NZIPP PRO Report September 2016

PR

Report BE INSPIRED, BE SUCCESSFUL, BELONG

NZIPP MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2016

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NOT A MEMBER OF THE NZIPP YET? As an accredited member of the NZIPP you have the support, networking opportunities and camaraderie of your peers within your industry. It also adds credibility for your clients that you are a professional photographer. Belonging to an institute that represents all areas of professional photography in New Zealand, and through our focus on education, advice, and a wide range of membership benefits we will help you improve the success and vitality of your business.

Your accredited member benefits will include: · · · · · · ·

Epson NZIPP Iris Awards (member rates) Infocus Conference (member rates) Meeting and Networking opportunities Professional Development Membership Discounts PRO Report eMagazine Scholarships

Come along to your next regional meeting to check out what becoming a member is all about!

Contact info@nzipp.org.nz

MISSION STATEMENT To champion, embrace and communicate excellence and professionalism in photography.

CONTACT NZ Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) P O Box 133158, Eastridge, Auckland 1146 New Zealand W: www.nzipp.org.nz E: info@nzipp.org.nz

We welcome your feedback and thoughts. If you have something to say, send it through to:

Cover Image:

info@nzipp.org.nz

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH NO MORE - GOLD DISTINCTION AWARD Image © Donna-Marie Stark FNZIPP

PRO REPORT is a publication of the NZIPP © NZIPP 2016. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS Executive Updates 04 Presidents Report 06

Infocus 2017 - Save the dates

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Vice-Presidents Report

What’s In My Bag...?

32 Catherine Cattanach FNZIPP II Events & useful links 40

NZIPP News 09 Accreditation Programme Regional Updates 10

Auckland / Northland Region

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Wellington Region

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Waikato / BOP Region

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Canterbury / Westland Region

Get Clicking

Regional and National Sponsors 41

Thanks to our Regional and National Sponsors

Member Profile 20

Donna-Marie Stark FNZIPP

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EXECUTIVE UPDATE

Presidents Report Katherine Williams FNZIPP IV– and AAIPP

For collective strength we must wholly embrace pride as individuals united within a professional industry association. No matter what genre of photography you work in you are tasked with capturing moments, creating bespoke art or communication pieces, and/or documenting and telling significant stories - both simple or complex in nature. Wherever you fit, what you do is certainly very deserving of immense pride. Collective strength is our best potential vessel to say to the wider community that photography is valuable and it’s professional creators need to be valued – as what we do is important.

This collective strength is being enhanced through the closer relations the industry associations have been working together on both within New Zealand and across the Tasman. Common ties, shared knowledge, and joint resources where appropriate will strengthen us as an industry and benefit us all.

In being part of the NZIPP community one of the most powerful marketing tools we have is our unity and strength when we join collectively. As an association we need to work towards goals of more effective marketing strategies, to find more ways to place the NZIPP brand and those who are part of it in front of a wider audience, to educate the public on the value of hiring a skilled professional, and to make opportunities to tell photographic stories to our community. As photographers are the creators of photographic storytelling of what will be our shared visual history.

NZIPP is in a growth phase and that’s a greatly positive

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step for all of us moving forward – but we are going to need your help to get closer to our potential. Being a team of predominantly volunteers on limited time and not having the capacity to stretch our staff further, the more we can all do as a team in our daily practice for the increasing strength of our industry, the better off we will all be. Awareness in society creates pathways for us as your national board representation to help you harness greater benefit for your membership, and implement marketing strategies harnessing our united strength.

So I’d love to remind and encourage everyone within our accredited membership to display the NZIPP logos proudly on advertising collateral and your website, use the hashtags #nzippaccreditedphotographer when posting photography work on social media and #nzipp for other NZIPP related posts, use the NZIPP/ AIPA terms and conditions, recommend others in our NZIPP community when opportunity arises, collectively educate clients on why to choose an NZIPP accredited photographer. Respect others within our professional community and exhibit pride in your membership.

As your volunteer team we are a group of people with photography melded into our hearts. As we consider the directions to take what to leave behind is just as important for us as what to run with as we determine where our energies are best focused. On the table for discussion for quite some time was the truth that our annual awards and conference were absorbing such a significant time for our volunteer teams as each year we

had to reinvent the wheel. Going from city to city, venue to venue working hard to source the venue, discuss and overcome logistical challenges – and each year the perfect venue seemed elusive.

Then along came Shed 6 in Wellington for 2016 – it was a big, bold, daring move in many ways – so it could not fail, and we have a great pride that it delivered incredibly so many ways. One of our key goals was to have more members of the public in attendance and one of the fundamental reasons for this was an identified need that we cannot just celebrate excellence in photographic vision and craftsmanship in an insular way. We needed to create opportunities for people to see it, to appreciate it, to celebrate with us the diversity that photography of 2016 offers to the world. You see, the more we can expose more people to professional photography the stronger the profession can become.

So along came Exposure: The NZ Photo Show, it was the piece that sewed the existing components together.

The stronger marketing, the additional events and the accessibility of the exhibition component brought numbers of people curious in the world of photography in through the door in droves. The best thing, which really excites us, is that we are still a long way from our full potential and we are daring to not just dream but to strive to deliver more.

We recognize it is challenging for some attendees this year having the dilemma of not being able to be in two places at once, however you’ll need to forgive us if we are giving too much goodness to choose

from but the strategy behind this has been extensively considered. The formula from 2016 is one that was a resounding success and we will bring to you in 2017.

With a significantly greater lead-time than this year our ability to promote more effectively will grow tenfold and have many more members of the public come and get excited about the work professional photographers create, and that to us all must be fantastic news! When we showcase more, we bring more to the partners who support us – and then they help us more. Allowing us to deliver to you a high caliber line up of presenters for world-class photography education and inspiration at outrageously affordable rates for the duration of Infocus.

So on that note…Drum roll please…. No-one does that drum roll quite like Rachel Callander! We are extremely proud and excited to announce from June 15th - 19th 2017 it will be time to rewind and do it all again… back at the outstanding Shed 6 in Wellington.

Our speaker line up of amazing talent and super nice people (part of our criteria!) is well underway with more announcements on who will be joining us not far away.

Get ready - we will be wanting to blow you all away and to be a significant part of your personal and business journey into a growth phase for your 2017!

So put that in your calendar – right now – we’d love you to join us.

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“Say no to fomo.”

15 -19 JUNE 2017 SHED 6.WELLINGTON NZ

15-18 JUNE 2017

15-17 JUNE 2017

18-19 JUNE 2017

Discover a world of visual creation in a vibrant, interactive program of workshops, live shoots, exhibition, industry tradeshow and more.

Join us for the live judging of the NZIPP/EPSON Iris Professional Photography Awards, entry available for all professional photographers, entry opens Autumn 2017.

Be educated and inspired by world class presenters in NZ’s premiere photographic conference for professional, aspiring and student photographers.

Infocus speaker announcements coming soon www.infocus.org.nz

“

In 30 years I’m still going to look back on this past weekend with NZIPP as life changing. I’ve always loved photography but it wasn’t until this past year when I invested the time and resources to fully engage with this art. It has become my therapy, my escape, my obsession and the opportunity to attend the NZIPP conference couldn’t have come at a better time. Thank you for “adopting” me into the NZIPP family and offering me so many learning opportunities that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

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- Kalen Acquisto

EXECUTIVE UPDATE

Vice Presidents Report Tracy Stamatakos FNZIPP

Put your Money where your mouth is.

Personally investing in our industry reinforces that you truly believe in the value of images.

Over the years I’ve been gifted printed images which I treasure, but annually I also make it a goal to purchase an image from a visual artist that I admire, images that touch my heart or I can draw creative strength from.

How can I justify the value in my own work if I’m not prepared to fork out the funds for the work of others. The universe works in mysterious ways, and if you take on this idea you will certainly be rewarded. If you have never purchased photographic works, a great place to start is the Iris Awards. An abundance of imagery that has had heart / soul / blood and tears written all over it. These are the best images to own. Pieces I’ve acquired directly or indirectly from the Iris awards remind me everyday of the influential people that I’ve crossed paths with. Now people who have been to my small abode know that I’m fast running out of wall space as my love of art goes beyond the photographic kind is a bit of an addiction.. books are a great way of getting around this situation, and with affordable Small Run Self Publish available to Photographers these days there are some stunning examples floating around. In March this year, Massey University, Wellington, hosted the inaugural Photobook New Zealand festival. The event was co-presented by a group of Photoforum NZ affiliates with Momento Pro sponsorship. established and emerging photographers came out in droves, confirming that the production of photo books is strengthening, so keep an eye out for 2017 dates!

So this idea of investing in our industry extends further than just purchasing wall art or books…..My husband’s business occasionally needs imagery, usually something

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more architectural, and instead of asking to me to photograph it, which would seem the obvious solution, I get him to contract the best person in our city for the job, This photographer specialises in this type of photography and I want to support her in her endeavor to stay a specialist. Supporting each other, even our competition is important to strengthen our creative community.

The contra /service swap…..might be an image or shoot and files and it’s quite common, creatives embrace this as they don’t have to talk dollar figures with each other ( what’s up with that ?)…..it certainly is a game changer when cash is exchanged.

A few years back I asked a local photographer for a portrait session with my boys, they said they only do contras with other photographers….that’s just crazy, but I suspect it was to again avoid taking about the green stuff…so the shoot never happened.

I asked a very good friend of mine recently to photograph me…..some new head shots (why do photographers have the worst out of date head shots? and seem to be ok with that…we all laugh it off, but it’s crazy!) and the first thing she said was “lets do a swap.”

I said, “no I’m paying you”….we had words about it, I think she agreed just to shut me up!, but the deals still not done….I’ll keep you posted (she’s probably going to bail after reading this….lol ) It’s also important to walk in our clients’ shoes every now and then, to deconstruct the experience, to tweak and polish our business…..why not write it off as professional development? ….. invest in ourselves by investing in others.

NZIPP ACCREDITATION

Accreditation Programme Sarah Beaufoy MNZIPP and Mel Waite FNZIPP Accreditation Coordinators

ACCREDITATION

“The strongest path to assured success, is together�

We are very passionate about NZIPP and adhering to the professional standards of the organisation and industry as a whole. It is important for you to become Accredited, which is a recognisable professional business standard and is valuable for your ongoing growth as a professional photographer and NZIPP member.

Sarah, Mel, and welcoming Shar Devine to the Accreditation Team

While Accreditation is a certification process, a large part of becoming accredited is around continued education and support networks within your local photography community, as well as the wider photography network.

Where possible we encourage you to attend and network at regional meetings and coffee catchups.

Our next accreditation round is 3rd of November 2016 and will be limited to 10 folio submissions, including resubmissions PRE-ACCREDITATION CHECK If you are a new or provisional member you need make yourselves known to your Regional Chairperson who will put you in touch with an Accreditation Advisor. This enables them to view your work and guide as to when you should be submitting to be assessed.

For any questions please email nzipp.accreditation@ gmail.com and follow the notifications in the Accreditation Q&A Facebook Group https://www. facebook.com/groups/107239679301077/ PRO Report / Magazine of the NZIPP

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Auckland / Northland Region Words by Chris Traill FNZIPP

Auckland’s August meeting was a RED one, hosted by Gino Demeer at his new little Parnell studio. Thanks Gino for providing your wonderful new space as a venue for our meeting and congratulations to you (and Anna) on what must be a very proud time in your career and testament to the success that Cactus Photography has become.

OUR GUEST SPEAKER was BIANCA DUIMEL with her famous model children Sasha and Luke, who I understand are starting to shoot and edit/post produce themselves. Look out Mum and some future NZIPP members there maybe.

Bianca is an incredible photographer. Well known in NZIPP circles, she is a true portrait artist with tons of Iris Awards to her credit. Her style is distinctly her own with that unmistakable sense of ethereal surrealism and dreamy glamour.

Bianca and I have walked similar paths and we have operated from the same hood out of South Auckland for over 25 years. She began her career running a studio, Portrait Magic from Manukau Shopping Centre and all these years later, now operates her boutique studio from her home in The Gardens.

Bianca gave us an overview on her wonderful career with an accent on her RED MATTERS book project, which she is currently working on. The portraiture is absolutely stunning.

She has a passion for photographing redheads and has embraced this unique beauty and is committed to changing peoples perceptions of redheads. This book project is also raising funds for Kidsline. It’s a win win for all involved.

Congratulations Bianca. We wish you well, thank you for presenting to us and we look forward to seeing the book sometime in the future.

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We’d like to welcome HOLLY SPRING onto the Auckland committee. I know her energy and sweet yet vibrant nature will bring value to our team.

Ilan Wittenberg continues to get great mileage out of his stunning body of work from Jerusalem by receiving The Travel Photographer of the Year at the prestigious TRAVCOM CATHAY PACIFIC MEDIA AWARDS. Well done Ilan!

Chris Traill (FNZIPP. Auck Chair)

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Wellington Region Words by Catherine Cattanach FNZIPP II

We’re feeling pretty lucky here in Wellington to have a great new home for some of our monthly meetings.

The owners of character-filled heritage building The Woolstore on Thorndon Quay (home to the studio of our very own Jo Frances Photography) are keen to get a creative vibe going around their new Art Room. They’ve offered the Wellington NZIPP free use of this awesome space, which comes complete with a projector, sound system and French chef! Well, we have to pay for Veronique’s amazing food, but still…

Woolstore owner Paul Robinson built the room around the very large painting “In Time Like Glass”, by Tony Lane. The art work is a permanent feature of the function space, which was officially opened in late July. That month we held our post-Iris-Awards wrap-up meeting in the Art Room, and will also meet there in late August, when we’re lucky enough to have NZIPP Grand Master Richard Wood coming to talk to us.

The wall opposite Tony’s huge painting is being dedicated to a revolving set of exhibitions, and again, Paul has generously offered this to our members. NZIPP Fellow Mandi Lynn is going to be first off the block, using the Art Room in October for a mini version of her planned Block and Flow exhibition.

The French cafe Le Marche Francais is adjacent, so we’ve moved our weekly coffee catch-ups to the Woolstore too. All we do on a Friday morning is drink flat whites and eat rich tarte tatin - you’re not going to recognise Wellington NZIPP members the next time you see us…

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Artist Tony Lane (left) speaking about his painting at the official Art Room opening. Woolstore owner Paul Robinson on the right.

Guests at the art room opening

A recent Friday coffee catch-up at Le Marche Francais

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Waikato / BOP Region Words by Kim Howells, MNZIPP

What a fantastic and amusing meeting team Waikato/ BOP had this month. Our guest speaker was none other than newly elected NZIPP national board member (congratulations!!) Claire Birks. Claire is an absolute master of anything internet. Not only does she create websites, but she has more knowledge than could be shared within a month on how to get the most out of social media and SEO. Claire talked about how to portray your personality and who you are, how to get the right followers on social media for maximal reach, what posts or mix of posts will help you to gain clients, and she even explained social media in terms of wine! There was so much more, I know we could have listened for so much longer too, as it was amusing and really informative at the same time. I suggest any other regions wanting information on this, get Claire there.

In this month’s Creative Photography Competition, Marama Shearer took out the first two places, followed

by Kim Howells. Come on Team Waikato-Bay of Plenty, there is still plenty of time to get images in and contest the top spot for our region! I imagine it’s going to be a tight contest this year again.

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REGIONAL UPDATES

Canterbury / Westland Region Words by Tony Stewart FNZIPP

Friday 13th never bodes well traditionally. But Canterbury-Westland folk are a hardy crew, not bothered much by superstition. So off we all headed to Castle Hill for the weekend, about an hour and a quarter from Christchurch, just up over Porters Pass en-route towards the West Coast.

After such a great inaugural weekend last year, this looks like it may well be the start of a regular annual trip into the high country. The landscape about Castle Hill, Craigieburn Forest Park, & Cave Stream really is something special. In fact it was used to shoot part of The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe a few years back, and is very Hobbit-esque.

Accommodation was at the St Andrew’s school campsite, which is a huge timber lodge, isolated from the main village up a steep road surrounded by native bush. It is a great facility for our purpose, with a generous dining area, commercial grade kitchen, and bunk room accommodation. Respectfully, we volunteered the honeymoon suite to our elders, Kath and Ken, much to Suzie and Cam’s polite disappointment I could tell!

Weather was variable to say the least, with everything from sun, rain, and heavy wind. Yet the cameras still came out, and people made the effort to explore the surrounding area. Some earlier, some later than others. But that was the secret of the weekend. There wasn’t actually anything organised, as much as it was a organic evolution of creative spirit! People were free to pretty much do what they wanted, but most people participated the lighting set ups that Richard, Doug, Greg, Anthony, etc co-ordinated. We shot each other, cars, stars, landscapes, trees - you name it, it was fair game. We even managed a most delightful pregnant

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model. While she appeared to relish the opportunity, I think she is less excited about having us all there pointing cameras during the pending birth!

The gastronomes amongst us were not disappointed, as we all ate like kings. There was no shortage of tasty food, washed down with plenty mulled wine (just for dinner for the sake of accuracy!)

Everybody just pitched in where they could, and cooking and clean ups just got done. Thank you.

Huge thanks must go to Greg Webb from CRK, and Matt and Neal from Canon NZ. These gentlemen made a special effort to be involved in this weekend, providing a heap of ‘toys’ to play with. That was truly appreciated by our industry partners - thank you.

Thanks must also go to Lydia and Stuart Nimmo who trekked over from Greymouth - not once, but twice after their Saturday job.

John O’Malley takes the award for best barista, and master of local knowledge. Richard Linton for Master Chef and kitchen slave. Anthony Turnham, … well, let’s just say it was another great weekend away from domestic shackles!

Please enjoy some of the photos here, taken by some of Canterbury’s finest photographers. Take this opportunity to think about a retreat for your region, or to plan a trip to these parts yourself. It is probable Cant-West will run another one next year. Maybe you can think ahead to then, as we’d love to host you.

© Tony Stewart FNZIPP

© Stewart Nimmo MNZIPP

© Anthony Turnham ANZIPP

© Anthony Turnham ANZIPP

© Stewart Nimmo MNZIPP

© Tony Stewart FNZIPP

© Tony Stewart FNZIPP

© Richard Linton PRO Report / Magazine of the NZIPP

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© Tony Stewart FNZIPP

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“”

The landscape about Castle Hill, Craigieburn Forest Park, & Cave Stream really is something special.

- Tony Stewart FNZIPP

© Stewart Nimmo MNZIPP

© Anthony Turnham ANZIPP

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GRAVEYARD -GOLD AWARD © Donna-Marie Stark

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MEMBER PROFILE

Donna-Marie Stark

FNZIPP

www.shotz.co.nz

Was there a “moment” when you knew that photography was something you just had to do? / How did you transition into Photography as a career?

It’s a mystery about when that ‘moment’ struck but it happened many years ago. I was hooked when I used to use my parent’s wee rectangular Kodak point and shoot - I loved it. It was usually full of slide film, loved the taking and waiting for the results. A film used to last a while, back then money wasn’t plentiful so what ever was in there I was told it had to last. We were more selective in our image capturing back in those days, not like now ha-ha. My first SLR came along, a Ricoh and some lenses. I started hanging out at the local camera shop, yip Gore only had the one, and started going to workshops and seminars and charging people for wedding / portrait photos. In 1994 after meeting Moira Clark at a H E Perry travelling road show I joined the NZIPP and attended my first awards in Queenstown.

No students working behind scenes back in those days.

Photographers were the people who worked loading prints on and off the screen, spinning them around and recording the scores on the back of the print. Heck we even went round and round in circles before each category doing the walk through with the physical prints in our white-gloved hands. At these awards I entered my first print, a B&W full 16x20” of a bride and groom kissing. Stood behind the screens listening to Terry Winn talk my print into being awarded a Silver merit. What a buzz, how exciting! I finally got back to the motel at 1.30am sneaking in so as not to wake my sleeping two month old baby and family. Judging went on until the early hours back then, they were long days and nights.

Attending each year’s conference/awards was the only time away from being a mum and from running a house. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and during the years have meet a lot of North Islanders, mainly Aucklander’s who lovingly made fun of my southern

accent. Apparently I rolled my R’s, who would have known lol. I enjoy the network of friends made through my years in the NZIPP. I would have missed out on meeting so many cool creatives had I not gone to that H E Perry road show.

How would you describe your photographic style and how it has developed over the years?

Don’t really think I have a style that you could give a title to, it is changing all the time depending on the subject matter. LOVE working with textures, colours and layers and have done for as long as I have had PS, even in the days of film.

Where do you get the inspiration for your work?

Of course I admire what famous artists have created over the years with their skill, their vision and where it takes them, but with my personal work I take my inspiration from life, what I see, and what I feel. My parents have never been creative so I guess it’s not in the genes. I like to express myself with this incredible medium and it’s exciting to see where it takes my images and me. When I sit down in front of the computer I have a vision of where I would like the image to go but that can change just like that.

What type of session do you look forward to the most vs what type of session you most often do?

My business is mainly people orientated with some commercial thrown into the mix. Families, children, pregnancy sessions, and lots of makeover photo shoots, the odd wedding (not odd as in crazy odd, but a few every so often), club and some school photography. I

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Image © Michelle Phillips

am not too shy to rock up and photograph a sports club of strapping muscly men, a dance group of ladies in tutus, or even a dance group of men in tutus!! (you all know who you are out there!) Nothing much fazes me.

Love it when clients give me full creative control, hmm am I control freak, not really, maybe sometimes, who knows but think I am pretty easy to get along with so that helps my clients relax during their session.

Can you tell us a bit about your Shotz Photography business?

Have been charging people for imagery for 34-35 years.

Heck that makes me sound really old, I must have started when I was 8…ah yeah nah we all know that is not true.

I work by myself, have a makeup artist come in when needed, though some of the time I have company, my

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dog Rufus puts in the hours too. Have printed my own work on my Epson printers for the last 9 years, which I absolutely love. Love the control (hmm the control thing again), the creativity and the ability to print when I want and not have to wait for labs and couriers etc. If I want to change anything or reprint then it makes it so much easier. I am based in the suburb of Wakari in Dunedin.

My studio is a character filled 1910 villa with chandeliers throughout, high metal pressed ceilings, polished floor boards; it’s a lovely space to work from and to have clients come to. Not all clients are creative. Not all perform well in front of a camera.

I think if the client trusts their photographer and relaxes due to the cool vibe being emitted from said photographer then the world’s your oyster and Fanny’s your Aunt (may she rest in peace), it’s easy.

DISPAIR - BRONZE AWARD Š Donna-Marie Stark

I like to express myself with this incredible medium and it’s exciting to see where it takes my images and me. When I sit down in front of the computer I have a vision of where I would like the image to go but that can change just like that.

- Donna-Marie Stark PRO Report / Magazine of the NZIPP

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What is your favorite photograph that you have ever taken?

I have a new favourite every few days it just depends on what I have photographed each week. My Golds will always hold a special place in my heart. My emotional favourite ? Well that’s another story. I recently photographed my Mum who is only 71 and she has dementia. I entered a series of her in the awards this year titled “MUM DEMENTIA IS NOT FAIR”. It was an emotional session, which she would have quickly forgotten that she had even been photographed but that is ok, we enjoy spending time hanging out together so that’s special and very cool. I said: “Mum I would like to take your photo, for the awards. You remember the awards, the ones I enter each year. Here’s a bra, let’s pop it on you, I’ll pop this fabric around your jeans and have a seat.”

Yes, had to tell her a few times but she sat relatively still for majority of the shoot. I am proud of her she did so well.

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Another recent favourite is a series from my entries this year titled “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, NO MORE”, which made me cry like a baby every time I worked on it.

Seriously it was bloody miserable working on it but it had to be done. I had so much to say, so much to share that I had to get it out of my system. The collage scored an amazing 97, Gold with Distinction, my highest score ever so all those tears were well spent I think. It was a series of 25 photos of one of my dearest friends whom I dressed in red just a couple of days before the entries closed. She followed my instructions to the letter, (yes I controlled everything she did and how she portrayed herself) and through her I managed to express some of my story of despair, frustration, torment all the way through to saying “NO enough is enough, STOP no more, I am stronger than that, I can do it, I can be at peace”. I love the completed series and am so thankful that the judges did as well. All these pictures are single capture; no multiple exposures were taken to achieve these photos.

Image © Ross Clayton

FAMILY PORTRAIT © Donna-Marie Stark Another series in this collection of work entered titled DESPAIR was depicting the sheer frustration, hopelessness and grief of having someone missing in your life.

If you had to choose one lens which one would it be and why?

I am by no means a tech geek when it comes to gear. have a heavy wheelie bag full of the tools I use to create what I want. I love my Nikon 810, I don’t really have a favourite lens but I do love polaroid film paired with an old camera. So cool, why reinvent the wheel I say!!!

What software do you use to manipulate your photographs?

Lightroom for a quick edit prior to a viewing session, but everything else is done in Photoshop. Love the

programme and the freedom it gives for me to create.

What are some favorite things about being a photographer?

I love many things, making people happy with images of themselves, guess you would call that the warm and fuzzies, yeah I am a typical girl and I love creating, heck even if some of it is experimenting, it’s all good fun.

There has to be some perks to life.

What has been your most memorable assignment and why?

Love travelling and photographing what I see along the way. Am not so keen on carrying all the gear now as I can’t so I have to choose my gear wisely.

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FORREST - GOLD AWARD © Donna-Marie Stark PRO Report / Magazine of the NZIPP

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MUM DEMENTIA IS NOT FAIR - SILVER AWARD © Donna-Marie Stark

What’s the most important thing you want potential clients to know about you?

What are some words of advice you have for budding photographers?

I would like potential clients to know that I am a genuinely caring person who wants to produce beautiful keepsakes for them to cherish for a long time. I would like them feel assured that the photo shoot will be fun and that there photos will look amazing.

I would say, “Have you given any other careers any thought, what else would you love to do?” I know, smack hands shame on me (Smiley face).

If not a photographer you would have been?

Well when I was a wee girl I wanted to be a marching girl or a hairdresser. That was some time ago. As for now, I know an easy answer would be a Graphic Designer but just to rock the boat I would love to be a glass blower or to be a textile designer. Looking back at my career choice perhaps I should have been a vet as we have three small dogs, three black cats, four chickens, a rooster, nine sheep (including our pet sheep named Lola which many of you have seen on FB) and two miniature horses that used to belong to my Mum. Luckily our vet visits are few and fair between but it would have been a great career choice. Hmmm, then there is always a Princess, well perhaps that wouldn’t be the right fit haha. Not my sort of life I wouldn’t think, I just don’t look good carrying around a handbag.

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UNDERWATER BEAUTY PRO Report / Magazine of©the NZIPP 29 Stark Donna-Marie

BEAUTIFUL SWAN © Donna-Marie Stark

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1st September 2016. C.R. Kennedy (NZ) Ltd has assumed full distribu:on responsibili:es in NZ for Profoto -­‐ The Light Shaping Company.

Profoto was founded in Stockholm in 1968 by photographer and engineer Eckhard Heine and photography equipment retailer Conny Dufgran.

Today, Profoto products are used by the best in the industry and globally, Profoto is the most rented flash ligh:ng brand with an enviable reputa:on for reliability and colour fidelity. They con:nuously refine and improve their equipment, to stay true to Eckhard’s and Conny’s ideals.

Profoto believe that a Light Shaping Tool should feel right, sound right and be aesthe:cally pleasing.

Just like the painter’s brush or the musician’s instrument, its form should reflect its func:on. They will never let technology rule over the ar:st. Their tools are not obstacles but ligh:ng solu:ons, designed to help you turn your ambi:on into reality.

The recent development of Profoto’s Off-­‐Camera Flash System which combines the portability and ease-­‐of-­‐use of a speedlight with the performance of a professional monolight, has been described as a ‘game changer’ in the industry. Profoto OCF and Light Shaping Tools are designed for fast and easy on-­‐loca:on photography.

Greg Webb, CRK NZ Ltd’s, Profoto Product Manager, will handle the range. ‘CRK NZ Ltd and Profoto will operate through soon to be announced Profoto Authorised Dealers.’

‘We are looking forward to the challenges that a brand like Profoto will bring to CRK NZ Ltd, but believe with our retail partners, that Profoto will be an asset to CRK NZ’s por[olio of brands with all the unique quali:es it brings,’ he said.

Gerard Emery Managing Director C.R. Kennedy (NZ) Ltd 3 Hotunui Drive, Mt. Wellington, Auckland, New Zealand

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WHAT’S IN MY BAG

Catherine Cattanach FNZIPP II www.catherinecattanach.com

Catherine Cattanach (FNZIPP II) works from home in Wellington, mainly shooting people. She particularly loves working with children, both in her home studio and on location.

Um, how many pages am I allowed again?? I should probably disclose that I suffer from terrible gas (gear acquisition syndrome), so this is a bit embarrassing, but here goes. Although I’m winding back my wedding work to do more portraits, I take more gear to weddings, so will will focus on that.

Two camera bags: a Lowepro wheely suitcase and a leather Ona shoulder bag, which earned its keep within two months of me buying it, when it tumbled head-overheels down some steep scree and saved all my gear. It immediately looked very well loved, and it is.

Camera bodies: a Canon 5DIII and 5DII, plus for personal work/wedding back-up I carry a wee Fuji XT-1 in my handbag with an 18mm f2 pancake lens. I use a Black Rapid double strap and have a camera on each side loaded with different lenses, and the strap allows me to drop a camera and switch to the other really fast. I’ve fitted a little zip pack onto the front of the Black Rapid and my used cards go in here, so they’re always on my body.

Lenses: if circumstances allow it I’ll mainly use my 35mm f1.4L, 85mm f1.2L and 135mm f2L, but if I’m shooting fastmoving children I rely on my ‘get out of jail free’ 24-70mm f2.8L. An old manual-focus 100mm that I love using for macros, and a 16-35mm f2.8L that I don’t love at all. It’s very soft at the edges and I pretty much only dig that out for wide group shots. I also have the 50mm f1.4 but I lean towards the more doco feel of the 35mm.

Lighting: I am a huge fan of bounced flash and I routinely use it in combination with often quite high ISOs. I work really fast, and although I have the capacity to use offcamera flash at weddings, I hardly ever do. If the venue is cavernous I’ll use on-camera flash with a Spinlight 360

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and a large white card (#1 in the gear photo) - again I’ll use high ISOs to bring in the ambient light so the result isn’t too ‘flashy’. The Spinlight 360 also has black cards that I can use to flag bounced flash so that no direct light hits my subjects (or the eyes of guests behind me), but I often just use a piece of black craft foam stuck on my flash with a hairtie (#2), as it looks even more subtle.

Flashes: Two Canon 600EX-RTs, which I love for their super-intuitive controls. The built-in radio transmission enabled me to get rid of my cursed Pocket Wizards, which were taking years off my life. I can use my Canon ST-E3-RT transmitter (#3) and have both flashes off camera, or you can trigger an off-camera 600EX-RT with a hotshoe-mounted one.

Video lights: A MicroPro LED Litepanel (#4) with clipon gels: this fits in my hand and I use it to light detail shots at weddings, or sometimes a portrait of a single person. I considered the more powerful Lowel ID light and am so glad I didn’t buy that, because the number of times I’ve found that I’ve left my LitePanel facedown on the carpet in a bride’s dressing room… I’d definitely have caused a fire by now if I’d bought a ‘hot’ video light. If I need more power I have two of Gerry Ghionis’s “Icelights” (#5) in the car - I don’t carry them everywhere but I love the fact that I can use them as striplights. Groomsmen love holding these for me as they can re-enact Star Wars scenes. I was really lucky: when the first one got beaten up in the post they sent me a replacement and allowed me to keep the original, which still works. Also in the car is a Lastolite “Ezybox” popup soft box for my flash and extendable support pole (#6). A nice idea but when it comes to the crunch I’m usually working too quickly to be bothering with portable softboxes.

In a flat pocket of my Lowepro I have a large folded piece of white frost matting from the garden centre, some bulldog clips and BluTack: it’s super lightweight and it allows me to diffuse direct sun and turn a window

into a lovely large softbox. I think it was Jackie Ranken who shared this tip during a talk about eight years ago - cheers Jackie! I also carry a cigarette lighter, so that I can quickly light the candles on a wedding table and get on with the detail shots without having to wait for the staff to do it. There’s a box cutter, which is handy for snipping wayward threads etc and which I have also used for some impromptu gardening of some blackberry branches that would have snagged the bride’s dress.

I have a piece of ice-cream container covered with strips of black gaffer tape (#7) of various sizes (and should add some white gaffer for weddings), and a small case of other helpful stuff like safety pins, sticking plasters, a card of different coloured threads, sunscreen, mints and painkillers. A packet of multi-coloured Mentos for bribing kids, and a “spider” I made by sticking some googly eyes and pipe-cleaner legs onto a red hair scrunchie. This fits around my lens and gets the kids really engaged, even though its eyes have been chewed and it has only three legs left: might be time to make a new one. In digging around in the Lowepro bag I also found an emergency poncho, which I’d forgotten was even there.

I take a run sheet to each job, with info such as names, times, addresses, mobile numbers and directions, and I carry a checklist card (#8) that I quickly double-check before I leave to make sure I haven’t forgotten any key shots. Also in my bag are pens and a notepad, a torch and shutter release cable for long-exposure tripod shots, snacks and a can of V. There are a couple of of filters (including an ND8 which I just hold over the lens if I want to shoot at wide apertures or slow shutters in bright light), and a Colorspace UDMA 2 (#9). This is a little batterypowered hard drive with memory card reader: I plug in my cards during the down-time at a wedding, giving me an instant backup of everything. It also means I can just plug this one device into my Mac when I get home, rather than going through all the cards individually.

Finally, in the car I have some white umbrellas, a tripod, reflectors, a large oval diffuser, a picnic rug, a chiller bag with food/water/an icepack, a lightweight Alco stepladder, and a wooden coat hanger, which I run and grab if the bride’s dress is hanging on a cheap-looking plastic one.

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Š Catherine Cattanach

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Š Catherine Cattanach

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Š Catherine Cattanach

WELCOME IN SPRING

PHOTOGRAPHY COMPETITION Get outside and photograph spring in Aotearoa to be in to win one of two Tamron SP lenses Head over to facebook.com/TamronNZ for more information

Enter before the 1st of October to be in to Win!

The winner receives a new

The winner receives a new

Tamron SP 35mm F/1.8 lens

Tamron SP 45mm F/1.8 lens

STREET

LANDSCAPE

RRP 1,249

RRP 1,249

JUDGE

JUDGE

Greg Olsen

Chris Turner

HOW TO ENTER

To enter just “LIKE” the Tamron New Zealand Facebook page, UPLOAD YOUR PHOTO and TAG US in it to be in to win!

w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / T a m PRO r oReport n N/ZMagazine of the NZIPP

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NEW ZEALAND INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY

www.nzipp.org.nz