Photography News Issue 33

In addition to all the latest news, Issue 33 includes a fantastic Lighting Academy which teaches you how to create black backgrounds using only your exposure. You’ll also find an excellent sunrise and sunset technique guide, the verdict of our Pentax K1 and Nikon D500 tests and First Tests on a bumper crop of lenses.

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography news Photography Produced by Issue 33 6 June – 30 June News Tests Reviews Interviews Techniques Competitions Exhibitions Clubs

SPECIAL EDITION

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Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

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Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

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Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

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Launched earlier this year, the X-Pro2 has been an instant hit, already picking up a coveted TIPA award: Best Mirrorless CSC Expert. It’s the first model in the X series range to offer the powerful 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor and X-Processor Pro engine, which combine to deliver superb quality images and a blistering overall performance. The camera also features a sophisticated Advanced Hybrid Multi viewfinder that provides the benefits of optical, rangefinder and electronic viewfinders in one, all of which can be accessed by the flick of a lever. Autofocusing has also been improved with an increase in the number of selectable focusing points and high sensitivity phase-detection pixels covering a larger part of the imaging area, while the new Focus Lever ensures it’s easier than ever to quickly select a focusing point. FujifilmX-Pro2

Despite these many advancements, the look of the camera stays true to the original X-Pro1, which means it leans heavily on the classic film camera style and has key features accessed through dials, not menus. This time, however, the body is weather resistant, plus it features dual memory card slots for greater versatility when saving images. The shutter speed range has been extended to include a top speed of 1/8000sec, while the maximum flash sync jumps to 1/250sec; impressive when you consider the shutter unit itself is guaranteed for 150,000 frames. Images below From its Advanced Hybrid Multi viewfinder and X-Processor Pro engine to the weather-resistant body and dual memory card slots, the X-Pro2 is a real winner.

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If you prefer your mirrorless camera to be more digital SLR in terms of looks and handling, the X-T1 will be right up your street. The big, bright central electronic viewfinder and contoured grip give a more familiar feel, but you still get all the Fujifilm X series benefits: compact and lightweight design, stunning looks and outstanding image quality. AttheheartoftheX-T1’sweather-resistant body is a 16.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS II sensor, which delivers images packed with colour and detail when combined with one of the high-quality Fujinon XF prime or zoom lenses. Working with this sensor to provide speedy autofocus is Fujifilm’s own EXR II processor. The dial-based operation means that you can quickly check the major functions on the camera without switching it on, plus it ensures that all key features can be accessed swiftly so there’s no barrier to creativity. Round the back of the camera is a three- inch tilting LCD screen, which offers extra framing ease and versatility when you’re shooting at high and lowangles, orwhen the camera is tripod mounted. The central Real Time Viewfinder provides an almost instant display of the scene and its graphical user interface ensures quick and easy viewing of settings. Available in two colours, all-black and graphite silver, this is a camera designed for keen enthusiasts and has the feature set to prove it, including Wi-Fi connectivity, an intervalometer, ISO sensitivity up to 51,200 and Fujifilm’s unique Film Simulation modes honed and developed through more than 80 years of photographic film manufacturing.

Without a doubt, this is a camera that punches well above its diminutive weight. Tipping the scales at just 350g for the body only including battery and memory card, the X-E2S is the perfect camera for any photographer who wants to travel light. But weight and size are really the only compromises you’ll make, in every other respect this is a top quality X series model. Like other interchangeable lens cameras in the range, the X-E2S features an APS-C sized X-Trans sensor that delivers fantastic images bursting with colour and definition. The bright electronic viewfinder uses 2.36 million dots to show images in superb detail, plus it offers a wide selection of picture-taking functions so you will always have the tools you’ll need to capture great images. Aswellasmakingchangestothedesign, the X-E2S offers further improvements over its predecessor, the X-E2. These include a more versatile focusing system, which now tracks moving subjects more accurately thanks to the addition of Zone

and Wide/Tracking modes, plus a Full Auto mode that ensures the camera is accessible even to photographic novices. A model that truly underlines all the benefits of X series mirrorless cameras, the X-E2S not only looks great and has a versatile set of features, it takes a great photograph too. What more could you ask for?

Images The X-T1 offers a DSLR-like experience in terms of handling and looks, but with all the joys of a Fujifilm’s X series mirrorless camera: a compact, lightweight body, impressive style and stunning image quality from the X-Trans sensor.

Above The X-E2S’s Wi-Fi enables you to print with the optional instax SP-1 printer.

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

A Samsung 64GB Pro memory card Enter the competition on page 60 WIN!

Nikon D500 Will you sing its praises? Find out on page 34

Pentax K-1 Go full-frame on page 28

Sun worshippers Top tips for sunrise & sunset shots, page 23

In it towin it Entering photo competitions can give your photography a boost – if you win, your bank balance can benefit too

Lens special, part 1 12 new lenses from Laowa, Pentax, Sigma, Tamron, Tokina and Voigtländer tried and tested this month … continue reading on page 40

Entering a photo contest has never been easier and you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your armchair. But entering and winning are not the same and you have to think about the themes, what the judges want to see, shoot the pictures and hope yours are better than everyone else’s.

The thing is, though, someone has to win and there is absolutely no reason why it can’t be you – but first you have to enter. So, withmany contests launching this month, now is the time to start think about getting some photographs ready. The Sony World Photography Awards 2017, Travel Photographer

of the Year and the RHS’s annual photo competition have all opened their doors for entry this month. The closing dates may be some time away yet, but start planning and get shooting your entry now just make reap you benefits in 2017.

See page 9 for more details.

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

bron go portable Photographers love the flexibility and convenience of battery-powered flash but still want the power and performance of mains units and that’s what bron’s latest flash heads offer

bron, world renowned for its top quality studio equipment has added a battery-powered monobloc unit to its range. The Siros L (L stands for lithium) is available in 400 or 800W/s output options but have an identical feature set – the physical difference is that the 800 version is slightly longer. Key selling points of Siros L units are very brief flash durations, as short as 1/19,000sec in Speed mode, constant colour temperature output in normal use and even light spread in different modifiers thanks to the design and positioning of the flash tube. Constant colour is possible with bron’s ECTC (Enhanced Colour Temperature Control) which controls voltage and flash duration to give constant colour temperature over the whole output range. In Speed mode, where very short flash durations

are needed, ECTC is cancelled but even here the variance in colour temperature is minimal. In normal use mode, the minimum output of the 400L still gives a brief flash duration of 1/9000sec. Output is manual only, controllable over a nine EV range from ten (full power, 400 or 800W/s depending on the model) to two (two or four Watts per second) in 0.1 f/stops. The rechargeable battery gives an impressive 440 full output flashes and this increases significantly if lower output settings are applied. The batterymust be charged outside of the flash unit and a charger is supplied in the kit. The new heads are fully compatible with bron’s range of modifiers including the wonderful Paras. High speed sync is available on the Siros L heads but not with the existing bron

RFS 2.1 trigger, but that will change later this year when a new trigger will be launched. A free app, bronControl, is available for iPhone, iPad and Android from the Apple store and Google Play, and this makes using the Siros L even slicker. Up to six units can be controlled so that you can adjust the power output, fire test flashes, turn on the modelling lamp and much more via the Siros L’s own Wi-Fi network. Guide prices start from £1818 for the Siros L 400 with RFS2.1 trigger and bag – the same kit but with the 800 head is £2106. A two unit Outdoor Kit costs £3594 for the 400 and £4194 with 800 heads.

broncolor.com

Above Chris Burfoot, broncolor’s UK sales manager, proudly shows off the battery powered Siros L.

Fujifilm’s range of lenses has grown with the arrival of the XF2X TC WR teleconverter. The 2x converter is compatible with only two current X-lenses, the 50-140mm f/2.8 and the 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6, giving focal length ranges of 100-280mm and 200-800mm respectively when fitted. Both lenses will need firmware updates to function fully. With an optical construction of nine elements in five groups, the quality of the lens it is fitted to is maintained at a high level. Also, with its WR design, it can be used with the two compatible lenses and the Fujifilm shooters can get more from their telephotos with its new 2x teleconverter Fujifilm gets longer

News in brief

USBType-Cdrive G-Technology has introduced a range of mobile hard drives with the USB-C interface. These new drives have a transfer rate of 136MBs. The 1TB version costs £107.40 and the 3TB £162.40 g-technology.com CaptureOne updated Capture One Pro software has been updated to v9.1.2. A key benefit is support for cameras including the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II and the Nikon D5. The full versions costs €279 (£216) but it is a free upgrade for Pro 9 licence holders and subscribers. phaseone.com

X-T1/X-Pro2 bodies in adverse weather conditions. It will be available from late June and costs £349.

fujifilm.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Win a VIP day out Join Samsung and Photography News for a great day out at Painshill landscape garden

Samsung’s latest generation of storage cards are very highly specified and ideally suited for use in top-end high resolution DSLRs as well as smartphones, tablets and cameras shooting 4K video. The Pro Plus range comprises 32GB and 64GB capacity cards and satisfies UHS-1 Class 3 and Speed Class 10 performance levels. In practical terms, read speed is 95MB/s and write speed is up to 90MB/s. Reliable fast read/write performance is important but there’s more with Samsung’s five-proof features. The Pro cards are waterproof, temperature proof, X-ray proof, magnetic proof and shockproof. Drop one of these latest Pro Plus cards in seawater and it can withstand 72 hours’ submersion. While we are unlikely to encounter adverse shooting conditions during our special event, you never know when the Samsung Pro Plus's five- proof features will come in very useful. Samsung Pro Plusmemory cards

We’re offering you the exclusive opportunity to join Samsung and Photography News for a great day out at Painshill landscape garden in Surrey. Six places are available for this special event on 13 July 2016. The chosen six will each win a Samsung 32GB SDHC Pro Plus memory card and a one-metre panorama print from photographic printing specialists LumeJet. They’ll spend the afternoon shooting Painshill and the photographer of the best picture taken during this time wins a Samsung 250GB T3 SSD, worth £98.99 with a sequential read/write speed of 450MB/s in Turbo Write operation; a family pass to Painshill; and a £250 LumeJet voucher to be spent via its website, lumejet.com. High-speed performance is just one benefit of SSDs, reliability is another. SSDs do not have any moving components, unlike conventional hard drives, so are much less likely to go wrong and accessing data is rapid too. LumeJet is passionate about printing beautiful photography and offers the next generation of quality to the discerning photographer, who simply wants the most beautiful print available. Its services include ultra-high resolution photographic prints but also offers mounted and framed prints, premium quality layflat photo books and blocks. To be in with the chance of attending, answer this question: What’s the sequential read/write speed in Turbo Write operation of the Samsung 250GB T3 SSD? Email the answer by 28 June 2016 to willcheung@bright-publishing. com with Samsung/Painshill in the subject line. We will pick six at random from the correct entries. Entry is open to UK residents, aged 16 and above. Travel to Painshill is at participants’ own cost and they must bring their own camera kit. For full terms and conditions, visit absolutephoto.com.

The plan for the day

samsung.com

At 5.50pm we will reconvene in the Abercorn

The event begins at 2pm with a briefing in the Abercorn Room fromWill Cheung, editor of Photography News. You will also get a welcome and an introduction from a member of Painshill’s team. All six participants will receive a Samsung 32GB SDHC Pro Plus memory card to use (and keep). The shoot begins around 2.40pm. We will be using buggies to get us around the garden where we will be spending around 30 minutes at each stop. If you prefer you are free to wander on foot.

Room for afternoon tea and a debrief. At this point, images will be uploaded and Will Cheung

will judge the images and the best picture taken wins a Samsung 250GB T3 SSD external hard drive (above), a £250 LumeJet print voucher to be spent on its website and a family entrance pass to Painshill landscape garden.

About Painshill landscape garden

Painshill is a beautiful award-winning 18th century landscape garden in Surrey. What makes Painshill truly remarkable today is that it has been restored from the ground up. In 1981 Painshill Park Trust was formed to restore the historic site to its original state. Most of the follies in the Grade I Listed landscape

have been rebuilt or restored and the landscape has been replanted with thousands of new trees. The 158 acre landscape garden is open all year round. The crystal Grotto is open to visitors (weekends only) and pre-booked guided tours. painshill.co.uk

New from Olympus is the TG-Tracker. Aimed at action adventurers the TG-Tracker is waterproof down to 30m, freeze proof to -10°C, dust proof, shockproof from 2.1 metres and crush proof to a weight of 100kg. The camera features an ultra- wide angle lens with 204° field of view, 5-axis image stabilisation, a flip-out colour LCD and a detachable grip. The TG-Tracker will be available from July for £279.99. Track the action with Olympus

Canon releases

Canon launched a variety of products thismonth, which included the PowerShot SX620 HS. This compact superzoom camera has a 20.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 4+ processor and a 25x optical zoom. The SX620 HS will be available from June for £219.99. Also announced is the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens, the world’s first AF lens to feature a built- in Macro Lite. This dedicated lens offers a minimum

focusing distance of 13mm and 1.0x magnification or 1.2x in Super Macro mode. Available now the EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM is priced at £294.99. Adding to its accessories line-up Canon has also introduced the Speedlite 600EX II-RT and the Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1.

olympus.co.uk

canon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Great 3-legged supports

News in brief

If you are in London 13-19 June, visit paper manufacturer Hahnemühle’s pop-up shop at Old Street Tube station. You will be able to buy traditional art and digital inkjet papers but it’s also the chance to get questions answered and enjoy some great images outputted into its materials. Opening hours are 10am- 8pm each day. Pop along Canon cashback If you’re going to treat yourself to a Canon camera this summer then you could be getting £50 cashback. There is also the chance to win a three-night break to Dubai. For the full list of eligible website, but to give you a taste, they include the EOS 750, EOS M10 and PowerShot D30. canon.co.uk/ summercashback Canon products in this cashback offer go to the

3leggedthing has introduced three new tripods, Albert, Winston and Leo, all part of the Equinox collection. For the tripod legs only, these are priced at £329, £379 and £249 respectively. Kits complete with a ball head are also available. Leo is a very compact carbon- fibre traveller tripod but offers a full extension of 1.31m and weighs in at only 1.44kg. Albert is another carbon-fibre travel tripod, this time weighing in at 1.85kg and offeing a maximum height extensionof 1.79m. Versatility

is key to this product and it can be used in various configurations to adjust to your needs. If ultimate stability is what you want then look at Winston. Again it uses carbon-fibre legs to keepweight down to 1.75kg while its maximum extension is 1.85m. 3leggedthing has also introduced a range of footwear that is compatible with its tripods. Heelz (£40), Stillettoz (£49.99), Clawz (£49.99) and Bootz (£14.99).

Anthropics, well known for its PortraitPro software, has launched the world’s first intelligent landscape editing software. Called Landscape Pro, two versions are on offer: LandscapePro costs £29.95 and the Studio version is £49.95. The Studio version has Raw support, can output 16-bit TIFFs, has different colour spaces and can be run as a plug-in for Photoshop, Lightroom and Elements. Both Mac and Windows versions are available. The new software has a range of powerful controls including one-click presets that make enhancing your scenic shots quicker and easier. Features include landscape re-lighting, a depth-of-field simulator and sky replacement and there is much more. A free trial is available from the website. landscapepro.pics LandscapePro 17 June is going to be a busy day for 250 Photography News readers. That is the day of our Photo 24 event, in association with Nikon and Nikon School, takes place in London. Now in its fourth year, this is a 24-hour long, free photo shoot in the UK capital with contests and special picture opportunities to challenge our gallant, caffeine-fuelled 250 readers, many of whom will stay up for the whole time. The full story of the event and the winning pictures will be featured in the next two issues of Photography News , so you can see what you missed out on. If you did miss out or couldn’t make it this year, we will start promoting next year’s event from around March 2017. A day’s photography in one of the world’s top capital cities awaits 250 Photography News readers Photo 24 In association with

3leggedthing.com

Kenro take it away Kenro has added to its collection of Takeaway products with the R1 Mini Ranger Clampod and an expanded range of Clampod accessories. The R1 Mini Ranger costs £29.94 and can be used as camera support in otherwise inaccessible places – like the front fork of your mountain bike for example. It will clamp onto anything between 5mm and 32mm thick and features a camera quick-release plate for rapid attachment of the camera or device. The Clampod accessories include the Tablet Holder at £17.94, the Smartphone Holder for Sports at £15.54 and the G1 Mini Tripod at £17.34.

kenro.co.uk

hahnemuhle.com

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Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Zeiss Award winner Running alongside the Sony World Photography Awards, the Zeiss Photography Award debuted this year. We find out more from the first ever winner

photographer I choosewhat pictures I want to show so no one knows how many pictures I missed. That is just my problem. If you took your Indian train pictures for yourself why did you enter them into the Zeiss Awards? I finished the story and used it for a course I was doing at university in India – by the way I got a really low mark for it. When I came back to Hannover I asked my tutor, Rolf Nobel, if I could use the pictures for part of the course, which was on travel photography, because I hadno time to shoot anything else. I showed him the pictures and he was the one who thought it was a strong story. He was surprised how good the work was and encouraged me to believe in it and send it to newspapers. I thought so many people travel in the train who would want to publish such pictures. I felt really small sending my pictures to a newspaper but Stern magazine said ‘yes, we’ll take them’ and I thought ‘my work in Stern , oh my God’. I was overwhelmed and then I got an exhibition in Papillon andmore andmore people started to like this story – I thought it was just nice for me so why would someone else like it. I thought the pictures suited the Meaningful Places theme. I didn’t have pictures of monuments but why shouldn’t a train compartment be a Meaningful Place? It is daily life in a small place and every day so many people experience this so this is aMeaningful Place for them. So what next? I want to be a freelancer. I don’t have an agency and I’m not thinking about having one. For me, the nice thingwith this is that I can just work on my own stories and for long as I want to until I think it is done. It is my work and I don’t want anyone to say ‘do this, do that’. I live low budget so I can work on my big stories until they get published, then I will be happy and can eat! And work on the next story. That is my dream for my future just to do on really big stories that I can work on for weeks, months or even years and then get published to finance the next story. Above Tamina-Florentine Zuch won this year's Zeiss Award with a portfolio of brilliant images of her train journeys in India.

two or three years until I found how I wanted to work and what stories I wanted to tell and then I gradually started shooting real stories. What led you to do the pictures that won you the Zeiss Award? The winning project was the biggest I have done to date. I did an exchange programme in India at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. I was there fourmonths. India is sucha complex country and I didn’t understand the culture and the more I tried to understand it, the less I understood. There is a caste system, so many religions, somany cultures, somany languages and it is so diverse. It was really frustrating to realise that if you are not born into something that you just can’t understand it. In four months I wanted to get to know as many people and see as many places as possible and just get a closer look at Indian society but I wasn't planning to do a story to publish. It wasn’t long enough to do a story about something I didn’t understand. I just wanted to do something for myself, about what I sawandhowI felt so I had the idea of travelling by train. Did you get a good reaction from the passengers? Were they okay that you were taking picture of them? Did you ask permission? Almost all of them were happy. Of course a lot of people don’t speak English, but when I was there I always have the camera hanging round my neck. So when I walked into the compartment I was this girl with a camera so when I wanted to take a picture I tried to make eye contact and show them my camera and they would think ‘okay, go on then.’ You are in this compartment for hours and even days so they just can’t go away and they are stuck with you. Or when I saw a situation and thought by the time I asked permission the picture would be gone, I took the picture first and waited for them to turn tome and I’d show them the picture and say ‘look that is beautiful.’ It is difficult because there are so many tourists shooting poverty and behaving badly. It does make the job very difficult because people think you are one of those who snap

people sitting on the ground. You have to try to give them their pride back and show that you really care. That is really important forme. Howfardoyou thinkyou travelled on the trains? I think I did over 20,000km. The longest journey was three nights, four days. It was really exhausting being on the train all that time especially travelling third class. I love travelling on the train in any country because you can sit there and relax or read something but in this situation I was always looking for something to happen and if nothing was happening, I’d just walk around the train all day. Or I’d sit by the door waiting for a nice landscape. There was pressure not tomiss something. I was always on my own but I never felt unsafe. When you are in a different country it is important to behave properly. In India I saw lots of girls in short skirts and smiling at themen, but I always hadmy ankles covered up and a headscarf and I was very straight with themen. What camera kit did you use? I had a small bag because I wanted my kit with me all the time because there is so much pickpocketing on the trains. I hada24mmanda 35mm lens with a Nikon D700. I had four charged batteries and the charger with me so I could recharge when I got to the hotel. You can charge things on the train too. I have no idea of many pictures I took. I don’t photograph too much. Some people shoot thousands but I am really slow. With a situation I hardly take three pictures. If I am waiting for something to happen or the right light, I just wait and then take the picture. I don’t take pictures while I amwaiting. What were the big problems taking pictures? Was it dealing with the low light, for example? With the train it was difficult when the sun very high. Of course it was very dark in the train and almost white light outside the windows and that destroyed the atmosphere. I still took the picture but wished it was morning or evening, which would be much nicer. But you have to shoot when the situation happens and that’s it. The thing is, as the

Interview by Will Cheung

German-based Tamina-Florentine Zuch was the first-ever winner of the Zeiss Photography Award, which runs in parallel with the Sony World Photography Awards, the world’s biggest photo contest. Both contests are organised by the World PhotographyOrganisation. For 2016 the theme was Seeing Beyond – Meaningful Places. Different interpretations of the theme and the term ‘meaningful places’ were demanded. Entry was open to professional and amateur photographers. A total of 22,000 images were submitted from 3139 photographers from 116 countries. Tamina won with her set of images, Indian train journey. You can see her complete entry and the shortlisted entrants on worldphoto. org website. Her prize included camera lenses to value of €15,000 and the chance toworkwith Zeiss. PN: Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself please and howyou came to be a photographer? TFZ: I am in the last year of a five- year photojournalism course at Hannover University. I left school with no real interest in photography. I was originally studying communication design. The main coursewasphotography,butfashion

and product photography. I thought ‘oh God, this is nothing about telling stories’. I wanted to meet people and see how they lived and learn what 's important to them. So I went to do photojournalism, knowing nothing about photography. The first year was learning about photography and how to compose and so on. I was never an equipment freak. If someone asked me what lenses I used I’d really have to think about it. I wanted to get close to the people that interested me and the camera is like a door opener. I could turn up with a camera and say I wanted to take pictures of them and spend three weeks with them – people understand that. It wasn’t photography that fascinated me but what I could dowith it. Do you find it difficult going into a strange environment and start taking pictures? No, that was never the problem. It was more the equipment that was hard forme and getting to use things like apertures and ISO – I had no idea what those things were to start with. Most of my fellow students hadbeen intophotography for a long time so I had to learn the basics so I could do what I wanted. That took

zeiss.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

News

Bert Hardy: Personal collection

Entry to the Travel Photographer of the Year 2016 contest is now open and you have until 1 October 2016 to get your entries in. Entries can be submitted online or as prints. Entry fees are £8 for the single image categories, £15 for portfolios. Entry for Young TPOTY is free. This year’s TPOTY features three portfolio categories, three single image categories, a smart shot category for images taken on a mobile phone or tablet, a New Talent award, Young TPOTY and an HD video category. The overall winner will be chosen from all entrants who submit at least two portfolios andwill win £4000, a selection of StaaG luxury goods, £500 to spend on Páramo clothing of their choice and a personalised leather portfolio case from Plastic Sandwich. For details of prizes, the sponsors and a major exhibition at Greenwich featuring last year’s winning images, go the website. Time to enter TPOTY

The Prints Sales Gallery of the Photographers’ Gallery is hosting an exhibition of Bert Hardy’s work with images drawn from his personal archive. These rare black & white prints were saved as keepsakes from his work and have been on display before. Hardy is best known for his memorable images produced when

he was the chief photographer on the famous Picture Post magazine during the 1940s and 1950s. Prints on sale are priced from £3000 (includes VAT). Admission is free and the exhibition is on until 3 July. Check the website for opening times.

tpoty.com

image From Bert Hardy's Personal Collection.

thephotographersgallery.org.uk

The RPS first collaborative exhibitionshowcasing theworkof students alongside Fellows of the Society features images by Jane Hilton and Rakesh Mohindra. Jane Hilton’s work made using a plate camera, features nude studies of Nevada working girls. Her intimate studies are featured in her latest book, Precious . Rakesh Mohindra is a visual artist andhis exhibition is entitled Possessive and Possessed . The Magic Gallery can be found at the Charing Cross Underground Arcade, on London’s Strand. The exhibition runs until 24 June and is open Tuesday to Saturday afternoons. The RPS at the Magic Gallery

Above TPOTY has a great choice of creatively challenging categories.

The world’s biggest photo contest is now in its tenth year and with the overall winner scooping $25,000 it is well worth having a go. As well as the overall winner, there are national winners too and plenty of categories to inspire. Entries are invited from professional and enthuiast photographers, plus there are sections for students and the young image-maker. Sony 2017

Above Image by Jane Hilton, Sunny Star, Love Ranch North, 2012

rps.org

The RHS’s annual photographic competition is now open for entry and you have until 28 February 2017 to get your pictures uploaded. Entry is free, both for RHS and non RHS members, and there are nine categories to choose from including celebrating RHS gardens, welcoming garden wildlife, pure plants, abstract and detail and greening grey Britain. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three pictures in each category from an overall prize fund of £10,000. Also, the winner of each adult category receives a year’s membership to the RHS. RHS annual competition

Above Asghar Khamseh, Photographer of the Year, 2016 Sony World Photography Awards.

worldphoto.org

The New East Photo Prize is a new initiative seeking to broaden perceptions of the New East through photography. Entry is free and open to pro and enthusiast photographerswho are nationals of Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia. Entrants are invited to submit a project of their work that was finalised in the past two years. Closing date is 19 August 2016. Looking East

rhs.org.uk/photocomp

Image Abstracts &Details first: ChrysanthemumbyGynelle Leon.

photoprize.calvertjournal.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | 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 achievement; 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: 23 June 2016

We need words and pictures by 23 June for the next issue of Photography News , which will be available from 4 July. Write your story in a Word document (400 words maximum). 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.

News in brief

At Gateway It’s been a busy spring for Gateway Camera Club, with a photo day out to Dungeness, a lecture from Richard Walton FRPS and a display at the community day at River Village Hall. Gateway CC meet on Thursdays, 8pm at River’s Crabble Corn Mill until the end of June, then recommencing in September. gatewaycameraclub.co.uk Successful year Colchester Photographic Society has enjoyed both internal, national and international success this year. Many of its members have also gained their GPAGB this season and two members, Colin Westgate and Roy Essery, were awarded their MPAGB this year. colchesterphotosoc.co.uk Exhibition time Catch Viewfinders of Romsey Camera Club’s annual exhibition from 9 to 17 July at King John’s House in Romsey. With both prints and projected images, the display is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sundays 11am to 4pm. Admission is free. viewfinderscameraclub.org.uk Learnwith Chingford Chingford Photographic Society is inviting non-members to join the club and its members for six weeks of workshops over the summer. Open to everyone, the workshops cover everything from learning to use your camera (whether it’s film or digital) to creating photos to be proud of. The workshops are on Mondays, 8-10pm, starting on Monday 18 July. For all six, the cost is £50 and this fee also includes six months’ club membership. All the details are on the website.

Stratford International

Stratford Photo Group’s annual exhibition is on at Stratford Arts House, from 18 to 30 July. As well as featuring images by the group, it will also show work by members of the Prince Edward Island Photo Club from Canada. The display will include 80 prints, as well as projected images, covering a range of genres in both colour and monotone.

Entry to the exhibition is free and it’s open Monday to Friday, 10am until 5pm, and Saturdays, 10am to 1pm. Stratford Photo Group members will be on hand to talk about the images and the group. Visitors voting for their favourite image will be entered into a draw to win the favourite image.

stratfordphotographic.org.uk

Left Martin Eves’ image, Chaffinch feeding young, won the People’s Choice vote at Heswall Photographic Society’s annual exhibition – the third time he has won the award! Heswall PS is currently on its summer break, but meetings will start again in September.

Kingston Camera Club’s first-ever exhibition is on until Sunday 19 June. Displaying members’ best work, the exhibition is at All Saints Church in Kingston-on-Thames and open 10am to 4pm daily. Visitors are invited to vote for their favourite image and can also chat to club members, who’ll be on hand to talk about the club, its activities and photography. A first for Kingston CC

heswallphotosoc.co.uk

kingstoncameraclub.co.uk

Claiming to be the oldest club in the UK specialising in black & white and silver photography, Border Monochrome Camera Club has recently gained some new members, particularly many younger photographers who are wanting to learn more about monochrome photography and printing techniques. The club is currently hosting its annual summer exhibition at Kington’s Burton Hotel. Golden oldies

You don’t need to be able to Time Travel to see Braunton Camera Club’s annual exhibition, just visit Barnstaple Museum between 16 June and 18 July. The club continues to meet during the summer months, at various outdoor locations. For new members, the summer meetings are free as are the first three winter meetings, which are held at The Fortescue House Club in Braunton. Time Traveller

The exhibition will run until 2 September 2016.

qillstring.co.uk/bcc

bordermonochrome.co.uk

chingfordphotographic.com

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Competition

World Press Photo 16 book World Press PhotoContest Photojournalists across the globe submit images to the annual World Press Photo Contest. Communications manager David Campbell tells us more What is your role within the World Press Photo Contest?

The winning selection provides an insight into the major stories of the year and the best ways to visualise them

work to international colleagues. That annual contest has since grown into one of the most prestigious awards in photojournalism and multimedia storytelling, and the exhibition it produces is seen by four million people worldwide each year. The contest rewards photographers for the best single exposure pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism. What do you think makes the World Press Photo Contest stand out from other competitions? It has a 60-year heritage, which means you can chart much of the

history of photojournalism through the winners, many of which are regarded as iconic images. It is judged by leading professionals in the industry, and as a result the winning selection provides an insight into the major stories of the year and the best ways to visualise them. This year 82,951 photos made by 5775 photographers from 128 different countries were entered, so the contest is large, diverse and global. What categories were included and what was needed to enter? There are were categories, seven of which have both single and story

entries: Spot News, General News, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life, Sports, Nature andPeople. Then there are Long-Term Projects, showcasing work done over the last three years. Only professional photographers can enter, and all entries are submitted digitally and online. Are certain categories more popular than others? What category was the winning image entered into? The Photo of the Year was submitted to Spot News. It is not a requirement, but the photo of the year generally comes from the news and

As communications manager I work with a team to make the results of the contest known to the media and the general audience. In previous years, before joining the staff of the World Press Photo Foundation, I was secretary to the jury, so observed the weeks of judging close up, though I did not vote on the entries. Can you give us some background behind the contest? The contest began in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their

Above Tim Laman, USA, for National Geographic , Tough Times for Orangutans .

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

Competition

how is this maintained throughout the competition? Photography gives us a creative interpretation of the world. But when we want pictures to record and inform us of the varied events, issues, people, and viewpoints in our world, we must set limits to how pictures can be made. The World Press Photo Contest rewards pictures that are visual documents, providing an accurate and fair representation of the scene that the photographer witnessed. The audience should be able to trust in the accuracy and fairness of the prize-winning pictures. This means pictures entered into the contest must follow a series of guidelines that guard against manipulation. Manipulation is about altering the content of a picture. At almost every stage in the photographic process from capture, production, to the publication and circulation of photographic images, there is the potential for manipulation. This makes it difficult for a jury to comprehensively assess if and how pictures might have been manipulated, but the photographic contest guards against manipulation in two ways. Firstly, the World Press Photo

documentary categories, which are the most popular categories.

What was it about the winning image that made it stand out? One of the jurors, Vaughn Wallace, described this best: “We’ve seen thousands of images of migrants in every form of their journey, but this image really caught my eye. It causes you to stop and consider the man’s face, consider the child. You see the sharpness of the barbed wire and the hands reaching out from the darkness. This isn’t the end of a journey, but the completion of one stage of a very long future. And so, for me, this had to be the photograph of the year.” What do the judges look for in a winning image? As noted above, the criteria concerns the best single exposure pictures contributing to the past year of visual journalism. TheWorld Press Photo of the Year honours the photographer whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance in that year. are important in press photography, Truthful representations

Above World Press Photo Award Winner Warren Richardson, Australia, 2015, Hope for a New Life. Aman passes a baby through the fence at the Serbia/Hungary border in Röszke, Hungary, 28 August 2015.

Left Christian Ziegler, Germany, for National Geographic , Chameleon Under Pressure . Below left Kazuma Obara, Japan Exposure. Belowright Sergey Ponomarev, Russia, for The New York Times , Reporting Europe’s Refugee Crisis, 2015. Bottom left Abd Doumany, Syria, Agence France-Presse, Douma’s Children, Syria, 2015. Bottomright Christian Bobst, Switzerland, The Gris-gris Wrestlers of Senegal.

contest code of ethics sets out best practices for entrants to the contest, and it is backed by the requirement to provide detailed captions that are reviewed by the fact-checking of the winners. Secondly, the entry rules make clear that digital manipulation which adds, rearranges, reverses, distorts or removes people or objects from within the frame is not permitted, and the rules are backed by the forensic comparison of original camera files with the contest image in the second last round. Are there any specific types of images or styles that you see regularly or are you seeing fresh work? It is always a mix of the two. The chair of the general jury, Francis Kohn, director of photography at Agence France-Presse, described the debates this year: “At every step, we were looking in depth at every photo, considering both their aesthetic qualities and editorial content, listening regularly to captions in order to understand the intentions of the photographer, and evaluating the merit of their account. There were also many discussions on new approaches to telling a story. Could news photography be more daring, subtler, than what is the often classical, straightforward, mode of reporting? The jury was open to new approaches, but originality for the sake of originality did not win favour with the majority.” How does the judging process work and who was involved in this year’s panel? The judging process for the World Press Photo contest is intensive and rigorous. It involves five specialised juries and one general jury, and takes two weeks to complete. All the rules and procedures are published on our website. This year there were

19 professionals – 11 men and eight women – from 16 countries who did the judging, and you can see their biographical details on our website. What prizes were involved? There are first, second and third prizes in each category for both singles and stories. All winners receive a paid trip to Amsterdam for theAwardsCeremonyand the annual Awards Days. In addition, the photo of the year winner receives a cash prize of €10,000 and equipment from our worldwide partner, Canon. Where can we see the winning images? Allofthewinningimagesareavailable on our website and large selections are available in our yearbook and the travelling exhibition. The exhibition begins in Amsterdam, but will be seen in more than 100 locations in 45 countries by years end, having reached a global audience of four million people.

worldpressphoto.org

Get the book

World Press Photo 16 is published by Thames & Hudson and is available to purchase now priced at £18.95.

store.worldpressphoto.org

Photography News | Issue 33 | absolutephoto.com

15 Interview

Profile Walter Benzie Newly elected as president of the Royal Photographic Society, Walter Benzie gives us an insight into his photographic life, as well as discussing the workings and future of the Society

Biography

Can you give our readers some background about yourself? In spite of doing physics and chemistry at A level, I chose to train to become a chartered accountant. I took up photography at school where I spent many happy hours messing about with noxious chemicals. The magic moment came when I saw my print, completely bleached out, being restored again in a sulphide toner bath. After school, I just used my camera to record special occasions and only really got back into serious photography when I became a member of Guildford Photographic Society in the 1980s and subsequently a PAGB judge. I obtained my LRPS in 2008 and attempted my ARPS in 2010; my initial submission was rejected on the grounds of ‘lack of attention to detail’. After feedback, I amended the panel extensively for resubmission. Happily the revised panel passed. I have always felt our distinctions process is a way of monitoring our photographic progress but not an end in itself. I wrote an article in our Journal showing bothmy failed panel and the improved version. I amnow a proudmember of our Licentiate panel and this helps keep me in touch with our distinctions process. How long have you been involved in the RPS and what encouraged you to become president? Iwastreasurerforfiveyears,andIwas approached to run as vice president. At the time, I was astonished, but later came to realise that I had an opportunity to make a worthwhile contribution to The Society. You’ve had a few months in the hot seat, how’s it going at the RPS? Since becoming president, I have set up various review committees to ensure we are working efficiently,

imaging seriously but in a non- traditional way, ie. using phone cameras but also instant film. Their interests might also be different – for example, street photography. What would you say to this? We are an organisation that welcomes members of any age and skill set. There are no criteria restricting the kind of equipment people use. Recently, we have had distinctions successes with mobile phones so we do not want to give the impression that we are only for those with top of the range gear. We also run workshops on street photography and have walkabouts where those skills can be put into practice.Thishasbeenverysuccessful in the London region. Certainly, we would like to involve more younger members; one of the problems is that taking photography seriously can be time-consuming and some of us have had to wait until we have that time. I appreciate that we have more to do to appeal to the young; but we also should try to attract more professionals. As a profession, photography has undergone a revolution with anyone touting an expensive camera being able to claim they are a ‘professional’. Professionals are now more likely to be self-employed, as newspapers have cut staff.We run courses to assist pros to help themunderstandwhat it takes to run a successful business. Having appropriate letters after your name should also give some reassurance to the public as to quality and I feel we could do more to underline that aspect. What do you find the most/least enjoyable activities as president? It is wonderful meeting members at events and getting involved in photography in a wider sense. Recently, the RPS supported the government STEM project to make Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths more interesting as career choices to students. I’ve also had the privilege of seeing some work done by photographers who have been homeless; it was a very humbling experience having the pictures explained by the actual photographers involved. Photography has a very broad reach. Least enjoyable? Paperwork. What would success look like at the end of your presidency? Growing membership, more aiming for distinctions and more younger members.

fairly and keeping up with best practice. As membership continues to grow, the areas we are looking at are distinctions, governance and website improvements. This is not, necessarily, a sign of any concern, but more a reflection of their importance. Perhaps, as a result of my business background, I donot feel ‘presidential’ – more a part of a team. To emphasise this, I have asked my colleagues on Counciltoalternatewithmeinwriting the ‘president’s piece’ in our Journal to let our readers know more about the individual members of Council. In addition, we need to be clear that we are not just a membership organisation, but a registered charity with a wider mission to promote excellence in photography and support the rights of photographers in general. We must be there to embrace the whole world of photography. It is certainly true that some see us as a large camera club, but we do so many different things that you can still belong to a camera club and gain a great deal by being a member - these are not mutually exclusive activities. What is your vision for the RPS? • To be recognised as one of the leading voices in photography whose mandate is to promote excellence in the art and the science of photography • To be a society for anyone with a passion for photography - to help them find inspiration, improvement and get involved with like-minded people with interests in common • To increase our educational role; apart from workshops and the Open University programme, we need to get more web-based activities to help our members wherever they are. Our overseas membership is growing at a fast rate and we need to see how we can better support them We’ve been updating our strategic objectives in the light of the above. The RPS has 300 active volunteers worldwide and is supported by a headquarters in Bath with 15 staff to help us realise these objectives. We are very fortunate to have Michael Pritchard as director general and he has donemuch to raise our profile. Our headquarters are now becoming too cramped and we will soon have to find a larger venue without breaking the bank. We saw the announcement from the National Media Museum at Bradford about the RPS collection. How does that impact on the RPS? We were completely taken aback by the announcement that the National Media Museum in Bradford is changing its remit to become more

involved in its scientific activities. We have maintained a very good working relationship with Bradford, with our members assisting in the documenting of the items, but if their plans are fulfilled, the collection will transfer to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. We do expect to be consulted on thismove andwill try our best to ensure that our original agreement is adopted in full by the new custodians. The collection is of world significance and should be seen as a treasure and resource for all. One of the ways this can happen is for the collection to be digitised – a long and time consuming process – and which had not yet been started at Bradford. We also want the collection to be maintainedas awhole and to continue as a live collection. Do you think RPS membership is good value? You probably hear the same criticisms as we do in that all you get is a magazine (the RPS Journal , now published 12 times a year), but nothingmuch else? Is this a concern and, if so, what strategies have you in place? Certainly research shows those members that participate in our activities are the most satisfied with their membership. Some stay with us because they have or are trying for a distinction, but we also have many members who participate in various events that are scheduled around the country. We are divided into regions and members should be regularly invited to attend local activities. Our Special Interest Groups are a must for like-minded souls. The range of subjects runs from Analogue, Archaeology&Heritage,Audiovisual, Contemporary, Creative, Digital imaging, Documentary, Historical, Imaging science, Landscape, Medical, Nature, Travel, to Visual art. Just take a look at our website to more fully understandwhat they cover. Most run events and workshops and print their own journals. All members can go to any event – whether or not they actually belong to the group – but they might have to pay a small entrance fee. The sad thing is we see members of the public showing off their newly acquired equipment at exhibitions but have little appreciation of what the art of photography is all about. Our annual membership feemay be only the price of a filter, but we feel we could do so much more to help people improve their results. Some say the RPS out of touch with modern photographers who take

Years in the photo industry? None! Current location? Chichester, West Sussex Last picture taken Last week of my brand-new first grandchild! When youwere younger, what did youwant to bewhen you grewup? To be a pilot, but was rejected because of colour blindness… Dogs or cats? It used to be dogs for their affection, but now cats for their cleanliness. Toast or cereal? Both, if time permits Email or phone call? Email

Our annual membership fee may be only the price of a filter, but we feel we could do so much more to help people improve their photography

rps.org

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