Photography News Issue 50

The Photography News Awards 2017 recognise great products, innovation and outstanding service, with the winners voted for by you. Discover the nominees in this issue and get voting! This issue also features a wide variety of exciting new kit including the Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III and Canon EOS 200D, plus the latest instalment of our Lighting Academy.

Your FREE newspaper packed with the latest news, views and stories from the world of photography news Photography Produced by Issue 50 27 Nov – 14 Jan News Tests Reviews Interviews Techniques Competitions Exhibitions Clubs

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Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

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Triple test Fab cameras fromCanon, Fujifilmand Olympus on test See page 38

Moonshots Amazing out-of- this-world images, page 30

Camera Club of the Year First round results on page 16

The Lumix G9 promises super-fast shooting and high image quality Panasonic’s latest flagship

The Panasonic Lumix G9 is a fast- response, high-performance camera and offers leading edge image quality from itsMicro Four Thirds Digital MOS 20.3-megapixel sensor. The sensor is optical low pass filter-free and for even higher quality a High Resolution mode makes eight exposures as the sensor moves in half-pixel steps to capture 80-megapixel equivalent images of static subjects. Amajor step forward is offeredby the Body Image Stabiliser that gives 6.5EV benefit in still and video shooting. In combination with lenses that have OIS (optical IS) you get a five-axis Dual IS system for sharp long lens shots. The G9 is full of innovative technology and that includes the 6K photo mode. Here you can shoot a sequence at 30 frames-per-second and then pick the best frame and extract that shot as an 18-megapixel JPEG, so it is well suited to action shooting.

Celebrate gear, glorious gear

Vote for the best imaging kit of the year in our 2017 Awards.

Panasonic.co.uk Read more on page 3

See page 19

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Panasonic’s new flagship

Specat aglance

The Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III was announced the day we went to press with the last issue. The launch event took place at the Simon Drake House of Magic in South London and at this fascinating venue we got the chance to use G1 X Mark III pre-production samples, so the pictures published here are not from final samples. The G1 X Mark III is Canon’s first in the G-series, and with an APS-C sensor this premium compact is a significant landmark for the company. I know cosmetics do not affect how a camera performs, but it undoubtedly influences purchase. I wouldn’t say the Mark III is a pretty camera, but that said, Resolution 20.3-megapixels Image stabilisation system Sensor shift type, five axis, 6.5EV benefit Viewfinder LED live view, 3680k dots, 100% field of view, eye sensor Focus Contrast AF system, 225 area, custommulti, single area, full area touch available. AFS, AFC, manual and AFF (AF Flexible) available Exposure 1728 zone multi-pattern with multi-zone, centre-weighted and spot measurement. PASMmodes. Compensation +/-5EV, +/-3EVmovie ISO range Still: ISO 200-25,600, expands to ISO 100. Movie: 200-12,800, expands to ISO 100 Shutter range 60secs – 1/8000sec, electronic shutter to 1/32,000sec. Bulb maximum 30 minutes. Flash sync up to 1/250sec. Shutter life 200,000 actuations Continuous shooting Electronic shutter, up to 20fps in super high, mechanical shutter/ electronic first curtain 12fps/6K photo 30fps. 4k photo 60fps Connectivity WiFi, Bluetooth. QR code

personally, I like its scaled-down, angular DSLR look. So while it seems unlikely that the Mark III would win a beauty pageant, it handles well enough. One thing that really appeals is its size and weight, which is even more impressive when you consider the large sensor inside and that the lens is a 3x zoom (24-70mm 35mm equivalent), although its f/2.8-5.6 variable maximum aperture is nothing to shout about. But that and the limited 3x zoom range help keep the camera’s size down. The G1 X Mark II is small for a large sensor zoom compact – it’s certainlynot a camera that is going to pass the shirt or blouse pocket test ThePanasonicLumixG9isafeature- rich 20.3-megapixel micro four thirds camera that is also splash- and dust-resistant. It can shoot at 20fps with focus tracking and 60fps with single shot AF mode while the body integral image stabiliser gives a claimed 6.5EV benefit. Body IS combined with lens OIS gives even more benefit for low light or long lens shooting, and works for still and 4k video shooting. The 20.3-megapixel Digital Live MOS sensor is lowpass filter free for the highest detail resolution, and if more is needed of static scenes a high resolutionmode gives 80-megapixel results in Raw and JPEG formats. Available in January 2018, the G9 comes as part of three kit options. The body only is £1499; the M kit includes the Panasonic 12-60mm and costs £1699; while the L Kit comprises the G9 with the Leica equivalent of that lens, and is £2019. Panasonic has also introduced a 200mm f/2.8 lens (400mm equivalent in 35mm format) complete with Power OIS to combat camera shake, and that goes on sale in December at £2699. panasonic.co.uk

Images A robust and good-looking camera, the Panasonic Lumix G9 comes tomarket in January 2018 and is eagerly anticipated by users of the brand. It will come with three kit options: body only, Mkit (includes the Panasonic 12-60mm), and the L kit (includes equivalent Leica lens)

Hands on: Canon PowerShot G1 XMark III

The a7R III is a full-frame mirrorless camera with a 42.4-megapixel resolution, 10fps continuous shooting and a highly advanced AF system, with 399 phase detection points covering 68% of the image area. The 42.4-megapixel sensor is a back-illuminated CMOS unit. It has a gapless design and an anti-reflective coating to improve light collecting efficiency, for a low noise performance even at high ISO settings. It has a wide dynamic range with 15EV claimed at low ISO speeds. The native ISO range is 100 to 32,000, which is expandable to ISO 50-102,400. The a7R III costs £3200 body only. Full-frame Sony

but it’s fine in a workbag, manbag or handbag. The menu structure is just like every current Canon DSLR around, so set-up will not be a problem to any Canon user, but even for newcomers it won’t take more than a few minutes to find your way around. Themonitorisa3intouchscreen variangle, so perfect for shooting from different viewpoints, and on our pre-prod sample touch AF and AF generally worked well. This is especially impressive given the very low light, artificially-lit environment we were shooting in. We can’t make an informed judgement about the G1 X Mark

sony.co.uk

III’s picture performance until we get to use the real thing and start exploiting its Raws, but on early acquaintance this APS-C compact is likely to impress, and at £1149 it is a welcome addition to the premium compact market. WC

canon.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Win a Philips 4KUltra HD LCD 40inmonitor worth £600

Get a£200 bonus from Olympus

Photography News and our sister magazine Professional Photo are delighted to bring one lucky reader the chance to own this stunning, richly featured Philips 40in monitor in this free, easy to enter prize competition. The new Philips

10-bit so you have the potential for over 1.07 billion colours. Also, Philip’s SmartImage technology optimises the screen output to whatever you’re doing, so there is

photo mode alongside game and movie settings. More headline features include MultiView 4K, so you can have four systems each showing in HD on

Win a Philips 40in monitor story and answer this simple question. What is the 4K resolution of the Philips BDM4037UW?

one screen using Picture- by-Picture (PbP) mode; or have Picture-in-Picture mode (PiP) to compare pictures from two sources, or watch TV from your set-top box while you are editing your shots. To be inwith a chance of winning this superbPhilips monitor, all you have to do is visit photographynews. co.uk/win, click on the

1) 1280x720 2) 1920x1080 3) 3840x2160

BDM4037UW has a host of great features ideal for today’s photographer. The 40in curved screen gives an immersive experience and features Philip’s UltraClear 4K UHD resolution (3840x2160) to show your high resolution pictures in glorious detail – and it’s

The new Sigma 16mm f/1.4 DC DN Contemporary has a guide price of £449 and will be available in Sony E and Micro Four Thirds fittings. It is a dust- and splash-proof wide-angle lens with a 16 elements (including several exotic glass lenses) in 13 groups construction. The fast aperture adds to the lens’s appeal, while its AF system (which uses a stepping motor for smooth focusing) makes it ideal for shooting video as well as still photography. Sigma’s latest Buy a selected Olympus product between now and Monday, 15 January 2018 from a qualifying retailer, and you can claim a cashback bonus of up to £200. Two OM-D cameras, the E-M1 Mark II and E-M5 Mark II have cash bonuses of £200 and £85 respectively. Six lenses are also in the bonus scheme. There are the 9-18mm f/4-5.6 (£85 cashback), 12mm f/2 (£85), 25mm f/1.8 (£40), 60mm f/2.8 Macro (£65), 75mm f/1.8 (£85) and 75-300mm f/4.8- 6.7 II (£85). Bonus amounts may be combined if buying more than one item. See the website for terms and conditions, and claims must be made by Thursday, 15 February 2018. bonus.olympus.eu

The closing date is 11.59pm, Sunday, 14 January 2018. To read more about the new Philips BDM4037UW, please visit bit.ly/2iWkCbT or check out the review in this issue of Photography News .

Olympus’s fast duo TERMS & CONDITIONS: You must be a UK resident, and aged 16 or over. Entry is restricted to one entry per email address and closes at 11.59pm, Sunday, 14 January 2018. This is a joint promotion with Photography News and Professional Photo and only one prize is available. The prize must be taken as offered, and cannot be exchanged for an alternative. In the event the prize cannot be supplied, no liability will attach to Bright Publishing. Employees of Bright, Philips and their immediate family and agents may not enter. Entries not in accordance with these rules will be disqualified; by entering, competitors will be deemed to have agreed to these rules. The winner will be notified within seven days of the closing date, andmust respond within seven days of being notified, otherwise another winner will be chosen.

Olympus’sM.ZUIKOPRO family has gained two super-fast members: the ED 17mm f/1.2 and ED45mm f/1.2. As you would expect from such fast aperture lenses in thePRO family, mechanical and optical construction are first-rate. The 45mm f/1.2 (90mm focal length in 35mm format) is a short telephoto featuring 14 elements in ten groups,withsixspecialglasselements to give high performance at the wider apertures and minimise aberrations such as out-of-focus colour bleeding. The 17mm f/1.2 (34mm in 35mm format equivalent) features

15 elements in 11 groups with seven special glass elements to compensate for chromatic aberration, colour bleeding and distortion. Both lenses feature ZCoatingNano technology to ensure clean images free of ghosting and flare, and have nine blade diaphragms to help deliver superb, smooth looking bokeh effects. The 17mm f/1.2 will be available from March next year and is priced at £1299.99, while the 45mm f/1.2 is available from this November and costs £1199.99.

olympus.co.uk

BefreewithManfrotto

Claimup to £190 with Fujifilm

sigma-imaging-uk.com

Manfrotto has upgraded its popular range of Befree tripods. The Befree Advanced collection starts with two versions of one aluminium model, with carbon-fibre versions available from spring next year. The Befree Advanced Aluminium Travel is available in two leg lock options, QPL travel lever and M-lock twist grip, so just pick the type that you prefer to use. Stability and leg

cost £174.95 each and come complete with the new 494 Centre ball head. The head features a new 200PL-PRO plate that is compatible with Manfrotto RC2 as well as with (most) Arca-Swiss mounting plates. The Befree Advanced

Buy a Fujifilm X-series camera or lens from a qualifying retailer before Sunday, 15 January 2018, and you qualify for cashback of up to £190. A long list of cameras, kits and lenses are featured in this promotion and a full list, as well as participating retailers and terms and conditions, are at the website address, right. But as an example, buy an X-Pro2 body or the X-Pro2 kit with the 23mm f/2, and you can claim £190

will accept a maximum payload of 8kg, features angle selectors and extends to a very useful 150cm – and you get all this with a tripod weighing in at just 1.5kg and closes down to 40cm. leg

redesigned

cashback. Among the selected 15 lenses, you can save £145 off the 100-400mm f/4-5.6 and £95 off the 56mm f/1.2.

security rate highly in both so it is just a matter personal preferance. Both tripods are four leg sectoions,

fujifilm-promotions.com

manfrotto.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Shoot better sunsets

News in brief

All photographers love shooting sunsets (while taking eye safety precautions) but as the sun approaches the horizon, its bright orb means that exposure is a real challenge, and all the lovely detail you're aiming to capture can be lost thanks to the situation’s high contrast. Lee Filters has launched a Reverse ND filter to help you tame that massive contrast range and get more fromyour sunset (and sunrise) shots. Normal ND grad filters are clear at one end and gradually get more dense at the other. With the Reverse ND, the densest part of the filter is in the middle, going clear at one end and less dense at the other. The important

thing here is that you need a smooth tonal transition to give an effect which is natural-looking. Lee’s expert production methods give this subtle tonal transition. The Reverse ND is available in 0.6 (2EV), 0.9 (3EV) and 1.2 (4EV) strengths in Lee’s three systems, the Seven5, 100mm and SW150, priced at £98.16, £137.21 and £150.67 respectively.

Before

After

Masters of Landscape Masters of Landscape Photography is a breath- taking collection of landscape photography by some photographers, including Joe Cornish and Art Wolfe. Edited by Ross Hoddinott, the images are stunning and with almost 100 images in this book you will be spoilt for choice. It is published by Ammonite Press and costs £25. of the most talented and accomplished landscape Festive offers Datacolor has a money-saving promotion on its products up until 22 December this year. So, for example, the Spyder5CAPTURE PRO, a great colour management kit for photographers, normally sells for £343 and it's available in this offer for a bargain £263. The offers are available from Datacolor’s online shop or qualifying retailers. Leica CL announced The beautifully-styled Leica CL is a retro-looking 24-megapixel APS-C format interchangeable lens camera. The CL is priced at £2250 body only or £3150 with the 18mm prime lens, and the black version will be available from the end of November. datacolor.com

leefilters.com

Right Lee's Reverse ND filter is probably seen to best effect with wide-angle lenses – say 24mm in the 35mm format

Hoya adds to its range

NewZeiss wide

Hoya has introduced two new ranges to its extensive line-up. Ultra-Pro is a top of the range filter that is both scratch and stain resistant, and water and oil repellent. A UV and a circular polariser will be available, and each features 16 layers of anti- reflective coating to give 99.5% and 90% light transmission

respectively. Both types will be available in sizes from 37mm through to 82mm – prices start for the UV 37mm at £44.99 with the 82mm circular polariser priced at £284.99. The NX-10 range features ten layers of coating and filters are water and oil repellent. The circular polariser is uncoated.

Zeiss has added to its range of high- spec manual focus Milvus lenses. The introduction of the 25mm

Sizes from 37mm to 82mm are available, with a 37mm UV priced at £19.99.

hoyafilter.com

f/1.4 means that 11 lenses are now in the Milvus range and it is available in Canon and Nikon fits, selling for £1999. Lens construction comprises 15 elements in 13 groups, and high performance at full aperture with minimal colour fringing is claimed. Minimum focus is 25cm and the lens takes 82mm filters. The lens’s metal housing makes the lens feel robust and it is dust and dirt resistant, while its 172° focus barrel rotation means focusing can be very precise and selective.

Gitzo get the bag

Renowned for its tripods, Gitzo is now applying its design skills to camera bags. Three bags have been introduced in the Gitzo Century camera bag collection and will certainly appeal to style-conscious photographers. Each bag is made from

leather carefully crafted with a finish aimed to be reminiscent of Gitzo carbon-fibre tripods, combined with nylon for durability in regular use.

TheGitzoCentury traveller backpack (right) retails at £249.95; the camera messenger at £179.95; and the compact camera messenger (left) at £149.95.

premium Italian m a t e r i a l s , including cow

leica.com

manfrotto/co.uk/gitzo

zeiss.com

Get ProfessionalPhoto magazine Enhance your earning power with Professional Photo magazine. Every issue is full of practical advice on how you can take your business further. Issue 139 is currently on sale, offering techniques for taking better portraits, using keywords, and a full report on the amazing Nikon D850, while issue 140 will come out 7 December, featuring an interview with ace celeb photographer John Stoddart, and tests on the latest Bron and Rotolight lighting kit. ToTheCustomer:Simplycutoutthiscouponandhand ittoyour WHSmithHighStreetretailertoclaimyourcopyof Professional Photo for£3.75 insteadoftheusual£4.75.Thiscouponcanbe usedaspartpaymentfor issue139or140of ProfessionalPhoto onsalebetween9November2017and3January2018.Only onecouponcanbeusedagainsteach itempurchased.Nocash alternative isavailable.Nottobeused inconjunctionwithany otheroffer.

TotheWHSmithRetailer:Pleaseacceptthisvoucheraspart paymentofonecopyof ProfessionalPhoto onsalebetween9 November2017and3January2018.Thisvoucher isworth£1plus a2phandlingallowance.Theoffer isvalidtotheconsumerupto 3January2018andmustbereturnedtoyourclearinghouseto arriveno laterthan3January2018(issue139),30January2018 (issue140).Asyourshopbelongstoamultiplegroup,please handle intheusualway.Thisvoucher isnotredeemableagainst anyother itemand isonlyvalid intheUK. Offer subject to availability andwhile stocks last

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So now is a great time to take advantage of our exclusive money-saving offer. Buy a copy of Professional Photo from WHSmith using the voucher here and you save £1 off the usual £4.75 cover price.

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Queen in 3D

Learn online with Profoto

News in brief

Leading filter brand B+W introduced some 100mm square filters earlier in the year, now here’s the holder to go with them. It’s made from aluminium, features three filter-holding slots and there’s a light seal on the closest slot to kill any chance of internal reflections between the final filter and the holder. It costs £94.95. A range of adapter rings from 52mm to 82mm will be available, priced at £24.95 each. B+W holder cameras, mostly taken by himself. The book features a special edition OWL in Freddie Mercury-Wembley-Stadium- jacket-yellow, allowing you to view the stereoscopic images throughout the book. Available to buy now from queenin3-D.com the book is priced at £50. The Stereoscopic Company is back with a new release and this time it’s Brian May’s QUEEN in 3-D hardback book.Offeringan intimateview inside the world of Queen the book has been written by May himself and features over 300 personal stereo views captured with Brian’s stereoscopic London

Profoto its Academy which is offering online video training on using light and how to shape it creatively. Subjects offered to start with are fashion, portrait and weddings, and each is led by a leading photographer of that genre. Each video offers the chance to interact with the content through a series has launched

of quizzes and at the end of the course an assignment is set and the resulting images are submitted to the course instructor for personal feedback before finally becoming a Certified Image Creator. Most courses cost £49 while a series costs from £149.

Head to photographynews. co.uk/win for your chance to win a copy, plus an autograph from Brian May himself!

Enjoy the film look The Film Styles Pack from Phase One means users of Capture One Pro 10.1.2 software can enjoy the look and feel of film easily. There are 15 film looks and each comes in three strengths so you have a total of 45 options, 33in colour and 12in black & white. The pack is available from the Phase One online store and costs €69. Register now for the SWPP 2018Convention All photographers are invited to the Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers annual The Societies Convention and Trade Show in London. It takes place 12 to 14 January 2018 at the Hilton London Metropole, Edgware Road, London. Pre- register before 5 January 2018 and entry is free – it´s £10 after this date phaseone.com

londonstereo.com

profoto.com/academy

Go square with Instax

The SP-3 SHARE is the first square format Instax printer and lets you print wirelessly from your phone, smart devices and your social media sites once you have downloaded the Instax SHARE app. There will also be the potential (with a forthcoming firmware update) to print instantly from selected Fujifilm cameras including the X-E3, X-T2 and medium-format GFX 50S. Each print takes 13 seconds, with around 160 possible per charge and gives 62x62mm images. The SHARE app also lets you put nine images on a print using the Collage Template feature or you can add as message in eleven different

manfrotto.co.uk/bwfilters

swpp.co.uk/convention

Panasonic offers Panasonic is offering up to £100 cashback on selected G-series cameras, Lumix compacts and Lumix G lenses bought from now up to 30 January 2018.

designs. A new laser gives high class results with a resolution of 318dpi. The SP-3 SHARE sells for £174.99 and takes Fujifilm Instax SQ10 Square film.

promotions.panasonic.co.uk

fujifilm.eu

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

News

Get colours right

Rotolight gowireless

News in brief

Leading maker Rotolight has added Elinchrom Skyport support to its AEOS light. The AEOS is a versatile and powerful bi-colour LED light and high-speed sync flash in one unit designed for portrait workers and movie makers. It is priced at £899 and is available for Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Panasonic and LED light

Sony with Fujifilm due shortly. With Skyport integration you now have wireless control over colour temperature and power with a Skyport transmitter, which makes for even more convenient use especially if you’re using a number of lights.

Hahnemuhle hits the canvas Hahnemuhle’s Cézanne Canvas is a new heavyweight canvas material for fine art inkjet printing. It is a natural cotton material free of optical brighteners and the finish features a finely woven surface. A wide colour gamut and the ability to deliver deep blacks means this 430gsm-weight paper will suit a wide range of subjects and its elasticity makes it ideal for stretchier frames. Cézanne Canvas is available in various roll sizes, with 24inx5m costing £43.

X-Rite’s i1Studio isaprofessional colour management solution designed to get your pictures absolutely spot-on from capture through to final print. ThekitincludesColorChecker camera calibration software and

test chart, i1Studio software for monitors, scanners and projectors and the i1Studio spectrometer profiling device. The whole X-Rite i1Studio outfit costs £450 and is available from an X-Rite retailer or direct from its website.

rotolight.com

xritephoto/eu

Wireless recharging

We all know the importance of having our phones powered up and PNY’s QI wireless charging base lets you charge compatible devices (including the latest

Apple and Samsung phones) without the need for extra cables. It costs £35.99.

pny.eu

The Environmental Photographer of the Year (EPOTY) contest is run by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) and this year’s winner is Quoc Nguyen Linh Vinh, from Vietnam, for ‘The hopeful eyes of the girl making a living by rubbish’. Taken in the waste dump of the city of Kon Tum in Vietnam, the poignant image captures a child and mother making a living from collecting waste. EPOTY winner

hahnemuehle.com

Fancy a new film SLR? Reflex has been created by a team of photographers, designers and tech people. If you want to get involved, the Reflex Kickstarter campaign runs through to 7 December 2017. Reflex will be available to early bird backers at £350, before moving to the standard price of £399. Backers will receive their Reflex camera in August 2018 and, shortly after, the productwill go on sale. The Reflex has some unique features. The I-Plate means the supplied M42 lens mount plate can be swapped for a Nikon F, Canon FD or Olympus OM plate. It costs £35. There’s also the I-Pack, a daylight interchangeable film back so you can change films quickly or have different film loaded ready to go – it costs £65. Film lives

Newbroncolor light shaper The broncolor Litepipe P is an innovative light shaper for its flash system aimed at interior, people and product photographers. It is a portable tube-shaped diffuser that lets you spread light all round, and two add-on reflectors are supplied to let you control it. It’s priced at £940. Samsung honoured The Samsung EVO Plus 256GB card has been honoured by the CES2018 Innovation Awards in the digital imaging category. The EVO Plus 256GB memory card raises the bar for capacity and performance of MicroSD cards thanks to Samsung’s advanced V-NAND technology. For the full story see the website below. manfrotto.co.uk

Describing his experience taking the picture, Vinh said “The child was happy, looking at the dark clouds and chatting to her mother. This was so touching. She should

have been enjoying her childhood and playing with friends rather than being there.”

ciwem.org/epoty/

On-screenwith BenQ

kck.st/2lZfvwv

BenQ’s latest monitor is called the SW271, a 27-in model with 4k and its new ACCOLOR technology to allow users to have complete colour control over their images with hardware and its own proprietary Palette Master Elements software. The SW271 is designed for experienced photographers and

the 10-bit screen shows over 1.07 billion colours, is HDR10 enabled and there is an USB-C interface for transmitting video and data signals using one cable. Plus there are convenient features likeGamut Duo, PBP (picture by picture) and PIP (picture in picture) to make comparing images easy, and the SW271 comes complete with a

HotKey Puck for accessing the on- screen menu. The SW271 retails at £1067 and the price includes a detachable monitor shade and a height adjustable pivot stand. Check the full test of the SW271 in this issue’s First Tests.

xpdistribution.com

bit.ly/2znsJcL

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

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

Clubs

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

How to submit

Deadline for the next issue: 4 January 2018

We need words and pictures by 4 January 2018 for the next issue of Photography News , which will be available from 15 January 2018. Write your story in a Word document (400 words max). Please include contact details of the club, exhibition or event: website, meeting times, opening times, whatever is relevant. Images should be JPEGs, 2000 pixels on the longest dimension, any colour space, and image credits should be included. If the story is an exhibition or event, please send a picture from the exhibition (not the publicity poster) or one from the event. If it includes people, please identify them. Attach the Word document and JPEGs to an email and send to clubnews@photography-news.co.uk

Champions Cambridge

RomfordCC welcomesyou

Cambridge in this year’s PAGB National Print Championships that took place in Blackburn recently, beating 36 of the UK’s top clubs. It was the club’s first-ever victory in this prestigious contest that has been running for 21 years – its previous best result was 4th in 2007. To qualify for the event each club had to win their regional championship or finish in the top eight of the previous year’s event. Cambridge attended as reigning champions of the Eastern Region. On the day itself, the first round comprised 12 prints from each club and the top eight scoring clubs went through to the final. Cambridge CC triumphed

qualified in 3rd, one point behind Smethwick PS and Arden PG. For the final each clubhad to select 16 prints. “Our excitement began to rise,” says Chris Fell, Cambridge CC president. “We now had to select 16 images with the knowledge of which types of images were pleasing the judges on the day. We were allowed to include as many of the original selection as we liked, so we simply removed our two lowest scoring images and added six new ones. “When the final was under way, we were obviously able to record our own scores as our images came up to be judged. It wasn’t so easy to accurately keep score of the other clubs, but our initial thoughts were

Above Cambridge CCmembers from left: SueVaines LRPS, JonathanVaines LRPS (joint external competitions secretaries), PAGBpresident Gordon Jenkins, Chris Fell LRPS, president, AnnMiles FRPS, council member. Left David Omoregie lunges for the line.

Romford CC welcomes all levels of photographers and prides itself onbeing a friendly and fun club. One of their recent speakers was Damien Demolder; a super evening and instrumental in members taking their cameras out the very next morning. Members also organise outings and attend special events, such as the Photography News’ Photo 24. More knowledgeable members are always happy to share on clinic or instruction nights and are keen to share their knowledge of software. Visitors are welcome to come along and can have four free trial visits. The club meets on Wednesdays, from 8pm, at the Forest Row Centre, Collier Row, Romford RM5 2LD.

that we scored 202 points out of a maximum of 225. “We had towait 45minutes before the results were announced and we

found that we were first by a margin of just two points.”

cambcc.org.uk

Farnborough CC reach out

Farnborough Camera Club is very proud of its close links with the PhotoCirkel Camera Club in Oberursel, Germany. Members have visited each other’s clubs of the last few years and pictures have been shown in each other’s exhibitions. This autumn

Farnborough kindly invited to send eight pictures on the subject of ‘Waterways’ for PhotoCirkel’s exhibition which took place in October. was

From left to right: Basil Groundsell, BarbaraAlbrecht, Laurent Grumbach, Wendy Collens andGunter Albrecht.

farnboroughcameraclub.org

romfordcameraclub.co.uk

Brentwood & District PC PC meets most Fridays at 8pm at the Friend’s Meeting House, Shenfield CM15 8NF. “Visitors and new members are always welcome,” says publicity officer Peter Elgar. “We plan a full programme every season and if anyone wants a good night out, please feel free to drop in. We have a couple of great talks early in 2018: Mountain gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda by Mike Fuller on 12 January and on 26 January we have A photographic journey from the beginning by Roy Essery MPAGB”. Brentwood and District

Historymade at Neath and District PS

In October, members of the Neath and District PS presented a William Henry Fox Talbot calotype print of an ancient doorway in Magdalen College, Oxford to the National Library of Wales at Aberystwyth. The calotype, which had been stored by the Neath and District PS in a light-proof box for many years, will now be looked after in a controlled environment by the National Library and be available for exhibiting and viewing by a much wider audience.

The print, taken on 9April 1843 and printed from the original negative in 1846 is to be retained as part of a collection of Fox Talbot’s work in Wales. The calotype (a process patented by Fox Talbot) represents an important milestone in the development of photographic printing and was donated to the Neath & District Photographic Society in 1954 by Ellis Jenkins, one of the Society’s early members.

Above Fox Talbot’s historic print finds a good home at the National Library ofWales.

neathphotographicsociety.org

bdpc.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

Profile

Penny Piddock Before the judge Join us for our regular chat with a well-known photographic judge. This month, Penny Piddock tells us all about her imaging journey and what she expects to see

I have been a West County Photographic Federation (WCPF) listed judge for a number of years and will happily judge at very small clubs as well as some of the larger ones in the region for their regular competitions and inter-club battles. At Dorchester Camera Club where I am a member, I belong to various selection committees and part of a self-help distinctions group. When you are reasonably well known locally it is almost inevitable that you get asked to assess people's work and to judge photography competitions at local clubs and other organisations. I think it is important to realise that every image is important to the person who took it so I wanted to be able to do justice to all levels of competence. I attended the judging seminar, was approved and now judge on a regular basis across the WCPF and neighbouring counties. I have also judged online for more distant clubs. This is challenging and time consuming but I can appreciate the problems of paying travel expenses for judges when there are so fewwithin easy reach. Only one person thinks the judge got it right on the night but I like to think that the photographers will understand why I chose a particular image over their own masterpiece and maybe realise that a bit of attention to some of the aspects of their own pictures might just raise them up the rankings. When judging I like to have an emotional response to a picture but occasionally I do wonder why a certain picture has been entered

Biography

Howmany years in photography I've had a camera since

childhood but a serious interest in photography since joining a camera club about 30 years ago. Home club Dorchester Camera Club, current chair and programme secretary. What is your favourite camera? Currently, it is a Panasonic Lumix GX8 but only because it is lighter than my Canon EOS 6D and easier to use for low-level photography. What is your favourite lens? I don't have one special favourite but the Olympus 75-300mm has spent most of the summer attached to the GX8 except when using the Olympus 60mmmacro. What is your favourite photo accessory?

Veteran on parade “I enjoy photographing people, particularly when there is a story to be told. He was passing through the shot and in this case I was able to get an interaction between us.”

instead of scores where the same one or two club experts are always going to do well. I am often overwhelmed by the standard of pictures I see in contests which seems to be improving all the time, especially in some of the more advanced clubs. However, it is a challenge for a judge when confronted by an ordinary picture but it's important to remember how much courage it takes for some members to enter a competition. I can still remember my first competition entry and had my picture been rubbished by the judge it might have been my last. Forme, common failings are there being no particular point of interest, lack of impact with poor lens choice or depth-of-field control, and no attention given to easily remedied faults, including wonky horizons and stuff in the periphery that is not a part of the image. Composition often needs working on. Compositional rules have been used since before the days of photography and have stood the test of time and in general workwell. If a photographer has the courage to go against the compositional rules and produces a strong image with a unique individual approach I am often drawn towards it. Traditional skills are recognised while overworking and extreme post-processing are less likely to do as well now we can all access the same software. For example, composites need to be good and believable even with fantasy images and there shouldn't be light coming from umpteen different directions.

My beef is with ‘nature’ images that are anything but ‘natural’. I can appreciate the beauty of harvest mice on ears of corn or nestling in a flower and understand that to get these photographs it is necessary to have a set with lights and captured animals that will be released. But if all this is set up for you at a workshop, all acceptable in an 'open' competition can it truly be your unique image? Compare this with the picture of an owl at dusk quartering the field or the mountain hare where someone has walked for hours in the snow and waited for that perfect moment. As judges how can we possibly compare or know how the pictures were obtained? I know the PAGB, RPS and FIAP have separated nature and wildlife with definitions and don't allow certain post-processing techniques. What they haven't done is ask photographers to declare that the image is their own composition, say how the picture was taken and to confirm that no unnatural procedures were used to obtain it. Probably too much to ask but I know how I feel when up against the perfect, obvious studio set-up shot in a nature contest. My final tip is read the rules and comply with them and get other people to look at your work for an honest appraisal. As with proofreading, it is very hard to accurately check your own work for the errors that will be picked up instantly by an experienced judge.

in a competition. With this in mind, if there is time, I try to enter members into a discussion once the competition has been judged and get people talking about the whys and wherefores. Sometimes I can appreciate a picture more when the photographer has an opportunity to talk about it. It is often from these sessions when members will get back to me afterwards and say how worthwhile this has been. Sometimes I feel clubs should give up on competitions and invite judges to give informed critique

An underwater housing. Who is your favourite photographer? I enjoy the works of Steve McCurry, and was inspired by Robert Doisneau when I first started taking photography seriously. What is your own

favourite photographic subject or technique? I'm fascinated by the natural world. I also enjoy photographing people in their natural environment but I'm prepared to try most things. This has given me a better understanding when judging. An example is studio photography. Until I tried to do it myself I had no real appreciation of the intricacies of studio lighting and model direction. What awards/distinctions/ medals have youwon? I am particularly proud of my DPAGB and have an EFIAP. I am not chasing further awards but will enter salons that I know have a good reputation. Yourwebsite The camera club’s is dorchestercameraclub.co.uk Passing through “This is still one of my favourites frommy series Snorkellers' World. As an underwater photographer who isn't a diver I enjoy portraying the view that I get looking between the transition between air and water. Two photographs were blended in Photoshop showing the reality of what I see.”

dorchestercameraclub.co.uk

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

CameraClubof theYear in associationwith

Our huge contest, open to the UK’s camera clubs and photo societies, is up and running. Here are the results from Theme 1 and the key info for entering Theme 2 Camera Club of the Year 2017-18

Words byWill Cheung

There are plenty of contests, salons and challenges for camera clubs and photographic societies and they get huge support, and rightly so because they challenge their members and there’s the chance of glory. Our Camera Club of the Year contest is a serious challenge, and those five clubs that qualify for the final shoot-out in the spring of next year will face something very different if they are to walk off with the title. ‘Daunting’, ‘stressful’ and ‘scary’ were some of the words usedby themembers ofNewCityPhotographic Society, before going on towin last year’s shoot- out, capturing images with a range of Fujifilm camera equipment. To win, your club has to qualify for the final by coming top of the pile in one of the five monthly rounds. Once we know the five finalists, the details of the shoot-out will be released simultaneously to them. Your club’s competition secretary (or whoever is going to enter each month) must sign up at photographynews.co.uk. Terms and

conditions are also available on the website. Any club or group is eligible to enter so long as there are at least five members. Online groups, internal company clubs and those clubs not affiliated to the PAGB are eligible to enter. Once you have signed up, go to ‘Members’ on the top menu bar and you will see ‘CCOTY’ (Camera Club of the Year 2017-18) on the drop- down menu. Select that, then register your camera club and followtheupload instructions. JPEG files should be at least 1500 pixels on the longest dimension and, preferably, in the sRGB colour space. A club can only enter one set of five images and the five images must be from five different members. Failure to enter five shots will mean the missing shot(s) scores zero points, so it is crucial to enter the full number of images. After the closing date, each picture will be scored out of 20 points by the experts at Photography News and the highest scoring club will qualify for the final. In the event of tied scores, for those two clubs we will ignore the

highest and lowest scores and average out the three remaining scores – the club with the highest averaged score wins. If scores are still tied, all five scores will be averaged out. When the issue with that month’s result is published, the scores for every picture entered will be published on the website and each member can see howwell they have done. There is no monthly prize apart from qualifying for the final shoot-out, and once a club has qualified for the final it need not enter again. Of course it can do so for the challenge and pictures will still be scored, but there is no

reward for winning in this instance. In effect, because each monthly contest is self-contained, ie. it is not a league systemover the period of the contest, you do not have to enter every month – perhaps it is a theme the club is less strong at. Clearly it makes sense to give yourself as many winning chances as possible, however. So, good luck. Read the entry details again, check out the theme and start gathering your entry. Qualify for the final and your club could be joining us for a very special photography event, with the title of Camera Club of the Year 2017-18 to be won.

About Fujifilm

but built into a more compact body, making it ideal as the camera to have with you at all times, and of course perfect for travel. Despite its size, the X-E3 is packed with features including the X-Processor Pro image processor that helps maximise autofocusing speed, fast start-up time and a very short shutter lag of just 0.05sec. The X-E3 is available as a kit with the delightfully compact XF23mm f/2 lens, which is priced at £1149 or if you fancy it as a back-up, the body price is a competitive £849. If you prefer the idea of going bigger, Fujifilm offers that, too – its GFX system has shaken up the world of medium format. The GFX 50S 51.4-megapixel camera is in the shops at a very competitive £5999 and this compact, mirrorless camera offers great handling as well as stunning image quality; the system already offers six lenses, with more promised. For more information on all these Fujifilm cameras and lenses, please go to the website.

Mirrorless camera systems are big business now, yet just a few years ago such cameras were perceived to be second-rate citizens compared with the much longer established SLR systems. You could argue that sea change started around six years ago when Fujifilm introduced its X Series camera system. The first model, the X-Pro1, offered a classic rangefinder shooting experience and Fujifilm set its stall out from the get-go by introducing three top-specification prime lenses, including the XF 35mm f/1.4, which is still one of the most popular lenses in the X Series range today. Now the X Series owner has the choice of 14 prime lenses, nine zooms and two teleconverters with the promise of more to come in 2018, including an XF8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR

GFX 50S

X-T2

and XF200mm f/2 R LM OIS WR. There are plenty of options when it comes to picking a camera, too. At the top of the range there’s the X-T2 and X-Pro2. They share the same 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor and Fujifilm’s latest X-Processor Pro for very fast start-up, minimal shutter lag, super-fast file processing and highly responsive autofocusing. Both have a native ISO range of 200-12,800 with the option of expansion to ISO 100, 25,600 and 51,200 – all available in Raw as well as JPEG. The latest arrival in the range is the X-E3, which is tried and tested in this issue. This shares the same excellent 24.3-megapixel X-Trans CMOS III sensor

X-E3

fujifilm.eu

Photography News | Issue 50 | photographynews.co.uk

CameraClubof theYear

in associationwith

Our last theme was scenic, a very open theme. Theme 2 is portraits, which is almost as broad so there’s massive scope for different interpretations and creative approaches. Portraits can be in the studio or on location, full face or full length, glamorous or gritty, soft- focus or no holds barredwrinkled and haggard – the only stipulation is that the subject(s) must be human beings. To be absolutely crystal clear, this means no insects, plants or animals as themain subject. Of course, if they happen to be in frame, that’s fine. A fisherman with their catch, a dog owner with their pooch, zoo keeper feeding lions, all are acceptable examples as long as the human is the main focus. A common aim of portrait photography is to reveal something of your subject’s character. You might do this with a revealing, strongly side-litfull-faceshot,butyoucouldalsotakethe approach of using your subject’s surroundings to add context and narrative. Or you could go for a flattering portrait with great lighting, making the subject look beautiful. This might not be as emotive as a strong character portrait, but it is equally valid and still has the potential of scoring highly in this contest. Whatever the approach you take, just make sure the lighting, lens and aperture choice, point of focus, viewpoint and composition are beyond reproach. And don’t be scared of breaking any so-called portraits rules. If you want to use your ultra-wide instead of the more traditional telephoto lens, then try it. This applies to when you edit your images. Some traditionalists will say never crop off Theme 2: portraits

Images Your portraits can be any style you like – the only criterion is that themain subject is human. Also, the five images fromeach camera club are judged individually, not as a portfolio.

Score

Eastbourne Photographic Society

Ayr Photographic Society

the top of the subject’s head, for example, but this can work brilliantly. Make the most of the situation, and if that’s a severe crop, using a cross-processing effect or shooting a silhouette, then go for it. The judgeswill recognise creative endeavour, provided it’s done in the right context to achieve a powerful effect.

To get your club’s members thinking ahead for next month, Theme 3 is capturing the decisivemoment

Leighton Buzzard Photographic Club

Midlothian Camera Club

Eastwood Photographic Society

Frome Wessex Camera Club

Brentwood & District Photographic Club

Great Notley Photography Club

Closing date 7 January 2018

Peterborough Photographic Society

Synergy

Windsor Photographic Society

Thewinner: Theme 1: scenic

Leicester Forest Photographic Society

Park Camera Club

Maidenhead Camera Club

New City Photographic Society

Steyning Camera Club

Congratulations to Eastbourne Photographic Society for qualifying for our shoot-out with five awesome scenic images.

Dorchester Camera Club

Harpenden Photographic Society

Tonbridge Camera Club

Wokingham and East Berkshire Camera Club

Beckenham Photographic Society

Exeter Camera Club

Norwich & District Photographic Society

Seaford Photographic Society

Caister Photography Club

City Photo Club

Harlow Photographic Society

PICO

Trostre Camera Club

Wisbech & District Camera Club

Bedford Camera Club

Blandford Forum Camera Club 80 City of London & Cripplegate Photographic Society 80 Halstead & District Photographic Society 80 Wilmslow Guild Photographic Society 80 Axholme Camera Club 79 WWPS 79 Preston Photographic Society 79 Grantham and District 78 Medway DSLR Camera Club 78 Dronfield Camera Club 77 Dunholme Camera Club 77

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