CameraTalk August 2023

In this issue

PRESIDENT

Paul Whitham APSNZ

m: 021 644 418

e: president@photography.org.nz

SECRETARY

Janet Munnings LPSNZ LRPS

m. 022 163 0379

e. secretary@photography.org.nz

EDITOR & GRAPHIC DESIGN

Lee Boddington

c. 021 215 2823

e. leestuartcreations@gmail.com

SUBEDITOR

Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ

t. 06 348 7141

m. 027 653 0341

e. dilinz@actrix.co.nz

ADVERTISING

Aston Moss LPSNZ

m. 021 272 7866

e. aston.t.moss@gmail.com

NEXT CAMERATALK DEADLINE

25 September 2023

Email your contributions to the Subeditor. Editorial should be sent as Word or .txt files. JPEG images generally should be saved at 300 dpi, compressed to high to medium quality. Include return postage if you wish material to be returned.

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

On the Cover:

And one Fell Over by Pauline Smith APSNZ (Full photo on page 30)

The August 2023 issue of CameraTalk does not have a specific theme but covers a range of topics:

• An informative article regarding the process of putting PSNZ's annual NZC (New Zealand Camera) photobook

• An introduction to some of the keynote speakers at this year's 69th PSNZ National Convention

• A beautifully articulated article 'A Southerner's Perspective' on the Northern Regional Convention

• A thoughtful article 'A Guide to Cropping Bird Images'

• PSNZ Canon Online Round 3 Results. Check out the stunning images which took the top spots

Our next Issue (October 2023): As ever we are happy to hear from all members with ideas and articles.

A Note from the President

August is always the month that shows promise of what is to come. Where I live the kowhai comes into flower and this results in flocks of tuis arriving and racing in all directions. The morning chorus becomes a racket. I’m probably not alone in being sick of how wet and dreary the weather has been.

By the time you read this, registrations for the 2023 National Convention will have opened. As has been said before, this is the first national convention organised by a central team rather than a host club, brought to fruition after Rotorua was cancelled last year. The very small team has been working on this event very hard to bring together a good balance of speakers.

Our members shoot a wide range of genres and this can make it tricky to bring together speakers who will have a wide appeal. We also live a long way from anywhere so bringing in international speakers is very expensive.

I believe that we have achieved a good balance with our speaker lineup, and I would encourage people to look at the speaker programme with an open mind. There are few photographic skills that are specific to one genre, so it is possible to learn from photographers who shoot vastly different types of photographs than what you may do.

We recognise that many people are under financial pressure and we have tried to keep the registration fees as low as possible. Virtually all of the monies received from our trade partners have been applied to the convention. However, anyone looking for a large reduction in the registration price, due to the core part of the convention being a day less than previously, will be disappointed. Using the same venue as the 2019 convention has clearly shown how much costs have increased in the last five years. Venue and food costs have increased by a third and the panelling necessary for the exhibitions and trade area has doubled in price.

One of the small changes that you will see in 2023 will be in the way seating is arranged at the banquet. In past conventions, there has been a booking sheet on the first day for people to indicate who they wanted to sit with. While this may have been simple for the delegates it was an absolute nightmare for convention organisers. People booked for others without telling them, and the “others” booked themselves, resulting in them ending up on the list twice. Some people were included on the list because their friends knew they were at the convention, when in fact they had opted not to attend the banquet. Then you had people who were on their own and had no idea who to sit with.

After the organisers of both the 2019 and 2021 conventions said exactly the same, it was time for a change. Therefore, there will be no booking sheet at the venue. Rather, in early October, once registrations have closed, we will email all those people who have registered for the banquet and give them the opportunity to reserve their seats. Then, a week before the convention, people will be allocated to tables.

People have often said to me that conventions are a great way to meet new people, so I have never understood why people would travel hundreds of kilometres to then have dinner with the same people that they meet with on a regular basis. Rather than being

negative about this idea, please think of it as an opportunity to meet new people.

As I said in the last edition of CameraTalk the future of conventions is very much in the hands of the members. Provided that sufficient members are interested to attend and are not a financial drain on the organisation we will continue to organise them. However, if it comes to a point where we can’t financially sustain them, then we will have to look at other means.

Now some may say that the answer is to find cheaper venues, but the number of venues of the size and facilities needed is limited. We also have members who expect a certain standard and if they are not met we hear about it. The old adage that you can’t please everybody all of the time is very apt in terms of just about everything PSNZ does.

We are still fortunate that we have gone back to face-to-face events, as many organisations have not. You only need to look across the Tasman to see this. The last in-person convention run by the Australian Photographic Society was in 2019. After Covid affected subsequent ones they have abandoned face-to-face conventions in favour of totally online events.

You can measure the growth or even survival of organisations like PSNZ by the flow of new members. We are not alone in struggling to attract younger photographers but we are making some attempts in this area. One of the recent changes in Council was the move by Chryseis Phillips to be the Councillor for Membership. She has instigated a number of changes in the way we welcome new members.

In addition, we have launched a PSNZ Instagram page which can be found by searching @photographicsocietyofnz. If you are on Instagram please follow the page and if you would like to share any posts with it you can use the tags #photographicsocietyofnz or #PSNZ. As with all social media, the more engagement the site gets the greater the chance it will appear in people's feeds. Finally, good luck to all members who have submitted their Honours sets for this year. The Honours Board is meeting in August and by the end of the month people will know whether they have been successful or not. Having experienced both failure and then success at both Licentiate and Associate levels, I know the range of emotions that people are going through.

I look forward to catching up with lots of you in Lower Hutt in October.

Best regards,

Paul Whitham APSNZ President

Key Dates for the Diary

August 1

August 1

Registrations for National Convention open

Entries for PSNZ Sony National Exhibition open

August 1 Entries for National Interclubs open

August 4-6 Night Photography Workshop with Kevin Clarke ANZIPP (Christchurch)

August 6 Entries for Creative Focus close

August 12-13 Judge Training Weekend - Cambridge

August 25

August 30

August 30

September 9

September 25

Canon Online Round 4 closes

Entries for PSNZ Sony National Exhibition close

Entries for National Interclubs close

Macro Workshop with Gail Stent FPSNZ

Entries close for CT October 2023 edition

October 19 Convention Fieldtrips

October 20-22 National Convention - Lower Hutt

November 10-12 ICM Workshop with Judy Stokes APSNZ

November 25 Entries Close for CT December 2023 edition

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

New Zealand Camera: How we Select the Images

By Paul Whitham APSNZ

By the time you are reading this article, the 2023 edition of New Zealand Camera will hopefully be complete and very shortly on its way back from the printers in Hong Kong.

Before the issue arrives I thought I would share some insight into the process by which the images are selected and the book is laid out.

The PSNZ Council appoints a panel of four selectors to compile the images that make up the book. They are assisted by an administration officer. Except for finances, all decisions relating to the contents of the book are up to them, and there is no involvement of any member of Council. In making appointments we are looking for photographers who the Council believes are at the top of their game and also represent the major genres that photographers shoot. This is to ensure a balance in the book, with no one genre having dominance over the others.

The maximum number of years that a member can be on the panel is three years. Ideally not all of the panel will change at once, to maintain continuity. The 2023 panel was made up of

Chris Helliwell LPSNZ Nature

James Gibson APSNZ EFIAP/b Landscape

Julia Rae APSNZ Creative

Helen Wilkin FPSNZ MNZIPP People

Handling the administration this year was Lee Boddington.

The process for selection is as follows:

1. After the close-off date, the administrator downloads all of the images that have been submitted and creates a Lightroom catalogue with them. This year 712 images were submitted by 472 photographers.

2. The images are then exported into a separate folder so that they are all of a consistent size.

This ensures that when the selectors view the images, they are not having to scale them up or down. Anyone who has assessed a club’s work that does not have image standards will know the issue that is faced when dealing with multiple sizes.

Before anyone complains that this will affect the way the images are viewed, this practice has been followed for a very long time. The only difference now is that before 2020 the images were printed at 6 x 4 inches and the physical copies were used for the selection.

3. All metadata associated with the exported images is stripped so that the selectors do not know who the photographers are.

4. The administrator prepares a scoring sheet listing each image, again without any information about the photographer, and this is sent to the selectors.

5. The selectors then grade each image on a scale of one to five. This grading is done independently of the other selectors.

6. When the four assessments are complete, the administrator compiles the four separate scores into a single sheet that is ranked based on the combined scores.

Obviously, with an individual grading of one to five and four selectors, images will score anywhere between five and 20. This will also identify a potential cut-off point given that only 150 images can make the book.

7. The administrator will also identify images above the cut-off point where there are two images submitted by the same photographer. I should point out that this cut-off point is only a guide as you will see as we move into the actual layout stage.

8. The selectors now arrange to meet over Zoom and finalise the selection. Since 2020 they have used the Lightroom Book module for the layout. One selector always takes a lead in this process and will start by laying out the high-ranking images in a very rough order so that the group is not starting from a completely blank page.

Anyone who has laid out a book, or put an honours set together, knows that trying to get images to flow from one page to the next, and then have images that work together when they appear next to each other when the book is open, is a very tricky exercise. Complicating it further is that the book needs to be representative of all styles and genres, and we do not want to see too many images that are similar to others.

For this reason, while achieving a very high score will enable an image to be considered for selection, it does not guarantee that it will make the final cut. In fact, images that scored lower than others may be included because they better fit the overall design of the book.

9. As mentioned above the two images in a spread have to work together, and sometimes

this can only be achieved by flipping one of the images. However, this is never done without the express permission of the photographer.

10. Once all images are selected, a PDF of the book is created. This enables the flow to be checked away from Lightroom and is also used as a reference for the printers when they take over the layout.

11. The final role for the selectors is to choose the cover image. This has to be already in the book, but not all images will be in consideration. The book is almost square in format (255 x 245 mm) and the selected image has to fill the space, allowing space for the titles. This will rule out many of the images; since 2017 only one non-square image has been used and that was heavily cropped.

I hope this will provide you with an insight into the selection process. Later this year James Gibson APSNZ EFIAP/b will be sharing his thoughts on how you can improve your chances of having images considered for selection.

69th PSNZ National Convention Speakers

Great news! The 69th National Convention will soon be upon us after a hiatus of two years. There is a great line-up of speakers covering portraiture to nature and beyond into the astrosphere.

This year’s speakers and short bios follow:

Kris Anderson

Nailing the Narrative & Dance Photography

In these two sessions, commercial and fine art photographer Kris Anderson will take you through the techniques he uses to craft engaging narrative-driven images that keep a viewer hooked and will walk you through his approach to studio dance photography sessions.

Simon Runting Bird Photography

Simon will talk about putting the X-factor into your bird photography images. He will show a series of bird images and the back stories behind them around planning and essential tips and techniques.

Astrophotography

Rachel will share with you her story of how she started in Astrophotography, being a single parent with the juggle of motherhood, and a business woman with many hats.

Rachel Gillespie

Birgit will share some photographs from her ongoing project with Māori tribe, Tūhoe. But first, share a little about her adventures on a container ship to Philadelphia, travelling through Siberia on the Trans-Siberian railway. From a small-town cop in Missouri, to ‘Smitty’, a musician in Brooklyn NY.

Charles will be presenting his Architecture in Music series which has become an international phenomenon. His exquisite images showcasing a wide range of musical instruments from the inside have garnered attention internationally.

Annette will explore her photographic journey, with a particular emphasis on her floral work showcasing her latest conceptual work titled The Gift.

Have your fingers on the keyboard by 8.00 am on Tuesday 1 August when registrations open. Further details are on the website - https:// national.photography.org.nz/

We look forward to seeing you at Lower Hutt.

Birgit Krippner Travel Adventures

Charles Brooks Architecture in Music

Annette Johnston FPSNZ The Unfurling

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The Northern Regional Convention - a Southerner's Perspective

By Barbara Lee APSNZ

Why would I go all the way from Te Anau to Whangārei for a convention? There were lots of reasons! There were two driving factors; it suited to combine the convention with a family visit to Kerikeri, and I wanted an excuse to visit the Hundertwasser Centre which was only opened last year. The opportunity to meet up with some fellow photographers at the same time was the icing on the cake!

Sean Aickin from Splendid Photo in Wellington got us thinking with an intro on how to digitise slides and old negatives simply and cheaply (even if not quickly) by various methods. It is labour-intensive, and whether I will try it out remains to be seen. Some very helpful tips there – thanks, Sean.

For me, half the fun of conventions is going somewhere I may not be familiar with and seeing their home territory through the eyes of local photographers. Congratulations to the Whangārei Camera Club for putting their hands up to host this year’s Northern Regional! It’s a shame not more folks came along to sample the local delights but, on the other hand, a smaller number made it easier to socialise. I loved having the seating arranged around round tables; it made for more informality, even if most of us couldn’t hear what was said on the opposite side of the table, half the time!

Helen Westerbeke FPSNZ inspired us to improve our photography by taking (and posting) an image a day, thereby progressing slowly but surely. I’m not sure that my FB friends could stomach an image a day from me, but Helen’s certainly weren’t boring as she whizzed through a sample of her portfolio at breakneck speed.

Bruce Girdwood FPSNZ took us on his photographic journey, reminding us that photography is a journey. If we think we have arrived we deceive ourselves.

The highlight of the talks for me was a presentation by Charles Brooks who went into the detail of how he produces those stunning Architecture in Music images. He even allowed us to have a careful look at his megaexpensive, periscope-style macro lenses which he uses to see inside the instruments. Those going to the National Convention will have another opportunity to see this – not to be missed, I can assure you!

waving my camera around in an undisciplined fashion at whatever caught my eye. Bliss!

The evening’s entertainment was provided by a local group of very colourful belly dancers who did admirably well in a less-than-ideal spot – at one end of the convention room. This did not deter the paparazzi though! Food arrived in

The weather wasn’t the best – and I felt for those who opted for some of the field trips. I went on the Town Basin trip, including the Hundertwasser, so I had lots of places to hide from the showers. Needless to say, I lost my group within the first ten minutes. I just loved wandering around at will and being answerable to nobody. I don’t usually do street or architecture photography, but it was fun

flavoursome, abundant quantities at frequent intervals – no need for emergency supplies in your camera bag here!

Last, but not least, I made a lovely new friend! I responded to a FB post by Sue Morton, looking for someone to share accommodation with. We clicked (both Canon users!) and enjoyed sharing and getting to know each other. A great tip for others considering a solo trip, especially when one does not expect to know many (or any) folks at a convention.

Yes, it is more expensive to go “overseas” to a convention, but I can highly recommend the experience! Who doesn’t have friends and “rellies” in far-flung places that they can use to justify a trip somewhere? If one happens to tag on a couple of days (and a bag of camera gear) for a convention, well – that is just a bonus, isn’t it?

Judge Training Weekend

PSNZ will be hosting an "in person" Judge Training Weekend on 12 and 13 of August 2023 in Cambridge, North Island, at the Cambridge Cricket Club on Dick Street.

The workshop is from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm on Saturday from 9:30 am to 4:00 pm on Sunday.

This is an opportunity to come and see what the process is for gaining accreditation and understand what the judges are looking for

PSNZ Interclub Salons

when they assess your images. You will gain an insight into what is involved, how to view images, critique and communicate the results to the photographer. Comprehensive handout notes are provided at the workshop.

There is no expectation that those who attend will continue on to become a PSNZ Accredited Judge.

The trainers for this weekend will be Shona Jaray APSNZ, and Neil Gordon APSNZ.

FIAP News: 30th Colour Biennial, Greece 2023

By Ann Bastion Hon PSNZ FPSNZ EFIAP/b MFIAP FIAP Liaison Officer

It has been a long wait for members who participated in this free FIAP event. A reminder that FIAP holds a Biennial every year, alternating between colour PI one year and B&W prints the following year. The Biennial is a competition between all the countries that make up FIAP (International Federation of Photographic Art).

This year it was a colour PI set of 20 images. Earlier in the year we invited members to submit images to be considered for selection in the New Zealand entry.

Forty countries entered and New Zealand was placed 30th. It isn’t the placing we hoped for but we have had years where we were in the top twelve. Maybe next year...

How does FIAP score each submitted set?

Each image is scored in its own right, and then the set is assembled and given a score for coherence. The 21 scores are then added together to give the final score for the country. You can go to FIAP and view the other countries' entries at https://www.fiap.net/en/ biennials. In addition to that, each individual score over 8 is eligible for an acceptance when applying for FIAP distinctions.

PSNZ also recognises the top three individuals’ scores. You will see that there are often more than one person with the same score.

Below is the list of authors in order of the images and rows.

FIAP News: 30th Colour Biennial, Greece 2023

A Guide to Cropping Bird Images

By Toya Heatley FPSNZ AFIAP

This article was first published here: https:// www.digitalpix.co.nz/a-guide-to-cropping-birdimages/

Cropping images is very much a personal style choice, but over the years I have learned that there are some guidelines that, if followed, will enhance how the bird is seen within the image. This guide is how I assess and crop my own images. I mostly use a square crop because I feel it best suits the style of bird photography that I do, but I am open to changing it if I feel the bird requires a different crop or indeed, no crop at all.

The image above is the full frame, straight out of the camera without being cropped. In this case, I would probably not crop it at all. The main reason for this is the direction in which the duck is facing. When we look at a bird in an image, we don't just look at the bird. We look at the possibilities within the image.

Is the duck going to fly off? If this is the case it would likely fly off in the direction that it is looking. Already, in my mind, I am seeing the duck take flight, so it is natural that I can visualise that there is room for the duck to take flight within the image.

What if I specifically just want to show off the details in the bird’s feathers and feet?

The crop above does exactly that, however, the duck now “feels” cramped within the image. It becomes harder to understand why the duck is looking that way and harder to anticipate what the duck might do next. The story within the image is lost and the duck has nowhere to go. I generally do not crop my images in this way. Focusing on details can be done with other crops if necessary.

By cropping into the square format I am able to bring the focus onto the duck and its feathers without cramping it within the frame.

I have left enough of the duck in the image to be able to identify it and also given it room to move forward in my mind's eye. I have aimed to keep the eye of the bird on one of the lines of thirds. This is a "rule" that we hear about a lot; however I do not see it as a rule, rather a tool to place the duck comfortably within its frame.

Not everyone is going to want or like a square crop or particularly want to get in that close to the details in the duck. In this case my ideal crop would be the one below. In this crop the duck has room to move. It is sitting on a fence post and the posts before and after are visible within the image and provide a diagonal line across the bottom of the image – grounding the duck. All the details of the duck are clear and in focus, making them easy to see by the viewer, and the story within the image is intact. I can already see the duck leaning forward with wings just starting to spread, taking off into flight.

How you crop your images is as I said at the beginning – personal choice. Your own personal style is important to you and I am not saying you shouldn't continue as you normally do. What I am suggesting here is to take a few minutes to think about your image before you make the crop. Think about what you are trying to portray within the image.

Where is the story? Could someone else find that story if they didn't know anything about the how and why the image was made?

What is the purpose of this image? If it is to be entered into a competition, then giving the duck or bird room to move could be the difference between your image doing well in the competition or being discarded during the first assessment.

In case your are wondering, the model for this guide resides at Staglands Wildlife Reserve & Café, one of my favourite local places to visit with my camera.

FIAP Requirements for Print Acceptances

By Ann Bastion Hon PSNZ FPSNZ EFIAP/b MFIAP FIAP Liaison Officer

As previously explained, we are back to using the rules as laid out in Document 011/2016 E, the one we have been using for the last six or seven years. FIAP hopes to bring out new regulations for 2025 when there will likely be an increase in numbers required at some levels.

So, what does this mean for the next two years?

In 2023 (this year)

• From 1 January 2023 there will be an exemption to the requirement of “print acceptances” as set out in document 11/2016 E but, if you do have acceptances in prints, then they will be counted.

• Reduced fees (€50 instead of €70) extend to the end of 2023.

In 2024 (next year)

• From 1 January 2024, the requirements as set out in document 11/2016 E will apply in full, including the requirement for print acceptances for the AFIAP and EFIAP levels, plus fees back to full (€70).

• If you are intending to apply for AFIAP or EFIAP in 2024 or beyond, you should be entering some print sections in salons now, to meet the requirement for next year as set out in Doc 011/2016.

• AFIAP requires four print acceptances and EFIAP requires 12 print acceptances.

• Continue to work towards producing new photographic works and seek to gain at least five acceptances with each of these. This is because it is very likely that the new regulations in 2025 will be requiring a Title to have no more than five acceptances before

you can no longer use it. FIAP is looking for ways to encourage new work.

As always, if you want to know any more about FIAP distinctions and how to go about applying for them, contact:

Ann Bastion - ajbastion@gmail.com.

The Challenges of Selecting a Coherent Set

Having helped with selections both here and internationally I would like to explain a little about how it works. There is a big difference between forming a set for yourself (where you have control over creating the images) and forming a set from other people’s work.

When creating a set for yourself, you have a concept and take your photos accordingly. You have control over the subject, lighting, lens, colour weight, etc. When forming a set from other people’s work, you have lots of great images, all worthy of selection, but also a lot of different styles, lighting etc, and they do not always sit together harmoniously.

For the FIAP Biennials, there is a theme that is decided upon before the call for submissions. Within this theme, we are looking for a progressive flow of story that needs to be considered. This year we had the theme of Mountains to the Sea. We started with mountains, then to lakes, and finally to the sea.

There are 20 images to the set and although, as Projected Images, they are judged in a line, they are also presented to the judges in four rows of five. This way the judges can see the coherence of the set as a whole and whether it relates to its title. This is why it is important to achieve continuity and flow from one image to the next.

There might be 60 great images of mountains, but we could only select five (for that top row) that sat well together in impact, colour, weight and flow. So, you can see that just because your image was not chosen, it doesn’t mean it wasn’t good enough. It was just that it didn’t fit in the row for some reason. Perhaps it had completely different lighting or the overall colour was different to the rest.

Selectors for all competitions and NZ Camera appreciate that you offer your images to be considered. Without them, there would be no competitions or challenges.

Whanganui Salon 2023

By John Smart APSNZ

The third running of the Whanganui Salon in its new form saw good growth, with 469 entries from 76 photographers across New Zealand.

The unique theme of the Salon, Humanity and Earth, sets this biennial event apart from other New Zealand salons and competitions. With three categories Aotearoa New Zealand Heritage, Living in a Changing World and Humanity and the Natural World –entrants’ images reflected very personal and diverse views of humankind’s interaction with our planet.

New Plymouth photographer Margaret Irving APSNZ won the supreme award, the Vonnie Cave Gold Medal, with her image Irishman Creek Roadman's Hut, which also won the Aotearoa New Zealand Heritage category. She was guest of honour at the Club’s special celebration and announcement of the results. Helen McLeod FPSNZ GPSA ARPS won the

Living in a Changing World category with her image Abandoned for the Sake of Progress, and John Helsdon won the Humanity and the Natural World category with his image Before Becoming a Handbag.

Irishman Creek Roadman's Hut

The judges, Simon Woolf, Gail Stent FPSNZ and David Oliver, did a great job in selecting photographically strong images that resonated with the salon themes, often conveying a powerful message. The competition was very keenly contested, with only 25 per cent of the images awarded Acceptance or better.

All the images and the full list of awardees for each category can be found at https://www. whanganuicameraclub.org.nz/whanganuisalon-2023.html.

The Salon is well supported by sponsors Progear Photographic, Print Art, Wellington Photographic Supplies and Whanganui Photo and Print.

Abandoned for the Sake of Progress

Before Becoming a Handbag

AV News

By Trish McAuslan FPSNZ AV-AAPS EFIAP/b FAPS Coordinator of Audio-Visuals for PSNZ

Tauranga AV Salon

Another successful Salon was run by the Tauranga Photographic Society. This year there were 99 entries from nine countries. New Zealand was well represented with fourteen people entering 22 AVs. Congratulations to those who were successful.

The Novice Award went to Barb Lewis for her AV Ocean Sport. This award is for a New Zealand entrant who hasn’t been successful in the Tauranga Salon previously. The AV must gain at least an acceptance to be considered for this award. Barb’s AV was about the North Island and TransTasman Surfboat Challenge, held at Waihi Beach earlier this year.

The winner of the World of Nature category was Trish McAuslan FPSNZ EFIAP/b AV-AAPS with an AV about the White Fronted Terns of

Hairini Bridge. When Trish was taking photos for what eventually became a Fellowship set she visited the bridge regularly and took countless images. This AV used some of the images to expand on the story of the terns.

Special congratulations to Sheryl Williams

APSNZ who was the most successful New Zealand entrant. Sheryl was awarded Merit Certificates for Bryce Canyon and Central Otago Autumn as well as two acceptances for A Floral Rainbow and The Masks We Wear

Bob McCree FPSNZ was awarded a Merit Certificate for Sunset Poem.

Bruce Burgess FPSNZ gained an Acceptance with Memorial to 9-11.

John Burford APSNZ gained an Acceptance with A Silly Africa Story.

A YouTube presentation of all the Winning AVs and those that were awarded Merit Certificates is available until 4 September. This programme is unlisted and you need a link to be able to see it. If you would like to watch some or all of this programme please contact me, Trish McAuslan, for the link. My contact details are at the head of this article.

Congratulations to Bob McCree FPSNZ who received an acceptance in the Jurassic Coast International Audio-Visual Salon (England).

Upcoming AV Salons

AV Makers South Africa hold a theme competition each year, open to all AV makers. The theme for this year is Hope. Entry into this competition is free, so why not give it a go?

For more information, check out this website: https://sites.google.com/.../av-makers-sa/ hope-2023...

Entries for the Royal Photographic Society’s 25th International Audio-Visual Festival (England) close on 27 August.

For more information, check out the website: https://rps.org/iavf

A Hint for AV Workers

If you are having trouble finding suitable music, try recording a narration which will become your main audio track. You can either put some quiet music under the narration to fill empty spaces or consider not including any music at all. I can already hear some of you saying that you don’t like the sound of your voice when it is recorded. Just do it a few times and not only will you get accustomed to hearing your voice but you will begin to relax and sound more natural. Remember that others will not react the same way that you do.

Check back to some earlier copies of CameraTalk for information on creating a narration or spoken commentary. There were relevant articles in 2021 in June, August and October. In February and April 2023, there was information on how to use Garageband (only for Apple users). The links to past copies of CameraTalk are on the PSNZ website.

PSNZ Canon Online Photographer 2023 Round 3 Results

By John Hawkins PSNZ Canon Online Coordinator

The Winner!

Congratulations to Barbara Lee APSNZ, winner of the Canon Online round 3 for 2023. There were 99 entries in this round.

About Barbara and her winning image…

My photography usually starts out as opportunistic – what happens to catch my eye when out with the dog. The results are largely mediocre, but sometimes an image stimulates me to do something with it. Time Ticking was such a one.

Upon finding a perfectly intact dandelion seed head, I “gardened” it and was just about to push the shutter, when said dog bounded up and brushed against it – aargh! Ruination! But I took a photo anyway and, yes, it was a decidedly ordinary image. But it made me think of the transience of life – the beauty and the sadness, of beginnings and endings.

I did not achieve optimum focus (oops!), so masked that with PP. I applied extreme clarity and sharpening on the lower spent parts and radiating “pixel explosion” on the upper part. I then added texture and a “grunge” filter to help bring out the story.

About Cushla Moorhead, our judge for this round…

I am an artist and photographer. I did a judge training weekend some years ago, solely for the benefit of my own photography. I had no intention of being an accredited judge when I started. I thoroughly enjoy evaluating work for clubs and seeing all the wonderful images from around the country. My own photography is veering more to composite work which I enjoy.

Judge’s Comments

I feel privileged to be asked to evaluate these lovely images for Canon Online. The standard is high and it took me a while to decide on the top six as I feel there is very little between them. The simplicity of the story and the lighting were two of the aspects that I followed.

1st - Time Ticking by

Barbara Lee ASPNZ

I have seen and taken lots of images of dandelions. This one caught my attention because it was completely different. The texture of the background adds depth and I love the way the seeds appear to be trembling, ready to fly. It looks very simple yet it is quite a complex image.

2nd - Sorry, I'm not Heron you by Peter Foulds

This is such a delightful and fun image with a very clever play on words in the title. I laughed out loud at it. For that alone it is worth second place. A great image too.

3rd - Lady in Red by Terry Molvik

I feel that might be the name of the rose as I have one in my garden. It is a beautiful image. I have a visceral reaction to it. It ticked all the boxes for me – composition, simplicity and details to tell the story.

4th - And one fell over by Pauline Smith APSNZ

A well-lit sharp image that stood out from the black background with such clarity. The one that fell over made this image.

This image made me smile. I think it is very clever and very well done, with just the right balance between the birds and the cups. It is imaginative and unique. The lighting draws me in.

5th - High Tea by Julia Rae APSNZ

The detail in this is so interesting and sharp. I love the way the tiny hairs show against the background and the lighting shows them up in the centre too. Simple and effective.

6th - Ponga Frond by John Smart APSNZ

I found the eyes very compelling. There is something about his expression and his eyes that kept me coming back to this image.

7th - Boy, Agra by Lynn Fothergill LPSNZ

The delight of childhood is expressed for me in this very natural-looking image. Such a lovely feeling of joy.

8th - Amelia by Sheryl Williams APSNZ

- These People Are Our People

I feel there is so much information in this image, yet it has been very cleverly coalesced into the sign in the front. The other placards are still readable and give more of the story. Very historic.

9th

by Dianna Hambleton APSNZ

The fierceness of the birds as they fight over the prey is well portrayed. It gives me an insight into the behaviour of the kahu and I like how it shows a different aspect that I wouldn’t normally see.

10th - Kahu Dispute by Jeanette Nee APSNZ

SCAN TO LEARN MORE

EOS R8

POWERFUL. PORTABLE.

Photo Opportunities

By Paul Whitham APSNZ

Since 2019 PSNZ has been running a very successful series of workshops each year. We started with six and now have more than ten each year. In order to spread the opportunity around, workshop registrations are limited so that you can only attend one each year. Also, in order to maximise the participants' experience the number on each workshop is capped. While we have run some at 30, the majority have had between 10 and 15 participants.

Given the amount of time and effort necessary to organise workshops, we are almost at the capacity of what we can provide within a year. That means that in any year there will be a lot of members who miss out.

We are looking into the feasibility of running some additional events which will take the form of photo opportunities. They would not replace workshops but rather be run in conjunction with them.

We will look to gain access to locations that may not be easily accessible to the general public and then provide the opportunity for photographers to shoot there. We want to make it clear that these are not workshops and therefore will not be run by tutors. They will also not be catered.

We believe that in this way we will be able to expand the opportunities for all of our members to simply get out and shoot. While there will be no tutor, when you shoot with other photographers there is always the opportunity to share knowledge.

Before we proceed with this notion we would appreciate feedback from the membership. Those on Facebook could use the private group and those who are not could email their feedback direct to:

President@photography.org.nz

The Ultimate Hybrid

PSNZ Membership Benefits

• Expert advice and continual education to help improve your photography.

• The opportunity to achieve a Society distinction (Licentiate LPSNZ, Associate APSNZ, Fellowship FPSNZ).

• The opportunity to apply for FIAP (International Federation of Photographic Art) distinctions via the liaison officer. (PSNZ is a member of FIAP.)

• The opportunity to attend one (or more) PSNZ Workshop Series events annually.

• A complimentary copy of New Zealand Camera, and the opportunity to submit your images for this publication.

• Access to member-only resources, including a member-only PSNZ Facebook page.

• The opportunity to enter images into national and international competitions.

• Discounts to Society activities (e.g. annual PSNZ national convention, workshops, international competitions).

• The opportunity to participate in regional club meetings and events.

• Receive a copy of our bi-monthly members magazine – NZ CameraTalk

• The opportunity to exhibit your work in regional and national exhibitions (e.g. PSNZ Sony National Exhibition).

• Subsidised access to judge training workshops through the Judge Accreditation Programme.

• Ability to promote your personal website to our members.

• Receive our regular blog posts to stay up to date with the latest news on events, activities and special offers.

• Product discounts and savings from our corporate partners and associated companies.

• Discounts to some NZIPP national events.

• The opportunity to join a PSNZ print circle.

Welcome to Our New PSNZ Members!

Nikolai Vakhroushev

Olga Vakhrousheva

Monita Baird

John Keating

Wei Jiang

Raewyn Smith

Annah Stretton

Brian Fuller

Christopher Tuffley

Fred Matthys

Ineke Matthys-Roos

Candice Bardsley

Kelly Cavanagh

Notices

Corrections - NZ CameraTalk June 2023 Edition

We are currently aware of four caption errors:

• p.21 Colour shot – Mark Stevens

• p.21 Lower right – Mark Stevens

• p.22 Second row – Mark Stevens

• p.24 Second row – Mark Stevens

Our sincere apologies for these errors.

HELPING PHOTOGRAPHERS GROW