NZPhotographer Issue 24, October 2019

Brought to you by
ISSUE 24, October 2019
INTERVIEW WITH
PETER LAURENSON
PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE
BY DON MCLEOD
HOW LONG IS “LONG
ENOUGH”?
BY KEN WRIGHT
October 2019 1

WELCOME TO ISSUE 24 OF
NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE
HELLO EVERYONE,
Did you realise that this edition
marks the 2nd year of New Zealand
Photographer magazine under
the hands of Excio? Time certainly
flies when you're having fun! As we
finalise plans for next year we want
to hear your thoughts on what you
enjoy and which pages you skip (if
any!) so please do take part in our
survey if you haven't already.
This issue is all about photographing
people, with a healthy dose of travel
inspiration and a dash of nature
thrown in too so as to keep the
outdoor-loving introverts happy as
well.
We get to know Peter Laurenson
in our cover interview, finding out
about his love of Khumbu in Nepal
and his passion for climbing and
photographing the people and
places he visits. We welcome Susan
Blick back to the magazine as she
shares her story of photographing
one of the world's last remaining
homogeneous tribes.
Don McLeod shares his experiences as a press photographer and family
photographer to give us some tips on photographing people – The magic
happens when you build a relationship with the person you are photographing,
before pressing the shutter. This is similar to that Parmeet Sahni tells us in her articles,
as she explains how to get people to relax so that you can capture that candid
moment that makes a memory.
Don't worry if photographing people is not your thing, Brendon takes us on a trip
to Milford Sound whilst Ken Wright answers the question 'How long is long enough?'
in regards to long exposure photography. If you're not bursting to try your hand
at portrait shots, you'll be bursting to get down to the nearest beach or waterfall
– Show us what you were inspired to capture by tagging us on social media or
sending us an email.
Emily Goodwin
Editor NZ Photographer
General Info:
NZPhotographer Issue 24
September 2019
Cover Photo
Final pitch
by Peter Laurenson
Publisher:
Excio Group
Website:
www.excio.io/nzphotographer
Group Director:
Ana Lyubich
Editor:
Emily Goodwin
Graphic Design:
Maksim Topyrkin
Advertising Enquiries:
Email hello@excio.io
2
NZPhotographer

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
Brendon Gilchrist
Brendon is the man
behind ESB Photography.
He is an avid tramper
who treks from sea to
mountain, and back
again, capturing the
uniqueness of New
Zealand’s unforgiving
landscape.
Ana Lyubich
Co-founder of Excio, Ana's
photography journey
started many years ago
with one of the first Kodak
film cameras. She loves
exploring the unseen
macro world and capturing
genuine people's emotions.
Richard Young
Richard is an awardwinning
landscape and
wildlife photographer who
teaches photography
workshops and runs
photography tours. He
is the founder of New
Zealand Photography
Workshops.
nzphotographer nzp_magazine nzp@excio.io
© 2019 NZPhotographer Magazine
All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in
any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher.
Disclaimer:
Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the
opinion of the magazine.
October 2019
3

CONTENTS
PHOTOGRAPHING ONE OF THE WORLD’S
LAST REMAINING HOMOGENEOUS TRIBES
by Susan Blick
12
PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE
BY DON MCLEOD
6
12
22
26
28
36
52
58
66
72
75
PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE
by Don McLeod
PHOTOGRAPHING ONE OF THE WORLD’S
LAST REMAINING HOMOGENEOUS TRIBES
by Susan Blick
BEHIND THE SHOT WITH GREG ARNOLD
FRESH SHOOTS AUTUMN PEOPLE’S
CHOICE AWARD WINNER: PATRICK SCHNEIDER
#WOMENINPHOTOGRAPHY GETTING TO KNOW
LEANNE SILVER OF ARGENT PHOTOGRAPHY
INTERVIEW WITH PETER LAURENSON
SOAKING UP MILFORD SOUND
by Brendon Gilchrist
MAKING MEMORIES IN THE STUDIO
with Parmeet Sahni
HOW LONG IS “LONG ENOUGH”?
By Ken Wright
“LURKING SYNDROME” IN PHOTOGRAPHY
by Ana Lyubich
BEST READERS SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH
6
FRESH SHOOTS AUTUMN
PEOPLE’S CHOICE AWARD
WINNER: PATRICK SCHNEIDER
66
HOW LONG IS “LONG ENOUGH”?
BY KEN WRIGHT
26

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Long Exposure
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Small Group Photography Weekends
Lightroom Processing
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Kaimai Waterfalls
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Be inspired with our master class
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Astro - Aoraki, Mt Cook.
Autumn Colours - Wanaka.
Wildlife - Otago Peninsular
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Taking you to the best locations
the country has to offer.
Draw inspiration from capturing
New Zealand’s most iconic
landscapes alongside some of
our more hidden gems.
20 Day: South Island Highlights
20 Day: North Island Highlights
17 Day: Ultimate New Zealand
12 Day: New Zealand Icons
15 Day: New Zealand
Coastal Landscapes
15 Day: North Island Landscapes
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7 Day: West Coast Wilderness
7 Day: South Island Beaches
& Bays
7 Day: Volcanic North Island
7 Day: Northland & Bay of Islands
4 Day: Fiordland
www.photographyworkshops.co.nz
info@photographyworkshops.co.nz
021 0845 7322

PHOTOGRAPHING PEOPLE
by Don McLeod
“When you take a photograph of someone, you take a photograph of
their soul” Winna Efendi
Photographing people is exciting and
challenging, as you set out to tell a special story.
Of all forms of photography, photographing
people has been, for me, the most rewarding as well
as at times the most demanding. It has challenged
me to be very mindful of each person’s situation and
to work to develop an understanding relationship
with the person so that I am able to identify
something special about them.
It is that special moment, whether it be love,
concern, power, talent or some other emotion, that
I have strived to capture with my camera.
For many years I had the privilege of photographing
individuals, weddings, children, family activities, press
work and even developed basic x-rays for the local
Medical Centre putting my darkroom skills to use!
With my work as a press photographer I had to
portray events and stories of people within a
community, telling the story through photography
whether that be the horse event, the road accident,
or the production put on by the local drama club.
My community at the time was a medium size town
but as the saying goes “A photograph is worth a
thousand words.” It reiterated the importance of
connecting with people, helping them become
confident in relating their story, controversial or not.
THE CHALLENGE TO CONNECT
The term People/Portraits denotes a challenge, to
share something about a person in a visual format.
The pleasure is threefold for “The photographer”,
“The person”, and “The viewer”.
There may be joy, happiness, sadness but it is a story
you are making and telling.
It matters not what we use to make that visual result,
but rather that we follow a few simple steps:
1. Build a relationship wherever the photograph is
being taken.
2. Take time to visualise what you see or hear before
pressing the button.
CHILD AT BEACH
F6.3 1/1000s, ISO400
3. Seize the split second opportunity. Capture and
make that special shot.
4. Print the special photographs.
PHOTOGRAPHING CHILDREN
People and Portraits is broad in the sense that
we encounter people of all ages, in a variety of
situations. Photographing children is very rewarding
and a good place to start.
Photographs of children do not always need to be
posed, as often they pose naturally for you. Take for
example, this photo of a child at the beach. What
do you see on her face? Can you see that she is
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CHILD ONE
CHILD TWO
CHILD THREE
F5.6 1/30s, FP3 film 125 F4 1/30 FP3 film 125
F5.6 1/60s, FP3 film 125
relaxed and happy, being patient but also telling the
photographer to ‘Get on with it’?!
The above three photographs are typical of
children early evening prior to bedtime. During this
time families take time out to connect with their
children, with a story, or other quiet activity. As a
photographer, it is time to seize an opportunity to
portray another aspect about a child. It may seem
like making a record, but in reality it can be very
special.
When I photographed these children they were
relaxed, quiet and, posed naturally. Any attempt to
pose them could have distracted them from being
themselves. As photographers, we are setting out to
capture that something special about the person,
and while the use of unusual items to adorn the child
happens, it could be seen as missing out on the real
person.
The ‘child one’ photograph was captured using
natural light from a window. Look at the eyes and
the white dot in each eye. This adds a sparkle and
helps lighten up the face when set against a darker
background. Eyes of people often show emotions
and feelings which is exciting to portray.
The ‘child two’ photograph was captured using
natural light as the child sat casually with her special
teddy. It was her moment of quiet before bed. In the
post darkroom chemical processing, a sepia stage
was added as well as a little softening. The darkroom
step doubled the time, but adding sepia in the
computer editing stage is much simpler these days!
The ‘child three’ photograph shows a spontaneous
split second action by big brother, as he decided
to check out the progress of his little sister’s teeth.
Nothing posed, just a spontaneous set of actions
caught on camera. Again it could be seen as a
record shot, but the family still laugh about the
natural action.
Children have that sense of un-predictability, but
also a sense of love and freedom. Many times have
I, as a photographer rather than a Father, had to
photograph an active child having fun around the
garden. What I always found was, as Yousuf Karsh
said, “That small fraction of a second” needed
to capture a special photograph of a child can
bring us back to reality, but we need patience and
understanding to achieve a photograph that brings
joy to the family, and often to the child later in life.
POSED PORTRAITS
It will be noted that my work endeavours to
use natural lighting as my belief is that it gives
authenticity to the photograph. That does not mean
that I don’t use other lighting though, because I do.
The examples I give on the next page are examples
of capturing folk as they are and attempting to find
something special as mentioned earlier.
October 2019 7

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NZPhotographer
CHINESE MAN
F5.6, 1/30s, ISO125

Chinese Man
This delightful Chinese man was a
rehabilitation hospital patient. I met him
often with my work as a health professional
and was thrilled when he allowed me to
take his photograph. His eyes and facial
expression are how I know him. They capture
my attention every time I look at this
photograph. It is an expression of his wisdom
and love which in reality it was. In a sense, it
is a portrait without anything other than who
and where he was sitting.
Father John
Father John was photographed inside
the Monastery of the Holy Trinity Meteora
in northern Greece on part of a 3 week
vacation with my wife.
We were met by Father John at the entrance
of the 400 metre high monastery (a 95 minute
climb from the town of Meteora along
forested and rocky paths). Even though we
had a language challenge, we understood
each other well. A lot was achieved over
our first Greek coffee with Father John, with
whom we built a special relationship, so
necessary to get the photograph shown.
FATHER JOHN
F5.6, 1/30s, ISO100
The natural lighting captured my attention
immediately. As he walked in, I asked him
to stop, his hands fell into a natural position,
and an expression of warmth came across his
face. One interesting aspect is the fact that
he had lost an eye from cancer, which the
lighting hides. The photograph was taken on
film in natural light. A few months later I was
able to get a print back to him via a fellow
traveller.
Ballerina
This shot of the beautiful ballerina was taken
with my 6x6 Rollei camera on Ilford FP3.
She was visiting our small town in the Bay of
Plenty for a ballet performance and despite
spending the night with us, I only had 10
minutes to capture some photographs using
a single light the next morning.
I had seen during the ballet performance the
evening before that ballerinas have many
emotive poses when dancing. As we talked
that next morning she moved into a few
poses for me, and between us we liked the
one portrayed. The single light helped show
the personality we had got to know about
her. Getting to know a person is so vital and it
was proved again here.
BALLERINA
F5.6, 1/30s, ISO125
October 2019 9

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY
People on the street provide a set
of opportunities to portray people
candidly. This type of photography is
exciting and rewarding though a little
stealth is required at times because the
subject may be unaware of your actions.
The street photographer has to develop
skills in observation and technique. Some
of those techniques require careful
handling. It brings to the fore, the need
to be aware of cultural issues, as not
all situations will be accepting of their
photograph being taken. Saying this,
in all my street photography ventures
I have rarely been turned down if I have
first engaged with the person/people.
I refer back to my earlier comment that
it forces you to develop a relationship.
Panama Boy
Walking through the back streets in
Panama I noticed this young boy all
dressed up in soccer gear walking with
his father. The father indicated soccer
was his son’s dream career and after a
few minutes, the father and boy agreed
that I could take his photograph. The
young boy just naturally reacted so
proudly.
Monk & Child
This photo was taken in Laos. We had
been up early for the alms walk and
were exploring the temples, engaging in
a basic sign language conversation with
a small family. The young monk obviously
belonged to the family. After a short
sign talk asking their permission to take
a photograph, the young Monk sat and
casually put his arm around the young
child, which enabled me to photograph
them both as attached. I love how the
warmth of their relationship came so
naturally.
All of these situations were spotted so to
speak, and with thoughtful engagement
a photographic opportunity was seized.
CONCLUSION
Time immemorial has seen artists /
photographers making “Portraits of
People” I challenge you to leap into
a new way of portraying people by
building relationships before pressing the
shutter.
PANAMA BOY
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NZPhotographer
F9, 1/80s, ISO500

MONK & CHILD
F4.5, 1/80s, ISO400
October 2019 11

Photographing On
Last Remaining Ho
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e of the World’s
mogeneous Tribes
by Susan Blick
October 2019 13

TSERING
F2.5, 1/640s, ISO100,80mm
+ lume cube & reflector
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NZPhotographer

Iwas recently in the very North-Western tip
of India, about 7 hours north of Srinagar on
the Kashmir Line of Control in Ladakh, India.
Ladakh sits right in the middle of the World’s
highest mountain range, the Himalayas. It’s
completely inaccessible overland for eight
months of the year, totally cut off from the world
bar infrequent flights.
This isolation has allowed the preservation of
people known as Dropkas in Ladakhi which
means nomad or Turk, not from the modern day
Turkey, but a Kingdom of Turkic or Dardic people
who once ruled the Karakoram in the time of
the Greeks.
The Dropkas (Aryans as we know them in
English) are ethnically, socially, linguistically and
culturally completely different from all of the
other inhabitants surrounding them. They are
the decedents of the men from Alexander the
Great’s army who could travel no more and
were tired, sick or injured. These decedents live
mainly in three small villages in the only fertile
valley in all of Ladakh. They originally migrated
from the Gilgit area of Pakistan, wandering
Westward looking for better hunting grounds
and pastures and eventually stumbled upon
and settled in this valley squashed between the
Indian and Pakistani Line of Control.
I had read a lot about the Aryans before
traveling to the region and I was keen to
document one of the World’s last remaining
homogeneous tribes.
Just getting there is a story in itself, but
photographing them wasn’t as straightforward
as one might expect either. First of all, the
people are hard to find. Their village lies on a
steep cliff face and at an altitude of around
3,500m, it makes it very hard to sniff them out.
Secondly, they seem to slip in and out of their
houses without being seen, camouflaged-well
in their traditional dress and blending with the
forest surrounds and giant granite boulders that
nestle their village. The lane ways are devoid of
people and in the night they tell me Himalayan
wolves and shanko (high-altitude feral dogs)
as big as lions roam the mountains in search of
wildlife and domestic animals.
Add to this, the fact that in the past, Dropkas
believed that cameras could steal your soul, so
most people still aren’t all that keen on being
photographed! Nevertheless, I needed these
photos as I had come so far.
I had hired a fixer to help me organise for the
shoot, a fellow photographer born and bred in
Ladakh who took on the role of translator and
photography assistant. Together we hunted
around for some local women willing to pose
for some photography. These women would
be our main models, but they weren’t models
at all. We needed to spend a lot of time with
them, drinking butter tea, chatting, getting to
know each other before they finally start to
relax enough to be willingly photographed.
Their stories are interesting and added to the
experience, an investment in time and effort.
Tsering was the first lady I found to photograph.
She told me she had lived all her life in this
village and had rarely left it, visiting Leh just
once when she was young. She had no real
interest in the modern world and didn’t want
to join the rest of us on our march into the
complicated realm of modernity. For a moment
I felt envious of her simple life; a sustainable
existence growing barley, apricots, nuts and
cherries sufficed. She had had numerous
children, the actual number lost in translation
as she had also mothered others in those
early years, and a few had died shortly after
childbirth. Nonetheless, she liked her life as it
was. I thoroughly enjoy encounters like this and
I wanted to photograph her with dignity, and
showcase the beauty of the dress she proudly
wore.
At altitude, the light outside is mostly too harsh
for portraiture and inside the houses, it’s pitch
black bar for some small windows so lighting
is a huge issue! I’d traveled here with a Lume
Cube and an improvised reflector, a sheet of tin
foil found en route. Lume Cubes are fantastic
for on the road, but I do recommend having
two. Regardless, I needed to shoot most of the
interior portraits at a very wide aperture, and
needed to crank my iso up to 1250 on occasion
in order to get enough light onto the sensor – a
battle between too much noise and not enough
depth of field!
After running off quite a few shots inside, we
took a break to find a new location as I wanted
some environmental portraits. I didn’t just
want to shoot these people with just a ‘clean
background’ indoors as I think photographing
culturally requires or dictates the necessity to
show something of where the people live, where
they are from, the environment in which they
inhabit.
October 2019 15

A MOMENT TO RELAX
F1.8, 1/640, ISO100, 50mm
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NZPhotographer

We headed outside and wandered about. The
sun had gone behind some clouds so I was
feeling better about the outside shots now. We
found a nice cliff edge and while we discussed
compositions and posing one of the ladies sat
down and looked incredibly beautiful with soft
light around her. She’d finally relaxed and I turned
to take my shot. Sometimes it’s the moments
between the moments that provide the best
images and I think the photo 'A Moment To Relax'
is still my favourite shot from the few days I spent
in the village.
Next up, I wanted an environmental portrait
of a Dropka man and two women so as to
showcase their traditional dress. Dropkas wear
such elaborate costumes with each piece having
significance beyond aesthetics or practicalities.
Silver and turquoise amulet boxes are worn
around their necks, sometimes filled with the
ashes or fragments of ancestors. The silver reflects
evil away from the body not letting it enter and
turquoise protects from demons and is a poison
detector that was traditionally used to line the rim
of tea cups.
The headdress worn by both men and women
that you see in ‘Telling the Story’(next page) is
called a Ko. The Ko is adorned with flowers both
artificial and real, coins and silver, again for
purposes of protection. Men wear a crimson tunic
called a goucha and women wear a tunic called
a kuntop, loaded with beads, coral, shells, and
silver over which sits a goatskin cape.
I feel that placing your subjects in their ‘natural
environment’ can really help form a story to
support your photography.
The following day we visited a 400-year-old house
with a mud-packed floor and I felt like I had gone
back in time. The woman of the house, Dolma
had never had her photo taken before so I had
to sit with her for some time chatting via my
translator asking all sorts of questions getting to
know her, and even then it was hard to get her to
relax in front of the camera. All she wanted was
for me to photograph her most prized possession,
a copper ladle.
Kitchens are the most important rooms in Ladakhi
houses, some can fit up to 50 people and are
where the family lives, eats and sleeps during
the bitter winter months as they’re the only
rooms with a fire. I sat with her on a filthy, matted
goatskin, and admired her ability to prepare
any sort of meal at all in this rudimentary space.
Photographing here was perhaps the most
difficult of all as it was very dark indeed. Even with
my Lume Cube, a reflector, and some light rays
from a side window I had to up my ISO and to be
honest it still wasn’t sufficient. I hate high ISO so
didn’t want to go any higher than 800. Yes, ideally
a speedlight and a softbox would have worked
well, and in the future I may well travel with one
for my groups, but on the flip side, you do lose
some ambiance when using too much artificial
light.
While I had been photographing Dolma, her
husband had started spinning a prayer wheel
in the back corner of the kitchen. The adjacent
window was now letting in some brighter light and
I noticed the highlights on part of his face. He
looked very photogenic. I chatted to him about
the conversion from animism to Buddhism that
some of the Aryans are going through and this
helped to focus his attention and for him to relax.
Getting to know your subject, spending some time
talking with them, is integral and a nice way to
build rapport before you start pointing a camera
in their direction. Dolma’s husband continued
to spin the prayer wheel and I took a number of
shots attempting to get just enough blur on the
wheel as it spun in order to show movement. The
lighting was beautiful, but still quite contrasty
against the darker side of the room.
Three days later we left the village and headed
back to Leh and I thought to myself how
privileged I had been. I captured a moment in
time that may never be seen again. As remote
tribes like these have more contact with the
outside world it will undoubtedly impact their
culture. It’s quite a dilemma in fact, as the act of
recording culture also aids in its demise.
While there I looked hard at them and thought
how unconnected and unchanged they were,
but in actual fact, change has come, is coming
and will continue to come. When you have the
opportunity to do something like this you feel
humbled but also curious for more. In order to
complete this chapter in my own photographic
exploration I plan to visit their original home in
Gilgit, Pakistan in the not too distant future.
www.instagram.com/phomadic
www.susanblick.com
www.facebook.com/susanblickphoto
albums.excio.io/profile/Susan Blick Photography
October 2019 17

TELLING THE STORY
F2.5, 1/640, ISO100, 50mm + reflector
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October 2019 19

DOLMA’S LADLE
Dolma proudly holds her ladle for me to
photograph.
F2.0, 1/100s, ISO640, 50mm
THE LADAKHI KITCHEN
Dolma shows me where she spends most of her
day, in front of the stove
F2.0, 1/125s, ISO800, 50mm + lume cube & reflector
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A CANDID MOMENT
Dolma’s husband having a good
laugh as he makes a humorous
comment at my expense.
F2.8, 1/160s, ISO1250, 70mm
October 2019 21

Behind The Shot with Greg Arnold
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THE BEAUTIFUL TRAVELLERS
F5.6, 1/1000s, ISO640

GREG, TELL US THE BACKGROUND OF HOW
THIS PHOTO CAME TO BE!
A group of us were travelling as the guests of Prof.
Guan Kaiyun (deputy director of the Xinjiang Institute
of Ecology and Geography, part of the Chinese
Academy of Sciences) through the North West of
Xinjiang Provence, generally in the area of the historic
Silk Road.
We were being shown a number of the outreach
projects of the Institute, including the planting and
irrigation of sand retention shelter that measured 100m
wide (both sides) on a 450km motorway running right
through the Taklamakan desert.
Plants had to be chosen that could handle the
extreme conditions plus irrigation with subterranean
salt water and pumping stations needed to
established every 5–10km. Getting all this done within
an almost impossible time frame, was an extraordinary
feat!
SO HOW DID YOU COME TO BE PART OF THIS
GROUP AND TRIP IN THE FIRST PLACE?
Many years ago, the Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust
(through the efforts of Lynn and Robyn Bublitz)
established a friendship with a young Chinese Botanist
(now Professor Guan). There have been a number
of exchange tours based on this friendship over the
years. I missed a previous trip because of a M/C
accident, but was fortunate enough to be invited
onto this trip, 2 years later.
WHAT GEAR DID YOU TAKE WITH YOU?
I was planning to take almost exclusively street/
portrait shots on this trip so I had chosen kit that gave
me the best portability and quality (while still being
reasonably inconspicuous).
I had my RX1Rii (35mm/2, FF and capable of good
close work if I needed it) and A6500 with 55/1.8
(a wicked lens with fast focusing, image stabilisation
and with a useful aps-c, portrait angle of view). These
were cameras I was familiar with and both cameras
could use the same filters (ND+ CP), hoods and flash.
All of this fitted together in a tiny ONA canvas bag and
could be remotely controlled by my phone if needed.
WHAT WAS GOING ON BEHIND THE CAMERA
WHEN YOU TOOK THIS PHOTO?
Our bus had stopped in a small town near the borders
of Mongolia and Kazakhstan. Alongside us was a rather
Heath Robinson (house/sleeper) bus with a young boy
staring out the rear-side window at our strange looking
group. I wanted the photo of the boy and got myself
close enough before I pulled my camera into view.
From his expression, we seemed to look like a travelling
foreign circus, he didn’t appear aware of his photo
being taken. That was all I could see to photograph at
that time, as his bus had the curtains drawn and was
between me and the late afternoon sun.
Feeling pleased with getting that shot, I got on our bus
which was about to move on. As soon as our motor
started the curtains in the ‘house bus’ opened and
the occupants of both buses were looking at each
other like two passing trains.
I had been shooting with Manual exposure, but
there was no time to consider changing any camera
settings and so ‘The Beautiful Traveller’s’ photo was
taken through two sets of bus windows and looking
straight into the sun.
I have no idea who these people were, what their
ethnicity was, or where they were going though at a
guess they seemed to be heading toward Mongolia.
From the friendliness that radiated from their faces,
I’d have changed buses and travelled with them in a
heartbeat!
WERE YOU HAPPY WITH THE SHOT? WHAT, IF
ANYTHING, WOULD YOU CHANGE IF YOU
COULD HAVE CONTROLLED THE SITUATION?
Considering the unexpectedness of this scene
unfolding before my eyes I was happy with the
capture, but the quality reflects my haste and the
difficult conditions.
If I’d had time, I would have liked to have gotten out
of our bus, changed cameras and used a polariser
and a deeper lens hood. Even better, I’d have loved
to have changed buses for some portrait shots…
I mean who wouldn’t; they were beautiful people!
DID YOU TAKE THIS PHOTO IN BLACK AND
WHITE OR CONVERT IT LATER? HOW MUCH
EDITING DID YOU DO?
The sun on the windows turned the image milky, so
to salvage it I tried to make the shot look ‘film like’ to
hide its obvious flaws. I pulled as much contrast out of
the ‘washed out’ shot as I could and added a touch
of ‘dehaze’, but I was fighting noise as well as poor
definition.
It was going to be an awful colour shot, so I edited
it in Silver Effex Pro to get any extra contrast I could,
without losing all my mid tones. From memory, I played
with selective colour filters and used a ‘film effect’
preset.
TELL US WHAT IT WAS LIKE PHOTOGRAPHING
OVER THERE, ANY PROBLEMS?
In the Xinjiang Provence, we were pre-warned “under
no circumstances photograph the Police of Army”.
One of our group didn’t see a SWAT dressed security
Policeman (with automatic weapon) get on our bus
at a road check point while he was photographing a
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cotton seed-head in his hand. The Policeman’s reaction
was severe and only after our hosts intervened and the
photo was shown to not be a security threat, did he
leave and the camera was returned to its owner.
In the city of Kashgar we were told not to go into town
(except in groups) with words to the effect: “because
there are people here who would like to embarrass the
Chinese Government, and Western tourists could be
made targets to that end”.
Having said that and having seen the incredible level
of security everywhere, I never felt in danger at any
time. In Kashgar, Police sirens wailed all night, just to
let everyone know that they were there. There was a
Kindergarten next to our mid city hotel and at school
closing time (8pm) there were Army Personnel Carriers
and Police SWAT teams to guard the children’s pick up.
WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH US
ABOUT YOUR TRIP?
The population in this area of China is a historic meld
of genes from all the countries that are in proximity.
Traders have been travelling this route for centuries and
borders have changed with political power changes.
The majority of the population is Turkic speaking
Muslims know as Uyghurs. The Uyghur independence
movement calls the area “East Turkistan”.
The Uyghurs were not only photogenic but very friendly
and this was one of a number of photo moments in
China, that for me was heartwarming.
The Institute (Prof. Guan, Dr Li, and Dr Liu especially) were
generous and wonderful hosts. The people we met were
fantastic and the scenery and the food were amazing.
It was such a privilege to visit China. I’d go back (even
to do the same trip again) in a heartbeat, but I doubt it
would be possible without such influential hosts.
albums.excio.io/profile/GregA
BEHIND THE SHOT IS PROUDLY
SUPPORTED BY
October 2019 25

LADY NORWOOD’S
BEAUTIFUL PATTERN

Fresh Shoots Autumn People’s
Choice Award Winner:
Patrick Schneider
HI PATRICK, TELL US ABOUT YOU AND HOW
YOU GET INTERESTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY…
I grew up on the lakes of Switzerland where I got a
taste for windsurfing, nature, and adventure. I first
visited New Zealand in 2015 and fell in love with the
place, moving here a year later in 2016. I’m 41, a
sparky and have worked in the trade for over 20 years.
I have a lovely partner who is from the Cook Island
which is where we are soon going to live and work.
As a keen windsurfer, my friends and I have always
been interested in getting good action shots of
ourselves but I also like to take pictures of other
people surfing, windsurfing, or kitesurfing – I enjoy trying
to capture people’s expressions of joy and happiness
while they are out playing with the elements.
25 years ago we didn’t have the technology of today
so we had to be creative. We started out by wrapping
plastic bags around the camera to protect it from the
flying sand on the beach. But the noise coming from the
flapping bags in the wind was very annoying so our next
move was to cut and glue some thicker plastic bags
together to protect the camera. In the end, we had
some solid weather-resistant camera housing made out
of mono-film, which we had plenty of thanks to all the
broken windsurf sails! This wasn’t our most deluxe model
though, we also got creative with an old outdoor light
which had an attached round food container for the lens
(like they have from Sistema) and on the end, I attached
a round glass with silicon to seal it against splashing water!
WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH NOW?
I recently sold my Canon 70d so am currently taking
all images with my DJI Mavic Air drone which is
something totally different to regular photography.
Imagine seeing the world from the perspective of
a bird or sitting in a helicopter and taking pictures.
It opens a totally new dimension of taking pictures.
I enjoy flying the drone but on the other hand, I find
original photography more relaxing as I’m constantly
aware (scared) of the possibility of crashing the drone
or of it losing signal.
TELL US ABOUT THE DAY YOU TOOK THIS SHOT
AT WELLINGTON BOTANICAL GARDENS…
When I was visiting the garden a few weeks before
taking this picture, I was walking through the rose garden
and was wondering how it would look from a birds
perspective. What pattern would a bird see… I decided
to find out and went back on a sunny, part cloudy, not
too windy day with my drone.
I did some research on Google Maps prior to my
return trip to look for a remote elevated spot where
I could launch the drone. I thought around midday
would be a good time to avoid big patches of
shadows on the ground.
On the day, after I launched the drone, I was constantly
checking the view on the screen of my mobile phone to
see what the picture would look like. I was pretty happy
when I saw the pattern of the rose garden and was
surprised how equally accurate all those little rose beds
are! I took some shots and had a quick look at them,
I realized that I needed to fly a little higher to see more of
the garden. I changed aperture and shutter speed and
took some more shots. I could see that I had now found
the composition that I was looking for and thought that
with a little bit of editing and cropping I could end up
with a nice picture for the competition.
In all honesty, I hardly know anything about
photography and am not really interested in the
technicalities, I just like to take some cool pictures
sometimes!
HOW DID IT FEEL FINDING OUT THAT YOUR
PHOTO HAD WON THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE
AWARD FOR THE AUTUMN COMPETITION?
Winning something is always an exiting feeling. I like
the thought that other people enjoyed my picture,
it gives an inner satisfaction that others were moved
by what I captured as I too had been inspired seeing
pictures from the other photographers.
HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE
COMPETITION IN THE FIRST PLACE?
My partner loves flowers and herbs so I wanted to
surprise her with a tour of the Botanic Gardens. When I
was Googling the location I saw the Fresh Shoots
competition and thought I should give it a go.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
I would like to buy a Sony 6000 with water housing and
am soon heading to Rarotonga, Cook Islands so you
can expect to see photos from above and below the
water on my social media accounts in the future.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
www.instagram.com/pat_photo_grapy
www.facebook.com/
PATPhotography‐594430407410240

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#WomenInPhotography
Getting To Know Leanne Silver
of Argent Photography
ABANDONED LIGHTHOUSE
Burnham on Sea, UK
F11, 20s, ISO100
October 2019 29

At the moment, I am slowly making the transition
from hobbyist to calling myself a ‘real’ photographer.
I provide images for a monthly feature in a local
community newspaper called the Westerly which
has a print run of around 12,000. Taking photos (and
getting paid) for the Westerly images was a bit of a
turning point for me, as it is a regular commitment
that requires care and effort, and was what initially
encouraged me to think more about taking my
photography further.
It is still very part-time, but an important step
I am taking is to to learn about the business of
photography – I did a workshop with Canon which
was very helpful. Someone recommended that
I join NZIPP as an affiliate member as they have a
lot of helpful resources, and I went to the national
conference in June which was very inspirational.
LEANNE, TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOU…
I am an Aucklander, currently living in Hobsonville
Point with my husband, one adult son and
a diabetic dog. We have five adult children
altogether, and also are doting grandparents to
six mokupuna. I have spent most of my adult life
juggling raising a large family with various jobs –
mainly working as a guitar teacher, and then some
time as an executive assistant and then an office
manager. A couple of years age when our dog
became diabetic I decided that it was a good time
to re-evaluate how much time I wanted to spend in
traffic every day!
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY
JOURNEY…
I have had a passing interest since the children were
young, but it wasn’t until my husband bought me a
Canon 80D on our first trip to Europe a few years ago
that I fell in love with photography. I did a couple of day
courses and discovered that you could combine travel
with photography, that was when I became totally
hooked!
My photography is evolving on an almost daily basis
as I learn new skills and try new creative ideas. I work
under the name Argent Photography, and I finally
have a website to display some of my work, which is
a big step for me.
TELL US MORE ABOUT TAKING THE PHOTOS
FOR THE NEWSPAPER AND WHERE THAT HAS
LED YOU…
My friend Sue writes the monthly feature for the
Hobsonville Point page and last year she asked me if
I would come on board and provide the photos. Sue
writes on a wide range of things with a local focus
– events, local restaurants and businesses, human
interest stories etc. It’s been a great discipline as
I don’t always have input into the topic, so have to
find creative ways to represent some of the topics –
we did one on local street names which was quite a
challenge! It’s gone from a single to a double page
spread this year, and I usually provide 6–8 images for
each article.
I have also done a couple of interior and product
shoots… The product shoot came out of an article
in the Westerly. We had featured a local business
called Healthy Dog & Co which makes healthy
and natural dog biscuits. Helen was in the process
of re-doing her packaging and contacted me for
product images for her new website.
The interior shots were for The Hangar, a fantastic new
co-sharing space on the waterfront at Catalina Bay
(which is part of the Hobsonville Point development),
I have a family member involved with the project,
and the team knew I was a local photographer, so
they asked me to take some shots for an upcoming
website.
WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH NOW?
I still have my 80D (a lot of the images on these
pages were taken with that) but a few months ago
I bought a second-hand Canon 5D MKIV. I am
slowly adding to my lenses; my current favourites are
at opposite ends of the spectrum – a 150–600mm
Tamron, and a second-hand 90mm Tamron macro
lens.
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October 2019 31

AFTERNOON NAP
F3.2, 1/100s, ISO200
DO YOU HAVE A YOUR PREFERRED GENRE?
You’ll see from my range of images that I don’t have
a preferred genre as yet! I started with landscape
photography which I still love, but I am currently
enjoying exploring macro, wildlife and documentary
style family photography (e. g. baking session, last day
of kindy, walks on the beach).
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FAVOURITE PHOTO…
My favourite image (currently) is the photo of our latest
Grandchild who you see above. The photo was taken
when he was just a week old. He was asleep in his
bouncer in the afternoon sun and I realised that the light
coming in was pretty much perfect. I had my camera
and a 50mm lens, which was perfect. I love how totally
asleep he is and the details like the down on his cheeks.
WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU HAD TO
OVERCOME IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOW
HAVE YOU DONE THAT?
I guess starting later in life (I’m in my fifties) has been
quite a challenge, as everyone else seems to have
been taking photos since they were teenagers! Not
knowing a lot about the craft initially has meant that
I have had to be disciplined and push myself hard to
learn as much as I can in the shortest time.
I did the Photography Institute Diploma initially which
really helped me set my foundations. But one of the
best things I have done this year is to join my local
camera club. I have also attended several workshops,
reached out to photographers who are further along
in their journey; and, like many photographers, I spend
way too much time watching YouTube tutorials.
ANY TIPS FOR KEEPING YOUR MOTIVATION
LEVELS UP?
I don’t often have a creative slump as there’s always
something new to discover and learn, but if I am
feeling a bit unmotivated, I will take my camera out
and try something different – maybe only taking one
lens, or going somewhere I haven’t been before. I find
that once I am out and about, something usually gets
me interested in exploring further. I have also joined
several FB groups which have thematic or weekly
challenges which has been a great way to help me
think about subjects in different ways and I also get
inspired by other people’s images.
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TRANQUILLITY
F11, 15s, ISO100
ON THE ROCKS
F11, 4s, ISO100
October 2019 33

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CHRYSANTHEMUM
F10, 1/30s, ISO800

HOW HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM BEING PART
OF LESLEY WHYTE’S WOMEN IN PHOTOGRAPHY
GROUP?
I first went along to one of Lesley’s coffee catchups
last year and loved meeting other female
photographers. Lesley has a passion for connecting
women and helping them find their photography
confidence and strengths. Being able to share ideas,
ask questions, and hear other people’s stories in a
relaxed environment has been invaluable.
Recently, Lesley organised an evening with Rhonda
Cockerton, a police forensic photographer. I think
it’s safe to say all of us who attended were both
challenged and inspired to learn about an unheralded
but vital role photographers play behind the scenes.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ADVANTAGES ARE
OF BEING A FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER?
Over my many years as a mum I have learnt how to juggle
competing priorities, this skill is very helpful when you are
trying to fit photography deadlines in with a busy life!
But also, as both a mother and a grandmother,
I am comfortable around babies and children and
I think that helps both them and their mums to relax.
I also think that sometimes a female photographer
(particularly a slightly older one) can be less daunting
– I am reluctant to have my own photo taken so I can
empathise with women who feel the same way.
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?
I have a couple of potential projects/collaborations
in the pipeline, and have started working with Lesley
Whyte as her business expands – so I’m very excited
about what the future holds!
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
www.instagram/argent_photography
www.facebook.com/argentphotographynz
www.argentphotography.me
albums.excio.io/profile/argentphotography
PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
DOING THE ROUNDS
F5.6, 1/1600s, ISO320
October 2019 35

Interview with Peter Laurenson
2 year posting as Regional Manager South East Asia in
Singapore. After 6 years with NZTB I decided that I’d had
enough corporate politics and set up a small marketing
consultancy – MPWR. That went well for quite a while,
but after 12 years and the advent of the GFC (global
financial crisis) I joined Zealandia on a 3 year stint as the
marketing, sales and fundraising manager.
After Zealandia I went back into part time marketing
consultancy with Aspire, plus started to devote more
time to tramping, climbing, photography, writing and
volunteer work. In regards to climbing, I was a late starter,
only joining a NZ Alpine Club alpine instruction course
when I was 40 but since then, I’ve made up for lost time.
In recent years I’ve been editor of NZ Alpine Club
Wellington’s monthly Vertigo bulletin and I have
written over 30 articles for Wilderness Magazine. At
the beginning of 2019, I took on the role of editor for
Federated Mountain Club’s Backcountry. This has drawn
all my skills, experience and interests together in one
really stimulating role.
PETER, WHAT’S YOUR BACKGROUND?
I grew up in New Plymouth, in the shadow of Mount
Taranaki/Egmont until, in 1980, I went to Massey University
in Palmerston North to study marketing for 4 years. After
graduating I went to Wellington and worked at Unilever
for 3 years before heading off on 5 years of O.E. in 1988.
It took 9 months backpacking up through SE Asia, India,
Nepal, a bit of Europe en-route to Turkey, Israel and
Egypt, before reaching London in time to qualify for a 2
year working permit.
I scored a really good marketing role there and ended
up working in London for 3 years, with a lot of travel in the
UK and around Europe while there. Then in 1992 my wife
at the time and I decided that England wasn’t the place
to have kids, so we set off on a 10 month return leg – first
3 months in east Africa, then 2 months covering places
in Europe we hadn’t visited yet, then overland from
Karachi, up the Karakoram Highway and in to China.
3 months backpacking in China rounded off the return
journey.
Back in Wellington, I gained a spot on the senior
management team at the New Zealand Tourism
Board. This resulted in a lot more international travel
(but no longer overland with a backpack), including a
WHERE DOES PHOTOGRAPHY FIT INTO YOUR
STORY?
Apart from terrible snaps on a horrible cheap instamatic
as a teenager, I began what has become a never
waning and constantly enriching interest in still
photography in 1987, in the year before I headed off on
my O.E.
I figured I should get some skills to be able to capture
my adventures on film. So I bought a Chinon CP 7m
SLR (couldn’t afford anything better) and attended
a basic photography night course at Wellington High
School. That was the single best thing I could have done
because it introduced me to manual shooting – F stop,
shutter speed and exposure setting long before digital
came on the scene.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF
PHOTOGRAPHY?
The genre I identify most closely with is National
Geographic – vivid, candid, lifelike, enquiring, dynamic.
I don’t just take photos, I create images.
The purpose behind my ‘creations’ is to convey visually
what it was that made me FEEL impressed, amazed,
happy, shocked. I’m not hung up on simply representing
faithfully what the eye could see. Sure, over manipulation
can turn an image into a freak show and I certainly don’t
seek to do that. But if it was the colours on an ice face
at dawn that drew me in, then I’m not ashamed to use
considered post-processing to bring that to the fore. It’s
about capturing what my heart FELT.
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OUR MOUNTAIN
A lot of my photography occurs on mountain slopes
in places where a big heavy DSLR tends to stay in the
pack. While I love using my Nikon D750, I frequently use
a mirrorless compact camera (currently a Lumix TZ220)
in the hills. I still shoot Camera RAW files using spot meter
and manual settings, but some still may deem my gear
as amateurish. I also use a tripod much less than many
‘respected’ photographers but as a consequence, I am
able to capture a lot more action than some do.
I take a lot of panoramic series that I stitch in Photoshop
later – I’ve often found that a standard landscape or
portrait format is too limiting when trying to capture the
vast magnificence of our natural world. There is certainly
an art to getting the most from a stitch series, I love it!
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PHOTO?
A favourite photo? That’s tough – I’ve probably taken
over 250,000; and how do you define ‘favourite’ –
technically, artistically, emotionally, circumstantially,
symbolically? Here are 2 candidates.
‘Our Mountain’ is a favourite because it symbolises my
ideal situation. Although I grew up in the shadow of
Mount Taranaki, it wasn’t until age 33 that I eventually
climbed it. So to share the summit with all three of my
sons – at the time aged 7, 9 and 15 – was a moment I’ll
always treasure. The photo is not technically or artistically
great and its symbolism and circumstance are really only
significant to those in the picture, but it makes me smile
every time I walk past it on our living room wall to see us
at 2,450m on the crater rim of Mount Taranaki, taking
a breather before going up another 100 metres to the
summit.
‘Red Divide’ (next page) is my second favourite because
it is my most peer-recognised image – it was the winner
of the alpine landscape category and overall winner
(John Harrison Memorial Trophy) in the national photo
competition of the NZ Alpine Club in 2014.
HOW ABOUT PICKING A FAVOURITE
DESTINATION?
That one’s easy, it’s Khumbu in Nepal which is one of
the most beautiful places on earth. Its mountains are
the tallest, its people as fascinating as they are friendly,
and it’s surprisingly accessible whilst photographically
it’s unsurpassed. But mass tourism, and in the case of
Khumbu, guided climbs on Mount Everest, are changing
the Khumbu experience for the worse.
I’ve been going there since 1988 and my seventh visit will
happen this December. It’s the place where I’ve taken
each of my three boys when they turned 15. I still need to
take Cathy and will do so in 2020 or 2021.
October 2019 37

RED DIVIDE
3 Stitched Landscape Shots
The main divide of New Zealand's Southern Alps, viewed from near Pioneer Hut (2,200m) on the west, most
weather exposed side, at dawn. Mount Tasman, New Zealand's second highest peak, is far right. Both weather
and snow conditions weren't much good for climbing on this trip, but this sunrise was a nice consolation - a
bluebird morning would not have been as spectacular.
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October 2019 39

GOKYO
A stitch of 2 landscape shots
A dusk view from Gokyo Ri (5,357m) back down to Gokyo and the third lake 600 metres below, Khumbu, Nepal.
On this evening Mt Everest was obscured by clouds, but other closer giants such as Cholatse and Tawoche still
loomed large. The sunset coloured clouds also balanced the prayer flags nicely.
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October 2019 41

MIRROR ON THE MASSIVE
A stitch of 5 portrait shots
The view across Kongde Lake (4,600m) to the Everest Group and other peaks of Khumbu, Nepal. This view is
not seen by many visitors to Khumbu. It’s off the beaten track and really can only be visited on the way out
when you’re properly acclimatised. But if you’re after a round trip rather than entry/exit via Namche Bazaar,
then this is a good option. And you really do get a ‘big view’ of the heart of Khumbu from this point.
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October 2019 43

DEVOTION
TELL US ABOUT CAPTURING CULTURES AND
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD…
In the pursuit of great landscapes, I’ve often
encountered fascinating cultures and people.
As you’ll see on the following pages, sometimes
people are the ‘main event’, such as at a Buddhist
reincarnation festival at Tsurphu Gompa in Tibet.
Other times people make up part of a bigger
picture, such as in Hushe village at 3,050m in
Northern Pakistan where I took the 'Top Gun' photo.
In places like the Himalaya it’s sometimes hard to
separate people from the landscapes they inhabit
and, actually, combining the two can produce the
most memorable images of all. Each person has
their own character. But people can also embody
the character of the places where they live.
My photos ‘Devotion’ and ‘Intrigued’ show Tibetan
pilgrims, many in their ‘Sunday best’, gathering
at Tsurphu Gompa to witness the ordination of
their young reincarnate. Traditions run deep in the
hearts, minds and everyday behaviours of Tibetans.
You can see the veneration in the eyes of this
crowd.
When I stop to think about travel portrait
photography I like to think that my purpose is to
capture the character of the person or people and
their environmental and/or cultural context. Take
images that are story openers. In truth though, quite
often portraiture in a travel setting is more about
being lucky enough to be in the right place at the
right time. I usually know generally what I’m after,
but sometimes when a specific image appears in
my viewfinder it is simply opportunistic.
If you have time, it’s possible to make personal
contact with a subject and build rapport before
taking any photos. This is ideal and often essential if
you want really candid, ‘look into the lens’ images.
But if you want ‘spur of the moment’ shots, it is often
more authentic to be a silent observer – a big zoom
can be very useful. In any given situation sensitivity,
ethics and culture should be considered when
deciding if it’s appropriate or not to take people
shots without their express permission.
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INTRIGUED
October 2019 45

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TOP GUN
‘What’s going on… let me see!’ This inquisitive, bright-eyed, little
Muslim ‘Top-gun’ symbolises the future of his mountain people.
Although he lives in an almost medieval village, he wears a cap
advertising a high-tech jet fighter movie! As such, he is being
exposed to two entirely different worlds.
October 2019 47

OF THE LAND
Travelling as an independent backpacker in 1992, leaving the Friendship Highway that carries on to
Nepal at Xegar, I visited Everest Base camp on foot, passing through and staying at extremely basic
villages along the route. Here is an old Tibetan lady that I stayed with one night. Behind her is a
view back across the Tingri plains towards the trail leading to Khumbu La and Khumbu in Nepal. Her
weathered features manifest the harsh environment she and her people live in.
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October 2019 49

GLANCE
A young Nepali girl at the Saturday market,
Namche Bazaar, Khumbu, Nepal.

FURTIVE?
At the Saturday morning market, Namche
Bazaar, Khumbu, Nepal.
HOW DID YOU DISCOVER EXCIO & NZP?
I actually fell in to Excio by accident, by mistaken
identity, when I thought Excio’s NZ Photographer
magazine and associated competitions were part
of NZ Photography Workshops, a company I had
become involved with.
At this point I wasn’t aware of Excio but when the
penny did drop, I was attracted by Excio’s ‘mission
statement’ that identified the importance of the stories
behind images and the need to go beyond superficial
social media popularity to do real good. When I made
contact with Excio my questions were quickly and
comprehensively answered by not just a real person,
but the CEO and Co-founder of Excio, Ana.
Compare this to my experience with ViewBug and you’ll
understand why I’m excited to join the community!
I signed up as a ‘free member’ to ViewBug over 3 years
ago – I was intrigued to see what an online photographic
community might lead to. ViewBug has been good for
me in that it’s encouraged me to rekindle my interest
in photography beyond the mountains and I’ve also
picked up some very helpful post processing ideas.
But I’ve always resisted becoming a ‘paid up member’
on ViewBug because it’s become obvious that this is
how you buy profile and (perceived) popularity, which is
mostly superficial or even plain delusionary.
I’m looking forward to exploring how Excio can
work for me and how I can return the favour. I enjoy
entering photo competitions, sharing my images
and receiving constructive feedback about them,
especially if those people know about photography.
I enjoy seeing other photographers’ work too, as a
source of technical and creative inspiration.
WHAT PLANS DO YOU HAVE FOR THE REST OF
THE YEAR?
I’ll be writing for the Excio blog as well as here on NZ
Photographer in the coming months. Beyond Excio I
have a book to complete. It will be my second,
this time hopefully supported by a strong publisher.
My first book – Occasional Climber: A journey to
Mount Clarity, was a self published effort (2014) that
achieved very minor success but gave me many
insights and much satisfaction. Of the 150 copies
printed, I have 22 copies remaining (you can find out
more on my website, but no pressure).
And of course, I will continue to get into the hills
and climb as long as my body lets me. Each trip will
be added to my website, OccasionalClimber as a
resource for others.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
www.occasionalclimber.co.nz
albums.excio.io/profile/Occasionalclimber

Soaking Up Milford Sound
by Brendon Gilchrist
Let me tell you about the lessons I learned and
the sights I saw at one of the wettest places in
the world, happily soaking up (quite literally!)
all the moods and features of this characterful
place where nature rules and humans only visit to
admire the glory and power of this mystical place.
In a place so isolated and with no reception to
the outside world, Milford Sound sees almost 1
million visitors per year but it is not a true Sound,
it is a Fiord. Discovered by John Grono in 1812,
Milford Sound was originally named Milford Haven
as when John and crew entered the Fiord they
felt safe and sound from the weather that is out
in the Pacific Ocean – That is how it became a
Sound and not a Fiord even though both are
correct terms.
Wet weather for a cruise at Milford Sound would
typically be a tourist’s worst nightmare but not
for me, far from perfect weather was exactly
what I wanted and had planned for, purposefully
taking the 2pm sailing with Southern Discovers
when the weather forecast said the rain would
be at its worst! Why? Because I have seen and
photographed Milford in all conditions except in
the rain and was keen to see the Fiord in rough
waters and to capture the raw beauty that only
bad weather provides.
Usually, there are only a couple of permanent
waterfalls in the Fiord but on this day there were
many, making it one of the most spectacular
sights I have ever seen; the water tumbling out
of the sky, down the cliffs, and into the ocean –
You could almost see the life cycle of a rain drop!
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MILFORD MYSTERY
F10, 1/320s, ISO400
Some of the waterfalls only start when the rain
starts and stop when the rain stops, there is
nothing above them to form a lake of water to
create a permanent waterfall so I was privileged
to see something quite unique.
The journey out to the Pacific Ocean was the
most spectacular, seeing the waterfalls with the 4
sisters each flowing, each with its own personality
but sadly I missed the shot of the 4 Sisters
capturing only 3 Sisters instead.
Once we hit the Pacific Ocean the waves started
to get bigger, the boat bouncing through the
waves. I was a little disappointed that we didn’t
see any dolphins as they are amazing to watch
when they are in front of the boat, jumping
around and having fun.
As the boat turned and powered through the
waves to the other side of the Fiord, it marked the
halfway point of our trip. By this time I was soaked,
and so was everyone else! It was the greatest of
all challenges to capture this majestic place whilst
keeping the camera dry and the rain droplets off
the lens – my two cleaning cloths were soaked
through by the end.
On the return trip down the right side of the Fiord
we encountered Stirling Falls which is a 151 metre
drop, the water falling straight off the high cliffs
and into the ocean – A very impressive sight.
2 hours later and our cruise was coming to an
end. I wanted to shout ‘nooo, that was too fast’
however, the memories of what we saw will last a
lifetime.
October 2019 53

3 SISTERS, 1 MISSING!
F9, 1/320s, ISO400
My meeting with Milford Sound, or Piopiotahi as
it’s called in Maori (which means ‘a single Piopio’
which is a long extinct native bird) was meant to
continue but alas, fate had other ideas. You see,
I had wanted to shoot sunset in Milford but there
was no dorm accommodation left, the closest
accommodation being an hour away. The road out
shuts at 5pm and only reopens when the roading
crew have flown over the avalanche paths to make
sure it is safe to reopen so there was no way I could
get my shots. Rather than be negative about it, I’ll
have to take it as an opportunity to come back
again!
3 TIPS FOR TAKING PHOTOS ON A WET
MILFORD SOUND CRUISE
• Take several lens cloths else you might end up using
your t-shirt to wipe your lens dry! A rain jacket for your
camera is also a good idea.
• Have your camera settings setup to capture the
beauty as (even on a clear day) the boat only
slows down for the important parts and you don’t
want to miss the shot – Use autofocus and a higher
shutterspeed to compensate for the boat speed so
you don’t get blurry shots.
• For the best position, stand at the back of the boat away
from the wake that the boat generates from its blades.
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MILFORD SOUND WATERWALL
F6.3, 1/250s, ISO400
1 Day Auckland Workshop
20th October 2019
8th March 2020
1 Day Wellington Workshop
27th October 2019
5th April 2020
Fine-Art Printing Workshop
Join us for a one day fine-art printing workshop and learn how set
up print files, using a colour managed workflow to turn them into
professional grade prints. Our workshop has been designed to simplify
the printing process, you will come away with the knowledge to print your
own prints at home or to be sent to a lab.
www.photographyworkshops.co.nz
info@photographyworkshops.co.nz
021 0845 7322
October 2019 55

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October 2019 57

Making Memories In The Studio
Something I have learned over the years is that
nothing is impossible when you’re passionate
and driven.
Having a collection of photographic memories was
always very important and precious to me. Before
migrating to New Zealand, I had tens of thousands
of printed photographs. Memories of my childhood,
my marriage, my family, all our milestones. Their
value in my life was irreplaceable. When we
decided to pack up everything in India and move,
I had to leave a majority of those images behind. It
gave me an understanding of how much memories
can mean to a person, I soon purchased a DSLR
camera to restart my collection once again.
My journey into professional photography began
when I posted some photos on Facebook of my
youngest daughter. A family friend asked me
if I would be able to take some photos of her
children and I accepted. She recommended me
to a few friends for photos and as my photography
started to take off I began to learn new things.
The rest is history. When I look back at where I’ve
come from, its always quite overwhelming. You
see, upon my migration, I had spent a few months
without a job and was battling depression. I kept
persevering and setting goals though and now I’m
a happy working mother with my own professional
photography business with a focus on newborns,
family, children, pre-wed, maternity, and event
photography though I also have a passion for
street photography.
CAPTURING MEMORIES
I feel that photography is an art in which there is an
endless amount of inspiration. Every photographer
has a distinct and unique style therefore, there is
something to learn from everyone and there is a
photographer in us all. Every time we think of a
memory that makes us smile, we are visualizing a
snapshot we took with our minds. If one is keen to
pursue photography as a passion or a profession,
there are no rules that they must follow to start. You
should just follow your instincts and listen to your
gut feelings.
For me, informal shots are the most special ones
to look back on. They capture the love and
bond between the subjects better than formal
shots. I also have a massive inclination to black
and white. It just makes the image look so much
more powerful. I especially love this quote by
by Parmeet Sahni
Ted Grant – “When you photograph people in
color, you photograph their clothes. But when
you photograph people in Black and white, you
photograph their souls”.
When I do photoshoots in my studio, I love
using natural light. It’s slightly harder to control
compared to studio lights but there’s a major
difference in the end result – I feel that artificial
lights give the photos a staged look, however, if
that’s the aura you’re trying to achieve, studio
lights make it very easy to illuminate the subject
exactly how you want to.
To achieve the candid style of my photos, I keep
talking to my clients, making them laugh and
giggle then, while they’re calm and almost
unaware of the camera, the shot is taken without
them even realizing. I’ll get them talking amongst
themselves about a memory, or have them crack
cheeky jokes. Sometimes, making your clients do a
fake laugh cracks them up and they end up really
laughing when you take the shot. This is especially
helpful when photographing children as well as
people who are camera-shy.
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I make it a point to do professional photoshoots
of my family at least once a year. My daughters
are 7 years apart, 10 and 17 years old. Therefore,
it’s rare for them to play nice for long durations.
I ensure they don’t feel or look awkward in photos;
instead of making them pose, I sit them down and
tell them to talk to each other, and make jokes.
Both my daughters are quite witty naturally, so
they end up making comments about the other
and cracking up. These are the moments I want
to remember. I love seeing their bond, their smiles,
and their memorable years in photographs. I’m
sure these memories will be precious to them when
they are older too. Their innocent bickering, them
teasing each other, laughing with each other. That
loving, sisterly bond.
In photography, every client you work with is
completely different and no two photoshoots are
ever the same. I’ve had experiences capturing all
kinds of people from babies who are only a few
hours old and still in the hospital to seniors over
the age of ninety who want their photo taken with
their family before it is too late.
October 2019 59

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October 2019 61

I also give back to the community by giving
complementary photoshoots to people who
I think will value them most. In my mind, I’m not
gifting a photoshoot, I am gifting memories.
At Soulful Memories Photography, there is
no charge for Rainbow Baby photoshoots.
A rainbow baby is “a baby born after a
miscarriage, stillborn, or neonatal death”. It
is called a rainbow baby because it is like a
rainbow after a storm: something beautiful after
something scary and dark. I also don’t charge
for family photoshoots when a family member
is battling a terminal illness. I feel as though it
is my duty to use my skill and my profession to
do some good around me. If I have the gift of
giving memories, it makes me happy to use it for
people who need it most.
Despite what most people believe, newborn
and kids photoshoots are the toughest of them
all. With models, shoots are a breeze because
you can tell them exactly what you want and
they will pose and cooperate accordingly. With
newborns, you don’t have that privilege, as
these little angels always do as they wish. The
feeling when you get a photo of a baby smiling
is just unbeatable though and there’s so much
triumph in making toddlers and kids comfortable
in front of the camera.
I have a few tricks up my sleeve which I have
gathered over the years – I usually find myself
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having to act like a clown behind my camera
to coax a smile! To make distracted and bored
toddlers look into the camera, I sometimes tie a
small rattle or toy near the lense. Or sometimes
I will ask them if they can see a birdie inside the
camera. Other times, the parents will simply have
to stand behind me dancing and jumping around
to excite their little one!
There have been many incidents when a baby
has wet themselves or done a poo when they
are posing nude, especially when they’re in their
parent’s hands – It’s like they know exactly when
the perfect time to go to the toilet is!
A funny experience I had was during a cakesmash
photo session. A boy was about to turn one
and his parents were immensely excited for the
shoot. They were so enthusiastic when it came to
decorating the setup and were confident that
their son would do a great job making a mess for
the photos. However, when the time came, the
poor chap got upset and just would not touch his
gorgeous cake! We waited an hour for him to do
something but he was just not having it. He played
with everything that was around him but refused
to do anything to the tempting cake right in front
of him. At least his parents got a hearty dessert
that night!
STUDIO SETUP
In my experience, photography is more about
perspective and skill than fancy equipment
making it possible for anyone to set up a home
studio – A studio doesn’t have to be huge and
filled with all the latest high-tech equipment.
I myself did photoshoots in a home studio for a
couple of years. As long as you have a source of
natural light and a clear background, nothing is
stopping you from taking amazing shots.
You really don’t need a massive studio to do
portraits. It is certainly possible to convert your
spare room or basement into one. However, you
must take measures to ensure your space is safe,
especially if you plan to have newborns or small
children inside. For example, check exposed
sockets and wires, ensure there are no nails
or screws in the walls, etc. Think about having
access to your washroom where clients can get
changed, or even a small changing room or a
room partition for their privacy.
I enrolled myself in many workshops and watched
an endless amount of tutorials to prepare myself
for setting up my home studio. I also asked
many fellow photographer friends, checked
on photography groups, as well as spoke to
salespersons at stores to get multiple opinions,
this helped me make an informed decision when
it came to making the initial purchases. It’s
definitely a big investment, but keep in mind that
you don’t need to purchase everything tomorrow.
Get the basics, and slowly build your way up.
MY FIRST PURCHASES FOR THE STUDIO
INCLUDED:
• Backdrop Rolls (Black and White)
• Backdrop Stand
• Bigger Light Reflectors
• A pair of Strobe Lights with Softboxes
• Props for Newborn Photoshoots
I already owned a good quality Canon camera
but I added 3 lenses to my collection which are
now my favourites:
• Sigma 35mm 1:1.4 ((perfect for newborn
photography)
• Tamron 85mm F/1.8 (really good for portraits)
• Canon 24–70mm F/2.8 for wide angle.
October 2019 63

There are many inexpensive and creative
substitutes for major parts of the setup if your
budget won’t stretch that far. For example,
instead of purchasing huge backdrop rolls and
stands which take up ample space, invest in
plain king-sized throws and pin them up on the
wall using clips or pins. If you cannot place studio
lights in your home studio because of monetary or
space restrictions, photograph your subject near
a window and use a portable reflector to balance
and control the lighting. You can also get cheap
storage / furniture / props from op shops until you
are ready to buy more expensive items.
Photography can indeed be a pricey profession
at times but in the end, you get a good return on
all the investments that you make.
GROWING THE BUSINESS
After getting my home studio set up, the next step
was getting clients. Most of my previous shoots
had been outdoors or at a client’s residence so
this was the first time I was offering indoor shoots
at my own place.
Initially, to build my portfolio and to have sample
photos on social media platforms, I did a few
complimentary photoshoots which gave me the
opportunity to experiment and get comfortable
in the new space, and to find my style. Even
today, if I wish to try something new or creative
for the first time, I put out a model call for a free
photoshoot on my Facebook page. The model will
get free photos and I get to play around without
being anxious about the end result.
I uploaded regularly to Facebook and Instagram,
sometimes twice a day to get traction, and
eventually, inquiries started filling my inbox. In the
midst of working a full time office job and taking
care of my family, I purposefully didn’t opt for too
many platforms, I wanted to provide quality over
quantity.
When I was deciding the pricing of my services,
I decided to keep the costs as low as possible.
My goal was not to make money but to provide
as many memories as I could to as many families
and lovely clients as possible. Therefore, I created
different packages at different price points to
suit the needs of every query that comes my
way. Each package offers a different number
of photos. In my family or newborn shoots, some
packages are just for photos of the child, others
include shots with immediate family and some
with extended family members and so on. They
are priced taking into account how many photos
are taken, how many models there are, how long
the session will take, etc.
Today my Facebook page is my primary source
of promoting and sharing my work and has more
than 2k members and over 150 positive reviews
and recommendations, that’s my treasure! On
the days I feel low, I go through the reviews and
they instantly fill me with encouragement and
motivation.
I must say, having a home studio can have its
own challenges, especially when you have kids.
I started out doing sessions over the weekend
and before each session, I made sure my family
knew about my schedule. They were always very
respectful of mine and the client’s privacy. It’s not
easy to make your kids sit still on sunny weekends
though so we made sure I had time for my family
and outings accordingly. Today I keep a calendar
on my wall where my photoshoot session times
are written down and everyone writes down
which days they may be busy so we make sure we
find a time when we can all go out somewhere
nice together. It really helps to have the support
of your family and to involve them in your work
patterns.
FINAL TIPS FOR NAILING THE SHOOT
Before photoshoots, it is good to be organized and
prepared. It’s important to have extra batteries and
SD Cards at hand as you may not get time to look
for these in the middle of a session. It’s also a great
idea to prepare and layout any props that you will
be using so that you know you have everything
you need to get through. You should also look for
ideas and plan poses beforehand to save time and
be sure to take some test shots before you finally
start rolling the session – this gives an idea to check
your settings and if anything is ‘off’ (wrong settings
left over from a previous session) you won’t lose
anything.
When you’re looking through the viewfinder, if
you like what you see, just press the shutter. Don’t
delete photos straight away because you don’t
instantly like them. Instead, load them up onto your
computer and look at them on a bigger screen.
Play around with the image, find a story – Images
don’t have meaning on their own, the viewer of the
photo finds meaning in them – “Beauty is in the eye
of the beholder”!
Professional photography can seem a little
daunting to outsiders, but we all start somewhere.
The most important part is to make a start and then
build along the way. Just take the leap, believe in
yourself, and things will start falling into place. As
they say, hard work pays off. If you are dedicated
and open to learning – everything becomes
possible. There may be obstacles along the way,
but overcoming them is what makes one even
more motivated.
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October 2019 65

HOW LONG IS “LONG ENOUGH”?
USING ND FILTERS FOR LONG EXPOSURE IN LANDSCAPE
PHOTOGRAPHY.
By Ken Wright
KAIMAI WATERFALL
F20, 1/2s, ISO100
All too often on social media, I see the wrong
exposure used in the wrong location, the rush
to use a ten stop to create an effect at the
expense of the beauty and dynamics of the location.
For me, a really long exposure is best used for
landscapes that do not have a dynamic element,
ie. calm seas, lakes, jetty and a slow moving sky with
plenty of definition. Here we want to smooth out the
sea, lake, remove the wind chopped ripples and get
that lovely silky effect and movement in the sky.
My colleague and fellow tutor at New Zealand
Photography Workshops, Richard Young is very adept
at “Long Exposures” anything 2-8 minutes and he
is in his element where as I tend to operate at the
other end of the scale, still classed as long exposures
because you can’t handhold the camera.
That’s not to say that I don’t do longer exposures like
Richard, it’s about having enough knowledge to deal
with what nature throws at you - Presented with a sea
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with little or no water movement and I will be into a
ten stop in a flash.
However, most of my favourite locations that I visit
for seascape photography in the Bay of Plenty have
dynamic water movement over rock ledges and small
offshore islands etc. These environments suit the shorter
more explosive exposure. Repeatedly we find this falls
into the 1/8, 1/4 or 1/2 second to precisely capture the
wave movement as it hits a rock or spills over the edge
and drains away to reveal a white water pattern, as
you can see in my ‘Otarawairere Sunstrike’ image.
Something that I have used to great effect is a
composite of multiple waves based loosely on a
timelapse. This allows me to capture the visual story
over about 5 seconds made up of multiple shots of a
1/4 second each.
Presented with a sea with very little action, one small
wave would look lame, so I figured that if I shot each
wave that came in and then re assembled the image
in PSD to create the visual story, then I could walk
away with a credible image from that morning.
October 2019 67

OTARAWAIRERE SUNSTRIKE
F22, 1/3s, ISO125, 16mm
KAIKOURA LIMESTONE DRIFT
F16, 1/8s, ISO100
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CATHEDRAL COVE
F4, 15s, ISO500, 25mm
SO, HOW LONG IS “LONG ENOUGH”?
This is a phrase I use all the time and simply means
that the exposure only needs to be slower than the
speed of water to capture an effect, anything longer
is personal preference.
With an explosive sea that’s moving fast the 1/4
second seems to be the magic length, in the image
‘Kaikoura Limestone Blast’ the sea is surging in at quite
a pace, any longer on the exposure and we would
not capture the blast against the rock.
However, waves that are “drawing back”, need a
longer exposure to capture the white water run trail,
this tends to lean towards 1-2 second.
A contradiction to this “rule” happened one morning
while shooting a seascape at Cathedral Cove looking
towards “Sail Rock”. It was about 5.30am, the natural
light at that time was giving me a 15 second exposure,
which was all good until the sea picked up pace and
started surging into the cave. 15 seconds was turning
it to mist and not conveying the wave exploding on
the one lone rock. A wild guess at creating a precise
exposure during a long exposure paid off - I lit the
front edge of the wave with a high powered torch
and followed the front edge of the wave as it moved
across the mouth of the cave.
One of the things that I have learned with dynamic
seascapes is to read the waves - waves build in a
cycle of seven of which 1 and 2 tend to be flat, 3
starts to build, 4,5 and 6 are where the action is and
seven could give you a bath! So always be aware
of the size of the sea!
As the sun comes over the horizon there is a natural
increase in the wave pattern which intensifies
through sunrise, when you think you have the wave
patterns don’t become complacent, the seventh
set of seven can be bigger than the rest and give a
rogue wave so stay safe.
WATERFALLS
Waterfalls are one area where I often see
photographers shooting too long an exposure. The
longer the water runs the more it overwrites itself thus
losing secondary detail.
October 2019 69

HOTWATER WATERFALL
F14, 2.5s, ISO50, 16mm
You have to get used to reading the speed of water
movement in waterfalls, I tend to refer to this as a
running tap or a lineal movement that repeats and is
constant unlike the sea which is variable. An example
that I show students is to scribble on a piece of paper
with a pen, here is a light scribble (1/4sec) and you
will see all the gaps in the water flow, a longer scribble
for a second and we have nice flowing water and
secondary detail, a longer scribble for 5 seconds and
now we have completely overwritten the fall and
have a black mess, so think of it in reverse as white
water, 1/4 second is not long enough to give smooth
water, 1-2 seconds are perfect for smooth white
water and secondary detail and to reveal a vortex,
5 seconds and you have lost all the secondary detail
and ended up with shaving foam. The answer always
lies in the 1-2 second area and is relevant to the
volume and speed of water.
I shoot at Tarawera Falls a lot, it’s 65m high and has
a huge volume of water, a hydro engineer once told
me that it was moving at ten tonnes a second which
means a one second exposure is long enough. When
photographing big waterfalls you also have to be
mindful of wind movement generated by the fall, this
can mean that there is a lot of foliage moving in the
shot and we don’t want the viewer to think that the
whole image is soft.
SO, “HOW LONG IS LONG ENOUGH”?
That’s up to you to decide based on the image
you want to convey, but don’t let the story be
overwritten by adding an effect, a ten stop is not
always the answer. From Serene to Dynamic, your
job is to visually tell the story of that location.
JOIN KEN WRIGHT, A SENIOR TUTOR AT NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS, ON A
BAY OF PLENTY WATERFALL & SEASCAPE WORKSHOP AND IMPROVE YOUR LANDSCAPE AND
LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY AS YOU GET TO GRIPS WITH DYNAMIC SEASCAPES AND
CASCADING WATERFALLS.
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TARAWERA RAINBOW
F22, 1.3s, ISO50
October 2019 71

“Lurking Syndrome” in
Photography
by Ana Lyubich
“We are not here to fit in, be well balanced, or provide example for others. We
are here to be eccentric, different, perhaps strange, perhaps merely to add our
small piece, our little clunky, chunky selves to the great mosaic of being”
– Jim Hollis
Have you ever sat next to someone on a train
or bus who was going through their social
media news feed without commenting or liking
anything? That person was very likely a “lurker”.
Wikipedia defines a “lurker” in the Internet world as
someone who “observes, but doesn’t participate”.
You may even be one yourself. Don’t worry, I’m guilty
of it too which helps me speak on this topic from my
own personal experience. It’s not uncommon, in fact,
only 1% of followers of any social media platform
or community are actively engaged members, 9%
occasionally participate, while the rest… lurk.
Since this month’s NZP topic is about people, and
people are always at the heart of any community,
it’s no surprise that I got thinking about photography
communities. I’ve seen many, and am an official
member of quite a few online communities (not
including the creation and running of one myself!),
but when it comes to participation – in most cases I
like to see what other members are sharing, first of all
for inspiration, and then I try to always “like” or “love”
photographs that I really like – to show the sign of
appreciation and to encourage photographers to
create and share more.
So why don’t 90% of followers participate? What are
the barriers for engagement? As Brooke Ballard said,
“Social media is about sociology not technology.”
FEELING LIKE YOU’RE NOT GOOD ENOUGH...
Imagine going to a party where you pretty much
don’t know anyone... Not everyone is an outgoing
extrovert and keen to engage with a perfect stranger.
The same applies in online communities. The moment
you join a Facebook photo group, for example, you
see what other members are sharing. Doesn’t matter if
you know them in real life or not, you start comparing
yourself to others wondering “Are my images good
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enough to be shared? Probably not… Let me try a
few more times and then I’ll share…”.
Personally, I haven’t ever seen a single portfolio (and
believe me I look at many portfolios, daily) where
there hasn’t been at least one good photo.
So remember, when you’re hesitating about hitting
that upload button; it doesn’t matter if you are just
starting out or if you think you didn’t nail the shot, a
photo doesn’t need to be perfect to be seen, it just
needs to be your favourite at that moment in time.
Share it and say why it is your favourite – words add so
much to a photo that they can quite easily change
the whole perspective, taking it to a whole other level.
CONFESSION TIME
Here are the confessions of some online lurkers from
Reddit forums:
“I think I’m super hilarious until I write out my reply
and realise it’s really not funny at all. Backspace,
backspace, backspace. Hang my head in shame
and continue reading.” Dangerkittin
“Honestly, I’ve never felt the urge to respond to
something I feel strongly about because I know that
thousands of other commenter’s share the same
opinion and posted it.” Bruceagema
The last confession is especially dangerous in the
photography world. Our world is built on images and
photographs. Who takes those images? Who shares
the images of mundane surroundings, the most
remote corners of the world or something deeply
important? We do, us photographers. Well, the 10% of
us who aren’t lurking!!
If you take a photo of the Wanaka tree and don’t
upload it because you think there are already
thousands of others who took the same photo of

the same tree – you are absolutely 100% right. BUT it
doesn’t mean you don’t need to share your photo.
Just like fingerprints, no two photos of the same
subject are ever the same so please do share your
shot whilst telling your personal story that goes along
with the photo – your why.
GETTING THE COURAGE TO LEAVE THE
SHADOWLAND
The Shadowland is the same place as our comfort
zone. We all know that it is comfy and cozy but
doesn’t help our progress. Communities whether
online or offline are there to help us grow, meet others
and share common interests.
The problem is that as time passes and you are
no longer a “new member” of a community,
psychologically it becomes harder and harder to
engage. Do you just post something and say “Hi”?
Do you say you just joined when it’s been six months
already…? How do you start the conversation? What
happens if the active members of the community
don’t like what you say?
Forget the ‘what ifs’, and know that you must start
engaging in any community as soon as possible
after you join. Get your foot in the door, no matter
how uncomfortable it may feel. The risk at this stage
is minimal, but the reward from participating in a
community of like-minded people is enormous. Of
course, there are some cases when you join a group
and then find it doesn’t feel quite right. There’s no
need to stay or force yourself into something you
don’t like. Maybe you don’t share the same values as
other members? Maybe the age of the participants
is not right for you? Maybe you don’t get any new or
useful information? That’s ok, with one click you can
leave, unsubscribe and find a community that feels
like home.
I could easily spend hours talking about “lurking
syndrome”, giving different examples and
consequences, but I’d like to say to everyone
reading this who recognized themselves as a lurker
or even half-lurker – as soon as you acknowledge the
reason why you are not actively participating in any
community you belong to (and those reasons may
not be from the list above), try to remember why you
joined it in the first place and then be a bit braver
and take the first step of saying “Hi!” and introducing
yourself, even if you are not ready to (or don’t need
to) share any of your photographs.
I’m still on this path myself. If you want to share your
experience – you are most welcome to send me an
email, let’s bring more lurkers out of the Shadowland
and more talented photographers to light.

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Photo© Darran Leal www.worldphotoadventures.com.au
74
NZPhotographer

THE GALLERY IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
PORTFOLIO
BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH
October 2019 75

76
NZPhotographer

CHEERS
F8, 1/320s, ISO3200, 220mm
At the Martinborough Meandering Vineyards Day
this stranger had eyes on me (my camera) from
across the room, I had to take the shot!
Ann Kilpatrick
October 2019 77

BOHO
F4, 1/1600s, ISO320, 50mm
A fun Mama Mia inspired photo
shoot for this young lady's 18th
Birthday.
Anne Zablan-Balila
78
NZPhotographer

PORTRAIT OF AN ARTIST
I spotted this artist out doing a painting on the rocks at Island Bay. I chatted to him for a while and took a few
close up shots but when looking back at him when I was further down the beach I thought a long shot would
look rather cool. It seems to have more atmosphere when framed by the trees and breaking waves in the
background. Apologies to the artist for forgetting his name!
Peter Maiden
October 2019 79

80
NZPhotographer

A SILENT MELODY
1/50s, ISO400, 44mm
Model: Georgia
Makeup Artist: Serenity Hair & Beauty
Hair: Michelle Paulin
Anupama Wijesundara
October 2019 81

82
NZPhotographer

STEAMPUNK PASTELS
F11, 1/200s, ISO200, 80mm
This is the second year I have attended the
Glenbrook Steampunk Express. The day is full
of wonderful people dressed up in their best
steampunk outfits and includes a ride on a
steam train with a stop over at the engine
workshops. I was standing on the railway line,
looking up at these two ladies on the platform.
Carole Garside
October 2019 83

BACK TO ME
F1.4, 1/1250s
After having a child your body changes and this sometimes
affects the confidence of a woman. I took this photo to show
how beautiful and mysterious you can still be.
Linda Cutche
84 NZPhotographer

WAITING
F3.5, ISO400
This shot was taken at a small gathering
before my daughters formal. She was
waiting for her boyfriend to come so she
could pin his buttonhole flower on.
Di Lewis
October 2019 85

TALKING WITH FIRE
F5.6, 1/500s, ISO6400
The Smithy at Howick Historical Village.
Hender Park
86
NZPhotographer

October 2019 87

INVERSION
F4, 1/1600s, ISO320, 50mm
This is a portrait which was part of a series
I did on how we manipulate our bodies to
become like Barbie dolls. This is the final
image in the series, I wanted it to look like
she was more machine, or artificial than
real, thus the inverted effect.
Janisha Patel
88
NZPhotographer

SUBJECTIVE SUCCESS
F4, 1/1600s, ISO320, 50mm
This photo is an extract from a photo zine that I created earlier on this year called
Subjective Success. It questions the relationship that is created by the media and
pop culture between fame, money, and success. It shows the ideas of identity with
success, and the concept of 'being someone', and uses the bright neon lights as
symbolism for the scene of the fast life.
Iolo Adams
October 2019 89

EDGE OF ADULTHOOD
F4.8, 1/8000s, ISO6400
17yr old Sebastian exudes the innocence and energy
of a young man burgeoning on adulthood.
Kelly Vivian
90
NZPhotographer

October 2019 91

SOUL CONNECTION (SISTERS)
F7.1, 1/200s, ISO200, 34mm
This image is of two lovely sisters who found a special connection that they
forgot already existed. In our fast moving life we forget to connect with our own
folks. My sessions are designed to ignite that spark between two souls again
and again and again. I love the innocent expressions I caught on the camera
once they got really comfortable with each other.
Mandy Sidhu
92 NZPhotographer

BUILDING UP COURAGE
F5.6, 1/160s, ISO200
This image was taken at a Camera Club set up
shoot with models.
Murray Lowe
October 2019 93

TIES TO
FEMININITY
This is an image looking at our
duality and how femininity, or the
pubic notion of it, can sometimes
bind our self image.
Marianna Johnson
94
NZPhotographer

October 2019 95

96
NZPhotographer

MORE LONDON
F8, 1/400s, ISO200
Taken in the More London Precinct on the South
Bank, I was taken by the vivid red colour of the
building and the shadow cast on it, as well as the
people walking across the frame.
Michael Bouchier
October 2019 97

98
NZPhotographer

THE ART OF BEING DIFFERENT
F3, 1/160s, ISO800
Peter Kurdulija
October 2019 99

HAPPY FATHERS DAY
It's about the good memory of father and daughter time.
Twingle Mathali
100
NZPhotographer

October 2019 101

"PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT
CAPTURING SOULS NOT
SMILES"
102
NZPhotographer
DRAGAN TAPSHANOV