Changes on Council

Following the AGM there were a number of new members and changes in portfolios on the Council.

New to Council

Mark Burgess APSNZ has been active in photography for the last ten years and gained his APSNZ in 2022. He has over thirty years’ experience in product commercialisation and market development, focusing on technologies supporting innovation in business.

Mark is active in the photographic community, having served as a committee member for the Auckland Photographic Society, and on the organising team of the Auckland Convention in 2017, Taupō Regional in 2021, and Rotorua National in 2022 (unfortunately, the last two events cancelled due to Covid), where his main responsibility was organising convention field trips.

Having travelled widely throughout New Zealand, Mark has a good understanding of workshop locations. This knowledge, coupled with his experience in organising field trips and skills in mentoring, will be invaluable to PSNZ in his role as Councillor for Workshops.

Richard Passey has been a PSNZ member for 13 years, and a member of the Whanganui Camera Club, Henderson Photographic Society and Waiuku Camera Club since 2007. He has been President of the Whanganui Camera Club and a committee member of all three clubs. He is currently a member of Taupō Camera Club which he joined at the beginning of 2023. His main fields of photography are ICM, multiple imaging, impressionism and abstract. However, he also dabbles in landscape, nature, and family photography with his grandchildren.

Richard brings a wealth of experience to Council as the holder of the Events portfolio. He has been a member of the PSNZ Events Committee since 2022, assisting with the regional and national conventions, and has also been on committees for various other organisations, assisting in running national and local events.

David Vale will be holding the position of Councillor for Communications. He is an Auckland-based photographer who is passionate about the art of urban and landscape photography. He has extensive experience as a committee member across several organisations. He has served on the committee for the Akarana Scout Group for over ten years. He was a founding member of the Enfield Riders Club of Auckland where he was involved in club activities such as web design, event organisation, health and safety, and building relationships with local dealers and other members.

David is currently employed in a leadership position in a large corporate head office based in Auckland and is looking forward to being instrumental in helping other photographers grow.

Janet Munnings LPSNZ LRPS has recently taken on the role of secretary. She has lived in NZ for the last 17 years having moved from the UK with her husband. She has been a member of the Hibiscus Coast Photographic Society, North Shore Photographic Society and Henderson clubs for many years, taking on the role of Secretary, and is a past President at North Shore. Janet is a PSNZ accredited judge and mentor.

Changes in Role

Caroline Ludford LPSNZ LRPS has been given the role of Vice President with a view that she will step into the role of President in 2024.

She joined Council in 2022 to take the role of Councillor for Salons. She is responsible for the PSNZ salons, national and regional exhibitions, inter-clubs and international salons. Caroline has been accredited as a PSNZ Judge since 2017, in both open and nature categories. Until taking up the Council role she acted as chair of the Judge Accreditation Panel and assisted in the PSNZ judge training weekends (now held on zoom).

Whilst living in the Auckland area Caroline was a member of both the Hibiscus Coast Photographic Society and the North Shore Photographic Society. During that time she assisted in the running of the hugely successful North Shore Salon. Caroline now lives on the Kapiti Coast and is a member of the Kapiti Coast Photographic Society.

Chryseis Phillips has been a PSNZ member since 2012 and a member of Council since 2020. Whilst she originally held the role of Secretary, from 2023 she will be relinquishing this position and will assume the role of Councillor for Membership. She was also President of the Aotearoa Philippines Photographic Society (APPS), now known as the Johnsonville Camera Club, for two years from 2014 to 2016.

In 2010, she completed the NZ Institute of Business Studies’ Freelance Travel Writing and Photography Course with the aim of being a travel photojournalist. However, she has found herself focusing on family portraiture, special events and kindergarten class photos.

When not behind the camera, Chryseis sits behind the reception desk at Hospice Taranaki where she works full-time.

Simon Forsyth has been a member of the PSNZ Council since 2021. He has always been passionate about landscape photography, especially those created in black and white. He also enjoys portrait photography, particularly of families, children, couples and pets.

This year, Simon will hold the Special Projects portfolio. He, together with the other members of Council, will be focusing on how best to commemorate PSNZ’s 70th anniversary. In addition, he will be overseeing the printing and distribution of NZ Camera.

He is a past President and Life member of the Kapiti Coast Camera Club, a PSNZ-accredited judge and a current mentor to several members.