FOCUS
Sharing Visual Art
June 2019
LESOTHO CLUB OUTING 2019 The Official Digital Newsletter for Edenvale Photographic Club 2018 -CERPS -Winners
Proud Member of the Photographic Society of South Africa www.pssa.co.za
CONTENTS: Page
3
Chairman’s Chat
Page
4
Winning Images 12 June 2019
Page
11
Winning Images 26 June 2019
Page 16
Past Masters of Photograph Bill Brandt
Page 20 Page 21
Submission Procedure for Club evening entries Member Focus Stephen Kangisser
Page 22
Cover Story John Coumbias
Page 24
Edenvale Club Outing Lesotho
Page 26
Salon Results
Committee Members Chairman: David Wolstencroft 083 229 8066 davewol@gmail.com
Vice Chairperson: Scoring & Promotions
Heidi Broschk 079 886 8515 heidib@uj.ac.za
Treasurer: Ted Kinsman
083 461 2350 tkinsman@global.co.za
Marketing: Natasha Bird 082 920 8898
mnktrad@mweb.co.za
Salons, Judges and Outings: John Coumbias
079 1732 825 jcoumbias@telkomsa.net
Certificates & Awards Des Alexander
Page 27
Ethics of Success
MEETING TIME AND PLACE 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month 18h30 for 19h00
EDENVALE COMMUNITY CENTRE Cor. Van Riebeeck & 2nd Street Edenvale
083 226 1452 neoncomp@webmail.co.za
New Members, Social Media & Website Clare Appleyard 083 234 0247
Newsletter & SocialMedia: Hanli Smit
083 253 1034 hanlis54@gmail.com
Chairman’s Chat What goes into making a photographic club a good photographic club? What keeps it sustainable? It seems the photo club era is in some turmoil as pressure from technology takes its toll as well life in general these days. It could just be the normal ebb and flow that take place as a natural course of life. In general, though, membership numbers are declining with some clubs even closing their doors recently. I would assume that a large percentage of the members of those clubs would seek out other clubs, but who knows. Why are some clubs better and bigger than others? Demographics must play a role to start with. Clubs in more densely populated areas are bound to have more members than rural clubs. Clubs that offer workshops and training would appeal to newer members. There is of course, those that do not enjoy the club environment and leave after a short period. Sure, photo clubs are not for everyone. I would like to think that EPC is a club worth joining. That is phase one. Imagine being a club that others actively seek out; a club that people are proud to call “their club”. We tick a lot of boxes, but what is the next phase? We aspire to be the best club we can be. Are we there? Possibly not yet. The wheels of change turn slowly. Too quick and we upset the apple cart and people leave. Too slow and we lose momentum and people leave. Finding that happy balance is key. This balance is determined by the members. Not everyone accepts change the same way and that is why I am asking for everyone at EPC to be forthcoming with new ideas and proposals as well as give critique on current processes. We need to keep EPC sustainable and to do this, everyone needs to be involved. We have made improvements this year and there are more to come. Nothing will be implemented or changed without it being a club decision. We are all working to the same goal so let us get there together and make EPC “the” club to belong to. We have several members that are members of more than one club. It would be great if you could share with us what you like or dislike about the other clubs in order to guide us on our road to improvement. Keep shooting!
Dave
1 Star Winners
12 June 2019
NATURE Leopards Lick Andrew Mayes
PICTORIAL Early Morning Sunrays Stephen Kangisser
2 Star Winners
NATURE White-bellied Sunbird Brian Kleinwort
PICTORIAL Are you serious Atholene Liebenberg
12 June 2019
3 Star Winners
12 June 2019
NATURE Find Your Own Spot DaveB
PICTORIAL Masked Caryn Wilson
4 Star Winners
NATURE Drying his feathers Ruth Anne Smit
PICTORIAL Kyle The Greybeard Clare Appleyard
12 June 2019
5
and 6 Star Winners
12 June
2019
NATURE Parental Offerings Jorge Borralho
PICTORIAL Fireworks Gary Andrew Peck
Digital Prolab
Large Format Printing Print on Canvas Passport, ID, Visa, Drivers Photo Scan and Restore Old Photos your t e G
ages m i ful i t u a be vas n a c art onto
For personal attention and professional service phone - Rob Ponte 011 455 1243 email: robponte@neomail.co.za
The Photo & Digital Prolab 14 Grobler Rylaan (off Riley Road) Bedfordview
WHY JOIN A CAMERA CLUB... Are you looking for like-minded people who are interested in photography: *SHARING IDEAS *SHARING SKILLS *SHARING PROBLEMS *SHARING FRIENDSHIP
Even when we compete against one another we are sharing, testing ourselves against the work of others to see just how good we can be.
Most importantly, it is about becoming more satisfied with our photographic work.
1 Star Winners
26 June
2019
Nature Eagle in the Sky Stephen Kangisser
Pictorial Ballerina Stephen Kangisser
2 Star Winners
26 June 2019
NATURE African harrier hawk Guto
PICTORIAL Water drops Tony Wilson
3 Star Winners
NATURE Koorsboomlaning Christa Smith
PICTORIAL Tree around the bend Kenneth Kubheka
26 June 2019
4 Star Winners
26 June 2019
NATURE Puff Adder Close Up Ruth Anne Smit
PICTORIAL Penny for your thoughts Valerie Sampson
5 and 6 Star Winners
NATURE Early morning flight Adrian Style
PICTORIAL Natasha Portrait No.1 Ted Kinsman
26 June 2019
Past Masters of Photography Bill Brandt Bill Brandt (British, born May 2, 1904–died December 20, 1983) was a photographer famous for his photojournalism work documenting aspects of British life. Although he was born in Hamburg, Germany, he disowned his German heritage and said that he was born in London. In 1929, he started his photography career in France. The country was a leader in the movement, where many artists were using photography as an artistic statement instead of just a documentary endeavor. While he was in Paris, Brandt was influenced by the work of Man Ray, and studied at his studio. Brandt returned to England in 1931, and took up photojournalism. His main interest was the varied socio-economic contrasts that he found among the British people. Brandt published two books about these photographs: The English at Home (1936) and A Night in London (1938). One of his best series is a set of pictures showing coal miners from northern Great Britain during the Depression. Coal Searcher Going Home to Jarrow is the most wellknown of the series. After World War II, Brandt’s style shifted back to the artistic, Expressionist style that he had learned as a young man. He focused on landscapes, nudes, and portraits. Portrait of a Young Girl is still widely reproduced, and Brandt said that he felt its technique may have inspired the film Citizen Kane. Brandt admired the work of Edward Weston and Orson Welles.
Taking a cue from their words, he liked to use older cameras that did not mimic human vision capabilities, and he often employed wide-angled lenses, especially when he photographed nudes. These works are collected in Perspective of Nudes (1961). A sampling of Brandt’s best works are showcased in Shadow of Light(1966). The artist was honored with a huge retrospective at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum in 2004. His Kensington home displays an English Heritage Blue Plaque, a rare achievement for a photographer. Brandt died on December 20, 1983.
In 1933, Brandt began documenting all levels of British society. The kind of Brandt work was very unique and uncommon at that time. In World War II, Bill Brandt focused every kind of subject – as can be seen in his “Camera in London” (1948) but excelled in portraiture and landscape. His publications Literary Britain, Perspective of Shadow of Light was very popular. “A photographer must be prepared to catch and hold on to those elements which give distinction to the subject or lend it atmosphere.” – Bill Brandt Brandt experimented freely with artificial light, cropping, and photomontage. Courtesy of ARTSY - Bill Brandt
Some more Iconic Images from the lens of Bill Brandt
“Photography is not a sport,” he said. “It has no rules. Everything must be dared and tried.”
Specifications for submission of High Definition “E” Photography
RECOMMENDED PROCEDURE Maximum Pixel Size = 1080 x 1920 Maximum Data File Size = 2000 Kilobytes (2mb) Jpeg We use 2 Categories at Edenvale for our club submissions 1) NATURE...”na” 2) PICTORIAL....”pi” The image must be named as follows Star Rating_Category_Image Name_Persons Name EXAMPLE:...2_na_hornbill_joe blog (all lowercase)
1. Select Canvas [Frame] Size under the heading “ Image” in Photoshop if you wish to add the border to the image and make your adjustments. If you do not wish to add a border, go to step 2 2. Select Image Size under the heading “Image” in Photoshop – tick the following boxes : Scale Styles, Constrain Proportions and Resample image. 3. The maximum size of the image must not exceed 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels high 4. When resizing a horizontal image ( Landscape ), enter 1920 pixels in the Width box and the vertical size will be adjusted automatically if you have ticked the “ Resample Image” box . If the vertical size is 1080 pixels or less, the resizing is correct. If the vertical adjusts to a value more than 1080 pixels ( say 1096 pixels ) then adjust the vertical size to 1080 pixels and the horizontal size will automatically reduce below 1920 pixels if you have ticked the “ Resample Image” box. 5. When resizing a vertical image (Portrait), enter 1080 pixels in the Height Box. The value in the Width Box will change automatically to match the original image if you have ticked the “ Resample Image “ box. 6. The maximum image data file size is 2000 (2MB) Kilobytes in the JPEG format . Note that if a border is added to the image, this must be added before resizing and reducing the file size to a maximum of 2000 Kilobytes to ensure that the image remains within the specified 2000Kb (2MB). 7. It is recommended that the image be displayed in the sRGB Colour Profile. This can be selected in the camera or changed in Photoshop under Edit/ Convert to Profile.
NEW MEMBER
FOCUS
My late dad gave me a SIX-20 Brownie D made by KODAK when I was about 10 years old. I then upgraded to the Minolta X-700 35 mm and was the unofficial photographer within my community in Benoni. When Digital first came out, I believed it was beyond me and never photographed for a long time, however concentrating on my art, which is something else I enjoyed. Eventually I bought a digital “point and shoot”, upgrading to a Compact camera and finally got into SLR cameras. At present, I use Canon 5D and 7D camera’s. I’ve had various Mentors who have played an important part in my life and Robbie Aspeling has taken me to a higher level which I’m grateful for. I’m continually striving to improve and learn more. My favorite form of photography is Wildlife and Lifestyle, but believe one should photograph whatever is presented to you.
Stephen
Kangisser
Cover Story - by John Coumbias We had to choose between these two amazing images for our cover story These are John’s two most successful International Salon images from one of his many visits to Lesotho A) Family by the door step. I took this image in 2009 This image was taken in the afternoon at the same place that we visited and took the horse running with a youngster and the owner shouting to him to come back. My camera was that time Nikon D200 Lens Nikon 16-200 Settings Aperture priority F8 ISO 200 Exposure -0,3 step B) Mountain residents. I took this image in 2011. This image was taken in the morning at the same place that where we took the pictures with the smoke. My camera was that time Nikon D300 Lens Nikon 16-200 Settings Aperture priority F8 ISO 320 Exposure -0,7 step
Special Subject Calendar Note to NEW MEMBERS Please ask any committee member for help regarding the method of entering for a special subject We may enter 3 images for the special subject PLUS Your normal 3 club evening images All members will compete at 3* level for the Special Subject Definitions from https://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary. com/Photography
28 August Human portraiture Portrait photography or portraiture is photography of a person or group of people that captures the personality of a subject by using effective lighting, backdrops, and poses.
25 September
Street Photography / Photojournalism
Street photography, also sometimes called candid photography, is photography conducted for art or enquiry that features unmediated chance encounters and random incidents within public places. ... Street photography does not necessitate the presence of a street or even the urban environment. https://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary. com/Photography
Canon EOS 50D DSLR
Canon EOS 50D DSLR R 4500Kit Lens : EF 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 Kit Lens : EF 18-55mm, f3.5-5.6 with Image Stabiliser with Image Stabiliser Sensor Resolution : 15.1 Megapixel Sensor Resolution : 15.1 Megapixel Optical Sensor Size : APS-C (14.9 x 22.3 mm) Optical SensorField Size : APS-C (14.9 x 22.3 mm) of View Crop Factor : 1.6 Field of View Crop Factor : 1.6 Max Shutter Speed : 1/8000 Sec Max Shutter Speed : 1/8000 Sec Sensor Dust Reduction : Yes Sensor Dust Reduction : Yes Sensor Features : Sensor Features : EOS Integrated Cleaning System EOS Integrated Cleaning System Image Processor DIGIC 4 System Image Processor DIGIC 4 System Image Recording Format : Image Recording Format : JPEG, RAW, RAW + JPEG JPEG, RAW, RAW + JPEG Interfaces Provided : Interfaces Provided : HDMI, USB 2.0, composite video/audio HDMI, USB 2.0, composite video/audio Contact : Ted Kinsman 083 461 2350 Contact : Ted Kinsman 083 461 2350 2 x Extra Batteries 2 x Extra Batteries Price R4,500.00 - Good Working Condition Price R4,500.00 - Good Working Condition
THIS IS A FREE SERVICE TO MEMBERS OF THE EDENVALE PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB ANYONE WITH 2ND HAND EQUIPMENT FOR SALE IS WELCOME TO SEND ME A WORD DOCUMENT WITH THE INFO AND THE JPEG IMAGES SEPARATELY TO hanlis54@gmail.com
FOR SALE - R70 000 Canon 5d Mark III
Battery Grip BG- E11 4 Canon Batteries Battery charger LC - E6E 24mm - 70mm lens EF f/2.8 L USM 70mm - 200 mm lens f/2.8 L is ii USM 100mm f/2.8 USM 16mm- 35mm lens f/2.8 L II USM 50mm f/1.8 II 1.4 x II converter Tethering cable 2 x SB600 flashes TC -80N3 Timer Remote Controller 2 x polarizing Filters 2x UV Filters Wheely Bag Lowerpro All original lens hoods,soft bags and caps. Camera and Lenses always serviced by Cameratek. This price is as per Cameratek. Owner converting to a lighter camera
Paula 082 720 0585 Please call directly
Lesotho Outing When an EPC outing to Lesotho was proposed earlier this year, many of us jumped at the opportunity to explore our neighbouring country. The Mountain Kingdom is a country land-locked by South Africa, only a few hours’ drive from us, yet so different to South Africa in so many ways. A trip in winter held the allure of possible snowfalls, winter wonderlands and rural landscapes. And so, 12 members of EPC made their way to Katse Dam in midJune to explore the photographic opportunities that Lesotho had to offer. Crossing the border at Caledonspoort, we wound our way up the Mafika Lisiu Pass, a spectacular mountain road. Rising to an elevation of 3090m above sea level, we negotiated hairpin bends at 30km/hr whilst our cars clung precariously to the mountain side. Each bend revealed spectacular views down into the valley and waterfalls glistened in the early afternoon sun. Finally, after a 3.5-hour drive (covering a mere 150 km), we checked into our accommodation. With many years of photographic experience in the area, John Coumbias was our natural guide. On our first afternoon, we stayed close to the lodge, waiting for the shepherds to return home with their livestock. Cowbells jangled in the distance, sounding like an orchestra of xylophones, and herds of cows, sheep and goats trotted past us in glorious late afternoon light. Young shepherds on donkeys and horses trotted past us, smiling from ear to ear as they posed for photos.
The following morning, we found ourselves standing at the side of a road at 7am, overlooking a traditional Lesotho hut. With the sun yet to rise over the mountains, we stood shivering in -6°C temperatures, hoping that John knew what he was doing. As golden light crept through the valley, it bathed the hut in light, providing beautiful contrast against the dark mountains behind it. With smoke rising from the hut’s cooking area, we collectively nodded our approval; of course John knew what he was doing! Amazingly, when we chatted to the owner of her hut and her children, she remembered John from a previous visit. She was happy to pose for photos with her baby, and her two older children were equally obliging. It was humbling to see how poor people are in Lesotho, but time and again families welcomed us with warm, patient smiles and we collectively remunerated them as best we could. We travelled dirt road after dirt road, winding around mountains and dipping down into rivers. Photographic opportunities were abundant, from shepherds wearing their traditional blankets and guarding their livestock, to the vast landscapes of Katse Dam, vivid blue skies and frozen waterfalls. Sadly, there was no snow, but nobody really missed it. With John’s expert navigation in the area, we discovered places we would never have found on our own, and found scenery that took our breath away. Each evening, over dinner, we discussed the day’s events, laughing at each other’s idiosyncrasies, creating a sense of EPC camaraderie that I’ve not felt before.
Article and Images Prepared by Clare Appleyard We returned home with memory cards full and petrol tanks empty (hint: fill your tank in South Africa before crossing the border!), eager to process our photos and enter them at upcoming club nights and salons.
Sincere thanks must go to John for facilitating and guiding the trip, and to Dave W for his endless patience in sorting out our accommodation at Katse Dam. Thank you to all the drivers on the trip, and to all members who came, shared their knowledge and expertise and helped make the trip a success. Thank you!
Happy Snappies by our Members from our recent Lesotho Trip
Photo by Dave Wolstencroft
an
nsm ed Ki T y b Photo
Photo on the right: Photographers negotiating terms and conditions to shoot the local Church congrigation
Phot
o by Ted K insma
P
s
mbia
u n Co h o J by hoto
n
nt new tale g in r e v disco Kenneth
Phot
o by Dave Wol stenc
roft
Photo by Dave Wolstencroft
t
encrof ave Wolst D y b o t o Ph
Photo b y Dave Wolsten crof
t Photo by Dave Wolstencroft
Special Subject
Winner John Coumbias Salon Results Tygerberg Salon 2019
Valerie Sampson 3 x Acceptances & All 3 COM Adrian Style 3 x Acceptances Johann Harmse 4 x Acceptances Dave Wolstencroft 5 x Acceptances
Sandton Salon 2019
Clare Appleyard 6 x Acceptances Johann Harmse 4 x Acceptances & 2 x COM Valerie Sampson 5 x Acceptance & 2 x COM Jorge Borralho 6 x Acceptance Dave Wolstencroft 6 x Acceptances
Please send in all your Acceptances for Local and Internatioal Salons to Heidi Broschk heidib@uj.ac.za to be added to your log and to get it published here.
Ethics of Success
As EPC grows and new members join us, it is important for all members to have clarity on rules and guidelines for both EPC Club Nights and PSSA Salons. Instagram, photography groups on Facebook and other social media platforms are all popular places for members to share their work, but be aware that what is considered acceptable on social media may be breaking numerous PSSA and EPC club rules, should you submit these images for competition. The most basic of all the rules as per the PSSA is that every part of the image must be the artists own work. Images downloaded, purchased or copied from alternate sources (eg. the internet) are not allowed to be used, even as backgrounds or textures. Graphic elements, if used, must also be the authors own work. A photographer may not incorporate any element into a photograph that s/he has not created themselves. Editing of images should be strictly undertaken by the photographic author themselves. Please note that while most violations will probably go unnoticed, it becomes an issue of ethics. Even one proven violation of these rules can tarnish a reputation. Digital Manipulation is defined as making any of the following modifications to an original image by the photographic author: • • •
Adding an element to the image that was not contained in the original capture; Removing an element from the image that was contained in the original capture; Moving or repositioning an element of the image that was contained in the original capture.
It is also the right of the salon judges and the EPC committee to demand the original photos to verify the veracity of an entered image.
The following is allowed for processing of photos by the photographic author before entering a salon, and is not seen as manipulation: • Cropping; • Correction of lens distortion, chromatic aberrations, purple fringing, lens vignette and vertical/horizontal perspective adjustments; • Removal of dust spots or scratch marks from sensor or scanned images; • The blending of different exposures of the same scene to broaden the dynamic range e.g. High Dynamic Range (HDR); • Photo stacking to overcome the limitations of the digital sensor heat artefacts in long exposures; • Focus stacking to widen the depth of field especially in Macro photography. • In the case of Nature and Wildlife, HDR and focus stacking will not be considered as manipulation and may be used provided that the end result is a faithful representation of the original scene.
Note: HDR and Focus stacking are not allowed in Photojournalism. • • •
Adding an element to the image that was not contained in the original capture; Removing an element from the image that was contained in the original capture; Moving or repositioning an element of the image that was contained in the original capture.
The following general rule pertaining to entering photos in salons must be observed:
• Entering a very similar photo in the same salon is not allowed. • Colour images in Nature, Wildlife, Photojournalism, Sport and Street Photography are allowed to be converted to greyscale/monochrome. • You are not allowed to enter a colour image and its monochrome version in the same salon. These are considered to be the same photo and only receive one award. (keep this in mind for Impala Trophy and Star Ratings)
Categories where digital manipulation is not allowed at all: Nature and Wildlife Photojournalism and Sport / Street Photography Manipulation is generally allowed in all other categories but read each Salon’s rules carefully. Nature
The Nature category may not contain any human elements, except where those human elements are integral parts of the nature story – such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces like hurricanes or tidal waves. Roads and pylons in the Kruger Park, for example, are allowed in nature, as long as they do not dominate the photo. Scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals are permissible in this category.
Wildlife
The Wildlife category is very strictly defined. It does NOT allow any manipulation and it does not allow any human elements to be present, apart from scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals. Wildlife images may also not be of animals contained in an enclosure such as farms and zoos, as well as domesticated animals, while those images can be entered in nature (provided no man-made objects are visible).
EPC Club rules conform to the PSSA guidelines. Club entries fall under the Pictorial or the Nature category. So, in summary, the EPC Rules and guidelines are: Pictorial: Manipulation is allowed, but it must conform to the PSSA guidelines and all elements must be the photographic author’s original work. Nature: No manipulation is allowed, and no man-made objects may be present in the image. When entering salons, please read each salon brochure carefully as some categories will specify where manipulation is allowed or not – such as scapes and portraits, but this does differ from salon to salon. Keep this in mind when working on your images for club so that you know if they qualify for entry in salons. You are always welcome to discuss any aspects of photo processing and rules with any senior EPC club member for assistance. We’ll help you avoid the red card.
Photoshop Inspiration Extraxted from an article by Andrew Haysom in the Down Under Magazine
ADOBE CAMERA RAW THE NEXT TEXTURE SLIDER
MAY 2019 UPDATE TO PHOTOSHOP-CC The Texture Slider started as a skin smooting slider, but the Designers decided to allow you to add texture as well as remove it (smooting) and the Texture Slider was born. Pushing the Texture Slider left (negative) does a much better job of skin smoothing than pushing the Clarity Slider in the same direction. Here is what Adobe had to say about the Texture Slider.
This is what Adobe had to say about the Texture Slider on their Blog “ You can now smooth or accentuate details such as skin, bark and hair with the new Texture slider. You can adjust the Texture Slider negetively to smooth skin and retain fine pore details to ensure natural looking skin. You can increase the Texture amount to accentuate details such as bark or hair without affecting less detailed areas, like the out of focus areas in a photograph. Adjusting the Texture Slider does not change the color or tonality in your photograph You can apply texture to your photos both as a global adjustment and to specific parts of the photo as a local adjustment. To apply texture, select a photo and switch to develope module.� If you want to do some basic skin retouching and do not want to bother with fully blown retouching methods in Photoshop, like Frequency Seperation, then the Texture Slider is well worth a look. Texture is a more subtle adjustment than Clarity, but they are also different in how they target specific areas of the image. Clarity is a micro-contrast adjustment that targets the mid tone areas of the image- so it is targeted based on the tone or luminosity in your image. The only way to find out which is the best is to try both, and you will likely find that some images will bennefit from local adjustments with both the Texture and Clarity Sliders