be aware of the need to avoid applying personal prejudices regardless of whether a particular technique suits the picture being assessed.

What do you think?

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

tonywinfieldfineartphotography.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

Photography News | Issue 45 | absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature 19

Oliver Halfin Music photographer O iver appreciates the freedom that the Olympus OM-D range offers him

It was once thought that professional kit needed to be built like a tank, weigh a ton and be carried around in heavy-duty high- profile cases. Cameras such as those in the Olympus OM-D range have rewritten the rule book, however, and an increasing number of photographers are finding that the ultra compact kit is enabling them to pack everything into a single case. One of those enjoying this new- found freedom is music photographer Oliver Halfin. Oliver travels the world documenting bands’ tours. His current epic journey has seen him working closely with the super band The Dead Daisies, a musical collective that features some of the best rock musicians on the planet. We caught up with him the night after a gig in Copenhagen. “I’m increasingly doing these kinds of long-term assignments that see me providing day-to-day coverage of a tour and uploading material on an ongoing basis to a band’s website,” says Oliver. “It’s pretty intense and I might be working every day, even when there are no gigs scheduled, to provide a running commentary on what’s going on.

“I travel with the band not the support crew, and so I’m with them all the time and wherever they go I go. Over the past year this has included locations such as Japan, South America, North America and Europe, and I’m forever getting on planes and heading off somewhere. As with any professional on the road I’mparanoid about my gear, and I always make sure that it travels with me in my carry- on luggage rather than being consigned to the hold, where there is far more risk of it being damaged or lost.” This approach is only possible, however, if gear is compact enough to be packed in one carry-on sized bag, and this is where the Olympus OM-D kit comes into its own. Oliver has been using Olympus cameras for some years now, along with his favourite optics – a 17mm f/1.8, 25mm f/1.2 and 75mm f/1.8 – and has most recently been using the OM-D E-M1 Mark II. He can pack this plus a couple of spare bodies, along with a decent selection of lenses, a video tripod head, chargers and memory cards, in a Think Tank case that is within carry-on limits. Great all-rounder As the Olympus flagship model, the OM-D E-M1 Mark II has it all. It’s impressively quick to respond, can deliver a jaw-dropping frame rate of up to 60fps, comes equipped with 121 all cross-type on-chip phase-detection focus points to ensure a formidably fast and accurate AF system and, for good measure, it also offers 4K video footage as well, something that Oliver truly values. All this comes in a package that weighs just 500g, making it one of the lightest truly professional-spec cameras currently. “Video capability is increasingly something that I need,” confirmsOliver. “For the last Dead Daisies tour I was filmingwith the E-M5Mark II, and this was all part of the coverage that I was expected to provide. The days are gone when you might be a music photographer and that was all you did: now you have to manage multiple disciplines. “The time was when most of the material would be for magazine use, and so it had to be high-quality stills. You still need these but because you’re servicing a wide range of social media sites you’re expected to do much more, and to work in a more reportage style, which is what the OM-D systemwas made for. “Publications are generally looking to get an angle that no one else can get,” says Oliver. “They like you to show that you’ve got a close relationship to the artist. If I’m the band’s official photographer rather than someone that has a one-off press pass then I will

Images Clockwise from above: Slash caught mid air at Download Festival, 2015; Nikki Sixx fromMötley Crüe at Wembley Arena; Coldplay, the most photogenic band in Oliver Halfin’s opinion: “the show and production is spectacular”; KISS

jumped as expected and I got him frozen in mid air. He almost looks like he’s floating.” The music business is tailor-made for the OM-D system. This kit is the perfect complement to the modern world: feature- packed, lightning fast, robust, flexible, lightweight and compact. For good measure it also looks amazing: the perfect mix of up-to-the-minute functionality and retro chrome-plated charm. No wonder professionals are flocking to the system.

normally have free rein to gowhere I want, but I need to be able to work with available light and to hand-hold my camera. With the OM-D E-M1 Mark II that is no problem at all, and I set the camera to a top ISO of 3200 and amstill confident that I was going to get something that would be up to the requirements of the most discerning of end users. “If I have access I usually try to get on stage at some point and to get a picture behind the artist. These days many people go to a concert with a decent cameraphone on them, and I want to come away with something that will be distinctly different to what they can get. The other big advantage of being given an open brief is that I’m not restricted to the first three songs. I will know the structure of the set and can sometimes wait for a couple of songs without taking a picture if I know that a good opportunity is coming up. Ultimately I’d rather have one great shot than 50 average ones.” Ask Oliver about the most photogenic band he’s covered and he’ll go for Coldplay, while his favourite shot to date is of Slash at Download Festival in 2015. “I’d photographed him before and saw he jumped during ‘Paradise City’,” he says, “so I got myself in position between the drum kit and the amps and waited… He

olympus.co.uk

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