FOCUS
Edenvale Photo Club Newsletter - AUGUST 2021
Sharing Visual Art since 1950 CERPS WINNERS 2018 AND 2019
02 / AUGUST 2021 COVER IMAGE BY TONY WILSON
I used a small fish tank half filled with water. The background is a white wall and I used a two speedlight setup. One speedlight lighting the background, adjusted the exposure to get the wall to create white. The second speedlight is to the right of the fish tank set at 1/64th of a second and a white reflector on the left of the fish tank. The camera was set on a tripod with manual focus on the point where the fruit would fall F stop was worked out using a hyper-focus calculator app. Using a cable release one hand was used to trigger the camera and the other hand to drop the kiwi fruit. From what I can recall I captured this image after dropping the fruit about six times .... the 6th image worked for me.
CONTRIBUTE TO FUTURE ISSUES ANY MEMBER CAN SUBMIT MATERIAL FOR CONSIDERATION IN FUTURE PUBLICATIONS PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT IMAGES HAVE A MINIMUM RESOLUTION OF 1080 x 1925 pixels. Of course, we also have to adhere to the regulations for data protection and the rights of use according to the copyright law, therefore, we ask you to supply a declaration of consent of the person or website that you extracted your submission from. Please use the following email address to send contributions and consent letters hanlis54@gmail.com Proof reading of this magazine Kindly done by Heidi Broschk
EDENVALE PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA
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DEAR MEMBERS
Photography is fun. For most it is more than a hobby; it is a passion, an artistic expression and on outlet for the soul.
This is usually more enjoyable if you can share the experience with someone. This could be a friend, fellow club member or even better, your partner. It is a lot easier doing photography with someone who is also into photography. Most non photographers do not understand the photographic process; waiting in one spot for endless hours for that elusive bird or animal, spending hours setting up for a shot to get the lighting and composition right or just driving around a reserve taking multiple shots of the same scene or animal, sometimes long after everyone else has moved on. This sharing experience can even go one step further. It can be a knowledge sharing and learning time. Everyone has something unique to share and to offer. This can only lead to better photography so if you have someone that you can share these times with then grow together. If not, then try to find a friend or get your partner interested as well. All committee members are more than willing to offer mentorship as well, so please feel free to approach any of us if you are going on a shoot and would like guidance, or if you would be interested in joining one of us on a shoot at some point. We are also desperately looking for new blood in the committee so if you interested in helping the club improve and grow, please let us know. Not only will the club benefit, but you will to, by getting to know other club members better and even find a shoot buddy if you are looking for some variety. Find a buddy and shoot together. Not only is it more enjoyable but also safer. Photography is essentially a social activity. Interact, shoot, socialize and enjoy. Chairman: David Wolstencroft 083 229 8066 davewol@gmail.com
Looking forward to your awesome photos. Dave
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Committee Members
BI-MONTHLY MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY CONDUCTED VIA ZOOM DUE TO COVID REGULATIONS Chairman:
Treasurer:
Scoring & Promotions:
Ted Kinsman 083 461 2350 tkinsman@global.co.za
David Wolstencroft 083 229 8066 davewol@gmail.com
Marketing and Secretary: Natasha Bird 082 920 8898 mnktrad@mweb.co.za
Newsletter Editor & Graphic Design: Hanli Smit 083 253 1034 hanlis54@gmail.com
Certificates & Awards Des Alexander 083 226 1452 neoncomp@webmail. co.za
New Members, Social Media & Website Clare Appleyard 083 234 0247 clare.appleyard@gmail.com
MEETING TIME AND PLACE 2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 18H30 FOR 19H00 EDENVALE COMMUNITY CENTRE COR. VAN RIEBEECK & 2ND STREET, EDENVALE
Salons, Judges and Outings: Heidi Broschk 079 886 8515 heidib@uj.ac.za
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IN THIS ISSUE Page 6 Page 16 Page 27/39
PAST MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY -LINDA McCARTNEY
11 AUGUST CLUB NIGHT WINNERS
SET SUBJECT WINNERS
Page 28
25 AUGUST CLUB NIGHT WINNERS
Page 40
FINE ART PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Page 46
FOCUS ON MEMBERS
Page 52
SALON CLOSING DATES
Page 54
IMPALA TROPHY
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Source: Wikipedia
PAST MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
LINDA McCartney McCartney was born Linda Louise Eastman, the second of four children, in affluent Scarsdale in Westchester County, New York. She had one older brother, John, and two younger sisters, Laura and Louise Jr. Her father, Leopold Vail Epstein, was born in 1910 to Russian-Jewish immigrants, Louis and Stella Epstein. His sister, Rose Frisch, became a noted scientist, who worked on issues of women’s fertility and population studies. Her father later changed his name to Lee Eastman. He practiced entertainment law in New York for well-known clients, including bandleader, Tommy Dorsey, songwriters Harold Arlen and Jack Lawrence, and fine artists, such as Willem de Kooning and Mark Rothko. At Eastman’s request, Lawrence wrote the song “Linda” when Eastman’s daughter was four. It was recorded by Buddy Clark in 1947 and went to number 1 on the charts. Many girls born in the United States were named Linda in those years. The song was recorded again in 1963 by duo Jan and Dean.
07 / AUGUST 2021 McCartney’s mother, Louise Sara Eastman (née Lindner), was from a German-Jewish family. Her father was Max J. Lindner, founder of the Lindner Company clothing store in Cleveland, Ohio. Eastman graduated from Scarsdale High School in 1959. She then attended Vermont College, where she received an Associate of Arts degree in 1961. Her brother John, who studied law like their father, later became Paul McCartney’s attorney and manager. Linda preferred nature and animals. After graduating from Vermont College she attended the University of Arizona and majored in fine arts. While Linda was studying at the University of Arizona her mother was killed in the 1962 crash of American Airlines Flight 1 in Jamaica Bay, Queens, New York. As a result, Linda grew to hate traveling by air. In Arizona she took up nature photography as a hobby.
Photography Linda married Melville See after her mother died in 1962. They had a daughter, Heather, in December 1962. The couple divorced in 1965, and Linda resumed using her maiden name. She became a receptionist and editorial assistant for Town & Country magazine. In 1965 she became romantically involved with photographer David Dalton. She studied how he worked during photo shoots, how he set up shots and managed lighting and composition.
When she began her own shoots, such as with music groups, he said he was “astonished” at how easily she could take control of unruly or uncooperative musicians. He said that shooting rock groups was “a bloody pain in the neck. But with the lovely Linda, all this changed... Now their eyes were pinned on her.” Dalton was also impressed by the intelligence of Eastman’s daughter. “Linda and I would get high and Heather would say the most amazing things... I’d think, ‘This is André Breton at six years old!’” He added that he found Linda’s relationship with Heather a “very charming aspect of her life with this wonderful child”. When the magazine received an invitation to photograph the Rolling Stones during a record promotion party on a yacht, Eastman immediately volunteered to represent the publication. The photo shoot marked a turning point in her life:
I was the only photographer they allowed on the yacht. I just kept clicking away with the camera, and they enjoyed it and I enjoyed it, and suddenly I found that taking pictures was a great way to live and a great way to work.
Eastman’s father wanted her to undertake formal training with a professional photographer.
“Well, I never had the patience for that,” she said. “I had to trust my feelings.” But she studied the photography of horses at college in Arizona under Hazel Larsen Archer and became an avid nature hobbyist, using a high-quality Leica camera. A few months after her Rolling Stones shoot, she was allowed backstage at Shea Stadium, where the Beatles performed. Eastman had gained some experience in celebrity photography, and became an unofficial house photographer at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East concert hall. Among the artists she photographed there were Todd Rundgren, Aretha Franklin, Grace Slick, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin, Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, the Who, the Doors, the Animals, John Lennon and Neil Young. Her photo of Young, taken in 1967, was used on the cover of Sugar Mountain – Live at Canterbury House 1968 in 2008. She photographed Clapton for Rolling Stone magazine and became the first woman to have a photograph on the cover (May 11, 1968). After marrying McCartney, Linda’s photo of the two of them appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone on January 31, 1974, making her the only person to appear on the magazine’s cover who was also the photographer. Her photographs were later exhibited in more than 50 galleries internationally, and at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. A collection of photographs from that time, Linda McCartney’s Sixties: Portrait of an Era, was published in 1988. She also took the photograph for the cover of Paul McCartney and Michael Jacson’s single “The Girl Is Mine”.
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ONE STAR NATURE WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Egret TheCattle Transporter PeterMorris Fine David
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TWO STAR NATURE WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Zazu
Tahlita Verster
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TWO STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Watching the day begin Tahlita Verster
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THREE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Rose maze
Caryn Wilson
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THREE STAR NATURE WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Buffalo early evening
Brian Kleinwort
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THREE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 11 AUG 2021
On the lookout
Andrew Mayes
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FOUR STAR NATURE WINNER
11 AUG 2021
Looking straight at the Camera Stephen
Kangisser
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FOUR STAR PICTORIAL WINNER
11 AUG 2021
Kayla and her Apple
Stephen
Kangisser
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5* & 5 Star Honours NATURE WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Spurwing Goose
Dave Gordon
25 / AUGUST 2021
5* & 5 Star Honours PICTORIAL WINNER 11 AUG 2021
Ruth in Mono
Hanli Smit
26 / AUGUST 2021
FIVE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 11 AUG 2021
MountainPass
Vadivelu TT
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SET SUBJECT WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Napier Bridge
Vadivelu TT
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ONE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Huawei Bokeh Surprise no edit David Morris
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TWO STAR NATURE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
lion loving gaze Peter Fine
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TWO STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Kiwi splash
Tony Wilson
31 / AUGUST 2021
THREE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Bright and beautiful
Caryn Wilson
32 / AUGUST 2021
THREE STAR NATURE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
The seed hunter
Andrew Mayes
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THREE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 25 AUG 2021
On the yellow line
Kenneth Kubheka
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FOUR STAR NATURE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Nothing like the Wild
Stephen
Kangisser
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FOUR STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Morgan and her Sunflowers Stephen
Kangisser
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FIVE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
RockMountain
Vadivelu TT
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5* & 5 Star Honours NATURE WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Cape Sugarbird
Dave Gordon
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5* & 5 Star Honours PICTORIAL WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Burnt Orange
Dino Bottega
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SET SUBJECT WINNER 25 AUG 2021
Waves
Vadivelu TT
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What is Fine Art Portrait Photography? Posted by Sergey Bidun | Nov 22, 2019 | FEATURED POSTS, PHOTOGRAPHY
https://bidunart.com/what-is-contemporary-fine-art-portrait-photography/
Many people are familiar with portrait photography, but not everyone knows the value of the fine art style. In recent years, contemporary fine art portrait photography has been getting a lot of popularity in the premium portraiture photography market. Portraits in this genre are museum quality and make simply remarkable wall art. Contemporary fine art portrait photographers are often called artists, and that is well justified. There is a high level of thought and skill that goes into creating authentic fine art portrait images. Only a highly skilled photographer can do this well if he/she has a creative vision. Portraits in contemporary fine art photography style are intended for wall art. Artwork in the fine art portrait photography genre defines the subject’s emotion in a striking and unique style. The photographer has a way of showing his vision of the subject’s character through timeless portraits . Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/2.0, 1/400s, ISO 250 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun
To get a better understanding of what contemporary fine art portrait photography involves, we have put together some information and tips. You will see patterns that you can use to create your fine artwork. We’ve included tips on posing, lighting, and expressions that will add an artistic touch to your portraits.
Fine Art Portrait Photography
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GEAR USED TO CREATE THESE IMAGES For the images listed throughout this article, different photography gear and lighting equipment were used. • Camera: CANON EOS 5DS R • Lenses: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II US | Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens | Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM • Lighting: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL Location • Retouching tablet: Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Drawing Tablet • Software: Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom • Computer: Apple iMac, 27-inch Retina 5k display PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY DEFINITION A portrait is an image of a person, with the main focus of attention on the face, facial features, and the expression. Classical poses can be just headshots, half body length, or full body. Portrait photography strives to capture the character and individual traits of the subject. The art is in capturing the personality of the person. We go into more detail about this topic in the Female Portrait photography article.
Portrait photography is about a technically precise composition and requires lots of patience and
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM f/1.6, 1/200s, ISO 50 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Light: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL System
WHAT IS CONTEMPORARY FINE ART?
practice. To bring out a subject’s personality in front of the camera is not an easy task, but it is the nature of good portrait photography. A portrait photograph isn’t a candid shot, but rather a carefully planned out image. The photographer team takes part in preparing the outfit, the location, the props, as well as lighting setup for a most successful shoot. We have dedicated a full post on tips to help you prepare for the portrait photoshoot.
The earliest forms of fine art can be dated back many centuries. Fine art included paintings, sculptures, architecture, music, poetry, performance, and later embracing photography as well. Artists and photographers who work with fine art all have something in common – they possess inborn talent.
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There are a lot of specific components for a visually appealing artwork, whether it’s the artist’s imagination, aesthetic, or intellectual content. Fine art photography also requires excellent skills in post-processing, where the artist lets his full creativity come to life.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/1.8, 1/200s, ISO 200 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Contemporary fine art refers to photography at our own time, compared to a photograph from a much earlier period. Where some fine art artists prefer to capture portraits that are similar in style of the 1600s, contemporary photographers have a different vision. As a Sacramento contemporary fine art portrait photographer, my concept is to capture the beauty of the subject in real-time. Editing portraits in my signature style enables me to highlight the main subject through post-processing.
WHEN PORTRAIT P H OTO G R A P H Y BECOMES FINE ART
In fine art photography, the photographer is the artist, and the capture of the subject is not the primary purpose. The main objective is making an artistic statement through a photograph. Fine art portrait photography is not documentary photojournalism but instead portraying an emotion or creative motivation through imagery.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/1.4, 1/160s, ISO 250 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Fine art is truly an art form practiced for its beauty,beauty, which is meant to be framed and displayed on the walls of your home. Using creative studio lighting techniques such as Rembrandt Lighting, Butterfly Lighting, or Split Lighting, you will be able to take creative portraits that are worth displaying as wall artwork. Every artwork comes from a concept or idea of the artist and how he envisions the end result. The main goal of fine art is to exist and be cherished and admired.
TIMELESS ART THAT PORTRAYS EMOTION What sets fine art portrait photography apart from other genres is that it delivers the highest effect and portrays emotion in a strong and distinctive style. Timeless portraits capture the nature of the subject’s character through an authentic vision created by the photographer. In fine art photography, artists may use location, props, posing, and lighting to shape the image to the one they are trying to achieve.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/1.8, 1/125s, ISO 500 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Eyes are distinctive facial features that always draw attention to the portrait. In fine art photography eyes play a big role in adding the expression to the portrait. See how you can highlight eyes in your portrait photography. There is no explicit way to tell which image is a fine art and which is just a portrait.
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The portrait is considered fine art when it’s something that could hang in an art gallery. Sessions that are carefully planned out with a particular concept in mind are regarded as fine art. As you may notice, there are no set boundaries when it comes to this genre. Nevertheless, there are a few patterns that we see in the most famous fine art portraits. When you introduce them to yourself, you’ll develop a sense of fine art that will help you understand and create the most astonishing pictures possible. B ACKG ROU N D S T Y L ES TH AT HI G HL I G HT T HE S UB J E C T One of the main characteristics of contemporary fine art portraits is the simple backgrounds that put the spotlight on the subjects. Having a very plain and even-toned background will highlight every feature on your model’s face like the skin texture, hair, clothing, and the props that they may be holding
Many fine art portrait photographers choose to use black or very dark backgrounds. Backgrounds like these create a sense of depth and naturally guide the eye to focus entirely on the model. Not every photographer may find dark backgrounds appealing for their type of contemporary fine art photography, so you can use neutral tones instead. When working with neutral-color backgrounds, choose backdrops that complement the model’s features, hair color, clothing, and poses. POSING TIPS FOR FINE ART PORTRAITS Posing is another essential element for successful contemporary fine art portrait photography. Skillful posing is what separates the great imagery from the good. We explain this in more detail in a Posing Tips for Portrait Photography article. Professional fine art photographers need to know how to direct the model and pose them in an elegant and natural way. Below you’ll find some posing techniques that will complement your work and make your models feel beautiful and confident.
Create separation between the arms and the body Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens Window Light | f/1.6, 1/640s, ISO 200 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun
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Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/2.2, 1/3200s, ISO 500 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun
Crossing arms or legs will make your subject look withdrawn and somewhat uncomfortable – this pose works best for business portraits. When the photographer creates physical space between the arms and the body, it will make the subject look more elegant. Such posture will give you more curves to work with, and make your setup look more visually engaging. Tuck the arms in, moving them back to hide the upper arm.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens f/2.5, 1/160s, ISO 50 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun
In fine art portrait photography, the emphasis of every photograph is on the face of the main subject. Anything that may divert the viewer from seeing the beauty of the model must be eliminated. It’s important to remember to tuck the arms in and hide the upper arm, to minimize any distractions.
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HEAD AND NECK POSING Push the chin away from the neck
Dropped shoulders posture is often used in fashion photography, as this pose creates an informal but chic look. When you lower the shoulders, it will result in even lines that will usually draw your viewers’ eyes to your subject. Tilt the head back
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/1.4, 1/1250s, ISO 500 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun By pushing the chin away from the neck, you will make sure to have good separation and no overlapping. The subject’s neck will look super long and lean, which is one of the characteristics of stunning fine art portraits Drop the shoulders
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM f/2.0, 1/200s, ISO 50 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Light: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL System
A slight tilt will help to make your model’s neck look longer and leaner, and give their body a better shape. This posture is similar to ballerinas and other dance performers and will create a classic theme for a fine art piece. Arch the back to create a shape
The arched back will help to create a perfect body shape for your subject. Your subject will not only have a great posture but will also appear more delicate and beautiful INCORPORATE COSTUMES Fine art photography has always included costumes and props. It’s up to each particular artist how much or how little they like adding it in their portraiture.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens f/2.2, 1/200s, ISO 100 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Light: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL System
Some photographers like to take the conventional road and dress their models in royalty-looking costumes. The best way to find such outfits is by visiting a local thrift store or a costume store.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM f/1.6, 1/200s, ISO 50 | Photo by © Sergey BidunLight: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL System
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 85mm f1.2L II USM Window Light | f/1.8, 1/1000s, ISO 200 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun
I bet you can always find an interesting piece that would work perfectly for a fine art portrait session. Don’t limit your outfits to just dresses, go for scarves, hats, and unique head accessories.
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INCLUDE PROPS The idea of adding inanimate objects to fine art portraits comes from old painting masters. They included flowers, bowls, instruments, or other handy objects in their paintings. Adding such props serves as one of two goals: they either help to tell a story about the model or serve as eye-catching decorations.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L USM Lens f/3.5, 1/200s, ISO 200 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun Light: Profoto B1 500 AirTTL System
Items like flowers, books, and instruments all have natural textures that could turn your photos into authentic fine art portraits. Try to find out your model’s life story and interests to help you choose the right props for the session. If you want to create more character in your contemporary fine art portraits, I suggest looking for objects that would complement your subject the most. Best objects to use for props are the ones that have textures, details, shapes, and always in neutral colors.
EDITING YOUR CONTEMPORARY FINE ART PORTRAITS Editing and color correction are indivisible components in contemporary fine art photography as they add a lot of extra depth to your portraits. Every artist has an individual style of photography as well as editing. I’ve spent a few years perfecting my editing style, and still working on it. With the help of amazing editing tools and software, I’m able to give my portraits that signature look.
Camera: Canon EOS 5DS R | Lens: Canon EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM f/2.5, 1/160s, ISO 50 | Photo by © Sergey Bidun
Editing is not a requirement, but it certainly shows off the artist’s signature technique. Fine art portrait photographers use different textures, photo resources, and color-correcting tools to take their portraits to the next level. Having a signature photography and editing style is what will set you apart from all the other portrait photographers. CONCLUSION Contemporary fine art portrait photography is a genre that will force you to reconsider your artistic skills. It will drive you to explore the inner and outer beauty of people in various forms. It will motivate you to not only capture life as it is but create unique worlds of your own.
Written by Jason Snyman By having your ideas come to life, you will develop your signature photography style. It will make you a photographer with powerful skills and a clear vision. The real beauty of this art form can be found in its freedom to be anything it aspires. Contemporary fine art photography has no limits or boundaries. It all depends on your artistic ideas, your technical skills, and the comfort zone of the subject. My advice for you is: follow your intuition, experiment with the suggestions above, and you will be way on your way to perfecting your fine art portrait photography signature style. IF YOU FOUND THIS POST HELPFUL AND INFORMATIVE PLEASE SHARE IN YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA. Photographer: Sergey Bidun Written by Maria Bidun Bidun Studio Photography is based in Sacramento, California
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sergey Bidun Sergey Bidun is a professional photographer specializing in fine art portrait, family, senior and children photography, serving the greater Sacramento area, Northern California. He is also a writer who loves helping beginner and amateur photographers in perfecting their skill, choosing right photography gear, and photo-retouching. Enjoy more of his photography at www.bidunstudio.com. You can also connect with Sergey via Instagram or Facebook
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EDENVALE MEMBER’S
FOCUS We have so many members with outstanding achievements , this is our very own “brag mag” Please send us any awards or achievements outside the realm of the Photo Club so that we can share it with all our members. FUNNY...by Andrew Mayes I took this photo on a day trip to Rietvlei with my Dad in March of this year. There was a flock of these pied starlings busy feeding in a tree just to the side of the road so we stopped to get a few shots of them in action. I was lucky enough to get a shot of this one looking directly at the camera and was quite amused at the expression on it’s face. I had recently been sent a link of the finalist photos from the 2020 competition and thought this shot may qualify as comedic enough, so I took a chance and entered it into this year’s contest. I was quite pleasantly surprised when they contacted me to inform me that it had been selected as one of the finalists for this year. The link to view the photos and vote for the image is below. Note that you stand a chance to win an Ipad for voting https://www.comedywildlifephoto.com/voteaffinity-photo-peoples-choice-award.php
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Focus asked Stephen Kangisser to tell us about his fantastic journey on the International Salon Circuit? It started in September last year when I was invited to join a group from Benoni Camera Club, as they needed an extra person to make up numbers in entering as a group. It was the Cross Continental Circuit 2020 and I was quite surprised in receiving 4 Acceptances. The “Bug” then hit me and since then have now entered another 11 International Salons. Although I do get notifications on various Salons, I appreciate Heidi putting notifications on the WhatApp group too. Obviously, it’s impossible to enter all the Salons, so I “Cherry Pick”.
48 / AUGUST 2021 Since entering the Cross Continental Circuit a year ago, which was judged by a panel from Germany, Indonesia and South Africa, I’ve entered 11 more International Salons, including Germany , India, Greece, Montenegro, Pacific Atlantic (including USA, Singapore and Greece) and Portugal. I certainly don’t enter all the categories,normally only 2 and seldom 3 or more. Fortunately I’ve always received acceptances from all the Salons I’ve entered, which certainly is encouraging.
My highlights have been : Mirror Montenegro: 1 Silver Medal , 2 Diplomas and 7 Acceptances Greek Photographic Circuit: 1 Honorable Mention , 18 Acceptances Pacific Atlantic Salon: 8 Acceptances My International exposure doesn’t stop there. I’ve had three Wildlife Images exhibited at a Wildlife Art Exhibition a few years ago in Tel Aviv. They were blown up and used in the entrance to the Exhibition of Ralph Resnik Wildlife Artist. I was also asked to submit my portraits , which is my favorite genre for an International Photographic Exhibition next week in Kolkata. My photographs were seen on one of the International Photographic Groups I’m a member of on Face Book and asked if I’d like to submit 6 images to be judged for selection. I’m honoured in that I now have 4 images that have been printed and are on the exhibition. All of this is thanks to those special people in my life for all their encouragement .
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OUR MEMBERS SHINE BRIGHTLY IN THE KRUGER MAGAZINE To participate in the Kruger magazine competition : You will need to have a Facebook account. You will be required to join the Kruger Magazine Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/ groups/1312540985533359/ The rules for the competition are outlined in the group A top 10 is picked for every issue – 4 issues a year ( Autumn Winter Spring Summer) When you join the group they may ask a few general questions .
Three Edenvale members made it to the Top 50 and went on to achieve top 10 places that will be published in the Winter and Spring Magazines WELL DONE EDENVALE
Peter Fine
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Natasha Bird
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Ruth Smit
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Closing dates for upcoming Salons 2021 find the information brochures on the PSSA website 2021-09-11 AFO 10th Digital Salon (Brochure available) 2021-09-18 5th Lowveld National Salon (Brochure available) 2021-09-25 PSSA 20th Up and Coming Salon (Brochure available) 2021-10-02 8th Swartland Salon 2021-10-30 5th Paarl National Salon of Photography (Brochure available) 2021-11-06 2nd Benoni PDI Salon (Brochure available) 2021-11-13 OTRCC 2nd National Digital Salon 2021-11-20 Cross Continental Circuit 2022-01-08 MIROC International Salon Circuit - Edenvale
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54 / AUGUST 2021
written by Clare Appleyard
PSSA Impala Trophy Results 2020/2021 When you first join a PSSA photographic club, it’s almost like senior club members are speaking a foreign language. Phrases like “salons”, “honours awards” and “The Impala Trophy” are bandied about in conversation and you nod sagely, pretending to know what those higher ranking photographers are talking about. The truth of the matter is that unless you’ve been exposed to the PSSA before, you don’t have a clue what any of the terms mean. 4 years ago, that was me and I remember the admiring tones in which Natasha Bird described previous Impala Trophy winners. It is thus fitting that today, as I’m writing an article highlighting our EPC member achievements on the Impala Trophy log, Natasha is leading the EPC Impala scorecard. Many of our EPC members have achieved a notable position on the log, which is an incredible achievement, and all deserve to be recognised.
What is the Impala Trophy?
How did our members do?
Put simply, it’s a log of your annual (1st July – 31st June) results from national and international salons, approved by the PSSA and held within South Africa’s borders. The more acceptances you get, the higher your position on the log. To rank highly on the log, you must consistently enter salons with a high standard of work and gain a high percentage of acceptances. Remember also that once a photograph has received 3 acceptances, it ceases to count towards your Impala Log score, so not only do you have to enter consistently great images, but you must also be constantly creating new images to submit.
To finish in the Top 50 is an incredible achievement and our highest ranking member is, as we’ve said, Natasha Bird. She came in at position 34 on the log, with a total of 181 points and she was closely followed by last year’s Africa Photo Awards winner Hanli Smit, in 45th position. It’s great to see one of our newer members, Stephen Kangisser hitting his stride, and he snatched position 53 on the log, just ahead of our chairman Dave Wolstencroft who came in at number 65. Dino Bottega made it in at position 170 and he’s followed by Heidi Broschk, Ted Kinsman, Michael Broschk, Cecil Mayhew, Trevor Tyler, Antonette Bezuidenhout and Ken Warburton who help complete the lineup of listed EPC members. Well done everybody!
55 / AUGUST 2021
written by Simon Fletcher
IMPALA TROPHY RESULTS – 2020 / 2021 SALIENT ISSUES RELATED IMPALA TROPHY RESULTS FOR THE YEAR CLOSING JULY 2021 In reviewing the results from the Impala Trophy competition and subsequent queries that have been raised since the results have been published, I deemed it important to share some feedback in this regard which hopefully in the new Impala Trophy year will be minimised.
1. PSSA MEMBERSHIP NUMBERS Unfortunately, I had a few distressed PSSA Members contact me and ask me why their names have been removed off the IT log. The rules of the Impala Trophy competition is that anyone may enter the competition but after the last salon in that Impala Trophy year, only PSSA member’s results remain. Therefor the simple answer is that they are not a PSSA member. Horror, shock and disbelief to my direct answer, as they are in fact PSSA Members! The problem is that I work off the data that is supplied to me by Corine the PSSA Salon Administrator. In these files the PSSA Membership number is reflected where applicable. This information is linked to the member’s membership number in PVO. If it is not there, then according to me you are not a PSSA member for the IT competition. Unfortunately, I do not have the time or inclination (to be honest) to validate a 500 odd entrant’s membership details in the PSSA Membership Database. So, what is the solution I hear you ask? Quite simple: every PSSA member must ensure that their details are up to date and correct in PVO. Under “My Details” tab, please update your PSSA Membership details there together with your Honours, latest Club star rating and any of your contact details. Once you have done this, when the salon results come out, your PSSA Membership number will be on the results and your results will not be removed from the IT final results.
2.
CHANGES TO ENTRANT’S NAME DETAILS IN PVO
Another challenge that I need to contend with is where members have decided to change their name details in PVO. What I hear you say? Yes, a simple space means that when I concatenate the first and last names, it will see the person as two people. At times there is a valid reason to add or remove a title or change the UPPER CASE name to a lower case name – this also contributes to my challenge to ensure that the scores are allocate to the right person. Please bear in mind that when you enter any PSSA patronage International Salons (like CCC or Camera Obscura) it’s important to keep your name syntax the same. Please can I request that should you wish to make material changes to your PVO profile you do it before or at the end of the Impala Trophy competition and not midstream into the competition. Otherwise these discrepancies will manifest and will need addressing when the competition’s results are finalised
56 / AUGUST 2021 3.
CHANGES TO IMAGE NAMES IN PVO
This area we all know poses some serious
4. MEMBERS WHO HAVE MULTIPLE CLUB MEMBERSHIPS - PRIME CLUB
challenges in conducting the final audit of
There are a number of members that have
entrant’s images. Like in point 2 above, any
multiple club memberships. However, there are
changes to an image’s details, it is dealt with as a
members that wish to have one club as their
“different” image. However, we conduct an audit where we sort an entrant’s images in
prime club. When drawing the members’ club,
alphabetical order and then conduct the count
the lookup reference takes the club for the first
of the said images. As per the rules of the
instance where the member’s name comes up.
competition, if a colour image is converted to a
There have been a number of instances where
Monochrome image, the name must remain the same and the suffix “BW” or “mono” is added – this counts towards the 3 acceptances for a particular image.
I have been requested to change the member’s prime club details. In terms of the results for those members with multiple memberships,
Page 1 of 2 The appeal is to please keep to this rule. In the
the points are allocated to that club which was
final audit, we pick this up and then we deduct
selected by the member when they entered a
the points awarded and because I use look-
specific salon – these points allocated to the club
up formulars to assist me,but I dont pick up
for the Premier Club Award are in fact correct.
any small changes. If I had the time I could go through the 30,000 accepted titles to double
Therefore, I request those members with
check this , but quite honestly this seems to be a
multiple memberships to please send me the
pointless exercise if there is a tacit
preference of their prime club, and I will
understanding with entrants that they compile
reference that club in the Impala Trophy going
to the competition’s rules. Please assist us in making sure this is kept to honest errors.
forward.
57 / AUGUST 2021 5.
SALON JUDGING NEW RULES
As of the new Impala Trophy year, the PSSA Board has agreed, at the last interim Board meeting, in August 2021, to limit the number of salon
Therefore, if you judge salons, please keep your tally and when asked to judge and it is in excess of 6 salons, kindly decline the offer by advising the Salon Director of your salon category status. In closing, as the Board of Directors we thank each and every one of you who has and
categories that one judge can judge in any one
continues to enter the national salons. Its
Impala Trophy year to 6. Originally the limit was
encouraging that we have in the region of 1,000
4 but after some debate and consideration it was
photographers that have acceptances, certificates of merit and medals on a consistent
agreed that 6 categories would be the new limit
basis. At this stage we have around a 50:50 split
thus allowing a degree of flexibility for the judges as
PSSA to non- PSSA Members who enter these
well as the club’s hosting the salons. This process will be managed by the PSSA Salon Administrator on a running basis and any judge that
salons. We know that Covid has caused havoc in many aspects of one’s life, but as the PSSA we would like to encourage those of you who enter salons frequently to consider joining the PSSA. There is 56% difference in your cost of salon
appears on a salon brochure that has
entry, which if you are planning to enter a
effectively reached the 6 salon category limit, the
number of salons, may be a consideration you
Regional Director, Salon Director and the
may want to make. Best of luck if you are planning to enter the new
specific judge will be advised of the limit.
Impala Trophy year. If you have any questions
The specific judge’s name will be removed, and the
or issues, please feel free to contact me on the contact details below. If no further feedback is
Salon and Regional Director will then need to source another judge. The PSSA Salon Administrator has and will maintain a list of
received by Sunday 15th August 2021 the updated audited salon results will be deemed final. Yours sincerely
Salon Judges throughout South Africa so should you
Simon Fletcher
require names,
APSSA, DPSSA (Vers)
please contact the PSSA Salon Director.
2nd Vice President m: +27 82 371-9867 Photographic Society e: sdfletcher66@gmail.com of South Africa www.pssa.co.za