Photography News Issue 43

Spring has finally sprung, which brings closer to one of our favourite events of the year: Photo 24. We're jam-packed with gear tests, from big camera launches like the Fujifilm X-T20 and the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II to small but essential bits of kit. Last but not least, is the final round of Camera Club of the Year – the last opportunity for your club to win a place in the grand final.

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography news Photography Issue 43 17 April – 11 May News Tests Reviews Interviews Techniques Competitions Exhibitions Clubs Produced by

DIGITAL EDITION every month* *at absolutephoto.com FREE GET YOUR

A Samsung 128GB memory card Enter the competition on page 56 WIN!

First tests Our award-winning kit reviewed on page 46

Fujifilm X-T20 Top-of-the-range mirrorless tried and tested on page 40

Shoot days out… … andwin £200 to spend on exhibition- quality prints on page 3

Photo 24 is on! 1 & 2 JULY

Nikon D7500 just announced Nikon’s very latest camera is an enthusiast model with features borrowed from its top- end APS-C model, the D500. It shares the same 20.9-megapixel sensor and super-fast EXPEED 5 image processor. Continue reading on page 3

Photography News has joined forces with leading imaging brand Fujifilm to bring you this year’s Photo 24

Now in its fifth year, Photo 24 is a free imaging event in London for readers of Photography News . The concept is simple: we kick off at noon one day and finish literally 24 hours later. It’s the chance for a load of like-minded folk to just indulge their passion for photography in one of the world’s most iconic and photogenic cities. People on the event can stay for the whole of it – and a great many do 24 hours – while others come along for

thedaylighthours, gohome tobedand rejoin us the following morning, and some come for just a few hours. Once you are on Photo 24 the day is yours; while we offer photo walks, contests and meet-ups, you can do your own thing.Wewill alsobeofferingoptional paid-for photo opportunities. This year, thanks to our association with Fujifilm, you will get the chance to try out its new mirrorless X-series cameras, or if your eye is on

something bigger then you can try the medium-format GFX 50S, a camera that is attracting huge attention from enthusiasts and professional photographers alike. So, if Photo 24 appeals – this year starting at 12 noon on Saturday 1 July and ending 24hours later – now is the time to register. For more details see page 9.

absolutephoto.com

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

News

News in brief

GoDeluxewith Lee Lee Filters’ Deluxe kit is made up of the key 100mm filters you need for scenic shooting and the filter holder with 105mm filter ring attached.

Five filters are included: Landscape Polariser, Big Stopper and three NDS graduate filters.

Sigma confirms pricing and availability Sigma has announced the price of the 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM lens, which will be available in April with a The 100mm Deluxe filter kit retails at £605.58; a saving of more than £80 on the individual items (lens adaptors are extra). leefilters.com Vanguardwins design awards Vanguard has bagged three Red Dot design awards for the Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CT Carbon Fibre Tripod, Alta Sky 51D Backpack and VEO Discover 46 Backpack. The awards were given in recognition of high design quality, expressing innovation in form and function in an exemplary manner. vanguardworld.com Instant addition Joining Fujifilm’s line-up of Instax instant cameras is the Instax Mini 9. This features a close-up lens, high-key mode and selfie mirror. It will be available from May, in five different colours, and will be priced at £77.99. fujifilm.eu/uk recommended price of £799.99 in both Canon and Nikon mounts. sigma-imaging-uk.com

Nikon’s D7000 series gets a newaddition

Nikon has unveiled the D7500, a DX-format DSLR which inherits several pro features from the flagship D500; including its 20.9-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, Nikon’s EXPEED 5 processing engine and a native ISOrange of 100- 51,200, which can be extended to an equivalent of 1,640,000. Aimed at aspiring enthusiasts the D7500 has a 51-point AF system and offers eight frames-per-second shooting so is ideal for a range of subjects including portraits, sports, action and wildlife. Thanks to the inclusion

of Nikon’s SnapBridge connectivity you can transfer and share your images on the go. The inclusion of 4K video and 4K time-lapse movie means you can get creative with more than just stills. The D7500 has 100% viewfinder coverage and also features a 3.2-inch tilting touch screen monitor, allowing you to operate AF and shutter-release functions when shooting in Live View by using the touch controls. The new camera offers the same image quality as the

D500, but in a more lightweight body, weighing just 640g. Its design also has a deep grip and the body is weather sealed for shooting in a variety of conditions. The D7500 is expected to be available from June with a recommended body price of £1299.99. Alternatively it will also be available as a kit with the AF-S DX 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G VR lens for a recommended price of £1599.99.

nikon.co.uk

Win prints worth £200

HahnemühlePhotoGloss

Hahnemühle has added a new light white barite paper to its photo range. The Photo Gloss Baryta 320 features an enhanced coating with a glossy surface and replaces the Harman by Hahnemühle Gloss Baryta. It will provide deep blacks and shiny colours and offer darkroomproperties of traditional barite paper for the fine-art print. The Photo Gloss Baryta 320 will be available from April in standard sheet and roll formats.

PhotographyNews has teamedupwith expert photo printers LumeJet to bring you the chance of seeing your favourite photographs in glorious print. Win this free-to-enter contest and you have £200 to spend on the LumeJet website. LumeJet is passionate about printing great photographs and uses its own developed S200 printer for high-end photographic and commercial print use. Using its innovative and home-grown photonic technology, LumeJet is able to deliver beautiful prints, faithfully reproducing the photographer’s art to achieve extraordinary colour fidelity and superb tonality, with great longevity.

This month’s theme is Days Out, which gives you huge scope in terms of subject matter; and one cracking shot can scoop you the prize of £200 worth of LumeJet prints. Your entry might be taken at a theme park, or on a trip to the coast or a portrait shot at a living museum. Free your imagination and upload your entry before the closing date. Upload images to flickr.com/ groups/3435136@N23/. There is no fee to enter but you will have to join flickr.com, which is free. Only one photograph per person can 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. The editor’s decision is final and for terms and conditions please see absolutephoto.com The closing date for entries is 7 May 2017 and the winner will be announced in PN issue 44 out from 15 May 2017. The winner of last month’s At Home contest is Ceri Jones: congratulations and well done to him.

hahnemuehle.com

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

News

Back to the futurewithCanon

Incredible as it may seem, the EOS System has been with us for three decades now, and to celebrate that achievement Canon organised an event in London. While highlighting the heritage aspects of the anniversary, the event was firmly focused on the numerous technical advances that have taken place throughout the last 30 years. There was also the opportunity for a tantalising look ahead, provided by a first chance to get hands on with the latest EOS models. Photography News sent writer Terry Hope along to the event last month. Here’s what he had to say. “The venue was the iconic former Underground railway station at Aldwych, normally firmly off limits with the platforms located a full 119 steps below ground. Closed in 1994, it’s nowa timewarp full of fascinating memorabilia, such as vintage posters and Edwardian-era tiled signage, and it created a unique setting for a trip downmemory lane. “As guests, who included journalists, working photographers, bloggers and Canon technical experts, mingled in the old ticket hall area beforeheadingdown,theywereableto National Photographic Survey Calumet has launched the first ever national poll of the photography industry. “Photography is both a hobby and profession, which visually records the world around us. This survey aims to shed some light into the latest trends and habits of the modern-day photographer,”saysJonWarner, managing director of Calumet Photographic. Have your say in the poll at calphoto.co.uk/nps; you’ll be entered into a prize draw towin a FujifilmX-Pro2.

peruse a tableheavingwitheveryEOS model from the past 30 years, around 100 of them, the first being the silver- halide era EOS 650 SLR. There was also the EOS IX, an SLR that utilised APS film, and the EOS 5, a 35mmSLR that came with an innovative eye- controlled focusing feature. Signalling the changes to come you could also view the EOS 300, the memorable model dating from 1999 that finally brought DSLR prices down below £1000 for the first time. “Coming up to date, all the current models were also on display, including the freshly announcedEOS 77D and 800Dmodels. “As privileged visitors we could borrow Canon EOS cameras of our choice and were escorted around the station to shoot scenarios set up with models in 1940s dress, a nod to the time during the Second World War when the platforms here were used by Londoners as an air raid shelter. Way below ground there was even a vintage tube train parked in the platform, the perfect backdrop for a series of poses. “We also had access to stretches of the old tunnels and could marvel at the overall sense of gently

managed decay, all of which made for extraordinary pictures. The icing on the cake, once everyone had recovered from the climb back up to ground level, was a ride onavintageLondonbustoabar,where there was yet another opportunity to look at and handle the full EOS range, while Canon experts were again on hand to demonstrate the capabilities of the latest range of Canon PIXMAprinters. “Overall it was a timely reminder of the heritage of an iconic brand, conceived against a memorable setting with a chance to shoot with the latest EOS models. A fabulous concept and a get together that no-one who attendedwill ever forget.”

Canon launchesmerchandise Canon UK, for the first time, recently launched a special merchandise collection,

which was on display at The Photography Show. The Canon merchandise range includes T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, a cap, umbrella, baby bibs and more. You can show off your love for Canon or find a fun gift for friends and family. There's even a miniature Hansa Canon model. See the full range at store.canon.co.uk

canon.co.uk

Save cashonLandscape Pro

PN readers can save 10% off Landscape Pro, the world’s first intelligent landscape editing software. Key features include: • Sky controls: replace sky, change clouds and colour, cast cloud shadows. • Lighting: change light source, temperature, time of day, go from dawn to sunset. • Automatic area selection: tag areas such as sky, trees, buildings, grass, sand, rocks, water. • Targeted editing: specially designed controls for different areas. • Distance controls: highlight objects, add fog. • One-click presets: wet sand, stormy water, red sunset, lush trees. • And more... A free trial is downloadable from the website and to get your PN discount when you buy it, enter the code PN42a.

calphoto.co.uk

landscapepro.pics

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

News

The Canon EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM lens is designed for use with Canon APS-C DSLR cameras and is the first lens of its kind in the EF-S lens range to feature Canon’s built-in Macro Lite technology. The 35mm macro lens offers 1:1 magnification and can focus as close as 30mm. Furthermore it features an optical image stabiliser with Hybrid IS, which compensates for angular and linear movement. It’s also got an STM focus motor for fast and quiet focusing, particularly useful for video capture. Available from May, the EF-S 35mm f/2.8 Macro IS STM has a price of £399.99. Canonmacromagic

Also new from Canon is the PowerShot SX730 HS. Adding to its PowerShot SX Travel series, this pocketable compact camera features a 20.3-megapixel sensor, a DIGIC 6 processor and offers Full HD video and a continuous shooting speed 5.9fps. Its also got a wide-angle lens which features a 40x optical zoom and 80x ZoomPlus and will be available from May for £379.99.

canon.co.uk

Nikonunveils 100th anniversary products

This year, on 25 July Nikon will be celebrating its 100th anniversary. To mark the occasion a range of commemorative models and products has been launched, which includes limited edition cameras and a crystal Nikon Model I. The D5 100th Anniversary Edition has a dark metallic grey finish, as well a stamp which notes Nikon’s contribution to space studies and exploration; it also comes with an anniversary booklet. The D500 100th Anniversary Edition has a metallic grey finish and comes

with a metal case, a special body cap and leather strap which feature the 100th Anniversary logo. Also included in the 100th Anniversary range is a Nikkor 70-200E, Nikkor Triple F2.8 Zoom Lens Set, Swarovski Crystal Creation Nikon Model I, Pin Collection, Miniature Nikon F Camera, Premium Camera Straps and WX 7x50 IF, WX 10x50 IF and 8x30 II binoculars. Visit the Nikon 100th Anniversary website for more information.

Fujifilm firmware update

nikon.co.uk

B+W has announced new ND Square filters, plus XS Pro Screw-in Filters. The new square filters are priced at £125.95 and are available in four different densities: two, three, six and ten EV, with a size of 100x100mm. The filters feature a special polished glass, thin-film technology, a three-layer combination coating, which optimises the filter, as well as a multilayer anti-reflection component. The outer later of the filter also repels dirt and water and, thanks to its stable design, it can't warp or distort and is resistant to scratches. Square upwith B+W

Fujifilm has launched new firmware updates for the X-T2 and X-Pro2, which offer 33 functional operational updates. The first update X-T2 version 2.00 and X-Pro2 version 3.00 is available now and includes updates such as offering ISO 125 and 160, faster Face Detection AF, short EVF display time-lag (for the X-Pro2) and more. The second update, X-T2 version 2.10 and X-Pro2 version 3.10 is due to be released in late May.

fujifilm.co.uk

Zeiss Batis SonyE-mount lens

Zeiss has introduced a compact, portrait telephoto lens for Sony’s full-frame mirrorless E-mount cameras. The Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 is the first 135mm autofocus focal length for Sony’s A7 system with E-mount. It features an optical image stabiliser and OLED display, which offers precise depth-of- field visualisation. With a metal housing, the lens has a robust design and also features a dust and dirt shield. The Zeiss Batis 135mm f/2.8 lens will be available fromMay 2017 for £1749 from specialist dealers.

manfrotto.co.uk

zeiss.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

News

Book your place on Photo 24 now!

In association with

Try a Fujifilmcamera – for free!

At appointed times during the 24 hours a range of Fujifilmmirrorless cameras including the X-T2, X-Pro2 and medium-format GFX will be available to borrow for free. To partake in this loan scheme you will need your current driving licence as a deposit. No licence, no nice camera to play with: so if this aspect of Photo 24 appeals make sure you have your driving licence with you. Once you have the camera you can load your own SD card and get some time taking pictures. Of course, if you need help, tech support or buying advice, Fujifilm product specialists will be hand. Clearly loan stock is limited so it will be on a first come, first served basis and there will be time limits on how long you can have a camera for so we can be fair to fellow Photo 24ers. So, if you’re thinking of a mirrorless camera, whether APS-C or medium- format, or adding one as a backup to your existing DSLR system this is a great opportunity to try a Fujifilm camera in real picture taking situations.

And there’smore...

Get a place on Photo 24 and there’s the opportunity to book a spot on an optional event or two. Prices depend on the event and will only go ahead if sufficient numbers book. More details will be supplied to those who secure a place on Photo 24. At the moment we are looking at the chance to climb the 02 Arena with cameras. Normally, only mobile phones are allowed on climbs up the 02 but that is changing and photographer-friendly sessions are being offered. We have a provisional slot to do the climb at sunset and shoot from the top. The highest point is 52m high so gives impressive views of the Thames and Canary Wharf. Leaving the photo ops aside, the climb is also a great experience. We’ve booked two vintage London buses to offer photo ops (not as transport!) in the early hours of Photo 24. Parked in Piccadilly Circus, near the London Eye and around Whitehall, they’ll offer the chance for unique pictures. We are still working on more optional events and again, full confirmed details will be provided to those who secure a place on Photo 24, so go to absolutephoto.com and submit your name now.

Photo 24 is our annual free photographic jamboree in London, this year sponsored by iconic imaging brand Fujifilm. It is an opportunity to spend 24 hours with fellow camera enthusiasts enjoying the photographic delights of London. With incredible buildings, bustling streets and interesting markets, the opportunities are endless. And there’s the unexpected too – a couple of years ago we coincided with a mass public demonstration that proved great for pictures. Firstly, our apologies about the original date we publicised. Our provisional date was 23 June but due to circumstances beyond our

control – and we can’t even blame Brexit! – it had to be changed to 1 and 2 July, noon start. Sorry about that. Photo 24’s popularity is growing year by year and we expect interest to be high. With logistics and health and safety, numbers attending the event are limited to 250. We are open for applications now and the closing date is midnight, Sunday 7 May 2017. After that, to be fair, we will be picking out names at random and be confirming successful applicants as soon as that is done. Unsuccessful applicants will be put on a waiting list. If you apply as a small group or as a couple, fair consideration will be given, ie. if

you apply as a group of four, you will get four places. Incidentally, if you are signing up as a single and want some company for Photo 24 there will be the chance to buddy up with fellow photographers so don’t worry if this is a concern. If all this sounds absolutely brilliant and the idea of staying up for 24 hours (you can actually stay for as long as you like) enjoying photography in London right up your street, please go to absolutephoto.com and you’ll see Photo 24 there. Fill in your details and that’s it.

absolutephoto.com

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

Awards

Photography News Awards 2015 Awardwinners 2016 The UK’s imaging industry was encamped at the Birmingham NEC for a few days in March for The Photography Show – the perfect opportunity for PN’s editor, Will Cheung, to hand over the Awards trophies to our winners. Apologies for his smiling fizzog appearing so many times on this spread...

Emma Baynes of Zeiss UK collects for Prime telephotowinner, the Zeiss Otus 85mmf/1.4.

GrahamArmitage (centre) and Paul Reynolds of Sigma Imaging receive Awards for the best Wide- angle zoom, Sigma 12-24mm f/4 DG HSMArt, and Prime: Wide-angle Sigma 24mm f/1.4 DG HSMArt.

Sara Marshall of Nikon UK collects Awards for the Advanced DSLR of the year, the D500, and the Superzoom of the Year, the Nikon AF-S 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR.

Fujifilm’s Theo Georghiades and Jeannie Corby accept Awards for advanced CSC: FujifilmX-T2; best innovation: FujifilmGFX; best prime standard lens XF35mm f/2 RWR; and best launch, FujifilmX-Pro2.

The winner of the On-camera Flash category was Pixapro Li-ION580 ETTL and the prize was collected by Ling Tan of Essential Photo.

Best Tripod: Travel went to the Benro FTA18CC Travel Angel. Mark Hoskins of Macgroup is the smiling chappie here.

Manfrottowon twoAwards. Best Tripod: Aluminumwent to the Manfrotto 290Dual Aluminium 3-sectionwhile theManfrotto Professional Roller Bag 50won Roller case of the year. SarahBayley andDarren Long of ManfrottoUK picked up the prizes.

The Profoto D2 won Monobloc Flash and the Profoto Pro-10 won Mains Flash Power Pack Awards. Matt Wilson (left) and Neil March bask in their glory.

The Sony A77 II was voted Consumer DLSR of the Year and the prize was collected by Arnaud Gutleben of Sony UK.

The Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel Tripod 401C won best Tripod: Carbon-fibre, and Paul (centre) and Tony Kench collected the prize.

Jane Nicholson and Jerry Martin of Intro 2020 for lenses: Telezoom – Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5.6-6.3 Di VC USD G2; Macro SP 90mm f/2.8 Di VC USD; and Video – Samyang 50mmT1.3 ED AS UMC CS.

Olympus won Consumer CSC of the year with its Olympus OM-D E-M10Mark II while the Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II was voted Professional CSC of the year. Olympus’s Georgie Pavelin collected the prizes.

Paul Genge of Johnsons Photopia wins the Continuous Light Award for the Westcott Flex Bi-Color mat.

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

Awards

The Rogue FlashBender 2 XL Pro was votedwinners of the Studio/ LightingAccessory category. John Baker of Rogue and Shemaine Rose of Rogue’s UKdistributors Color Confidence collect the prize.

Hahnemühle’s Heidi Wilson and SimonWaller collect the trophy for its Hahnemühle William Turner 310gsm paper, winning Inkjet Media: Fine Art Finish.

Regular winners of the Filter category do it again with the Lee Filters Big Stopper. Here’s Ralph Young of Lee filters picking up the prize.

BenQ great value PV270 Pro 27in IPS won the Monitor Award and we have Jason Lee and Fanny Wang of BenQ getting the trophy.

G-Technology G Drive ev RaWwas voted Movie Accessory of the Year, and Oli Smith of G-tech is seen here with the trophy.

Last year’s winner Zenfolio repeat the feat this year to win Photo Website Provider. Zenfolio’s Arnaud Collin and Adam Edwards enjoy the winning feeling.

X-Rite ColorMunki Display was voted Colour Management Device winner and we see Liz Quinlisk and Matt Chilton of Xrite collecting the trophy.

Epson’s SureColor SC-P600won the Inkjet Printer Award and the prizewas collected byDomGurney fromEpson.

Best Shoulder/Sling bag winner was the Nest Hiker 30 and Antony Edwards of UK Digital collected the Award.

Serial winners Loxley Colour do it again for Best Processing Lab, with Calum Thompson from Loxley stepping forward to collect the Award.

CEWE Photobooks was voted Best Book Service of the year and Sarah Brockhurst of CEWE was on hand to collect the prize.

Winners not present

PHOTO BACKPACK Lowepro Pro Runner BP 350 AW II

MEMORY CARD PNY Elite Performance SDXC UHS-I/U3

EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE Samsung Portable SSD T3

Louise Hill of PermaJet receives the prize for PermaJet FB Gold Silk 315gsm, winning Inkjet Media: Photographic Finish.

MOVIE CAMERA OF THE YEAR Blackmagic Pocket Cinema

Best Insurance Provider was won by Aaduki Multimedia Insurance and the company’s Paul Newberry picks up the prize.

Calumet Rental was voted Best Hire Centre. Jon Warner of Calumet is pictured getting the Award.

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

News

The Army Photographic Competition has launched a new category for 2017, Operation Camera, which for the first time invites the public to enter. “We’ve got great photographers in the Army,” said command master photographer WO1 Will Craig, “but we realised that lots of other people have fabulous photos of what we do, including members of the public and our colleagues in the Royal Navy and the RAF.” The competition is looking for quality images around the theme of the British Army that can be used to promote the Army in both print and online (check competition T&Cs before entering). Entry is open until 27 September 2017 and images submitted must have been taken between 26 October 2016 and the closing date. Operation Camera

army.mod.uk/photocomp

SonyWorldPhotographyOpen categorywinners revealed

The 2017 Sony World Photography Awards received over 105,000 entries to its Open competition and has revealedthetenwinners.TheyincludeUKphotographer Tim Cornbill who won the Architecture category. Tim, along with the nine other winners, will receive a Sony A7 II and will go on to compete to be named the Sony World Photography Awards’ Open Photographer of the Year. The winner will then receive a trip to the awards

ceremony inLondon, plus $5000. The overall winner, as well as the winner of the Professional competition, will be announced on 20 April. The Sony World Photography Awards & Martin Parr – 2017 Exhibition will then be open from21 April to 7May at Somerset House in London and then begin its worldwide tour.

worldphoto.org

Proud Galleries has launched The Beatles Unseen: Photographs by David Magnus at Proud Chelsea. The exhibition, which runs until 14 May 2017 offers a candid insight into The Beatles recording at the EM1 Studio 1 in Abbey Road and also features previously unseen photographs. TheBeatlesUnseen

Now in its 17th year, World Pinhole Day encourages photographers from all over the world to embrace the unpredictability of shooting with a pinhole camera and be part of something special. The organisation asks photographers to submit one image, taken with a lensless camera and captured on Pinhole Day, Sunday 30 April. WorldPinholeDay

proudonline.co.uk

Last year, 2599 people from 78 countries submitted their shots to the Pinhole Day website, which nowhosts 37,741 images from previous years. To get involved all you need to do is take a pinhole image on 30 April, scan it and upload it to the Pinhole Day website. You can take several images and your submission can be of any subject, but you can only submit one image. If you don’t own a pinhole camera then it’s time to get making one!

pinholeday.org

Photography News | Issue 43 | 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: 4May 2017

We need words and pictures by 4 May 2017 for the next issue of Photography News , which will be available from 15 May 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

Inspired bymono The Cotswold Salon is the National Print Exhibition of Monochrome Photography; in its 22 years it’s seen many now well-known

News in brief

Andy Beel FRPS is visiting Wisbech CC and Peterborough PS on 24 and 25 April to give two talks and a workshop. The talk on the 24th will be Me and my Eye, and the one on the 25th, Every picture tells a story, both at 7.30pm. Andy will be running a workshop, From pixel to print, on the 25th from 10am to 4pm; price £40. To buy tickets, phone David Hodgson on 01945 465126 or email fen.country@sky.com Heswall Photographic Society hold their Annual Exhibition of Prints at Ness Botanic Gardens from 10 to 17 May: entry is free. Members of the public will have the opportunity to vote for their favourite image and meet with members of the club. heswallphotosoc.co.uk SheffieldPhotographic Society hold their Annual Print Exhibition from Friday 21 April to Thursday 27 April from midday to 4pm at Sheffield Cathedral. Entry is free. sheffield-photographer. org.uk Earl ShiltonCamera Club’s keynote speaker for this year is Damien Lovegrove. The evening takes place on 24 May from 7pm at Earl Shilton Constitutional Club; tickets £5 in advance or £7 on the door. earlshiltoncameraclub.org. uk Showcasing the best work of CCC members and winning images from pupils of schools in Gloucestershire, Cheltenham Camera Club & Gloucestershire Young Photographers Annual Exhibition’s opening ceremony is at 3pm on 22 April. Awards will be given to CCC members and winners of the GYP by the Mayor, Councillor Chris Ryder. The exhibition runs until 27 April at the Parabola Arts Centre. Entry is free. cheltenhamcameraclub. co.uk

standard of my photography has increased several-fold. I am in no doubt that by participating photographers will see their own photography improve.” The salon is open for entries from 10 April to 10 May, with the exhibition from 13 to 16 July in Gloucester.

photographersmake their first entry into an exhibition. Ross McKelvery, Gold Medal winner in 2016, says: “From the point where I excitedly dipped my toe into the water by entering the Cotswold Salon, the

cotswold-monochrome.co.uk

The Suffolk Monochrome Group is a select group of up to twelve dedicated and highly experienced photographerswhose aim is to enjoy and promote the art of monochrome photography, in all its various forms. The objective of the SM Group is to foster the appreciation of monochrome photographs and to encourage the development of this branch of photographic art. The group is holding its exhibition of work at The Minories in Colchester, between 27 April and 19 May, 11am to 4pm. The subject matter of the images on display is varied, including landscapes, portraiture, abstract and images of other genres. SuffolkMonochrome Group Photography Exhibition

suffolkmonochromegroup.co.uk

Newton Abbot PC 6th International Salon

ThishighlyrespectedSalon ispurely for digital images and continues to attract entries from all over the world. Opening date for entries this year is Saturday 22 April 2017 and the closing date is Sunday 16 July 2017. There are several categories to suit all types of photography, with

many awards, medals and ribbons to be won. All photographers are welcome to submit their images via the website where full information can be found.

newtonabbot-photoclub.org.uk

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

Advertisement feature 15

Paper chase Seeking out the best inkjet paper is vital if you want top-quality prints, and with over 400 years of paper making heritage, Hahnemühle’s fine-art media will provide it. Now find out all about the latest stock in the stable, and a firm favourite that continues to impress

All the world’s most respected brands combine two core values: heritage and innovation, because from solid foundations you can launch great ideas. And that’s what the Hahnemühle Photo inkjet range is all about. Hahnemühle’s Photo range takes the company’s 430 years of paper production and brings it right up to date with class- leading, perfectly stable, heavyweight papers that will bring the best out in any image you choose to print on them. Perfect home printing Quality of paper is paramount in home printing and with many club competitions and salons requiring entries to be submitted as prints, picking the right paper is essential. Taking account of this, and ensuring the right paper is available for any image style, the Hahnemühle Photo range includes a full suite of finishes, from high gloss to satin, pearlescent and matte papers. Each guarantee the kind of outstanding image sharpness, tonality and colour required by today’s high-resolution digital cameras. And all Hahnemühle papers can be printed using the company’s own downloadable ICC profiles, so you know you’re getting the best results every time you print. New paper, classic feel The latest addition to the exclusive Hahnemühle Photo stable is Photo Gloss Baryta 320, a 100% cellulose, white barite paper, with an enhanced coating that’s sure to become a firm favourite with exacting photographers and printmakers. With its superbglossysurface,PhotoGlossBaryta320 provides impressively deep blacks, lustrous highlights, crisp detail and brilliant colour. The new paper will be especially appealing to fans of the classic photographic darkroom look and feel – but with all the advantages

Hahnemühle’s Photo Range takes the company’s 430 years of paper production and brings it right up to date with class-leading, perfectly stable, heavyweight papers

Images William Turner’s textured matt finish has a luxurious feel and suits a wide range of subject matter. Below left Here, you can see the textured finish which certainly adds to the ‘arty’ feel.

Contact Hahnemühle

For more information on Hahnemühle’s products including size, availability and stockists please visit the website. On the website you can also access free ICC profiles for Hahnemühle’s papers. Profiles characterise the colour gamut for the paper, printer and ink in use to get the best output. Profiles are available at no cost and there is also an archive for older printers, plus instructions on how to install and use them correctly. Hahnemuehle.com uksales@hahnemuehle.com 08453 300 129

of using a 320gsm archival standard, barite paper for the quality and longevity of true fine art prints. Available now, Photo Gloss Baryta 320 can be purchased in sizes to suit any home-printing needs with A4, A3, A3+, A2, and rolls from 17in to 50in wide. Awarding-winning quality Proving how important top-quality paper is to discerning photographers, Hahnemühle’s William Turner fine art matt watercolour texture paper has been crowned winner in the PN Awards Inkjet Media: Fine Art Finish category for the second year running! As part of Hahnemühle’s digital fine art range (which, like the Photo line features weights and surface structures to accommodate any photographic

tastes), William Turner stock is a genuine mould-made 100% cotton paper that’s wonderfully suited to your most artistic creations. The distinctive look and feel of its matt watercolour texture add a more expressive feel to images, and you’ll also be assured of perfect colour gamut, graduation and sharpness. Hahnemühle’s William Turner fine art matt watercolour paper is available in either 190gsm or 310gsmweights and a wide range of sheet and roll sizes.

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

Profile

Before the judge

LeighWoolford Join us for our monthly chat with a photographic judge. LeighWoolford has seen many trends come and go in his decade as a judge, and has a fondness for events that feature a buffet

I fell into judging by accident after having my arm twisted to judge a small local club competition. I found that I enjoyed the process and took a few more bookings. It grew from there. I’ve been judging for around 10 years – the time has passed very quickly. I have done hundreds of club competitions as well as numerous inter-club competitions and national and international salons including: The Welsh Salon, Swansea International, MCPF championships, MCPF Photofolio, Neath International, South Devon Salon, The Welsh International Salon and the Port Talbot Salon. I also have a few more lined up for 2017 including the Midland Salon and the Bristol Salon. Mostly it is very rewarding but sometimes you feel like you have let someone down by not explaining your thoughts too well. Inevitably you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Also, people don’t want to sit there listening to some crusty old bloke talking about apertures so I try to judge from the heart and have a bit of fun where possible. I can forgive the odd technical flaw if the photo has soul, story or emotion. I have had loads of great judging experiences but I think my favourites are ones with a buffet! Seriously, it’s tough picking out my favourites as I tend to mostly remember the ones where I don’t think I’ve done the entries justice. In recent months I particularly enjoyed judging the Brian Jennings Trophy,aninter-clubbattleatTrostre Camera Club in the steelworks of the same name. It involved a number of West Wales Clubs, some very enjoyable photographs – and a top- notch buffet. I also remember enjoying my first judging visit to Cheltenham Camera Club. After initially being daunted by their ‘spot judging’ requirements for a large number of items, I found I quite enjoyed the process. It was strangely liberating. InWales we normally get the entries a week or two in advance and at that time I hadn’t done a great deal of spot judging. The good folk at Cheltenham have also asked me back and that always feels good. It is also rewarding to be asked to go out of area. I think I’ve visited almost all the clubs in the Welsh Photographic Federation and to go a little further afield is fun. It’s good to see what is going on elsewhere. What makes judging really interesting is that I’m endlessly amazed by the skill and ingenuity of the club photographer. You also see a great range and all life is there from the absolute beginner in their first competition to the seasoned and experienced members

Biography

Howmany years in photography? I won a school photography competition in 1969 when I was ten but have been seriously interested since around 1980. Home club I’ve been a member of the very wonderful Gwynfa Camera Club since around 1985. What is your favourite camera? Canon T90. What is your favourite lens? My Canon 24-105mm f/4. It is practically welded to the front of my SLR. What is your favourite photo accessory? I have two. My trusty tripod and a I can’t pick just one. A few that spring to mind are Ansel Adams, Bill Brandt, Todd Webb, O Winston Link, Michael Kenna and Yann Arthus Bertrand. What is your own favourite photographic subject or technique? I started with an interest in motorsport but these days I prefer landscapes. However, I’ll have a bash at anything. Lately I’ve enjoyed playing with the Lee long exposures stoppers and I enjoy using moving water to create life and light on days that aren’t that interesting. What awards/distinctions/ medals have youwon? I’m an associate of the Welsh Photographic Federation as well as EFIAP and DPAGB. Yourwebsite leighwoolford.co.uk set of graduated filters. Who is your favourite photographer?

I don’t agree with the premise that judges have a poor reputation among clubmembers. At Gwynfawe go to the pub after our meetings and there you will always hear opinions about the judge. I don’t think I have ever heard either universal praise or universal condemnation. Someone is always happy, someone is always disgruntled. It is the nature of the beast. However, I do get a tad annoyed if a photographer uses the judge as a crutch to explain the shortcomings of an entry they have made. If you were to ask me for a single piece of advice to help people improve their photography I’d say understand aperture and shutter speeds. Oh, and take lots of photographs and look at lots of photographs. Also, have an open mind and get outside your comfort zone. Oops, that’s more than one.

who have been entering for years. Amateur photography seems to be experiencing a boom period. Most people have a camera and use it regularly so it’s an exciting time. I particularly enjoy seeing the improving standards of images taken on phone cameras. Sadly though, I’m not so sure that camera clubs are benefitting as much from this boom as they ought. Young people don’t seem too interested and that is a shame as they could contribute a great deal but I guess it is tough for a teenager or a 20-something to walk into a room full of over 40s and feel involved. There are exceptions of course, but not as many as there should be. Judging opinions inevitably differ and that is the point of a panel. I can recall a situation where someone was very reluctant to press the 5 button in a salon 2 to 5 button judging session so at the end of the day the deliberations over the awards were long and drawn out. It wasn’t really frustrating though, just time consuming. It is rare that I am lost for words but it has happened a couple of times. One that springs to mind involved a female nude on a bicycle. I’ll leave it there. The photographer will knowwho he is if he reads this. The biggest challenge of all is being positive and constructive with a lifeless image and it is important to not fall into the trap of saying it is ‘an ordinary snapshot’. I’ve only failed twice to find something

constructive to say about an image. I don’t see outstanding entries in every competition, but on many, many occasions, I do. The ones that fail show that the photographer has a lack of understanding of the compromise between aperture, shutter and ISO. The ‘auto’ setting has a lot to answer for. Don’t let the camera tell you what to do; you tell it what to do. Also, don’t try to pander to the judge and don’t always enter safe shots. Make us think. Make us wonder what on earth we are going to say. Challenge us. (Note, this may not necessarily prove to be the best way of winning but it’s often the best way of developing your photography.) I see many of the same techniques used over and over again but I can’t really think of any particular subject or technique that really bothers me. There are always fads and fashions and they come and go. Inevitably each has a life-cycle of initial excitement leading to familiarity and eventually, perhaps, boredom. However, this is something I’d try hard to disregard when talking about an image. Basically, imaging trends come and go but photographs with emotion, story, atmosphere and heart endure and succeed. So don’t follow trends, create them! Also on composition the so-called rules are there to be used and to be broken. Knowing when to do either is key.

leighwoolford.co.uk

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.

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

18 Interview

Pro focus

Richard Bradbury specialises in tweaking reality until it looks too good to be true, but his shots still have the essence of real life even though they might be made up of six or more captures

Words by Terry Hope Pictures by Richard Bradbury

As a photographer it’s all too easy to follow the crowd and to produce work that’s a carbon copy of what everyone else is doing. Not so straightforward is to develop a dynamic new style that’s all your own – but pull off this trick in the commercial world and you’ll have clients beating a path to your door. For Richard Bradbury there was no single defining moment when his signature look was born. Rather, he realised the potential of a combined lighting and HDR technique he was working on, slowly but surely perfecting it and drawing together strands that finally gave him the hyperreal – but still perfectly believable – feel he was after. “Most photographic techniques develop over a period of time,” he asserts. “They come about usually because you have an assignment that works particularly well, so you then take the essential elements from that shoot and incorporate them into other jobs. I’m a great one for thinking things through before they happen, both technically and creatively, and for some time I had been taking a shot of the background of a scene after finishing a modelling shoot in case I wanted to move or adjust anything in post. From here it was a natural development to start to use that technique as a regular creative tool to produce a distinctive new look.” The technique turned into a project, and now Richard is the master of a stylish and distinctive approach that lends itself to any number of different editorial and advertising assignments. “Basically they’re storytelling images,” he says. “I’m not recording a moment in time; rather I’m creating the fantasy of one.”

As the secret behind the look is twofold, a combination of high-speed sync and an HDR background. The latter can be made up of anything up to five separately aligned exposures to create a hugely detailed dynamic range, and this is then married with a subtly lit model subject, usually shot within the scene to mimic a perfect lighting effect. Everything won’t necessarily happen at the same time however: the background might be shot later or the model might even come back on a different day to be photographed. It all gives Richard the flexibility to play with the elements, and the action part of the scene might be the result of an exposure that’s anything up to 1/8000sec, while still utilising a regular focal plane shutter. Speed king So, how does Richard achieve these extraordinarily fast exposures, while still using the kind of camera – in this case a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – that most professionals would have access to? “In recent times high-speed sync has become a lot easier to work with,” he says, “and several lighting manufacturers have now produced dedicated systems to release this capability. Previously this area was very much the preserve of complicated Pocket Wizard reprogramming, and it required laptop preparation before going on set to shoot. Now that’s not necessary, and the Elinchrom kit that I’m using features an on- camera mounted transceiver unit, the Skyport Plus HS, and it’s so simple. You just need to calibrate the unit to your camera – it will work mentioned already,

with Canon, Nikon or Sony models – and then fundamentally it’s ready to go.” It’s one thing having hardware that will do the job, but Richard also needed to get his head around the fundamentals of high-speed sync and what it could offer him. Essentially it’s a flash, but it needs to be considered more as a continuous light source, because its role is to light a scene in the short period of time that the camera’s shutter curtain is open. “It’s ironic,” says Richard, “but to achieve the best high-speed sync results you need to be working with a slow duration flash. In this way it’s the speed of the shutter curtain that becomes the means by which the action is captured. “It has nothing to dowith the flash capturing the event with its super- fast duration… quite the opposite. It works best when combined with ambient light, but you’ll still need powerful flash units.” Agood example of this high-speed technique in action is Richard’s shot of the young TeamGB 800m runner Georgia Bell leaping from the starting blocks. This is a moment of intense action and Richard wanted Georgia to be frozen at the instant she powered up and started to run. It was essential she held nothing back, and yet, from a side-on position it needed to be a high-speed capture to ensure no blur in the arms or legs. “It was the moment of truth,” says Richard, “and I wanted to capture the full power of that instant.” You can read more about Richard’s inspiring work in the latest issue of Professional Photo magazine where he goes into more detail about the gear and technique involved. Issue 131 is out now.

Images Richard Bradbury’s pictures combine high dynamic range (HDR) and high-speed sync (HSS) flash techniques, to create a look that’s fresh and exciting – something that makes clients sit up and take notice.

Professional Photo

This article first appeared in issue 131 of Professional Photo , on sale now. It’s packed with inspiring images and tips for aspiring pros and those already making a living. absolutephoto.com

You’ll findmore insight in the latest Professional Photo – the UK’s best magazine for full-time and aspiring pro photographers

Photography News | Issue 43 | absolutephoto.com

19 Interview

Profile Vanessa Champion PhotoAid Global helps connect photographers and charities to raise awareness of human and animal rights, and environmental issues. We speak to founder and lead photographer Vanessa Champion to find out more…

Can you give us some background on PhotoAid Global and why it was launched?What are its aims? We celebrate photojournalism that inspires understanding and action through visual documentary, covering human and animal rights and environmental awareness. We offer three main services for charities and NGOs: photography and video; expertise and training; and opportunities to photographers to make adifference in theUKor abroad. Through our expertise we run educational programmes in the UK and on location, with photographers and local people, from the youngest child to the oldest grandmother! If you run talks or workshops you can invite us to speak to your club or group. We can give advice on how to monetise your photography, raise awareness of your cause, or just tell inspirational stories. PhotoAid is here to help advise if you’re travelling or thinking of supporting a charity or good cause with photography. PhotoAid Global helps broker photography trips with NGOs and travel organisations doing good in remote places around the world, offering unique, life-changing experiences and a lifeline to these smaller charities who are working at grassroots level. We don’t just work abroad – we also support local charities who desperately need promotional images. If you are a photographer andwant to support us, a charity in need of a photographer, or you just want to go on ourmailing list, please contact us. We can also help by organising exhibitions, printing, sales of prints, books and so forth. Tell us a bit about your role at PhotoAid Global I am founder and lead photographer. I’ve been a photographer for over 20 years, have run a gallery and art spaces, curated exhibitions, agented for artists and photographers and travelledalloverforcommercialwork. I often tag on extra days if I can, to see some of the country. I amalso director of Dragonfly Communications, a creative marketing agency. My journey has been an interesting one, a lot of it by the kindness of strangers. Leaving myself open to experiences and people has opened doors and the trust of some astonishing individuals and communities. Telling stories with your camera is such a compelling need. Like many photographers, I see stories all over the place. I set up PhotoAid Global to fuse the elements I see all the time: NGOs and good causes who need money, who have amazing assets in people and on-the-ground knowledge but are always looking for volunteers

Contact

www.photoaid.org.uk Email makeadifference@ photoaid.org.uk Twitter @photoaidglobal

I nstagram @photoaidglobal facebook.com/PhotoAidGlobal/

If you have old cameras; would like to be part of PhotoAid as a photographer, supporter or other capacity; or can donate time to fix up old cameras, do get in touch with Vanessa at PhotoAid makeadifference@photoaid.org.uk

How can our readers get involved? We are currently putting a call out for photographers to join us – professionals, amateurs, and keen hobbyists. Email us on makeadifference@photoaid.org.uk or fill in the formon ourwebsite, we then ping you back a questionnaire and go from there. We are looking to have a shop on our website, to be able to sell prints and other items – if anyone is a whizz at that and would like to donate their expertise to help us, we would be delighted to hear from them! Recycle your old cameras! If you have an old digital or film camera knocking around that you would like to donate, we refurbish them, giving themnew life in the hands of someone for whom photography is a lifeline, a means to feed themselves andget back on track, in the UK and abroad. We are also looking for technical experts who can help refurbish cameras, if anyone can donate their time and expertise we would love to hear from them! (WORKAID is kindly storing them for us.) Also, if photographers have used their photography to help a charity or good cause and would like to tell us about it, we feature some on our f8 online. F8 is a collection of interviews with photographers, journalists and travellers who are using photography tohelpmake adifference. It’s like kick- starting positive karma: you give a little and buckets of goodness come back. Thanks to everyone who is supporting us – it means a lot.

and fabulous photographers who want to put something back. Also business people who love photography and are at that point in their careers where they want tomake a difference (whether by travelling with us and having a life- changing experience, or supporting an exhibition or event). So that’s what we do: we bring everyone together. Can you tell us about some of your past projects and charities you’ve worked with? We have travelled as part of the PhotoAid Global mission from Nepal to Uganda, and provided lots of support in the UK. Our first project was with Born to be Beautiful, a UK charity that teaches beauty skills to women with no formal education, who have been beaten, raped and trafficked. This training enables the women to work and save money to put their children through school and protect themselves through independence. Since then we have shadowed a Rinpoche (religious teacher) in Nepal to support the monastery; donated prints for Alzheimer’s Research UK; travelled and visited nomadic communitiesinUgandawithPENHA (PastoralandEnvironmentalNetwork in the Horn of Africa) and curated the resultant exhibition at Calumet London who gave us the space for free; coached former Kampala street kids in photography (thanks to the generosity of FujifilmUK) during the solar eclipse; witnessed herds of cows move in eerie silence as the sun went down near Mbarara Uganda; and supporters; and

documented the freedom of children, former boy soldiers in Gulu, northern Uganda. Every time I’ve come home humbled, inspired, made friends and tried to help as I can. What projects are you currently working with? In the UK we support lots of small charities, those needing a photographer to cover awards ceremonies, matches or fundraising dinners and portraits, from local football teams to disability charities. We are heading out to Mumbai in April to document training given by Born to be Beautiful. They are heading out to Sierra Leone later in the year and we have a photographer accompanying them. We are organising an exhibition in theautumnofthisyeartosupportAna by Karma, a venture that supports Bhutanese weavers to sell their work. We are calling it Rainbows of Colour, and it's an exhibition of photographs taken by children in Bhutan. It is run by Quin SQ who, to raise funds, ran the first crowdfunding exercise in Hong Kong. We also recently partnered with WORKAID Since 1986, WORKAID has helped around 100,000 disadvantaged people to break the cycle of poverty through training, building better lives for themselves and their families. They are updating their website and we are teaching the admin staff how to frame, look for the light and story to tell. We are looking for photographers to come and join us in June to support a hospice portrait project in Hackney.

Leaving myself open to experiences has opened doors and the trust of some astonishing communities

photoaid.org.uk

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