Issue 22
May 2011
Helping you take better photos
Landscapes: Becky Nunes
Reader’s Submission: Phillip Bailey Astro Competition Winner Sensors: To Clean or To Kill? 1 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
CONTENTS 4
6 Becky
Critique 26 Cool stuff
20 Pic
of the Bunch
16 Sensors: to clean or kill 2 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Nunes
10 Reader Submission Philip Bailey
Editorial
ABOUT
Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free! EDITOR Ollie Dale, ANZIPP editor@nzphotographer.co.nz GROUP EDITOR Trudi Caffell
I
n July this year NZ photographer will be 2
new leader.
years old – how time flies! Because there
So this is it – the opportunity of a lifetime
was so much work involved in setting it up
for one talented, inspired person! Do you
I’ve been working on our ‘little baby’ for well
want to be our next editor? Are you good
over 2 years...
with deadlines? Do you want to share your
....and now it’s time to move on.
love of photography with people all over the
NZ Photographer has been a pleasure
country?
– people have so many nice things to say
Apply now to Espire Media, by email
about how we inspire them, how they love
(alastairn@espiremedia.com) before June the
the articles, how it’s great getting to know
8th (Issue 23) and we will be in touch to see
of other photographers from around NZ
if you have the passion and the drive to help
because of our interviews.
guide NZ Photographer and our readers into
Now is a time for a change – my personal
the future!
ART DIRECTOR Jodi Olsson ADVERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Alastair on 09 523 4112 or email alastairn@espiremedia.com ADDRESS NZ Photographer, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZ WEBSITE www.nzphotographer.co.nz
life is getting busier as my wife Jackie is expecting baby number 3 in August, and my professional life is heating up with our GrowBaby business on top of what we
NZ Photographer is an Espire Media publication
already do with PhotoNZ. My focus needs to be elsewhere and NZ Photographer needs a Cover Image: Competition Winner Derek Spender
Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/nzphoto
3 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Ask questions and join the discussion on Facebook: facebook.com/nzphotographer
CRITIQUE
There’s no better way to learn than by
at Iris, NZ’s professional photography
photographer for 7 years, and has clients
having your work critiqued! In this section
awards. Her studio, ImageMe (www.
such as the Auckland Airport, Visa,
you get to have your work critiqued by
imageme.co.nz) is located in Takapuna
Microsoft, Westpac, Unitec and BMW. He
professional photographers Lisa Crandall
in Auckland. She also runs photography
is also a qualified commercial member
and Ollie Dale.
workshops,
and Associate of the New Zealand
Lisa Crandall is a multi-award winning portrait photographer. In 2008 she was named ‘People Photographer of the Year’
and
is
a
Master
of
Photography in the New Zealand Institute
Institute
of Professional Photography (MNZIPP).
(ANZIPP).
Ollie
has
been
a
of
Professional
Photography
professional
Sized Up YOUR WORK CRITIQUED Camera: Panasonic DMC FZ35
AUTHOR’S COMMENTS: I recently biked the
rain and through I would try to get a reflection
Shutter: 1/100 sec
Otago rail trail and at one of the historic
shot. I haven’t done anything to the photo; it’s
Aperture: f/3.6
bridges I wanted to capture the historic look
straight from the camera. I like the way the
ISO:
80
of the bridge. I was at one end of the bridge
photo turned out but I’m keen to know how I
Author: Tuhi Mueller
when I saw a puddle of water from recent
could improve the photo, thanks.
4 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
OLLIE’S COMMENTS: I like that you stopped to capture something you’d seen in your mind – looking for photos is a good skill to practise. Apart from the lovely depth of field you’ve achieved with f/3.6, the first thing that I notice when I look at your image is the different sections that make up your photo – the diminishing railing (A), the distant background (B) and... this enormous distraction of a foreground (C).
A
B
Immediately I want to crop the foreground out – it’s a third of your image that doesn’t need to be there at all – in fact, you could have cropped this yourself by putting the camera closer to the water when you took
C
the shot – this would have accentuated the reflections more, which is what you were after. So, having cropped the bottom off that leaves us with the railing and distant background. My choice for the crop is a little bit off each end, to remove some of the extra space. (OP1) How you treat them is up to you, and here is what I would have done if it were my shot (OP2). You may have different preferences, of course!
OP 1
OP 2
Call for entries: Get your images critiqued by professionals – send an image to critique@nzphotographer.co.nz with a brief description of how and why you took the shot, and we’ll tell you what we think and if it could be improved. The views and opinions expressed in this section are only two people’s ideas on photographic imagery. You may have different, constructive ideas about how good or not the images are, and what could be done to them. You’re welcome to send those ideas in to editor@nzphotographer.co.nz. We agree that the opinions contained in this critique section are by no means the only opinions that could be held about these images.
5 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Getting to know
Becky Nunes NZIPP Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010
I
’ve been lucky enough to get to know
award, and I thought, with her current role
available for download from:
Becky Nunes over the last 3 years – I part-
teaching photography, she’d hopefully
shared her studio with her after seeing an
inspire you to greatness, or at least coax
w w w. p h o t o n z . c o m / n z p / c o n t e n t / BeckyNunes_96Kbps.mp3 (18MB),
advertisement right around the time I realised I
you off the couch and into landscape
or
could no longer work from home.
photography.
w w w. p h o t o n z . c o m / n z p / c o n t e n t / BeckyNunes_56Kbps.mp3 (10MB)
NZIPP
The full interview, with lots of extra bits
Landscape Photographer of the Year
Last
year
Becky
won
I simply couldn’t fit in to this transcript, is
6 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
the
Becky Nunes: I completed my tertiary
and I had a brilliant relationship with my
education in Film and Literature in England,
lab, and it was giving up a whole workflow
and decided to come to NZ, where I
that had nothing wrong with it, so it was
was given the opportunity to work with
only when I was able to buy a medium
Bill Nichol in the late ‘80s. That was
format level of digital that I considered it,
when there were a relatively small number
and I bought a Hasselblad H1, which I still
of photographers working in high-end
use today.
commercial photography in Auckland or in
When it comes to my business, I’ve
NZ, and everyone had full-time assistants
been a victim and a beneficiary of my
and studios - it was a good time for
approach, which has been really broad all
commercial photography!
the way through my career. I’ve worked in
I apprenticed to Bill for nearly 6 years,
just about every area of photography there
and did a little bit of freelance assisting. I
is – shooting live music and bands, food,
graduated on to shooting for myself whilst
architecture, still life and product... in some
I was working for Bill, and by the time he
ways it’s a bit of a stumbling block when
decided to move to the South Island in
you’re trying to create a profile and build
1993 I felt that I was ready to start my own
a niche. No sooner than I’d start to get a
studio.
following in an area I’d find I’d morphed
I took on what became Studio 3D as an
into something else.
empty shell, put power and water in and
Despite that, by the early 2000’s I had
lived in a mezzanine floor and it was very
a consistent profile among the design
much hand to mouth for five years, just
agencies,
building up my kit. Because Bill downsized
commercial work of a decent budget would
to move to Dunedin I was fortunate that I
come through the doors. I still find word-of-
could buy a starting kit from him, at a very
mouth marketing is by far the best, and I’m
good rate, and I was able to set up and
fortunate that projects walk in through the
work in all formats from the start, from
door - I wouldn’t recommend my approach
35mm to 5x4” etc.
to anyone else!
so
the
relatively
consistent
I only had a very basic lighting set-up,
The two-handed change in my career
so any money I made in the first five to ten
in the last few years is having a child I’m
years went back into buying gear... and
raising myself, and I was offered a full-
during that time, of course, we transitioned
time position at Whitecliffe College of
from film to digital.
Art and Design where I’d been teaching
Shifting to digital was a terrifying concept
part-time for about three years. I’ve now
- when you’d spent your whole professional
been full-time for two years, and this year
career getting to understand transparency
I was asked to take on the role of Head of
film and shooting it in large format, the idea
Department, so I’m pretty much a full-time
of moving to digital in 2004 was just “why
educator now.
would you?” There were lots of doubters,
7 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
When it comes to my business, I’ve been a victim and a beneficiary of my approach, which has been really broad all the way through my career.
8 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
NZP:
Last
year
you
won
the
photographer
images. You need to think about what
Photographer
professional or not, and I think those sorts of
kind of sensor you have or what kind
of the Year - how did you get into
images are valid for the person who made
of camera you are shooting with.
landscapes?
them, first and foremost as photographers
Images in the environment tend to be
it feels satisfying to respond visually to the
quite underwhelming at a small size,
BN: My landscape photography started out
environment, and secondly because time
so if you’ve made something you
as editorial – years ago I did a series of travel
is this amazing thing and the value of a
think is successful it probably wants
stories with a writer called Tess Redgrave that
photograph can shift radically 50 or 100
to be “bigger”, and that can be
were published in Next magazine. From that
years on.
disappointing if it falls apart because
NZIPP
Landscape
That
goes
for
any
a book came about, and that was my first
However, when you take on landscape
taste of going out and immersing myself in
photography I ask you to think before you
landscapes.
press the shutter - are you saying anything
4. Everybody’s all over HDR in landscape
It was all 35mm film, and was mostly
that hasn’t been said? Or are you saying
photography - I find that really dull.
unrepeatable moments I had to get on the fly.
it in a tone of voice that you maybe think
People think it’s a magic wand. “It’s a
it’s noisy or grainy, or it’s a bit soft - you need a good quality lens etc.
As my career became more commercial,
hasn’t been expressed? Are you challenging
landscape therefore it must be HDR”.
the landscape stuff has become work on
the way people think at all? Is there a
Well not necessarily. That kind of
behalf of Tourism NZ and local tourism, and
purpose to that image? Is there a point to it?
hyper-reality makes me think of real
There is an “I have witnessed” syndrome.
estate agents photography (laughs). It’s
much more staged and researched. Landscape photography is a broad
“I was here. I saw it”. In which case great,
like a dark room tool. It can be used
genre, and in the same way that we live in
put it in your album, but don’t inflict it on the
really beautifully or it can be used in
a post-documentary world, we’re in a post-
rest of the world; countless images like that
an awful way.
landscape world. It’s very easy to create
already exist on flickr and beyond.
5. You kinda need to have a brief in your mind; almost like you’re working on
“chocolate box” landscape imagery - it’s extremely prevalent, and it’s very easily
Landscape Tips:
a commission. Like, “I want to find a
consumed.
1. You have to train yourself to look and
unique way of looking at rangitoto.
I’m not so interested in making “documents”
you need to always be seeing. I know
What is rangitoto? What is this
of landscapes – some photographers make
that some of the best landscapes I have
volcano in the middle of the harbour?”
wonderful documents of places, but that’s not
made are of places I’ve gone back to.
Make yourself a set of bullet point
where I’m at, so much.
A good landscape photographer has
thoughts of what it actually is to you,
We have to make a distinction between
the knack of driving with one eye on
and then go and find that shot. Then
images that we make because we hope
the road and one eye out the window,
you don’t just default back to other
they are expressing something new or
and then you find somewhere and you
landscapes you’ve seen. It’s more
challenging and images we make as
think “this is kinda interesting, and it
about answering your own set of
photographers because we are always
needs to be first thing in the morning”,
questions.
attracted to light and form. Often we can’t
and then you have to come back.
help ourselves but make an image if we
2. Don’t leave the house without a tripod.
see something that’s framed beautifully, or
3. Usually you do want to avoid noise
because the light is perfect.
6. Loads
of
research
of
other
people’s work!
and or grain in your landscape
Becky Nunes currently heads the BFA Photography Department at Whitecliffe College of Arts and Design in Auckland. She is also continuing to work on select commercial projects, and has a show of her work, in conjunction with Jan Young, opening at the NKB Gallery in Mt Eden as part of the Auckland Festival of Photography. For more go to wwwbeckynunes.co.nz
9 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Becky Nunes
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Becky Nunes
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FROM THE READER
Reader’s Submission:
Philip Bailey I
got interested in photography through a friend of mine. I was searching for something in my life to focus on to help
me after the passing of my son, so for me photography means so much to me on so many levels. Over
the
last
18
months
I
have
been getting into portrait and wedding photography. My main interests are creative work and weddings, and moving forward my main goals are to increase my skills and knowledge in those fields. With
my
photography
I’m
finding
my direction of choice is more towards transforming the normal and demanding a different view point. Over the next 12 months my goal is to focus on creating more creative artworks like the many I have displayed here, as i feel it showcases my ability to capture and digitally enhance an image, which, I believe, helps me stand out from many other photographers. Thanks so much for sharing your work, Philip! It’s great to show other people what you’re up to. Maybe it’ll inspire them to challenge their reality too! - Ed
12 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
PHILIP BAILEY
13 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
PHILIP BAILEY
14 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
15 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
PHILIP BAILEY
16 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
PHILIP BAILEY
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FEATURE
Sensors To Clean or Kill
T
his first part is from a post I made
really interesting and useful info!
times?”
online at http://forum.Planet5D.com
The original post asked: “Better to turn
Several comments were made, and I
– if you like forums and haven’t tasted
off the camera before lens changing? Is
thought I’d share my point because it touches
this one then you really should – loads of
it appropriate to turn on and off so many
on a few things we should all keep in mind.
You’re correct about a number of things - an electromagnetically charged sensor will attract dust, and changing the lens increases the chance of dust entering the camera body, and a dust-free environment minimises the risk of dust. However, there are several other points to consider. 1. Simply taking the lens off won’t directly mean dust on your sensor - remember, the SHUTTER IS CLOSED! Dust doesn’t magically pass through the metal shutter because your sensor may or may not have charge running through it. 2. Even if you turn your camera off to change the lens, if you introduce dust to the internal chamber then turn your camera back on AND TAKE A PHOTO (i.e. open the shutter) you’re just as likely to have the dust stick itself to your sensor as you would be if you’d left your camera ‘on’ during the lens change. 3. Regularly dusting the back end of your lenses with a lens cloth and blowing out the inside chamber of your camera with a hand pump is a much more reliable way of minimising dust - don’t use compressed air in a can because the propellant can leave a residue, and NEVER use it on the sensor directly! 4. When you change lenses, open the new lens, dust it with a lens cloth, remove the lens on the camera and keep the camera body pointing down, swap the new lens onto the camera and then clean the old lens before putting away. 5. Most professional photographers will agree that “dust-free environments” are a myth, other than in hospitals and the Lexar manufacturing plant and the like. You are working, you need to change lenses, so you do. Better to have 2 bodies and change lenses less! 6. Have a professional train you on how to use sensor cleaning fluid to clean your own sensor, but beware that this is risky! If you don’t do it properly you can ruin your sensor. And even after minimising your dust as above, accept the fact that you will, one day, need to take your camera in for a professional sensor clean. Source: Planet5D.com
18 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
And staying with the sensor theme, and
safe and not common to get damage
televised concert, laser show producers work
also with Planet5D.com, here’s a remarkable
(you’ll see in the video that several lasers
with clients to avoid TV camera locations
post about the damage that a laser beam
hit the camera but only one caused the
and video projectors (ILDA Members, see this
can do to your sensor – remarkable because
damage), we thought you should know.
page for details). However, it is not possible
I’ve photographed lasers many times and
We thought we’d check up on this a bit
for laser show producers to be responsible
never knew how close I was to losing my
and found this page on the International
for all cameras and camcorders which might
sensor!
Display Laser Association’s site which says:
be at a show.
Lasers used in a light show have
“Lasers emit concentrated beams of
Therefore, if you attend a show as
damaged a Canon EOS 5D Mark II
light, which can heat up sensitive surfaces
an audience member, you should take
(reviews) CMOS sensor and I sure didn’t
(like the eye’s retina) and cause damage.
reasonable precautions not to let a laser
know it was possible, but I thought I’d get
Camera
beam directly enter your camera lens.”
a warning out since it appears to have
damage, similar to the human eye.
damaged this guy’s sensor. I would suspect that
all
CMOS
sensors are probably susceptible including Sony, etc.,
– Nikon,
Panasonic but
maybe
because we’re using larger
lenses
on
the HDSLR cameras would tend to focus more of the laser’s beam on the sensor (I’m no scientist so I’m
just
guessing
here, but it makes some sense). While it appears to be mostly
19 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
sensors
are
susceptible
to
For large scale shows, such as on a
Source: Planet5D.com
PIC OF THE BUNCH
PIC OF THE BUNCH
T
his month’s winner is Derek Spender! Derek’s astro-composite of a lunar eclipse was engaging, in focus, and
suited our cover the best. Special mention MUST be made of veteran NZ Photographer cover winner Melanie Beres, for her beautiful star-trails image, and of Steve Baldwin’s image of Omega Centauri, both of which were images that were debated over long and hard for the top image. Well done for making our decision a tough one! Derek wins this issue’s cover and a $100 voucher from the fabulous people at Giclée Print. For all YOUR fine art and
canvas
printing
www.gicleeprint.co.nz
20 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
needs,
visit
THE BEST OF THE REST:
Judy Stokes
Mike Brown
21 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Melanie Beres
22 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Sharon Dilks
Paul Willyams Steve Baldwin
Susan Pretorius
23 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
COMPETITIONS
A
fter our mammoth interview with
challenge yourself to think outside the
Becky Nunes the challenge is
traditional-landscape box!
now for you to come up with a
One last quote from Becky to save our
Landscape image that isn’t just a pretty
inbox from crashing under the weight of a
picture, or as Becky referred to it, an image
million sunset images: “There is an ‘I have
that isn’t “chocolate-box photography”.
witnessed’ syndrome. ‘I was here. I saw it’.
Here’s Becky’s comment that really sums
In which case great, put it in your album,
up what we’ll be looking for in a winning
but don’t inflict it on the rest of the world;
image:
countless images like that already exist on
“When you take on landscape photography
flickr and beyond.”
I ask you to think before you press the
Thanks again to our sponsors of our
shutter - are you saying anything that hasn’t
competitions - for all YOUR fine art and
been said? Or are you saying it in a tone
canvas printing needs, ask for Mike at
of voice that you maybe think hasn’t been
www.gicleeprint.co.nz
expressed? Are you challenging the way
One entry per person, and you must be in
people think at all? Is there a purpose to that
New Zealand or hold a NZ Passport at the
image? Is there a point to it?”
time of entry to qualify to win.
So, try not to submit pretty pictures of mountains
and
fields
and
flowers
–
Images
must
be
100dpi,
1600
pixels wide, and sent to competitions@ nzphotographer.co.nz by 5pm on Monday the 27th of June, 2011. Winner will be published in Issue 24, out on Wednesday the 13th of July, 2011.
L
ast month we decided to hold another one of our Open Competitions – only this time there’s a twist... your image
needs to have been taken in 2011!! So, the subject matter, post production techniques, composition and theme are all up to you, but the photo needs to have been taken recently. Rather than encourage a trawl through your photos from 2003 we want to see what you’re all creating NOW. HINT: Go back to Issue 20 and read our article on how to win our competitions! Thanks again to our sponsors of our competitions - for all YOUR fine art and canvas printing needs, visit www.gicleeprint.co.nz One entry per person, and you must be in New Zealand or hold a NZ Passport at the time of entry to qualify to win. Images must be 100dpi, 1600 pixels wide, and sent to competitions@ nzphotographer.co.nz by 5pm on Monday the 23rd of May, 2011. Winner will be published in Issue 23, out on Wednesday the 8th of June, 2011.
25 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
cool stuff
LIGHTROOM 3
company’s latest film stock, PX 680 Color
Are you still debating whether to upgrade to
Shade, reminds us of those Hipstamatic
Lightroom 3? Are you absolutely certain that
and Instagram shots the kids like so
your combination of Photoshop and Bridge
much these days. Except, you know -- the
is the best workflow you can have?
aforementioned apps simulate old school
Then you need to check out Scott Kelby’s
photographic processes and equipment,
“100 Ways Adobe Lightroom Kicks Adobe
while the new film achieves the same effect
Bridge’s A$$ for Photographers” – I’m sure
by using time-honored methods that remind
you can guess which side he’s on!
us of the new school smartphone apps that ape time-honored photographic processes
Source: www.photoshopuser.com/
and equipment. Just thinking about it makes
lightroom
our heads hurt! If you’ve been waiting your whole life for the perfect Polaroid 600 color film, it’s available now for US$22. Hit the
PX 680 COLOURSHADE Fortunately
for
photography
source link for more info (and some pretty buffs,
awesome sample shots).
Impossible’s mission to revive Instant Integral film hasn’t proven, well, impossible. And the
26 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
Source: Engadget
50 RED EPIC-M CAMERAS
Avatar and Titanic fame, and he’s probably
the upcoming Avatar 2 due end of 2014,
Looks like another director’s been on a
just blown US$2.9 million on his latest stash
meaning our favorite blue aliens will be
shopping spree lately, as RED’s Jim Jannard’s
of cinematographic toys -- it’s US$58,000 a
returning in a healthy 5K resolution. Keep an
just announced that he sold another 50
pop for these hand-machined professional
eye out for Jannard’s official announcement
EPIC-Ms to one generous customer. Who’s
cameras. Details are scarce at the moment,
later this week for the full lowdown.
this, you ask? Why, it’s James Cameron of
but any educated guess would point at
Source: Engadget
27 | www.nzphotographer.co.nz
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next issue of NZ Photographer…
A Final Hurrah – we say goodbye to the best Editor we’ve ever had! How To: Creative Portraits Getting to Know: Niki Coates
Issue 23, Out June 2011
Have you subscribed to NZ Photographer? It’s free! Simply visit www.nzphotographer.co.nz to get a copy of NZ Photographer delivered straight to your inbox every third Wednesday!
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