NZPhotographer Issue 59, September 2022

Whangarei Heads
Canon 5DMKIV 70-200mm @ F16.5s, ISO100, 140mm
I use the “YR” weather app to help predict what the
weather will be like and what the clouds are doing.
I also use the “Tides near me” app as I shoot a lot
of seascapes, and I need to know what the tides
are doing. This is important as you don’t want to get
caught out with a high tide.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR ICM PHOTOGRAPHY…
A few years ago, a local camera club hosted a
workshop about using the right side of your brain, the
creative side. The workshop was hosted by Auckland
photographer Bruce Burgess who taught us how to
break all the rules in photography and introduced
participants to ICM photography.
I was just amazed at what you could achieve with
practice. The images he showed us were just beautiful
and so different from your traditional straight-out-ofthe-camera
photos, the images weren’t sharp at all,
but they had magic to them and lit up my eyes.
ICM photography is an abstract style of shooting
that has no rules. It is more dreamy and painterly
and captures a feeling or expression, resulting in an
abstract rendition of a scene. I just love doing this
style of photography at the beach with early morning
or evening light, it takes practice, but the results are
worth it.
TELL US MORE ABOUT SETTING UP AND
RUNNING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS…
I have built up my photography business slowly over
the last six years.
Friends and family initially asked me to photograph
their families, and I did this at a low cost when I started,
just to cover my costs while I built up my portfolio;
then, I started charging more. Word of mouth is great,
and you get more work from this. I have a Facebook
page that I try and post regularly to and also some
local Facebook pages in the area. I have also started
posting on my Instagram page in the last year.
I have sold my landscape work at art shows and
markets in the local area. I don’t sell a lot at the
markets, mainly my gift cards, smaller prints, and
calendars, I do these to get my name out there, and
it seems to have worked. I’m now starting to sell more
from my Facebook page and have started to get
commissions for landscapes.
16 September 2022 NZPhotographer