Working Pro The
Issue 230 • April 2015
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PR OUDLY S UPPORT I NG THE AIPP TOGETHER WE CAN BE STRONGER
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TRADE PARTNER Proud supporter of the AIPP
Working Pro The
Co n te n t s #230
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Ap r il
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Contents
Cover
Ricardo Da Cunha 2014 aipp PROFESSIONAL LANDSCAPE
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Ross’s Ramblings
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AIPP New Accredited Members
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Around The States
Ross Eason M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President
New APPs for March 2015
photographer of the year
w w w. r i c a r d o d a c u n h a . c o m . a u
The Working Pro is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). Editor Peter Eastway 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 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 Copyright © 2015
AIPP Membership Contacts Suite G.02, 171 Union Road, Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127 Phone: 03 9888 4111 E-mail: enquiries99@aipp.com.au
What’s happening in the AIPP at a local level.
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Update: AIPP Reflections Project
18
Portraiture From Home
26
Video Night With APVP!
40
Keeping APPA Honest
44
The Rose Package
50
Canon EOS 5DS R
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Earn More Money By Being Professional
Rebekah Wilson reports fromMeadow Springs, W.A.
Rebekah Wilson’s move to the country - almost!
Rochelle Morris reports on the need for more business skills.
Rocco Ancora’s thoughts on improving our judging system
Paul Atkins discusses how to sell more prints.
What does 50MP mean to professional photographers?
What Certification means for AIPP members!
Ross’s Ramblings
Ross Eason M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President What Do I Do When
The Australian Law Reform Council, CAL and
My Car Breaks Down?
Arts Law putting together comprehensive
I recently spoke to groups of members in
submissions to protect our rights as working
Adelaide, Perth and one of our regional groups
photographers.
in Bunbury (WA) about what the AIPP is doing
to protect the interests of our members and the
privacy and responding to the Australian Tax
industry as a whole. In the process, I recalled
Office on revising depreciation schedules. Each
comments I made at the APPA dinner about
takes time and money because our submissions
membership.
are professionally prepared to ensure our voice
is heard.
In my 30 plus years as a member of the AIPP,
These include reviews of copyright and
I have never considered it as a retail relationship.
I don’t expect to get my subscription returned
vital component of what we do to ensure our
to me in tangible goods.
industry has a viable future.
I don’t know about you, but when I join
No, it’s not sexy.
the NRMA, RACV, RACQ or any other motorist
In fact, it’s as boring as an Insurance
association, I don’t expect to get a car or a piece
actuaries’ convention. We don’t issue awards
of highway.
for it and it won’t help you get new clients, but
it will ensure your industry remains viable and
I join because I want to know there is
someone there to help when my car or my
It is this level of advocacy that forms a
protected.
wife’s car breaks down. I want them to keep me
4
informed of what is happening.
Is 69 a Badge of Honour?
I want them to lobby government and
The first of our state awards for the 2015 awards
industry for motorist rights, to put pressure on
season was run in Queensland last week. It was
oil companies and they do.
a great event and well run.
It’s the same when you are a member of the
At the QPPA awards dinner, I was inspired by
AIPP.
one question and one comment. Sara Pearcy,
Queensland State President, asked of those
We advocate to government and industry
on many issues to ensure we protect the rights
present, some of the most respected names in
of photographers. We have been working with
the industry, if they had ever received a score of
AIPP New Accredited Members
Accredited Professional Photographers for March 2015 Accredited Professional Photographers Anis Morkos Aurelie Beeston Benjamin Hardman Charlotte M Brandis Darren Masters Emily Freeman
Emma McLeod Feng Tam Frank Cecconi Gabriel Veit Gavin Scott Gilbert Romane Karen Pedwell Kieran Stone Kristy Lee
Kylie Southwood Kym Heaton Lana Simonvski Lorna Kirkby Louise Sedgman Lucrecia Diaz Luke Scott Mark Clarisse Nigel Moyes
Polly Thronsen Quietta Seaby Quietta Seaby Sandra El Ayoubi Sanna Griffin Scott McCook Shelley Skele Tim Turner Yvette van Rensburg
Accredited Professional Video Producers Alexandra O’Daly
69 or less in awards to stand.
Unlike the entrant who is intimately involved
with every pixel, the judges are commenting
The outcome was most of the
photographers in the room were on their
in some cases with only one or two minutes of
feet. Low scores are not a reflection of a
appraisal time.
photographer’s ability, it is simply part of the
learning curve as we progress and experiment
A Point of Clarity
with our craft.
In my last Presidents report, I made mention of
the philanthropic project that will be launching
Queensland Professional Photographer of
Good luck to all who enter.
the Year, Richard Muldoon commented during
later this year.
his acceptance speech that, “Our judging
system is not perfect. No system ever will be,
planning since August last year. Its primary
but ours is the best in the world”, and Richard
role in the short term will be aimed at student
would know.
education.
To clarify a point, that project has been in
As we step gingerly into the awards, please
keep in mind our judges are all volunteers. They give their time and expertise without expectation.
We have a panel of five judges for good
ross.eason@aipp.com.au 0412 108 362
reasons. There will be high and low scores for an image and that is inevitable. You don’t have to agree with the comments of judges, but please respect their contribution.
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© John Wiseman
A R OUN D T HE STAT E S We’ve had a very busy start to the year in NSW including evening sessions hosted by James Day, Milk & Honey Photography, and Daniel Linnet. Each session was a sell out and extremely popular so we’ll definitely be bringing these great speakers back as soon as we can!
We have organised a whole host of exciting events over the next couple of months. For tickets and full details please keep an eye on your inbox and the official AIPP NSW Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/aippnsw
With the NSW State Awards coming up in May we hosted the first of our new format print critique nights on 17th March. With a live judging simulation as well as one-on-one feedback sessions the night was a huge success. If you missed out or would like to return to absorb more valuable feedback make sure you book in for the April critique night.
U P CO M I N G N S W E V E N T S
On the social front we were excited that Shoalhaven members gathered for their first breakfast club and we also went Off The Grid in North Sydney for some hipster barefoot bowls in the sunshine! And at the time of writing we are making our final preparations for our brand new workshop event, The Sauce, which will be held in the majestic Blue Mountains in late March. We’re quietly confident that it’s going to be awesome and will include a recap of all the fun in the next issue of TWP! 6
2nd April – Social – Sydney Central Breakfast Club 15th April – Inspiration – Image Making With Video – Behind The Scenes 21st April – Core Skills – Album Making For Wedding Photographers hosted by Momento Pro 23rd April – Inspiration – An Evening With Inlighten Photography 6th May – Social – Sydney Inner West Breakfast Club / Blue Mountains Brunch Club 7th May – Social – Sydney Central Breakfast Club 12th May – Inspiration – An Evening With Morris Images 18th - 19th May – 2015 AIPP NSW Epson Professional Photography Awards 20th May – 2015 AIPP NSW Awards Presentation Dinner
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© Ivan Biscan
A ROU N D T H E STAT E S U P CO M I N G VIC T ORIAN E VE N T S 30th March – Montsalvat Shootout 9th April – VPPY Speed Critique 28th - 29th April – 2015 AIPP Victorian Epson Professional Photography Awards 30th April – 2015 AIPP Victorian Epson Professional Photography Presentation Evening 12th May – Video Critique evening
M EET YO U R V I C T O RI A N A I P P P R ESI DEN T T O N Y KN I G H T MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
1. How did you fall in love with photography? First year of high school they had a photography club and it seemed so cool and like all those before me, once i saw the print develop in the tray, OMG’ it was all over from there..... 2. If you could have dinner with anyone from history who would it be?
WPPI - OUR VICTORIAN MEMBERS CLEANED UP!
It would have to be Jesus, and see how close the bible got it.
We would like to congratulate our Victorian members who have done so well at the 2015 WPPI Awards.
3. What single piece of technology makes your life easier?
Congratulations to: Vicky Papas (1st / 2nd for Fashion, 3rd for Portrait Individual), Nancy Morrison (1st for Portrait Individual), Jerry Ghionis (1st place for Wedding couple together, 3rd place for In-Camera Artistry, 3rd place for Bride and Groom Alone Wedding Day), Johnson Wee (1st place for Engagement, 2nd Place for Group portrait), Jacinta Dal Ben (2nd / 3rd place for Newborn category) and Vanessa Hall (3rd for Children category).
As boring as it sounds my iPhone - not just in photography but everything, imagine life without it now. 4. Which photographer/s do you admire? Past - Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothy Lange, Robert Capa. Modern day - James Nachtwey, Michael Kenna, John Sexton, Nick Brandt 5. What is your dream shoot? Probably a Cliche as it sounds Yosemite with Death Valley a close 2nd. 7
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Image feedback
© Karen Waller
New TAFE students
A R OUN D T HE STAT E S U P CO M I N G E VE NT S 30th March – Welcome New Members evening 7th April – Monthly Breakfast at Alfonso’s 15th April – 2nd SAPPA Image Feedback 29th April – Maternity, Birth & Newborn Q&A Event
A I P P I N T ROD UC TION T O NE W TA F E S T U DEN T S The SA Council likes to take a pro-active role with introducing these students to the AIPP as a part of their orientation day process. Most, if any of the students, have never heard of the AIPP let alone what it can do for them and their careers. SA President Paul Atkins, together with VP Louise Bagger, spent an hour with the new students at Tea Tree Gully TAFE chatting to them about why the AIPP exists, what it stands for and the type of information and assistance the organisation can provide to them. In addition, touching briefly on the State and National awards events.
I M AG E F E E D B AC K E VE NING Our first image feedback evening for 2015 was held 8
on February 11th at Diamonds Camera. Testament to the success of these events is the strong turnout and audience participation. This really is the best way to hone one’s understanding of what makes a good photograph. With the guidance of some experienced photographers, the conversation ranges from cropping to paper choices. Thank you to our judges for your wisdom! We will have more of these as the year progresses.
S A’S F I R S T R EG I ON A L E V E N T On March 26th a car load of members are heading to SA’s South Eastern region for the first regional meeting in SA. On the Thursday night we will be holding a three hour session for local photographers in Penola, introducing them to the AIPP, spend an hour on an aspect of professional practice, as well as a session photographic business practises. On the Friday night we will attend the Millicent Rotary Club’s Photographic Exhibition. The exhibition draws entries from all of the surrounding districts, and is heavily supported by the council. Thanks for Jacqui Bateman for coordinating this event.
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© All images by Conor Richardson
A R OUN D T HE STAT E S P R I N T C RITIQUE NIGHT S
A I P P ‘F EAT U R ED PRO ’
Dates: 24th April, 22nd May & 19th June 2015. Keep up to date on the Facebook page regarding venues and times.
Meet Conor Richardson - one of last months Featured Pro Photographer’s - from Hobart Tasmania. Conor specialises in fine art portraits of people, family and pets and was awarded TAS Illustrative Photographer of the Year in 2013.
S AV E T H E DATE - 12 TH J ULY 2015 2015 Epson State Awards & Presentation Dinner. New categories available, details to be released soon.
2015 EPSON STATE AWARDS
SAVE THE DATE TA S M A N I A 12 TH JULY 2015
Starting as a Student member in 2011, Accredited in 2013, she has come a long way in a short amount of time, entering her first awards in 2012 and the following year taking out TAS Illustrative Photographer of the year. Conor is one to watch. She creates beautiful imagery using studio and natural light. CHECK IT OUT #art #accreditedphotographer #aipp #featureapro #conorrichardson
12 TH JULY - PRESENTATION
fe at u red P H OTO G R A P H E R © IMAGE BY DAN CRIPPS
Search for a Pro 9
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© Simone Addison
A R OUN D T HE STAT E S A quarter of the way through 2015, and we’ve already had some cracking events! Our Decathlon in January presented us with some of the newest talent on the block, right alongside some of our most awarded and established Masters, and it was a night full of beautiful imagery, great business tips, and even a few tear-jerking stories. In February we sat down for some fine breakfast treats, and had a conversation with AIPP Grand Master Greg Hocking, who shared candidly on all aspects of the world of a Commercial photographer, and the shifting trends of the industry and the customer. A few weeks later, we visited the incredible warehouse studio space shared by Janet Craig, Stef King, and Geoff Fisher. It was a half-day workshop that left us all with a sense of high optimism for our sales, styling, lighting and customer management. And the NEXT three months? Well, let’s just say we’re darn happy to be in WA right now! We have AIPP National President Ross Eason dropping around for a series of catchups on March 26 here in Perth, and then he’ll travel down to Bunbury on March 27 to chat with our South West Chapter. We have an excellent Lawn Bowls Sundowner on April 19 (I believe there’s even a trophy to be won!), and we’ll be talking through all thing Insurance-related down South on April 21 or 22, and then over breakfast in Perth on May 12. 10
Check the UPCOMING EVENTS list below for everything else, and most importantly, our first WAEPPA Critique session happens on May 17, so start curating your most beautiful, surprising, and stunning images of the year, and bring them along to hear our local masters offer their wisdom and feedback. It’s an invaluable service, and well worth the vulnerability of entering! We’ll see you all soon, somewhere in this dynamic and exciting world of the AIPP. - The WA Council
U P CO M I N G EV EN T S 25th - 27th March – Ross Eason, in Perth and Bunbury 19th April – Lawn Bowls and Sundowner 21st or 22nd April – Insurance talk in Bunbury 12th May – Breakfast Meeting: All things “Insurance” 17th May – WAEPPA Critique Session 2nd June – WAEPPA Critique Session 25th - 26th June – WA Epson State Awards 28th June – Presentation dinner 29th June - 1st July – The Nikon AIPP Event 11th August – Breakfast Meeting 16th - 18th October – Canon AIPP APPA Judging 19th October – Canon AIPP APPA Presentation Dinner 10th November – Breakfast Meeting
Gold Distinction Original
Gold Distinction Final
A R OUN D T HE STAT E S ACT P R I NT C R ITIQUE NIGHT Thursday, 12th March saw the first of the ACT Print Critique nights leading up to the ACT/NSW Awards in May. Nine members submitted about fifty images for discussion. Hilary Wardhaugh, Ben Kopilow and Geoff Comfort led the discussion with others adding comments as their confidence improved. Most participants were newer members and the critiqued prints had scores ranging from silver down to a couple of low 60’s. The comment ‘save your money’ was heard a few times! As is common with critique nights, it was good opportunity to reinforce the rules. Many members were unaware of the change to the ‘no same subject rule’. Events such as this help reduce the work of the Award organisers through a good explanation of the rules. This night also saw the introduction of the ACT APPA Master Class. Past critique nights have been good for members to see how their work might be scored, but something was missing. The APPA Master Class involved an APPA Gold Award winning photographer talking about the making of their Gold Award print. About five prints were presented during the night. The best presentation was from Lib Ferreira who talked about her Gold Distinction Award in the travel category from 2014. Lib discussed problems with the heavy haze in China where her photo was taken. She showed her original files, discussed the editing process and then the processing of the final image. These images appear above. The night finished with Geoff discussing some of his observations as panel chair at the last two ACT/NSW Awards. To quote Geoff - “During the judging process I noticed some comments from the judges that were common to a number of lower scoring prints.” I have listed most of these comments below.
I hope this can help entrants with their prints in future competitions. • • • • • • • • • • • • •
The print was overworked / highlights were blown out The print, or areas of the print were over sharpened There was banding in the print Poor posing of subjects, especially in wedding photos Lack of emotion in wedding photos Vignettes were too heavy or not well executed Poor colour balance Poor control of skin tone especially in shade – blue cast Poor exposure (under exposed) leading to artefacts appearing when trying to open up the shadows Enhanced borders are often unnecessary Textured layers overdone Subject cropped too close Multiple images in one frame. Do they link together? Is one so strong that the others are unnecessary and take away from the good image?
Geoff also gave some comments on what made an award winning print? “Particularly at a Gold Award level, none of the above comments would apply. They were technically perfect. They had great attention to detail. They were also superior in composition and originality. They also worked at a high level of visual literacy. Their story telling ability was good and they had great initial impact”. The ACT Division will hold their second print critique night on Thursday, 16th April at Hughes Community Centre, from 6.30pm. We look forward to seeing you there. There will also be some ACT APPA Master Classes on the night. All are welcome. Please book through the ACT events page. 11
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A R OUN D T HE STAT E S
BEN VON WONG - HOTD 2015
Q U E E N S L AND NE W S Fresh from an entertaining and exciting Hair Of The Dog, Queensland prepares to crown the 2015 AIPP EPSON Queensland Professional Photographer of the Year. The judging of a record number of submitted prints, will take place over Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th of March with celebrations and winners announced at the Awards Dinner at Hillstone, St Lucia, on Monday the 30th of March. Viewing the judging is free and takes place at TAFE Brisbane, Block B, 1030 Cavendish Road, Mt Gravatt. It’s an excellent way to learn more about the awards process and learn from judges evaluating the entered prints. In the past month QLD has hosted two Epson print critiques for those polishing their awards entries, and an On The Lounge with the vastly experienced Thaddeus Kulig of TWK Studio who gave a fascinating insight into the evolution of his studio and the challenges they have faced over the past 40 years. 12
HOTD 2015
HOTD 2015
Photograph by Mark Zed
M E M B E R S H I P R E N E WA L S N O W AVA I L A B L E If your AIPP membership is due for renewal, you will have received an email from the AIPP explaining how to renew your membership using the payment centre in the all new AIPP website. Please help us all by renewing your membership promptly. If you need any help with your membership renewal, call any of us in the National Office. www.aipp.com.au 13
Update: AIPP Reflections Project
R e b e ka h W i l s o n re p o r t s f ro m M e a d ow S p r i n g s, W. A . Around an hour south of Perth is the
interested. They’d return a few minutes later
Meadow Springs RAAF Nursing Home where
with their jacket and medals. It was lovely.
the residents are predominantly returned
servicemen and women.
ANZAC Day because it is too tiring at their age.
However, for the photograph, many of them
AIPP photographers Rebekah Wilson and
“Many of the veterans no longer march on
Tina Urie were booked in to photograph 19
left their walking sticks or frames in their room
veterans for the AIPP’s Reflections Project.
because they wanted to walk into the make-
shift studio without looking too old!
Explained Rebekah, she and Tina were
trailblazing for the AIPP, setting up the second
‘test’ shoot for the project and helping to iron
of it, putting on morning tea and lunch, and
out the bumps before the project begins in
arranging trestle tables under Australian flags so
earnest.
the residents could display their memorabilia,
“The nursing home had made a big day out
photos and diaries. Not everyone was from Unexpected
the nursing home and a number of sons and
However, as all professional photographers will
daughters had brought their parents over to the
know, it’s important to expect the unexpected.
village for the day.”
“When we arrived at the location, the
numbers had grown and there were around 37
Originally, Rebekah and Tina were planning
to set up two studios in order to get through the sessions quickly, but with limited space at the venue, they decided to set up a single studio and share the workload.
“We had a bit of a tag team going and it was
really good. Of course, the day was not without its challenges.” veterans keen to be photographed. By the time we finished after lunch, we had photographed more than 40! Residents would walk past, see what we were doing and say they were
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The ‘official’ backdrops weren’t yet available,
so the girls had to use their ingenuity to find something appropriate and set up the lighting as close as possible to the master plan.
Nancy Crofts (RAAF). Photograph by Rebekah Wilson for the AIPP Reflections Project
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“Overall the day progressed very smoothly,
thanks to the assistance of the nursing home
yet and it’s hard to get the message out unless you run a proper PR campaign.”
staff and volunteers. And no doubt as we do more photography sessions like this, the process
Sponsorship
will become more streamlined still.”
The AIPP is still looking for more sponsors, but
outside the industry.
Rebekah says the experience left her with a
warm, fuzzy feeling.
very well supported, John added.
“It was wonderful to meet these beautiful
Within the industry, we have already been
old people who have done so much for
their country. One of the gentlemen told me
sponsors, beginning with Kodak Alaris for
that he had put his country before his life. ‘I
providing all the printing materials for the
volunteered’, he explained. ‘I can’t forget the
complimentary photographs being sent to the
things we saw, but that’s what you did back
veterans and their families.
then.’
folder manufacturers, Jorgensens, Photo
“It was beautiful to see husbands and
“We wish to recognise our wonderful
“In addition, there are our presentation
wives, holding hands and being very proud of
Mounts and Albums, Designer Folders and
what they achieved back then. I could see that
Seldex, plus the laboratories printing the work
everyone stood just that little bit taller in front
are also very generous supporters: Atkins,
of the camera and they were really pleased that
Fitzgerald Photo, Pixel Perfect, Bond Imaging
the AIPP is organizing this project.
and Streets Imaging.
“There’s not so much recognition for World
Our book sponsors are Graphis Studio and
War II veterans just now with the centenary
Momento Pro, creating superb books for the
celebrations for World War I happening this year,
RSL and the Australian War Memorial which will
so I think this project gives them an extra bit of
become enduring assets for the generations of
validation.”
the future, recognising and featuring our WWII heroes in this 100th commemoration of the
According To Plan John de Rooy
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ANZAC tradition.
Project co-ordinator John de Rooy reports that the projects plans are coming along well.
Please spread the word about this project to WWII
Veterans and photographers. To register a veteran
In the last month, the AIPP has engaged the
services of a PR company. Explained John, “The
or a photographer for the project please go to:
media isn’t really aware of what we’re up to just
https://aippveterans.com
George Webster (Merchant Navy). Photograph by Rebekah Wilson for the AIPP Reflections Project
17
Portraiture From Home
R e b e k a h W i l s o n’s m o v e t o t h e c o u n t r y - a l m o s t ! “I love my family and friends, taking photos, holidays, hearing my children laugh and play, sunsets
“Weddings and portraits have been my
mainstay, but in the last few years, I’ve stepped back from weddings to concentrate on portraiture and fine art. I’m still picking up a few
at the beach, sunrise over the hills,
weddings here and there, but the new focus
drinking good wine, chocolate,
is on my beautiful home, a 10 acre property in
travelling (then coming home), misty mornings in the bush, the
the Perth hills which has become my outdoor studio.
“I find shooting family portraits on my
sound of magpies, campfires
property far more satisfying than at another
and marshmallows, reading and
location or home that I don’t connect with and
laughing. I am organised. I pay attention to detail. I have a dry
I think this has boosted my enthusiasm for both the industry and photography in general.”
Rebekah says she has found her interests in
sense of humour. I get emotional at
portraiture have changed as her own family has
weddings. I love romantic movies
grown up.
and I cry every time I watch Dirty Dancing.”
“Now that I’m removed from the baby phase
in my own life, I have more of an interest in younger children, watching and photographing how they connect with each other and with
This is what you read on Rebekah Wilson’s
their parents. And as my children move into
website. She also mentions she has a Diploma
their teenage years, I’m finding increasing
of Applied Science (Photography), has been a
interest in these age groups, and I also have a
professional photographer for 17 years, and is
soft spot for the elderly as well.
an Accredited Professional Photographer with the AIPP.
Time of Life
“I’ve been photographing quite a few
However, it’s the first page that really
introduces her and no doubt it’s the reason many clients take the next step to contact her.
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grandparents recently. Quite a few families are
19 Examples of Rebekah Wilson’s day-to-day work.
20 Examples of Rebekah Wilson’s day-to-day work.
21 Examples of Rebekah Wilson’s day-to-day work.
now bringing their grandparents along. I’m not
sure if this side of the business has always been
are buying prints, certainly not all of them.
there or maybe I’m just noticing it, but it seems
that people realise that there mightn’t be a lot
I need to do some more AIPP workshops!
of time left for their grandparents or even their
However, when people visit me and see the
own parents, so they are including them in their
prints around, I plant the idea in their minds
shoots more often so they have something to
that prints are the way to go.
remember them by.
packages are something that can’t be ignored
“The importance we used to place on those
Rebekah says that while some of her clients “Perhaps I’m not the best salesperson -
“At the same time, I recognise that digital
family photographs of grandparents and great-
so I offer these too.”
grandparents seems to be coming back again -
a feeling that we need to have a tangible record.
III, mainly with a 24-70mm and a 100mm prime.
I encourage clients to keep their photographs
on a computer, but only as a backup.
“I love its clarity and the beautiful softness in
the background. All the important parts of the
“If something happens to their data, where is
Rebekah shoots with a Canon EOS 5D Mark Speaking about the 100mm, she enthused,
it? Let’s recognise how important these images
image are in focus, while the rest is soft and
are and put them into print so we can admire
quiet - it’s something I adore in a photograph.”
them.
Rebekah shoots with available light and a
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH (OPPOSITE) Extended Family Photographed on Rebekah’s property, the family extends across five generations, from a 97 year old great-great-grandmother to a 13 month baby. To pose the group, Rebekah arranged for the greatgreat-grandmother to sit in the chair and then asked the family to stand around her. “I find that people will naturally fall into a comfort zone, being close to who they want to be, or distant from others! The great-great-grandmother’s favourite in the family is the 13-month baby, so that’s why they are placed next to each other.”
In terms of colour, Rebekah managed to have the turquoise repeated across the composition, to
the mother on the right of the frame.
22
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reflector. “I have a number of locations around
tickle each other, then pull back for the photos.
the property where I know there’s great light
I always do the fun stuff first and shoot them as
for portraiture, plus as the seasons change I’m
they relax afterwards.”
finding new ones as well.
them to remember they are a husband and wife
“We’re in a valley in the Perth hills,
With mums and dads, it’s all about getting
surrounded by vines and deciduous trees, so
first, Rebekah explains.
the autumn colours are coming on just now. It’s
very exciting, being in a rural environment so
photographs -- and sometimes the kids will
close to the city.
cover their eyes because they can’t believe that
mum and dad are having a cuddle!
“I try to get my clients out fairly early in the
morning or late in the afternoon, but I have
“I get them to go back to their wedding
“Everyone laughs and it works.”
enough scope to still find great locations if that’s not possible.”
When it comes to posing, Rebekah says,
Rebekah Wilson is an AIPP Accredited Professional
“It just kind of happens – it’s become second
Photographer in Perth, W.A. She has been a presi-
nature.
dent of the AIPP WA division. Her website can be
found at www.rebekahwilson.com.au
“I relate well to people and can encourage
them to get comfortable with each other. With children, I’ll get them to have a snuggle and
ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPH (OPPOSITE) Dad’s Home The photograph of the little girl climbing over dad’s shoulder is a great example of Rebekah’s casual style. While depicting a modern and free composition with the subjects in the bottom of the frame and lots of space above, Rebekah explains that this came about partly because of the location.
“The family was living in a small shack on their property while they were waiting for their new
house to be built, so there wasn’t much room to move inside. I threw a neutral blanket over the bright pink lounge because it was clashing with the girls dress, and pointed the camera upwards to simplify the framing. On location, it can be a challenge to shoot around busy rooms or design features that don’t add to the portrait.”
The window frame on the left and the corner of the picture frame top right act as punctuation
points in the composition.
24
25
Video Night With APVP!
Rochelle Morris repor ts on the need for more business skills. The Victorian division of the AIPP Accredited
a whole. Quality is just so important for all of us.”
Professional Video Producers (APVP) held an evening presentation last month which was
Education
attended by over 70 people. Explained one of
“In our industry, it’s easy to spend hours and
the organisers, Rochelle Morris, there is a huge
hours on a job, so we need to be aware of
community of video producers out there and
what we’re really earning per hour. Many video
it includes a lot of stills photographers now
producers are earning less than they would
getting involved.
working in a factory.”
At the meeting, Rochelle was hoping to
encourage collaboration, not competition. “I
producers - issues that are very similar for stills
used those terms so people would understand
photographers?
that we’re not really competing against each
other, rather by collaborating we can improve
producers to be better educated, not just
the industry for everyone.”
about production skills, but about business
The evening covered many different aspects
“Education. We need to encourage video
and marketing as well. And that’s the purpose
of video production, from colour grading to
of these events put on by the AIPP - to initially
marketing, production style to business issues.
take people outside their comfort zone and get
them to question what they are doing and what
“One of the themes was quality. We all
need to keep an eye on the quality of our
they are offering.
productions because this is what separates us
as professionals. And if we don’t produce high
job because your clients are paying you and
quality work, it’s difficult to charge enough to
you have lots of ‘likes’ on Facebook. However,
make a living. How you achieve high quality
this doesn’t actually mean you’re producing
is up to you, whether it’s with colour grading
great quality work and hopefully producers will
techniques or your filming skills, but our entire
feel confident enough to challenge themselves,
industry is based on the quality of our product.
to have their work critiqued by their peers and
elevate what they achieve.”
“If just one video producer produces a poor
quality product, that reflects on the industry as
26
So, how do we solve these issues for video
“It’s really easy to think you’re doing a great
While Rochelle acknowledges that wedding
Rochelle Morris (top left) was one of many speakers at the recent APVP’s evening presentation last month. Photos courtesy of Dean Morris.
27
and corporate productions are very different
support you? We pay our contractors $800
beasts, they face similar challenges when it
to $1000 or more depending on the job, so if
comes to explaining the value their clients are
you’re only charging your client $2500, that’s a
getting for the price - even if the price is initially
large percentage going out the door.
more than the client had in mind.
because for many producers this is just their
“Many new video producers don’t realise
“Then there are all the editing costs, but
that as a business owner, there’s a huge cost
own time, they don’t see the value they are
to be in business. And just taking on more
handing over to their clients for very little
new work isn’t necessarily going to make you
reward. If you have a 16 hour wedding to edit,
more profitable. You mightn’t be able to service
you can find yourself working for less than $20
them all yourself, so you need to hire staff and
an hour. I don’t think enough people really think
subcontractors to help and this in turn increases
about it properly.”
your costs and reduces your profit.”
charging $2500 for a wedding, it makes it harder
Shooting 120 jobs a year doesn’t mean you
If the majority of people in the industry are
have a profitable business. “It’s just a number
to find people who are sufficiently skilled and
and maybe you can make more money out of
the overall quality of our product drops. But do
fewer weddings just as easily as more of them.”
our clients understand this? Probably not - and if it means they have to spend more money,
28
Managing Expectations
they probably don’t want to understand either!
On average, people are spending $2000 to
$2500 for a wedding video production, but this
with a budget of $500. Now, I can’t even find
is unlikely to be sufficient to run a successful
a shooter to go out for that much, let alone
business if you want to provide the production
produce a whole job. And we are very brand
values expected of a professional. The problem
conscious because every job we do affects our
is that our clients may not see the value in what
reputation. We can’t afford to produce a cheap
is being provided by video producers working
job that is sub-standard.
at higher levels.
I felt was incredibly cheap, provided a better
“Most wedding clients have high
“We have a client who asked us to do a job
“I made a recommendation to this client that
expectations without really knowing what is
result and retained our reputation, but not
involved. Similarly, many new video producers
having heard back from him, I am pretty sure
don’t think about it either. For instance, what
he has gone to one of our competitors. I think
happens when you hire a second shooter to
this is the wrong strategy for him, but how do
(Above) The APVP’s Facebook page. (Below) Around 70 people turned up to the recent APVP’s meeting in Melbourne last month.
29
I say that without appearing to be greedy? It’s
not an easy discussion, but in the end, I believe
costs of doing business are. How much do you
I did the right thing. We were not the right
need to earn each week to end up with a salary
production company for him.”
of $80,000 (or whatever amount you want to
earn annually)? Once you know this figure, it
Unfortunately, producing a really cheap job
First, you need to know what your actual
can backfire in many ways. First, if the money
makes it a lot easier to give your clients a price
isn’t enough to make a profit, what’s the point?
because you know you have to earn this if
You’d be better off spending the time looking
you’re going to survive.
for work that is profitable. And if you do a
cheap job, then that’s a calling card out in the
improve your people handling and speaking
market place that might not be delivering your
skills. “I know this from personal experience”,
branding message in a positive way. Potential
explained Rochelle. “Part of my transition into
clients can only judge you by what they see, so
the corporate world required me to learn how
it’s important to only produce high quality work.
to speak the corporate language. I used to lack
“This isn’t to say you never do a job for free”,
confidence for lots of reasons, so I surrounded
explained Rochelle. “We do pro bono work and
myself with mentors who helped me with the
this can be a great way of marketing yourself.
language I needed to use. I became confident
The point is that we never produce sub-
that what I was speaking was true and not
standard work and this may mean you can’t
rubbish, and with this my personal confidence
afford to work for some clients. If you’re only
increased as well.
doing a cheap job to pay the bills, then you
need to analyse your business to ensure that
coaches out there who can help you.”
what you’re charging will in fact allow you to
pay those bills. Chances are it will not.”
AIPP website or the AIPP Accredited Video
The second way to build confidence is to
“If you’re not confident, there are business And so can the AIPP. Keep an eye on the
Producers Facebook page for upcoming Building Confidence
meetings and events, and check out The Nikon
Newcomers often wonder how they can charge
Event over in Perth this June.
more than they are already. More often than
30
not, it is a matter of confidence.
Rochelle and Dean Morris run Preface Films in Mel-
bourne. Their website is www.prefacefilms.com.au.
There are two ways you can build
confidence when providing a quote to potential
You can contact Michelle via email: rochelle@pref-
clients.
acefilms.com.au
KODAK PROFESSIONAL ENDURA Premier Metallic Paper has the distinctive attention-getting, glossy ďŹ nish and metallic appearance that will draw all eyes to your work.
31 Š 2015 Kodak Alaris Australia Pty Ltd. The Kodak trademark and trade dress are used under licence from Eastman Kodak Company
Photography from The Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation calendar shot by Carol Gibbons.
C a ro l
GIBBONS AIPP Master of Photography
Working as a professional photographer can
ideals: the opportunity to help a charity and to
stymie our creativity, simply because we’re
shoot something creative and personal at the
realising someone else’s vision, not our own. Yet
same time. She did it with The Layne Beachley
at the same time, photographers are a generous
Foundation, Aim for the Stars.
lot, more than happy to offer their services to
support a larger cause.
surfer from Sydney who won the World
Carol Gibbons, a portrait photographer
Championship seven times. She set up the
working on Sydney’s northern beaches, is an
foundation with the aim of helping young
Accredited Professional Photographer and a
women achieve their goals in life.
Layne Beachley AO is a former professional
Master of Photography. Her highly successful studio is always busy, but she makes time for
Calendar Idea
personal projects to keep her interested and
Explained Carol, “I met Layne through a
engaged.
mutual friend. The Foundation was looking for a photographer to help, so I began by
32
Aim For The Stars
photographing their events and shooting
One of her recent projects combined both
portraits of some of the girls who had
33
34
Ca rol
GIBBONS
AIPP Master of Photography
Photography from The Layne Beachley Aim for the Stars Foundation calendar shot by Carol Gibbons.
35
Carol
GIBBONS
AIPP Master of Photography
received grants.
what I was going to do”, Carol admitted, “it just
“Then one day I suggested to Layne that
evolved. After the shoots I went on holidays,
we create a calendar to sell to raise funds. She
so when I returned, I had just two weeks to
thought it was a great idea and that’s how the
complete the job. I picked out the best shots,
project began.”
knowing that I wanted each portrait to be a
little different.
Carol added that because she had already
built up a relationship with the Foundation,
Layne trusted her to follow her own vision
do a series of different poses, then turned them
when it came to creating the photographs and
into a series of silhouettes which became the
designing the calendar.
background for the main portrait as a wallpaper.
“Layne picked out 11 girls who had received
“For instance, with the gymnasts, I had them
“Each page in the calendar included the
grants and gone on to be successful [Layne
photograph and the subject’s personal motto
was the twelfth portrait.] They included three
underneath (e.g. Never give up).
Olympians, a Hockey Roo, an opera singer, a
ballet dancer and a doctor.
really gave me confidence in my creativity, plus
it was good to do something that would benefit
“For the shoots, I asked them all to bring
“Completing the job in such a short time
something that was special to them, something
someone else.
that talked about who they were or related to
their pursuit.” Carol ended up with a great range
shoots.”
of props, from a stethoscope to oars and bicycle
wheels.
for the calendar launch, accompanied by an
exhibition of Carol’s prints at the local Manly Art
The photographs were taken in Carol’s
“And the girls loved being involved with the The Foundation hosted an opening night
studio. Her vision was for a series of black and
Gallery.
white portraits, so she asked them all to wear
something black.
were there. It produced lots of publicity for both
“There were over 200 guests and all the girls
the Foundation as well as me and my work was
36
Composite Presentation
exposed to lots of new people.
“I photographed the girls and their props
separately, and then combined them in
industry. Rob Gatto from Kayell very generously
Photoshop to create an art piece that told their
donated some Canson art paper and allowed
story and showed something about them.
me to spend the day at his office, printing two
very large prints of each of the girls (one was
“In the beginning, I didn’t know exactly
“It was also great to be supported by the
37
Carol
GIBBONS
AIPP Master of Photography
given to each of the subjects).”
will also work positively for your business, but
that shouldn’t be the reason you do it.
Carol has now done two calendars for Aim
for the Stars, but she’s thinking of something
different for the future.
challenge yourself to create something really
amazing, and measure your success by the
“Maybe a notebook or an inspirational
journal, accompanied by photographs of
“Go into the project for all the right reasons,
good you do for others.”
course!” A Great Feeling Paying It Forward
It’s interesting how pro bono work like this
Part of Carol’s business philosophy is to use her
works.
talents and skills to give back to the community
she photographs.
the other day when a woman came up to her.
“I’ve also worked with the Make A Wish
She had bought one of Carol’s calendars and
Foundation and I help out various charities by
given it to a niece who was into kayaking. The
photographing their events. Yes, I get a bit of
niece opened the present, burst into tears and
publicity and I also donate prizes for auction
went off to her room.
which promote my services, so it does work
both ways.
declared that she was determined to achieve
“But most importantly, it makes you feel
“Carol said she was photographing an event
A little while later, she came out and
her goals - and since then she had done just
good to help.
that.
“I believe in paying it forward and Layne has
“The calendar inspired this young girl to
that philosophy as well, so I like working with
pursue her dreams and I can’t explain it except
her charity. She certainly had her challenges
to say it was a great feeling.”
to get to where she is today. Early on in her
Paying it forward.
career, she was working three jobs and one of
38
her employers gave her some money to help
Carol Gibbons is a portrait photographer from Ela-
out. Having someone believe in you can make a
nora Heights in Sydney. You can see more of Carols’
huge difference in a person’s life, and I love the
work on her website: www.carolgibbonsphotogra-
idea of that continuing. It’s good karma.”
phy.com.au.
Layne Beachley’s Aim For The Stars Foundation
“I think it’s good to do a personal project for
something you believe in. If you’re going to do
website can be found at: www.aimforthestars.com.
something like this, then there’s a fair chance it
au.
Photography from the Aim for the Stars calendar shot by Carol Gibbons. 39
Keeping APPA Honest
R o cco A nco ra’s t h o u g h ts o n im p rov in g o u r ju d g i ng s ys tem In the last issue, Kylie Lyons discussed a new
reputation we need to preserve.”
initiative to bring Martin Grahame-Dunn out to
Australia this August for judges’ training (www.
anyone be a judge. Even winning a number of
images2inspire.com).
awards or earning your Master of Photography
doesn’t on its own make you qualified to be a
AIPP Board Member Rocco Ancora G. M.
That’s why, Rocco suggests, you can’t let just
Photog. is right behind the program, stating
judge.
that it is essential for the credibility of awards
systems.
reading this would believe they don’t do a good
job and there’s no doubting their overall good
“You can’t be a judge and give a print a
But it’s hard to say this to judges. No judge
high score just because you ‘like’ it”, began an
intentions.
enthusiastic Rocco.
the last APPA judging from entrants, everyone
A winner of the Australian Professional
However, based on the criticisms received at
Wedding Photographer of the Year more
needs to pick up their game and that’s why
times than he likes to remember, Rocco is also
Martin Grahame-Dunn has been invited to
an international judge and understands the
teach us.
process from both sides.
“The reason we went offshore for advice is
because it makes the process independent. We Preserving Reputations
have a lot of great judges who could to the job,
“A small number of judges appear to be scoring
but by giving it to someone from outside, it
based on their own photographic preferences,
removes all the politics.
based on what they like and dislike, but if we
want to maintain our credibility on the world
be trainers as well, so it’s a great opportunity.
stage, this can’t go on.
also know that many members would like to be
“People look at APPA as the pinnacle of
“We know how important judging is and we
professional photography competitions and it’s
judges.
a reputation it richly deserves.
the AIPP Board, we must ensure that
“But it’s a reputation that has been earned
through using experienced judges - and a
40
“And Martin is going to train some of us to
“We don’t want to stop this, but as
whoever judges our work has the skills and
experience behind them.”
“There are both objective and subjective
sides to judging. We want judges to put their What Makes A Good Judge?
personal views and values forward, but done in
Rocco believes that a good judge will be
an objective way that respects the entrant and
knowledgeable, meaning he or she will
what the entrant is trying to achieve.
have been around for a number of years and
experienced photography at different levels.
excellent craft, but to be an award print, there
needs to be an X factor, something that goes
“This is where you introduce the base
“When assessing a print, it’s great to see
level of experience at Master of Photography,
above and beyond. I guess this is where a
because to achieve your Masters, you have
judge’s personal experience comes into play
to have been around for a while and you’ve
and why we have five judges on each panel.
probably been to a number of APPA or state
judgings. You understand what makes a good
experience is so they know when an entry
image.
is an homage to another photographer’s or
“However, the reason a judge needs
41
artist’s work. You need to know when an entry
if they are challenged by an entry.
is referencing a Norman Rockwell or a Richard
Avedon. If you don’t have some understanding
author’s shoes. Don’t make it personal to the
of the history of art and photography, then it’s
author. Rather, talk to the print. If you have
very hard to judge a print correctly.”
something constructive to say, that’s great,
“As a judge, you have to put yourself in the
but otherwise let someone else make the Copying Ideas
comments.
This has become a big challenge in recent
years, with entries both in Australia and
You can’t say you don’t believe the scores they
overseas earning very high scores because the
have given - that’s just being intimidating and
judges believed the concept or idea behind
you’re unlikely to do the print a service.
the photograph to be the original work of the
entrant.
score, and when you move with the rest of the
panel.
When later it was discovered that the
“You also have to respect the other judges.
“It’s a fine line when you stick to your original
entrant had copied or had been very strongly
influenced by the work of another artist, most
good judge. If you are never swayed, you’re
judges stated they would have scored the entry
not a good judge, either. If another judge has
much lower.
presented a constructive argument, you should
Unfortunately, it’s not possible for a judge
“If you are easily swayed, you are not a
be prepared to move your score - that’s why we
to be aware of every style and genre of
have challenges.
photography, but with five experienced judges,
it makes it more difficult for an entrant to obtain
thinks a print is worth Gold doesn’t mean the
an unfair advantage by copying the ideas of
other four judges have to follow.
someone else.
“You also have to remove your personal
“On the other hand, just because one judge
“This is where the training is going to come
in. It’s going to give judges the skills they need
biases”, said Rocco. “If you judge subjectively,
to judge fairly and present their thoughts
that’s great, but you have to explain why. You
appropriately to the audience.”
can’t give an HDR print a low score just because you don’t like HDR. You have to step off your
42
pedestal and judge whether or not it is a good
Judging training is planned for August 2015. You
example of HDR - or step off the panel and not
can read more about Martin Grahame-Dunn on his
judge that entry. We encourage judges to do so
website www.images2inspire.com
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Enter your information and see the results immediately.
Don’t spend the next 12 months fluffing around. Have a look and set yourself some goals! www.betterphotography.com 43
The Rose Package
Paul Atkins discusses how to sell more prints. Lab owners often know what’s happening in
Italian box frame, and glazed with clear acrylic
the market before photographers because they
so it’s easy to ship and handle.
see the trends and they print the orders.
and is an easy sell if you have samples to show
Adelaide and is always innovating and
your clients.
changing to keep abreast of the market. His
suggestion for a physical wedding product
necessarily know they are printed on an art
for professional photographers is Atkins’ Rose
paper. That’s why we produce a deckled edge
package, a beautifully made print on art paper
and float the print within the frame so people
with hand torn edges, floated in a box frame
can clearly see what it is. Whilst we offer
behind acrylic in such a way that people can
museum glass and regular glass, we prefer to
appreciate the print’s texture and quality.
use acrylic because it’s lighter and won’t crack a
Print On The Wall
toddler’s head if it falls.
“Wedding albums are great”, Paul explained,
“and we provide them as well. I love traditional,
optically pure, whereas regular glass has a
flush mount albums, but as with all albums,
green colour cast. Much better for presenting
they are closed and put away. They are only
photographs.
enjoyed every now and then.
44
Paul Atkins runs Atkins Photo Lab in
The finished package looks a million dollars
“In comparison, a print on the wall is alive
“When photos are framed, you don’t
“But the nice thing about acrylic is it is
“We print on Hahnemuhle Photo Rag paper
and use all the right conservation materials, so
and you live with it every single day of your life.
the print can be enjoyed for generations.”
It’s an excellent way to celebrate a marriage.”
Metadata
Paul shared another thought that could be
And an excellent selling point when you’re
discussing your services with clients.
really useful for all professional photographers,
and that’s creating metadata for our clients
Ordering a framed print like this for your
clients is really easy. Atkins will take your digital
and embedding it in our files. Of course, if the
file, colour adjust it (if you wish) to make it look
files are lost, so is the metadata, but Paul has a
its best, print it on textured art paper, float
solution for that as well.
mount it onto board and place it in a recessed
“One of the services we can provide for our
Photographs of Atkin’s Rose Package that Paul Atkins believes photographers can easily sell to their clients. 45
46
customers is the addition of metadata to their
clients.
files and prints. This is a great opportunity for
professional photographers to enhance their
place for high quality prints and albums, but
service.
critically also for high levels of service. The
opening page to their website has a photo of
“What we had before digital technology was
There is, he claims, a real desire in the market
a physical photograph from a shoot, and while
some of their service staff and a catchy “We
it is fresh in everyone’s mind, we know who
have the best photo kiosks in the world; we call
everyone is and where and why it was taken.
them our people #peoplenotkiosks”.
“However, in generations to come, it can be
Paul and his creative director and wife Kate
a struggle to work out these details.
Burns interviewed 60 people, ranging in age
from 18 to 60, rich and poor, white collar and
“We’re about to release a package where this
information can become a part of the print or
blue.
the frame.”
It won’t take much for the photographer
is huge”, he reports. “When you do a survey, the
to embed basic information into their files [a
results are shallow, you miss the opportunity to
list of who is in the photograph, the date will
ask ‘why’. What you really want to ask is, ‘Why did
be automatically included and so could the
you tick this box?’. Our interviews on average
location if the camera has GPS] which can then
took over an hour, allowing us to really drill
be printed out by the lab.
down into how people think and what they
want.
“It’s the extra information that tells the story,
“The value people put on physical products
when and why the photo was taken. And it
adds longevity to the services provided by
general public see their photos (the ones they
domestic photographers.
take themselves or ones taken by a pro) as
Retail Space
deeply personal. It’s true, people are no longer
Paul has recently re-engineered the lab to
being forced into having a print of every shot
meet the new market. He says their fancy
they took, but it means when they do choose
new website is still a work-in-progress, but
to print, they want to print with someone they
interestingly it has a distinct retail/wholesale
trust and they need it to be a personal, service
split. In other words, Paul is supporting
based experience.
the consumers as well as professional
photographers, simply because so few
tens of thousands of dollars worth of airline
professionals offer printed products to their
tickets online, but were reluctant to buy a $4
“What our interviews revealed was the
“We heard how people were happy to order
Atkins Rose Package Prices
11x14” - Pro price $162 - Retail price $245 16x20” - Pro price $260 - Retail price $315 20x30” - Pro price $355 - Retail price $425 Paul notes that these are just the prices at Atkins. He believes most of his professional customers put more of a markup on his prices. The Working Pro estimates that these packages would sell between $495 and $1495 around Australia.
Two more views of Atkin’s Rose Package.
47
print online. Their photos are too personal, too
important.
need to make is what size.
Paul has also created a physical retail
pro shooter, to look at their business model
store in Adelaide that is warm and fuzzy, and
and see where and what kind of personalised
uncomplicated for the consumer. Products are
services they are offering.”
sold as small, medium and large, plus they have
three consultation stations.
And this is why the new Atkins will
support both consumers and professional
photographers, consumers for the pictures
first growth in lab sales for quite some time.
that really matter to them and professionals to
continue capturing those important events in
consultative process around the choice of
everyone’s lives.
products is demonstrated every day with our
service staff run off their feet helping clients
“So many professionals are only selling the
“People are loving it and we have seen our “The desire of the general public for a
digital files and that’s certainly one business
with their important images.”
model. However, it is creating a void in the
market Atkins is perfectly poised to take up.
out in the revamp! Atkins now has a separate
“Atkins has always been about service and
entrance and storefront for pros. No more
relationships, something that has become more
waiting in line for a quick pick-up behind
highly prized in the photographic industry in
confused retail clients. This space comes
the last ten years, on both sides of the fence.
with deep leather lounges and free coffee to
Easy Ordering
encourage pros to relax between shoots or as
However, when it comes to ordering prints or
they are going through their work.
printed products, it can be incredibly confusing
for people unfamiliar with our terms and jargon.
in this space before being developed into
48
“This also gives terrific opportunities for the
For the consumer, the only decision they
On the Atkins website, they have given their
Professional photographers are not left
Many new products and ideas are floated
products. For photographers who don’t have
products simple, easy to remember names that
their own studio or showroom, Paul has set up
clients can relate to. Rather than calling it a fine
a special consultation room for photographers
art print with deckled edges, floating in a box
to use with their clients in the retail store.
frame with acrylic, which incorporates a dozen
Photographers can then sell to their clients and
design choices and decisions, Atkins calls it their
Atkins will let them buy the products for 30% off
Rose package and shows a photograph of the
retail, giving the pro a markup.
finished product.
“Our products aren’t as cheap as Harvey
Norman, but price is not an issue if you have
business model is key, I think service is critical
products the clients value.”
and I think showing the clients what they are
really paying for, your talent and experience, is
Photographers need to get past the
importance of price. Yes, our clients are very
vital.
price conscious, or say they are, but often that’s
because they have no other way of assessing
else is zagging. We hope it works (it has so far!),
what we do.
our choices are specific to our business and our
history, but the process of examination is critical
On the other hand, show them a product
that they really, really want, and suddenly price
“We have, as a lab, zigged when everyone
and we hope more in the industry do it.”
isn’t the main issue. If you have any doubt about how this process works, just look at the fashion,
Paul Atkins is a third generation director of Atkins Tech-
cosmetic and car industries. They are incredibly
nicolour lab and is the South Australian state president
competitive, yet there’s a product at every price
of the AIPP. Atkins can be found at 89 Fullarton Road,
point - and customers as well.
Kent Town.
“I really believe that physical products
We plan to bring more suggestions from other labs
are greatly wanted. The reasons behind why
around the country in future issues. Or, if you have a
photographers aren’t selling as much as they
great add-on sale idea, please let the editor know - east-
were are pretty complicated. It’s so much more
way@betterphotography.com.
than ‘people don’t want physical’.
You can see this product at http://atkins.com.
au/?product=rose
“I think trust and transparency in the
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Canon EOS 5DS R
What does 50MP mean to professional photographers? Is resolution everything? Recently I visited the
myriad of things we do to make perfect photos.
Art Gallery of NSW to view The Photograph and
They think it just happens automatically, so we
Australia. In the exhibition were some prints
have to help them out when it comes to their
over 100 years old with image quality that
perception of us.
matched the finest digital cameras of today.
Whether these prints would have been selected
a darkroom. Today, it’s using cameras with more
if they were smaller reproductions of lower
features than they have – and studio lighting.
In the old days, we used to disappear inside
quality I’m not sure, but to my mind, the quality was a big asset.
Canon EOS 5DS / 5DS R
So, it is with great interest I am watching the
And quality for professional photographers
is still a big asset.
introduction of the new Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R. These cameras will sport 50-megapixel
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Quality Issues
sensors when released in June, and overseas
People who say we have more quality than
prices indicate they will sit between $4000 and
we need don’t understand the discussion. Yes,
$5000, depending on the exchange rate (but no
we have been producing amazing wedding
one knows for sure just yet).
and portrait prints with 12-megapixel sensors
for years. On one level, the number of pixels
point, but let’s talk about it anyway.
doesn’t matter anymore, but when your client’s
mobile phone has a 20-megapixel sensor, how
is big news. We were mighty impressed when
do you show that you’re working at a level
Nikon jumped its 12-megapixel D700 up to
above her? How do you subliminally assure her
the 36-megapixel D800. Suddenly a mere
that she has made the right decision to employ
DSLR camera could compete with the esoteric
a professional?
heights of medium format - and at a fraction of
the price.
The answer is you use a better camera. It
Whether you need 50-megapixels isn’t the For a full-frame DSLR to boast 50-megapixels
doesn’t matter if you need it. It’s all about the
theatre of what we do. We know we’re good,
$40,000, you could buy a Nikon D800 body
but our clients don’t necessarily perceive the
for under $4000. Phase One and Hasselblad
Instead of spending from $15,000 to
were understandably concerned. I’m told they
35mm system was for small jobs and image
also saw a big reduction in the sales of their
sizes, medium format was for important jobs
40-megapixel backs.
and hero shots, and large formats were used for
advertising, landscapes and clients who insisted
So what’s going to happen now that Canon
has a 50-megapixel DSLR without a low
on the best (which was mainly the advertising
pass filter (well, with a low pass cancellation
industry anyway).
filter which isn’t quite the same, but a similar
approach worked impressively well for Nikon)?
than the film cameras, but there will still be a
Suddenly the small ‘35mm’ format is
Today, one camera will do a lot more
distinction between DSLRs and medium format
incredibly competitive, especially when you
for the time being.
factor in a wider range of lenses and a camera
body that will do things a medium format
and my guess is they will come out with
camera only dreams about.
100-megapixel backs pretty soon. Some
Medium format offers 80-megapixels
photographers who want to make large prints Horses for Courses
or record micro-fine detail will engage with this
In the days of film, professionals owned two
equipment, but at prices between $20,000 and
and often three or four camera systems. The
$80,000 for a system, it’s a completely different
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market to the under $5000 DSLR.
Nikon cameras are outperforming Canon and Nikon’s own lenses in some cases. The Zeiss
Lens Quality
lenses are usually primes and manual focus, but
In addition to announcing the new
they can provide noticeably cleaner and sharper
50-megapixel bodies, Canon also released a
results depending on what you’re comparing
new 11-24mm f4L USM wide-angle zoom lens.
them with. This is rarefied air and not all the
It’s not inexpensive, which is a good thing
Zeiss lenses are better than the Canon or Nikon
because it means Canon can spend some
equivalents.
money creating quality optics that will match their new sensor’s resolution.
Pixel Pitch
The point I am trying to make is that with good
Way back when I moved from my Canon
EOS 1Ds to the 1Ds II, I can remember being
quality lenses, DSLRS without anti-aliasiing
unimpressed with the photos from one of my
filters (or with low pass cancellation filters) can
lenses. Despite the increase in pixels, I saw very
go incredibly close to medium format quality.
little improvement in image quality.
- the physical size of the pixel wells which
Then I used a different lens which was
obviously of much better quality and the
capture light photons from which the image is
differences became obvious.
recorded. The theory goes that the larger the
Image quality isn’t just about the sensor. It’s
pixel well, the better the image quality in terms
also about the lens, the light, the conversion
of tonality and dynamic range.
system and the processing algorithms.
mathematics and design. The DSLR
Canon claims its new 11-24mm is the best
However, this is a combination of
wide-angle it has ever made and I hope that’s
manufacturers have increased the size of
correct because it will need to be to resolve
their pixels by redesigning them, so when I
50-megapixels.
compared the Nikon D800 with some medium
However, both Nikon and Canon have been
format files, the differences weren’t as great
regularly upgrading all their lenses over the past
as they were a couple of years ago. The big
few years, no doubt well aware that cameras
differences are found in the shadow areas, but
are more than sensors and that the lenses are
again we need to compare price points.
equally important.
Even so, many photographers are finding
that the Zeiss optics designed for Canon and
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What they can’t do is match the pixel pitch
Even if medium format maintains its lead
in terms of tonality and exposure latitude, the majority of photographers are not in their
market. They simply won’t spend $20,000 to
why wouldn’t you want to buy a camera that in
$80,000 on the camera system, so the question
many ways can match that image quality?
is academic.
more than professionals, as shown by its
However, as DSLRs get better and better, and
Canon’s market is probably keen enthusiasts
the gap between them and medium format
decision to release the new sensor in a smaller
smaller and smaller, medium format shooters
body (rather than in a body like the EOS-1D X).
may end up moving to DSLRs because of some
Nikon did the same with the D800/D800E/D810.
of the other advantages they have - smaller,
lighter, better autofocus, larger lens range,
professional photographers as once again, our
better low light shooting.
competitors are going to be shooting with
incredibly high quality equipment - if they know
I don’t actually see medium format
photographers giving up their equipment,
I see this as a further challenge for many
how to use it.
rather I see these photographers adding a highresolution DSLR as a way of supplementing
Medium Format Technique
what they do and how they shoot.
There are going to be a lot of disappointed
At the other end of the market, I see lots of
photographers if the experience of Nikon
amateurs and professionals alike signing up for
D800 owners is any guide. They won’t be
the Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS R because it’s such
disappointed for long, of course, once they
an attractive package. Medium format is doing
work out that camera shake is really noticeable
it a great service because, in comparison, the
and if the autofocus isn’t correctly aligned, your
Canon (and the Nikon) are incredibly cheap.
images will look rather soft.
There is a distinct learning curve for shooting
Who Is The Market?
medium format. It applied to the Nikon D800
And Canon is agressively targeting the medium
and it will apply to the Canon EOS 5DS and 5DS
format market with this new camera. I don’t
R as well.
really think they are worried about stealing
medium format shooters away. After all, the
R shoots at up to 5 frames per second, has
medium format market is less than 10,000
a 61-point autofocus system, offers three
cameras a year, worldwide.
in-camera cropping modes and features a
150K-pixel RGB+IR metering system with Flicker
Rather, there are hundreds of thousands
For the record, the new EOS 5DS/5DS
of photographers who know that medium
Detection.
format is the pinnacle of camera design, so
I’m looking forward to playing with one!
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Earn More Money By Being Professional What Certification means for AIPP members! No doubt the heading captured some readers’
will be able to rightly claim that they are the
attention and it’s true: if we have a strong
only legitimate professional photographers
profession that works together, we will be
in Australia. If you want to call yourself a
able to earn more money than the non-
professional photographer, you will need to be
professionals. But what is a professional? More
a member of the AIPP.
precisely, what is a profession?
AIPP and many will continue to call themselves
sets standards for all its members. Membership
‘professional’. This isn’t against the law, but
of that body requires you to adhere to all of the
it’s like being an architect or an accountant
standards, whether you personally agree with
without having professional qualifications.
them or not. Accountants, lawyers, doctors
Most people look for a registered accountant or
and architects all have organisations that set
architect who has the necessary qualifications.
standards and to be called a professional, their
We want people to think the same way about
members are required to meet those standards.
photographers. We want them to look for an
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A profession has a representative body that
Of course, not all photographers will join the
If there’s no organisation, there’s no
AIPP Accredited Professional Photographer.
profession. However, it can’t be any old
organisation. The organisation itself is required
take many years for the industry as a whole, but
to meet certain standards, which in Australia
for forward thinking members who use their
are overseen by the government. In Australia,
new found professionalism as a marketing tool,
there hasn’t been an organisation able to set
the benefits could flow much sooner.
professional standards for photographers
until now. In 2015, the AIPP will become the
shaping the AIPP for accreditation. You may
only body able to establish a profession for
not agree with absolutely everything, but we
photographers with ACCC approval.
all agree with the overall thrust of being a
professional.
In the past we may have called ourselves
However, this process will take time. It may
The AIPP Board has put a lot of energy into
‘professional’, more as a mark of the quality we
produce and the way we operate than anything
accredited and promoting yourself as an APP,
else. However, going forwards, AIPP members
you can actually make a difference.
So this is our chance. By becoming
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How To Master Photoshop Layers “The secret to photographic technique is layers, and that’s whether you use Photoshop or Lightroom.” How To Master Layers is a series of video/article presentations by Peter Eastway. To purchase and view on your computer, visit: www.betterphotography.com $6.49 each or $19.95 for all four titles
If you download the files from the website, they will not play properly on the iPad.
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