New Zealand’s competition for photojournalism is now accepting entries for its 21st annual award programme, with photographers vying for the prestigious Walker Trophy.
The National Photojournalism Competition 2012, hosted by the New Brighton Photographic Club, will be accepting submissions in print, slide and digital image categories until July 31.
“There have been so many golden opportunities over the summer months to capture those magic moments of people doing things, be it while you have been out four-wheel driving, attending the races, sporting events or watching the buskers and not to forget within your own family or neighbourhood, to name but a few,” says the organiser.
The competition is open to all New Zealand residents and financial members of PSNZ affiliated camera club, with each entrant allowed to submit a maximum of four prints, four slides and four digital images. Read the rest of this entry »
The Photography Society of New Zealand’s three-day Northern Regional Convention this year kicks of on November 11 at the Franklin Arts and Cultural Centre in Pukekohe.
The event, dubbed Fields of Colour, offers Society members the chance to hear an array of professional photographers speak as well as attend various practical workshops and photo outings.
Guest speakers include the photographer behind Auckland’s Fstop Studios and D-Photo lighting guru Bret Lucas, landscape photographer Geoff Cloake, surf photographer Cory Scott, wilderness photographer Graham Dainty and sports photographer Richard Spranger.
As well as delivering talks on their areas of expertise the visiting pros will also host workshops on the likes of lighting and body paint, finding images on location, editing and preparing images and lighting nude photography.
The conventions photo outings will include locations such as the Karaka countryside, Bombay market garden countryside, Glenbrook Railway and Wright’s Water Gardens.
Registration for the full three days costs $219, or you can pick and choose the days or events you wish to attend. For more information visit the official website.
The Photographic Society of New Zealand has begun accepting submissions for its annual photography book showcasing members’ works.
Society members are invited to submit up to two images to be considered for publication in New Zealand Camera 2012; this year the submission process is being handled entirely online.
The 2012 edition will also feature a special section around the theme ‘we are storytellers’, with entrants invited to nominate specific images for that section.
Further building on the storytelling theme, entrants will have the option of submitting a short, 140-character story to accompany the image and its title.
The organiser asks that any image being submitted with a story also stands accompanied by its title only, as images may be published without their stories attached.
The publication also offers another opportunity for photographers to see their words in print in a new ‘pearls of wisdom’ section, which replaces the previous ‘famous quotes’ chapter.
Photographic insights, which could address matters of inspiration or enthusiasm, need to stick to the 140-character limit as well and may be published independently of any submitted image.
Only current financial members of the Photographic Society of New Zealand can submit work for the publication and those wishing to do so should browse the conditions of entry thoroughly.
Entries close 5PM, September 23 and can be submitted electronically here.
The Photographic Society of New Zealand’s annual conference opens this week, running from April 6 to 10.
The event, titled A Shore Thing, will be hosted at the North Harbour Stadium function centre in Albany.
The five-day convention includes talks from top photographers, workshops and field trips.
This year’s speakers include New Zealand legend Ans Westra, UK landscape photographer Charlie Waite, Australian photographer Michael Hall and photography educator Gerard Saide.
D-Photo will be on-site covering the convention so keep your eyes peeled for updates through the week.
Late registrations for the event are still being welcomed and the late fee has been waved although some programme options have already filled up.
At the end of October this year the Kapiti Coast Photographic Society hosted the PSNZ/Epson Central Regional Convention at Tatum Park, a great venue with park-like grounds just a little north of the Kapiti Coast.
The theme “One Step Closer — Photography to Art” was deliberately chosen because we had access to top quality speakers able to stimulate, inspire and facilitate thought on the differences between taking or making images.
The speakers were all talented New Zealanders.
Tony Bridge, FPSNZ is a digital artist, photo educator, writer and one of New Zealand’s leading landscape photographers. Bridge’s work draws heavily upon his Maori and European heritage and his ongoing studies into a broad range of spiritual and mystical traditions.
“It seems to me, that the digital process is limited only by our imagination, our knowledge of self, and our willingness to give it free rein,” Bridge says.
His photographic work and philosophy can be seen here.
Bridge believes that “all our images are postcards we are sending to ourselves… thus they are narratives. Our photographs are the mirrors we hold up to ourselves. They are the mile markers for our own individual and unique journey”.
Paul Gummer, FNZIPP teaches commercial photography and design degree and diploma programmes at UCOL in Palmerston North. Recently, he won the 2009 NZ Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP) Landscape Photographer of the Year Award and the Overall 2009 NZIPP Photographer of the Year Award.
This year he won L&P/AIPP ‘Landscape Photographer of the Year 2010′ Award at the Australian Institute of Professional Photography Awards. His work can be viewed here.
“The digital era has been highly inspirational I have moved further away from representing the world in a purely realistic way,” Gummer says.
“There is no written rule that says a photographer must be ˜realistic’. In fact, as we let our imaginations drive the pictures, they inevitably become stronger… painters and filmmakers have been doing this for years.
“The image communicates an idea/tells a story/reveals a narrative, it induces an emotive response, it suggests something beyond the subject matter, the lighting is evocative, it is tonally beautiful.”
Sally Mason, FPSNZ is a Freeman Patterson tutor and Photographic artist. Sally’s unique “in-camera” artwork is held in hundreds of private and corporate collections throughout the world.
“Spontaneous creative play with your camera unlocks the unspoiled core within, and that allows for the unconditioned approach to learning as experienced by children – without the need or pressure to ˜do things right’,” Mason says.
“The need to discover why you are who you are – and understand how we feel and why we react to a place or situation in the way we do… that in turn influences our approach to photography….. your image is a reflection of yourself.”
Binh Trinh, APSNZ is an international award winning photographer based in Palmerston North.
In just four years he has quickly developed a strong reputation in New Zealand as well as overseas due to his fresh and artistic style, winning a multitude of awards from around the world. Trinh told us that we should “see the light and the rest will come”.
“Don’t be a photographer, be an artist,” Trinh says.
A highlight of the convention and completely coincidental was the extraordinary link in the message expressed by each speaker – as if they had collaborated in their preparation. However, they had not communicated. All who attended found it an inspirational and thought provoking weekend.
The old saying ˜if you need something done ask a busy person’ certainly applies to Don Kelly. To list all of his achievements, information about which was like getting blood from a stone, would take several columns so I will summarise. Post Office radio technician, television serviceman, Blenheim Jaycee President, Nelson/Marlborough Jaycee Regional Governor, leader of the winning Australasian Jaycee debating team, Jaycee Senator, Blenheim Borough Councilor, then the Marlborough District Council, Marlborough Camera Club president, convention organiser and for the last 35 years a well known and popular Blenheim car salesman. Pretty much the perfect CV to lead a major national organisation like the PSNZ to another growth plateau.
Don Kelly was born in Nelson but from the age of four was brought up in Blenheim.
A keen sportsman, he rose to the Marlborough College First XV and at college was unbeaten in six wrestling fights staged as preliminaries to professional bouts.
While he completed his radio technician cadetship this career was never his passion. Joining Jaycees, a young men’s training and service organisation, in 1966 was however one of the ˜most life-changing moves’ he has ever made. Apart from huge personal growth achievements through the organisation, a Jaycee colleague offered him a job in his car dealership, a career that 35 years later he still enjoys.
“My interest in photography began in 1988 when the company bought a compact camera. I decided to buy one also to replace my old Agfa camera bought secondhand 25 years earlier. With my growing interest I soon replaced the compact with a Nikon 801, which, along with a second Nikon, I still use today. Although I have occasionally ˜fine tuned’ an image in Photoshop, I haven’t yet converted to digital, preferring to save that until I grow up.”
Most Saturdays through summer Don photographs weddings, enjoys black and white portraiture and is a rostered weekend photographer for the Marlborough Express, photographing sport and general news.
Don joined the Marlborough Camera Club around 17 years ago and has actively competed in competitions. He became an individual member of the PSNZ in 1996. He was president of the Marlborough club for two years in the mid 90s and was chairman of the 1997 PSNZ National Convention committee. He agreed to repeat the performance when Blenheim again hosted the National Convention in 2003. He joined the PSNZ Council following that convention, was elected Vice President in 2004 and President in April this year at the Christchurch Convention. He achieved a Licentiateship to the Society in 1999 followed by an Associateship in 2002. On both occasions he achieved the distinctions with sets of black and white prints that he had produced in his own darkroom.
The PSNZ has approximately 900 individual members and represents, through some 60 affiliated clubs and societies, another 3000 photographers. Strong membership growth is noted within those clubs that have embraced digital photography. “Because of the digital revolution, photographic clubs have never had a better opportunity to grow membership with new programs,” says Don. “Recent growth appears to be not only younger people joining clubs but also older people who have decided to get into digital photography in their retirement.”
He is enthusiastic with the direction the PSNZ is heading. “The Council is actioning a change for the next National Exhibition, from only slides being projected to digital images being projected alongside. Digital will follow into other PSNZ competitions that until now have been slide only. Print competitions should stay the same ¦ after all one only gets two seconds of glory with a projected image.”
Rules and guidelines are being developed at the moment for the Jack Sprosen Memorial Trophy, which will be competed for with five-minute digital audiovisual presentations. Don believes that within the next two to three years this will be one of the most prestigious competitions in the PSNZ calendar.
He is also enthusiastic about the ˜huge profile increase’ over the last three years from the annual upgraded production of the quality coffee table book NZ Camera, a showcase of the best images from members over the previous year.
Don is excited that the PSNZ is growing so well while many other organisations are struggling, some to survive. At this time of growth and change the PSNZ is fortunate to have such an enthusiastic and capable president at the helm.
And not one to miss an opportunity he asked that readers be reminded that the next National Convention is in New Plymouth, 11-15 April, 2007.
New Zealand’s competition for photojournalism is now accepting entries for its 21st annual award programme, with photographers vying for the prestigious Walker Trophy.
The Photography Society of New Zealand’s three-day Northern Regional Convention this year kicks of on November 11 at the Franklin Arts and Cultural Centre in Pukekohe.
The Photographic Society of New Zealand has begun accepting submissions for its annual photography book showcasing members’ works.
