PPOC MAGAZINE
FALL 2019
ACCREDITATION ISSUE Brent McCombs - Fashion | Jacquie Matechuk - Pictorial/Scenic | Rabih Madi - Wedding story
ALSO - Travelling with your camera gear -
Shooting water droplet refractions for magical macro images When the day goes to the dogs, and it’s a good thing! Studio in the sky 2020 PPOC Convention schedule
Who says you can’t have it all? FA L L 2 0 1 9 | G A L L E R I E M A G A Z I N E | 2
When shooting portraits and events such as weddings, you’re not just striving for perfection. You’re aiming to capture an image that you and your subject will cherish forever. The difference between a good photograph and a bad one is easy to spot. A great photo is harder to define, but you know it when you see it. We’re here to help you nail the perfect shot. That starts with the gear, and we’ve got it all. Vistek has always been ahead of the curve when it comes to the latest cameras and professional equipment. We stock the brands you love and trust, and our expert sales team knows their stuff. Got a question? They’ll
have the answer. Giving videography some serious thought? So have we. If you’re not sure about buying, you can always rent something first. If you decide to keep it, we’ll deduct the one-day rental cost from the final purchase price. We do more than just sell camera equipment. We understand pro photography and video. We get it, so you can get it right. Find a Vistek shop near you in Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton.
PH O T O | V ID E O | DI GI TAL | SALES | RENTALS | S E RV ICE TO R O N T O • MIS S IS S AUGA • OTTAWA • CALGARY • E DM ONT ON
V I STEK . C A
TA B L E O F CO NT E NT S
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Message from the Chair
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Brent McCombs, Fashion Accreditation
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Jacquie Matechuk, Pictorial/Scenic Accreditation
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Travelling with your Camera Gear
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Rabih Madi, Wedding Story Accreditation
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2020 PPOC Convention Schedule
By Jeff McDonald, BSc, CPA
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Shooting Water Droplet Refractions for Magical Macro Images
By Don Komarechka
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When the day goes to the Dogs, and it’s a good thing!
By Marc Durocher
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Studio in the Sky
31
My PPOC
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About the Cover
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By Shelley Vandervelde, MPA
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By Chris TT Thombs, CD, MPA
MESSAGE
from the Chair The Gift of Giving As we now enter the holiday season, I am preparing my set and props for the annual PEI Humane Society SantaPix fundraiser. I love the Louise Vessey, MPA, SPA PPOC National Chair hot chocolate, holiday songs, candy canes, and photographing adored pets with good old Saint Nick! Working with others also volunteering their time for the benefit of domestic animals just FEELS good! It’s the perfect way to kick off the season! I feel the same way about PPOC volunteer work, although I admit sometimes it’s easier to herd cats than schedule a Board meeting! It is a lot of work but also very rewarding to be a part of PPOC’s ‘behind the scenes’ especially at this level. I became involved at the Regional level around 16 years ago! Thinking back, boy has a lot changed since then between digital imaging technology, social media, and the influx of new photographers. Yet PPOC still stands strong. We are still relevant in this era but require the support and resources of our member volunteers to keep things going forward. I have had people ask me why I volunteer. What’s in it for ME? Here are my thoughts on why you should share your time and talents volunteering. - You increase your social circle! Volunteering brings you closer to your fellow photographer members/ friends. I met my best friends while on various PPOC boards! - You experience and learn new things. I have gained skills in public speaking (I WAS TERRIFIED the first time I stepped up to a mic!). I’ve learned social, leadership, problem solving, writing, and organizational skills that will serve me beyond my ‘Board’ days.
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- Service Merits! You will earn valuable Merits toward designations more quickly! - It feels good! I feel great feeling like I am giving back to an organization that has done so much for my success over the years. You will feel a sense of accomplishment and appreciation. - It looks good! Having your position listed on your bio/signature line is impressive and shows others something about your character (although I still do not like the term ‘Chair’)
GALLERIE IS THE PREMIER MAGAZINE FOR PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS ACROSS CANADA. EACH ISSUE FEATURES AWARD-WINNING IMAGES, EDITORIAL INFORMATION, TECHNICAL AND FEATURE ARTICLES, ADVERTISING, AND MEMBER SERVICES. ALL PHOTOGRAPHERS ARE WELCOME TO VIEW THE DIGITAL VERSIONS ON OUR WEBSITE. GALLERIE is published three times annually; - February (online issue) - June/July (print and online) - October (online issue) SUBSCRIPTION All PPOC members receive the printed issue directly to their doorstep. Online issues are available to all photographers. To be added to our email mailing list please contact the PPOC office (info@ppoc.ca) indicating your province of residence. Additional printed copies of Gallerie are $6.95, plus postage. Please contact the PPOC Office. SUBMISSIONS Articles and member stories are welcome, please submit them to the editor for consideration. ADVERTISING One single advertising package will secure your ad space in all three issues for the year. Double Page Spread Full Page Outside Back Cover Full Page Inside Cover Advertising Supplement Full Page Half Page Quarter Page
$1575/year $1375/year $1125/year $1000/year $975/year $630/year $400/year
PPOC Trade members receive a 20% discount. To reserve your ad, contact the advertising manager.
- It’s good Karma. Do good and good will come back to you!
EDITOR Bruce Allen Hendricks, MPA p: 204-227-9447 e: editor@ppoc.ca
Thank you to all of you who step up and volunteer. For worthy charities, organizations, and for our PPOC. If you are interested in volunteering contact your Regional Board Chair or Director.
DESIGNER AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS Josée Talbot p: 418-881-3998 e: josee@talbotphotoart.ca
Louise Vessey, MPA, SPA
PPOC (President, Grand Poobah, Supreme Leader) Chair
ADVERTISING MANAGER Brad Kelly, MPA e: advertising@ppoc.ca
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BRENT MCCOMBS FASHION ACCREDITATION FA L L 2 0 1 9 | G A L L E R I E M A G A Z I N E | 6
By Brent McCombs SUBMITTING MY FIRST SET OF IMAGES FOR PPOC ACCREDITATION WAS A LITTLE ANXIETY-INDUCING, BUT OVERALL, I REALLY DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND HAD TO RUSH TO GET IMAGES IN TO MEET A VERY TIGHT 3-DAY DEADLINE, SO IN THE SCRAMBLE TO PUT THE SUBMISSION TOGETHER, I REALLY DIDN’T HAVE MUCH TIME TO GET TOO WORKED UP. PLUS I WAS SUBMITTING IN PORTRAIT CATEGORY, WHICH REALLY HADN’T BEEN MY FOCUS FOR VERY LONG, SO I HAD VERY LIMITED EXPECTATIONS, AND WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED WHEN I RECEIVED MY PORTRAIT ACCREDITATION ON THE FIRST ATTEMPT. But that was last year. This time around I had a full year to think about the submission process, and I knew I’d be submitting in the Fashion category, which was my bread-and-butter area of focus for the past six or seven years. I wanted to get it right, but also, I felt a little more pressure because this WAS my focus for so long. Validation is a fickle mistress. When choosing my ten images, I didn’t just want to go for my top 10 shots. I wanted to show a mixture of work, including some studio and some location work, and a mixture of local and international work. And the submission guidelines also call for at least a couple images featuring more than one model.
Looking over my body of work, I knew my first image would be of a red tartan dress shot for designer Veronica MacIsaac Apparel. This was my first image to appear in British Vogue, and I hoped if it was good enough for them, it would pass muster for Accreditation. Having done a lot of work with Veronica MacIsaac, I also chose one of my more recent campaign shots, featuring a white wool dress in a snow scape, also shot in Nova Scotia. I felt these two images showed a feel for fashion composition within a landscape image and dramatically highlighted the fashion. The shoot in Cape Breton had been fairly straightforward but the image seen here was shot on what was supposed to be our travel day up to the Cape Breton location. The plan had been to finish the drive, have supper, and then prep garments and gear for shooting the next three days. However, on the drive up, the mid/late afternoon sky kept getting more and more dramatic, and a check of the forecast called for cloud-free skies for the next 3 days. I wanted the drama of the sky in our campaign image, so I convinced both designer and model to scramble to get makeup done in the car en route, and the garment prepared, so that when we arrived at the shoot location (the deserted family house of Veronica’s great, great grandfather) we’d be ready to go. We had about 40 minutes of good light and dramatic skies, and got the shot you see here. Having chosen spring and winter images, I then thought, why not round out the seasons, I thought finding an autumn photo would be a good image, and immediately knew one of my shots from an editorial I’d shot two years before on Oak Island would fit the bill. In particular there was an image of redheaded model Liz Ernst in a white and black dress shot among three birch trees and against a backdrop of autumn-coloured trees that I am very fond of. This is the only fashion editorial ever shot on Oak Island, as it is private property and the owners are notoriously guarded about allowing access. On top of that, we had to negotiate with the television series Oak Island Treasure for permission to shoot on their set. In the end, designer Dee Wilkie handled the bulk of the permitting and though it took over 5 months of back and forth, we finally got permission to shoot for 4 hours on the day after TV filming wrapped. It was a Sunday, and we had from 10-2pm, whatever the weather conditions, to complete our shoot - with no pre-scouting. It was VERY hectic trying to move around the dirt, pot-hole and boulder-strewn roads of the island in my Kia Soul, and cover 6 locations in 4 hours, but we managed it.
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I also have a bit of bias regarding some of the PPOC categories, given that we are members of a professional organization - so I believe in limiting my submissions to work that was produced for clients, NOT purposely created for PPOC submission. Obviously there are numerous categories where this wouldn’t apply, but for me in both fashion and portraiture, it was important to add this personal rule.
With the first three seasons covered, I needed to find a summer image, and didn’t have far to look, as another series of images I’d done for Dee Wilkie the previous summer offered a number of choices. Ultimately from that set I choose a blue dress shot on location just up the road from Peggy’s Cove two summers ago, featuring the silk fabric of New Brunswick based (now Toronto) designer Dee Wilkie. In this image we were repeating the blue/white patterns of the sky and ocean in the dress, with graceful dance movements of local elite ballet dancer Katie McDonald, who was home for the summer from attending the Joffrey School in New York City. Having covered the seasons outdoors, I needed some studio shots, and probably because I’d just pulled a Katie/Dee Wilkie shot, I thought of a couple images from two catalogue-cum-campaign shots I’d done for Dee with Katie before she moved to New York. The challenge with shooting Dee’s ‘surfaces’ was that she doesn’t design clothing, but rather material that other designers make into clothing. Essentially, we needed to find creative ways to show off bolts of fabric with no tailored shape at all. For our first shoot, I had Katie dance and had a couple of assistants ‘wrangle fabric’ behind her. You do 1000 of these style shots and not get the fabric to fall in an aesthetically pleasing way, or you can hit a great look early on - there really is a degree of randomness and luck to it. In this shot of Katie doing a ‘scorpion’ move, we kind of split the difference, with about 150 shots needed. The timing required by this, particularly using a manual focus medium format camera built in the 1980s that has a small delay between shutter press and image capture, was intense. Frequently Katie would nail the dance move, and I’d miss the timing. Sometimes I’d nail the timing, but Katie would not be satisfied with her positioning. But finally we hit a shot we were both happy with, and where the fabric cooperated - to me, it looks like a hooded spectre visited our set. When Dee asked me to shoot another catalogue shoot for her new fabrics, I’d already spent my ‘good’ idea of tossing her fabric behind a dancer. So after some hard thinking we came up with making watercolour-inspired images, where her fabric designs would form the background of the image, and we’d again use Katie as our principal subject.
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For this series, camera position was directly over the model, about 14 feet in the air. Positioning and stabilizing the camera was a great challenge, as was nailing focus, but once it was set up, it was just a matter of awaiting the styling of the fabrics around the models laying down on the floor. This time we repeated the scorpion move of our previous shoot, but laying on the floor gave Katie the opportunity to defy gravity and achieve a less stiff positioning. Having chosen a number of locally produced images, I wanted to show off some of the work I’d done overseas, so I looked at work I did in London. The first shot I chose was made in Trafalgar Square, London, with the National Gallery in the background. This was part of a campaign for an India-based shoe and garment company, and because the budgets were limited, we did all our shooting guerrilla style (ie, no permits). Given the amount of CCTV coverage and local security, it meant we never had more than 3-5 minutes to set and capture a shot, though on this particular staircase we were somewhat shielded from security so no one took notice until my assistant popped up our stand and softbox. I made about 20 frames before we were shooed away. Another image I liked from London was made for a vintage wedding dress designer, and shot in St. Bart’s Cathedral on one of the dimmest/dreariest days of the year. The church was built in the 1100’s and has some dramatic overhead stained glass in a vaulted ceiling that normally casts gorgeous light into the interior. We were fortunate to have the run of the church for several hours, but the weather meant we had almost zero ambient light helping us. In this shot of a blue silk dress from (I believe) the 1920s, I had a small hotshoe-in-cheaposoftbox as a backup in case the ambient failed us, and used it to decent effect, allowing just a hint of the background dim light to build out the scene. I needed to get one shot of more than one person, and vaguely extending the church theme, I picked one of my more recent images that I’d made around the corner from my studio in a provincial park, featuring a couple good friends as
models beneath what I call ‘nature’s birch cathedral’, for the way the trees converge dramatically over the path. The dark rust coloured leaves are a result of a very dry (or wet - I can never remember) summer, and only needed a slight tone tweak in photoshop to give me a dramatic natural red-carpet look for the vintage-inspired tartan and tweed garments. Needing a final shot, I choose one that features one of my good friends, model Mandy Brown. Modeling a dramatic orange dress from Halifax designer Caitlin Coo, I wanted a location that would reflect that tone (and the tone of Mandy’s beautiful red hair). I selected a location on the shore of a nearby lake that featured rust-coloured rocks.
…G’wah!!??? I was shocked and immediately stopped the shoot. Turns out, Mandy had found out the previous day and I was just the third person to find out, after her mom and her boyfriend.
“You can’t get on the rock in heels” I said. “Don’t be silly, I’m getting on the rock,” she replied. Ugh… If you look at the photo you may notice that it’s cropped tighter than 2x3. That’s because on the right of frame we have the makeup artist spotting Mandy. Behind Mandy in the Frame but hidden by the dress is our hair-stylist, with her hand on Mandy’s bum stabilizing her, and to the left of frame is our 2nd model, a trained gymnast used to spotting for other athletes. I forbade Mandy moving her feet (compromising body line somewhat for the sake of not risking the baby), and the shot I ended up liking the most is actually a ‘mid pose’ shot where Mandy was just recovering from almost losing her balance, and both people on the left and right of frame are lunging forward. Heh. Mom and baby were fine and I gave a canvas print of this shot to Mandy on her next birthday. That wrapped up my 10-image selection and I was fortunate enough to receive my Accreditation in Fashion photography. Not sure what category will be next, but I am definitely taking a little break before I decide!
Brent McCombs Brent McCombs is a reformed-fashion photographer, born in Ontario, trained in Los Angeles but now lives and works in Nova Scotia. Brent began pursuing photography full time in 1997 and hasn’t had to have a real job since. He lives in Halifax with his wife Sarah, their cat, four birds and a horse, and embracing married life, Brent has refocused his business toward wedding and portrait work.
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The major challenge of this shoot came as we were walking into the site, and just as we were crossing the loose shale of the rocky shoreline and Mandy was slipping into some heels before getting on the rock, Mandy casually says to me “I hope I don’t fall, because I’m pregnant”…
JACQUIE MATECHUK
PICTORIAL/SCENIC ACCREDITATION By Jacquie Matechuk
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IT WAS 6 MONTHS AGO WHEN I FIRST DISCOVERED THE PPOC AND WITH THAT, A RELENTLESS SPARK OF DESIRE TO BECOME AN ACCREDITED PHOTOGRAPHER. FROM WHAT I COULD TELL, THIS WAS AN ELITE LEVEL OF DISTINCTION, BOTH EARNED AND RECOGNIZED AND I WAS CAPTIVATED BY THE IDEA OF FINDING MY WAY TO THIS INNER CIRCLE. SO I WASTED NO TIME IN SIGNING UP AS A NEW MEMBER AND IMMEDIATELY PURSUING MY FIRST ACCREDITATION. My journey began with the exploration of some of the finest photographic art I had ever seen. All genres, styles, and influences represented by one common element - sheer excellence. Could I ever be THIS good? These images were exhaustingly captivating and I knew I wanted more than ever to rise to the occasion. It was April and the Accreditation submission cut-off was quickly approaching. I hadn’t spoken to or met anyone in the organization yet, but I felt certain this was something I wanted to be part of.
I entered my first submission in the category of Sports; a genre I had been shooting for years and felt most comfortable with. The category was unlike most because you couldn’t just select the photos you thought were your best. The majority of your images had to have been published as well. So I went ahead and put my first submission forward. It was exhilarating and nerve-racking all at the same time but I was hopeful my work would make the cut. A couple of weeks passed and I received an email that started with “Dear Jacquie, Congratulations…”. I was overcome with relief and excitement. The submission had been accepted with a score of good (not excellent) but at least I made it through. In the days to follow, I attended my first club meeting and was welcomed with open arms. I was pleasantly reassured that this was exactly where I needed to be. But I was also awakened to the harsh reality of the struggles one endures when aspiring to be Accredited. Stories of unwavering determination, utter disappointment, and relentless desire filled my head and I formed a new appreciation for what it all meant. I was determined to try again and better my game. I just needed to figure out in which category.
I landed on Pictorial/Scenic as I believed I already had several images in my portfolio that would be up to par. Over the next few weeks, I worked to get the last three I needed, but more importantly, I submitted my request to become a Protege. A few short days later I was assigned a Mentor and I started to prepare my submission. I remember feeling pretty content with my images and excited to see what my new Mentor thought. But somehow he seemed to find a flaw in so, so many things. Some which I had created intentionally and others which I flat out disagreed with. Now pay attention, because this is where the entire outcome pivots.
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After reviewing my Mentor’s helpful critiques and fiercely defending my work to myself, I took a step back. I took a couple of days reprieve from shooting and editing and came back to the comments with a different mindset. Maybe, just maybe this Mentor with all his experience and expertise might know something I don’t. I stopped defending and started listening. And when I started listening, I learned. I quickly realized after years of trusting my instincts in every facet of my life, I had to surrender that trust and place it somewhere else. In concepts and theories, I didn’t necessarily understand or always agree with my Mentor in the unforgivable impact of flawed details that don’t even make a difference... do they? Well they did and they do. In fact everything matters if you want to create a great image. So while I felt like I was starting all over again, with every tweak and suggestion, the images were getting better and it all started to make sense.
My greatest challenge wasn’t getting this Accreditation, it was learning how to embrace and nurture constructive criticism. And nothing can really prepare us for how difficult it is to leave your work so exposed and vulnerable. In just a few weeks, my Mentor’s critiques were something I started to long for. Because I saw it wasn’t about what I did wrong or missed when I took that shot, it was about how I can make that shot its absolute best. That thought process started to affect how I was approaching new photo ops and before I knew it, I replaced more than 2/3 of the images I had planned to submit.
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In July, I submitted 10 images for Accreditation in the category of Scenic/Pictorial all under the guidance and scrupulous evaluation of my PPOC Mentor. This time I was more anxious than the last. When the results came in I was as thankful as I was excited. The Accreditation passed with a score of excellence and I felt like my work, my perspective and certainly passion was evolving. I look forward to embracing new challenges and growing from my disappointments. Overcoming my shortfalls and celebrating small victories. But most of all, I look forward to doing it all with the support and friendship of the people in this organization. For me, the PPOC and its Accreditation process are more about our journey to be better, than it is about being good.
Entering the world of sports photography nearly 2 decades ago, I have always been on the lookout for new methods and genres of shooting, composing and creating content. Whether it’s the thrill of watching a massive trick being landed for the first time from the lip of a 22’ tall half pipe or waking up at 3 am to get the ideal spot as first light crests the peaks at Abraham Lake illuminating the bulbous outlines of gas trapped in pristine layers of ice. Photography has brought me friendships and journeys I would have never imagined and it continues to lead me into exciting new adventures.
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Jacquie Matechuk
TRAVELLING WITH YOUR CAMERA GEAR By Jeff McDonald, BSc, CPA I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE LIKE ME AND PACK WAY TOO MUCH GEAR WHEN GOING ON VACATION TO THAT EXOTIC LOCATION OR QUICK GETAWAY…JUST IN CASE YOU NEED IT. I WILL ASSUME THAT MOST OF YOU HAVE BEEN SLOWED DOWN AND STRESSED OUT AT YOUR LOCAL AIRPORT BY A SCREENING OFFICER WHO NEEDED TO LOOK INSIDE YOUR CAMERA BAG TO INSPECT AN ITEM TO VERIFY THAT IT’S NOT A THREAT TO AVIATION SECURITY. I KNOW FIRST-HAND THAT THIS IS A PANIC-INDUCING MOMENT WHEN A STRANGER IS DIGGING THROUGH THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF YOUR GEAR SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING VAGUE AND UNCLEAR FROM THEIR X-RAY SCREEN. If there was a way to help the staff confidently inspect your items without having to physically search them, would you be willing to give it a try?
pertaining to your item. There you can find if it is permitted in your carry-on, or if it can be transported in your checked bags. Based on this info, you can pack accordingly…or leave the item at home.
I would like to take a few minutes to go over some ways of preparing for your trip that may help to improve this part of your travel experience. Following are a few tips and suggestions that I have come up with from my experiences on both sides of the security line. Try some and see if you can make your next security screening experience go a bit smoother.
You can also Download and use the CATSA app (https://www.catsa-acsta. gc.ca/en/breeze-through-security-mobile-app) to check for wait times at your airport and to get information on permitted and non-permitted items. Be sure to check the regulations and restrictions in advance if you have an unusual item in your bag. (Snow Globe, Hiking Poles)
KNOW THE REGULATIONS & RESTRICTIONS
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What are you allowed to travel with? Are there limitations on how much of a certain item is permitted? One of the most common reasons people get pulled aside for additional screening is because they have too many liquids, aerosols, or gels and/ or some are in containers that are too large to be permitted. Liquids, aerosols, or gels need to each be 100 ml or less and all must fit within the 1L plastic bag that you can find at the entrance to each security checkpoint. Each person is permitted a total of one of these bags. Remember to empty your large water bottles and make sure you check for any you have got tucked away in your bag from your last photo excursion. Exceptions are granted for medically necessary items such as contact solution or cough syrup. Keep in mind that oversized items (>100 ml) will still be stopped and need to be inspected & tested, so taking them out of your bag will speed this process along without the need for the Officer to touch your bag or other items. If you are unsure if an item is permitted, take a moment to go to the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) website (www.catsaacsta.gc.ca) to search for the current regulations
PREPARE FOR SUCCESS As your items pass through the x-ray, the machine takes 2 images of its contents. One from above, and one from the side. Knowing this will help you to arrange the items in your bags, and let you determine how best to place them in the bins for screening. Before you can do that, you should have an understanding what your gear looks like on the x-ray screens. Electronics & Batteries - Camera bodies, laptops, tablets, chargers, hard drives, light meters, remotes/triggers, etc. show up as a collection of wires, circuit boards and the components that make up their cases. These can be exceptionally difficult to see through if they are stacked together in your bag. Batteries have size restrictions, and most camera batteries fit within them. See chart below for restrictions & exclusions. Battery Type
Watt-Hour Rating (Wh)
Carry-on
Checked
In Device
Less than 100Wh
YES
YES
Spare
Less than 100Wh
YES
Permitted only with air carrier approval
In Device
100-160Wh
YES
Permitted only with air carrier approval
Spare
100-160Wh
Max 2 / person with air carrier approval
Permitted only with air carrier approval
In Device
Greater than 160Wh
NO
Permitted only with air carrier approval
Spare
Greater than 160Wh
NO
Permitted only with air carrier approval
Lenses – Show up differently depending on their make-up. The higher the quality of the lens, the denser the glass appears inside. The more complicated the lens and the internal components, the more difficult it is to distinguish the separate pieces.
Common items that are not permitted
Cables – Show up as a mess of wiring that can be difficult to see through depending on the quantity and how neatly they are stowed in your bag.
- Peanut butter, Nutella, Jam, other spreadable items, Juice boxes, yogurt in quantities greater than 100 ml
- Torch lighters - Static Guard spray - Knives, scissors, tools with blades, or tool length more than 6 cm
If you take a few extra minutes to plan your bags before going to the airport you may save yourself some stress and irritation when going through the screening process. If all passengers helped the Screening Officers clear their items as efficiently and quickly as possible there would be a noticeable reduction in wait times and anxiety at each security checkpoint. Arriving well in advance of your boarding time (I believe the airlines recommend 2 hours early for domestic and 3-4 hours for international or trans-border), is also a smart idea, just in case it is a busy time at the airport and there is a lineup. Much of the stress at security often relates to people arriving with little or no time to spare and then having to wait in a lineup with hundreds of other people…all being in just as much of a rush and arriving equally as unprepared for the screening experience.
Think of each x-ray image as a stack of semitransparent layers in Photoshop. The x-ray operator can look through the image in slices and different views (like blending modes in PS) to determine what is in the bag; however, when complicated items are packed against each other, it makes the resulting x-ray image muddy and next to impossible to see through. When the x-ray operator cannot determine what they are looking at then they are required to send the bag for search and one of the other officers must physically inspect the bag to determine what is there. If you would like to reduce the chances of your bag being stopped then you need to do your best to help the screeners verify there are not any threatening items inside.
Tips for x-ray screening - Pack your bag in a way that shows the contents clearly from above and from the side. - Always take your laptops, printers, or other large electronics out and place them uncovered in a bin
Of course, we cannot all be perfect 100% or the time. You may forget an item in your bag that is not permitted, or you may encounter a new officer that has never seen a full frame DSLR with a professional lens attached. Please be patient if they decide to inspect your bags and remember that they are doing their job enforcing regulations to keep you and the other passengers on your flight safe, while trying to get people through as fast and smoothly as possible. If you think you have a way to improve the process, or if you have a question, comment, complaint or compliment regarding your experience at one of the CATSA security checkpoints you have a few options to provide your feedback to CATSA: - Talk to the Checkpoint Manager while you are still at the security checkpoint. - Use one of the following options to contact CATSA directly: •
Call 1-888-294-2202 (toll-free) if you have a question that requires an immediate response
•
Contact CATSA through their social media accounts or via their website. (responses provided Monday to Friday) ° Twitter https://twitter.com/catsa_gc ° Facebook https://www.facebook.com/CATSAGC/
° On-line form https://www.catsa-acsta.gc.ca/en/form/questionscomments-complaints One last thought – do your best to be friendly and polite, it will go a long way. Happy Travelling!
- Consider taking your large camera bodies and lenses out to reduce the clutter in the bag - If you have more than 1 tablet, take one or both out - Do not stack your smaller electronics together in your bag - If you have numerous cables, consider getting them their own case and take it out of the bag - Do not be scared to use more than one bin, fewer items in the bin are easier to see and clear
Jeff McDonald, BSc, CPA Jeff is the owner and operator of McDonald Photography in Calgary, AB. He holds his Craftsman of Photographic Arts designation and has accreditations in Animals, Commercial, Performing Artists & Studio Portraiture from the PPOC. He is also an L3 Screening Officer tasked with enforcing the rules & regulations of the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA) at the Pre-Board Screening and Non-Passenger Screening checkpoints of the Calgary International Airport.
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IDUKE/Wikipedia
RABIH MADI
WEDDING STORY ACCREDITATION By Rabih Madi #HAVEYOURSTORYTOLD - IT’S THE HASHTAG I CREATED AFTER A FEW YEARS SHOOTING WEDDINGS. WHEN I STARTED - ON A MORE SERIOUS LEVEL - I WAS DOING A LOT OF “ETHNIC” WEDDINGS (LEBANESE/SYRIAN/ARMENIAN) AND ALTHOUGH THESE HELPED ME KICK OFF WEDDINGS, I ALSO LEARNED THAT BEHIND EVERY TRADITION, EVERY LITTLE ELEMENT IN THOSE 14+ HOURS OF A DAY, THERE IS A STORY - A STORY THAT IS UNIQUE. AS THE YEARS GO BY AND THE WEDDINGS ADD UP, I SAW THAT ONE WAY TO MAKE THE DAY A LITTLE DIFFERENT, IS TO TRY TO FIND THE STORY, AND EACH PERSON HAS ONE - THAT’S WHY I ALWAYS MENTION “HAVE YOUR STORY TOLD”.
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When I get to a wedding, I do get stressed, I do worry that I won’t perform as well as I should as there are no repeats on a wedding day. I do however get excited to see what this big day has in store for me and how I can capture what “lies between the lines”. The majority of people tend to attach to a picture when it involves a story that is to be told when there is a meaning to the picture. In 20 years, they don’t want to say to their friends and family: “Oh, the photographer made me repeat it 4 times” - They rather just say “Wow, I remember I was trying to do this a few times, until I gave up and this is the reaction I had!” With these things in mind, I add a challenge at every wedding, I have to have at least one “WOW” photo or one completely different photo that I normally do! And this approach helped me get creative! What is the definition of insanity again? Do the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? something like that - Well, it’s a little variation, try to approach a day and say “let’s see what I can do that is totally different from the previous one”. Even if you have to create the scene, be the one to take charge! If you have seen some of my work, you see some brides in the air, or some crazy emotion sometimes, well, to be totally transparent, not all are done without my intervention. Sometimes, I tell the bridal party: take the bride or groom and throw them in the air - let’s capture raw emotions, and it normally works! The Accreditation submission from last April (2019), well, it was a really fun wedding and I wanted to showcase it! But, if we are keeping things transparent, I did intervene a few times because I saw something that I normally don’t do. One of my favourite pictures is the one where the bride
takes her dress and goes up the stairs! Although, about 30 minutes before that shot, I had placed the dress to take pictures of it because the natural light was just amazing! Later on, during preparation and after breakfast, the bride decided to go up the stairs but she had forgotten her dress, so we screamed (my assistant as well) - HEY, YOUR DRESS! So she picked it and then started walking up slowly. Like this, we had time to set up our lighting and capture the bride pick it up without her knowing we had already done our lighting test. All this story to say that sometimes we do intervene to create something raw, and don’t be shy to take over and do some “staging” so you can get something that you normally don’t get. Although a picture by the window of the bride or groom looking outside or at the camera is important, it’s not the real story here, it’s what happens before and after that really tells it. My advice when trying to get to a wedding is to always go in as if you are telling a bedtime story or wanting to write a movie script, make it challenging and fun. You are the artists and it’s your job to show them what other people can’t see, you are the ones that are telling the story and approach it as such.
To get even more technical, let’s take a look at some of the gear I use at every wedding and how I made the shots that landed me the Accreditation. First, I am a Nikon shooter and my main bodies are the D750, D850 and Z6 (NEW) and my main lenses are 24-35-50-85mm and the specialty one is the Macro lens (105 mm). Recently I just acquired the 135 mm by Sigma. In general, on a typical day, I shoot all my details and makeup with 85 or 105 mm! (Like the shot of the ring below), the level of detail can only be achieved with a specialty lens, which this one was the 105 mm. Also, I always like to create some shadow in my shot to create a sense of depth in the photo, normally between 90 degrees and 30 degrees from the subject I am shooting. Now on the other hand, since I had the D850 with a portrait lens, this means my other body had a medium-wide lens, so, I was shooting with the 35 mm. The image that was awarded “Excellence” I was shooting with the
D750 and it was not only skill but also luck. That house was a huge house with amazing windows and natural light, so the job was already half done for me, I just had to play around with the settings. One rule I learned, is that there shouldn’t be a big range of exposure difference between highlights and shadows (within 2 stops or 3 on really good
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On a more technical side, I have taken a lot of classes, workshops, and competed a few times and there are a few things everyone should get into a habit of doing! Always have your gear ready and master it! You want to be ready to shoot before the action happens. Let me explain… have you ever attended a boxing match? Did you ever see the photographers working? They are capturing hundreds of frames before the action… why is that? The answer is obvious, it’s because they are in the hope of capturing something solid, it’s the anticipation that something will happen! If your camera is closed with the cap on… then these raw emotions, these tears down the cheek, might be missed! So be ready at ALL times during a wedding! Another technical advice I might have, that I learned from a lot of photographers is to sometimes shoot at a different angle than what most people see (guests for example). If you are displaying pictures that are the same framing as a phone picture, how are you different? Please bear in mind that we have to do these safe shots, these “normal” angle shots, but always try to provide an extra picture with a different perspective. It goes a LONG way!
cameras). What does this mean? Well, if you use spot metering, you can see the little marker jump up and down, make sure that the marker doesn’t move too many stops. If it doesn’t, then you can take the shot and recover in Lightroom. So, in general, I always approach pictures where I can create depth and “layering” and if you have no objects in front or behind, then you should play with your “aperture” to create that depth. I feel that I wrote a lot and I can write a lot more! But on a final note, these competitions that I like to submit to is to better myself and not for my clients. With every win, I had 10 losses! Do not do it because you think you will get more clients. Clients care if they get attached to photos whether you won 1000 or 1! When I submit at these competitions, such as the last Accreditation, I chose a wedding that I felt was the right fit, that conveyed the most emotions but that also had a story that was unique. So the challenge I give you: take a camera (as you should always have one) and take a friend, a loved one, stranger if they are nice and walk for one hour and in that hour just look at the different emotions the subject can do. Take different actions and try to anticipate them! I am almost sure you can have a dozen photos that can tell a story of your 1-hour activity! Imagine using that approach for 8-10-12 hours! How many frames can you get?
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I hope to see you at the next event and get to work!
Rabih Madi Born in Saudia Arabia, then immigrated to Canada after stopping around a few countries along the way, travel was in my blood, but from the moment I picked up a camera for the first time on my trip to see my family abroad and captured these amazing faces & sceneries, I knew I was onto something special. Seeing those bright faces, looking forward to the future, was the perfect precursor to my career today. I knew that photography of “people” was where I was heading, but just didn’t know which avenue yet… until now!
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SHOOTING WATER DROPLET REFRACTIONS
FOR MAGICAL MACRO IMAGES By Don Komarechka LIKE TINY CRYSTAL BALLS, WATER DROPLETS CAN ADD A MAGICAL ELEMENT TO MACRO PHOTOGRAPHS. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF MOVING PARTS TO CONSIDER, BUT THE BASIC CONCEPT IS SIMPLE: A SPHERICAL DROPLET CAN ACT AS A LENS, REFRACTING LIGHT FROM WHATEVER IS BEHIND IT.
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Getting good droplets can be problematic, as most surfaces will cause water to spread out rather than to bead-up nicely. Using just plain water (no glycerine or other additives), one of the easiest foreground objects to use is a dandelion seed (image 1). All wildflower seeds with any amount of fluff on them are likely to be a good performer here, creating exactly the kind of droplets we need while also allowing a clear line of sight to the background with no obstructions. Other foreground surfaces that work well with simple misting from a spray bottle include bluegrasses, spider webs, Barberry and Lupin leaves, and vine tendrils (image 2).
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Something as simple as a twisted blade of grass covered in fine droplets can make for a compelling composition, but these images reveal one of the challenges all macro photographers face: depth-of-field becomes so shallow that it does not 3a
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Depending on a spray bottle can be an unwanted element of chaos, especially if you want very specifically placed droplets. If you’d like to take control of this element, use a narrow-gauge hypodermic needle to place the droplets where you’d like them. The tip of the needle is hydrophobic so water wants to escape it and “jump” to the surface you are attempting to place it on with far more ease than using a glass eyedropper or plastic pipette. I’ve purchased blunt-tipped needles on eBay (image 6).
extend to the depth of the blade of grass. We reap the benefits of a soft and smooth background, and some images can survive with such a shallow depth, but focus stacking is the answer if you want perfect foreground details (images 3a & 3b). Effectively, focus stacking is a technique that allows you to extend your depth-of-field by shifting the focus very slightly, covering an overlapping range of focus. The more additional frames you add, the greater your depth becomes. We want the best of both worlds: avoiding a cluttered background while having sharpness wherever desired, whilst simultaneously avoid problems with diffraction. There are many software applications available to combine these images, but with less than a dozen frames needed at maximum for water droplet work, my preference is ON1 Photo RAW or Photoshop (image 4). Lighting is another key consideration here – the droplets need to “glow”. To achieve this, off-camera flash or bright LED flashlights are used with the intent of lighting the background more than the foreground. The foreground doesn’t need to be completely in silhouette but some level of control is required here for best results. Thankfully a piece of cardboard in the right location can cast a shadow on the foreground without impacting the background light. Compare the image on the back of the camera LCD screen above with the finished results (image 5).
Careful subject selection, lighting attention on the background, and focus stacking all come into play, but so does speed. The smallest water droplets will evaporate very quickly, depending on the relative humidity where you are working, they can disappear in less than a minute. Because aligning the 7
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Every image so far in this article has been using a daisy-like flower of some sort – the radial symmetry and flat design work great for initial experiments, but don’t feel like this is a limitation. Put any photograph behind the droplet and see it refract through the minuscule lens as well! How about fire, or an exploding fireworks image? A butterfly? Better yet, dig through NASA’s public domain archives to find a map of the Earth and put our planet inside of a drop of water (image 7).
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immediately. The better part of a day was spent guessing where a curve would change and then finally photographing the desired lines and shapes. A moving plant is one thing, but what about a live actor? Some critters will sit relatively still, like this Green Immigrant Leaf Weevil on a young Barberry leaf. With lighting in place and exposure 10
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visual ingredients is best done by rotating the camera around the droplets as the center of rotation, this makes using a tripod cumbersome or at the very least, time-consuming. Most of the images in this series have been shot handheld, with frame alignment in post-processing to compensate for frameshifts. Supporting the end of the lens with your left hand or arm goes a long way for stabilizing your lens, though there is some level of practice involved. Just gently pushing your face a bit more firmly on the back of the camera can be enough to shift the focus by the amount you need, otherwise, move your whole torso slightly for better control of this focus shift. Sounds crazy, but it works; just remember: very slight movements (image 8). The above behind-the-scenes image depicts a Prairie Smoke wildflower seed clamped under the surface of the water with a “Third Hand Tool”, easily bought on Amazon for less than $10. You’ll want a few of these, as they are an indispensable tool for this type of photography. They also break easily enough and rust out if you leave them in buckets of water, but as such an inexpensive item they can be easily replaced (image 9). The wildflower seed in this image is tricky to deal with, since they “animate” when they get wet, twisting and turning when their spine absorbs moisture. Do you think you’ve got the perfect composition? Add water and it changes almost
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and alignment tested, just add in something more dynamic! These weevils don’t move too fast, often sitting still for a few moments at a time (image 10). Ladybugs and ants are a different story, requiring you to chase them around to some degree, hoping that you can still keep alignment for decent droplet refractions. Once you’ve mastered the simple droplet refractions, however, adding extra challenges can be a fun endeavour. Sometimes you don’t get the shot, sometimes you get lucky (image 11).
Don Komarechka
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Don Komarechka is a nature and macro photographer located in Barrie, Ontario. From auroras to pollen, insects to infrared, much of Don’s photographic adventures reveal a deeper understanding of how the universe works. Exploring the world that we cannot see with our own eyes has been a common thread in Don’s career as a professional photographer. Don’s work often pushes up against the technical limitations of modern camera equipment and the physical limitations of light itself.
WHEN THE DAY GOES TO THE DOGS,
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By Marc Durocher THIS SPRING, I DECIDED TO TRY A NEW MARKETING STRATEGY FOCUSED ON IN-STUDIO, BLACK AND WHITE, DOG PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY. A FORMER PPOC MEMBER, JAMES HODGINS, USED TO DO THIS SPECIAL ONCE A YEAR AS A FUNDRAISER FOR HIS LOCAL SPCA IN SUDBURY AND AFTER HAVING A CHAT WITH HIM HE ENCOURAGED ME TO GIVE IT A GO. HE EVEN SHARED HIS ENTIRE MARKETING STRATEGY AND MANY POINTERS ON HOW TO MAKE IT A SUCCESS. I MIGHT BE A PART-TIME PHOTOGRAPHER, BUT FOR ME, THE FINANCIAL SUCCESS OF THIS PROMOTION WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE MY MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE IS MY TIME. I ALSO LOVED THIS IDEA BECAUSE I DO A LOT OF VOLUNTEERING LOCALLY AS WELL AS INTERNATIONALLY AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT FIT FOR MY BRAND. James explained that the secret to his success with this one-day annual event was to do a 2-3-month online marketing campaign, posting teasers and creating a demand for booking before even opening bookings for the day. He also recommended finding a dog to use in advertising. I also found a very energetic and friendly dog named Toby to be my model, who was my spokes-dog!
I marketed the event as a Fine Art Portrait of your fur baby. I sold out all 20 spots well in advance. The session fee was $30, and I donated it 100% to the charity in the clients’ name so that they would receive the tax receipt. Clients also had to bring one item to donate to the SPCA from a list they supplied. Additionally, each client had to buy a package, and that was where I would make my money. My smallest package was $89 and the largest $1199. I sold 11 of the $89 packages and 9@$289. I was happy with the financial results and client feedback for my first Dog Portrait day. Each package included only one image to limit editing time, but additional images were available for an extra cost. About ½ of my clients bought additional images that I sold at my regular prices. I expected many to buy the minimum, so I designed that package to keep the cost down to $5 and maximize a gross profit of a minimum of $75 per dog.
HOW I ORGANIZED THE DAY I posted a lot of details on my website. I also had a long FAQ section to answer a multitude of frequently asked questions that James said he had received in the past. One week before the shoot, I emailed this to the clients as a reminder.
I had two assistants, both volunteers, one that worked with clients to do the administrative side (she was an SPCA volunteer) and Toby’s Mom who is an amazing dog whisperer and good friend of mine. I believe that the reason I was able to get so many great images so quickly was because of her. She understood what I needed in terms of poses (keeping the dog’s eyes facing my key light) and overall placement for the best angles, and we worked very well together. In return for her help, I gave her a 40”x20” canvas of her dog Toby.
THE TECHNICAL DETAILS Yep, that’s my living room which has been my studio since I started. I moved the wide panel reflector at the back in the photo to camera right. I was sitting on the floor around the area where the white background ends. I wanted a different perspective, so most images were taken with a wide-angle 16-35mm lens, used mostly between 20mm and 35mm and I was sitting or lying on the floor. Camera settings were 1/160 f5.6, ISO 320.
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I started the event on a Friday night and was an inviteonly for friends and family. I used this night to fine-tune what I had learned when I photographed my model, Toby. These sessions were a little longer than the regular sessions to ensure I could tweak it just right. The next morning, I had 15 sessions, each 20 mins long, and booked back to back every 30 minutes. That gave me time to cull the images and present my best selects on a 65” wall-mounted TV. Initially, I was worried that 15 mins would not be enough session time, but in the end, I found I had more than plenty. I would let the dog come in and sniff around freely for the first 5 mins and then in 95% of the cases I had at least 5-10 usable images in the next 5-7 mins. I asked my clients to pre-book an image review session the following week (again a Friday evening or Saturday) at the same time they booked the photo session
I quickly realized that to get the best doggy expressions that change so quickly, I wanted to shoot at 6 FPS. I did a lot of testing to ensure my lights could recycle quickly enough. The two backlights (400ws each) were set to 1/16 power and the main light (640ws) 1/32. This configuration allowed me to shoot at 6FPS continuously. The backlights were metered to be about two stops more powerful than my main light, which provide a pure white background which saved me a lot of time editing. I used a huge light source that was only a few feet away so that even if the dog were not in the perfect spot, I would still get the light I wanted and a large panel reflector to camera right to fill in shadows.
POST PROCESSING I decided to make this a black and white only event for several reasons. Firstly, I love the esthetic and secondly, it would provide a high-end fine-art look and feel. I showed my clients colour images with one sample image in black and white. I created a preset in Lightroom to do overall tweaks to the raw images on import. Once they purchased an image, I brought it into Photoshop where I used a couple of actions, which sped up processing. One of the reasons I shot this high key is that it allowed me to crop the final image to whatever dimension I needed. In my packages, all the canvases were a 2:1 landscape orientation (i.e. 40x20, 24x12). I also created my own presets in Topaz Labs that were applied to each image for contrast, clarity, and black and white conversion. The action saved it to a separate layer so that I could do minor tweaking by adjusting the opacity of the layer and therefore, the intensity of the effect. This process allowed me to keep a consistent look, but also adjust slightly for dark vs light light-coloured dogs. If you wish to see more images from Dog day, a few of my favourites are located on my website: http://www.marcdurocher.com/portfolio/dog-portrait-day/
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If you have any questions, let’s keep the conversation going on the PPOC Facebook group!
Marc Durocher My name is Marc Durocher, and I am a part-time Accredited Photographer based in Timmins, Ontario. I’ve been a member of PPOC since 2012, and I am involved in PPOC at local, provincial and national levels. I am currently the Treasurer of the Ontario region. In 2016, I won Best in Class portrait in the Ontario Salon, and I am about ¾ of the way to getting my CPA.
STUDIO IN THE SKY By Chris TT Thombs, CD, MPA
The first things all camera flyers should have when they start are at least 100 skydives minimum and a mentor. The reason for this is to ensure the skydiver has the basics down and can deal with the emergencies that may happen, simple line twists, landing off-site, and of course, dealing confidently with a malfunctioning parachute. The mentor or coach is extremely important as they will help train the new Camera Flyer to learn how to use wings on their camera suit prior to even strapping on a camera to their head. This is because the introduction of wings on the camera flyer will even cause problems during the activation of the parachute if not done properly. Possibly putting the Camera Flyer into a flat out of controlled spin that can cause a malfunction of both the main and reserve parachutes. The mentor also passes on camera gear settings best used in the sky, going up for coach skydives to work on staying level and fall rate control. This is to have the new Camera Flyer a chance to practice keeping framing and composition from exit of the aircraft to the deployment of parachutes with an experienced subject that can react to the situation. The ideal image for Skydiving photography does vary from discipline to discipline and continues to evolve. Some photographs are deceptively complex to create. Skydiving has so many different disciplines and creative possibilities, in fact too many to go into in a short article. Some want to have symmetry, lock up the action, some is all about showing the passenger(client) and the environment.
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FLYING THE BODY AT 120 TO 200 MILES PER HOUR EXITING AN AIRCRAFT ANYWHERE FROM 3,000 TO 20,000 FEET ABOVE THE EARTH, USING YOUR HEAD AS A TRIPOD, AS WELL AS A LIGHT STAND. WITH POSSIBLY ONLY 56 SECONDS OR LESS OF WORKING TIME TO GET THE SHOT. TRIGGERING YOUR CAMERA WITH A MOUTH SWITCH, USING A SITE TO FRAME THE PHOTO AND ROTATING YOUR BODY AROUND YOUR HEAD TO KEEP THE SHOT STABLE AS WELL AS PROPERLY FRAMED. YOU HAVE NOW ENTERED INTO THE REALM OF THE SKYDIVING CAMERA FLYER. AND THIS IS JUST THE START OF THE PROBLEM SOLVING A CAMERA FLYER NEEDS TO DEAL WITH TO CREATE THEIR WORK.
PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS OF CANADA (PPOC) is a diversified group of creative artists dedicated to the highest standards in professional imaging. We welcome photographers of all genres to join our community of dedicated professionals.
So, I will give you the basics of what goes into a deliberate skydiving photo shoot. First, there is the practice of the Skydive on the ground prior to going into the air. This is called a “Dirtdive”. It is the planning, getting the framing down, and mitigating the risk of killing the client or yourself. This also helps with being able to prepare to anticipate the action as it develops as things may change in the sky. Then there is setting the camera helmet up, some just put the camera on auto and spray and pray. Skilled Camera Flyers will use a calibrated loop site, the manual settings, hyperfocal distance, using known distance, and sometimes auto ISO. As well some of us will actually jump with fill flash to try to work around the lighting conditions, because sometimes the winds are good but the lighting sucks when working as a Camera Flyer.
should be, keep an ear out for the audible altimeter for break off time, break off, make sure you are not in another skydiver’s deployment bubble, ensure your bubble is clear, deploy parachute, ensure it is functionally flying properly, look for other skydivers, pick clear airspace, fly the canopy quickly/safely to get down first to be able to photograph landings, drop parachute to be able to move quickly, photograph landings, high fives all around, pick up parachute head to packing area, download/back up images, pack parachute, and then do it all over again. And this is the short version of a working Camera Flyers skydiver production cycle. Blue skies and gentle winds.
Then there is the getting ready, ensuring the serviceability of the parachute inspecting it to make sure it will function properly, turning on/ setting the audible altimeter and turning on the emergency activation device. It is highly recommended to have a cutaway system on the actual camera helmet to be able to sacrifice it if the helmet ever gets hung up.
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Then there is the dressing, and getting inspected by a fellow skydiver. Which is followed up with and another Dirtdive as a confirmation, then onto the plane. While going to altitude there are confirmatory checks to ensure the parachute is still good to go and mental rehearsals. Then the moment of truth, move to the door or climb outside of the aircraft in order to frame the exit. Three Two ONE… GO!!!! Then the skydive happens in quick succession, get the frame, don’t overshoot your buffer/ flash, be deliberate in photographing, make sure to move to ensure the sun is where it
Chris TT Thombs, CD, MPA Chris TT Thombs, CD, MPA, is a Camera Flyer who started in 1998 flying camera. He has been the Lead Camera for the Canadian Forces Parachute Team “The SkyHawks” He has also worked internationally creating skydiving photography and video content for international companies, television shows, and marketing initiatives.
PPOC offers photographers a way to rise to professional status. Educational opportunities, networking, direct member benefits and the ability to earn awards and designations will assist in your potential for growth and economic improvement. Did you know you can become a member of Canada’s oldest and most recognized professional photography association for as little as $26 monthly (plus tax)? Observer membership will entitle you to discounted pricing on educational events, access to a peer network upon whose knowledge you can draw, preferred rates with many of our industry partners, critiques of your imagery, and will open the door for you to submit for Accreditation in your chosen photographic field(s). You can even sign up for a Mentor to help you get the most out of your PPOC membership! Once you’ve achieved your Accreditation, you’ll be able to upgrade to full “PPOC Accredited Photographer” membership status, and will be listed on our “Search for a Photographer” feature on our website. You can promote yourself using the PPOC Logo and will also be eligible to vie for prestigious awards in National Image Competition, and to work toward earning the designations of Craftsman of Photographic Arts (CPA), Master of Photographic Arts (MPA), and Service of Photographic Arts (SPA). Are you ready to take your photographic career to the next level? Become recognized as a member of PPOC, stand out from the crowd, and take advantage of the benefits of membership! Create an Observer membership profile by following the links to join at www.ppoc.ca, and activate that membership with payment in full online, or by contacting us by phone at (888) 643-PPOC (7762) to set up a convenient monthly payment plan using your VISA or MasterCard. Apply TODAY! https://ppoc.formstack.com/forms/ membership_application_web CONTACT 1-888-643-PPOC (7762) Phone: 519-537-2555 Info@ppoc.ca | www.ppoc.ca MAILING ADDRESS: 209 Light St. Woodstock (Ontario) N4S 6H6 Canada
MY PPOC WHY I BECAME A MEMBER OF PPOC
AND WHY I AM STILL A MEMBER I RETIRED FROM A 20-YEAR CAREER AS A SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST WHEN MY LATE HUSBAND BECAME CRITICALLY ILL. I PLANNED TO DIVE INTO PHOTOGRAPHY AS A HOBBY WHEN MY NIECE ASKED IF I WANTED TO JOIN HER IN PROVIDING “AFFORDABLE” WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY. I SAID WE WOULD NEED TO TAKE CLASSES AND LEARN HOW TO BECOME A PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. HER IDEA WAS “IF WE ARE PAID, WE ARE PROFESSIONALS” WHICH WAS KIND OF “IF WE BUY GOOD CAMERAS, WE ARE PROFESSIONALS”. YET, I CONVINCED HER TO SIGN UP FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHY CERTIFICATE AT SAIT (SOUTHERN ALBERTA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY).
I was accepted into PPOC. Long term member, Mark Laurie, offered to help me submit my first Accreditation. He warned me that it could take a few tries to achieve but after completing a Masters in Speech Pathology I was open to feedback and ready for the challenge. My complete submission was accepted! I was a little shocked and ready for the next step, competition. Again, there were members who guided me through the process and gave me feedback and encouragement. I got one image out of four accepted in the first Provincial competition and I was thrilled! I learned that one Accreditation was necessary to earn the Craftsman and two were needed to earn the Masters. Although a long way from either, I submitted a second Accreditation. Much to my surprise, it was also accepted the first time. The problem with that is there was not a lot of feedback on the images. I entered Nationals and although only one image was accepted it earned a Merit score. That was rewarding, but it was the feedback on the other three that helped me grow. I continued to enter competitions every year with the support of PPOC members like Don MacGregor, the late Edith VanderKloot, and Professional Photographers of America (PPA) member, Darton Drake. I have to say the biggest benefits of being a member of PPOC are the friendships that develop, conventions with in-person learning from the best in the industry and having my work critiqued by Masters. I was unable to see how to improve on an image or on my skills in general. Once an element was pointed out that could be improved upon I couldn’t NOT see the issue while creating or enhancing my art, for example, awkward hand posing. And the more I learn, the more there is to learn. Photography is constantly changing and advancing and I can’t imagine not wanting to continue to learn and share.
The many speakers at PPOC conventions over the years have helped me learn the importance of connecting with my clients, storytelling, composition, colour harmony, lighting styles and ratios and their impact on the mood of the image, retouching, photo painting, and enhancements, in-person sales, pricing strategies, business skills and so much more. The more I learn the more my confidence to charge appropriately for my portraits has increased. When I began I never imagined closing a $12,000 sale. My niece and I learned quickly why professional photographers charge what they do. We made $9 each at our first wedding! We started out charging $10 for a 4x6, $15 for a 5x7 and $30 for one of those BIG 8x10s. My husband’s illnesses progressed quickly and I quit photographing weddings and moved into portraiture. Other photographers have said to me “my clients don’t care about awards”. This may be true to some extent and is definitely true if you don’t have any. My Master of Photographic Arts plaque is the first thing my clients see when they enter my studio. Three trophies for Alberta Best-in-Class Child Portrait, Best in Show, People’s Choice, Photographer of the Year for Canada and for Alberta are visible during design sessions and order sessions. I believe it makes it easier for my clients to justify handing me their credit card when placing their orders. Being an award-winning photographer has also allowed me to get accepted into events that put me in front of my ideal clients, such as high-end Gala events. I recently had a client tell me that the friend she referred asked her “Did you see all her trophies?” The one item I have not mentioned is the Associations’ continued efforts to fight for us to own the copyrights to our work. It took many years and attempts to achieve this and it will soon be up for review. I believe EVERY photographer in the country should be a member of an Association that strives to support us in this important issue.
Shelley Vandervelde , MPA Shelley Vandervelde joined the Professional Photographers of Canada in 2004. She immediately sought her Accreditation and diligently attended Provincial and National Conventions, entering competitions at both levels. Shelley now holds her third bar to the Master of Photographic Arts, is a qualified judge and continues to be a part of the Central Branch Executive in PPOC Alberta.
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I had owned several cameras and read the manual inside and out, so I understood all the technical points. However, having been in a demanding career, I didn’t get much of a chance to practice what I knew and tended to use my cameras in P mode. Being a student at SAIT helped me begin to learn that the camera was the least of what I needed to learn. If I had completed my program I would have a certificate; that didn’t sound very professional to me! One of my instructors, Patrick Kornak, a PPOC member at the time, introduced the class to The Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC). Learning that I could become Accredited, earn a Craftsman of Photographic Arts and maybe even a Master of Photographic Arts excited me. Now THAT sounds professional! I submitted my portfolio and was waiting to hear back when the Alberta Professional Photographers Association, now PPOC-AB, offered a two-day workshop with the late Darton Drake. I signed up and learned more in two days than the previous three years.
ABOUT THE COVER MINDS EYE WHILE WORKING ON A COMPILATION, IT IS NOT UNUSUAL FOR ME TO BECOME COMPLETELY EMERGED IN MY CREATION. THE VISUALIZATION OF MY CREATION OFTEN CHANGES AS I PROGRESS. MANY TIMES, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT PEOPLE OFTEN SPEND COUNTLESS HOURS ON THEIR IMAGES AND THIS IS CERTAINLY TRUE. THERE IS SO MUCH FREEDOM STARTING WITH A COLLECTION OF IMAGES AND SEEING YOUR IDEA COME TO LIFE.
“Minds Eye” is similar to an onion; with countless layers. I cannot stress how important design, texture, colour harmony, light and storeytelling are. I use “Photoshop” to build the image. I begin with a background of converging lines and geometric shapes. My next step is storytelling. This step includes an eye, crows and the centre of my universe. If I feel that there is a missing element; I will photograph it. This was the case with “Minds Eye”. I photographed the pocket watch because I wanted to introduce the element of time.
Competitions give me a platform to share my art. I find it intriguing to hear the comments about my work; whether it be positive or negative. The feedback is always valuable for my future creations and has always helped me follow my passion, as an artist.
MaryEllen Nealis, MPA
I introduced light and colour when I realized that there needed to be a separation between the background and the universe. By adding these elements, it has given the image depth and really made it come to life.
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Images used to create Minds Eye.
MaryEllen Nealis, MPA MaryEllen has been honoured with several awards throughout her career. She was named Photographer of the Year in 1999 and 2000 by the PPOC Atlantic. MaryEllen was nominated for PPOC Portrait Photographer of the Year in 2007. Along with the previous achievements, MaryEllen has consistently hung prints in the PPOC Loan Collection. MaryEllen has a long history of service to the Atlantic and Canadian photography community. She received her Master of Photographic Arts from the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) in 2003. She has also received the Distinguished Service Award for PPOC Atlantic in 2006 and Fellowship 2008. MaryEllen received her 7th Bar to her Masters from the PPOC in 2018.
Final image.
Collage Wall
Canvas
Bundled Prints & Frame w/ Digital Matte
Albums
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Season’s Greetings
Thank You so much for a productive year! We hope to continue helping make our success your success into the New Year.
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