Chairman of the Board
Doug Peninger dpeninger@SEPPAonline.com
President
George Singleton gsingleton@SEPPAonline.com
1st Vice-President
Kevin Jiminez kjiminez@SEPPAonline.com
2nd Vice-President
Mary Fisk-Taylor mfisktaylor@SEPPAonline.com
Secretary-Treasurer
District of Columbia
Florida
Janet Boschker jboschker@SEPPAonline.com
Salon Exhibition Chair Executive Director
Delaware
Jessica Vogel jvogel@SEPPAonline.com
Georgia
*** Paula Mignagna
***Anthony Maril Joe Tessmer
*** Martin Gudz Kaye Newsome
*** Spencer Smith Jason White
Rick Gibbons ExecutiveDirector@SEPPAonline.com
S out he r n E x p o su re
Souther n Exposure magazine is an online publication of SEPPA and is published monthly. Editor V ictoria Kelly vkelly@SEPPAonline.com 919.818.0726 Ad Sales & Business Manager Rick Gibbons ExecutiveDirector@SEPPAonline.com 866.982.4856
Maryland
*** Lidia Miller Steve Clark
Mississippi/Alabama
*** Wesley Ellis Gil Brady
North Carolina
*** Bruce Williamson Janet Boschker
South Carolina
*** Patty Hallman Gregg Martin
Article & Ad Submissions 5th of every month OnLine Publication 20th of each month SEPPA 3710 North Main Street High Point, NC 27265 866.982.4856 Acceptan ce o f a d v e r t i si n g d oe s n ot c a r r y wi th i t en dor se m e n t b y t h e p ub l i sh e r. Opi n i o ns expre sse d b y Sout h e r n Exp osure o r an y o f i ts aut h or s d oe s n ot n e c e ssa r i l y refl ect t h e p osi t i on s of t h e Sou theaster n Pro fessi on a l P h ot og r a p h e r s A ssoc ia t io n . Asso ci ati on f i n a n c i a l i n f or m a t i on avai la b l e up on re q ue st .
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
*** Jeannie Forehand Barbara White
*** Jim Carpenter Robert Holman
*** Pat Dodd Brentv Kepner
*** state president SEPPA representative
Delaware
Mississippi/Alabama
District of Columbia
North Carolina
www.ppsgw.org
www.ppofnc.com
Florida
South Carolina
www.fpponline.org
www.ppofsc.com
Georgia
Tennessee
www.gppa.com
www.tnppa.com
Maryland
Virginia
www.delawarephotographers.com
www.marylandppa.com
SEPPA is a regional affiliate of the Professional Photographers of America and hosts an annual District Image Judging. To learn more about PPA, click HERE.
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West Virginia www.ppwv.org
“This image,“Goddess”, was captured during one of my ALLURE sessions. My focus in these sessions is to capture the beauty of a woman in a modern style of glamour with a touch of fashion. The background is handmade from foam core and I selected paint from the local hardware store. I made the head piece with flowers from a craft store and “just happened” to have a bolt of fabric that I had purchased for a newborn session that was the matching shade of blue. Putting them all together was not my initial plan, but the colors were a great match and my model was perfect!”
Shot with Canon 5D mkll at ISO 100, f/4.5 at 1/160 second using an 85mm lens. The lighting for this was in the studio using a 4x6 Larson softbox on a Photogenic powerlight as the main light and reflector as a fill.
Lisa owns Photography by Lisa in Virginia. See more of her work online: www.photobylisa.com
“Goddess” Lisa Carter, Virginia First Place, Women “Best in State” “Best in Show” Portrait
SEPPA District Judging 2014
SEPPA is pleased to congratulate the following award winners: Children: First First Purse Martha Newkirk Distinguished The Magic of Christmas G. Robert Brown Distinguished Zeke Angela Blankenship Groups: First Make Me Out of Clay Tammy Bevins Distinguished In a World of Their Own Mario Munoz Distinguished Permanent Bond Tammy Bevins Men: First Wanted Jessica Vogel Distinguished Dilemma Jim Sanders Distinguished Holland Holla John Givens Women: First Goddess Lisa Carter Distinguished Temptress Pete Wright Distinguished Spellbound Bill Barbosa Brides: First Garden of Eden Tomas Munoz Distinguished Chantilly Lace Genna Sellers Distinguished Poise Marceliano Munoz Pets and Animals: First Spirit Pat Hallman Distinguished Firestarted Heather Chinn Distinguished Phoebe Mona Sadler
Social Events: First Love Triangle Tomas Munoz Distinguished Reservoir Dogs Mario Munoz Distinguished Still Fretting Those Old Ned Winn Lonesome Blues Commercial: First Options Jeremy Groves Distinguished Boston Convention Center Randy Van Duinen Distinguished Room With a View Kevin Jiminez Albums: First The Golden Age Pete Wright Distinguished Mugshot Ted Linczak Single Maker: First Treasure Coast Romance Tomas Munoz Multi Maker: First Stephen and Amanda Linczaks Distinguished Jeremy and Emly Linczaks
Best in Show: Portrait Goddess Lisa Carter Illustrative Flow of Least Resistance Jessica Vogel Wedding Love Triangle Tomas Munoz Artist Well Hello Sandra Pearce Album The Golden Age Pete Wright Kodak Award Flowers, Flowers, Flowers Tim Kelly In Her Hair Lexjet Temptress Pete Wright Fuji Masterpiece Another Loss Jim Carpenter Canon par Open Pete Wright Canon par Artist Michelle Parsley
Best In State: Tennessee
Flow of Least Resistance
Jessica Vogel
West Virginia
Summer Flowers
Dave McMasters
North Carolina Iris Mona Sadler South Carolina Spirit Patty Hallman Miss/Ala ------- ----Florida Well Hello Sandra Pearce Virginia Goddess Lisa Carter Georgia Moving Out Katherine T Page Maryland Storm Warning Joe Campanellie DC ______ _____ DE Raina Brian Birch
Plays Well With Others Victoria Kelly
If you’re a user of Microsoft Office AND you own an iPad…you’ve most likely heard the BIG ANNOUNCEMENT: Microsoft has developed a version of Word, Excel, Powerpoint and OneNote for the iPad. Now…don’t misunderstand…I’m a big fan of Apple’s versions of the Microsoft programs that Apple calls Pages, Numbers and Keynote. But everyone from whom I get a magazine article uses Word and sometimes the conversion between Word and Pages is a little less than graceful. I installed a subscription to Office365 on my MacBook Pro. And…I like it. It’s cloud computing at a high level.
The other component I added to the mix was “OneDrive” (formerly SkyDrive) just to keep everything in sync between all the computers I have. I had been using an app called “CloudOn” for access to the Microsoft programs but admittedly it is NOT all that and a bag of chips. Functional, yes, but easy to use? Not so very. With my Office365 subscription I can load the Microsoft programs on up to 5 devices…and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a computer, a tablet or a phone. I was just about beside myself to get the programs loaded onto my iPad and take them for a spin.
Let me set the stage for the test drive: I had a Rotary district conference coming up and was in charge of all things AV. All the presenters had sent me their presentations in Word and Powerpoint which I had loaded onto my MacBook Air in the sequence in which they were needed. I also had a timed agenda so that I knew when each presentation was to start and end. I had decided that my MacBook Pro would be the device used by everyone—I knew that it worked with my projector, I could easily switch from one presentation to another and I wouldn’t have to worry about switching computers or having cord connectivity issues. (Yes. I have been to many conventions!) And then I got the bright idea to take each presentation and copy it to One-
Drive just so I would have it on my iPad and could follow along with the presenter. AND IT WORKED--BEAUTIFULLY. SEAMLESSLY. Which meant I could jump between the timed agenda in Word and the presentation in Powerpoint. About now you’re probably asking yourself how the programs perform for creating a Word document or a Powerpoint. And the answer is: amazingly well, actually. There’s a bit of adjusting to be done— you are, after all, working on an iPad and not a computer and I recommend you consider using a stylus for things like selecting type and changing colors, text or other items. So…what grade am I giving the iPad programs? An “A” right out of the gate. And I expect they’ll get better with each revision.
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SEPPA celebrates the 11 states in the district:
The SEPPA Traveling Trophy is awarded to
Florida for 2014
Florida Mississippi/Alabama Georgia Tennessee West Virginia Virginia South Carolina North Carolina District of Columbia Maryand Delaware
Southeastern Professional Photographers Association, Inc.
April 18, 2014 The SEPPA Board of Governors, at the annual meeting March 30, 2014, approved a retroactive “amnesty� for the SEPPA degree program. Records submitted since the degree was first approved in 2010 have not been located, so all submissions until May 1, 2015, will be based on an honor system. If you have received print awards, a seal of approval or any qualifying service to the association, please review the degree chart and submit your request to the Executive Director as soon as possible to be eligible for the SEPPA Photographic Fellowship. After May 2015, any credits since 2010 may not be applied to the degree. After 2015, only credits will be applied that are received in the two-year time frame from one SEPPA Live! event to the next. Medallions and ribbons, as described in the degree requirements, will be presented at the 2015 SEPPA Live! event in Charlotte. Douglas W. Peninger SEPPA Chairman of the Board Submit credits to: Rick Gibbons ExecutiveDirector@seppaonline.com
Your FREE PPAedu Video of the Month! PPAedu is your personalized photography e-learning platform. Available 24/7 at no cost for PPA members it gets you: • • • • •
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Creating a Final Delivery Experience with Sarah Smith, M.Photog.Cr.
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“I shouldn’t be mentoring a mere 5 years into competition, let alone in business. i should be sitting in someone else’s class...”
Where Have All The Mentors Gone? Christine Walsh-Newton, M. Photog., Cr., CPP February's article inspired some surprising input from readers. From those ...ahem... “more-established” photographers in particular. The gist of the input is that the younger/newer association members have a legitimate gripe and they would like to see me write an article aimed at the older members telling them to step it up. Alrighty, then. When I began looking for assistance and education back in 2008, the year I decided to become a professional photographer, I immediately realized what a daunting task that was. Folks recommended shadowing and second-shooting like those positions were available all over the place. That's what they needed to be –
available all over the place – because that's certainly where all the new photographers were, as well. All over the place. I was screwed. It's probably different elsewhere and depends on the community, but for me, there was nothing. I hadn't yet learned of my state organization, so when that came along, it was a great bonus, but until then, I did the thing I once said couldn't be done; I learned studio lighting through an online eight-week course. It was my only option. And that's a shame. Even more so because it was the last comprehensive lighting course I've ever
had. Oh, I've had 45 minute classes here and there and watched demonstrations in crowds of 400. I've even sat in a number of all-day Super Mondays, but I've never been taught by someone I could truly call a mentor. I've cobbled together my own education through books, tutorials, YouTube Videos, 4 hour seminars and photography conventions and trade shows.
And that's a shame.
Even after I started joining organizations, with the high volunteer activities I involve myself in, I thought perhaps I might develop a mentor-like relationship with someone. I thought perhaps someone might take notice of a new, enthusiastic member who was interested in print competition. Who indicated some level of promise and interest. Although I made some friends, got on some committees and won some awards, I never truly made an educational connection with anyone. Maybe I didn't really need to, but all the new photographer forums I belonged to kept touting the importance of finding a mentor, and I believed them.
This is not how it should be.
I remember sitting at a photography awards banquet early in my career. Across the room was a table of photographers who appeared to be the cream of the crop. Gradually throughout the evening, the number of trophies on that particular table grew to a point where I wasn't sure if the table was going to bear the weight much longer. By the end of the evening, I was inspired to be as good as those photographers. I wanted to learn from them and find our how they became as successful as they were. But since that time, some of those photographers have gone away. And taken their knowledge and expertise with them.
I'm still at a point where I'd like to have a mentor, but now I'm being looked up to as a mentor... and I'm being asked to mentor... and people are referring to me as a mentor... and part of me is standing back in shock wondering how in the world did this happen?
I shouldn't be mentoring a mere 5 years into competition, let alone in business. I shouldn't be teaching every time it's Super One Day week, I should be sitting in someone else's class. And that class should not be taught by someone that's been a photographer even less years than that. Do you understand my point? Where have you gone? Where are you going? After so many years in business and so many years in the organization, YOU are the ones I want to learn from. Please stay. Prep your resume and inquire about teaching a class. I want classes taught by established photographers. If you've been in business a bunch of years, I want to learn from you, because obviously you've got something to teach me. Don't force me to continue my quest for knowledge through a computer screen. Please, for the love of all that is holy, get over the “I'm taking my ball and going home thing� or whatever it is that has your panties in a wad. Yes, we came in and invaded your space. We've tapped into your market and your share of the trophies. All this new and wild stuff going on has shaken up the industry; digital cameras, social media, senior sessions in junk yards, I KNOW, it's mind-boggling, time-consuming and sometimes you just
Can I Just Get the CD? Missy MWAC
Dear Potential Client, I have no crystal ball yet I know you will be calling me this week for information about what I do. You might have seen one of my displays or my website or, hopefully, you’ve been referred by a friend. And you will have liked what you saw--otherwise, you wouldn’t be calling me.
ing, but more importantly, what you are “wanting.” The wants are always more important than the needs when it comes to Art. And we will speak of the love you have for your family and ideas for your session and I will share your excitement, for this truly is an exciting time.
And for that, I am truly happy.
And then, dear potential client, you will ask that question that is asked every day in phone calls to photography studios everywhere: “Can I just get the CD?”
And we will speak together on the phone: me asking questions to gain a better understanding what it is you are need-
I don’t blame you for asking this. I really don’t. It’s become as common as “Would you like fries with that?”
When I first began to hear this question, I reasoned I had to come up with a simple response. It couldn’t be wordy or lengthy--just a one or two line answer as to why I don’t do that. But I couldn’t fit my response into just a couple sentences, because to do that would be to answer simply, “no,” without helping you to understand why, and that’s not fair to you. You see, my dear potential client, anyone can “just give you a CD.” Anyone. It takes no special skill. You must know that because that was part of your inquiry. And may I be completely honest? If all you want is someone to snap off some images and hand you a CD, well, you don’t need me. Seriously. Anyone can do that for you. There are thousands of people out there willing to make a quick buck by “shooting and burning.” Or shooting and uploading to a cloud. Heck, you can do it with your own iPhone. No need to pay for that. That would be silly, right? If all you want is a hot dog, why pay good money for a steak? My clients come to me because they want more than that. See, I don’t believe in selling a CD filled with images that will be shared a few times and then stuck in a drawer with other CDs. Think I’m wrong? Let me ask you: when was the last time you printed the snapshot photos you’ve taken with your camera phone? Exactly. We’re all guilty of it.
You called me, dear potential client, because, hopefully, you like what I do, and in order to get what I do, you have to let me do it. I don’t believe the photography experience is over until I place a print in your hand. And not just any print, but an image created with great care and attention to detail and edited the same way. I don’t run it through a bunch of Photoshop actions, slap it on a CD and call it a day. Oh no--again, I believe photography isn’t about that. I went over this image inch by inch--softening skin, removing fly-away hairs, calming down white tennis shoes, brightening eyes and teeth, making sure the image is as warm and pleasing as possible. And then, I have it printed. And, once printed, if it doesn’t meet with my expectations, it is redone until it does. Why? Because I know how it is supposed to look and I won’t settle for anything less than perfect. That’s why clients come to me. And, because unlike the drugstore or Walmart or one of the countless online sites from which you can get a print, it’s important to me that your prints be the best they can be. This is not “just paper.” I would be doing you a great disservice to hand off digital images for you to “finish.” What artist of merit does that? You told me at the beginning of this conversation that it had been years since
Missy MWAC cont’d... your last family portrait. We talked about how quickly the children are growing and how difficult it is to get everyone together and how important this is to you. And that, dear potential client, is exactly why we will print them--so that 20, 30, 50 years from now you, your children and grandchildren won’t be holding a CD or hard drive that refuses to open, but will, instead, hold a glorious image in hand, thankful that you cared enough to preserve it for them in print. Now, my dear new client, let’s make something together that’s going to last. xoxo, Missy
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For more of Missy’s out-of-this-world view of (p)rofessional (p)hotography, visit her website at www.missymwac.com
SEPPAONLINE
Christine Walsh-Newton cont’d... want to throw your hands up in disgust. You probably have. So, you're retreating. You're doing the “bah-humbug” thing and bowing out. And that's a shame. You're not leading by example in the slightest. And what you've done is forced us to obtain our education and knowledge from the very photographers you despise, those with far less education, experience and knowledge than you. We've lost our most valuable resource, those that have gone before us. Yes, there are still many of you left who have not had the bitterness breakfast and wholeheartedly lead and contribute, but that number is dwindling. And then... There are those of you who just had to throw a couple of rocks on your way out. The ones that tried to block the front door of the clubhouse. The bullies with sticks and stones. And words that did, in fact, hurt. You guys. You sucked. A lot. You made it a lot harder than it had to be on the very ones that were looking up to you in respect, admiration and hope. And that is the most horrible shame of all.
Christine is a portrait photographer and owner of Gallery C in Dover, Ohio. She is a co-author of “The Daily Book of Photography” and authors “Wootness: The Big Girl and Guy’s Guide to Starting a Photography Business.”
2014 Affiliated Judging By the Numbers
There were 262 cases entered for a total of 1027 images. There were 160 physical prints. 27% scored 80 or higher. This was a 25% increase in entries for 2014 A total of 565 critiques were requested.
Style: stīl - noun - a manner of doing something; a distinctive appearance, typically determined by the principles according to which something is designed.
The Twelve Elements DeMystified: style Janet Boschker, M.Photog., Cr., F-ASP • Style is defined in a number of ways as it applies to a creative image. It might be defined by a specific genre or simply be recognizable as the characteristics of how a specific artist applies light to a subject. It can impact an image in a positive manner when the subject matter and the style are appropriate for each other, or it can have a negative effect when they are at odds.
That being said, exactly what is this thing called style? Everyone wants to be stylish and in style, and we all know what that means – cool, hip and trendy or classic or urban or whatever adjective we feel describes our particular personality. But what does style mean as it pertains to print competition? Simply stated, the same thing. n the above statement taken from the Twelve Elements of a Merit Image by Bob Hawkins, it says style can have a positive impact when the subject and style are appropriate or a negative effect when they are at odds. It stands to reason that you would not present an image of a baby in a harsh manner just as you would not present a Steam Punk subject in pastels. There is a certain style that we expect to see with certain subjects so that the image makes visual sense. Once again, it boils down to successfully communicating to the
viewer.
combination of design elements.
As we mature in our journey as photographic artists, we most likely will study with those photographers whose work we admire – taking bits and pieces along the way that we apply to our everyday work, thereby growing into a style of our own.
While it’s tempting to follow popular trends, being true to your style establishes an artistry that can then be branded in a way that separates you from the masses.
This can be helpful in print competition but more importantly in establishing your Maybe we learn to pose from one mentor, brand with your clients. light from another, choose compositional elements that complement the scene Developing a repeatable and recognizfrom another. At times it may seem like im- able style will create a reputation that will itation, but gradually our own preferences build a loyal and satisfied clientele while will become apparent and emerge as a earning merits along the way. chosen style. For example, think of artists involved in the Impressionist movement: Monet, Cassat, Renoir, Degas and many others. Even though all painted in the same loose painterly manner, each artist developed his or her own recognizable brushstrokes, color palette, and subject matter. Anyone who is familiar with these artists can readily identify their highly developed style. Just as artists develop a unique style, photographers past and present do as well. Mention Ansel Adams and immediately large scale sweeping landscapes in black and white come to mind. In our world today, Tim Kelly’s work is beautifully lit black and white portraiture, Audrey Wancket creates classical portraits in color, and Thom Rouse creates incredible conceptual images of women. Style can be defined by the lighting you choose, the color palette you favor, techniques you apply, subject matter or any
Janet has been judging for many years and advises photographers as a competition coach. Her studio is in Charlotte.
Janet Boschker cont’d...
these images from the 2013 loan collection
Nancy Emmerich
Thom Rouse
Audrey Wancket
“Clients love this style of portrait ... if done well!”
Image 1
relationship images do sell! Don MacGregor, M.Photog.Cr, API, SPA, MPA, F/PPABC/A,(HLM) Years ago I thought that relationship images were awesome. I loved them in competition but I struggled with doing them on sessions with clients. I was the problem. I did not believe clients would invest serious dollars in wall decor if it looked too “candid”. I was so wrong, clients love this style of portrait … IF DONE WELL. Today we see a lot of the emerging photographers doing relationship images and sadly most look like candids that clients can do themselves. It is very difficult to command respect and professional compensation if clients think they can do what you are doing. Successful images (that sell) still must contain key professional elements. Strong lighting that showcases the beauty of the people (and the environment) and dynamic composition are the tools we have to create relationship images that stand out. As always, you must make every effort to insure every person is shown equally unless you are hiding a weight issue. No one wants to pay for a portrait where they are a bobbly head doll sticking out from someone else’s shoulders. The key to a relationship image is defining the story you are going to tell (planned
during consultation). Most commonly, you have the family interacting with each other or with another element (e.g. pointing to something). Once you start down this journey you will surprise yourself and your clients at ideas (family bar-b-cue, skiing together and such). Image 1. After the consultation with this family, I learned that they all loved the lake and so many of their activities are on the water. The small sailboat is dad’s passion. They love to have refreshments on the dock and chat about their activities. That planted the seed. Notice that compositionally, each person has their own space and equal representation in the image. This is handheld from a boat that is bouncing around… we had to crank up our shutter speed to insure a sharp image. Flash on-camera was added (the skin tones were flat and there was no luminosity) as it was overcast and threatening rain. Image 2. This couple live around a vineyard and love taking their “girls” for an evening walk. Notice that we are using the rule of thirds and everyone is showcased (not munched up into a sardine can style of posing). The subjects are in powerpoint position 4 yet still stand out from a spacious background. Technically this was fun… the couple practiced walking at a slow speed and I practiced along with them (walking backwards and shooting). An assistant to camera left was also walking backwards catching the setting sun and bouncing back to the subjects. Image 3. After working with this family for a while, I could see a wonderful tight knit relationship between them but in the same breath, a unique father/son and mother/daughter relationship. A sensi-
tive photographer is always watching his clients to capture an insight into their personalities. Remember we are not creating road maps of faces … we are telling stories. This is a sunset image and totally natural light. I intentionally separated the gals and guys to portray what I had seen and gave each an activity. Again note they are all showcased, no one is hidden and people project from a background that has a lot of depth. Image 4. Walking and talking is considered the “classic” relationship image. This is backlit, camera is tripod mounted with an on-camera flash for fill. With the zoom lens, I tracked them and used the auto focus capabilities (continuous focus) of the camera to insure sharp subjects. I demonstrated the speed to walk and we practiced. You must ‘coach” the clients to talk and interact with each other. You also have to project your voice and your enthusiasm while shooting to create that fun atmosphere--remember as a photographer you are a technician, comedian, director, lighting grip and all manner of things. The most important of these is your ability to use your personality to bring out the best of the subjects … naturally. Image 5. This young family were celebrating the first birthday of their twins (a significant event in Chinese culture). They had just bought a new home and not moved in (totally unfurnished save one couch). It is VERY important in that culture to celebrate the exact day of the first birthday. In the consultation, I discovered they liked to read to the children and I conveyed my vision of this image (through an interpreter) and we have an outstanding story that will be a powerful memory as the kids grow up and the reading stops. Technically this was a challenge. They had no
Don MacGregor cont’d... wood for fire in the stove. I put a Canon 580 (warm gel on flash) inside stove and feathered towards them. Once I had that image, I photographed my stove at home and “shopped” the fire into it.
Image 2
Image 3
Image 4
Image 5
2015 SE District Judging changes 1. In the past, PPA kept $5.00 from each print case fee for administrative purposes and gave the host organization the remaining funds. The first change that will affect SEPPA is that PPA will retain the entry fees in total. 2. District Judging must be held in conjunction with the host’s convention or event. In the past, the judging was held as a separate event and our convention began after or as the judging ended. This means that the District Judging is to be an integral part of the convention. The objective is for more people, PPA members, to be able to attend the judging sessions as a valuable educational opportunity. 3. Since PPA will retain all income associated with each District Judging, PPA will handle the coordination and compensation of the jurors – this includes contracts, travel and per diem. An expected benefit to the hosting organization will be the ability to use jurors as speakers without the expense of paying any share of the jurors’ expenses. The organization will only be responsible for the negotiated speaking fees and related expenses beyond the District Judging portion of the convention. 4. Juror/Judge selection will be the responsibility of PEC. PEC will work with the host to accommodate the use of jurors that the host may wish to use as speakers. 5. The majority of equipment will be provided by PPA, except for the possible use of the host organization’s turntable and sound system. 6. The print crew consisting of a minimum of 6 people are to be provided by the host of the District Judging. Duties of the print crew include: receive print cases, open cases, sort prints, work judging panels, hang print exhibit, tear down print exhibit, pack cases, apply PPA provided shipping labels and have cases picked up for return shipping. 7.
Print crew members who are PPA members will receive PPA service merits.
8. PPA/PEC will pay for all judging related meal functions, breakfast and lunch, each day of judging and will work with the host organization to use the convention hotel and/or convention center catering services. 9. PPA/PEC, when possible, jurors and PPA staff will stay at the host’s convention hotel. 10. PPA/PEC will provide an awards package of trophies or plaques and rosette ribbons to be given based on Grand Imaging Awards categories. (The District host may also offer additional awards at their own expense) 11. The intent is that there be no financial risk to the host organization for the judging events.
“Your Perspective is the point at which you stand to take the picture when compared to the relative distances to the various subjects.”
Perspective...Just Another Point of View! © Al Audleman M.Photog.Cr., CPP, API, FDPE, FDAE, FED, GFD
Robin Williams, in the movie Dead Poets Society, commented that we should see things from a different perspective. And often this perspective creates some sort of distortion, often of the truth. All lenses produce some distortion, based on what we see with our own eyes, with “normal” lenses producing the least. Wide-angle lenses distort by making the subjects in the image appear farther apart. Objects/people closer to the camera appear much larger. For example, a room will appear much more spacious when using a wide-angle lens -- and the wider the angle, the more spacious it appears. Telephoto lenses distort the image by visually compressing the distances between subjects in an image. The longer the focal length of the lens, the more visual compression.
Let’s take a moment to define “Perspective.” Your perspective is the point at which you stand to take the picture when compared to the relative distances to the various subjects. Here are a couple examples: 1) If you use a very wide-angle lens to capture someone’s face very close up, they will appear very distorted. Why? Because the relative distance from the camera to the nose, when compared to the distance from the camera to the ear, is much shorter. You can be very close to the nose and, relatively speaking, you will be “far” from the ear, causing a distorted perspective. Using a very wide-angle lens, the lens could be three inches from the nose compared to nine inches to the ear ... a significant relative difference in distance. 2) If you’ve ever watched a professional baseball game, you will note that the TV camera is located far out in left center field. Did you notice how similar in height the pitcher and batter appear? This is a distortion based on the relative distance from the camera to the pitcher compared to the distance the batter. In many cases, this is about 340 feet from the pitcher and 400 feet from the batter -- a 60 feet difference but a significantly lesser relative distance between the two subjects. So, when dealing with perspective, by choosing a different focal length, you can change your position relative to the subject -- meaning you can physically move to another position to capture the required image. A wide-angle lens will allow you to move closer while a telephoto will allow you to move farther away. You are changing your perspective! This will allow you to eliminate or include certain objects surrounding the subject. For instance, you can frame a subject with a tree that was previously blocking part of the subject when using a longer focal-length lens by using
a shorter focal length lens and moving closer to the subject. Another form of distortion is the perception of a tall building “leaning” away from the camera. While this can often be used to our advantage, it is basically a distorted view of the building. The distortion is caused because the plane of the subject is vertical and the camera/sensor plane is tilted up. This can be corrected using a specialty, tilt-shift lens ... or even more easily by using the “Perspective” feature in Photoshop’s Crop Tool. The actual reason for the distortion is that when we tilt our camera up to capture the entire building, the top is relatively much father way from the camera than the bottom of the building and so it is captured in a distorted manner. Closer is bigger in this case. The same applies to photographing a person from a low angle. Again, this can be used in a positive manner for a special effect, but normally it is not a flattering view of the subject. This type of distortion can be corrected much more easily when the subject is a person by simply changing your perspective ... where you are standing and how high or low the camera is relative to the subject. If you shoot from a low angle, with the camera tilted up, you get an image of that person that accentuates the powerful nature of the subject. Using a camera angle that is basically even or flat -- seeing eye to eye so to speak -- the subject is seen as more approachable and friendly. Using a camera angle that is from a higher perspective ... shooting downward ... makes the person seem less powerful and the viewer feel superior to the subject. Photography can be a powerful emotional medium. Be aware and use it as necessary. This visual distortion is often referred to as “Keystoning” or the “Ship’s Prow” effect.
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About the author: Al Audleman is a Certified Professional Photographer (CPP) and PPA Approved Photographic Instructor. He is also an officially-recognized CPP Exam Preparation Class Instructor and former chairman of the Certification Committee involved in the revision of the CPP Exam. He has been instructing since 1996 and has taught at PPA affiliated schools in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Michigan, Texas, New England, California, Canada and the Bahamas. This article is an excerpt from his comprehensive CPP Study Guide “The Road to Certification for Professional Photographers.� This 247-page book is available as a PDF file by contacting Al via email at al@asaphoto.com.
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