NZPhotographer Issue 55, May 2022
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ISSUE <strong>55</strong>, <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
CONNECTING WITH THE<br />
NATURAL WORLD; INTERVIEW<br />
WITH SARAH SMITH<br />
FROM THE ROAD: LVIV,<br />
UKRAINE, WITH RESPECT<br />
BY SUSAN BLICK<br />
COMPOSITIONAL<br />
TECHNIQUES; FRAMING<br />
BY FAIRLIE ATKINSON
WELCOME TO ISSUE <strong>55</strong> OF<br />
NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE<br />
HELLO EVERYONE,<br />
Amongst the chaos that Covid is still<br />
causing, many of you still recovering or<br />
stuck at home isolating, I hope you’ve<br />
been able to pick up your camera or at<br />
least sit in front of the computer enjoying<br />
some post-processing time. If not, I hope<br />
this issue will inspire you to pick up that<br />
camera or grab that mouse and create<br />
or take something new!<br />
We’re covering various genres in this<br />
issue, from travel photography to food<br />
photography, landscapes to street. In<br />
our feature interview, Sarah Smith of Soul<br />
DeLight Photography shares her journey of<br />
connecting with the natural world through<br />
representational and abstract landscapes. Teresa Angell takes us on a husky<br />
ride in Behind The Shot whilst Susan Blick recounts her trip to Lviv, Ukraine.<br />
Fairlie Atkinson teaches us about framing, a compositional technique<br />
that will take your photography to the next level, whilst Alan Blundell<br />
is sharing the art of street photography - how things like lens flare,<br />
silhouettes, and reflections can make an everyday street shot pop.<br />
The issue is rounded off with your stunning blue photos - we were<br />
inundated with submissions but have included as many images as<br />
possible. Please don't give up if we couldn’t feature yours; try again with<br />
your water photos for the next issue.<br />
OUR CONTRIBUTORS<br />
Emily Goodwin<br />
Editor NZ Photographer<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong> <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>55</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
Cover Photo<br />
Atea a Rangi / Star<br />
Compass, Hawkes Bay<br />
by Lyn Alves<br />
Publisher:<br />
Foto Lifestyle Ltd<br />
Website:<br />
nzphotographer.nz<br />
Graphic Design:<br />
Maksim Topyrkin<br />
Advertising Enquiries:<br />
Email<br />
hello@nzphotographer.nz<br />
FOLLOW US<br />
Fairlie Atkinson<br />
Fairlie Atkinson teaches<br />
Photography and Design at Kapiti<br />
College. She is also a keen fine<br />
art photographer, and has used<br />
her work to raise awareness and<br />
money for conservation. She is a<br />
keen advocate of the movement<br />
#photographyforgood and<br />
encouraging teen photographers<br />
to find their voice using a lens.<br />
Alan Blundell<br />
Alan Blundell is a photographer<br />
based in Wellington, New<br />
Zealand. From a background<br />
in Architecture, the former<br />
Hotelier and Father of<br />
4, decided to start a<br />
photography blog in 2016 using<br />
the handle ‘bokeh street’ to<br />
showcase his work with LEICA +<br />
FUJI camera gear.<br />
Susan Blick<br />
Susan is an award-winning<br />
landscape photographer<br />
from New Zealand and<br />
Australia who travels<br />
extensively and leads<br />
international photo tours.<br />
She is currently based in<br />
Istanbul, but is spending time<br />
across the region throughout<br />
the year.<br />
All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior<br />
consent of the publisher.<br />
Disclaimer: Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.
CONTENTS<br />
4<br />
BEHIND THE SHOT WITH TERESA ANGELL<br />
FROM THE ROAD: LVIV,<br />
UKRAINE, WITH RESPECT<br />
BY SUSAN BLICK<br />
8<br />
8<br />
FROM THE ROAD: LVIV, UKRAINE, WITH RESPECT<br />
By Susan Blick<br />
14<br />
20<br />
RISING STAR; ALIYAH MCPHERSON<br />
MINI 4 SHOT PORTFOLIO<br />
CONNECTING WITH THE<br />
NATURAL WORLD; INTERVIEW<br />
WITH SARAH SMITH<br />
42<br />
38<br />
COMPOSITIONAL TECHNIQUES; FRAMING<br />
By Fairlie Atkinson<br />
42<br />
CONNECTING WITH THE NATURAL WORLD;<br />
INTERVIEW WITH SARAH SMITH<br />
51<br />
THE ART OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
By Alan Blundell<br />
THE ART OF STREET PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
BY ALAN BLUNDELL<br />
51<br />
61 PORTFOLIO<br />
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Behind The Shot<br />
With Teresa Angell<br />
Happy Trails<br />
Canon 6D MKII, 24-70mm lens @ F14, 1/800s, ISO800
TERESA, CAN YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO US?<br />
I grew up in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty, then moved<br />
down to the Wellington region in the early 1990s with my<br />
husband and our two children. Since 2005 we’ve been<br />
enjoying life on the Kapiti Coast. I no longer work full time,<br />
which allows me total flexibility to pursue my photography.<br />
My hobbies: riding my mountain and motorbikes, going<br />
for walks and keeping up with our young grandchildren<br />
reflect my love of being active and in the outdoors.<br />
HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET STARTED IN<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY, AND HOW WOULD YOU<br />
DESCRIBE YOUR WORK?<br />
My father was a keen family photographer, and having<br />
set up his own darkroom at home, I was introduced to<br />
photography and basic film processing from a young<br />
age. It was a fun thing to watch, but I never really got<br />
into it at that stage. Throughout my teenage years, I<br />
remember always having a camera and taking lots of<br />
snapshots of family and events. In my early twenties, I<br />
bought a Canon SLR and took a night class for a few<br />
weeks, but having two children soon after meant my<br />
attention went elsewhere. It was in October 2010 when<br />
I bought my first DSLR (a Canon 500D), that I started to<br />
pursue the art of photography once more.<br />
I took my camera with me every time I went outside,<br />
learning everything I could through the local and national<br />
photographic societies and workshops, trying all the varied<br />
genres of photography. I was always drawn back to my<br />
love for animals and the outdoors. Birds and dogs are my<br />
favourite subjects. It is so special to capture their beauty,<br />
emotion, strength and character, including those splitsecond<br />
moments in time that our human eye can miss<br />
due to the speed of a bird in flight or a dog in action.<br />
My photography in recent years has been focused on<br />
documenting the sled dog racing community in New<br />
Zealand, so more photojournalistic - but my love for birds<br />
and wildlife remains.<br />
WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH?<br />
I shoot with mostly Canon gear. The camera bodies I am<br />
using are the 7D MkII and 6D MkII, with the 24-70mm f2.8<br />
and 70-200mm f2.8 lenses being my favourites, especially<br />
for the action/documentary photography I love. My<br />
Canon 100-400mm is for birds and wildlife, and I also have<br />
a Canon 50mm f1.8 and a Tamron 10-24mm.<br />
Accessories include a Benro tripod, wireless shutter release,<br />
and a raincoat for the camera as I am out in all weathers.<br />
Torch, headlamps, and a plastic sheet are also part of my<br />
photographic gear as I spend a good amount of time on<br />
the ground in all types of weather to get the best angle.<br />
TELL US ABOUT YOUR PHOTO, ‘HAPPY TRAILS’...<br />
This photo was taken at the Snow Farm in Cardrona. I<br />
was there to photograph sled dog racing events for my<br />
book project, documenting the only snow racing events<br />
of the year, the Cardrona Stage Race and the following<br />
weekend, the Wanaka Sled Dog Racing Festival. Some of<br />
my friends from that community organised a team of ten<br />
dogs and Tony (a musher with decades of experience)<br />
took me out to feel for myself the thrill of being on the<br />
snow with these wonderful dogs.<br />
The morning was calm and cold, with the sun was just<br />
peaking over the horizon. Sheryll, Sarah, Jon and Tony<br />
harnessed the dogs to the gang lines as I squeezed<br />
myself into the canvas bag on the sled. I got as<br />
comfortable as I could, tucked up inside the sled with<br />
the canvas cover zipped up as high as possible but still<br />
allowing my arms to be free to hold the camera at the<br />
ready - my Canon 6D MKII with 24-70mm lens. I had to<br />
use a fast shutter speed to factor in the movement of<br />
the sled and the speed of the dogs’ movement.<br />
The team was made up of Alaskan and Siberian Huskies,<br />
with the lead dog Waylon (in the red booties), a very<br />
experienced sled dog and Iditarod and Yukon 1000 veteran.<br />
Tony kept the dogs at an easy pace. He explained it<br />
wasn’t about going as fast as possible; it was about<br />
keeping a steady pace, looking after the dogs and<br />
enjoying the time together. The peace and tranquillity<br />
of being out there with the dogs was amazing. All you<br />
hear is the sliding of the sled runners on the snow and<br />
the soft padding of the dogs’ feet.<br />
WHAT EDITING DID YOU DO TO THE PHOTO?<br />
I made basic adjustments in Lightroom with colour<br />
temperature, exposure, contrast, shadows and clarity. In<br />
Photoshop, I added a little sharpening to the sled and dogs.<br />
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD DO<br />
DIFFERENTLY IF GIVEN A SECOND CHANCE?<br />
I would zoom out more to get shots that include the wider<br />
landscape and take as many photos as possible. On this<br />
trip, there were times when I just sat back to take in the<br />
moments and absorb the incredible feeling of being in<br />
this environment, which was great, but I know in doing<br />
that, I missed some prime photographic opportunities.<br />
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT THIS PHOTO?<br />
This shot came about through my adventures working<br />
on my personal project, bringing together two great<br />
loves, photography and Siberian Huskies. The five-year<br />
adventure culminated in the publication of my book,<br />
Sled Dog Racing In New Zealand, which also includes<br />
the history of how the sport began in New Zealand.<br />
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?<br />
I am now keen to get back to some bird photography<br />
and apply the skills I learned in my recent adventures to<br />
create story photo albums for mushers and their dogs.<br />
And looking further into the future there’s potential to<br />
expand into other dog sports and farm dogs.<br />
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?<br />
teresaangell.co.nz<br />
excio.gallery/angell<br />
@teresaangellphotography<br />
@teresaangell8
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<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
7
From the Road: Lviv,<br />
Ukraine, with Respect<br />
By Susan Blick<br />
8 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
St George Cathedral and the Church of St Olha<br />
and Elizabeth from the Town Hall at sunset.<br />
Canon EOS M50 Mk1, Canon 24-105mm F/4 L USM lens<br />
@ F7.1, 1/500s, ISO100, 105mm<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
9
It was back in June 2021, when the Delta variant<br />
was raging across the world, that I travelled to<br />
Ukraine. My motivation at the time was to start<br />
visiting more unique destinations, destinations that<br />
wouldn’t normally come to mind when based in<br />
New Zealand. Funnily enough, I travelled more<br />
in 2021 than in any previous year. In fact, I spent<br />
virtually the entire year travelling and happily<br />
added Ukraine, Albania, and Bosnia to my list of<br />
countries I would not have normally visited.<br />
I didn’t have any expectations when the idea of<br />
going to Ukraine popped into my head, not from<br />
a photography standpoint nor as a traveller. I was<br />
just going to take it as it came. Embarrassingly,<br />
my before-travel impressions were that it would<br />
be like Russia, perhaps I’d find the people dour,<br />
rather unfriendly and aloof, and the country not<br />
particularly picturesque other than the beautiful<br />
orthodox churches. Well, wasn’t I in for a surprise!<br />
The trip started rather excitingly as I arrived in the<br />
middle of a massive storm. Strong cross-winds and<br />
pummeling rain made visibility from my window seat<br />
impossible. The plane jerked sideways with each gust<br />
of wind. My palms were incredibly sweaty, which<br />
reminded me why I don’t really like flying. Then, just as<br />
my Turkish Airlines flight was about to touchdown, the<br />
pilot pulled us up again, and we circled in a holding<br />
pattern for about 30 minutes before making a second<br />
approach. Thankfully the second attempt was more<br />
successful, and once safely on the tarmac, I sighed<br />
with relief and could finally breathe again.<br />
I was now in Lviv, Ukraine! Lviv is the cultural and<br />
artistic centre of Ukraine and its sixth-largest city with<br />
a population of just under one million. The city is in<br />
the West of the country and, at present, is mostly safe<br />
from Russian bombings and atrocities. At present, Lviv<br />
is the de facto capital of Ukraine, while Kyiv, the true<br />
capital, is under appalling attack. Please note, in this<br />
article, I won’t comment on the politics of the current<br />
Russian invasion suffice to say that I support Ukraine.<br />
This article is written with respect to Ukraine and as a<br />
reminiscence of a wonderful time spent in the country.<br />
As the centre of culture in Ukraine, Lviv boasts over<br />
60 museums, 10 theatres and holds over 100 festivals<br />
annually. The historic town centre dates from the<br />
13th Century and is blessed with numerous historic<br />
churches, buildings, relics, and a magnificent town<br />
hall and opera house. The streets are cobbled<br />
and lined with huge old doors, some hundreds of<br />
years old. There are numerous stone buildings and<br />
carvings to seek out in every alley and pedestrian<br />
tunnels linking one part of the centre to another.<br />
Needless to say, the entire historic area is very<br />
photogenic. In contrast, once leaving the centre,<br />
the architecture changes dramatically as Soviet-era<br />
high rise residential blocks begin to dominate.<br />
Beautiful Rynok Square in the early evening.<br />
Canon EOS M50 Mk1, Canon 24-105mm F/4 L USM lens @ F7.1, 1/250s, ISO100, 24mm
Top: The Lviv National Academic Opera and Ballet<br />
Theatre at dusk.<br />
Canon 6D Mk1 + Canon 16-35mm, F/2.8L III USM lens<br />
@ F7.1, 0.5s, ISO100, 16mm with tripod.<br />
Bottom: Rynok Square looking towards Dormition<br />
Church and the Chapel of the Three Saints.<br />
Canon EOS M50 Mk1, Canon 24-105mm F/4 L USM lens<br />
@ F7.1, 1/1250s, ISO100, 24mm
Looking down on part of Rynok Square with tram lines passing through and the Fountain of Diana in the bottom left.<br />
Canon 6D Mk1, Canon 16-35mm F/2.8L III USM lens @ F6.3, 1/125s, ISO100, 16mm<br />
Rynok Square or Market Square is the focal point in<br />
the old city and is lined with cafes and restaurants.<br />
It’s so easy to while away your day here, people<br />
watching as you sip a cherry wine liqueur (piana<br />
vyshnia = drunk cherry) or a local craft beer for<br />
which both Lviv is deservedly well-known.<br />
A visit to the Town Hall, located on the square,<br />
is a must for stupendous 360-degree views of<br />
the entire city with churches and pretty rooftops<br />
seen in all directions. Classical musicians play the<br />
harp, violin, and saxophone every evening on the<br />
square, sometimes jazzed up with a modern vibe<br />
but always with incredible talent and precision.<br />
Without a doubt, street photography is the genre<br />
you’d most enjoy here, and when the lights go<br />
on at dusk, there are some opportunities for long<br />
exposures, so make sure you have your tripod with<br />
you.<br />
It’s often the people that make the place when<br />
you travel, oh and the food! And much to my<br />
surprise, the people of Ukraine I found to be super<br />
polite, respectful and gently spoken, not at all like<br />
my preconceived impressions. To be honest, their<br />
politeness really blew me away, and the food, well,<br />
I’m not a borscht kind of eater, but nonetheless,<br />
there was a large Polish influence, and perogies<br />
(dumplings) were a favourite on the menu.<br />
Thankfully, there was also a good amount of Italian<br />
cuisine on offer with pasta dishes and pizza readily<br />
available. Needless to say, I didn’t go hungry!<br />
The city of Lviv and indeed Ukraine generally is<br />
a fabulous destination to add to your European<br />
adventures in the future. I do hope more people<br />
visit when able as the country and its people really<br />
deserve our attention and respect. If you’re a lover<br />
of beautiful Renaissance architecture, incredible<br />
orthodox churches, quaint streets with boutique<br />
shops and cafes, and people who dance to<br />
local musicians as they wander by in the streets<br />
every night, then the happy vibes and cultural<br />
exploration of Ukraine and Lviv are definitely for<br />
you.<br />
You can keep up with my travels at:<br />
youtube.com/c/GirlsontheLoose1<br />
@susanblickphoto<br />
@phomadic
Every afternoon and evening you can find musicians playing throughout the square.<br />
Here we have a quartet of violinists playing in front of Latynsʹkyy Cathedral.<br />
Taken on Samsung A71 phone<br />
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<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
13
Rising Star;<br />
Aliyah McPherson<br />
Aliyah is 17 years old and attends Wakatipu High school. Perhaps born with the<br />
photography gene due to her Dad being a photographer, Aliyah has studied<br />
photography at school for the last two years, honing her skills.<br />
ALIYAH, TELL US ABOUT YOU AND YOUR<br />
JOURNEY WITH PHOTOGRAPHY…<br />
I live in beautiful Central Otago, Queenstown. I have<br />
grown up surrounded by a supportive, creative<br />
family, which has enabled me to pursue my passion<br />
for photography. My Dad is a photographer and<br />
has taught me along the way, but the availability of<br />
being able to study photography at high school for<br />
the past two years has really led me to where I am<br />
now. It has allowed me to explore lots of ideas and<br />
take images of things I am passionate about, as well<br />
as enabling me to create bodies of work that develop<br />
key thematic ideas.<br />
WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH?<br />
A Canon 6dii, 50mm lens, and speed light flash<br />
through an umbrella.<br />
WHAT DO YOU MOST ENJOY TAKING<br />
PHOTOGRAPHS OF, AND WHY?<br />
I enjoy taking photos of still life and landscapes.<br />
I like getting out and about and discovering<br />
new places, and capturing these places through<br />
photography. I enjoy the chance to capture<br />
images that enable viewers to recall their own<br />
personal memories from each photograph.<br />
14 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
15
16 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
I also like the challenge of manipulation through<br />
Photoshop and Lightroom. Enhancing imagery<br />
to make it more of my own artistic style is a new<br />
challenge for me.<br />
TELL US ABOUT YOUR FOOD PHOTOS…<br />
These were produced for my year 12 photography<br />
folio. They are about the bright, appealing colours<br />
involved in the fast food industries, making this<br />
food appeal to today’s youth. I manipulated<br />
imagery to convey the darker side of fast food<br />
and how addictive it can be.<br />
TELL US ABOUT A FAVOURITE PHOTO FROM<br />
THIS BODY OF WORK…<br />
One of my favourite photos to shoot and edit<br />
was the 'Burger Jumble' (seen left). I liked the<br />
challenge of having to take photos of each layer<br />
and combine them to get the final image.<br />
When people ask how I managed to create this<br />
image, I show them the behind-the-scenes shots<br />
(above) and always enjoy their reactions as they<br />
realise the amount of work that has gone into the<br />
final visuals.<br />
WHAT HAVE YOU STRUGGLED WITH THE MOST<br />
IN PHOTOGRAPHY, AND HOW DID YOU<br />
OVERCOME THAT?<br />
I am really confident behind the camera, but<br />
manipulation and Photoshop have been challenging.<br />
My Dad has been a real help with learning key<br />
photoshop skills.<br />
WHAT ARE YOUR AMBITIONS FOR THE FUTURE,<br />
AND DO YOU THINK PHOTOGRAPHY WILL PLAY<br />
A ROLE IN YOUR CAREER CHOICES?<br />
I know I want to utilise my photography skills, but I’m still<br />
deciding what direction I would like to take. Commercial<br />
photography is a possibility as I really enjoy the challenge<br />
and thought process that I need to work through to enable<br />
the best shot for clients. But I also really like being out on the<br />
land shooting imagery, so I’m hoping that these decisions<br />
will become clearer during my last year of school.<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
17
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18 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
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<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
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19
Mini 4 Shot Portfolio<br />
Our 4x4 feature showcases 4 mini portfolio’s of both<br />
professional and up and coming New Zealand<br />
photographers. The 4 images are linked in some way,<br />
allowing you to get an understanding of what each<br />
photographer is most passionate about capturing.<br />
For a chance to get your own 4x4 feature in a future<br />
issue of the magazine, become a subscriber here.<br />
GARDEN RESIDENTS<br />
Alun Powell<br />
STARTING THE DAY<br />
Dionne Solly<br />
4 ECLECTIC FAVOURITES<br />
Howard Jack<br />
TŪĪ FOR TEA<br />
Paul Kettel<br />
20 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
ALUN POWELL<br />
22 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
Having begun photography in my late teens by completing a course<br />
that included darkroom development, I subsequently seemed to get<br />
‘too busy in life’, and photography simply became snapshots of the<br />
kids and holidays. Over the last few years, I’ve become somewhat<br />
immersed again - and wow, how it’s changed! Nature is my interest.<br />
Just getting out there in amazing landscapes, I’m rediscovering that<br />
sense of wonder as I attempt to create a capture that will provide a<br />
personal recollection of a fleeting moment in time.<br />
@alseven_images<br />
GARDEN RESIDENTS<br />
This series represents my venture away from my usual landscape/seascape focus.<br />
These shots were recently taken in our garden in the Perth Hills, Australia, where<br />
we have three acres backing onto a National Park. With an array of trees and<br />
plants, we are lucky to attract quite a few “residents” with numerous seasonal<br />
visitors as and when the trees flower or produce fruit. It’s fair to say that some<br />
visitors are not quite as welcome as the birds, for example - snakes!<br />
Here, I’ve simply tried to capture a few of these wonderful birds in their day<br />
to day surroundings. A fast shutter speed is required for the New Holland<br />
honeyeaters and splendid fairywrens, whilst the red-tailed black cockatoos are<br />
far more chilled.<br />
The birds are:<br />
In silhouette: splendid fairywren<br />
In olive tree: forest red-tailed black cockatoo<br />
In red/yellow flowering gum: New Holland honeyeater<br />
In white bougainvillea: splendid fairywren<br />
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24 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
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DIONNE SOLLY<br />
26 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
I love nature, getting outdoors, adventure, travelling and<br />
capturing the amazing scenes we are lucky enough to have<br />
on our doorstep in Canterbury and around the South Island.<br />
I’m particularly drawn to land and seascapes but also love<br />
macro photography.<br />
@dionne.solly.photography<br />
STARTING THE DAY<br />
I love getting up early to capture a sunrise. My day just seems to start so<br />
much better, being outdoors, witnessing this spectacular time of the day.<br />
Beaches are the best place for me when it comes to sunrises.<br />
These images were taken at Sumner and New Brighton Beach here in<br />
Christchurch.<br />
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28 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
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HOWARD JACK<br />
30 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
I’ve been living in Australia for 12 years and now live on the road in a small<br />
15’ pop top towed by a Prado. I describe myself as a Peripatetic (rhymes<br />
with pathetic) Photographer, The Silver Sojourner. Photography pretty<br />
much keeps me going – when I overcome the lethargy. My photography<br />
tastes are eclectic and hopefully enjoyed by a few. I like to try and find<br />
humour/juxtaposition both in the image and the caption - Just not these!<br />
howardjack.zenfolio.com<br />
4 ECLECTIC FAVOURITES<br />
My first image takes me back to my childhood with Wind In The Willows and Mr Ratty. My water vole photo was<br />
taken on the stream running beneath Arundel Castle. Later, I found out they are endangered in Britain and<br />
face extinction. How magic to photograph one.<br />
My second shot keeps us in England, this time Lyme Regis. On a tourist launch, I saw this young lady, the First<br />
Mate, I think, prettying herself up in the wheelhouse. I fell in love with both her and the picture she posed when<br />
she looked at me. Not many judges like it, but I do, so there!<br />
My Vienna streetscape shows a magic scene with the falling snow. A different crop has won me a few honours,<br />
and the mono version is not too shabby either. The backstory to this shot is as follows: I arrived in Paris and fell<br />
down some stairs. I thought I had pulled a muscle and walked around there and Vienna for two weeks. I got<br />
back home and was diagnosed with an achilles rupture and spent the next six months in a creaky boot.<br />
My final image for my 4x4 feature is from a volleyball tournament in Coolangatta. Lots of photos were taken<br />
from all angles, but my favourite angle for lots of photography is down low. I entered this in the Australian<br />
Photography Competition ‘My Best Shot, Beaches’ and received a lovely Eizo 24” monitor for my efforts.<br />
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PAUL KETTEL<br />
34 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
I’m an amateur photographer living on the north shore of Auckland. My<br />
interests in photography genres are varied, with a somewhat obsessive pull<br />
towards wildlife photography. Capturing New Zealand wildlife in the best<br />
light is something I’m always striving for and find great satisfaction when I<br />
pull off an image that I have envisioned.<br />
@paulkettel<br />
TŪĪ FOR TEA<br />
My home sits above a stand of pōhutukawa and kōwhai trees allowing great<br />
viewing access to the comings and goings of backyard bird life. Of the<br />
many visitors, the tūī is the most prolific due to the syrup feeders and perches<br />
I have installed as encouragement. The summer dry months and winters<br />
with little food see me going through between 4 to 8 bottles a day of water<br />
mixed with sugar. This keeps the birds happy and gives me the opportunity to<br />
photograph them in somewhat controlled settings. I have carefully placed a<br />
number of perches in good light with plenty of distance from the trees behind<br />
to give good separation of the birds from the background.<br />
The images presented here are all shot early morning in soft backlighting.<br />
This is my favourite light for shooting tūī, even though maintaining detail<br />
throughout an image can be challenging. Careful exposure combined with<br />
post-processing to bring out shadow details, is something I’ve managed to<br />
master. With access to these beautiful birds, I am able to experiment and<br />
refine approaches to my heart’s content.<br />
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36 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
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Compositional Techniques; Framing<br />
By Fairlie Atkinson<br />
When I’m teaching photography, a question I get asked<br />
all the time is ‘how can I improve my photos?’ This is a<br />
question very similar to ‘how long is a piece of string?’<br />
If you have a solid understanding of aperture, ISO, and<br />
shutter speed and how they work together, you need<br />
to look at your compositional techniques next. So this<br />
month, let’s delve into a compositional technique that is<br />
simple but really effective; framing. Two of my students,<br />
17-year-old Joe Hughes and 16-year-old Andie Hughes,<br />
have helped me illustrate this concept.<br />
From the start, let’s be clear - framing is not about<br />
putting a border around your image on Instagram. It’s<br />
about how you frame your subject in the image. Think<br />
about Ansel Adams and his famous landscape images.<br />
The Wawona Tunnel View is an image that has been<br />
imitated frequently by landscape photographers ever<br />
since. Cathedral Cove in New Zealand is photographed<br />
in a similar style all the time, with the edges of the cave<br />
framing the view on the other side of the cave.<br />
In the image below, Joe has used a basic framing<br />
concept with the side mirrors of a car. This technique<br />
has been around for a while; Lee Friedlander is known<br />
for his black and white ‘America by Car’ series and<br />
used car windows and mirrors to document his travels<br />
through the States in the 1960s and 70s.<br />
When trying this technique, there are a few things to keep<br />
in mind, as it can be tricky to get right, but it’s a great place<br />
to start when practising framing. First of all, the mirror and<br />
window need to be clean. The amount of times I have<br />
been caught out trying to snap something framed by a<br />
mirror and realised there is a film of dust on the mirror is<br />
countless! You also want to make sure your perspective<br />
provides the viewer with something interesting to look<br />
at. I rather like that in Joe’s image, we can see more of<br />
what’s in the mirror by looking at what’s reflected in the<br />
window. This is something Friedlander did extremely well<br />
in his series. There is always something to look at in the<br />
mirror, but also in or through the windows. It’s very tricky to<br />
Backward Glance by Joe Hughes<br />
38 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
get both the reflection and the background in focus. Joe<br />
has chosen just to have what is within the mirror in focus<br />
which is appropriate because the background is foliage.<br />
Friedlander kept everything in focus.<br />
To achieve a shot like this, you need to look at focal<br />
length and aperture. A large aperture (low f stop<br />
number) will generally mean a shallow depth of field<br />
where the subject is in focus, and the background is<br />
blurred. A deep depth of field means everything is in<br />
focus, and usually, that means a high f stop number.<br />
Joe’s image is on the shallower end which also means<br />
he was quite close to his subject.<br />
Using the world around you is a great way to frame<br />
your subject. Look through your lens and move it<br />
around to see if you can frame your subject with tree<br />
branches, foliage, buildings, or even fence posts, as<br />
Andie has done in the image below. Looking out at a<br />
subject through a window or door is also a natural way<br />
to frame something, and if you can get the foreground<br />
and background in focus like Yasuhiro Ishimoto does in<br />
his Katsura Villa portfolio, you add an extra dimension<br />
to the image with an image full of depth and layers.<br />
Andie’s image sits near the shallow end when it comes<br />
to depth of field. If she had shot this on a higher f stop<br />
number and increased the ISO, she would have had<br />
more of the fence in focus, but this was not what she<br />
wanted to achieve, so she shot with a wider aperture<br />
and sought to frame her subject by the foliage. It also<br />
comes down to your lens. If you are shooting with a<br />
landscape lens like the Nikon or Canon lenses that<br />
have a 10-20mm focal length, you will usually have<br />
a short focal length and deeper depth of field versus<br />
a telephoto lens like the Tamron 150-600mm, which<br />
will allow you greater distance but shallower depth<br />
of field. If you think about the wildlife photographers<br />
you have seen out and about, they are often hefting<br />
enormous telephoto lenses. In contrast, a landscape<br />
photographer often sports a sturdy tripod and a shorter,<br />
fatter lens. Andie did not have a landscape lens and<br />
may have found it difficult without one to get all of<br />
this image in sharp focus just by adjusting her settings.<br />
That being said, I like the blur and the leading lines the<br />
fences and path provide to her subject. The foliage<br />
provides a lovely vignette-style frame too.<br />
Lastly, let’s look at an image I shot last year for the<br />
Kāpiti College show Chicago. The performers were at<br />
the back of a deep stage on scaffolding, and I was<br />
right at the back of the theatre. I was shooting with my<br />
favourite lens, the Nikkor 70-300mm, on my Nikon D850.<br />
I needed a wider angle lens at the time but didn’t have<br />
one with me, so I decided to use the shadow to frame<br />
Adventures by Andie Hughes<br />
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Chicago by Fairlie Atkinson<br />
my shot. We lowered the stage lights and popped on<br />
some red spotlights. I didn’t want a lot of noise in my<br />
image and knew I would need a high ISO and low f<br />
stop, and slow shutter speed in the low light, but I chose<br />
to shoot on 100 shutter speed, f4.5 and the ISO on 6400<br />
and increased the contrast later in-post.<br />
I essentially used the shadow to frame the image - note<br />
an even amount of shadow on the top and bottom of<br />
the image and two partial shadows of performers on<br />
the side. The shadow from the scaffolding created the<br />
shadow at the bottom, and the strip holding the lights<br />
at the top provided an equal amount of shadow. I did<br />
not see this until I looked through my camera viewfinder.<br />
Looking through the lens and moving it around allowed<br />
me to find a frame for my subjects that I had not seen<br />
just by sitting in the theatre and looking around.<br />
Have you seen people making a rectangle with both<br />
of their thumbs and forefingers and peering through<br />
it? It’s the same concept when you sweep the scene<br />
with your eye looking through the viewfinder. You’re<br />
looking for something to frame your subject. And that<br />
is the essence of framing an image. You’re looking<br />
to emphasise your subject, add depth to your image<br />
and create those nice lines and curves in your photo.<br />
Work on improving your framing this month by trying<br />
the following:<br />
• Get someone to create a frame with their fingers<br />
and shoot your subject through their fingers. Try<br />
to keep not only the fingers in focus but also the<br />
subject.<br />
• Have a look at Friedlander’s work. See if you can<br />
achieve a mirror or window shot where everything<br />
is in sharp focus and then another one where just<br />
the image in the mirror is in focus.<br />
• Get out and about and try and take an image<br />
where something natural like foliage or branches is<br />
providing a frame. Have a look at Ansel Adams’s<br />
work for inspiration.<br />
• Have a go at shooting a subject through a door<br />
frame, window, or through the bars on a fence,<br />
building, or bridge. See Yasuhiro Ishimoto for<br />
inspiration.<br />
Remember, photography is not just about the<br />
technical aspects like ISO, aperture, and shutter<br />
speed. Neither does it need to be governed by your<br />
equipment. You can take a really nice image if the<br />
framing is good.<br />
40 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
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Connecting With The Natural World Through<br />
Representational & Abstract Landscapes;<br />
Interview With Sarah Smith<br />
My family introduced me to travel at a young age,<br />
and I have been lucky enough to travel to the USA,<br />
Japan, the UK, Europe, Canada, and Australia over<br />
the years. I have also travelled extensively in New<br />
Zealand and lived in a variety of places, including 15<br />
years in Queenstown, a year in South Westland and<br />
most recently, 4 years in Northland. Late last year, we<br />
moved back to the mainland to be closer to family<br />
and the mountains.<br />
My years in Queenstown fostered a strong interest<br />
in the outdoors, where I tramped and skied my way<br />
around the hills. This is when I fell in love with our<br />
landscape and wanted to capture what I was seeing<br />
on my adventures and take it home with me.<br />
I think my real obsession with photography came after<br />
being given a Canon EOS 450D and completing a<br />
landscape workshop with Jackie Ranken and Mike<br />
Langford in South Westland. I realised that with more<br />
know-how, I could create images that captured more<br />
than just a record of what I was seeing - an image could<br />
convey a feeling, and I wanted to be able to do that.<br />
SARAH, TELL US ABOUT YOU AND YOUR<br />
JOURNEY INTO PHOTOGRAPHY...<br />
I live in Canterbury with my partner and our two black<br />
and white cats, Barbie and Ken. I work remotely from<br />
home as a Learning and Teaching Specialist for a<br />
polytechnic here in New Zealand.<br />
I grew up and went to school, university and teachers’<br />
college in Dunedin. After leaving school, I graduated<br />
from university with an Art History degree and headed<br />
overseas. I returned to New Zealand and began a<br />
career in education which is my main income. Most<br />
recently, I have started to focus more on photography<br />
and last year achieved Licentiate honours with the<br />
Photographic Society of New Zealand (PSNZ) and a<br />
Diploma in Professional Photography.<br />
WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH TODAY?<br />
Recently, I spoiled myself and upgraded from a<br />
Canon EOS 6D to the Canon EOS R5. Upgrading feels<br />
like ditching your best friend for a new friend that you<br />
have to spend lots of time with and get to know! We<br />
are working on that!<br />
My go-to lens is the Canon EF 24-105mm. It’s especially<br />
good when I want a light set up for day walks or<br />
overnight tramps. I also throw in a polarising filter and<br />
a 6-stop circular ND filter for any Intentional Camera<br />
Movement (ICM) and long exposures I want to make.<br />
Other gear I have in my bag include a Canon EF<br />
50mm, Canon EF 70-200mm, and Canon EF 17-35mm.<br />
I also have a Benro Landscape Filter Kit and a Benro<br />
600ex tripod.<br />
WHAT DOES PHOTOGRAPHY MEAN TO YOU?<br />
Photography is a creative outlet for me. It is how I<br />
express what I observe and feel in the landscape, and<br />
it is a way to connect with the natural world around<br />
me. Typically, I photograph on my own, so it becomes<br />
a type of meditation - it’s just me, my camera, the<br />
landscape and light.<br />
42 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
Fire II<br />
Canon 6D, composite image<br />
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Lake Alta I<br />
Canon 450D, Canon EFS 10-22mm lens @ F10, 1/5s, ISO100<br />
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY?<br />
The one constant in my imagery is that I work in the<br />
landscape and draw my ideas and inspiration from<br />
my surroundings. Recently I had to write a 35-word bio<br />
that sums up my work. It’s a very broad sentence, and<br />
some might say it says a lot while saying nothing at all!<br />
“I specialise in landscape and creative<br />
photography. Working in colour<br />
and black and white, I use motion,<br />
colour, light, tone, shapes, and forms<br />
to create both representational and<br />
abstract images and impressions of the<br />
landscape.”<br />
This sentence describes where I am at the moment in<br />
my creative journey. I have spent a number of years<br />
exploring the representational aspects of landscape<br />
photography, and I now feel a pull toward the abstract<br />
or semi-abstract. As far as a style is concerned, I think<br />
that it is still evolving as I learn more techniques and<br />
more about what resonates with me creatively.<br />
My photography as a business is a work in progress.<br />
After much reflection, I have only recently realised<br />
the direction I want to take my photography, and<br />
because it’s not my main income, it is a slow burn.<br />
I have submitted words and images to magazines<br />
and have photos in stock libraries. At different times<br />
I have been approached by companies who are<br />
interested in using my images for their promotional<br />
material. Last year, one of those was Doppelmayr<br />
Garaventa in Austria, who were looking for a picture<br />
of the Queenstown/Remarkables area for their <strong>2022</strong><br />
calendar. It was a thrill to be able to provide them<br />
with an image, especially since their lifts have carried<br />
me up many of the ski fields around Central Otago.<br />
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE<br />
ABSTRACT AND CREATIVE SIDE OF YOUR<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY...<br />
Recently I have been exploring both in-camera<br />
techniques and Photoshop to create images that<br />
appeal to me. It has been quite a revelation to<br />
discover that I can use the camera in more painterly<br />
and artistic ways. These techniques allow me the<br />
freedom to express creatively my response to the<br />
landscape in abstract ways.<br />
‘Coastal Shadows’ and ‘Illustrating lines’ are both<br />
examples of the spontaneity that comes from using incamera<br />
techniques to create abstract landscapes.<br />
44 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
Top: Coastal Shadows<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 70-200mm lens @ F32, 1/4s, ISO100<br />
Bottom: Illustrating lines<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm lens @ F22, 0.3s, ISO50
A series that I have recently completed is a response<br />
to the impact of wildfires on forests and trees. In 2008, I<br />
worked in the Australian outback, personally witnessing<br />
the impact of an out-of-control fire on the landscape and<br />
trees. More recently, in 2020, most of us in New Zealand<br />
experienced first-hand the smoke and haze from the<br />
bushfires in Australia. The series is my interpretation of the<br />
intensity and ferocity of wildfires, their journey through the<br />
forest and what they leave behind. ‘Fire II’ (seen on page<br />
43) is one of the images from that series.<br />
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLENGES YOU’VE HAD TO<br />
OVERCOME OR STILL STRUGGLE WITH TODAY?<br />
I think the biggest challenge for any visual artist is the<br />
beliefs and perceptions that you have about your<br />
work and your creative process. Self-doubt, resistance<br />
and imposter syndrome are always lingering in the<br />
shadows. Aside from that, my biggest challenges<br />
currently are getting to know my ‘new friend’, the<br />
Canon R5 and getting my head around Photoshop.<br />
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ONGOING COLLECTION<br />
THAT EXPLORES THE ENERGY AND LIFE FORCE<br />
OF TREES...<br />
I’m drawn to forests and trees. I love walking through<br />
them, their visual appearance, the shapes and lines they<br />
create, the way the light interacts with them and the<br />
many possible compositions they offer. Most importantly,<br />
they always leave me with a sense of peace, calm and<br />
balance. There seems to be a transformational energy<br />
that leads to this change in emotional state. The Japanese<br />
call this Shinrin-yoku or ‘forest bathing’, which recognises<br />
that spending time in nature is good for our health, our<br />
emotional state and provides us with a sense of calm.<br />
My collection “Life-force of Trees” attempts to capture<br />
a visual representation of what we experience<br />
when we ‘bathe’ or walk in forests. The in-camera<br />
techniques push past the surface details, removing<br />
distracting details leaving only colours, shapes, lines<br />
and light that, to my mind, convey a sense of this<br />
transformational energy.<br />
TELL US ABOUT THE COMPETITIONS YOU’VE<br />
HAD SUCCESS WITH...<br />
‘Reward of Sunrise’ was the first image I entered into a<br />
competition that I won. That competition was actually<br />
an NZP magazine competition – the 2019 “Photography<br />
Unleashed“ Long Exposure Competition. The image<br />
was created during a yearlong photography<br />
challenge with a friend, where we wanted to explore<br />
and reacquaint ourselves with ND filters, particularly<br />
the 10-stop ND filter. We thought a challenge with<br />
predetermined monthly themes would be fun. Winning<br />
this competition gave me the confidence to submit<br />
images to other awards and competitions.<br />
Reward of Sunrise<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 16-35mm lens, 6 stop ND, 3 stop GND<br />
@ F11, 168.0s, ISO100
Top: Mystic Trees<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm lens @ F22, 1/5s, ISO50<br />
Bottom: Forest Path<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm lens @ F14, 0.4s, ISO160
Toe Toe Lines<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm lens @ F22, 1/15s, ISO50<br />
In 2020, after much encouragement from a friend over<br />
several years, I entered the NZIPP IRIS Awards for the first<br />
time and came away with three bronze awards. In 2021<br />
I entered again and was fortunate to attend the awards<br />
in Nelson and came away with three bronze and a<br />
silver award. ‘Toe Toe Lines’ is the first image where I<br />
successfully incorporated ICM and in-camera multiple<br />
exposures. It opened my eyes to the creative potential<br />
of these techniques, which I am now exploring further.<br />
WHAT ARE YOUR TOP TIPS FOR LANDSCAPE<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY?<br />
The first thing that helps is being familiar with your<br />
equipment and tools; otherwise, it acts as a barrier<br />
to creating the images you want to create. There’s<br />
nothing worse than watching a sunrise and wanting<br />
to capture the changing light only to fumble with your<br />
camera settings and miss the shot. Once you have your<br />
tools dialled, I think nothing beats spending time in the<br />
landscape, observing the location, seeing what happens<br />
there. Take time to notice how it feels and what grabs<br />
your attention, and then start working with that.<br />
HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO PUSH YOURSELF<br />
TO IMPROVE YOUR WORK?<br />
I am inspired by other photographers and artists,<br />
seeing and learning how they choose to respond to<br />
and express feelings, thoughts and emotions in the<br />
landscape and art. If I see an approach or technique<br />
that resonates with me, I will see how I can integrate it<br />
into my creative process. I also spend time looking at art<br />
books and reading and visiting art galleries, all of which<br />
help activate the creative cogs and keep me moving.<br />
In recent years I have found that watching the judging<br />
of the NZIPP IRIS Awards is extremely valuable and a<br />
tremendous learning experience. Listening to the judges<br />
discuss, agree and disagree about the merits of a<br />
particular photograph is insightful, and you begin to see<br />
and learn what actually makes a compelling image.<br />
At the moment, I am captivated by the work of Valda<br />
Bailey (https://valdabailey.com/). I love her abstract<br />
and semi-abstract imagery. Michael Kenna (https://<br />
www.michaelkenna.com/) is a firm favourite, as is<br />
Ansel Adams. Guy Tal (https://guytal.com/) and David<br />
duChemin (https://davidduchemin.com/) are my goto’s<br />
for insight into the creative process and creative<br />
encouragement when the muse is a little slow to<br />
appear. Having studied art history, I am also inspired<br />
by the work of Monet, Turner, Kandinsky, and van<br />
Gogh.<br />
DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PHOTO?<br />
My favourite shot changes all the time depending on my<br />
moods, what I am trying to achieve and what I am into at<br />
the time, hour or minute! However, I think I could say that<br />
I get great satisfaction and enjoyment from my Soulful<br />
Squares series, which is ongoing. I love the balance of the<br />
square format, the black and white treatment and the<br />
focus on the more intimate details, reminding me to look<br />
for the less obvious in the landscape.
Top Left: Crack<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 50mm lens @ F8, 1/60s, ISO100<br />
Top Right: Fiordland II<br />
Canon 450D, Canon EFS 18-200mm lens @ F22, 1/15s, ISO100<br />
WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE PIECE OF<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY KIT AND WHY?<br />
My filters. ND filters, in particular, as they allow me to use<br />
my camera like a paintbrush and play with time and<br />
light. I love the surprises that come out of this technique.<br />
WHAT’S NEXT FOR YOU?<br />
I will continue to explore creative avenues of<br />
photography and share my work more widely through<br />
exhibitions and my website.<br />
Bottom Left: Still and Smooth<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 24-105mm lens, 10 stop ND, @ F22, 46s, ISO50<br />
Bottom Right: What Remains<br />
Canon 6D, Canon EF 50mm lens @ F8, 1/100s, ISO100<br />
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?<br />
www.souldelightphoto.co.nz<br />
excio.gallery/sarahsmith<br />
@souldelightphoto<br />
@souldelightphoto
10 Day Winter & Astro<br />
Photography Tour <strong>2022</strong><br />
30th July - 8th of August<br />
EXPERIENCE<br />
You will start this spectacular tour by joining Glen Howey and<br />
Blair Quax for an Astro Masterclass Workshop, based at Mt Cook.<br />
The village is located within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark<br />
Sky Reserve, the world’s second-best area for viewing the night<br />
sky. Designed to extend your skills in both Astro and timelapse<br />
photography, the workshop dates have been picked to ensure a new<br />
moon and winter offers the best conditions for astrophotography.<br />
During the workshop we will visit a private observatory, to learn more<br />
about the night sky and photograph the constellations.<br />
For the next phase of this tour you will have Ken Wright and<br />
Shaun Barnett join you on this adventure. On this part of the tour,<br />
you will have the opportunity to capture Canturbury’s High Country<br />
and the Southern Alps at its wintery best. The itinerary takes you<br />
through the Canterbury High Country, past Mount Somers, and<br />
further inland to the Ashburton Lakes. This is a remarkable area of<br />
placid lakes and high country wetlands, all set in the huge basin<br />
between the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers, both of which drain<br />
the central Southern Alps. You will then find yourself immersed in<br />
the majestic beauty of the Southern Alps, capturing snow-capped<br />
peaks from the famous Arthur’s Pass. You’ll experience the endless<br />
composition opportunities that present themselves at the magnificent<br />
limestone battlements and boulders of the Kura Tawhiti / Castle Hill<br />
Conservation Area before we end our experience in Christchurch.<br />
Click here for<br />
More Information<br />
027 2614417<br />
www.photographyworkshops.co.nz<br />
info@photographyworkshops.co.nz
The Art of Street Photography<br />
By Alan Blundell<br />
In the last 4 months, we have explored the<br />
fundamentals of street photography – shooting<br />
techniques, gear, and basic settings.<br />
In this month’s article, I want to look at some of the<br />
more artistic ways cameras can be used to deliver<br />
more creative outcomes… What do I mean by arty?<br />
Well, Andy Warhol once described art as “Anything<br />
you can get away with”. Art is limited only by your<br />
imagination and ability to capture, experiment, and<br />
produce a final print.<br />
Let’s look at some ideas to allow you to put something<br />
together with a less technical focus and start you thinking<br />
about more abstract work when out on the street.<br />
MOTION BLUR<br />
Up to this point, the discussion has been about<br />
capturing an image that is in focus, but what methods<br />
are available to deliberately convey that sense of<br />
movement?<br />
Panning – This idea can be used in a scenario where<br />
you stand side-on to the direction of movement and<br />
follow your subject with the camera at the speed it is<br />
travelling. The objective here is to freeze the moving<br />
object and blur its background. The principal variable<br />
will be the shutter speed – which of course will vary<br />
slightly depending on the speed of the object.<br />
Moving object – Holding a camera still with a slowish<br />
shutter speed such as in this circus silk rope act image<br />
- especially with strong lighting, can create dramatic<br />
results. The challenge here is keeping the camera still<br />
and making sure you get your exposure right. An f-stop<br />
of around f11 is needed here to limit the amount of<br />
light getting through to the film or sensor for the longer<br />
period than normal that the shutter is open.<br />
Combination – If you have a willing participant, (such as<br />
my wife during lockdown), you can set up some scenarios<br />
and experiment with still and moving elements until you<br />
get the right mix of static and dynamic to produce, in this<br />
case, an interesting variation on a portrait. The texture in<br />
this shot is really important. Adding soft fabric elements<br />
can introduce a lovely softness to these types of images.<br />
Mumbai Taxi<br />
Fujifilm X-T20 @ F22, 1/15s, ISO200, 21mm<br />
Anyone who has been to India will know that everything happens at such pace - in a blur around you. I like that this image portrays that chaos of<br />
movement with the taxi and bus against the stationary background of one of very few green spaces in the city - a local cricket ground.
Geeta<br />
Leica Q2 @ F1.7 1/13s, ISO100, 28mm<br />
Lit from one side by a simple halogen desk lamp, my wife wore a heavily textured rabbit skin top for this shot at our dining table. We experimented<br />
with a few combinations of aperture and shutter speed until we got this shot of her turning her head from side to side while keeping her body still.
Silk<br />
Leica Q2, @ F1.7, 1/30s, ISO640, 28mm<br />
This silk rope performer in a small circus troupe was being spun around from below by an assistant which set up the shot, lit and backed by the starcovered<br />
marquee roof. I took several shots of Rue, trying to capture her wonderful form at the precise moment to show her wonderful form. This<br />
shot is also a good example of lens flare.
‘Vietnam’<br />
Fujifilm X-T20 @ F2.8 1/75s, ISO3200, 21mm<br />
Musicians working together in a tight space, engrossed in a symbiotic rhythm, difficult to capture as one. By taking this double exposure, I was able to<br />
blend their energy together into a single image. There's a really good balance here between the instruments and the concentrated faces of the band.<br />
DOUBLE EXPOSURE<br />
I haven’t shot a lot of these types of images, but wellconstructed<br />
double-exposures can be really powerful.<br />
Using a strong silhouette outline to frame a face, or a<br />
broader background image overlaid with a close-up<br />
detail can work really well. Here is a double exposure<br />
I shot of the band ‘Vietnam’, during their rehearsal.<br />
REFLECTIONS<br />
This is probably my favourite creative technique –<br />
shiny surfaces such as mirrors, water, or shopfront<br />
reflections can provide a great opportunity to<br />
set up an image with complex layering. When<br />
contemplating an image like this, start with the static<br />
view through your camera which sets the tone for the<br />
image and decide how much depth of field to add,<br />
whether the focus plane should be that background<br />
or the reflection, and then wait for those extra<br />
elements, (people, cars etc.) to round out the frame.<br />
SILHOUETTES<br />
Metering is key to a good silhouette. By that I mean,<br />
you want to try and capture the darkest shadows in<br />
part of your image for maximum effect. So, look for<br />
high-contrast situations with interesting, discernible<br />
edges and expose your shot on the highlights. Ideally,<br />
you don’t want any detail in the shadows – just the<br />
edges. Complex textures such as the stormy skies<br />
captured in the waterfront dive platform image can<br />
increase impact for the viewer.<br />
54 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
Floridita’s<br />
Fujifilm X-T20 @ F1.2, 1/240s, ISO400, 85mm<br />
The light was just right (roughly equal inside and out) for this reflection shot through a popular Wellington eatery window. The colours, and hanging<br />
lights sat nicely over the girl behind the counter, while the character buildings opposite converged nicely into the shelf full of glassware.<br />
Meridian<br />
Leica Q2, 28mm ISO 160 f13 1/250 sec.<br />
Wandering the waterfront, I stumbled across this nice reflection. Although I’m an Architect by trade, I don’t often take photos of structures. I<br />
waited for someone to wander into the scene to create some scale and context, and snap!
Diving Jesus<br />
Leica Q2, @ F8 1/800s, ISO100, 28mm<br />
I saw an interesting group wandering along the Wellington waterfront one day and tried to capture them - initially with no luck. It was dusk, not<br />
a lot of light around and they decided to dive off a popular platform at Taranaki Street wharf into the sea. The “style” with which he leapt and his<br />
flailing hair and beard made for an excellent silhouette.<br />
56 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
Pride Parade<br />
Leica Q2 @ F1.7 1/2500s, ISO100, 28mm<br />
Prior to the procession through Courtenay Place, those involved with the event were completing their preparations - happy to pose for photos. The<br />
late afternoon sun was pouring directly down the street, which really highlighted the vibrant and flowing material in this costume.<br />
LENS FLARE<br />
Lens flare is characterised by the way your equipment<br />
renders sunlight from behind your subject, when<br />
shooting directly into or at an angle to that light. What<br />
is thrown up can be quite dramatic, to very subtle – but<br />
generally, there is a dreamy retro’ look to these types<br />
of images. In extreme cases, large thin circles or spots<br />
can appear, depending on the direction of light and its<br />
angle to the glass.<br />
The nice thing about lens flare, is that photographers will<br />
generally try to avoid it by using lens hoods or filters to<br />
restrict impact of this direct light on an image – but in the<br />
last few years, it has become cool to deliberately try to<br />
blast an image full of this effect and see what happens!<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
57
Mexico<br />
Leica Q2 @ F1.7 1/250s, ISO800, 28mm<br />
Firstly, my eye was drawn to the vibrant red neon sign which was casting a lovely glow over the rain-soaked footpath. After surveying the scene for a<br />
moment, I saw a couple of red cars parked, and then to ice the opportunity, I waited for the traffic lights to also turn red.<br />
NIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
Wandering the city at night can bring a whole new<br />
perspective to an environment you might be more<br />
than familiar with by day.<br />
Look for different ways in which darkness and artificial<br />
lighting can cast a completely different feel over a<br />
scene. Add some rain, (as in the shot filled with red<br />
lights taken in Wellington’s Dixon Street), and you<br />
could be anywhere in the world.<br />
CONCLUSION<br />
As always, if you've been enjoying this series so far,<br />
get out there and make some pictures! You can<br />
show me the street photos you've been taking and<br />
ask questions via @bokehstreet on Instagram or<br />
Facebook. You can also sign up for one of my Street<br />
Walk sessions to learn more from me in person now<br />
that COVID restrictions finally are starting to ease.<br />
www.bokehstreet.com<br />
excio.gallery/alan
REGISTER FOR<br />
YOUR ROLL PAPER<br />
UNIT FOR $1<br />
Purchase an Epson SureColor P906<br />
printer and for $1 receive a Roll<br />
Paper Unit ( $299 RRP )<br />
11th April <strong>2022</strong> − 30th June <strong>2022</strong><br />
This offer is valid for purchases made between 11th April <strong>2022</strong> and 30th June <strong>2022</strong>, through an approved Epson Reseller. Register your printer at<br />
www.epson.co.nz/promotions by 15th July <strong>2022</strong> & have your proof of purchase received by 29th July <strong>2022</strong> to receive your Roll Paper Unit for $1.<br />
All eligible products must be of New Zealand specification intended for sale in the New Zealand market place. One claim per eligible product per<br />
household or organisation. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer.
WATER<br />
READERS'<br />
SUBMISSIONS<br />
With April being Water<br />
Awareness Month let's<br />
showcase your<br />
photographs of water!<br />
Submit by 15 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
for a chance to be<br />
featured in the next issue<br />
of <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>.<br />
Submit at www.nzphotographer.nz<br />
60 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
PORTFOLIO<br />
BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH<br />
'BLUE'<br />
BRICK BLUES<br />
Sadly, this long-standing and colourful old brick wall was demolished last month to make way for<br />
yet another apartment block in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter.<br />
Gail Orgias<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
61
KEYHOLE ROCK, ARAMOANA BEACH<br />
The weather was fine on Good Friday <strong>2022</strong> (April 15th) so we travelled from Dunedin to<br />
Aramoana beach for the afternoon. I enjoyed capturing this photo of Keyhole Rock, with a lovely<br />
sky-blue frame. We returned home refreshed by our time under the sun and blue sky, alongside<br />
the beautiful blue sea.<br />
Greg Hughson<br />
62 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
GLISTENING GLACIAL ICE<br />
On a recent trip to Mount Aoraki, I visited Tasman Glacier Lake. This picture is a glacial iceberg<br />
against Mount Aorangi backdrop.<br />
Dafydd Davies<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
63
I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW!<br />
Royal Spoonbill standing on Kowhai at Orkarito Lagoon.<br />
Bruce Hancock<br />
64 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
PEACOCK<br />
I visited Staglands in Upper Hutt, and took this shot of a beautiful peacock.<br />
Pixie W<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
65
ATEA A RANGI / STAR COMPASS, HAWKES BAY<br />
Built in 2017, this is a fascinating place to visit. You are able to take educational tours through<br />
this site to learn about early celestial navigation, or simply wander in awe of this restored coastal<br />
wetlands area. It’s a beautiful place to take in the sunrise or sunset, and at night, the stones under<br />
the waharoa glow.<br />
Lyn Alves<br />
66 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
BLUES GUITAR<br />
This guitar is a Gibson 335 made in Memphis, Tennessee, perfect for playing the<br />
blues! The figured maple top has a translucent indigo blue finish showing off the<br />
grain of the wood and allowing some of its colour to bleed through. It reminds<br />
me of tropical sea over sand.<br />
Jack Horlock<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
67
BLUE MORNING<br />
This was my first visit to Moeraki Boulders, and it was all that I’d imagined. The morning was calm,<br />
quiet, peaceful, and beautiful. I was so happy to finally be there and experience its beauty myself.<br />
Jan Abernethy<br />
68 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
BLUE HUES<br />
This was taken at Mt Cook in the hooker valley. The sun was on its way down and the shadows<br />
were getting longer making it feel cooler. This was the last photo of the shoot before we<br />
retreated to the car.<br />
Kay Bayley<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
69
STILL LIFE IN BLUE<br />
One of our camera club subjects was blue. I looked around the house for anything blue I could<br />
find, plus some agapanthus from the side of the road. I set up the still life, against a bedroom wall<br />
(which happened to be blue) and finished the image off by adding a texture to make it more<br />
interesting.<br />
Carole Garside<br />
70 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
EERIE NIGHTTIME<br />
This photograph was taken standing in the sea at Maraeti Beach, East Auckland. I was looking for a<br />
different perspective for photographing the wharf. During post-processing, after converting the image<br />
to black and white, I added the blue texture layer to give the viewer the eerie nighttime feeling.<br />
Margaret Jones<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
71
BLUE CHIMNEY<br />
Even a nondescript chimney can look rather elegant.<br />
Peter Maiden<br />
72 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
ONE TREE HILL CYANOTYPE<br />
This is One Tree Hill in Featherston, South Wairarapa and is a cyanotype print. This work started as a<br />
digital photo which I then turned into a negative following a digital negative process, then printed by<br />
hand as a cyanotype.<br />
Rebecca Macfie<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
73
BLUE TOWER<br />
New York’s Hudson Yards sends its blue towers skywards, producing astonishing hues<br />
and reflections.<br />
Prue Scott<br />
74 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
WINDOWS & STAIRS<br />
This image really plays with your mind as to whether you are going up the stairs or down. The<br />
effect has been created by taking the original image of the stairs, duplicating it as a layer<br />
and then flipping it horizontally. Next, I changed the opacity by reducing it just enough so<br />
that the bottom layer would show through whilst making sure the windows lined up. Then I<br />
applied a custom colour blue overlay and finally added a tone map to bring out the detail.<br />
I particularly like how the arrangement of the windows fits within the rule of thirds keeping<br />
order in the image.<br />
Tulipa Briggs<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
75
BLUE POPPY<br />
This image of a Himalayan Blue Poppy was taken during a summer visit to Lanarch<br />
Castle on the Otago Peninsula, Dunedin.<br />
Suzanne Renner<br />
76 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
NO MANS LAND<br />
I love taking photos of birds, and the Royal Spoonbills are one of my favourites, as they are so<br />
graceful and elegant. I also love to create composites and decided to merge my love of birds and<br />
creative edits. The Spoonbill images were taken in Christchurch at the South Brighton estuary, and the<br />
mountains are from a trip to the West Coast.<br />
Tracey Perrin<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
77
MOODY BLUE<br />
A cold and moody evening at Lake Rotorua.<br />
Goldie Beeton<br />
78 <strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong> <strong>NZPhotographer</strong>
OUR CREATOR’S HANDIWORK<br />
I was thrilled to visit Geraldine last year and wake to a frosty morning which saw me out trying to<br />
photograph ice bubbles. This is an ice bubble captured before it had fully formed.<br />
Wendy Pemberton<br />
<strong>NZPhotographer</strong><br />
<strong>May</strong> <strong>2022</strong><br />
79
"AN EXPERT IS SOMEONE WHO, OVER MANY<br />
YEARS, MANAGES TO REMAIN CONFIDENT<br />
ENOUGH TO KEEP TRYING AND HUMBLE<br />
ENOUGH TO KEEP LEARNING."<br />
JAMES CLEAR<br />
PHOTO BY MARKUZA