Working Pro 235 by Pt 78 Pty Ltd

Working Pro The

Issue 235 â&#x20AC;˘ September 2015

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE AIPP

Working Pro The

Co n te n t s #235 Cover

K a r e n T u c k w e l l APP GOLD AWARD - FAMILY CATEGORY 2014 CANON AIPP AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL

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

S ep tem ber

2 0 1 5

4 6

Ross’s Ramblings

Update: AIPP Reflections Project

Ross Eason APP.L M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President

Plagiarism - Don’t Enter It!

Closely copying the work of other photographers and artists is illegal and unethical, so when you enter photography awards or post on social media, think carefully about what you show.

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

w w w. k a z t u c k w e l l p h o t o g r a p h y. c o m . a u

Olivia Ross says teach the kids about our history and make a family day out of it too.

Bruce Williams - AIPP Board

Judge Training Around Australia

What is a Video Producer?

Posting Comments: What’s Appropriate?

AIPP Member Portfolio: Linda Beks

Should I Enter Canon APPA This Year?

Understanding Website Bounce Rates

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

There are now two Bruce Williams in the photography profession and one of them has just joined the AIPP as a co-opted Board Member. Martin Graham-Dunne has just completed a circuit of the capital cities helping our judges improve their communication skillls. Rochelle Morris updates members about the exciting future for video producers within the AIPP. If you have a query or an issue about copyright, free advice from an expert is only a web page away at the Australian Copyright Council. Is it ever good form to visit someone’s social media pages or website and criticise them in public? What’s the best way to deal with problems online? From photographing young children with snakes to whale watching with other AIPP members, Linda Beks appears to have her life well under control. Think about your expectations before you enter the awards and make the most out of them! Peter Myers explains that a high bounce rate might not be a good thing and that testing different pages could produce huge improvements to your business. It’s so wide at one end, but it’s also incredibly sharp in the middle. Canon pushes the limits with its upmarket ultra wide-angle zoom.

Ross’s Ramblings

R o s s E a s o n A P P. L M . P h o t o g . , H o n . L M , N a t i o n a l P r e s i d e n t

Knowledge Is Power

Teaching Old (And Not So Old)

How Do You Compare ?

Puppies New Tricks

We will soon launch within our membership

Over the last two weeks, we have been running

and the professional photographers of Australia

training sessions for awards judges, specifically

one of the most comprehensive benchmarking

targeting assessment and feedback. As Peter

surveys of the photographic industry.

mentions later in this issue, the training was

aimed at respectful and constructive comment,

Consumer laws in Australia do not allow

most industries to set or dictate prices, but we

and having attended one of the sessions, I am

can gather and distribute pricing information

confident the judging experience both for

and allow our members to determine where

judges and entrants will be different at this

they sit within the pricing range. Our hope with

year’s Canon APPAs, as well as the Epson state

this survey is to create the results that will allow

awards next year and beyond.

every member to compare like for like.

attended the training, some of the most

Regional, city, domestic and commercial

We ran an exit survey of judges who

sectors will be broken down so, as an example,

respected names in our pool of judges, with an

a city based studio photographer can compare

outstanding 86% satisfaction rate.

not only how they sit with their contemporaries

in the same city, but also how they compare

judges, we also ran a ‘train the trainer’ session

with other cities. Home studios will be able to

with a strategic cross section of Australian

do the same. Regional photographers will be

judges who will work with aspiring and new

able to compare results with other regional

judges to pass on those skills.

photographers.

Who Me?

Yes, I am talking to you!

Any survey is only as good as the sample it

To ensure ongoing opportunities to educate

gathers and the accuracy of the answers, and

Our Reflections program has reached new

because of this, we are encouraging as many

heights. The national media exposure of the

photographers as possible to participate.

Institute and the contribution our members

are making by demonstrating the importance

Please take the time to complete the survey

when it is available, but tuck the ego away and

of the professional photographer has been

be realistic with your answers.

outstanding. We have over 5000 veterans

registered, with more signing up each day as the AIPP name and initiative spreads around the country.

What we need are more members to

help those who have already registered to be

Reflections Making A Big Impact

Reflections photographers. Overwhelmingly,

Excerpt from a letter from Ros Strongman, vice president of an RSL

every participating photographer has gained

sub branch:

more than they have given. Their stories and

interactions with the veterans have been

attended two funerals for WW2 Vets. It made me realise just

inspirational and career highlights. It’s your turn

how important the AIPP Project is and I wanted to share this

to help - and yes, I really am talking to you!

with you all.

To Quote Will Shipton from Pro Counter News

This past week has been ‘emotionally huge’ for me. I have

How many WW2 Vets are we losing each week that we

Letter: “When you think of it, most news about

DON’T get to hear about? It has brought it home to me that

photographers usually concerns a celebrity

within five years, within this country, it will be unlikely that

raising their fists toward a paparazzo - and

there are any WW2 Vets left to honour. I don’t believe that our

the lawsuit that follows! So it’s great to see

country has woken up to this.

headlines that better reflect the kind of people

professional photographers are.

pretty exhausted at this time. This whole exercise is much

We salute the AIPP and the contributing

bigger than any of us had imagined. But what you are doing

photographers on this initiative.”

individually is vital and so very much appreciated by the

Veterans and their families.

As AIPP members, we should all be very

I imagine that all of the photographers from the AIPP are

proud of this initiative. The positive light it

reflects on our profession will serve us well for a

will be able to look back on with pride. Whether you have taken

long time into the future.

one photo or one hundred is irrelevant. You have contributed

The AIPP brand is being noticed and spread

This project is something that each and every one of you

to our history and you should all be proud of yourselves for the

across the community, the industry and to our

dedication you have shown for the Reflections project.

elected parliamentarians. When we advocate

to government to protect our industry, having

families’ lives! On behalf of these Vets and their families, I

friends on the inside is a huge advantage.

wanted to say thank you.

YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE to these Vets and their

Kind regards, Ros Strongman ross.eason@aipp.com.au 0438 722 992

Plagiarism - Don’t Enter It!

Closely copying the work of other photographers and artists is illegal and unethical, so when you enter photography awards or post on social media, think carefully about what you show.

There is nothing more embarrassing than

entered into photography competitions or

having one of your photographs win an award

posted on social media as your own work.

or get thousands of likes on Facebook, only for

the public to find out later that you have copied

idea. You don’t own the photograph, so don’t

someone else.

steal it! You wouldn’t want someone stealing

your photos, surely?

Some people believe that if they take a

Why not? The reason is simple: it is not your

photograph with their camera, they own

the copyright in the photograph and can

awards, a number of entries look very similar to

do whatever they like. This is only partly true

successful entries from the previous year.

because it ignores the issue of plagiarism and

breach of copyright.

just ‘influenced’ by earlier work. If you see a

photograph of a tree on a hill and you are

An idea is not subject to copyright, but the

Every year at APPA and the state print

There is no problem with this if you are

way an idea is executed most certainly is. For

inspired to find a better tree on a better hill, go

example, the idea of photographing a tree on a

right ahead! However, to copy how another

hill is not subject to copyright, but a particular

photographer has already photographed a tree

tree on a particular hill from a particular angle

on a hill is unethical.

may well be subject to copyright.

often because they have not seen the image

However, we can ignore the legal

When judges score images highly, it’s

technicalities and contain this discussion to one

before and wish to reward the photographer

of professional ethics.

for originality. It is very disappointing to later

discover they have been duped by someone

If you see the work of another photographer

or artist, you should not copy it. Period.

who has simplied copied someone else.

When learning new skills, you may

This is not always a black and white subject,

privately copy the work of experts to learn the

so if in doubt, don’t. A reputation for plagiarism

techniques, but these copies should never be

is very hard to lose.

7 Aerial photograph over Useless Loop, Shark Bay, Western Australia. Photograph by Peter Eastway.

Update: AIPP Reflections Project

Olivia Ross says teach the kids about our history and make a family day out of it too. Most photographers don’t need to drive for four

photograph a veteran in Charleville, a further

hours to photograph their veterans, but this is

four to five hours drive inland, Olivia didn’t

the type of commitment our AIPP members are

flinch. Instead, she bundled up her kids and her

prepared for.

husband and turned it into an event.

When you read Olivia Ross’s story, it’s

“We made it into a family holiday and

important to realise that most portrait sittings

included some touristy things, like seeing the

will take just 15 minutes to half an hour, even

bilbies at night.

less if you photograph a number of veterans

at the same time. However, Olivia made one

been in the airforce and after her return, spent

veteran service woman very happy.

a lot of her life helping to have servicemen and

women recognised for post-traumatic stress

“When I first heard about the Reflections

“The Charleville veteran, Jessie Jelley, had

Project”, Oliva explained, “I was an emerging

disorders, including her own husband who had

member, but the project was part of the reason

been a prisoner of war.

I put my portfolio in to become an Accredited

Professional Photographer.”

home at Charleville. The largest space they

had available was in the reception area, so the

Olivia also lives in St George, a small

“I photographed Jessie in the nursing

town some six hours inland from Brisbane in

shoot became a big event for the whole nursing

Queensland’s south west. She shoots mainly

home.

family portraits and is also a school teacher in

the community of around 2,500 people.

gave us an opportunity to talk about our history

and showed how rewarding it can be to just sit

“I knew there was one veteran in town, so

I didn’t think I would have lots of people to

“And while the kids loved the bilbies, it also

and listen to the stories of our elders.”

photograph. However, there are also quite a few

small towns that are reasonably accessible for

Please spread the word about this project to WWII

me, but long distances for photographers who

veterans and photographers. To register a veteran

might live in Brisbane.”

or as a photographer for the project please go to:

https://aippveterans.com

So when the notification came through to

Veteran Jessie Jelley photographed by Olivia Ross. â&#x20AC;?This photo is different to the stricter regimental portrait that I sent for the project. The photograph has Jessie holding a photograph of her husband.â&#x20AC;?

Bruce Williams - AIPP Board

There are now two Bruce Williams in the photography profession and one of them has just joined the AIPP as a co - opted Board Member. As you read this, Bruce Williams is somewhere

“It was also videotaped for people to look at

in the south of France, enjoying retirement.

later on the AIPP website and Ross [Eason] told

Except Bruce is unlikely to ever retire, at least

me that a member had rung him up and said

not completely.

that watching my presentation on its own was

worth his annual membership.

And certainly not while he’s a co-opted

member of the AIPP National Board.

be helpful on the Board, so after talking it over

Bruce is a Chartered Accountant who holds

a Bachelor of Business and a Master of Business

with the other board members, I was invited to

Administration.

become a co-opted board member.

He has over 30 years’ experience advising

“I said I’d be more than happy to help them

clients across Australia regarding the operation

make financial decisions if they gave me some

of their businesses.

guidance with my photography. I enjoyed my

time speaking in Hobart and photography is a

Bruce knows what makes a successful

business and why many businesses fail. He also

real passion for me.

has a particular interest in using your business

to build personal wealth in a tax effective

lately. I’m not top professional level, but some of

manner and has been invited to share his

my shots aren’t too bad.

business knowledge at many conferences in

Australia and overseas.

Arctic and then we both did the Canning Stock

Route in Western Australia.

And no, this is not Epson’s Bruce Williams,

“I’ve been travelling and photographing a lot

“Recently, I met an artist on a trip to the

just in case you were wondering. However,

the two Bruces did meet at the Nikon Event in

paintings and photographs called ‘Contrasts’,

Hobart a couple of years back when the hotel

contrasting the Arctic with the Australian

mixed up their rooms!

outback.”

“I did a session on finances and running a

business for photographers”, explained Bruce.

“I think this gave Ross the idea that I might

“We decided to put on an exhibition of

The proceeds from the exhibition were

donated to Breast Cancer Research.

Photographs by Bruce Williams from the Arctic (above) and the Canning Stock Route (below).

Click Here

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | V I C TO R I A

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS T H E B A L L A R AT I N T E R N AT I O N A L F OTO B I E N N A L E An enthusiastic group of AIPP Victoria members headed to The Ballarat International Foto Biennale on Monday 24 August. The bus, ably driven by our president Nick Ghionis, took us to some amazing and inspiring exhibitions. We are grateful for the time given by Jeff Moorfoot, founder, director, and legend of the Biennale. Jeff spoke to our group about how he chose the artists represented in the core exhibition. It was also wonderful to see the work of some of our very own AIPP members on display! Now a note from Vic Council Member, David Simmonds; who put together a brilliant timetable for the day and got us to so many fascinating exhibits: This year the AIPP Vic invested $3800; supporting the BIFB and fully sponsoring the workshop program. To the Biennale, like so many artistic festivals, it means a 12

Council Structure: Most councils have five members, but this can be varied by mutual consent.

LOT. It says we care! We can’t measure that for the team at heart, but believe me it makes a difference! Every year the Biennale struggles on; while promises from government, councils, industry often come to little. We praise the vision, enterprise, and the sheer bloody-mindedness (perhaps madness) that keeps the Biennale going. Like the photograph on the wall we admire but do not buy; this year you made a difference! You bought!! Well done to you all! Our members came up to see for themselves how wonderful this festival is, and now we encourage other AIPP members to do the same!

UPCOMING EVENTS 10 September - APPA Print Critique 27 October - Video Critique Night, Glow Studios

Click Here

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | S O U T H AU S T R A L I A © GEE GREENSLADE

S A P PA

OPEN FORUM FOR FUTURE PLANNING

SA had a fantastic award season this year with entry levels being maintained at steady numbers and, as always, culminating in our ever popular Awards Dinner. Congratulations to all of our category winners and to our overall SA PPY, Gee Greenslade. Our interstate judges, Rocco Ancora, Alan Moyle and Tania Niwa very kindly hosted a special information session to share their wealth of knowledge to a captivated audience. We thank them for giving their valuable time to come and judge for us.

SA Council opened up its ‘doors’ to enable members to express their thoughts as to what they would like to see during the coming year. Suggestions came flooding in for workshop ideas, speakers they would like to see and information sessions to further enrich their knowledge of their business skills and of the photographic industry. SA Council members will now be holding a ‘round-table’ session for a full on planning day to take all suggestions into consideration and promulgate a concise calendar of events.

S A P PA E X H I B I T I O N

REFLECTIONS IN SA

Following the awards every year, SA Council arranges for an exhibition where we can showcase the best of our AIPP community to the general public. This year, the exhibition is being hosted at the Adelaide Convention Centre. We saw record attendance for the opening which coincided with the launch of the very popular SALA (South Australian Living Artists) Festival. A fantastic exhibition with at least one print from every entrant on display.

The SA Reflections team, lead by council member Louise Bagger APP, has forged ahead and worked tirelessly to capture wonderful memories of our WWII veterans. To date, SA has amassed over 980 registrations with only around 90 of those still to be photographed. An absolutely outstanding effort by all involved.

Click Here

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | A C T

This month the ACT Council organised a film night so members could watch the extraordinary life of Vivian Mayer and we also had our first Print Critique Night, a great event with lots of constructive feedback for members. The Print Critique Night was held at Kylee Sharple’s studio, and we thank her for her time and space! Doug Hall had a great idea to hold monthly breakfasts, so to help as many members get to these social breaks there will be one northside and southside.

CO U N C I L M E M B E R F O C U S LIB FERREIRA Lib Creative - Graphic Design & Photography Specialising in Family Photography and Commercial Photography for small businesses. © LIB FERREIRA

How long have you been a photographer? Became professionally accredited in 2013, only started as a photographer in 2010. What or who inspired you to become a photographer? My 2nd child was born prematurely and I was unable to get any decent photos of her in the NICU. This pushed me to buy my first DSLR camera in 2008. Once I learnt how to use the camera properly, I fell completely in love with photography. It came very naturally to me and was helped along by my background in graphic design. I have been compelled ever since to continue to develop my skills and knowledge of photography and the photographic industry. In history who would you classify as your photographic hero?

Having a background in graphic design, I am inspired by photographic artists like Annie Leibovitz, and more recently Alexia Sinclair. When you’re not doing photography, what do you do? Mum duties: I have 2 young daughters so my life currently revolves around them.

UPCOMING EVENTS 15 Sept – 8am @ San Churro Woden

And then repeated every first and third Tuesday of the month. We encourage members to just pop along and have a chat and share your week in photography….

Click Here

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | N E W S O U T H WA L E S “What a great night we all had at our Evening With Kylie Lyons of Handprint Photography at Narellan. Thank you Kylie for being so generous with your information on how to run a successful wedding, portrait and commercial studio. For those of you who were unable to attend the night, these evenings are a fantastic way to see how others run successful photography businesses. We often receive some amazing tips on how to improve and market our business! Thank you Kylie” - Charles Foulsham “Many thanks to the AIPP National Board, in particular Rocco Ancora and Kylie Lyons, for the judge’s training day at Kayell Australia. The AIPP brought Martin (of Martin Grahame-Dunn Photographic Business Consultant & Trainer) out from the UK to share his globally sourced expertise and passion for judging, to enhance the skills of our judges and to improve the critiques given at state and national awards“ - David Glazebrook

August also hosted a fantastic evening by our commercial chapter on Creating A Winning Portfolio as well as the first of our two pre-APPA print critique nights at Kayell, which were a great success. The second critique night was held at L&P on 1 September and by all accounts was also a great success.

UPCOMING EVENTS 16 Sep – Social – Off The Grid Goes South @ Como Hotel 24 Sep – Core Skills – Momento Pro Production Tour Featuring Katie Kolenberg, Jeremy Byrnes, and Karl and Bec Welsch

Click Here

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | W E S T E R N AU S T R A L I A Things are slowly getting back to normal in WA after such a busy time with WAEPPA and The Event! Our August breakfast meeting had a great turnout to hear from our 2015 WA Professional Photographer of the Year, John Woodhouse. A very entertaining presenter, John shared with us the story of how he came to be a photographer, as well as an insight into his current work. Victory in the Pacific Day was commemorated at Kings Park and our Reflections photographers were there to capture photographs of WW2 Veterans in attendance. If you would like to get involved in this amazing project, our state coordinators Rebekah Wilson and Kate McHardy would love to hear from you! One of the lovely moments of the day from Stuart Holden: “I looked over at this bloke and thought, bloody hell, he’s familiar. Then I realised we were part of the same mob out in the sticks. I thought he didn’t make it!” “What’s that?” “I said I thought you didn’t make it mate!” “Ah! We were out in that awful mud up to here, remember that? 6th Commando (this part was hard to hear) we were back then! “Yeah that mud! Bloody hell. Almost in the ... it was haha” “So how long has it been since you’ve seen each other?” “What?” “He wants to know how many years its been!” 16

“Ah, about 70 years or so?” “Yep! That’s about right.” * These guys met at the morning tea held at Frasers in Kings Park last Saturday. Both of them had thought the other hadn’t made it home after the war. It was an amazing moment to see two old mates reunited after 70 years. Needless to say, they did a lot of catching up afterwards. By the time you read this, we’d have had our APPA Critique Afternoon, where our local Master Photographers tested out some new skills from last week’s Judges Workshop. With such strong results from state awards, fingers crossed we can bring the President’s Cup back to WA with us this year! This month we are also heading down to our regional members in the south west of the state for a social catch up. Keep an eye out for some upcoming events listed below.

UPCOMING EVENTS 13 September – SW Regional Catchup 27 October – Post APPA Sundowner 10 November – Breakfast Meeting 9 December – President’s Christmas Party

Click Here

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR THE NQ CHAPTER

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS

CATHERINE & RICHARD MULDOON WORKSHOP – PHOTOGRAPHY AS A VOCATION Two Dates: Monday 28 September | Airlie Beach Wednesday 30 September | Townsville © SANDRA LEA

MARTIN GRAHAME-DUNN JUDGE’S TRAINING

APPA PRINT CRITIQUE #1

THE BUPA RETIREMENT HOME IN MERRIMAC

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | Q U E E N S L A N D As the weather starts to heat up, so too does the Queensland Council activity! August has been action packed and September is due to sizzle. Queensland had the amazing Martin Grahame-Dunn judge training during August, promptly followed by the first APPA Print Critique night, where judges got to put their new skills to the test. Fifty people rolled up, prints in hand, ready to absorb the action. August 19 was also World Photo Day, so the evening was a double celebration. The end of August saw Ryan Schembri On the Lounge, wowing each and every participant. Such a pity Ryan does not have a larger lounge as plenty of people missed out. Got to be so quick to register for these events. Keep your eyes peeled each month for The Working Pro, and the Events on Facebook. To request a speaker for On the Lounge, please email aippqld@aipp.com.au Queensland is still pumping out the Veteran Portraits at a rate of knots. Our very own co-ordinator Megan Rizzo got

her own portrait with these incredible men. “Thank you to Mark Buckley for taking my portrait today whilst we were at The Bupa Retirement home in Merrimac.” What was initially one portrait for one WWII Veteran, turned out to be a great few hours of fun as the word spread to the other veterans in the home. These are my new friends (pictured above) from the left, Victor, Doug and Ken. Ken being the cheekiest one who would smack the nurses on the bum as they walked past and salute them when he was told to behave.

UPCOMING EVENTS 8 Sep – Social Event – Gold Coast Coffee Meet-up 9 Sep – Core Skills – APVP Video Critique Evening 10 Sep – Inspiration – On the Lounge – Justin Ealand 15 Sep – Core Skills – APPA Print Critique Evening 24 Sep – Inspiration – On the Lounge – TBA 13 Oct – Social Event – Brisbane Coffee Meet-up 17

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | TA S M A N I A

Click Here

FOR MORE UPCOMING EVENTS JUDGES WORKSHOP I recently had the opportunity to sit with Martin Graham-Dunn, as well as a handful of my local AIPP colleagues, for a day of exploring the award process, with an emphasis on the philosophy, ethics and morality of judging the work of others. I found the information and presentation engaging and at times challenging. On a personal level it prompted me to consider my own shortfalls in this paradigm and inspired a resolve to address my own weaknesses and bias. Martin’s breadth of knowledge and experience was evident throughout the day and I took away a great deal of inspiration, generally, and with regard to the awards process. By Dan Cripps http://www.dancripps.com/

REFLECTIONS PROJECT Tasmania’s contribution to the Reflections Project continues and we have currently photographed 59 WWII vets, 30 in the south and 29 in the north. We still have 36 vets on the books to get through, with new vets still registering as the word spreads. There is plenty of opportunity left for new photographers to get involved. Anyone interested is encouraged to contact the state project co-ordinator Katinka Smith http://www.katinkasmith.com.au/ Council Structure: There was an equal vote for 5th position, so a sixth position was created by mutual consent.

THE 39 CANON AIPP AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS TH

CALL FOR ENTRIES IMPORTANT DATES 24TH SEPTEMBER – ONLINE ENTRIES WILL CLOSE AT 5.00PM EST 2ND OCTOBER – PRINT CASES MUST BE RECEIVED BY 5.00PM EST 16TH – 18TH OCTOBER – JUDGING OF AWARDS AT THE DIGITAL SHOW 18TH OCTOBER – WRAP UP PARTY AFTER JUDGING 19TH OCTOBER – CANON APPA AND AIPP GALA DINNER

Judge Training Around Australia

Martin Graham-Dunne has just completed a circuit of the capital cities helping our judges improve their communication skills. I have attended both of Martin’s presentations.

The first was a judge training session which he

judges require two attributes.

delivered all around the country to around 100

judges and prospective judges.

background in all forms of art and photography.

It’s not enough to be an award winner in,

The second was in Melbourne where he

My takeaway from Martin’s seminars are that First, judges need to have a strong

trained the more experienced judges who will

say, landscape, and think you are capable of

continue Martin’s good work, training new

judging. To be a useful judge, you need a good

judges in the states.

understanding of more than just the narrow

field you have been successful in.

It was refreshing to have an independent

arbiter look at how we run our awards

and make recommendations based on his

express yourself in a positive way. There are a

international experience. In fact, Martin was

lot of photographers who have great opinions

the first to comment that our system leads the

about photography, but if they are unable to

world and that many other countries look to us

express these opinions, then they will never

for direction.

make a good judge in this system. Judges must

The second attribute is being able to clearly

also be good orators.

Careful Delivery

However, this isn’t to say things couldn’t be

are putting their work into the awards systems

done better.

and hoping to get good, honest feedback.

Martin confirmed this doesn’t mean sugar-

In the past few years, the judging system has

But not just orators, positive orators. Entrants

become much more public, with live streaming

coating the truth, rather being polite and

and many more photographers entering. And

sincere about how the photographer could

while the quality of the judging has always

improve the work that has been presented.

been both expert and controversial, it was the

delivery of their feedback for the entrants and

few years to elevate our judges to continue

audience that needed a little work.

being among the best in the world.

The AIPP has some clear goals over the next

Martin Graham-Dunne presenting at Kayell Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meeting room in Artarmon, Sydney. Martin spoke all around Australia during August.

What is a Video Producer?

Rochelle Morris updates members about the exciting f u t u r e f o r v i d e o p r o d u c e r s w i t h i n t h e A I P P. As defined by the Producers Guild of America: “A Producer initiates, coordinates, supervises and controls, either on his own authority, or subject to the authority of an employer, all aspects of the motion-picture and/or television production process, including creative, financial, technological and administrative. A Producer is involved throughout all phases of production from inception to completion, including coordination, supervision and control of all other talents and crafts, subject to the provisions of their collective bargaining agreements and personal service contracts.”

emerging and gaining momentum within the

the system which is, in my opinion, a reputable

Hi. I’m Rochelle Morris, Director of Preface

association.

To tick off what the PVP members have

done, I should first start with accreditation. This is a crucial system that was needed to be developed.

Whilst we didn’t realise the importance at

the time, it’s especially significant now that we are moving ever closer to certification by ACCC. The system developed is a credit to all those PVP members involved in discussing and testing

Films and I have recently been appointed as an

accreditation process.

AIPP Board Advisor for video. I am also a brand

ambassador for the Accredited Professional

events with specific video content. This year

Video Producers (APVP) and a Co-opt Victorian

we have seen Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane

Council Member. In essence I am much like the

offer inspiring and educational sessions. Dean

‘voice’ of our membership base.

(hubby) and I kicked off 2014 by running

Our second step was to start offering

Plugged in With Preface Films in February which

Accreditation

was hosted by Kayell.

The journey of bringing the profession of

Each state then held its own event with

video into the AIPP has been a long but short

members from the PVP/APVP as speakers.

one. I say ‘long’ as I remember my first phone

Response from every team member was that

conversation with Peter Myers in 2011, and

each event was a huge buzz and an exciting

‘short’ in that we began major inroads only two

kick starter to future events that are being

years ago.

planned. Keep your eyes out for more events to

come!

Since then, our profession has slowly been

The Accredited Professional Video Producers have been active over the past year - look out for future events soon!

Look out for our future APVP events Brisbane Video Critique - 9 September Melbourne Social Night “Let’s Get Together” - 16 September Melbourne Video Critique - 27 October

Awards

something that we need more of.

The next goal is to develop our critique sessions

as preparatory work towards awards. Melbourne

privileged to present alongside some of the

conducted their first one in May which by all

best in the photography industry. Our video

accounts was flawed, but still a great success.

presenters also included Patrick Moreau from

Whilst we are aware that AIPP photography

Stillmotion and Cameron Frost who presented

members are very accustomed to critiques and

on The One Man Crew. I look forward to seeing

that they are part of the community culture,

more presenters in 2016 and in the coming

these events are not part of the video culture.

years.

In fact, I would say that it’s quite foreign and

inherent with lots of negative assumptions.

has been a long discussion and is the reason

that the journey commenced. The APVP as part

Our goal in running these sessions is to

At the Nikon Event this year, Dean and I were

The synergies between photo and video

achieve the learning that our photography

of the AIPP and the ACMP, will be much like a

colleagues enjoy - an opportunity to receive

vehicle that will allow all members to embrace

constructive feedback with the vision to

and harness the opportunities to continue our

improve.

development, belong to a vibrant community

and become champions of the profession of

As written by Jason Hodge, who is leading

the critiques, “Although critique is commonly

photography and video production.

understood as fault finding and negative

judgment, it is the intention of the APVP to

excited by the prospects.

This is what I see as our future and am

create growth and improvement in a safe, positive and constructive environment. We

We Need Your Help!

encourage an affirming response for video

One of the biggest issues we face is that the

producers attending the event and critiques.”

AIPP community doesn’t know who ‘WE’ are.

From these events, we are aiming to host the

Whilst we are still building our awareness in the

very first AIPP Video Awards in late 2016.

outside world, my strongest feeling is that the people inside the community that WE belong

Community Spirit

to, need to be aware of OUR existence, what our

Where the future lies for the PVP/APVP

goals are and how we fit in.

members is in the fostering of the community

spirit that is strong within the AIPP. At each

professionals who would be the right fit for the

event that I’ve attended, I could see this spirit is

association. Please help and be a voice for us!

We also need you to speak to video industry

25 Photograph by John Coxon, Gold Award, Portrait Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year Awards

If you have a query or an issue about copyright, free advice from an expert is only a web page away at the Australian Copyright Council.

Image supplied by Handprint Photography

The Working Pro had a chat with Fiona Phillips,

proportion when you consider that copyright

the Australian Copyright Council’s Executive

applies to everything from computer software

Director, and Nathan Webster, Legal Officer and

to literature.

the author of the most recent edition of the

ACC’s publication on photography.

of issues, particularly with the culture of

everything appearing to be free on the internet.

They seemed like an ideal couple to ask

“We advise photographers on a range

what photographers should know about

People are just ripping off photographer’s

images and thinking it is okay.”

Ripping Off The Internet

Protecting Yourself

Began Fiona, “Two things have happened

Fiona suggests that photographers protect

with the advent of digital photography: the

themselves as much as possible by always

ease with which things can be copied and

including a copyright notice and embedding

the devaluation of the skills of a professional

their rights management conditions into the

photographer.

image’s metadata. It is also a good idea to

watermark your images when possible, as often

“You see this happening everywhere. Instead

of employing a professional, people are now

the metadata is stripped out.

just taking their own photos and applying a

filter to make the photo look a whole lot better.

low resolution files so they are of limited use

So the challenge for professionals is how to get

- although with website design increasingly

their photography into the market without it

requiring larger images, this may not always be

being copied, and maintaining a commercial

possible.

value for what they do.”

read the terms and conditions of the platforms

Fiona added that of the free legal advice

And when you post images, only provide

“The other really important thing to do is to

provided by the ACC, around 10 per cent

you are using - such as Flickr, Facebook and

is to photographers. This is a considerable

Instagram. They generally require a very broad

27 Photograph by Steve Wise, Finalist, Creative Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

licence which, among other things, may allow

them to license your images to other people for

are just keen to get the money and don’t look at

advertising purposes.”

the terms and conditions, in which case there’s

a very good chance that their client will own

This would seem to be another good reason

Fiona observed that often photographers

for including a watermark on your photograph

the copyright.

because, under moral rights, taking out

watermarks can be a criminal offence.

client, but it can make life extremely difficult for

the photographer.

“It’s difficult to police this stuff once the

Owning the copyright makes life easy for the

photographs are out there, plus there’s an

inequality of bargaining power. It is rare for a

not care if they don’t own the copyright, but

photographer to take on a large organisation in

if they don’t, they may not be able to use the

court because of the costs involved.”

photographs on their own website or in their

portfolio, unless their client [the copyright

However, as Fiona encouraged, just because

Continued Fiona, “Photographers might

large companies throw their weight around,

owner] gives them permission.

doesn’t make it right and by making their

members aware of these issues, organisations

time. It’s one thing to make a conscious

like the AIPP can make a stand. “If there’s

decision not to retain copyright, but quite

enough of a groundswell of opinion, things may

another to be naive about it.

well change.”

“I see photographers being burnt all the

“I don’t have a problem with photographers

selling their copyright if that’s how they Giving Away Copyright

make a living and they don’t care how their

A lot of photographers when shooting for

photographs are re-used. It’s an individual

clients either don’t have a contract or are

decision.

unaware of what is in the contract they are

agreeing to.

don’t always know what you want to do with

Without a contract, photographers working

“The only caution I would make is that you

those photos down the track. For instance,

domestically (e.g. weddings, family portraits)

Nathan is a lawyer and a photographer part

do not own the copyright, their clients do.

time.

However, when working commercially,

photographers own the copyright, but in both

how his photographs are used, but if in five

situations, the ownership of copyright can be

years he decides to pursue a career as a

transferred by an agreement.

professional photographer, the rights he gives

“Today, he mightn’t care too much about

away now may have an impact in the future.”

remuneration for that use. If you discover someone is using your work without

Enforcing Rights

permission, you have the right to request that

So is it a good idea to retain copyright? And if

they stop and/or to require payment for those

so, how does that impact your clients?

uses.”

“Best practice is to ensure you retain the

ability to use your own images, at least for

Video Producers

self-promotional purposes.” So, maybe your

client owns the copyright, but they give you a

under a different part of the Copyright Act and

licence to use the photographs for promotional

the ACC has a publication Copyright and Film

purposes.

which is highly recommended. The basic rights

are similar, but the owner of the copyright is the

“Or perhaps you own the copyright and

license your clients to use the photographs,

person who makes the arrangement - usually

with or without restrictions as you see fit.

the person commissioning the production.

Nathan explained that the ACC gets a lot of

“In the context of big productions, it is

queries from photographers who are uncertain

appropriate for the person paying for the film

about their rights and how to enforce them.

to own it, but there are also separate rights for

performers and directors.

“Coming to us is a pretty good start to find

if there’s anything that can be done and, if so,

how to take action.

provisions, but these provisions are always

“We also get a lot of queries about

“The thing to bear in mind is that the

agreements and what they say about

open to an agreement to the contrary.”

ownership of the photography. And moral

rights comes up a lot where photographers

not own the copyright in the production, but

haven’t been attributed for their work, or if their

they could include in the agreement a term

work has been modified or cropped.

that allows them to use the video for their own

promotional purposes.

“For instance, the rainbow filter people

For instance, a wedding video producer may

are putting on their avatar photographs to show solidarity with same-sex marriages could

For more information, visit the Australian Copyright

potentially be a moral rights issue.

Council Website, www.copyright.org.au

“Photographers have the right to control

how their work is used and to require

Legal advice is not provided by phone or email, rather use the special online tool on the website.

Posting Comments: What’s Appropriate? I s i t e v e r g o o d f o r m t o v i s i t s o m e o n e ’s s o c i a l m e d i a p a g e s o r w e b s i t e a n d c r i t i c i s e t h e m i n p u b l i c ? W h a t ’s the best way to deal with problems online? I mentioned earlier that someone posted

and of course, further comments can be made

criticism of my photography in the public

unless you have a way to block that person.

comments section of my website.

the world who gain enjoyment from making

The person used a false name, so maybe it

was just a friend giving me a hard time, but it

trouble and little essays like this one won’t

raises the question of what is appropriate and

change their behaviour.

what outcome do you want?

banded together and supported each other

If you went to a photography gallery and

However, it might help if the rest of us

didn’t like the photographs on the wall, would

when we see someone being a bully online.

you stand up in front of the guests and tell the

photographer the exhibition was awful?

relaxed mood is quite different to reacting to

something online that really upsets you.

I guess a few arrogant souls might, but

Of course, sitting and reading this in a

most people would keep their thoughts to

themselves and wouldn’t bother to return to

that is a direct copy of your own image - aren’t

the gallery for a second look.

you in the right to be rude and pointed in your

criticism.

So, when you visit someone’s website or

Perhaps someone has posted a photograph

social media page, a place where they have

No.

displayed their best work which is no doubt

close to their heart, is it ever appropriate to

Some people do things out of ignorance and

post derogatory comments on their website,

a personal message pointing out the error of

especially if you’re using a fake name?

their ways is a much more mature approach.

Of course it’s not.

And some people may have genuinely created

Behaviour on the internet should be no

a similar image to yours without knowing it, too!

Take a deep breath and think about it.

different to behaviour in person.

first - if you have to be rude (which is never

Fortunately, the person who owns the

website can remove objectionable comments,

There are some small-minded people in

It’s always good to start a conversation

advisable), you can always save it for later!

Photograph by Kylie Foley, Silver Award, Portrait Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year Awards

Linda

BEKS AIPP Master of Photography

Tucked away in Port Stephens, north of Newcastle in New South Wales, Linda Beks’ studio enjoys panoramic water views to the north - she seems to have life worked out pretty well!

“As a portrait photographer, I shoot mainly families including their loved ones, children, babies

and pets. Newborn and pet photo sessions normally take place in the studio, but for families we prefer to pick one of the many beaches available to us here in the Bay. Zenith Beach is a popular one as it has a huge variety of beach, forest and rocks, all in one place and there is hardly anyone around.”

Linda’s wedding work is mainly local in Port Stephens and the neighbouring Hunter Valley

vineyards.

“I am from the Netherlands. I studied Health Care Management and Policy at the University of

Maastricht and for my research thesis at the end of my study, I studied in Brisbane at the Queensland University of Technology for eight months. That was my first visit Down Under and I loved it.”

She returned to Holland and worked for several years in medical management. Her last job was (Opposite) This image scored Gold in the Awards in 2012. “It was the first time I worked with snakes in the studio and I wanted to create a kind of Adam and Eve scene with twins. The twins were only 13 years old at the time and were handling the snakes extremely well. (Following double page) “This image won the highest scoring print in the Epson AIPP NSW Professional Photography Awards in 2013. It was one of the images taken for the book Best Friends. I think this was the most hectic shoot I have ever done. I had a screaming toddler that was not keen on having his photo taken, they also brought in their dogs and these two kittens. This was the last lucky shot of the session.” Linda also won the title of Epson AIPP NSW Professional Photographer of the Year. .

Linda

BEKS AIPP Master of Photography

Linda

BEKS AIPP Master of Photography

as a manager of a trauma centre, which is

work in Australia for one year as a GP, so we left

quite different to photography, but Linda says

everything behind and moved over.

photography has always been a big part of her

life.

bit longer, and longer... and apparently time flies

“My stepdad introduced me to photography

“One year passed and we decided to stay a

when you are having fun as we have now been

and I learnt my first darkroom skills a long time

here 10 years.”

ago. I really enjoyed the peacefulness and

darkness of the darkroom, as well as the magic

busy raising three little children, but while

of watching photographs appear on the paper.

pregnant with her youngest son, she continued

However, digital photography has opened a

her photographic education by enrolling in a

whole new world for me, especially once I fine-

two year TAFE Certificate IV course in photo

tuned my Photoshop skills so that now I can

imaging.

imagine the end result, even before the image is

taken.”

during the interview, but I was accepted

Linda’s first few years in Australia were pretty

“I can remember trying to hide my belly

and the course started just after he was Photographic Studies

born. From that moment, I fully focused

Linda says she has always been interested

on my photography career and started ME

in creativity in some way for as long as she

Photography. I have never looked back.”

can remember, whether sewing, painting

or changing the decorations and colours of

photography had she and her husband not

the walls in her home. She enrolled in a part

come to Australia, but moving to the other side

time photography course in Holland, while

of the world seemed to give her the impetus

continuing her management career, but then

she needed to change her career as well.

she and her husband made a big move.

“Ten years ago, while I was pregnant with my

first child, my husband had the opportunity to

Linda says she may never have moved into

“Photography was really my passion and

during my TAFE course, I became a student member of the AIPP and attended several

(Opposite page) I love people with red hair and this girl has the most amazing hair. She is only 14 years old, but so confident in front of the camera. I have used her over the last few months to experiment with a few different lighting set ups. (Following double page) “This portrait was taken for the book Best Friends where we featured some wet dogs shaking. It is taken in my studio with lights behind the dog, highlighting all the water droplets flying around. You need to be very quick with dogs and water as they shake before you know it!”

Linda

BEKS AIPP Master of Photography

Linda

BEKS AIPP Master of Photography

workshops.

NSW AIPP Epson Portrait Photographer of the

Year category. Photos from these books have

“My first entry to the Canon APPAs was as a

student member. Unfortunately my prints were

featured highly in her awards, including her

lost, but they were so kind to judge them digi-

win as the overall NSW AIPP Epson Professional

tally and I can clearly remember my excitement

Photographer of the Year in 2013.

when I won my first Silver Award in 2010. From

then on, I realised that photography is a never

says she’s not adverse to something a little

ending learning experience with endless possi-

controversial or with a message.

bilities.”

When it comes to subject matter, Linda

“A lot of people know me for images with

pets, but I probably only spend 20 per cent of Fund Raiser

the time doing these photos. I love shooting

After adding a puppy into her own family, Linda

weddings and newborns too. For me, it is the

realised how important pets are and started to

combination of different subjects that keeps me

incorporate them into her portraiture shoots.

fresh and charged for the next shoot.

“I did a lot of pet photography as well as

“Sometimes I wonder if I should focus on

family photos including pets, so I organised a

just one genre because it takes so much more

fundraiser for the Hunter Animal Rescue (HAR)

time to market to several different areas, but for

group. I took photos of pets and their ‘best

the moment, I enjoy it all too much to let go of

friends’, and featured them in an animal art book

anything.

with friendship sayings to raise funds for HAR.

This resulted in many crazy and hectic shoots

pick up one area in a quiet time of the year and

where at one point I could have a baby, two

focus on the rest at other times.”

siblings, a cat, their chicken and a dog in one

Linda works with a Nikon D4s and Nikon D700,

image!”

while her Olympus OMD EM5 is used mainly for

Linda’s first Best Friends book was released

“Besides, it works quite well because I can

travel and personal use.

in 2012 and each year since, she dedicates a

couple of months (in winter when it’s quiet for

Equipment

weddings and outdoor portraits) to shoot pets

“My Nikon kit includes 24-70mm, 70-200m

and their best friends.

zooms and 50mm, 35mm and 105mm primes.

I also use SB900 flashes with Pocket Wizards for

It hasn’t hurt her progression as a

photographer either, because for the last

off camera control.

three years, she’s placed in the top three of the

“For studio lighting, I use Profoto D1’s with a

I wanted to create a controversial portrait, showcasing my daughterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dutch background. The portrait was taken against a grey backdrop and all the other elements stripped in using Photoshop. She had fun pretending to smoke and has still no idea what a joint is! Photo by Linda Beks.

Linda

BEKS AIPP Master of Photography

large Octobox and a few other soft boxes, strip

AIPP Involvement

boxes, grids and a beauty dish. I also have a

“I use Proselect for my viewing sessions in the

Profoto Acute B2 for location lighting, but often

studio and I do enjoy the selling part of the

for outdoor sessions I use my Nikon flashes

business, watching how the sessions evolve and

with a soft box on a ‘paint pole’ as it is quick to

helping people to choose the best type of wall

work with and is easily paired with the Pocket

art for their home.”

Wizards.”

chapter and it is great to be more involved

Linda says for weddings she is a big fan of

“Recently I joined the Newcastle AIPP

the Hold Fast Money Maker camera strap as

within the AIPP and work together with other

it frees her hands and can hold two to three

photographers, organising workshops and

camera bodies. She edits on a Mac and uses

other events. A few weeks ago, I organised a

mainly Photoshop and Adobe Camera Raw for

whale watching tour in Port Stephens and we

editing.

had a boat full of photographers out capturing

whales. Unfortunately, I had injured my arm

“About a year ago, I bought the Epson Stylus

Pro 3880 to make smaller prints in the studio. I

and could only hold an iPhone, but it was great

love it and I use Canson fine art paper.

to combine a fun activity and networking with

other local photographers.

“However a lot of my customers like metallic

acrylics and for my larger fine art prints, I outsource to Zone Printing.

“I think it’s the best photo lab in NSW and

Linda Beks is a wedding and portrait photographer

Mark from Zone Printing is fantastic. He also

in Port Stephens, NSW. She is an Accredited Profes-

helps a lot of photographers prepare and print

sional Photographer, a Master of Photography and

for Canon APPA and the Epson State Awards.

won the NSW AIPP Epson Professional Photogra-

I have learned so much from him and other

pher of the Year in 2013. You can see her website at:

photographers preparing prints for the Canon

www.mephotography.com.au.

APPAs.

(Opposite page) This is one of my first snake shots. I admire my models, how they stay calm and give me the look I am after, even if there is a snake crawling over them. I normally work with ‘ordinary’ girls, not professional models, and I love to see the transformation from their normal natural look to a completely different demeanour.

Should I Enter Canon APPA This Year?

Think about your expectations before you enter the awards and make the most out of them! Assuming you are seeded, there are a lot of

score 75 or higher.

reasons for entering the Canon AIPP Australian

Professional Photography Awards (APPA).

professional standard. It’s something you should

be proud to sell to your clients.

This year for the first time, not everyone

A score of 70 to 79 indicates the print is of

can automatically enter APPA. You need to be

eligible (seeded), which generally speaking

photography awards process, judged by

means you already have some points towards

experienced professional photographers who

your Associateship or Master of Photography, or

have ‘seen it all before’. A photograph of little

you have had some success at the Epson AIPP

Johnny with a broad smile might be a winner

State Professional Photography Awards.

for his parents, and this will be recognised

by the judges if you have the exposure,

Even if you’re not eligible for APPA this

Remember that this is a professional

year, these observations are just as relevant for

composition, posing and presentation looking

entering the Epson PPA and the new online

good. However it might not be a Silver.

awards which are expected to begin next year.

Perhaps the first question to answer is, what

do you want to get out of the awards process?

If you score in the upper half of the

Professional Standard range (say, 75 to 79), then you should feel rewarded for your efforts. This is a great outcome.

Set Your Expectations

AIPP Grand Masters of Photography send

Silver Awards

their four prints to APPA with the expectation

Once you’ve been involved with the judging

of earning four Gold Awards. Of course, this

process for a while, you realise that everyone is

never happens (well, maybe twice that I can

aiming for a Silver Award. This represents ‘Award

remember in the history of the Awards), so what

Quality’ which is a step above Professional

is a reasonable expectation to have?

Standard. It means your print has very high

production standards and a little ‘twist’ or ‘spark’

For photographers just beginning their

journey, my aim would be for all your entries

that makes it out-of-the-ordinary.

(three or four, depending on your eligibility) to

In theory, a client should be over the moon

The Complete Photo Business Package for Professional Photographers Sitting down with an accountant to get this type of specific business advice could cost you thousands of dollars! Four eBooks packed with essential information and a special Business Planning Template designed exclusively for professional photographers. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t spend the next 12 months fluffing around. Have a look and become a profitable photographer! www.betterphotography.com Purchase the eBooks and the Business Planning Templates separately, or buy both and save $49!

to receive such a print, but sometimes they

and then enter the idea as your own. This is not

don’t appreciate the extra creativity we put into

the right way to win a Gold.

our work. This is one of the reasons we have

I don’t know how you earn a Gold award.

photographers judging our work, not clients.

I don’t think anyone does because if there

Photographers won’t be so easily swayed by

were a secret, someone would have worked it

non-photographic aspects of the image (such

out by now.

as cutesy subject matter).

competent, but not pushing the boundaries

So, there is a small disconnect between

However, if you enter photographs that are

Award and Professional standards. A Silver

in some way, you’re unlikely to earn a Gold

Award has an extra element of creativity and

because the judges expect a high degree of

the awards system encourages this. If we push

originality.

ourselves creatively, our overall standard of daily work should also improve.

Dealing With Failure

Every entrant in the professional photography

So, at the outset, it is important to

understand what the awards system is designed

awards has experienced disappointment. This is

to do. It acknowledges professional standard,

a good thing. And depending on how you deal

but it rewards creativity.

with it, it can be character building.

The Gold Award

photos on Facebook for your friends to admire.

So, how do you earn a Gold award. A very small

percentage of entries reach this exalted height

professionals and they will give you their honest

and very often they are contentious.

opinion. They are not out to insult you or hurt

your feelings. Indeed, they have no idea who

Judges are impressed by new ideas. If you

The judges at APPA are experienced

show something that is really unusual, and it

you are when they give your print a score.

ticks all the boxes for exemplary technique and

presentation, you are in with a chance. But what

It is not the only assessment and on another

is new and unusual for one judge can be old hat

day or in another competition, you may get

and cliche for another.

a completely different result. The same thing

If you want lots of love and likes, post your

Judges are only human and no judge has

What you receive is an objective assessment.

happens when working as a professional

seen every photograph or image ever created.

photographer - some clients will like our work,

For this reason, it is unethical to directly copy

some won’t. It’s how we deal with rejection that

the work of other artists and photographers,

makes us better professionals.

Photograph by Chris Knoblauch, M.Photog, Silver Award, Landscape Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

Understanding Website Bounce Rates Peter Myers explains that a high bounce rate might not be a good thing and that testing different pages could produce huge improvements to your business. Designing a great looking website and one that

is effective can be two completely different

your website is, is to look at how people visiting

things. As photographers and video producers,

your website interact with it. So, if you knew

we are naturally drawn to website designs that

that 9 out of 10 visitors only spent 10 seconds

display our images in a stylish and perhaps

on your website, you’d have to assume they

theatrical manner. The photographs and video

were not interested in what they found. For

clips are shown up big and there are lots and

instance, if you are a wedding photographer or

lots of them to see. That’s a good website, isn’t

video producer and the main photograph on

it?

your home page is of a penguin on an iceberg,

Perhaps not. And if not, how do you know?

One of the ways to assess how effective

chances are most brides-to-be will think they have come to the wrong site and quickly press

Bounce Rates

the back button.

As professional photographers and video

producers, just as important as having people

our website will spend as much time as is

view our photography is having those same

necessary to drill down into the detail. Look

people purchase our images or our services.

at your own behavior when you’re looking

There’s not much point having the most

for something on the internet - if you visit

amazing website if no one visits or, just as

a website that is badly designed or seems

importantly, no one buys. We are, after all,

irrelevant to your search, you quickly go

professional photographers.

somewhere else.

So how do we know if our website is

We can’t assume that everyone who visits

People who visit your website and then

effective? That’s not really rocket science

leave are said to ‘bounce’. They may not have

because, if your business is going well, chances

stuck around long enough to engage with you

are your website is quite effective. But could it

and so you have effectively failed at attracting

be even more effective? Could you double your

their attention. (There are exceptions to this

sales simply by redesigning your website?

analysis, such as returning visitors to a blog

49 A penguin on a wedding photographerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s website might not lead to a good bounce rate. Photograph by Peter Eastway.

in which case the bounce rate may be high,

single most important statistics used for search

simply because after reading your blog, they

engine optimization. There are a couple of

move onto something else. However, they have

others, but if you have a low bounce rate, this

read your blog and this would be considered a

indicates you have a good page and search

success!)

engines will send more people to you.

In the context of a professional trying

“The other key statistic is time spent on a

to engage with a new customer, a high

page. The two go hand in glove. Generally if

bounce rate is very likely to indicate a lack of

a person only spends a few seconds on your

engagement and things need to change.

page and then they leave your website, that is considered a bounce, but if they spend

Not The Back Button

several minutes on your website, then they are

Explained AIPP Executive Officer Peter Myers,

interacting with you and this is a good thing.”

“When someone visits your website, they have two options. They can look at your photographs,

How Do I know My Bounce Rate?

read your content and then click on a link or

The easiest way to look at your bounce rate

navigation icon on your site. We call this a

and the time spent on your pages is to install

‘directed outcome’ because the design of your

Google Analytics on your website.

web page encourages this behavior. This is a

success.

Google, sign up (it’s free for the Standard

version) and obtain the web code for your

the back button and leaves your website.

website.

Generally, this is a failure. The person has visited

http://www.google.com.au/analytics/

your website, but been so uninterested in the

content they found that they immediately left.

website. While it’s not difficult to do, you

They bounced.”

may need to ask your web expert for help,

“The other option is that the person hits

To install, search for Google Analytics on

Peter says a good bounce rate is 30 per cent

Next, you have to install this code on your

while applications like WordPress and Joomla

or lower. In other words, only three or fewer of

will have plugins to help you do the job

every ten visitors press the ‘back’ button. The

automatically. You just copy and paste the code

rest stick around to see what you have to say.

into the plugin and it does the rest.

“The bounce rate is one of the main statistics

After a few days, Google Analytics will start

that Google Analytics will give you for every

reporting useful information about your bounce

page. And some experts say it’s almost the

rate, time spent on the page and lots of other

51 Photograph by Roger Tan Pin Hwa, Gold Award, Wedding Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

interesting demographics. However, for most

pack via email. By watching your bounce rate

professional photographers, Peter suggests

and testing different approaches to your web

starting with the bounce rate. What do you do if

design and messaging, you can greatly improve

your bounce rate is higher than 30 per cent (the

the number of people who purchase from you

higher the bounce rate, the more people are

and this should translate into higher profits.

not staying on your website)?

makes the following suggestion: “Change your

“A high bounce rate is clearly telling you

that most people are not interested in what

website! Make a couple of changes, wait a week

you’re showing them. This leads us back to the

and then check your bounce rate again.

previous article where we talked about creating

special landing pages for people with different

the right direction. What else can you change?

interests.

By testing different approaches, you will soon

work out what is most effective for you.”

“For instance, if you’re a wedding

“If the rate has improved, you’re heading in

photographer, people want to see lots of

information about weddings, not portraits,

to engage with their customers is really easy -

babies, workshops or landscapes. Just show

just visit their pages and analyse what they are

them what they are searching for and they are

doing (assuming they have a low bounce rate,

more likely to stick around.”

of course!)

And researching what other businesses do

Once you get your head around bounce

Drilling Down

rates and the time spent on each page, you’ll

You can take Google Analytics as far as you

also understand the need for different landing

want to, drilling down to exactly how many

pages depending on who you are trying to

people are clicking on each link on your

engage with. “It all boils down to simple testing

website.

and measuring.”

So, if your bounce rate is really high, Peter

“This is what you want to know - how

Peter also suggests your web pages are

successful are you in directing people’s

topical. “For instance, we’re approaching

behavior? You can follow the pathway through

springtime in Australia, so we may want to

to the ultimate delivery page - or whatever it is

post some photos or videos about springtime

that you consider success.”

weddings. This approach requires you to

For some photographers and video

change your pages every few weeks, but if you

producers, it will be booking a wedding, for

think your website is your dominant marketing

others it might be requesting an information

tool, then this is certainly worth doing.

Photograph by Eugene Tan, Silver Award, Sport Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year Awards

Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM

I t ’s s o w i d e a t o n e e n d , b u t i t ’s a l s o i n c r e d i b l y s h a r p in the middle. Canon pushes the limits with its upmarket ultra wide-angle zoom This is a seriously fun piece of glass! And the

switch panel, zoom ring and focusing ring.

wide-angle on this ultra wide-angle zoom is

ridiculously wide. And no doubt Canon users

uses a 9-blade circular aperture diaphragm,

will also enjoy pointing out that it is ‘that much’

transforming point light sources in the

wider than Nikon’s seriously excellent 12-24mm

background into more circular and, many

zoom (although to be fair it is also an f2.8 lens).

would argue, more beautiful background

The challenge with ultra wideangles on DSLR cameras is the

blurred shapes.

The minimum focusing distance is 0.28

retro-focus design. Some

m (with a maximum magnification of 0.16X),

Canon experts claim that at

enabling you to get in very close to your

24mm, this is one of Canon’s

subject and still include the surroundings.

best lenses ever, while at

The lens uses an Ultra Sonic Motor for silent

11mm it’s incredibly wide, but

autofocusing, while flare is minimised and

the image is rather ‘stretched’ in

colour optimised using ASC Coating on the

the corners. But so is the image

lens elements. According to Canon, ASC is a

in all rectalinear wide-angles to

technology that forms a film that includes air

some extent. However, don’t let this

spheres over the vapor-deposition coatings.

put you off this amazing zoom lens -

The electromagnetic diaphragm (EMD)

By lining the inside of the coating with low

the image quality overall is sensational and you

refractive index air, this forms an ultra-low

won’t be disappointed, even with Canon’s new

refractive index layer. ASC has excellent anti-

high-resolution EOS 5DS/SR cameras.

reflective effects, particularly with respect to

incident light that enters almost vertically.

The mechanical structure of the 11-24mm

provides high durability and toughness in order

to withstand harsh environmental conditions

around $3900.

and rough handling. A dust-proof and drip-

proof structure is applied to the mount, the

com.au.

However, this isn’t an inexpensive lens at For more information, visit www.canon.

The 11-24mm can produce an exaggerated sense of perspective which, if harnessed carefully, can produce images with lots of impact.

Photographs by Rebekah Wilson for the AIPP Reflections Project.

Your Institute Needs

You!

You are not too late to join the AIPPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reflections Project. In fact, this is the perfect time to join. We have over 3,000 veterans to photograph and we really need your help. It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take you long, but the experience will live with you for a lifetime. Please help. Register today by visiting https://aippveterans.com/photographers/ See the video at: https://vimeo.com/132887934 56