PhotoComment April 2009

photocomment

HANSIE OOSTHUISEN

PROFOTO AWARDS 2008 IMAGE OF THE YEAR APRIL 2009 RSA R12.50

contents Editor’s Comment

4

Readers Comments

4

Dale Yudelman

APRIL 2009

We want to hear from you magazine@photocomment.net

Scoop

6

Gold Professional Portfolio

Hansie Oosthuizen

All about what is happening in the photographic world locally and internationally

10

Dale Yudelman

Technique

8

How to call your shots

Hansie Oosthuizen Portfolio

15

Gold Single Image winner

Gold Student Portfolio

19

JP Hanekom

Final Comment

22

photocomment

Š 2009

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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 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.

W

Win TANDEM

e are back and we hope you enjoyed the maiden issue of PhotoComment. With your help, suggestions and

photo submissions we hope to keep getting even better to bring you the reader an outstanding publication.

PhotoComment asks the question where is photography going

Stand a chance to win by contributing to our Readers Letters section.

Camera Stabilising Bag sponsored by Tandem Focus Distributors

in this day and age where increasingly stills cameras are offering high quality video capturing features. Are the days of

me, camera tossing. We also introduce you to the bulletin

a decisive moment over when one can record the entire scene

board where we briefly give you the news highlights in the

in high definition at 30 fps and simply pick out the winning

industry.

image or is quality of emotion still the deciding factor?

In this months issue we feature the winners of the 2008 Sony

As always we urge you to not just read and enjoy but to be inspired by the images between the pages, move outside your

Profoto awards. The winner of the 2008 Sony Profoto image

comfort zone, shoot and share your images and thoughts with

of the year, Hansie Oosthuisen's portfolio is featured as well as

the world and us.

the winner of professional portfolio of the year, Dale

The Editor- Wilhelmus Moller

Yudelman, and student portfolio of the year, JP Hanekom.

The scoop for the month has a lot of local content with a fine art exhibition, a local photographer achieving international accolade and an introduction to camera tossing. Yip, you heard

s coop Local Photographer

Clinches Prestigious Prize Our very own Jodi Bieber won first prize in the prestigious

Canon Announces New SLR Canon has announced a new digital SLR, which seems to be

66th annual Picture of the Year International competition in

a replacement for the Canon 450D. The Canon EOS 500D

the general division - portrait series category, for her

offers consumers a 15.1 MP APS-C size CMOS sensor, 3.0

contribution entitled “Real Beauty”, a series of portraits of

inch 920,000 pixel LCD screen, ISO sensitivity up to ISO

woman from all walks of life. Real beauty is a compelling and

12800 and with the inclusion of the recently launched DIGIC

genuine portrayal of real woman dispelling conventional

4 processor the new EOS 500D can record video at full 1080P

perceptions and taking a stand for real beauty.

HD at 20fps. I wonder how long until the EOS 50D is replaced

Real Beauty was shot over a one-year period and first

with something that shoots video?

exhibited at the Goodman Gallery in Johannesburg in November of 2008. It is due to be published in a book in the near future. Jodi has won many awards, including 8 world

New Canon Flash and Printers Along with the announcement of the EOS 500D Canon

press awards, and her work has been seen in fine art

replaced the 220EX flash. The Canon 270EX Speedlite now

exhibitions across the world. She says of Real Beauty: “I felt a

offers a guide no. of 27 in a smaller body and a tilting head to

strong need to create a body of work that goes against what the

allow for 90-degree bounce. The 270EX is powered by 2 AA

media has depicted as beautiful. ..., women hold unnecessary

batteries, recycles in a mere 3,9 seconds and all this in near

perceptions of self doubt around themselves and their beauty

silence. The Canon 220EX Speedlite was not the most sought

from an early age. The work deals with reality but also touches

after product in the South African market, so it remains to be

on fantasy.”

seen if this little mini flashlight will be priced right to warrant

You can view Jodi's photography on her web site

any serious attention.

www.jodibieber.com POYi is the premier photojournalism award in the USA.

Following their tradition of 'MARKing' improvements in certain products, the Canon Pixma Pro 9000 & 9500 A3+ printers were replaced with Mark II versions offering faster print times and a plug-in for Photoshop users to be able to print Canon RAW files directly without the need to convert images first. The new 10 colour pigment ink system also allows one to print matte and gloss media without changing inks.

New Tamron 60mm f/2 Marco Tamron has announced the development of a new and exciting macro lens in the form of the SP AF 60mm f/2 Di II Macro. This lens is specifically for APS size sensor cameras and will be available for Nikon, Canon and Sony bodies. Bear in mind that this lens is Di (digitally integrated) and will vignette on full frame cameras. It will also feature an integrated focus motor to not only offer fast accurate focus but also work on cameras like the Nikon D40, D40x and D60.

Would you look at that nice fast aperture? Mmmm yummy, one full f-stop faster than it's rivals!

PMA 2009 Amongst the plethora of new compact

Exhibitions Bob Cnoops' exhibition “Call &

cameras announced at PMA,

Answer” opens on the 5th of April at

Panasonic's new Lumix GH1 is

the PhotoZA Gallery in Rosebank and

perhaps the most talked about camera

promises to be a visual feast for the

of the year so far. Hot on the heels its

discerning fine art voyeur as well as

recently announced little brother the

the serious fine art investor. Bob

G1, that launched the new Micro Four

works primarily with alternative

Thirds system, the GH1 perfects what

processes like Cyanotype and Van

Canon and Nikon have attempted by

Dyke brown on handmade paper. His

integrating a real 1080P HD video

imagery is mostly concerned with

function that could even replace some

social commentary and Call & Answer

video enthusiasts’ cameras. Check out

is “a metaphor of an autobiographical

our "Final Comment" feature to

nature.” He is well known in the local

ponder on how this technology could

arena and his work has featured in

change photography as we know it.

many renowned international galleries. Alongside Bob Cnoops' exhibition the Johannesburg

Exhibition

Alternative Photographers Group is

John Tapuch a fine art photographer from Pretoria will also be hosting a fine art photographic

also opening an exhibition at the same

exhibition of his work at the Karoo gallery in Lynnwood road Pretoria from the 7th of April

venue featuring photographers Jo

until the 14 of April. The exhibition is experimental and pragmatic as it explores the

Ratchcliff, Peter Kennedy, Dennis da

possibilities and viability of fine art photography as saleable commercial assets. The

Silva, Marguerite Rossouw, Janus

exhibition genre is varied so come expectant. John Tapuch's exhibition opens on the 8th of

Boshoff, Saartjie de Wet and Bob

April at seven PM. The Karoo Gallery is open from 10 AM till late on weekdays and

Cnoops exhibiting work done with

weekends. The Karoo Gallery is situated at 141 Lynnwood Road, Die Wilgers, Pretoria.

unconventional archaic chemical

Contact Catherine Gaum on 082 5564082 for further enquiries.

processes such as the Salted Paper and van Dyke Brown printing processes.

Sigma DP-1 review Imagine our surprise when a traditional lens manufacturer answered the prayers of long suffering photographers searching for a compact digital camera with sufficient pixels on a larger sensor. Breaking away from pixel pushing on smaller sensors Sigma answered the call and announced the Sigma Dp-1. Read our review about this little powerhouse online at www.photocomment.net

Camera Tossing Ok we admit it, it's not actually breaking news and has been going on for quite some time, but hey it was news to us and we absolutely love it.

Any one who might have accidentally dropped a camera once and pressed the shutter at the same time, might have inadvertently, partaken in the strange practice of camera tossing.

So what is camera tossing? Without making it sound to complicated, one employs a cheap (emphasis on cheap) camera set a slow shutter speed, with the self timer set to about 2 seconds, throw the camera into the air, catch it (optional) and hope you get a good shot. I was very sceptical but I got some amazing results after just a few tries with my cell phone camera and my Holga 120N wrapped in masking tape locked on 'bulb' and looking like the Charl Zeissenstein monster.

One can employ a plethora of throwing and spinning techniques that render a different effect from lines to spirals and even camera tossing selfportraits. Read more about camera tossing and it's huge following at: http://cameratoss.blogspot.com We must stress that PhotoComment cannot accept any liability for damage to cameras, cheap or expensive, that may result from the practice of camera tossing. Please be aware of the dangers and pitfalls of this art form. Editor

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 SONY, one of our advertisers, should your portfolio be published. Include a selfportrait accompanied with 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 640x480 (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.

Keith Groenewald

Prize

1 x Laptop Sleeve 1 x SONY ALPHA Lens Book 1 x Memory Card Pouch 1 x Rain umbrella All branded SONY ALPHA

PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO

PROFOTO AWARDS

DALE YUDELMAN CATEGORY: FINE ART GOLD PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO

PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO DALE YUDELMAN

D

ale Yudelman, an accomplished and respected visual

The Star and his own personal body of work “Suburbs in

thinker walked away with the prestigious 2008 Sony

Paradise,” taken in and around the suburbs of Johannesburg

Profoto Awards Professional Portfolio of the Year. The winning images form part of a body of work titled 'i am…' and

between 1979 and 1985.

In 1986 Dale Yudelman left South Africa, working as a

pursues a more personal account of the individuals who apply

freelance photographer first in London and later in Los

for work on public notice boards. Dale also pocketed a gold

Angeles. He returned to the newly democratic South Africa in

certificate in the advertising and fine art category, a silver

1996 and currently lives in Cape Town. Dale's photographs

certificate in the aerial and portraiture category and two

from his ongoing series 'Reality Bytes' have been featured in

bronze certificates in the still life category.

many shows in South Africa, Europe and the USA. Dale

Dale Yudelman's career in photography has led him through two eras of South African history as well as across several

Yudelman has numerous international clients and his work has featured in virtually every major publication in the world. His

continents. Born in Johannesburg, he began photographing at a fine art work features in corporate and private collections young age under the tutelage of his father and was barely out

across the world. He is the recipient of many local and

of his teens in 1979 when he landed a position as staff

international photographic awards and accolades including a

photographer at South Africa's largest daily newspaper The

world press award.

Star. This was a time of intense social and political turmoil and Yudelman worked simultaneously on press photography for

Read more about Dale Yudelman, his life and inspiration on the web at the following sites. http://www.urbanart.co.za http://www.artthrob.co.za/08apr/reviews/photographers.html http://www.urbanart.co.za/photo/suburbs.html

Q: Are you a photographic purist or a post production dogmatist?

“When desktop computers and photoshop became available in the early nineties I was fascinated at the potential the technology had to offer.”

“The digital world has come a long way since then - Its always been up to the individual to find the balance between the emotional and mechanical aspects of photography. The willingness to move out of one's comfort zone - to explore and play is vital to keeping the creative soul alive.”

Q:What do you shoot with?

“A Canon G9 which I have had for about 18 months - Rumor has it that I go to bed with the camera around my neck - You never know what interesting dream sequence might suddenly appea. Occasionally I'll get the urge to dust off my trusted

PROFESSIONAL PORTFOLIO DALE YUDELMAN below images from Reality Bytes series by Dale Yudelman

Leica M4P or Contax RTS 3- but so far this hasn't happened

messaging remains subject to the subsequent narrative

yet...”

recreated by the viewer.

Q:Do you find your inspiration from the thoughts within you

Q:What is the secret to initiating and successfully completing

or from the things outside of you?

a photographic commission?

“Being a photographer and living my passion is a privileged

“I haven't done any commercial / editorial assignments in the

position. The community and environment I live in help to

last six years but the work ethic would be as it was - Promo /

shape my work and in turn, my experience. My life is mostly

Prep / Meeting deadlines / Giving 200% / Get Paid.”

about communicating, translating, sharing and shaping those common realities and experiences. I also believe everything

Q:Tips when shooting? Technique?

that one experiences on the outside is a reflection of

“Being sensitive and respecting peoples space - Exercise

what is happening on the inside.”

extreme patience - keep mouth closed and eyes open - and don't forget the extra batteries.”

Q:Any notable influences that have carried you through your career both living or expired?

Q:If you could be the change that you wanted to see in the

“I was introduced to photography at an early age by my father

world what would you change?

- He has just turned 82 and recently returned from a trip to

“I value peace and harmony as well as choice and personal

India where he shot around 8000 images - I am incredibly

freedom.”

grateful to have had such a special and creative person to learn from and share my work with over the past forty years.”

Q:Where are you based? Is it a visual playground or a barren mind scape? Does it matter where you find yourself?

Q:Photography! Art? Or art medium?

“I live in Cape Town which is often described as one of the

“If not for the invention of photography we would be living in

most beautiful places on earth - and I would have to agree. It

a completely different world today. It has made a massive

enjoys a colourful culture and rich history, teeming with

impact on how many of us experience life - some positive,

artistic individuals. As with many big cities, it has extreme

some negative. Perhaps photography becomes art, when it

class divisions and it's fair share of problems, but I still believe

creates rather than regurgitates reality. In creating a new

its a great city. I have lived in London and Los Angeles - Each

reality a difference has been made.”

city has its merits - Wherever I find myself there is never a shortage of new possibilities to explore.”

Q:What role do you see your photography playing in society?

“The function of the work is simply to create and provoke new thoughts , challenge perceptions as well as highlight and share the humour and ironies of daily life. All meaning and

[o] Wilhelmus Moller

HANSIE OOSTHUISEN CATEGORY: WILDLIFE / ENVIRONMENTAL GOLD SINGLE ENTRY

Hansie was born and grew up in Pretoria, holds a B.Comm Financial Management degree from Tuks and a Diploma from the National College of Photography, where he excelled and also won the 1st and 2nd prizes for the best nature images submitted while studying.

Hansie now runs his own photographic studio and gallery

his month we also feature the winner of the 2008 Sony

T

and often travels within South Africa on assignments. His

Profoto image of the year - Hansie Oosthuisen's

diverse portfolio includes weddings, environmental portraits

portfolio. Hansie reveals himself as a quiet sensitive man

and advertorial photography. He enjoys teaching and readily

attuned to colour shape texture, pattern, emotion and the

shares his photographic ideas and knowledge with fellow

decisive moment. He has a quick trigger finger and an

photographers.

educating mindset.

His motto is – “Don't dream your life, live your dream!” You

Besides the image of the year Hansie also received a bronze certificate in the still life category and two gold certificates, one in the aerial category and one in the wildlife/environmental category.

can view Hansie's photography, philosophy and inspiration on the web at www.hansiephoto.co.za Q:Is there one particular place where you are in your photographic element and why?

“The best place to photograph is where you are, people often think the grass is greener on the other side, but if you take away the labels you will find an image anywhere. I particularly enjoy being in nature so I do feel more creative in such an environment and will often sit in one spot waiting for the image to come to me.”

Q:What advice could you give our readers and the aspiring professionals out there?

“Make a point of making images every day, your 'seeing' eye needs to be practiced” Q:Do you apply any philosophy or thought pattern to your photography?

“I try to be and am my most strict critic and make photographs because I enjoy it. I usually keep my images simple and concentrate on the visual design of them.”

Q:Visual impact or idealism?

“Visual Impact” Q:Where are you based?

“Hermanus” Q:What other commercial work do you do?

“If a project turns me on and I'm available you can count me in.”

Q:Tips when shooting? Technique?

“Planning is crucial if it's a commercial shoot or a wedding, I'll often lie in bed at night and think what I'm going to do and try and pre-visualise the different directions the day can take.

When I'm photographing for fun I try and free my mind and let the images come to me, experiment and try different approaches.”

“There are no rules for good photographs, only good photographs” (Ansel Adams) Q:What changes could take place in the photographic industry?

“I think that clients can be better educated, often clients are happy with inferior images. A lot of them also don't have a clue how a picture's dimensions work and will always refer to high resolution, without knowing why. With my clients I always refer to the pixel dimensions of an image” [o]Editor

next frame Coming in May

>>

The F[o]cus is [o]n Fun Ph[o]t[o]graphy We try out the New Sony Cyber-Shot Hx1 More Portfolios to inspire

JP Hanekom PROFOTO AWARDS

CATEGORY: SELF PROMOTIONAL GOLD STUDENT PORTFOLIO

T

his month's student portfolio is dedicated to JP Hanekom winner of the 2008 Sony Profoto Awards Student

JP was born on the 8th of March 1989 in Johannesburg and attended high school at the Potchefstroom Gimnasium. He

portfolio of the year. JP's untitled contribution is a portrait

now lives in Pretoria and is in his final year of study at the

series of the alternative Afrikaans band MiddelKlas (Watch

National College of Photography.

out for their album in stores from end of April) and was

His affection for photography stems from his grandfather, and

inspired by the idea of Victorian punk.

his grandfather's camera, which he had coveted since he was 5

The same portrait series also won him a gold award in the

years old and finally received as a gift when he was in high

category self-promotional portfolio. He also bagged a silver

school. He signed up for photography in grade 11 and at the

certificate in the music/theatrical category and a bronze in the

end of matric his portfolio was top of the class.

fine art category.

JP draws a lot of inspiration from people, music, stories,

JP Hanekom “I love fashion, music (stage and album art), fine art and modern art (contemporary culture) and would love to specialize in one of those disciplines.”

Q:Do you think it is more essential for a photographer to read and study the masters of old or to actively shoot and develop their own style?

“I believe that one should have a balanced education in photography so studying the masters of old is important to me but I think that shooting is the only way to develop your own style and that in the end it is more important.”

Q:What is your favourite piece of equipment to shoot with and what dream equipment would you like to own one day?

“My favourite piece of equipment is my 10-20mm wide-angle lens. I almost always use it. Not far behind that is my Mamiya RB67 with its 50mm lens. My dream equipment at this point in time must be the Hasselblad H3D system, I mean who poems and images. His life philosophy: “Yesterday is cold and gone, and tomorrow might never come, so let's live in this

wouldn't want it?”

Q:Plans for the future?

perfect moment!” He shows this in his photography and lives

“At the moment I plan to continue my studies, next year I'm

by it absolutely. JP also added: “Nothing exceeds my love for

either going to study fine art at Michaelis School of Fine Arts

my ambition and passion- PHOTOGRAPHY”

in Cape Town or visual studies at TUKS, but only time will

JP notes Stephen Shore, Erwin Olaf, Warwick Saint, Annie Leibovitz and Jerry Uelsmann as his influences. JP's work can be viewed on DeviantArt and Facebook by searching his name.

Q:Which genre or niche or photography most interests you?

tell and besides I don't plan that far ahead I tend to take each day as it comes.”

Q:KFC or Mickey D's?

“Have you heard of Kung Fu kitchen? Corner of Prospect and Hilda!” (o)

Final Comment *

By Tristan Hall

mount, instead a lens mount module is also available for Canon and Nikon lenses.

The question has been asked as video creeps more and more into our still cameras, whether or not we can take a single

Photographer, Videographer or Both?

frame out of a video's consecutive 24-30 frames per second

Recent developments in the photographic industry have got

capture and render it as a single stills image. The answer is

people wondering how much longer photography will remain

yes, but even the quality of HD video is not sufficient for a

in its current 'stills' only form. In the past few months we have

high resolution stills picture. Here again though technology

seen the release of four new SLR or similar style cameras each

like RED's will change that.

sporting High Definition video capture modes. Undoubtedly

The vision of DSMC is to have a camera that will not only

the most successful of these seems to be the newly announced

allow your to choose whether you want your camera set up for

Panasonic Lumix GH1 which thanks to the lack of an SLR

video or stills, but to capture such high resolution frames (like

style mirror and prism bypasses the troubles Canon and Nikon

the full frame 21mp on a Canon EOS 5D mk II in still capture

have faced integrating video. This however, is just the

mode not video) that you can pull out a single frame from your

beginning.

footage to use as a high resolution stills image. One way a

For many of you if I mention a company called RED you

photographer my use a RED like camera in the future – much

might not know who I'm talking about, I didn't either until

to Cartier Bressons horror I presume – would be at the

sometime last year. RED Digital Cinema is largely the brain

decisive moment when most of our reactions and camera

child of James “Jim” Jannard, founder of Oakley Inc. and if

delays are too slow, the camera will be storing a brief buffer of

you think their sunglasses are trend setting then wait till you

21mp images at 24-30fps and while we may have only pressed

hear what RED have in store for the imaging world. Jannard, a

the shutter at the tale end of the moment, the camera records to

keen photographer is quoted on his own website as saying

memory what it saw from two seconds before we pressed the

“The camera is arguably one of the most important of all

shutter to a second after offering us 72-90 images from which

inventions...it is the single tool that has the ability to stop time,

we can pick the moment we saw but would have failed to

record history, generate art, tell stories, and communicate

capture otherwise.

messages that transcend language like nothing else ever conceived.”

With this passion perhaps in mind he formed RED who so far

The debate behind these new hybrid still and video cameras is not whether photographers need to become videographers or vice versa, I for one hate sitting behind the PC as it is, and

have supplied the cinema world with what is arguably the first

thats just on one or two photographs forget an entire days

digital cinema camera capable of taking on film in full feature

video. No the debate we should really be engaging in is how

productions. Building on this success the company recently

much longer will photography be about the skills that you

announced that their plans for the next 2-3 years have two

refine and attentiveness you develop? Will we appreciate a

main objectives. First, develop a camera system that makes

world in which we never miss a shot and feel the anguish of

'Obsolescence Obsolete' and second offers DSMC (Digital

‘next time I'll be better prepared’? Is it all going to change in

Still & Motion Camera). In an attempt to remove the need of

the blink of an eye... or will it be captured and embraced

replacing entire cameras each time technology advances the

despite missing that beat?

two new RED product ranges (the Scarlet and Epic) will be

Ultimately will the camera continue to – as Jannard says

completely modular making it possible to only replace the

“...stop time, record history, generate art, tell stories, and

dated technology on the camera like the sensor box when - for

communicate messages that transcend language like nothing

example - a higher resolution sensor is required or released.

else ever conceived” when it is no longer a camera?

This modular format also forms the core of the DSMC technology in it's first phase as a sensor box can be configured

Tell us where you see the future of photography lying.

either with stills camera or video camera modules allowing

What do you like and not like about the convergence of

you the ability to buy one system for both functions. As an

these two mediums? Send your thoughts to

added bonus, RED wont lock you into their own camera lens

magazine@photocomment.net