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A quarterly magazine highlighting the photographic achievements of the Canberra Photographic Society
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Image of the Night March 2015: "Yellow Field and Spire" by Leo Sbirakos.
CAPITAL IMAGEAutumn 2015 A Publication of the Canberra Photographic Society
CONTENTSAutumn 2015
3 Editorial
4 February Competition
Sport and Action Theme
10 Excursion
11 Activity Night
12 March Competition
Aggregate Competition Results
20 A Grade
21 B Grade
AGM
22 President's Report
26 Motions and Committee Members 2015
27 Finding a Life Passion: my journey to pho-tography
by Marwan El Hassan
29 The Wet
by Marion Milliken
31 African Safaris for Photographers
by Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov
32 News from the Ether
by Murray Foote
The Canberra Photographic Society
aims to promote excellence in
photography as a recreational pursuit
and as a serious art form. The society
was formed in September 1945.
Visitors are welcome.
Contacts
For the latest program please visit our web site
www.cpsaus.org
and click on "Program with Themes"
or "Calendar of Events."
Capital Image
is published quarterly in electronic
form by the Canberra Photographic
Society.
Current and back issues are available.
Enquiries
The Editor Capital Image
Canberra Photographic Society
GPO Box 857
CANBERRA ACT 2001
Next edition: Winter 2015
due out July 2015
This magazine is copyright and may not
be reproduced without the permission
of the Canberra Photographic Society.
Copyright for each image is retained by
the photographer.
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A warm welcome to Capital Image readers - here is the first edition of the Canberra Photo-graphic Society quaterly magazine for 2015. We have had an excellent start to the year with good attendance at our functions and several new members joining us. We hope that you will have fun and find that the CPS activities help you reach your photographic potential.
At the start of 2015 we rolled out a revamped website with a few new features. If you haven't visited the website in a while please have a look at www.cpsaus.org. On our home page you will find links to our facebook page, discussion forum, image gallery and also to a blog, where members can post articles of photographic interest. If you would like to contribute to the blog please contact me or Murray Foote. To receive email notification of new posts, please sign up on the blog page.
Blog posts can range from technical articles, such as those reproduced here in the "News from the Ether" column, to discussions about where to find photographic inspiration and re-flections on the history of the society. We will be having a closer look at our history than usual this year, because 2015 is the year of the Canberra Photographic Society's 7oth birthday.
If you haven't already, you might like to "Like" our Facebook Page (and invite others to like it also to broaden the reach of the site).
Our event program is published on our website in a spreadsheet form and also as a Google calendar. Subscribe to this calendar to receive notification of upcoming events in your Google calendar.
The society held its AGM in March and elected its committee for the coming year. We thank out-going committee members for their hard work, and welcome new members. Thank you for volunteering to help run the CPS program. I would particularly like to welcome Lenuta Quraishi, who has started as Assistant Editor for Capital Image: she collated the competition images for this edition.
As always, I am happy to hear from readers. If you have comments please leave them on the Canberra Photographic Society Facebook page (facebook/cpsaus.org) or email me at [email protected].
This year the CPS committee will be examining how we organise our competitions and how we integrate competition functions with our overal web presence. If you have views on how you would like to see us do this in the future, please let us know at [email protected].
Helen McFadden
Editor
Editor: Helen McFadden Assistant Editor: Lenuta Quraishi
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Editorial
Image of the Night February 2015: "Don't Steal my Food" by Michael Taylor.
4
February Competition
"Gloomy Sunrise" by Marwan El Hassan.
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We kicked off our Program for 2015 with the February competition. As it was the first competition of the year there was no Set Topic, so all entries were in the Open Categories. As is often the case for the first meeting of the year, we had a great turnout and we welcomed several visitors and new members. There were 68 entries altogether; 54 A grade entries and 14 B grade entries. There were 38 images entered as projected images (56% of the field).
Judge David McClenaghan currently works as a professional photographer for the Department of Defence and spent several years as a CSIRO photographer. This website features some of his photography. David gave varied and interesting commentary on the images and awarded a score of 5 and Image of the Night to Michael Taylor for "Don't Steal My Food" (see pre-vious page). Other images that were awarded a score of 5 are "Gloomy Sunrise" by Marwan El Hassan (below) and "Reflected Tern" by Graeme Watson (following page).
"Reflected Tern" by Graeme Watson.
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Clockwise from top left: "Red and Blue Door" by Leo Sbirakos, "Bee" by Leisa Condie and "Texture" by Sally Field-Leal were awarded a score of 4 in the February competition.
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Clockwise from top left: "Emotions of Manne-
quins" by Julie Garran, "A Friendly Chat" by
Dave Bassett and "Three Schoolgirls" by Julie
Garran were awarded a score of 4 in the February
competition.8
Clockwise from top left: "Gorgeted Sunangel" by
Brian Jones, "Bull Ant" by Margaret Leggoe and
"Coast at Night - Green Cape" by Matt James
were awarded a score of 4 in the February
competition.9
Clockwise from above: Photographs of sport and action at the ACT Athletics by Helen McFadden, David Flannery, Davide Flannery, Michael Taylor
and Michael Taylor.10
Sport and Action - ExcursionOur first excursion of the year was to an ACT Athletics Event at the AIS track. This outing was organised by David Flannery and Hannah Walmsley. The CPS thanks David and Hannah and ACT Athletics for setting up access for us and allowing 10 photographers (all in regulation-issue fluoro vests) onto the field to photograph the action. It was a warm and sunny day - per-haps a bit too warm and sunny - but those who attended had a great time. David entered one of the photographs (top centre below) that he took at this event into the Canberra Times "Summer" Competition and it was featured on the Canberra Times website. Congratulations David.
Karleen Minney, Melissa Adams and Matt Bedford from the Canberra Times show off some of their gear at a Canberra Photographic Society Activity Night.
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The "Sport and Action" Activity Night was led by Karleen Minney, Photographer and Photo-editor at the Canberra Times. She was assisted by Melissa Adams and Matt Bedford, who are also Canberra Times photographers. Karleen gave an excellent presentation showcasing some award-winning sports shots taken by Canberra Times photographers of Canberra sports events and personalities. After the presentation, Karleen and her crew demonstrated their tools of the trade - some pretty impressive big glass. They even let some of us hold them!
Sport and Action - Activity Night
12 "Lone Dancer at Sunrise" by Sarah Ausserlechner scored 4 in the March competition: Set Topic - Sport and Action.
Sport and Action - March Competition
"Arctic Terns' Courtship" by Brian Jones (above left) and "Leaden Flycatcher" by Margaret Leggoe were awarded scores of 5 in the March competition.
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The "Sport and Action" Competition Night received 77 entries; 67 A grade and 10 B grade entries. Of the total, 50 entries (65%) were submitted as projected images. The judge for the evening was Geoff Comfort, a well-respected AIPP photographer and judge. Geoff has won gold APPA awards for his architecture photography and has been a professional photographer specialising in aerial, architecture and corporate photography. To see his work visit http://www.geoffcomfort.com.
Geoff awarded a score of 5 and Image of the Night to Leo Sbirakos for the composite image "Yellow Field and Spire" featured on the cover of this edition. Geoff awarded a score of 5 to five images (see following pages). Other images with scores of 4 or 4.5 are also featured.
"Around the Turn" by Jim McKenna (above) and "Set Down to Earth" by Graeme Watson were
awarded scores of 5 in the March competition.14
Clockwise from top left: "Rays of Hope" by Marwan El Hassan (5), "Blue Chinese Dancer" by Ulrike Nedomlel (4), "Contrails" by Robert Douglas (4.5), "Unless" by Brian Rope (4.5) did well in the March competition. 15
"Heading Out" by Andrée Lawrey (left) and "Deep in Thought" by Jenny Varela were awarded scores of 4.5 in the March competition.
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Clockwise from left: "Studying the Form" by Ian Marshall, "A Cup of Coffee" by Julie Garran, "Soldier" by Leo Sbirakos, "Red-browed Finch" by Dave Bassett and "Bad Hair Day" by Gordon Gullock scored well in the March competition.
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Clockwise from left: "Clouds - Stonehenge" by
Matt James, "Paros" by Jan Kulikowski, "Vienna
Rathous" by David Maisch and "Bryce Canyon First
Light" by Helen McFadden scored well in the March
competition.
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Clockwise from left: These Set Topic entries did well in the March competition: "Contem-plation" by Michael Taylor, "Colour Action" by Matt James, "Pipeline" by Murray Foote,
"What Happens Next?" by Graeme Watson, "High Flyer" by Dave Bassett, "Mother Kes-trel" by Margaret Leggoe and "Gentoo Penguin Surfing for Its Life" by Helen McFadden.
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Aggregate Competition: A grade results to March
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Photographer Aggregate Score Average ScoreGraeme Watson 35 8.8
Leo Sbirakos 32 8.0
Michael Taylor 32 8.0
Julie Garran 30 7.5
Matt James 30 7.5
Peter Powell 29 7.3
Margaret Leggoe 29 7.3
Brian Jones 28 7.0
Dave Bassett 28 7.0
Helen McFadden 27 6.8
David Maish 26 6.5
Jim McKenna 26 6.5
Robert Douglas 26 6.5
Judy Parker 26 6.5
Leisa Condie 24 6.0
Murray Foote 24 6.0
David Flannery 23 5.8
Ian Marshall 23 5.8
Brian Rope 22 5.5
Jan Kulikowski 22 5.5
Sheila Lunter 20 5.0
Andrée Lawrey 20 5.0
Ken Thomsen 16 8.0
Ian Skinner 16 4.0
Alan Charlton 16 4.0
Steven Shaw 10 5.0
Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov 6 3.0
Bill Laurie 6 3.0
Aggregate Competition: B grade results to MarchPhotographer Aggregate Score Average Score
Marwan El Hassan 31 7.8
Ulrike Nedomlel 26 6.5
Sally Field-Leal 23 5.8
Gordon Gullock 23 5.8
Tony McCormack 21 5.3
Sarah Ausserlechner 20 5.0
Lenuta Quraishi 19 4.8
Jenny Varela 16 8.0
Tom de Jongh 14 7.0
Cliff Samson 13 6.5
Janet Milford 12 6.0
Geng (Greg) Wei 11 5.5
Jagdish Wable 11 5.5
Laura Gilbert 4 4.0
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2014 President's ReportAt the 2015 AGM of the CPS, Ian Marshall delivered his President's Report outlining the achievements of the society for 2014
This report summarises and reflects upon the activities of the Canberra Photograph-ic Society during 2014.
2014 saw the CPS implement some of the strategies identified by the strategic planning process. The most noticeable change was to align our monthly program to follow an integrated theme. After experiencing this during the year, at a consultation in August, members affirmed the effectiveness of this approach and provided suggestions for the program in 2015. The committee worked with this information and developed the 2015 program in time for it to be published at our end of year awards in December.
The focus for continuing Strategic Planning activities in 2014 was communications. The committee wished to implement an integrated and streamlined approach to communi-cation in the society that was in line with the CPS objective to be a:
"mutually supportive and excellent photographic society through
(a) helping the Society members achieve their photographic potential and
(b) encouraging the Society and its members to interact with their commu-nity"1
In May - June 2014 the committee conducted a survey to canvas the views of members regarding the methods of communication that the Society uses. The goal was to find out what methods of communication members prefer and the relative importance of those methods so that resources can be prioritised appropriately. The aim was to use this feedback to develop a coherent, logical framework for the communication activities of the Society.
Just over 50% of members responded to a questionnaire canvassing opinion on commu-nication issues. In brief, the survey showed that email is the most important communi-cation method for members regarding upcoming activities and items of interest and that the website is accessed regularly by existing and potential members. Capital Image was valued as a visual resource and record but it no longer served as a vehicle for news about upcoming events. The increasing importance of social media as a communication tool was recognised. The resulting report was accepted by the committee, which endorsed the recommendations made in response to member opinion.
Flowing from the survey, several changes and new initiatives were put in place:
1. An automated system was introduced for management of the "Members and Friends" mailing list and the Membership directory within an integrated mail management package. This has not only improved the appearance of CPS emails and made them easier to compile; it also allows people to subscribe and unsubscribe to these lists and manage their contact details and membership renewals via an automated online process. It has improved our record-keeping so that we now have a member register that meets our constitutional and reg-ulatory obligations.
2. A monthly eNews was introduced, streamlining and making the existing email communications more regular (just before comp night each month), vi-sually appealing and informative. Thank you to David Flannery for taking on oversight of this.
3. The website has been redeveloped, building on initiatives started by the existing web management team to automate aspects of website content and to allow the involvement of people who do not necessarily have specialist IT skills in the upkeep of the website, rather than relying on the good graces of a few with specialist knowledge. Thanks to the outgoing webmaster team of Bill Laurie and Steven Shaw for their excellent support over several years.
4. A community Facebook page was initiated as a vehicle for updates regard-ing upcoming CPS activities and as a platform for news and items of interest relating to recent CPS events and members' activities. This page has already received over 150 likes and each post has a reach of about 40 people. There are also CPS-member groups operating on Facebook and Google + where interest-ed members post images and items of interest. Some members regularly post images on Instagram: those tagged #canberraphotographicsociety appear in an automatic feed on the new CPS website.
Examination of the CPS constitution with a view to updating it if required had been planned for 2014 but was deferred because it was thought that upgrading the communications system was a more pressing need and a more suitable use of limited committee resources.
1Strategic Planning Statement: 201322
Strategic Planning for 2015
A major focus for Strategic Planning in 2015 will be to develop a strategy that delivers an integrated online presence incorporating our communications, internet and im-age-handing activities.
Thinking further ahead, we will look at how we can provide the structure for members to systematically improve their photographic skills. This skill development was started in 2014 at the photographic workshop at Merimbula (thanks to the generosity of Helen and Phil McFadden with Steven Shaw assisting). In 2015 the preparation for the Merim-bula workshop will take place during our April program. As we consider this, it may mean further development of our program in 2016.
The CPS has continued to engage with our cultural and artistic community, formally and informally. We have talked formally with Janice Falsone (director) and Brian Rope (board member) from PhotoAccess about how we can collaborate where we have shared inter-est. This resulted in our annual PhotoChallenge at the National Botanical Gardens being jointly promoted. We have also discussed the prospect of facilities at the Kingston Arts precinct with PhotoAccess and ACT Government consultants. There does not seem to be a lot of scope for our involvement.
Is this the time for the CPS to develop our own premises?
Monthly Competitions
Our monthly competition continues to attract excellent entries and interest. We are thankful for our external judges who give up their time to talk for a couple of hours about our photographs. The variety of insights and different approaches keeps us from being inward looking. And keeps us on our toes – the results are not always predictable. Thanks to Brian Jones for organising the judges.
Exhibitions
Our annual members exhibition “Out There 2014” at the Watson Arts Centre again at-tracted high quality entries and many visitors. Congratulations to the exhibitors and thanks to the organisers (Judy Parker and many helpers). We also were invited to stage an exhibition at Telstra Tower on Black Mountain at no cost. Our committee decided to fund 40 frames and mounts for the exhibition. This exhibition is still hanging in Telstra Tower. It will be removed in the next couple of weeks. The photographs will then be shown at the Bendigo Camera Club’s Easter exhibition. We will re-hang an exhibition at Telstra Tower with new images in late July.
Another benefit of the relationship with the management of Telstra Tower is that the-Hedda Group meets monthly in the exhibition space.
Workshops
While the CPS committee sets our strategy for the year according to our strategic plan-ning document, we also regularly review how each part of the program is going during the year. One element of our program that is changing is the Workshop night. When we started this in May 2011 a small group viewed and discussed images, then were set an ex-ercise for the next month (the first one was to take a common domestic object and make 12 images of it – think spoons). At the time the committee had to weigh up the risk of the additional expense of room hire against our anticipated income. If it was not success-ful we would have stopped after the first year. The format works best with a relatively small number of participants. Once the numbers grow, some people become observers rather than participants. I noted this as a risk in the President’s Report last year – now it has become a reality and I think that the changes that we have already made are not enough. The committee will review this at our next meeting – and will make necessary modifications from May this year.
Part of the reason for this change is the welcome arrival of more new members than is usual at the beginning of a new year.
Major Awards 2014
Ted’s Hedda Morrison Print Portfolio – Judy Parker ‘Underfoot Painted’
Bica Projected Image Portfolio – Dave Bassett ‘The Streets of India’
Print of the Year – Steven Shaw ‘Green Cape Lighthouse’
Projected Image of the Year – Helen McFadden ‘Night Iris’
Photographer of the Year – Helen McFadden
Full details of runners up and other awards, as well as of our program in 2014 can be viewed in the relevant editions of Capital Image.
Committee Members, Office holders, and many other volunteers
On behalf of the Canberra Photographic Society members I say THANK YOU to commit-tee members, office holders and volunteers for your hard work during 2014. Your contri-bution is much appreciated !
Our monthly themes have been coordinated by different members according to their interest and availability. This method of organising the program has enabled a broader number of members to share their knowledge, to assist the society, and to spread the load beyond Program Director Helen McFadden. Thanks also to volunteers from outside the CPS who have volunteered their time to present information at our activity nights. I also record my thanks to all who make the competition night run smoothly(ish).
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It is always fraught to single out specific people for thanks because that very act means that many are not singled out for mention. So, at great personal risk, I will single out two people this year. Firstly, thanks to Helen McFadden who has worked with great energy on a variety of tasks in the past year. She has not worked alone, most often the tasks have involved a few people or the whole of the CPS committee. Secondly, thanks to Alan Charlton who has been organising some of the practical aspects of setting up our meet-ings as well as taking on other tasks, all while still continuing to develop his photography.
It is always the case that members come and go for a variety of reasons, and members serve on the committee for a time then move on. So, a couple of movements to note.
Last year David Flannery took on our communications role but is unable to continue as a committee member of the CPS due to a broader commitment in public life in the ACT starting this year. Thanks David, we look forward to your continuing involvement with the CPS.
Steven Shaw has notified the committee that he will not stand for committee member-ship this year. Something about more time for photography, talking to other members and viewing their work. Steven has served as President, Vice President and as a com-mittee member for 10 years. Along with Bill Laurie he developed our modern website, gallery and bulletin board. Steven also developed practical aids for our display of prints as well as assisting on busy competition nights. He represented the CPS on the ACTCCCO. Thanks for your contribution Steven, we have appreciated your work and friendship on the committee.
Steven & Jim acting like tripod and monopod 19 Feb 2008
Seventieth Anniversary celebrations. 2015 marks the 70th Anniversary of the foundation of the
Canberra Photographic Society. We will celebrate it with a function later this year.
From the Canberra Times, Wednesday 12 September 1945
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From the Australasian Photo-Review June-July 1946
At the 2015 AGM it was agreed that, to acknowl-edge his considerable con-tributions to the Society over several decades, Jim Mason will be made an honorary Life Member of the CPS. This award will be conferred at the 70th Anni-versary Dinner. Jim joins Ian McInnes, who was made a life member in 2009.
Hedda Morrison was also an Honorary Life Member of the Canberra Photographic Society.
Exceptional Service Acknowledged: Jim Mason to be made CPS Honorary Life Member
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AGM Motions and Committee ElectionsIn addition to the usual business of an Annual General Meeting (which includes the ac-ceptance of the minutes of the previous AGM and the presentation and approval of audited financial statements and other business documents) the AGM considered two motions. Both motions passed unanimously after discussions when all members present had had an opportunity to present their views.
Motion regarding future CPS participation in the Australian Interstate Photographic Competition: Proposed: Helen McFadden, Seconded: Steven Shaw.
Preamble: I propose that the society considers whether it is appropriate for the ACT to continue to participate in the annual Australian Interstate Photography Competition run annually by the APS in conjunction with APSCON.
It requires a lot of work and organisation from the CPS to organise the official ACT entry (usually in conjunction with the Southside Camera Club) and there may be different ac-tivities that are better vehicles for reflecting the photographic expertise of the society. The precise motion is worded so that the society gives the committee discretion to make the final decision regarding CPS participation in AIPC. This is to allow the committee to decide to participate again in the future if appropriate and if it decides that this is an effective use of resources for the benefit of the CPS.
Motion: That the society agree that the CPS committee decide whether the CPS will participate in and/or coordinate the ACT entry in the Australian Interstate Photogra-phy Competition run by the Australian Photographic Society.
The motion was passed unanimously.
Motion to establish a new award - the Russell Hunt Award. Proposed: Helen McFad-den, Seconded: Michael Taylor.
Preamble: I am proposing that the society inaugurate a new award to be called the Rus-sell Hunt Award. This award is in recognition of the "CPS Citizen of the Year" to be made to a member(s) who has made a significant contribution to the running of the society. The intent of the award is to honour the memory of Russell Hunt, who was a valuable CPS member and who instigated many of the current features of the CPS. The focus of the "Photographer of the Year" award would then be on photographic excellence and provision of photographic inspiration. The motion is that the society agree to the new award and the refocussing of the "Photographer of the Year" award. I propose that the society agree that the precise criteria for each award be approved by the committee. It is not intended that the criteria should change regularly but this provision is included so
that the committee has the discretion (and responsibility) to implement any tweaking that may be necessary.
I am proposing that the Russell Hunt award, like the Photographer of the Year award, consist of a floating trophy, a small souvenir trophy and modest financial recognition and be made at the Annual Awards Showcase held annually in December. b. Motion to establish the Russell Hunt Award.
Motion: That the society agree to the introduction of a "Russell Hunt Award" to honour the memory of Russell Hunt and to recognise a significant contribution of CPS member(s) to the life of the society. The society agrees that the CPS committee drafts criteria for the selection of the recipient of the award and redrafts the criteria for the existing "Photographer of the Year" award to take this new award into ac-count. The CPS committee is responsible for running the selection process for these two awards.
The motion was passed unanimously.
Committee 2015
The following committee members were elected:
President Ian Marshall (also Public Officer)
Vice-President Brian Jones
Vice-President Matt James
Treasurer Michael Taylor
Secretary Helen McFadden
Members Judy Parker, Jim Mason, Tom de Jongh, Lenuta Quraishi, David Maisch,Murray Foote, Alan Charlton.
In addition to the committee, Alan Pendergast was elected auditor for 2015.
If you wish to contact the committee, the email address [email protected] goes to all committee members. Other contact details are given on the first page of this maga-zine, and on the contacts page of our website, www.cpsaus.org.
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Finding a life passion: my journey to photographyby Marwan El-Hassan
My life took what is probably its most significant turn when I started doing photography in No-vember 2013. In the year before that date, I went through an ordeal that can easily break you and re-shape your perspective of life, of your very existence in this world. I am talking about can-cer, lymphoma to be more specific. It was a very eventful year, and during the period between No-vember 2012 and November 2013, I went through horrific events: cancer diagnosis, 8 rounds of fair-ly aggressive chemotherapy, and 3 surgeries. De-spite being praised by everyone around me for my courage and positive attitude, the process left me with very deep psychological wounds. However, and to my own astonishment, I ended up experi-encing what many people rightfully describe as a re-birth, a new life after cancer. In fact, brushing with death made me think very deeply about my priorities in life, and I started to enjoy what I al-ways took for granted before cancer: to just BE, be in the present with open heart and mind; to ap-preciate the countless blessings of every new day; in brief, to be happy.
By now, you are probably wondering why am I telling this sombre story in a place where we are supposed to write about photography, and guess what, you are right! This background however, this whole “journey”, was actually the trigger to what is now a pure, strong, even ferocious pas-sion for photography.
A few years before all this, my wife and I had de-cided to buy a “real camera”. By this of course we were thinking of a DSLR (a term that was still alien to me) as being the REAL thing in compar-ison to our tiny “point-and-shoot” camera. Until then I had absolutely no clue about photography and cameras, and I mean I knew A-B-S-O-L-U-T-E-L-Y nothing. In fact, and this is probably the first time I have publically admitted it, since I was a child, that I’ve been always intimated by photog-raphers, who, in my naïve mind, were much more clever and talented than me; I was convinced that I would never be able to master this art; I could never imagine myself handling the “unbelievably” complicated black box! I did not even know the meaning of basic photographic terminology, such as aperture, shutter, and ISO. So here I was one day in a shop asking the experts about a “good” camera. That was risky of course, because not all vendors actually know about everything, right? Luckily, the young man who served me that day was knowledgeable enough, and he convinced me to buy a Nikon D5100 with its two kit lenses (18-55mm and 55-300mm).
In the years that followed, I rarely used the cam-era except for some family occasions, and al-ways on “Auto” mode. All this ended on an early morning of that unforgettable November of 2013. Emerging from my battle with big “C”, I found myself seriously depressed.
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I needed something to help me cope with my “new normal” as they call it. I spotted my poor dusty camera and thought: "Why not try tak-ing some shots out in nature?" I mentioned this to some friend and they recommended doing a short course in basic photography. In fact after only a couple of questions, they realized how naïve I was, and I now think that by suggesting I do some training, they were politely telling me how ignorant I was. Eventually, after some shop-ping around, I found a course that looked quite interesting at PhotoAccess, Canberra. On the first day in the course, I quickly realized that it was love from first sight! I had this genuine excitement that you feel when you finally find something that you’ve been trying to find all your life. My camera suddenly looked very different, very gorgeous! I couldn’t find an explanation for this subtle meta-morphosis then and I still can’t explain it now. As the course proceeded, I finally got to know the basics of exposure, metering, composition, and so on. My enthusiasm was very obvious to every-one, and I received very positive and encouraging feedback from my instructor at the end of the course.
I soon realized afterwards that this was much more than just a new hobby. I felt that I had finally found THE passion of my life. I was completely ad-dicted to the camera, to the sound of the shutter.
I started a journey of self-education and self-de-velopment and my photography skills progressed very rapidly.
Today, in all honesty, I am convinced that a pho-tographer is who I really am. I found my niche in macro photography of nature and wildlife. When-ever I feel stressed, tired or anxious, I grab my
camera and head “out there” to shoot something, anything. And you know what? There is always something interesting waiting for me, even in my backyard.
Nature is undoubtedly not short of opportunities when you have a keen eye, and a passion. All I do, every time, is sit, relax, listen, and observe with an open heart and a loving soul; when I do this, I feel completely IN the moment, living the moment, and drinking from the heavenly beauty around me. I feel really euphoric when the small details of a flower’s heart, the wings of a bee, or the tip of a grass blade with dew reveal their mind-blowing beauty, and the list of amazing discoveries goes on and on and on. This contemplative photogra-phy, this mindfulness meditation that I practice every day with my camera, has been hugely re-warding, not only with good photos but also with the positive effect on my health. I know that can-cer survivorship is a hard, and often long process but I totally and genuinely believe that as long as I do photography, I am OK. And this is exactly what I am intending to do for the rest of my life.
My hope is to be able to communicate with ev-eryone seeing my photos how passionate I am to-wards Nature photography. By doing contempla-tive photography, I would feel that I’ve reached the elusive peaceful place that I always dreamed of. You see, it happens that this place has always been there to me, but I couldn’t see it until I al-lowed photography to be the gate through which my soul crossed to the other side; to see the world through my lens. Most importantly, however, I feel that I have finally found my self, my true self, and nothing can take this from me anymore.
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'The Wet' - an exhibition in Darwinby Marion Milliken
There is one view of me. Me taking the pictures. I would race out for clouds at dawn, in the heat of the day, any-time. Trudging up long sandy beaches in my sneakers which leak because of a hole, long black rugby socks, (they keep the sand mites away), black 3/4 cotton trousers marked by spilled bleach when I cleaned the bathroom one year, indiscriminate top covering arms from the sun equally bleached. Have you ever seen a beetroot wearing a big sun hat? That's me. Except the beetroot drips from the chin and nose and runnels course down my neck and I can feel dribbles under my hair on my scalp. The beauty of the beaches makes me forget all this. (Yeah right!) I carry my black bag, actually lug is the word because I feel exhausted. It contains my D800, three lenses: full frame, wide angle, telephoto; flash cards, spare battery, scarf to wear when I visit Muslim temples, $20 for coffee at the Cool Spot afterwards (if they spot me first they close the doors), notebook and pen in case I see something import-ant like a tsunami coming.
Then there is the other view of me. My friend Sandy wrestled with me in the cubicle in Blue Illusion and forced me to buy a new dress for the opening of 'The Wet'. At home I threw the tag deep into the rubbish and hid the dress. The bank manager called and ask if I had gone mad when I bought the shoes. Then the bag. Well. The dress was a straight classic navy, cowled neck, silverish shoes, and the bag was special, beaded spears of white, purple, two blues, and black. And grey Blue Illusion long beads. I toyed with my Roosevelt tiny black Scottie dog brooch, but no, it would have tipped everything over the edge. Get the picture - classic, discreet; I so wanted to look intelligent and arty. Sandy and I often visit Blue Illu-sion and the young thing who serves us crones is known as Team. Sandy is known as the Dresser. Me - I'm the one with the credit card.
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What a success it was. We arrived early at the gallery. Anne, the gallery director, had done her magic. The 16 photos were mounted on canvas. They were all about a metre high and were placed around the walls with impec-cable taste. John, her husband, was delivering white wine or soda, Judy was fussing with cheese and a gherkin and dead things in tomato sauce, but others seemed to enjoy them. I was too nervous. The room was getting crowded. I seemed to know quite a number! The Darwin Camera Club was there in surprising numbers. Beneath the photos and on white show blocks were Richard Raffan's masterpiece wooden bowls. He is in international collections and art galleries everywhere. He was even invited to exhibit at Vic-toria and Albert's China - or is it Chinese - collection in Lon-don, which of course he did to loud acclaim. Unfortunately Vic and Bertie didn't arrive. So here was I with him. Raffan enthusiasts immediately scattered red dots everywhere and included me. (What a bargain - cheaper than Blue Illu-sion.) The one thing we had in common was that we had roots in Canberra.
Grant Tambling, who spent thirty years of his life in Can-berra representing the Northern Territory, gave a great speech. He thanked Anne who has brought art to Darwin for thirty years, then me and Richard. It was not embar-rassing; it was thoughtful and caring. It was another scene setter. When I think about it, we were all about thirty years doing something - I did refugee policy and Asian history. I knew we were all about the same age as I counted the walking sticks by the door. The crowd was enthusiastic and loved seeing their place in the world 'up there'. It was a spe-cial evening.
Thinking afterwards I don't believe they had seen photos like this before. Usually it is Jim Jim falls, crocs, animals, birds, the inevitable sunrises and sunsets (which I refuse to shoot) whereas they walk through the golf course, the gar-dens, beaches; enjoy the storms. The photos shown are the ones I would say were the most emotive. Not what I expected. Some had tears in their eyes.
There were three red dots at the end of the night, others being considered. So, very successful.
Ten of us then went to dinner at Cornucopia which is in the museum building and overlooks Fannie Bay. We ate in air-conditioning, were the only ones there, and we could relax. At last. At the end of the meal Rob surprised me with a big chocolate and caramel birthday cake, three gold candles, and a harmonious seven-part rendition of Happy Birthday. That's right; another big one. We are having a smaller party later with the family.
So thank you one and all, you were all there with us. All part of the journey.
From the top previous page: "Low tide and big guns from the West"; "After the rains". This page: "Cyclone Activity".
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African Safaris for Photographersby Vladimir Rimsky-Korsakov
I travel to north east Africa twice a year, purely to take photographs of the animals and landscapes, mainly Masai Mara, Serengetti, Amboseli, Ngorongoro, and Rwanda for their famous Ape families.
The times of the year are late Feb/early March and late October. The actual dates are flexible, but need to be organised in advance - i.e: a decision has to be made by end of July for the October trip. The final trip dates and length of stay can be decided by genuine probable attendees.
The level of accommodation can range from 5-star to basic tents and the price varies accordingly. Once again the level is flexible and can be determined by attendees.
I like to have a limit of four photographers to an eight-person four-wheel-drive vehicle so each photographer has a row of seats except the person in the front seat. There is a rotation of the row occupants on a daily basis.
I use a commercial travel agent to book air travel arrangements.
The costs are strictly based on a share basis. Once the decisions have been made regarding dates and level of accommodation, I obtain a quote and e-mail this to prospective attendees so they can calculate their share of the costs.
I have stayed in 14 different locations and had contact with 9 different guides over the years. I am willing to share this knowledge and experience with fellow members and their families.
I will be publishing an itinerary of my upcoming trips with additional information once my web site is finished.
If you are interested in joining me on an upcoming trip please contact me on 0407 927 773 or talk to me at a CPS meeting.
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News from the Etherby Murray Foote
New Nikon 300mm f/4 lensNikon has just announced a remarkable new lens to replace the 300mm f/4D. The old lens had a reputation for excellent image quality. The new one also has vibration reduction (VR), is half the weight and is two thirds the length of the old lens, while retaining the same filter size (77mm). Judging by the official MTF charts, the image quality is also significantly improved. (Image samples).
Interesting Articles from the WebThe Nature of Creativity by Steve Gosling
The Epson V850 Pro scanner in Context by Mark Segal. Includes a link to a very detailed review with comparisons of other scanners.
Sony A7II and Tamron 150-600mm in Antarctica by Michael Reichmann
A Spanish Aussie in the USA by Ignacio Palacios
Astrophotography Image Processing using Modern RAW Converters by Roger Clark
Macro Photography Tutorial by Spencer Cox
Best and Worst Sony Lenses for A7 Cameras by Nasim Mansurov
Photographing the Milky Way by Aaron Priest
Astrophotography Tutorial by Wei-Hao Wang
How Much Resolution do you Really Need? by Nasim Mansurov
While it won’t attain the subject isolation of the approx $6,000 300mm f/2.8, it is a quarter the weight of that lens and half the length. Initial price is $US2,000 so probably about $A2,5000. This is about what the 300mm f/4D would have cost when new.
Purchasing the new lens will be attractive to some Nikon shooters; for others it will be purchasing the old model at a cheap price. The 300mm f/4 is currently down to $US1,000 in B&H and while it’s not yet on EBay any cheaper than that, second-hand prices will soon be falling fast, probably especially after the new lens starts shipping and buyers sell their old lens.
It’s also interesting to speculate what this may lead to. If Nikon can halve the weight of the 300mm f/4 while including VR, what other lenses will they apply this approach to? Are they intending to introduce a new compact lens lineup before introducing a mirrorless full-frame body?
How long will your shutter last?Nasim Mansurov has an interesting post in which he considers how long the shutter of a camera will last. Your camera will have a specified number of clicks the manufacturer expects the shutter to last. A reader asked him whether she should replace the shutter on her camera because it was approaching that point. The short answer was No. A shutter can fail at pretty well any time but for most cameras it is likely to last far longer than the manufacturer specifies, longer than you will have the camera for most people. Nasim also provides a link to a very interesting database by Oleg Kikin with data on shutter life expec-tancy for various cameras.
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