NZIPP 2022 Sony Iris and Photoshow

NZIPP 2022 Iris Awards and New Zealand Photoshow

Paul Willyams APSNZ AFIAP MNZIPP reviews the Iris Awards and New Zealand Photoshow and addresses questions for PSNZ members – should I enter? Should I attend?

Haumi e, hui e, taiki e

I have been to several NZIPP conferences but skipped the last one or two. This year I took the early bird plunge, blocked out the time, dodged the bad weather and drove up to Nelson with Mike White for NZIPP’s annual Iris Awards and Photoshow. Some PSNZ members are interested in these events but might not be sure if Iris and Photoshow are useful or even open to non-NZIPP members. I hope to help you to make a decision for next year.

PSNZ and NZIPP have been working together more closely and provide a range of shared events and cross-discounts to members. PSNZ members are generally welcome at Photoshow and to observe Iris judging, but might not be eligible for Iris entries. PSNZ member discounts are offered.

The Iris Awards and the NZ Photoshow run consecutively at the same venue (the Trafalgar Centre in Nelson). Entry to watch the Iris judging is free. You have to register for the Photoshow conference but it is not too expensive, and the early bird random draw prize was jaw-dropping. You can visit the trade shows for free and there are some free public seminars.

Several PSNZ members competed in the Iris awards, with considerable success. I might well have missed some, apologies in advance, but they include

• Mike White APSNZ

• Kurien Koshy Yohannan

• Tracy Perrin

• Evan Davies LPSNZ

• Brenda Pinfold

• Rachel Spillane.

• Tracey Scott FPSNZ AFIAP MNZIPP (Dist.) IV won the Travel Category. • Louise Knight APSNZ was a finalist in the student category

• Chris Helliwell LPSNZ won a Gold medal and took out the Nature Photography category.

• Simone Jackson APSNZ was a Nature and Wedding in-camera finalist.

I didn’t enter Iris this year, but I did vicariously enjoy Mike White’s successes – maybe next time. For information about the Iris Awards, visit www.irisawards.com.

Judging takes place over three days. I sat in on several categories, flitting between three judging rooms. The sessions are long as each image gets several minutes’ consideration but the Chair and organisers keep things moving along. It is a pretty sick operation, albeit with the occasional glitch.

The awards are open to all professional photographers, nationally and internationally. “Professional” means you are making an income from photography, but maybe not yet a living. This year there were a lot of Australian entries, as the Australian equivalent of NZIPP has closed. There were lots of aerial shots of dramatically coloured landscapes, from Western Australia I think.

There are several categories and entries can be prints or, currently, digital is allowed. Some categories are for in-camera work only (raw originals required) but in Creative almost anything goes. All elements must be current – this rule is getting tighter every year. Old professional work doesn’t count. You must be bold, innovative and different.

There is also a Student category which always has some amazing and original work – worth viewing. If you are doing a photo diploma you might want to enter.

Entry costs a lot compared to PSNZ Sony National Exhibition. You can enter up to ten images.

NZIPP 2022 Iris Awards and New Zealand Photoshow

You pay a “per image” fee, plus a handling charge per box, which you also have to buy as a first-time entrant. Add printing and matting costs; many photographers use a boutique printing service to get the best possible results. Depending on your membership status and number of entries, I estimate the cost would be around $70 to $120 per image.

Some of the new Washi papers used cost $30 per A4 sheet. But for that you get a chaired panel of five judges who independently examine and consider every image, invoking complex procedural rules to reach a consensus score via debate. Every image receives a comment, even if the judges agree without debate.

The judges come from different backgrounds and often have totally different views about images. They are chosen on the ability to articulate their assessment and to listen to their colleagues and their debates are most informative and entertaining.

You can watch the judging live-streamed or after the event, but I found being there made a huge difference, especially for prints. Some images that look like “nothing” in the digital version burst into life as a print. Although all mats must be 40cm by 50cm, some entrants use extreme matting styles to provide that point of difference the judges are looking for. Presentation is important.

The scoring and awards system is quite different to Natex. A 100-point scoring system is used, but most images will score 60 or better. A score over 75 is awarded a Bronze medal, over 80 a Silver, and over 90 a Gold. A high Silver or Gold is awarded Distinction. There are prescribed criteria for each level and they are shown in the terms of entry.

Many Bronze medals are awarded. Fewer receive Silver, and only the very top images are awarded Gold. In some categories, no Golds were awarded. Only the awarded images are displayed – there is no Acceptance category. To a PSNZ member, it might appear they are giving out medals like candy, but this works for professional photographers who can use the awards for marketing and display the prints in their studios. Having said that, the criteria for Bronze were notched up recently. Below 75 you have a High Professional Standard, which is good work but what is expected of a professional photographer in their day-to-day business. A lot of perfectly fine images receive that score. You have to climb to the next level, then the next, then the next.

I found that Bronze and Silver are achievable by talented PSNZ photographers, like Mike White and Kurien Yohannan. Gold is really hard. The bar becomes higher every year. Everyone is in it for medals, or better because aside from medals there are also high profile category winners, regional winners, overseas photographer winners etc, all announced at a formal Gala evening on the last night of the Photoshow with some sore heads next morning!

Each Iris medal earns merit points, which accumulate to gain NZIPP distinctions – Associate, Master, Grand Master, with various levels in between. However, you have to be NZIPP accredited to gain a distinction. Accreditation is a separate process which is based on a portfolio review.

Overall I would only enter Iris to further my professional work in photography, as it gives you an indication of your professional standing, and the medals and distinctions can help with marketing. I would only enter work I am very confident about. I don’t recommend it to everyone, but it is worth popping in or logging on to listen in to the judging and see the awarded images – and that is free.

The two-day Photoshow, viewed at https://nzphotoshow.co.nz/, follows the Iris Award judging and has a large audience. Trade stands are available to the public with all the major camera brands and some paper suppliers, insurance brokers and other equipment. The trade stands didn’t have the variety of suppliers that I remember

from PSNZ National Conferences. For example, I thought I might pick up a backpack or a cheap flash unit, but no. The range of cameras and lenses was huge!

The main event was a series of one-hour presentations, with decent breaks between. I enjoyed every speaker. There was a mix of local and international content, with a couple teleporting in. No technical issues, everyone kept to time and was well rehearsed and MCed – fantastic!

The emphasis was on the life and business of photography, not technology or techniques. You could say “inspirational”, but there was an underlying practicality and challenges were acknowledged.

Nicole Dove is a stills photographer for movies – providing images used on posters and marketing – notably including the latest Bond movie. It is another world, working with actors and directors and keeping out of the frame while getting great shots. Her humble beginnings, as a photographer for the Nelson Telegraph, allowed us to connect with her journey which was full of technical, practical and personal challenges. Living the dream maybe, but not for the faint-hearted! Visit https://nicoladove.com/film-stills.

Billy Plummer, https://billyplummer.com/, is a creative commercial photographer based in Sydney. His advice for getting great commercial work is to not submit your standard portfolio to agencies showing you can do the job; instead, show your personal work in your own unique style. Aim to be “surprisingly relevant”, as was his presentation. I think it was Billy who also raised the spectre of AI for the creative photography industry. This was seemingly borne out, at least in part a few days later, with this story: https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/us-canada/300678414/ he-used-ai-to-win-a-finearts-competition-but-was-itcheating

Tony Stewart has the mana of a twenty-plus year photography career and has done the hard yards, building a successful business in Christchurch. However, when he said he had 22 points to make, based on his experience, I inwardly groaned – death by PowerPoint! But, all the points were delivered with clarity, insight and great humour and were particularly relevant to the audience. And, like the other presenters, he finished right on time. https://www.photoshots.co.nz/

Summer Murdock is a commercial photographer based in Utah. She talked about using light, mainly natural light, for her portraits. She said photos are “light + story + composition”. She was a bit flummoxed when asked about shooting in overcast conditions: We don’t get much cloud in Utah. https://www.summermurdock.com/

Simon Runting is a bird photographer, well known to many PSNZ members. This genre is not so familiar to professional photographers, and Simon showed how it should be done with a variety of captivating images. His core advice – eye in crisp focus, get close, get low, take a change of clothes, get close but never disturb a bird, let the bird get used to your presence – all good stuff, but the results are inspiring. See interviews at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIooqyABsjU, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuZofof5ZFw.

Zhou Ya is a destination wedding photographer based in Christchurch. His work is spectacular and cinematic with flowing gowns in epic landscapes. He delivered a humorous presentation outlining the evolution of his business. He emphasised that your portfolio should show the work you want to get. Your best work might not be repeatable or commercially viable. You need a repeatable concept to sell and deliver. He cautioned against having too wide a scope, likening it to a “food court with one chef”. https://www. zhuoya.photo/

Janyne Fletcher is a landscape photographer with a gallery in Ranfurly. She described the challenges of operating a business like hers in a remote location. She and her husband also frame the prints. Her presentation was focused and expertly delivered. A key point was to maintain consistent pricing across all channels and over time. If you are passing through Ranfurly you should pop in for a chat and a browse. https://www.janynefletchershop.co.nz/

Kris Anderson was the final presenter ̶ and was the one I took the most notes from. Too much to go into here, as he went into principles of composition, well illustrated by his own work. He finished with a message that echoed other presenters: take courage, be vulnerable, let “you” show in your work – viewers will respond. https://krisanderson.art and a great resource at https://www.imagesbyanderson.com/presentations-2022/.

During breaks we had other quick stand-up seminars, including Charles Brooks’ amazing work photographing the inside of musical instruments ̶ without pulling them apart! https://www.charlesbrooks.info/, https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/standing-roomonly/audio/2018830345/pictures-of-musical-instrumentsfrom-the-inside

And Craig Turner-Bullock, taking some very cute dog photos! www.furtography.co.nz, https://www.unleashed. education/

I found that everyone was friendly and open to talking about photography (of course). It is a small community but there is no sense of rivalry or snobbery, just a lot of support. The focus of the conference is on the business and the mental side of photography ̶ the photographers know how to use their cameras, so you need to consider that. In this case, there might be such a thing as a “stupid question”, at least at the formal presentations.

Go to the NZIPP website: www.nzipp.org.nz

Paul Willyams, https://www.paulwillyams.photo, writes as a member of both organisations and was not involved with setting up or running either event.

Links to related resources are not always provided by the presenters.

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