CameraTalk October-November 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

October / November 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

WELCOME TO THE October/November edition of CameraTalk. The clocks went forward on the weekend so summer is on the way. This issue is packed with content from the Central Regional Convention and Salon as well as other recent competitions. There are pieces from both Murry Cave FPSNZ and Paul Bryne FPSNZ ARPS AFIAP, as well as progress on the rules amendment in PSNZ. We also celebrate success in PSA awards, and learn about the recent FIAP Congress. So sit down and enjoy the read. Paul Whitham LPSNZ Editor

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

President’s perspective Editorial Saying goodbye

3 5 7

Canon Online results

4 Nations results

Central regional update

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

Reviewing the rules

Hutt2019 update

Central regional salon

CAMERATALK DEADLINE

The Fellows: David Smith

The next CameraTalk deadline is

Judges don’t judge?

Nelson national triptych

FIAP Durban Congress

On the cover

Creative Focus 2018

Stained Glass by Paul Whitham shot in the chapel at Wanganui Collegiate.

In search of the selfie monkey

PSA achievements

Membership benefits

Member profile: Kay GoosenCooper

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

SUBEDITOR

1 December 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.

I’VE JUST RETURNED from the Central regional convention, ‘High Five See and Do’ held in Whanganui – wow what a weekend it was! As MC for the weekend, Simon Woolf said - wonderful, outstanding Whanganui! Without clubs such as the Whanganui Camera Club and the hard work put in by the organising committee and club volunteers, regional conventions just wouldn’t happen – much to the detriment of our wider PSNZ membership. The weekend’s programme was full and interesting with a combination of keynote presentations, workshops, hands on practical shooting and fieldtrips around the city. I’m sure you will find out more in the various articles and fabulous photography shared further in the magazine. Our thanks to the organising committee co-chaired by Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ and Beverley Sinclair with Maartje Morton, Tania Warbrick, Diane Stockbridge, Heather Mackenzie and Melanie McRae fulfilling key roles as well. To the many club volunteers who contributed the countless hours needed to make the weekend such an outstanding success, one and all can be very proud of what you achieved. One of the objectives of PSNZ is ‘Helping Photographers Grow’ and this convention certainly ticked all the boxes in its delivery. Since my last communication we have had two changes on Council. We welcomed James Gibson APSNZ AFIAP from the Christchurch Photographic Society who has taken on the Membership portfolio, and also welcomed Craig McKenzie of the Dunedin Photographic Society who takes on the portfolio for National Competitions.

From the President’s perspective... We do acknowledge everyone who puts their hand up to serve PSNZ in so many ways, making the organisation what it is today, and in that regard my thanks to former Councillors Tony Venning-Thomas LPSNZ and Mary Hinsen for doing so. By now you will have received your complimentary copy of NZ Camera 2018 and I am sure you will agree with me - it is an outstanding publication. From the feathers on the front cover to the final image, we are taken on a pictorial journey showing the depth of diversity, creativity and talent among our members. Special thanks to the editorial team of Julia Home APSNZ EFIAP BPSA, Scott Fowler FPSNZ EFIAP PPSA GPSA, Helen McLeod FPSNZ SPSA, Stuart Clook and Alistair Phillips APSNZ for your commitment and hard work in producing this book.

The past few months have been a busy time for Council and all are working hard to deliver the services and benefits that we promote to our members. Some exciting initiatives are being developed which we plan to share with you at next year’s annual general meeting. A priority for me is to progress the work previously put in to reviewing our Constitution. Please read the article further inside this issue as it contains information that is relevant and important to you as members.

At last the warmer weather is upon us and I feel we are on the countdown to summer, which means we can look forward to enjoying the traditional outdoor ‘Kiwiana’ activities. And with that comes the opportunity to make more award winning photographs, or just make more memories – whatever your desire is. Kind regards Moira Blincoe LPSNZ President

Want to join a print circle? ONE WAY TO improve your photography is to critique other people’s photographs and to have others assess yours. You can do this by joining a print circle. Up to ten photographers circulate their work by mail to other members who have a few days to make constructive comments on the work received, add a new print for others to view, and post the bag to the next person on the list. Each circle is monitored by a Secretary who sends out a roster of each round and ensures the circle is running smoothly. Members can expect the bag to arrive three to four times a year. People are encouraged to keep in touch by adding a short letter to each round, helping them to get to know other photographers and gain useful feedback on their work. One or two circles currently have vacancies. If you’d like to join, please contact Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ at dilinz@actrix.co.nz and we’ll happily settle you into a print circle!

Editorial : We live in interesting times By Paul Whitham LPSNZ

THE LAST TWO months have seen a flurry of activity with both Nikon and Canon releasing their much anticipated full frame mirrorless cameras. Nikon started with a worldwide announcement on August 23 of their two Z series cameras, after running a teaser campaign for several months on social media. Canon followed in September with their own offering of a single model. The announcements have been timed to coincide with the world’s largest trade show, Photokina, in late September. Within hours of each launch the web was full of reviews, and bloggers seem to be fighting each other to come up with the latest information on how these cameras performed. They fell into two distinct groups, the “shrills” who are fan-boys who willingly overlooked any weaknesses, and those that were much more balanced in their approach. If you believe the marketing hype then both brands had created offerings that are the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am yet to be convinced that a change in the mount size (which was totally required because of the move to mirrorless) will improve your photography anywhere near the extent that is being claimed. When mirrorless was first developed, the major advantage being counted was that the body sizes were smaller then the equivalent DSLRs and as such were lighter. It would appear that the engineers at both companies have abandoned that idea. Several of the lenses announced for the cameras look enormous.

What has attracted most attention though is that all three cameras have only one card slot. Given that these manufacturers have spent a reasonable amount of marketing effort telling people that pro cameras need to have multiple slots for backup, this is going to be a hard sell. Now I know that some people comment that film cameras only ever had one roll, but the reality was that the maximum number of photos you could lose was 36, unlike today when people who shoot entire weddings (with thousands of images) on one card. Now these new cards may be really good and the possibility of actual card failure very low, but for somebody who takes photography seriously and is concerned about delivering quality product to clients, I’m not sure that they will be happy with only one slot. I have experienced a card failure myself. There is fierce brand loyalty existing in the market, and many people have been holding off looking at other mirrorless offerings, waiting to see what Nikon and Canon would produce. The reality with full frame mirrorless is that adapters will always going be required to handle legacy lenses. I find it somewhat interesting that Nikon did not allow the photographers who tried the gear to post photos that were taken with anything other than their new lenses. 5

In the weeks leading up to these announcements several commentators were making statements that the new cameras would be Sony killers. Personally I’m not convinced that the offering from either of the manufacturers particularly worries the executives at Sony. It will be interesting to see what the Sony and Fuji response will be. We already know that Panasonic are about to announce a full frame mirrorless themselves. Fuji are expanding their medium format offerings and I would not be surprised if Sony also didn’t come up with a similar camera given that they already produce the sensors in two of the existing major medium format brands. It will be interesting to see the trade displays at next year’s convention when all of these cameras should be available for members to play with.

Saying goodbye . . . WITH A MEMBERSHIP of over 1200, we often know people by name alone and not the face, or vice versa. Last month I was saddened to learn of the sudden death of a friend and colleague from the Auckland Photographic Society (my own club), Andrew Huang Chong. I heard this news when I was on a photography workshop in Tongariro National Park - doing what I love, and Andrew was also enjoying his passion – photography. He had gone to Piha Beach on the West Coast with a small group of photographers to do some astrophotography and catch the last of the ‘Milky Way’. Sadly for all, the group had literally just set off from their cars when Andrew collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest. Another APS club member, who shockingly for him, caught Andrew as he fell, said Andrew didn’t suffer and wouldn’t have known anything. A number of us attended Andrew’s funeral which was a true celebration of his life. At 79 years, and a former general practitioner, Andrew had been a keen sportsman in his younger days – rugby, swimming, cycling, tennis and skiing. He was absolutely devoted to his wife Wah and their two adult children, and all eulogies spoke of his zest and love of life, his family, their travel and his photography. As an APS club member, Andrew was active and enjoyed our club competitions and outings. He had been a PSNZ member for 11 years, and participated in many national conventions. RIP dear Andrew – you are now a sparkling star in the Milky Way of Life. Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Always smiling. Andrew in his element on White Island during the 2015 national convention. Photo courtesy of Sandrina Huish LPSNZ

PSNZ Canon Online Results from Round 4, 2018 YET AGAIN, PSNZ members have created a stunning selection of images to stretch our selectorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s thoughts and emotions. A total of 83 entries were received, and for this round our judge was Bruce Girdwood FPSNZ. Well done everyone, for giving him some challenging and creative images to look through. Entries for round 5 are already open and close on 25 October, so feel free to submit images straight away. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t leave it until the last minute! Entrants must be financial PSNZ members. Just one image please, sized 1620x1080 and uploaded on the PSNZ website. Congratulations to Deborah Martin from the Hibiscus Coast Photographic Club, our winner of round 4.Your trophy will be winging its way to you very soon!

James Gibson APSNZ AFIAP PSNZ Canon Online Coordinator

Comments from the judge: Bruce Girdwood I enjoyed reviewing the wide range of photography presented for this round. There is a huge range of styles and levels of sophistication in the image making. On one hand a highly sophisticated creation and on the other a creative take on something familiar, very well seen. Both ends of the spectrum inspire me. Thank you for the opportunity to evaluate your images. I hope I do them justice.

1st A moment in time by Deborah Martin Peace, tranquillity. A window into a world only perceived, perhaps felt, but never seen until time is captured on â&#x20AC;&#x153;filmâ&#x20AC;?. A touch of reality to anchor the mind while it swirls through gentle colour and texture. Sublime.

A moment in time by Deborah Martin

2nd The country house by Constance Fein Harding The moods, textures of the country. How I feel in my mind when I go to places like this. Warmth, hospitality, good food and wine, walks, fun, love, happy. A special place.

The country house by Constance Fein Harding

PSNZ Canon Online: 3rd Heartfelt loneliness by Helen Mcleod FPSNZ SPSA Cold hard stone in a cold grey sky. A tree, barren, lonely, eking an existence in stone, yet there is life, warmth, hope as the birds fly by, on a migration perhaps. A lonely bird rests, suspended, waiting for the change, new life.

Heartfelt loneliness by Helen Mcleod

4th WW1 air battle by Alan Goldby LPSNZ EFIAP â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lest we forgetâ&#x20AC;?. A wonderful creation, taking us back to the Great War in which we took the battles we fought on the ground into the air for the first time. Thank you for reminding me of how vulnerable and brave these people were in fighting this way. How far have we come since then? Or not.

WWI air battle by Alan Goldsby

5th Cape gooseberries by Shona Jaray APSNZ The end of summer. The fruits are plump, cracking, ready. Nature holds onto her bounty, protects her fruit and then releases when it is ready to feed or seed.Your use of lighting draws me into the story and engages me with all the beautiful detail that nature has to offer.

Cape gooseberries by Shona Jaray

6th Fragile beauty by Graeme Skinner LPSNZ Youth is temporary. I feel I am looking back through time, from old age to youth, while youth looks longingly back.Your subtle use of light and texture are fundamental to the feelings this image creates in me.

Fragile beauty by Graeme Skinner

PSNZ Canon Online: 7th Mother is only a living Buddha in your life by Mikko Xiang Wang I look at this image and my heart breaks. What has happened, my empathy screams. What is the relationship between his sadness and the electronics in his hand? Such sadness is at odds with the calm gentleness of Buddhism. So many questions.

Mother is only a living Buddha in your life by Mikko Xiang Wang

8th Curious kea by Charlotte Johnson I am captivated by the cheekiness of this individual.Your perspective, the stance of the bird and the gentle lighting contrasted against a dark background, create the story for me.

Curious kea by Charlotte Johnson

9th The calm by Caroline Ludford LPSNZ LRPS For me this is an ordinary moment made extraordinary. A subtlety easily walked past yet noticed and turned into a taonga by the photographer. I feel a craving to be sucked into the calmness of this image.

The calm by Caroline Ludford

10th The Waiau by Chris Watson Wai â&#x20AC;&#x201C; water, au â&#x20AC;&#x201C; current. The mood created by the gently softness of the whites and subtle lighting contrasted with the dark background takes me into another world. The flow of water around this fragile stick catches a magic, fleeting moment, opening my mind.

The Waiau by Chris Watson

4 Nations – Inter Society Digital Image Competition By Ann Bastion FPSNZ EFIAP Councillor for International Salons

Every year PSNZ, Australian Photographic Society (APS), Canadian Association of Photographic Art (CAPA) and Photographic Society of South Africa (PSSA) join to hold a photographic competition, taking it in turn to host it. This year it was hosted by South Africa. There are four categories, with a total of 80 images sent from each country: Open colour

35 images per country

Open monochrome

15 images per country

Nature

15 images per country

Our country

15 images per country

Each image is judged on its own merit and at the end each country’s image scores are tallied up to find the final ranking. This year the ranking was: Canada, followed by South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. We also received an Honourable mention from the 4 Nations judges for Emily Morgan’s image Bewitched. This earns her a Silver PSNZ medal. Our highest scoring applicants will receive PSNZ medals and certificates. The medals and certificates, including a video presentation, will be presented at the PSNZ National Exhibition in Wellington on 26, 27 and 28 April 2019. Finally, I would like to thank Maree Wills and her team from Whakatane Camera Club for making the selections at short notice.

Bronze - Open monochrome: Zebra and wilderbeast by Bruce Bodie

Bronze - Nature: Variable oystercatcher, Haematopus unicolor by Reg Quinn

Bronze - Open monochrome: The long walk home by Nola Sumner LPSNZ

Bronze - Open colour: Himba boys playing by John Reid APSNZ AFIAP 16

Silver - Open monochrome Bewitching by Emily Morgan

Bronze - Open monochrome: Cracked by Ilan Wittenberg FPSNZ FNZIPP 17

The Whanganui Camera Club did a fantastic job in organising the 2018 Central Regional Convention. Over the next twelve pages we share some of the thoughts from the participants, with a selection of images to give you a taste of what went on. For more images go to http://www.whanganuicameraclub.com/psnz-central-regional-2018.html

Reflections on Whanganui by Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

EVERYONE WAS SAYING ‘WOW’ about the Central Regional Convention, including me. In fact Simon Woolf, who did a fabulous job as MC, dubbed it ‘WOW – Wonderful Outstanding Whanganui’ – and he was spot on. The weekend was full of inspiring and motivating presentations that you couldn’t help but enjoy. As keynote speaker and documentary photographer Catherine Adam commented in her opening address, “I am curious and I just love learning…..” I too am curious and love learning and growing. In fact that was one of the most inspiring features for me over the weekend. When I looked at the mix of delegates, I thought, “These people also love to learn and want to push themselves regardless of their age.” That is one of the greatest aspects of photography – we will never stop learning, as photography is such an evolving art. A further highlight was learning how to photograph the crystal balls with LED lights under the expert tuition of Toya Heatley APSNZ. I’ve seen many of Toya’s photographs before so to be part of her ‘See and Do’ workshop was a real buzz. I’m not sure I have mastered the technique on this first attempt, but I was surprised and delighted with the results when I opened them up to edit. Thanks again to everyone for a fabulous weekend of fellowship, learning and total enjoyment.

Image credits: 1 to 5 - Antonia Sims 6 - Tania Warbrick 7 - Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Nature and Nurture Toya Heatley APSNZ sums up her field trip I CHOSE A field trip specifically for the amount of nature photography opportunities it would have within it. Bushy Park was a place I had always wanted to visit but I heard it was closed and while we would be close by, it wasn’t on the plan. As it happened the new Bushy Park managers were happy to have the whole busload of visitors, so we all ended up there for a brief look around. Bushy Park is somewhere I will definitely go back to in the future, especially as they have accommodation on site which I will use. We walked less than five minutes into the bush and found hihi dancing around the trees in front of us, robins hopping around our feet and fantails flitting about. We could also hear the saddlebacks – some folk both saw and photographed them. For someone like me with mobility issues and can’t walk distances, this place was perfect! I didn’t want to go anywhere else! From there we headed to Nuts and May which, of course, is a nut farm. There were lots of nut trees and flowers, with daffodils and tulips the most photographed from what I observed. Then it was off to Pukatea Estate for afternoon tea. We spent most of the field trip at Pukatea Estate and were served tea in fine china by steampunk enthusiasts (in costume) and wandered around their extensive gardens. The nature photographers among us all gravitated to the blossom trees where there was one of the biggest flocks of kereru I have ever seen, feasting on the new shoots and leaves. These clumsy birds are a delight to watch and even more fun to photograph when they are in the right light. Their feathers have an iridescent shine to them with beautiful colours that just scream out, “Photograph me!”. It was a fun field trip which has shown me parts of Whanganui that I had not seen before - and will most definitely go back and see again. As ambassadors for their region, the Whanganui Camera Club should be applauded. They did well!

Images by Toya Heatley APSNZ

Image credits: 1 - Neil Gordon APSNZ 2 & 3- Paul Whitham LPSNZ 4 - Moira Blincoe LPSNZ

Up the awa by Karen Lawton

THE HISTORY OF Whanganui was ruled by its river. An opportunity to travel the Whanganui River on the refurbished Wairua riverboat was a real treat. The trip up to Upokongaro took us a leisurely 50 minutes or so, during which the sun shone and the clouds built into a very photogenic background. The journey (both there and back) was commentated by the boat’s captain and a generous sprinkling of general, local knowledge was shared. The on land portion of the field trip covered time at the extensive and impeccably kept Goose’s Roost Garden (and homestead) and the historic St Mary’s Anglican Church, current seeking restoration funds. Our trip was accompanied throughout by the very obliging Ian and Yvonne Jones, resplendent in Victorian garb. They too had some great stories to share and were very patient and obliging with photo opportunities. This was an enjoyable, restful outing that allowed participants to soak in the history of this area.

Image by Paul Bryne FPSNZ ARPS AFIAP

4 Image credits: 1 - Margaret Jorgensen APSNZ 2 & 4 - Karen Lawton 3 - Heather MacKenzie

Whanganui impressions David Coxon writes:

Although I have been to a number of regional and national club conventions before, this was my first ever PSNZ convention and I approached it with some uncertainty as to what to expect. When I arrived I was warmly welcomed and shown to my accommodation, with none of the “We are too busy to be helpful” that I have so often encountered at other conventions. In fact a major memory for me was just how friendly everyone was. I found the programme interesting and the speakers well prepared and knowledgeable. I also found networking with other photographers gave me new insights into my own style and threw down a few challenges for my ongoing photographic development. Over all I will certainly be seen at future conventions!

Conversation with Brian Rowe - Kapiti Camera Club

On the Saturday night “Really good, good mix of people that obviously came to have fun. Lots of briliant hats and costumes” On the workshops “Workshops have been good.There are a couple of good ones tomorrow as well” On the speakers “Speakers have been really interesting, really inspiring”

More praise from Sue Morton - President Stratford Camera Club

A fantastic relaxed busy full on weekend. Keynote speakers Thomas Busby and Catherine Adam were interesting, fascinating,inspiring and just great people to listen to. The workshops I attended have all left me with ideas and motivation to try something new. The organisation was spot on - friendly and relaxed. The venue totally suited the event and everyone was inclusive and positive - out to make the most of the weekend. Well done Whanganui Camera Club and thanks for all of your hard work to make this happen.You have given us some wonderful everlasting memories.

5 Image credits: 1 & 3 - Tania Warbrick 2, 4 & 5 - Antonia Sims

Positive Whanganui feedback from Annette Johnston LPSNZ

Please convey my thanks and appreciation to the committee that organised and hosted the Regional Convention this weekend. I do hope that you can all have a day off soon! This was only my second visit to Whanganui, which I have come to think of as ‘just a little bit of a jewel’, so thank you for giving me the opportunity (and excuse) to visit. I am coming down again in February as one of the photographers covering the 2018 New Zealand Masters Games - so I will be able to explore even more of your city. Having been part of the team that organised the 2015 (gosh is it that long ago) PSNZ National Convention, I know what goes on before, and throughout such an event - so again, well done and thank you. Below is one wee pic of the lovely clematis adorning the wall (outside the toilets) at the Bason Botanic Gardens (which I suspect is a favourite spot for Whanganui photographers!).

2 3

4 Image credits: 1 & 3 - Antonia Sims 2 - Paul Whitham LPSNZ 4 - Paul Bryne FPSNZ ARPS AFIAP

The 2018 attendees shot by Tania Warbrick. In the front is George, the conference mascot, holding the group photo from the 1971 Regional conference.

Reviewing our Rules â&#x20AC;&#x201C; where are we at? By Moira Blincoe LPSNZ - Pesident

IN 2016 THE then Executive Officers of Council sought external professional advice on the steps required to review our Rules and Bylaws so that they continue to be fit for purpose under the proposed changes to the Incorporated Societies Act. This proposed Act will replace the current Incorporated Societies Act, which was passed in 1908 with minimal amendments since then. Our Rules, with amendments during the intervening period since July 1957 when the Society was formed, has stood the Society in good stead. The proposed changes to the Incorporated Societies Act will require more emphasis on governance as well as other matters that have become applicable for the operation of Incorporated Societies. Consequently Council has deemed it is an appropriate time for the Society to refresh its Rules. By doing this, we will bring them up to a standard expected in the current environment for Not-for-Profit entities. Over the past two years meetings have been held to review the current Rules, resulting in a number of changes being suggested or proposed. Several factors have impeded the progress of this review and unfortunately the project has not progressed. With this in mind work has been reactivated and I would like to outline a number of clauses highlighted by the working group for discussion and amendment. These are shown in the table on the next page. The content and rewrite will in the first instance be presented to Council and then to you as members for consideration and comment so that all are in accord with a new set of Rules to be adopted for the Society. I would encourage you, as a valued member of PSNZ, to familiarise yourself with our current Rules which can be found here. This will enable you to gain a greater background and appreciation of the changes being proposed. Between now and the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in April 2019 I will be aiming to share more details with you, in the form of a draft set of Rules. This will provide all members with the opportunity to offer comment within an agreed timeframe. If it is considered that we are sufficiently advanced to present the Rules in a final version, then ideally this will be added to the agenda for the AGM for adoption. This will be a significant step forward for the Society that I sincerely hope and trust that you will support and endorse. I welcome your input and am happy to be contacted at any time, by phone or email as per my details on our website.

Current Constitution – Clause(s)

Recommended Change

(2) Objects

Rewrite and rename to “Purposes of the Society”, in line with strategic plan. Remove from Rules and create a new ByLaw.

(3,4,5,6,7,8) Members; types; affiliated clubs; resignation; expulsion, subscriptions, meetings. (9, 11) Executive Officers – positions and descriptions.

Regroup under new title “Management of the Society”. Review and rewrite all Council Executive Officer position descriptions. Review and rewrite the role of Council.

(9 iii) (10) Election process – Executive Officers and Councillors (10 a, b) (15) Meetings (16) Finance

Review tenure and position of Immediate Past President. Rewrite all details and regroup under “Management of the Society”. Review and rewrite the election process for Council members. Reduce and rewrite content outlining conduct of all meetings. Include as part of Membership Incorporated under a new title “Money and Other Assets of the Society”.

26-29 April 2019 Lower Hutt

Hutt2019 – Focus on learning WE ARE NOW only weeks away from opening registrations for Hutt2019, and our team is really pleased with how the programme has come together. There are still a few gaps to fill but we will have them confirmed within the next month. We thought it was a good idea to take you on a brief tour of the confirmed programme. There is more detail on our website www.hutt2019.org.nz so we encourage you to visit and explore. We are also sending out a fortnightly email with in-depth details, so if you are not already one of the 255 subscribers, then you will find the link on the homepage of our website.

Friday 26 April 2019 Optional workshops While the official opening will be at 6.00pm we are starting the learning programme at 1.00pm with a choice of six workshops. While these are referred to as optional (because we don’t expect everyone will have arrived by then), they are included in the price. • Macro photography • Pinup photography • An introduction to post processing • Studio lighting 101 • A tour through the successful honours sets, and explaining what it was that helped them succeed • Going beyond PSNZ into International Salons, FIAP and other International distinctions.

For those who canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make the workshops we will be running a photographic scavenger hunt around the area.

Opening night speaker We have an awesome opening night speaker who we are sure many of you will know. Mark Gee is a Wellington astro-photographer who now has a global following. His Wellington workshops on the south coast are now so popular that traffic plans have to be put in place to accommodate them. Two years ago he had 400 people attend, and last year it was over a thousand.

We end in the dark Given that our speaker is all about photography in dark places, we conclude the evening with three separate events (all of which will require a camera and tripod). Around the venue we will arrange light painting sessions, and Toya Heatley APSNZ will be running the LED & Crystal sessions that were so popular at our Central Regional. These will take place regardless of the conditions. If Mother Nature obliges, we will also take a small number of keen people to the dark Wainuiomat coastline to put into practice what you have just learned in Markâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talk. We have already checked - the moon is in the right quarter and the Milky Way will be on the rise, so it should be a great night. Mark will be on hand to help out as well.

Milky Way over the Wainuiomata coast by Paul Whitham LPSNZ

Saturday 27 April 2019 Morning shoot For those really keen photographers we are organising a morning shoot on the Hutt River. Sunrise is set for 7.03am so we will be leaving the venue at 6.15am, again, providing Mother Nature plays along. The river is a great location for photography, as shown in Brent Higham’s image that won round 3 of Canon Online this year. Running alongside this morning shoot will be the opportunity to take a step into the past and shoot the sunrise with black and white film. Our friends from Splendid will bring along a limited number of film cameras and film for this shoot. After the shoot they will process and scan the resulting images and have them back to the venue later that afternoon.

Old school by Paul Whitham

Workshops Most of the day is given over to full-on workshops that will cover a wide range of genres. There will be seven workshops in the morning and another seven in the afternoon to choose from. Each one is different and will not be repeated. In the morning • What goes into making a great nature image • Creative portraiture • Planning, lighting and shooting a fashion image • Tips for the travelling photographer • Workflow in post processing • How to capture candid street images • Processing astro images Cricket at the Taj Mahal by Lindsay Keats

After lunch • An introduction to video • In-camera creative image creation • Planning and shooting a conceptual portrait • Shooting sports • Taking better images of architecture

View videos of our presenters on our YouTube channel

• Advanced post processing • Processing a portrait

Evening speaker With the assistance of Nikon we have an awesome keynote speaker who has travelled all the way from Australia to be with us. Steve Scalone will entertain and inform on how to set up your images for better results, even before you bring the camera up to your eye. The evening session concludes with our awards ceremony for the National Exhibition trophies, and then we will take another group to the Wainuiomata coast and the LED/Crystal session will repeat.

Sunday 28 April 2019 Partner presentations After you have watched the display of the digital honours sets, we are turning the next 90 minutes over to our partners to amaze and entertain you. This is an opportunity for them to promote the latest gear; at this stage we have no idea what they will be doing. In fact when we open registrations on 3 November this will be a blank space, with the details still to be filled in. By March 2019 you will be given the opportunity to choose which session you would like to attend.

AGM This is the highlight of the whole convention, and an insight into how the society is working for you. We invite and encourage you all to attend the PSNZ Annual General Meeting.

Off-sites Once we have the formalities of the AGM out of the way it is time to pick up a packed lunch and head out to one of the ten off-site sessions. These are fieldtrips on steroids in that each will take you a location with an instructor to guide you. For you to choose from we have • Wildlife at Staglands Wildlife Reserve • Wild and tamed nature at Kaitoke Regional Park and Ashton Norwood Gardens • Fungi in Upper Hutt parks • A 4-wheel drive landscape adventure over Cannon’s Point and into the beautiful Akatarawa valley • Photographing BMX riders in action • Learning composition in architecture • An opportunity to photograph WOW fashion designs • Learn how to photograph children to bring out their true nature • Seeing the potential in any location • Going beyond the usual portrait

CRK Honours Banquet

Kaitiaki - Guardian designed by Vicky Robertson, a finalist in the 2018 World of Wearable Arts

We will conclude the day with the CRK Honours Banquet which many people see as the real highlight of the convention. We have been working through the menus and can promise you some tasty treats. Our theme for the banquet is appropriate for a photography event - Black,White & Silver. This is a red carpet event and we are looking for glitz and glam, with an opportunity to dress up for a fun evening.

Monday 29 April 2019 We know that after three very full days of workshops and off-sites many people will be tired so todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s programme doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t require too much physical effort. We start with the Four Nations AV. Then, on either side of the tea break, we have our final two awesome speakers who will inspire you as you head home. At this stage we are keeping their names under wraps but all will revealed before registrations open in November. Included in the morning programme are promotions of the 2019 Southern Regional Convention and the 2020 National Convention. The day will finish with an optional lunch for those who want to stick around. There will be an additional charge for this. Finally there are a couple of key points that we want to get across.

No repeats - and limited numbers With the exception of two of the night activities, our workshops will not repeat. Each will be limited to a maximum of 30 participants, and will be a mix of instruction and hands-on activities. While some of the genres are run both in the morning and afternoon session, the workshops themselves are quite different. To make it clear we will NOT be repeating workshops. If there is one that you really want to get into, then you need to book early.

Staggered breaks We know that if a large number of delegates are sent to a morning or afternoon tea break at the same time, you spend half of your break in a queue - so we are trying something different. Each group will be sent to the break at a different time. This should mean that you spend less time queuing, with more time to look over the trade areas.

Exclusive Period When registrations open on 3 November there will be an exclusive period of 14 days for PSNZ members to register before we start to promote the convention to the thousands of photographers who live in the area.

Single Day/Workshop Options As we have restricted numbers on workshops we will not be offering single day/workshop options until February 2019. If you are still reading then we look forward to seeing you in the Hutt Valley in April 2019. Diary 3 November and make sure you are registered in your choice of workshops as soon as you are able. Remember, a $100 deposit will secure your space!

Central Regional Salon - 2018 Awards Prints The Palmerston Cup for the winning club in the Central Region interclub print competition – Kapiti Coast Photographic Society

Graceful skeleton by Alison Viskovic FPSNZ

Hanoi traffic by Neil Gordon APSNZ

Beetle on high by Hugh Scott

Spaces and light by Jo Goudsblom

Behind the mask by Nicola McGinty

Around the bend by Susie Whelan APSNZ

The Stratford Cup for the Champion Print from the club sets entered in the Central Region interclub print competition – Behind the mask by Nicola McGinty

The Colin Rush Cup for the Champion Nature Print in the Central Region individual salon – Weta by Glyn Hubbard LPSNZ

The Stan & Doreen Long Cup for the Champion Print in the open section of the Central Region individual salon – Autumn by Annemarie Clinton

Central Regional Salon - 2018 Awards Projected Images The Wanganui Cup for the winning club in the Central Region interclub projected image competition – Kapiti Coast Photographic Society

In the breeze by Caroline Ludford LPSNZ LRPS

New Zealand kingfisher (Kotare) by Gavin Klee

Sculptured by the elements by Carol Moulineux APSNZ Bryce Hoodoos by Neil Gordon APSNZ

First love by Helena Fierlinger Monsoon downpour by Jacky Challis

TheÂ Heney CupÂ for the Champion Projected Image from the interclub sets entered in the Central Region interclub projected image competition - Reflecting by Mike Gannaway

TheÂ Bruce Harding CupÂ for the champion Nature Projected Image in the Central Region individual salon - The storm wave by Marian Macklin

TheÂ Jocelyn & Lyal Barrett CupÂ for the Champion Projected Image in the open section of the Central Region individual salon - Angst by Karen Lawton

The Fellows At the 2018 Honours Banquet the distinction of Fellow was bestoyed on three PSNZ members. Over three issues of CameraTalk we are going to learn more about the photographers and see the images that made up the sets. In this issue we present the final fellow, featuring David Smith FPSNZ. His words are below.

It’s what they do IN THE LAST five years I have travelled extensively throughout Vietnam, China, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos with my companion, Lindy. Close contact with the people belonging to different ethnic groups there, has left us both with a deep affection for them, and it seemed entirely natural to me that I would want to tell stories about their lives. My first attempt at doing this resulted in my APSNZ set entitled Work life in Vietnam (2016). As a necessary part of that project I began to develop a sense of my own photographic style. By this I mean the identifiable and repeatable manner in which I capture, select, process and display my images. These earlier ideas became clearer as I thought about assembling a Fellowship set. For me, the impact of an image depends on both the intrinsic interest of the story and how well it is told. The challenge in putting together my FPSNZ set was to find and present simple individual stories within an overall theme and present them in a way that enhanced their impact. I listened carefully to what people said about my APSNZ set, researched the places most likely to yield interesting photographic opportunities and consulted local photographers where possible. Collecting the images for my FPSNZ set often involved travelling to remote locations on the back of a motorbike or by local transport. On the way I learned more about recognising and reacting to unfolding situations. I asked for permission to take photographs but gave no instructions because I wanted people to be themselves and tell their own stories as much as possible. In many cases the most interesting moments were fleeting. For example, on one occasion, near Mu Cang Chai,Vietnam, I lay on the ground looking up at a man winnowing rice in a gentle breeze. I took 24 images with him watching the rice chaff as it blew from the basket he was holding. Eventually curiosity got the better of him and he glanced down at me, giving me the shot I had wanted. Fossicking around in a gallery in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I came across a quote from Edgar Degas along the lines of ‘Art is not about what I see but about what I make others see’. I’ve added this idea to my bag of useful insights, because it reminds me that I shouldn’t assume that the stories I am trying to tell will be the stories seen by others. For example in my FPSNZ images I see healthy people, well fed and clothed, who nevertheless experience substantial hardship in their working lives and a shortened life span as a result. I know from discussions with others that sometimes the perceived message is one of poverty. Generally accepted restrictions on the manipulation of photo-journalistic images have shaped my approach to both field work and post-processing. On a photoshoot, I seek out scenes that have strong concentration of interest and relatively uncomplicated backgrounds. I do very little post-processing beyond cropping and basic ‘normalisation’ (white balance, contrast, colour adjustment, histogram endpoints, etc). The monochrome treatment I used for my FPSNZ set 46

overcomes the unsettling effect of differing colour palettes in adjacent images and creates an atmosphere in keeping with the traditional occupations depicted. While preparing my FPSNZ submission I had helpful discussions with members of the clubs I belong to. I also received sage advice from Rosita Manning FPSNZ, Ilan Wittenberg FPSNZ FNZIPP and Bruce Shanks Hon PSNZ FPSNZ, who generously reached down and helped me climb the ladder.

Judges don’t judge? by Paul Bryne FPSNZ ARPS AFIAP

IN THE LAST edition of CameraTalk, Mark Brimblecombe LSPNZ wrote an interesting article called Appreciating Photographs. This got me thinking about the whole issue of judging and the way in which PSNZ members perceive the role and responsibility of a judge within photographic circles. Having contemplated the issue for a while I decided to share my personal thoughts with you. Hopefully my ramblings will provoke debate and may generate a change in the way we respond to the volunteers who give up hours of their time viewing images and passing on their observations to the authors of photographs.

With that in mind, is now the time to consider a radical change of terminology which more adequately describes the process of club competitions versus all other photographic competitions? There is an important and discernible distinction between the two and I feel this is a debate worth considering.

Before going any further, I feel we need to look at the perception of what PSNZ and its membership consider to be a ‘competition’. We also need to understand what is meant when we say an image is to be ‘judged’. These words carry implications which do not adequately or truthfully describe the full process of photographic competitions. Indeed, what is a competition?

All languages morph and change with the times. New words are formed and older words take on different meanings, depending on the context in which they are used. Often the original meaning of a word is distorted by the masses to have an entirely different perspective. Alternatively, a word assumes a more literal meaning rather than embracing the wider meaning of the word in its original form.

The American economist, Alan Greenspan, uttered this immortal quote. “I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I’m not sure you realise that what you heard is not what I meant.”

The English language is the third most spoken language in the world. In fact there are more people who have learned it as a second language than there are native speakers. In part, this is due to the language being relatively easy to comprehend.

Take the word ‘judge’ for example. It means a public official appointed to decide cases in a court of law. The very act of being a judge requires the office holder to make a decision between right and wrong. The basis for his decision is rooted in his substantial knowledge of legal issues and all the facts of the particular case which have to be decided upon. Derivatives from the word ‘judge’ include ‘judgement’ and ‘judgemental’. The word ‘judgement’ means the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions. Thus it aligns itself with the meaning of the word ‘judge’. However, the word ‘judgemental’ means ‘critical, fault finding, condescending, disparaging, disapproving etc’. No mention is made of fairness, equity, correctness, right or wrong. Hold that thought for a moment while we look at the meaning of the words ‘competition’ and ‘competitor’ A ‘competition’ means an event or contest in which people take part in order to establish superiority or supremacy in a particular area, whilst a ‘competitor’ is synonymous with rival, challenger, adversary or combatant.

National and international competitions The context of judging a photographic competition at national or international level is in keeping with the intended and original terminology. This is because a judge, or panel of judges, is appointed to adjudicate a competition of photographs. The entrants are correctly identified as being competitors as there is a goal to be achieved by winning, usually a prize, financial reward or title. The images are rated against each other. The judge is not required to comment or offer an opinion. He merely picks a winner by cogitating over the images and applying his knowledge of the art and skills of the craft required to make a successful photograph.

How peculiar it is then, that none of these national or international competitions are called ‘competitions’. No, we call them ‘salons’!

Club competitions The generic terms for the words ‘competition’ and ‘judge’ have been blandly applied to club competitions since time began. In reality, they are nothing of the sort. They are in fact ‘assessments’ and they are presided over by assessors or evaluators. The concept of ‘club competitions’ was described by Brian Cudby FPSNZ AFIAP ESFIAP in 2010 in a PSNZ paper entitled Judging at the Club. Brian wrote: “It’s the opportunity for club members to show others what they have been doing, photographically, get some feedback on their work and learn from assessments of their own and other members’ presentations. Above all, it should be a fun, learning, experience. It’s also an excellent way for inexperienced photographers to see and learn from the work and skills of others. For most, it’s a very important part of normal club activities.” A year earlier another PSNZ paper entitled A Judging Philosophy states that, “Club judging and assessment should be an educational process primarily”. Interestingly, both papers refer to assessments and educational benefits. No mention is made of competing with other club members or comparing images. Another pertinent fact is that PSNZ Judges do not set values, awards or grades. It is the individual clubs which specifically request adjudicators to attribute marks or awards in addition to the feedback. It is individual clubs which establish a grading system and a marking policy. In fact the traditional A, B and C grades can vary significantly from club to club. Some don’t have a C grade. Others include a Novice Grade below C Grade whilst others have an Exhibition Grade above 57

A Grade. The range of awards also varies greatly. Some range from Not Accepted through Accepted, Merit, Commended and Highly Commended to Honours. Others clubs do not use the full range of awards. Moreover, some clubs tell the adjudicator that they must not award a Non Acceptance in certain circumstances, whilst others insist that only a specified percentage of Honours should be awarded. Each club has its own constitution and bylaws which probably explain how and why that club has chosen to attribute marks and awards following the appraisal of club images. Whatever system is used, the club members will know their own system and understand where they are in relation to ability, based on external assessment. In my view, the critique or feedback is the backbone of the development process. Marks and awards only provide a person with an indication of where he or she stands relative to their immediate peer group. If people move from one club to another, it is quite likely that they could find themselves either above or below average amongst their new peer group, because the standard is not national.

In 2012 PSNZ formed a Judge Accreditation Panel which was brought together to establish a method of judging which was intended to provide relevant training for PSNZ members who wished to become judges. The idea was not only to ensure that suitable people were appointed, but also to establish a set of applicable guidelines. These guidelines were purposefully aimed at club competitions and would, over time, standardise judging practice to avoid the real and perceived variations between judges. Interestingly, nothing has been considered as yet to establish or impose a standard recording system between all photographic clubs! Perhaps this is another issue worthy of debate? A Judge training programme is now available and any PSNZ member can apply to attend one of the many courses which are held at various venues around the country each year. This alone will not qualify you to become a judge but it does provide an insight into what is recommended, the standards required of judges and the principles to be employed during the assessment of images.

Should an attendee subsequently wish to be considered for judge accreditation status, there is a distant learning package to be followed and a mentor or tutor is appointed to advise and guide the candidate. Mock appraisals are practised until the candidate can demonstrate that they have grasped the principles and can communicate feedback in an unbiased, polite and encouraging manner. I applaud PSNZ for making such positive moves to regulate the principles and practices of its accredited judges. Unfortunately, the continued use of terminology such as judge and competition still implies a competitive stance which is unfortunate. We really do need to encourage a shift of emphasis away from Club Competitions and Judges. We must realise and appreciate that these events are in fact Assessments. They are overseen by Assessors. You may not agree with the opinions or advice expressed in the assessment but did you actually consider the appraisal, or did you just dismiss it or consign it to the bin? Ask

yourself; was this assessment an improvement on my previous assessment? Have I learned something new? Did I pick up a tip from another person’s feedback? Have I taken time to reflect on my assessment in the days that followed? Have I actually tried any of the suggestions that were made? In conclusion I stress that images are assessed on their individual merits and are never weighed against one and other in club competitions. The only competitor you’re up against at club level is yourself. Club competitions are assessments, not competitions. Think of feedback or critique as advice and guidance.You can follow it or dismiss it - that is your prerogative. But don’t dismiss the assessor just because you failed to see an opportunity or did not comprehend a technique in the same way as they did. According to PSNZ’s own published documents, “Assessment should primarily be an educational process”. In my view, that is precisely what they are.

Did you photoshop it? IF YOU THOUGHT that photo manipulation didn’t really happen before Photoshop invented it, the plates below show a before and after of a photo that has been altered from a book that was written in 1915.

Nelson National Triptych Salon 2018 by Peter Wise FPSNZ

NELSON CAMERA CLUB has just hosted another successful Triptych Salon, attracting 100 entrants and 459 entries. There were a lot of familiar regulars who enjoy creating triptychs, but it was encouraging to see some new names amongst the higher awards. The entry that had special appeal to all three judges and they awarded the top honour to Annette Johnston LPSNZ whose entry was titled Dance of the cape gooseberry. We asked Annette how, why and where she created her masterpiece. She says, “I am the type of photographer that ‘finds’ an

image, rather than one of those clever individuals who can visualise in advance exactly what they will photograph, together with how they will present the resulting image. Dance of the cape gooseberry is the one and only image I can claim to have pre-visualised. I have on occasion seen this lovely fruit photographed, and being a lover of most things botanical, a seed in my imagination grew. I saw the berry, with its dried calyx attached, as a dancer, complete with tutu. By happenstance, I was offered some seedlings by a neighbour, and I grew some plants which fruited, and the rest as they say is history. The resulting image is of one fruit, photographed on my table top in three different ways. No additional lighting, or anything particularly technical. I processed the three images identically with some artistic filters and - voila, a dancing cape gooseberry, just as I had imagined!” There were three other special awards. A triptych titled Bored housewife by Lynn Fothergill LPSNZ was a very well planned and created work which won the Monochrome Award. Heather Saint’s Misty isles entry won her the Softly Softly award and the Well-known Phrase or Saying section winner was Annemarie Clinton who had a very understanding and cooperative model to act the parts for her See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil entry. To view the Honours and Highly Commended entries please visit: http://www.nelsoncameraclub. co.nz/national-triptych-salon-2/

Dance of the cape gooseberry by Annette Johnston LPSNZ

Bored housewife by Lynn Fothergill LPSNZ

Misty isles by Heather Saint

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil by Annemarie Clinton

FIAP Congress in Durban 2018: Ann Bastion FPSNZ EFIAP, FIAP Liaison Officer, reports

AFTER A SOMEWHAT lengthy trip on my own, I finally arrived at the hotel in Durban at midnight the next day. The one important thing to do was to set my alarm, to make sure I was breakfasted and at the first FIAP congress meeting by 8.30am. Considering I am not a morning person my body was hemorrhaging at the thought. I made the deadline and the meeting went well. We broke for lunch and went back into the meeting. I was honoured to be able to collect The FIAP Honourable Mention Certificate for New Zealand’s 7th placing in the 2018 B&W Biennial. We had a chance between meetings to go to Tala Game Reserve and PheZulu Cultural Village where we could get a small taste of wild life. We took it in turns to be “all aboard the spine readjustment buggy” to view the wildlife, which took an hour.You probably know that I’m short, but I swear I’m at least one inch shorter now! You see, my feet didn’t touch the ground when we were sitting in the buggy (no surprise there) and every time we went over a pothole, and they were numerous, I shot up out of my seat only to land back down with a thud, or worse still, into the lap of the lady sitting next to me! Just as well there were no lions or elephants at this park or I might have been lunch if I had bounced out.

The cultural village entertained us with some African dancing in costume which was quite entertaining as was the monkey who decided he would just pop in and help himself to afternoon tea. I was enjoying watching his avoidance antics, but the café staff were not “amused”.

However, the trip out to the park showed me some less amusing aspects of Durban. I was saddened to see the hills we passed by covered in squatters’ huts - the other side to life outside our hotel. It was suggested to us that, despite the lovely beach view from our hotel, we shouldn’t go over the road to the beach on our own as it was not safe to do so. This was a shame as I had hoped to get a feel for the local life by visiting some markets, but this was not to be. I arrived on the Sunday and left the following Friday, but others stayed on for the extra oneweek post-congress tour of the Kruger and other big wildlife parks. I bet they got some good wildlife shots. Next year the FIAP Photo Tour is being held in Morocco from 23 to 30 June 2019. If you would like more details, please email me at ajbastion@gmail.com

2018 Creative Focus competition by Noline Skeet

PUKEKOHE - FRANKLIN CAMERA Club members are proud of the reputation we have for putting creative photography on the map here in New Zealand. The Creative Focus competition has now been running for seven years. Over this time we have seen the creativity grow and grow, giving us a record number of images in this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competition. Entrants are becoming more adventurous and innovative to create some amazing images. There is certainly a lot of artistic talent out there. We are forever thankful to the judges each year who often donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to miss out on the experience of submitting their own images for the competition. Thank you to Barbara Lee APSNZ, Johanna Goudsblom and Lorraine Gibb LPSNZ for judging the competition this year. Special congratulations go to all the prize-winners. Our supreme winner this year was Susie Hare with Fire lily in the Shades of Autumn section. Other section winners were Constance Fein Harding with At the museum in the Creative Focus section, Jean Moulin APSNZ EFIAP with The last stop in the Pastel/High key section and Gail Stent APSNZ with Auckland skyline in the Surreal Landscape section. Go to http://www.creative-focus.co.nz/cf/ to view all the winning images.

Fire lily by Susie Hare

At the museum by Constance Fein Harding

The last stop by Jean Moulin APSNZ EFIAP

Auckland skyline by Gail Stent APSNZ

Recently approved PSNZ judge: It is with great pleasure that we announce that Neil Gordon APSNZ has been approved as a PSNZ Judge in the ‘open’ category. Neil can be contacted at neil.d.gordon@gmail.com. Congratulations Neil. Shona Jaray APSNZ Chair Judge Accreditation Panel

Jack Sprosen Memorial Trophy Competition - Open for entries For those of you who create AVs then please note the following information.

The judges for 2018/19 are:

Bruce Burgess FPSNZ Bob McCree FPSNZ Karen Lawton

Entries close 4th November

Please ensure you read the rules which are available on the PSNZ website

https://photography.org.nz/salons/jack-sprosen/

Dr Murry Cave FPSNZ FNPSNZ goes… in search of the selfie monkey IT STILL SEEMS absolutely ridiculous to me that a photographer from the UK, David Slater, could get caught up in a US court battle over copyright with, in theory at least, an Indonesian black macaque that apparently went by the Japanese name Naruto. It’s a story many photographers know at least in passing, but I’ll recap. In 2011 David Slater travelled to Tangkoko in North East Suluwasi to photograph the endangered crested black macaque, indigenous to the area. He spent some time with the animals “getting to know them” and setting up his camera in such a way that the monkeys would learn to press the shutter. These images were published in 2014 in the book, Wildlife Personalities. For some reason, Wikipedia decided that, because a monkey couldn’t own copyright, the images were public domain and distributed the images without paying royalties to David Slater. That’s enough in itself since it’s not clear what authority Wikipedia has to arbitrarily decide such things.

Things then got worse for David when the organisation PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) decided that the monkey ‘Naruto’ owned the copyright and took a case against Slater, as well as Blurb who had published Slater’s book. PETA lost to Slater but appealed and Slater, wearied by all this, capitulated and agreed to pay a share of future revenues to wildlife organisations and supported a motion to vacate the appeal. The courts blasted PETA and refused to accept the motion and again decided in Slater’s favour and awarded costs. Wikipedia still keeps the image in the public domain, however, so David Slater still loses out on royalties. The case has long piqued my interest as it triggered my decision to travel to Tangkoko and examine more closely the context to the story. Even before the trip, one obvious flaw to PETA’s argument was clear since the monkey’s name ‘Naruto’ was not bahasa (Indonesian) but Japanese! Further, the name Naruto was never mentioned by Slater.

The story of the Black Crested Macaque taking its own image made for good publicity but had unexpected consequences.

Getting to Tangkoko is not that easy. A flight to Manado from Denpasar in Bali was supposed to be a 3 ½ hour flight, including one stopover, but is frequently a lot longer. Overland is only an option if you’ve got a lot of time. Safari Tours and Travel took me to Batuputih, a village at the entrance to the Tangkoko Sanctuary.

shutter speeds and a lower than optimal f-stop at f5, and sometimes less. I found that if I got myself in position and then stopped, the monkeys would rapidly lose interest or sit on their ample haunches and look everywhere but at you. Ultimately however, I was happy enough with my photos and keen to move on. Next morning it was up early and into the forest again. First a solitary male macaque wandered past and, once the ritual passiveaggressive relationship was established, he happily let me follow him around. Provided I

I didn’t know what to expect but followed David, and my compulsory guide Bobi, into the Fig/Causuarina-dominated coastal forest. Several other groups were milling around, all looking for the elusive black macaque. After a lot of debate, all the teams turned around as the monkeys had been spotted close to the beginning of the track. When we came across them, I was surprised by the size of the troop which numbered over 20 animals. It was clear that they were habituated to people as we were treated like part of the furniture, largely ignoring us as they foraged. They were Baring the teeth may not be a grin, it could also be a passive-aggressive display or in this always on the move, heading case just a yawn to the coast, but they were definitely not into posing for shots. didn’t look at him directly he’d come up and forage around where I was sitting. He was It was immediately clear that the adults, at obviously curious, but scared to get too close. least, didn’t like eye contact and would always Eventually, however, he got bored with my look away. The juveniles didn’t care at all, company and wandered off into the forest. while a couple of dominant males were a I then headed back to the car park to find a little different and displayed passive-aggressive troop of macaques had taken over the car responses which involved baring their park. teeth (grinning) and making short lunges to determine personal space. If we stepped back, This troop was well and truly habituated to at that point they were satisfied and basically people and they were happily going through ignored us from that point on. the trash, looking for food. There was only one female nursing juveniles in this troop, and Photographically, it was challenging. As it was one particular one-eyed male was atypical and getting darker the ISO had to be cranked up. very aggressive. Needless to say, every photo I had a Canon 70-200mm on the Canon 7D I tried to get of this individual was blurred as ll and a Sigma 24-70mm on the Canon 5D lll. he lunged for the lens. I gave up on him and Everything was hand held at as low as possible 69

was lying down to get a shot of a female with baby when a juvenile male decided to clamber onto my back and sat there grooming my hair. I was paranoid that he’d steal my glasses but, grooming duties complete, he clambered off and nonchalantly headed into the surrounding bush. After a quick visit to Manado, I returned to Tangkoko, staying at the Tangkoko Jungle Homestay. The son of the host family, Anil, was my guide and I got to spend a good period in the jungle with him. The entry fee was 100,000 Indonesian rupiah ($10) and that gave you two trips a day (there was no point in the middle of the day as it was so hot). Ultimately, I decided that mornings were best so didn’t bother in the evenings. The conditions were harsh for photography, even in the mornings, but at least you could drop the ISO down to something more sensible. In the evenings I’d head down to the beach and try to do justice to the outrigger fishing boats, either at anchor or offshore, fishing with a line of bright lights marking the horizon. So was this visit a success? Photographically, time will tell, as it’s hard to judge the images so soon. But, the black-crested macaque was an engaging subject to photograph and interact with. Importantly, for me at least, the interaction was quid pro quo. I tried not to engage so directly as to elicit an aggressive response and the monkeys could exhibit similar behaviours for other reasons. For example, aggression, grinning and yawning both resulted in bared teeth, and yawning can be just a yawn or a stress response. I also found that if I was still, sometimes the engagement became more personal and endearing. While sitting there focusing on a mum and juvenile, I was approached by three juveniles. First one then the others would approach and reach out to touch me, staring at me intently. As long as I didn’t look at them directly, this game would continue. Eventually, one plucked up enough courage to hold my hand, or at least the two fingers it could get

Although the Selfie Monkey story was based on the difficulty in engaging with the Black Crested Macaque, I didn’t find it so hard.

its hand around, so the others followed suit. One started licking the salty sweat off my hand but soon the troop was moving again and after a growl from one of the adults, the game was abandoned and they scampered off. I can now certainly put the selfie monkey issue into context. David Slater got a great image but how necessary was it to try and train or at least habituate the monkeys so that they “took” that shot? According to David, the reason was because eye to eye or eye to camera engagement with the monkeys was difficult. He spent three days with the monkeys while I spent a total of four days. I found that while the monkeys didn’t necessarily like to engage in that way, it was entirely possible to obtain naturally engaging images without having to resort to the approach that he describes. Was there a Naruto? No, there wasn’t. The guides know the animals best and as far as they were concerned, none of the monkeys

had names. Interestingly, they couldn’t remember David Slater or recall anyone setting up cameras in the way he described, and no one could remember anyone from PETA turning up to investigate. The monkeys are not static within their habitat but range over a wide area. They engage in a variety of behaviours from feeding, playing, sleeping, fighting and travelling. I’m not sure that these animals, in their natural habitat and undertaking such behaviours, could be trained to press a shutter in such a short timeframe. I spent an equivalent amount of time with the macaque and engaged with them as much as was possible without disrupting their natural behaviour. At no stage did they show any interest in the camera or stop moving through the forest in their forage. Further, the facial expression of “Naruto”, the bared teeth and grin are characteristic passive-aggressive behaviours and suggest that the camera or the photographer is being challenged. One cannot tell, but my gut feeling is that it is possible that “Naruto” did not take the shot at all. Certainly none of the photographs published convincingly demonstrate that the macaque authored the

image. Was it just a good story that ultimately grew bigger than it warranted? Be that as it may, David Slater’s story and the travails that resulted from the story have raised the profile of the Suluwasi Crested Black Macaque and triggered a growth of interest in the species. Tourist numbers are increasing and the revenues these bring have resulted in more employment for locals working as guides, meaning that preservation of the species is now seen as having an economic value. That has to be beneficial, but of course there may be costs and unforeseen consequences. It is clear that from an official context, species management is seemingly non-existent and one can only wonder what would be possible if the species was subject to the same degree of active management as, for example, the Orangutan. For David Slater, I understand there is now a movie and so perhaps he will get suitable recompense for his troubles. I for one am happy for him to own copyright, in particular, because the evidence for the monkey taking the photo is, in my view, not convincing.

Most of the time, the monkeys are just indifferent to people

Photographic Society of America Achievements by Scott Fowler FPSNZ EFIAP PPSA

TWO YEARS AGO the Photographic Society of America began offering the opportunity to apply for Portfolio Distinctions; a chance to achieve letters by submitting a body of work, similar to PSNZ Honours. “Portfolio Distinctions are given for a body of work that reflects a photographer’s personal style and photographic interest,” is the PSA description. In 2017, I achieved the Bronze level with ‘Children of Savaii’. Later in the same year I achieved the Silver level with ‘Storyteller’s Imagination’ – yes, they have two submissions a year. This year I achieved the Gold Level with ‘Storyteller‘s Imagination 2’. I’m very proud to be the first Kiwi to achieve this level. I became the PSA membership director in 2016 and have encouraged many PSNZ members to join. I further challenged some of them to try for Portfolio Distinctions and, as you can see below, a diverse selection of subjects was submitted. I am happy to announce that four PSNZ members have achieved Portfolio Distinctions. Julia Home APSNZ EFIAP - Bronze level PSA

Shelley Harvey - Bronze level PSA

Helen McLeod FPSNZ - Silver level PSA

Scott Fowler FPSNZ EFIAP PPSA - Gold Level PSA

The Photographic Society of America is a great organisation that makes many free courses available to members. There are different opportunities to achieve photographic letters – either by submitting a portfolio or by entering International Salons, accredited by PSA, just like the PSNZ International Salon. When assessing portfolios, the five assessors vote ‘in’ or ‘out’ on the following criteria: 1. The statement of intent (a seventy-five word description of your body of work) – three ‘in’ votes are required. 2. The overview image combination – three ‘in’ votes are required. 3. Each individual image – three ‘in’ votes are required per image. The Portfolio Distinction programme provides an opportunity for PSA members to try something different from the popular exhibitions and camera club competitions. This programme allows your imagination to run wild - into places that may not be appropriate for exhibitions. It requires combining a story (statement of intent), using a set of related images and thoughtful presentation, whilst challenging yourself to try something different. For more information about the Photographic Society of America please feel free to contact me at scottfowlerphotography@scoiwi.com.

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

Kay Goosen-Cooper Hon PSNZ FPSNZ Foundation and Life Member I joined the Waikato Photographic Society in 1947 as a youngster and it has been full-on ever since, other than taking time off to get married and have the odd child. In 1953 I attended the first PSNZ Convention, where PSNZ was formed, and I became a Foundation Member in 1954. Several years ago, the last three remaining Foundation Members were granted Life Membership, and in 2013 I was awarded an Hon PSNZ. I served on the PSNZ Council from 1994 to 2000 and was President in 1998. I have presented programmes at the National Convention, the LPG weekends and a great number of clubs. I have been on the WPS Committee for many years being, amongst other things, President at least twice. The Rounthwaite Award for Service to WPS has come my way several times, and also the Mike Piercy Award for Diversity. I have worked on convention committees and Natex committees, and organised the very successful Golden Salon and the club’s 50th Anniversary for Waikato PS in 1987. Other than the usual club competitions, where I’ve been successful, I’ve also had Acceptances, Honours and the odd medal in various salons, including Natex. I was editor of the Waikato Newsletter for nine years, PSNZ CameraTalk for some years and revised and updated the PSNZ Directory for about eight years. I’ve evaluated my own club’s competitions, many other clubs’ work, and many PSNZ competitions, including the National Salon, several Interclub competitions, the International Sound Slide Competition, the Trans-Tasman Competitions, the North Shore Salon and a lot more. I have been a member of the PSNZ Panel of Judging/Evaluators since 1994, stepping down from it just this year. I achieved my APSNZ in 1990 and my Fellowship in 1994. Another undertaking I am proud to have been involved in was the Ronald Woolf Trust, between the years 1988 and 2015. The trust was set up in memory of Ron Woolf, to assist and encourage young photographers. Photography is so ingrained in my psyche that I guess I’ll still be pressing the shutter as they carry me out in a box. I love the challenge of digital cameras and the myriad procedures one can use in the computer.

Images by Kay Goosen-Cooper

Blast from the past THEY DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T ADVERTISE cameras like they used to. This ad is from 1963. Are there any members of PSNZ who remember or used this brand of camera?

The last image The last image in this issue was shot on the visit to the Whanganui Opera House in the upper level of the theatre that contained all the pulleys for the curtains and backdrops. Some quite clear instructions.

Image by Paul Whitham LPSNZ

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget that registrations for Hutt2019, the 67th Annual Convention of PSNZ, open on November 3, 2018. Places in all of the sessions are restricted so those that delay will miss out!!