Photography News Issue 62

The GFX 50R is the second member of Fujifilm’s medium format system and this lightweight model is a compelling proposition sure to appeal to all discerning image-makers. We take a look and, spoiler alert, we’re impressed. And don’t miss your chance to vote for your favourite gear of the year in our annual PN Awards and we take a look at Nikon’s Z 6!

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography news Photography Issue 62 15 Jan-11 Feb News Tests Reviews Interviews Techniques Competitions Exhibitions Clubs Produced by

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

A Samsung 256GB memory card Enter thecompetition onpage48 WIN!

Tim Flach The story behind Endangered page 18

Fujifilm GFX 50R test Portable and affordable medium format page 28

Nikon Z 6 test

Mirrorless, full-frame and nicely priced page 22

Nikon adds to its Z system

Panasonic revealed its mirrorless full-frame camera system using the new L-Mount last year, but specific details were scant. At the 2019 CES show, it was revealed that the Lumix S Series will be on sale from the end of March. Features include: HLG Photo mode, designed to give images of wide dynamic range and HighResolutionmode,where eight images are shot and merged into a single image – and this can be done handheld and can even cope with some moving subjects. Exciting stuff and much more to come soon. Panasonic newseries

Nikon’s latest addition to its full-frame mirrorless Z system is an 14-30mm f/4 S ultra wide zoom lens. This constantmaximumaperture zoom is ideal for a huge range of photographic subjects and it’s compact and portable, too, measuring 8.5cmwhen retracted and weighing just 485g. Its size and design, with a flat front element, means you can use standard 82mm screw-in filters without any vignetting so no need for an expensive adapter, which is usually the case with ultra wide zooms. Its advanced optical design features four extra-low dispersion ED lenses in its 14 elements in 12 groups construction, formulated to produceminimal distortion and chromatic aberration. It is also extensively weather-sealed and the front element is fluorine-coated to repel dust and water droplets. Nikon’s lens roadmap reveals that in 2019, we’ll see six S lenses. Here’s the first

panasonic.co.uk

Smooth and fast AF is possible thanks to Nikon’s latest stepping motor (STM) technology, which also means it’s very quiet so fine for video shooting, too. This exciting ultra wide zoom will be available in spring with a price of £1349.

Nikon has also updated its Z system lens roadmap with exciting optics, such as the 58mm f/0.95 S and 24mm f/1.8 S, due in 2019 and the 14-24mm f/2.8 S in 2020.

nikon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

News

ThePhotographyShow TheNEC, 16-19March

Book your tickets now and save 25% on standard adult single-day tickets

This year, The Photography Show runs alongside The Video Show for the first time at the NEC in Birmingham. Taking place between 16 and 19 March, it’s a great chance to check out the latest imaging innovations in person, pick up a bargain or two and learn from on- stand demos. You'll also get to hear from leading image-makers in all sorts of interesting subject areas. Highlights include the Great Outdoors Stage, the Super Stage and the Wedding & Portrait Stage. Speakers and product details will be

finalised in the near future, so keep your eye on the website. We’ll also have the latest news on the shows in the next issue too. Photography News will be there, so please swing by and collect the latest issue and have a chat with the magazine team. Order your tickets now and you can claim a 25% discount off standard adult single-day tickets. Go the website and use the promo code PNEWSTPS19.

Buy award-winning Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ tripod betweennowand31Marchand get up to £50 cashback – £30 cashback for an aluminium model and £50 for a carbon fibre model. Alta Pro 2+ tripods come with an Arca Swiss ball head, and the legs have four easy set angles (20°, 40°, 60° and 80°) for dealing with different situations. They also feature the innovative Multi-Angle Central Column (MACC) for limitless camera angles. If you're interested, there’s a test of the carbon fibre Alta Pro 2+ tripod in this issue. Vanguard offer an

thephotographyshow.com

Terms below *Discount applies to standard adult tickets and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer, including concession prices and multi-day/group tickets. A concession discount is available using code PNEWSTPS19C. Both discounts apply to new bookings only and expire on 13 March 2019. Professional photographers can apply for free entry to the show, subject to verification at point of registration.

vanguardworld.co.uk

Bags galore fromThinkTank

Gear-carrying specialist Think Tank has introduced a range of bags and photo accessories. Let’s start with the small accessories and work up. The Secure Pixel Pocket Rocket (£22) is available in green or black, and suitable for holding up to six CompactFlash or XQD cards or 12 SD or microSD cards. Think Tank’s Pixel, Wee Pixel, and SD Pixel Pocket Rockets are available in black with grey trim. Think Tank’s popular Modular Belt System now comes in version 3.0 (shown above). The pouches and cases have been improved with easier, quicker access and sized to suit today’s gear. The system features belts and harnesses, lightweight pouches called Skins, pouches for accessories and Lens Changers, wide mouth pouches with one- hand drawstring closures. To give an idea of prices, belts are £39, Lens Changers start from £25 and Skins start from £33. For photographers on the move, Think Tank’s Lens Case Duo range comprises quick access, dual-opening, padded lens

cases with zippered lid and side openings. Six sizes are available, with the smallest (£20) suitable for compact standard zoom, while the largest, the Lens Case Duo 40 (£30), is big enough to take a 70-200mm f/2.8 telezoom. Now, we move on to bags. The Storyteller series has three sizes: 5, 8 and 10, costing £60, £65 and £80 respectively. These are shoulder bags suitable for mirrorless and DSLR camera outfits, while the two larger models have tablet pockets, too. Think Tank’s Retrospective collection of soft shoulder bags has been upgraded, and the V2.0 options feature pockets with

hook-and-loop closure ‘sound silencers’ fitted. Five models are available in the Retrospective V2 range: the 5, 7, 10, 20 and 30. They cost £135, £150, £155, £165 and £185 respectively. Coming to the end of our look at Think Tank’s new kit, we have theAirportAdvantagePlusrolling camera bag, which sells for £275. This roller complies with current international carry-on baggage requirements and has plenty of space for an extensive camera outfit, as well as a 17in laptop. See Snapperstuff’s website for Think Tank stockists.

Explore thewonderful world of infrared

The ethereal world of infrared is an amazing photo opportunity, and you can learn all about it at the PermaJet Academy, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, with IR expert Clive Haynes FRPS. The course runs on 9 February, 10am-4.30pm. It costs £75 and includes a buffet lunch and refreshments. The day covers the potential of infrared shooting, the kit needed, essential camera techniques

and how to process your files. There’ll be infrared-converted cameras and standard cameras with IR filters available on the day, so participants will get the chance to take some shots under Clive’s guidance. To book your place on the course and to see details of other training days at PermaJet, please visit the website.

snapperstuff.com

permajet.com

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

News

MindShift Gear adds two

Travel light withVelbon

Velbon has entered the lightweight travel tripod market with the UT-3AR, a five- section one that comes complete with an Arca-Swiss-compatible, newly designed ball head. The whole unit weighs just 787g but is capable of supporting a camera outfit weighing 3kg, so it's fine with mirrorless and DSLR cameras. The folded length is 29.7cm and reaches 118.2cm without the centre column extended or 135.5cmwith the centre column fully raised. The centre column can also be inverted for an ultra-low shooting position. The UT-3AR costs £79.95 and comes with its own carry case.

The Exposure shoulder bag is a durable shoulder bag that offers weather protection thanks to the use of water-repellent DWR fabric, making it ideal for the outdoor shooter. It is offered in two sizes, 13 and 15, and in two

colours, black or solar flare. The 13 fits a 13in laptop and the 15 fits a 15in laptop, and both can take a 10in tablet in a zippered pocket. The Exposure 13 costs £149 and the 15 costs £159. The BackLight 18L is a photo

daypack with secure and quick rear access that can accept a 13in laptop and a sizeable camera outfit, such as two DSLR bodies and three lenses. Key features include a tripod mounting system, padded waist belt, front stuff pockets, two larger water bottle pockets and interior mesh pockets for filters and batteries. The BackLight 18L is available in woodland green or charcoal and costs £199.

intro2020.co.uk

snapperstuff.com

Gitzo carrying solutions

Zelda is an L-bracket created in collaboration with Nikon for Nikon Z series cameras. Milled from a single block of aircraft-grade aluminium, Zelda fits the Z 6 and Z 7 perfectly, allowing full access to all of the ports and doors on the cameras. Zelda will be on sale from February, with a price of £89.95. It will be available in copper or metallic slate grey. Z for Zelda

Gitzo’s Century accessory collection has gained four high-quality straps made from Italian leather and sporting a deluxe finish reminiscent of Gitzo carbon fibre tripod legs. The components are interchangeable – each element can be configured with others in the collection thanks to the G-lock safety buckles. TheCenturysling isanacross-the- body strap that is compatible with DSLR and mirrorless cameras via a 1/4in tripod screw. Set-up is quick and it uses the Gitzo GS5370SDR quick-release plate, which has a rubber grip and short D profile. It costs £99.95. Next is a neck strap, priced at £79.95, which is easy to attach and detach. The strap has a soft, suede- like texture for maximum comfort and 10mm wide band attachments that are compatible with standard

3leggedthing.com

camera loops. The strap suits DSLR, mirrorless and rangefinder cameras. The wrist and hand straps cost £44.95 and £59.95 respectively. The wrist strap suits mirrorless

cameras and top-end compacts and is designed to be fast to use and provide maximum comfort while carrying the camera. The hand strap is fast to use too, and perfect

for street photographers who want to grab shots quickly but without compromising security.

manfrotto.co.uk/gitzo

The M360 is a compact TTL flashgun ideal for mirrorless and DSLR cameras. Weighing just 190g and requiring two AA batteries, the M360 has a guide number of 36 at ISO 100 and sports a swivel/tilt head for bounce flash technique. The motorised zoom gives accurate coverage for lenses Metz gets flash Metz Mecablitz

Samsung adds storage

Samsung has added to its EVO Plus range of microSD cards with the introduction of its 512GB microSDXC card, which comes with an SD card adaptor. The new card

is Class 10 UHS-1 Grade 3, offering super-fast read and write speeds of up to 100MB/s and 90MB/s respectively. The card is compatible with a wide range of

24-105mm, there’s an integrated diffuser for coverage as wide as 14mm and a bounce extender, too. The M360 offers TTL flash operation for point-and-shoot simplicity and can synchronise to the first or second shutter curtain. Convenience features include auto shutdown, wake-up through

the camera, micro USB socket for firmware updates and an exposure control indicator. The M360 is on sale now for £99.99 and is available for Canon, Fujifilm, Nikon, Olympus/ Panasonic/Leica and Sony cameras.

UHD video.

The card comes with a ten-year limited warranty and its

devices, such as smartphones, tablets, PCs, sports cams, drones, DSLR cameras and camcorders, and you can capture detailed 4K

guide price is £227.

samsung.com/uk/memory- storage

intro2020.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Improve your scenics

News in brief

LandscapePro V3 is the latest version of this capable software designed specifically to help you improve scenic pictures without expert editing skills. V3 uses artificial intelligence (AI) to achieve this and features include advanced image recognition technology and tools for sharpening, adding clarity, replacing skies and removing unwanted objects. A new Overlay

function lets you put a layer over the original to help you control different areas of the images and also lets you add a watermark or copyright logo. The software also includes a brand new selection of over 150 skies that you can flip horizontally to give many more permutations to make your pictures look better. Three versions are on offer. The Standard edition is a standalone

editing software while the Studio/ StudioMax editions also work as a plug-in for Photoshop, Lightroom and Photoshop Elements. V3’s new Smart Filter capability also lets you switch easily between Photoshop and LandscapePro for a smoother, time efficient workflow. Investing more also gives greater processing power so if you want to workwithRaw files and 16-bit TIFFs

you will need the Studio or Studio Max version. The Standard version is available from £29.95 and if you have a previous version the upgrade costs from£22.45. The Studio edition is £49.95 and the StudioMax £99.95. The software is available for Mac OSX 10.7 and later andWindows 7, 8 and 10.

PNYmemory PNY has announced a few new flash memory products including a 512GB Pro Elite microSD card and three USB flash drives, the most impressive of which is the Pro Elite 1TB USB 3.0/3.1 drive. Products will be available from January. Canon go small The Canon PIXMA TS705 is the company’s smallest five-ink single function printer and, available from February, it’s nicely priced at just £59.99. It features five individual inks and optional XL and XXL ink cartridges mean you can print more for less. Standard cartridges will give up to 350 printed copies and the unit accepts paper sizes up to A4. This printer is also Alexa and Google Home compatible as well as working with iOS and Android smart devices. pny.com

landscapepro.pics

Travel winners

Skylum Luminar

Skylum Software has launched a major update to its Luminar app. Luminar 3 is a sophisticated image editor for Mac and Windows and incorporates an advanced library function and uses artificial intelligence to allow image improvements with an intuitive workflow. Luminar 3 costs £64 as an outright purchase to new customers and the same product Manfrotto has updated its Pro Light RedBee backpack collection with new models, the 110 and 310 priced at £139.95 and £159.95 respectively. The RedBee 110 will take two CSC bodies and several lenses plus a 13in laptop. The RedBee 310 has more storage capacity so there is room for a pro DSLR Manfrotto updates

key for Mac and Windows allows activation on five devices. Luminar 2018 owners can upgrade to v3 free of charge and that includes updates as they become available.

skylum.com

canon.co.uk

The winners of the Travel Photographer of the Year (TPOTY) contest have been announced. Over 20,000 images from 142 countries were submitted and if you want to see the winning and highly commended images, over 150 are on the website. We’ll be featuringmore winning images in the next issue of PN , whichwill be available from 12 February 2019. To whet your appetite, shown here is one of Stefano Pensotti’s

with a 400mm lens attached, a spare body and two or three extra lenses. Here, there is space for a 15in laptop too. Both feature flexible dividers, and safe rear access.

winning images; he is the winner of the title Travel Photographer of the Year 2018.

manfrotto.co.uk

tpoty.com

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Professional Photo is the must-read magazine for current and aspiring pro photographers, with every issue dedicated to maximising profits from your imaging skills. Issue 155 has an emphasis on keeping techniques simple such as using natural light and shooting with a 50mmlens, andweprofile leadingexponents in the field. In kit, the latest issue has part two on why photographers should consider going mirrorless, plus there are tests on Tokina’s new super-fast 20mm f/2 wide-angle andSigma’s even faster 40mmf/1.4. Issue155of ProfessionalPhoto isonsalefrom31January 2019, at all goodnewsagents. Use the couponopposite to buy one of two issues (issue 154 or 155) of Professional Photo from WHSmith and save £1 off the usual £4.75 cover price.

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Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

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

Here’s how to submit

Deadline for the next issue: 3 February 2019

We need words and pictures by 3 February 2019 for the next issue of Photography News , which will be available from 12 February 2019. If you want to submit, follow these guidelines: y y Write your story in 250 words or fewer. Include the club’s website, meeting times, what the event is, opening times, entrance costs – anything relevant. y y We need an image for every story. JPEGs, 2000 pixels max on the longest dimension, any colour space, credits should be included in your text. y y We DO NOT use posters or images with words on the image front. y y Before the above deadline, attach the text document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

PaisleyColour PChelp Scotlandwin theWorldCup

Dudley CC’s 2019 Exhibition is open until 9 February at the Dudley Archives and Local History Centre. The show includes 183 prints, and the projected digital image section will beseenonthepresentation evening on 28 January when the 133 PDI acceptances will be turned into an AV. The free exhibition is open 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday and to 4.30pm on Saturday. Located in Tipton Road, Dudley, it’s next door to the entrance to the Black Country Living Museum and car parking is free. The club meets on Mondays at the Central Methodist Church, off Wolverhampton Street, Dudley, 7.30pm. DudleyCC’s annual show

Several PC members did really well in the recent International Federation of Photographic Art Biennials. In the 34th Mono Print Biennial, hosted in South Africa, Winter Trees by Robert Fulton and Winter Patterns by James Black formed part of the Scottish Photographic Federation submission on its chosen theme of Trees inWinter. Each print was judged individually in the first instance and then a coherence mark was awarded after considering the panel of images from each country as a whole. The SPF was delighted to hear that this elevated Scotland into first place, winning the FIAP World Cup 2018 with Russia second and Argentina third from a total of 40 competing nations. Images from other members of Paisley were selected for use in the Nature sections with Bill McCance, Richard Bennett and Mike Cruise forming part of the submission on the chosen theme of Raptors with Prey for the FIAP Nature Print Biennial in Oman. Here, Scotland gained fifth place from an entry of 28 countries Paisley Colour

We’re always keen to receive club submissions. To help planning and timing of submissions, here are the publication and deadline dates for the next few issues of Photography News. Issue 63, out from 12 Feb 2019 Deadline for contributions: 3 Feb 2019 Issue 64, out from 12 Mar Deadline for contributions: 4 Mar Issue 65, out from 16 Apr Deadline for contributions: 7 Apr Issue 66, out from 14 May Deadline for contributions: 3 May Issue 67, out from 18 June Deadline for contributions: 10 June Issue 68, out from 16 July Deadline for contributions: 8 July Helpful dates

dudleycameraclub.co.uk

and was awarded an Honourable Mention from FIAP. Other successes from the club were John Hunter, Richard Bennett and Mike Cruise who each had two images accepted as part of the submission in the Nature Projected Images section. Scottish Mammals was the SPF’s chosen theme. In this section Scotland were in 16th place from 33 countries.

Paisley Colour PC is a friendly club which welcomes beginners and experienced photographers. It meets every Thursday at 7.30pm and in has internal workshops/ teach-ins and various outings.

paisleycolour.co.uk fiap.net scottish-photographic-

federation.org

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

TheUK’s newest camera club Fstop Foto Group was recently created by Dave and Steve Mundy as a new format of camera club to address some of the failings of the traditional club format. environment where the author can challenge the critique too.

Farnborough CC will now be meeting at Cody Sports and Social Club, Old Ively Road, The Fairway, Farnborough GU14 0LP. This is close to Farnborough airfield which is where the club started over 75 years ago. The Club will continue to meet on most Thursdays between September and May. Farnborough CCon themove

“We’ve even challenged the structure of membership too. We do not have a subscription, but rather charge £5 per meeting, which helps to keep us focused on delivering content that members really want. “It is still early days but the initial response has been incredibly positive with a membership of 35 after only a few weeks. Now that we are up and running we will be opening membership up to all.” The club meets at 7.30pm on Wednesdays at Woodlands Park Village Centre, Manifold Way, Waltham Road, Maidenhead SL6 3GW.

“In our view the camera club scene had not developed and moved on with the times,” says Steve Mundy. “There is the same old programme year after year with the same competitions, judges and speakers. Too many judges have lost touch with contemporary trends and mark solely on the ‘camera club competition image’ expectations. Many clubs are forced to book speakers to fill the programme but many are very poor speakers with poor images and, surprisingly, many of the worst are judges showing their own work. I also

farnboroughcameraclub.org

feel most clubs struggle to achieve active member involvement and thus the members sit, watch and grumble. “We started the group to address these perceived failings. One of the key ambitions is better engagement with themembers and to spend time

reviewing and enjoying members’ images. We have a monthly themed challenge which is presented for critique, but each image is introduced by the photographer first rather than being anonymous. It is specifically not a competition so there are no scores but a learning

fstopfoto.group

Great Notley PCwin Great Notley PC, runners up in the PN Camera Club of the Year, won the North Essex DPI trophy. The competition this year was hosted by Colchester PS and Great Notley PC battled it out against 11 other Essex clubs with a winning score of 88/100. The highest scoring

Enjoy an evening with Dr Michael Leach

Todmorden PS’s club meetings will be held at Todmorden Town Hall in the centre of town. Meetings are every Wednesday,withdoorsopening at 7.15pm and meetings starting at 7.30pm. The venue has disabled access and there is ample parking nearby. TodmordenPS has anewvenue

Clacton Camera Club is hosting an evening with Dr Michael Leach, wildlife author and photographer, on 1 March 2019. Michael has travelled to all seven continents and worked with many of the world’s most charismatic animals – polar bears in the Arctic, gorillas in central Africa, lemurs in Madagascar, sperm whales in the mid-Atlantic, monkeys in the Amazon, penguins in the Antarctic and elephants in Kenya – and has been described as ‘a unique wildlife humourist.’ The venue is McGrigor Hall, Fourth Avenue, Frinton-on-Sea,

In 2019 Strathaven CC will be celebrating its 70th anniversary and it rounded off 2018 with its finest success in recent years, when the club was awarded the Kirkintilloch Plate at the Scottish Photographic Federation’s Digital Championships. Three judges had to select the winning shots fromover 700 images. Strathaven did well in the first round Strathaven CC image was No Entry by Lisa Greenwood, shown here, which scored 20/20. GNPC is also pleased to announce that there’s an exhibition of members’ images until 31 January at the Braintree Library, Essex. The club meets on Thursday nights at The Church in Great

Essex CO13 9EB and tickets cost £10 each which includes refreshments. Tickets available via phone or email, details below. Wendy Leech: 07778 743263 w.gillphotoarts@btopenworld. com clactoncameraclub.co.uk

todmordenphotographic. org.uk

Notley, Bridge End Lane, Great Notley CM77 7GN from 7.45pm, September through to June.

gnpc.co.uk

and were only nine points short of going through to the final eight clubs – the final was won by Dumfries CC. The remaining clubs then competed for the Plate having to submit ten images each to gain a maximumof fivepointsper imageper judge. Strathaven’s Robert Young’s shot Auldhouse Snow gained the maximum 15 points, and Strathaven won the plate by three points.

Clay Cross exhibition closing soon

strathavencameraclub.co.uk

Chichester CC’s showcase

and awards. Some of our long- established members are no longer active photographers, and this exhibition provides a very welcome chance to showcase some of their highly regarded prints from the pre-digital age, alongside our current work.” The exhibition runs until 10 March 2019 at the Novium Museum, Tower Street, Chichester, West Sussex,PO19 1QH.

There’s still time to enter the Clay Cross National Projected Image exhibition with 26 January 2019 the closing date for entries. There are five entry classes: colour, monochrome, nature, creative and scapes. Entries accepted into the 2019 exhibition will count towards the BPE Crown Awards. Entry is via the website photoexhib. co.uk/cxe/login.php

Chichester area and a showcase of current work. The exhibition includes a striking timeline of the Club’s history, featuring a photograph from the archives of a club trip from 1896. Member Dave Abbott has backed this up with a veritable treasure trove of detail from his research that has discovered much about those original members and their activities.

A Celebration of People and Places is a special collaboration between Chichester CC and the Novium, Chichester’s district museum. The museum invited the Club to put together an exhibition that marks 125 years since the inception of the Club as Chichester Photographic Society. The exhibition provides an opportunity to show prints from the club’s archive as well as photographs of the

Lorna Brown, former club chair, says, “The club’s membership these days is very wide, from absolute beginners to those with photographic distinctions

thenovium.org/article/30646/ Community-Submissions

claycrossps.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards

Gear of the year The Photography News Awards 2018 It’s time for you to recognise brilliant products and outstanding service in our annual awards. Your votes will decide the winners, so please check through our nominations and pick the products and services that you think deserve the ultimate accolade

You can take photographs with a pinhole in a biscuit tin, but the fact is the vast majority of us use digital cameras fitted with great lenses, often on a tripod, and we carry our kit around in a nice bag. When we get home we look at our shots on shiny monitors, edit in powerful software and then print on nice paper through photo-quality printers. The long and the short of it is that we need great quality kit – and that’s the motivation for our awards: to recognise great quality kit.

We’ve key categories and then you get the chance to pick what you think deserves to win. Voting is done online and it’s free – you don’t even have to register to vote. The only categories where we haven’t done any shortlisting are in the service categories, such as Best Retailer – in those you nominate who you think deserves to win. (Where there may be more than one store, please nominate the name of the store group and the individual shop, please.) shortlisted products in

To vote go to photographynews.co.uk, follow the Awards link and complete the voting form. You can vote in every category, but if you prefer to vote for just a few categories that is perfectly fine, too. It’s entirely up to you.

Closing date for votes is 22 February 2019

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards

MACRO LENS Fujifilm XF80mm f/2.8 R LM OIS WR Macro Laowa 25mm f/2.8 2.5-5X Ultra Macro Olympus M.Zuiko ED 30mm f/3.5 Macro  Sigma 70mm f/2.8 EX DG Macro Art Tamron SP 90mm f/2.8 Di Macro 1:1 VC USD Voigtländer E-Mount 65mm f/2 Macro Apo-Lanthar

WIDE-ANGLE LENS Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

ADVANCED CSC Canon EOS R Fujifilm X-T20 Leica M10-P Nikon Z 6 Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark II Panasonic Lumix G9 Sony a7 III

Fujifilm XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR  Nikon Nikkor AF-S 28mm f/1.4E ED Samyang AF 14mm f/2.8 F Sigma 14mm f/1.8 DG HSM A  Sigma 14-24mm f/2.8 DG HSM Art  Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM  Tamron SP15-30mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Tokina FIRIN 20mm f/2 FE AF Zeiss Milvus 25mm f/1.4

CONSUMERDSLR Canon EOS 800D Canon EOS 2000D

MEDIUMFORMAT LENS Hasselblad XCD 21mm f/4 Hasselblad XCD 80mm f/1.9 Fujifilm GF 110mm f/2 R LM WR Fujifilm GF 250mm f/4 R LM OIS WR

Nikon D3500 Nikon D7200 Pentax K-70 Sony a68

TRIPOD: ALLOY 3 Legged Thing Punks Travis Benro Slim Travel – aluminium Kenro Karoo Compact Tripod (aluminium) 102 Manfrotto Befree Aluminium Travel  Nest Traveller NT-6294AK  Slik PRO 700DX

STANDARD LENS Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM Fujifilm XF16-55mm f/2.8 R LM WR Fujifilm XF35mm f/2 R WR Nikon Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S   Olympus M.Zuiko ED 25mm f/1.2 PRO Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG OS HSM A Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM A Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM A Tamron SP 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD Tokina opera 50mm f/1.4 FF

PROFESSIONAL CSC Fujifilm X-T3 Fujifilm X-H1 Nikon Z 7

ADVANCEDDSLR Canon EOS 6D Mark ll Canon EOS 7D Mark ll

Panasonic Lumix DC-GH5S Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II Sony a7R III Sony a9

Nikon D500  Nikon D850  Pentax K-1 Mark II Sony a77 II

TELEPHOTO LENS Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Canon EF 400mm f/2.8L IS III USM Nikon AF-S Nikkor 180-400mm f/4E TC1.4 FL ED VR Fujifilm XF200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR Nikon AF-S Nikkor 500mm f/5.6E PF ED VR Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 EF Sigma 105mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Sigma 60-600mm f/4.5-6.3 DG OS HSM S Sony FE 400mm f/2.8 GM OSS Tamron 100-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di VC USD

COMPACT/BRIDGE Canon PowerShot SX740 Fujifilm XF10 Leica C-Lux Nikon COOLPIX P1000 Panasonic Lumix LX100 II Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX95

TRIPOD: CARBON FIBRE 3 Legged Thing Equinox Albert Gitzo Systematic GT3543LS Kenro Karoo Ultimate Travel Tripod (carbon fibre) 401C Manfrotto Befree GT carbon Novo Explora T20 Vanguard Alta Pro 2+ 263CGHT

PROFESSIONAL DSLR Canon EOS 5DS R Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EOS-1D X Mark II Nikon D5 Sony a99 II

ON-CAMERA FLASH Hähnel Modus 600RT  Metz 64 AF-1 Nissin Di700A Pixapro Li-ION580 MKII TTL 

MEDIUMFORMAT Fujifilm GFX 50S Fujifilm GFX 50R Hasselblad H6D-400c MS Hasselblad X1D-50c Leica S (Typ 007) Phase One IQ3 100MP

SUPERZOOMLENS Fujifilm XF18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 R LM OIS WR  Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Olympus M.Zuiko ED 12-100mm f/4 IS PRO Sony E 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 OSS Tamron 18-400mm f/3.5-6.3 Di II VC HLD Tamron 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di VC PZD

CONSUMER CSC Canon EOS M50 Fujifilm X-T100 Olympus PEN E-PL9 Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III Panasonic GX80

Pixel X900 Profoto A1 Rotolight NEO 2

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Awards

INKJETMEDIA: PHOTOGRAPHIC FINISH Canson Infinity Baryta Platine Fibre Rag 310GSM – satin Fotospeed Platinum Baryta 300 Signature Hahnemühle Photo Gloss Baryta 320 PermaJet Photo Lustre 310

BEST RETAILER Whether you shop for your photo kit online or in store, nominate the photo retailer that has you going back time and time again.

INKJETMEDIA: FINE ART FINISH Canson Infinity Rag Photographique 310gsm Fotospeed Platinum Cotton 305 Hahnemühle William Turner 310 Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic PermaJet Photo Art Silk 290

BEST USED SPECIALIST RETAILER The market for second hand or (pre-loved!) imaging gear is growing, so whether you’re buying or selling you need a dealer you can trust. This is your opportunity to name your favourite used dealer.

EXTERNAL STORAGE DEVICE Drobo 8D G-Technology G-DRIVE mobile SSD LaCie portable SSD Samsung portable SSD X5 Western Digital My Passport Wireless SSD

PORTABLE FLASH Broncolor Siros 400 L Elinchrom ELB 500 TTL Elinchrom ELB 1200 Interfit S1 PIXAPRO PIKA200 TTL

Profoto B1X Profoto B10

PROCESSING LAB Which processing lab do you trust with your photos, albums or stationery? If they offer high quality and utterly reliable service at competitive prices, are they worthy of a PN award?

MAINS FLASH Broncolor Siros 400 S Elinchrom ELC Pro HD Interfit Honey Badger 320Ws Profoto D2

COLOURMANAGEMENT DEVICE DataColor Spyder5PRO+    Datacolor Spyder5CAPTURE PRO X-Rite ColorMunki Photographer Kit  X-Rite i1Studio

PHOTOWEBSITE PROVIDER For gallery websites or full-service sites with client- proofing and a blog, which provider offers the best range of templates and customisation options together with top-notch customer service?

SOFT BAG/BACKPACK Crumpler Kingpin camera bag 9000 Gitzo Adventury 45L Lowepro FreeLine BP 350 AW MindShift FirstLight 30L Tenba Shootout 16L DSLR backpack Think Tank StreetWalker V2

CONTINUOUS LIGHT Interfit LM8 18in Daylight LED ring light

Nanguang RGB LED tube lights Rotolight Anova PRO 2 Bi-Colour

TRAINING PROVIDER From basic photo knowledge through particular tips and techniques to camera-specific training, in the classroom, studio or out on location, which provider offers the best learning experience, in your opinion?

MONITOR BenQ SW320 Pro 32in IPS LCD  BenQ SW240 24in Dell UltraSharp UP3216Q Eizo ColorEdge CG3218-4K 31in  Philips Brilliance 40in 4K Ultra HD LCD (BDM4037UW) Samsung 32in U32H850

FILTER Benro 100mm filter system H&Y magnetic filter system Hoya Ultra-Pro family LEE Filters Reverse ND filter Marumi magnetic filter system SRB Elite filter system

INNOVATION

ROLLER/HARD CASE Manfrotto ProLight Reloader Tough-55 LowLid Lowepro PhotoStream SP 200 Think Tank Airport TakeOff V2.0 T499 Vanguard Alta Fly 55T

Canon EOS R system L-Mount Alliance: Leica, Panasonic and Sigma Nikon Z system

The details

SOFTWARE Adobe Photoshop Lightroom CC Serif Affinity Photo Portrait Professional 18

How to vote Go to photographynews.co.uk and follow the link to the awards to vote. It’s free and you don’t need to register. Voting closes on 22 February 2019. The results We’ll announce the results in issue 64 of Photography News, out from 12 March 2019, and we’ll present the awards to the deserving recipients at The Photography Show, at the Birmingham NEC, 16-19 March 2019.

DxO PhotoLab 2 Capture One Pro

PRINTER Canon PIXMA PRO-100S DNP DS820A Epson EcoTank ET-7750 Fujifilm Frontier-S Mitsubishi Smart D90EV Tomy KiiPix

MEMORY CARD PNY Elite Performance SDXC 512GB UHS-I  Samsung MicroSDXC PRO Endurance 128GB SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC UHS-I 400GB Lexar Professional 1000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Sony SD SF-G TOUGH UHS-II

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview 18

TimFlach Animal photography PN grabbed a fewmoments with one of the UK’s leading animal photographers at the opening of his exhibition at the Wex Photo Video Gallery in London

Photography News: Could you start by introducing yourself to PN readers? Tim Flach: I’m based in Shoreditch, London, where I have my studio. I’ve been fortunate in not only starting out as a commercial photographer, working with lots of teams in campaigns and directing moving images, but also finding my work increasingly exhibited in public spaces. I've produced a number of books, from dogs and horses to now, endangered species. I feel privileged that I have experienced these different worlds. PN: How would you categorise yourself as a photographer? TF: I’d probably describe myself as an animal photographer rather than a wildlife photographer. A lot of my interest is in the subject of animals, rather than necessarily capturing the last so-and-so in whatever forest. I am someone who is very interested in how we connect with animals and how we transform their images into meaning – how we best connect to events in the natural world. PN: What has taken you from commercial work toworkingwith animals in the studio? TF: Animals have always been an element of my work, even at the very beginning of my career. As I began to establish myself, I was able to organise shoots that I was leading. That was probably the shift really, where I started to develop my own visual language (if you want to call it that) or a certain style. But that wasn’t my objective – it was really the opportunity to meet these animals and see what was possible. What does seemtohappenasyoumeetmore people closer to the subject – particularly in the natural world where you are a witness – is that it becomes inevitable you start addressing certain debates, otherwise you wouldn't have any heart or soul.

PN: Do you always shoot in a studio? TF: My first book was about horses, and although I did very stylised images on a black background, I also visited icebergs in Iceland, Mongolia, underwater and many different habitats. So, there has always been a duality inmywork; a relationship between the adventure of going out and finding animals, and presenting a style of imagery that shows an emotional connection with these animals. Until now, I have always sought to create a studio feel. That’s partly because a lot of evidence shows that if we present animals in a way that is more, say, human, the images are more likely to engage us emotionally. If we feel there is kinship and a sense of empathy, we are more likely to care. I think we need to connect people to nature. PN: What inspired the concept of your book, Endangered ? TF: Well, it has been a journey. My first book was on horses, then I did one on dogs, then More than Human . I also had a number of images in a book about rainforests, and that took me to Borneo and the Amazon. When you speak to people and realise their relationship with the natural world, it becomes apparent that, with the nature of the times we live in, we have to think slightly differently going forward. PN: How long did the project take? TF: Endangered was done over a couple of years. Some images (but not that many) were brought in from another project. I had photographs of certain animals and it didn’t seem appropriate to go and do those animals again. I had to go and explore other species. The project was realised over 20 months of shooting, with another six months of research, which involved asking other people – much more knowledgeable than myself – what should be in the book. When you do a project, it is a journey. It's a journey of discovery, which is an adventure, because that is the exciting bit. Adventures come with the uncertainty of failure: that’s what an adventure is, really. It’s not an adventure unless you have challenges, and the challenges mean you don’t know if you’re always going to get the images you want. Usually in the end it works out, but there are always uncertainties. PN: Did you pre-visualise the images you wanted to take? TF: In any type of work I do (and I’m sure this is the same for many photographers), I have to have a strategy or a framework. But one of the most challenging things is being present when you are taking photographs – noticing things that you can’t, in a sense, reason or predict. Those things can surprise you and I think when something surprises you, you think ‘oh

Evidence shows that if we present animals in a way that is more human, the images are more likely to engage us emotionally

this is something really special here’. You can’t quite rationalise it, but it is really important not to be locked into the ideas of what you’d thought you’d get. Sometimes, it is important to be able to see something that comes along and surprises you. So, there’s a definite need to be present and to observe. I think it was Picasso who said ‘I don’t seek, I find’, and I can relate to that. After shooting, when I have the images, I can get a reaction and I’m always interested in that. I don't mind if they like it – or don't like it. What I’m interested in is how different people find different meanings in images. PN: Did you seek advice from experts when it came to image and species selection? TF: Conservation scientists use the phrase ‘ecological drivers’, which are all the ways

in which we anthropogenically change and shape the planet. In the natural world, we have evasive species, climate change, human/animal conflict, land-use change – it goes on and on like this. When I actually started figuring out what a book on endangered species would entail, what I wanted to do was to capture a sense of wonderment inspired by the natural world. I wanted to capture the sense of characters and personalities in the stories that need to be told and that represent those ecological drivers. If you have right candidate to represent these drivers, then it is far more likely that the viewer will engage with the content. They will be drawn to either the cuteness, fierceness or vulnerability of an animal and then discover the story.

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

19 Interview

PN: Endangered was published in 2017, but we didn't get to enjoy your exhibition in the Wex Photo Video London gallery until a year later. Why’s that? TF: When you are a photographer, you are on a continual journey, constantly evaluating how images work and asking questions about the natural world. There are two sides to the show at Wex. The first is that it supports the Whitley Fund for Nature (whitleyaward.org), which is one of those charities that has people verymuch at its heart, andhas themas grass root ambassadors. In a sense, it gives acknowledgement to people who support the charity and help to realise projects within the natural world. The second side to this is that the debates covered in Endangered have become more, not less, urgent. They are not something that we are moving away from. The animals don't change. In fact, some of the animals in the book, like the male northern white rhino, are no longer alive. So, what you have is a document; a document that might gain more potency with time. PN: Which was the most challenging assignment you undertook for Endangered ? TF: I think it was when I was trying to photograph hammerhead sharks. I am not a particularly experienced diver, though I have a PADI credit but nothing else, and in a strong current I did get pulled onto the rocks, which was not clever but I was okay. There were other projects which had their moments. I had to go back to the saiga antelope in the winter after I had attempted to do it in the summer. For this one page, I had to make two trips to the Caspian Sea in Russia. At that shoot rate, I would not havemade a book in ten

or even 20 years. Fortunately, there weren’t many one-pagers that needed several weeks of work. PN: Which picture from Endangered are you most proud of? TF: That’s a difficult one. I think it is probably important to say that I am more proud of the collective outcome rather than individual pictures. I feel that the natural world is very much something we all need to be more connected to, and to explore it through animals that are near the edge of extinction was a privilege. I also had the honour of working with some fantastic people. So, I feel most proud of the book rather than any individual image but I would also say there are still images of my work that resonate with me – such as the portrait of the Philippine eagle. Something simple like that, which was in natural light, but it has a certain character to it. PN: When you pack for a trip, do you have to plan for every eventuality and take a lot of kit with you? TF: I do take a lot of kit with me on my travels. For example, we took all of these flashes with us to an island and then found it was not very practical, or the animals were too far away to even get a light to them. Or, with the saiga antelope, I was told I’d have no problem using lights, but as soon as we got even half a mile away from them, they were off. So, I had to use an 800mm lens. PN: In terms of camera kit, what were you using? The prints here are very big, so did you use much medium format? TF: I mostly used the Canon EOS 5DS. I didn't

have many options with this project because getting close to some of the animals didn’t give me the luxury of using a Hasselblad. I am hoping to use the Hasselblad much more on my next project. PN: And what is your next project? TF: At the moment, it is about birds. I haven't made a lot of progress but I am getting there. It is more stylised birds, which is why I am hoping to use the Hasselblad more. I am aiming for very graphic shots of birds – wild and domesticated breeds. I have been contracted to deliver the images in early 2020, with the book coming out in the autumn of that year. The deadline certainly focuses your thoughts.

I wanted my book to capture a sense of wonderment inspired by the natural world

Contact

To seemore of Tim’swork, including full galleries of Endangered and his other projects, visit hiswebsite. timflach.com

Photography News | Issue 62 | photographynews.co.uk

Interview 20

60 of the very best Exhibitions Masters of Print is an innovative exhibition concept which aims to showcase the best photography from UK enthusiasts, and just 60 images get displayed. The PAGB’s RodWheelans tells us all about it

interviewby Ann Healey ARPS

Photograhy News: What is the Masters of Print exhibition all about? Rob Wheelans: The exhibition came about because two things came together at the same time: Clifford Burt approached us at the The Photography Show at the NEC and offered us the use of his London gallery, and the PAGB at that time decided it needed to do something to encourage the printing of photographs rather than projected images. We decided we would run an exhibition of the very best of amateur photography within the UK, just 60 prints by 60 different photographers. This is the second year the Masters of Print Exhibition has been run; we originally thought it might only run once but now it looks like it could be an annual event. PN: Did you decide to make it an annual event because of the interest and the quality of the prints you selected? RW: It was mainly because of the popularity of the first competition; we got a lot of entries from a lot of photographers. PN: How many people entered the first exhibition and how many this time? RW: We got different entrants this year but around the same number – 300 – which is a little fewer than we hoped for; we hoped that number would be higher for the second year. There were quite a number of good photographers and printers who didn’t enter for one reason or another. I’ve talked to quite a lot of people about it. Many thought it would be too difficult, above their standard and they wouldn’t have any chance of being accepted but if you look around the accepted entries, you’ll see a lot of lesser-known names, people who you haven’t heard of or seen their work in exhibitions before. With 300 entrants and 60 acceptances, that’s quite a high proportion of acceptance. We were hoping for maybe 600 entrants but even so, that would still be one in ten. Quite a number of those people have now told me that they will be entering next year.

RW: No, the selection was easy. It’s a two-stage judging process: we get a panel of three judges to score in the usual exhibition style (two to five points on a push button basis), and then we have a Masters of Print Selection Committee that selects the prints for the exhibition. This is obviously based on the judges’ scores but, for example, one photographer might have had scores of 15 but he or she can only have one acceptance; so sometimes wemight look at the highest scores and think, ‘we’ve seen that sort of picture before’, so we’ll see if there’s a 14 or 13 score by the same person and if it’s good enough, we’ll put that in instead. We are not choosing the pictures because we personally like them – we are looking at the high-scoring pictures and trying to ensure diversity. As it’s only one print per photographer, we have to find the most suitable one from that person and then we might say ‘well, we’ve got three portraits already so we have to find something else from this person, not a portrait,’ for example.

PN: So it’ll be tougher next year? RW: I hope so!

PN: How many prints did you get last year in comparison to this year? RW: Well, almost everybody who entered submitted the maximum five prints, so there were around 1500 prints to choose from. The same number of prints was entered this year as last year. About half the entry this year was colour prints, more than half of the remainder were monochrome and the smallest category was nature. Because Masters of Print has three categories, we decided we would divide the selection equally, rather than choose it pro rata based on entry numbers in each section. This meant a proportionately slightly higher number of nature prints was selected, although not quite the full third. PN: Was it a tough job making the selection?

If you look around the accepted entries, you’ll see a lot of lesser- known names, people you haven’t heard of

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