F CUS JUNE 2022
SHARING VISUAL ART
02 - JUNE 2022 COVER STORY BY Quentin Lemmer
I took this photo in Mabuasehube Botswana. Two male Cheatah used the same pan to hunt in as three male lions, hence their skittish nature.
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 Clare Appleyard
EDENVALE PHOTOGRAPHIC CLUB IS A PROUD MEMBER OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA
JUNE 2022 - 03
DEAR MEMBERS
Edenvale Photograhic Club is prosporing... and as my friend and Vice Chair Person Clare says..... ” Here we grow again” I do not want to state this as a fact but I really think we are the fastest growing photographic club that I know of. We can not make these statements without our very devout committee and our super supportive members. We have the most amazing people on our committee that give more than money can ever buy, they put all the effort into making and creating the club work. Thank you Andrew for the outing to the Aloe Farm, it is right on our doorstep and we did not realise how easy it is to capture the beautifull birds and stunning aloes in the early morning light....even I got a picture to show. Please take note that we have an anomaly in our calendar in August because of the PSSA National Congress. We have to make our second club meeting on the 31st of August . Next year lets make it a club meet at the Congress Hanli Smit Editor & Chairperson
Hanli
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Committee Members
BI-MONTHLY MEETINGS ARE CURRENTLY taking place at the Modderfontein Golf Course and we are also live streaming it via Zoom for our out of town and country members
David Wolstencroft 083 229 8066 davewol@gmail.com
Kenith Kubheka 082 671 8336
Linda Carter 083 324 0702 linda@m-d-s.co.za
Andrew Mayes 083 417 2194 mayes.andy.1980@gmail.com
royal.kubheka@gmail.com
Hanli Smit 083 253 1034 hanlis54@gmail.com
Clare Appleyard 083 234 0247 clare.appleyard@gmail.com
MEETING TIME AND PLACE 2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 18H30 FOR 19H00 MODDERFONTEIN GOLF COURSE
JUNE 2022 - 05
IN THIS ISSUE Page 6 Page 14
MINIMALISTIC ART & PHOTO MINIMALISM
8th of JUNE 2022- CLUB NIGHT WINNERS
Page 24
SALON CLOSING DATES 2022
Page 27
25 MAY 2022- CLUB NIGHT WINNERS
Page 42
MEMBER FOCUS - Quentin Lemmer
Page 44
LENS DISTORTION GUIDE
Page 48
ROOF TOP SHOOT BY SALVATORE CINCOTTA
Page 53
EPC OUTING ALOE FARM
06 - JUNE 2022
Source: Wikipedia
HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTO Minimalism Minimalist photography arises from the notion of minimalism in art, which is a style used by many 20th century artists. This style emphasizes the use of a minimal number of compositional elements: color, objects, shapes and texture. The aim of minimalist photography is to express a concept, in order to bring forth a distinctive visual experience or elicit an emotional response from the viewer. In the world of photography, it is viewed as an exceptionally intuitive and personal concept, entrusting interpretation and understanding to the audience perspective of the art.
History Minimalist photography stems from its initial art movement; minimalism, which was a movement in the 1950s that emerged in the United States, also known as Minimalist Art, Reductive Art or ABC Art. As the name denotes, minimalism — which originates from the word minimum’ it means the slightest or the littlest amount required. In the art world, minimalism employs a limited amount of elements to construct the desired effect. Generally speaking, the most crucial characteristic of this style is its ultimate simplicity, impartial and neutral approach. For example, an artist utilizing minimalism will normally use a restricted quantity of colors coupled with a simplified subject matter in the construction of the artwork. Artists focus on the idea of simplicity and plainness in their creations and the resulting movement has been a great source of inspiration for other artists in the following decade.
JUNE 2022 - 07 Minimalism as an art form is much older than the 1950’s when it was first recocnised. Look at the history Time line below...
Minimalism as an art movement first originated in the 1950s. It is also known as Reductive Art, ABC Art and Minimalist Art. This movement eliminates its objects to the smallest amount of colors, shapes, and textures in order to establish a needed effect. Reducing color, lines and form to a minimum amount in its composition is the main goal of minimalist artists. The most important characteristics of this art movement include; simplicity (where no excessive subject matters are utilized), repetitions (where artists employ repetitive colors and lines in the artworks), geometric shapes (where rectangles and circles are often employed in the painting to convey a sense of simpleness and coherence). Other important characteristics include using very little materials, props and other symbols in the creation of the composition. For example, black and white images are a representation of the minimalist style as color is being reduced to minimize distractions. Minimalism as a concept in arts can be dated back to the 1900s. Influences of minimalism are still employed today in diverse fields such as photography, design, sculpture and architecture.
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Minimalist photography Minimalist photography focuses on simplicity and its artistic style can be encapsulated by the quote, “less is more.” Minimalist photographers achieve this effect by casting aside all the unnecessary components in creating their works. This principle is demonstrated in various minimalist photographs, for example, when capturing a mountain or an ocean on camera, the entirety of the scenery will be presented as one big vast space. The vacancy and bareness of the space shown enables the audience to imagine and craft their own version of interpretation and comprehension, instead of including the photographer’s own inputs and insights. In order to expand and concentrate on the expansive space, it is crucial to minimize contradicting elements such as people or distracting buildings. Doing so conveys a sense of barrenness and desolation that creates a theatrical atmosphere and visual experience. Therefore, a minimalist photograph is often captured early in the morning, sunrise or dark at night. This ensures that the scene is not filled with crowds and that the overall composition appears neat and simplified. Minimalist photography “As an approach in photography, minimalism or minimalistic photography could be taken by the photographer in all genres. No matter your are a portrait, architecture, landscape etc. photographer, minimalist photos are always an option as long as you have a minimal look toward your surroundings” Milad Safabakhsh, Founder of Minimalist Photography Awards. Minimalist photography often pays attention to one single subject in its composition, using nature as its background. Some representative subject matters include geometric patterns, lines and textures, which can range between an apple, a mountain or a bridge, to name a few examples. Although this style of photography is derived from the art movement in the early 1950s, its impact is exhibited in various forms of digital photography
JUNE 2022 - 09 Edward Weston, Robert Adams, Harry Callahan, Richard Misrach, and Aaron Siskind. Here are examples of Minimilism in photography through the ages.
EDWARD WESTON
10 - JUNE 2022 ROBERT ADAMS
JUNE 2022 - 11 HARRY CALLAGHAN
12 - JUNE 2022
RICHARD MISARCH
JUNE 2022 - 13 AARON SISKIND
14 - JUNE 2022
ONE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 8 June 2022
Hiking in the Fish River Canyon Leanne
Stone
JUNE 2022 -15
ONE STAR NATURE WINNER 8 June 2022
Dandelion Cattle Egret
Sonja Olivier Peter Fine
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ONE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 8 June 2022
On his Wing
Brian Shaw
JUNE 2022 - 17
TWO STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 8 June 2022
River cross
Clifton Hack
18 - JUNE 2022
TWO STAR NATURE WINNER 8 June 2022
Save Me
Clifton Hack
JUNE 2022 - 19
TWO STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 8 June 2022
Every drop counts
Clifton Hack
20 - JUNE 2022
THREE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 8 June 2022
Natures glory
Debra Russell
JUNE 2022 - 21
THREE STAR NATURE WINNER 8 June 2022
Great White Egret fishing Gavin
Duffy
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THREE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 8 June 2022
LBJ in the grass
Andrew Mayes
JUNE 2022 - 23
FOUR STAR NATURE WINNER 8 June 2022
Cub Swoosh in the Rain
Stephen
Kangisser
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FOUR STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 8 June 2022
BMW Attack
Des
Alexander
JUNE 2022 - 25
FIVE STAR NATURE WINNER 8 June 2022
Stork breakfast
Thomas Bingle
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FIVE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 8 June 2022
Nirvana
Laetitia Kenny
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ONE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
A last peek of the sunset Sonja Olivier
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ONE STAR NATURE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Evening in Magoebaskloof John Hosking
JUNE 2022 - 29
ONE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
After the Ball
Brian Shaw
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TWO STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Catch Me
Clifton Hack
JUNE 2022 - 31
TWO STAR NATURE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Young Lion
Brian Abrahams
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TWO STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
In prayer
Peter Fine
JUNE 2022 - 33
THREE STAR CELLPHONE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Harbour at Dawn
Debra Russell
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THREE STAR NATURE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Greater Kestrel
Linda Carter
JUNE 2022 - 35
THREE STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
I am not amused
Andrew Mayes
36 - JUNE 2022
FOUR STAR NATURE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Early Morning take off
Brian Kleinwort
JUNE 2022 - 37
FOUR STAR PICTORIAL WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Reaching The Apex
Quentin Lemmer
38 - JUNE 2022
5* & 5 Star Honours Cellphone WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Sunrise
Cecil Mayhew
JUNE 2022 - 39
5* & 5 Star Honours NATURE WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
Barn Owl
Ettienne van Niekerk
40 - JUNE 2022
5* & 5 Star Honours PICTORIAL WINNER 22 JUNE 2022
On The Move
Ian Cooper
JUNE 2022 - 41
SET SUBJECT WINNER
22 JUNE 2022 FLAT LAY
Family Bonding
Stephen
Kangisser
42 - JUNE 2022 Images by Qentin Lemmer
MEMBER
FOCUS QUENTIN LEMMER
I have had the privilege of working overseas most of my life and only recently moved back to South Africa. Having grown up in Botswana and being in the Okavango Delta most of my holidays I have seen and experienced many things, such as lions walking through camp. On one occasion in the Kalahari central game reserve, two male lions fought it out and being blown away by their sheer power. Since 2010 I have been taking my photography more seriously and with the purchase of the 7D MKii I have really honed in creating a particular style. Panning has become my favourite technique. There is so much drama in still type of photography. I am a little gun shy doing human portraits but I suppose one should rise to the challenge and get uncomfortable to create new skill sets. Time will tell for me! Perhaps next year or the following year I will take this challenge on.
I look forward to learning from all members regardless of skill sets and hopefully I will be able to provide insight as well.
JUNE 2022 - 43 Images by Quentin Lemmer
44 - JUNE 2022
Lens Distortion in Photography: A Quick Guide Have you ever noticed how some of the objects in your pictures look disproportionate or even distorted? It’s a complex topic – but with a basic understanding of distortion, you can avoid both optical and perspective distortion in your photos, and you can take steps to correct it when necessary
It’s a common photographic problem, and it’s generally due to something called lens distortion. What causes lens distortion The key types of lens distortion you should know about How you can avoid (or correct) distortion
JUNE 2022 - 45 What is lens distortion in photography? For example, a flat subject might appear to bow outward. Or a building’s sides might compress as they extend upward. There are several broad types of distortion, but the two most common are optical and perspective distortion:
Optical vs perspective distortion Optical distortion is caused by the construction of your lens. Note that a lens can be plagued by three kinds of optical distortion, which I explore in greater depth below: Barrel distortion Pincushion distortion Mustache distortion The focal length, the design, the number of glass elements, and other factors together determine the amount and type of optical distortion a lens will produce – so some lenses feature significant distortion, while others are completely (or nearly) distortion-free. Interestingly, some zoom lenses actually produce multiple types of distortion depending on which focal lengths you test. Perspective distortion, on the other hand, technically isn’t lens distortion (though it often gets labeled as such). Instead, perspective distortion is created by the position of the camera in relation to the subject. You’ve probably identified perspective distortion in your own photos, even if you didn’t know what to call it; it can get pretty obvious, especially in wide-angle, telephoto, and cityscape photography. For example, have you ever taken a group selfie and noticed how the person closest to the camera (generally the one holding the phone) looks wider? Or have you ever taken a shot of a tall building and noticed how the building appears to get narrower and narrower as it extends up toward the sky (to the point that it seems like it might fall backward)? Both of those effects – as well as many others – are caused by perspective distortion
Mustache distortion
Barrel distortion
Pincushion distortion
46 - JUNE 2022 Barrel distortion You know how big barrels have a narrow top and bottom but an expanded center? Well, that’s exactly what happens to straight lines in a photo with barrel distortion. If you use a lens plagued by barrel distortion to photograph a series of lampposts, the lamps will curve outward: Barrel distortion is one of the most common lens distortions in photography, and it generally happens when you use a wide-angle lens (or the wide portion of a zoom). Keep in mind that the shorter the focal length, the more pronounced the distortion. (In fact, the barrel distortion in fisheye lenses is so intense that photographers use it creatively instead of trying to correct it.)
Pincushion distortion Pincushion distortion is the opposite of barrel distortion. Instead of producing lines that bow outward, pincushion distortion pushes lines inward, like this: You’ll notice a pincushion effect mostly when you’re photographing with a telephoto lens or when you’re using the telephoto end of a zoom. Subtle pincushion distortion can be flattering for portraits, which is why telephoto lenses that range from 85mm to 105mm are often used by portrait photographers. But too much pincushion distortion can become problematic, so it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for pincushion effects!
Mustache distortion Mustache distortion is the third type of lens distortion. It combines barrel distortion and pincushion distortion for a mustache-like effect: Unfortunately, mustache distortion is difficult to fix; fortunately, it’s also pretty rare, and if you’re lucky, it won’t affect any of your lenses.
How to avoid optical distortion If you want to limit optical distortion in your photos, you have a few options. First, you can photograph with a midrange focal length – nothing too wide or too long (50mm is a good place to start). Of course, 50mm isn’t suitable for all types of photography. If you need to shoot with a wide-angle or telephoto lens, you can check test charts prior to purchasing new gear and pick lenses with the least distortion, or you can fix the distortion in post-production, which is surprisingly simple:
How to correct optical distortion during post-processing Optical distortion is easy to deal with, and most professional and semi-professional editing software has a tool that lets you make quick corrections. In fact, lens manufacturers generally provide software developers with lens correction data. Then, when you import an image into your editing software, the program recognizes your lens type and automatically applies distortion correction (though you’ll generally need to activate this process). Lightroom Open the Develop module, then scroll down until you find the Lens Correction panel. Then simply tick the Enable Profile Corrections box. Lightroom will identify your lens and fix any distortion. If Lightroom doesn’t recognize your lens or does a poor job correcting distortion, you can always click the Manual option and adjust the Distortion slider until you get a result you like.
JUNE 2022 - 47 Photoshop If you try to open a RAW file in Photoshop, it will automatically pop up in Adobe Camera Raw; here, the interface is practically identical to Lightroom, so you can follow the instructions I’ve given above. If you prefer to correct distortion in Photoshop, however (or you’re editing a JPEG file), then open the Filter menu and click on the Lens Correction option. Here, you’ll find plenty of tools under Auto-Correction. To fix optical lens distortion, click the Geometric Distortion option. And if Photoshop doesn’t recognize the lens or you want to correct distortion manually, go ahead and use the Custom tab.
Perspective distortion, on the other hand, technically isn’t lens distortion (though it often gets labeled as such). Instead, perspective distortion is created by the position of the camera in relation to the subject.
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ROOFTOP FASHION SHOOT
What an amazing rooftop fashion shoot this was with the brand new Profoto A2. Make no mistake, this small light has some serious punch as you can see in the images below. Is it meant to overpower the sun? Of course not, but as a creative light it’s perfect. The A2 can be used with the entire Profoto Clic ecosystem. This includes gels, grids, octaboxes and more. This, to me, is what makes the Profoto system so powerful.
Scene 1 - Profoto A2 + Clic Softbox Octa For the first scene, I wanted this sort of Gotham vibe.
Settings: Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF50mm F1.2 L USM f1.2 @ 1/8000, ISO 100
To do that, we had Marylyn in some open shade, but she needed to pop off the background. To do that, we underexposed in camera and used the A2 with the Clic Octabox to create that gorgeous fill you see.
JUNE 2022 - 49
Scene 2 - Profoto A2 + Yellow Clic Gel For the second scene, we were messing around with gels and the original goal was to create a sunset looking image with warm tones. To do that, I had Ellie fire the A2 into my lens and the results blew me away. Sometimes, you can’t ignore those happy accidents. Settings: Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF50mm F1.2 L USM | f1.2 @ 1/1250, ISO 100
Scene 3 - Profoto A2 + Blue Clic Gel For the third scene, as you can see in the behind the scenes image, that wall was truly gross. Gels allow you to create something a little more interesting in camera vs what the naked eye sees. So, we used the blue gel with this shot and it created this really cool purple-ish looking scene and I immediately knew we were on to something. Again, you can see how underexposing the scene on camera can create a much more moodier image than letting the camera set a natural light exposure, but when you do that, you need some sort of fill light for your subject to jump off the shot. Settings: Canon EOS R5 | Canon RF15-35mm F2.8 IL USM | f2.8 @ 1/160, ISO 100 Hope you love these shots we created using the brand new Profoto A2. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwjm1NnE_e74AhWsQUEAHf-iCpUQFnoECAMQAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshuttermagazine.com%2F&usg=AOvVaw3_3Rh1AZL7kOYBE8U7JTCa
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Aloe Farm Outing Andrew organised this outing and captured the members all in true photographic form
JUNE 2022 - 51 BTS IMAGES BY ANDREW MAYES
Thank you Andrew and all the members for making this another lovely outing