Cameratalk june 2018 by Photographic Society of New Zealand

NZ CameraTalk To p r o m o t e t h e w i d e r e n j o y m e n t o f p h o t o g r a p h y

T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E P H OT O G R A P H I C S O C I E T Y O F N E W Z E A L A N D I N C June / July 2018

In this issue PRESIDENT Moira Blincoe LPSNZ t. 09 379 7021 e: president@photography.org.nz

VICE-PRESIDENT

Karen Lawton t. 021 143 7764 e. vicepresident@photography.org.nz

TREASURER David Knightley PO Box 99470, Newmarket, Auckland 1149 e. treasurer@photography.org.nz

SECRETARY Patrice Nilsen 8 Raroa Terrace, Tawa, Wellington 5028 t. 04 232 1565 e. secretary@photography.org.nz

WELCOME TO THE June/July edition of CameraTalk. I hope that everyone is keeping warm as winter makes its presence felt around the country. We have another bumper issue for you with a special feature on Macro photography, as well as an indepth look at who is on the new PSNZ Council. Continuing with the practice from last year we are profiling those members who received their fellowhips and this issue has the set from Paul Byrne. We also have updates from events at both Greymouth and Cambridge. Remember CameraTalk is your publication and we really appreciate receiving content from clubs.

EDITOR, ADVERTISING & LAYOUT Paul Whitham LPSNZ PSNZ Councillor t. 04 973 3015 or m. 021 644 418 e. paul@pwfotos.com

SUBEDITOR Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ 14 Poynter Place, Whanganui 4501 t. 06 348 7141 or m. 027 653 0341 e. dilinz@actrix.co.nz

CAMERATALK DEADLINE

The next CameraTalk deadline is 1 August 2018 Email your contributions to the SubEditor at his email address. Editorial should be sent as Word or .txt files. JPEG images generally should be saved at 300 dpi, compressed to high to medium quality. Include return postage if you wish material to be returned. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Council of PSNZ.

On the cover Food lemon splash by Mary Hinsen

Changing of PSNZ guard Revolving doors for Canon Online Canon Online results

6 13

Macro Photography

Central regional update

Hutt2019

Editorial

PSNZ Honours

The Fellows: Paul Byrne

Audio-visual notes

The power of photography

Club news

Councillor profile: Mary Milson

Member profile: Georgie McKie

Membership benefits

FIAP news

Introducing a new team IT WAS AN honour to be inducted recently as the new President of the Society at Naturally Dunedin, the 66th national convention. It is a role that I will take seriously and consider it a privilege to be at the helm of such a prestigious and respected organisation. As with every new job there is a settling in period (a honeymoon period one might say), despite the fact I’ve been on Council for some seven years. My initial concentration has been centred on what I refer to as the ‘back end stuff’ - reviewing and updating a plethora of essential documents that allow Councillors and committees to complete their tasks. So many of these important documents, such as manuals and guidelines for conventions, salons and competitions are much out of date. Many have been completed and the rest will soon follow suit. To alleviate any confusion as to who’s who on Council, the organisational map on the following pages shows your Council and the portfolio structure, followed by a brief description of each Councillor’s responsibility. Two new Councillors are welcomed on to the team - Mary Hinsen and Tony Venning-Thomas LPSNZ, and collectively Council has spent time ensuring they are supported with descriptions, manuals and guidelines for their portfolios, and also getting them familiar with the PSNZ systems and processes. Teamwork is a key component for the effective management of an organisation as diverse and as big as the Society, and my desire is for Council to be functioning as a cohesive team with open, honest communication and to all be working towards a common goal. Teamwork is just as important among our membership too and breaking the word team into an acronym, I like to think of it as ‘T - together; E - everyone; A - achieves; M - more’. (You heard it here first!) On the topic of communication, I encourage you all to be open and honest within the Society, and particularly with Council. Many of our members participated in our recent member survey and we value the feedback given. We want to know that we are serving the needs of our photographic community well - or not so well. Our contact details are listed on the website under ‘About’, so if you have any thoughts you want to share with us, we want to hear from you. Similarly, if you are able to be involved in any way - small or large - we have lots of tasks waiting to assign! As volunteers we can only do as much our schedules permit, notwithstanding that we all have busy lives outside of Council. Some periods of the PSNZ year are busier than others and we feel as if our commitment is full time. The quieter months will provide us with time to ‘take stock’ of where we are at in line with our strategic plan and make adjustments where appropriate.

A priority will be a refresh of the Constitution and the Bylaws of the Society, with a view to having the recommended changes communicated to members in the fourth quarter of this year. Now that winter has wrapped its claws around us, don’t be put off by the cold and let your camera stay indoors. Whatever appealed to you in summer, think of the contrast for the winter months - there’s an abundance of beauty out there waiting to be made into works of art. Don’t forget to keep checking the website http://photography.org.nz for blog posts, salons and competitions to enter as well as events on the calendar. The next regional convention takes place in Whanganui from 28 to 30 September. Registrations are now open for ‘High five - see and do’. For full details visit https://central.psnzconvention.org. nz I do look forward to working with you, visiting as many clubs as is practicable and meeting many new faces over the coming months.

Kind regards Moira Blincoe LPSNZ President

PSNZ Executive Ofﬁcers 2018

President Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Immediate Past President Peter Robertson JP LPSNZ

Secretary Patrice Nilsen

Vice President Karen Lawton

Treasurer David Knightley

PSNZ COUNCILLORS 2018

Editor/Designer CameraTalk Paul Whitham

Communications Mary Hinsen

National Competitions Tony Venning-Thomas LPSNZ

International Salon, FIAP Liaison OfďŹ cer Ann Bastion

Membership and Events Vivianne Baldwin APSNZ

Information Technology Toya Heatley APSNZ

Permanent Collection John Boyd Hon FPSNZ Hon PSNZ APSNZ Trophies and Awards Janice McKenna

Archives Eurnice Mowles FPSNZ

Partnerships and Sponsors Karen Lawton

Print Circles Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ

Off Council Support Roles 2018

Dropbox Librarian Joanne Rowan

Facebook Moderator Chris Parkin APSNZ

Database Coordinator Neil Gordon APSNZ Canon Online Coordinator James Gibson APSNZ

Database Coordinator William Wright FPSNZ

Changing of the PSNZ guard FOLLOWING THE APPOINTMENT of a new President and two new Councillors at the 2018 AGM, it is a good time to introduce you to the team who you, as members, have elected to govern and manage the Society. The PSNZ Council is responsible for all activities of the Society and it maintains an overview of policy, Bylaws and strategic direction for the Society. The President and Vice President have allocated portfolios to each Councillor based on them having a particular skill set or expertise that closely matches the responsibilities within each portfolio. This year, each Councillor has been provided with a portfolio description outlining the functional relationships and key responsibilities for each portfolio, which also acts as their guide for processes and responsibilities. Councillors are also responsible for developing an action plan for their portfolios based on the goals identified in the Strategic Plan, which basically forms their “to do” list throughout the year. With so many events, salons and competitions happening in each calendar year, naturally there are ‘cross-over’ responsibilities between portfolios and councillors. Therefore it is essential there is strong and open communication, not only between Council but also with our members. In that regard, we encourage members to contact the appropriate Councillor related to their concerns. All contact details are available on the PSNZ website or on the database. The current PSNZ Council members are:

President, Moira Blincoe LPSNZ The President of the Society has the overall responsibility for guiding Councillors through the tasks and activities of each portfolio to ensure the Society delivers the services and benefits to members in each calendar year. Certain responsibilities remain within the President’s portfolio, namely: developing and overseeing the Strategic Plan; Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee; Chair of the Rules Committee; liaison with the Honours Board, the Judge Accreditation Panel and the Bowron Committee. On a day-to-day basis, Moira maintains communication with Council members to ensure they are sufficiently supported for them to meet the objectives of their portfolios and tactical outcomes are delivered to members. 6

She is currently reviewing and updating many of the PSNZ documents in the Master Files, such as manuals and guidelines used by members and clubs in hosting events like conventions and salons. These are severely out of date with most needing a complete review. In summary the President is seen as the ‘face’ of the Society and probably the ‘go to person’ when things go wrong; but is really the person who ensures the Society is moving forward, setting and meeting objectives, maintaining harmony among the members and affiliated clubs, and ensuring that the Society is delivering value to its members.

Vice President, Karen Lawton The Vice President fulfils a number of roles including Vice Chair of the Finance and Audit committee,Vice Chair of the Rules committee and Chair of the ByLaws committee. Karen assumes responsibility as Councillor for Partnerships and Sponsorship which involves maintaining and managing the relationships with the Society’s valued trade partners. She will negotiate the trade agreements with the partners for all events and conventions and particularly the 2019 national convention in Hutt. A number of years ago it was determined that having an Auckland based Councillor as the liaison person with the trade was preferred as all the trade partners run their operations in Auckland. This allows Karen to meet with the trade representatives frequently; to run into them at industry based photography events and also to attend the Photography Industry Association quarterly meetings, without incurring a lot of cost to the Society. Karen is also responsible for developing the advertising and sponsorship for our flagship publication, NZ Camera. In addition Karen is the PSNZ Council liaison point for interfacing with the NZ Secondary Schools Photography Competition. And last but not least, a review of the ByLaws is under way, with the committee working to review and update each ByLaw. Karen will also contribute to the review and completion of the Constitution. For the previous year, Karen was responsible for the Communications portfolio and worked closely with the organising committees of the 2017 Central Regional convention and Naturally Dunedin 2018.

Immediate Past President, Peter Roberston JP LPSNZ After serving two years as a Vice President followed by two years as President, the first task for an Immediate Past President is to “have a breather and take a break”, says President Moira. As Immediate Past President, Peter’s key role is to act as an adviser and support to the President and Council. With a wealth of Society knowledge and experience, Peter will work closely with Moira and Karen to complete the review of the Constitution as well as review the Bylaws. He is also assisting in the development of new category within the national Exhibition, new awards and the Scholarship generously donated by Ron Willems Hon FPSNZ FPSNZ FAPS AFIAP ARPS.

Ann Bastion FPSNZ EFIAP Councillor for NZ International Salon (NZIS) and FIAP Liaison Officer Ann is the Councillor for the (Society’s) New Zealand International Salon. Ann managed the return of the successful PSNZ International Salon in 2017. She has a wealth of knowledge on how salons and competitions should be hosted and delivered, and is currently guiding the 2018 salon organising committee. Being a FIAP and PSA sanctioned salon, it is imperative that the organisation, judging and delivery of results is operated in a specific style as demanded by FIAP. As the FIAP liaison officer Ann will represent New Zealand at various FIAP Congress meetings with the 2018 Congress taking place in Durban, South Africa in September 2018. Also as the liaison officer, Ann is the key contact here for our members wishing to apply for their FIAP letters. There’s an enormous amount of work that Ann does behind the scenes, requiring a lot of organisation, attention to detail and computer work - sometimes long into the night. She has to maintain a database of the appropriate number of awards that our members achieve in order to satisfy the requirements of FIAP, in granting their awards. For example a PSNZ member needs a set number of acceptances in international salons before they can apply for their AFIAP. As if the international salon and FIAP liaison activities are not enough to sink her, Ann has taken on the management of New Zealand’s participation in the Four Nations competition.

Toya Heatley APSNZ Councillor for Information Technology Toya is the Councillor for Information Technology, most significantly ensuring the Society’s website is robust and current. Within this portfolio Toya manages the maintenance and further design components of our website; in other words Toya manages the ‘nuts and bolts or the back end’ of the website! She acts as the webmaster, she designs and develops all web-based templates, pages, and forms; as well as the secondary websites required for regional and national conventions. Toya also manages all online accounts. Toya is also the database liaison officer and works extremely closely with our Database Coordinators (Neil Gordon APSNZ and William Wright FPSNZ) to ensure there is a seamless integration between the website and the database. While many people think the website and database are one component, they do in fact sit on two separate platforms. For the past year Toya has successfully handled the portfolio for conventions. While she is overseeing the 2018 regional convention in Whanganui and the 2019 National Convention in Hutt, she will phase out of conventions thereafter.

Mary Hinsen Councillor for Communications Mary is one of our new Councillors, hailing from Cromwell, and formerly Christchurch. Mary takes on the Communications and Marketing portfolio. With a background in online learning, brand development and design she is a good fit to maintain the profile of the Society through effective communication channels. Within the communications portfolio she will also manage the public relations for all Society events and member successes, so if a club or member wants anything communicated to all members or specific clubs, Mary is the ‘go to’ communications contact. Clubs and members should complete all the information they want to share via the webbased ‘Communications Request Form’. Once Mary receives this she will ensure that it is distributed to the target audience either by bulk email (handled by Paul Whitham LPSNZ) or by Blog. As a work in progress, Mary will also conduct a review and update of the editorial content of the website and has some exciting ideas for some ‘tweaks’ to make the site more ‘appealing to viewers’. A PSNZ brand identity guideline, which will be particularly useful for members and clubs organising and hosting events, will also be developed. This will ensure that the PSNZ logo and brand are presented correctly at all times. Mary will work closely with clubs hosting conventions and competitions to provide editorial, promotional or media guidance. 9

Vivianne Baldwin APSNZ Councillor for Membership and Events For the past year Vivianne has been responsible for Membership including communication with new members; liaison with members and clubs when subs are outstanding and/or they become unfinancial. She also looks after the PSNZ Help Sheets and Print Circles. Later this year Vivianne will take over as Councillor for Events (formerly referred to as Councillor for Conventions), which includes the regional and national conventions and some ‘ad-hoc’ new events that the Council is currently developing. In this capacity Vivianne will be contacting club committees and encouraging them to host a regional or national convention. Once a club has committed to hosting an event she will work alongside them so they can stage a sucessful event. Vivianne was the former chair of the Convention Organising Committee for the 2015 national convention, Exploring Pixels in Tauranga.

Tony Venning-Thomas LPSNZ Councillor for National Competitions Our second new member hails from Nelson and is the Councillor for National Competitions. This is a change in title (formerly Councillor for Interclub Competitions) for a slightly changed portfolio, as we have separated out the international salons and competitions from the domestic ones. With a wealth of experience in organising competitions, having previously chaired the North Shore Salon of Photography, Tony seemed the perfect fit to look after our domestic competitions. Tony will provide guidance and assistance to clubs hosting the Society’s national competitions, including the PSNZ Canon National Exhibition, the regional salons, inter-club competitions, Canon Online and the Jack Sprosen Trophy. He is also the liaison councillor for non-PSNZ salons such as North Shore Salon, Trenna Packer, Nelson Triptych, Laurie Thomas, Creative Focus, New Brighton Photojournalism and Tauranga AV.

Paul Whitham LPSNZ CameraTalk Editor and designer Paul has been on Council for many years in a variety of Councillor roles and is now the Editor and designer of our bi-monthly digital magazine, CameraTalk. He has been the driving force in morphing the print version into the magnificent digital magazine that it now is. Paul develops the editorial content well in advance of each issue. He liaises with Council and all Clubs to secure photographs and content to support the theme of the issue and is ably supported by subeditor Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ who is an eagle-eyed proofreader and a part-time journalist. Once the content is finalised Paul designs the layout, taking it through to publication and distribution to members. This is a magazine for members and Paul welcomes contributions from members, particularly about member successes and Club achievements. Paul made a significant contribution to the successful distribution and analysis of the recent PSNZ member survey and completed a similar survey on the Dunedin national convention. He is currently the Chairman of the Convention Organising Committee for Hutt 2019, the 67th PSNZ National Convention.

Treasurer, David Knightley The Treasurerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position is an appointment by the PSNZ Council and is paid remuneration for services provided. David is responsible for all number related activities for every aspect of the Society. He liaises with all Clubs hosting any PSNZ event in establishing budgets and provides guidance on anything of a financial nature. He liaises with the appointed auditing company and ensures all required financial reporting related to Charitable Organisations is current and complete. He has contributed to the development of the strategic plan and to the review of the Constitution thus far.

Secretary, Patrice Nilson The Secretaryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s position is also an appointed role by the PSNZ Council, and also receives an honorarium. Patrice has been a godsend to Council and several past Presidents - to date. Long may it continue! Patrice is the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;right handâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; woman of Council and not only because she is in fact right handed! Organisations such as PSNZ, and other charitable organisations for comparison, need a secretary who can lay their fingers on any document, regardless whether it is a hard copy filed in a drawer or a soft copy filed in a document folder online. Patrice is just that woman! She ably assists the President,Vice President and all members of Council with all administrative and reporting activities. She is often the eyes and ears for Society activities and ensures nothing falls through the cracks when Council activities are running hot. Patrice manages the preparation and documentation for each Annual General Meeting and ensures that members are communicated with according to our legal requirements.

Old Bob by Mary Hinsen

Revolving doors for Canon Online WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;RE PAYING HOMAGE to PSNZ member Sally Phillips APSNZ who has recently retired from the role of Canon Online Coordinator after providing us with sterling seven years of service. A resident of Hamilton, Sally will no doubt have more time to indulge in her own love of photography, tend to her garden and catch up on some of her other interests. Over the seven years, Sally has seen Canon Online go through many phases of change and development to where it is today, providing a platform for PSNZ members to showcase their creativity in photography, that perhaps more mainstream salons and competitions donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t provide. Sally says she has enjoyed coordinating Canon Online and in particular liaising with many members and seeing the amazing photographs come through the competition. Taking over the helm as coordinator is Christchurch Photographic Society member James Gibson APSNZ AFIAP, who was one of the members who answered a Council post on Facebook inviting members to indicate if they would be interested in an off council role. On this occasion, social media served its purpose! James is well under way in organising the various rounds of the competition, with judges lined up for the balance of the year, and everything going smoothly. So, a huge thank you Sally for your tireless work, and a warm welcome to James. Moira Blincoe LPSNZ President, PSNZ

PSNZ Canon Online Results from Round 2, 2018 OUR JUDGE THIS round was Lynn Clayton Hon PSNZ APSNZ EFIAP ESFIAP. Thank you so much Lynn for giving your time and expertise. Congratulations go to the winner of this round, Mark Berger APSNZ, for his interesting image, Lookers. Well done Mark, for giving us something a little different, and to the other nine placegetters. Round 3 closes on 25 June and all financial PSNZ members are welcome to enter. One image only please, sized 1620x1080 and uploaded on the PSNZ website. Sally Phillips APSNZ PSNZ Canon Online Coordinator

Comments from the judge: Lynn Clayton This month 90 members submitted their work for selection. The standard of the work varied tremendously. The top 20 or so images were world class and it was very difficult to whittle them down to only ten. How does one approach the selection? For me I initially wanted to see unique or original work, to see the photographer’s input. However the nature images are strong and you cannot ignore the talent required to achieve some of these. Then there are traditional landscapes, again difficult to come up with a new angle. I looked for an emotional response over and above technical excellence. With much of the manipulated work I felt the stories became contrived or a small area was out of kilter. When it came to choosing 10 one has to nit-pick. One of my favourite images had sun spots so in the end it was out. Tough, I know. The ten final images all spoke to me in different ways. Congratulations to each and every one of you.

1st Lookers by Mark Berger APSNZ Initially I didn’t see the second face; however once I did this image became hauntingly beautiful. The image asked me questions and my eye kept returning to the darker story lurking behind the shop model! Extra marks for showing me something unique.

Lookers by Mark Berger

2nd Black swan in morning mist by Hartmut Joschonek This is another hauntingly beautiful yet very simple image. The photographer has presented a very normal everyday scene in a very dramatic way. The swan with a touch of red commanded attention in an ethereal background; very well presented.

1Black swan in morning mist by Artmut Joschonek

PSNZ Canon Online: 3rd Just chillinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Kathy Pantling LPSNZ I fell in love; seriously, this is jam packed with emotion. This little dog was shot in beautiful light; the softness and shallow depth of field added a romantic feel. Just look at those eyes. Beautiful.

Just chillinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; by Kathy Pantling

4th The Cricklewood Clydesdales by Louise Savage LPSNZ Another strong image where the viewer feels as though they are right there, riding these horses. The early morning mist and sun rays add to the atmosphere. This image shows a perspective seldom seen and I really commend you for the angle of view and for choosing monochrome.

The Cricklewood Clydesdales by Louise Savage

5th Inner city by Jo Curtis LPSNZ ‘Quirky’ comes to mind. I deliberated over this image at length. Two sides of the story here, and yet it worked for me. The placement of the focal point or punctum (pink window) was integral to holding this together. Maybe a multiple exposure, maybe not; whatever, it was well thought out by the photographer, breaking a few rules and challenging the viewer. I really enjoyed this unusual perspective and approach.

Inner city by Jo Curtis

6th Gannet chick feeding by Julie Salisbury Nature photographs don’t always do well in an open competition. However, this image really takes you into the life of a gannet and chick. Sharp, interesting, unusual and yet it has the lovely soft bokeh in the background. A very accomplished work.

Gannet chick feeding by Julie Salisbury

PSNZ Canon Online: 7th Bird of paradise by Sally Phillips APSNZ I’m not normally a fan of black backgrounds with flowers, however this is stunning. The colours, sharpness and luminosity are exquisite. This is simple, clean and perfection.

Bird of paradise by Sally Philips

8th Mt Maunganui sunrise by Annemarie Clinton I’ve seldom seen an image as good as this of Mt Maunganui.Yes a superb evening however the photographer has also chosen the right shutter speed to smooth the water and yet not lose detail. Good composition, and my eye swept around to the small brightly lit area and then drifted back into the centre. A very pleasing shot, lifted from the realms of chocolate box by superb lighting.

Mount Maunganui sunrise by Annemarie Clinton

9th Early morning at the Taj Mahal by Lynn Fothergill LPSNZ Photographing icons and stamping the image as unique is a real challenge. This building is photographed literally thousands of times every single day, so approaching the subject and creating something special is beyond most of us.Â CongratulationsÂ on bringing us this artistic and original interpretation.

Early morning at the Taj Mahal by Lynn Fothergill

10th Dreamy poppies by Stephanie Handley APSNZ This is another image that my eye kept returning to; not your everyday interpretation of a poppy, for sure. It is almost like an X-ray, and I loved the luminosity you managed to get in those stamens. The three points kept my eye within the frame and in the end I had to include this in my top ten.

Dreamy poppies by Stephanie Handley

Macro Photography Chris Helliwell LPSNZ shares tips and tricks on shooting the smallest of things.

All images from pages 20 - 29 by Chris Helliwell

Macro photography IT WAS MY interest in insects that got me into photography and it all started with macro photography. I remember looking on the web and coming across some amazing close-up macro images of insects. The detail and beauty that were in these images was amazing. It did not take me long before I started to wonder how these images were taken and after a little research I had ordered my first macro lens, a Canon 100mm F2.8. Little did I know that this would turn into an amazing journey that has taken me to the jungles of Central America and the parks and forests of Singapore. I’ve spent endless hours wandering around the New Zealand bush at all hours of the night, looking for subjects I can photograph. I have been well and truly bitten by the macro bug.

So, what is macro photography? Macro photography is extreme close-up photography, usually of very small subjects, in which the size of the subject in the photograph is greater than life size. By some definitions, a macro photograph is one in which the size of the subject on the negative or image sensor is life size or greater. The ratio of the subject size on the film plane (or sensor plane) to the actual subject size is known as the reproduction ratio. Likewise, a macro lens is classically a lens capable of reproduction ratios greater than 1:1.

Do you need special equipment for macro photography? You would typically need a macro lens, extension tubes or a close-up filter to capture macro images. A “macro” lens is specifically designed for close-up work, with a long barrel for close focusing and optimised for high reproduction ratios, and is one of the most common tools for macro photography. Most modern macro lenses can focus continuously to infinity as well and can provide excellent optical quality for normal photography. True macro lenses, such as the Canon MP-E 65mm f2.8, can achieve higher magnification than life size, enabling photography of the structure of small insect eyes and other minuscule objects. Macro lenses of different focal lengths find different uses: 45–65 mm – product photography, small objects that can be approached closely without causing undesirable influence, and scenes requiring natural background perspective 90–105 mm – insects, flowers, and small objects from a comfortable distance 150–200 mm – insects and other small animals where additional working distance is required

Extension tubes Extending the distance between the lens and the film or sensor, by inserting either extension tubes or continuously adjustable bellows, is another equipment option for macro photography. The further the lens is from the film or sensor, the closer the focusing distance, the greater the magnification, and the darker the image given the same aperture. Tubes of various lengths can be stacked, decreasing lens-to-subject distance and increasing magnification. They can be used in conjunction with some other techniques such as reversing the lens.

Close-up filters Placing an auxiliary close-up filter in front of the cameraâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lens is another option. Inexpensive screw-in or slip-on attachments provide close focusing. The possible quality is less than that of a dedicated macro lens or extension tubes. These lenses add to the optical power of the lens, decreasing the minimum focusing distance, and allowing the camera to get closer to the subject.

Limited DOF is an important consideration in macro photography. Depth of field is extremely small when focusing on close objects. A small aperture (high f-number) is often required to produce acceptable sharpness across a three-dimensional subject. This requires either a slow shutter speed, brilliant lighting, or a high ISO. Auxiliary lighting (such as from a flash unit), is often required. Because of the small DOF it is essential to focus critically on the most important part of the subject, as elements that are even a millimetre closer or farther from the focal plane might be noticeably blurred.

Lighting The problem of sufficiently and evenly lighting the subject can be difficult to overcome. Some cameras can focus on subjects so close that they touch the front of the lens. It is difficult to place a light between the camera and a subject that close, making extreme close-up photography impractical. A ring flash or twin head flash can help with this. Good results can also be achieved with a pop-up or external flash with a homemade diffuser.

My techniques • I use * Manual mode on my camera * Manual focusing (For just about all of my images I don’t use a tripod.) • My standard settings are

Between ISO 100 & 400

Between F11 & F13 or up to f25 when using my Raynox filter

Between 1/100 & 1/250 sec

â&#x20AC;˘ Understand your focus plane * I try and keep my subjects parallel and focus on the eyes.

When it all comes together this is what you can achieve.

Taken in 2006, this was one of the first macro images that I was happy with. Canon 300D , Canon 100mm F2.8 macro lens, pop up flash, ISO 200, f14, 1/125 sec

Experimenting with a reversed 50mm lens on the front of my 100mm lens to get more magnification.

2007, Long horn beetle, Canon 30D with Canon 100mm f2.8 macro lens and reversed 50mm lens, pop up flash. ISO 400, f20, 1/125sec

2012, NZ praying mantis, Canon 30D with Canon 180mm f3.5L macro lens, Canon 580Ex flash. ISO 320, f16, 1/100sec

Monarch butterfly Egg at 5x life size. The image with a pip head gives some you an idea of the scale of the egg.

2013 Canon 5D3 with Canon MPE 65mm macro (5x), f16, ISO 100, 1/200

When you master the basics of macro photography you can then try things like backlighting and focus stacking.

2015, Canon 5D3 with Canon 100 f2.8 macro, twin flash (lowest power), handheld backlit flash, f22, ISO 400, 1/160

With no backlighting

2015, Canon 5D3 with Canon 100 f2.8 macro, twin flash (ETTL), f22, ISO 400, 1/160

Focus stacking can result in images that have a greater DOF. Shot handheld, using focus stacking

Some final tips • Shoot using manual focus and move forward and backwards to obtain focus. (AF will hunt too often and you will miss too many shots.) • Be patient; insects and bugs are all around you. Sometimes it might take time for them to be comfortable having you in their environment. Try just sitting and waiting. • Use a flash with a diffuser.

Chris will be running a marco photography workshop on Day 1 of the Hutt2019 National Convention

http://central.psnzconventions.org.nz

Open for business!

See the promotional video as shown at the PSNZ National Convention in Dunedin http://www.whanganuicameraclub.com/psnz-central-regional-2018.html

YOU and your friends are invited to WHANGANUI in the Spring! Thomas journeys in Landscapes and Lightroom Catherine and Terence evoke memories in an abandoned house Toya tempts with crystal balls Bruce is honoured to talk Honours Lewis circles the Cyclorama Shona judiciously judges PicTalk invites YOU to presentâ&#x20AC;Ś Greg furiously polishes furniture in Bricksticks Gallery The Rivers family stop speeding for a second Diana will drive you nuts! The birds are flying around Bushy Park Simon susses phenomenal phone photos Dallas offers hospitality in a riverside garden Antonia talks architecture and Opera House ghosts Christine thinks outside the square Mr and Mrs Jones cruise up the Awa Barbara and team tackle titles Moira and Vonnie open and close Early birds are up with the Rivercity Marketers Accommodation on-site at Collegiate School Food to tempt the taste buds REGISTER NOW and be in to win a $50 Harvey Norman voucher!

Come and See and Do!

PS Remember the hat! PPS A camera might come in handy too!

Plan to be in Whanganui for the regional! Toya Heatley APSNZ reports

THIS YEAR THE PSNZ Central Regional Convention is being held in Whanganui.Â Registrations are now open, as are the individual and interclub salons.Â This is the only regional happening this year so we hope to see many folk from outside the region as well. Check out our website https://central.psnzconvention.org.nz for information about our keynote speakers and our great line up of workshops - and register now to secure the workshops and field trips of your choice. One of the night shoots proving popular (so get in quickly if you want to do it) is Light Painting with Crystal Balls presented by Toya Heatley APSNZ.You will need your tripods for this one as you will be working in the dark! Here are a few of her examples of what can be achieved during this workshop

HUTT2019 – A convention like no other! IF YOU WERE lucky enough to be at the Dunedin convention and saw our promotional video, or saw our advertisement in the last issue of CameraTalk, then you will know that we are claiming that HUTT2019 will be like no other. We don’t make this claim lightly, and between now and the end of October we will show you exactly what we mean by releasing full details of everything we have on offer.

Experience

Focus on learning

We don’t want to blow our own trumpets too much, but we have an organising committee which is very passionate about delivering a high-quality event - and we have the experience to back it. Our committee members have attended both national and regional PSNZ events and most also have experience in organising conferences and conventions in their professional lives.

We know that sitting watching someone else’s images being displayed can be interesting and inspiring, but we want to take it one step further and show you how to make those images yourself! Most of our sessions will involve you actually using your camera rather than just sitting watching a screen.

If you attended the 2014 Central Regional in Hutt and enjoyed it, then you will be pleased to know that several of the same organising committee are working on HUTT2019 National. We know what we like in a convention and more importantly we know what we don’t like about attending such events. So, we are fully committed to putting together an event that we would be happy to attend ourselves, and be proud to say we have organised.

Our workshops will generally be limited to a maximum of 30 people to ensure the best experience, and they will be up to three hours long, with a tea-break, so everyone will be able to get something out of the session. Hands-on learning at its best! Our fieldtrips have been renamed ‘offsites’ because rather than just take you somewhere and let you wander off to take images, we will be charging it up a bit. Each offsite venue will have a specific purpose and will be instructor led, similar to a workshop, while still giving you the opportunity to see and experience the Hutt at its best.

You can see a copy of the convention promotional AV on this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZzokt5wTAc&feature=youtu.be

26-29 April 2019 Lower Hutt

Making it easier to afford

Keeping up with news and updates

Registrations will open in November and because we recognise that the lead-up to Christmas is an expensive time of year, we are allowing you to secure your place at the convention with a $100 deposit, with the balance payable by the end of March 2019.

Our programme is currently live on our website, however there is much to be added over the next six months. With 19 workshops, seven seminars and 10 offsites planned, we have a lot of updates planned.

Because this represents additional work for us, the deposit will only be refundable in exceptional circumstances. There will also be no early bird rate.

Addressing the gender gap We have noted in past years that most speakers are male, yet we know there are many very talented female photographers out there, including many brand ambassadors. We are determined to address this imbalance and while we might not get the 50/50 split, we will endeavour to bring you the best talent we can from both genders.

We will be utilising many different media channels to keep you informed. Our HUTT2019.org.nz website is live and it includes a link to sign up to our convention mailing list where you will be first to receive the latest news. (Please note: this is separate to normal PSNZ bulk emails.) We will also be promoting the convention outside of PSNZ circles as we believe it will appeal to the many photographers out there who enjoy their art but are not members of PSNZ. Therefore, we encourage you to register early to secure the workshops of your choice when registrations open in November. The HUTT2019 Organising Committee is excited about this up-coming event, and we hope you will be too!

Editorial : To print or not to print â&#x20AC;&#x201C; that is the question! By Paul Whitham LPSNZ

AS WE ENTER the competition season there is always the choice of whether to enter your images as a bunch of pixels (digital) or as a tangible print. Assuming that you are not someone who thinks that a photo is not a piece of art until you can hold it, three main factors come into play when deciding which way to go.

Cost There is no doubt that on the cost front digital wins every time as essentially there is very little cost with submitting an image. The only exception is a PSNZ digital honours set where you are still required to submit the images on a USB stick. Preparing prints does have a cost and this amount will depend on the standard that you print to. You then have to either mat or mount the image in some way. If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t print at home, there is also the additional cost of the time (and petrol) taken in sending the images out to print. Unless you plan on keeping the images permanently in their mats, most of the cost is actually tied up in the first prints. If you, and the courier firms, are careful then mats can be reused a number of times. While some people scoff at them, the quality coming from a $5 Harvey Norman 8x12 print is generally good enough for internal club judging, and some salons. It was interesting that when putting my honours set together I was able to compare the Harvey Norman prints with more expensive options - and they fared quite well. The final cost is the courier to dispatch your prints.

Control By this I mean the ability of you, the photographer, to ensure that the judge is seeing the image as you prepared it. In this regard prints are the only way to ensure this. While the room lighting can affect a print, a judge will generally angle the image to ensure that they see it without distraction. With a digital image you are completely at the mercy of technology.You are assuming that the judge will see the image exactly as you have it on your screen. The reality is that there are so many factors that can influence the display that it is extremely unlikely that this will be the case. Anyone who has been to a club meeting will realise that images on the screen often look very different than on the computer. Quite often the differences appear in the shadows and highlights, both of which can be crucial to how an image is assessed.

There are also two things that a judge canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do with the print that they can with a digital image. While both of these are things that judges should not do, I have witnessed both happening in the last two years. The first is zooming the image to 200% to see if it is sharp, and the second is checking the histogram of an image to ensure that detail exists both in the shadows and highlights. A print can only be viewed one way, unless the judge brings out the magnifiying glass. There is one caveat here and that has to do with sharpness and paper choice. When printing on watercolour art papers there can be a slight bleed at the edges. While these papers look stunning you have to watch that the judge does not interpret the bleed as a lack of sharpness.

Ease of effort There is a no doubt that printing involves the additional step of turning a digital file into a tangible object, and then you have to ensure it reaches the selectors by the closing date. That means that prints have to be planned further ahead than digitals. The latter can be left until the very last minute for submission. Personally I think this additional planning actually improves the image that is submitted.You end up thinking more about your submitting, rather than grabbing something at the last minute. It was interesting to note that Bruce Burgess made exactly the same comment with regard to many of the failed digital honours sets.

Nine litres of millk and a willing model. Milk dress by Paul Whitham

PSNZ Honours By Bruce Burgess FPSNZ

- Chair of the Honours Board

THE PSNZ HONOURS system was first introduced in 1972. An extract from the first minutes stated: The PSNZ Honours are awarded in recognition of contributions to the advancement of the art and science of photography. Such contributions take many forms, which may be divided into those principally from: • photographic proficiency and achievement to a very high standard • those primarily of a service nature. The PSNZ Service Awards will be covered in a later article. The Honours system is one of the significant benefits PSNZ offers its members and members of its affiliated photography clubs and societies. The system provides an independent, objective assessment of skill, recognising different levels of photographic competence and achievement. It provides club members with worthwhile goals to work towards and recognition. Over the years, the PSNZ Honours system has been devised and revised to make applicants think very clearly about the level of the project that they are undertaking. At each level, Licentiate (LPSNZ), Associate (APSNZ) and Fellowship (FPSNZ), a successful portfolio needs to be carefully “planned, photographed and assembled for final presentation”. Each level pushes an applicant to a greater extent and stretches their capabilities and thought processes. This is why the PSNZ has retained a portfolio-based system and not adapted a points-per-image system as adopted by some countries. This can also lead to results that are sometimes controversial, because there 36

is a more personal input to portfolios and the bodies of work presented; they speak to the six assessors on the board in different ways, especially at the higher Associate and Fellowship levels. The Honours system is as much about an applicant’s personal photographic development, as it about gaining letters to put after one’s name. PSNZ Honours are not earned by quality images alone. The Honours Board requires images to be submitted as a portfolio, often described as “a photographic work in which the total has greater value than the sum of the individual parts”. The guidelines include a section on portfolio arrangement where prints are said to need to hang together, or flow (digital). A simple explanation is that the viewer’s eyes should be able to travel comfortably from one image to the next. This can be achieved by the use of colour, tone, composition, subject matter etc. in some way that “links” each image to the one that follows. Applicants are strongly recommended to seek independent advice from someone who has already achieved Honours because it is difficult to be objective about one’s own work. With the intention of clarifying the respective requirements, the guidelines on the PSNZ website are currently being reviewed as follows:

About Distinctions – PSNZ Honours Awards There are three levels of PSNZ Distinctions. Applicants must submit portfolios of Prints or Projected Images.

LICENTIATE (LPSNZ)

ASSOCIATE (APSNZ)

To apply for a Licentiateship, you must be a financial member of PSNZ, or a financial member of an affiliated club.

You must be a financial member of PSNZ to apply for an Associateship.

A portfolio of ten (10) images is required.

A portfolio of twelve (12) images is required.

The portfolio may be in the form of Prints or Projected Images. The categories are: Open or Nature.

The portfolio may be in the form of Prints or Projected Images. The categories are: Open, Nature, Scientific & Technical.

In either category (Open or Nature) a Licentiateship is awarded for “proficiency of a high order in practical photography”. This means the applicant is required to demonstrate sound basic technical ability - along with good compositional skill and awareness of lighting. Proficiency implies skill with the camera, and in processing and presenting images.

If making a Scientific & Technical submission, 30 days’ prior notice of the specific subject is required to enable the Honours Board to find appropriate expertise to assist it if necessary.

A Licentiate submission does not require a theme. Photographic proficiency is best demonstrated by a diversity of approach. For example - by a variety of subject matter, genre, varieties of lens choice, lighting conditions, viewpoints and so on. The standard of individual images in a successful Licentiate portfolio is likely to be at Acceptance or Honours level in the larger or stronger clubs, and in those clubs that consistently do well in PSNZ interclub competitions. A key factor for success, however, is the coherent and pleasing manner in which the portfolio is put together. That is to say, the images must “hang together” as described in the section on “Portfolio Arrangement” outlined in the website.

Associate is a significant step up from Licentiate. Successful Associate portfolios exhibit a higher level of technical proficiency than an ‘L’. They demonstrate artistic and creative qualities in Open, and well composed informative images in Nature. An Associate portfolio should be akin to a oneperson exhibition. Successful Associate portfolios exhibit advanced skills in a range of areas including camera use, composition, awareness and use of lighting, processing and presentation. Importantly, they exhibit artistic qualities. Although an Associate portfolio may have a theme, it is NOT a requirement. Applicants need to be aware that closely related images may not display the extent of the author’s competence as clearly as a diverse set could. An Associate portfolio is not supposed to be a ‘mini’ Fellowship portfolio (see below). A high standard of imagery throughout the portfolio is essential. The standard of the individual images is what you may expect to

find at Acceptance or Honours level in the National Exhibition. The manner in which the portfolio is put together as a presentation is of major importance. The images must “hang together” (prints) or “flow” (projected) as described in the section on “Portfolio Arrangement” outlined in the website. You are not required to provide a written statement with an Associateship portfolio. FELLOWSHIP (FPSNZ) You must be a financial member of PSNZ and already hold an Associateship to apply for a Fellowship. A portfolio of eighteen (18) images is required. The portfolio may be in the form of Prints or Projected Images. The categories are: Open, Nature or Scientific & Technical. If making a Scientific & Technical submission, 30 days’ prior notice of the specific subject is required to enable the Honours Board to find appropriate expertise to assist it if necessary. Fellowship submissions are expected to demonstrate outstanding ability and

photographic skill - with an individual style and maturity of vision. The letters FPSNZ are intended to denote one who stands in the front rank of photography. Unlike Licentiate and Associate portfolios, successful Fellowship submissions will usually have a theme – a thesis-like approach to consistent subject matter. A successful Fellowship application will illustrate a freshness of approach, and a themed portfolio is a good way to demonstrate one’s individuality, style, artistry and mastery of the photographic medium. In a Nature portfolio at Fellowship level, it is particularly important that the images hold together cohesively in terms of the information they present, or the story they tell. A Fellowship portfolio should be accompanied by a written statement of the author’s intent (maximum 100 words) written and presented at a high standard, consistent with the Honour sought. The images in a successful Fellowship portfolio are expected be of the standard befitting an Associate, and quality appropriate to the genre. Vitally, their presentation will be at the highest level, demonstrating

excellent skills in “Portfolio Arrangement” outlined in the website.

The Fellows At the 2018 Honours Banquet the distinction of Fellow was bestoyed on three PSNZ members. Over the next three issues of CameraTalk we are going to learn more about the photographers and see the images that made up the sets. First up is Paul Byrne FPSNZ ARPS AFAIP

Narrative for F Panel - People of Cambodia I HAVE ALWAYS admired people with natural artistic abilities. I can see and appreciate the talent in others but finding my own talent amongst the arts has not come naturally. I was 42 when I purchased my first film-based DSLR. I quickly discovered that I hadn’t a clue how to use it, so I put myself on a night-school course and two years later I had become reasonably proficient at the technical stuff, including film processing in the darkroom; but I still lacked a natural talent when it came to ‘seeing’ images. At this time, I was at the peak of my professional career and hobby-time was extremely limited. I used my interest in photography as a ‘stress break’ from the pressures of a busy working life. I joined a camera club and attended a number of workshops, some just for a day, others for up to a week at a time. Looking back, it was this interaction with other photographers that taught me what to look for when composing an image. As time passed, I finally realised that my natural ability was ‘communication’. It was at the heart of what I did; day-in and day-out. I began to use this attribute to get the best from people who were having their photographs taken. As an amateur photographer, it doesn’t take long to run out of friends and family who are prepared to model for you, and that is when I decided to look at less formal portraits; in particular, street/ documentary photography.

Like many people, my wife and I enjoy travelling. We usually try to visit locations which are not overwhelmed with tourists. Wherever possible, we will hire a car with driver/interpreter (if necessary). Last year (2017) was no exception. We decided to visit Cambodia which has been on my ‘to do’ list for some time. It did not take long to realise that a very different and magnificent culture exists within a colourful landscape. The famous temples of Anchor Watt, now covered by jungle trees, are just a smidgen of the rich culture that Cambodia has to offer. Our guide was able to take us away from the usual tourist areas and into the heartland of this country where we met the people who are truly at the centre of this nation, ravaged by war for 50 of the past 65 years. Their faith in Buddhism and their determined resilience to overcome all adversity is etched in their souls. Everywhere I looked I saw images. My trigger finger was overworked on this trip and I came away with more than seven thousand photographs. (…No, they’re not all award winning images.) Needless to say, that is a substantial volume to analyse and reduce to manageable proportions. That task took a few months and as I worked through the images, I began to realise I had actually captured images which truly reflected the personalities of those we met. I became embroiled in the work and soon formed the opinion there was definitely one or more artistic panels of images to be had.

Monks are everywhere in Cambodia. It’s almost as if they are the backbone of the country. Consequently, temples and monasteries festoon the countryside. Statues and effigies of Buddha appear in the remotest areas. The monks themselves are revered by the general population. Perhaps this is the reason that the Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge slaughtered hundreds of thousands of them in the most barbaric ways imaginable. The people have a work ethic because there is no ‘Nanny-State’ to fall back on. They toil in fields and along riverbanks. They are farmers and fishermen. They make pots as utensils rather than ornaments and they weave everything from bamboo mats to silk garments. Every family member from youngest to eldest has something to contribute.

The final selection for my Fellowship application endeavours to show a cross section of the Cambodians we met within their environment. Whilst every image has its own story, my personal favourite is No.3, “A relaxing moment”. It shows two novice monks sharing a hammock and whispering to each other. They are in one corner of a temple and there is a quiet stillness in the air. The ‘click’ of the shutter release button caused one of the boys to look at me and simultaneously stand up. This action unbalanced the hammock and the other novice was thrown to the floor. They laughed out loud as did I and our laughter echoed around the temple. It was a simple but joyous moment. There is a unique story behind each of the images in the panel. I hope you enjoy the work as much as I enjoyed creating it. Paul Byrne FPSNZ ARPS AFAIP

The blessing

The fisherman

Water market trader

Meditating

The daily meal

Making traditional pots

Water buffalo boy

A novice monk

Children of Kompong Phulk

Relaxing after prayers

Temple guardian

A relaxing moment

An offering

Staying cool

By the river

Making rice paper

Simple amusement

Working in the paddy field

Audio-visual notes Compiled by Carolyn Hope APSNZ

TRISH McAUSLAN APSNZ EFIAP AAPS sends congratulations to the following PSNZ members who have been successful in recent Australian national salons. Autumn National John Hodgson EFIAP/b AV-AFIAP FAPS AVFAPS ESFIAP Hon.FAPS, four awards including the Champion AV and the Runner-up AV which he created together with his wife; Judith Hodgson AV-AAPS LAPS, three awards; Trish McAuslan APSNZ AV-LAPS, two awards and Elaine Ashton, one award Adelaide National Salon John Hodgson, four awards; Judith Hodgson, three awards and Trish McAuslan, three awards

Successful Blenheim audio-visual workshop, 12-13 May 2018 The Marlborough Camera Club invited Trish McAuslan APSNZ AAPS EFIAP and Alistair McAuslan APSNZ AV-LAPS to run a workshop for members from the Marlborough, Nelson and Motueka camera clubs interested in creating an audio-visual. Seven people attended, including one from Nelson. Only one had ever created an audio-visual before and most of us were unused to using the appropriate software, sound recording and video recording. Before the weekend Trish had provided us with a programme outline and a list of requirements for the workshop, including a laptop loaded with a photo-editing program, an audio-visual creating program suitable for Windows or Mac (which we could download as a trial if we wished), and a sound editing program called Audacity.

The workshop was not about how to use the software, so it was suggested a basic understanding was preferable. The McAuslans provided us with excellent handouts to complement the workshop.

Day 1 On the first morning we were introduced to the overall concept of an audio-visual - a sequence of still images with accompanying audio built around a storyline or theme. These three elements should reinforce each other; any one without the others would be inadequate. It is much more than images to music. Several examples were shown, providing us with some ideas around different ways of presenting an AV, how to plan and perhaps make a story board - a way of doing a layout before taking the images. We were then tasked, over a two hour period, with collecting images in Blenheim as if we were a visitor, uploading the images onto our laptops, editing them, ordering them and sizing them appropriately - ready for inserting into our AV creating program. We were also encouraged to take video clips. Alistair was very helpful in demonstrating the necessary settings on our cameras for video recording and recording sound. Tips • Landscape images are easier to blend from one image to the next. • When taking an image, leave space for post-production cropping and sizing. • Take lots of images, at least 60 but more if possible, for a five minute show (so there are plenty to choose from).

Day2 We were now ready to start creating an AV, using our software program, learning about transitions between images and slide times, and adding sound. We were advised to be sparing about using different transition effects such as panning and zooming - only if it adds something to the story as, if overdone, they can be very distracting and disturbing to the viewer. The use of words on slides was discussed as an introduction, or to tell the story - as well as font types and size, and ensuring that there is enough time to read the captions. It was emphasised that the audio track was as important as the images. We learned to use â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;voice overâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; as part of our story - writing it out first, how to read fluently, how much to say! Using a multi-track

music editor such as Audacity was great for adding layers of sound-voice over, as well as music and sound effects, something which cannot be achieved with some programs which can only add sound in a linear fashion. By the afternoon we were asked to complete as best we could our first attempts and reveal them to the group. It was great to see how we all approached the task. Over the two days we were provided with a huge amount of information from the McAuslans and excellent accompanying notes to take away with us. I can only encourage those who are thinking about making an audio-visual, and wonder how to begin, to attend one of the McAuslan workshops. It was tremendous fun, inspiring - and a wonderful and different way to show images!

Reflecting by Mary Hinsen

The power of photography: Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ and friends

ARRIVING AT PURAKAUNUI Falls in the Catlins, we were exasperated to find a group of youngsters posing in strange manner in order to be photographed “in front of” the falls. No, not the ones in the photo; they came a few moments later – thank goodness! These tourists from China, led by the lady on the right, went about their photographic business with keenness and skill. Only one, the tour guide, spoke English. I decided to communicate with my camera, on the “You show me yours, I’ll show you mine” basis, comparing visual notes with each photographer based on the cameras we each held. For the record they sported one Sony, one Canon and four Nikons – but who’s counting? The guide told me the six visitors had completed a photography course back in China and were putting their newly acquired skills into practice via a three-week tour of New Zealand, with just six days to go. It was a magic and unforgettable time – all thanks to our cameras!

Nelson National Triptych Salon 2018

“Keep Your Eyes Peeled” by Kathy Richards Winner of the 2017 Well Known Phrase or Saying Category We invite you to try your hand at the Well Known Phrase or Saying award in this year’s Nelson National Triptych Salon. Think of a saying or phrase that is well known and challenge yourself to Hang in There and create a triptych with a visual interpretation of your phrase or saying. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, so they say. You might find the exercise as Hard as Nails or as Easy as Pie so Talk it Over with a close friend and Get Cracking. It’s a Long Shot but in the end you might be Over the Moon and Jump for Joy when your name is called. Time will Tell. Your triptych must consist of three images and they must not touch or overlap each other. There must be a clear division between each image and there must be no fourth image in the background. There’ll be two other awards in this year’s Triptych Salon event. They will be for “Monochrome” and “Softly, Softly” and there’ll be some Honours and Highly Commended awards as well as a Supreme Triptych Award. There will be no print entries this year, but the high awarded images will be printed and displayed at the presentation evening. Look for the How To instructions on the Nelson National Triptych Salon website to see how to assemble a triptych using Adobe Elements, Lightroom or On1 Raw. If you are unsure how to assemble your triptych, team up with another member of your Club with the knowledge and software and ask them to assemble your three images for you according to your instructions.

Please visit http://www.nelsoncameraclub.co.nz/national-triptych-salon-2/ to view the rules and other information. For more inspiration you might like to visit Jane Trotter’s (APSNZ) website http://abstractedreality. com/articles/talking-triptychs/ Entries open on 1 August and close on 31 August. Peter Wise FPSNZ

Nelson Camera Club

Cambridge autumn arts festival exhibition By Julie Milne

IT TAKES COURAGE to offer your images for sale as many of the Cambridge Camera Club members recently experienced when the club decided to take part in this year’s Cambridge Autumn Arts Festival. The annual festival’s weekend of art offers the public the chance to tour artists’ studios around Cambridge, culminating in a street party on the Sunday, complete with artists’ stalls, musicians, dancers and street performers. With promotion of our exhibition provided by the festival organisers, it was ‘simply’ necessary to organise a venue, along with the collection, and a display of the 87 exhibits - no mean task. Club members were responsible for choosing their images, having them printed and priced, while the set-up crew were left to display the works to ensure each piece stood out. For many of our exhibitors this was the first opportunity to offer work for sale, and so the first time to think about which images might sell and how best to present them. The final result was a range of images, from landscapes to animals, flowers, portraits, abstract, fun and serious, printed with and without frames, on canvas, glass and metal. In short there was something for everyone and customers didn’t buy the cheapest artworks - they bought what they fell in love with, and despite competition from other artists set up in their own studios, along with a successful town celebration, we did achieve some welcome sales. And the reaction from the public? Surprise. Some people hadn’t thought of a photograph as an artwork (!) but were “blown away” by the quality and selection of images and the various ways a photograph could be presented. As a bonus the exhibition also gave the public a chance to meet club members, have a chat, see our work and wonder if they wanted to join, and already some have. Would we do it again? Absolutely! Plans are already under way to join with the Cambridge Arts Society’s exhibition this November

Greymouth Photography Club celebrates its 65th anniversary By Elizabeth Passuello FPSNZ FNPSNZ AAPS EFIAP and Nicole Tai

2018 HAS SEEN the Greymouth Photography club turn 65, but it’s far from ready for retirement! While earlier camera clubs in the Westland area eventually folded, the Greymouth Photography Club has lasted the distance and is now the oldest camera club on the West Coast – with the Buller Camera Club not far behind at three years younger. The club was established in February 1953 following years of informal meetings by a group of film enthusiasts that included Len Schaef, George Hansen and Jock Gifford. They met in a prefab at the Greymouth High School before later moving to Rathbun’s Hall on the corner of High and Marlborough Streets. The first general meeting was held on 18 February 1953 with about 12 members present. The rules of the club, having been drawn up by Marriot Sheard, were accepted and the club’s name decided.

Club news If your club has information or events that it would like to share, email the details to Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ at dilinz@ actrix.co.nz.

At the second general meeting, held on 11th March 1953, Laurie Inkster was appointed Patron and club officers elected were President, Bertie Caulton;Vice Presidents, Len Schaef (representing the cine enthusiasts) and Mr W Watson (representing the still camera enthusiasts); Secretary/Treasurer, Mr J C Faithfull; Committee, Mr J Quinn and Marriot Sheard (cine), Mr W A Sara and Mr A Gray (still). Because of the founding members’ interest in both film and still photography, the name of the club was originally the Greymouth Cine and Camera Club. In February 1970, with a decreasing interest in film-making, Cine was dropped from the name and the club became known as the Greymouth Camera Club. That same year the club cancelled its affiliation to the Federation of New Zealand Amateur Cine Societies, to which it had been linked since 1954. At the 2007 Annual General Meeting, to put more emphasis on the activity (photography

Photo by Chris Mathieson LPSNZ

The Club has also had 10 members awarded photographic honours and distinctions at national and/or international level, the first being John Burford in 1979 with an APSNZ.

To mark its 65th Anniversary, the Club celebrated with a special programme at its monthly meeting on 17 April 2018.

Greymouth Photography Club President, Nicki Mora LPSNZ, welcoming everyone. Photo by Mikhael Schumacher

rather than the camera), the club’s name was again changed to the Greymouth Photography Club. The Greymouth Photography Club is currently affiliated to the Photographic Society of New Zealand, an affiliation held since 1955, and over the years has hosted five regional conventions and one national on their behalf.

Club members are encouraged to take their photography to the next level through participation in competitions and salons at regional, national and international level. As at 2018, five Greymouth Photography Club members have been awarded trophies in the Photographic Society of New Zealand’s National Exhibition of Photography, a total of 11 times.

The celebrations were originally planned for 20 February, but they were postponed due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Gita. Nevertheless, a wonderful celebration was enjoyed at the April meeting with past and present members, interested locals and two distinguished speakers. The club promoted the event widely, including features in the local newspaper, the Greymouth Star, and also in the 83rd issue of D-Photo magazine. There was a display of members’ photographs (both print and projected), past editions of PSNZ’s New Zealand Camera and the club’s very own photo book, ‘Diversity’, which is a showcase of members’ work with three editions published from 2011 to 2013. The evening began with Club President, Nicki Mora LPSNZ, welcoming everyone. She invited Peter Robertson LPSNZ, then President of PSNZ, to share with the audience the history of photography in New Zealand

Elizabeth Passuello FPSNZ FNPSNZ AAPS EFIAP sharing with us the history of the club. Photo by Nicole Tai

and further afield. He also went over the history, mission, activities, services and benefits of the Photographic Society of New Zealand. The second speaker was Elizabeth Passuello, who was recently awarded life membership of the Greymouth Photography Club in recognition of her generous contribution to the club over the past 30 years. She presented the history of the club and how it all began. The audience was taken on a journey back in time when she showed photos of some of the Club’s founding members with their movie cameras on a field trip in the 1950s, and an 8mm black and white movie (a comedy titled ‘Vanishing Cream’) that the club produced in

1964/65. The presentations were followed by a screening of the club’s March competition work. A beautiful cake had been specially made, showcasing members’ photos taken at various events and activities over the past few years. Elizabeth Passuello was invited to cut the cake, along with Nicki Mora, to commemorate the special occasion. Everyone was then invited to have supper, meeting new people and reminiscing past events.

Life Member, Elizabeth Passuello FPSNZ FNPSNZ AAPS EFIAP (right), cutting the cake with Club President Nicki Mora, LPSNZ. Photo by Nicole Tai

Councillor profile:

Mary Hinsen I FIRST BECAME interested in photography as a child, under the tutelage of my photographer father. Using film, I learned to plan, visualise, compose and shoot with a purpose. In the darkroom, I experimented with processing my images in different ways. Fashion design and food became my creative outlets as a young adult. As my children grew up, I began exploring the medium of digital art. This spearheaded a welcome return to photography. I have a real love of food. As part of my work with food businesses,I create images for online and print marketing that portray individual food styles of different chefs and food businesses. This work also extends to environmental portraits of people who make wonderful food and the people who enjoy eating it! My special love is photographing people. I enjoy experimenting by taking shots in creative ways, telling individual stories, giving insight into some aspect of a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, character or experience. I also love capturing a moment, a memory - just as it was.

Almond cookie

Homemade sauce

Silhouette conceptual

Frozen in time

Grandpaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands

From Australia to New Zealand – and all the way back! by Georgie McKie FPSNZ FAPS EFIAP XMAS 1956 SAW my love of photography commence through the gift of a Box Brownie camera which produced eight chunky big negatives on 620 roll film. I was hooked. In 1964, I moved on to a second hand Pentax 2A SLR with detachable light meter. I joined two local camera clubs, Mt Eliza and Mornington. I was also a foundation member of the Frankston Teachers College Photography Club I joined the Australian Photographic Society in 1966. My first trip to New Zealand was from December 1967 to January 1968, utilising the PSNZ Travel Aides. I met super friendly PSNZ members through these contacts including John Burford, afternoon tea with Isabel Walmsley and Burt Willison who dragged my travel companion Margaret and myself out of bed at 5.0am to photograph the elusive Mt Taranaki reflected in a lake. Len Barnard pressed copies of NZ Camera into my already overweight suitcase. These people were wonderful ambassadors for PSNZ. Back in Australia, my club memberships reflected my teaching postings and two country clubs, St Arnaud and Maryborough were added to the list. Where APSCON conventions coincided with school holidays I attended a large number of them. I acquired a second hand Yashicamat 124, and started producing 120 size negatives, and prints that later won me top awards in New Zealand. In 1974 I took a year’s leave of absence from the Victorian Education Department and got myself registered with the Canterbury Education Board, working as a long term relief teacher, plugging vacancy gaps in Hinds and Ashburton schools. Len Barnard encouraged me to join PSNZ. I joined the Ashburton club where I was encouraged into a lifelong

love affair with monochrome printing. I made occasional visits to Christchurch Photographic Society in the company of Eric Burton, Shirley Smith and others. CPS hosted the 1974 PSNZ convention at the Students’ Union buildings at the University of Canterbury. My Australian cousin joined me for three weeks, taking in the convention and a period touring the South Island. It was here that I met Ron who was the convention secretary. This was also the convention where we met Jean Bygate and she and my cousin, having similar backgrounds, hit it off. At the end of the school year I returned to Melbourne, but not before a number of Ashburton and CPS members sent me on to the plane festooned in toilet paper. And yes, Ron was in the party that did that to me. With a home built darkroom I got stuck into mono printing and hit the various National exhibitions. In 1975 I purchased a brand new Pentax 1000 with its wonderfully fast shutter speeds! Back in Melbourne there was a new job and parttime university studies, and another club, this time Waverly. In this period of time I became a member of the Victorian Association 61

Landscape award, the first of three. After the second win, Matheson Beaumont challenged me to do the same with a summer landscape, which then became my third. I love monochrome landscape. Ron and I married later that year.

of Photographic Societies management committee, and I started raving about the quality of speakers in New Zealand that I felt should be brought to Victoria for its annual three day conventions. Over the next three years we arranged for visits from Rich and Peg Singleton (accompanied by Laurie and Betty Mansell), Ron Willems,Vonnie and Harry Cave as well as a wonderful print exhibition from Dick Poole. In 1978 I was privileged to chair the 1978 Bendigo APSCON. It was the first APSCON to be taken out of a major centre and run in a rural regional area. It holds the APSCON attendance record to this day. This event was advertised thoroughly in New Zealand and at the Blenheim convention. As a result we had a large touring party from New Zealand, led by Mark Webber, descend on Bendigo. Some of the members of that party included Ron McKie (who was a guest speaker), Jean Bygate, Myra McKie, Fay Preston, Margaret Malcolm, Ned Browne and about 20 others. Some of the party stayed on for some extra days in Melbourne, and Ron and I ended up at the Healsville Sanctuary, which cemented our friendship. In 1980 I took up a position at Christchurch’s Xavier College and joined CPS . I entered prints in my first Natex and was astounded to win the Maadi Cup and the James 62

In 1982 it was Christchurch’s turn to run the Convention, and Ron (as co-chair) had asked me to be registrar. However, the makeup of the organising Attack committee changed with Ron stepping down from the joint Chair position, but I remained on as Registrar. I also sourced a terrific monochrome exhibition of figure studies by Melbourne’s Dr Geoffrey Smith which was shown at the convention. The Victorians repaid NZ by bringing across a large party of Victorian and New South Wales photographers, staying on for a grand two week tour of the South Island. Where possible this party visited camera clubs and each of the touring party presented a programme in return for the hospitality offered by the various clubs. In 1984 I succeeded in being awarded APSNZ (after two unsuccessful attempts) with a largely landscape monochrome submission. I was asked to run a workshop at the Taupo convention on the emerging multigraded poly-based papers, and I was quite overwhelmed when I found that one of the participants was Margaret Bake, of whom I was totally in awe. I also managed to pass the judging accreditation test, and listed myself for Open prints and Slides. During the early 80s we were invited to join a group of print enthusiasts organised by Dick Poole. We met monthly and were not permitted to attend if we didn’t have a print to share. We felt quite out of our ground in

this group which included Andris Apse, Esma Donovan, Mart Sewell, Frank Reavey, Peter Morath, Hugh Perry, Roy Boston, Mark Mail, Tim Pitman and of course Dick Poole. Known as the Printmakers, it was a tough and uncompromising group of people to work with and I certainly benefitted from their commentary. During my five years at Xavier College I was able to oversee the design and installation of a very flash darkroom in a new building, and was able to encourage some talented lads to get involved. One in particular, John Tulloch, entered and won the top image in the Ilford Shield competition, organised by PSNZ. Towards the end of 1985, we decided to head off to Papua New Guinea for three years. I installed all my darkroom kit into the Xavier darkroom, and joined Ron in January of 1986. Whilst Ron worked away in the PNG Tax Office, I landed on my feet with a contract teaching at Port Moresby International School. Originally hired to cover senior Economics and junior Geography, I was asked if I could also do Year 10 Photography, finishing off a two year middle school course based on the NSW curriculum. Could I !!!! By 1987 I had introduced a beginners Year 8 course, a comprehensive Year 9 and 10 monochrome course which qualified for the British International General Certificate of Secondary Education, and a Year 11 and 12 mixed monochrome and colour course which was accredited by the Australian Capital Territory Department of Education as a University Entrance Higher School Certificate course. It was the only course

in the ACT that taught monochrome, colour negative and transparency technical skills, and it gave many students a huge advantage when applying to universities to study for p hotographic degrees. One student skipped First Year and moved directly into Second Year courses, allowing him to study all eight subjects over two years instead of just four. He later went on to be an accredited photographer at five Commonwealth and three Olympic Games. One of his classmates entered the Queensland police force after completing his photography degree and is now the senior forensic photographer there. The course also provided a clear career path for PNG students to be taken on as photographers by the two Port Moresby newspapers, after completing Year 12. The two editors remarked that none of my ex-students broke equipment, a problem encountered with other press cameramen. The school darkroom was well equipped with six Durst colour head enlargers, two Jobo rotary drum processors, and an Ilford Cap 40 processor and drier. Class sizes were limited to 22, and while the school owned 12 Pentax K 1000 cameras and a range of lenses, students needed to have their own SLR for entry to Year 9 upwards. My position in the school changed with my appointment as Head of Craft, Design and Technology (which

Beyond Restoration

included photography). In order to inspire the students and to provide them with catalogues from around the world, I successfully competed in many international print salons, my favourite being VIGEX in Geelong. This photographic bliss ran for 13 years, until the exchange rate made the continuation of this import dependent course no longer viable. I received a golden handshake from the school, purchased some of its equipment and established “McKie Photography Ltd”, which ran for the five years before we pulled the plug at the end of 2003. (So much for being away for just three years!) My beloved Yashicamat had to be retired in PNG after suffering some damage, and I moved up to a Mamiya 645 Super. This had the added advantage of

interchangeable backs, including both 120 and 35mm backs. It was a great camera, but heavy, and I eventually developed tennis elbow from carting it around. It also had the disadvantage of not having a dedicated flash. This was a major problem as virtually every shot we took in PNG required the use of fill flash to overcome the very harsh shadows cast by being so close to the equator. Eventually I traded in the lot for a Nikon, a full kit of lenses, a dedicated flash and a $AU 1300 credit to go towards film. The Mamiya had held its value, and then some. In 1993 I managed to gain my FPSNZ (after one unsuccessful attempt), this time based on a social documentary coverage of “The Singsing” in PNG culture. 64

Through the eighteen years we were away, we maintained our PSNZ and CPS memberships, as well as my APS membership, where I had long since become a Life Member. These eighteen years took us totally away from the camera club scene, and we found ourselves becoming much more the recorders of the social and economic development of an emerging nation. Our contracts also allowed us the freedom and finances to indulge in a large amount of international travel with trips to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kenya, Mauritius, Tanzania, Namibia, South Africa, Botswana, Irian Jaya, several visits to the western half of America, but equally important, all the provinces of PNG. Our greatest regret is that it was all done with film! We are slowly selecting and scanning some of the trannies, and are very pleased to see that they are up to international standard for Boat Harbour fields exhibition. During this period I was asked to present three programmes at the APS Geelong APSCON, (which Bevan Tulett and Paul Kennedy attended) and we were jointly asked to do presentations at the 1999 Christchurch PSNZ convention. Having moved so far away from camera clubs we decided to present social documentary and inspirational type programmes rather than “how to” programmes. This was much more the style of work that we had moved into. As a result of that, none of our programmes were retained for subsequent PSNZ/club use. In 1998 we accepted an invitation to produce a coffee table book featuring the people, the culture and the art of the Sepik River area. The edition sold out but we still have an unsold

carton of ten copies. Maybe we should contact Amazon who have it listed second hand for over $US100. A lot of our PNG images have ended up in publications, the most recent being “Flying the Knife Edge” by Matt McLaughlin, an award-winning book about flying in PNG. Most of our flying in PNG was paid for by Air Niugini as we supplied many articles for their inflight magazine and annual corporate calendar. In conjunction with a church run vocational centre, we produced many full colour calendars, featuring images from 12 different provinces every year. Working as McKie Photography Ltd, I only turned down one job, which was shooting portraits of aspiring politicians. Assignments included the usual wedding and baby photos, the total production of an annual Year Book for an independent school, images for annual reports and business profiles, as well as producing our own prints for sale through a local market. There was enough work to support three professional photographers in town. Our return to Christchurch in late 2003 meant returning to weekly CPS meetings, a massive amount of competitions, regular attendance at PSNZ conventions and renewal of friendships. It wasn’t long before we were back into club judging. At CPS I took over the natural history competition secretary job, and then found myself handling the transition from film entries to digital entries in Open competitions. At one stage I also found myself looking after the Landscape competition. However, we found that our 18 years of absence meant that we had come back to a club that no longer reflected the one we had left in 1985; people, management

styles and attitudes had changed. No one will forget the seismic events of 2010 and 2011, and after three years of wondering if every aftershock would evolve into a bigger event, Ron and I took two weeks off to show him Tasmania. I promised not to look at any real estate, but clearly I was surreptitiously suggesting that Tasmania didn’t shake, and that it had some really lovely wilderness. On our return we checked out seismic records, bushfire records, flood records and temperature ranges and decided to move to somewhere on the ”Cradle Coast”, the central northern coast of Tasmania. The Christchurch house was repaired in September 2012, and I finished the massive job of scanning and digitising the CPS Permanent Collection. The basic scanning was a paid job, which was just as well as it proved to be the final straw for my beloved scanner. CPS now has its image archive complete from 1964 in digital form, and my additional unpaid contribution was a compilation of individual profiles of around 30 leading club members from 1965 to 2010. It was my way of ensuring photographers such as Peter Morath, Mart Sewell, Jack and Joan Swanson, Ted Walker, Dawn Radcliffe-Taylor and Tim Pitman are not forgotten. Another aspect of my research into CPS was the completion of the club’s “Trophy Book”. This records all the CPS trophies, the

Cradle Mountain

winners (some dating back to the 1920s), the history associated with each trophy and each donor.

Little wattle bird pair

During our travels around Tassie in 2012, we made contact with two camera clubs, Wynyard and Devonport, and were made most welcome. In December 2012 we returned to Tasmania to check our shortlist of five properties, and settled on a â&#x20AC;&#x153;lifestyleâ&#x20AC;? five acre block with my required gum trees. It is in Spreyton, just south of Devonport where the Spirit of Tasmania ferries berth. Having a new home and a plan forward, we sold our Christchurch home relatively easily. Remarkably, the vendors of the Spreyton property had moved to Diamond Harbour after the 2010 shake and they arrived the day before the 2011 one. What a coincidence. During the packing up stage, I was contacted by Tom and Avril Tame who frequently visit PSNZ conventions. Tom is a Verifying Officer for the APS Honours Board, and he begged me to send a set of prints to him for assessment towards my AAPS. Well, it was a convenient way of shipping 25 prints to Australia. The very first letter we received in 66

our letter box after moving at the beginning of April 2013 was my letter addressed to me, AAPS. It was accompanied by a letter from the Chairman of the Honours Board welcoming us to Tasmania, and asking if Ron and I would be prepared to become Verifying Officers for APS. We begged off for 12 months in order to upgrade our own letters, but are now VOs for northern Tasmania. We both decided that we needed to add some more letters after our names, ones that meant something to Australians, and have both achieved EFIAP and FAPS to add to our FPSNZ. Once we arrived and settled, we got stuck into researching and writing the history of CPS, at the request of CPS president David Slaten. Our main task was to try and put a definitive date on its establishment. We unearthed so much interesting material that we decided to split the task into two volumes. Volume One runs from 1890 to 1950, i.e. pre-PSNZ. It is lavishly illustrated with images that run from 1890 to 1950.Volume Two will run from 1950 to 2010 and is intended to cover the role that CPS members played in the formation of PSNZ.Volume One is somewhere on the CPS website, but it does not seem to be easily accessed. We have provided two different researchers from Te Papa and Auckland Art Gallery with copies of it, and it is pleasing that it appears to be of value to some at least in the arts community. We have the material ready for Volume Two, but have received little encouragement to complete it. We immediately joined the local Devonport Camera Club, and were a bit shocked at how it was operating (mainly as a fireside get-together), but with a softly, softly approach from us the club is now thriving, and gaining a lot of new members who are very enthusiastic about the club. Ron has been Secretary for 18 months, and I am once again looking after competitions. With our mainland and New Zealand contacts, we have introduced our members to vastly

better judges whose comments are helping our newer members in their photographic progress. Ron is also the club delegate to the Tasmanian Photographic Federation, and it is probably inevitable that he will end up as president at some stage. We are working hard on improving judging standards, and are using the PSNZ system as a model. We are frequently called on to do teaching presentations in clubs as well as judging. We also teach privately two different courses, bringing in a bit of pocket money. Adult Education became a victim of government budget cuts, as did formal TAFE photography diplomas, so we are filling a need for photographic education in the community. None of the clubs include teaching as part of their “raison d’etre”. We pick and choose which internationals we enter, based entirely on value for money, which is why you haven’t seen our work in the New Zealand International. We were pleased to see in the financial reports how the New Zealand International contributed to PSNZ finances, but we choose to enter salons which are not so focussed on profit. Devonport Camera Club has become a “go to “club for the organisation of public competitions. We were very involved in the 2017 Australian Masters Games and more

recently coordinated a competition in conjunction with SteamFest, a celebration of all things steam from traction engines to little mine locomotives. We are active members of Gurushots and are just awaiting the elusive win to take us to Guru. The Tasmanian Federation runs an annual “Photographer of the Year”, in four sections, those being small prints, large colour, large monochrome and projected images. This has been designed to replace the three Tasmanian National Salons which died several years ago. In 2016 I took the title in Colour Prints and Projected Images, and in 2017, Ron took out the Monochrome print title. Last year we held a “Two Man” exhibition in a gallery in the arty little town of Sheffield. It ran for a month, and the sales were sufficient to cover our costs. It was almost entirely Tasmanian landscape, which appealed to the locals. Australian Photography magazine featured my work in August and Ron’s in September. That was a thrill. We have totally new photographic challenges here. Getting to grips with the Tasmanian landscape has proved difficult because it is so different and the very best locations require many hours of tramping to access. But our block has around 46 different bird species, many of which visit our feeders and

Male crescent honeyeater

birdbaths. We do not need a bird hide for some, but the hide does allow some shy birds to come and be photographed. We pay up to eight pademelon wallabies with chopped apples, carrots, greens and rolled oats every night for keeping our grassed areas smooth as a lawn. Our garden is as the birds prefer it, somewhat wild, but full of bird attracting natives. Ron has swapped his passion for native plants to native birds. When we are unable to do the big walks, we can step out the back door and work with our wildlife. We have also actively followed a number of sporting events. We often photograph the loopy greyhounds on Tuesday afternoons; there are several very well run rodeos where the senior “clown” draws bulls towards us; harness racing is held in Devonport; and the latest sport that is drawing us is the full-on sport of polo cross. Only participants attend

that; there seems to be no public following and they are delighted to get images from us for their website and newsletter. We have enjoyed a steady stream of visitors from the mainland as well as some from New Zealand. Older CPS members might remember Ross and Margaret Frater who recently spent three months in Tassie, and two weeks with us. We are looking forward to having Dianne and Chris Calvert visit us in October with Dianne wanting to get her teeth into the stunning coastal photographic opportunities that abound around Tassie, and to “shoot” our pretty birds. If any PSNZ people are interested in coming to Tasmania, look up our contact details on the PSNZ website, and we would love to be your “travel aides”.

Superb fairy wren

PSNZ membership benefits ‘Helping photographers grow’ By joining the Photographic Society of New Zealand you can...

• Obtain discounts for society activities, including reduced registration fees for the annual PSNZ national convention • Obtain discounts for some New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers events • Receive a copy of New Zealand Camera. Members are entitled to submit images for inclusion in this prestigious annual publication. Purchase additional copies via our website. • Submit a portfolio of work for consideration to achieve a society distinction, (LPSNZ, APSNZ or FPSNZ). The quality, consistency and competency of your work is recognised and you can display letters after your name. • Obtain discounted rates for entering the Canon PSNZ National Exhibition. • Enter Canon Online, a bi-monthly digital competition with trophies for the winner of each round and for the overall winner each year. • Attend judge training workshops free of charge. • Promote your website on the PSNZ website; receive a link from our site to yours; access the ‘member only’ area; gain access to online entry forms and valuable help sheets. • Join a print circle to help improve your photographic skills and build friendships with fellow members. • Keep up to date with the latest news on events, activities and special offers through bulk emails. • Obtain product discounts or savings, including reduced rates for photographic equipment insurance through Rothbury’s insurance brokers.

To join PSNZ, please visit our website: https://photography.org.nz

FIAP NEWS From Ann Bastion FPSNZ EFIAP, FIAP Liaison Officer

THE JUNE ISSUE of FIAP news has just been released. It contains an article written by Lyn Clayton Hon PSNZ APSNZ EFIAP ESFIAP on the five PSNZ members who received their FIAP awards this year. The publication can be found on the FIAP website at http://www. istos.ws/clients/fiap_news/fiap_june_2018.pdf

The last image

Toya Heatley APSNZ