Bussleton Jetty, WA

Fortunately or otherwise we have not been to the Dampier’s or Port Hedland’s of the world, though they do seem to have a stark beauty and relevance of their own.Instead it has been Perth and south to Busselton which boasts a jetty 1.8 kn long. To pass the time whilst waiting for a long expsure I shot this in my i phone (3) and stitched using Autostitch which I downloaded for just over $1 US if I recall. All hand held and not perfect and  the jep has had some rough editing,so here is the finished article. Not bad I reckon for just over $1 US and in your pocket and shot a low lighty! The light over the past 24 hours has been stunning and this gives a flavour of it. I will play with the i phone in the future so will return to this topic. Can’t wait for the new i phone!

Enjoy and comments!

In the last few weeks Nico Has learnt to crawl and is close to walking. He races around the house and breakneck speed on all fours from plug to fridge to TV on off button. He loves switches, cupboards and drawers. Is he curious or do we have an engineer in the making.

Either way I know what people mean when they talk about the “pitter patter of tiny feet!”

A great kid a tribute to my beautiful wife and gifted  mother and helpful Big Sister Tayla.

 PSNZ Letters

One of the opportunities available to PSNZ members is to submit works for consideration of “letters”.

There are 3 levels of award and full details are available on the PSNZ website.

You can start by applying for Licentiateship  or you can skip this and go straight to  Associateship . Associateship once achieved entitles you to go,after 2 years for Fellowship, where you submit a set of 18 images on a tight theme. The other grades require 10 and 12 image portfolios respectively. As I submitted an associateship I will comment on this.

Again the rules are available on the website, but for me I found it hard to be clear, even after reading these, so I offer up my interpretation of the important aspects, as someone  who has been through the process. (Remember that this is my personal opinion only)

The important aspects are:

-ability to show photographic skills/competence

-follow a theme but don’t have to

-creative/artistic

-flow

Competance and skills is presumably a given, composition, focus, exposure, processing, printing and mounting all spot on.

The theme aspect I don’t  fully understand the rules but think that for most applicants there is a theme but it is of a more general nature e.g.photoimpressionism, street photography,  arches, rather than say Queen St or arches in Christchurch Cathedral . The bottom line is that you need to approach the flow as you would a one man exhibition.

Artistic, creative

My experience was that the hardest aspects were to weave the last 3 aspects together, particularly to get a flow. My observations of the sets at conference was that flow can be achieved by such elements as style, colour, linking composition or lines.

So to my set; I took a risk and put together a set of nudes. I was interested in the form of subject.  Below a excerpt of some of the portfolio.

Final line Female Form Portfolio Roger Wandless©2012

April 30^th  PSNZ and Bookmaking Talk

As promised a summary of my bookmaking talk.

But first a few comments  about the conference. As it drew to a close I pondered as to why it was so enjoyable, stimulating and useful. They were four big days of first rate talks, hands on workshops, trips , exhibitions, probably into the thousands of images ( by the end even I was suffering from visual overload!) comprehensive and helpful trade stands but for me the power is in the people from the big names to fellow delegates. For under $500 it is unbelievable value for anyone interested in photography.

And finally to the Organising committee simply a big “Thank you!”

So to my talk.

Thank you for the positive comments. Given that it was all put together at short notice it is a relief to receive these!

As in any presentation there is a portion devoted to introducing yourself to your audience. Additionally I did small group work where students were given a book to critically appraise from a design perspective, so what is below is the salient underlying principles I have noted from my experience of self publishing.

Key points

-concept

-design

-flow

-structure

-marketing

Concept

This is about the story, solving a problem for a customer (eg how to do, gift idea), or is new, different, or better

Design

I believe less is more. Look at lots of publications critically and decide what you like or you don’t and why. Keep a note of this. Whilst with software enables anyone to acquire the skills to do basic design a good designer will make a big difference. In other words the extra 10% can matter!

Flow

Many elements to this

-Cover to the book

-Story and images

-Overall flow of the book

-Rhythm. Books have this and blank pages are a good example of how to provide this.

-Images traditionally start and end with moody images, sunny images are in the body of the book.

-Spreads match in terms of horizons, composition and colour

-Scale context. A small landscape image next to a large detail image looks wrong

The list is not exhaustive I’m sure!

Structure

Is about structuring the story and is linked to many of the design aspects.

Also consider the physical size, shape and thickness as well as the aspects of introduction, contents, chapters afterword, others (eg maps) and index.

But also this relates to how to structure the project forma business perspective.

Write some form of business plan (if this is to be a for sale publication).

Write a draft brief.

Marketing

Wasn’t covered in the talk other than to say that it is about telling people about what you do.

Draft brief

What is the book about?

Dimensions style of book

Expand on what the image is about

The market, what similar books are out there

Why should anyone buy your book?

What is your target market?

Price range

What material you have

What material you need

The team: designer, image scanner for pre-press, printer

Proposed timeline

Story

Has a start middle and end. Start and finish strongly

Subplots

Details

Relate text to images

So it doesn’t seem to much when I write it down, which is probably a good thing!

Enjoy!

The conference raised a number of interesting topics which I will cover in future weeks and hopefully stimulate discussion.

Photography at night

I recently was asked at a night time photo shoot what to set the camera for this situation.
I paused whilst I considered how to best answer the question to give the questioner the information they sought.
As I was doing so they continued “maybe it’s just that I need flash”
In the end I set the camera to av mode with a large aperture and high iso but I thought I would use this blog to explain the fundamentals.

To make a correct exposure you need a certain (correct) amount if light energy to strike the sensor( or film).
The light source can be either from an external ( usually sunlight) or from flash. At night although it is dark there is still external light around from streetlights, moonlight even stars etc.

There are 3 factors to consider
Aperture
Shutter speed
Iso

Aperture this describes the size of the hole made by leaf blades, behind the lens that allows light to pass to the sensor behind when the shutter is depressed. A smaller number means a larger hole because the numbers relate to the inverse of the radius. So that f 2.8 is a large aperture and f 22 a small aperture.
Different apertures have different characteristics. A large aperture has a small depth of field, meaning that only a small range infront and behind of the focus point will be sharp. This is useful if you want to isolate a subject from it’s background eg a bird infront of foliage.Conversely a small aperture has a large range infront of and behind the focus point in focus and is useful in landscape photography. There are more subtleties to aperture but I won’t overcomplicate things.

Shutter speed denotes the time that the shutter is open. If you are hand holding the camera then this has to be fast enough to prevent camera shake. The rule of thumb on this is to take the inverse of the focal length of the lens as being the minimum speed required, so for a 200 mm lens 1/200sec is needed, for a 50mm lens 1/50 sec etc.

ISO this relates to the sensitivity of film (or now the electronic sensor) to light. The higher the ISO number the more sensitive the sensor to light and so less light is required to give a correct exposure. The trade off, however, is the higher the iso the greater the noise (for digital sensors) or grain (film).

So to tie it together the correct exposure requires a correct combination of all three of these variables. Many cameras will do this automatically and give a good result. I would recommend understanding how to do this manually as it gives 1) an understanding of typical settings for a situation which may pay off in the future 2) it allows more control which then allows you to convert your previualised image to a finished result.

Eg1 landscape in midday sun. Typical settings ISO100, f11,250th sec
The ISO gives good quality, f11 afford depth of field for say a 35mm focal length lens of 10feet to infinity and for a similar lens 1/250 sec will avoid camera shake

Eg 2 portrait in low light with 200mm lens
ISO 400, f 2. 8 1/1000 sec
The higher Iso is required to get a shutter speed that will safely avoid camera shake. The wide aperture gives a shallow depth of field. Overall this allows for an image where the subject is sharp and the background do out if focus that it is more colour than form. This isolates the subject and simplifies the image.

One final note the histogram.
This measures frequency invent y axis and wavelength of light on the x axis (0-256). Unless you wish to have pure black (0) or pure white (256) them all readings should lie between these values. It will look like a bell shaped curve ( or variation thereof ).

So what to set the camera at night?

Happy shooting!

Over the last 18 months I have been an enthusiastic member of the Southland Photographic Society. I didn’t know it at the time but I joined at a very opportune time, as  we are hosting the annual convention starting April 25 so just over a weeks time. This will be my first opportunity to attend such an event, so I’m not sure what to expect. The is reasonable when compared to commercial workshops and the programme extensive and varied. I will post on it as it happens, but suffice to say it is an exciting event. I’m not sure but I think camera clubs have come in for some negative comment from some quarters, but I have to say that my experience has been wholly positive. My experience has been of a treasure trove of talent, knowledge, passion and willingness to share, encourage and foster. And probably most importantly of all the opportunity to foster new friendships. So I commend them and thank all those enthusiastic folks who volunteer their time in the cause of camera clubs, PSNZ  and all of it’s activities. They contribute to a sharing and creation of a subculture that  is built around displaying and receiving feedback on each other’s work. This is probably the most powerful way of learning and of developing your work. I have certainly found that my photography has widened and been pushed in new directions.

Another powerful way to develop your photography is to exhibit your work.

This involves  first and foremost planning:

-decide on a theme and title

-collect or choose images that not only fit the theme but also hang together as a body of work and even better flow together

-find a venue

-process the images to as high a standard as possible

-print or have printed the images to as high a standard as possible ( this is something I am still keen to learn more about, especially in an industry awash with choice),

-frame to best display which in  my book is to find and develop a relationship with a good framer and take their advice

-hang the work, this is not something that I have thought much about but requires attention to detail such as first and foremost lighting, but also appropriate, even and level placing, labeling and pricing. Some galleries keep the pricing and labeling separate from the work but my experience of this is that it can lead to confusion about whether the work is for sale or not. It would be a shame to lose a sale on a technicality like that!

-market and publicise the work

Which brings me to the present.

Nine photographers from Southland have put together what I believe is some stunning work and certainly a ground breaking concept of a joint exhibition around a common theme. It runs until the end of the month and the opening night is on Friday April 27.

The theme is “Transcience”.

Since 1986 the enthusiasm of Sir Tim Wallis and other early pioneers the Warbirds biennial Airshow has gone from strength to strength. It is held just outside of Wanaka, Central Otago.

I haven’t been there for four years, so was keen to go along this time.

The main focus was relaxation, time with family and friends rather than photography.  We decided to cycle (baby on the back) as the traffic was bumper to bumper from Wanaka to the airport. I recommend it as it combines exercise, fresh air and door to door service.

The show was noticeably bigger than last time (apparently over 100,000 people have attended recent shows) and the entertainment and services  better. I love the relaxed commentary with a mixture of education, entertainment and humorous banter. From a photographic perspective the tempting images are of big planes roaring past.  I indulged in a few of them, but for me I found the spectators and other photographers more interesting; the mixture of engrossed and interesting body language and dust.

And of course bubs with the earmuffs.

Enjoy!

Autumn is one of my favourite times of year, in New Zealand. I love the change from summer to winter, the warm days and crisp nights, the last colourful flush from the largest plants of that kingdom as the leaves change to reds, yellows and orange but recently I have been impressed by the mists and reflections of this Southland season.

As I camped overnight this weekend in Central Otago I came to notice that the mist was formed just prior to sunrise. Presumably this is because it is the coolest time of the night and so the cold air reaches it’s dew point as it comes near to the warm water.

This is all very well but from the photographic perspective mist is a fascinating and wonderful phenenom. Specifically it isolates subjects from their environments, diffuses sunlight and is associated with reflections. It gives rise to the possibility for strong but simple and atmospheric compositions.

This weekend I encountered 2 types of mists. One in Invercargill that was a fog that hung around all morning and where there was no sunlight, so the light was flat. This allows for expression of detail in images. On Sunday in Kinloch, (one hour by car north of Queenstown on the edge of Fiordland and Mt Aspiring National Park’s) the mists were localized, temporary and backlit by sunshine, in short ethereal.

Below are 2 images one from each day.

The first is about rhythm and separation (of the posts from the backgound)

The second is more traditional pictorialism.

I have  recently been home alone with Nico and this has prompted me to think about a few things.

Firstly the practical issue of being prepared, for basic needs and unforeseen eventualities. Whilst not perfect I’m not too bad at the first I’m still learning on the second. And so it was that realized the importance of a plastic ring in the assembly of a baby bottle when I found his bed soaked in milk! So once we changed his clothes, the sheets aired the bed and oh yes filled the bottle, we had some fun! So this weekend we have: played ball, read stories, been for our first bike ride (with mum) and done a couple of runs in the pram dog harnessed and pulling us all along. I’m sure neighbours and passers by have had the odd smile  as we have clattered and bounced our way along.

So from the photographic point of view things have been in one sense limited. But on the other hand I have taken a few grab shots of Nico. They are not prize winners or works of art but they have made me think.

Why do most of us buy camera’s, use cameras pay for professionals to take pictures for us? I think that it is to capture memories and record history, but in the main the memories we want to capture are our own and in particular our kids and our own history. Therein lies a fundamental truth of photography and life itself.

My wee fella has been well and truly photographed :from the drama and intensity of birth through the helplessness and perfection of the newborn and now we are at 10 months. I would have liked to have taken some more images but am grateful for the moments and memories I have recorded. So at 10 months it is fascinating to see a personality and individuality develop. He is happy to try something new (for instance potty) dances if music is on, mimics and is inquisitive. It is often my job to bath Nico and I have taken to pulling the plug out and watching bemused and amused as he flexes frantically jackknife from the hip to try and prevent it and work out where it is going. These are examples of a nascent personality developing, for me the fascinating and rewarding part of parenthood.

Below  are some recent images for fun