An Unintentional Masterpiece

By Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ

THERE’S A FRAMED photograph on my wall. It’s not one of mine. There’s a story behind it, a story about a photograph that was nearly deleted. Why is it so important to me?

Some years ago I travelled to Bannockburn, Central Otago, where eight or nine of us would take part in a five day creative workshop organised by Sally Mason FPSNZ. People arrived in dribs and drabs and settled in. We sat down for the first session in which we introduced ourselves and shared our reasons for coming to the course.

One lady, whose name I forget, and I hope she’ll forgive me for sharing her work, said she had taken a horrible photograph on the way down from Christchurch, a photograph of the church at Tekapo. She said she intended to delete the image, but would appreciate our help in telling her where she had gone wrong. The image she showed us is shown here as Tekapo 1.

At first it was embarrassing, because it appeared that EVERYTHING was wrong with it! And then someone, perhaps it was me, added some contrast and darkened the image. Tekapo 2 is what we now saw.

If Tekapo 2 was entered in a club competition, what might a ‘not so great’ assessment of it sound like? Let’s listen in...

“Much of the image is just white. It’s overexposed. It gives me no impression of the weather that day. Was there a blue sky? Were there clouds? Shouldn’t we see something other than white?

“The range of colour tones is just so limited. I can just make out the bell, but there is nothing sharp in the image. “After a long inspection I believe this to be the Church of the Good Shepherd at Tekapo. You should revisit the area and photograph the church again; then you would have a good record shot.

“This image, although perhaps well seen, is not even one for your album. Not accepted.”

Well, what’s the story behind the photograph?

The lady had travelled to Bannockburn from Christchurch. She and her husband, like thousands of others, had had their lives shattered by the huge earthquake that devastated the city. Their property was relatively undamaged, there had been no loss of life in their family, but both had lost their employment, their zest, their reason for being.

They decided that she would benefit from attending the Sally Mason course at Bannockburn. He drove her all the way from Christchurch to Bannockburn, a distance of 430km, returned home – and did the return journey to pick up his wife five days later. He drove a total of 1720km.

Nobody was prepared to say what had gone “wrong” with the photograph, but then I made a request. I asked that she not delete the image but put it on a memory stick and give it to me, because I regarded it as a very special image and I would like to frame it. And that is the photograph you see, Tekapo 2.

I believe that behind every photograph there is a photographer, an experience, and a willingness to share something of that experience with the viewer. In doing so, the photographer offers something of him or herself.

Tekapo 1

Tekapo 2

Let’s go back to the fake critique at the top of this article. It was totally destructive – of the photograph, but more so the photographer.

Camera clubs are, or should be, about growing photographers. If you want to grow a photographer, choose a fertile spot (such as a supportive camera club), use lots of fertiliser – and no weed killer! And, if you’re assessing, critiquing or judging a photograph, please don’t use the words ‘but’, ‘good record shot’ or ‘well seen’. ‘

‘But’ precedes a negative comment (and that involves weed killer), while ‘good record shot’ and ‘well seen’ imply that you’ve nothing better to say that will help the photographer grow. Please, fertiliser!

We should accept that there is a story and a person behind every photograph. Using ‘but’, ‘good record shot’ or ‘well seen’ is negative, and potentially harmful.

In this article I’ve suggested, demanded even, that this image has ongoing importance. It now has even greater relevance, because at a recent impressionist photography workshop, Eva Polak listed seven characteristics of abstract photography.

Do these characteristics have any relevance when we look at Tekapo 2?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7. emphasis on light

hazy and luminous

implies the unfinished

the fleeting moment

sensation rather than perception

to evoke a mood

to suggest rather than depict. Wow! No wonder I wanted to frame and cherish this photograph. I’m so glad the image wasn’t deleted! Have a close look at it, but don’t just look - see! I believe this image meets all, or nearly all, the requirements of an impressionist photograph.

I often ask myself why I regard this photograph as something special, something ‘out of the box’. There’s a fascination there; my eyes go to the bell, to the four or five people, to the blues and greens and reds, to the unusual composition (I’ve cropped it a little).

But more than that, it’s the story behind the image. A couple, fleeing from devastation for a few days, looking for something else, trying to rebuild confidence, hoping to pick up the camera that’s been untouched for weeks, months...

The car slows at Tekapo and they pass the church. He does a u-turn and heads back. They haven’t got time to stop (it’s a long way still to Bannockburn), but she grabs the camera and fires a shot through the window, vaguely in the direction of the church. They turn again and head south. She’s photographed the church. That night she discovers an image of disastrous proportions, and nearly deletes it. She’s amazed and perplexed when someone wants to store it, print it and frame it.

And I have a very special image, perhaps an unintentional masterpiece...

29th National Photojournalism Competition

With a return to (almost) normal we are pleased to announce the National PJ salon is being held again this year. Entry is open to ALL New Zealand photographers and PSNZ members who reside outside of New Zealand.

Spread the word among friends and family. All those lockdown photos everyone has been taking could be award winners. Don’t delay! Head to the New Brighton Photographic Club for details. www.newbrightonphotoclub.org.nz

Entries open now, and close on 31 July 2020.

Playing with a Pile of Paradise Duck Feathers by Nadine Campbell

Purple Petals by Bonnie Steetskamp

Looking in my Pantry and found Pasta by Janice Brockett

Q for the Toilet Paper by Alicia Hebden

Quill by Lyn Clayton Hon PSNZ APSNZ EFIAP ESFIAP

Quarter to.... by Ana Stevens

Quinoa by Joan Caulfield

Quince and Quail -A Blockout by Cheryl Muirson APSNZ

Nelson National Triptych Salon 2020

Entries open on 1 st August and close on 31 st August

Why use three photos when you can tell a story in one photo? You can tell a bigger story if you have two extra spaces to fill in your presentation.

Your presentations can be rectangular, square, round, oval, horizontal, vertical or a combination of all - but your three images must not touch or overlap. There must be a clear separation between the pictures. There must not be a fourth image in the background and there must not be any text on the background. Text within the pictures is allowed.

There are not many photo competitions that will allow you to enter three images for the price of one!

Special awards this year are for: Best Monochrome, Best Weather and Best “Around the Corner” triptychs.

Entries will be Digital Image only, but we may ask you for a large file size so we can make a display print for the Presentation Evening. Save your master file and then make a smaller-sized copy as your entry image.

If you are new to photography and do not have photo processing software, try FastStone Image Viewer and Editor. It’s a free download and great for creating triptychs. Visit this link for the “How To” instructions, the full rules and other details:

https://www.nelsoncameraclub.co.nz/salon-information.html

We look forward to seeing what you can create.

Peter Wise FPSNZ Nelson National Triptych Salon 2020