President’s Report

Catherine Cattanach, MNZIPP (Dist.) IV Accredited Professional Photographer

As I’m writing this I haven’t yet been home a week after the Nikon Iris Awards and Canon NZ Photography Show in Nelson, and I am suffering serious withdrawal symptoms. I miss our NZIPP whanau already, and am consoling myself by catching up on the livestream recordings of the categories that were being judged in the other room, to try to prolong the buzz. Those of you who didn’t make it to Nelson are probably starting to get heartily sick of all the posts about it, but you know what the solution is, don’t you?! Just come along next year and then you too will be adding to the deluge of posts raving about what a good time you had and the new friends you made. I had written my Gala dinner speech about a week beforehand, and in it I talked about the Presidential Chains, a serious piece of bling that I chose to wear at the dinner in celebration of NZIPP’s history. Each link in the chains is the name of a past President, all of whom took up the baton at different times and did their bit to nurture, build and evolve the institute to keep it relevant in a rapidly changing industry. In my speech I thanked my predecessors for the energy and passion they poured into making the NZIPP an institute I’m proud to be President of. It was just one little line in my speech. But then as our time in Nelson progressed, I found myself wanting to rewrite that part and dwell on it a little longer, because I was REALLY feeling that pride. I was watching all of our different teams and volunteers do their bit so well, collaborating to create something really quite wonderful. It was heartwarming, and I am deeply grateful to every single person who played a role in the event’s success. It really brings home the other point I made in my speech - that the NZIPP is all about the power of the collective. Far from being a group of people in suits sitting around a table in some flash offices somewhere, the leadership of “the Institute” comprises men and women just like you; working photographers scattered around the country, with businesses and families to look after, but who also volunteer some of their time to further the interests of us all as a group. We are a not-for-profit organisation, but we most certainly are for benefit: the whole ethos of the NZIPP is about benefiting professional photographers nationwide. When we pull together, we can create shared resources, educate, inspire, offer practical and emotional support, advocate for better terms and conditions, and set standards in technical, creative and business practice. The NZIPP is by us and for us, and “the institute” can be whatever YOU want it to be. I’d really like to encourage you to put your hand up and get involved. Please don’t think you need to be at the top of your game to contribute. We don’t want homogeneity - we need diversity of opinion and experience. We want the fresh voices to work alongside those with heaps of experience. We want the input of our student members as well as our life members. If you’d like the training wheels option, I suggest that as a start you join your regional committee and help organise some awesome events in your area. Each region is allocated funds from membership subscriptions, so there are resources available for holding local events, bringing in speakers and so on. It’s just a matter of coming up with ideas for what you want to do, and making it happen. I’d really like to acknowledge all the volunteers and people working hard behind the scenes to make cool stuff happen for NZIPP members. Thank you to Executive Director Extraordinaire Sarah McGregor, our regional representatives and committee members, Accreditation and Education teams, judges, panel chairs and student helpers. Our events team Justine Weatherall and Nicola Wilhelmsen, with help from Peter Allen from Seven Events - boy you made up for our cancelled conference last year!! To our 2021 speakers, epic MC Jase Blair, photographer Dan Childs, judge developer Katherine Williams, hitherto-unidentified IT genius and all-round-nice-guy Paul Jones, Honours Council ring-in Jan Maree Vodanovich, spreadsheet guru Miriam, membership coordinator Amanda Davis, marketing genius Tim Lomax, website developer Claire Birks - thank you all. Last but certainly not least, a massive, massive thank you to our new Honours Council: Tracey Scott, Sharisse Eberlein, Rochelle Dillon, Ian Rotherham and Lizzie Gilmour. You were faced with an array of challenges, including a shorter time frame than usual, and did an outstandingly good job of bringing us our very first combined print and digital Iris Awards and a fantastic Gala dinner. We know how hard you worked, and all the time with smiles on your faces. You guys rock.

Catherine Cattanach, NZIPP Grand Master of Photography Ph: 021 259 4 259 Main site: www.catherinecattanach.com

Headshots: www.goodheadshots.co.nz Latest work: www.wellington-photo.com President, NZ Institute of Professional Photography 2021 NZIPP Portrait In-Camera Photographer of the Year 2021 and 2020 Finalist, NZIPP Creative Photographer of the Year 2018 NZIPP Wellington Photographer of the Year 2016 NZIPP Creative Photographer of the Year 2014 NZIPP Classic Portrait Photographer of the Year

What is Pro Grants

Canon understands the importance of personal projects for Pro Photographers. We want to give you the opportunity to bring your personal project to life with $10,000 to use as you see fit. Send us a written brief with your personal photography project you want to bring to life. Submit your application online at www.canon. co.nz/explore/professional-grants. The successful brief will receive $10,000 in split payments to help fund your project. Submissions open on 1 July 2021 and close at 11:59pm on 31 August 2021. Refer to terms and conditions for more information.

How to Register Prize & Dates

For more information and to register visit www.canon.co.nz/explore/professional-grants