CameraTalk June 2019 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 2019

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 fourth edition of CameraTalk for 2019. June marks the start of winter so this month we thought we would focus on Still Life photography, as this is a great photographic pastime when the weather is lousy outside. We also have a full report of the first of the workshop series held in Napier. This is a new initiative of PSNZ that endeavours to provide learning opportunities outside of the conventions. The issue also contains information relating to a number of salons and displays the Gold winning images from the North Shore Salon of Photography. Towards the end you can read about a very special project undertaken by Dunedin photographers. Paul Whitham LPSNZ Editor

EDITOR, ADVERTISING & LAYOUT

Editorial

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

Letter to the editor

Canon Online tutorial

SUBEDITOR

Canon Online results

Still life photography special feature

PSNZ Workshop Series

A humble photographer

The next CameraTalk deadline is

Audio-visual notes How to alienate a judge

34 36

1 August 2019

Judge training

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.

Salon updates

Situations vacant

Councillor profile: Paul Whitham

24 hour project

Stratford exhibition

Key dates for the diary

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 opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Council of PSNZ.

On the cover Bergamont by Ann Bastion FPSNZ MFIAP.

WELCOME TO WINTER 2019. Or is it? It’s June already and it is hard to feel like we are actually now in the winter months. The weather has been unseasonably warm with most of us still sliding in and out of lighter and heavier clothing. It’s hard to know what to wear! As we are now post convention hopefully life can revert to a more normal pace for everyone and also for Council. Following the convention, Council spent almost two days meeting and going over the processes and plans for the upcoming year. (Mentally I work from convention to convention for my 12 month period.) We are concentrating on member benefits, relationships and events, to name a few. The Executive Officers will be working on governance and Councillors are revising and developing some new processes to implement in various portfolios. One of my goals over winter is to get out and about visiting more affiliated clubs and I have recently visited the Matamata and Thames Camera Clubs. It is good to see the smaller regional clubs in such good heart and spirit, with enthusiastic members who are producing innovative and interesting photographs – from what I saw. Both clubs told me that they valued the visit and the information shared with them, which was about the Society and what is available for members. Not all club members were members of PSNZ but it was exciting to see that one new member at the Thames Camera Club joined PSNZ that very night - at 10.45pm!

From the President’s desk... It is pleasing to say that our membership is on the rise. Statistics indicate a rise in membership from November 2018 to May 2019; in fact 139 new members joined in that period, compared to 71 in same period 2017/2018. In May we had 23 new members versus five new members in May 2018. Yes, there were some losses but the gains are considerably more. We are attributing the increase to several components: as a consequence of changing the subscription to a pure 12 month period from the date of joining; the advertising campaign currently running in D-Photo magazine which commenced in November 2018; and the new Workshop Series initative, which is only for members.

(continued overleaf)

The first workshop was held at the end of May in Napier and was an outstanding success.You can read all about it on page 24. My thanks to Bruce Girdwood FPSNZ for hosting this most enjoyable and successful day. While some may think it is easy to run a workshop, there is an enormous amount of behind-the-scenes work done by Councillor for Membership James Gibson APSNZ AFIAP, other councillors and not to mention the presenters themselves. These events will become part of the PSNZ brand and while this is a new intiative we have planned it as part of a three year process: • Year one – deliver the first six workshops • Year two – refine and improve • Year three – soar! Recently there have been a number of other salons and competitions and it was exciting to see the success of so many PSNZ members in the North Shore Salon of Photography. Congratulations to all of you. This year the organisers of the salon made significant changes to the rules of entry. While these were received with mixed feelings from various parties, feedback from the organising team and the judges indicate an extremely positive uptake by photographers. Looking at many of the winning images definitely shows a selection of refreshing, vibrant and creative photographs. In October I head to Invercargill for the Southern Regional Convention, from 11 to 13 October 2019, hosted by the Southland Photographic Society (SPS). I’m very much looking forward to going back to the Deep South as that is where my journey with PSNZ Council began, thanks to an inviation from former president Shona Jaray APSNZ!

I joined Council in 2011 when the SPS hosted a marvellous national convention and it’s for this reason I know the southern regional will be equally stimilating and enjoyable. Registrations are now open so to learn more and register, go to https://southern. psnzconvention.org.nz At the AGM I highlighted the fact that the Society is a not for profit organisation and as such managed and run by a team of very skilled volunteers. Some of the roles require more specialised skills than others; however in today’s climate and business pace, all roles require a varied set of skills. On this note, please read my article on page 52 which outlines the specific ‘vacancies’ that we want to fill. If you think you have some spare hours each week, please give it deep consideration and make contact. Naturally the hours of commitment will vary from role to role. I encourage you to continually extend yourself in any specific aspect of photography you decide on. Personally, I am intending to set two mornings a week aside to feed my photographic needs, concentrate on learning more Photoshop skills and develop a creative project based on what I learned from Bruce’s Creative Photography workshop #1. Enjoy the winter months ahead. Kind regards Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Editorial : Recycling images By Paul Whitham LPSNZ

WHEN I FIRST joined Wellington Photographic Society, a little over 10 years ago, one of the things that I found truly intimidating was entering assessments when you were asked to bring images without knowing what the subject was. I would arrive with a couple of matted prints and then some of the older members would walk in with piles of them. For a new photographer, this was quite discouraging; how could I compete when somebody had such a large number of images to call upon. Over the subsequent years I have built up a similar number of images, but what I have discovered is that my most successful images have mainly been shot with a subject in mind, rather than simply dragged from the back catalogue. The camera club I now belong to has an internal ladder competition, run over four rounds during the year. It is promoted largely as a learning exercise because the judges provide full feedback on the images. When I was President we changed the rules of the competition so that all images in the “set” category had to be shot after the topics were announced. This levelled the playing field between members and also meant that it was more about shooting to a topic. Members still had the option to drag images out of the back catalogue and enter them in the open category, and some did just that. That ran for the term of my presidency but reverted back the following year, because the incoming President did not like being told when he had to take images.

Obviously such attitudes about placing limitations are much wider than in my club, given the reaction on the PSNZ Facebook group, when people realised that the North Shore salon had made an amendment to their rules, effectively banning any images that had achieved higher than acceptance in a number of other salons. The rationale for doing this was to introduce new images into their competition, and I totally applaud that decision. There have been many occasions when I have looked through salon images and thought that I had seen some of them before, and in some cases many years before. Now I know that photography is a subjective art, and I have suffered at the hands of different judges with the same image achieving both “honours” and “not accepted”. I can appreciate that some photographers like to enter their images into multiple salons because they can be given quite different grades, but I do question the benefit of entering images that have already done well. (continued overleaf)

The only conclusion that you can come to by doing this is that it is quite good for the ego of the photographer. The exception would be those who enter the same image into multiple FIAP salons, as that is part of the point system needed to achieve FIAP honours. Personally I would like PSNZ to go down the

track of placing a time restriction on both the national and regional salons. In that way we can demonstrate to the viewers that our members stay current with their work but I realise that this is not likely to happen, with too many members invested in their back catalogues.

Letter to the editor: Sir Thanks for CameraTalk, just received. A great job, a thankless task! I was interested in your views on the Steve McCurry image of the Afghan girl.Your comments are at best controversial, but do you know if McCurry was aware of all the background you quote when he took the shot? In the wider view, did it really matter? I seriously doubt it; and whether he had any idea that it would become as famous as it has (and you do concede this). I consider that on this occasion you have over-analysed the circumstances of the taking of the image, but that is your opinion. I recently wrote the piece below, self explanatory, but broadly in the same category as the Afghan girl image. Certainly, and undisputedly, it was one of the great 20th century images, recognized globally. “You may have recently seen this iconic photo, repeated as the photographer, Alfred Eisenstaedt, has just died at the age of 95. The image is reputed to be one of the greatest press pictures of all time, taken in New York in August 1945, when the news had just arrived that Japan had surrendered and WW2 was over. The celebrations were widespread with much partying in the streets. The sailor in question (on his own admission later) had had a beer too many and clutched the nurse for a quick kiss of celebration. Later she could barely recall the incident and the sailor’s wife-to-be (close by) did not take exception to his impulsive deed.” So, what’s the problem? Well, some clown from #Metoo thinks that he could well have been guilty of sexual harassment. Hello? I was left speechless. Is this really how our sense of right and wrong has become so warped and rigid? People who know me are well aware that I maintain “context is everything”, or nearly always so. In this case, the widespread feeling of relief was immense – the sailor himself was saved from another tour of duty in the Pacific where he had witnessed untold horrors. Understandably, the general jubilation was shared by the whole population, not just a few. Go figure, #Metoo.” Paul, if you feel inclined to run the item (saves you some pen ink) in CameraTalk, feel free to do so, with a “top n tail”, but please acknowledge authorship. Kind regards Phil Hickling 6

Canon Online: A tutorial by James Gibson APSNZ Councillor for Membership

IT’S JUST A couple of short weeks until the next round of Canon Online closes, and I thought now might be a good opportunity to run through a quick tutorial on resizing and renaming images. For the last round we had a fantastic selection of images from all sorts of different genres of photography and, as usual, our selector had the unenviable task of picking the top 10 and of course the winning image for the round. Last time it was Raewyne Cathie’s beautiful image, “Wilderbeest stampede, Serengeti”. We try to make sure that everyone has an opportunity to participate in this free competition. The winner of each round wins a superb trophy, kindly supported by Canon, so it’s well worth entering every round. The tricky part is that a large number of the entries come in either incorrectly named or in the wrong size. This creates a reasonable amount of extra work for the volunteer who administers the competition (me!) before they can be sent off to the selector; over a third of the images last round were outside the competition size of 1620w x 1080h pixels or the file name was not the image title. This means each image has to be renamed and resized, involving a reasonable amount of work! I thought it might be helpful to explain the method I use for resizing images, so I’ve made this little video: https://youtu.be/d59G9IrwCC0 I hope this helps. If you have any questions or requests for other simple ‘how to’ tutorials, just ask! gibsondesignnz@gmail.com

PSNZ Canon Online Results from Round 2, 2019 THIS ROUND’S TOP 10 were selected by Brian Harmer LPSNZ, a member of the Hutt Camera Club and a retired academic. He is a PSNZ accredited judge. His own photography is mostly in the areas of landscape and nature. Congratulations to Raewyne Cathie LPSNZ and all the other authors who made the top 10, and my personal thanks to Brian for so quickly working through the huge variety of images you have all created! These images will all be on the PSNZ website shortly (under the Galleries tab) for you to enjoy. Round 3 is already open for your submissions and closes on 25 June. I look forward to seeing your entries in the coming weeks, and best of luck to everyone! Entrants must be financial PSNZ members. Images must be uploaded via the PSNZ website and sized to a maximum of 1620px wide x 1080px high.

James Gibson APSNZ EFIAP PSNZ Canon Online Coordinator

Comments from the judge: Brian Harmer LPSNZ Having to rank the “top ten” from an extremely diverse pool of 90 excellent images was my worst judging nightmare. To those whose images were not selected, my apologies. I selected ten images which, in my opinion, were best at engaging me in the story that they had to tell.

1st Wildebeest stampede, Serengeti by Raewyne Cathie LPSNZ Though I have never been to Africa, I can hear the panicked cries and thunder of hooves of the animals, and almost smell the swirling dust. I fear for the calf in the centre, in danger of being trampled. I love the separation of the animals from the background in this painterly image. Beautifully done.

2nd Kids by Hartmut Joschonek Despite the obvious posing, there is something supremely natural about this little group. The sparkle in their eyes and the huge smiles earned them a high place in the top ten. Context is nicely provided by the roof structure which forms the background.

PSNZ Canon Online: 3rd Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t ask, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t tell by Dawn Kirk LPSNZ Even without the intriguing title, this image is about mystery. It is beautifully conceived and executed. Sharp clear eyes and an elegant pose help make this a great image. The black mask and glove are a nice touch and I think the landscape format works well.

4th Figs by Shona Jaray APSNZ Beautifully presented succulent ripe figs against a well chosen and textured background made a really appealing image. It is a fine example of still-life photography that made my mouth water.

5th Charon by Daniel Wong APSNZ AFIAP Simple elegance and a dark moody background convey the titleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s appeal to Greek mythology and the ferryman of Hades. The white bow of the boat, the dark water and the even darker distant shore and the light beyond all invite the viewer on a journey across the fateful river.

6th Mother of the bride by Shelley Wood LPSNZ What a striking portrait. The mother of the bride looks remarkably relaxed if this was taken on the big day. My eyes travelled from her blue eyes to her moko kauae to the pounamu at her ears and throat, and then back to the eyes. The backdrop suits the subject very well. I am sure this image will be treasured by her family.

7th The glassblower by Liz Hardley FPSNZ EFIAP/b LRPS This picture shares the world of a craftsman at work, and his sharp eyes tell us he is momentarily distracted by the presence of the photographer. The manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s face is the centrepiece of this image. It is full of character and is well captured. The choice of monochrome is well suited to the timelessness of the story.

PSNZ Canon Online: 8th Vestrahorn by Tom Wilkinson APSNZ The photographer has followed the first rule of landscape â&#x20AC;Ś go somewhere where there is a good landscape. This is a breathtaking image, both for the wonderful reflection in still water and the moodiness of the clouds. I really like the panoramic treatment. It makes me want to go there.

9th Impressions of a skater by Vivianne Baldwin APSNZ I receive the impression of a young skater, perhaps reflected on the ice or perhaps seen through some overlay, but however it was done, it is a delightful, well exposed image that conveys a sense of possibly hesitant movement over the ice.

10th An excited robin with nesting material by Glenda Rees A superbly caught picture of the bird in mid-bounce as it pulls away the lichen for its nest. I love the clear background and the sharpness of the image from the birdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s eye and through the branch in the foreground.

Still life photography - special feature JUNE MARKS THE start of Winter, and so we decided to bring you a special feature on “Still Life Photograhy”, which is a genre you can enjoy indoors, in the warmth, when the weather outside doesn’t let you go outside. The feature consists of two sections. In the first part we have been given permission to reproduce an article written by Kevin LandwerJohan that was originally published on Digital Photography School (DPS). (digital-photography-school. com).

DPS is a fantastic resource for photographers of all levels and we would encourage members to have a look and sign up for their weekly newsletter. It is based out of Australia so the style of writing really fits with Kiwi audiences. Kevin is a Kiwi professional photographer, photography teacher, and filmmaker with over 30 years’ experience, who currently lives in Thailand. Check out Kevin’s Blog ( http://kevinlj.com/thinkingoutside-the-box/ ) for articles with a more personal approach to photography, and also the great workshop options he runs for those people travelling in Asia.

All images on pages 14 - 18 by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Photographing still life can teach you these three things By: Kevin Landwer-Johan

1. Composition 2. Lighting 3. The importance of taking your time

PHOTOGRAPHING STILL LIFE, more than most genres, gives you more control.You can control your subject, location, lighting, composition etc. when you make still life pictures. Photographing just about anything else gives you have far less control, or it’s much more difficult to control the photo session. Landscape photographers must rely on external factors like the weather and vantage point. Sports photographers are restricted by how close they can get to their subjects. Wildlife photographers are often hampered by their subject’s movements. Portrait photographers have to deal with all manner of moods and emotions from their clients. Photographing inanimate objects can happen just about anywhere. A studio space is not necessary. You can use your kitchen and set up on the table. Backyards and public parks can be great locations for outdoor still life photography. Subject matter options are wide open. What do you like looking at? Find something you like – it will be more engaging. Small (but not too small) objects are easier to manage. Still life with large items like refrigerators or park benches will be more challenging to work with.You are not restricted to fruit and bunches of flowers.

Whatever and wherever you chose, you can improve upon three essential skills by photographing still life.

Composition You have unlimited freedom to place and move your subject material about. This can help you gain a better understanding ofÂ composition. Moving your objects around you will see how they relate differently to each other.You can overlap them or choose to position each one so itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s independent.

Camera position can view your set up from any angle you imagine. Experiment withÂ high and low angles. Watch how this can dramatically affect your composition. Doing this in a situation where you have control and freedom to move about will help you learn to do so at other times you are taking photos. Backgrounds can be varied.You can use just the natural surroundings or add in your own backdrop. If the room ambiance is conducive to the images you want to make, use it well. However, there are distracting elements behind your set up, insert a backdrop of your own. This can be a piece of card or cloth or something else to help enhance your composition. Hopefully, photographing still life will stimulate your imagination. Having the freedom to manipulate your compositions will enhance your photography in general. 16

Lighting Working with inanimate objects is a great opportunity to learn more about lighting. With people, animals and other things that move about, being consistent with lighting can be challenging. Landscapes and architectural photography can have more complex lighting demands. Starting with a simple light set up is good if you are new to photography. The kitchen window if your objects are on the kitchen table. Start making your series of photos and then open the kitchen door to let light in from another direction. Compare your photos and see the changes adding more light makes.

Switching on an artificial light source allows you more control. Use a lamp or flashlight. These allow you to see the effect of the light, unlike using a camera flash.Vary the position of the lights. Lift them higher or drop them down lower. Moving them further away will lessen the amount of light on your objects. Reflectors can be made good use of in still life photography. Even a sheet of white A4 printer paper can be an effective reflector. Try different reflective surfaces of varying sizes and study the difference they have on your scene. Look at the direction of light and shadows. How do they interact when you have more than one light source? By trying different light sources and setups you will develop a better eye to discern light in other situations where you are taking photos. It can help you to know when to add another light source or reflector.

Taking your time Setting up for a still life photo session somewhere you can leave it a few days or weeks has its benefits. So often people are in too much of a rush to get a photo and move on. Take your time, and work slowly as a painter does. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no rush.

Being able to go away and come back to your arrangement of inanimate objects allows you to see it with fresh eyes the next day or next week. Maybe you will see the relationship between elements differently. The lighting will have changed from morning to afternoon if you are using natural light.You might think of another object you want to add to the scene that will really make the photo. Ideas will come that you had not thought of initially. Changing lens focal lengths is also good to experiment with. Compare how the objects interact with each other and the background as you view them with different lenses. Setting up outdoors, you can photograph at different times of day and night to see the effects of different light. Does moonlight provide the most interesting lighting for your composition? Or is it best first thing in the morning?

Conclusion Find yourself some space. Gather together a few of your most aesthetic things. Take your time to move them around and change the lighting. Think about how the objects relate to each other. Think about the different results you achieve when you change the lighting. If you don’t like what you photographed one day, come back another and make some more photos.

Southern Regional Salon 2019

Salon entries open on 10 July 2019 and Close on 22 August 2019 The Salon is open to any PSNZ member or member of PSNZ affiliated organisations and clubs in the Southern Region Members from outside the Southern Region can also enter provided they are registered to attend the Southern Regional Convention in Invercargill

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Still life photography - special feature In the second part of the feature Shona Jaray APSNZ shares some of her still life images and takes you through both her settings and the processing.

Camera setting 3.1sec at f7.1 + 2.33 EV ISO 200 Focal length 80mm Fuji XT2 with Fuji XF 80mm macro lens

Set up Placed on white paper near natural/window light.

Lightroom editing Profile Camera Acros +G filter (see below) Exposure +1.15 Blacks -100 Tone curve medium contrast (see page 21) Added a texture in either Topaz or On1

Profiles were added in Lightroom CC 7.1 and are found in the Develop module in the basic adjustment box. They allow the image to be adjusted to various styles but unlike a preset they do this independent of the individual sliders. You can find the range of them by clicking on the four squares, or selecting “browse” in the dropdown. The ones mentioned in Shona’s article are only found in Raw files created in Fujifilm cameras as the Acros is a proprietary film simulation. You can, however, download and install profiles from third party suppliers

Camera setting 1

/9 sec at f18

ISO 200 Focal length 80mm Fuji XT2 with Fuji XF 80mm macro lens

Set up Placed on white paper near natural/window light and backlit using a lume cube.

Lightroom editing Profile camera Acros Exposure +1.25 Contrast +20 Whites +31 Blacks -47 Clarity +15 Tone curve medium contrast (see below) Vignette -17 with feather at 90 Texture in either Topaz or On1 A medium contrast adjustment on the Tone Curve is achieved by opening the Tone Curve dialogue box and changing the Point Curve setting at the bottom of the box from the default “linear” to “medium contrast”.

Camera settings /125 sec at f2.4

ISO 200 Fuji XT2 with Fuji 60mm macro lens

Set up Excluded as much natural light using curtains and blinds – but not a black out. Black cloth on top of which I put a sheet of glass. Figs lit with 2 Lume Cubes

Lightroom editing Profile Camera velvia vivid Some minor exposure and white balance adjustments. In photoshop I took out the light which was falling a little behind the figs and generally tidied up the miscellaneous gunk which the camera seems to see on black surfaces. Added a texture in On1

Tips A tripod is a really good idea. You may need a smaller aperture than you imagined – experiment. Manual focus is often the best.

Quotes Sharpness is a bourgeois concept – Henri Cartier Bresson. Where it is sharp and where it is not if often extremely important – Shona Jaray. 22

Camera settings /30 sec at f11

ISO 200 Fuji XT2 with Fuji 60mm macro lens

Set up Excluded as much natural light using curtains and blinds – but not a black out. Black cloth on top of which I put a sheet of glass.

Lightroom editing Profile Camera velvia vivid Some minor exposure and white balance adjustments. In photoshop I took out the “catchlight” on the right hand side and tidied up the miscellaneous gunk on the black.

Discovering your inner creativity Workshop Series #1 enjoyed by all By Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

IT WAS THE first - but it definitely won’t be the last. Workshop #1 in the new PSNZ Workshop Series took place on 25 May in Napier and it was a great success. Launching a new series can be daunting because of the unknown factors. Is the topic interesting? How many will attend? Is the price right? Is the location right? And much more. Nearly 30 members joined Bruce Girdwood FPSNZ for a day of ‘Creative Photography’. They were not disappointed. Prior to the workshop Bruce asked attendees to think about creativity and what it means to them. He asked everyone to send him one photograph that is ‘important to you because it reflects your idea of creativity’; to come with an open mind and a willingness to ‘let go of the shackles’. The day started with each participant sharing their image along with their view of creativity. That was a great way for everyone to introduce themselves and show a little of their own photographic style and interest. From there, Bruce led us through his photographic journey - from the early beginning to where he is today. Talking on your feet for nearly three hours is not for the faint hearted, while also taking the spellbound participants back through life, relaying the highs, lows and in-betweens, complemented with beautiful photography. This is what Bruce did. While it was emotionally draining but satisfying for him, the silence among us was palpable.

Fresh and tasty lunch Unless otherwise stated all images in this article by Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Homemade bread

The Yurt

With creativity the question of the day, just what is it? The English Oxford dictionary states, ‘the use of imagination or original ideas to create something’. Bruce’s interpretation of creativity is “the ability to transcend traditional ideas, rules, patterns, relationships or the like and to create meaningful new ideas, forms, methods, interpretations…” According to Bruce our life story is our creative canvas. “There are rule followers and rule breakers. Rule breakers are creative. Which are you?” he asked. Going as far back as his childhood days in Swaziland, Bruce openly shared his thoughts on his upbringing, his family dynamics, the relationship with his parents, his school years and travel experiences, with the thrust of his message being, “We are a product of our life story; what has influenced us and the decisions and choices we have made.” “These components will greatly shape our photography,” he said. “Who we are generates our own unique lens, so know who you are, ditch the fear of being you and embrace vulnerability. Creativity will follow,” Bruce said. His photographs started with the ‘blurry flowers with blown out highlights’ when he says he “didn’t know anything about photography,” to the big, bold and colourful images which matched his journey into more mature years. For every photograph he was able to identify why he had made the photograph in the specific style and how it matched his feelings or emotions at the time. His emotional connection with his homeland and Africa was steadfast and strong, shining through in his photography. In 1996 when he, wife Fiona and three children arrived in New Zealand, he realised he had to rediscover ‘home’ again – not only for himself but for his photography. Explaining his photography, Bruce says, “The why is what makes me tick, and the how is my visual interpretation.”

Bruce downloads participants’ photos

As he discovered New Zealand, his style of photography changed from making lots of boring green images to discovering the beauty of the West Coast. He says it was in Whangarei, when he was photographing flax bushes and cabbage trees which he made into a stunning black and white square format print, as being the ‘moment I connected with New Zealand’. Revealing the creative surprise

“I was home,” said Bruce. Once we find our creativity, says Bruce, then comes identifying or developing our own style. ‘What is style and how do we do that?’ most people asked. As Bruce said, developing a style is also about “seeing beauty in things that you could easily walk by. Or, it’s not what you look at that matters, it is what you see.” Looking at other people and their works is another way to develop your style, he said. Michael Kenna, an American photographer of black and white landscape images, and Freeman Patterson were two influencers on Bruce’s photography. To highlight specific images, Bruce let us in on periods of his life when there was stress, turmoil, complexity, challenges, success – and the images reflected these periods through tones, colour, textures and composition - beautifully, I might add. We were encouraged to always ask questions of oneself. For example, “What is the one element that is hitting me in the heart?” and then translating those thoughts and feelings into a photograph. “There is beauty everywhere. Beauty is in your back garden”, says Bruce. He encouraged everyone to take the time to look and set a project. “Practice makes perfect. By setting yourself a project your photographic style will emerge. Don’t walk by things. Look down, look deep. Don’t move things. It’s amazing what you will find and what you can create,” he explained.

A creative challenge

In looking for one’s own vision, he said, “It’s not what you see but how you see it.” To emphasise this, Bruce showed a long exposure landscape – sea, rocks, still water, large. He then presented us with a beautiful, square micro landscape. He had seen the beauty of one part of the rocks and flowing water so focussed on them. In post processing he cropped it. To us, it would have appeared Bruce was down low among very large rocks and crevices. It was stunning!

Original landscape by Bruce Girdwood FPSNZ

The final image

Or as Bruce said, in the words of Leonard Cohen, “There is a crack, a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.”

The mood of the day changed tremendously following a hearty lunch and it was surprise time. Based on the morning’s presentation, Bruce had set a creative challenge. After choosing one challenge from a paper bag, for almost three hours everyone scattered around the vast property which housed a pond, trees, fallen leaves, cars, flowers, fruit trees, buildings, logs, pathways and more, intent on interpreting their challenge. Some of the challenges included: • photograph a car any way • make photos that represent emptiness • photograph from only one position • make 100 photographs of one object • long exposure; photograph all aspects of a stranger • make a series of meaningful self-portraits that tell stories about you. The results and accompanying interpretations were interesting and varied, as seen on the following pages. Everyone expressed unanimous delight at the day, with some sending me more detailed comments. Neil Gordon APSNZ said, “Bruce is a superb educator and photographer. I really enjoyed the workshop, and picked up some great tips about how to approach creativity – in particular, that it helps to have a structure around it, even while exploring and playing with different ideas.” Neil’s creative task was to ‘make photographs that represent emptiness’. Of the photo Neil presented he said it “Intended to create a bleak, empty feeling. It was a defocussed, black and white image at high ISO for a grainy look, of tree reflections on the pond, with a hint of a threatening person at top left.” For Aucklander Elaine Birk, her challenge was ‘to make a series of meaningful self protraits that tell stories about you.’ In response Elaine said, “My first response was to literally take self portraits, which I did, but I felt that there was a deeper creative intent, so I tried capturing images that reflected my character. The one that jumped out at me later was the one I put forward. In this uncertain photographic space, I felt that the lone grass stalk was my ‘small voice’ (my small photographic voice) pushing up through the structured environment (photographically). I was thinking about the courage we need to break the rules and create images that please ourselves.”

Self-portrait by Elaine Birk

Emptiness by Neil Gordon APSNZ

From Taupo, Rosalie Adlam, whose challenge was to photograph all aspects of a stranger, said, “It was fascinating to see one person’s journey in photography in such detail. A huge thank you to Bruce for allowing us into his life story.” “I was feeling stuck and a bit like the headless chook (which Bruce referred to) in my approach, and the workshop has enabled me to see more clearly where to go from here. I feel a sense of being set free. The workshop helped me understand that it is a personal journey and we each must find our own way. It also gave me the tools to help me look within myself and find the way forward,” said Rosalie. All aspects of a stranger by Rosalie Adlam

And local Hawkes Bay resident Tanya Halliday who was attending her first ever PSNZ event said, “I loved the workshop. It was so inspiring and challenging as well. I loved that Bruce was so willing to share his journey and his thought process on how and what was creative in his mind and how he encouraged us to find that for ourselves as well. “I was so pleased to meet so many new people from PSNZ, and as I said on the day it didn’t disappoint! I look forward to putting into practice all my learnings from the workshop and finding my own creative way.” Ginko leaf by Tanya Houghton

In closing the day, Bruce encouraged everyone to reflect the changes happening in their life through their photography. “Make images with junctions to reflect change or complexity with crossroads or different directions. Beauty inspires me. My photography is an intensely personal expression of who I am and hope to be,” said Bruce. And on those words the day ended, with everyone expressing delight and satisfaction after spending a full day discovering something new and being challenged. They left armed with the knowledge of how to lose the feelings of being a ‘headless chook’ and to be able to move forward, discovering their creativity, finding their style and being able to create new pictures. This initiative has been developed by Councillor for Membership James Gibson APSNZ AFIAP. It fits within our strategic goals of ‘delivering education to members and increasing membership.’ The series is subsidised by PSNZ in order to make them affordable for members of all ages. There are five more workshops to come in the series. Appreciation to Bruce

For more information check out https://photography.org.nz/events/2019-workshop-series/ 29

PSNZ Southern Regional Convention Hansen Hall, SIT, Invercargill 11-13 October 2019 Great Speakers, exciting workshops and field trips. 

Jane Trotter APSNZ - Will talk about her Abstract photography and triptychs as well as leading a hands on workshop.



Photographing Nature with James Reardon, wildlife cinematographer and film maker



Kevin Tyree APSNZ talks about his search for the endangered Bengal tiger



Graham Dainty FPSNZ will lead a workshop in his speciality field of Landscape photography.



Fieldtrips to the beautiful Maple Glen and Motor Cycle Mecca Great Southern hospitality and a warm welcome awaits you. Registrations open mid-July

More information on the website - https://southern.psnzconvention.org.nz

Humble photographer: A master of the craft By Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Achieving ‘master’ status of any subject requires years of learning and practical application. Photographic Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) member and Councillor Ann Bastion FPSNZ MFIAP has recently achieved the status of Master with the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), or Fédération Internationale de l’Art Photographique. Ann becomes only the second PSNZ member and person in New Zealand to become a FIAP Master, the other person being Gary Speer FPSNZ MFIAP. This was her first submission for Master status. This is a signifcant success which caps Ann’s photographic honours since first attaining her Licentiateship with PSNZ in 2011. In quick succession Ann achieved many honours: her AFIAP in 2013, APSNZ in 2014, FPSNZ in 2015 and EFIAP in 2015. To achieve an AFIAP one has to achieve 40 acceptances using 15 different images in 15 salons in eight different countries. The EFIAP requires 250 acceptances using 50 different images in 30 salons in 20 countries. In applying to FIAP for Master status, Ann submitted a 20 image portfolio using many of the same images she had submitted for her PSNZ Fellowship. “I used my F set plus two more images, but I completely rearranged them to read in a different format,” said Ann. She submitted her portfolio to FIAP late last year. The images had to be printed but not mounted or matted and had to be under 2kg in weight. “It is not a cheap exercise; it cost me about $400 to courier,” said Ann. “FIAP take their time in notifying you and because of the way they have changed their processes I only received an email via their website platform. I didn’t believe it at first, so emailed another FIAP representative to make sure it was true,” explained Ann. As humble as ever about her success in photography, Ann did confirm she is “excited about it, after thinking about it for years.” “Achieving MFIAP status is not an easy task,” said Ann. “A photographer can only apply three times in total. If you fail you have to wait another three years before reapplying. Applications are made in January each year only.” So, it could take almost 10 years if one is not successful. Not an easy pill to swallow! Congratulations Ann, your success is well deserved and your photography delights and inspires us all. 31

Annâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s successful MFIAP portfolio

Audio-visual notes by Trish McAuslan APSNZ AV-LAPS EFIAP AAPS AV Coordinator for PSNZ

Adelaide AV-Fest THIS IS AN international competition run by the Adelaide AV Club. There were 149 entries from more than 70 authors from 16 different countries. This year Bruce Burgess FPSNZ was one of the judges challenged to sort out awards and acceptances from such a large number of very good audio-visuals. Anyone may be part of the silent audience during the judging which allows interested people to watch all the audio-visuals although they do not hear the judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; discussion. This year four PSNZ members took the opportunity to be part of that audience. We really appreciated this opportunity to see the work being created by other AV workers - it is a rare opportunity for us. Not only did we get some new ideas but also gained an insight into what we can do to continue lifting the standard of NZ AVs. Congratulations to Gail Stent FPSNZ and Trish McAuslan APSNZ EFIAP AAPS who gained acceptances.

Workshop: Creating audio-visuals, for beginners On Saturday 20 July, the Tauranga AV Group is running a full day workshop on audio-visuals for people who have never made an audiovisual or have made some AVs and would like to know more. This is a practical workshop so participants will need a laptop or be willing to work with someone else. For details and to register, check out the Tauranga Photographic Society website: https:taurangaphoto. nz Have a look at the Audio-Visual Salon>Workshop or contact Trish McAuslan: mcauslanav@gmail.com

Judges: Bruce Burgess FPSNZ, Keith Seidel and Alia Naughton

Would you like some help? We are aware that not everyone is able to attend this workshop, either because the day doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t suit, the distance is too great or maybe you are not interested in AVs at the moment. To try to address this problem we are planning to set up a closed Facebook Group for members of PSNZ and members of clubs affiliated to PSNZ. This will provide an opportunity to share audio-visuals and to ask questions, particularly when you are partway through an audio-visual and want to know something now. If you are interested and would like to know more, please contact Trish (email mcauslanav@gmail.com). Hopefully, by the time you receive this CameraTalk the Facebook group will be ready to go. As a note, I belong to a similar group associated with the Australian Photographic Society AV Group and it is a great way to share ideas and problems.

Using art in audio-visuals Before I start, I realise that this topic is controversial and we will not all come to the same conclusion. I am bringing it up because it is something that both AV makers and AV judges should be aware of. In recent Tauranga AV Salons there have been some well constructed AVs which have not been successful because they included too much copied art work. So, how much is too much and what can AV workers do about it? In still image photography we have understood that a photo of a piece of art work on its own is not acceptable unless the photographer has added something extra to the image, such as the artist painting the work or maybe someone viewing the work. This is art work in its widest sense and includes traditional art, street art, sculptures and architecture. Actually for many years it was stated that photographing someone else’s art work was not acceptable. However, as the judge doesn’t know the author of the photograph, then they also do not know who created the artwork so it is fairer to say that this applies to all artwork regardless of the author.

of the murals is not likely to be successful. However, Sheffield holds an international mural competition each Easter. Creating an AV telling the story of this competition with people painting the murals and other people watching and maybe including some of the current murals in the town is more likely to be successful. Another example could be: instead of using an artist’s paintings as the story, consider telling the story of the artist and where they lived and painted some of their famous paintings. Maybe show what those places look like today. So, how much is too much? We don’t have any specific rules about this but, as a guideline, we do have a rule about the use of third-party images and photographing artwork is implied here. What can the author do about it? Think more widely about the story you wish to tell and find an angle to that story which allows you to use mostly original photos rather than simply copies of art work.

An audio-visual is more than just photos. It includes the concept or storyline, and maybe the narration as well as the images. The question then becomes, how much more has the photographer added to the audiovisual? For example, Sheffield is a ‘mural’ town in Tasmania, and entering an AV which is mostly made up of photographs 35

How to alienate your PSNZ accredited judge by Shona Jaray APSNZ Chair, Judge Accreditation Panel

I HAVE RECENTLY had feedback from a few accredited judges regarding their experiences when judging for clubs. These comments relate more to when the judge is asked to judge remotely and provide written comments and or an audio file. If you have never sat down to evaluate a bunch of images, this will probably be news to you – it takes between 15 and 20 minutes – per image! If you are using trainee judges, the time will be longer. So, if your club has sent 45 images, that will be 15 hours; if you have sent 90 images, that will be 30 hours! 30 hours of someone’s spare time. Club memberships are growing but there is a way of coping with these high numbers of images in club competitions. Each grade could be sent to a different judge. If you have more than one topic, split the topics between judges. We now have more than 50 PSNZ accredited judges and a judge is more likely to accept your request if the numbers are not too high. The judge needs a fair bit of time, so please allow for this. We all have busy lives, and there are numerous other things we need to cram into each 24 hours. Please send a thank you email or card at the least. Some judges are commenting that they send back the commentary and never hear another word; no acknowledgement that it has been received and not a word of thanks. To put it bluntly, they say they feel decidedly p****ed off. It may be that you were not entirely happy with the judge’s work. All those whom I have spoken with recently say that they welcome feedback, even if it is not all positive. There is a formal process for this via the PSNZ website. Please use it – it helps the judge to do a better job.

Judge Training Weekends 2019 by Shona Jaray APSNZ Chair, Judge Accreditation Panel

WE ARE ORGANISING three judge training weekends in 2019. Tauranga 22 and 23 June at the Arts & Crafts Centre, 177 Elizabeth Street West, Tauranga Christchurch 20 and 21 July at the Ascot Community Centre, 12 Ascot Ave, Nth New Brighton Invercargill 2 and 3 November – venue to be advised

We ask for a minimum of 20 people attending with a maximum of 30. To secure your place please email judging@photography.org.nz Please include the following information: • The weekend you are registering for • Your name • Mobile phone number • PSNZ member – yes/no • PSNZ Honours if you have them There are still places available for Tauranga but it is filling fast. These weekends are free for PSNZ members and there is a charge of $60 for those who are not PSNZ members.

Wellington judge training by Neil Gordon APSNZ

The Whanganui Salon returns after 27 years

THE WANGANUI SALON of Photography, a selected exhibition of printed and projected photographs, was first held in 1956 and exhibited each year in the Sarjeant Gallery in Wanganui. The Salon Convention gained national recognition, was held on the first weekend in October, and was attended by photographers from all over New Zealand. After the 35th Salon in 1992, it became a smaller print only exhibition - the Festival of Photography, open to photographers in the Wanganui Region and exhibited in the Community Arts Centre. More recently it has become the annual photographic exhibition of the Whanganui Camera Club. The top print in the Salon was awarded the prestigious Metcalfe Medal.

Mayor Andrews and Salon Director Derek Endersby watch as Thomas Metcalfe presents the Metcalfe Medal to winner Jean Hudson in 1967

The three categories are:

Humanity and the environment

This year the Whanganui Camera Club is once again hosting a national photography salon to commemorate the establishment of a camera club in Wanganui in 1894 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 125 years ago. The 2019 version of the Whanganui Salon will be for projected images in three categories under the theme

Any land and water â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;scape at any scale that includes evidence of human influence from subtle to catastrophic

Humanity and Earth - demonstrating the impact of human beings on, and their interaction with, our planet

Human settlements and technology

Humanity and nature Images of any flora and fauna demonstrating a relationship with mankind

Images of places people live, work and play in as well as examples of man made engineering, technological and architectural achievements

The Salon is open to all financial PSNZ members and members of PSNZ affiliated clubs. The overall Salon winner will receive a cash prize of $1000.

Images will initially be assessed within each category, selecting a Category winner, two runners up and awarding a Judges’ Commendation to any number of images.

Entries open on 19 July and close on 11 August 2019.

The Salon winner will be selected by the three judges from the three category winners, as the image that best expresses the Salon theme. Finalists (ie the top three in each category) will be advised on or around 16 September and invited to attend the Salon awards night and dinner which will be held in Whanganui on 12 October.

We have assembled a high quality trio of judges for the Salon – one for each category: Humanity and the environment DREW HOPPER is a travel, documentary and editorial photographer. When he isn’t travelling he calls Australia home. Captivated by the diversity of cultures, people and environment, Drew ventures far and wide to capture pictures that define his experiences with the vision that they will impact and inspire an audience in a way individual to each viewer. drewhopperphotography.com/ Humanity and nature SIMON WOOLF FPSNZ AIPP is a second generation photographer from Wellington who has photography in his veins. He has had a lifetime of experience photographing professionally and recreationally, and in a number of different areas of art and craft. Simon, and his photographer and late father Ron, have a link to the original Wanganui Salon of Photography - including Simon winning the prestigious MetcalfeMedal in the late 1980s. www.woolf.co.nz/

All other entrants will be advised of their results before the end of September and are welcome to attend our 125th Anniversary celebrations. The work of the Salon winner, Category winners, Runners Up and Judges’ Commendations will be announced and displayed at a Whanganui Camera Club meeting on 9 October (in the Whanganui Arts Centre) as part of the Club’s annual exhibition. The Category awards and $1000 cash prize for the Salon winner will be presented at a dinner on 12 October as part of the club’s 125th Anniversary celebrations. More information on the Salon and the entry form can be found at www.whanganuicameraclub.org.nz

Human settlements and technology PETRA LEARY is an award winning aerial photographer based in Auckland, New Zealand. www.petraleary.com/

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

Services Printcases for 16”x 20” prints. $75 plus post. Contact Jocelyn Barrett, the.barretts.jl@gmail.com

Nelson National Triptych Salon 2019 Closes 31 August!

THE NELSON CAMERA Club is again hosting this popular triptych competition. The event is open to anyone who would like to have a go at making a triptych using photographs. This is a competition where you need to think in threes.You may have an image that might not be much on its own but with two well-chosen companion images, it could tell a story or create a stunning design.You can make your triptych using three separate images or cut and crop pieces out of one image. There are a few primary rules you need to remember. The images must not touch each other or overlap. There must be a clear division between the images and there must not be a fourth image in the background. A new rule for this year is that there must not be a title or any text on the background. Text within the images is OK. Awards will be made for the Champion Triptych, best Monochrome, best Humour and best Abstract triptych. An A4 size catalogue will be produced, showing all the awarded triptychs. Give it a go! Please visit http://www.nelsoncameraclub.co.nz/national-triptych-salon-2/ to view the rules and other information. The triptych image shown below is â&#x20AC;&#x153;Bored Housewifeâ&#x20AC;? by Lynn Fothergill LPSNZ (best Monochrome for 2018).

FIAP Colour Projected Image Biennial – the results: By Ann Bastion FPSNZ EFIAP MFIAP Councillor for International Salons FIAP Liaison Officer

EARLIER THIS YEAR the call was put out to members to submit their best ‘flower images’ for consideration in the selection of a 20 image set for the FIAP colour PI Biennial. The results are now out and unfortunately we didn’t do as well as expected this time and didn’t achieve a top 10 placing. New Zealand was ranked 36th overall. It was a pretty risky subject to submit, as creative floral images are quite subjective. Thanks to everyone who submitted images for consideration and again, congratulations to those whose images were selected. Thanks also to the selectors, Lynn Clayton Hon PSNZ, APSNZ, EFIAP ESFIAP, Moira Blincoe LPSNZ and Judy Stokes APSNZ.

New Brighton Photographic Club 28th National Photojournalism Competition ONCE AGAIN THE New Brighton Photographic Club invites you to present your best photojournalism images and compete for the prestigious Ted Walker trophy. Entry is open to ALL New Zealand photographers and PSNZ members who reside outside of New Zealand, with the competition now open. Head to the New Brighton Photographic club website (www.newbrightonphotoclub.org.nz) for the rules and entry form and get your images submitted before the closing date on 28 July. You could be this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grand champion.

2018 Winning Images

1st Sport/Action & Champion 2018 Hosed off by Chris Duggan APSNZ

1st Street/Social Commentary Life on the Street by Anne Riddle

Dreamy fantasy image wins 2019 North Shore Salon of Photography by Jo Broadhead

A LARGE NUMBER of entries and a particularly high standard of images made it a tough day of judging at the recent North Shore Salon of Photography. The winner of the Salon Trophy for 2019 was Jean Moulin APSNZ EFIAP, for her digital image “Oblivious”. Gold medals were awarded to  • Liz Hardley FPSNZ LRPS EFIAP for A new beginning   • Daniel Wong APSNZ AFIAP for Charon  • Ilan Wittenberg FPSNZ FNZIPP for Maasai  • Clinton Schubert for Art Ificial  • Noline Skeet for Steps of the Gangees  • Maree Wills for A man and his cat  • Jean Moulin APSNZ EFIAP for Oblivious  • Anna Thoroughgood for In a land far away. With the aim of encouraging new work and authors, the rules around image eligibility were amended this year to exclude some competitions. Salon organisers were impressed with the amount of new and interesting work that was entered and felt overall the standard was higher than usual. This year’s Salon comprised four print and four digital categories. There was a total of 445 prints and 1343 digital entries to judge on the day. The table below shows the number of entries per category. Prints Prints - Open colour Prints - Monochrome

Digitals 147 Digital - Open colour

604

85 Digital - Abstract

328

Prints - ‘scapes

101 Digital - Fantasy

112

Prints -People

112 Digital - Street photography

299

Prints Total

445 Digital Total

1343

Grand Total

1788

The judging panel consisted of Bruce Burgess FPSNZ, Ollie Dale, Rachel Jordan, Rachael Smith, Ian Walls FPSNZ and Kim Westerskov and they made a great judging team, generating some good robust discussions throughout the day.

Gold - Digital Fantasy and overall Salon winner

Oblivious by Jean Moulin APSNZ EFIAP

Gold - Prints Open Colour

A new beginning by Liz Hardley FPSNZ LRPS EFIAP/b

Gold - Prints Open Monochrome

Charon by Daniel Wong APSNZ AFIAP

Gold - Prints People

Maasai by Ilan Wittenberg FPSNZ FNZIPP

Gold - Digitals Open

Art Ificial by Clinton Schubert

Gold - Digital Abstract

Steps of the Gangees by Noline Skeet

Gold - Prints â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Scapes

In a land far away by Anna Thoroughgood

Gold - Digital Street

A man and his cats by Maree Wills

Situations Vacant – PSNZ needs your skills! By Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

AS ALL MEMBERS are aware the Society is managed by nine members of the Council who are ably supported by many more volunteers. The Society is run to ‘help photographers grow’, and the generous assistance of our volunteers enables us to offer you many opportunities to participate and improve your photography. For all volunteers there are some ‘perks’ included. Council is very much in need of additional skilled people to assist with a number of key portfolios and also some off-Council roles. The skill sets are specific to the demands and responsibilities of the roles and these are expanded further in this article. The Executive Officers, supported by Council, believe that if we cannot fulfill our requirements from our membership pool, then we may be forced to engage non-members on a contractual basis. Naturally this will require us to pay competitive market rates, which will be funded from the Society’s resources. If you have skills and the time to be able to volunteer, then we would really like to talk further with you. In the first instance please make contact with President, Moira Blincoe at president@ photography.org.nz or call me on 027 473 30 38 or (09) 379 7021, or any of the Councillors. Council appreciates the commitments given in volunteering and I point out that it is not all ‘take, take’ as there are benefits and rewards in volunteering, e.g. attending some of the events at no cost and reimbursement of expenses. We do not expect volunteers to be out of pocket. In some instances, a remuneration package may be negotiated.

Photo by Dakota Corbin on Unsplash

Councillor for Communications and Marketing The communications and marketing requirement for the Society is one of the most important portfolios on Council. Sadly we lost our very talented Melanie Dick following our annual general meeting, due to her other commitments. The role is varied, always busy and allows creativity, innovation and flair.

Responsibilities include: • Writing articles; proof reading/editing all marketing material. • Maintaining PSNZ’s brand profile, including the website and social media. • Creation of communication plans to assist the organising committees of various events with marketing and communication (advising not always doing). • Publicity of the PSNZ brand, member successes and events. • Maintaining social media presence. • Liaising with media and industry media partner (e.g. D-Photo).

Skills required: • Excellent writing skills. • Ability to edit and proofread. • Understanding of publicity and marketing. • Strong organisational skills, attention to detail and deadlines. • Understanding of social media. • Excellent computer skills – Word, Excel, Power-point. • Good customer service skills. A full portfolio description is available for this role.

Workshop Series - Coordinator We are looking for an organised and enthusiastic person to help with running the new PSNZ Workshop Series. This is an off-Council role, working with the Councillor for Membership.

Responsibilities will include: • Assisting with planning workshop venues, topics and tutors. • Helping to promote the series through social media and other channels. • Liaising with venues, tutors and catering companies regarding event logistics. • Liaising with registered delegates. • Tracking and updating registrations and payments for workshops, answering member queries (or forwarding them on to the responsible councillor as appropriate).

Skills required: • Good computer skills including both Word and basic Excel spreadsheet skills. • Good communication skills. • Social media awareness and skills. • Customer service skills.

This role includes the opportunity to attend one workshop each year free of charge (of your choice).

Trophy and Awards Coordinator Our present coordinator, Janice McKenna, has advised that she will retire following the 2020 national exhibition/convention. This is an off-Council role and probably best suited to someone who resides in a main city, in terms of access to key suppliers, couriers etc.

Responsibilities for this role include: • Collating and maintaining all PSNZ trophies, medals and awards. • Liaising with recipients of awards; distribution and re-calling for return. • Liaising with printers, engravers and other suppliers. • Liaising with Councillor for national competitions • Liaising with Organising Committee for national exhibition and/or national convention; Secretary Honours Board; Council. • Inventory control for stock, i.e. medals, ribbons, certificates. • Maintaining inventory of all awards; updating the coordinator’s manual.

Skills Required: • Good computer skills including both Word and basic Excel spreadsheet knowledge • Well organised with solid administrative skills. • Good communication skills. • Customer service skills. • Storage availability for trophies etc.

Webmaster/IT Liaison Our website is our main and key marketing tool. We have had outstanding advice and service from Toya Heatley APSNZ until she retired as of April 2019. Toya has agreed to assist us until we find a replacement.

Responsibilities include: • Management of the Society’s Information Technology (IT) requirements to meet the expectations of Council and PSNZ members. • Management of the day-to-day IT and web-based requirements for members and affiliated clubs. • Review, maintain and implement the PSNZ Information Technology strategy to ensure the web based platforms are robust, functional and current. • Manage the technical components of the websites and make recommendations to Council officers if and when there is an issue, and/or when upgrades are required. • Monitor the hosting packages with the supplier and advise Council officers if and when changes are required. • Assist and maintain the Society’s convention websites maintaining the Society’s brand, look and feel on all the sites. • Liaise with the Database Team to resolve issues for members who can’t log in.

Skills required: • Knowledge and experience in Wordpress content management system and visual composer. • Knowledge and experience in working with Jotform. • Warm, friendly interpersonal skills - dealing with a myriad of volunteers and professionals. • Team player. • Strong understanding and knowledge of IT. • Good practical experience of IT-based solutions. • Good understanding of database processes. • Good communication skills - written and verbal. • Excellent computer skills. • Organised, attention to detail. • Confidentiality, integrity. A full portfolio description is available for this role.

Councillor profile: Paul Whitham LPSNZ Paul became a member of the PSNZ Council in April 2015, and has held two portfolios in his time since. In addition, for the last two years he also held the role of Chair of the National Convention organising committee. This was the first time that the chair has been a current councillor. Read on to find out a little more about Paul.

How did you get into photography? I actually started at high school, way back in the 1970s. This was well before photography was a school subject. There was a teacher who had a keen interest in the area, and he managed to convince the school to convert a small storage room into a darkroom. He then formed a camera club and I learned how to develop pictures and shoot school events. I carried on the interest into my university years as again I had access to a darkroom. But after I graduated the interest somewhat waned other than taking family photos, and getting them processed through the usual photo outlets. Although I had a decent film SLR it never came out of auto. I bought my first digital camera in 2003, a Samsung Digimax which cost something like $1,100. The camera was OK for shooting things that were not moving but pretty useless at anything that was. Hence, shooting my daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sport was out of the question. In 2007 I was loaned a Nikon D70 digital SLR and was amazed at the results, so the following year I scraped enough money together to buy a Nikon D50 (as that was as far as it would stretch). By this stage my daughter was competing in roller-skating and I began trying to photograph her in competitions. I bought better glass, but the reality was that camera was in control of me and my good shots were generally fluked. Early in 2009 I offered to photograph a coupleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wedding at the church I was going to. This was the impetus I needed to take control of the camera and I enrolled at night school. The more effort I put in the better my results became.

What areas do you mainly photograph? I primarily photograph people and over the recent years have concentrated on model portfolios, fashion shoots and creative portraits. I prefer to shoot in studios, or indoor locations, where I have full control over the light. With the creative portraiture I will quite often build sets or set up scenes that are put together in photoshop.

What has been your biggest achievement to date, and why was it important to you? It would be easy to say that my biggest achievement to date was gaining my LPSNZ; in reality it has more to do with two of the images that made it up. Being a portrait photographer I have had quite a lot of interaction in recent years with the Wellington NZIPP group. Through them I was encouraged to enter images into their Iris Awards. Now that is very expensive, however I did submit them into a mock judging (which uses their accredited judges and is done on the same basis as the main event). Both images were rated as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Silver with distinctionâ&#x20AC;?. As I primarily shoot people, that assessment from professional photographers, that I was shooting at a very high professional standard, was fantastic.

How did you find the role of being both Chair of the Convention organising committee and a councillor? For the most part I believe that it worked well as both roles have quite clear requirements. Where possible communication between the COC and Council went via the Councillor for Events, rather than direct. President Moira actually arranged that my portfolio was fairly light anyway.

What are your current council responsibilities? My role is looking after the PSNZ publications which centre on both CameraTalk and NZ Camera as well as help sheets and recorded lectures. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also currently handling communication requests, and sending out the bulk emails until we fill the vacant Councillor for Communications position.

What do you want to achieve in your role on council this year? Both CameraTalk and NZ Camera are working reasonably well, so my focus for this year is bringing the help sheets and recorded workshops more up to date. I believe that we are seriously out of date with the way that we present a lot of material, and therefore need to modernise it. This will use modern mediums such as video; however this is likely to be a multi-year project.

PSNZ membership benefits Helping photographers grow As a PSNZ member you can enjoy a range of benefits, including: • Expert advice to help improve your photography. • The opportunity to achieve a higher Society distinction (APSNZ, FPSNZ). • A complimentary copy of New Zealand Camera, and the ability to submit your images for selection in this annual publication. • Access to member only resources, including a member only PSNZ Facebook page for social chat and updates with other members. • The opportunity to enter the Canon Online Competition, with trophies for each round and for the overall winner each year. • Discounts for Society activities, such as the annual PSNZ national convention, special workshops, international competitions and much more. • The opportunity to participate in regional club meetings and events, including the PSNZ Workshop Series • A copy of our bimonthly magazine – CameraTalk, with news, reviews, events and some of the best photography around. • The opportunity to exhibit your work in exhibitions such as the PSNZ Canon National Exhibition, Regional Salons and other member only online competitions. • Access to judge training workshops which are free for PSNZ members. • Ability to promote your website on our website. • Receive our regular blog posts to stay up to date with the latest news on events, activities and special offers. • Product discounts and savings when they are offered from our corporate partners and associated companies. • Discounts for major NZIPP events as a PSNZ member.

24 hour project By Melanie Dick

TAKE ONE PHOTO an hour for 24 hours. It sounded like a great idea when we signed up a few months ago; at 6.00am, six hours into it and after being awake for 24 hours already, I was not so sure! On Saturday 25 May, Nicola Pye, David Steer and I participated in the 24 Hour Project, an event in which photographers from around the world document life in their city to make a difference. In 2019, the focus was on supporting Women’s Human Rights. Each photo was shared on Instagram with details and links back to a donation page for the selected charities: Atena in Iran, GES Mujer in Mexico, Sacred Valley Health in Peru, and She Has Hope in Uganda. This year there were 4850 registered participants from 826 cities in 100 different countries. In New Zealand, 16 photographers took part in Auckland, Hamilton and Dunedin. Besides being all for a good cause, this was a great photographic challenge to take part in. Before I started, I thought the most difficult part would be staying awake for the 24 hours. This was indeed difficult, especially as it started at 0.00hrs and so I’d been awake since 6.00am already. A 40min nap before we headed out gave me a bit of a boost at the start, and I must confess to having another 40min nap in the early hours of the morning. Putting the tiredness aside (chocolate and caffeine can help with that anyway) the challenge of taking a photo each hour that I was happy to share was quite difficult. It may or may not come as a surprise, but Dunedin is awfully quiet at four in the morning! Nicola was very well organised, having participated twice before, and had prepared a list of events that were going on around town over the 24 hours. This was a great help, especially when we were tired and making decisions became difficult. We found that we went to a location or event and spent about half an hour to 45 minutes looking for “the” photo of the hour, and then spent the last 10 minutes each hour rushing to transfer the photo off our cameras, onto our phones for a quick edit before posting to Instagram within the hour. It was a great event to be part of and in the end the 24 hours went by quite quickly. I would highly recommend it if you are interested in street photography and keen to challenge yourself. This was the 8th year and it appears it is just getting bigger, with more people participating each year. Follow the 24 Hour Project on Facebook or Instagram to find out when the 2020 event will be held. As well as sharing the photos during the 24 hours, there is an opportunity to submit photos from the event to exhibitions shown in a number of countries during the year in the leadup to the next 24 hour event. 24 Hour Project: https://www.24hourproject.org/ Instagram: @marnie_nz; @nicpye; @davidsteernz

12.45 a.m. Security by David Steer

1.14 a.m. Nadia at work by Nicola Pye

2.18 a.m. Rikki in pink by Nicola Pye

5.27 a.m. Empty streets by Nicola Pye

4.43 a.m. Come on! by Melanie Dick 3.45 a.m. Pass with care by David Steer

7.29 a.m. Sunrise at the market by Nicola Pye 6.04 a.m. Setting up at the Farmers Market by Melanie Dick

8.24 a.m. What to buy by Melanie Dick

10.14 a.m. Surf repairs by Melanie Dick 9.50 a.m. Beach biker by David Steer

11.30 a.m. Virtual reality by Nicola Pye

12.41 p.m. Turf wars by Melanie Dick 1.55 p.m. Mr Moe by David Steer

2.43 p.m. Micky and her knitting by Nicola Pye

4.44 p.m. Old mates by Melanie Dick

5.05 p.m. Mammatus by David Steer

6.40 p.m. Monster by David Steer

7.39 p.m. Into the Savoy by Nicola Pye

8.32 p.m. Dunedin by Melanie Dick

9.21 p.m. Lime by Melanie Dick

10.05 p.m. Another Caleb by David Steer

11.15 p.m. Dunedin over and out by Nicola Pye

3.45 p.m. Feet by Nicola Pye

Local lenses: Sue Morton, Stratford Camera Club President, reports

STRATFORD CAMERA CLUB recently organised an exhibition to help promote club membership and assist their members in printing and displaying their images. A four week slot from 6 to 31 May was booked at the Village Gallery in Eltham and a programme sorted. The function began with a shared lunch followed by Whanganui photographer Mark Brimblecombe APSNZ as guest speaker and then a photoshoot around the historical Eltham village. This was attended by more than thirty who appeared to thoroughly enjoy the afternoon, with several new member prospects showing interest in joining. A successful workshop exploring Photoshop was held the following weekend, with new skills gained and enthusiasm shown - and an ongoing pledge for more workshops in the future. The exhibition comprised 89 prints from our members and 100 digital projected images. Most of our members produced images and some had their digital images printed and framed for the first time. Funding was sourced for gallery hire and advertising which included an interview/ podcast by Bryan Vickery NZME which received 588 views and created much interest alongside newspaper articles and advertisements. We sold about eight prints, encouraging our members to keep showing their work in the future. Members received positive feedback which is always needed. The venture was a wonderful success. We have gained more than four new members and a renewed energy within the club. We may look at other opportunities to show our work but at this stage are more than happy with the result.

Key dates for the diary June 14 June 22 June 25 June 28 July 10 July 19 July 22 August 1 August 5 August 11 August 22 August 25 September 3 October 7 October 11-12 October 25

Entries for Trenna Packer Salver Salon close NZIPP ExposurePro Public Open Day Canon Online Round 3 closes National Photojournalism salon closes Entries for Southern Regional Salon open Entries for Whanganui Salon open Entries for Dunedin Festival of Photography open Deadline for next CameraTalk edition Entries for NZ International Salon open Entries for Whanganui Salon close Entries for Southern Regional Salon close Canon Online Round 4 closes Entries for Dunedin Festival of Photography close Entries for NZ International Salon close Southern Regional Conventions Canon Online Round 5 closes

The last image

Late for the ball by Paul Whitham LPSNZ