Editor’s Comment
4
Readers Comments
4
We want to hear from you magazine@photocomment.net
Scoop
5
All about what is happening in the photographic world locally and internationally
Cover Image by: Andre Goosen
Founder: Tristan Hall
Competition
6
Win a Sony Alpha A230
Design & Layout: Greg Wrench Contact: magazine@photocomment.net Website: http://photocomment.net To advertise in PhotoComment please
Competition Entries
7
A sample of the entries received
photocomment
Professional Portfolio 8 Andre Goosen
Christmas Gifts
14
Last minute gift ideas
Student Portfolio
16
Jacek Zawada
Flashback
18
Images Lost in Time
Final Comment
email us at magazine@photocoment.net
21
Š 2009
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Whilst all care and attention is employed to ensure the legitimacy, accuracy and correctness of the information, data, texts, images, ideas, photographs and opinions expressed herein, PHOTOCOMMENT cannot be held responsible or liable in any way whatsoever for the content as it appears herein. Similarly, PHOTOCOMMENT makes no express or implied warranty or representation as to the proprietorship or intellectual property inherent in the images and photographs published herein and which it has commissioned for use from external sources on good faith dealing. Accordingly, PHOTOCOMMENT is hereby indemnified, defended and held harmless against all claims, liability, damages, costs and expenses in regard thereto.
Editor’s Comment
C
hristmas is here again! Everywhere you
that have made your year. We will be announcing
look there are Christmas decorations to
the winner in the January issue. Good Luck!
remind us that it is Christmas. We hope you have enjoyed reading PhotoComment In this issue we look take a look at the work of
this year and assure you that you can expect great
Professional Photographer Andre Goosen, We are
things from us next year.
inspired by young and upcoming talent in our Student Portfolio by Jacek Zawada including his
Please travel safely as you go on holiday and spend
series entitled ‘The Seven Deadly Sins’. We also
time with your family. This is a great opportunity
suggest some ideas for last minute stocking
to take out your camera and capture moments of
stuffers. Then we look back at a previously
joy. Treasure these moments.
featured reader’s portfolio and show some images lost in time.
We wish you all the best for the festive season and a happy new year.
Our 2009 Year End Photo Competition will be judged very soon. We have been very impressed
Greg
with the images we have received and the stories
PhotoComment Designer
Readers Comments We welcome feedback about what you think of PhotoComment Magazine. Your stories, experiences, questions, inspirations, are all welcome and can be sent to magazine@photocomment.net enter “Letters” as the subject. Each month we will publish some of your feedback.
Image By: Wilhelmus Moller
Win on www.photocomment.net Nikon release AF-S 300mm f2.8 ED VRII Telephoto Lens
N
R
egister on www.photocomment.net before 31 December 2009 and stand a chance to win an Olymus FE-4000 compact digital camera. Registering on our website will allow you to stay up to date with all the latest news in the photographic world. Once you have registered on the site you will be able to have your say and give your feedback on anything you see on the site or in this magazine! Register Now! While you are there please also sign up to receive email notification whenever www.photocomment.net is updated!
Extended Sony Alpha 500 Review
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nthony Soicher is doing an extended review on the Sony Alpha 500. He is currently travelling in Argentina and Brazil and is using a Sony Alpha 500 to document his trip. We will be bringing you a full report early next year but in the meantime take a look at some of his images at www.mainyak.com
ikon Corporation announced the release of the fast telephoto AF-S NIKKOR 300mm f/2.8G ED VR II. The lens which is compatible the the FX format is equipped with vibration reduction (VR II) that reduces the effects of camera shake equivalent to a shutter speed increase of approximately four stops. Nikon is expanding NIKKOR lens and accessory lineups by releasing new, high-performance products compatible with the FX format, allowing us to cater to the more advanced demands of users.
Sigma 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM Sigma Corporation recently announced its newly upgraded 17-70mm F2.8-4 DC Macro OS HSM lens. This large aperture, standard zoom lens contains stateof-the-art enhancements, including Sigma's own Optical Stabilization (OS), anti-shake technology that offers the use of shutter speeds approximately four stops slower than would otherwise be possible. Once again, only Sigma has made it possible for Pentax and Sony shooters to utilize an anti-shake system in either the lens or the camera body.
2009 YEAR END PHOTO COMPETITION We want your image that best defines your 2009
2009 is fast drawing to a close and with it memories of an exciting yet challenging year for us at PhotoComment and most likely you, our readers as well.
WIN this fantastic Sony Alpha A230 Valued at R5500
Before the year comes to a close for good we thought we would launch our first PhotoComment competition. Submit your image with a brief story of the moment that made your year to stand in line to win the grand prize. Judging will look particularly at the emotion evoked by the image in relation to the theme and caption. Closing Date: 15 December 2009 Send your entries to competition2009@photocomment.net
Rules: - This competition is only open to residents of South Africa. - Entry is free and there are no age restrictions,parental consent is required for entrants under the age of 18. - Entries must be received by PhotoComment on or before 15 December 2009.No late entries will be considered. - Entries are limited to one entry per person. - All entries into the competition must be suitable for publication on our website and in our magazine and therefore must be appropriate for a general audience.PhotoComment and Sony reserve the right to reject any entry on the grounds of illegality,infringment of any third party rights,the subject matter being offensive or contrary to standards of taste and decency,or on any other ground that it may from time to time consider appropriate.The decision of PhotoComment and Sony to accept or reject an entry is final and no correspondence will be entered into. - The judges decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.
- Images must be taken in 2009 - All entries must be the original work of the entrant and must not infringe the rights of any other party. - A signed model release must be available for all natural persons appearing in any image submitted. - Entrant agrees to the promotional use of submitted images by PhotoComment and Sony.This includes but is not limited to publication online and in print. - Prizes will only be delivered in South Africa - Prize is not transferable. - In the event where a competition is cancelled or suspended,all participants entrants / agree to waive any rights that they may have in terms of the competition and acknowledge that they have no recourse against PhotoComment,Sony,their employees,agents, partners, sponsors or promoters - By entering the Competition you hereby accept these competition rules.
SOME OF THE ENTRIES RECEIVED FOR OUR 2009 YEAR END COMPETITION
The publication of the entries on these pages was by random selection. If your image does not appear here it is still eligible for the competition and will be included in the judging. All the images and their accompanying descriptions entered into the competition will be judged after the competition has closed.
than me, something I could not ignore... from this moment I was a professional if only in my own mind. This feeling still inspires me today...
PC: When did your journey into photography begin and what was your inspiration? AG: My entry into professional photography was at the beginning of 2004. I started in the field as a matter of default. I was working as a brand manager for a well known firm on the West Rand. The company closed down due to some very unforeseen circumstances and I was forced back into the job market. I looked for work endlessly but had no luck... I was getting desperate... A very close friend of mine asked me to do his wedding... against my fears, I said yes and did the wedding with a 400D and a kit lens. The images came out very well given the limitations... From that moment I was hooked. I ate photography, slept next to it, dreamt of it, and made it coffee in the morning... It became such an obsession, that I quickly became very frustrated with my "slow" progress in the field. I
started investing almost all my time in learning about the industry and the technical aspect of making an image. I found a few online "mentors" and started looking deeper into each image, recreating it, looking at light and learning how it works... I felt a sense of calling, vocation and that this is where I want my life to go... as time progressed, each photo got better and I started seeing the image in my head before I took it... at this point I felt like I was part of something, something bigger
PC: Has your inspiration changed since then? AG: As a professional photographer, I went through many ups and downs, moods and doubts in my relatively short career. Inspiration is a very elusive thing and as time goes on, it becomes harder to "fabricate" a reason to be. I started looking for reasons to be, reasons to take a picture, a why... As I found out, the why is not the real question... it's more about being part of something, living your dreams and being daring in everything you do. I started finding inspiration in people and making great images for them, the look on a face when they recognize their own beauty, their soul in an image... this is the real juice of this industry and the reason to be for me! PC: Your work seems to feature a
great deal of portraiture, is this your favourite subject? AG: I love people, I live to help and to recognize a need in everyone around me. Shooting people is a gift, an invitation into someone's life. I feel privileged to have such a unique opportunity to see people as they are even if they don't, and to show them their spectacular beauty through my eyes. As for a favourite subject, I love all of photography and I am proud to be a generalist. I firmly believe that if you understand light, and how it works, you should be able to shoot anything... Because I love the art so of the market. I think we are very quick to learn new trends, new techniques and new avenues for our work making the industry very aggressive and able to compete on international levels. One concern I have is that It has become so easy to be a Pro Photographer in SA, a camera, a lens and you're away right? Everyone needs to start somewhere, and I was one of them! The trend of shamelessly under cutting to get work is where the problem comes in. By charging a ridiculously small amount for a creative much, I want to shoot as much and as varied as possible, I want to keep learning, about different subjects, different situations, and different needs... PC: You have been quite vocal recently in your online presence about 'so called' professionals or weekend warrior type photographers depleting work for the full time professionals out there, how would you summarize professional photography in South Africa? AG: I think professional photography in South Africa is of an exceptional quality especially at the higher end service cuts everyone's legs off. Don't get me wrong, I am not talking about competition, I think it's great that there is so much competition out there, it keeps us all awake and innovative. I am purely saying that If you should be charging R500 for a job to cover all your costs and your equipment, your fee as a creative and the included copyright, don't then charge R100 for the same job to get the booking, this is totally unethical and under
handed, people who do this are destroying the industry with low fees. If your costs are so that you can do the job for R100 then do that with pride and conviction. This will naturally vary from one photographer to the next and I would recommend that you sit down and seriously look at your own costs and needs, level of experience and decide your fees from there. I feel there needs to be a drive for greater education on the client's side of what is "pro" work and what is not and to recognize the sharks out there. We all need to be more open and honest about our pricing systems, our experience, our costs and equipment, and more strict regarding unwarranted discounts and shameless under cutting. Ethics in business is very important to me and we all need a good hard lesson in ethics and responsibility. PC: What are some of the key factors that would
impact or warrant your fees versus that of a weekend photographer? AG: I have spent many hours debating fees with many people, with little to no result. I decided to work on an hourly basis, my time as a photographer and my level of experience is worth X to me, for the hours I spend editing and post production, I add another Y, giving me an hourly total cost that I use to estimate shoots and packages. I then add the cost of the equipment I have, divided by the expected life of the gear, I add the materials cost, internet costs and any other expense I have relating to the shoot, and lastly liscensing and digital fees if any. So at the end of the day, I make X+Y and nothing more. If your x and y is lower, or your equipment is less, you fees will also be lower. It's about the service I give to my clients, the level of detail and effort I put in, the commitment to my client and their images. PC: If you were asked by a passionate youth or older aspiring photographer for your best advice should they want to pursue photography as a career what would you say? AG: - Take control of your work and don't listen to a sales pitch when you first get your feet wet with equipment. - Portfolio, portfolio, portfolio, have I mentioned portfolio? - Buy the best you can afford, especially regarding lenses it will save you money in the long run. Learn all the time, look at work, look at your own work, get critique, take it seriously and develop from there. - Be passionate, don't give up, follow your heart and your head. - Keep up to date with new trends, spend from what you earn, and be wise with your money. - Portfolio.... again! - Work for free, give something back... - Be undeniably good in your chosen field, make that your goal and pursue it with relentless conviction! - Never let anyone tell you your dreams are unrealistic...
- Once you have made it, make it your mission to help someone else get there... - Be kind to your clients and your competition, you never know who they might turn out to be or when you will need them. - Be open and honest in everything you do, if you can't do that, consider another career. - Do work that scares you, push your limits, know what you are doing and never slip up! - Be professional, in everything you do, all the time, without fail, ever! - Get a mentor! Someone you respect and who's work you like, then spend every waking hour looking at their work!
PC: With the ongoing changes in technology and the merging or mediums like Photo and Video, how do you think the industry will change moving forward? AG: I feel very excited about the changes, the traditional idea of a photographer is moving toward a mediatographer, working on multiple medias to give our clients solutions to their needs. I believe that video will become very popular and more difficult to ignore
as equipment and skills adapt, in contrast, there will always be a great need and desire for a still image. Video can't always convey a feeling or a moment in time as a photo can. PC: You under took an amazing project to create one new image each day, 3Sixty5, have you really managed an image a day, and if so, what drives you each time you click the shutter? AG: I have done my best to take a shot everyday, but like all people I have failed once or twice... I am not proud of it but we are all human (;-) The drive comes from a need to learn, to grow and to be innovative, even with a mundane subject and high pressure. I know that after I click the shutter, I will be one photo closer to becoming better at what I have chosen to do and that next time I shoot the same subject, I will do even better. I hope to get back to my project as soon as my equipment arrives after our robbery. I have now missed a few weeks and will have to catch up!!!
PC: What have been the benefits of this project for you? AG: I have learnt more in the last 100 days than I have in my whole career. The pressure and the self evaluation has been key to getting over the creative barrier I felt before starting the project. I have developed my technical skills, my editing and postproduction and my interaction with clients. I have been able to take time to shoot the things I have been wanting to do for a long time but just could not do in a paid setting. The opportunity (excuse) to be a little creative and to push the envelope while not having the pressure of being paid for the shoot gives you the freedom to really experiment and to learn about yourself as a
photographer. I have also become much more aware of my own limitations and areas I need to work on, as well as a greater sense of purpose. I have no more down days, I am always shooting, learning and growing as a photographer and creative artist. PC: Where can people go to see these images in your project? AG: There are a few places you can have a look at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/andregoosen/sets/721576 22069850381/ http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=89860&id= 33110588408 [o]
S
o 2009 marked the year of a world wide recession and here in SA many still seem to be feeling the pinch, so we at PhotoComment thought we could give you a list of some great gift ideas that can fit in your stocking... or just about, and hopefully your pocket.
Gigabyte In Note
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o you are going away and you have been pricing some of these storage devices to backup your images,so that your memory cards are free, well before you lay out the cash why not check out the Gigabyte InNote netbook. For a less than the price of a dedicated memory card backup device you can get a full PC, larger screen and in most instances more capacity thanks to the InNote’s 160GB hard drive. Expect To Pay From: R3300
Gary Fong
O
kay, so this is one of those gifts that you may want before Christmas morning. Pick from the world renowned Lightsphere now in a one size fits all Universal style or to save some space in your bag the newly launched Collapsible. Alternatively improve your flash images from the pop up flash with the Puffer. Expect To Pay: Puffer R250 Lightsphere From R640
Photoshop Elements 8
W
hy not upgrade to the latest version of Adobe Photoshop Elements 8. With Elements 8 you can sort, edit and share your photographs as well as your videos from for those of you who have made the step to a DSLR that shoots both. Available for PC or MAC. Expect Pay From: R1100
KOOD Filters
I
f you hate sitting in front of your computer editing images for hours then it helps to get what you want in camera first, and there is a lot you can do with an affordable range of creative filters. From various coloured graduated filters to neutral densities and polarisers KOOD have it all.
Hahnel Wireless Camera Trigger
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vailable for all the brands and with a system of adapters that allow them to fit almost all models within the various brands the Hahnel Pro Remote Control offers you a range of 80m between camera and trigger, ideal for using in a garden hide should you not have the budget for a longer lens that costs what your car does. Expect To Pay From: R720
Sony Cyber-shot DSC-WX1
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ister camera to the TX1 reviewed earlier this year the WX1 sports Sony’s G-series 5x Optical zoom starting at 24mm and offering a fast F2.4 aperture. The same 10mp Exmor R sensor that reduces noise or increases sensitivity by 200% and the fantastic sweep panorama function rounds things off. Expect To Pay From: R3700
Camera Stabilising Bag
T
here are a lot of bean bags out there but most are designed for long lens shooting, the CSB however (it just takes too long to say Camera Stabilising Bag each time) is designed to be a tripod replacement solution. Made as a large base with a cradle section that supports even shorter wide angle lenses the CBS can be rolled up into a ball when empty, carried in your bag and only filled when you need on site with whatever material is on hand. Expect To Pay From: R380
am using a Nikon D-80, but my dream camera would either be the Nikon D-700 or the new D3x. But I really would like to get hold of a medium format camera, like a Hasselblad. PC: What type of Photography do you enjoy most? JZ: I have to say my favourite photography would definitely be commercial photography, I really enjoy advertising and making something normal look beautiful and special and out of the ordinary. PC: Do you have a favorite photograph and how did you get the shot? JZ: Its hard to say what my most favourite shot is, But I really enjoyed doing my latest series called "The Seven Deadly Sins" Its a series of seven shots representing each of the deadly sins by using glasses and coloured liquid to show each sins characteristics. I did all the shots in a studio environment, and used rim lighting for the majority of the shots.
PC: When did your interest in photography begin? JZ: My interest in photography began ever since I was a small boy, I learned the basics on my fathers Olympus film camera when I was about 10 years of age. And on my eighteenth birthday I asked for my first camera and ever since then I fell in love with it. When I matriculated from Pretoria Boys High School I decided I want to take my photography further and applied to study at the National College of Photography. PC: What do you recommend for young people wanting to get started in photography? JZ: I would recommend young people that would like to get into the field of photography to shoot and keep shooting and if they are really passionate about it they should go study at a photographic institute. PC: What was your first camera, your camera now and your dream camera? JZ: My first camera was an old Olympus OM-1 film camera that I borrowed from my dad. At the moment I
PC: What emotions do you want your photographs to stir in your viewer? JZ: I would like for anyone who sees my shots to see beauty for what it really is, doesn't matter if its the grimiest subject matter there is, but ugliness is beauty within itself and I would like to show that in all of my shots. PC: While studying photography what one thing did you learn that most influenced your photography? JZ: The one thing that I learned whilst studying that has been instrumental for my own photography is get in close and try lots of different angles which will immediately make your shots more dynamic.
PC: What is your goal for your photography? JZ: My short term goal would be to be an assistant for a well known commercial photographer and learn as much as I can, my long term goal would be to have my own commercially based photographic business that is well known and respected. PC: Do you believe a photograph can change the world? JZ: Photographs can change the world as we have often seen with journalistic work such as the incredible photograph by Kevin Carter of the vulture and the starving baby. Photographs can change perceptions thus changing idea's and conceptions which can change a man's outlook on life, which would change the world. PC: Is there any other information you would like to share with our readers? JZ: I would just like to say that the best way to stay inspired is to surround yourself with art, ideas and concepts, remember get in close and use different angles. [o]
S
ome of you will remember our reader's portfolio from a few months back featuring the work of Ivo Lušić. We asked him in that article about some images he had of local musician Johnny Clegg. We were unable to get the images refered to into that issue but we have them here now and would like to share the history of the images with you. We asked Ivo in the previous issue, 'You have some great images of Johnny Clegg from years ago, care to share the background to them?' His reply was, 'I was fortunate enough to go to the same school (Athlone Boys High), although, we were not in the same class. He stayed reasonably close to where I stayed and we got to know each other on the bus going to and from school. I would hang around when he danced at the George Gogh Hostel and would take photographs. The Zulu's even gave me an 'isibongo' (praise name) or two. One was 'ndiza' or
'flyer' because of my height.' He now gives us a little bit more background as to how these images came to life. 'As mentioned earlier, the pictures were taken in the late 70's, before I went off to South America. I'm not sure if these pictures were taken with a Nikkormat FTn or a Leica IIIc, but it's more likely that I used the Leica as that would have been easier to carry around. That camera was later sold off. The rolls of Ilford HP5 film were stored away and forgotten. It was only in 2008 that I found them again and developed the films at home. I suspect that I'd 'over-agitated' a bit as the results were rather grainy and low contrast.’ An amazing story. It makes one wonder how many great images lie undeveloped in the top of somebody's cupboard just waiting to be shown to the world. Do you have any films that have not been developed, maybe it is time to dig them out and see what treasured memories can be brought back to life. [o] Images by: Ivo Lušić
? The famous Gary Fong Lightsphere UNIVERSAL - fits almost ANY on-
camera flash! ? The grip is so strong that it can support the entire weight of a camera, drive and flash securely. ? Attaches with patent pending grip system - WILL NOT FALL OFF! ? Includes translucent white dome, and accepts full line of Lightsphere Accessory Domes - AmberDome & ChromeDome. ? Available single diffuser with dome or in MONEY SAVING kits that contain everything you need to produce studio-quality lighting with your on-camera flash - without a bracket!
Odrinary Flash
With Gary Fong Lightsphere-II
Available Now From
Readers Portfolio This is your chance to get your images published. For each issue we (the editors assisted by a panel of industry leading photographers) will choose a reader's portfolio that inspires and celebrates the art and craft of photography best for that month. You stand a chance to win a prize from Tandem Focus Distributors, one of our advertisers, should your portfolio be published. Include a self-portrait accompanied by a brief introduction of yourself, your style and your philosophy. Send us no more than 10 of your best images with your contact details to magazine@photocomment.net enter “Readers Portfolio� as the subject. Make sure the images are in JPEG format and no larger than 1 Megabyte (or closest too), we will contact you for larger files if needed. Needless to say that the standard will be high and uncompromising so please put your best foot forward.
TANDEM
Hit or Miss?
P
erhaps one of the greatest concerns I have had with the rapid advancement of digital photography comes not from the technology but its application by many photographers particularly in the areas of wildlife, sports and wedding photography. In my discussions with several photographers I have found a terrifying trend for people photographing such subjects to fill up great mountains of gigabytes – be it on one card or several – capturing images in their hundreds and thousands for a single event or day and then stressing themselves over the amount of sorting, editing, organising etc that needs to be done for the rest of the week. What has happened to the discipline of thoughtful, artistic ‘decisive moment’ capture? Why the need for the tommy gun, trigger happy approach reminiscent with the mob or motorbike mobile paparazzi shooters we see on celebrity TV? I recall shooting my first wedding solo several years ago now and how I took 6 rolls of 36 exposure colour film and 4 rolls of black and white. That was it. There was no checking the shot immediately and reshoot if needed. The next morning it was off to the lab waiting anxiously for the contact sheets and then needing to pick the best 20-30 shots for an album. There were no hours of sorting or editing and certainly no giving the client a 1000 pictures on a disk for them to wade through themselves. Was it more nerve wracking, more nail biting? Of course it was,
but sometimes I feel it was far more rewarding and less time consuming. A friend of mine recently sold his Nikon D300 and bought an old film based 1970’s Nikon FE. He excitedly showed me the images he has just had developed and printed from the lab. I thought back to when he had first gone digital and realised there was the same almost childlike excitement with this camera’s images as there had been with the first digital images he showed me. How could that be? I think it comes down to the reward for discipline more than it does to the actual camera. Granted there is a nostalgia that comes across from an image shot on film, I can’t quite place my finger on the characteristics that to me set it apart, but the reward factor can be similar if we train ourselves back to taking meaningful moments when pressing the shutter. I accept that there is a place for shooting on rapid fire or even just taking hundreds of images in a day but one cannot complain then about the amount of time we spend behind the screen. I am not saying we should all go back to film either as a way to save time, largely the principles of both formats is the same and the lack of cost in taking images on digital has created a greater freedom to experiment than ever before, but let’s hold fast to the artistry of what we do with the lens. Capture the magic of the moment in the moment, it’s not a hit or miss affair. [o]
Image: Strawberries By: Jacek Zawada