Amateur Photographer 15/03/2022

Black & white photography should not logically exist in a world that is so colourful, and where reproducing those colours accurately is easier than it has ever been. But not only does it exist it remains hugely popular, and with good reason. Done well, b&w has a purity and a graphic power that colour can only envy. These days any colour photo can be turned into a monochrome one in seconds, but the best b&w photography is not done after the fact, but visualised that way from the outset. This week we share the expertise of a wide variety of skilled b&w shooters working in a variety of genres. Once you have absorbed the advice and inspiration contained within these pages you’ll be ready to enter the B&W round of…

Model Soldiers by Gerti Deutsch Two members of the Society of Collectors of Model Soldiers inspect each other’s handiwork at one of the society’s meetings at their HQ, the Mason’s Arms public house in Maddox Street, London. This image featured in a story in Picture Post entitled ‘Hearth Rug Rearmament’. The photographer, Gerti Deutsch, also known as Gertrude Hopkinson (she married Picture Post editor Tom Hopkinson) was an Austrian-born British photographer. She produced a huge catalogue of photographic features over 30 years, becoming the first female photographer (and staffer) on Picture Post. The Getty Images Hulton Archive is one of the world’s great cultural resources. Tracing its origins to the founding of the London Stereoscopic Company in 1854, today it houses over 80 million images spanning the birth of photography to the…

Mother and Child by Kevin Mcguinness Sony A7II, 28-70mm, 1/80sec at f/10, ISO 320 ‘I started photography as a hobby and it soon became a passion,’ says Kevin. ‘No matter the weather, I’ll be outside shooting somewhere. On this day, I was out testing my new Sony A7 II, which I had just bought to try out and explore the world of mirrorless after using DSLR for so many years. I took this image close to where I live and I’ve walked this track many times, but on this day the mist was just right.The trees were bare, as it was mid January, and from this perspective and the way the trees were interacting, it looked like an adult and a child standing in the park. I shot handheld, then processed the…

Art of Fruit by Amitha A R Canon EOS 1200D, 18-55mm, 1/100sec at f/4.5, ISO 3200 India-based self-taught photographer Amitha says, ‘Most of my pictures are inspired by dark, raw food and their natural textures. Every image is a new lesson for me. This image is of the red banana. I took this at the start of the day in my home studio, the light made the banana look eye-catching.’ Instagram @official_amithaar Manali to Kaza by Anju Mishra Nikon D750, 24mm, 30sec at f/13, ISO 71, 10-stop ND filter ‘This image was made during a trip from Manali to Kaza in the Spiti Valley. The green hut under the blue sky created a beautiful drama which appealed to me.’ Visit cargocollective.com/ Anjumishra and @indiakalakaar on Instagram. Enjoy the Silence and the Free by Steffen John Fujifilm X-T2,…

HONOR has unveiled its flagship Magic4 Pro smartphone with a 100x ‘digital zoom’ within its extensive camera specifications. The Honor Magic4 Pro’s camera set-up consists of a 50MP wide camera, a 50MP ultra-wideangle camera with an aperture of f/2.2, a 64MP telephoto camera with 3.5x optical and 100x digital zooms, plus a 12MP selfie camera at the front of the phone. The Honor Magic4 Pro will be £899 in the UK on release. There’s also an Honor Magic4 handset on the way, but exact pricing for the regular Magic4 and UK release dates for both handsets have yet to be confirmed.…

THREE Legged Thing (3LT) has revamped its QR11 Universal L-brackets, with design updates and improved features, to produce its QR11 2.0 brackets. The new-style brackets have been made in response to customer feedback, mainly because of the large number of cameras launched since the original QR11 in 2017. They are available as QR11-L 2.0 for standard mirrorless and DSLR cameras or QR11-FB 2.0 for ‘full-body’ and cameras with grips. The brackets have a refined shape and reduced weight. Available in either 3LT’s signature Copper or Metallic Slate Grey, the QR11-L 2.0 has an SRP of £49.99 and the QR11-FB 2.0’s SRP is £59.99.…