Working Pro 224 by Pt 78 Pty Ltd

Working Pro The

Issue 224 â&#x20AC;˘ August 2014

Working Pro The

Co n te n t s

Cover

Easton Chang 2013 aipp australian advertising photographer of the year

w w w.eastonchang.com

The Working Pro is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). Editor Peter Eastway G.M Photog., 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 Working Pro 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 Working Pro 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

#224

Aug u st

2 0 1 4

Ross’s Ramblings - The President’s Message

Display The Logo Proudly

Our new president Ross Eason keeps the membership up to date with news and information about the Institute. The only way we’ll get traction with the Accreditation program is if we all promote it together. Peter Eastway explains how!

What Is A Category Advocate?

The Institute Is A Force - Rocco Ancora

AIPP Member Portfolio: James Simmons

All About Passion - Milton Wordley’s Grange

Show Them Why - Rocco Ancora

The New Accreditation Process

AIPP State Council Members

Editor’s Selection - APPA Winners

AIPP Grand Master: Charmaine Heyer

Awards Entry: Good Blacks & Whites?

The AIPP Blog

PortraitPro 12 Studio Edition

Peter Myers explains how easy it is to become involved with the print award system and steer it in the right direction. The AIPP’s newest Board member explains why he’s a member of the AIPP and why he wants to make a difference. James Simmons presents a delightful selection of professional and personal work, showing how one links in with the other. If you enjoy a glass of wine, then photographing one of the world’s best known brands for a year is a dream combination. Rocco Ancora explains why his wedding clients know what a good print looks like, even if they only buy digital files. It’s simple and brilliant. How do professional photographers become accredited? Peter Eastway chats to Peter Myers about the new process. Who is in charge of your patch? Check out all the new AIPP State Council Members here. Plus we ask ACT’s forgiveness for missing them last time! A selection of entries that caught the editor’s eye from the 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards. We ask one of our AIPP Grand Masters of Photography to share their favourite photographs, along with a little caption about ‘why’. Does a full tonal range make a difference? Peter Eastway thinks it could be the difference between a Silver and a miss. A recap of some of the important stories posted on the AIPP’s blog, just in case you missed them! Can portraiture retouching software really do a good job, without knowing anything about retouching? It can certainly help!

Ross’s Ramblings (President’s Report) Ross Eason M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President For those who are time poor, hate reading and

who choose to belong to the AIPP and each, in

want to get back to Facebook, here is my report

his and her own way, has to find a way to sup-

in summary.

port the Institute.

Pho to : Ba mb i W is on

I am inspired by the dedication of my fellow

•

It’s your Institute

Board members. Their commitment to the Insti-

•

Goodbye John de Rooy

tute is absolute and often undervalued.

•

Thanks Kylie

•

Welcome Rocco

the Institute. Without their work and dedication

•

Visions for the future - Marketing

the Institute would stop. This year the Board and

of APP, greater representation for

State Councils had a record number of people

commercial and editorial, advoca-

nominating to help - absolutely fantastic!

cy, and raising the bar with APP

Meeting of new State presidents

rational group of selfless members who have

to ensure we are all on same page.

one goal - delivery of a world class awards

•

Our State Councils are the powerhouse of

The new Awards Team, wow what an inspi-

structure. Okay, back to Facebook. Don’t forget to breathe. Behind The Scenes

For those with time…

Honours and Compliance committees, their

I’m not heavily into titles and since the cigar in-

combined wisdom contributes behind the

cident in the Oval Office, the moniker (play on

scenes with no agenda of recognition.

words) of President does not necessarily reflect

its role.

ery opportunity to contribute, people like Chris

Shain who is ensuring our voice is heard in

For me, President simply means a leader

We have individual members who seize ev-

who supports, motivates and has confidence in

Government on copyright, privacy and orphan

the teams around him.

works, Eric Victor who headed a team liaising

with the ATO, William Long in social media and

In my opinion, we have a great team and

have had for a long time.

competitions, and all of those members who

contribute through the various SIGs.

In fact, that team has over 3000 members

These members understand that if you be-

know what you want. How can we help?

long to the AIPP, you are part of a team and you

are there to contribute.

Membership Survey. Your feedback is essential if

So that’s about 3% of our membership.

we are to deliver what our members want.

The question I have for you, is how can I mo-

John and Kylie

tivate or support you? It’s your institute. Let me

Email me or have your say via the Great

This year, John de Rooy has stepped aside after

The Great 2014 AIPP Membership Survey Help us help you!

As Ross and Kylie say regularly, it’s your mem-

sentations that were recorded this year - for

bership, but what do you want from it?

free!

If it’s hard to put into words exactly what

Accredited members will have recently

you’re after, why not answer a few easy ques-

received an email, so click on the link and

tions in The Great 2014 AIPP Membership

follow it through. It will take you just 5 to 10

Survey? Your answers will help Ross and the

minutes. (Emerging members will be sur-

Board steer the Institute in the right direction.

veyed next.)

Even better, fill in the survey and as an Ac-

And just in case you have forgotten, here’s

credited Professional Photographer, you will

the link again: https://www.surveymonkey.

be given access to all the Nikon Event pre-

com/s/AIPP2014Acc

Pho to : Ba mb i W is on

eight years on the Board. To detail what he has

contributed and achieved over that time would

for commercial and editorial photographers,

require an entire issue of The Working Pro! He

identifying and supporting advocacy initiatives,

is the definition of a ‘selfless quiet achiever’.

and being a proactive industry voice represent-

You’ll be missed John. Thank you on behalf of all

ing the interests of our profession.

members.

Kylie Lyons now takes on the role of Chair-

will become a stronger focus as we need to en-

person. Having worked closely with Kylie over

sure that Accredited Professional Photographer

the past four years, I can tell you that no one I

has credibility as a standard consumers can rely

know has given as much time or passion as Ky-

on, not just a logo.

My priorities include greater representation

As we consolidate our finances, marketing

lie in taking on any role asked of her. State Meetings Rocco On Board

This month all State Presidents will meet with

Rocco Ancora, Grand Master of Photography

the Board and National Office team to work-

and one of the most awarded and recognised

shop ideas, strategies and share resources. The

photographers in the world, is a new addition to

intent of this is to develop a program of events

the Board and brings with him a new perspec-

and resources to benefit every member. An ini-

tive and skill set. Initially, Rocco is working with

tiative started by Kylie’s board will soon reach

the Awards Team on Judge training.

into regional Australia with initiatives already under way to develop content and events

Nominations

around Australia.

I’d also like to thank those members who nomi-

nated for Board positions and were not appoint-

APPA.

ed this year: Kevin O’Day, Joshua Holko, Craig

I’ll look forward to catching up with you at

Wetjen and Nathan Madigan are committed members who demonstrated by their actions

that being a member is more than watching. ross.eason@aipp.com.au More Than A Logo I do have some visions for the future and will work with the Board and National Office team on refining those.

0412 108 362

AIPP New Accredited Members

New APPs for May, June and July 2014 Accredited

Sergio Cantero

Tracie Louise

Marco Marroni

Professional

Tan Nguyen

Wendy Maley

Mark Stennett

Photographers

Yvonne Zhai

Xiang Pan

Melanie Carmichael

Yuyao Mai

Ronald Diocera

ACT

Mike Punch

Peter Carroll

Stacey Schack SA

Stuart Westmore

Chris Oaten

Tatiana Koulatsos Thomas Lim

NSW

QUEENSLAND

Dave Pascoe

Carole Diamond

Baron Walton

Jade Norwood

Cherie Abdy

Bec Thomas

Sarah Long

Cherie Misson

Carolina Gonzalez

Sharon Oakey

Belle Verdiglione

Daniel Stefas

Danelle Ireland

Skai Skorup-Matthews

Cherise Lauder

David Collins

Douglas Raisin

Sona Sood

Hayley Butler

Fiona Chapman

Fiona McGuire

Sudhira Shah

Jodie McGrath

Heather Swan

Joanna Bowden

Tiffany Selzer

Julie Brooker

Jamie Gilmore

Jodie-Lea De Pascali

Jasmine Lee

Megan Rizzo

VICTORIA

Meagan Hartley

Krystal Oldfield

Melanie Sinclair

Adam Johnson

Tami Xiang

Kylie Greffenius

Melanie Tucker

Con Tsioukis

Matthew Child

Michael Lees

Cuido Brandt

Accredited

Melanie Davis

Rebecca Colefax

Janine Kunisch

Professional Video

Michael Rayment

Rebecca Drake

Katie Fiorillo

Producer

Nicole Trestrail

Rikki Jones

Kay Sukumar

Peter Taouk

Sarah Gage

Kimberley Bumpstead

Rachel Deane

Shannon Harth

Kristie Dutson

Samantha Rummmans

Steve Bull

Lena Wang

Lillian Frost

Queensland Shaun Tolhoek, Lemon Tree Film House

Display The Logo Proudly

Peter Eastway explains why we should work together.

We all want an advantage in business. We want

people to recognise us for our brilliance, our

offer a high level of product and service. How

amazing photography, and our incredible per-

do we make this happen?

sonality.

And no doubt our clients do.

a good photographer is to recommend an ac-

So it’s not our clients who are the challenge,

credited photographer. Yes, I know there are

So, all professional photographers need to

The best way I can see to ensure people hire

it’s the people who don’t become our clients.

many great photographers who are not accred-

ited and not AIPP members, but if I don’t know

Some of these people are hiring other AIPP

members, and that’s great. I’d prefer them to

them personally, I’m unlikely to recommend

hire me, of course, but if I’m not the right pho-

them.

tographer for them, then let them hire an AIPP

Accredited Professional Photographer.

know, I’d prefer they had at least proved their

Of course, many people are hiring photogra-

worth to someone. And this is where the Ac-

phers who aren’t accredited. Potentially, this is a

credited Professional Photographer network

lot of revenue for us. So how do we steal it away

comes in.

from non-accredited photographers?

tem doesn’t exist. However, it’s a system that we

It doesn’t sound very nice, to ‘steal’ clients

If I have to take a stab on someone I don’t

No, it’s not a perfect system. A perfect sys-

away, but I’m trying to get you interested.

can all get behind and promote.

There are two ways of looking at the pho-

The more people that look for an AIPP Ac-

tography business. Either there is a fixed

credited Professional Photography, the more

amount of work and we have to grab our share;

work will come to us as a body of photogra-

or there is as much work as we want if we can

phers.

create the market to demand it. I fall into the

latter category, but no matter how you look at

credited Professional Photographers? We have

photography, I think we can agree that we want

to let everyone know. We advertise. We pro-

people who buy photography to have a good

mote. It’s up to us, not the AIPP. We are the AIPP!

experience and receive good quality work. That

generates a sustainable business model.

to your website. Do it today!

How do we get people to look for AIPP Ac-

Do you want to make a start? Add the logo

What is a Category Advocate?

And How it Works for the Awards? By Peter Myers.

One of the more far reaching changes we have

group (CAG) does not become purely the voice

introduced for the new AIPP awards system is

and opinion of just one or two members, we

the introduction of “Category Advocates”.

have set a minimum requirement that in order

to formulate a CAG we need a minimum of 5

This series of FAQ’s will hopefully give you a

better understanding of the purpose of catego-

members involved in a CAG.

ry advocates.

Why have You Introduced

members involved, we will add you to a waiting

Category Advocates?

list, and try to enlist your help to publicise the

In simple terms, we wanted to involve you, our

tentative CAG and get more members involved.

members, in the structure and format of our

As soon as we reach the magical number of 5

awards categories. After all, the purpose of hav-

members, we will formally implement the CAG.

ing professional photography awards is to allow

How do I become a category advocate and

you, as working professional photographers, to

propose a new category for the awards?

enter your work, for peer review and critiquing,

Exactly the same process as above

into image categories which best represent the

Is There a maximum Number of people

genre and style of photography you are practis-

Involved in a Category Advocate Group?

ing.

Good question…It all comes down to how

manageable a group would be. We think 10

Who better to define a category, set the

If you contact us and we don’t yet have 5

rules and parameters for entry into a catego-

members would be ideal and anything above

ry, than the members who are working in the

20 would make a CAG unwieldy, but let’s see

genre represented by that category?

how this develops in the coming months and

How do I become a category

years.

advocate for an existing awards category?

How do we communicate and interact with

It’s simple. Send an email to admin@aipp.com.

each other in a Category Advocate group?

au and tell us which category from our existing

We use Basecamp as our tool of choice for on-

awards categories you want to become a cat-

line communication, collaboration and commu-

egory advocate for.

nication. We expect that almost all the business

of a CAG will be conducted online via Base-

In order to ensure that a category advocate

Entries are now open for the 2014 Canon AIPP APPA Full details atâ&#x20AC;Ś http://www.aippappa.com/appa2014-info/call-for-entries

Plus a brand new website with all the information you require - why to enter, how to enter, what you can win, what you can earn... http://www.aippappa.com/appa-2014 11

Issue 76... Capture Amazing B&W In-Camera • Create Beautiful Vignettes • T h e B e s t S h a r p e n i n g Te c h n i q u e • Studio Lighting For Por traits And lots more...

Where are my free copies of Better Photography Magazine? They are here... w w w.aipp.com.au S i g n i n t o t h e m e m b e r ’s s e c t i o n . . . Go to member services... Go to my publications... Go to Better Photography...

Download and enjoy!

Would you like to receive a paper version of Better Photography m a g a z i n e , fo u r t i m e s a y e a r ? Yo u c a n s t i l l s u b s c r i b e a n d r e c e i v e a 20% discount. For details, email k i m @ b e t te r p h o to g ra p hy. co m 12

Camp. It’s a great, cost effective tool, if used well,

within the many other constraints of our awards

for managing projects via a disparate group from

system.

all across the country.

How Does a category Advocate Group

Propose a New Category?

When you join a CAG, you will be sent an in-

vitation to create a BaseCamp account (it’s free)

The same as above. The only addition would be

and join the project for the particular category for

the need to include in your proposal the explana-

which you are an advocate. Simple instructions on

tion and description of the new category, and why

how to use BaseCamp are included.

it is appropriate to have a new category within our

How does a Category Advocate Group

awards.

Propose Changes?

When Should We Join Category Advocate

As a group you have to agree on what you want

Groups?

the changes to be. You need to explain why these

Now! If you want to have your say, now is the time.

changes are being proposed. You need to propose

how the changes will be implemented and man-

we are currently undertaking is the objective of

aged. You need to explain how the newly pro-

having a common group of categories, with com-

posed rules and parameters will be monitored and

mon rules and parameters across all our awards,

policed and how entries will be validated against

including not only APPA, but also the state awards,

the new rules.

and ultimately the new Online awards.

All of this should take the form of a structured

A major part of the overall awards restructure

This means, we need to have all categories and

proposal that should be sent to the AIPP awards

rules agreed to early each calendar year so that

team Category Manager. The national Office team

they can be implemented for the state awards in

will help you put together your proposal if you

each state. Remember, our first state awards usual-

need help.

ly take place in early March, which means entrants

Who is the “Category Manager”?

need to know the categories and rules by January

David Paterson, probably the AIPP member with

each year.

the most experience and knowledge of our

Rules, categories, new rules and new catego-

awards process, is the new Category Manager.

ries need to be agreed and implemented by the

David, in this role, is a key and integral part of the

end of each calendar year. This means if you want

new awards team.

to make changes for 2015, your proposals need to

be accepted and agreed before Christmas 2014!

Once you have submitted a proposal to David,

he will liaise with you to make sure your proposal

is workable, and whether it can be implemented

now!

So, don’t delay. If you want to get involved do it

The Institute Is A Force

R o c c o A n c o ra , t h e A I P P ’s N e w e s t B o a r d M e m b e r Many members of the AIPP will need no intro-

just from dispirited photographers who have lost

duction to Rocco Ancora, Grand Master of Pho-

their way, but knowing what the AIPP has done

tography. His expertise and panache as a wed-

for my career means comments like these hurt.

ding photographer are legendary, having won

the AIPP Australian Professional Wedding Pho-

Institute and of professional photography, so I

tographer of the Year four times and runner-up

put up my hand to bring back that old spark and

three times! He is also one of the world’s best

champion what it means to be an AIPP member.

photographic re-touchers with an innate ability

to create exquisitely crafted images and prints.

tographers are AIPP members. My growth and

success has been because of my involvement

All this creativity is a far cry from being an

“I am very passionate about the future of the

“Let’s face it, many of Australia’s best pho-

AIPP Board member, so I asked Rocco why he put

with the AIPP and the APPA system. Over the last

up his hand.

twenty years, I have seen huge changes and it

Aspired To Belong

has been the AIPP that has lead me through.”

“When I first joined, the Institute was a force to be

Rocco noted that everyone seems to be a

reckoned with. It was the pinnacle of the profes-

professional photographer these days, but charg-

sion, something to which you aspired to belong

ing money to take photographs and doing a pro-

to, meaning your work had to be of standard.

fessional job are two different things.

Reclaim The Benchmark

“When I joined, I had to submit negatives,

proofs and an album. I sweated waiting for the

“I want the AIPP to reclaim the benchmark of

adjudicators to say my work was okay.

professional photography. I want everyone dis-

playing the Accredited Professional Photography

“Technology has changed the way we sub-

mit our images, of course, but there is a percep-

logo to be proud of the ethics and professional-

tion out there that the AIPP has become a glori-

ism this represents.”

fied camera club. Maybe these comments are

There’s no doubt the world of portrait and wedding photography has its

S i lv e r

with

D i s t i n c t i o n A wa r d - W e dd i n g C at e g o r y

Rocco Ancora G.M. Photog. w w w.roccoancora.com 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

sharks, photographers who prey on their customers with unethical selling strategies, and it’s these stories

that are picked up by the media.

We need to value what we produce.

“I heard a photographer bragging about a

“Many photographers think that because ev-

$5000 sale to a client who had just lost her job

eryone has a smart phone they don’t really need

because he said it was up to him to milk his cli-

a professional photographer, but smart phones

ents for every last cent!

are used for communication. We don’t ring each

other up, we send them a picture, but this is

“What sort of attitude is this? Eventually she

will wake up, but the problem is she will think all

completely different to what professional pho-

professional photographers are the same. That’s

tographers do.

why it is so important to work together as Ac-

Good Pictures Will Sell

credited Professional Photographers and stamp

“There’s a huge oversupply of badly composed,

out unethical behavior.”

badly exposed images flooding the market and

Successful Business

the consumer is being told that this is ‘profession-

While a small number of photographers are un-

al photography’.

ethical, the majority of newer professionals sim-

ply don’t understand how to build a successful

Professional Photographer provides needs to

business.

be much, much higher so we can regain lost

ground.

“Many photographers think the only way to

“Well, the standard that an AIPP Accredited

compete is on price! They honestly believe a

consumer can’t see the difference between an

Someone even told me they could shoot JPGs

average supermarket print and an amazing pro-

because they had a good camera, but when I

fessional standard print, but this approach is just

looked at their work it was obvious they had no

ruining the profession for everyone.”

idea about exposure or composition.

While the AIPP can’t dictate prices, it can edu-

“New photographers are failing at the basics.

“If you make good pictures, people will buy

cate members about good business practices

them! The holy grail is the quality of our work and

and how to work out prices for a sustainable

communicating this to our market.”

business.

“We need to tell the newcomers that if they

buy a print for $3.00, they don’t sell it for $3.50!

Rocco Ancora, AIPP Grand Master of Photography, is an AIPP Board member. He operates a successful wedding photography business in Mel-

S i lv e r A wa r d - W e dd i n g C at e g o r y

Rocco Ancora G.M. Photog.

bourne, and is a regular speaker and

w w w.roccoancora.com

presenter in Australia and internation-

2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

ally. www.roccoancora.com

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

Like many AIPP members, it’s the passion for photography that drives us and West Australian photographer James Simmons is no exception.

The Working Pro invited James to submit a series of his

favourite images, along with some of his professional wedding photography.

Explained James, “My business is predominantly wed-

dings, however I get some portrait work organically from shooting weddings and I also have a few commercial clients from the mining and building industries.

“At the moment, I operate as a sole trader and work in a

shared studio space, which has been a great environment for motivation.” Germany Series “Greylands”

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

My mum was a photography teacher in South-

photographed in the surf to be honest.

ern Cross (a tiny mining town) when I was little.

It wasn’t until I moved to London in 2004 and

She helped convert the old gaol (which hap-

had some real life experience that I started look-

pened to be on the school grounds) into a

ing in the direction of multimedia/video/pho-

darkroom. I have some pretty cool memories of

tography as a possible career. The decision was

seeing prints being developed, making pinhole

made when I severely broke my right arm while

cameras from Milo tins and doing double expo-

surfing back in Margaret River in 2006. I couldn’t

sures at the local graveyard.

do much for six months, so I enrolled at Edith

After I finished school in 1998, I studied Viticul-

Cowan University in a Bachelor of Creative In-

ture (wine grape growing) in Margaret River. I

dustries undertaking a double major in photo-

enjoyed capturing friends in the surf with the

media and film and video.

old waterproof disposable cameras, but I wasn’t very good at it. I was more interested in being

Perth Wedding

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

India - Horace and Mary

Hanging Wedding Dress and Hand

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

During the uni course, I started working at a

more productive.

portrait and wedding studio in Perth, cutting

Ultimately I want to be able to keep shooting

my teeth and learning about the commercial

personal work to keep me inspired. It’s this in-

reality of photography. I worked at the studio

spiration that will benefit my clients as it infuses

for five years, effectively doing my apprentice-

all the work I do. Working for the domestic mar-

ship and had great mentors there for which I

ket is all about making your clients look great,

am grateful. For the past two years I have been

while shooting personal work lets you explore

working full time for myself.

your own directions.

I’m still very new to business and operate main-

ly from referrals. However, having the shared

AIPP Western Australian Wedding Photographer

creative space has been a fantastic building

of the Year, but he has also been the 2011 Epson

block for growing the business and has helped

AIPP Western Australian Professional Photogra-

build industry relationships. The business goal

pher of the Year and the 2011 AIPP Australian

now is to refine the process, outsource a few

Illustrative Photographer of the Year.

Most recently, James won the 2014 Epson

things, increase profits and put in boundaries for work so I can maintain a life balance and be

Melbourne Wedding moment during the “congratulations”.

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

Old Dhaka roof tops during the Hindu kite festival.

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

I’m currently using mostly Canon gear (EOS 5D MkIII and EOS 1DX) with their L-series prime lenses, but one of the biggest game changers for me was investing in a Hold Fast “money maker” leather camera strap. It looks like a set of braces or a gun holster, which I dig, but most of all, my neck and shoulders no longer hurt. My other vice is Ilford film and paper. I love the stuff. For a lot of my personal work, I shoot on a Mamiya 645 with the 80mm f1.9 lens. It is pure awesome. Matched with the Ilford Pan F film, it just sings. Also an app I couldn’t live without is called Sunrise & Set. I use it everyday to help plan jobs and timing for client wedding days. Man walking along the “Queen’s Necklace” in Mumbai.

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

The accompanying images are taken from the

photojournalism and the challenge of engag-

various long term personal projects, as well as

ing with a subject and being out of your com-

some of my regular wedding work. Each time

fort zone. While on that trip, we were invited to

inspiration hits me for a shot, I like to add it to

participate in the kite festival. Dhaka being the

my list of possible things I could do when Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

intensely populated city it is, the only space for

traveling or shooting for myself. That means Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m

people to fly kites is from the rooftops of the

never lost for ideas and I can jump from one

city. The opportunity of photographing that

project to another, should the opportunity arise.

event spurred on a fascination with alternative

My first real project was part of the International

landscapes, in particular where there is a rela-

Photojournalism Unit I Studied at ECU. We trav-

tionship between humans in the landscape and

elled to Bangladesh and collaborated with Ban-

how they affect each other.

gladeshi photojournalism students to find and tell a local story. This is where I fell in love with

(Top) Khasi Tribe Family in Jaflong, Bangladesh (Bottom) The kite runner - Jaflong, Bangladesh

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

Twelve months later I took a trip to visit my girl-

I couldn’t see why anyone else would enjoy the

friend’s relatives in Germany and it happened to

resulting images, so they don’t see any airtime.

be one of the snowiest winters for a long time.

My mind was still in the Minimalist “human in

I was on a mission to make this trip count pho-

the landscape” mode from Germany and if you

tographically. I was super inspired by a painting

have ever been to India, you’d know there is

of a tree with crazy textures at grandma’s house

nothing subtle about it.

in central Germany. When I added in some very

The experience was becoming frustrating not

intense stories of life in wartime Germany from

only because I couldn’t simplify my surround-

grandpa, it had me focused on producing im-

ings, but also because we kept getting pigeon-

ages with mood, feeling and an underlying sto-

holed as tourists. I wanted to engage with locals

ry. The weather conditions at the time helped

and learn their stories, but everyone wanted to

me isolate certain subjects in an area that was

rip us off or sell us stuff, so I ended up putting

otherwise busy and mundane. The low cloud

up a guard and then it was almost impossible to

provided a simple background and lighting that

engage with anyone.

were conducive to the mood I was feeling.

I also realised that if there was no engagement

The next personal project was in India, which

with the people, the morality of just taking

sounds awesome, but it proved to be one of

someone’s picture made me very uncomfort-

the biggest photographic challenges I have

able. Then there was the whole paying people

ever faced. I didn’t have a particular idea or story

for the picture thing, too, that I felt cheapened

to chase down, which was my first stumbling

a relationship. It made everything feel contrived

block. I realised that if I didn’t photograph with a

and even more like you were visiting a zoo.

purpose or direction, the touristic view can take over. Aside from the process and having holiday pics,

Germany Series “Goat”.

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

Inside Series India “Horace and Mary”.

I tried the rooftop thing, tried the Minimalist

they are and the lives they have lead.

thing, but it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t until I met Horace and Mary

This was the start of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Insideâ&#x20AC;? series. With the

that I had a light bulb moment. India is a real at-

help of various fixers translating for me, I contin-

tack on the senses and everything is amazingly

ued exploring the Inside series in Indonesia and

busy. I questioned why I was so focused on tell-

Morocco. The fixers were integral to the series

ing a story outside in the landscape, when I was

as they introduced me to a variety of interesting

having so much trouble controlling the ele-

people.

ments in my frame. In Fort Kochi, Horace and Mary - two generous senior citizens - offered up a room in their home as accommodation. As soon as I saw their lounge room, I knew I had to learn their story and photograph them inside their house. The room spoke so well of whom

India, New Delhi. Lunch time on the roof tops.

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

India - Horace and Mary

A I P P

M E M B E R

J a m e s SIMMONS Master of Photography

In between these trips, I was inspired by a

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m consistently looking to tell non-fictional sto-

particular camera and lens. I bought myself a

ries, whether it is constructed in camera or in

Mamiya 645 Pro TL with an 80mm f1.9 lens. I

post-production. The images are inspired by real

wanted to test out just how shallow the depth-

people, places and stories.

of-field could go. I started getting as close as I could to people and just taking a simple head

James Simmons M. Photog.

shot. The combination produced very honest

james@jamessimmons.com.au

portraits. Not particularly flattering, but very real.

www.jamessimmons.com.au

All I needed was nice light as the background

www.jamessimmonsphotography.com.au

becomes less significant. More importantly, as long as I was willing to engage with the subject, it was relatively simple.

While the style of each series is quite varied,

what I find ties them together is the approach.

(Previous Spread) Heads - Mamiya 645 Pro TL inspired Headshots. (Top) Morocco - Traditional Berber House in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. (Bottom) Indonesian Family with their newly acquired Nyepi festival float.

The Wall

ALL ABOUT PASSION

M i l t o n WORDLEY A year in the life of Grange

South Australian photographer Milton Wordley

has worked for Australian wineries extensively

years and never really wanted to do a book. My

and, if you talk to him, it doesn’t take long to

father published a number of books and went

discover he has a passion for the wine industry.

bankrupt a couple of times doing it, so really

In fact, he is probably the most knowledgeable

this project just happened.

“I have been a photographer for over 45

photographer in the field of wine given his recent project: A Year in the Life of Grange.

From Exhibition To Book

“It started out as an idea for an exhibition. The

Book publishing is a tough market and Mil-

ton says he has been approached by a number

more I got into it, the more I thought this is

of publishers over the years. “However, recently

such a great story, why don’t I do something

none of the publishers really had a realistic bud-

that has never been done before: a real photo-

get for photography, and after years in the busi-

essay on the story of ‘A year in the life of a wine’.

ness I was over just having my name on the

And why not Australia’s most famous wine, ‘Pen-

printed page. Like most professionals, I have the

folds Grange’?

rent to pay.

decided to create something really special, a

“On the one occasion a publisher said he had a budget, it

hand-crafted, limited edition book, and sell it as

turned out it would

a collector’s gift for the same price as a bottle of

have only just cov-

Grange: $785.

ered my travel ex-

penses, let alone a

publication. However, there were real issues

photography fee! Not

with binding it at the size we wanted. It’s an A3

really the publisher’s

vertical folding out to A2. It ended up that we

fault, just a sign of the

had to print traditional offset to reproduce at

times.”

this size and open out flat. The book was on the

However, it does

press for 13 days and I learnt many things about

trouble Milton that in

production along the way. Talk to me about

many creative busi-

cardboard boxes I have about six different ones.”

nesses, the creatives

are the first to take a

tion book, but there are also more expensive

pay cut and it’s never

editions as well. For $1000, you can purchase a

been worse than it is now.

“So, rather than a traditional print run, we

“The book started out as a print on demand

There are 1000 copies of the Limited Edi-

Winemaker’s Edition (one of 250), presented in a

Photographs by Milton Wordley from his book, A year in the life of Grange

slipcase and including an exclusive print of the

four winemakers, signed by the artist, mounted

ment either and I insisted on editorial control.

and ready to frame.

It took me three months of negotiating with

Or for the Collector’s Edition of just 100

Penfolds to get permission and a legal contract

books at $4000, you get a leather bound book

written up. While Penfolds did not support the

and seven museum grade photographs pre-

project financially, it did give me absolute co-

sented in a black buckram archive box, com-

operation and access to all areas. And anyone

plete with American Oak sides.

who does this style of photography knows that

nowadays access is the most important help

Milton teamed up with one of Australia’s

“I didn’t want it to be a public relations docu-

most highly regarded wine writers Philip White

you can get from anyone.

and designer John Nowland to create what he

calls ‘a neat book’ which has won a couple of

luctant to give me permission to use the word

international awards. It has certainly generated

‘Grange’ on the cover. However, I put together

him a lot of press and maybe commissions from

four dummy books to do a pre-sell to the ‘Cor-

other wineries and publishers (he’s working

porate World’ in Sydney and Melbourne. Once

through some proposals now).

Penfolds saw the book and appreciated how

“Early on in the project, Penfolds was re-

we had illustrated and told this great Austra-

An Old Fashioned Photo Essay

lian story with absolute editorial integrity, they

So why did Milton do it? “It just evolved, but

were okay about using the name Grange on the

it’s such a great story, about how Max Schubert

cover. In fact they placed a large order to use in-

introduced new techniques to Australia that

ternationally as a brand promotion to their best

revolutionised the wine industry.

clients. That order sure helped with the printing

bill.

“I also wanted to do an old fashioned pho-

to essay without having to rely on lots of post

and Photoshop techniques. Most of the images

project. I remember attending many seminars

were photographed on Nikons – a D3, D3x and

on the subject, one in particular by Peter Jarver,

D4 – but I essentially used what I had with me

one of the few photographers back then who

at the time, including a Fujifilm X100, which I

published books and made money out of them.

normally use for reccies.”

He said the problem with book publishing is

that there’s never anything left over for the pho-

The idea behind Milton’s brief to himself was

“Indirectly, the AIPP had a lot to do with this

to keep the photographs real. Very few of the

tographer, especially if you go through the nor-

images are set up, most are observations.

mal publishing and distribution channels. Dis-

Photographs by Milton Wordley from his book, A year in the life of Grange

tribution is the key, he said. Other AIPP / ACMP

process. For instance, although printing in Chi-

supporters like Rob Imhoff, Chris Shain and Pe-

na is obviously cheaper, Milton wanted to pro-

ter Adams also gave me valuable advice along

duce the book 100% in South Australia, just like

the way.

Grange. By printing there at Finsbury Green, he

is able to stockpile the collated blocks and bind

“I knew I couldn’t put this book through

bookshops. It was going to simply be too ex-

on demand at the local Chasdor bindery. Quite

pensive to be distributed via the normal chan-

a saving short term.

nels. Instead, I sell it online and I have it going

into a select number of fine wine shops.

over $200,000 on the project, including travel

All up, Milton estimates he has spent a bit

to the USA twice, plus a trip to China to pick up Reading Stands

the International Gourmand Award for ‘World’s

“I’ve produced bespoke reading stands which I

Best Wine Book Photography’. However, his mar-

send with sample copies of the books for each

ket of collectors and people looking for unusual

of the stores.”

presents is steady and eventually it may see him

turn a profit.

Milton said supplying each shop with a book

and a reading stand costs over $400 each , so

with twenty stores, it’s not a small investment.

During the project, I covered a Grange Verti-

cal tasting in New York with every vintage from

“The project was not about making money,

“And it’s true I have quite an interest in wine.

more about doing an old fashioned photo essay

1952 to the yet to be released 2010 sitting in

and telling a great Australian story. Like ‘Grange’,

a room. Peter Gago, Penfolds’ chief winemak-

it has been a total indulgence.

er was in charge, and every now and then he

would pass me a glass, saying, ‘The ‘65 looks

“However, by cutting out the middlemen,

there is a chance he will turn his investment

good, have a taste’.

into a profit.

seat in the house and if you have a love of good

The book has certainly been a big invest-

“As I often say, photographers get the best

ment and self-funded. Milton paid the author,

red wine as I do, it does not get any better than

editor and designer, plus all the expenses in-

that!”

cluding the cost of printing and binding the

book. However, sales to wine collectors and

Milton Wordley is an Accredited Professional Pho-

some larger companies, including Penfolds,

tographer and a Master of Photography. For more

have helped fund some of the costs and he’s

information about the book and the project, visit

being smart about how he handles the printing

Milton’s website at http://wordley.com.au/grange/

Photographs by Milton Wordley from his book, A year in the life of Grange

S i lv e r

with

D i s t i n c t i o n A wa r d - W e dd i n g C at e g o r y

Rocco Ancora G.M. Photog. w w w.roccoancora.com 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

Show Them Why

Rocco Ancora explains why his clients know what a good print looks like. Rocco sees the limits photographers place on themselves by charging too little. A low price might get you a job, but you will never have a business if it doesn’t cover your time and profit.

“The challenge is to show photographers

who are only charging $800 for a wedding how to do it properly.”

So, how do you do it properly? Rocco sug-

gested wedding photographers should have a shoot fee and then add the album and other products on top. This way, the clients can just hire your services if that’s what they think they want, but it still gives you the opportunity to sell them an album or prints if they like what you do.

“Clients might only start with my shoot fee,

but they buy an album every time. I give them the opportunity to buy.”

Explained Rocco, you can sell photography

like Harvey Norman or Big W, offering the same model TV at the lowest price. Or, you can sell photography in a way that is unique, that can’t be purchased elsewhere.

“It is what we bring to the profession as pho-

tographers. Our personality is the X-factor that the guy down the road doesn’t have. People buy

you. Photographers need to understand this. It’s

made at a local supermarket look terrible, I just

not the price. And the minute photographers

gently point to my photographs and tell them

stop being driven by price, they will start to make

they have exactly the same files on their USB. The

some decent money.”

message is obvious.”

Rocco’s shoot fee includes a number of hours

photography (the more hours he works, the

shoot, Rocco is gently selling other options to

higher his shoot fee), and colour corrected files

them from the moment he meets them until

on a USB stick that the client can print.

they pick up the files. They get to see his amaz-

ing albums and handle his beautiful prints - new

“We have joint copyright on the photographs,

While clients might hire Rocco only for the

but I never hand over the files without a print-

photographers don’t always understand that it’s

ed component as well. In addition to the files, I

hard to sell what people can’t see.

provide them with 12 images that they choose,

printed on Canson BFK Rives paper and beauti-

the little box of 12 prints (which is provided as

fully presented in a box. These photos represent

part of the shoot fee) and put it towards an al-

who I am as an artist.”

bum. The box of 12 prints is their foot in the door

and then they can add in an album or a print. I

The printed photographs also set the stan-

“A lot of the time clients ask if they can swap

dard so when the client has cheap prints made,

give them an opportunity to spend if they like

they can see the difference between what Rocco

what they see.”

has provided, and they also know that it’s not

his photography that looks sub-standard, it’s the

tions is an incredibly strong selling point - and

printing. This is a very clever approach.

another thing we can help the new photogra-

pher understand.”

Many photographers provide a shoot and

“Selling archival prints that will last for genera-

burn service because they know no better, but there is nothing stopping them from spending

Rocco Ancora, G. M. Photog., is an AIPP Board mem-

a little extra time and maybe another $50 in pro-

ber. He runs a successful wedding photography busi-

ducing some beautiful prints for their clients. It

ness in Melbourne and is a regular presenter in Aus-

sets a standard, but it also introduces the clients

tralia and internationally. www.roccoancora.com

to the idea that you can buy so much more from the photogra-

S i lv e r

pher.

Rocco Ancora G.M. Photog.

w w w.roccoancora.com

“When a client complains

to me that the prints they had

with

D i s t i n c t i o n A wa r d - W e dd i n g C at e g o r y

2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

The New Accreditation Process

E a r n i n g T h e R i g h t To C a l l Yo u r s e l f A Pr o f e s s i o n a l

Peter Eastway interviews Peter Myers

To become an Accredited Professional Photographer,

need two out of the three assessors to agree. In addi-

the AIPP requires members to pass an accreditation

tion to the portfolio, there are other prerequisites for

process which includes a portfolio review. The prin-

accreditation, including practicing as a professional

ciple is sound, but the various procedures in the past

for at least two years.

have been somewhat flawed.

Responding to an accusation that it’s easy to be-

come accredited these days and that the AIPP no

Explained Peter Myers, “On one occasion, Daniel

Capobianco brought down a portfolio submission

longer enforces high standards, Peter answered, “Ev-

to an APPA meeting because it had been rejected

ery photographer who has become an accredited

by a state council. He wasn’t in agreement and asked

member in the last four years has gone through this

for a second opinion. All the APPA committee mem-

process, so if the AIPP is making it easier for photog-

bers thought the portfolio should have passed and I

raphers to become accredited, then it’s the assessors

could see immediately this was an issue.”

who are letting them!

For Accreditation, the portfolio doesn’t have to be

of Award standard, merely of professional standard.

cess are based on the honesty of the applicant, but if

However, that standard needs to be consistently ap-

they lie to us, then we will withdraw their accredita-

plied across the country.

tion and membership.”

“With a lot of encouragement from Kylie Lyons,

Peter explained that around 30 per cent of ap-

we put our heads together and worked on a new

plicants failed when they first applied, but they are

system that would be as objective as possible.

then given 30 days in which to re-apply, after which

around 25 per cent still don’t make it.

“We all know photographers have different view-

points, so we decided to ask three people to assess

the work, anonymously. Kylie hand-picked a dozen

system isn’t working because they fail a portfolio only

assessors who understood that they weren’t looking

to see that photographer being admitted a couple

for award-winning images, just assessing the portfo-

of months later. The reason the photographer was

lio in terms of professional standards - exposure, co-

admitted was because two out of three assessors

lour, focus, composition, lighting and so on.”

believed his or her new portfolio was of professional

standard.”

A portfolio comprises 20 images and at least 15

images must be of professional standard, and you

“Of course, other elements of the application pro-

“This also explains why some assessors think the

Of course, there were still only 12 photographers

S i lv e r A wa r d - P o r t r a i t C at e g o r y

Ken Drake AAIPP w w w.zoostudio.com.au 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

making all the decisions, so this year the pool of assessors has been widened to around 60.

“Some assessors are hard, some are easier, so de-

pending on who you get can make a difference to the outcome. To overcome this, we decided to increase the number of assessors, but who should we ask?”

Peter and Kylie determined that any current ac-

credited member with at least 10 years of experience was in a good position to measure professionalism in new member portfolios - a peer review.

“We also match domestic, commercial and gen-

eral photographers with assessors working in the same area and assessors are paid. In fact, experienced members can quite easily recoup their membership fees by helping with the assessment process.”

Emerging members are also required to submit

a portfolio of 20 images and they are assessed in exactly the same way (the assessors do not know if they are applying for emerging member status or full accreditation).

“It doesn’t make sense to have a different stan-

dard for emerging members”, explained Peter. “After all, either it is professional standard or it isn’t. However, if someone applying for Emerging member status passes the portfolio requirements, and they also pass the other requirements for Accreditation (such as two years’ experience as a practicing professional), then we invite them to become Accredited.”

If they don’t meet the portfolio standard, then the

experience is invaluable for them, giving them feedback on the areas they need to improve.

S i lv e r A wa r d - I l l u s t r at i v e C at e g o r y

Luke Ogburn logburnphotography.wordpress.com/ 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

AIPP State Councils These are your current state council members and they are keen to help you and listen to your suggestions. To get in touch with individual council members, use the Find A Photographer service on the AIPP website - www.aipp.com.au.

E D I T O R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

S E L E C T I O N

There are so many great images at Canon APPA and the Epson State Awards that not every Award gets the attention it deserves. To redress this in a very small way, the editor will present a small selection each issue for your enjoyment.

Silver Award â&#x20AC;˘ Sport Category

Chris Hyde c h r i s h y d e p h o t o . p h o t o s h e l t e r. c o m 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

E D I T O R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

S E L E C T I O N

Silver Award â&#x20AC;˘ Illustrative Category

Keren Dobia M.Photog. w w w. k e re n d o b i a . co m . a u 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

Silver Award â&#x20AC;˘ Portrait Category

Franca Turrin M.Photog. w w w.ambridgerose.com.au 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

E D I T O R â&#x20AC;&#x2122; S

S E L E C T I O N

Silver Award â&#x20AC;˘ Landscape Category

Ian Poole AAIPP poolefoto.wordpress.com 2013 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

Charmaine Heyer and Peter Rossi are both life and photography partners – and both AIPP Grand Masters of Photography. Talking to them singly is difficult as so many parts of their lives are intertwined, but we convinced them to separate just long enough to present their portfolios as standalone features - we will look at Peter’s work in a future issue.

C h a r m a i n e HEYER Grand Master of Photography

In the meantime, sit back and enjoy Charmaine’s selec-

tion of some of her most important works. Captions written by Charmaine. Pears and Apples Another twin image to go with my collection. Both girls were actively doing Life Savers duty and had the red and yellow caps.

Our painting of a pear and apple was perfect for this

image. I had one red coat in our costume wardrobe and a green one that I changed in Photoshop to yellow. All I needed to get now was an apple and a pear for the shoot.

This for me is a story about the similarities they both

share, but also the differences.

Shot in the studio with studio flash.

C h a r m a i n eď&#x20AC; HEYER Grand Master of Photography

Dancing in the Moonlight (Previous Spread) Maybe it was the contrast of her flawless skin and many tattoos that challenged me to create something amazing for her.

This was a two part portrait session, the main shot in the studio

and the dancing under the trees photographed on a grassy hilltop.

I purchased the one piece feathered outfit especially for this

shoot. I photographed it on my subject, both above and below, and then melded the two images together. Later I added a forest and birds to add a little more mystery. Nine to Five We were working on an exhibition of prints celebrating International Day of People with Disabilities, which was displayed at the Cairns City Council Chambers for two months. We got to know certain subjects very well. Paul was willing to run with any ideas I wanted to explore.

I photographed Paul in the alley in chains. The business men

were also shot in the alley, but were added in later using Photoshop.

Sometimes itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our attitude to life that can also be disabling

(e.g. the businessman trudging off to another nine to five). ISO 400, 1/60 second @ f5.

C h a r m a i n eď&#x20AC; HEYER Grand Master of Photography

Pearly Gates This is yet another part of my continuing work on twins. This image has many different messages, depending on the viewer and the life experiences they bring to it.

It’s essentially two visions of one person. It

could be the other part of us all, our higher self, sitting down looking out for us. It’s open for interpretation.

Strong composition is really important to

me. This was shot on the Esplanade in Cairns. I photographed the sticks in the foreground in the studio and brought in another background. There’s probably about seven images used to create this one.

Main image (ISO 200 1/750 second @ f5.6,

50mm focal length.)

C h a r m a i n e HEYER Grand Master of Photography

It’s a Pug’s Life (Opposite) Gucci The brief for this shoot was that the Pugs rule. I wanted the Pugs to have this air of importance and stately presence.

I chose to get the humans to wear masks

and the Pugs to appear to be more important. In addition one of the family members was more into cats. The other image is the same lady with Gucci, the baby of the Pugs, around her feet. This was one way to include the other Dog’s tattoo names in a story. The clothes, shoes and handbag all add to the theme. This was all planned prior to the shoot. Both shots taken in the studio with studio flash.

C h a r m a i n e HEYER Grand Master of Photography

I was only Ninteen (Above) and The Price

of Liberty is Eternal Vigilance (Opposite)

the old army shirt and the program pinned to

I had known Ray for quite some time and I was

the kitchen wall help tell the story. I wanted to

aware he had served in the Army several times.

make a statement about the psychological ef-

fects of war on our soldiers. I think his face says

I noticed that whenever he spoke about the

In “The Price of Liberty Is Eternal Vigilance”,

conflicts he was very emotional. These two im-

it all.

ages helped him to explain some of the issues

he is still dealing with.

old book on Vietnam. It was an emotional time

Then he got out his medals, his hat and an

for him. The lyrics of the song “ I Was Only Nine-

old blind to which I superimposed the land-

teen” were resounding in my mind as I photo-

scape and then a canvas texture.

graphed him for the second image.

ditions he has endured. Hence the faded sky

Both images were photographed on his

property. Both were lit with ambient light. The

The sparse terrain symbolises the harsh con-

and the lonely old weathered tree.

“Vietnam” shot was photographed against an

C h a r m a i n e HEYER Grand Master of Photography

The New Pet

framed print lives on to tell of a special time in a

Do you ever wonder what pets think when a

young boy’s life ( the cat was not responsible for

new pet comes into the household?

the fish’s death).

The shoot was done in the client’s lounge

room, illuminated by soft light from a very large glass doorway. We brought along the goggles for the shoot.

I also photographed their cat and put it into

a gold oval frame that I hung on the wall for the shoot.

The gold fish died two weeks later, but the

Exposure was 400 ISO, 1/30 second @ f 5.6,

60mm lens.

C h a r m a i n eď&#x20AC; HEYER Grand Master of Photography

Frames of Time (Above)

Faces of Charlie (Opposite)

Manned with shovel and a box full of old

I was photographing images for another Char-

frames, we hit the beach as a storm was ap-

lie Chaplin art piece I was working on. The idea

proaching. We dug the frames into the sand

was to capture many Charlie gestures that Dan-

and let the waves wash over them to illustrate

ny, a local magician and entertainer, had per-

the passing nature of lifetimes.

fected for his show.

Using levels in Photoshop, I heavily vignett-

I thought it was novel to present these im-

ed the shot to enhance the stormy effect of the

ages as black and white in old film frames.

background, to draw the eye to the frames and

to create a melancholy feeling in the image.

background with studio flash. ( ISO 250, 1/160

All images shot in the studio on a white

second @ f10.)

Dog’s Best Friend This image is all about the love we have for our pets. We had photographed Roger and Nyree with their two dogs a couple of years prior, so I knew when I had this idea that they would be perfect for my concept.

I wanted the cone shape light above them

to add to the composition and shape of the image, but then I needed more. This is a phrase I always say at work: Could or should there be more? The more in this image was the chess game. It helped give the image a sense of humour as well, and reason to keep you looking at their gaze.

The Superman bag was what they carry the

chess set in. I did some shots with and without the bag, and decided the bag added to the image. Only a “Super Man” would wear the cone in sympathy with his dog.

This was possibly one of my less complicat-

ed images, the only extra addition to what was a pretty straight capture was stripping in a wallpaper scene to give it the ‘Men’s Club’ look.

Photographed in a studio and lit by a single

hanging light bulb. 400 ISO f5.6 @ 1/30 second.

C h a r m a i n e HEYER Grand Master of Photography

The image above looks okay until you look at the image below. The difference is subtle, but after youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been looking at prints all day, judges become very atuned to incorrect contrast settings. Will your images look better with a touch more pop?

Awards Entry: Good Blacks & Whites? Does a full tonal range make a difference? At the national Canon AIPP Australian Profes-

sional Photography Awards and the local Epson

Lightroom or Capture One, you can use a con-

AIPP State Professional Photography Awards,

trast slider to increase or decrease contrast and

the judges see hundreds of prints in a day. Each

this may produce the result you want.

print is viewed under identical lighting condi-

The solution is relatively easy. In Photoshop,

For more precise control, open either a levels

tions which very quickly show

or curves dialog and use the

up any deficiencies in tech-

black and white points.

nique and print quality.

To add a little more con-

trast, you need to move the

One of the most obvious

flaws in an entry is a flat print

black and white points hori-

or, conversely, a print with too

zontally inwards - so the black

much contrast.

point goes right, the white

point goes left. Don’t overdo

A flat print generally has

no true blacks and no true

it. If you have a correctly cali-

whites. It doesn’t use the full

brated monitor, you should

tonal range of the paper it is

see a noticeable improvement

printed on (or the screen it is displayed upon).

with small movements of 5 or 10 values.

An entry with too much contrast often has

To reduce contrast, you move the black and

large areas of pure white and pure black paper.

white points vertically - up for black, down for

This isn’t necessarily a problem, but often the re-

white. However, to reduce contrast you may be

sult is obviously due to poor crafting of the final

better off reprocessing your raw file and starting

image.

again.

So what is the difference?

The difference can be five points or more

Sometimes (but not always) it makes all the dif-

Finally, if in doubt, try the ‘Auto’ button.

in your score. No, the judges don’t take off five

ference! Hold down the Opt/Alt key while click-

points, this is just an estimate, but I have seen

ing the Auto button in the Curves dialog and a

many prints fall below the magical 80 simply

menu of four options will open. Click the boxes

because they didn’t have enough punch or pop.

to see if one of these improves your image.

FROM THE AIPP

BLOG

Copyright delegation to Canberra in 1992. Left to Right, Nancy Cohen, an ACMP member (does someone remember?), Richard Bennett and Greg Hocking.

Vale: Nancy Cohen

Photographer and Copyright Champion

The Institute is sad to report the passing of Nan-

the Australian Copyright Council and represent-

cy Cohen. Nancy was a great friend of the AIPP.

ed the interests of photographers for both the

Born in New York , Nancy came to Australia and

Institute and the ACMP.

set up in business in Sydney as an editorial, cor-

porate, travel, commercial, and industrial pho-

tographer.

phers, the Institute awarded Nancy with the

Claude McCarthy Award.

During the 1990â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Nancy worked closely with

In recognition of her outstanding work on

FROM THE AIPP

BLOG

What Are The Canon AIPP APPAs? S i x G re a t M ov i e s To E x p l a i n A l l ! If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re new to the APPAs - the Canon AIPP

does the awards system work? What are all the

Australian Professional Photography Awards â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

honours and how do you earn them? And what

then this series of videos is for you. D. J. Paine

about making that print for judging?

has intereviewed AIPP luminaries Mandarine

Montgomery, Kylie Lyons and Paul Atkins about

movies on the AIPP Blog or at this link: http://

everything to do with APPA.

www.aippblog.com/index.php/what-are-the-

canon-aipp-appas/

How do you create great award prints? How

There are lots of tips and you can find the

The original portrait (left) compared with the PortraitPro 12 retouched result (right). (Below) If the automatic facial recognition doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t work, you can manually tell the software where the face is hiding.

PortraitPro 12 Studio Edition Portraiture retouching software I know I should have used someone else for this

worked portraits seen in some of the US pho-

demonstration, but who do I know who needs

tography magazines. And I knew David would

their visage retouched? We all look amazing,

be cringing at what the software had done to

don’t we? So I chose myself and opened up a

his beautiful portrait.

portrait taken by David Oliver on one of our nat-

ural light workshops.

cause after you have set up

a couple of portraits and be-

The software I am reviewing is PortraitPro 12,

However, keep these presets in mind be-

a stand-alone package that has one job: por-

come used to the software,

traiture retouching. Unfortunately, I was off to a

you can save your own pre-

poor start because the program reported that

sets and suddenly PortraitPro

it couldn’t find a face in the photo I supplied.

becomes an incredibly pow-

Now, I know I’m not the most handsome person

erful retouching workhorse.

in the world, but my mother does love me....

Especially if you want to use staff to edit your work for

Face Recognition

you.

It may be the shallow depth-of-field that fooled the software in this instance because, in all the

Presets

other portraits I opened, the software recog-

The software comes load-

nised the face(s) automatically. But if it doesn’t,

ed with presents for differ-

it begins an easy to follow routine where you

ent face types, or perhaps

drag blue lines around the face, effectively tell-

more specifically, different

ing PortraitPro where the eyes, nose, mouth and

retouching styles. Generally

chin are. Once it has this informatin, it goes to

you would retouch a man

work, retouching the face to perfection.

less than a woman, and you’d need a little more

work on the wrinkles with an older person than

Well, hold on, not quite so fast. For my

tastes, the presets provided by PortraitPro were

a younger person. PortraitPro 12 uses adjust-

too heavy handed. At the risk of offending my

ments appropriate to the age and style of re-

American friends, they looked like the over

touching you want. And maybe you’ll be happy

with many of them straight out of the box.

the application presents a head diagram and al-

Obviously, the idea behind PortraitPro is for

lows you to move the key light around the face,

us to do as little work as possible, so it will pay

creating light that you may not have had in the

you to spend a little time developing your own

original image, or correcting light that could

presets. This can be done be-

have been better.

low the preset panel in the

You can also increase or decrease lighting

Portrait Improving Sliders pan-

ratios by tweaking the shadows, add in a kicker

el.

highlight or even create smokey eyes, all tech-

Improving Sliders

niques that generally require extra lights or re-

When you look at the number

flectors to achieve. No, it’s not quite the same

of tabs in this section - face

and you should get it right in camera, but if you

sculpting, skin smoothing,

didn’t, PortraitPro is the answer!

eye controls, mouth and nose

controls, hair controls, skin co-

Facial Sculpting

louring controls and picture

If you’re using the Liquify filter in Photoshop to

controls – and then look at the

take a few years or pounds off your subjects,

number of sliders found within

PortraitPro offers a similar feature and will do it

each section, you suddenly re-

automatically. Of course you can take it too far,

alise this isn’t just a quick and

but try turning the sculpting off and you may

dirty series of Photoshop ac-

not like what you see! Sorry, David, but I used

tions, rather a very sophisticat-

a little sculpting to remove my middle-age

ed and deliberately designed

spread. Couldn’t do anything about my hairline,

retouching application.

however!

These controls mean any-

one can retouch a face, just

the beauty and glamour markets will want a

by moving the sliders around

strong retouching and PortraitPro will oblige.

and stopping when the result

Of course, some photographers working in

The developer, Anthropics Technology is

looks good. Of course, this could take quite a bit

based in London. Visit its website at www.por-

of time, so an understanding of portraiture and

traitprofessional.com and you can download a

what you want to achieve before you start is

free trial. As we go to press, the price was cut to

useful.

A$49 and the website was offering 10% off that!

So, for what it does, it’s worth a look!

For instance, in the Skin Lighting Controls,

Three options, with different amounts of facial sculpting and retouching. Above, I look a little thinner. Below, I am positively gorgeous (not), while at the bottom Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m getting closer to a more natural look. However, PortraitPro will do natural or full glamour, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s up to the settings you choose.

SPECIA

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How To Win Photo Competitions An eBook by Peter Eastway G.M. Photog., Hon. FAIPP, Hon FNZIPP, FAIPP I have judged many photography competitions and there are lots of little things that entrants forget to do. If only I could let them know before entering the competition, they would do so much better! Well, as a judge I’m not allowed to ring up and help entrants, but I can write a book that distills what I have learnt over the last twenty years that will give you a great head start. Of course, no one can give you an iron-clad guarantee that you will read my book and then win the next photo competition you enter – and I explain why in the book. However, what I can guarantee you is that if you read my book, you will improve the quality of your photography. You see, whether you’re aiming to win a photography competition or just take a better photograph, the advice is very similar. And I know that the tech-

niques and approaches I’ve developed over the years will help you capture and produce better photographs. My book is called How To Win Photo Competitions. It begins with a little about me. After all, it’s easy enough to write a book about winning photography competitions, but it’s better if you have a little bit of experience. Fortunately for me, I’ve been lucky enough to win quite a few competitions, plus I have a lot of experience as a judge. I can talk to you about both sides of the competition. Add in the fact I’ve been a magazine editor for 30 years and I hope I’m able to communicate my message pretty well. So, in just a couple of pages (I don’t want to bore you), I explain why I know what I’m talking about (even though my Dad told me not to boast). We then look at competitions and how they work, how you should

approach them, and how to use the results to assess your own photography. It’s important to set the scene before we get into creating photos that win competitions. The next two sections are the nitty gritty. We begin by talking about taking a great photograph in the first place. Competition winners begin with the camera and so we talk about camera technique, colour, composition, framing and so on - little tricks and hints that will make a world of difference to your photographs. From here we step into postproduction – using the computer to improve the images our camera has captured. Most readers will have dabbled with Photoshop, Elements or Lightroom and this is all you need to enhance your images so they are in the running for a competition win. These days, no matter how good your camera is, you simply must do a little post-production to finesse your entry.

For more information and a read of the free sample, please visit:

www.betterphotography.com 96

I finish the book with some useful background information about how competitions work (generally speaking), and then I analyse some of the images that have won awards for me, pointing out the aspects that the judges responded to in a positive way. The book has lots of photographs and illustrations to explain exactly what I’m talking about. And it is an eBook. It is easy to read on a computer, laptop or iPad, and you need Adobe Reader (Acrobat) to view the book. There is no paper version of this book, although you can print out the Acrobat Reader file if you wish. I have created a sample eBook for you to look at on the Better Photography website, so please visit and have a read. If you like what you see, I hope you’ll purchase a copy. And for your next photo competition - good luck! – Peter Eastway