FOCUS CERPS WINNERS 2018 AND 2019
Edenvale Photographic Club - NEWSLETTER Sharing Visual Art
November / December 2019
02 / COVER STORY
ABOUT THIS COVER IMAGE Peter has been a model for many years, for John. In this photo, we see Peter posing with his dog, Shadow. This image was taken in the studio, with Peter dressed in a hired monk’s outfit. To help create a more authentic feel, John used a belt made from handwoven rope he bought at the hardware store, which adds to the authenticity of the photo.
CONTIBUTE 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 pixel. 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 form. 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
02 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
03 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
DEAR MEMBERS
Chairman: David Wolstencroft 083 229 8066 davewol@gmail.com
And this is the last chat for 2019.
2020 promises to be a bumper year.
It is hard to believe the year has gone. It seems just last month that the year started. It has been an eventful year for Edenvale Photographic Club. A lot has transpired, a lot has been achieved and I feel we are a stronger club because of it. I am not saying stronger because our photography is better; I am saying stronger because the club is running better than ever, and this is thanks to all you awesome members and the ever dedicated committee that go the extra mile to ensure that everything runs smoothly. We have dealt with issues, some difficult, some easy. We have gone places, held workshops and made EPC what it is today. We are all the club. I cannot stress this enough and I encourage you all to have a voice. If there is anything that needs to change, anything that needs to be addressed, please come forward, either in club meetings or in direct contact with any committee member.
It is our 70th anniversary and we plan on making it one to remember. We have a salon that closes in April; we are hosting CERPS in October and there will also be a plethora of workshops and outings. Suggestions for these workshops and outings are welcome, so let’s work together to create a year of magic photography. We are always on the hunt for new locations, new shoots, something different to stand out from the crowd. Together we can achieve this. In closing, I would just like to thank you all, once again, for an awesome year that I have really enjoyed. I am so looking forward to next year with new images, new members, new ideas and a fresh mind after the season break. With that in mind, the EPC committee wishes you all a relaxing festive season with family and friends. Drive safe, keep safe and shoot to your hearts content. Roll on 2020. EPC, you all rock.
Dave
03 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
04 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
Committee Members Chairman:
MEETING TIME AND PLACE 2ND AND 4TH WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH AT 18H30 FOR 19H00 EDENVALE COMMUNITY CENTRE COR. VAN RIEBEECK & 2ND STREET, EDENVALE
David Wolstencroft 083 229 8066 davewol@gmail.com
Salons, Judges and Outings: John Coumbias 079 1732 825 jcoumbias@telkomsa.net
Marketing and Secretary: Natasha Bird 082 920 8898 mnktrad@mweb.co.za
Newsletter Editor & Graphic Design: Hanli Smit 083 253 1034 hanlis54@gmail.com
Treasurer: Ted Kinsman 083 461 2350 tkinsman@global.co.za
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
Scoring & Promotions:
Training:
Jorge Borralho 082 337 9575
Robbie Aspeling 082 309 7470 rob@raphoto.co.za
Jorge.borralho@vodamail.co.za
04 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
IN THIS ISSUE TOP STORY PRIZE GIVING ANNUAL COMPETITION Page 10
PAST MASTER OF PHOTOGRAPHY Julia Cameron Page 6
YEAR END FUNCTION Page 21
NEW MEMBER FOCUS Robbie Aspeling Page 28
05 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
FOCUS ON CLARE APPLEYARD’S “Art My Jozi” Page 34 -35
PSSA SALONS Page 36-37
CLUB PHOTOGRAPHY VS REAL LIFE Page 38
RENT YOUR GEAR
FOCUS ON MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENTS Page 30- 35 Portrait of Julia Margaret Cameron, by her son Henry Herschel Hay Cameron, c.1870
05 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
06 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER PAST MASTERS OF PHOTOGRAPHY
J u l i a M a rg a r e t
Cameron
Julia Margaret Cameron, original name Julia Margaret Pattle, (born June 11, 1815, Calcutta, India— died January 26, 1879, Kalutara, Ceylon [now Sri Lanka]), is a British photographer, who is considered one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 19th Century. The daughter of an officer in the East India Company, Julia Margaret Pattle married jurist, Charles Hay Cameron, in 1838. The couple had six children, and in 1860 the family settled on the Isle of Wight. After receiving a camera as a gift about 1863, she converted a chicken coop into a studio and a coal bin into a darkroom and began making portraits. Among her sitters were her friends the poets, Alfred Lord Tennyson and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the astronomer, Sir John Herschel, the writer Thomas Carlyle, and the scientist, Charles Darwin. Especially noteworthy from this period are her sensitive renderings of female beauty, as in her portraits of the actress Ellen Terry and Julia Jackson; the latter was her niece, who would one day be the mother of the writer Virginia Woolf. Like many Victorian photographers, Cameron made allegorical and illustrative studio photographs, posing and costuming family members and servants in imitation of the popular Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite paintings of the day. At Tennyson’s request, she illustrated his Idylls of the King (1874–75) with her photographs, which show the influence of the painter George Frederic Watts, her friend and mentor for more than 20 years. 06 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
07 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER Cameron was often criticized by the photographic establishment of her day for her supposedly poor technique: some of her pictures are out of focus, her plates are sometimes cracked, and her fingerprints are often visible. Later critics appreciated her valuing of spiritual depth over technical perfection and now consider her portraits to be among the finest expressions of the artistic possibilities of the medium. In 1875 Cameron and her husband returned to their coffee plantation in Ceylon, taking with them a cow, Cameron’s photographic equipment, and two coffins, in case such items should not be available in the East. She continued to photograph and, according to legend, her dying word was “Beautiful!”
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08 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER Julia Cameron images
08 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
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09 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
10 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019 ANNUAL COMPETITION WINNERS
ANNUAL COMPETITION
WINNERS This competition is held once during the club year at the EPC (Usually at the end of the club year, September). Only images which have been presented at a club evening during the course of the current club year are eligible for the Annual Competition. An image cannot be entered in more than one category. All images entered must be the author’s own work, from pressing the shutter, to final processing and editing. Any composite entries must comprise only elements belonging to the photo author and may not include purchased or downloaded elements. Any images not meeting these criteria will be disqualified.
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11 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1 & 2 Star Winner Altered Nature Rather Windy Atholene Liebenberg
1 & 2 Star Winner Altered Reality Spider Woman in Hong Kong Stephen Kangisser
1 & 2 Star Winner Animal Portrait A Hairy Mouth Linda Carter
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12 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1 & 2 Star Winner Human Portrait Masked Caryn Wilson
1 & 2 Star Winner Nature Sunbird Brian Kleinwort
1 & 2 Star Winner Open Mono One Week Old Stephen Kangisser
12 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
13 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1 & 2 Star Winner Open Colour Winter Wonderland Stephen Kangisser
1 & 2 Star Winner Photojournalism Freedom of Association Kenneth Mukute
1 & 2 Star Winner Scapes Moody Blues Linda Carter
13 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
14 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 1 & 2 Star Winner Still Life Stitch in Time Atholene Liebenberg
3 & 4 Star Winner Altered Nature Tarantula Shadows Natasha Bird
3 & 4 Star Winner Altered Reality She danced when no-one was home Natasha Bird
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15 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
3 & 4 Star Winner Animal Portrait Hey Kitty Kitty Natasha Bird
3 & 4 Star Winner Human Portrait Robyn Natasha Bird
3 & 4 Star Winner Nature Namibian Feral Horses Natasha Bird
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16 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
3 & 4 Star Winner Open Mono Rural Farmers Moira van Heerden
3 & 4 Star Winner Open Colour Hover Fly Natasha Bird
3 & 4 Star Winner Photojournalism Sideways Gary Atkins
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3 & 4 Star Winner Scapes Joburg City Scape Michael Broschk
3 & 4 Star Winner Still Life Screwed up City Clare Appleyard
OPEN Winner Altered Nature Mom and Baby Hanli Smit
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18 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER OPEN Winner Altered Reality Cowboy Dreams Jorge Borralho
OPEN Winner Animal Portrait Eagle Portrait David Wolstencroft
OPEN Winner Open Colour Lesotho Village John Coumbias
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19 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER OPEN Winner Nature The Illusionist Dino Bottega
OPEN Winner Open Mono A Bridge Too Far Jorge Borralho
OPEN Winner Human Portrait Soft As Silk Hanli Smit
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20 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER OPEN Winner Photojournalism Feel the Winter Hanli Smit
OPEN Winner Scapes Waiting for the day David Wolstencroft
OPEN Winner Still Life The Finale Hanli Smit
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21 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER YEAR END FUNCTION
THE END OF
2019 The last club meeting of the year we enjoy a meal and a glass of wine to celebrate the great year we had as a photographic club. Edenvale will be the the host of CERPS Congress 2020 Edenvale will also celebrate it’s 70th birthday in 2020. Prepare yourself for an awesome YEAR! 7 Decades and still going strong...
70
Years 1950-2020 21 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
22 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER YEAR END FUNCTION IMAGES BY JORGE BORRALHO
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23 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
1 Star Winners
Mirror Image Stephen
November 2019
Kangisser
There and Back Linda Carter
Mini Landscape Linda Carter
Surprise Stephen
Kangisser
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2 Star Winners
Rhino defence
Liquid art
November 2019
Stephen
Kangisser
Tony Wilson
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3 Star Winners
November 2019
A Time to Build Brian Kleinwort
Unlit lighthouse Kenneth
Frog Legs for Dinner Brian Kleinwort
magic mushrooms and tenticles Caryn Wilson
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4 Star Winners
November 2019
Collecting pollen Christa Smith
Abstract Architecture
Clare Appleyard
Poppy
Christa Smith
Inside the Infirmary
Clare Appleyard
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5 & 6 Star Winners
November 2019
All softened up Dino Bottega
The monk and his companion John Coumbia
Egret fishing
John Coumbia
The Thirst
Jorge Borralho
28 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER MEMBER FOCUS
Member FOCUS Robbie
Aspeling
What does photography mean to you? Is it a hobby? A source of some extra pocket money? A passion? A journey? To me it is a lifestyle. A way of life. Something I think of when I wake up and what I’m still thinking of when I close my eyes to go to sleep. It’s a strange affliction that started around the tender age of 6 or so when I picked up a camera for the first time. I progressed from intrigue to executioner in creating the magic. In the good old film days the magic was there the moment the image appeared out of nowhere on that plain piece of white paper wallowing in the developer tank. From nothing an image would start to appear. This was capturing light for it to be immortalized forever. This was the magic that I had created. From capturing the image on the celluloid using all those manual settings (auto didn’t exist for anything, including focus) to developing the negatives and then creating the print. I was addicted. From school photographer to full time photographer and teacher that I am today, this has been my life. I have shot all genres and each have their own challenges. I like to think that I am proficient at most today. I certainly have had enough practice over the 50 odd years that I have been practicing. Do I have a favourite? This changes over time. Like any creative we go through phases. Most of my work these days is commercial work which is very much client driven. 28 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
29 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER I shoot landscapes mostly for calendar companies and lifestyle and pet photography for private individuals. With over 800 weddings under the belt, I only do these by request these days. Pet photography is quite a unique experience and we shoot these mostly as portraits for the owners. Fine art children portraiture is styled more as the renaissance look for large prints or canvasses. Avian photography is done as a challenge and for fun or for conservation. I am the only photographer that has ever been awarded the coveted Owl Award from Birdlife SA for my contribution through my photography to the conservation of birds in the country. I have been locally and internationally published and have won numerous awards over the years. With the advent of digital photography I saw the need for education to all the new users of DSLR’s so I started writing courses and expanded my business to include a small school where I teach from the basics to the advanced photography as well as processing using Photoshop. I run workshops on a very regular basis and have a mentorship program where students invest in their photographic knowledge by attending private lessons and group workshops every month. I run this program in JHB as well as KZN. I am a regular presenter at national expos as well as having presented at international symposiums over the years. I am an Olympus ambassador for Southern Africa and am proud to represent this unique brand. All my photography over the last 3 years has been captured with Olympus cameras and lenses. Prior to this I was the Sony brand ambassador for 10 years before Sony exited the SA market. My studio and school is based in Edenvale where I and Vicki Street are based.
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30/ NOVEMBER / DECEMBER MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANOUNCEMENTS
FOCUS on
Achievements We invite members to submit any and all achievements outside the Club for publication in the Focus Magazine. This is your magazine and we really appreciate any submissions. VIP: If you have entered any local and international salons, please share your results with Jorge Borralho at jorge.borralho@vodamail.co.za and cc epc@webmail.co.za for record keeping, and that we can market all our members terrific achievements.
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Edenvale Photographers achieve terrific results at CCC 2019 Salon Edenvale Photography Club recently participated in the 4th Cross-Continental Circuit 2019. This is a photographic competition (called a salon) that attracted 13 000 images from 1 200 entrants around the world. Three countries namely Germany, Indonesia and South Africa judged all the entries and awarded distinctions to deserving images The statistics showed that South African photographers placed 2nd collectively (1382 acceptance points) behind winners, Indonesia (1548) with Germany (994) and China (786) close contenders. Edenvale Photography Club was awarded 9th place from all the club entries received from various countries around the world. John Coumbias placed 9th in the Action category and was awarded 16 Acceptances Club Juniors: Michael Broschk was awarded 4th place overall in the Junior section and received 9 Acceptances
Club members Results: Clare Appleyard - 6 Acceptances Antoinette Bezuidenhout - 8 Acceptances Natasha Bird - 9 Acceptances Heidi Broschk - 10 Acceptances Fabiola Geevan – 1 Acceptance Johann Harmse - 8 Acceptances
Kyle-James Holburn - 1 Acceptance Bianca Holburn - 1 Acceptance Ted Kinsman - 13 Acceptances Andrew Mayes – 1 Acceptance Adrian Style - 4 Acceptances David Wolstencroft - 7 Acceptances
Club Seniors:
Hanli Smit was awarded the Cross-Continental Circuit Medal for Colour image: Ice Queen Portrait in Blue and also received 3 Acceptances
Jorge Borralho was awarded the German DVF Silver Medal for his Monochrome image: Hippo Eye-Level. He also received 10 Acceptances and was awarded 9th place in the Monochrome category. – author Jorge Borralho Q: Where was “Hippo Eye-level Monochrome” captured Jorge? A: This photo was taken at Biyamati Weir in the Kruger National Park. Q: We are used to seeing the majority of nature images in colour, can you share your motivation for converting this award-winning image into monochrome? A: The idea of converting it to mono was based on the fact that this image had high contrast throughout, having been taken at early hours. The golden light made for a dramatic and contrasty scene, one I thought might work well on mono so the conversion took place.
Q: Hanli, can you tell us a bit more about your awardwinning image? Was it a studio setup and how did you capture the luminance of the model’s skin so beautifully? A: I was at a Winter Wonderland Open Day when I spotted a model walk outside during a coffee break. She sat down on the edge of a brick flower box. I saw the most beautiful light on her face and she was surrounded by deep green leaves from the garden vegetation so I asked her if I may take a quick picture. The model was sitting in the shade and the light on her face was from the satellite dish on the roof of the home. In conclusion, I saw the light, the most important ingredient of a successful photo.
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32 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANOUNCEMENTS Natasha Bird Achieved the highest
CERTIFICATE of Achievement P r o u d l y P r e s e n t e d To
amount of accepted entries for Edenvale Photographic club in the recent SAVAS Salon
Natasha Bird
for Most Accepted Images In Your Club
Edenvale Photographic Club
And that is not all..... “4th International Circuit Camera Obscura 2019 Edenvale”, Edenvale, South Africa Jury report FIAP blue badge for best author: Natasha Bird, South Africa More congratulations are in order, this time for John Coumbias.
Left: GPU HM Downhill race ( Travel section)
John is the most experienced and awarded photographer in EPC and is also one of the humblest and most generous when it comes to sharing knowledge. Over the years John has racked up many international medals and accolades, and his most recent recognition has come from the 64th PSSL (Photographic Society of Sri Lanka) Annual International competition & exhibition of photography.
Hanli Smit had 7 images shortlisted in the annual Africa Photo Awards, This Image “Painted Face” was one of the top 10 finalists in the Category - Conceptual Photography. 32 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
Below: FIAP BRONZE medal Fire challenge ( Photojournalism )
33 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANOUNCEMENTS
Most Versatile WINNER Runner up 1 & 2 Star Brian Kleinwort
Most Versatile WINNER 3 and 4 Star Natasha Bird
Club log Runner up Natasha Bird
Most Versatile WINNER 1 and 2 Star Caryn Wilson
Most Versatile WINNER Runner up 3 & 4 Star Clare Appleyard
Most Improved Photographer Kenneth
Most Versatile WINNER OPEN Jorge Borralho
Set subject WINNER David Wolstencroft
Club log Winner Jorge Borralho 33 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
34 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANOUNCEMENTS
FOCUS on
Achievements
Clare Appleyard Focus asked Clare Appleyard to tell us her Rea Vaya story ....
Mid-way through 2018 an initiative called “Art My Jozi” put out a call for public art submissions for use on Rea Vaya bus stops. Construction had started on the Rea Vaya line along Louis Botha Avenue and Empire Road and Art My Jozi was looking specifically for art inspired by the people, places and character of these two roads. Louis Botha is one of the most diverse and dynamic streets in our city. Criss-crossing some of the oldest suburbs in Johannesburg, it links landmarks as diverse as the Radium Beerhall, century old schools, and the Randjeslaagte Beacon, which marks the original municipal boundary of Johannesburg in 1901. I frequently travel along Louis Botha Avenue near Parktown and as a lover of graffiti and street art, it’s one of my favourite roads due to the colourful pieces that adorn many of the walls along the road.
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35 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER In my mind, Louis Botha Avenue is epitomized by the ever-infuriating taxis, together with the street art and, on one rainy morning, I snapped an iPhone shot encompassing all that Louis Botha represents to me. The photo was taken through my car window as I sat in a traffic jam and I waited until the front of a taxi came into view before capturing the shot. As per Art My Jozi’s public art request, I tagged this particular photo on Instagram and a few months later received a request to submit the photo officially, together with my story behind the photo. In September 2018 I received a call from the organisers, telling me that my photo had been selected for use on the Clarendon Place Rea Vaya station.
Workers applying the Vinyl sticker Art to the glass barriers
The project’s graphic designers interpreted and rendered the photo into artwork for both sandblasting and painting on the glass and metal facades of the station. Currently, the station is still under construction and hidden behind fences and shade netting so I haven’t been able to see the artwork in person yet, but hopefully that will change in the next few months.
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PSSA Salons What are salons and why do we do them? Wikipedia: “From the seventeenth century to the early part of the twentieth century, artistic production in France was controlled by artistic academies which organized official exhibitions called salons.” To be able to exhibit your work on a salon, you had to obtain the approval of the judges. Today it is still the same in photography that all entries received are evaluated by the jury and only those found acceptable will be exhibited. And this is how we think of a photographic salon today – an exhibition of photography. Photographers are invited to submit their images in various categories for possible inclusion in the salon exhibition. A panel of judges scores all the submitted images and chooses approximately 20% for exhibition. The images that are chosen are known as “acceptances” and these are the “salon acceptanes” that are required for Club promotion. The acceptance rate will be different for each event and is set by the jury but within the parameters set by the organisations which approved the exhibition (salon) and lend their name to it (patronage). In South Africa, the PSSA ,as the national organisation representing amateur photographers, uses a guideline for acceptances for PDI (projected digital images) salons at between 20 and 25% and up to 35% for prints and Audio Visuals. Overseas you may see rates between 25 – 45%! The prime reason for presenting a salon is to see work that you would otherwise not see and share that with all EPC members and the general public. The entry fee is there to cover cost and if there is a surplus, that is considered a bonus. Salons are either National, where only photographers from South Africa (as well as all members of PSSA worldwide) may enter or International ones where photographers from all over the world compete. A list of salons is published on the PSSA website, in Club newsletters and entry for SA salons is generally via PhotoVaultOnline.
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Current list of Salons as per the PSSA Webpage Get the Salon Brochures on Photovault or www.pssa.co.za
2020.01.09 - 8th Miroc International Salon (Brochure available) 2020.01.18 - Tafelberg National PDI Salon (Brochure Available) 2020.01.25 - Madiba Bay National (PECC & UCC) PDI & Prints Salon (Brochure available) 2020.02.06 - 4th PECC International Audio Visual Festival (Entry Forms Available) 2020.02.15 - 5th PSSA International Salon (Brochure Available) 2020.02.15 - Alberton PDI Salon 2020.02.29 - Western Cape Photo Forum INTL PDI Salon 2020.03.14 - Benoni National PDI Salon 2020.03.28 - Kriel PDI Salon 2020.04.11 - Edenvale PDI Salon 2020.04.18 - 17th PSSA Up & Coming Competition 2020.04.25 - Boksburg PDI Salon 2020.05.09 - Magalies Foto Fun Club PDI Salon 2020.05.23 - Paarl PDI Salon 2020.06.06 - Heigel PDI Salon TBA - PSSA Youth Div PDI Salon
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38 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER
CLUB PHOTOGRAPHY vs. REAL LIFE
From Snapshot to Hotshot Lesson 408 C l u b P h o togr aphy vs. Real L if e
Author Gerry Pelser I’ve been dreading writing this one, because it’s a very sensitive and delicate matter that requires both brutal honesty and careful diplomacy. Club photography is like the classic Sergio Leone/Clint Eastwood movie: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Club photography has all three. Allow me to explain. The Good: Club photography is largely the reason I’m here today. I was a fairly average hobbyist
photographer. Nothing special, but I wanted to know more. 38 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
39 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER CLUB PHOTOGRAPHY vs. REAL LIFE So I joined a club. Did I say “a fairly average” one? Hell, no! I did not know how much I did not know until I joined a club. At club, I realised just how much I sucked! Well, it inspired me, to say the least. The club introduced me to other photographers: some young kids with exciting ideas, some old folks with decades of experience, and they all could teach me something. The wealth of (free!) information available to me as a photography club member was—and is— invaluable. Firstly, the club I belonged to rated and critiqued images anonymously. They showed the judges a picture, and then the judges comment on it; and if it was bad, they tore it to shreds. They always try to say something nice, but the reality is, they drag the photos through the mud. At first, this destroyed my soul, but then a penny dropped: they are not doing this personally, they are merely critiquing a photo—one they have no idea who the photogra-
pher was, they did not know if any given photo belonged a greybeard or a spring chicken. The photo was simply critiqued on its own merits. Lesson learned: Do not take this personally! When I stopped taking things personally and just listened to the critiques, I started to understand.I soon learned that if I apply the critiques others received to my own photos, and in doing so, giving the judges what they wanted, I could do better! And I did. Within two years of joining a club, I went from good-ish-but-mostly-sucky amateur, to a working pro earning a paycheque with a camera.
I never intended to become a working tog, but here I am, teaching others, taking pics, and even wrote a book. It’s awesome, and it’s all thanks to club photography. There is an interesting side lesson here: the people who fly through the ranks at club photography are people who are willing to listen and learn, the folks willing to adapt. Those who got stuck in frustration at the lower ranks of clubs are those who stubbornly cling to their own
“but this is what I enjoy taking pictures of” philosophy and submit the same
images with the same mistakes time after time. (And now in the era of Facebook photo groups, the same applies. Those who get tarred and feathered regularly are those who defend their own bad work with “but this is what I enjoy doing” or “Well, I like the photo.”)
If you are interested in becoming a better tog, join a club. Listen, learn, don’t take it personally, and indulge the wealth of information clubs can give you. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Clubs get you out of your comfort zone and make you think about your photography. If you want mutual appreciation and “nice picture” comments, Facebook is full of groups where boring, unchallenging and “pretty” pictures are loved and amateurs are made to believe they are the greatest thing since grated cheese. If you want to grow, learn, and become a damned good photographer, join a good club. The end result: I would not be here today if it was not for club photography. I owe those guys a heck of a lot. the same images with the same mistakes time after time. But there is a flip side: I told you club photography is not what you think it is.... Maybe I’ll just get me coat and quit while I’m ahead… The Bad: Club photography is NOTHING like real life commercial photography. This I also found out the hard way. Club judges have a set of criteria for pictures to adhere to according to which they judge. This is a system deliberately developed so that judges can critique images across a wide range of genres, and give consistent results. For example: a judge who is primarily a fashion photographer and who knows nothing about wildlife photography (yes, that would be me...), can use these judging guidelines to correctly and accurately judge a nature photograph.
But this is a bit like a kit lens: it does the average things really well, but does not excel at doing the exceptional. When your photography reaches a certain point, club judging is no longer valid. The club onesize-fits-most rules fall away The rules have been created to work for the beginner to serious amateur. Once you have learned the rules, and are now bending them to your will, the cub rules must still apply. “No washed out highlights” is a golden rule and yet, tons of high fashion glamour photography has exactly that. This can lead to endless frustration when you have reached a point in your photography when you need constructive and advanced feedback and the limitations of club cannot do so. This is the problem with club photography judging. They are just applying the rules, the rules they have been taught to use, the rules that work in 99% of cases. But the rules do not make sense in certain situations. Real life high-end photography and club photography are as different as chicken and custard. The end result: one eventually outgrows club photography. Clubs have a reason, and a very, very important purpose. But it will eventually serve its purpose, and one outgrows it. The mature photographer knows when it is time to leave club photography behind and aim higher. (Of course, this does not mean one leaves the people behind – I made lots of great friends thanks to photo club!)
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40 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER CLUB PHOTOGRAPHY vs. REAL LIFE The Ugly: As with all organisations, photo clubs have politics. Cliques form. A bunch of old farts who have been doing this for years think they rule the roost and have no time for new, innovative thinking. A bunch of eager young space cadets with no experience comes in and think the future belongs to them and they need not listen to the rules of the old farts. Both are wrong. In the club environment, the political game is always at play. Egos impede common sense, and there is always someone who is disgruntled at someone else. Someone always feels the show can be run a lot better, and someone always thinks the populace needs to be managed lest they run amok. This is the ugly part of club photography. At least this is not unique to photographic clubs, just classic group dynamics at work. The end result: petty squabbling can ruin club experience, and I’ve attended AGMs at clubs where various factions were in such a huff at each other, it looked like parliament! I must admit, I’m not wholly innocent of this. Lesson learned.
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The Disclosure and summation: I’ve been a member of a photo club for 5 years. Granted, it’s not a lot, but: in that 5 years, I’ve been on the committee for 4 of them, vice chair for a year, and chairman for two. The following I can assure you from first-hand experience: The good: Judging is truly fair and anonymous. There is no playing favourites with/by the judges. The critiques are genuine and fair, and for those willing to learn: a font of information. The bad: as you progress, you will get frustrated by the limits of club, and want to—need to— move on. The ugly: politics will always be at play, and the best way to avoid that game, is not to play it. Not your zoo, not your monkeys. Go for the feedback on photos, if you want to be a politician, join your high school’s parent’s society. Choosing a Club There are many independent clubs, but there are also some clubs who belong to the Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA). Both independent and affiliated clubs have their pros and cons. The pros of independent clubs is that they usually abide by different rules, but the con is that they can become very clique-ish and a mutual-appreciation society. The pros of PSSA clubs is that there is a set standard across the board and things happen on a more consistent basis, the cons are that ideas outside the set system is usually not handled very well. But in either case, you will learn a lot, and have to deal with politics.
A Final Word:
My opinion—and just an opinion—is join a PSSA-affiliated club. Go visit a few. See if there is one you like, and if you would like to join. Whatever your experience of club photography, you will learn something. As said, joining a club turned me from eager amateur into a working pro, and for that I am incredibly grateful. I have met amazing, inspiring and friendly people at club, people who have nurtured me into who and what I am today. I might have had my frustrations with clubs, and I might have outgrown them, but I cannot deny the value it played in my life, and I would recommend anyone who has any desire to improve, to join a club. Gerry Pelser is a writer and photographer living in Johannesburg with his wife, Andrea, two dogs, and a petite baby hippo who loves cricket more than he does (Don’t ask). His commercial work can be found on www.gerry.co.za and his more artistic personal stuff on www.gerrypelser.com. The above articles is from his photographic manual, From Snapshot to Hotshot, and is available in eBook format from his website at https://www.gerrypelser. com/product/from-snapshotto-hotshot/
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email any funny posts to hanlis54@gmail.com 41 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019
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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.
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43 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER RENT BEFORE YOU BUY
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44 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER CHEAT SHEET 101
THE ULTIMATE CHEAT SHEET PRINT OUT, FOLD IN HALF AND GLUE TOGETHER BEFORE YOU CUT IT OUT VERY HANDY TO KEEP IN YOUR CAMERA BAG
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Photo club “DANUBE” from Donji Milanovac, Serbia is kindly inviting you to participate at the our 29th photo exhibition: 8th MIROC Digital Circuit 2020 Serbia, Russia, South Africa, Norway 500 Awards LAST DAY FOR UPLOAD 09. January 2020. THERE WILL BE NO EXTENSION OF CLOSING DATE!
Entry fee: 35 euros (40 $) for all topics A. B. C. D.
Sections: Open color (FIAP, PSA PID Color, GPU, FSS), Monochrome images may not be entered in PID Color sections. Open monochrome (FIAP, PSA PID Mono, GPU, FSS), Color images may not be entered in PID Mono sections. Mountain Landscapes (Color or Monochrome) (FIAP, PSA PID Color, GPU, FSS) Nature (Color or Monochrome) (FIAP, PSA ND, GPU, FSS) PDF catalog downloadable from web site.
Borislav Milovanovic EFIAP/p, ESFIAP, EPSA, GPU CR3 Salon Chairman Tel: +381 69 128 06 14 E-mail:photoclub.danube@gmail.com web: www.photoclub-danube.com
Visit the website for rules and entry form. EPC MEMBERS PAY ONLY 28 EURO 45 / NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2019