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2 • MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016

MP SeptOct 2016.indd 1 31/08/2016 16:36 


Vol 13 No 3 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 

4 Editorial 

6 News with Richard Kilpatrick 

10 A view from outside – MPA profiled by Fujifilm 

A snapshot of the association’s renaissance. 

12 New Products 

The WP Scarfstrap and Marrutt’s Deep Card Strut Mounts. 

14 Lens Review: Samyang 50mm ƒ1.4 FE AF 

Another standard prime lowers Sony mirrorless outfit cost. 

16 Camera Review: Sigma sd Quattro 

A sensor like no other and an SLR lens mount – mirrorless. 

20 Trade Partner Profile: One Vision Imaging 

Clare Louise visited the Midlands superlab. 

22 MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2017 and 

MEET THE MASTERS OPEN DAY 

Details and the programme for the day. 

SIGNATURE INKJET MEDIA 

24 Cherubs 

26 The Golden Season: LMPA autumnal weddings 

Seasonal inspiration for two recent Licentiates. 

30 Camera Review: Canon EOS 1DX MkII 

Richard Bradbury FMPA evaluates the flagship Canon – with 

additional news, Canon EOS 5D MkIV release. 

38 Clive Arrowsmith 

Clare Louise meets the MPA’s 2016 Guest of Honour – with 

classic images and fascinating back stories from Clive. 

45 Business: Seven Year Rich – David P Macdonald 

Richard Kilpatrick asked David how he had weathered the 

financial stormy seas since we last interviewed him. 

56 Equipment & Technique: Syncing Sun 

John Parris and David Kilpatrick show how the new 

Elinchrom EL-Skyport Plus HS brings wide apertures and 

fast shutter speeds to studio and location flash. 

60 Newborn & Baby: Prop Up Your Sales 

Melanie East in conversation with Master Photography 

about the value of high-end studio props. 

65 Regional News 

Cover: by Clive Arrowsmith – the 

wonderful Helena Bonham Carter, 

caught as she entered Clive’s studio 

dressed like this. The simplicity of 

the shot and its casual pose, the 

left hand tensioned by holding 

the garment in place as the wind 

machine blows her hair, combined 

with her poise and glance to create 

a portrait reminiscent of Botticelli’s 

Venus. See our major feature in 

this issue – and come to meet Clive 

at the Master Photography Awards 

and Open Day on October 16th. 


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MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2016 • 3

The most important AGM 

and a key year for all 

Master Photographers 

CEO 

Clare Louise FMPA 

Tel: 01325 356555 e-mail: clare@thempa.com 

President 

Steve Walton FMPA 

Tel: 0116 2994901 e-mail: stevewaltonphotography.info 

Management Team 

Paul Wilkinson FMPA (MPA Chairman 2015/16) 

Tel: 01844 290054 e-mail: paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk 

Steve Ramsden LMPA 

Tel: 01904 479063 e-mail: info@steveramsdenstudio.co.uk 

Ray Lowe Hon.FMPA 

Tel: 01992 636152 e-mail: ray@raylowe.co.uk 

Directors 

Martin Leckie LMPA 

Tel: 01467 672000 e-mail: martin@martinleckie.com 

Paul Cooper FMPA (Qualifications) 

Tel: 01904 416 684 e-mail: info@baileycooper.co.uk 

Dave Thexton LMPA 

Tel: 01229 835035 e-mail: smile@tjphoto.co.uk 

Collin Davies LMPA 

Tel: 01792 883274 e-mail: sales@highsocietyphotography.co.uk 

Paul Inskip LMPA 

Tel: 01243 861634 e-mail: studio@paulinskipstudios.co.uk 

Head Office Contacts 

MPA, Jubilee House, 1 Chancery Lane, Darlington DL1 5QP 

Tel: 01325 356555 Fax: 01325 357813 

Website: www.masterphotographersassociation.co.uk 

Membership: Amanda Buckle – membership@thempa.com 

Cherubs: cherubs@mpauk.com 

Cherubs Direct line: 01325 952259 

MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPT/OCT 2016 

ISSN 2042-0234 Vol 13 #3 published for the membership of 

The Master Photographers Association 

six times each year 

Icon Publications Limited 

Maxwell Place, Maxwell Lane, Kelso, Scottish Borders TD5 7BB 

www.iconpublications.com 

Publisher/Editor in Chief: David Kilpatrick Hon. FMPA 

Tel: 01573 226032 Mobile: 07971 250786 

email: editor@iconpublications.com 

Ad Sales: Diane Henderson 

Tel: 01573 223508 email: diane@iconpublications.com 

News and Press Functions: Richard Kilpatrick 

Mobile: 07979 691965 email: richard@rtkmedia.co.uk 

Icon Publications Ltd can accept no responsibility for loss of or damage to photographs and manuscripts submitted, 

however caused. Responsibility for insurance and return carriage of equipment submitted for review or test 

rests with the owner. Views expressed in this magazine are those of the individual contributors and do not 

necessarily represent the views and policies of The Master Photographers Association, Icon Publications 

Ltd or its advertisers. All technical data and pricing information contained in news and feature articles is 

printed in good faith. While all advertising copy is accepted in good faith, neither Icon Publications Ltd 

or the Master Photographers Association can accept any legal responsibility for unjustified claims or the 

quality of goods or services arising from advertising in this publication. All contents including advertising 

artwork created by Icon Publications Ltd are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without 

prior permission. ©2016 Icon Publications Ltd. E&OE. 

Well, the sun is streaming in through the window 

as I write this and it seems a little strange to be 

thinking ahead to the autumn and the Master 

Photography Awards, but they are once more upon us. The 

initial judging has been done and by the time you read this, 

the main print judging will be nearing completion. 

The process is of managing and judging thousands of 

images is a straightforward but intense one – and it’s the 

reason that, this year, we invested in using a third party 

platform to manage the digital entries: the awards have 

grown to the point now where we simply couldn’t cope 

without a specialist solution. The initial round is well and 

truly done – each digital image has been judged by three 

judges independently and, if any one of those judges thinks 

the image should proceed to the next round, it will go 

through to print assessment. 

Why is it done this way? Well, it’s imperative that no 

image that may be worthy of a merit or above is dropped at 

this stage – only the images that no judge feels should be 

passed to the next stage are dropped. This ensures that we 

can reduce the numbers of images to be judged but should 

ensure that nothing gets missed. 

Then it’s all done on the prints – much harder work by 

our panel of judges (with a couple to spare for regular rest) 

and an independent adjudicator from one of the industry 

suppliers to ensure that everything is completely fair and 

open… and we’ll have our winners. 

I love being a part of the awards – though I thoroughly 

miss being able to enter – as for a couple of days we get to 

do nothing but look at world-class photography. Image after 

image after image from all over the world; all genres; black 

and white; colour; raw, untouched images; heavily processed 

comps; inspirational ideas and traditional classics – it’s all 

a welcome opportunity to enjoy some of the best imagery 

you can imagine. The eventual images will, no doubt, stand 

testimony to that! 

The Awards (Sunday October 16th) and the accompanying 

open day must be one of my favourite events of the 

year. Time to catch up with everyone and possibly have a 

drink or two! Come along and see what I mean – there is 

much to enjoy! We also have the MPA AGM on the Monday 

morning (October 17th) and our trade friends 3XM Photovalue 

are staying at the venue to hold a full day seminar 

on the Tuesday. I know it is never particularly popular having 

to stick around (possibly with a slight hangover) for an 

AGM, but this year will be one of the most important in the 

history of the MPA with much to be decided and agreed by 

the membership: this is your organisation and the AGM is 

there so that you get to have your say in the way it is run, 

and in the decisions that the CEO and Board of Directors 

make on your behalf. So come along to the awards, have an 

incredible day and then help shape the organisation for the 

next twelve months. 

And for those who have entered? I wish you all the best 

of luck! 

Hopefully see you all there! 

– Paul Wilkinson FMPA, Chairman 

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NEWS 

EVENTS DIARY 

September 8th 2016 

Open Print Judging Darlington 


A&F Judging Darlington 

September 16th 2016 to 

February 19th 2017 

51st Wildlife Photographer of the 

Year exhibition 

National Museum of Scotland 

Edinburgh 

September 20th-25th 2016 

Photokina 

Cologne, Germany 


Online Qualifications Judging 

Licentiateship 

October 10th-14th 2016 Salon 

de la Photo 

Paris, France 

October 16th 2016 

Meet the Masters Open Day 

Jurys Inn Hinckley Island Hotel 

Awards Dinner & Presentations 

October 19th 2016 

Photovision Roadshow Epsom 

MPA will be present at this event 

with their own stand 

November 25th 2016 


Licentiateship 

January 11th-15th 2017 

The Societies Convention 

Trade Show (free): 13th-15th only 

Hilton London Metropole, Edgware 

Road, London, W2 1JU 

www.swpp.co.uk/convention 

January 30th 2017 to 

February 7th 2017 

Photo Training Overseas 

Hotel Playa Pesquaro 

Cuba 

This annual training event is 

limited to 40 photographers/80 

seats (many photographers being 

accompanied by partners, and also 

taking advantage of second week 

optional holiday extension). Flights 

leave from Manchester on January 

30th and Gatwick on January 31st. 

George and Glenys Dawber, the 

organisers, have reached the 30th 

year of PTO and the first to go 

long-haul. 

See: www.pto-uk.com 

February 10th & 11th 2017 

Ultimate Photographers’ Weekend in 

the Lake District 

with Joe Cornish, Steve Gosling, 

Shahbaz Majeed, Chris Ireland. 

With Phase One digital systems 

and Cambo. Limited to 20 places, 

£950. See: 

http://bit.ly/2bBpNx2 

send your news releases & events to richard@rtkmedia.co.uk 

Superfast 105mm joins Nikon’s 100 million lenses 

AF-S Nikkor 105mm ƒ1.4E ED – £2,049.99 See: www.nikon.co.uk 

THE Nikkor 105mm ƒ1.4 E ED offers a the fastest aperture yet in this focal 

length for the company, creating a new option for one of the most popular 

and essential portrait lenses on full-frame systems. A 1m minimum focus 

gives a good image scale and as expected at this price it has exceptional 

edge to edge sharpness – though buyers will be paying as much attention to 

the out of focus as the in-focus. We look forward to seeing the results from 

what promises to be a highly attractive portraiture lens so if you’re out there 

shooting portraits on this new lens now, let us know – it would be great to 

have some examples from Master Photographers! Nikon also celebrated their 

100 millionth lens in 84 years of production this summer. 

Neat 23mm ƒ2 WR 

lens for Fujifilm X 

MATCHING the 35mm ƒ2 in design, 

the £419 180g 23mm ƒ2 Fujinon XF 

R WR takes 43mm filters, focuses 

down to just 22cm, and has a nineblade 

aperture for smooth defocus 

effects. It’s also a weatherproof 

design with splash-resistant coating 

and metal barrel, with a fast AF 

mechanism ideal for candids and 

street photography. You can shoot 

in ‘light rain or dust’ and down to 

-10°C. Equivalent to a 35mm lens 

field of view, the 23mm also makes 

an ILC camera match the popular 

fixed lens X100 series, in silver or 

black, with optional lenshoods. 

www.fujifilm.co.uk 

JUST WHEN you thought it was 

safe to hunt in the bargain bucket 

for add-on cylindrical Sony ‘lens is 

the camera’ clip-ons for iPhones, 

Hasselblad has teamed up with 

Motorola to create a second skin 

which clips to the back of the Moto 

Z smartphone turning it into a truly 

camera-like object. 

The Hasselblad True Zoom 

(with 10x Optical Zoom) adds a 12 

megapixel sensor with raw recording 

abilities to the phone. The 152.3 

x 72.9 x 15.1mm size is no doubt 

dictated by the host phone, and 

it puts 145g on to the weight. In 

addition to still captures from the 

1/2.3" BSI CMOS sensor at 100-3200 

ISO, it can capture 1080p Full HD 

electronically stabilised video at 

30fps and has two mics. The ƒ3.5- 

6.5 4.5-45mm lens is equivalent 

Second generation 

for the big Tammy 

TAMRON has updated the popular 

SP 150-600mm ƒ5-6.3 Di VC USD 

to G2 (Model A022). This second 

generation “G2” lens builds upon 

the success of the SP 150-600mm 

ƒ5-6.3 Di VC USD, which launched 

in December 2013 and continues 

to meet photographers’ needs in 

the long telephoto class (especially 

for full frame users). The new G2 

version was “developed to provide 

superior optical performance with 

today’s high resolution DSLRs” and 

to add improvements to several 

features including speed and accuracy 

of AF and VC (Vibration 

to 25-250mm, with optical image 

stabilisation for stills and a closeup 

range of life-size at 5cm, 1:10 at 

1m. It has a built-in flash, auto and 

manual focus with AF lock, auto or 

manual exposure, white balance 

presets, various effects and filters 

Compensation). Also, several new 

features have been added: Flex 

Zoom Lock which works at any 

focal length setting, Fluorine 

Coating and optional 2X and 3X 

tele converters. 

Canon and Nikon users get this 

from September 15th, Sony users 

must wait for their non-VC variant. 

Improvements include a faster 

ring-type ultrasonic AF, 4.5 stop 

3-mode stabilisation, a customisation 

USB dock for settings, Arca- 

Swiss mount on the tripod/grip (a 

feature we asked Tamron for!). 

www.tamron.co.uk 

Turn your Moto Z phone into a Hasselblad – which shoots DNG raw… 

and saves JPG or DNG (RAW) on 

internal 32GB-64GB, with microSD 

via the phone up to 2TB. Also – 4G/ 

LTE, WiFi, and GPS Phone-Enhanced 

GeoLocation… see their website 

www.motorola.com for availability 

and pricing after photokina. 


Photovision Trade Shows 

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6th 5th Sept 2016 2017 

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19th Oct 2016 

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NEWS 

Wall art fit for a Queen 

ONE VISION IMAGING were recently commissioned to print and manufacture 

over 2,000 high quality frames to be fitted on Cunard’s flagship cruise 

liner Queen Mary 2. 

In June Queen Mary 2 returned to Southampton ‘remastered’. The interior 

and exterior had been completely transformed. 

One Vision MD, Derek Poulston said “We’re no strangers to large projects 

and we relish these opportunities. It was perhaps the London 2012 

Olympics that boosted our confidence and knowledge in scaling high quality 

products, but this was certainly the ultimate in prestigious requirements.” 

The subject matter which includes historic B&W images depicting 

Cunard’s iconic history. One Vision proposed the paper types, window 

mounts and frames and delivered some samples. Cunard agreed with their 

choices and the end result was a selection of true photographic prints in 

both lustre and metallic papers sitting alongside some fine art giclée prints 

– all in textured window mounts and two types of thick and thin bronze 

frames. 

Fourteen pallets of precious cargo were delivered to the shipyard in 

Hamburg, Germany. 

www.onevisionimaging.com 

Improve your figures without using Photoshop 

UK SOFTWARE pioneers Anthropics Technology have launched PortraitPro 

Body dedicated full body retouching software. It greatly simplifies and 

speeds up body photo editing, based on academic research into human appearance, 

body shape and beauty. PortraitPro Body retouching software is 

available in two editions – Standard (standalone) and Studio (standalone 

and plugin for Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, and Lightroom). It 

handles camera RAW files, supports conversion between different color 

spaces, provides JPEG/TIFF color profile and embedded color profile 

support. 

A free trial is available and the package is priced at ‘a fraction of the traditional 

retouching software’. Key features include: 

Body reshaping/contouring 

Adjust build and height 

Correct posture – fixes for camera distortions and unflattering posing 

Smooth skin and remove blemishes 

Face editing controls 

Picture control tools 

Dedicated shape tools 

Easy slider interface 

PortraitPro Body is available to purchase or for a free trial from 

www.portraitprobody.com 

Enter discount code MPA7816 to get 10% off 

Loxley give customers the Slip 

A MORE substantial padded, zipped custom case to hold Loxley Colour 

photo books is now on offer from the lab. The leatherette Book Sleeve is a 

home for all 8 x 8" albums and books, and costs £25. 

Created primarily for the Esprit Book’s 8 x 8" size, it comes in a black finish 

with a plush padded interior offering full protection to the contents inside. 

It also has flexible side panels to allow it to house a more substantial book 

or album with up to 40 spreads 

comfortably. 

The production time is five 

working days when ordered 

with an Esprit Book, or just 

one working day if ordered 

on its own, online. A Personal 

Tag (right) can be added to the 

order. 

www.loxleycolour.com 

PermaJet package new ideas for photokina 

PERMAJET has completed an 

eighteen month business development 

project with a facelift to 

their packaging, which will help 

photographers and artists easily 

identify the ideal inkjet media 

for their images. 

‘Project Pioneer’ is the title 

for a series of updates that 

PermaJet has been introducing 

over the last eighteen months. 

Upgrades to their Fibre Based 

Baryta range of inkjet papers in 

2015, followed by groundbreaking 

improvements to their Fine 

Art range in early 2016, have 

seen the inkjet media specialists 

receive multiple awards this 

year. This new packaging design 

is introduced to signify the completion 

of this round of innovative 

developments. Above, the new Museum Heritage 310 pack. 

The new packaging is 100% Acid free, produced to archival standards, 

resistant to changes in humidity, and made from sustainably sourced material. 

The boxes are as a result suitable for long-term use storing your finished 

inkjet prints. You can find them at photokina, Hall 3.1, Stand B-006, Cologne 

Messe, September 20-25th 2016 – exporting to the world via Europe! 

www.permajet.com 


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No amateurs: snapshot of the MPA’s renaissance 

supported by trade partner Fujifilm Professional 

It’s quite simple. If you 

don’t earn money from 

your photography then 

you can’t join the MPA – but 

you can start part-time. 

Photographers applying 

to join must prove they have 

relevant insurances and meet 

MPA protocols… but they 

don’t have to be a full-time 

professionals. Income earned 

part-time is allowable. 

Explains MPA chair of 

the board of directors, Paul 

Wilkinson: “It is a fact that 

most of us started in this 

business part-time and built 

up income from that point. A 

couple of years ago this was 

acknowledged by the organisation 

in a rule-change. Of 

course the industry also has 

retouchers and trainers who 

may well be part-time. But 

the bottom line, ahead of enrolment, 

is that we check for 

professional indemnity and 

public liability insurances. 

And two trade references are 

also must-haves.” 

He adds: “We believe 

that the MPA is the ultimate 

‘Gold Standard’ organisation 

in our industry – and the 

pre-eminent qualifying body 

for professional photography 

both in the UK and beyond. 

Aspirational photographers 

join us to get access to some 

quite remarkable people and 

to exploit an inherent desire 

to be the best they possibly 

can be.” 

Although the MPA enjoys 

‘heritage status’, as its history 

can be tracked back to the 

fifties, it has (of its own admission) 

in recent years been 

perceived as ‘treading water’ 

as it tried to find the best way 

to accommodate transition 

and evolution. But a two-day 

long board-level meeting at 

Darlington HQ fixed things. 

“Our overarching mission had 

seemed somewhat diluted” 

admits Paul, “But now, under 

the leadership of our CEO 

Clare Louise, we are re-energised 

and in sharp focus.” 

At the NEC-based TPS (The 

Photography Show) this year 

‘Since 1952 we have been at the heart 

of this great industry and that is where 

our focus must stay’ 

– Clare Louise, CEO MPA 

the ‘new-look’ MPA revelled 

in its expanding popularity. 

Clare Louise recalls: “We 

experienced a definite dip 

four years ago but our community 

today is exceptionally 

strong and we are seeing substantial 

increases in membership 

retention rates and lots 

of new members joining – 

including more women. 

I have worked on the MPA 

stand for the past ten years 

at what was ‘Focus’, now The 

Photography Show – but this 

year it wasn’t about us having 

to pitch the MPA proposition 

to photographers, it was more 

about photographers saying: 

‘ Please just show me how to 

sign up’. It was incredible.” 

She adds: “More and more 

people are keen to engage 

with, and benefit from, our 

core values. We are here to 

educate today’s and also 

tomorrow’s photographers. 

The MPA has an unsurpassed 

bank of knowledge and wisdom 

and we will ensure that 

knowledge is passed on. Our 

mission is to turn photographers 

into Master Photographers.” 

New members can join 

the MPA for just £13.75 a 

month – and included in that 

is an unbeatable mentoring 

programme; a three tier qualification 

system; use of designatory 

letters and MPA logos; 

personalised profiles on the 

MPA websites (once qualified); 

Fujifilm has been a solid supporter of the MPA’s renaissance and major sponsor of the Master Photography Awards. 

Above, Lisa Visser receives her X-system prize as UK Portrait Photographer of the Year 2015/16 from Jon Cohen of 

Fujifilm while guest of honour John Stoddart presents her certificate. Fujifilm are 2016/17 sponsors once again. 

Top of page: 

MPA CEO Clare 

Louise proving the 

value of having 

a professional 

portrait. Left: 

Panikos Hajistilly 

talks Fujifilm 

cameras at the 

2015/16 Meet 

the Masters open 

day Fujifilm trade 

table. Right: Paul 

Wilkinson on stage. 


f2 JulyAug 2016.indd 14 07/06/2016 15:32 

were briefed by our clien to look 

and which would be displayed on 

the ceiling/wall in the bar area. The 

idea was to create one complete 

artwork that would become an 

Fujifilm’s ImageHunter product 

manager Peter Hayward suggested to CC Imaging that 

this RIP software, designed specifically for use with 

ADVERTISING FEATURE 

when it was wet (“a little fishy”), and 

working off a scaffold. For the 

record the choice of adhesive was 

Erfurt Mav ready mixed paste and 

the mounting of the 24 prints was 

achieved in jus two days. 

“The result is breathtaking,” 

For more information see: 

Nick: www.inside-outbranding.com 

Fujfilm telling your 

stories in the national 

photo press: every month 

specially commissioned 

interviews and features 

on new work, exhibitions, 

books and specialist 

imaging services has been 

put in the press spotlight 

by Fujifilm. 

ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE 

The lie of the land 

A group of recent graduates from the University of Westminster mounted an ambitious joint 

exhibition in London in June, made possible by support from Fujifilm and the Bayeux pro lab. 

If only Michelangelo could have used Fujifilm 

Wallpaper on the Sistine Chapel… 

WHEN A NEW restaurant 

commissioned a motorthemed 

display for its bar area 

photographer Nick Turley turned to 

CC Imaging and Fujifilm’s Wa lpaper 

Media for help. 

Michelangelo may have 

established the trend for ceiling art 

with his celebrated treatment of the 

Sistine Chapel, bu the principle of 

creating rich visual entertainment 

above the heads of visitors is sti l 

going strong some five hundred 

years later - albeit in a 21st century 

format. 

While the newly-opened 

Waterwheel restaurant in Howden, 

Yorkshire might not share the 

same sweeping dimensions as 

the Vatican, this upmarket new 

venue nonetheless boasts a 

sumptuous interior that’s the 

setting for a remarkable overhead 

artwork, designed and created by 

photographer Nick Turley. 

“There’s a motoring theme 

running throughou the whole 

restaurant,” says Nick, “and we 

nature of the job and who might 

suggest a suitable media to print 

on. “The first step was to measure 

a l the bays very carefu ly,” says 

Nick, “and then to produce scale 

drawings. Then I had to produce a 

visual design and make any changes 

they asked for. At this stage I could 

go ahead and produce the finished 

artwork files, a l at the correct sizes.” 

“I chose to work with CC 

Imaging in Leeds because it was 

a lab I knew we l and I was aware 

of thei reputation for high quality 

printing and attention to detail. 

They advised that Fujifilm Wa lpaper 

would be the perfect media to use.” 

Halifax-based Nick provided 

comprehensive printing 

instructions and sizes to CC 

Imaging. Mark Senior, the 

company’s joint MD says, “This was 

a first for us but we knew we had 

the facilities to cope and we felt 

confident that Fujifilm’s Wallpaper 

media would be up to the job. 

“In fact, the only issues we 

Mark Senior of CC Imaging with output 

on Fujifilm’s Wa lpaper Media 

faced were ensuring we go the 

measurements spot on and also of 

handling the non-standard sizes 

and overlaps. 

“The images were created in 

Fujifilm ImageHunter software 

and printed on an Epson Stylus Pro 

11880 64" inkjet printer. The whole 

process was rea ly straightforward. 

The ink went down rea ly we l, with 

no smudging or banding, and, 

importantly, the colours from roll to 

ro l also matched perfectly.” 

Great care was taken to ensure 

tha the colours would be resistant 

to fading. “We did some tests 

where we coated the paper with a 

cellulose spray,” says Mark, “but it 

quickly became apparent tha the 

media was actually really durable 

and it wasn’t required. It was also 

quite lightweight despite coming in 

ro ls that were 42 inches wide, and 

our fear that it might be difficult 

to hang was unfounded. In short, 

Fujifilm has go the product exactly 

right.” 

Mark also appreciated the fact 

that, like genuine wa lpaper, the 

Fujifilm product had the right sme l 

at putting together a selection of 

photographs tha tapped into this 

Fujifilm ImageHunter 

Software 

it was pasted up a the restaurant 

by two professional paper hangers 

integral part of the decoration.” 

large and wide format printers, might be perfect for this particular 

The spaces to fi l on the ceiling 

comments Nick. “Photographs of 

came in a range of different sizes 

printing job. Senior product specialist Mark Wade then guided the 

the ceiling look amazing, bu they 

and Nick needed to find a pro lab 

lab through the set up. ImageHunter delivers easy resizing, tiling and 

that could understand the unusual 

cropping with an accurate preview and also offers the ability to divide 

an image into borderless strips - perfect for a project of this kind. 

Download a trial version at: http://www.fujifilm.eu/esp 

don’t do justice to the actual ‘wow’ 

effect.” 

MPA’s stand at The Photography Show welcome many new members, 

while talks by members including Steve Howdle and Stephanie Thornton 

(below) helped aspiring and established photographers alike. 

Meet Fujfilm at the Awards: www.mpaawards.co.uk 

or email photoimaging@fuji.co.uk, web www.fujifilm.eu/uk/ 

12 months complimentary 

access to The Photography 

Academy; complimentary 

WPPI membership; and 

Master Photography magazine 

(as a digital download until you 

become a full UK member and 

get the printed edition). 

Says Clare Louise: “The 

MPA helped me enormously 

in my ambition to become a 

fine art photographer. I was 

just one of those people who 

one day picked up a camera 

and decided to be a photographer. 

But then I realised I 

needed help and MPA was 

always there for me.” 

Notes Paul: “I sometimes 

get asked ‘Why bother with 

qualifications?’ but the very 

process of gaining them 

brings out the very best in 

you – and that, in turn, improves 

your business success. 

Most successful photographers 

have a specialism of some 

kind. It might be high fashion 

weddings, for example. 

I think it is important to be 

well-known for what you do 

– and a robust and respected 

qualifications programme 

leads you down that road.” 

Á 

MPA and Fujifilm 

“Fujifilm have always 

believed in us” says Clare 

Louise. “They are consistently 

supportive, proactive 

and even visionary. The UK 

team, with Jon Cohen and 

Peter Wigington, are never 

fazed when it comes to 

testing a brand new idea. It 

is very refreshing to be able 

to work with ‘big thinkers’ 

who share our passion 

for constantly encouraging 

professional photographers 

to raise their standards.” 

And the future? 

“We will continue to 

help MPA members push 

that technical and creative 

envelope – and of course 

mentor them with all the 

necessary commercial expertise 

they require to run 

profitable businesses”, says 

Paul Wilkinson. “But we 

also will be pushing hard 

to encourage more talented, 

aspirational photographers 

of both sexes, and all age 

groups, to qualify and 

become both mentors and 

judges.” 

C 

14 July/August 2016 ƒ2 Cameracraft 

reative photographers constantly 

strive to produce thought 

provoking work and expose it to 

as wide an audience as possible – and 

exhibitions often prove a key catalyst in 

that mission. 

The ‘Topography of Modern Life’ 

show exhibited at London’s 71a Ga lery 

in Shoreditch in June showcased the 

work of a selection of photographers 

who are a l recent first class graduates 

from the University of Westminster. 

The exhibition was set up with the 

support of Fujifilm and Bayeux and 

one of the students showing his work, 

is Gage Solaguren, also happens to 

be its curator and a digital imaging 

technician at the lab. “The exhibition 

explores the temporality and meanings 

of place and home and the factors that 

shape the topography that surround 

us,” he explains. “Every student came 

up with their own approach, and 

subjects covered include a look at a 

post industrial town in northern England 

through to a personal examination of a 

childhood home and an examination of 

the housing crisis through the form of 

the ubiquitous house brick.” 

The association with Bayeux arose 

natura ly since through the course of 

their studies a l of the students had 

taken advantage of the discounts that 

the lab offers students and many had 

their work printed and mounted there 

for their final degree shows. 

“Bayeux has always been involved 

with students,” says Gage, “helping 

them with exhibitions and providing 

them with professional advice on how 

to proceed once they’ve graduated. I’ve 

Top left: by Jasper Jones. Top right: by 

Leticia Batty. Brick by James Berrington. 

Above: by Gage Solaguren, seen below 

checking prints at Bayeux. 

worked at the lab for the last 12 years 

and the audience we targeted is a mix 

of professionals within the photographic 

world, photographers, and curators, and 

also the professional academics within 

the politics of the housing market.” 

Meanwhile, Fujifilm with its 

long tradition of supporting industry 

newcomers – in tandem with a 

commercial relationship with Bayeux 

stretching back several years – also 

agreed to become a sponsor of the 

show. 

As a result of this most of the work 

seen on the wa ls of the 71a Ga lery 

CC Imaging: www.ccimaging.co.uk 

fuji-wa lpapert.indd 2 25/04/2016 15:15 

– ranging in size from 11 x 15" up to 

giant 40 x 30" and 60 x 40" print sizes 

– was produced on Fujifilm Crystal 

Matt C-type paper, perfectly matching 

the fine art approach of the individual 

photographers. 

While sponsorship enabled the 

Topography of Modern Life show to 

come together, there was sti l a need for 

a prestige venue within which to display 

it, and the 71a Ga lery was an obvious 

choice. Not only was it big enough to 

a low a l of the work to be exhibited 

together and not split over a number 

of floors, but the ga lery staff was 

supportive and encouraging, supplying 

information, contacts and publicity. 

The ga lery is also part of an 

innovative scheme known as ‘First 

Thursday’ – over 150 ga leries in east 

London, coordinated by the Whitechapel 

Ga lery and Time Out London, have a 

regular schedule of free events, talks, 

private views and late openings on 

the first Thursday of each month. “We 

decided to hold our opening evening 

on the First Thursday in June to take 

advantage of the large number of 

visitors that ga leries attract on that that 

evening,” says Gage. “It can get very 

busy: the 71a Ga lery has had over 400 

visitors on an opening night for previous 

exhibitions.” 

More Information: 

www.topographyofmodernlife.com 

www.whitechapelga lery.org/first-thursdays 

For more information on Fujifilm Crystal Archive papers 

or to request a sample print please ca l Peter Wigington 

on 01234 572138, email photoimaging@fuji.co.uk or visit 

www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/photofinishing/photographic-paper/ 

‘Psst – tell me a joke and I’ll 

take your picture and make a 

real exhibition of you’ 

ife as a stand-up comedian is 

no laughing matter. There’s 

Lendless amounts of travelling; 

hours of hanging around 


backstage just waiting to go on; 

the fear of encountering a difficult 

audience and too many late nights 

to mention, but still this is a career 

that those involved would never 

swap. 

In this ‘another night, another 

town’ environment Steve Best 

appreciates more than most just 

how unique this business is, and 

over the twenty years he’s been 

treading the boards he’s built up 

a special camaraderie with his 

fellow performers and a unique 

understanding of what makes 

them tick. “I realised some time London-based stand-up comedian Steve Best 

ago that I was in a very privileged 

position to be on the inside of started taking a camera along with him to his 

this profession,” he says, “and at 

that time I started to take a simple gigs and over the years has used his ‘inside track’ 

point and shoot camera along with 

me so that I could take some snaps status to build up an outstanding collection of 

of the people I met up with along 

images of his fellow performers 

the way.” 

Steve’s interest quickly 

morphed into a formula: he 

For more information on Fujifilm Crystal Archive papers 

would take un-posed pictures of 

or to request a sample print please call Peter Wigington 


his subjects using available light, 

www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/photofinishing/photographic-paper/ 

whilst at the same time asking 

Making the Prints 

ALL OF THE PRINTS for Steve’s show were made by theprintspace, 

which is located right in the centre of Shoreditch, London’s creative 

hotbed. First opening its doors in 2007, the company has now grown to 

become one of the UK’s leading providers of professional photo and fine 

art printing services, offering printing, mounting and framing, both online 

and in-house. A firm favourite with creative artists and photographers, 

theprintspace’s award-winning service offers gallery-standard quality at 

affordable prices, which is why Turner Prize-winning artists and National 

Portrait Gallery award-winners consistently choose to work with them. 

Another service recently launched by theprintspace is thehub, a new 

online ordering system that allows users to store their images online for 

easy reprints and to create customised branded online art stores where 

they can sell prints of their work directly to the public. 

“We’ve been working with Fujifilm ever since theprintspace first 

opened,” says Dave Lucken, the company’s operations director. “After 

extensively testing a wide range of products we discovered that Fujifilm 

papers gave us the most consistent results and the most neutral prints, 

especially when we were working with black and white images, which can 

be very tricky to print on colour papers. 

“Steve was introduced to us via Fujifilm and we saw straight away 

that this project was a unique take on what you usually see at a comedy 

show. It was a rare, almost backstage, viewpoint on how a comedian 

might see their show, and we loved the work. The decision to print it all 

out on Fujifilm’s DP II Matte media was a simple one: it really suited the 

images and, in our opinion, it was going to be the best all-round paper in 

terms of being able to cope with the different lighting levels that Steve 

encountered in the course of shooting his images.” 

www.theprintspace.co.uk 


2 • MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2015 

them to contribute a one-line joke 

and a few unknown facts about 

themselves. Although there had 

never been the intention to turn 

the series into a full-scale project, 

eventually there was enough 

material – pictures of around 450 

comedians, ranging from famous 

names such as Jo Brand, Sean Lock, 

Lee Mack, Harry Hill and Sarah 

Millican through to complete 

unknowns who were just working 

the circuit – to compile a book, 

Comedy Snapshot. 

Such was the positive reaction 

to its appearance in 2014 that 

it very quickly became obvious 

that a second volume was called 

for, and at this point Steve 

decided that he needed to adopt 

a more serious attitude to his 

photography. 

He began to look around for a 

more advanced camera that would 

still suit his candid approach and 

found what he was looking for by 

hanging out in Park Cameras and 

trying the kit that was on sale. 

The camera he fell for was the 

Fujifilm X-Pro 1 plus 18mm and 

35mm lenses: “It was the perfect 

tool for me,” he says. “I loved its 

retro styling and, although it was 

The Stockport lab that’s booming 

thanks to growing online orders 

J 

The future looked bleak for many prolabs as the digital revolution unfolded but those, 

like DS Colour Labs, that survived are now enjoying a surge in business thanks to the 

exponential growth of online ordering 

onathan Porter, the forwardthinking 

owner of DS Colour 

Labs in Reddish, Stockport, is 

candid when he talks abou the 

cha lenges that faced this familyowned 

business just a few years 

ago. Set up by his grandfather 

in the early 1950s, the company 

operated out of a shop in Didsbury 

and, like so many other prolabs, 

was seeing its traditional core 

services of processing and fast 

printing for the pro market steadily 

eroded by the advance of digital. 

“There had been a huge decline 

in business,” says Jonathan, “and 

we were thinking to ourselves, 

where do we go from here? We 

were still in the original premises 

that we had started out in over 

fifty years earlier and it was small 

and cramped with no room for 

expansion. A tha time we weren’t 

even sure that we had a future.” 

The saviour of the business 

was the dramatic growth of 

online ordering, coupled with 

the foresight and courage of a 

managemen team that, four years 

ago, made the decision to relocate 

DS Colour Labs to a unit on an 

industrial site that was ten times 

the size, fitted out in bespoke 

fashion to cater for the needs of 

the business. 

“We have Fujifilm to thank 

for opening our eyes to what 

online ordering could offer,” notes 

Jonathan. “It was an amazing 

opportunity and we were one 

of the firs to get fu ly involved. 

Previously wedding photographers 

would only use us if they could 

physica ly drop their films off. Even 

special delivery wasn’t secure 

enough to trust with unprocessed 

wedding films. That mean that 

our clientèle was very local, but 

because you can send digital files 

from anywhere we’re now getting 

orders from all over the world.” 

“The number of UK-based 

photographers we deal with in 

particular is flourishing, thanks to 

our turnaround speed today. If it’s 

ordered in time a standard print 

order wi l go ou the same day and 

if the client goes for the courier 

service then it wi l be a next day 

delivery, otherwise it’s Royal Mail 

first class. Our clientèle loves 

this kind of service, and because 

everything we offer is produced in 

house it means we’re in complete 

control of everything.” 

T 

he move to much larger 

premises opened the door 

to expansion on a grand 

scale, and one of the most recent 

installations at DS Colour Labs is 

a giant Laserlab printer, a major 

investment that has moved 

everything on to a new level. 

Working with Fujicolor Crystal 

Archive DP-II (silver halide based) 

paper it can deliver prints up to 

49.5x30ins on a range of surfaces, 

such as glossy, lustre and pearl, 

and it now means that the lab can 

outpu the vast majority of the jobs 

they receive on the same media, 

ensuring greater consistency. 

For information on Fujifilm Crystal Archive papers 

or to request a sample print please call Peter Wigington 


www.fujifilm.eu/uk/products/photofinishing/photographic-paper 

W 

‘Being In-between’ 

est Yorkshire-based portrait 

photographer Carolyn 

Mendelsohn remembers only 

too well that magical and potentially 

awkward age between childhood and 

becoming a young adult, and it’s proved 

to be priceless experience for her latest 

project/exhibition. 

The moment that stands out for 

Carolyn Mendelsohn as the epitome of 

her personal ‘in-between’ years (loosely 

defined as that age between ten to 

twelve when children have moved on 

from their ‘cute’ phase but have yet 

to mature into young adults) was an 

incident at home on a balmy summer’s 

evening. She had plucked up the 

courage to venture downstairs wearing 

a pair of garish lime green shorts. 

“I was only a sma l thing at the 

time,” she reca ls, “but I was incredibly 

self-conscious. The shorts weren’t 

exactly subtle, and I remember walking 

slowly downstairs to be met by my mum 

commenting: ‘Oh my – your legs look so 

chubby!’ 

“I ran upstairs mortified and didn’t 

show my legs for years. Eventua ly a 

friend commented on her confusion 

about my attitude to my ‘chunky legs,’ 

and I realised I was worrying about 

nothing. The truth was they were stick 

thin. It was ridiculous, funny and a little 

sad, that one throwaway comment 

had created so much impact, but it got 

‘We have Fujifilm to thank for opening our eyes to what online 

ordering could offer’ – DS Colour Labs owner Jonathan Porter, 

above with line-up of lab team and Fujfilm printers 

How bigger prints on Fujicolor Crystal 

Archive DP-II Paper brought DSCL into 

the lay-flat photobook market 

Previously the larger prints needed 

to be produced using an inkjet 

printer, which couldn’t match the 

quality of silver halide and was 

more expensive. 

“We always push the message 

abou the quality and longevity 

of silver halide output,” says 

Jonathan. “The prints look superb 

and our professional audience is 

very happy with them because 

it provides a great message to 

convey to their own clients. Our 

only outpu these days to inkjet 

printers is to fine art and canvas.” 

The acquisition of the new 

printer has also a lowed a new 

A trio of true talent and prints to 

last a hundred years 

Putting something back 

– Metro Mentorship 

The Metro Image Mentorship 

programme launched in 2005. The lab 

set the platform up because it felt the 

bridge between graduates completing 

their education and the industry had 

broken down. “There was no clear 

communication between industry and 

that of emerging photographers,” says 

Professor Steve Macleod, above, 

Metro’s creative director. 

“We introduced a scheme that 

supported graduates as they made the 

transition from education to industry. 

We enlisted many industry leaders to 

advise and support the progress of each 

mentee. The platform is fully funded and 

resourced by Metro Imaging and is now 

established in both academic and nonacademic 

routes into the industry.” 

www.metro.co.uk 

lay flat photo book service to be 

offered, and a year after the range 

was introduced it’s proving to be 

extremely popular. 

“Despite‘CD-only’ packages 

taking over in some quarters 

there’s sti l a huge demand for high 

quality photo books printed out on 

silver halide paper,” says Jonathan. 

“And for those photographers not 

going for the fu l album approach 

there are many other products that 

they can offer, such as CD cases, 

cards, boxes and folios. You can 

get everything to match and it a l 

looks extremely professional.” 

Success has now created a bit 

of a cha lenge for DS Colour Labs. 

The company is already fi ling the 

extra space that it’s taken on and 

five internal walls have had to 

be taken down to accommodate 

the extra machinery that’s been 

brought in. In the future even 

bigger premises may need to be 

sourced, but Jonathan is not in any 

hurry to move the business quite 

yet. 

“We’ve got 6,000 square feet 

here, so we’ve sti l got room to 

grow a the moment,” he says. 

“This is a very exciting time for 

us and online services are most 

certainly our future. The success of 

the photo books shows how much 

potential there could be there and 

the outstanding quality of Fujifilm 

media ensures that we’ve got great 

products to offer to our customers.” 

More information: 

www.dscolourlabs.co.uk 

20 • MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY MARCH/APRIL 2016 

dscolour-fujiad-singlepage.indd 2 23/11/2015 00:49 

Fujifilm Crystal Archive 

Type II freshly processed 


‘Inside me is still the gap-toothed small girl who 

sat in the cupboard dreaming of Narnia’ 

– Carolyn Mendelsohn 

Carolyn checks prints emerging from the system at CC Imaging in Leeds, right (photograph 

by Louise Rayner. Below, Alice, December 1st 2015; right, Eve, April 1st 2015. 

Photographs © Carolyn Mendelsohn – see www.carolynmendelsohnphoto.com 

me thinking about the in-between age 

where we’re a l so vulnerable.” 

The more that Carolyn pondered 

this largely ignored group, the more she 

realised she had discovered an engaging 

personal project, which has now turned 

into an exhibition, ‘Being In-between.’ 

This was initially shown at the Artlink 

Ga lery in Hu l and it’s moving on to the 

famous Salts Mi l in Yorkshire where 

it will be part of the Saltaire Arts Trail 

that’s taking place from May 28-30. 

“I can so relate to my subjects,” 

she says, “and I give them space to be 

who they are and to talk while I listen. 

Girls of this age are bombarded with 

advertising and marketing aimed at 

‘tweens’, but it shouldn’t define them. 


Alastair bangs the drum for Fujifilm Crystal Archive 

IT WAS while touring as a drummer in a band 

that Alastair Bartlett first realised he had a 

genuine passion for photography. “Eventually 

it overtook my obsession with music,” he says, 

“and I decided to head to university to study it full 

time.” While there Alastair won the mentorship 

prize offered by Metro Imaging with ‘Here We 

Are’ – a series of images captured around the 

Cambridgeshire Fenlands (above). The award 

provided a huge boost to his career and not only 

validated the work he was producing but also 

enabled him to benefit from a wide selection of 

expert feedback and tangible material support. 

“Winning the Metro Mentorship Prize was 

an incredible feeling,” he says. “Photography can 

be a lonely place and self-doubt can easily creep 

in: awards and prizes are a great way to let you 

know what you’re doing is both relevant and 

appreciated.” 

I wanted to take beautiful portraits 

of these girls and give them the 

opportunity to celebrate who they rea ly 

are at this point in their lives.” 

As part of the process Carolyn 

invites each subject to bring their own 

choice of clothes along to the sitting – 

just to make them feel comfortable. She 

also interviews each girl and asks them 

pertinent questions – and for the Salts 

Mill exhibition the audio incorporating 

the girls’ voices was incorporated into a 

‘soundscape’, created by composer and 

choral trainer Graham Coatman. 

The art of exhibition 

presentation 

Over the years Carolyn has become 

acutely aware of the need to present 

work effectively and for ‘In-Between’ 

she decided to have the pictures printed 

slightly larger than life, and to mount 

them unframed to Dibond (aluminium), 

which made them rigid and more 

robust. She also opted for a painterly 

feel, achieved by using the Giclée 

process and outputting the work on 

Fujifilm Fine Art Photo Rag media, 

a cotton 100% rag traditional fine art 

paper featuring a special, smooth matt 

coating. 

“When I was invited to exhibit my 

growing body of work at the Artlink 

Ga lery I was delighted to receive 

arts council funding to enable me to 

mount the exhibition in the way I felt 

would best suit the photographs,” 

says Carolyn. “At this point I contacted 

Chris Baxter, the creative director at 

CC Imaging in Leeds, to discuss what 

might be the best material to print 

on. He recommended Photo Rag. The 

test prints he produced for me were 

simply breathtaking, so we went ahead 

with the rest and the end result was 

stunning, way beyond what I origina ly 

hoped for. 

Every portrait just looks so real, 

which adds to the compe ling nature 

of the show, and while the finish of the 

prints is matt and non-reflective they are 

a l rich in colour. The texture invites you 

to reach out and touch them. 

“Those who see the work are always 

commenting about the print medium. 

People love it, and there’s no doubt that 

it brings out the best in the work. I’m 

so grateful to have been introduced to 

Fujifilm Fine Art Photo Rag.” 

n 

For information on Fujfilm Fine Art 

Photo Rag Paper see: 

http://tinyurl.com/jd6b8ax 

Woodshedding it 

in the Fenlands – 

Alastair Bartlett 

One of the big benefits of the mentorship for 

Alastair was the fact that it introduced him to 

pro lab standards and quality, and in particular it 

opened his eyes to Fujifilm Fujifilm Crystal Archive 

Paper, which perfectly complemented his imagery. 

“The quality of Fujifilm Crystal Archive is 

second to none,” asserts Alastair. “My work can 

be very subtle and the vivid colours of this paper 

rea ly help to bring out the different tones and 

hues. I’m sti l blown away every time my work 

is output on this paper. There’s just no way to 

describe that exhilarating feeling when you see a 

print for the first time. The fact that the paper is 

so archivally stable is another big plus point for 

me. People rea ly do look out for that reassurance, 

and silver halide technology is one way of 

guaranteeing this incredibly important factor.” 

More information: 

www.alastairbartlett.com 

Fujifilm Crystal 

Archive Fujitrans 

MP MarApr 2016.indd 20 10/03/2016 20:36 

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REGULAR camera straps have sharp edges which cut into 

bare skin, stick to you, leave sunburn marks, and coil up like a 

discarded shard of motorway truck tyre in your kit bag. When 

we opened the package for the WP Scarfstrap, designed and 

made by Lincolnshire equestrian and canine photographer Jess 

Wealleans, one lady lit up with delight. Shirley Kilpatrick has 

been using a 1992 vintage real leather wide soft strap for ever 

– camera after camera – for comfort and practicality, wrapping 

the gear in the strap if loose in a bag for example. 

Well, the Scarfstrap is genius and better. It’s soft, of course, 

and distributes the weight with no sharp edges. It doesn’t 

cause problems in the sun, it can actually be worn as a headscarf 

(with camera attached) to tame windblown hair or fit in 

with cultural mores, and it can wrap the entire camera and 

lens. Outdoors in the sun (bottom photo) the Scarfstrap hides 

the valuable gear and keeps it cool. It weighs little and with 

its hand-sewn leather camera tags it’s incredibly strong. Some 

adjustment is possible. Bundle it in front of your flash to diffuse 

the light! Needless to say the 1992 strap has been retired. A 

Foxy pattern Scarfstrap will travel the world from now on. 

Á 

New product: Marrutt Deep Card Strut Mounts 

THEY’LL cost you two or three times as much as the fine art 

paper and inks you use for the print, but Marrutt’s triple-layer 

extra thick slip in strut mounts are in a class of their own. 

We caliper-measured the 5 x 7" and 10 x 8" white and black 

examples sent to us at between 4.38 and 4.50mm thick and the 

rigidity of the sandwich means they should not warp or curve. 

The strut itself is 1.38mm thick and feels relatively light, but 

it’s from a third layer of its own, and does not open to show 

the back of the print as you’ll find with cheap strut mounts. 

We found the 5 x 7" a bit tight for inserting a print. There’s 

knack to this, getting the bottom edge inserted by using the 

left or right vertical edge slot to start the paper’s journey into 

the bottom slot. Prints fit tightly assuming an accurate trim 

and are securely held. 

When you angle the die-cut strut out to the same degree on 

the two mount sizes (there’s also an A4 we have not tested) the 

overall mount stands with a matching angle, very important 

whether on the client’s shelf or in your own display. These are 

a premium product well above High Street art chain offerings. 

Cost from: 7 x 5, 5 for £19.95; 10 x 8, £34.95 (+VAT). 

Á 

Details of the mounts in use. 

See: www.marrutt.com 


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SAMYANG 50mm ƒ1.4 AF FE 

Beating Carl Zeiss’s similar Planar to the market by a few weeks, the Korean 

Samyang 50mm ƒ1.4 AF Sony E mount lens is the first fully connective autofocus 

design from an increasingly highly-regarded maker. 

David Kilpatrick has been trying it out. 

What everyone needs 

in a relatively new 

camera system like 

the Sony full-frame mirrorless 

A7 range is more standard 

50mm lenses than you have 

fingers – really? Well, it seems 

so. There’s the original 50mm 

ƒ1.8 OSS which only covers 

APS-C but has super-smooth 

stabilisation and focusing 

ideal for video. Then there’s 

the 55mm Carl Zeiss ƒ1.8 

Sonnar, a stop faster than any 

Sonnar has a right to be and 

strikingly sharp wide open 

if lacking in portrait-friendly 

plasticity. Add a budget 

50mm ƒ1.8 FE from Sony’s 

own optical team, then throw 

on the top of the growing 

heap a premium Carl Zeiss 

50mm ƒ1.4 ZA Planar FE 

announced some time before 

its recent availability. Don’t 

forget the 50mm ƒ2 manual 

focus Zeiss Loxia. This month 

a Sony 50mm ƒ2.8 FE Macro 

joins the crowd. 

Add Samyang with their 

manual focus E-mount 

50mmƒ1.4 adapted from their 

regular DSLR lens; mix some 

competition from Mitakon 

with their 50mm ƒ0.95 

Hyper-prime and rivals SLR 

Magic with the Speedmaster. 

It really only does take the 

new 50mm ƒ1.4 FE purposedesigned 

AF lens from Samyang 

to reach our target! 

A system with no ownmake 

primes under 28mm 

and just one very expensive 

85mm but all these 50mms 

seems an odd balance. However, 

the Samyang at under 

£450 (August street price) 

is half the price of the new 

Zeiss. It lacks only an on-lens 

aperture ring with video 

de-click function; its close 

focus is similar but achieves 

a slightly larger image scale, 

and the lens is a little smaller 

(67mm rather than 72mm 

filters) and neater. It behaves 

well in all conditions, with a 

nano multicoating reducing 

flare and resisting moisture 

or dirt. It’s very well made, 

so much that in comparison 

with the 55mm ƒ1.8 Carl 

Zeiss the Samyang wins. It 

has a smoother damped focus 

by wire action, a slightly less 

easily scuffed black anodized 

finish to its metal skin, and 

a firmly bayonet-locked lens 

hood which is far better than 

earlier Samyang production. 

The front and rear caps, and 

the cloth lens bag, are the 

only budget grade elements in 

the package. 

Checked with care, the silent 

focus action and steppermotor 

aperture adjustment 

50mm image – with 

55mm view shown, right 

Compared to 55mm ƒ1.8, above; 8-blade iris and no front engraving, left. 

Look, no bars – ƒ1.4 at a cat show 

mirror the original Sony 

specification perfectly. The action 

and performance of the 

lens is ‘native’ and we can expect 

the forthcoming 14mm 

ƒ2.8 and other FE AF models 

to match. Electronically and 

mechanically you lose nothing 

by buying Samyang. 

It reports a built-in lens 

profile but when tested turns 

out to be possibly the lowest 

distortion 50mm ƒ1.4 around, 

suitable even for art copying. 

Only the corners are visibly 

soft, and remain so with 

progressive improvements 

to ƒ8, but it’s a small corner 

zone are for most uses has no 

effect. The bokeh from the 

eight-blade iris is good, not 

exceptional, and the most obvious 

weakness is a longitudinal 

(bokeh) colour shift much 

the same as every other fast 

50mm I’ve so far tested. For 

movies, the focus is smoother 

and less waver-prone than the 

CZ 55mm. I regret to say that 

I spent a month with this 

lens pretty much glued to my 

camera despite a full grasp of 

the limitations of a 50mm – 

slightly less than those of my 

55mm! 

When Samyang make AF 

lenses for Canon, Nikon, Fuji 

and MFT they’ll really hit 

the motherlode. Their early 

promise is being fulfilled. 

Á 

www.samyang.co.uk 


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EF-S 60mm F2.8 USM Macro £349.00 

EF 85mm F1.2L II USM £1,499.00 

EF 100mm F2.8L IS USM Macro £659.00 

EF 8-15mm F4.0L USM Fisheye £939.00 

EF 16-35mm F2.8L USM II £1,199.00 

EF 17-40mm F4.0L USM £549.00 

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EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM £1,459.00 

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18-35mm F3.5-4.5G AF-S ED £549.00 

18-200mm F3.5-5.6G AF-S VR II £519.00 

18-300mm F3.5-5.6G AF-S ED VR £699.00 

24-70mm F2.8G AF-S ED £1,299.00 

28-300mm F3.5-5.6G AF-S VR £729.00 

70-200mm F2.8G AF-S VR II £1,799.00 

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SIGMA sd Quattro 

Sigma has created a mirrorless body using DSLR lenses, and fitted it with the 

acclaimed X3 Foveon Quattro sensor. The result is a distinctively different camera 

– and in theory, they could make a Canon or Nikon version too. 

Richard Kilpatrick takes a critical look at the professional potential. 

Developing a new sensor 

architecture for 

the LCD-based DP 

models, Sigma’s SLR solution 

may have looked a little dated 

– although the SD1 Merrill 

did provide the 46Mp 3-layer 

capture that would appear 

to be the final iteration of 

the original Foveon concept. 

Earlier this year the sd Quattro 

was announced, and as 

we’ve come to expect from 

Sigma, the design is far from 

conventional. 

A squat mirrorless body, 

the sd Quattro retains a 

deep lens mount, supporting 

Sigma’s own lenses and AF 

system from the SA/SD series 

SLRs. Sigma’s loyal users will 

be delighted to find the new 

sensor architecture so far 

only seen in compact bodies 

retains the separate infra-red 

hot mirror filter – this can be 

detached very quickly and is 

reasonably easy to reinstall, 

though with the exposed 

sensor it is even more crucial 

to do this in clean conditions 

rather than in the 

field. Processing and power 

management are evolutionary 

steps from the dp Quattro 

series, and no attempt has 

been made to provide any 

form of video recording; this 

is a purely stills camera. Grip 

and mount/barrel design are 

very comfortable, and the 

more central EVF location – 

in what looks like it could be 

an articulated module, but 

is fixed – is comfortable for 

right or left eye users alike. 

The rear LCD is rather clever, 

appearing to be a widescreen 

letterbox format but actually 

comprising two displays; 

an attractive monochrome 

LCD that resembles an OLED 

display aligned to the control 

buttons, and a 3:2 aspect 

ratio 1.6Mp LCD display. 

Although the specifications 

suggest the latest in 

Photographed by Paul Monaghan 

using the SD quattro, 18-35mm ƒ1.8 

Sigma ART lens, and studio flash. 

www.thekirkystudio.com 

Sigma sd Quattro – £799 body only. See: www.sigma-imaging-uk.com 

The sd 

Quattro has 

an unusually 

positioned 

EVF ocular, 

an internal 

removable IR 

filter, and a 

Sigma SA lens 

mount. 

EVF performance, the reality 

is vastly different from the 

mainstream. Yes, the unit is 

the latest 2.46Mp display, as 

evidenced by the fine detail 

on the menu and overlay 

graphics and quality of playback; 

however, it appears to 

be driven by the same VGA 

quality feed that is needed for 

the dp Quattro. At best, it’s 

the 1.6Mp of the rear LCD. 

It’s possible that this isn’t 

strictly the case, as the resolving 

power of the sensor gives 

clear moire when focus is 

secured, but the effect is compounded 

by a strong, distinctive 

lag even in good light. 

Such is the viewfinder (and 

LCD) lag that the image distorts 

centrally when panning. 

This lag isn’t as apparent on 

the dp Quattro, placing the sd 

at a disadvantage compared 

to the older, cheaper fixedlens 

models. AF performance 

yields a similar quandary – 

the dp’s optimised, compact 


Focal length: 90mm 

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lenses work exceedingly well, 

the sd’s reliance on on-chip 

contrast detection with larger, 

heavier SLR-targeted glass 

results in slow acquisition, 

albeit impressively accurate 

focus once locked. AF performance 

is further hampered 

by allowing face detection, 

though this is an effective 

feature for small groups and 

portraiture. 

Sensor output 

Paul Monaghan uses the 

same combination we 

tested – with the 18-35mm 

ƒ1.8 ART DC zoom. His 

coffee, above, at 

39Mp (clip). 

stand, but it’s disingenuous to 

ignore the sheer competence 

of 2016’s saturated mirrorless 

marketplace. 

Sigma have elected to 

minimise the impact of the 

sensor’s noise performance by 

including binning routines 

in Sigma Photo Pro, that are 

applied above ISO 800. This 

drops the final image size to 

1808 pixels wide; arguably 

a trade off that defeats the 

progress made in increasing 

the spatial resolution. In 

camera processing is acceptable, 

though card writing and 

buffer performance are behind 

the benchmarks set by 

mainstream mirrorless bodies. 

Image processing requires 

Sigma’s own software, and despite 

reaching version 6.4 and 

including features such as 

lens correction, Monochrome 

mode and the curiously 

graded sharpness control that 

can be set to “Crispy”, it still 

requires a two-pass process to 

render full-resolution images 

for zoom, still lacks any ability 

to rotate or crop images 

for output, and there’s still a 

tangible wait for even simple 

Image quality is, for the most 

part, comparable to the dp 

Quattro. In the right circumstances, 

the distinctive Foveon 

quality comes through 

with excellent saturation and 

subject separation. A spatial 

resolution defined by the initial 

layer of the Quattro sensor 

of 20Mp gives plenty of 

scope for immense, detailed 

and rich prints, or cropping 

if necessary. There’s a certain 

amount of noise even at base 

ISO on the camera we reviewed, 

including some of the 

oft-reported distinctive green 

blotch pattern in shadows 

even at 100 ISO, something 

we’ve struggled to recreate 

on prior Sigma reviews. It’s 

possible that this is due to the 

operating temperature of the 

sensor when creating the liveview 

feeds for LCD and EVF – 

during review photography in 

British summer temperatures, 

the sd Quattro locked up 

with a flashing thermometer 

symbol. 

Although the ambient temperature 

was well below the 

32°C upper limit Sigma specifies, 

the camera body clearly 

has a significant amount 

of heat to dissipate and a 

constantly powered sensor 

will increase that load. Even 

when cool, noise is apparent 

at base ISO. Metering is also 

something of a mixed bag, as 

the camera lacks the dynamic 

range and recovery that Merrill 

sensors allowed. If the 

centre-weighted zone or spot 

has a dark subject, you will 

lose bright skies; select overall 

evaluation and you’ll get 

those gorgeous Foveon skies, 

but with subjects lost in the 

noisy world of shadows. Like 

all tools, the sd Quattro needs 

time to master and underprocedures 

like bringing up 

a 100% loupe. If you have 

a tripod and a lot of time, 

the sd Quattro offers a new 

mode that captures multiple 

exposures for a 344MB raw 

file; these are combined into 

a high dynamic range, low 

noise image that can then be 

interpolated to astonishing 

sizes. 

Compelling price 

Sigma have developed an excellent 

body for their mirrorless 

interchangeable system. 

It’s robust, ergonomically 

sound and distinctive, with a 

delightful minimalist control 

set that works brilliantly. 

There are performance advantages 

over the original Foveon 

architecture, as the spatial 

increase to 20Mp yields 30Mp 

of data to process, rather than 

the 15Mp for 46Mp of the 

Merrill chips. However the 

Foveon is no more suited to 

live-view use than it is movie 

recording. It seems that Sigma 

enthusiasts will not get the 

Quattro sensor in an SLR, 

which is a shame indeed – removing 

the live-view burden 

by using a traditional mirror 

and prism would lower sensor 

heat, increase battery life and 

in all probability, reduce the 

noise levels. 

At £799, it’s compelling, 

competitively priced and 

offers better physical build 

quality than anything at that 

price point; it can deliver 

truly impressive images, but 

it is hard to understand why 

such effort has been placed 

on designing a new camera 

body and system when such 

an exquisite SLR design as 

the SD1 was available and 

better suited to the abilities of 

Foveon architecture; far better 

would have been investment 

in the software and processing, 

and to install the new 

sensor in the existing body. 

Speculation is fundamentally 

pointless – the sd 

Quattro is what it is, not what 

it could be, and it is early 

days. Perhaps future firmware 

updates will improve the EVF 

performance and thermal 

management. 

Á 

www.sigma-imaging-uk.com 


All we need is … 

One Vision 

MPA CEO Clare Louise finds there’s more than one man, but definitely one goal! 

I 

was looking forward to 

my lab visit with One 

Vision, not only is it on 

my own doorstep, it’s also 

somewhere I have been many 

times before both as a professional 

photographer and as 

the CEO of the MPA. 

Today is different, it’s not 

business. Today I get to hear a 

part of the One Vision story, 

and as I am standing in the 

centre of the lab listening to 

Adam Scorey describing the 

company values, I am transported 

back to a place that, 

in amongst this digital and 

technology mindset, we are 

guilty of almost forgetting. 

I am surrounded by modern 

people, modern equipment, 

systems and processes, 

yet I am stood in the heart of 

generations of craftsmanship, 

expertise and passion. One 

Vision do not boast about 

their latest equipment and 

innovative technology, as 

they’re just tools, instead they 

pride themselves on being 

powered by the passion and 

expertise of their people. 

The team of 43, which rises 

to 50+ during peak times, 

the vast majority of which 

have been with the company 

for many, many years. Adam, 

the ‘newbie’ has been with 

the company for 18 months, 

and has a long way to go to 

catch up with the members of 

staff who have been here for 

over 33 years. As an employer 

this speaks volumes about 

the company’s core values. 

Both Derek and Adam are 

firm believers in surrounding 

yourself with the ‘right’ people 

and creating the environment 

for people to thrive and 

excel at what they do. 

One thing is very clear in 

the message Adam is relaying 

to me – “listen, we listen to 

our people, our business – we 

“Our mission – to print the final part 

of the professional photographer’s 

story so their clients can have those 

memories to last lifetimes” 

– Adam Scorey of One Vision 

communicate”. One Vision 

use a number of methods to 

hear their clients’ needs, and 

like their staff they are focused 

on building long-term 

relationships. Perfection is always 

the end goal, and with a 

98.8% ‘customer satisfaction’ 

rate, they are also very honest 

and realistic in what they can 

actually achieve. With only 

a 1.2% re-make rate (be that 

through customer returns or 

in-house quality checks) One 

Vision see this score only 

as an opportunity to learn, 

improve and succeed. 

So what is One Vision’s one 

vision? 

When Derek Poulston and 

Nick Pancisi merged Colab 

and Multiprint together, they 

joined two labs with ‘one 

vision’ to celebrate image 

makers and raise the standards 

of professional photography. 

Nick, an ex-professional 

photographer himself, and 

Derek, a creative sales guru 

with over 30-year’s experience 

in the photographic 

industry, came together and 

utilised their business acumen 

and core values to bring 

One Vision to the company 

it is today, which sends out 

anything between 4,000 and 

6,000 orders a month. 

Using their products to 

finish the photographer’s 

story created in the images 

they take, One Vision place 

great emphasis on quality – 

quality products and quality 

service. Some products can 

go through up to 30 different 

processes, and each product 

will be touched by human 

hand and inspected by the 

human eye around five times 

before it goes near the packaging 

department. 

One Vision invest a lot of 

time getting to know their 

customers wants, needs and 

expectations; they value the 

importance of building trust 

in customer relationships. 

This is reflected across the 

company where all members 

of staff are just as invested in 

the individual client journey 

as the company’s ethos as 

a whole. Every staff member, 

all experts in their own 

roles, is given the free reign 

and responsibility to recall 

and remake any product at 

any point during production 

should it not meet the standards 

required at their point in 

the process. 

In their quest to maximise 

every client’s image to its full 

potential, One Vision drive 

the company forward with 

the desire to match the vision 

of the photographer, what 

they have caught in camera, 

developed in the digital darkroom, 

to come to life in print, 

building their own software 

to aid and complement this 

process. 

It is clear that at the heart 

of their business, One Vision 

are always thinking about 

the bigger picture, how they 

can make positive change, 

not just to photographers but 

to the environment too as a 

responsible company taking 

great pride in being ‘green’ 


Making frames, cutting mounts, framing prints and 

mounting into mattes – all rounded off by packing 

designed to ensure you receive your order in perfect 

condition. 

A selection of photographs from the shop floor at One 

Vision. The imaging lab is located at Herald Way, 

Binley, Coventry CV3 2NY – an address well known for 

decades. And in keeping with the Colab tradition, they 

offer a full range of C41 and E6 real film services too! 

See www.onevisionimaging.com or call 0845 862 0217. 

where reasonably possible, 

recycling and using FSC products 

(Forest Stewardship Certified). 

They invest in staff and 

products so they can provide 

the best services possible to 

their clients, and that service 

is reflected in their pricing 

structure. 

It’s been a great visit, and 

as always happens when I 

visit One Vision I take home 

a ‘golden nugget’, a reminder 

or life lesson, and today is no 

different: “Surround yourself 

with the right people and do 

everything you can to make 

sure they thrive”. 

As I wrap up my meeting, 

Adam sits back in his 

chair and perhaps his last 

thought of the day is the 

one that has made me think 

the most. “Photography has 

evolved so much; we are the 

most photographed generation 

in history. A culture so 

busy being busy we forget so 

much; we want to remember 

everything so we capture so 

much every day on our devices 

and store them on our 

phones, cloud accounts and 

hard drives. We have forgotten 

the value in printing our 

memories and celebrating 

them, hanging them on our 

walls... what will we do when 

we die, hand down our hard 

drives, pass on our phones? 

Are our grandchildren going 

to be able to sit like we did 

and flick through the memories 

that we have created in a 

printed book or photo album? 

Will they be blessed with the 

legacy of having professionally 

taken images printed to 

stand the test of time? This 

is our mission, to print the 

final part of the professional 

photographer’s story so their 

clients can have those memories 

to last lifetimes.” 

Á 


SEE YOU AT THE 2016 

MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 

All photographers are welcome to our 

Meet the Masters Open Day 


Sunday October 16th 2016 

ADMISSION for the Meet the Masters Open Day 

is free of charge for all photographers, you do not 

need to be an MPA member – come along and learn 

about the benefits of joining. Have your work assessed 

and find out whether you could become a 

Qualified Master Photographer. 

The day has trade stands, hands-on demonstrations, 

and talks and doors open at 9.30am for a 

programme which starts at 10.00am and ends at 

4.00pm, when the central atrium of the venue will 

be prepared for the reception, evening dinner and 

Master Photography Awards 2016/17 presentations. 

These are exclusive to members and guests who 

have booked beforehand. 

2016/2017 Awards Dinner Ticket – £75.00 

Come and join us at the Master Photography 

Awards presentation and celebrate with this year’s 

winners – there will be some stunning images on 

show and we will be showcasing the best of British 

professional photography as well as talent from 

across the globe. See the stunning work from the 

up and coming, be inspired by creative talent, be 

educated by the experienced and join the masters of 

photography. 

Awards dinner tickets are now on sale for our event 

of the year 

This ticket includes: 

• Pre-dinner sparkling wine 

• Three course meal with wine 

• After dinner cocktails – sponsored by 3XM 

You can find the latest updates for the Meet the Masters Open Day programme and also all our Category and Prize sponsors on the 

Awards News page of the new MPA website. To view the details of the day, or book your dinner tickets, go to: 

www.masterphotographersassociation.co.uk/awards-news-2016/meet-the-masters/ 

www.masterphotographersassociation.co.uk/product/awards-dinner-ticket/ 


10am – 10.45am 

What’s on when and where 

Room 1 

ONE VISION 

You’ve read Clare Louise’s 

impressions of a visit to One 

Vision on the previous spread, 

and this opening session is a 

chance to meet them directly 

yourself. One Vision is one of 

the country’s major imaging 

labs and also works closely 

with 3XM Solution, fulfilling 

orders from on-line sales. 

Check out the latest products 

and ideas too in the trade 

area exhibition. 

Room 2 

GARY HILL 

Is Portraiture the new art, bringing 

the classics up to date as 

fine art? Discussion and demonstration 

as to the current 

trend of ‘Fine Art Portraiture’ 

– is it really such a thing? 

Gary is a full time professional 

photographer and 

photography trainer working 

in the fields of portraiture, 

fashion, lighting and posing 

training. He is based in North 

Lancashire. 

Room 3 

MELANIE EAST 

MPA Associate Melanie has 

written a book The Art of 

Newborn Photography due to 

be published January 2017. 

Regularly writing for and 

featured in this magazine, 

Melanie is an MPA mentor, a 

Judge for MPA licentiateship 

panels, and a Judge for the 

MPA annual awards. She will 

tell you how this field is both 

demanding and exceptionally 

rewarding. 

Trade Area 

PAUL WILKINSON 

Ten Things: The Portrait Photographer’s 

Essential Secrets. 

As a successful portrait 

photographer, Paul will be 

talking through the top ten 

things that have helped him 

create his hugely successful 

photography business, amassing 

numerous awards along 

the way and culminating in 

publishing his best selling 

Mastering Portrait Photography 

book in 2015. 

11.15am – noon 

Room 1 

CATHERINE CONNOR 

of Aspire Photographic Training 

Catherine’s columns in 

this magazine and others 

emphasise the connection 

between the clients, 

your shooting style, your 

marketing methods and the 

bottom line of your business 

accounts. Her talks always 

abound with ideas and 

inspiration helping you make 

creativity profitable. 

Noon – 2pm 

Room 1 

ANNIE ARMITAGE 

Annie’s talk will include: 

* Secrets of becoming the 

business person first – 

photographer second 

* How to work well from home 

* Delegation of services 

* Diversifying 

* The Power of networking 

* Time is money 

* Becoming a Ltd Company 

* The continued importance 

of your Brand 

Room 2 

JOHNSON WEE 

The first ever Asian photographer 

to score a perfect 100 

points in WPPI competitions, 

Johnson won the title of 

2014/2015 MPA Overseas Master 

Photographer of the Year. 

A Master of WPPI, a WPPI 

online competition judge and 

a Fellow of the MPA, Johnson 

regularly travels around the 

world for overseas ‘elopement’ 

and pre-wedding assignments. 

Room 3 

JAMES MUSSELWHITE 

Capturing The Art of Wrestling: 

In this seminar, James 

explains the challenge, fear 

and learning that comes from 

putting forward a fellowship 

panel, and how he has used 

this to promote his portrait 

business and to further his 

career. Showcasing never 

before seen images… tale of 

blood, sweat and tears – and 

tables, and ladders and chairs! 

Trade Area 

STEVE HOWDLE & 

STEPHANIE THORNTON 

Creative styled portraits: creative 

techniques for portrait 

photographers, focusing on 

getting the shot in camera 

and reducing editing time. 

They’ll be looking at the 

reinvention of gelled lighting 

and the differences between 

modifiers such as Octa vs 

Square softboxes, supported 

by Elinchrom and TFC. 

Room 2 

RICHARD BRADBURY 

Nearly 10 years ago Richard 

Bradbury was first commissioned 

by The Guinness 

Book of World Records. His 

assignments for GWR have 

taken him from the plains of 

Colorado to the snowy wastes 

of Norway. In 2009 Richard 

set a Guinness World Record 

of his own. If you would like 

to find out what that record is 

then come along… 

Room 3 

CLIVE ARROWSMITH 

This is the star encounter of 

the day! Look no further than 

the cover and main feature in 

this magazine issue to learn 

more about Clive from the 

man himself. Look for his 

book and get a copy signed… 

we’re bringing ours. Clive will 

be the MPA’s Guest of Honour 

at the dinner and will be 

presenting winners with their 

awards. 

Trade Area 

JOHNSON WEE 

A second chance to hear 

Johnson – without going to 

the USA, Greece, Turkey, Italy, 

France, China, Taiwan, Hong 

Kong, Singapore or Indonesia 

where he has given countless 

photography conferences and 

workshops. At the latest count 

he holds a total of 208 International 

Awards all achieved 

between November 2013 and 

April 2016. 

3.15pm – 4pm 

Room 1 

JENNY JOHNSTON 

Marketing expert from 3XM 

Solution and Photovalue. 

* Targeting your ads to the 

correct audiences 

* Using custom audience lists 

& remarking 

* Lead Generations ads & how 

they work 

* Facebook Canvas & how 

this format helps you overcome 

a dated website 

* Plus lots more 

Room 2 

MARIAN STEREA 

Signature images are those that 

can distinguish a photographer 

from another. When it 

comes to personal branding, 

image quality and composition, 

passion for photography 

should unite all these under 

the same roof. Leading Romanian 

wedding photographer 

Marian will talk about creating 

the one unique photo (at 

least) for every wedding. 

Room 3 

TRACEY WILLIS 

It’s a dog’s life for Tracey 

whose innovative animal 

photographs recall those old 

paintings of gambling pooches. 

She’s also a newborn, 

baby, family, and all-round 

portrait star and must be one 

of the few photographers to 

have tackled two genres in 

one – newborn dog photography. 

She is also a Photoshop 

composite expert. 

Trade Area 

MELANIE EAST 

A second chance to hear 

Melanie. 

The organisers reserve the right 

to make changes to speakers and 

times listed above. Any changes 

will be updated on this website 

only. Any changes made will not 

result in a refund of entry fees. 

In the event of any changes we 

will endeavour to find a suitable 

replacement however this can 

not be guaranteed. 


www.amimage.co.uk 

IMPORTANT NEWS ABOUT 

email: info@amimage.co.uk 

Units 2-3 Stewartfield 

CHERUBS 

industrial estate 

Edinburgh EH6 5RQ 

t:0131 553 3548 

This page in our electronic edition replaces the page in the printed 

for digital magazine and which film went to press before the Cherubs conference of 

September 12/13th. MPA Chairman Paul Wilkinson recaps. 

, foam Cherubs board programme. etc 

Cherubs has been at the 

very heart of the MPA for 26 

years and , while we always 

count 

knew that selling such an 

iconic programme would be 

embers 

After much deliberation, 

we announced yesterday 

(Monday) to the 

Cherubs partners that we are 

in the process of selling the 

a difficult decision (and so it 

has proved to be), it couldn’t 

continue to grow and evolve 

from within the MPA: the 

Focus on 

Insurance 

investment, in both time and 

finances, to support and expand 

the programme wasn’t 

feasible in the long term, 

particularly when you factor 

Insurance Endorsed by the MPA 

Discounts available to MPA Members 

Towergate Camerasure looks after the insurance needs of more professional 

photographers than any other broker in the UK. We pride ourselves on providing a 

personal service to tailor the right insurance package to meet our clients' needs, from 

newly qualified professionals to established studios. 

As a part of the Towergate Group, the largest independent insurance intermediary in 

Europe, we have the market strength to deliver highly competitive premiums. 

Specialist covers for photographers include: 

• All risks including Accidental Damage and Theft 

• Public Liability 

• Employers Liability 

• Professional Indemnity 

• Shoot / Production insurance 

PI from £60, and up to a 40% discount on other covers available to MPA Members. 

For a free no obligation quote, contact us on 

Tel: 0870 411 5511 

Email: camerasure@towergate.co.uk 

Towergate Camerasure products are underwritten by one of the UK's largest insurers Norwich Union 

in that the programme represents 

significantly less than 

10% of the MPA membership. 

We have found an investor 

who will not only buy 

Cherubs but is in a position 

to invest in the Cherubs 

expansion, the people and its 

promotion. Not only will the 

programme now grow and 

flourish, but Clare Louise, 

the CEO of the MPA, will 

be moving across to become 

CEO of the new company, 

providing skills and continuity 

as well as helping with 

cementing the partnership 

between Cherubs and the 

MPA. This is a hugely exciting 

time for us and for Cherubs! 

This will mean that the 

MPA is going to be recruiting 

a new CEO to take over 

the role that Clare Louise 

has defined so brilliantly 

over the past few years. An 

incredibly tough act to follow 

but a wonderful opportunity 

for both Clare Louise and 

her eventual MPA successor. 

While this, of course, is a big 

change for the MPA and for 

Cherubs, both organisations 

will benefit from the new 

investment and it will enable 

the Association to focus more 

time and resource to promoting 

the use of qualified 

professional photographers, 

particularly in the social photography 

market – something 

many of our wedding and 

portrait photographers have 

been asking of us for a very 

long time! 

The timings are yet to 

be finalised but it is likely 

to complete mid-autumn. 

We will, of course, keep you 

informed as everything develops 

and progresses in this 

really exciting time for both 

organisations! 

Á 

Towergate Camerasure is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. 

Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority 

Calls may be recorded for training purposes 

If you have any questions, please direct them to me at 

paul@paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk. 


Facebook for 

Photographers 

Selling Digital 

Online Selling 

THE 

3XM 

SOLUTION 

Live 

www.3xmsolution.com/live 

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY 

BUSINESS TO THE NEXT LEVEL? 

15 Secrets 

Creating a Facebook page is easy. Using Facebook to successfully 

market your business takes a bit more work. 

For just £30, you’ll learn how to use Facebook to successfully drive 

your business, delivering real value, leads and ultimately revenue. 

Jury’s Inn Hinckley Island Hotel 

Tuesday 18th October 

£40 

early bird 

price: £30 

book now 

www.3xmsolution.com/live 

meet the speakers 

Jenny Johnston 

Facebook for Photographers 

Ronan Ryle 

Selling Online 

Tobias Robins 

15 Secrets 


THE GOLDEN SEASON 

September and October are the months when the Golden Hour arrives early 

enough in the day to find photographers still working… and the whole season is 

pure gold anyway, as new MPA Licentiates show here. 

Autumn and evening gold – warm, bright wedding colours from recent MPA Licentiates Cristian Dascalu, above, and Neo Ni, right and below. 



Two more inspirational ideas for seasonal weddings in Europe from Cristian Dascalu. Cristian is based in Cyprus and offers a full range of social 

photography. He specialises in using outdoor settings with natural and added lighting. See his website for more examples of work: 

http://www.cyprus-photo.com/portfolio/ 


Wedding Albums 

Stunning hand-made wedding albums 

NEW 

Florentine 

REAL LEATHER 

Album Range 

Florence has been famous for its high quality 

leather goods for hundreds of years, so naming 

our leather album range after this romantic city 

seemed only natural. Like all of our albums, each 

Florentine album is hand-made from start to finish 

using only the highest quality materials, but is then 

covered in gorgeous, soft touch satin-like leather, 

of which there are twelve colours to choose from. 

12 NEW 

COLOURS 

£50 

SAMPLE ALBUM 

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EVERY ALBUM INCLUDES A CHOICE OF FOUR BEAUTIFUL PRESENTATION BOXES AND A LUXURY SOFT TOUCH BAG 

WWW.ONEVISIONIMAGING.COM 

TEL. 0845 862 0217 

• 7 Types of Album in our Portfolio 

• Sizes from 8x6” to 16x12” 

• No. of spreads from 5 to 30 

• Paper types available 

- Glossy, Lustre, Metallic & Fine Art 

• Matted Album Option 

• Prices from £83 

• Album Design Service available 


Did Canon really offer 

photographers the 

Olympic dream – 

even if they made the day 

for at least one Rio snatchand-grab 

thief? 

There was a time in 

photography when the 

launch of a new camera was 

a rare and precious thing. 

These days there is hardly 

a week that passes without 

the appearance of yet 

another a new ‘to die for’ 

model designed to turn our 

heads and make our kit bag 

seem desperately dated or 

woefully inadequate. If we 

jumped at every sparkling 

new offering then our coffers 

would soon be bare so 

its important to know when 

to hold and when to twist. 

Making the right decision 

about when to change and 

what to change to is a vital 

ingredient of every professional 

photographer’s business 

plan and the launch of 

a top of the range, flag-ship 

camera has more gravitas 

than pretty much any other 

purchase decision a photographer 

will make. 

The Canon EOS 1DX 

MkII is the replacement 

for the monumental 1DX, 

a camera loved by professionals 

the world over for 

its rugged reliability and 

unequalled performance. I 

could write an article about 

the features of the MkII 

and the undeniable qualities 

that it has and indeed I 

will be touching on some of 

those facts but really there 

are three key issues that I 

would like to address: 

• Does the 1DX MkII 

offer a package that is so 

much better than the original 

that it merits upgrading 

to the new model? 

• Does the 1DX MkII 

offer a package that is so 

much better than the other 

models in the Canon range 

that it merits a price tag 

that is literally thousands 

of pounds more than the 

‘lesser’ models like the 5D 

MkIII ? 

• Is the 1DS MkII so good 

that you should change 

your allegiance, choose not 

to buy the Nikon D5, and 

spend thousands on lenses? 

CANON’S 

OLYMPIC 

CHAMPION 

1DX MkII 

In his regular column Richard Bradbury FMPA 

puts the Canon EOS 1DX MkII through its 

paces… before our test camera flew off to 

join hundreds of 

other Canons in 

Rio 

That big slot is for a CFast card not a second CF card 

– a compatibility and cost factor which may influence buyers as CFast is an 

expensive format which no other current DSLR makes use of. 

So first of all I need to 

talk about what makes the 

1DX MkII Canon’s most 

sought-after model. The 

unboxing of a new camera 

is always a special experience 

but never more so than 

with the 1DX MkII. It is a 

beautiful thing and has the 

instant feeling of quality 

and purpose that you would 

expect from a flagship 

camera costing well north 

of £5k for the body only. 

A magnesium alloy shell 

is what you would expect 

at this level and the MkII 

is weather proof, bounce 

proof, assistant proof and 

probably nuclear bomb 

proof so it should be with 

you for some time to come. 

The layout is familiar and 

if anything the camera feels 

even better in the hand 

than the previous model. 

This is due to some subtle 

tweaks in the design, ensuring 

that it fits more hand 

sizes with a better balance. 

Controls are familiar to any 

long-term Canon addict – in 

fact they are so similar to 

the 1DX that it’s a struggle 

to notice the difference. The 

screen is the same 3.2 inch 

size but don’t be fooled, it 

is a seriously up-rated high 

definition screen giving 

clear crisp images and information 

every time. This 

is a big plus and it’s also 

the first big Canon to offer 

touch screen options (even 

if they are only available in 

live view). 

Speed demon 

The headline grabber 

simply has to be the 1DX 

MkII’s incredible fps rate. 

Ooh my word! 14 frames 

per second, or 16 frames 

per second with the mirror 

up. Honestly it makes you 

feel like a top gun fighter 

pilot. Once your target is 

in sight you simply press 

the fire button and the job 

is done. It’s totally addictive 

and I would add a new 

64 GB CFast Memory card 

to your shopping trolley 

if you want to enjoy the 

full effect as you will eat 

through memory cards at a 

rate of knots. The 1DX MkII 


When he is not photographing studio sets or record-breakers around the globe, Richard Bradbury takes natural outdoor pictures of children and families, a 

style favoured by upmarket London clients who commission location shoots taking advantage of parks and woodlands. The exposure accuracy and focus 

speed mean there are almost no reject shots. 

Fourteen frames in one second 

This looks pretty neat as a flicker-book. Such a close distance 

means that although a young subject does not hit Olympic 

speeds, the relative change in focus is rapid and most DSLRs 

will not get every frame sharp. The EOS 1DX MkII used with 

the 24-70mm ƒ2.8 USM II lens nailed every shot. 


has a CFast slot as well as a 

regular CompactFlash card 

slot so your old cards are 

perfectly OK – but the Cfast 

are ridiculously quick and 

give you a burst rate that is 

simply more than you could 

ever need. 

I calculated that you 

could shoot at full resolution 

at 14fps an entire 

Olympic 100 metre sprint 

from gun to finishing tape 

without losing a single 

frame… amazing! That’s 140 

images of Usain Bolt to send 

off to your editor before he’s 

even wrapped himself in the 

Jamaican flag. 

The MkII can actually 

deliver 170 full frame RAW 

files in one burst and an 

unlimited amount of JPEGs. 

With your finger on the button 

the 1DX MkII’s brand 

new dual DIGIC 6+ processors 

are whirring away beautifully 

pumping out 20.2 

MP images via its CMOS 

sensor. The top 16 frames 

per second rate is equal to 

the fps of the first motion 

pictures and later home 

movies, so playing back the 

images manually on the rear 

screen is decidedly movie 

like. It’s a strange, memory 

devouring, mini-cinema 

experience. 

The AF experience 

Focusing is another plus 

for the MkII with 61 focus 

points 41 of which are 

cross points. Working with 

telephoto lenses is a joy as 

all 61 points can catch focus 

when up to ƒ8 is required. 

This effectively means that 

the days of focus and recompose 

are dead and buried. 

For the 2016 Olympic 

snappers this was a massive 

advantage resulting far more 

artistically composed sports 

photography without the 

need to rely on centre frame 

based, fast action sharpness. 

Low light focusing is 

excellent, finding quicker, 

sharper focus than pretty 

much any camera I have 

used which leads me on to 

my personal photographic 

bug bear. 

If you have read any of 

my previous reviews you 

Fill-in from a reflector, not flash, enhances this lighting. At ISO 640 the 

quality from the 1DX MkII is perfect for an exposure here of 1/1000s at ƒ5 

on the 24-70mm L lens. 

will know that I am obsessed 

with low light sensor 

performance. ISO is the 

defining factor for me in 

any new DSLR providing a 

freedom of expression that 

is unmatched by any other 

facility. The MkII is probably 

the best I’ve ever used. 

The sensitivity is expandable 

to an earth shattering 

ISO 409,600 and guess 

what? 

At that setting it is basically 

unusable! 

Why do they give us 

these stupid figures when 

we all know they are 

pointless? If you want your 

images to look like a damp 

barn full of mushy grain 

then go ahead and fool 

yourself, but Seurat did a 

better job in the 1880s. ISO 

1000 and 2000 are excellent 

and I achieved very passable 

results even up to ISO 

25,600. 

Metering is very clever 

using Canon’s ‘Intelligent 

Subject Analysis’ (ISA) 

system. I’m not exactly 

sure what that does, but I 

rarely needed to compensate 

manually or correct my 

raw files except in extreme 

conditions. The metering 

was accurate and instinctive 

whatever the lighting challenge. 

Now for 4K 

As you might expect from 

a camera of this quality 

the video facilities are also 

exceptional. Canon have 

employed much of the 

technology they have on 

tap from their excellent 

dedicated video cameras and 

4K is available for the first 

time on a stills orientated 

Canon camera. The MkII’s 

unrivalled processing power 

is able to offer 30fps and 

60fps so 2x slow motion at 

4K is now an option. By the 

way this is ‘real’ 4K at 4096 

x 2160 pixels not the UHD 

supplied by most competitors. 

Shooting Motion Jpeg 

means that you can also 

take 8.8MP stills from your 

footage. Grabbing stills 

from video is a facility that 

is increasingly in demand 

so Canon are starting to 

make it happen after dedicated 

video cameras like the 

£50,000.00 Red showed the 

way. In my opinion this 

facility will be something 

that will become completely 

standard eventually in future 

DSLRs as it is the ultimate 

solution to fast action 

capture and multi-platform 

post-shoot editing. 

The Dual Pixel CMOS AF 

sensor gives seamless continuous 

auto focus during 

live view or video shooting, 

and manual focusing 

can be controlled via the 

touch screen facility. This 

is totally intuitive and is 

a significant step forward 

for the keen videographer. 

The touch screen focusing 

facility is another great leap 

forward for the MkII and 

is a real reason to consider 

this camera over its rivals. 

Another nice touch is the 

all-important head phone 

socket enabling clear sound 

monitoring during filming. 

Sound has long been 

regarded as the defining 

factor of a good professional 

video so a dedicated socket 

is a welcome addition. 

So… 

Does the 1DX MkII offer a 

package that is so much better 

than the MkI that it merits 

upgrading to the new model? 

Your original is fine! 

If you have just bought your 

1DX (MkI) then do not 

panic. They have not suddenly 

got worse because a 

new model is here. 

The MkII is definitely a 

better camera with a useful 

boost to image resolution, 

but it is designed to move 

the genre forward not to 

blow it out of the water. It 

does pretty much everything 

a bit better and some 

things a lot better. Focusing, 

handling and response 

speeds are noticeably better 


Above: full size noise level checks 

from left to right at ISO 8000, 

16000, 32000 and 51200. Left: 

at ISO 640, dynamic range and 

accessible shadow detail allow 

strong image adjustments from 

raw. Note the shadow lift in the 

wellies and bushes in the adjusted 

second example. 

and that is exactly how it 

should be for the 2016 flagship 

model. The big difference 

actually comes with 

the video facilities. This 

could be the best non dedicated 

video camera ever and 

that is important to anyone 

who shoots a significant 

amount of video for crossover 

clients. 4K, a dedicated 

headphone socket and touch 

screen focusing will make 

a serious difference to your 

workflow. You can’t ignore 

facilities like that and they 

just were not there on the 

Mk1. 

Does the 1DX MkII offer a 

package that is so much better 

than the other models in the 

Canon range that it merits a 

price tag that is literally thousands 

of pounds more than the 

‘lesser’ models? 

The top gun wins 

Camera ranges have become 

a lot more complicated 

down at Canon Towers. 

There is a huge range of 

professional, amateur and 

pro-am cameras to choose 

from. The obvious comparisons 

are the 5D MkIII and 


the 5DS/5DSR. They are 

both very focused professional 

cameras but both are 

different from the 1DX MkII 

and that makes this a difficult 

choice. 

I would exclude the 

5DS and 5DSR as they are 

fundamentally designed 

to shoot high resolution, 

preferably with a tripod, in 

a highly controlled environment 

giving 50 MPs of very 

considered picture quality. 

The 1DX MkII is a fast 

shooting crime fighter and 

the 5D MkIII is Robin to its 

Batman. It offers a similar 

general package and as such 

is a better comparison to 

the 1DX MkII. 

The 5D MkIII is less 

than half the price of the 

1DX MkII… you could buy 

two of them and still have 

cash in your wallet for a 

bunch of top grade memory 

cards, a chicken dinner and 

your bus fare home. So the 

answer to this one is that it 

depends who you are. 

If you got your all access 

pass to the 2016 Rio 

Olympics then you probably 

have one already, if the café 

lowlife has not relieved you 

of it. There is no question 

that your 5D MkIII just will 

not cut it for that type of assignment 

but the 1D models 

have always been able to. 

If you are about to cross 

the globe on a professional 

mountain-top, jungle, 

beach, polar, desert safari 

then the 1DX MkII is the 

only camera for you (tourists 

will prefer something 

lighter). The 1DX class is 

an indestructible weapons 

grade super-camera and 

nothing will beat it when 

the chips are down. The 

price is the only reason that 

you might decide on the 5D 

MkIII as the 1DX MkII does 

everything better so it is 

simply a matter of: 

Do you need all of its qualities 

most of the time? 

Hire and fire 

As a professional you are 

shooting pictures to make 

a living and one of the factors 

you have to consider is 

the amount you spend on 

Richard Bradbury – www.rbradbury.com 

If you would like to comment on this issue or any others please email 

Richard at info@rbradbury.com 

equipment. Only you can 

decide if the considerably 

higher price tag is worth it 

for your business. 

Like all the 1D series, 

this is a prime hire counter 

offering and you simply 

don’t need to buy and own 

one when you can so easily 

rent by the day and Canon 

themselves provide such 

comprehensive facilities at 

major events. 

That leaves one question – 

is the 1DS MkII so good that 

you should switch from Nikon 

D5? 

Glass ceiling 

You could compare one feature 

to another and I have 

seen countless reviews doing 

a one to one battle to the 

finish line of every feature. 

All of them have different 

conclusions. They are both 

great cameras and offer approximately 

the same files 

size out put. If there was 

a glaring difference then I 

would say so but really there 

isn’t. 

The 1DX MkII offers a 

faster frame rate but the D5 

offers more focusing points. 

The 1DX MkII is a little 

heavier but the D5 is a little 

more expensive. There will 

be claims that each camera 

handles blacks better and 

catches focus faster but really 

it comes down to are 

you a Canon guy or a Nikon 

guy. The comparison is so 

slight that I can’t imagine 

anyone choosing this camera 

as a reason to change 

their entire system. 

If you own a strong-room 

full of high end Nikon 

lenses, of course you’ll go 

with the D5 – and if you 

have a Canon arsenal, you’ll 

stick with Canon. 

But watch the news from 

photokina 2016 as we expect 

Canon to come out with a 

new generation of lenses unlike 

anything we’ve seen so 

far! 

The right tool 

Richard Bradbury FMPA is an award-winning advertising 

and editorial photographer best known for his Guinness 

World Records set-pieces. Richard is now offering a 

helping hand to photographers around the world with 

a programme of seminars, mentoring and business 

coaching event. To find out more please go to: 

www.reciprocity.photo 

To conclude, the 1DX MkII 

hits the mark better than 

any other Canon camera 

in just about every area 

possible. If you were lucky 

enough to be shooting at 

the 2016 Olympics then it’s 

maybe been a no-brainer 

– faster, stronger and more 

accurate than anything else 

available. 

But for the rest of us 

the decision to spend more 

than £5,000 of our hardearned 

fees is a serious one. 

The Canon EOS 1DX MkII 

represents the very best in 

DSLR camera design but like 

all top end products, attaining 

the final 10 or 20% of 

excellence is an expensive 

business and you have to 

be able to justify that large 

price tag. Canon don’t make 

that easy for you simply 

because the EOS 5D MkIII is 

so good – and as previously 

mentioned it’s less than half 

the price. 

To use another sporting 

analogy when Valentino 

Rossi goes out on track he is 

riding the best part of a million 

pounds worth of motorcycle. 

Compared to my own 

very fast track bike his Moto 

GP missile is slightly faster, 

slightly lighter, slightly 

quicker turning, slightly 

better braking but costs an 

enormous amount more to 

produce. 

If you are Valentino 

Rossi then that difference 

is worth it because it will 

make him faster. If you are 

a great photographer then 

you will take better pictures 

with the 1DX MkII and 

there is no price you can 

put on that. The Olympic 

gold medal goes to… the 

Canon 1DX MkII. 

Á 

www.canon.co.uk 


CANON EOS 5D Mark IV 

‘One step better all round’ is the best way to sum up the 5D Mark IV which was 

announced as we were completing this issue. One stop higher ISO for the same 

quality, one EV better low light metering and focus in both viewfinder and live 

modes, one stop better with ƒ8 AF, one step up to 30 megapixels – and new 

dual pixel refocusable raw as an option. 

The hair’s-breadth accuracy 

of the latest 

mirrorless autofocus 

has left the slightest front and 

back focus errors common in 

DSLRs behind although it’s 

still all too easy to mistarget 

the AF point or encounter 

slight subject and photographer 

movement before the 

instant of image capture. 

Now Canon promises an 

answer to this problem with 

Dual Pixel CMOS RAW, a 

large file format (not suited 

to sequence action shots) recording 

the relative values of 

paired pixels independently. 

This is a bit like recording 

the view from both windows 

of a rangefinder – normally, 

your Leica lens sits happily 

in between them and you 

get one viewpoint. Same for 

dual pixel CMOS, up to now 

the pair which is used for 

AF functions gets processed 

as a single image point even 

though it has recorded the 

parallax created by the lens 

aperture. Lytro demonstrated 

in their Illum camera how 

the separate values can be reprocessed 

to change apparent 

focus point, virtual aperture 

and even camera viewpoint 

within the diameter of the 

lens. Now Canon shows that 

the simpler but similar paired 

pixels already used for live 

view AF on their sensors can 

provide information allowing 

fine refocusing of the image. 

The difference is not huge 

– 2cm range within a picture 

taken at a relatively wide 

aperture, of a typical subject 

like a studio product shot 

or a portrait. It’s enough to 

refocus from the side of the 

eye or tip of the nose to the 

eyelashes. It requires special 

software at present, which 

may be as slow due to the 

50MB raw file (in contrast to 

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with new 

24-105mm ƒ4 L IS II USM, and 

new 16-35mm ƒ2.8 L III USM 

around 30MB for a standard 

.CRF) and the computations 

involved. It looks as if some 

aspects of depth of field such 

as foreground bokeh and 

some problems like asymmetric 

lens flare can be reprocessed 

too – with dual pixels, 

one pixel will ‘see’ flare 

patches in a different position 

on the image to the other, or 

even not see any flare at all, 

making removal of flare and 

ghosting possible. But here 

at Master Photography towers 

we also realise that future 

software could tilt or curve 

the focus plane in post-pro, 

making flatness of field correction 

or Schiempflug-type 

adjustments possible. They 

have not hinted at this yet… 

In addition to dual-pixel 

CMOS AF across the sensor 

field, the MkIV has a 

24% higher AF grid of 61 AF 

points with 41 cross points, 

all operating to ƒ8 rather 

than the former ƒ5.6, and the 

centre point sensitive to -3EV 

(-4EV in Live View mode, 

which is aided by a new fixed 

touch screen allowing tapfocus 

and tap-shutter control). 

There’s a similarly more 

powerful RGB-IR metering 

system with its own Digic 

processor and its subject 

tracking separated from the 

AF tracking to avoid the 

exposure errors which occur 

when AE weighting is hard 

wired to the active focus 

point or zone. 

The shooting speed is increased 

to 7fps from 6fps, ISO 

standard from 100 to 32,000 

expandable to 102,400, and 

although the penalty is a 

1.74X crop factor there’s 

internal 30/25/24p 4K video 

encoded in Motion JPEG format 

making extraction of 8 

megapixel still frames almost 

instantaneous and very high 

quality. This is combined 

with full metadata entry on 

the touch screen, not just the 

usual copyright basics, and 

onboard WiFi as powerful as 

most add-on modules with 

connection options including 

smart devices, WiFi router access 

points, Mac/PC workstations 

and generic FTP. There’s 

also a 1DX MkII style GPS 

module in the slightly larger 

prism housing, and a tethertool 

friendly USB 3.0/HDMI/ 

Mic/Headphone interface 

block on the left hand end 

with the remote connector 

pushed round to the front. 

With UDMA and UHS- 

1 CompactFlash and SDXC 

dual slots, and an improved 

battery with 900 shot life, the 

MkIV also promises a superior 

dynamic range with more 

scope for raw adjustment 

than the 50 megapixel 5DS/R. 

At around £3,000 ($3,499) 

this should be a must-have 

upgrade. 

Alongside the new camera 

come two new L-series stabilised 

lenses. A new 24-105mm 

ƒ4 L IS USM MkII offers 4 

stops of anti-shake versus 

the 2.5 stops of the existing 

model, and improved optical 

qualities. A compact, almost 

matching new 16-35mm ƒ2.8 

L USM MkIII updates the 

short end of the classic pro 

lens trio with better corner 

to corner sharpness. All will 

be on show at photokina in 

Cologne in September and 

are expected to reach dealers 

around the same time. Most 

UK pro dealers have pre-order 

offers and bundles. 

Á 

www.canon.co.uk 




CLIVE 

ARROWSMITH 

Amazement, amusement, a man and a muse – Clare Louise talks to a legend 

It's been a full 30 mins 

since I put the phone 

down after my very first 

conversation with Clive 

Arrowsmith, and I'm still 

laughing. 

It was a memorable first 

call, a conversation I will remember 

for a very long time 

to come. One sentence rolled 

into another as tale after tale 

rolls off Clive’s tongue and 

before I have chance to stop 

laughing from one story, 

the next one unfolds with 

as much gusto, humour and 

gasp-making recollections 

that you can’'t help but wonder 

if you are in fact, talking 

to a rockstar. 

I can’t tell you how excited 

I am to meet Clive, as a huge 

fan of his work (and now his 

memoirs). He’s invited to be 

our guest of honour at the 

2016 Master Photography 

Awards which means you’ll 

have a chance to meet him 

too, including our ‘sitting at 

the feet of’ informal chat. 

We meet up a week later 

for lunch. As we sit and go 

through the images in his 

book, I listen eagerly to the 

stories behind each photo- 

Clive first saw his great ‘muse’ and former partner, model and ballet dancer Ann Schaufuss, walking down the 

stairs at a party in the 1970s with ‘a light all around her’. Vogue, 1970, outfit by Yves St Laurent. 

graph and am captivated by 

the souls that are caught in 

a those moments in time. I 

am left more in awe of this 

super talent than I imagined 

possible. Every single image 

prompts a detailed account of 

times gone by, and every account 

an enviable or inspirational 

tale. 

Clive is refreshingly open 

and honest, a very humble 

man who in the words of 

Jeffery Felner ‘is both royalty 

and legend in his own right 

within the realm of photography’. 

Clive has memories that 

I would love to have stored in 

my bank of tales to tell. 

He’s in-tune, very connected 

to who he is, his creativity, 


The Girl in the Iron Mask – shot for the FT’s then luxury lifestyle title ‘How to Spend It’. ‘I’m particularly fond of the way she looks soulfully through the 

mask and radiates a particular intensity’, says Clive, ‘those were the days…’ 

his balance. Conversation can 

just as quickly turn to the 

meaning of life as it will to a 

fashion icon. Clive will make 

you think – full stop – about 

you, your life, your direction. 

He’s an inspiration, and 

when you hear him talk 

about his journey, where it 

started, where life’s already 

taken him, most people 

would sit back and say they’d 

made it. Yet with Clive it's 

only just begun, and his passion 

for creativity is as alive 

today as the day he started 

out and you can’t help but 

admire him that little bit 

more. 

The afternoon goes too 

quick and I return home with 

a signed print and copy of his 

book that I thumb through 

over and over, smiling as I 

hear his words echoing in the 

corner of my mind somewhere 

and I laugh out loud 

all over again. 


Into the distance and the future: today’s beauty photographers do not often work with the waist-level Hasselblad favoured by 

Clive and his contemporaries, and have lost the effect of a low viewpoint combined with the classic 150mm lens. It’s the exact 

reverse of the typical wide-angle, overhead ‘selfie’ female portrait and demands models with a far better bone structure and larger 

eyes with a different emphasis on how eye make-up and eyebrows are treated. 

Above is one of our favourites, Marina Schaino and Ingrid Boulting from Vogue Beauty. It’s the result of a long lens and small 

aperture with a difficult potential perspective and scale issue handling well – pin sharp throughout. Facing is one of Clive’s best 

known works, Donna Mitchell wearing Pierre Cardin’s plexiglass ‘windshield’ and flexible post-polo neckline in the Paris 1970 collections 

(Vogue). The studio flash brolly becomes part of the shot’s futuristic style. 


I smile to myself, those 

tales are not for my ears only, 

those tales I have no doubt 

will leave you laughing as 

much as I, as he shares them 

in our ‘On the Couch’ session 

with Paul Wilkinson Chair of 

the Board – and in his own 

speaker slot ‘Take the lens cap 

off’, both on October 16th at 

our Meet the Masters Day. 

You can purchase a signed 

copy of Clive’s book at the 

show too. A stunning collection 

of collaborations that 

include some of the greatest 

icons of our time from his enviable 

photographic archive. 

The pages are graced with 

some heavyweight titans such 

as Paul McCartney, Kate Bush, 

Mick Jagger, Helena Bonham 

Carter, Viviane Westwood, 

Yves St Laurent (to name but 

a few) and if you take the 

time to speak with Clive, 

those pages will come with 

some laughter of your own to 

take home, just like mine. 

As for his being our guest 

of honour at this year’s 

awards… I can’t tell you how 

much I’m looking forward to 

his energy up on that stage … 

Until then, I’m going to be 

inspired and keep turning the 

pages of his utterly fantastic 

imagery whilst chuckling 

away to myself, as I remember 

the tales told and smile at 

my own memories that now 

live inside the pages of my 

book. Here are a few images 

selected from his archive, and 

a few words of his own about 

them. Like many fashion photographers, 

he found his muse 

and partner for many years 

– and if you spot the reference, 

we’ve printed his name 

in the typeface used by Nova, 

the great magazine which ran 

from 1965 to 1975, inspired 

him and used his work – and 

also inspired our editor! 

See: www.clivearrowsmith.com 


When Clive photographed actress Charlotte Rampling for Vogue, the magazine chose the less spontaneous calm composition on the right to use. But 

his preference, used in his book, remains for the fleeting expression captured as the sitting was ending, seen on the left. Taking an overview of his work, 

the connection between the photographer and subject is always very strong, down to engaged eye contact and not superficial ‘look at the lens love’ 

instructions. He has used electronic flash with short durations (from 1970s Balcar onwards) to ensure that whenever he surprises his subject into a dynamic 

pose or expression, it’s captured pin-sharp to the last hair. 

Clive and Liverpool’s finest: 

“I had known Paul McCartney 

and John Lennon from 

my art school days, and Paul 

asked me to shoot the cover 

of his new Wings album Band 

on the Run. 

It was my first commission 

as a photographer after 

being an art director. With 

only enthusiasm and not 

much experience I went for a 

meeting with Paul and his art 

director the late great Storm 

Thorgerson from Hipgnosis. 

We talked through the basic 

concept that surprisingly the 

‘band was on the run’ and all 

agreed on an old fashioned 

‘Hollywood prison break 

movie’ shot with the convicts 

in a spotlight against the 

prison wall (with additional 

celebrities as convicts). 

“On the day I hired a 

spotlight from the lighting 

company which unfortunately 

was not powerful enough 

for the job. This meant that 

everyone had to be very still 

for over two seconds for the 

picture to be sharp. Two 

seconds may not sound like a 


long time but they did have 

a party before the shoot and 

everyone was very much the 

worse for wear. Denny Lane 

fell over a couple of times 

laughing hysterically – everyone 

was having a great time. 

I had to have a megaphone to 

get their attention, positioned 

at the top of a ladder, next to 

the spotlight barking instructions 

persistently, which for 

the most part everyone ignored, 

until I finally snapped 

and screamed ‘Stay Still!’. 

“I only managed to shoot 

two rolls of film, 24 exposures 

in total. The real worry 

was that there wouldn’t be a 

shot where everyone was still 

and sharp. My woes did not 

end there, once the film came 

back it had a strong warm 

yellow cast but thankfully 

there were four frames where 

everyone was sharp. I showed 

them to Paul and he loved 

them. I never mentioned the 

golden hue to him until a 

few years later when I was 

photographing the back cover 

for Wings at the Speed of Sound 

(left). 

“After that shoot, over 

coffee, I said ‘Paul, there is 

something I’ve meant to tell 

you for years, that yellow 

light on the Band on the Run 

cover? That was a mistake. I 

used daylight film instead of 

tungsten’. Paul laughed and 

said ‘That’s fine, I thought 

it looked great and that you 

meant to do it’…” 



Going to any lengths: 

Clive has embraced digital work, 

but with a purist intention. The 

interior above by Sera of London 

was teamed up with fashion by 

Ghost – but in fact the room set 

was photographed separately and 

dropped in behind the bed. 

For his well-known fascinator 

(and Maserati) beauty shot seen 

left the hard work was done incamera. 

“During the the shoot, to get 

the angle I wanted I had to strap 

the flash unit to a cherry-picker. 

We were at an airport and the 

wind was blowing the swaying 

the platform from left to right. 

I had to time the shot for when 

it was exactly in the middle 

position, while it was gusting 

from side to side. I was shouting 

instructions to the models (the 

fabulous Marla at Premier and 

Albert at Select) and the whole 

job was like patting your head 

and rubbing your tummy 25ft 

from the ground on a moving 

platform! Not an easy shoot, but 

very rewarding. 

“It was the first time I had 

used the Canon 5D MkII and the 

quality of sharpness and colour 

saturation of the camera more 

than compensated for stresses of 

the job and helped me to achieve 

the final great result. I subsequently 

bought two more Canon 

5D MkIIIs, the camera I use most 

of the time for its speed and efficiency.

Eastern promises: 

Clive embraces Tibetan Buddhism 

and like his many 

friends who came through 

the music, art and media 

culture of the 1970s looks to 

the east for inspiration. His 

work with Kansai Yamamoto, 

costume designer for David 

Bowie whose influence was 

rediscovered with a Tokyo 

show in 2012, features up 

front in his book. 

“I shot the image (above) 

in the break between rehearsals 

for the ‘Hello Tokyo 

Super Show’ of the classic 

costume that Kansai Yamamoto 

originally designed for 

David Bowie. I had to add the 

background digitally from an 

image I sourced from a book 

of beautiful Japanese painting 

and I then scanned Kansai’s 

signature from a letter he had 

sent me”, Clive says. “The 

original shot was taken backstage 

at the venue in Tokyo in 

March 2012.” 

There was also an Eastern 

influence on the second Pirelli 

calendar shoot that Clive 

did in the 1990s. His first had 

the theme of ‘Heroines’ but 

the second used motifs from 

Chinese astrology, representing 

an imaginary Silk 

Road setting using locations 

in Spain where full service 

photographic support had 

been established – aimed at 

car manfacturers but ideal for 

ambitious figure in landscape 

calendar concepts. 

The Year of the Ox (right) 

involved a particularly rugged 

OX 

It was peculiar for me to find 

myself on the other side of 

the lenses when I went to 

setting and was made into 

a documentary for Granada 

TV fronted by Michael Aspel. 

The shoot was art directed by 

Martin Walsh and this year 

they met up again to celebrate 

50 years of Pirelli Calendars 

in Milan. “We managed to 

share a few fond memories 

of make-up dripping off the 

models in the searing heat 

and the memorable moment 

when the entire studio set up 

blew off a cliff”, Clive says. 

The shot on the left was 

taken in the auditorium with 

his shot of Year of the Ox 

taking centre stage. 

Á 


CLIVE ARROWSMITH 

Annie in green, for Vogue 

Book your place to meet Clive Arrowsmith at the Meet the Masters Open Day, Hinckley, October 16th 2016 – call MPA on 01325 356555 now. 


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David P Macdonald 

SEVEN YEAR RICH – SINCE WE LAST INTERVIEWED DAVID THE ECONOMY HAS 

FLATLINED, SO HOW HAS THE KING OF THE HIGH-TICKET PORTRAIT SURVIVED? 

Well known to photographers 

across 

the UK, David 

MacDonald’s cheerful smile 

has won him as many friends 

and admirers as his images 

have won over clients, and 

with a willingness to share 

his experience, there’s a lot 

to learn from his experiences 

building, adapting and evolving 

his South East England 

studio. At the MPA Scottish 

Awards, the opportunity for 

delegates to see David’s latest 

work and gain some perspective 

on long-term business 

survival was particularly relevant, 

as the storm clouds of 

Brexit hovered over the UK. 

David’s business has 

been through this before, of 

course. The 2008 financial 

crisis hit everyone hard. “At 

first, like most people, I had 

no idea the recession would 

be as deep and last as long as 


It’s a small world even on the 

biggest of cruise liners – but 

there’s plenty of scope for creative 

portraiture. The entertainers, crew 

and staff are subjects as well as 

the passengers – of all ages. 

it did. Initially I tried everything 

to keep all my staff 

(six full timers and four part 

timers at the time). This was 

partly because I am a compassionate 

human being more 

than a businessman and the 

idea of laying off people with 

families and mortgages, that 

I considered friends as well 

as staff, really upset me, and 

partly because I saw my staff 

as assets that would be able 

to assist me in making up the 

lost ground once we came out 

of the recession. 

“However it became apparent 

that the recession was going 

to run and run. Interestingly, 

it wasn’t really affecting 

average orders, simply the volume 

of clients. I was spending 

more and more money to 

generate less and less sessions, 

volume that we only needed 

because of having so many 

staff. One by one I gave up 

the fight and let members of 


The Crystal Cruises portrait master 

assignments have taken David 

round the world. Very often his 

cruise clients are photographed 

in parks, historic buildings and 

settings like the streets of Cuba. It 

has also reinvigorated his interest 

in landscape and scenic work, with 

set-pieces like the Sydney Harbour 

fireworks alongside decor-friendly 

sunsets and views. 


staff go, so we are now at the 

position where there is just 

a Marketing Manager and a 

Production Manager and me. 

The wage bill is now about 

a third of what it was, the 

marketing spend is down by a 

similar proportion and turnover 

has held at just over fifty 

percent of it’s peak figure, so 

back to a very healthy model. 

Looking back, a shrewder, 

harder businessman than me 

would have made those decisions 

much earlier and saved 

a lot of pain and heartache, 

but I guess that’s why I’m 

better suited to life as a photographer 

as opposed to a big 

businessman.” 

Even so, David’s studio is 

maintaining high average orders 

– the bit delegates hang 

on to through his seminar is 

that average sale figure, a key 

goal to ensuring the business 

is sustainable. Maintaining 

morale and momentum with 

a business that is under stress, 

there are three things that 

David believes kept him – and 

his business – going. 

“Firstly, winning awards. 

People mainly become photographers 

because they are 

creatives. If you lose that side 

of you, then there’d better be 

something else that it gives 

you to make up for that, like 

a great living and lifestyle. 

The one thing I kept doing 

when my lifestyle was suffering 

was to ensure I kept being 

creative and winning awards, 

which in turn kept my morale 

high. 

“Secondly, I was very lucky 

to have been discovered by 

the worlds most decorated 

cruise company, the six star 

Crystal Cruises. Being flown 

around the world, offering 

a bespoke portrait service to 

their discerning clients, and 

working in an environment 

so different to my everyday 

studio rejuvenated me in so 

many ways. Can you imagine 

the joy of visiting exotic locations 

that you’d only dreamt 

of ever seeing and actually 

being paid to do so? 

“Thirdly, my consultancy 

work. I usually work with 

a handful of studios at a 

time and help them become 

successful. Sometimes we’re 

improving their photography, 

sometimes their marketing, 

sometimes their client process, 

sometimes simply their 

display materials and products 

on their price list. Usually 

a mixture of all of the 

above! In that period, the studios 

I worked with continued 

to improve their volume of 

clients, continued to increase 

their average order values 

and rose up the qualifications 

ladder. It was and remains, 

hugely rewarding helping 

photographers achieve their 

dreams of running successful 

portrait studios.” 

This is an element of the 

photographic industry that 

few photographers have 

pursued; David’s willingness 

to help studios on the path to 

success is refreshing. However, 

even with that additional 

role, there’s a shift to a new 

business model into retirement; 

one that I think many 

photographers will envy, yet 

all the evidence points to 

David making a success of – 

fine art landscapes. 

“It started as something 

I was doing just for me, for 

fun, and looks like it might 

be growing into a business 

that will drip feed me an 

income into my old age – I’m 

53 and am starting to think 

about these things! On my 

travels I started shooting 

some of the amazing landscapes, 

seascapes and sunsets, 

and on one trip I became 

friends with one of the 

guests onboard who was the 

daughter of a famous American 

portrait painter. She was 

aware of the success Peter Lik 

has had selling huge, limited 

edition, superbly finished 

runs of his work, and we are 

in the process of seeing how 

we can tap into that market. 

“As a portrait photographer 

I have to continue shooting 

portraits to continue earning 

a living. I’m not sure I’ll 

be crawling around the floor 

chasing two-year-olds in my 

sixties, so the idea of selling 

work that I’ve already shot 

holds some appeal! As with 

my portrait business, I’m 

not looking to sell millions 

of cheap photographs, but 

instead, high ticket items to 

a discerning clientele. There 

are no calendars or rolled 

up prints in these plans, 

and Loxley Colour are being 

very helpful developing new 

products with me. A website 


Classic style 

REGARDING the latest ‘looks’ 

in the studio; “I’m not certain 

that this constant search for 

reinvention is absolutely necessary 

for success. I regularly change and 

invent looks myself, but it is 

usually to stop me getting stuck 

in a rut and bored…enthusiasm 

sells! We are lucky. We treat 

our clients right, and although 

many of them spend much 

larger amounts than is the norm 

in our industry, many of them 

come back over and over again. 

Sometimes they want something 

new to change the look of their 

house and have something shot 

in a different style, but it is more 

common for them to bring in 

what they had before and for me 

to do updated versions in a similar 

style! I believe our order values 

are down to the fact that we find 

out whatever type of images our 

clients like (so long as it is possible 

to do that and achieve the quality 

that I want to be associated with) 

and then shoot accordingly; I’m 

shooting to please them not me. 

It seems that by following this 

approach and remembering that 

we offer a service, the money 

looks after itself!” 



for these will be up and running soon, 

so we’ll see what happens from there!” 

Ultimately, David’s advice to survive 

potential economic turmoil during 

any Brexit negotiations is to cut costs 

and staff as early as possible, after his 

own experiences holding on for as long 

as possible. However, there’s also that 

willingness to change, to seek new 

routes and avenues whilst retaining 

creative authenticity, and perhaps the 

decision to support his staff as long as 

possible contributes to the welcoming, 

friendly personality. In 2016, it sounds 

like the decisions taken were ultimately, 

the right ones. 

“Life is treating me well. The studio 

is ticking along nicely and earning me 

a good living, the consultancy work 

continues to see me helping others 

fulfil their ambitions, I still get paid 

to travel to exotic locations, enjoy six 

star luxury and shoot portraits of some 

really interesting people a couple of 

times per year, and I still get lucky and 

win the odd award or two. Yep, my 

glass is definitely still half full!” 

– Richard Kilpatrick 

Á 

www.davidpmacdonaldphotography.com 


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MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY @TheFlashCentre SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER www.facebook.com/FlashCentre 2016 • 55 

www.theflashcentre.com/blog

SYNCING SUN 

and wide eyed babes 

The Flash Centre should 

have a good few tradedin 

Quadra RX AS and 

Hybrid kits, and possibly 

some mainstream studio 

mono flash heads, in the 

coming months. 

The reason is simple 

enough. Photographers are 

trading up from the earlier 

portable Quadra kits 

with Type A (Action) or S 

(Standard) heads and buying 

new ELB 400 kits with HS 

(Hi-Sync) heads. We asked 

whether the older heads could 

be upgraded by just replacing 

the tube, and the answer was 

the usual honest one – yes, 

but the performance may not 

be the same as it’s not just 

the tube which has changed 

to give the special longer 

duration of more level flash 

output. 

In the studio, the current 

D-Lite4 RX – really aimed 

We asked John Parris to check out the 

functional advantages of Elinchrom’s 

Hi-Sync – giving his Canon 5D MkIII 

with its 85mm ƒ1.2 lens the ability to 

shoot with flash at 1/2500s in contrejour 

sunshine and 1/8000s in the studio 

Right: John Parris used Elinchrom 

ELB 400 li-ion portable flash 

outdoors. Below: flash in the studio 

at 1/8000s and ƒ1.2 for the best 

colour quality and 

sharpness. The 

EL-Skyport Plus HS 

can control many 

flash units with 

a visual display 

and works up to 

200m outdoors, 

60m inside. 

at the high end amateur 

market, students and newly 

established photographers – is 

replacing more expensive and 

durable BRX500 heads and 

also likely to displace the very 

popular D-Lite One and 2 

models in the newborn field 

where low minimum power is 

really needed. 

There’s a great trend 

favouring the absolute 

minimum depth of field, 

even on large prints, for 

babies and boudoir. Many 

photographers, like John 

and Sandra Parris, have been 

using the modelling lights 

of their studio flash heads or 

installing continuous light 

(often cool running LEDs). 

It’s not an ideal compromise 

as the colour balance can 

be difficult to get right and 

even at apertures like ƒ1.4 

or ƒ1.2 the favoured low ISO 

for the smoothest skin tones 

85mm at ƒ1.2, 1/8000s with two Elinchrom 

D-Lite4 RX heads in softboxes, EL Skyport 

Plus HS Hi-Sync 


85mm at ƒ1.2, 1/2500s with Elinchrom 

Quadra ELB 400 HS location kit, EL Skyport 

Plus HS Hi-Sync, Canon 5D MkIII at ISO 100 


Tungsten or flash for wider apertures? 

John Parris used the modelling light only from his flash system for the shot on the left, taken at ƒ1.8 and 1/250s at ISO 800 on the Canon EOS 5D MkIII 

with 85mm ƒ1.2 USM II lens. For the right hand shot, using Elinchrom Hi-Sync with the D-Lite4 RX heads and EL Skyport Plus HS trigger, he was able to 

use ƒ1.4 at ISO 100 with an exposure of 1/8000s and flash illumination. 

and best dynamic range can 

mean marginally safe shutter 

speeds. It’s often no problem 

to hand-hold 1/60s or 1/125s 

despite the nearly universal 

lack of stabilisation when 

using fast prime lenses on the 

full frame favoured for such 

‘bokeh’ driven results. What 

is a problem is that with 

today’s high resolution sensors 

and the value of superlarge 

wall portrait sales, the 

movement of mouth or eyes 

can need 1/500s or faster to 

prevent some loss of detail. 

Even with newborns, eyes 

fast shut, there’s distinct benefit 

to being able to use studio 

flash with its action-freezing 

qualities curing any trace 

of camera shake and small 

subject movements at once. 

This is why the Elinchrom 

D-Lite One is a newborn best 

seller. It goes down to just 

6 Watt-seconds, a tiny flash 

pop, and when put through a 

suitably large octa or softbox 

with an inner scrim can allow 

apertures in the ƒ1.2 to ƒ2.8 

range most wanted. 

The smaller D-Lites and 

all the rest of the Elinchrom 

studio head range can not, 

however, be used for what the 

company calls Hi-Sync (generally 

known as hypersync) 

with their new Hi-Sync capable 

EL Skyport Plus HS trigger. 

This £199 trigger which 

has countless other benefits, 

like visual control of complete 

studio set-ups eliminating the 

need to touch the heads to 

adjust settings, only does its 

‘sync up to 1/8000s with any 

focal plane shutter’ trick with 

the ELB 400 HS or the D- 

Lite4 RX. The entry price to 

get this function is therefore 

either around £1,400 (Quadra 

Hi-Sync To Go single head 

kit), or an upgrade by replacing 

a Quadra head (from 

£345), or the D-Lite at £265 

per head. 

Since the great benefit of 

the hi-sync method is the 

ability to open the lens in 

full sunshine and use fill-in 

flash without ghosting, the 

location-friendly ELB 400 

HS clearly wins but after we 

asked John and Sandra Parris 

to test the purely studio function 

of the D-Lite4 RX the 

verdict was unambiguous – 

the lightweight, system compatible 

D-Lite was destined to 

replace a couple of the more 

‘professional’ BRX heads just 

to get 1/8000s sync and ƒ1.2 

exposure in the studio, on 

their regular Canon DSLR 

bodies. In fact both the location 

and studio combinations 

using the EL Skyport Plus HS 

got the thumbs-up. 

Syncing feelings 

Since many photographers 

already use a wide range of 

alternative flash brands to 

do hypersync with suitable 

new wireless triggers, we have 

been doing some further tests 

using kit cheaply sold by 

Amazon and on eBay. 

To get anything like the 

same functionality as the 

Elinchrom kit, you’ve got to 

spend just as much. We encountered 

plug-in wireless receivers 

which do not give the 

advertised control of studio 

flash head settings, hypersync 

timings where no microdelay 

setting between 0 and 99 can 

replicate the minimal exposure 

gradation effect given by 

the recommended Elinchrom 

combinations, and real output 

and specifications which bear 

little relationship to the product 

data. 

What actually works well 

with the cheaper dedicated 

hypersync triggers is to find 

an old flash unit with a very 

long output duration, and 

add either a sync cable connection 

or a simple trigger 

like the old Wien IR kit hiding 

in the studio cupboard. A 

vintage Metz 60 CT-4 fired at 

full power proved to light up 

the scene for over 1/250s with 

a ‘long tail’ of relatively even 

and bright output, giving 

good results when plugged 

in to a either low-cost Pixel 

or Godox HSS triggers – and 

equally good via the sync 

cable output of the Skyport 

Plus HS. 

Be careful when testing, 

as a vintage German-made 

ring flash head for the Metz 

instantly blew the X-sync circuit 

on a low cost Godox trigger 

(no harm to the camera). 

The same unit did not destroy 

a Pixel King trigger but was 

not given any chance to kill 


Freezing the action – 1/8000s sliced from a regular flash duration 

For this test shot by John Parris for a test of Sony’s 70-300mm FE G lens which appears in ƒ2 Cameracraft, the widest aperture of the lens at 123mm was 

ƒ5 and this of course does not allow a strong background defocus. But at ISO 800 and 1/8000s the EL Skyport Plus HS and two D-Lite4 RX heads (one 

bounced as a general fill) give a pin-sharp result. This is a 13 megapixel crop from the 42 megapixel Sony A7RII original, with 300dpi crops below. 

the Elinchrom electronics 

with its 300-360V trigger 

circuit. After finding that 

cable connections to old flash 

kit with high trigger voltage 

can harm digital triggers just 

as they can harm DSLR and 

mirrorless bodies, our advice 

must be to use a a slave cell 

connected to the old flash 

unit and put a small flashgun 

or IR trigger on the camera or 

wireless trigger. 

To produce a multi-flash 

Hi-Sync setup with the EL 

Skyport Plus HS, you only 

need a single RX compatible 

pack or head. This can receive 

the precisely timed HSSprotocol 

X-sync signal which 

the camera dedicated (Nikon, 

Canon or Sony) trigger enables. 

Your additional flash heads 

can all be fired using optical 

slave cells and the timing will 

be perfect. Provided these 

heads have relatively long 

durations – a head rated at 

around 1/800s to 1/1000s 

T=0.5 should be fine – you 

will get hi-sync/hypersync 

from a multi-head lighting 

arrangement. This works 

perfectly even with very 

fast shutter speeds, as the 

optical slaves are even faster 

than wireless sync, whether 

designated as a ‘speed’ 

variant (2.4GHz) or standard 

(433KHz). 

Normally all heads will be 

set to full power, and exposure 

is controlled by aperture, 

shutter speed and ISO. Depending 

on the type of flash, 

some can be set to a lower 

power and work. Check what 

kind of flash you have. Those 

which have short durations 

at maximum power, and long 

durations at low power, may 

be well suited to hypersync at 

medium output. 

The bad news is that you 

can’t use Elinchrom ELC and 

many of the latest generation 

heads from other makes, as 

they are designed for precisely 

controlled short flash 

durations with no ‘long tail’. 

The level of experiment, 

trial and error involved when 

mixing old and new kit may 

simply be off-putting in 

which case your solution is to 

buy the new kit, as needed, 

and do it out of the box without 

workarounds. That’s one 

reason the Elinchrom Hi-Sync 

combo of trigger and either 

D-Lite4 RX or Quadra ELB 

400 HS appeals. Follow their 

guidelines and you can use 

it straight away, no risks, no 

trial, no error. – DK 

Á 

www.theflashcentre.com 


PROP UP YOUR SALES 

Invest in imaginative props – keep your newborn, baby and family studio 

photography fresh with furnishings and settings to stage and pose better sittings. 

We talked to Melanie East AMPA about props, and how specialist prop-maker 

Mark Bushkes of Magic Bean has ideas which can boost your business. 

The tree stump and 

nest on the right will 

be familiar to many 

newborn photographers now, 

after Melanie East commissioned 

this versatile ‘Narniatheme’ 

setting from Magic 

Bean Studio. The tree base 

can be used on its own with 

a fleece, or with the full nest 

cocoon. 

With props playing an important 

rôle in studio brand 

identity and marketing, we 

asked Melanie about her use 

of high-end custom designs. 

MP: Should custom props be 

used mainly to produce showpiece 

photographs, the ones you 

use for advertising and promotion, 

or as a regular option for 

all your clients - or reserved for 

a premium package? 

ME: Custom props should be 

used to take photography to 

the next level. They should be 

used to define your style. You 

can then differentiate yourself 

and your products from your 

competitors, without needing 

to compete on price. So many 

photographers feel that price 

needs to be competitive. It 

really doesn’t. 

MP: Do you retire a distinctive 

newborn prop after one promotion, 

or a period, and have 

another one ordered ready to 

replace it? 

ME: I do not retire bespoke 

hand made props. Many 

props can be dressed up 

or down in order to create 

different images. Bespoke 

high end props can always 

be used – they aren’t one off 

wonders, they are designed 

to have multiple uses and to 

create high end images for 

clients, as opposed to the 

usual buckets and tubs that a 

lot of newborn photographers 


are using. Watch out for my 

collaboration with Magic 

Bean Studios on newborn 

creativity, which we will be 

demonstrating at the Meet 

the Masters Day on October 

16th – extended use of props 

and scenery which will not 

only show you how bespoke 

props can be used, but will 

also show you how you can 

use the buckets, tubs and 

beds which most newborn 

photographers have in their 

studio, to create more creative 

and different imagery. 

MP: Do you eventually sell more 

expensive newborn props on to 

other photographers, the way 

that backgrounds and regular 

posing aids like blocks and 

chaise-longue furniture tend to 

change hands? 

ME: Bespoke high end props 

become assets to your business 

and your creativity. If 

you treat it like an asset, like 

a favourite lens, to create your 

look, it becomes indispensable. 

The prop which is more 

bespoke becomes a much 

higher value asset to your 

collection. 

MP: How much input to you 

have into the look of a prop 

when a specialist designer studio 

like Magic Bean makes one for 

you? 

ME: When I first spoke to 

Magic Bean about the creation 

of a nest I had in mind 

a ‘Narnia’ theme. I wanted 

a look of purity. I had a particular 

look in mind. Magic 

Bean created exactly what I 

wanted. However, the creative 

process is very much two way 

– it is the degree of enthusiasm 

and excitement for a 

particular idea which starts 

to take shape as the conversation 

continues. I was able to 

explain how babies are posed 

and Magic Bean were able 

then to create a prop with 

safety in mind. Depending on 

your genre of photography, 

you are the specialist in how 

the finer details of that prop 

will look. 

MP: Photographers who may 

spend £30 or £40 on a simple 

faux-antique prop may never 

Facing page, above and left: how 

one prop can be used for different 

seasonal styles, and configurations. 

MELANIE EAST AMPA is a 

specialist newborn photographer, 

MPA Judge, MPA mentor 

and as well as running her 

newborn studio, also teaches 

professional photographers 

the art and business of newborn 

photography. She will 

be speaking and shooting at 

Meet the Masters Day. For 

further information please 

contact Melanie at 

melanie@theartofthenewborn.co.uk 


have commissioned a handmade 

prop. How much would be a 

reasonable budget for the kind 

of eye-catcher which could be 

the centre of a window display 

or an e-campaign? 

ME: A prop which costs 

£30 is marketed to the mass 

market which means they are 

mass produced. As they are 

mass produced the unique 

cost is lower so therefore the 

price point can be lower with 

a good enough margin to 

make it attractive for more 

people to buy. 

When you enter into 

bespoke props, it is the other 

way around – there is a significantly 

lower volume, as 

each individual unit cost to 

produce is higher, in terms 

of man hours, materials and 

research time. The point of 

bespoke high end props is to 

create unique imagery. 

I commissioned my bird’s 

nest for £695. I have used 

this again and again and my 

clients adore it. I made my 

money back in the first shoot 

using it. I then allowed Magic 

JULES HUNTER’S BUMPCASTS: Jules, a Licentiate of MPA, is also a 

trained ‘bump caster’ making plastercasts of prenatal bulges which become 

a crib-like setting for the baby later on. She uses a Magic Bean woodland 

plinth for the example above. 

Bean to reproduce it for other 

studios once I had received 

mine. If, however, you wish 

for complete exclusivity over 

the design and use of a prop 

then obviously the price 

point will be higher. 

MP: Many photographers buy 

props like distressed wooden 

boxes and baskets which were 

not designed for neonatal use. 

If they are not a purpose-made 

prop, there might be insurance 

issues should anything 

go wrong, but there’s no real 

control of standards even for 

purpose-sold items. How do you 

ensure your props and posing 

aids are safe? 

ME: It is always a matter for 

the photographer to ensure 

that safety is paramount, that 

props are not too lightweight, 

and that babies are supported 

at all times. 

When I posed the baby in 

the birds nest, both the nest, 

and the baby were supported 

at all times, with parents 

hands removed in post production. 


The nest was also designed 

so that it was not a lightweight 

prop. When using 

lighter weight props such as 

tin buckets, there should be 

at least a 10lb weight in the 

bottom. Babies should never 

be left unsupported. 

MP: What types of fabric or 

throw do you recommend? Some 

small babies can react badly to 

different natural or man-made 

materials, and the difference 

between a high quality angora 

and cheap mohair or a fake-fur 

substitute could be important. 

We’re thinking here of whether 

it’s OK to buy something 

from The Range or B&M, and 

whether all the crafters who 

make knitted newborn photography 

‘fashion’ are working with 

hypoallergenic wools. 

ME: I use 100% cotton jersey 

for my beanbag backdrop. I 

don’t use man made fabrics 

in my studio as babies can 

sweat and cheaper fabrics 

may be scratchy or irritate. 

With regard to the crafters 

who make my knitted props 

Magic Bean’s lock-together studio baroque backdrop as seen at the 2015 

Meet the Masters Open Day. 

– I only use knitters who use 

the very highest quality and 

softest yarn. 

MP: This leads on to the tricky 

question of washing, or charging 

clients for props and knits which 

can not be cleaned. Even with 

really careful hand washing 

knits can lose their shape or felt 

up and we guess they would 

be best not washed at all – but 

how does this fit with client 

care? Should mums be encouraged 

to buy or make their own, 

or maybe the studio should use 

brand new items and sell them 

to each client? 

ME: I would never charge 

a client for props and knits 

which can not be cleaned. It 

is a risk of the job – babies 

relieve themselves on your 

props, on your knits, wraps 

and flokatis! All my fabrics 

are washed with Fairy Non 

Bio and without fabric conditioner 

(fabric conditioner can 

irritate sensitive skins). If an 

item can not be cleaned then 

it is thrown away. This is why 

it is important to ensure that 

photographers charge enough 

for their work! I would not 

advise mothers to buy or 

make their own, because you 

have no idea what they may 

arrive with, and a photographer’s 

style is defined not 

only by their use of posing 

and lighting, but also by the 

fabrics, outfits, textures, tones 

and colours they use. 

MP: Every fashion season, 

Pantone Inc issue a colour guide 

which is endorsed by the garment 

industry. Would it help 

photographers if we published 

the coming season’s colour 

themes? 

ME: Timeless and beautiful is 

key. As soon as you enter into 

anything regarding fashion it 

can become a fad, it comes in 

and out of fashion – we want 

images which have longevity. 

That’s where the value is. 

Á 

Want to do this too? 

Magic Bean Studio provide 

stunning themed props 

but also a complete 

Newborn business in a 

box package which 

enables you to set up 

easily and profit quickly. 

Image by 

Melanie East 

mark@magicbeanstudio.co.uk - www.magicbeanstudio.co.uk 


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REGIONS 

EAST MIDLANDS 

October 18th 2016 – Jenny 

Johnston of 3XM is one of the 

key speakers at the awards day, 

and she is returning to the 


right after the awards weekend 

to give an in-depth seminar 

accompanied by her colleague 

from 3XM Photovalue, Ronan 

Ryle, and by guest speaker Tobias 

Robins. See advert, page 25. 

“The event is gearing up to 

be something really special with 

a fabulous guest speaker and 

lots of new updates from the 

world of Facebook and online 

marketing to share”, writes Jenny. 

“If you book now you'll get the 

Early Bird ticket rate of just £30, 

saving you £10.” 

The programme includes: 

Selling Online with Ronan Ryle 

The art of selling digital images 

in studio, success using online 

galleries, and the important 

numbers you need to know to 

drive your business forward. 

Facebook for Photographers with 

Jenny Johnston 

Learn how to create content on 

your Facebook page that will 

help your business stand out 

from the crowd, generate new 

leads, make existing data work 

harder for you and find out how 

you can create huge engagement 

on Instagram. 

15 secrets with Tobias Robins 

Most photographers are just 

getting by or struggling and 

never build the business they 

truly want, despite their high 

level of ability. Tobias sees the 

same mistakes over and over 

again and in this high energy, 

fast paced, and engaging 

talk, multi award winning 

photographer Tobias will share 

with you secrets that have 

supercharged his business and 

Jason Banbury (left) receiving Welsh Master Photographer of the Year, an 

appropriate slate plaque trophy, from MPA President Steve Walton 

TS 

cialists 

FINDING YOUR REGION ON FACEBOOK 

REGIONAL news, discussion and updates can be found on Facebook. To 

find the main MPA page, type ‘Master Photographers Association’. For regions, 

type ‘The MPA’; for special groups including China, Malaysia, Cherubs, 

Qualifications, type ‘MPA’ – in each case you’ll get a list of options. 

Here are the full URLs of active regional UK Facebook pages: 

https://www.facebook.com/MPA.Central.Region 

https://www.facebook.com/The-MPA-London-Essex-Region 

https://www.facebook.com/MPANorthernRegion 

https://www.facebook.com/The-MPA-Welsh-Region 

https://www.facebook.com/The-MPA-West-Midlands-Region 

https://www.facebook.com/The-MPA-Scottish-Region 

https://www.facebook.com/The-MPA-South-East-Region 

https://www.facebook.com/The-MPA-South-West-Region 


The Master Photographers Association 

01325 356555 

Qualifications 

www.masterphotographersassociation.co.uk/qualification-dates-2016/ 

September 30th 

November 25th 

EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY . SENSATIONAL PRICES . SPEEDY SERVICE 

those of others worldwide… that 

most photographers either don’t 

know or don’t do. 

LONDON PORTRAIT 

GROUP 

October 4th 2016 – Todd Lewis, 

Live from the USA… Marketing 

Wizard (to be confirmed). 

November 1st 2016 – Print 

critique, judge to be announced. 

December 6th 2016 – Social 

meeting & overall presentation. 

Contact: Michael Bird AMPA 

Chairman London Portrait Group 

01992 652901 

SOUTHERN REGION 

A MEETING was scheduled to be 

held on September 5th, before 

this magazine was due to mail , 

to re-start the Southern Region. 

See Facebook: 

https://www.facebook.com/ 

events/278910065820070/ 

Those who have attended will 

know the outcome by now. 

WELSH REGION 

September 12th 2016 – Model 

Photo Shoot at Glynhir House (to 

be confirmed) at Llandybie, near 

Ammanford in Carmarthenshire. 

This venue offers great 

opportunities for both indoor 

and outdoor photography. We 

will organise the location and 

the model, and we will ensure 

that there is a wide range of 

equipment and techniques 

available to try out which 

perhaps you would not normally 

have access to. The rest will be 

up to you! This is not a formal 

seminar, but an ‘experience and 

development’ day where we 

teach to and learn from each 

other. There will be a charge 

for this to cover the venue and 

model hire costs. 

Á 

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Cmercrƒt 

f2 

You can read ƒ2 

Freelance Photographer 

incorporating Cameracraft 

on your mobile device or 

Mac/PC 

Visit: 

http://bit.ly/1QSAdVb 

Master Photography is 

available as a PDF edition. 

Visit: 

http://bit.ly/1NwnLbr 

MPA 

REGIONS 

CENTRAL 

Paul Wilkinson FMPA 

6 High Street 

Haddenham 

Bucks HP17 8ER 

01844 291000 

enquiries@Paulwilkinsonphotography.co.uk 

EAST MIDLANDS 


13 Juniper Close 

Leicester Forest East 

Leicester LE3 3JX 

0116 2994901 

stevewaltonphotography.info 

LONDON & ESSEX 

Raymond R Lowe Hon FMPA 

123 Crossbrook Street 

Cheshunt 

Hertfordshire EN8 8LY 

01992 636152 

ray@raylowe.co.uk 

NORTHERN REGION 

Steven Ramsden LMPA 

10 Gillingwood Road 

Clifton Moor 

York, North Yorkshire YO30 4ST 

01904 479063 

info@steveramsdenstudio.co.uk 

NORTH WEST 

David Thexton LMPA 

T&J Photographic 

111 Ramsden Street 

Barrow in Furness 

Cumbria LA14 2BW 

01229 835 035 

smile@tjphoto.co.uk 

SCOTLAND 

Martin Leckie LMPA 

33B High Street 

Inverurie 

AB51 3QA 

01467 672000 

martin@martinleckie.com 

SOUTH EAST 

Paul Inskip 

63 Queensway 

Bognor Regis 

West Sussex PO21 1QL 

01243 861634 

paul@mepphoto.co.uk 

SOUTH WEST 

Contact MPA HQ 

WALES 

Collin Davies LMPA 

High Society Photography 

Caecarrig House 

15 Caecarrig Road 

Pontarddulais 

West Glamorgan SA4 8PB 

01792 883274 

sales@highsocietyphotography.co.uk 

WESSEX 

Anthony Von Roretz LMPA 

22/24 Trinity Street 

Salisbury 

Wiltshire SP1 2BD 

Telephone: 01722 422224 

info@trinity-photography.co.uk 

WEST MIDLANDS 


13 Juniper Close 

Leicester Forest East 

Leicester LE3 3JX 

0116 2994901 

stevewaltonphotography.info 



© Frederico Martins 

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