Amateur Photographer 07/06/2022

The UK is a great place to be a photographer. It may be modest in size, but the variety of our landscapes, our rich architectural heritage and our ever-changing weather provide endless subjects for pictorial photographers. In addition, Britain’s class-obsessed society offers a similarly rich vein of material for social documentary photographers. This week we celebrate the photo opportunities found within the UK, even when it’s raining. A highlight for me is a peek at Gerry Badger’s Another Country, a fantastic new book featuring the finest British documentary photography since 1945 that should be on every AP reader’s coffee table. We also present a round-up of outstanding British photo brands, and a selection of top British photographers across multiple genres that we think you should know about. Enjoy with a…

Hulton and Wisdom by Thurston Hopkins The journalist and founder of Picture Post, Edward Hulton (1906 - 1988), congratulates the comedian Norman Wisdom on his successful day running the magazine for a comic photostory. The image was published in a 1954 Picture Post story entitled ‘How to Run Picture Post’. The Hulton Archive – where we draw our weekly picture in AP from – was set up by Edward Hulton as a semi-independent operation. It was sold several times before Getty acquired it in 1996 for £8.6m, where it is still retained to this day. The archive contains everything from images from the 19th century, through to the political movements of the 1930s, pop culture of the 1960s and many more contemporary photographs. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the…

To congratulate the AP Pic of the Week winner, Fujifilm is giving the winner a £25 voucher* to spend on any photo prints or gifts at myFUJIFILM.co.uk, so that they can print their image any way they like! Simply go to myFUJIFILM.co.uk, select what you want, then enter your given voucher code at checkout. The voucher is valid for 6 months and can be used in multiple transactions. No monetary eligibility or exchange. Need help using your code? Contact myfujifilm_uk@fujifilm.com *NOTE: PRIZE APPLIES TO UK RESIDENTS ONLY…

AP picture of the week Reflecting by Claire Marsh Sony Alpha 7, Samyang 35mm, 1/4000sec at f/1.8, ISO 80 Claire tells us, ‘This shot was taken at Hengistbury Head in Dorset, where there are numerous beach huts known to sell for upwards of £350,000! I am not the biggest fan of shooting in harsh or bright light, and so in these conditions will look for the detail in a scene. Whilst exploring the area on this occasion, I was taken with the reflections in the window of this particular hut. I used a wide aperture to show depth, and muted the colour a little in post-processing.’ Instagram: @clairemarshphoto We also liked... Avocet by Darren Price Canon EOS R6, Canon EF 500mm F4 IS Mark II, Canon 1.4x Mark II Converter at 700mm, 1/1600sec at f/6.3, ISO…

FOUR years ago, Fujifilm launched the X-H1, its first camera to feature in-body stabilisation. While it was a very competent performer, it was eclipsed six months later by the appearance of the X-T3, which was more charismatic, and crucially debuted a new 26.2MP sensor. Out-spec’ed by its younger sibling, the supposed flagship faded from view. Fujifilm has been determined not to make the same mistake again, and as a result, the new X-H2S is a very different proposition. Instead, this pro-spec model debuts a new sensor, which is the same 26.2MP resolution as before, but now employs stacked technology for faster shooting speeds. It also introduces Fujifilm’s first AI-based subject recognition system for autofocus tracking. As a result, not only does the X-H2S become the undisputed king of the X-system line-up,…

ALONGSIDE the X-H2S, Fujifilm has announced two new lenses that reveal the firm’s thinking about the kind of jobs the camera is designed to do. First is the XF 18-120mm F4 R LM PZ WR, which is a power zoom lens that’s optimised for both stills and video shooting. It offers a 27-180mm equivalent range, with an internal zoom design that doesn’t change the length or balance when using a gimbal. There are three means of operating the zoom, with each offering different benefits: a traditional ring for stills, a lever for controlled zooming during video recording, and a pair of buttons for precise control. The latter can also be used to adjust the focus. The lens measures 77.3mm in diameter, 123mm in length, and 470g. It’s due to go on…