NZ CameraTalk To p r o m o t e t h e w i d e r e n j o y m e n t o f p h o t o g r a p h y
T H E O F F I C I A L M A G A Z I N E O F T H E P H OT O G R A P H I C S O C I E T Y O F N E W Z E A L A N D I N C
August / September 2021
In This Issue By Mark Chamberlain LPSNZ
PRESIDENT
Paul Whitham t. 021 644 418 e: president@photography.org.nz
SECRETARY
Chryseis Phillips m. 021 0277 6639 e. secretary@photography.org.nz
EDITOR & ADVERTISING
Welcome to our bumper August 2021 issue of CameraTalk with special features from members on Wildlife and Nature photography and our regular bi-monthly articles, workshops and salon summaries. We received a plethora of diverse contributions on Wildlife and Nature, including: • Travelogues on wildlife safaris to exotic global locations in Africa, India, and Malaysian Borneo • Coastal wildlife and bird photography projects around New Zealand, including a book project publication • Many high-quality individual photographs from members
Mark Chamberlain m. 021 502 354
e. michamberlain@icloud.com
SUBEDITOR
Lindsay Stockbridge
t. 06 348 7141 or m. 027 653 0341 e. dilinz@actrix.co.nz
GRAPHIC DESIGN
Ana Stevens m. 022 193 1973 e. anci.stevens@gmal.com
NEXT CAMERATALK DEADLINE 25 September 2021 Email your contributions to the Editor. Editorial should be sent as Word or .txt files. JPEG images generally should be saved at 300 dpi, compressed to high to medium quality. Include return postage if you wish material to be returned. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are not necessarily those of the Editor or of the Council of PSNZ.
ON THE COVER: Tūī by Deborah Martin LPSNZ
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In this issue, our President, Paul Whitham LPSNZ, has kindly contributed two articles in addition to his regular Presidential introduction. The articles are: • PSNZ Astrophotography Workshop, led by David Jenson on the Central Plateau of the North Island, based around Horopito • PSNZ Portrait and Dance Workshop held in Invercargill. This workshop was led by a tutor, Aaron Key, and supported by PSNZ sponsor Sony. We feature the second of our three 2021 PSNZ Fellowship award winners. In this issue, we showcase the work of Anita Kirkpatrick FPSNZ. Anita’s poignant still-life photography is titled “They Are Us” and presents her artistic vision of the 2019 Christchurch tragedy. Our regular features include: • Canon Online Round 3 wrap-up • FIAP news • Audio-visual (AV) news • Salon promotions • PSNZ business matters, and • Obituaries In our next issue, October 2021, we will feature Landscape Photography. We will likely approach this subject differently through targeted Question and Answer interviews with some of PSNZ’s top landscape photographers and showcase members’ stunning images.
Content Key Dates for the Diary
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Proposal to run AGM online
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FIAP News
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Wildlife and nature photography intro
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Kruger on a shoestring
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A trip of a lifetime on the wild side
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Botswana safari and Uganda gorillas
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Tigers and temples: An Indian safari
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Borneo safari
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Nature at my backdoor: The Otago peninsula
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Gallery - Members’ photos
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Tiritiri Matangi: A visitor’s illustrated guide
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Audio-visual news
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NZSSPC - 2021 Competition Results
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Workshop review: Astro-photography
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Workshop review: Portrait and dance
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My journey to a Fellowship
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Remembering: Roger Hammond
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Welcome to the New PSNZ Members
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Remembering: Yvonne Joyce Cave MNZM Hon FPSNZ FPSNZ
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PSNZ Canon Online – Results
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A Note from the President As I started to write this column I was sitting inside an Air New Zealand plane at 20,000 feet flying back home from Invercargill. I went South to host the portrait workshop which is reported on page 48 of this issue. I decided to travel a day early so that I could attend a meeting of Southland Photographic Society. As mentioned in my video I would like to meet as many members as possible during my term, so I thought this was a great opportunity. Southland is a very active club and their meeting was a packed event with both a guest speaker and salon results presented. After a year of disruption, it was nice to see prints being assessed again. The club had used different judges for the print and digital entries, which generated quite different opinions of the work. The differences in views were especially evident when a similar image had been entered in both categories, but received very different assessments.
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... A Note from the President It is important to note that all assessments are very subjective and therefore opinions and grades can vary greatly. While PSNZ has both individual and club memberships I have always firmly believed that the clubs are at the heart of the organisation. It is where most of our members make their start and via clubs that they are introduced to PSNZ. For this reason, Council is working to strengthen communications between PSNZ and clubs and also between clubs. Zoom is playing a significant role in this and two sessions have been held with club presidents to date. The feedback from those who attended has been positive. The challenge, with 61 affiliated clubs, is finding nights that do not clash. The Zoom sessions are recorded to share more widely and we intend to edit and post these online as a resource for those unable to attend. I am also working on some tailored training resources for clubs, such as the use of social media. One Zoom session which was open to all members has been held. While only a small number of members attended, it is a vital channel to improve the communication flow. These sessions will be held every two months, so look for the next invitation. Also, look for the first Zoom speaker session in August with New York photographer Neil van Niekerk. See page 6 for details. We are currently over halfway through the PSNZ Workshop Series and as in previous years the feedback has been very favourable. I want to thank Nicole Tai, Neville Harlick and Jayne Francis for their hard work behind the scenes to make these events happen. The sad fact though, is that while the rest of this year’s events are sorted, without additional members willing to step up and take a role on the PSNZ Council, the future of such events is in doubt. You will all have received an email about 4
this following the resignation of Prue Scott. We are heartened though by the good response to our email outlining the current situation and we are working through all the offers of assistance. Depending on the portfolio and the time of the year, a Council workload varies and there are tangible benefits. I joined Council in 2015 and can say that I have enjoyed most of the time I have been involved. If anyone would like to discuss the possibility of coming on board, please contact me. As we move into the second half of 2021 our next major event is the North Island Regional Convention at the end of September. This is the first event organised under the new convention model outlined in the last issue of CameraTalk. We are picking up on the work of Rachel Hume LPSNZ and her team from Taupō Camera Club who had initially planned for the event to take place in 2020. No prizes for guessing why it was not held. This will be another opportunity for everyone to mix and mingle and for Council to meet more members in Taupō. Running alongside this will be the North Island Regional Salon organised by Tauranga Photographic Society. They have decided on a non-traditional approach this year and I encourage you to get your entries in. For those living in the boundaries of the old Northern Region this is the first opportunity you have had to enter a regional salon since 2015 unless you had personally attended a Central or Southern Regional Convention. Finally, an amendment to my article in the last issue. When I mentioned the resignation of Karen Lawton, I omitted to say that she had been in the position of Vice President for the previous three years.
Paul Whitham LPSNZ President
Key Dates for the Diary August 22
Entries for North Island Regional Salon close
August 24
Entries for Whanganui Salon close
August 25
Entries for Canon Online Round 4 close
August 27-28
Landscape Workshop with Meghan Malony
August 28-29 August 31
Judge training Taupō Entries for Dunedin Festival of Photography close
August 31
Entries for Nelson Triptych Competition close
September 24-26
North Island Regional convention
October 2
PSNZ Workshop: Bird Photography, Hastings
October 9
PSNZ Workshop: Bird Photography, Kaikoura
October 25
Entries for Canon Online Round 5 close
October 30-31
Judge training Dunedin
December 1
Entries for National Interclub Competitions open
Club News If your club has information or events that you would like to share, email the details to Lindsay Stockbridge LPSNZ at dilinz@actrix.co.nz or Ana Stevens APSNZ at anci.stevens@gmail.com
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PSNZ Zoom Session 2021 Time-lapse Photography with NYC Photographer Neil van Niekerk PSNZ proudly announces the first Zoom seminar session with New Jersey / New York based photographer Neil van Niekerk. Neil has published several books on lighting over the years and has recently started to specialise in time-lapse photography. In 2021 he received an Emmy as part of the team that won a Sports Emmy for an advert for MLB. Neil’s session will be on Saturday August 21 starting at 1:00pm. If you would like to attend please email President@photography.org.nz You can see Neil’s time-lapse work at: neilvn.com/timelapse-photography
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Proposal to Run the AGM Online Introduction The PSNZ Council is considering a proposal to conduct the Annual General Meeting (AGM) by online means (such as Zoom), commencing in 2022. Although the decision is ultimately up to the Council, we are inviting members to make their opinions known before a final decision is made.
Background Prior to 2020, PSNZ has traditionally conducted its AGM as part of the National Convention. A block of 90 minutes is set aside, and the convention committee is told that nothing can be scheduled at the same time as the AGM.
Rationale for the proposed change There are two main reasons for proposing the change. 1) It opens the AGM up to the total membership. PSNZ has around 1,450 members, but fewer than 100 traditionally attend the AGM. By holding it at the National Convention we are effectively putting a financial limitation on members attending just the AGM. Delivery of the AGM online would eliminate that issue. While the technology to hold online meetings was very difficult in the past, technology and our experiences in 2020 have taught us that it is now relatively easy to do.
The AGM is considered the changeover event for the PSNZ Council and is generally scheduled before the Banquet.
2) The majority of convention delegates don’t attend the AGM. Data from previous conventions show us that fewer than 50% of convention delegates attend the AGM.
Following the cancellation of the 2020 National Convention the AGM that year was run very successfully over Zoom. In September 2020 the PSNZ Council planned to run the 2021 AGM in the same way. However this was not possible as the relevant by-laws had to be changed in order to do so. The 2021 AGM was, therefore, run at the Christchurch convention.
The AGM has to be scheduled for a 90-minute block, with time also allowed for it to run over. This means that it takes up a significant block of time at the modern convention. As previously mentioned, nothing is allowed to be programmed against the AGM so effectively we have forced the majority of attendees to have some free time that they have already paid for.
Timing of the AGM Under both the constitution and the Charities Commission rules we are required to conduct the AGM within six months of the end of the financial year, in our case 30 June. We propose that the AGM still be held around the same time as the national convention so that the changeover of officers could be linked to the convention. The change would be implemented by amending By-law 8 National Conventions and clarifying in the constitution the dates that members of Council hold office.
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FIAP News - 29th FIAP Colour Biennial Judging, France 2021 By Ann Bastion Hon PSNZ FPSNZ EFIAP MFIAP
The FIAP Biennial is a competition organised by FIAP for all member countries. It alternates between a colour PI (Projected Image) salon (20 images) one year and a monochrome print salon (12 prints) the alternate year. Because of COVID-19, the 2020 monochrome print salon had to be cancelled. However, despite COVID restrictions this year, the 29th FIAP Colour Biennial salon has gone ahead and has finally been judged in France. The colour PI set consists of 20 images that are viewed in a single line but must also look balanced as a cohesive set. With so many terrific images entered for our selection (218, in fact), it was very difficult to select just 20 images that worked together to form a cohesive set. Selectors spent many hours shuffling images around to select the best set to work together and showcase New Zealand internationally. The final score is comprised of two parts: 1) The scoring of each image of the set, by three judges, each from different countries, each scoring from 1 to 5, making a total of a possible 15 score mark. 2) The global judgement of the set is scored on the set’s flow and cohesiveness. NZ topped the score for cohesiveness with 54 out of a possible 60. Both scores are combined for the final result and position. We gained 12th place from 42 countries. PSNZ also recognises the scores gained by the authors of our New Zealand set. • Bevan Tulett FPSNZ gained the highest (NZ) personal score for his image ‘The Colour of Cold’ • Helen McLeod FPSNZ GPSA ARPS and Stephanie Forrester APSNZ shared the 2nd highest (NZ) personal score. • Jan McPherson LPSNZ, Sarah Caldwell APSNZ, Graham Dainty FPSNZ and Stephanie Forrester all shared the 3rd highest (NZ) personal score. We thank everyone who submitted their images for consideration. Without your participation, none of this would be possible. I look forward to next year when there will be a monochrome salon, with the subject yet to be decided. You do not need to send prints, just PI, as we (PSNZ) print the final selection to send. Remember also that any image scoring 8 or more qualifies for an acceptance when applying for FIAP distinctions. I will be calling for entries in October/November this year for selection in January 2022. Find https://www.fiap.net/en/biennials to see the top ten sets.
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1 Chris Watson LPSNZ with Milford Sunrise 2 Lindsay Muirhead LPSNZ with Kellands Pond Hoar Frost 3 Robyn Bennett with Kellands Pond Sunset Hoar Frost 4 Beven Tulett FPSNZ with The Colour of Cold 2 5 Fred Wotton APSNZ with Barrier Range and Hopkins River 6 Shona Jaray APSNZ with Winter Sunset 7 Jan Macpherson LPSNZ with Mackenzie Hoar Frost 8 Sarah Caldwell APSNZ with St Bathans Blue Lake Sunset 1 9 Shona Jaray APSNZ with Day’s End 10 James Gibson APSNZ EFIAP with Motukiekie Reef
11 Lorraine Gibb LPSNZ with Moeraki Boulders 12 Janice Chen LPSNZ with Crashing Waves 13 Helen McLeod FPSNZ GPSA ARPS with Lake Wanaka Sunset 14 Eunice Belk LPSNZ with Sunrise over Tapu Bay 15 Sarah Caldwell APSNZ with Lake Middleton Morning Fog 1 16 Stephanie Forrester APSNZ with After the Storm 17 Mike White APSNZ with Approach to Stirling Falls 18 Stephanie Forrester APSNZ with Wild Fiordland 19 Graham Dainty FPSNZ with Graveyard Coast, Fiordland 20 James Gibson APSNZ EFIAP with Wintry Shores
Bevan Tulett FPSNZ gained the highest (NZ) personal score for his image ‘The Colour of Cold’
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Special Feature Wildlife and Nature Photography By Mark Chamberlain LPSNZ
For this edition of CameraTalk, I made an open request through the PSNZ Facebook Group Page for members to share their Wildlife and Nature photographic projects, preferably in a photo essay form. For added interest, my preference was for photographs of animals “doing something” rather than just specimen type shots of, say, a stationary bird perched on a branch. Wildlife and Nature is a popular genre of photography amongst PSNZ members, and we received an overwhelming response. We feature three articles from southern Africa, two featuring the Kruger National Park. Robyn Carter LPSNZ fulfils a lifelong ambition, travelling to Africa to photograph wildlife. She explains how a safari can be done on a shoestring budget while still taking great photos. On the other hand, South African born Annemarie Clinton APSNZ shares her local expertise and a love of her native land whilst showcasing fantastic wildlife and nature photographs. Annemarie and her husband Paul can offer you a “Trip of a Lifetime on the Wild Side”, ensuring hassle-free travel and safari arrangements in South Africa with luxury accommodation, well-equipped vehicles and, importantly, local know-how and photographic expertise. Rob Vanderpoel LPSNZ contributes an exciting travelogue of a camping safari in Botswana, followed by Gorilla trekking in Uganda.
Spider Monkey in Auckland Zoo by Lynn Hedges
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By Simone Jackson
Jayne Francis and her husband Michael Parker contribute two articles: • A National Geographic wildlife safari to Malaysian Borneo where they stayed in pristine rainforest and met orangutans, Asian elephants, Sumatran rhinos, and other wildlife. • Tigers and Temples: an Indian Safari – Jayne and Michael fulfil an ambition of seeing and spending time with Bengal tigers. Hopefully, when COVID issues are finally behind us, we can once again dream of travelling to such destinations. An additional point: you don’t have to travel to exotic places like Africa and India to photograph animals. Not everyone has the means or desire to travel to such locations. Local nature reserves and zoos offer excellent opportunities to photograph animals. Lynn Hedges LPSNZ sent me some beautiful photos of spider monkeys feeding at the Auckland Zoo. “Don’t they count?” Lynn asked me, after I queried the location. Well, of course they count. It also made me think what great places zoos are for observing animals and practising animal photography before we head off on that costly trip of a lifetime to Africa. Ceadicia simplex, Katydid by Deborah Martin
Spending significant dollars is one thing, but coming home without fantastic photos is heartbreaking. So, practise in local zoos and New Zealand nature reserves beforehand. At home in New Zealand, we have our own incredible native wildlife. NZIPP accredited, award-winning photographer Simone Jackson APSNZ showcases captivating coastal wildlife and nature photographs from her backyard on the Otago Peninsula. Martin Sanders LPSNZ is a guide on Tiritiri Matangi Nature Reserve, an island near Auckland. He has published a guidebook featuring hundreds of his wildlife and nature photographs from the island. Amilie Bentley and Carol Molineux APSNZ give accounts of their native bird photographic experiences. Finally, thanks to fantastic photographs from the following members: Anita Ruggle-Lussy, Derek Barrett LPSNZ, Deborah Martin LPSNZ, Paul Willyams APSNZ AFIAP MNZIPP, Chris Robinson and Basil Cuthbert LPSNZ. We received dozens of photographs and have tried to feature as many representative photos as space permits in gallery format.
Tuturiwhatu, Dotterel by Deborah Martin
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Kruger on a Shoestring By Robyn Carter LPSNZ
My dream was always to go to Africa and see the wildlife. From a child, I read every single book about wildlife in Africa that I could get my hands on. As a solo parent, Africa was still my dream but seemed so out of reach. I drooled over fellow photographers’ images when they came back from their safaris. It took me 58 years to fulfil my dream, but I did it. It wasn’t a luxury safari that many photographers enjoy. Instead, it was the Kruger National Park on a shoestring. For me, it was the most amazing experience. You don’t always need to travel on expensive safari trips to see incredible wildlife close-up. Two years ago, a friend and I, weighed down with 17kg of camera gear, kindly permitted onboard by Qatar Airlines, flew to Johannesburg via Doha. It was a long flight, seventeen hours to Doha, followed by another nine-hour flight to Johannesburg. The cheapest airfare we could find. On arrival in South Africa, we picked up a rental car from Johannesburg. We booked sixteen days in the park, staying at four different camps: Pretoriuskop, Skukuza, Satara and finally Lower Sabie.
Rare battle-scarred White Rhino. Robyn Carter Canon DSLR and 150-600mm lens
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Elephants on our first entry into the park.
Each part of the park we stayed in was slightly different, offering varying types of wildlife. The rest camps are comfortable - we had lovely accommodation with personal bathroom and kitchen facilities, so we could cook each night to keep our costs down. Some camps have swimming pools to cool off after a hot day’s drive. They also have laundry facilities, shops, and some have restaurants. One camp has an open theatre to watch documentaries about the park in the evening. As soon as we were through the park gates, we came across baboons and antelope. With great excitement, we stopped for photos. Next, we decided to head to the waterholes. Saddle-billed Stork and a whole herd of elephants awaited –
Elephants are having a ball in a puddle. Canon DSLR camera and Tamron 24-105mm lens
we were so ecstatic. I had been expecting to see the wildlife, of course, but not as quickly or as easily as this. As photographers, we took turns driving each day. We both sat on the same side of the car, with the back passenger seated directly behind the driver. This way, we could both shoot the same event. When driving, we both ‘scanned’ our eyes in different directions, looking for wildlife. As we were New Zealanders and not accustomed to African Wildlife, we looked for shapes in the landscape rather than immediately identifying animals. I took two cameras; a Canon 7DII DSLR and Tamron 150-600mm lens enabled me to photograph animals at a distance. I used a Canon 5DIII DSLR with a 24-105mm lens for animals that came closer to the car. Circumstances change very quickly in the bush, so you don’t want to be missing photo opportunities while changing lenses. We used bean bags on the car windows as makeshift ‘tripods’ to stabilise the cameras and also found them useful in the hides. We saw people in other vehicles using cut down pool noodles on car windows as ‘tripod’ substitutes. A typical day would start at 5.00 am. The previous night we researched and decided a route using the park maps. We selected the roads around each campstay and tried not to duplicate, taking a different route each day. By 5.30 am, we had finished breakfast, loaded up the car with camera gear, lunch and snacks and were out as soon as the park gates opened.
Little Bee-Eaters at Sunset Dam. Canon DSLR camera and Tamron 150-600mm lens
Day-old elephant baby with mother on Sunset Drive. Robyn Carter - Canon DSLR, Tamron 150-600mm
Sometimes at an animal sighting, we would be competing for vehicle space. At other times we would be the only ones at the scene. On return to camp, we would cook dinner, then load our day’s images onto the computer. Three sightings are most memorable for me. The first was of a lioness who had downed a Kudu. There were so many cars lined up to view this sighting we couldn’t get close enough to photograph. So we decided to just park in the shade, planning to move in once someone else had left. Two minutes later, the lioness had had enough, and to our delight, she dragged her full belly into the shade just five metres from our car. Leopard looking back at us as we followed in our car. Canon DSLR camera and Tamron 150-600mm lens
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...Kruger on a Shoestring By Robyn Carter LPSNZ It was the perfect window of opportunity to take as many photographs as we liked unimpeded by other tourists. A lovely close-up encounter of a lioness in the wild! The second memorable sighting happened after rain the night before. We came across a puddle of mud where a herd of elephants took turns to have fun, roll, splash, and get dirty. They were hilarious to watch, especially the young ones. The third memorable encounter happened when we drove into a small layby by a river. Someone pointed out a sleeping leopard in a tree. At first, we couldn’t get close due to other vehicles. As the leopard was sleeping and not doing anything exciting, the other cars gradually departed. Eventually, we were the only ones left watching. We decided to wait to see if the leopard woke up. Eventually it got up, stretched, yawned, and jumped down from the tree. We went into warp speed, taking photos and following it down the road. It looked back at us, went into the bush, and slowly moved away to the river. We drove back to a nearby
bridge and took more photos as it disappeared into the bush. It was such a beautiful animal. On some days, we saw very little. On other days our cameras could barely keep up. Our best sightings were usually near water - rivers, at waterholes, dams, and the hides. Our best bird sightings were at Lake Panic Hide and Sunset Dam. The African Fish Eagle, Green Heron, rare Black Heron, Pied Kingfisher, Malachite Kingfisher and Little Bee-Eaters were just some of the birds we managed to photograph. The 16 days passed quickly, and towards the end, we were much more selective about which photographs we were shooting. Zebras and giraffes, and small elephants were passed by without a blink. We were on the hunt for rarer animals not yet seen. Would I do it again? Absolutely! I didn’t get any cheetah images, so I have to go back just for that, and I’ve heard that Punda Maria in the far North is fantastic for birds, so that’s on the bucket list too. We just have to get past COVID, and I’m off again!
Rare Black Heron fishing by shading the water with its wings. Lake Panic Hide. Robyn Carter Canon DSLR and 150-600mm lens
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Costs and tips from our Kruger Park Safari Were we on a Shoestring? Definitely. Our airfares were $3000 each. Accommodation cost $1200 in total for the 16 days in the park. We stayed in well-appointed cabins for this cost, often with four beds, a personal bathroom, a kitchen, and a fridge outside. Food had to be locked away to prevent baboons from getting into it - as happened to us one day! The rental car for 16 days cost $1600.00 in total, plus an unwanted speeding fine on driving back to the airport! Petrol only cost around $300 - we didn’t use all the petrol because we were only driving at 40km/hr in the park. Lioness after her kill resting in the shade close to our car. DSLR camera and Tamron 150-600mm lens
We bought our food in the supermarket for approximately $200. There were also facilities at each camp to stock up on fresh fruit and vegetables. Self-catering saved money, although restaurants are available in some camps. All visitors need a Wildcard to enter the park. The cost is $400 for two people, and the card lasts one year. In total, the trip cost us approximately $2000 each, for 16 days in the park plus $3000 airfare each. A significant saving on some $10,000 safaris (excluding airfare) on offer! Other helpful tips • If you plan this trip, you need to book at least a year in advance. Make sure you don’t book any dates that coincide with South African school or public holidays. • Choose the time of year to see the most wildlife. We went end-October. • Remember to turn your engine off while you are shooting images - this prevents vibration when taking photographs. • Always take a bottle in the car - if you need to pee, you can’t get out of the car – it’s too dangerous!. There are rest areas where there are toilets, but not many! • Be back at the camps on curfew, or there are fines to
Malachite Kingfisher – Chris Piper. Canon DSLR camera and 400mm lens with 2x Extender.
pay if you are late. The camps are closed overnight for your safety. 15
A Trip of a Lifetime on the Wild Side Written by Ruben Clinton on behalf of Annemarie Clinton APSNZ
Everything in Africa bites; however, it is the Safari bug that bites the hardest of all. It’s a continent with 54 countries nestled within, from lush rainforests to vast deserts, coastal lowlands, to extraordinary highlands. And nestled at the southernmost point is a land that has all of this and more: South Africa, a country with a complicated past and turbulent political sphere dominated by corruption and violence. Located within its borders are nineteen South African National Parks (SANParks), covering a total of four million hectares, the equivalent land area of over 2.5 New Zealand’s. Of the nineteen, you have one of the most famous national parks in the world, and the prized jewel of SANParks, Kruger National Park. Kruger National Park is one of Africa’s largest game reserves, encompassing nearly two million hectares. It was proclaimed a national park in 1898 by the then President of the Transvaal Republic, Paul Kruger. This man had a mere three months of formal education and grew up with a deep connection with and love for the natural world in Southern Africa. At the urging of early conservationists who were alarmed at the scale of uncontrolled hunting in the Lowveld region, he made an incredible mark in history by proclaiming an expansive area that would be allocated to protect South Africa’s wild animals. This beautiful game park is the part of South Africa that my husband and I love showing to our photographic clients. There is a network of some 1800 kilometres of well-maintained roads, 21 rest camps, two private lodge concessions, and 15 private safari lodges! The park is home to 336 tree species, 49 fish species, 34 amphibian species, 114 reptile species, 550 bird and 147 mammal species. The KNP lies in a subtropical zone where summer days are hot and humid, with temperatures often reaching 40 degrees. It is a summer rainfall area with the rainy season lasting from September to May. The driest period lasts from August to October and is considered to be the best game viewing time as the grass is thin and short, with trees devoid of leaves. What could be better than escaping the cold, wet winter of New Zealand and spending time in the dry, moderate temperatures of the Kruger capturing its bounty? 16
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...A Trip of a Lifetime on the Wild Side Written by Ruben Clinton on behalf of Annemarie Clinton APSNZ
Having immigrated to New Zealand in 2008 and sharing stories of the beautiful wilderness areas we used to call home; Paul and I decided to take the opportunity to take some of our friends on a guided tour of the very best nature parks Southern Africa has to offer. In doing this, Wild Shutter Safaris came to be, sharing our vast knowledge of the bush and wildlife with clients who would otherwise never get the opportunity to experience South Africa as a tourist with the guidance and reassurance of being privately guided by locals. Avid photographers ourselves, Paul and I are well equipped to help you experience South Africa to the fullest in search of that dream shot. Even though KNP does not require a 4x4 vehicle, we have our trusty Land Cruiser, as the other Southern African safaris require a 4-wheel drive. Paul’s favourite combination is his Canon 1D-X Mark III paired with the Canon EF200-400mm f4L IS USM EXT lens. His focus is primarily on birds and wildlife. I recently changed my set-up to a Canon R5 paired with an RF100500 f4.5-7.1L IS USM lens, but my bag also contains a 100mm macro lens and a versatile 24-105mm lens, Benro filters, spare batteries and plenty of SD & CF cards. Wild Shutter Safaris takes care of all booking and travel arrangements, and you are provided with some of the very best accommodation and locations KNP has to offer, without the hassle of being rushed by game rangers trying to satisfy other clients. We do this to share our love and knowledge of Southern Africa with our clients, to see their faces when they see one of, if not all of the “Big 5” for the first time. Our joy comes from seeing our clients making and capturing memories that will last a lifetime. The Big 5 was the collective term given by hunters to five of the most dangerous animals to hunt on foot. With hunting now strictly prohibited in the park, the Big 5 is a tourism term that attracts animal enthusiasts to the park. The Big 5 includes elephants, the Transvaal lion, the Cape buffalo, the rhino and the leopard. All five species are endangered to some extent and under threat of extinction from rampant poaching that continues despite earnest anti-poaching programmes set in place. 18
It is important to know that there is an element of luck involved in photographing the birds and animals of the park as they are wild and free-roaming within the two million hectare reserve. Even though this is a well-populated park, it is still huge; it requires patience and many hours spent looking for animals and birds. If you have hopes and dreams of capturing some of the most beautiful creatures on earth but don’t really know how, make contact with me or Paul at Wild Shutter Safaris. We would love to speak to you about how we could help you. Until then, happy snapping. 19
Botswana Safari and Uganda Gorillas By Rob Vanderpoel LPSNZ My wife, Angela, and I spent August 2017 in Africa, including a 17-day camping safari in Botswana and five days in Uganda with two days of gorilla trekking. The unique experience of seeing wild animals in their native habitat, doing what they usually do, was amazing, helping us to understand nature’s diversity and complex interactions. For the Botswana safari, we were in a group of twelve, travelling by truck and spending one or two nights at a time in bush camps. You never really know what to expect in these situations, but I was certainly surprised that the camp areas were completely open; elephants, hippos, lions and wild dogs all passed around the edge of our camps at different times! What was also unexpected was how thrilling it was to see these animals in their native habitat, in larger groups, and up-close without intervening fences. Certainly, you came to expect the unexpected. You might travel for half an hour without seeing much of great interest and be heading back to camp, when around the corner would be a large family of elephants splashing through a stream, crossing the road just in front of us and then enjoying a dust bath. Or, a leopard would appear, climb a tree in front of you and continue its meal of the impala it had stored on a tree branch. I spent some time beforehand, considering what extra equipment I might want to take but, in the end, settled on my existing gear – my six-year-old Canon 60D with 18-55 and 55-250 kit lenses. There were times when
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I would have liked a longer lens, or more megapixels for cropping, or a faster lens, or less noise at higher ISO at dusk, but on the whole, I was very happy with what I was able to achieve with this kit and didn’t feel I missed too much. The daily routine began with breakfast at 6:00 am. We were on the road by 7:00 am; by this time, the sun was up, but there were still a few hours of great morning light left. The morning safari drive would last until 11:00 am; by then, it was becoming too hot for both man and beast, and we spent the middle hours relaxing in the shade. I used this time to do an initial cull of photos, as I realised early on that I’d underestimated the amount of storage I’d need (shooting raw + jpeg). Partly this was because with animals moving, I’d often take short bursts rather than single shots. About 4:00 pm, we’d head out again as temperatures started to drop, and we’d catch the evening light and dusk. Most of the time, I used the longer zoom lens. As we weren’t allowed to get out of the truck, for safety reasons, composition options were limited and tripods unusable. One of our party had a monopod but rarely used it. If necessary, the truck frame could be used as a prop, but I found I could use quite high shutter speeds most of the time because of the bright light, so hand-held shooting was fine. With several DSLRs on the truck, there was often a constant sound of mirrorslapping, sometimes to the annoyance of the one videographer!
After the Botswana safari, we had a few days’ break and then flew to Uganda to see the gorillas. We didn’t know beforehand how long it would take us to find them each day, and the terrain was difficult. Once contact was made, we were limited to one hour to keep their human contact to a minimum, but that hour was special. We had to remember the experience itself and not lose that in a rush to take photos. Shooting in the dense bush was tricky, especially as, in theory, you weren’t supposed to approach closer than seven metres; in theory, as the gorillas didn’t seem to know about the rule and often came much closer! We booked two trips on consecutive days in case the first trip wasn’t successful; there were no guarantees. As it turned out, both days were successful ̶ so we had two hours with the gorillas for the price of one, plus a little extra! The Botswana safari and the gorilla trekking were fantastic experiences in themselves. Combining them into one trip made for a truly awesome undertaking.
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Tigers and Temples: An Indian Safari By Jayne Francis and Michael Parker
We were able to fulfil a dream of seeing and spending time with the Bengal tiger. Tigers are icons of beauty and power, and we experienced both on our 16-day safari to Bandhavgarh and Ranthambore National Parks in India. We are very fortunate to have a friend who is a naturalist, professional wildlife photographer and travel company owner. Charlie Ryan (Sticky Rice Travel) pulled together a trip that was 90% focused on tigers and 10% focused on some of the must-do sites around Agra. Charlie and good friend and colleague Kaustubh Mulay (Pristine Safaris) accompanied four other friends and us on a trip of a lifetime. We went in April when it is heating up, and the water sources in the parks are drying up, forcing the animals to use the few larger water sources that remain, making for better sightings. The temperatures were in the low 40s throughout our time there – that’s hot! Hot temperatures and lack of rain also equal dust, so bandanas across our faces and towels across our camera gear became commonplace when we were hurtling through the park after the next sighting. Our accommodation was very close to each park, minimising the travel time to get into the different park zones each day. The accommodation also had
great pools, which after a hot, dusty safari, were so refreshing (in addition to a cold beer). At each national park, we had two jeeps. They have three rows of seating, so the six of us took turns choosing a jeep each day. Charlie and Kaustubh split between the jeeps, leaving the front for the local driver and the park ranger who accompanied us on most of our drives. Charlie had requested specific drivers and it wasn’t unusual to find one had been replaced the next day if the driver wasn’t good at following instructions to have us in the right spot at the right time. Charlie and Kaustubh have exceptional spotting skills and their intimate knowledge of animal behaviour meant they positioned the jeep where animals would be emerging or walking towards us.
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We saw many other jeeps rushing up as close as possible, which provided only side-on views; then, they had to keep moving and fighting off other jeeps to find another vantage point. Before the trip, Charlie kept warning us that they couldn’t guarantee sightings and not to get our hopes too high; this wasn’t like Africa, with most of the big five readily accessible. Before we went and whilst in India, we met many people who were either disappointed because they hadn’t seen a tiger or ecstatic that they had seen one or two. We had twenty-nine quality sightings (19 in Bandhavgarh and 10 in Ranthambore)! To say our expectations were exceeded is a considerable understatement. Our emotions had a complete workout ̶ the excitement of the chase, awe, as we spent time with these majestic animals, joy, as we watched a mother with her cubs, and humour watching a tigress roar in anger when she found her kill had been stolen. From Delhi, we flew to Jabalpur and then had a three-hour drive to our villas just outside Bandhavgarh National Park. We saw our first tiger before we even got to our villa. Locals were huddled beside the stone park wall (which is all of a metre high ̶ so not designed to keep tigers in!) and there was a juvenile male, just chilling in the shade of a tree, wondering what all the excitement was from us lot. What a start! With an area of 105km2, Bandhavgarh National Park was declared a national park in 1968 and became a tiger reserve in 1993. Before this, it was a game preserve for the Maharajas and their guests. The park is split into three main zones and your morning and afternoon permits are specific to these zones. The park terrain is a mixture of thick sal and bamboo forest interspersed with open marshland. With the tiger at the apex of the food chain, the park contains about 37 species of mammals, more than 250 species of birds, about 80 species of butterflies and several reptiles.
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...Tigers and Temples: An Indian Safari By Jayne Francis and Michael Parker Safari times are scheduled around sunrise and sunset, so they change during the year. In April, we could enter the park at 6:00 am, so we would need to have collected our permit for the day and got in the jeep queue at the entrance to our zone before that time. We had to exit the park and then get a new permit for our afternoon safari from 3:00 to 7:00 pm. Lunch, a swim and downloading photos quickly filled the midday break. By the time we returned from safari, showered, changed, dined and re-lived the day in conversation, it was back to our villa for the night. Hardly party animals on these types of trips! Elephant safaris are available at Bandhavgarh, and in some zones, you can find a mahout and elephant close to a tiger sighting who will, for the right price, take you off the road and into the bush closer to the tiger. The Bengal tiger is big, way bigger than I expected. They weigh between 100 and 225kg with a 1.5-2m long body and a 0.6-1m tail. Their average lifespan in the wild is 8-10 years. A hungry tiger can eat as much as 30kg in one night. Females give birth to litters of two to six cubs which they raise with little or no help from the male. Cubs cannot hunt until they are 18 months old and remain with their mothers for two to three years until they disperse and find their own territory. Because the tigers are territorial, the guides know which tigers are likely to be encountered in which zones, information about their age, offspring etc. In the parks, tigers prey on deer, wild boar, jungle ox and even juvenile elephants. They snack on peacocks, crabs, turtles, fish, small birds and fruit. They tend to hunt between dusk and dawn; sight and sound, rather than scent, are used to locate their prey. They are too large and heavy to run for long distances, so they patiently stalk their prey until they are close enough to make a final lunge for the neck. We retraced our steps and flew back to Delhi for a night (enjoying food that wasn’t curry!) and the next day boarded a train for a 5-hour journey to Ranthambore. The train journey was an experience all on its own, and it was nice to see some countryside outside of the national parks (from our air-conditioned cabin, which most of the passengers didn’t have).
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Ranthambore National Park was established initially as Sawai Madhopur Game Sanctuary in 1955 by the Government of India. In 1973 it was declared one of the Project Tiger reserves, and then, in 1980, it was declared a national park. The park covers approximately 400 km2 and is dotted with structures that remind you of bygone eras. There are numerous water bodies scattered all across the park, providing perfect relief to the wild animals during the scorching hot days. A massive fort, after which the park is named, towers over the park atop a hill. There are many ruins scattered across the jungle, giving it a unique, wonderful and mixed flavour of nature, history and wildlife. There are ten safari zones in Ranthambore National Park. We had one of the few multizone permits issued (typically, jeeps are issued their zone randomly by computer on the day). This meant that we could pick our zone based on sighting information, and we had keys to unlock gates on the roads between zones. If a tiger crossed the boundary into a different zone (just a line on a map instead of a fence), we could continue to follow it. Often, we would pick up information from other drivers or the park rangers about sightings in a particular zone; we would high tail it across to that zone and find the tiger. It was a huge advantage to us and gave us ten different tiger sightings.
Like Bandhavgarh, our typical day started with a 4:45 am wake-up for a departure at 5:30 am. The park was only a ten-minute drive away. After a couple of hours, we would have snacks ̶ potato chips and biscuits (we never ate so many chips and at such weird times of the day). We’d stop for a picnic breakfast around eight or nine before returning to the lodge for a swim and relax between 11:00 am and 2:00 pm. (We tried a full day safari on our first day, but it was too hot ̶ and nothing moves in the middle of the day.) Our permit let us go back into the park anytime. Others were only allowed in the park from 7:00 am to 10:30 am and from 2.30 to 6:00 pm. This gave us a few hours each day when there was practically only us; only five all-day permits were issued per day, and we had two of them. Although our focus was tigers, Ranthambore provided us with superb sightings of other wildlife: leopards, blue bull, gaur, chinkara, jackal, flying fox, mongoose, langur, macaque, crocodiles, wild boar, owls, osprey and vultures. As a bonus, we had an extraordinary time spent with a sloth bear and her cub. No journey to this part of India would be complete without a trip to Agra, so we finished with a few days visiting the fantastic sites of Fatehpur Sikri, The Red Fort, The Taj and the Baby Taj.
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Borneo Safari By Jayne Francis and Michael Parker
Borneo is not only the third largest island in the world, but it is also one of the most unique places on Earth. Its nearly 750,000 square kilometres are home to an incredible variety of habitats, from dense tropical rainforest to the complex coral reef systems found along the coasts. The island is known as one of the world’s biodiversity hot spots as it is home to some of the rarest and unique animals on Earth. Iconic species such as orangutans, pygmy elephants and proboscis monkeys coexist in the rich jungles, but there is also an incredible abundance of birdlife. More than 400 species of birds are found in Borneo, including eight different species of hornbill. Our 14 day, small group photographic safari with National Geographic took us to Sepilok, the Kinabatangan River, Tabin Wildlife Resort and Danum Valley. Our first encounter with the orangutan was at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, founded in 1964 to rehabilitate orphan orangutans. The site is 43 sq km of protected land at the edge of Kabili Sepilok Forest Reserve. Today around 60-80 orangutans are living free in the reserve. When we encountered a mother and baby in the tree canopy, it was breathtaking. They are gentle and inquisitive and make eye contact with you as they munch on their leaves and go about their business. They generally lope through the canopy with ease for such big animals, making them easy to track and follow. The Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre is a sun bear rescue and rehabilitation facility in Sabah. The Malayan sun bears are the smallest bears in the world and are only found in Southeast Asia. These bears continue to be threatened by forest degradation, illegal hunting for bear parts and poaching to obtain young cubs for pets. The facility represents one man’s passion and dedication to these very cute bears. Between 40 and 50 bears reside at the facility and they have excellent success in rehabilitating the bears back into the wild. 26
From Sepilok, we moved deep into the jungle up the Kinabatangan River. Our accommodation was at Sukau Rainforest Lodge, one of the National Geographic unique lodges of the world. Our hardwood bure was nestled amongst the forest and connected to others and the main lodge by raised boardwalks over the forest floor. From the lodge, we ventured out on day and night river cruises, searching for orangutans, pygmy elephants, silvered langurs, hornbills, proboscis monkeys, slow loris, tarsiers, civets and much more. The orangutans were in the trees around our accommodation too, so we spent all of our downtime watching these magnificent animals.
Male proboscis monkeys use their fleshy pendulous noses to attract mates. Scientists think these outsize organs create an echo chamber that amplifies the monkey’s call, impressing females and intimidating rival males.
Proboscis monkeys are endemic to the jungles of Borneo, never straying far from the island’s rivers, coastal mangroves and swamps. They are a highly arboreal species and will venture onto land only occasionally to search for food. They live in organised harem groups consisting of a dominant male and two to seven females and their offspring.
The Borneon orangutan is the only genus of great ape native to Asia. Orangutans share approximately 97% of their DNA with humans (and when you get up close and look into their eyes, you just know you are related).
The Sunda Coluga, also known as the Malayan flying lemur, is not a lemur and does not fly! Instead, it glides as it leaps between the trees. It is strictly arboreal, active at night and feeds on soft plant parts such as young leaves, shoots, flowers and fruit. After a 60-day gestation period, a single offspring is carried on the mother’s abdomen by a large skin membrane.
The Bornean orangutan is a critically endangered species with deforestation, palm oil plantations and hunting posing a serious threat to its continued existence. The orangutan population in Borneo has declined by more than 50% over the past 60 years. The species’ habitat has been reduced by at least 55% over the past 20 years.
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...Borneo Safari By Jayne Francis and Michael Parker The Gomantong Caves are renowned for their valuable edible swiftlet nests harvested for bird’s nest soup (a tradition since 500 AD). Twice a year, from February to April and July to September, locals with licences climb to the cave’s roof (90m) using only rattan ladders, ropes and bamboo poles and collect the nests. The collection is governed by a wildlife protection act and is timed to allow the swiftlets to nest and fledge their young before the nests are harvested. Tabin Wildlife Reserve covers an area of 122,500 hectares in eastern Sabah. Tabin was declared a protected area in 1984, primarily due to three of the largest mammals found in Sabah: the Borneo pygmy elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros and banteng (a species of wild cattle). The pygmy elephants of Borneo are baby-faced with oversized ears, plump bellies and tails so long they sometimes drag on the ground when they walk. They are also more gentle-natured than their Asian elephant counterparts. We had the privilege to visit Tam, one of the two surviving Sumatran rhino in Malaysia. We were able to help feed him and learn about the efforts to save this critically endangered species. Unfortunately, Tam and Iman (the only female rhino in Malaysia) passed away in the following year, making the species locally extinct. About eighty rhinos exist in neighbouring Indonesian Borneo. Borneo is home to several different cat species. The Asian palm civets lead a solitary lifestyle, except for brief periods during mating. They are both arboreal and terrestrial and active from late evening until after midnight. The leopard cat is about the size of a domestic cat but with longer legs and well-defined webs between its toes. Our last stop was the Danum valley conservation area, a 438 sq km tract of relatively undisturbed forest in Sabah. It has an extensive diversity of tropical flora and fauna, including orangutans, gibbons, mousedeer, clouded leopards and over 270 bird species. In the forests of Tabin and Danum, we had our first exposure to tiger leeches. They hang out on the leaves, sense you as you brush past and attach themselves to any bare bit of skin. They inject an anticoagulant into you, so it bleeds quite a bit if you do land one. We quickly learnt the technique of winding them around your finger and flicking them off like a bogey! Our leech socks were invaluable, but the leeches still managed to find a few other places.
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The Bornean Rainforest Lodge Canopy walk was designed to be treefriendly without rigging any steel cables directly onto the trees. The platforms are between 15-25m above the ground (less than halfway up the dipterocarp and mengaris trees) and provide a fantastic place to view the 130 million-year-old virgin jungle canopies and the animals and birds moving amongst them. Our accommodation in Danum was superb, with a fabulous view and a spa bath on the balcony to soak in after our hikes. As in the other locations, the wildlife was right outside our door, giving us lots of time to marvel at the experience. Endemic to the jungles of Borneo, the red leaf monkeys are named for their shaggy auburn coats. These charismatic old-world primates live in bands of two to thirteen individuals, led by a dominant male and spending nearly all of their time in the trees. And then there were the birds, the reptiles, amphibians, insects and butterflies: such incredible diversity and a photographer’s dream. We took a range of lenses, with the super-telephoto being the most used but the wide-angle for the rainforest and macro for the unique insects and amphibians also had good workouts. We learnt not to let our camera gear get too cold in the air conditioning as it steamed up instantly once outside. The rainforest challenged our shooting in low light skills, especially where there was action. National Geographic couldn’t be faulted for the tour led by a professional guide and photographer. A local guide joined us with all the local information on the wildlife in the area and their current movements at each location. To be with a group of like-minded people who were all keen photographers, learning and developing as we went, was brilliant. In fourteen days, we saw more wildlife, up close and personal, than we could have hoped for. We experienced the struggle between human progress and wildlife habitat destruction first hand and witnessed the devastation being created by the palm oil plantations. We were uplifted by the government and private interventions trying to maintain a balance and preserve these endangered animals. Ecotourism is a great way to contribute to the cause. Small group specialised safaris aren’t cheap, but our takeaways from this experience were priceless. We have made lifelong friends with Charlie, our guide, and some of the tour group ̶ and gone on to do other safaris with some of them.
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Nature and Wildlife at my backdoor: The Otago Peninsula By Simone Jackson APSNZ NZIPP
NZIPP accredited photographer Simone Jackson has been in the news recently, winning the 2021 NZIPP Nature Photographer of the Year title at the Iris Awards. Simone also earned a Gold with Distinction award for an image at the same event. Looking at her website, I see that she has won similar awards in the past, proving her consistency as one of New Zealand’s best nature photographers. Simone is a professional photographer with diverse talents, multi-skilling in wedding, portrait, and commercial photography. Finally, she takes time to photograph the fantastic coastal wildlife on the Otago Peninsula, at her backdoor. Here we showcase some of Simone’s best nature and wildlife photography which she has kindly shared with us (Editor). Adapted from Simone’s own words:
“The Otago Peninsula is my backyard. I am very fortunate to have the most incredible nature and wildlife at my back door. The weather extremes range in every imaginable spectrum – seasons, wind from every direction, and changing light literally from hour to hour. It is a photographer’s paradise down here in the southeast corner of New Zealand. The photographs shown here are everyday scenes on the Otago Peninsula. To be able to portray an image showcasing an animal behaviour or emotion that we humans can empathise with, that is when we feel for these creatures.” 30
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Gallery - Members’ Photos
An Acrobatic Kereru by Amilie Bentley ̶ I stood a couple of metres below some tall kowhai trees, watching as a male kereru persistently flew after his female companion. Eager to mate, he was so adamant, she not so much. This battle continued for longer than I could take, but the forces of nature were at play. Finally, there came a moment when they both tired and the female pictured here hung like a performing acrobat, catching her breath while she could. Her beautiful colours were in full display. However, this did not last long as she then flew from branch to branch, eager to escape the testosterone-filled male who would not give up his pursuit for her. The forces of nature were at play once again.
Lesser Antillean Iguana by Paul Willyams APSNZ MNZIPP AFIAP The photograph was taken on the island of St Eustasius (aka Statia) in the Caribbean in 2015. The Lesser Antillean Iguana lives only on that island and is critically endangered. They are also hard to find as they spend all their time in trees. They start out green and go completely grey as they get older. I found this young one right outside the National Park office and was able to get close. Fortunately the lighting was perfect (dull) and I got my focus spot-on, and leaned against a pole to stay steady. This was the first photo where I really felt I had it pin-sharp. This was taken at f5 with 189 mm focal length on a Canon 7D.
Black-backed jackal (Canis mesomelas) on the coast of Namibia by Annemarie Clinton APSNZ ̶ Jackals are opportunistic feeders and readily feed on carrion when it is available. They are formidable hunters of rodents and gazelles and even feed on fruits and insects when prey is scarce. Besides brown hyaenas, jackals are the only large terrestrial carnivores on the coast of the southern Namibia desert. Both species feed on flotsam, carrion and hunt birds and small mammals. Cape fur seals are the main food source when there are nearby seal colonies. Due to the long lactation period of the seals (approximately 11 months), the colony is occupied all year long. During the seal birth season, from Nov to Feb, there are many placentas and stillborn seals available, providing most of the jackal diet. To get to the meat, the jackal has to open the tough skin, this procedure could take several minutes, and the jackal always starts from beneath the fore flipper, as seen in the image.
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Juvenile Shore Plover, Tūturuatu By Carol Molineux APSNZ Waikanae Estuary is my local bird photography location. The mouth of the river is constantly changing, altering the landscape and the food source for the birds that frequent the area. On the first day of COVID Level 3, after last year’s lockdown, I ventured out to the estuary. A shallow, slushy area often forms on the Paraparaumu side, where shorebirds feed at low tide. I soon noticed three-banded dotterels and then spotted another bird with identity bands on its legs. On closer inspection, I discovered that it was a rare juvenile shore plover. I notified DOC of my discovery and learned that five birds, bred in captivity and born on Christmas day, had been transferred to Mana Island during the lockdown. They had all since disappeared from the island, but two were later found at Plimmerton. Over the next two months, I spent many hours taking photos, usually in the late afternoon when it (gender never identified) would fly in to feed. The bird appeared to have a close attachment to one of the banded dotterels. Over time the birds seem to accept me in their environment, and one evening the Tūturuatu even approached and pecked my gumboots while I was lying on the sand. Often the bird came within the minimal focal distance of my 500mm f5.6 lens; a real pleasure for me in bird photography is the feeling of developing a relationship with them. I shoot on a full-frame Nikon D850 camera. The other lens I have is an 80-400mm f5.6 lens which I haven’t used much since purchasing the 500mm lens 18 months ago.
However, I feel that I am missing some of the more general shots which involve a number of birds. Tracking birds flying is certainly easier with the 400mm lens. Probably the most valuable skill needed for bird photography is patience. On 10 July, DOC caught the Tūturuatu at Waikanae Estuary and the two birds at Plimmerton. They returned them to Mana Island, where they held them in an aviary for a month before releasing them. Unfortunately, the reason for the birds leaving the island previously was identified a few days later when a ranger observed a New Zealand falcon capturing one of the birds. Remains of the other birds were also found. For more information, go to: theguardian.com/environment/2020/ jul/09/entire-rare-bird-colony-vanishesbaffling-new-zealand-scientists
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Gallery - Members’ Photos
Photos by Derek Barrett LPSNZ
Australasian Harrier cleaning up a dead possum Chatham Island
Sea Lions having a chat Otago Peninsula wildlife
Fishing Frenzy at Cape Brett
Young Seal Lions seen on Banks Track
Photos by Annemarie Clinton APSNZ
Bateleur close up
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Lilac Breasted Roller
White Fronted Bee eater with bee
Gallery - Members’ Photos Photos by Anita Ruggle-Lussy
Chris Robinson - Takaup (Southern Gannet). The flying bird is a Takapu (Southern Gannet). Like many Auckland photographers, my wife and I make the regular trek out to the Muriwai Gannet Colony. World famous in New Zealand: Gannet Colony, Muriwai | Stuff.co.nz
Red Billed Gull by Deborah Martin LPSNZ
Photos by Basil Cuthbert LPSNZ
Dabchick feeding a chick (Western Springs)
Reef Heron
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Tiritiri Matangi: A Visitor’s Illustrated Guide By Martin Sanders LPSNZ
I’ve always admired the volunteers on the many restoration projects around New Zealand. After retirement, I became a guide on the Auckland sanctuary, Tiritiri Matangi, one of the most successful conservation projects in the world. I used my time off to photograph and record the birds and life on the island.
and publishing houses. I settled on Adobe InDesign as the layout vehicle. Publishing was more difficult, as the firms I contacted required an initial print run larger than I expected (or could afford). I initially used Blurb, the self-publishing app, to make the book. Extra copies became far too expensive so, with more research, I settled on self-publishing through a local printer.
After a few years, it seemed a waste to have so many images sitting on my hard drive, and I decided to put some of them into a book. I spotted a gap in the range of Tiritiri books for a simple, pocket-sized picture book covering the birds and a brief history of the island. I did not realise how long the project would take to reach fruition.
As I’d trained as a newspaper photographer in my youth, I had some idea of layout and presentation. With a focus on telling the story through photos, I had not factored in the time required to research and add the copy, compile the index and proofread the results.
My initial concept ballooned to include photos of birds, vegetation, reptiles, insects, the lighthouse history and some ferry journey photos; also, short descriptions of the walks. A study of Māori was also required, to name and describe many of the illustrations accurately. Starting from cold, I investigated publishing software
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For more details on Martin’s book project visit the Tiritiri online shop by clicking below: http://www.tiritirimatangi.org.nz/art/tiritiri-matangi-avisitors-illustrated-guide
Nearly two years passed, and we launched the book with a run of 100 copies. Although it may be ordered through the net, it sells mostly to Tiritiri visitors. I managed to use nearly 400 of my photos in the 127page book. It was a thoroughly interesting experience and “The more one writes, the more one learns” is a great truth. Funds from sales go to the Supporters of Tiritiri Matangi Inc. I’ve now produced a second edition. No matter how many people proofread the original, eagle eyes soon spotted a couple of errors. Scientists also changed a couple of names and some new species had to be added. We are approaching 1000 sales.
I have found Tiritiri to be almost a “one stop shop” for photography. It can provide subjects in flora, fauna, macro, portrait, journalism, night photography and other genres. Tiritiri requires techniques associated with low light and close-up subjects. There is the challenge of moving from strong daylight under a canopy of trees, together with shooting through trees against the light and focussing on the subject and not the surrounding sticks. Birds do not always stay long, so anticipation and the ability to change settings quickly (such as variable ISO) is an advantage. Extremely long telephoto lenses are not required; a 200-300mm lens is quite satisfactory as the birds are reasonably close. Some visitors with “long toms” have difficulty with their minimum focusing distance of three metres.
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Audio-Visual News By Trish McAuslan APSNZ EFIAP/b FAPS AV-AAPS AV Co-ordinator for PSNZ
Tauranga AV Salon This year’s salon was even more successful than last year’s. There were 124 entries from 55 entrants in 10 countries, with 15 more entries than last year. It was good to see a higher number of New Zealand entrants, some of whom were new to international competition. With the increase in numbers, judging took two full days. This year, the judging team comprised Alistair McAuslan APSNZ AV-AAPS (Coordinator), Paul Byrne FPSNZ ARPS AFIAP, Elizabeth Carruthers FPSNZ AFIAP, Trish McAuslan APSNZ EFIAP/b FAPS AV-AAPS, Matt Leamy LPSNZ, Dave Riddleston and Bruce Burgess FPSNZ.
Congratulations to the successful New Zealand entrants: Lynette Vallely APSNZ from Whanganui who won the World of Nature category Yan (Anne) Yuan LPSNZ from Christchurch who won the Novice Award
MERIT
Bob McCree FPSNZ Gail Stent FPSNZ Helen McLeod FPSNZ GPSA ARPS Sue Riach APSNZ ARPS AFIAP
ACCEPTANCE
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Sheryl Williams APSNZ (2) Bob McCree FPSNZ Kevin Chong Yan (Anne) Yuan LPSNZ Jo Curtis APSNZ Lynette Vallely APSNZ Sue Riach APSNZ ARPS AFIAP Jennifer Dowling LPSNZ John Smart APSNZ (2) Leo Kwon
From a Judge’s Viewpoint During the salon, I made notes about what to avoid when creating an AV, with some suggestions about how to solve some problems. In some instances, this only applied to one or two AVs, but in other cases, the problem appeared in several audiovisuals. Some authors had a problem with image size. It was most noticeable when the image size kept changing, from landscape orientation, to portrait orientation, to a square image. When taking your photos for an audio-visual, make a real effort to take everything in landscape orientation, as that is what we use on a data projector or TV screen. If you have a number of images in portrait format that you want to use, consider the possibility of placing a low opacity slide in the background; this way, the viewers are not suddenly shown a large black area on the screen. You could experiment by showing one image on one side of the screen and then moving to the next image on the other side. The aim is to move seamlessly from one image to the next, without pulling attention to the black background or different image sizes. It is important to post-process all the images you use in the AV. There were several instances of dust spots, especially in the sky, which needed to be removed. While we know they are only small imperfections, once noticed, they have an impact
much greater than their size. It is important to remember that most of our judges are experienced still image judges; some were or still are on the Honours Board and are very much attuned to image quality. While the storytelling qualities of the AV are most important, image quality still plays an important part. At one point, the judges were discussing some very good audio-visuals. Which one did they consider was the best? The images were excellent, well taken and appropriate. Each AV told an interesting story and told it well. This only left the audio track. Some AVs had a very simple audio track, such as a single piece of appropriate music. One was more complex. Another problem we encountered was our ability to hear the audio track. Sometimes this was because the background music was too loud and therefore partly drowned out any spoken words. Sometimes it was because the volume of the audio track had been turned down too low. This may have happened during the compilation of the track, or it may have occurred when the audio track was mixed with the rest of the audio-visual. If the volume is quite low, one of the operators will try to increase the volume so we can hear it. If the volume is increased too much, the quality is downgraded as we begin to hear scratches and sound distortion. If you have an option, err on the side of the whole soundtrack being a little too loud, as it is possible to turn the volume down without spoiling the quality of the soundtrack. Just a point here. Before the competition, the technical team will listen to all the AVs and note where to set the audio level for each one. This is set when the AV starts playing and won’t be adjusted again.
COMPETITIONS Jack Sprosen Memorial Trophy Competition (JSMT) This is the PSNZ national competition for audiovisuals. Usually, this is judged in October/November, so there is still plenty of time to create an AV. The rules are available on the PSNZ website: https:// photography.org.nz. Look under Salons and Galleries > Affiliated National Competitions > Jack Sprosen Audio-Visual Competition.
The Irish Photographic Federation 2nd Open Photo Harmony AV Competition Photo Harmony is somewhat like a ‘slideshow’ of still images on a theme set to music. Video is not allowed and the use of text is discouraged. It doesn’t require a story with a specific beginning, middle and ending. The aim is to construct a sequence so that images progress harmoniously in terms of colour, tone and graphic design and that they harmonise with the chosen sound. Entries close on 24 September. If you are interested in entering, please contact me for the full details.
AV Makers of South Africa 2021 Theme Competition This is a free audio-visual competition judged by AV workers from different parts of the world. Gail Stent, Bruce Burgess and Trish McAuslan have worked as judges for this competition in recent years. The theme for this year is “Yes”. Entries close on 31 October 2021. If you are interested in knowing more about it, please contact me for their brochure at mcauslansav@gmail.com
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Audio-Visual News By Trish McAuslan APSNZ EFIAP/b FAPS AV-AAPS AV Co-ordinator for PSNZ
Preparing to Record your Narration The last issue of CameraTalk included information about preparing the script for your story. The next step is to work out how you will record your script. You may want to try out the simplest way first to get a feel for it, but eventually, you may want to spend some money and buy a piece of equipment that will give you a quality recording. A very simple way is to record directly into an audio processing app like Audacity, which is free. The software will likely pick up other noises, such as the computer running, and the quality may not be the greatest. However, it is one way to get started. A step up for some people is to use a voice recorder on a smartphone. I have an iPhone and use the app Voice Record Pro to record a simple voiceover successfully. I am sure there are other equally useful apps for other smartphones. A friend set his phone recording and then put it down among some pillows on the sofa. The voice-over he recorded this way was quite acceptable. The next step would be to consider a lavier mic (a lapel mic ̶ those little ones you see clipped to a shirt or neckline on a dress. Check that it will plug into your smartphone. I had to buy a special
adapter to attach to my iPhone. The one I use is a Rode Smartlav and I find it is very versatile. I can set myself up in a quiet room, with the script on a tablet or laptop, attach the lav mic, set the recording app going, and then talk away. The lav mic can also be given to someone else who you would like to record. The next option is a small handheld recorder which has its own mic. One of the most popular brands is a Zoom recorder, such as the H1n Handy Recorder. We bought one in Japan many years ago and it still works well. This device can be set to record sound in mono or stereo, and it can be set to give preference to one direction or to record all-around sound. It is very popular for recording interviews and meetings. The advantage over the lav mic is that the mic and recorder are in one piece of equipment that is small enough to carry in your pocket. You can set it down in the middle of a group or on the other side of the room and the only thing you have to do is to start it and stop it. You don’t have to be there while it is recording. You can take it to your “recording studio” and set it up for single person recording. You can buy much more complicated and expensive equipment, but this is a good starting point. Two websites have a lot of valuable information. They are actually about podcasting, but what you are doing when you record a voice-over is so similar that the information is relevant to both activities. Check out https://www.thepodcasthost.com and https://www.podcastinsights.com.
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The Whanganui Salon: Now Open for Entries! The Salon is open to all photographers living in New Zealand, with entries closing on 24 August. You can enter four images in each of the three categories: 1. HUMANITY AND THE NATURAL WORLD 2. THE WORKS OF HUMANKIND 3. LIVING IN A CHANGING WORLD
The overall Salon Winner will receive the very first Vonnie Cave Medal, which recognises the outstanding contributions the late Vonnie Cave MNZM Hon FPSNZ FPSNZ made to photography in Whanganui and nationally over her lifetime. The Salon Winner will also receive a $1000 redeemable voucher from our lead sponsor, Progear Photographic, while the Category Winners will receive gifts donated by Wellington Photographic You can read more about the Salon and access the entry form here: http://www.whanganuicameraclub.org.nz/ whanganui-salon-2021.html
The Cooling Tower, Jay Drew’s winning image from the 2019 Whanganui Salon
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The National Secondary School Photographic Competition - Results The New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Photography Competition (NZSSPC) is a project created by youth, intended to serve as a platform where passionate secondary school photographers can promote their photos, as well as partaking in a friendly competition with like-minded students. The NZSSPC’s mission is to help bring the artworks of NZ youth to the wider community, and encourage NZ youth to explore concepts relevant to the current world. Supporting this event from its inception, PSNZ is providing a judging panel of three accredited judges as well as several contributions to the prize pool.
Finalist photos - 2021:
Delicate Unity by Olivia Matthews (Still Life Category 1st)
Through the eye of the needle by Olivia Matthews (Still Life Category - 3rd)
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Great Grandmother’s Cranes by Yujin Park (Still Life Category - 2nd)
Co-existential Beauty by Hye-Lin Lee (Nature Category - 3rd)
Besties by Olivia Sheely (People Category - 2nd)
Lights, Camera, Action by Emma Clark (People Category - 1st)
Moment like these by Shawn Peng (People Category - 3rd)
The Alpaca Household by Jessica Pressnell (Nature Category - 1st)
One with Nature by Sarina Oetgen (Nature Category - 2nd)
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Astro-Photography Workshop with David Jensen Fun Time on a Cold Mountain By Paul Whitham LPSNZ The third workshop in the 2021 PSNZ workshop series saw a hardy group of photographers braving the dark and cold in search of a great Astro image. This was the third time that PSNZ had offered an Astro workshop and, like the previous two, it sold out very quickly. The location for this year’s event was on the central plateau, based around Horopito, a locality known for Horopito Motors (better known as ‘Smash Palace’). The historical Horopito School was the meeting place for our training sessions. The Friday session covered the basics: how to take the best shots, using those all-important settings. The workshop was initially planned to be led by Taranaki photographer Leith Robertson, who organised the first workshop in 2019. Unfortunately, Leith suffered a heart attack, just a fortnight out from the event. While he was keen to continue, his whānau vetoed the idea, so we enlisted the services of David Jensen to run the workshop.
David has extensive experience in astrophotography and was trained by Mark Gee. He had previously run one of the Astro workshops at the 2019 National Convention and was currently teaching night photography at Wellington College. Fortunately, James Gibson ASPNZ EFIAP and Leith had already found some potential locations for the night activities, so we were not starting completely blind. While there was a draft plan in place, mountain weather is unpredictable. We knew we would have to be flexible anyway. After dinner in Ohakune, everyone donned their thermals and we drove back around the mountain to the beginning of the Tongariro Crossing. Because the day had given us a mixture of cloudy and clear skies, we were not optimistic that we would see many stars. When we reached the car park it started to rain; that had not been in the forecast at all! David told everyone that he had very good star intuition, so we set off along the track.
By David Jensen
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...Astro-Photography Workshop with David Jensen Fun Time on a Cold Mountain By Paul Whitham LPSNZ Within five minutes, the sky cleared and we had our first practice at shooting the night sky. For most people, this first session was about learning to focus their lenses on infinity. After 20 minutes, the clouds rolled in again, so we continued up to the hut for shots with foreground interest. Again, we were lucky as the cloud had lifted by the time we reached the hut. We had another 30 minutes of shooting before the cloud returned, at which point we called it a night.
On Sunday, we had an informal gathering to get some feedback on how the weekend had gone and to collect the glamorous “hi-viz” vests we had been wearing. Overall the feedback was very good, with people saying the workshop had delivered what they had hoped for.
We started the Saturday session with lunch, and then David showed how he processed images in Lightroom. Most people had brought their computers and they were able to follow along while processing their own images. David also showed the software he used to stack images. Rotorua member John Miles LRPS took us through the Photopills app used by many Astrophotographers. The weather on Saturday was the same as the previous day, so we headed to National Park for dinner and then went to the Chateau. The original intention was to shoot the Milky Way, but David soon decided there was too much light and that people would struggle too much to shoot successfully. Instead, we headed up the track to the Tauranga Falls, stopping when we reached the bridge. People spread out in all directions, waiting for the sky to clear. Unfortunately, we only managed to get a few shots before the cloud packed in and we decided to switch to plan B. Plan B was to relocate to the area where David and I were staying and create our own stars using steel wool. Not everyone decided to come to this event but those who did were rewarded with some great shots, and when we got back to Horopito the sky was clear. By Paul Whitham LPSNZ
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“It certainly was a great night for learning a challenging genre of photography. Thanks to PSNZ and our excellent teacher, David Jensen, we all made massive steps forward. With David’s help at our first stop, we worked out how to focus on a tiny pinprick of light in a dark sky. Having moved up to the hut, we tuned our “white light / red light / no light” etiquette while setting up and managed to select suitable shutter speeds and ISOs before the Milky Way appeared in all its glory. Away we snapped, stacking and panning. By the time the clouds rolled in, most of us were hopeful that we had a “money” shot in the can (perhaps just a few cents, as most of us were Astro novices). All credit to David and Paul. This was my first attempt at Astro-photography; perhaps I‘m getting hooked.” John Miles LRPS
The Milky Way over the Mangetepopo hut by John Miles
Photos by Paul Whitham: “Mountain” (a 20 image panorama) and “Making our own stars”
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Portrait and Dance Workshop with Aaron Key By Paul Whitham LPSNZ The fourth event in the 2021 PSNZ Workshop Series saw us travel to Invercargill in the Deep South for a session on portraiture and dance. PSNZ partner Sony supported our tutor Aaron Key to fly south, along with a large amount of studio lighting gear. Photo Warehouse Dunedin also loaned us a Godox three-light studio lighting setup and four lightstands. Our models were provided by La Muse studios under the guidance of Bella Roberts. We had three dancers (Brooklyn, Anna & Amber) in the morning and four in the afternoon (Libby, Ella, Rosa and Lucy). The workshop was held in the Scottish Hall in central Invercargill and was a perfect location for us. There was a large area where we could place two complete studio sets while still having plenty of space to move around safely. One was on a white seamless paper backdrop, using the three-light kit. The second used a single light and a cloth backdrop along with a white/ black reflector to help create more moody images. The elevated stage, with its dark curtains, provided a perfect space for the third setup, which used LED lighting to capture movement. Unlike the other two sets, where we shot at 1/125sec, the cameras on this station used 3-4 second exposures. It took Aaron and me nearly 90 minutes to make the three setups operational before the eleven participants arrived. The heaters in the entrance and main hall had been left on overnight, so we were very comfortable despite it being very cold outside. I was particularly grateful that when my boots decided to fall apart just before the start, I could spend the rest of the day in socks only.
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After the initial briefing, Aaron got straight into teaching by working his way around each of the three lighting stations, explaining what the lights were doing and which settings were most appropriate at each station. The group was then split into six pairs, with three pairs shooting while three took a break. Within each pair, one person shot for ten minutes with the other person as assistant. Aaron timed proceedings so that everyone had a fair share of shooting the three dancers there for the morning. In the afternoon, we swapped out the backdrop on the single light setup and positioned two backlights on the white seamless one to light the backdrop rather than act as rim lights on the dancer. In the third setup, we introduced a speedlight that was fired at the end of the time the shutters were open. You usually do this by setting the camera to “rear curtain” flash. Unfortunately, the trigger only did this on some of the cameras, so we flicked to an alternative approach with the assistant firing the flash manually. This entailed a lot of trial and error, but most people appeared to take usable shots in the end. By the end of the day, everyone seemed very happy with the workshop and what they had learned. The dancers all had fun as well, and they are looking forward to receiving their prints. Once again, thanks to Aaron and Sony for making this workshop possible.
Gallery - Workshop Participants’ Photos
By Jo Broadhead LPSNZ
By Kim Faconer
By Tania Mackie By Kim Salmond McKechie
By David Tose
By Debbie Main-Tose
By Gillian Maclean
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My Journey...to a Fellowship! By Dr. Anita Kirkpatrick FPSNZ AIPF LRPS I lived in New Zealand from March 2007 until June 2014, when we moved back to Northern Ireland. I was initially a member of Dunedin Photographic Society and Dunedin Camera Club until we moved to Christchurch. I joined Christchurch Photographic Society and became secretary for a few years, even after the earthquake had shifted us to Timaru, where I was a member of Focus Aorangi. After moving back to Northern Ireland, I kept in touch with life in New Zealand. I watched and read with absolute horror and shock about the mosque shootings in Christchurch. Such a random act on innocent lives. I was deeply saddened on multiple levels. First and foremost, for the tragic loss of life and deep sadness for the people affected. The “clean green” image of New Zealand, free from acts of terrorism, was shattered. It was another setback in the emotional recovery of people in a city hit hard with the earthquakes. I was heartened by the strength of New Zealand’s response. I read all the articles and watched the news in disbelief. In the midst of all this, words and visuals kept jumping out to me. I started to save images that I felt were pertinent to the event and noted words and phrases that people used. I felt motivated to create a tribute to them. I had also felt this after the Charlie Hebdo massacre in Paris when 12 people died. I gained my Associateship to APSNZ with a panel of 12 images using pencil leads and shavings, with a play on pencil lead and lead bullets. I storyboarded the images from Christchurch that were in my head, bringing them to life as a drawing. Phrases like ‘Their blood has watered the seeds of hope’, a ‘river of blood’ and ‘love will redeem us’. The year was 2019. I planned to submit in 2020. The deadline came and went and it was only when I found out that the convention was going to be in Christchurch that I felt so sad that I hadn’t even started the panel. COVID-19 was in my favour when I heard the convention would still be held in Christchurch in 2021, and my motivation was spurred on to create a panel and get this work out of my head and onto photographic paper. I created my first image on 23 January 2021 and called Ian Walls FPSNZ a few days later for a chat ̶ to see if he thought it would be Fellowship potential. His words: ‘Go for it!’
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I used 4 materials; cotton cloth, pencil leads, shavings and glass. I used green glass to represent the “shattering” of New Zealand’s “clean green” image as well as the connection to broken glass in attempts to escape. I researched the Muslim faith to gain an understanding of its culture and beliefs. Knowing the importance of shrouding, I used cloth as my background. The pencil leads represented bullets and lives lost. I used 51 leads to represent the people that died, and in some images, four were red to represent the ladies that died. I studied photographs of the mosque to understand the building and to add to the authenticity of my creation, such as the exit door and the prayer mat colours in Call to Prayer. I had a board covered with a cotton cloth. I used forceps to place the leads, glass and shavings for each image. Each carefully arranged. Each only existing for the duration it was photographed and for me to feel content with it. After that, I shuffled my board, and it was gone, only preserved as a photograph. I used a Fuji X-T3 with a 56mm f1.2 lens. I kept my lighting consistent, using a Godox Speedlite with a softbox and grid. Each side had white reflectors and opposite to the light was a white or black reflector. For some images lighting from the top worked best, and for others, I needed to use side lighting to emphasise the 3D effect, e.g. in the Five Pillars of Islam. I wanted each image to look like a prayer mat, hence the border around each one. I played with several options, even turning all the images to portrait orientation at one stage! As Ian said: “Sometimes you have got to go too far to know what works and what doesn’t.” I selected a Maori pattern, as found on a Maori prayer house, to bring the connection with cultures and religion. I chose red and black to symbolise the Canterbury colours. I selected text, each shown five times per image to represent the call to prayer made five times. My layout enabled me to set the scene along the top row of six images, looking at New Zealand, the location and culture. The Call to Prayer in Arabic was appropriate for that row. The second row examined details of the day and I added, “To God we belong and to Him we shall return” which is a verse from the Qu’ran that Muslims use after someone dies. The bottom row, They Are Us, reflected positive attributes. A ‘Great Divide’ was intended to be created, but this act increased strength and unity in the Country.
The biggest challenge was editing images to look consistent. The background cloth was photographed differently, depending on the angle I chose for the photograph.
A Fellowship Artist’s Statement
I needed the leads to stand out and provide a 3D effect, and certain angles worked well for that. The editing was a real test and I had guidance from Vittorio Silvestri and Sharon Gilroy LIPF in Northern Ireland. Good friends of mine, Shelley Deane and Islam Gawish, who speak Arabic, provided the correct words for me. When it was just about complete, I thought I’d double-check the Arabic, and I realised that it was inserted back to front; Photoshop just wouldn’t let me insert it to read from right to left. I lost many hours trying to rectify that, but that’s another story. In my tight time frame and between Brexit and COVID-19, the postal system wasn’t going to get my prints to New Zealand on time. Ian Walls, who had assisted me with my APSNZ set, offered to print them for me. I worked with John Miskelly FRPS FIPF FBIPP and Vittorio here in Northern Ireland to find the best paper to use and ran off test prints. Ian managed to source the same photographic Canson Velin Museum Rag paper in Christchurch. Unfortunately, Ian’s printer died, but he had “Plan B”, and James Gibson APSNZ EFIAP was roped in to print. Images went back and forth via WeTransfer from Northern Ireland to New Zealand within seconds, as I tweaked images to get them just right when printed. Sebastien Krebs cut the mounts. Ian mounted the images and posted them! It was teamwork extraordinaire from my Christchurch Photographic Society colleagues, for which I’m exceedingly grateful. I’m not going to deny that there were a few sleepless nights to get it to that point, but I was supported by Ian’s comments, ‘I’m just enjoying watching this set develop. Each iteration comes together a little stronger.’ Ironically, I found out that I was awarded my Fellowship on the second anniversary of the tragedy ̶ 15 March 2021. To say I was emotional was an understatement! Aside from my success, I was just delighted that the panel would be exhibited in Christchurch, at home, where it belonged.
On 15 March 2019, a gunman targeted mosques in Christchurch, and fifty-one people died. The phrase “They Are Us” embodied empathy with unity. My images portray the tragedy, incorporating broken glass, cotton, shavings and fifty-one pencil leads, one for each life lost. The images are in three phases. “Call To Prayer” sets the scene and Muslim culture. “To God we belong and to Him we shall return” illustrates poignant facts. “They Are Us” reflects New Zealand’s positivity, solidarity and hope. A prayer mat border, in Canterbury colours, intermingles Maori pattern with each phrase. I created this tribute to them.
Ian phoned me from the Convention, after my award was presented, and I had the pleasure of speaking to both Moira Blincoe LPSNZ and Bruce Girdwood FPSNZ, and I could hear the atmosphere. I so wanted to be there. COVID-19 travel restrictions were not in my favour on that occasion; otherwise, I’d have taken the trip!
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Call to Prayer
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To God we belong and to Him we shall return
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They are Us
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By Anita Kirkpatrick FPSNZ AIPF LRPS
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A Tribute to Roger Hammond By Moira Blincoe LPSNZ Earlier this year, former President of the Auckland Photographic Society (APS) and PSNZ member Roger Hammond was on holiday in the South Island. Roger was “living the dream” with his wife Lorraine in their recently acquired motorhome when his health deteriorated. An ordinarily healthy man, his travelling friends encouraged him to return to Auckland to be “checked out”. He and Lorraine did so, but the news was not good. Sadly, Roger’s time was very short and he passed away six weeks later on 9 May in Auckland. A longstanding member of both societies, Roger took on the role of President from 2013 to 2016 and, more recently, Treasurer. A quiet, unassuming and gentle person, Roger was one of the most reliable and committed members – one who you could rely on to get anything done. He always had a smile on his face, and this was commented on by every friend and family member who spoke at his funeral. Former APS Patron Brian Cudby Hon PSNZ FPSNZ EFIAP Hon EFIAP spoke these words at the celebration of Roger’s life: ‘Roger has been a stalwart member of the Auckland Photographic Society for more years than I can remember. He’s been the person the APS could turn to in the certain knowledge that he could and would arrange an eminently satisfactory ̶ and elegant ̶ solution whenever it had a particular issue or challenge. We are all going to miss him, and his wide knowledge and experience, enormously: as an administrator, competitor, guide, friend and colleague, a true gentleman, leader and an all-round “good bloke”. It was a privilege to have known and worked with him at the APS. His sense of humour and sheer delight in the world of photography will be hugely missed, along with his careful management of APS finances.”
Times Square
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We’re on a Roll
The Lion and the Photographer
In
Fantail
Me
m
or iam
Overbridge
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PSNZ Workshop Series 2021
Judge Training in Taupō: 28 & 29 August 2021 By Shona Jaray APSNZ Judge Accreditation Panel
Venue: Taupō Vintage Car Clubrooms, Hickling Park, A C Baths Avenue, Tauhara Taupō 3330 The start time will be advised nearer the date but has generally been around 10.00 am. Lunch, morning and afternoon tea are provided on both days. A comprehensive manual is also provided. This year we are charging PSNZ members $25.00. The charge for those who are not PSNZ members but are members of affiliated clubs remains at $60.00. This charge will become non refundable after 27 July 2021. Click on this https://photography.org.nz/salons-galleries/judge-training-weekend-registration/ to register. The class is limited to 30 people and we often have a waiting list, so book your place now!
By Simone Jackson APSNZ NZIPP - Otago Peninsula Nature Photography Project
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Nelson National Triptych Salon 2021 Entries are Open. Let’s see what you have been creating. Be brave! Show us your triptychs, whether they are horizontal, vertical, round, square or whatever shape your triptych creation happens to be. We’d like to see the many ideas that budding photographers explore with their cameras.
Only digitally projected triptych entries will be accepted for this salon. We’ll make prints of the highly awarded triptychs and display these at the Presentation Evening in October. These prints will later be sent to the entrants for them to keep. Here are some important rules to remember for this event:
Your triptychs can be storytelling about children, animals, sports, social, interaction of design and colours or the fascinating world of nature.
• Your three images must be separated from each
Think and plan your triptych before you capture your images. Your three images will probably fit together better. For those who like a greater challenge, try to win one or all of the three Special Awards:
for the right images. All entries, including those intended for Special Awards, will be entered in an “Open” category.
but they must not constitute a fourth image to the subject matter.
within any of the three images is allowed.
• Love - Convey a message of love in some form. black and white or one colour can work wonders
• Background colours and textures are allowed,
• There must be no text on the background, but text
• Power - Illustrate power in some way.
• Monochrome - This ever popular medium in
other with a clear division between each image.
Your triptych can tell a story, compare three similar subjects, depicting a captivating design with the use of texture or colour, or be a combination of all the above. Please visit www.nelsoncameraclub.co.nz/saloninformation.html for the full set of rules and other info concerning this salon. Entries close at midnight on 31 August
Everlasting Charm by Eunice Belk LPSNZ
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Welcome to Our New PSNZ Members! Aidan
Grogan
Alison
Scott
Angela
White
Asitha Lakmal
Hatharasin Kodithuwakkuge
Belinda
Gummer
Carmelita
Vizmanos-Keeley
David
Dunham
David
Silverman
Emma
Clark
Ewan
Smith
Fiona
Diesch
Graham
Dillon
Hayley
Coyne
Helen
Clement
June
Kidd
Karen
Johnston
Kent
Duston
Lana
Morrison
Lesley
Stone
Matthew
Diesch
Olivia
Matthews
Pauline
Manning
Peter
Cox
Robin
Mainprize
Steve
Bradley
Zara
Hawthorne
HELPING PHOTOGRAPHERS GROW 73
m a ri
o
In
m e M
Yvonne Joyce (Vonnie) Cave MNZM Hon FPSNZ FPSNZ
Vonnie Cave’s first camera was given to her by her mother ̶ to take photos of her and Harry’s fast-growing sons. That was the beginning of a lifetime love of the art and challenges of photography and enjoyment of the friendships made through it. Vonnie and her mother joined the W(h)anganui Camera Club in 1962. It was a lively club of longstanding, established in 1894 with only a short recess during wartime. It was the time of black and white film photography, developed and printed in converted washhouses. Competition in the club was rife with others like Dr Bob Anderson, Arthur Bates and Ken Newton among the keenest top photographers. She was a member for nearly 60 years, holding all major positions, including Patron, and with her name on most of the Club trophies – several times. She was awarded Hon FPSNZ in recognition of her contribution to PSNZ and photography. In 1963 Vonnie joined PSNZ and within six years was on Council as Director of Colour Circles and later of Overseas Tours, Panel Judges (Open and Natural History) and Travel Aides. Vonnie served terms on the Judges Panel and Honours Board and was a trustee of the Bowron Foundation. She was elected PSNZ President in 1978 and in 2009, after the passing of Geoff Moon, she accepted the office of Patron. As John Boyd said at her memorial service, ‘She graced the position with dignity, charm and eloquence, and I think it is as much for her loveliness as a person as for her great photographic talent that Vonnie Cave will be fondly remembered by her photographic family.’ Vonnie loved challenges ̶ to have work selected for the National Exhibition, and then to win it; to gain ARPS and then APSNZ and FPSNZ, and try innovative ideas ahead of her time. Older PSNZ members may remember her landscape of an Aberfeldy hill, with the imported tree – done so effectively, or the Sound Slide “The Unicorn”, which the selectors at first refused to accept as an entry in the national SS Competition as they thought, it was “not photography”. That is, until an indignant Vonnie explained what she
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had innovatively done. It was certainly photography –
Vonnie combined her photography with other hobbies at
Vonnie style. Her images stretched across all genres
which she was equally proficient. She and Harry were
– landscapes, portraits, table tops, photojournalism,
members of the Smallbore Riffle Club, where they met,
creative and more. She moved from black and white,
and she was a top NZ shooter. She was an avid and
to slide transparencies and audiovisuals to digital
top golfer.
and DVDs with typical determination and success. Vonnie aimed high in all that she did, not for the glory but for her own satisfaction. She won National and International Salons. She was awarded the PSNZ Shirley Peverill Award for Photojournalism. Three prints and nine slides of Vonnie’s were selected for the PSNZ
Vonnie and Harry bred camellias and won top national awards. Her camellia, succulent and garden images featured in books and national award-winning publications that she sometimes illustrated and edited. For more than a year, she travelled all over
Permanent Collection.
New Zealand to obtain a complete database of native
Like other PSNZ photographers, she was keen to share
award-winning “The Gardener’s Encyclopaedia of New
her knowledge and skills. She made and presented
Zealand Native Plants”. Her photography was used to
many illustrated PSNZ lectures and tutorials, many of
promote the Bason Botanic Gardens, of which she was
which became part of the PSNZ Lecture Services to
a very active supporter.
Clubs. She was also a very active and astute member of Council, not afraid to give her opinion when she felt things were not being done well. She helped organise many conventions and travelled and led tour groups overseas. She was a very capable organiser
plants in flower. The result was the New Zealand
Vonnie will be sadly missed by her sons Peter, Bruce and families, and the many friends she made through her varied interests. Beverley Sinclair
and a generous hostess.
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PSNZ Canon Online - Results Round 3, 2021 By Paul Willyams APSNZ AFIAP MNZIPP, Canon PSNZ Online Coordinator
The winner of Round 3 is Australian member John Organ LPSNZ FAPS with Gallery Catwalk. John was thrilled with the news. ‘The main part of the image was taken in Hobart’s MONA (Museum of Old and New Art) Building. Using Photoshop, a second photo was included (split into three parts) to complete the final image. John has loved photography since his schoolboy years. He still has his very first black and white print from a 127 roll of film, taken with a Kodak Box Brownie camera. ‘To be able to express myself through visual images, including humour along with most things that move, is what gives me my greatest enjoyment.’ John says his technical abilities are somewhat wanting, but you can see from his Licentiate set on the PSNZ website that he is modest.
Most of you will already know who I am, but I will share something about me that perhaps you don’t know. Originally from South Auckland, I started “playing” with photography at a young age. My father was a keen photographer and videographer, and he encouraged me to compete with him for the best “postcard” image. It was a lot of fun, and he taught me how to “see” a picture. I have been with PSNZ since 2005 and enjoy many different genres of photography, the main one being nature. You will find larger versions of the images on this link: https://photography.org.nz/canon-online-current-results/
In total, 162 images were entered. Glenda Rees leads the overall competition with 18 points. The PSNZ accredited judge for this round is Toya Heatley APSNZ, and her comments follow. Thank you for the opportunity to judge this round of Canon Online. This was an exciting first for me and I enjoyed viewing all the entries. Some of them had stories that called me to them, while others grabbed my attention by their boldness and strength. Getting down to the final ten was not an easy task as there were so many impressive images to choose from.
Enter online in the PSNZ members area! https://photography.org.nz/canon-online-submission/
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1st - Gallery Catwalk John Organ LPSNZ FAPS I love the symmetry in this image, along with the boldness of it. I am totally drawn into the centre, where the person is clearly trying to escape from a trapped situation. This is a feeling we can all relate to right now as we are confined to our own waters. A striking image with a powerful story.
2nd Second Kayaker in the Mist Val Burns LPSNZ The water is so peaceful and calm in the mist, with beautiful soft colours. The kayaker leaves a small trail of disturbed mist lit by the sun and appears to be paddling into the unknown. This is such a relaxing image to view.
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PSNZ Canon Online
3rd - Lollies! Christopher Robinson This totally had me with the homemade fudge! This image brought back childhood memories of my grandmother having jars of boiled fruit candy and blackball lollies. The symmetry also grabbed me with this well-balanced image and the goods in the windows are well placed.
4th Stable Mates Lynn Hedges LSPNZ I really like how the back horse is engaging with the camera despite the indifference of its mate. I can just imagine the secrets these two whisper to each other when they are alone. Friends are such an essential part of our lives. 78
5th - Golden Gull Glenda Rees There is a beautiful golden glow throughout this image. I was initially drawn to the bokeh that almost imitates the curve of the gull’s wings. Well done.
6th - Windmill Peter Rodgers LPSNZ I have seen many images of windmills, but this one really captured my eye. I like the lines and curves, and the blue tones are gorgeous.
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PSNZ Canon Online
7th Serendipitous Beach Day Margaret Jones The soft colours caught my attention with this image. My mind has been coming up with all sorts of stories about what the tall wavy lines are, from grasses and trees to underwater seaweed — nicely done.
8th - Moon Riders Janice Chen LPSNZ This is a very clever image. I like the softness of the clouds and the moon, and the riders could be straight out of a storybook. My imagination is working overtime on this one.
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9th - Yellow Stairs Franky Malone It’s all about lines in this image, with bold yellow stairs against the contrasting dark lines of the wall. I like the diagonal positioning of the stairs through the image too.
10th - Faith Julia Rae APSNZ Faith means many things to many people. Looking at this image, I imagine a young bird ready for its first flight. It has faith that it too can fly like its parent. I see the faith that many of us have, that we will get through tough times and come out stronger on the other side.
Entries for Round 4 close on August 25. 81
HELPING PHOTOGRAPHERS GROW
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