Amateur Photographer

a week in photography

How many tripods do you own? I have about five, of every shape, size and type. Once upon a time a tripod was the first thing on every new photographer’s shopping list, especially for subjects like landscapes or nature. But while a tripod is essential for some subjects, and I’d never advocate not owning one, it is now perfectly feasible to shoot handheld a lot of the time, thanks to advances in high ISO performance, image stabilisation and mirrorless technology. But if you’re going to leave the sticks at home you’d better make sure that your shooting technique is on point. This week we offer a refresher. We also look at how starting a long-term documentary project can give your photography a shot in the arm. It certainly worked for me…

this week in 1960

TREASURES FROM THE HULTON ARCHIVE Harrow by Harry Benson 10 NOVEMBER 1960: Former Prime Minister Winston Churchill visits Harrow School in Middlesex. He attended the prestigious school himself after narrowly passing the entrance exam in 1888. He performed well in history, but his teachers often complained about his punctuality and careless attitude. His poetry and letters were published in the school magazine, The Harrovian, while he spent his final three years at the establishment in the army form preparing for a military career. In this image, first published in the Daily Express, Churchill is 86 and had retired as Prime Minister five years earlier. The photographer, Harry Benson CBE, was the recipient of AP's Exceptional Achievement Award last year. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its…

news round-up

Hoya Starscape filters enhance night skies Hoya’s new Starscape filters are designed to remove the orange-coloured light pollution caused by sodium-vapour street lamps, giving more attractive colours while saving time in raw processing (see image above). They’re due in shops in December, in sizes from 49mm to 82mm, with pricing to be confirmed. The company has also announced ProND kits containing 3-, 6- and 10-stop filters. Alec Soth online course Top Magnum photographer Alec Soth is running an online course in Photographic Storytelling. While you don’t get one-to-one teaching, the course gives an insight into Soth’s way of working through on-demand video content, including interviews, location shoots (chosen by throwing darts at a map) and practical demos. The course costs $99 (£76). See learn.magnumphotos.com. Canon G5 X Mark II video AF fix Following its recent…

big picture

£5,000 to be won for your best food photos OPEN to both amateur and professional photographers worldwide, the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year gives entrants the chance to share in thousands of pounds worth of prizes – including £5,000 for the overall winner. With categories that include Street Food, Food for the Family, Politics of Food and Food Portraiture, among many others, there are opportunities for photographers of almost any genre. In last year's competition, Tiree Dawson won the Pink Lady Apple a Day award with this imaginative and subtle reinterpretation of Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. You have until 9 February next year to get your entries in. For full entry details, visit www. pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com.…

one of oldest selfies on display at leeds museum

WHAT is claimed to be one of the world's first selfies is being displayed at the Leeds Industrial Museum. The historic self-portrait is of Washington Teasdale, a local astronomer and inventor, who took the picture of himself at Kirkstall Abbey. Teasdale used the cyanotype process, which still has adherents today, and was also an early pioneer of astrophotography who combined camera and telescope to capture some detailed images of the moon. ‘Washington Teasdale had a truly remarkable mind and seemed capable of reaching astonishing heights of inventiveness and ingenuity in whatever field he brought his prodigious intellect to bear on,' said a spokesperson for Leeds Industrial Museum. The selfie can be seen until 26 September 2021, at the ‘Leeds to Innovation' exhibition, along with the work of other local luminaries.See museumsandgalleries.leeds.gov.uk.…

photoshop for ipad: better late than never

A YEAR after announcing Adobe Photoshop for the Apple iPad at the Adobe MAX event, the app is finally here to download. The Photoshop app is free to use for 30 days but after that you will need a Creative Cloud subscription (which is how most people now access Photoshop and Lightroom for desktop computers and laptops). If you are already subscribing to Lightroom via one of the Creative Cloud desktop packages, however, you can use the iPad version for no extra charge. The new app has more features than the older Photoshop Express, including the ability to work on PSD files, edit layers, work with brushes and much more. ‘This first version focuses on core compositing and retouching tools designed to work best on the iPad with Apple Pencil and…