AIPP Journal - April 2016

Issue 240

April 2016

What To Do If Your Photos Are Stolen?

Do You Charge By The Hour Or By The Shot?

How To Control Your Light Quality The Art Of Creating Something Original

CONTENTS 4

Insights from the National President

8

School Photographers Within The AIPP

Ross Eason APP.L, M.Photog I, Hon. LM, National President, introduces the new look communication system for the AIPP (the AIPP Journal), invites nominations for the AIPP’s Luminous Award, and welcomes Leica as a Platinum sponsor of the Australians Professional Photography Awards.

School photographers within Australia are now able to join the AIPP through a new corporate membership for Professional School Photographers.

10

Steve Scalone APP, AAIPP

Cover

The AIPP Australian Travel Photographer of the Year, Steve Scalone, has a precise approach to capturing his images out in the field, and a couple of clever postproduction techniques that give his final images a little extra zest. And his portfolio of favourite images is simply striking in their sense of design and timing.

Peter Rossi APP.L, G.M. Photog.

2015 AIPP AUSTRALIAN CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

AIPP JOURNAL is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP).

Editor Peter Eastway APP.L, G.M. Photog., FNZIPP, Hon. FAIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, FAIPP Disclaimer The information provided in The Working Pro and associated publications is made in good faith, but is general in nature. Neither the editor, the publisher or the AIPP accept responsibility for or will be under any liability for any recommendations, representations or information provided herein. The AIPP JOURNAL presents information, opinions and suggestions for subscribers to evaluate in coming to their own decisions in the light of their own individual circumstances. The information should not be relied upon without readers first obtaining independent advice from their own financial and legal advisers.

Unless otherwise noted, all articles are written by Peter Eastway.

Publication The newsletter is published 10 times a year – monthly with November/ December and January/February being combined.

The AIPP JOURNAL newsletter is published by Pt 78 Pty Ltd, ABN 75 003 152 136, PO Box 351, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097, Australia.

Phone: (02) 9971 6857; Fax (02) 9971 6641.

E-mail eastway@betterphotography.com

AIPP Membership Contacts Suite G.02, 171 Union Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 Phone: 03 9888 4111 E-mail: enquiries99@aipp.com.au

2

18

Super Saturation With Lab Color Mode Elsewhere in the AIPP Journal, Steve Scalone mentions using the ‘a’ and ‘b’ channels in a Lab Color image to adjust the colour saturation for his award winning images. Here are the steps you need to follow to create these super-saturated results using any version of Photoshop.

20

How To Control Your Light Quality Whether photographing people or objects, appropriate lighting is critical for a professional result.

Careful use and control of flash, studio and window lighting can change the ordinary into something extraordinary - and it’s easy if you know what to look for. The first trick is to control the size of your light relative to the subject. Here’s how.

ISSUE 240 / APRIL 2016 22

What To Do If Your Photos Are Stolen?

The idea behind copyright is that it’s an international law and although there are differences from country to country, some basic principles apply. Here’s a website that outlines graphically the steps you need to take if your photographs are stolen.

24

The Art Of Creating Something Original What did AIPP Ambassador Tony Hewitt APP.L, GM.Photog., FNZIPP, Hon. FAIPP learn from entering our AIPP photography awards? It may surprise you that it’s not the big wins that are so important for a professional photographer- read why.

32

44

Chris Shain represented the AIPP and photographers at a recent inquiry into privacy and how it may affect photographers and other visual artists. Is this the beginning of the end for street photography, or will the legislators in NSW see sense?

48

Do You Charge By The Hour Or By The Shot?

When you are hired as a photographer, are you hired by the hour or are you paid depending on how many photographs you create? For commercial photographers, there can be great benefits in charging by the shot as it sets a value on what you produce, not the time you spend. Here’s why.

Why Do 4 Silvers Beat 4 Golds?

38

At the end of each category in the AIPP’s Awards process, the top three portfolios are assessed by the judging panel to determine the overall winner. Why is this system better than simply giving first prize to the set of prints with the highest score?

52

The Luminous Awards 2016 There are four aspects to the AIPP’s Luminous Awards: the person we recognise, the recipient of the grant, the photographers who contribute their work and the future of our profession. Who do you suggest we consider for the Luminous Awards this year?

Should I Keep Receipts?

40

Keeping paperwork is incredibly boring until the Tax Office hits you with a tax bill simply because you can’t substantiate what you have spent. However, these days, the burden of proof is probably a little easier, but you still need to keep those receipts for GST and tax.

What Happens To Copyright On Facebook?

The results of the latest report by the Embedded Metadata Manifesto are not too good, stating that many social media sites are not doing everything they can to support your ownership of your photographs.

How do your social media sites rate?

Will Privacy Laws Stop Public Photography?

54

Leica SL - The New Professional Camera The new breed of mirrorless cameras has most if not all of the features of a fully blown DSLR, but less size and weight. Are they only designed for enthusiasts, or are they now truly contenders for a professional photographer’s camera bag? Leica’s SL suggests the latter!

3

NEWS

Insights from the National President Ross Eason APP.L, M.Photog I, Hon. LM, National President, introduces the new look communication system for the AIPP (the AIPP Journal), invites nominations for the AIPP’s Luminous Award, and welcomes Leica as a Platinum sponsor of the Australians Professional Photography Awards.

Welcome to a new era in AIPP communications:

Importantly, you must also make the

the AIPPJournal!

commitment to stay informed and to read about what we are doing as a body.

PHOTO BY ROBYN HILLS

TAGS AIPP B o a rd

4

YIPPEE!

So, why did we phase out The Working Pro and

a daily basis as required and the AIPP Journal

introduce the AIPP Journal system - and it is a

publication, which replaces The Working Pro,

‘system’ rather than a publication.

will still be delivered in its past format, but with

some subtle differences:

The success of the AIPP and what we

The online AIPP Journal will be updated on

offer our members hinges directly on

• It will include content tagged articles on

communications. Our communication

news, features, education, awards and events;

methods need to be relevant, up-to-date, easily

• There’s a detailed contents page with hot

accessible and, where possible, searchable.

links to allow you to skim and quickly seek out

what is important to you;

Our research showed that each member

wants their news and information in different

• And there’s a low res versions which is

formats and a different levels.

easily downloadable for members with limited

internet.

Some who are time poor simply want the

The online AIPP Journal will follow the

basic facts; others want all the details; some

want an email, others want an online option

same system of tagging articles. At first glance

they can look at when they have time.

on the home page, you can get an overview

of the most recent news and articles - and if

We also have some members in remote

communities where internet access is limited

it is relevant, you can click on the article for

and we need to ensure they have easy access to

the full details. And the online AIPP Journal is

relevant information as well.

searchable, too.

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE AIPP

5

NEWS

This new initiative is all about allowing our

members to pick the information model that

around the country, this year’s APPA could be a record breaker.

works for them, but it will only work if you as a to keeping yourself up to date with what we are

LUMINOUS AWARD NOMINATIONS

doing.

Later in this issue of the AIPP Journal is some

member embrace these changes and commit

information about the Luminous Award, our

PHOTO BY ROBYN HILLS

NEW APPA SPONSOR

way of recognising members who have given

We also welcome our new platinum sponsor

in an altruistic sense to the industry or their

for APPA, Leica. As one of the most respected

community.

camera brands in the world, with a long history

in quality, their support of the AIPP is greatly

outside the commercial world and used their

appreciated.

skills to contribute to a community cause or

charity, please consider nominating them to be

Leica’s commitment to the AIPP and APPA

If you know a member who has stepped

shares the maturity and trust of our other

considered for the Luminous Award - and yes,

major sponsors, Nikon and Epson, in adopting

you can nominate yourself.

a collaborative approach with sponsorship that

allows us to bring The Nikon AIPP Event and

keep an eye on the AIPP Journal!

Nomination forms will be available shortly -

APPA together as one major event. Importantly, they support this concept for the better good of our members.

6

With three AIPP Epson State Awards run

to date, the entry numbers have been overall

ross.eason@aipp.com.au

higher than past years and if this maintains

0412 108 362

•

N a d i n e S a a c k s A P P, A A I P P

NEWS

School Photographers Within The AIPP School photographers within Australia are now able to join the AIPP through a new corporate membership for Professional School Photographers.

AIPP membership has traditionally been an

upskilling of photographers working in the

individual membership, and AIPP accreditation is a status awarded only to an individual

school photography area.

• The ability to take part in the annual AIPP

photographer, not an entity.

trade show and conference (The Nikon AIPP

Event) and to target content at the needs of

School photography in Australia, however,

is different. It is managed by a relatively small group of organisations who employ

PSP members.

• The ability to use the AIPP system for targeted

photographers on a part time and casual basis

EDM’s and campaigns as appropriate.

as demand dictates. It is for these organisations membership category.

PSP MEMBERSHIP AND AIPP ACCREDITATION

Representatives of school photographer

Corporate membership does not come under

organisations have been working with the AIPP

the umbrella of the existing AIPP accreditation

for several months, agreeing on the parameters

program.

of this new membership category. The key

benefits to PSP members have been identified

Accredited and cannot promote themselves as

as:

such.

• In the case of PSP corporate members, the

the AIPP has created the PSP corporate

TAGS PSPA

Corporate members cannot enter the AIPP

ability to promote themselves as part of the

awards, unless they do so as individual working

AIPP through the use of a new logo.

photographers.

• A channel and pathway to work with the AIPP

If you have any questions regarding the

for their advocacy and representational needs.

corporate PSP membership or would like to

• Through the promotion of AIPP Emerging

8

Corporate members are not in any way

apply to become part of the AIPP community,

Photographer membership to their

please contact Randal at the AIPP national

employees, a structured approach to general

office.

•

M a r k Z e d A P P, A A I P P

FEATURES

Travel Bug With Steve Scalone The AIPP Australian Travel Photographer of the Year, Steve Scalone, APP, AAIPP, has a precise approach to capturing his images out in the field, and a couple of clever post-production techniques that give his final images a little extra zest. And his portfolio of favourite images is simply striking in their sense of design and timing.

TAGS APPA Pro f ile

10

Steve Scalone made a name for himself at the

one day a week. Teaching and observing the

Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography

next generation of talent grow and evolve is very

Awards last year, winning the coveted AIPP

satisfying to be a part of.

Australian Travel Photographer of the Year Award

with a striking portfolio of images. However,

an early teen, playing with his father’s Paxette

he was already well known in his home state

rangefinder camera. “I used to love developing

of Victoria, winning the Epson Victorian Travel

and processing my own B/W film and prints, and

Photographer of the Year in 2014 and the 2015

the ‘magic’ of seeing a print appear before you

AIPP Victorian Professional Photographer of the

in the developer tray. “After this, I was a busy

Year.

wedding photographer in Newcastle, NSW for a

decade and even though I adored my work and

Steve is a commercial photographer, which

Steve says he discovered photography as

includes portraiture, some video and a strong

clients, I was far too overworked and needed a

interest in the art side of photography.

change.

“Most of my commercial work is done on

“Now, I’m loving the flexibility commercial

location nowadays, so working from home is a

work allows, as well as continuing tertiary teaching

great choice for me. Whenever a larger studio is

here in Melbourne.

required for a client, there are plenty of quality

hire options available here in Melbourne that I can

travel photography and starting to build a great

choose from – and this keeps my overheads low.

network of interior designers who might require

my work. I was incredibly humbled to have won

“I enjoy working most with smaller businesses,

“However, I’m aiming to focus more on my

helping them brand their product and service

the AIPP Australian Travel Photographer of the

visually through my images and really enjoy

year at the APPA awards in October. It was an

sessional teaching at Melbourne Polytechnic

amazing honour and something I never thought

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FEATURES

12

13

FEATURES

I could have achieved. Winning the AIPP Victorian

rhythm of the person walking through the scene

Professional Photographer of the Year as well

and press the shutter when they step, which

made 2015 a fantastic year for me!”

usually results in a pleasing stance. Sometimes it

Steve shoots with a couple of Nikon D800s and a

works perfectly, other times it can be hit and miss.

range of zoom lenses which he says covers almost

any situation. “The Nikon 14-24mm f2.8 is an

shooting and that is I will wait in a scene for 10

amazing lens which has very little distortion and is

minutes or until I’m happy with either the human

excellent for interiors and environmental portraits.

element or another characteristic to change or

present itself. After that, I will move to discover a

“I also love my go to lens, the 24-70mm f2.8 as

“When travelling, I have one rule when

it covers most of my day-to-day work, as well as

different location or composition and the process

the 70-200mm f28 VR II which I adore for portraits

starts again.

and any commercial work that I do which involves people.

POST-PRODUCTION

For asset management and to catalog his images,

“For a great camera I can carry with me

everywhere, I still love my little Panasonic Lumix

Steve uses Lightroom. “It’s the best system I’ve

GX1 with a 14mm (28mm equivalent) pancake

found and I have been using it since it was

lens. It’s an incredibly sharp and fast little lens

introduced. It makes organising, labelling and key-

which helps capture unobtrusive street scenes

wording a breeze, as well as cropping and colour/

without fuss.

tone adjustments. Approximately 90 per cent of my travel work is done in Lightroom.

CONTAC T S te ve S c a lo n e w w w.stevescalone.com instagram.com/ scalone_photo mail@stevescalone.com

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On Location

“I love to shoot when I travel and you’ll always

I’ll export into Photoshop and use Nik Software’s

find me walking the streets with a camera in

Silver Efex to enhance with contrast, tone and

hand. When I choose a scene, I first look at the

grain, then blend that layer (using Luminosity)

architectural elements and break the composition

with a colour version below. I have found that this

down into simple shapes. Next, I make sure the

approach gives me a more satisfying result, far

lighting will compliment what I have composed

more so than just adjusting curves, and I have the

and lastly, I wait for a human element to either

option to save my favourite presets too.

walk through or compliment the composition.

images is Lab Color mode saturation, where you

“Sometimes this approach works, but there are

“When I’m ready to refine an image further,

“Another technique I use a lot with my colour

other times when the elements may not come

enter the Lab colour space and adjust the a and b

together cohesively. For instance, I try to find the

channels for a deeply saturated effect.”

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FEATURES

16

17

EDUCATION

Super Saturation With Lab Color Mode Elsewhere in the AIPP Journal, Steve Scalone mentions using the ‘a’ and ‘b’ channels in a Lab Color image to adjust the colour saturation for his award winning images. Here are the steps you need to follow to create these super-saturated results using any version of Photoshop.

TAGS Pho to s h o p Tech n i q u e

18

Whether using Lab Color mode will produce

HSL (Hue/Saturation) adjustment in RGB Color

more saturated colours than RGB Color

mode.

mode depends on a lot of things, not just the

technique, but with this caveat, there’s no

recommend you have a high quality colour

doubt that switching your image into Lab Color

monitor that is correctly calibrated and profiled

mode and tweaking the ‘a’ and ‘b’ channels can

so you can see the results as accurately as

produce different results from your standard

possible (which is in itself another story!)

STEP 01

Chances are your file is in RGB Color mode.

When changing modes, Photoshop doesn’t like adjustment layers, so to be safe, let’s save a copy of this file first (as backup), then flatten the file.

Now, with the flattened file, go Image > Mode > Lab Color.

Your file is now in Lab Color mode.

It’s not a difficult process, but I do

STEP 02

Working with layers is almost exactly the same, but some adjustments will work a little differently in Lab Color compared to RGB – and this is what we want.

Add a Curves adjustment layer to the top of your Background layer in the Layers panel. If you haven’t done this before, go Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves.

STEP 03

In the Curves dialog, change the channel

from Lightness to ‘a’.

[In RGB mode, the three channels are red, green and blue. In Lab Color mode, the three channels are Lightness, ‘a’ (magenta/ green) and ‘b’ (yellow/blue).

Lab Color is just a different way of creating a colour image, separating the tonality (how light or dark) from the colours.

STEP 05

Now change the channel from ‘a’ to ‘b’ and repeat the process.

The further you move the black and white points, the greater the saturation.

You can also desaturate an image by moving the black point up and the white point down. And if you move the black and white points different distances, you can introduce colour casts or corrections.

STEP 04

With the ‘a’ channel open, grab the Black point (small black triangle on bottom of graph) and drag to the right. Now grab the White point (small white triangle) and drag to the left, but drag it exactly the same distance.

When you look at the curve (the straight line), it should still intersect in the absolute centre of the square as shown above.

STEP 06

The main purpose of Lab Color mode is to adjust the Lightness channel as this allows you to make tonal changes without introducing the unwanted colour changes experienced in RGB Color mode.

When you’re finished, save the file, but then make a copy and convert it back to RGB or CMYK as most other people will not wish to work with your file in Lab.

19

EDUCATION

How To Control Your Light Quality Whether photographing people or objects, appropriate lighting is critical for a professional result. Careful use and control of flash, studio and window lighting can change the ordinary into something extraordinary - and it’s easy if you know what to look for. The first trick is to control the size of your light relative to the subject. Here’s how.

Professionals understand the usefulness of a

like cars in a studio, oversized softboxes and

softer light, compared to the harsh nature of

light sources are needed to keep the same

direct flash or sunlight. This is why they use

light-to-subject size ratio.

softboxes, umbrellas and indirect window light

to change or control the directional quality of

moved to a great distance from the subject will

the light reaching their subject.

have a similar effect to a small softbox placed

much closer. Can you see why?

However, there is more to it than just using a

Looked at another way, a large softbox

softbox or umbrella.

is common to use a softer light source. While

A typical flash light produces very directional

When photographing families or models, it

illumination. It is a ‘hard’ light with sharp

shadows are created, these shadows are not as

shadows. However, this same light when

distinct (sharp) and the depths of the shadows

TAGS

fired through a softbox or into an umbrella is

are often not as dark. The result is softer.

Tech n i q u e L igh ting

scattered and the resulting quality of the light

reaching the subject is non-directional and a lot

away from your subject, you are reducing

softer.

its size relative to the subject. And a subject

receives more directional light, the further the

20

The reason is because the light is reaching

However, when you move this light further

the subject from a wider angle, filling in the

light is from the subject.

shadows. The wider the angle of light, the softer

the shadows. Think of an overcast day when

make it a little harder, move the light further

there are no shadows compared to a sunny day.

away from your subject. On the other hand, if

you have a small light and you want to make

The size of the softboxes and umbrellas we

So, if you have a soft light, but you want to

use need to be large relative to the subject.

it softer, take it closer to your subject (or your

However, when photographing larger subjects

subject closer to it).

t h g i l r e l l a m s a h t i i s n a r t Notice w w o d a h s e h t w o h e e h t c r d u n a so r e d r a h e m o s i t h g i l tions bec e h t s a r e k r a d s e w h o t d a m o sh r f y a w a r e h rt u f d e he t v o s t c m e ff a e c n a t s i D subject. . y t i l a u q light

B A C K G R O U N D

With the su the light betw bject, th closer to e tran een h sition ighlig ows a s hts an r e m uch w light d sha appe d i d e r a a r nd th s 'sof this w e ter'. C ith ha ompa rsh o re r hard lighting.

B A C K G R O U N D

Subject

Sub jec t

S of t b ox

S o f t b ox

e h t s i s i h t t Note tha t h g i l a , e c r u o s t h g i l e m sa s e c n a t s i d t n e r e ff i d t a t u b , box e c n a t s i D . t c e j b u s e h t m o fr e h t n o t c e ff e g i b a e v a h n ca . t h g i l r u o y f quality o

21

EDUCATION

What To Do If Your Photos Are Stolen?

The idea behind copyright is that it’s an international law and although there are differences from country to country, some basic principles apply. Here’s a website that outlines graphically the steps you need to take if your photographs are stolen.

TAGS Busine s s Co pyr i g h t

22

Did you know that adding the copyright

images are stolen’, it covers the basics of

symbol (© ) isn’t necessary to have the

copyright ownership from a USA point of view.

copyright? Although there are moves to

change the law in this regard in some limited

the same as Australian law, but there are a lot

situations, the basic premise for someone using

of similarities and if you’re chasing a copyright

a photograph should be that if they don’t own

breach in the USA, then this is the information

it, they need to find the copyright owner and

you’ll need.

ask or buy permission first.

countermeasures you can take to keep your

Usually that copyright owner is the

As explained earlier, the USA law isn’t exactly

Explains the website, “Luckily, there are

photographer.

photos from being stolen, and measures you

can take to recover losses if they are stolen. If

Of course, with social media and the ability

to share images, the position concerning

you do find your photos being used without

copyright isn’t always clear. People will argue

your permission, you can try to get the photos

that they believed the image was available for

removed, get compensated for your work, or

use under what is called ‘creative commons”

even bring a lawsuit against the guilty party.

licence, or they didn’t know who the copyright

Violating copyright is a crime, and those who

owner was. But neither argument will work.

do it should have to answer for it, whether they

did it knowingly or not.”

So, what do you do if you discover one of

your photographs is being used illegally?

applies to Australian photographers and is

Mike Ryerson contacted me from the www.

The basic information in this website

whoishostingthis.com website with news about

certainly worth a quick perusal - or if you have

a cool graphic his business has developed for

a copyright issue to deal with, it will explain

photographers.

things very simply. Click through to:

http://wiht.link/stolenimage-guide

Sensibly titled ‘Here’s what to do if your

23

FEATURES

The Art Of Creating Something Original What did AIPP Ambassador Tony Hewitt APP.L, GM.Photog., FNZIPP, Hon. FAIPP learn from entering our AIPP photography awards? It may surprise you that it’s not the big wins that are so important for a professional photographer- read why.

Most members of the AIPP will have seen or

myself against what I was doing last year and it

heard of Tony Hewitt. He’s the bloke who stands

encourages me to look at my work on a regular

up at the official awards dinners and does a

basis.

sterling job as master of ceremonies.

to as much self-education as we’d like to.

An AIPP Grand Master of Photography and

“With a busy life, we often don’t get around

an Honorary Fellow, he is incredibly passionate

By being a part of the Awards process and

about the Institute and, particularly, the

attending the judging, I can see what other

Australian Professional Photography Awards

photographers are doing.

system.

“It exposes me to new trends and I believe

attending an APPA judging is one of the best

TAGS APPA

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SELF ASSESSMENT

seminars or educational processes you can go

After winning the 2013 AIPP Australian

through.

Professional Photographer of the Year, you’d

imagine Tony is pretty happy about our

myself to extend my skill sets and developed

awards, but interestingly, it’s not the win that

new ideas and directions with the intention

has changed his life, rather the annual ritual of

of doing well. It was something that I thought

preparing and submitting his four best images

about all year.

for the year.

think about it so much and I have been really

“The Awards provides me a yearly self-

“When I first entered the Awards, I pushed

“Now, with a little more experience, I don’t

assessment of where I’m at within the

pleased to discover that it’s my commercially

profession and while it’s encouraging to enter

successful work that is earning the Awards.”

with the possibility of winning an award, the

real reward is a deadline that forces you to

of the Awards system that it’s a showcase for

produce something. It allows me to measure

personal work, with little recognition of what

In the past, there has been some criticism

Blue Lagoon is one of Tony Hewitt’s most recognised images and was part of a set of four images that earned him the 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year, and the 2013 AIPP Australian Landscape Photographer of the Year. It is taken above Shark Bay, Western Australia. Turn the page to see the raw file and the raw file conversion before Tony completed his post-production.

25

FEATURES

professionals do day-to-day. On the other hand,

copied (assuming that what you are doing

the Awards hierarchy has always known that if

is not breaching copyright, in which case

you push yourself through the Awards process,

you have no right to exhibit or publish the

the outcome should be an improvement in

photograph at all).

your day-to-day work, not just once a year, but on every shoot you do. Tony’s experience bears

DERIVATIVE

this out.

“Original ideas are hard to come by and some

people will argue that all photography is

“Many people entering the Awards target

images specifically for the judges and while

derivative!

that’s fine, I have enjoyed the transition to

seeing my commercial work being rewarded as

we all have the opportunity of using the

well.”

same resources in different ways and it is

“However, like the alchemist, I believe

this philosophy that drives my creativity and

26

ORIGINALITY

imagination.

One of the challenges for the AIPP is

encouraging photographers to enter new and

as all the other chefs, but comes up with a new

original work.

dish, I enjoy producing work that may not be

necessarily completely original, but is a new

Too often, the photographs that win major

“Like a chef who uses the same ingredients

awards one year are duplicated the following

way of viewing that content.

years by other photographers trying to do as

well.

way of seeing old things as it is about finding

something completely new.

While copying the work of masters and

“Perhaps originality is as much about a new

successful photographers is an excellent

way to learn and develop your skills, it is

internationally as a judge, I find the images that

never appropriate to enter these images into

excite me the most are not necessarily brand

competitions, or indeed post them on social

new concepts, but new ways of using the

media without proper attribution.

techniques available to us and done to a high

level of excellence.

In other words, if you closely copy another

“Having travelled nationally and

photograph, it is unethical to enter it into a

“Each of us sees the world in a different way

photography competition as your own work,

and no two visions are exactly alike. I’m excited

and if you display it publically, you should

watching new photographers come through

always attribute the photographer you have

with new ways of seeing and new ways of

TOP: This is the raw file out of Tony’s Phase One 645DF camera, using an 80-megapixel Phase One IQ180 back and a Schneider Kreuznach 80mm f2.8 prime lens. Exposure was 1/1000 second at f5.6, ISO 200. BOTTOM: Within Capture One raw processing software, Tony brings up the blues in the lagoon and intensifies the reds in the desert sand. The balance of the post-production is handled by Photoshop.

27

FEATURES

expressing their vision.”

little further than it has been before.

“The Awards should recognise excellence

TAKE US SOMEWHERE NEW

in professional practice, but also the capacity

One of the most disappointing aspects of

for an entrant to absorb and develop the skills

our Awards system is discovering after the

that have been demonstrated by others before

event that a winning image is a direct copy or

them.

extremely close in vision to an existing work of

art.

boundaries in image making and taking us all

Had the judges known of the existence of

“It’s about exploring your own personal

somewhere we haven’t been before.

the earlier piece, they would be unlikely to have scored the entry so highly - simply because

HIGHER EXPECTATIONS

high scores invariably include a component for

Tony observed that just because a photograph

originality and concept.

did particularly well one year, doesn’t

automatically mean it will do well the following

well educated, but given how many images are

year - or ever again, for that matter. The judges’

easily available on the internet, it is a difficult

expectations rise every year and it’s interesting

position to be in.

to look back on our old AIPP awards books and

note that many of the Silver Awards would no

It’s simply not possible for judges to be

across every genre of photography and so they

longer earn Silver today.

must rely on the integrity and honesty of the

entrant.

through the Awards system, they are inspired to

follow the lead of others, but at some point we

“I can’t speak for all judges, but I find that the

“When photographers begin their progress

images I like to reward the most take or stretch

owe it to ourselves to break away and to apply

photography beyond its current boundaries.

more of our own thinking and philosophy to

Sometimes the stretch is a little, sometimes it’s a

our work. It’s only by this process that we can

lot.

establish ourselves as artists and stand-alone

28

This underscores the need for judges to be

“Some images demonstrate a good grasp of

professionals.”

what has been done before, but they don’t take

us anywhere new.

proud to be a member of the AIPP.

“I personally believe that the highest

As an AIPP Ambassador, Tony says he is “The Institute has given me the opportunity

awarded images should not only demonstrate

to learn from some of the country’s best

a unique point of view, but take photography a

professionals and provided me with support

One of Tony’s more recent aerial images which earned third place in the recent WPPI 20x16 Print competition. Oh, and he also won second and first place as well in the Landscape category! It also earned a Silver with Distinction at the 2015 APP Awards.

29

FEATURES

in many areas of my business, but most

for the imagery. It’s almost like an artist’s

importantly it has provided me with a network

statement.

of like-minded people who are sharing the

journey of photography.”

it from the air, I was reminded of the birth of life

“In my image Blue Lagoon, when I first saw

and I summed it up in words as follows:

SQUAERIALS In recent years, Tony’s winning images have featured aerial photographs with a distinct abstract slant to them.

“I love finding the geometry and elements of

design hidden in nature, and I also like the idea

AS IF THE EARTH ITSELF WERE CHARGED TO PROTECT AND EMBRACE… THE PROMISE OF LIFE ENCASED IN A DESERT WOMB.

of looking down and seeing something that can’t be seen from a normal perspective.

womb, a crucible of life being the blue and

“It provides a way of seeing that is different

“In the original shape, I saw echoes of a

to what people are used to seeing and the

what is going on in the water.

simplicity of design lends itself to illustration

and décor styles of work. It feels very natural for

an umbilical cord and all is surrounded by the

me.

warmth of a red desert.

“I guess I also find it easier to see my

“The life source is symbolised by the creek as

“Writing these words helps remind me why

compositions from above. It’s a plan view when

I took the photo and what I wanted to say,

looking down and I look for shapes and balance

and those thoughts drive the post-production

that makes sense for me.

workflow and how I present my images the way

I do.”

“I can look at aerials in a more abstract way,

whereas when I’m shooting from the ground, somehow I feel obliged to produce something that is a little more realistic.”

Tony Hewitt is a Licentiate Accredited Professional

Photographer, an AIPP Grand Master of Photogra-

Many years ago, a young Tony Hewitt used

to write poems and verses for greeting cards,

phy, and works from Perth, Western Australia. He

so it is perhaps not surprising that today his

runs both a portrait photography studio and a com-

photographs take inspiration from words.

mercial and fine art division to his business.

“A lot of my photography is presented with

prose or poetry which provides a background

30

You can see more of Tony’s work at www.tony-

hewitt.com

Tony is looking for simplicity and elegance. At first glance, there’s not a lot to see in this aerial, but a closer inspection reveals a wealth of subtle detail and texture. Silver with Distinction, APPA 2015.

31

AWARDS

Why Do 4 Silvers Beat 4 Golds?

At the end of each category in the AIPP’s Awards process, the top three portfolios are assessed by the judging panel to determine the overall winner. Why is this system better than simply giving first prize to the set of prints with the highest score?

TAGS APPA Awa rd s

32

The reason the top three portfolios (where a

a good print following a run of below average

portfolio is a set of four prints) in each category

entries; and if your print comes up immediately

are re-assessed to determine the overall winner

after a Gold award, it is a challenge to get the

is to ensure fairness.

judges giving two Golds in a row.

This must sound quite odd to someone

As careful as the organisers are, there are

who wins three or four Golds, only to discover

many variables in the judging process. Our

a portfolio with a lower aggregate score has

judges are human (thank heavens) and the

beaten them. How can this be fair?

judging process has its limitations.

NOT ABSOLUTE

INITIAL RESULT

Judging a photography competition is not like

So, at the end of a category judging, we have

timing a running race. It’s a subjective process

a range of scores with variable consistency.

which we try to make as objective as possible,

In most situations, this isn’t a major problem

but at the heart of a score are five subjective

because the entrant has received a fair

opinions.

assessment of their work.

During the judging process, you can have

It’s true that a print scoring 78 or 79 might

two or three different judging rooms with

get 81 or 82 on another day, and similarly a

different judges and panel chairs. And prints

print earning 82 might get 77. And we also

can be judged at the beginning of the day or at

see even larger variations between state and

the end of the day, by experienced judges and

national judging. There is variability in the

those not so experienced.

judging scores.

How a print scores can also be dependent

However, when it comes to the Gold and

on the prints that came before it. It is only

Silvers with Distinction, there can be even larger

natural for the judges to be enthusiastic about

differences in the scores. There aren’t as many

THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT Recently at the 2016 AIPP NSW Epson Professional Photography Awards, Alison Lyons earned three Golds and one Gold with Distinction in the Illustrative category, a remarkable achievement. Yet her set of four prints did not win the category, even though they were the highest scoring prints on the day. As you can imagine, there has been a lot of discussion about this outcome and other similar circumstances in previous years. The purpose of this article is to explain the background behind our existing system. And to Alison’s credit, her response has been a mature and considered letter to the AIPP Board, congratulating the winner, but also outlining some suggested improvements for our system, which will be considered by the Awards committee at its next meeting. Alison also re-edited her entries (shown above), which clearly express her dismay at the final outcome - we are, after all, only human!

33

AWARDS

of these awards given out and the judges can

brings. However, the way the prints are judged

struggle to be consistent. The best work doesn’t

isn’t set up to determine the best portfolio, but

always end up with the highest score, but let’s

more about that in a minute. There’s another

face it, if you end up with a 90 or a 94, does it

aspect to the Awards we must consider.

really matter?

LOOKING FOR DIVERSITY

34

WHY WE HAVE AWARDS

If we are looking to raise the standard of

In the context of the Awards, it is not so

professional photography, then the Awards

important whether you get 90 or 94, what

system also needs to reward variety and

matters is achieving a Gold Award (or a Silver,

diversity.

Silver with Distinction, etc).

photographed a particular way do well the

This might sound contrary to what we see in

You will notice that successful prints

the media and on Facebook!

first year, but over time their success dwindles.

The judging system rewards innovation and

However, the Awards system exists for one

important reason: to raise the standard of

diversity, not copying and repetition.

professional photography.

different skills, techniques and approaches. This

If you enter the Awards, then whether you

So we need to encourage a range of

earn an award or not really doesn’t matter.

will make you a better photographer.

It’s the act of entering, of testing yourself, of

producing your best work that improves you as

photographer, you need to be able to

a professional photographer.

photograph your subjects in lots of different

But it is nice to earn an award, isn’t it!

ways. You need to problem solve visual

At this stage, the AIPP’s job as a professional

challenges for your clients.

Think about it: If you are a professional

organisation is done. This is what the AIPP

So in the Awards, there is no point entering

Awards have been based on from the very

the same head shot on a white background

beginning – raising the standard of what we

every year as this is not going to improve you as

produce, via Silver and Gold Awards.

a photographer.

Not individual print scores.

Of course, after you’ve entered the Awards a

photographs that are essentially the same

Under the rules, you can’t enter two

few times and earned some Silvers, your goals

anyway, but you can enter a series of

change. Rather than a full house of Silvers, you’d

photographs that use a similar technique or

love to win a category and the accolades that

style. If you have a strong technique or style,

•

K e r e n D o b i a A P P, M . P h o t o g I 35

AWARDS

this can certainly help you get multiple Silver or

scores can be given by different judges and the

Gold awards.

prints are assessed in isolation, one at a time.

However, the risk in this approach is that

Using the highest aggregate score to

the judges will look at this series of prints and

determine the winner did not always produce

be concerned that the photographer has not

the portfolio that the judges themselves

demonstrated an ability to problem solve a

considered the strongest or the best, and nor

variety of approaches.

were they given the opportunity to compare

one set against another.

In the history of the AIPP Awards, there

have been sets of very similar prints winning

categories – and subsequent outrage from

unwanted outcomes were not unexpected

other entrants. How could the judges be

given the subjective nature of the judging

so stupid to give first place to a set of four

process, so the new system is as follows:

photographs that are exactly the same?

them. If the highest scoring portfolio really is

In the old days, the judges weren’t to know.

When you analyse our old system, the

Take the top three portfolios and re-assess

They scored the prints individually – they may

the best, it will still win. On the other hand, now

have only judged one of the prints themselves.

that the judges can compare one portfolio

However, at the end of the day when the scores

against another, they will be able to deliver a

were added up, the ‘wrong’ portfolio may have

verdict based on the direct comparison of the

been deemed the winner.

prints.

The system worked really well for Silvers and

Golds, but it didn’t give the judges the ability to

IS THIS FAIR?

fairly assess an overall winner.

Hopefully the way I have presented this argument shows that it is fair, but it can still be

SPECIAL PRIZES

devastating for a photographer who gets three

When we are looking for first place in a

or four Golds, only to be beaten by a set of four

category, we have a different paradigm. Instead

prints with lower scores.

of assessing prints against an external standard

(is it a Silver or is it not), we are comparing one

more likely that on balance, the other prints

set of prints against another set of prints. Which

were underscored. It can also be because one

set is best?

set of prints shows more diversity than another,

something which is considered by many of the

This is hardly fair on the judges or the prints

to take the highest aggregate score as these

36

It’s not that the Golds are undeserving, it’s

judges to still be extremely important.

•

Jordan Cantelo APP

37

EDUCATION

Should I Keep Receipts?

Keeping paperwork is incredibly boring until the Tax Office hits you with a tax bill simply because you can’t substantiate what you have spent. However, these days, the burden of proof is probably a little easier, but you still need to keep those receipts for GST and tax.

The tax office doesn’t trust us. Actually, that’s

did send the auditors out to check on you,

not true because the entire Australian taxation

there would be little point worrying about small

system is based on trust, and the possibility

items.

somone in a grey suit will audit you one day!

For this reason, there is an $82.50 rule that

states any payments under this amount don’t

GST INVOICES

need to have an associated tax invoice in order

If you are registered for GST, you are entitled to

to claim GST. This means that your bank or

claim back the GST you have paid on business

credit card statement is likely to be all you’ll

supplies and equipment, but there are some

need to record and remember the GST for small

rules: No tax invoice = no claim for GST.

items.

TAGS Busine s s R eceipts

The tax invoice (as opposed to an ordinary

‘invoice’) includes information that allows you

INCOME TAX RULES

(and the tax office) to establish the GST that has

Income tax rules are a little different and a

been paid and to whom.

little more complicated. For intance, there are

specific rules requiring individuals to keep all

So, everytime you purchase something

for your business, you are required to obtain

receipts for motor vehicle and travel expenses,

a tax invoice before you can claim it on your

but other expenses may still be deductible even

quarterly (or monthly) BAS report.

if you can’t find the receipt or invoice.

Note, this requirement is separate to the

But that’s not the point. Make it a habit to

need to keep invoices and receipts for income

keep the paperwork and here’s how:

tax purposes.

Find a shoe box, a folder or a spike on your

desk and at the end of each day, put all your

UNDER $82.50 RULE

receipts in it or on it. Then once a quarter, file

Fortunately, the ATO is realistic and even if they

them in an envelope. At least you have them!

This is general information only. We do not know your specific financial or legal situation and we are not providing you with advice. As such, this article should not be relied upon as legal, financial or accounting advice. Please use this article as a conversation starter with your own adviser.

38

•

Ricky Gestro

EDUCATION

What Happens To Copyright On Facebook?

T h e r e s u l t s o f t h e l a t e s t re p o r t b y t h e E m b e d d e d M e t a d a t a M a n i fe s t o a re n o t t o o g o o d , s t a t i n g t h a t m a ny s o c i a l m e d i a s i t e s a re n o t d o i n g e ve r y t h i n g t h e y c a n t o s u p p o r t yo u r o w n e r s h i p o f y o u r p h o t o g r a p h s. H o w d o yo u r s o c i a l m e d i a s i t e s r a t e ?

TAGS

According to the AIPP’s past national president,

Robert Edwards, the Embedded Metadata

taking our photos from social media - that’s the

Manifesto initiative has published the results of

risk we take for the promotional and marketing

its latest survey on popular social media sites.

benefits we receive in return.

Said Robert, “Metadata includes the EXIF info

There’s nothing we can do to stop thieves

However, most of us take care to embed

your camera generates, but more importantly it

photo files with our copyright information -

can include a Caption, the Creator, a Copyright

saved in the IPTC metadata - so that if someone

Notice and a Credit line that you add.”

does download our photos, there’s potentially

a notice that says the photo is subject to

We’ve all heard that posting photos on social

media websites like Instagram, Facebook and

copyright.

Flickr can have challenges when it comes to

copyright. It’s not that we necessarily lose our

knows who took the photo, then there is

copyright, rather we lose control.

little chance someone will approach you for

permission given they don’t know who you are!

Open up a photo in Facebook and it is as

If there is no copyright notice and no one

easy as pie to download it to your computer

To be fair to Facebook, it does appear to

(even if the quality is questionable).

retain both the creator and copyright owner in the metadata when an image is downloaded,

Busine s s

WHO OWNS IT?

although most of the Exif fields are stripped out.

When someone downloads your photo from

40

Facebook (or another social media site), you still

EMBEDDED METADATA

own it. The question is, do they also download

Begun in 1965, the International Press

the Exif/IPTC data (the metadata) attached to

Telecommunications Council (IPTC) establishes

the photo?

and maintains the metadata standards used

•

K e n D r a k e A P P, M . P h o t o g .

41

EDUCATION

by photographers and the media industry. It

media-test-results.php”

launched the Embedded Metadata Manifesto

in 2011 to draw attention to the importance of

supporter of the Embedded Metadata

retaining important data embedded in image

Manifesto and it’s an issue all professional

files.

photographers should be aware of.”

The website, www.embeddedmetadata.org

also includes Embedded Metadata Manifesto’s

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

five guidelines for how metadata should be

So, what are the options? Do you stop posting

handled and preserved in digital media.

photos on social media?

“There are many important reasons to

That is probably not going to be helpful if

embed and preserve metadata – to protect

you wish to market yourself successfully.

copyrights, ensure proper licensing, track

image use, smooth workflow, and make them

embedding your four ‘C’s (Caption, Creator,

searchable on- or offline,” said Michael Steidl,

Copyright Notice and Credit line) in all your

Managing Director of IPTC.

photographs so that you don’t have to think

about it. This can generally be set up when you

“If users provide captions, dates, a copyright

The first step is to ensure you are

notice and the creator within their images,

first ingest your files, or even be written by your

that data shouldn’t be removed when sharing

camera when you press the shutter button.

them on social media websites without their

Once it’s done, it’s done forever (or until you get

knowledge.”

a new camera).

The second thing you can do is to include

TEST RESULTS

a watermark on the front of your photos. Yes,

So how well did your favourite social media site

these can be cropped off or even retouched

go?

out - we can’t stop people who are determined

According to Robert Edwards, “It’s a mixed

to be thieves, but we can make it obvious that

bag of results with most sites improving their

our photographs are not to be used freely, and

metadata handling over the last few years, while

certainly not to be used without crediting us as

a few like Dropbox faired much worse. Adobe’s

the photographers.

new Behance service was the only site that

received full marks.

Results media release here: https://iptc.org/

news/many-social-media-sites-still-remove-

“You can see a graph of the results here:

http://www.embeddedmetadata.org/social-

42

Continuted Robert, “The AIPP is a founding

You can also read the Photo Metadata Test

image-rights-information-from-photos/

SPECIA

L FOR B

P READ

Save 20

Use Co u

pon Co

Offer E

xpires

%

ERS

de: BPM AG 31/12/ 2016

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www.betterphotography.com Landscape Photography MasterClass - Contents FINE ART MOVIES

KNOWLEDGE

JOURNEY

ACUMEN

POST-PRODUCTION

1. Monte Fitz Roy, Patagonia 2. Mount Nemrut, Central Turkey 3. Cape Palliser, New Zealand 4. Cappella di Vitaleta, Tuscany, Italy 5. Elephant Island (Iceberg At Sea) 6. Pilbara Storm, Western Australia 7. Steeple Jason, Falkland Islands 8. Nevis Tree, South Island, New Zealand 9. Zabriskie Point, Death Valley, USA 10. Oxer Lookout, Karijini, Western Australia 11. Segovia Castle, Central Spain 12. Great Barrier Reef, Australia 13. Western Macdonnells, Central Australia 14. St Gregory’s, Ani, Eastern Turkey 15. Weano Gorge, Karijini National Park 16. Clinging Tree, Dales Gorge, Karijini 17. Ishak Pasha – The Mosque Behind 18. Stirling Ranges, South Western Australia

1. Which Cameras Are Best for Landscapes?

2. The Best Lenses For Landscapes 3. What Is The Best Aperture To Use? 4. Camera Support For Maximum Clarity 5. Camera Bags - Sensible Approaches 6. Landscape Photography Accessories 7. Colour Temperature & How It Works 8. Correct Exposure And The Histogram 9. Using The Light For Landscapes 10. How To Stitch Panoramas 11. Archival Landscape Prints 12. How To Shoot Aerial Landscapes 13. Composition Part 1: Subject Matter 14. Composition Part 2: Framing & Cropping 15. Composition Park 3: Viewpoint 16. Composition Part 4: Placing The Horizon 17. Composition Part 5: Centre of Interest 18. Composition Part 6: Rule of Thirds

1. Patagonia, South America 2. Favourite Places In Turkey 3. Favourite Places in South West USA 4. Favourite Places In Italy 5. Central Spain for Castles 6. The Pilbara, Western Australia 7. Easter Island, Pacific Ocean 8. Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan 9. Shooting The Pyramids, Egypt 10. Hamilton Island, Australia.

11. Queenstown, New Zealand 12. Ancient Ani, Eastern Turkey 13. Amazing Papua New Guinea 14. Karijini National Park, Western Australia 15. Cruising For Landscape Photographs 16. Reaching Your Destination 17. Scotland & The Isle Of Skye 18. Antarctica & The Southern Islands

1. Potential Markets for Landscape Photos 2. How To Price Your Landscape Prints 3. Creating Landscape Prints For Sale 4. Publishing A Book of Landscapes 5. Publishing A Book How Finances Work 6. Presentation: Why It’s So Important 7. Setting Up Your Own Website 8. Setting Up An Exhibition 9. Shooting For Books & Magazines 10. Limited Edition Print Sales 11. Computer Power - Do You Need More?

12. Landscape Print Sales Paperwork 13. Print Sizes And Paper Surfaces 14. Shooting Landscapes That Sell 15. Getting Photos Published With Words 16. Do You Need A Business Plan?

17. Which Photo Editing Software?

18. Where To Now That You’ve Finished?

1. RAW Conversion Technique 2. Darkening & Lightening With Soft Light 3. Multiple RAW Conversion Technique 4. Luminosity Masking Technique 5. Colour Balance – Getting It Right 6. Local Contrast – Two options in Photoshop 7. Vignetting – How It Can Improve Images 8. Lab Color - Full Control in Photoshop 9. Nik Software - Using Viveza Plug-in 10. Photomerge For Stitching 11. Channels for Hue/Saturation Adjustments 12. Making Selections In Photoshop 13. Sharpening In Photoshop 14. Black & White Conversions 15. Focus Stacking (Helicon Focus) 16. Lightroom Catalogs for Landscapes 17. Big Black & White Punchy Landscapes 18. High Pass Filter For Landscapes With Pop!

43

EDUCATION

Will Privacy Laws Stop Public Photography?

Chris Shain represented the AIPP and photographers at a recent inquiry into privacy and how it may affect photographers and other visual artists. Is this the beginning of the end for street photography, or will the legislators in NSW see sense?

In France, you cannot publish a photograph of

a day-to-day problem with misunderstandings

someone photographed in public without their

mostly. You can walk down this street here, for

permission. Although there are some narrow

instance, and you might get a private security

exemptions for news and current affairs, it

guard come up to you and say, “You cannot

seems strange that a country so renowned for

take pictures here”.

its street photography should end up with what appear to be tyrannical restrictions.

CHILLING EFFECT

Continued Chris, “Now I am not entirely sure

There’s nothing to stop you taking the

photos, the problems only begin when you

why that would be the case. One of our

want to use them!

concerns ... is the potential for this legislation,

if it is too far reaching, to have a huge chilling

Will Australia follow suit? Or will it be worse?

effect on people going about their daily

TAGS Busine s s Advo c a c y

44

NSW INQUIRY

professional activity, let alone artistic activity.

The AIPP’s Chris Shain APP, AAIPP, an Advocacy

There would be lots of pictures that would not

Board Advisor, represented professional

be able to be taken if the privacy legislation was

photographers at a Standing Committee on

ramped up.

Law and Justice Inquiry Into Remedies for the

Serious Invasion of Privacy In New South Wales.

completely chockablock full of images of our

social history. Let us not put a chilling effect on

Arts Law has made many submissions over

“The State Library next-door is just

the years opposing a new law for the invasion

that.”

of privacy because of the (perhaps) unintended

consequences for artists and photographers

people misunderstanding what ‘privacy’ means

working in public places.

to the general person in the street. Let us not

introduce more stuff that is going to make it

Commented Chris Shain at the inquiry, “...it is

Added Chris, “Already we have trouble with

•

Daniel Pockett APP

EDUCATION

even more difficult. I am not a lawyer, but I am

say to a photographer, ‘Don’t take that photo’.

advised by a lot by people who understand

That would be a really bad scenario.”

these things that there are perfectly adequate

remedies at the moment for people to deal with

“The current arrangement is confusing for many

privacy.”

people. I too have seen security guards saying

Added barrister and MP David Shoebridge,

you are not allowed to take a photograph and

A RANGER TOLD THEM...

ignored them. We have seen instances when

Added Robyn Ayres, Executive Director, Arts Law

police effecting an arrest say to people around

Centre of Australia, “I suppose one of the issues

that they are not allowed to film them. We

for clients we advise is there is an enormous

know both those directions have no legal force

amount of legislation they already have to

because if you are in a public place taking an

navigate and they come to us asking for advice

image of an event occurring in a public place,

as to whether or not they can do something.

there is no restriction on it.”

An example would be a photographer who was proposing to take photographs of kids

DIFFERENT PROBLEMS

or people at the beach and a ranger told

Of course, it’s easy to tell the police or a security

them they were not allowed to do that, but

officer that they don’t know what they are

actually they were allowed because in terms

talking about if you’re a barrister, but a little

of the legislative framework in place, there is

harder for a professional photographer.

nothing to stop them doing that. So there is

misunderstanding—”

taking the photo and then the act of using the

photograph. They are two completely different

Continued Chris, “There is Federal legislation;

Concluded Chris Shain, “There is the act of

there is State legislation; we even have local

problems.

councils trying to set up regulations about how

a photographer can work in a public park. There

crafted really well, there will problems with

are layers of stuff that make it very difficult for

respect to the act of taking the photo, because

us to go about our daily activity, which for 99.9

those photos will not be taken.”

“I am concerned that if legislation is not

per cent of the time is not causing anybody in

46

society any issues at all.

“I think in the case of photography, it is how

this legislation which will no doubt eventually

the pictures are used, rather than trying to have

have an impact, one way or another, on all of

a policeman or ranger walk down the street and

Australia and potentially New Zealand as well.

Chris continues to follow the development of

•

M i l t o n G a n A P P, A A I P P

47

EDUCATION

Do You Charge By The Hour Or By The Shot?

When you are hired as a photographer, are you hired by the hour or are you paid depending on how many photographs you create? For commercial photographers, there can be great benefits in charging by the shot as it sets a value on what you produce, not the time you spend.

Here’s why.

Providing clients a quote or an estimate based

Nor do they take into account the cost of your

on the number of photographs they require

equipment, running the studio, doing the

can be a much more profitable and sensible

accounting, maintaining a vehicle and so on.

approach. It puts a value on what we produce,

For an employee, a high hourly or day rate for

rather than the time we spend behind the

photography can get some getting used to!

camera.

In comparison, a charge of $50 or $500 per

photograph may not seem unreasonable -

TAGS Busine s s

COMPARING HOURLY RATES

simply because they have less of an idea what

When you provide a quote or estimate with

goes into creating a professional photograph.

your hourly rate, the person who is hiring you

Of course, if the per shot rate is too high, then

may not have a good undestanding of what is

they may think they can do just as well with

required to run a business.

their smartphone or compact camera, so this

isn’t a licence for us to charge what we like. We

Instead, the extent of their financial acumen

is taking a wage cheque at the end of each

still need to be competitive.

week where they might be paid $30 or $50 an

hour.

Our price may well be based on an hourly rate,

Then they look over your estimate which

but we don’t want to present it in such a way

charges $150 or $300 an hour. What do you

that our clients think we are ripping them off,

think their immediate reaction is? Naturally

no matter how ill-informed they may be.

Nor are we trying to be deceiptful or tricky.

they want your job! It must be better than the hourly rate they are getting, even though they

CONTROLLING EXTRA WORK

ignore all the hours you work in marketing and

How often have you been on a commercial

promotion for which you get paid nothing.

shoot and been asked to take a few extra

This is general information only. We do not know your specific financial or legal situation and we are not providing you with advice. As such, this article should not be relied upon as legal, financial or accounting advice. Please use this article as a conversation starter with your own adviser.

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QUOTE ON TIME BASIS 20 EMPLOYEE PORTRAITS 2.5 EMPLOYEES PER HOUR 8 HOURS @ $250 PER HOUR TOTAL: $2000 QUOTE ON PER SHOT BASIS 20 EMPLOYEE PORTRAITS (2.5 EMPLOYEES PER HOUR) $100 PER PHOTOGRAPH TOTAL: $2000

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EDUCATION

photographs?

your premises?

It might be a job photographing 20 staff

Chances are the caterer would not be happy

members and the client just adds in another

- and chances are the caterer would not have

five employees who were only hired the day

enough ingredients.

before.

How do you handle it? Or more importantly,

PER UNIT BASIS

how does the client handle it?

Caterers normally charge you on a per meal

If you are shooting on a time basis, your

basis, with a minimum number of meals. They

client simply gets you to speed up, or you hang

may calculate their costs using an hourly rate,

back and work an extra hour or so for nothing.

but they charge per meal.

For example, you’ve quoted $2000 for a day

In the same way, photographers should

shoot and in that time, you have calculated you

charge per photograph.

can shoot the 20 employees.

against being asked to do extra work for

Many photographers would feel awkward

Charging per photograph protects us

about charging more than this and instead

nothing.

would just work a little longer to keep the client

happy. Is this fair?

photographs. If instead of charging them one

Let’s return to the case of our twenty portrait

day at $2000, we had charged them $100 per

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THE PIZZA SHOP

portrait, professional lit and fully retouched,

Naturally it depends on your relationship with

when the client adds in another five employees

your client, but let’s say your client makes pizzas

the chances are you won’t be asked to shoot

and after the shoot, you put in an order for 20

them for free.

pizzas. When you drop down to pick them up,

you’re a little hungry so you ask for five more

$100 per employee, so any reasonable client

pizzas. Do you think your client would give you

would expect to pay another $500 for five more

the five extra pizzas for nothing?

photographs.

Of course not!

On the other hand, if you’d hired in a caterer

a way that it is reasonable for both parties.

The client already knows it’s going to cost

It’s a matter of creating expectations in such

for a party and told them you needed 20 pizzas,

The per shot rate also protects you if it takes

only to discover you needed 25, surely that

less time to shoot the photographs - they don’t

would be alright because you’re already paying

feel ripped off because it only took you half the

the caterer $1000 for the five hours they’re at

time. Perception is important.

•

A n d r e w M c C o n a c h y A P P, A A I P P

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NEWS

The Luminous Awards 2016 There are four aspects to the AIPP’s Luminous Awards: the person we recognise, the recipient of the grant, the photographers who contribute their work and the future of our profession. Who do you suggest we consider for the Luminous Awards this year?

In 2015, the inaugural Luminous Award

outside the profession. It is designed to be a

recognised the great work and services of past

philanthropic exercise and something that all

AIPP National President Ian McKenzie OAM,

members can be proud of.

APP-L, M.Photog., Hon. FAIPP, FAIPP. At the other end of her career, Silvia Tomarchio from Victoria

2016 SUGGESTIONS

received the Luminous Grant.

The Board is currently working through the details of the next Luminous Award and is

FOUR TIER APPROACH

inviting members to make suggestions and

These are the first two of the four tiers in the

recommendations for two aspects of the

Luminous Project. In addition, there is the

Luminous Awards:

funding for the grant which comes from the

• Who should the Luminous Award be given in

auction of photographs which are supplied by

TAGS APPA

AIPP members.

• And whose prints will be auctioned?

While last year it was an invitational, this

One of the challenges in auctioning off the

year’s prints may be taken from the highest

highest scoring APPA prints is whether or not

scoring prints. Or do you have a better

they are appropriate for public auction.

suggestion?

category entries may not be ideal candidates

The fourth and final tier remains a little

For instance, some of the Family and Birth

distance off, but it is hoped that the print

for a bidder’s home wall.

auction will generate more income than is

required for the Luminous Grant which can be

the opportunity to contribute to the Luminous

used for other altruistic purposes.

Awards?

At this stage, the Board plans to extend

the concept to larger issues, both within and

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honour of this year?

So, is there another way of sharing around

Please forward suggestions and ideas to

Ross Eason - ross.eason@aipp.com.au

•

Pamela Jennings

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NEWS

Leica SL - The New Professional Camera The new breed of mirrorless cameras has most if not all of the features of a fully blown DSLR, but less size and weight. Are they only designed for enthusiasts, or are they now truly contenders for a professional photographer’s camera bag? Leica’s SL suggests the latter!

Leica’s history as a high quality professional

cameras continuously, but it is in the last

camera is legendary. People automatically

decade or so that it has been quietly making

associate it with Cartier-Bresson and Magnum

a very strong comeback. As more and more

photographers in general – and with good

people valued the quality differences presented

reason, but sometimes it is hard to agree

by Leica cameras, it introduced the medium

whether they made Leica famous or it was the

format S series camera which wasn’t that much

other way around.

larger than a DSLR. Combined with Leica optics, the quality is simply jaw-dropping.

TAGS Equ ip m e n t Ca mer a s M ir ro r l e s s

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ALWAYS PROFESSIONAL

While Leica cameras were practically

ground-breakers. Leica’s name was made by

indestructible, the reputation for Leica lenses

providing professionals with something they

was perhaps even more well deserved. You

needed to take them to the next level and I

could tell that a photograph was shot with

can’t help wondering if Leica is about to do it

Leica glass simply by looking at it. There was a

again.

distinct quality difference and the professionals

knew it.

Century?

However, the very first Leica cameras were

Is the new Leica SL that camera for the 21st

In the mid-20th century, Leica didn’t jump

on the SLR bandwagon quickly enough and

MIRRORLESS DESIGN

for many years, it found itself sharing the

When Canon and Nikon recently launched their

professional’s camera bag with other brands.

20-megapixel professional workhorses, many

It always kept its place in photojournalism,

photo magazine editors asked why they weren’t

but sport and wildlife gravitated to the new

mirrorless. As amazing as these cameras are,

Japanese SLRs.

they ignore the trend to smaller, lighter camera

designs that can take advantage of a mirrorless

Leica has been manufacturing high quality

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NEWS

design. The Leica SL weighs 847 g, compared

Focus Peaking and suddenly your camera is

with 1530 g for the EOS-1D X Mark II and 1405 g

working the way it should. Professional video

for the D5.

producers will also welcome the zebra function

for avoiding overexposure, and the EyeRes

If you’re happy to use an electronic

viewfinder (or perhaps more accurately, if

viewfinder is activated in the simplest possible

you can build an electronic viewfinder that

way – by looking through it.

outperforms the optical viewfinder on a DSLR), many other features such as faster autofocus,

HIGH SPEED AUTOFOCUS

rapid frame rates and better lens design

One of the challenges previous mirrorless

automatically fall into place.

cameras have faced is high speed autofocus on

moving subjects. It has probably been more a

In other words, if you don’t need the reflex

mirror and pentaprism in your camera, you can

matter of priority than capability, but until now

do a lot of really cool things – as long as you still

mirrorless cameras have struggled to match the

have a good quality viewfinder.

sheer speed and power of the Nikon and Canon systems.

EYERES VIEWFINDER

And the SL does. With a latency time below the

combination with the Leica APO Vario-Elmarit-

threshold of perception and a resolution of 4.4

SL 90–280mm f/2.8–4 zoom, the Leica SL is

million pixels, the EyeRes viewfinder is incredibly

claimed to have the fastest autofocus of any

sharp and clear. And as its image can be

professional camera – including DSLRs. The

electronically brightened, the EyeRes viewfinder

full travel of the lens, from infinity to its closest

is even better than an optical viewfinder in low

focusing distance, takes place in less than 110

or unfavourable light

milliseconds. That’s blindingly fast!

The advantage for a professional (or any

The new Leica SL is now challenging that. In

Leica states that its new telephoto lens

photographer for that matter) is that the

construction features double internal focusing,

viewfinder can show you exactly how your

in which two lens elements move towards each

FUR THER DE TAILS

final picture will look: exposure, depth-of-field

other. This enables extremely fast and almost

http://au.lei ca- cam era. com /

and white balance are simulated and can be

silent autofocus.

assessed, even before pressing the shutter

release.

and for very detailed work, the camera offers

the ability to set a single AF focusing point

Now add in the cool electronic functions

like a dual-axis levelling aid, various grids and

The Leica SL uses 49 AF focusing segments

anywhere in the viewfinder image. Focusing

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NEWS

can be set either by a simple tap on the touch

four different adapters, this is very true. The SL

screen on the part of the subject you wish to

camera will accept M, S, R and cine series lenses

focus on, or automatically, by enabling the face

and that will be refreshing for photographers

detection feature (it focuses on the face nearest

who already have an investment in Leica glass.

to the camera).

Many of these lenses are manual focus and that will be a limitation for some applications, but

4K VIDEO

naturally Leica has already thought about that.

So far so good. The 24-megapixel sensor is

backed up by a Maestro II processor and you

new SL-System lenses and the SL can also

can shoot as high as ISO 50,000.

accept the existing T/TL mount lenses without

an adapter. The three SL lenses cover from

However, there’s no doubt the professional

Accompanying the new Leica SL are three

photographer of the future will be doing more

24mm to 280mm, beginning with the Leica

and more video and the new Leica SL offers

Vario-Elmarit-SL 24–90 mm f/2.8–4 ASPH. This

what has become the new standard, 4K.

backs onto the Leica APO-Vario-Elmarit-SL 90–

280 mm f/2.8–4 mentioned earlier. No, it’s not

Professional videos can be output in 4:2:2

10-bit format with 4K cine resolution.

an f2.8 300mm, but this is available as a manual

focus R-Series lens. No, you can’t go wider than

As soon as the Leica SL is in video mode,

the viewfinder display shows only relevant

24mm, but you certainly can with the M-Series

information for video recording, such as

and R-Series optics.

safe area, aspect ratio, zebra function, or the

recording level of the microphone.

lens, a Leica Summilux-SL f1.4/50 mm ASPH –

which is also a true 50mm lens on the full frame

An optional audio adapter allows you

to connect an off-camera microphone and

However, you may be tempted by the third

sensor.

the audio recording level can be set without accessing the menu.

IS IT FOR YOU? A Leica SL system is not inexpensive. The

BRING ON THE LENSES

camera is similarly priced to the top of the range

However, as with all Leica cameras, and as

Canon and Nikon pro DSLRs, but the lenses can

magnificent as they are, it’s the lenses that make

be easily double that of their competitors.

the images sing! And dance!

distinguish yourself from your competitors, the

Leica will tell you there are over 100 Leica

lenses to choose from and, if you use one of

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However, if you’re looking for a way to

Leica SL may be just what you need.

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The Daintree Photography Workshop 2016 11th to 17th May

Presented by Les Walkling with Peter Eastway This contemporary photography workshop is for anyone who has ever wondered ‘what lies beyond’ the mastery of software and hardware, and what lies beyond the production skills, workflows, clients, competitions, and associations. In other words, this workshop is for anyone who has ever wondered ‘how do I get to the next level’ and beyond? This is so much more than perfecting your workflow or making lasting impressions with your pictures, it is also about your confidence and sophistication as an artist.

www.leswalkling.com

www.petereastway.com

Register for this workshop now at: http://www.leswalkling.com/bookings/ My co-presenter is the remarkable Peter Eastway (APP.L, GM. Photog., FNZIPP, Hon. FAIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, FAIPP). Peter is an incredibly gifted educator, mentor and communicator, and one of my closest friends.

We encourage, inspire and support one another, and aim to do even more for you.

The venue is the James Cook University Daintree Rainforest Observatory education and research centre in far North Queensland. It is one of the few areas in the world where the ‘reef meets the rainforest’ and the only place where two World Heritage Areas, the Daintree and the Great Barrier Reef, sit side by side providing an unforgettable experience in a unique and inspirational learning environment.

With our chefs and support staff taking care of everything else, you will be free to explore, refine, and extend your photography, and thereby change not only your relationship with your ‘hardware and software’, but most importantly take your pictures and yourself to the ‘next level and beyond’.

Enquiries Ph: 07 4725 4860

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E: events@leswalkling.com