Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-03-28)

22 28 March 2020I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI subscribe 0330 333 1113

Sonycouldlearn

fromLeica

Iama SonyAlpha7 user
andenjoythecameravery
muchbutit hasa poorly
designedmenusystem,far
toomanyprogrammable
buttonsandan
unnecessarilybusyand
complicatedback.
I recentlyhadthe
pleasureof usinga Leica
Q2,whichhasa very
efficientbutsimplemenu
systemanda body
unclutteredbya hostof
unnecessarybuttons.I
suggestSonytakes
masterclasslessonsin
designfromLeica.
Huw Wynne-Griffi th

Alocalclubfor

localpeople
Ifoundmyselfnodding
alongto JohnHeywood’s
recentletter(Inbox, 22
February)about
competitionjudgesat his
localcameraclub.I think
theproblemwithcamera
clubslaysa lotdeeperthan
justwithclubjudges.
I livein a smallvillagein
EastSussex.I ama
disabled,formerarmed
forcesveteranandcannot
drivemyselfoutsidemy
area.I’vebeena
photographersince1973,
includingbeinga
photographerin thearmed
forcesand,afterleaving,
beinga professionalfora
numberof yearsworking
formagazines.
WhenI movedfromthe
Northof EnglandI triedto
joinmylocalcameraclub
onlytobetoldthatthere
was a waiting list and it

wouldtakeyearsfora

placetobecomeavailable.

WhenI askedwhy,I was

toldthatthenumberof

memberswaslimitedby

thesizeof thebuilding

theyusedformeetings.

I askedif therewassucha

demandformembership

thensurelytherewasa

needtofinda new

location.Theanswerwas

thatthemembers‘liked’

thatvenue.

A clubneedstogrowto

meetdemand,notstay

fixatedonthepastand

leavingpotentialnew

membersin thecold.I did

writea Facebookpost

describingmyfrustration

andwastoldthatseveral

localclubshavethesame

issue.Clubsneedtowake

upandrealisethatgrowth

is tobeencouraged.

RoyCullen

Perhapsourreaders

knowofanotherclubin

theareathatis more

welcoming.

Jointhisclub

Whata welcomeletter

fromJohnHeywood.I

gaveuptryingtogetthe

lightsturnedonat mylocal

cameraclubandleft.I’ve

foundanotherwhichhasa

mixedprogramme

includingeveningswhere

memberstalktoeach

otherandshare ideas.

Bob Sapey

Takebackcontrol

Icouldn’tagreemorewith

ClaireGillo,aboutswitching

thecameratomanual

(Takebackcontrol, 15

February).Formethepast

yearhasbeena challenge

togetbacktobasics,and

relearnthefunof

photography.Backin

1976 I owneda Zenit-EM

Russian-builtcamera,now

I havea NikonD7500.But

throughoutmyyearsof

photography,I slippedinto

automodeveryearlyon,

andlikesomanywas

happytoletthecamera

decidewhat’sbest.

Butlikeanyartist,

creativityhastobe

controlled,youhaveto

takechargeandwith

manualyoucandecide

howyouwantyourpictures

tolook.Havingfoundthe

joyof goingmanualagain,I

havealsofoundthatmy

picturesarebeginningto

bebettercompositions.

Usingmanualforcesyouto

slowdownandlook.

Youonlyhavetolookat

theworkof classic

photographersof thepast,

torealisewhatthey

achieved,andwithless

equipmentthanyour

everydayamateurtoday.

SomethingI alwaystryto

remindmyselfof,when

switchingtomanual.

If you’rereallykeento

exploretheworldof manual

photography,getyourselfa

lightmeteranda whiteand

greycardtoo.Youwillbe

surprisedjusthowmuch

youneverknew,butglad

youtookthetimetolearn.

Finally,I havetosaythat

sinceusingLightroom,the

imagesI takearebeginning

tolooklikethe

masterpiecesI always

wanted.Socomeon,why

whizzalongin auto,when

youcanhavemorefun

beingin manualcontrol.

Richard Harper

Huw rates the ‘efficient but simple menu system’ of Leica’s Q2

Back in theday

AwanderthroughtheAParchive.This

week we pay a visit to 12March 1941

How to simulate photography by candlelight

Withthecoronavirusrunningamokandmillionsself-

isolatingat homewitha year’ssupplyof toiletrolls,let’s

lookbacktoanothertimewhenfolkfoundthemselves

stuckindoorsforlongperiods:theBlitz.Howcan

photographersgettheircreativefix whentheyaren’t

evenallowedtoturnthelightson?Thisweek’sissue

presentsa solution:photosbycandlelight.Thecover

shot,Interludein theAirRaidShelter, conveysa stoicism

anddeterminationtocarryontakingpictures(and

playingdraughts)thateventheLuftwaffecouldn’tstop.

TheaccompanyingfeaturebyBernardAlfierishows

theinfinitevarietyof pictorialpossibilitiesthatcandles

present:playingcardsbycandlelight,reading,more

cardplaying,holdinga candle,thecandlestickonits

ownand,er...didwealreadymentionplayingcards?It

turnsoutthoughthatit’salla lie– theyaren’tcandlelit

at all.A cunning,speciallyconstructedlampwasused

asa hiddensourceof illumination.Bernardhadusall

fooled – but at least he shows us how he did it.

1941

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