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SHAUN JEFFERS’ VIRAL CREATIONS
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BECOME A PORTRAIT MASTER: ADVICE FROM IRIS AWARD–WINNING EXPERTS
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SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING NEW: THE FILM-PHOTOGRAPHY REJUVENATION
CONTENTS ISSUE NO. 76
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IN THE KNOW 6 COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE See what D-Photo readers have been working on and where they’ve been
8 FOCUS Recognizing photographic achievement and bringing you the latest photography world news
13 PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Learn about the latest gear and accessories
14 CANON EYECON We bring you the 2016 Canon Eyecon competition winners
16 WHAT’S ONLINE Find out what our top stories are over at dphoto.co.nz
BE INSPIRED 18 WORTH 1000 WORDS Discover the stories behind three stunning photographs
22 A PHOTOGRAPHER’S ITINERARY FOR CUBA Paul Daly traverses Cuba and brings home the ideal itinerary for photographers wanting to get the most from their explorations
30 WHEN GLOW-WORMS GO GLOBAL Adrian Hatwell talks to photographer Shaun Jeffers about his extraordinary glow-worm cave photography and how it reached global status
38 SUBSCRIBE AND WIN Be in to win an ONA Kingston leather laptop bag worth $649
40 PICTURE PERFECT Iris Award–winning photographers Susie Whelan and Marama Shearer share tips, tricks, and their passion for portrait photography
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48 DOCUMENTING AND UNDERSTANDING TUPU’ANGA Recent Kingsize Studio Scholarship student Holly Campbell talks about her series Tupu’anga, and how she approached the personal project
52 WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT? Want to upgrade your gear? We deliver plenty of options to help you step up your photography game and kit
58 WEALTH OF WORKSHOPS Explore our guide to upcoming workshops to make sure you get the most out of your camera
62 SMALL BUT MIGHTY We talk to Jan Bellamy of the Dargaville Camera Club about her work and how the club helped form her photography passion
66 IT’S OK, I STUDY FINE ARTS Elam School of Fine Arts recent graduate Minkyeong Kim tells us about her Grad Show project
68 FINE-ART PHOTO ALBUM Mareea Vegas speaks with Joshua Montreal about the thought processes behind his graduate series Bright Young Things
LEARN THE ROPES 72 TOP-10 WAYS TO CREATIVELY USE LIGHT Get a creative edge to your photographs by exploring 10 ways to use lighting to your advantage
74 TIMELESS BEAUTY Rebecca Frogley explores how to photograph a classic beauty shot, with Sigma’s latest and most-anticipated release yet — the 85mm f/1.4 Art lens
80 FILM PHOTOGRAPHY — RISING FROM THE CUTTING-ROOM FLOOR We explore how the art of film photography is enjoying a much-deserved resurgence
82 EASY ACCESS DIY FLASH FILTERS Adam Croy tackles part two of his experimentation with diffusing the harshness of flash lighting — this time by redirecting the flash
86 EDITING ON THE MOVE Hans Weichselbaum looks into using photo-editing app Adobe Photoshop Lightroom Mobile to edit your photos anywhere and everywhere
90 EXPLAINED: CMOS We take an in-depth look at the heart of most digital cameras — the CMOS sensor — to find out what’s still in store for digital photography
92 D-PHOTO KIDS PHOTO COMP We present the top three images from this round of the D-Photo Kids Photo Comp
94 Q&A D-Photo talks to Gerard Emery, managing director of CR Kennedy NZ, about his involvement in the photographic community
WHAT’S COMING UP 95 CALENDAR Make sure you have all these important dates in your diary
96 PARTING SHOT Find out what we’ve planned for the next issue of D-Photo
FEEDBACK
COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE
Congratulations to Paul Vettoretti, who won the ONA Kingston leather laptop bag, offered as the subscription prize in D-Photo Issue No. 74. We hope you enjoy your new bag, Paul!
We want to show off our readers’ work, so, each issue, we showcase what you’re working on and publish the communication we have with you. Make sure you keep us informed by emailing editor@dphoto.co.nz
A farewell to Marti Friedlander Since the news broke several months ago that Marti Friedlander had passed away, many people expressed their condolences on our Facebook posts to farewell Marti. We have gathered a selection for you to read and to remember the incredibly talented photographer: Carolyn Kearns: Love how Marti captured NZ’s culture and lifestyle. Her style of photography captured the heart and soul of all she photographed. RIP Marti. Fiona Russell: Such a talented and warm personality. She’s left a beautiful legacy to be appreciated for all time. Much love to her family and friends xxxxx. Barbara Anderson
Tui, kereru, and kowhai, oh my! Maungakawa Hill. I love the challenge of photographing birds, as they move about so much, unless they are a posing kereru,” Anderson said.
After reading our Ten Great Spots for Bird Photography article, Barbara Anderson got in touch to tell us about one of her favourite bird-watching spots and to share a few photographs she has captured recently of some of New Zealand’s beautiful bird life.
Not long after we received this note, Anderson was in touch again to tell us about an amazing interaction with kereru she had witnessed!
“One of my favourite spots for bird photography is not far from where we live, Maungakawa Hill, Cambridge. All of these photos, with the exception of the mother bellbird feeding her chick, were taken at
Linda Cutche: Thank you for the wonderful images you have left behind, you will always be remembered. Love to her family at this sad time. Brenda Weal: An inspirational woman, and such a talented photographer. RIP. Beryl Mcdermott: Thanks for your works. Beautiful and real.
“We were so, so lucky last night to see 12 kereru feeding on the kowhai leaves, right in front of us,” she said.
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In D-Photo Issue No. 75, Adrian Hatwell spoke with Sacha Stejko of The Painted Peacock Project. The Kiwi team was so pleased with the article, that its members shared this cool collage of it with their followers on Facebook! “Sacha’s beautiful portraits of the people she encountered in India and her moving imagery will be one of the highlights of our exhibition,” the team said on its Facebook page.
Marti Friedlander
The Painted Peacock Project
The Painted Peacock Project update
Havana, Canon 5D Mark IV, 55mm, f/5.6, 1/125s, ISO 1600
PROFILE PAUL DALY
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Havana, Canon 5D Mark IV, 26mm, f/7.1, 1/80s, ISO 1600
A PHOTOGRAPHER’S ITINERARY FOR CUBA Paul Daly finds himself in Cuba, where the stage is set, and the country is now writing a new chapter in the book of its long and tortuous history. He brings you an ideal photographer’s itinerary
Stepping from the plane, you expect the obvious mix of the past and the present. The country and its people have been left economically poor, yet they remain rich in culture. Infrastructure is visibly mildewed, but it remains architecturally magnificent. Preparing yourself for this perplexing jewel of the Caribbean isn’t easy. Bureaucracy reminds you that you’re travelling in a communist country, and, at times, it can be totally infuriating. But, at the same time, it’s strangely uplifting and definitely enlightening. No matter your opinion of its politics, Cuba and its people are undeniably a photographer’s delight. Travelling the country, you can roughly divide it in two. The east is less frequented by visitors,
and cities such as Santiago de Cuba, Baracoa, and Camagüey will offer you a more authentic experience. The west is home to popular destinations such as Havana, Trinidad, Vińales, and the resorts of Varadero, and it’s more tourist oriented. Havana is undoubtedly where you will start your adventure, but it’s also a great place to finish. So, get into the flow of Cuba by first taking a flight east to Santiago de Cuba. When at your hotel and sitting on the veranda, close your eyes and let your mind drift for a moment — it’s easy to imagine what this place must have been like pre-revolution. A gentle breeze will take the heat out of the air, the smell of cigar smoke will waft past, music will play somewhere nearby, children’s laughter will 23
Nikon D810, 38mm, f/3.5, 228s, ISO 1250
FOLIO SHAUN JEFFERS
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Nikon D810, 14mm, f/3.5, 271s, ISO 2000
WHEN GLOW-WORMS GO GLOBAL Adrian Hatwell talks to photographer Shaun Jeffers about the success of his Waitomo Caves glow-worm photography expeditions, as well as his venture into commercial tourism photography The need to search for light in dark times is an instinct familiar to all, but, for photographer Shaun Jeffers, that drive has taken him deeper than most. Dedicating hours on end to underground exploration, the photographer has made it his mission to bring the ethereal subterranean cosmos of New Zealand’s glowworms to the surface — and the whole world has been drawn to his light. Initially contracted for a commercial shoot at Waitomo’s Glowworm Caves, the British expat become transfixed by the challenge and splendour of the luminous insects and their otherworldly environment. With the blessing of the cave operators, Jeffers returned to the pitch dark of the region’s grottos to build a personal portfolio of surreal larvae-
lit cave-scapes. When these images hit the internet, it was clear that there was a global audience just as enamoured with the little cave-dwelling stars as the photographer was. “It was quite amazing,” Jeffers recalls with a laugh. “I woke up one day, and I had emails from The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and all the press agencies. It just went wild.” He had uploaded some of the Waitomo-shot images to the popular user-driven art website Bored Panda, and the site’s curators had moved his post to the front page and shared it with millions on Facebook. From there, the project hit that new media sweet spot and quickly went viral.
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STYLE PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY
Susie Whelan, Canon 5D Mark II, 61mm, f/8, 1/200s, ISO 100
Marama Shearer, Canon 5D Mark II, 24mm, f/4.5, 1/200s, ISO 640
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Susie Whelan, Canon 5D Mark II, 67mm, f/7.1, 1/125s, ISO 100
PERFECTING PORTRAITURE
Whether it’s having treasured images of your family, friends, or pets, portrait photography is a beautiful medium through which to deliver a permanent memory of who we were at particular points in our lives. We talk to Iris Award–winning photographers Susie Whelan and Marama Shearer about their approaches to portrait photography
You don’t need to pose a landscape — a mountain will hold a position as long as you need it to; however, if you’re looking to venture into portrait photography you will come up against a barrage of hurdles, ready to throw your photo-session plans right out the window or, at least, keep you on your toes for the duration of the shoot. So, why do people want to shoot portrait photography? “It’s the eyes. The eyes are the window to the soul. I know that sounds very clichéd, but it’s so true. With people, and with dogs and pets, [by] capturing the eyes, you can really see what makes people click,” says Susie Whelan, winner of the Portrait — Classic category of the 2016 Iris Awards. For her part, Marama Shearer, winner of the Portrait — Creative category of the 2016 Iris Awards, answers, “I am drawn to making connections with people, and that’s why I enjoy portraiture. I try to create a level of identifiable emotion to tell a story. I just like taking photos. It is honest, warm, clean, and bright.”
For whatever reason you’ve found yourself drawn into the portrait photography world, you’ve chosen a thoroughly rewarding one according to both Whelan and Shearer. It’s one that provides you with a sense of achievement when you finally press the shutter on that image you’ve been chasing all day, and when you hand it over to the subject, whether it’s a family, a newly engaged couple, a four-generation group of women, or even someone’s pet dog, seeing their face light up and how happy the resulting images make them is something that money just can’t buy — but, if you can turn it into a business, all the better! “It’s all about engagement with your subject. You need to get a look that makes your image special, and then click. You just need to get some emotion in their eyes. If their eyes are saying ‘I’m out to lunch’, it’s over. You can spot a lack of genuineness. You’ve got to get the eyes smiling, even if just for a moment. Get them to let their guard down. It’s not always easy, and that’s why I don’t like mini shoots.
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Nikon D70, 26mm, f/16, 3s
CLUB DARGAVILLE CAMERA CLUB
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Nikon D80, 105mm, f/4, 1/100s, ISO 200
Nikon D7000, 105mm, f/5.3, 1/80s, ISO 3200
SMALL BUT MIGHTY Jan Bellamy, the president of the Dargaville Camera Club, talks about how she fell for photography, and how she manages to squeeze in some focus on her chosen art form in between working on a busy dairy farm D-Photo: What inspired your interest in photography and made you pick up your first camera? Jan Bellamy: My real taste of photography began with a night class at our local school, and we had a tutor, the late Norm Robinson. He combined photography and poetry. He processed black-andwhite film in a darkroom, and so, with my Nikon F70, my photographic journey began and my addiction to black-and-white photography. Are you self-taught, or have you been involved with photography courses? I have been fortunate to have been tutored by a number of inspiring people. Bruce Shanks’ bird photography at Miranda, Eva Polak with an impressionist workshop with the Whangarei Camera Club, Ken Ball’s Waiheke weekend workshop, and the workshop that truly gave me licence to try whatever I wanted was Freeman Patterson and Sally Mason. We were given an assignment, and mine was Living on the Edge of Chaos, which pretty much sums up my photography.
Who are the photographers that you draw inspiration from? I draw inspiration from Ansel Adams, Freeman Patterson, Sally Mason, Eva Polak, Andre Apse, and Jackie Rankin. How do you keep yourself motivated to keep shooting? It would be fair to say that if I didn’t go to the Dargaville Camera Club and have a set subject every month, or have the annual inter-club subject to challenge me, I would probably just be too busy, and my camera would sit in the cupboard. Is photography your day job, or do you fit it into your spare time around your nine-to-five job? I had to giggle about this — I so wish I had a nineto-five job! With husband, son, and daughter, we have a 600–Friesian cow dairy farm and a rapidly expanding Speckle Park beef herd, so my photography for the camera club year is done from January to June, and anything after that is a bonus, as I don’t surface until around November, 63
TOP 10 TEN WAYS TO CREATIVELY USE LIGHT
TOP-10 WAYS TO CREATIVELY USE LIGHT Those seeking that creative edge to their photographs might find interest in our list of 10 ways to use various types of lighting that they may not have experimented with before
1 Adopt the three-point lighting system This one may require a little more set-up time than you’re used to, and probably isn’t the most practical if you’re out and about shooting your everyday adventures. The three-point lighting system makes use of three types of lighting: a key light, a fill light, and backlight. The key light is the light that will be directed towards the front of your subject and is considered to be the main source of light — therefore, this one’s essential to get right. It could be any range of lighting, depending on your shoot style — it could be light coming 72
from your camera’s flash, a window, or even the sun. Next is your fill light, which is used to fill in the gaps that the key light doesn’t touch, especially when you want to fill in any shadows on your subject. The fill light will need to be directed from a side angle relative to your key light, possibly lower than your key light. The fill light can be filtered or diffused to get the type of look you’re aiming for. Finally, you’ve got your backlight. As the name suggests, this comes from behind your subject and is used to make your subject stand out. Give this system a whirl and see how professional your shots look!
2 Use a torch or mobile phone Practically all of us have access to some form of torch or mobile phone — to create stunning effects in your photography, it doesn’t even really need to be a smartphone! As long as your torch or cell phone can emit some light, you can get creative with your photography. The idea behind using your torch or mobile phone brings with it the concept of painting with light. For this, you’re best to mount your camera onto a tripod to make sure you reduce any shake that could be introduced into your images. After that, it’s play time. Experiment with your exposure times, as