nz photographer issue 19
DESCRIPTION
GOT A CAMERA? SUBSCRIBE TO NZ PHOTOGRAPHER! Whether you're an enthusiastic weekend snapper, a beginner to intermediate level photographer, or just have an interest in photography, NZ Photographer e-magazine is the free and fun e-magazine for Kiwi camera owners.TRANSCRIPT
NZ Photographer
Oct 27
1
Helping you take better photos
How To: SporTS
pHoTograpHy with
Brendan o’Hagan
getting to Know the wedding photographer of 2010: Blair Quax
ipad review: The photographer’s Tool
Urban Competition winner
photoshop Tips
Issue 19 Nov 17th 2010
pLUS:MeTaLLiCa!
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
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ConTenTS4 reader’sContribution
10 you charge How MUCH?
26
12 getting to know:Blair Quax
22 Sportsphotography
18 pic of the Bunch
34 gear review
28 photoshop Tips
36 Cool Stuff
NZ Photographer
Oct 27
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Another issue packed with all things
photography! This month we’ve
introduced a reader’s submission page
(thanks for sharing your work, Justin!), and you
will meet Blair Quax, this year’s Wedding
Photographer of the Year.
For something different we’ve gone to a
sports photographer for this month’s How
To (and therefore the next competition) –
Brendon O’Hagan shares his work and his
tips for any budding sports photographers
out there.
We had an amazing time at my "hands.on"
studio open day - thanks to all who came
along and made it fun. We were totally
exhausted afterwards, but we’re keen to do it
again!
We’ve also taken on a couple of
proofreaders here at NZ Photographer after
last month’s… challenges. Thanks to those of
you helping us out there! The whole magazine
will be a better place now that you’re here!
Corrections:A couple of things we’d like to correct from last
month’s issue:
• The first Critique in Issue 18
belonged to Marie Waters, not
Eddie Kyle - apologies to both!
Marie’s camera details were:
1/400 sec, F 5.6, ISO 100,
135mm
• The details for the Food comp and
the Urban comp were confused –
The Food comp is definitely going
ahead - Images are due by 5pm
on Monday the 6th of December,
2010. Winner will be published in
Issue 20, out on Wednesday the
15th of December, 2010
• Somehow we managed to miss
crediting the NZIPP Student
Photographer of the year - Anna
Kernohan
ediToriaL
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aBoUT Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free!
ediTor Ollie Dale, ANZIPP [email protected] ediTor Trudi CaffellarT direCTor Jodi OlssonadVerTiSing enQUirieS Phone Alastair on 09 523 4112 or email [email protected]
addreSS NZ Photographer, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZweBSiTe www.nzphotographer.co.nz
NZ Photographer is an Espire Media publication
Cover Image: Single Image Competition Winner Hillary Lakeman
NZ Photographer
Oct 27
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FEATURE
reader’SConTriBUTionImages by Justin Aitken, Memory Photography
NZ Photographer
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NZ Photographer
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This month, Justin Aitken shoots the Metallica
concert at Auckland’s Vector Arena.
South African born Justin Aitken is an event
photographer in Auckland. Having done loads
of concerts and stage performances myself, it’s
plain to see he has a talent and isn’t afraid to
work his images to suit his creativity.
Justin’s work has been published in various
magazines and online galleries including Remix,
The Groove Guide, Rip it Up and The Rock.
He has photographed many international acts,
including John Mayer, Michael Franti, Newton
Faulkner, The Cult and Johnny Clegg. His most
recent being Metallica. “There is nothing quite
like the raw energy you get when photographing
a live music concert, especially when they are
such experienced and passionate musicians
like Metallica.” Some of the local acts he has
photographed are Opshop, Nathan King, Anika
Moa, The Feelers, Dave Dobbyn, Midnight Youth
and Fat Freddy’s Drop.
Here’s a nice addition to NZ Photographer, inspired by you, the readers. If you’d like to appear in NZ Photographer send a link to some examples of your work and we’ll help get your work published for the world to see.
NZ Photographer
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NZ Photographer
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For more of Justin’s work take a look at www.memoryphotography.co.nz
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Oct 27
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NZ Photographer
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Nov 17
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ExcErpt From a studEnt’s assignmEnt:
The city or town you plan to work in: We
live in Wainuiomata, in the Wellington
region, which is quite handy as it is
a fairly large city and full of potential
clients! However, it is also full of existing
photographers - the Yellow Pages revealed
no less than 64 commercial and 73
wedding/portrait photographers! About
20 of which were in the Hutt area where
I am. That is a LOT of competition for a
region with less than 350,000 inhabitants
(349,000 of whom own their own digital
cameras no doubt!!).
proposEd cliEnt basE:
That’s why, to attract anyone at all, I thought
I should really offer something others do not
- lower prices! Having researched the price
structures of the local pro photographers, I’m
confident I could halve the charges while
still maintaining a (small) profit margin. It
is by no means a way of undermining the
pros - on the contrary, people get what they
pay for! I cannot offer a professional service
due to lack of equipment and lack of skills
and experience, so have no right to charge
the full price! Also, it is hard to ask people
to pay a lot of money when essentially you
are just using them as guinea pigs and
experimenting/learning on them.
my rEply:
Everything in your assignment is superb.
Except the comment “I thought I should really
offer someting others do not - lower prices!”
That saddens me to hear - I know you
go on to explain it, but it’s just plain wrong.
I considered giving you a 1/10 for this
assignment because of it, but then thought
better of it and simply deducted one mark as I
didn’t want you to lose your great average...
If you think your unique selling proposition
is that you’re cheaper than the next
photographer then you’ve just turned my
work into a commodity. Photography then
becomes a product, sold to the lowest
bidder. The photography industry suffers and
the general public becomes less interested in
the plight of the “struggling artists” who used
to be known as professional photographers.
If you charge for your photography you
are a professional. That is the definition
of an eligible member as defined in the
constitution of the New Zealand Institute of
Professional Photography.
You charge for your service, but you
don’t think you’re a professional, and you
“cannot offer a professional service due
to lack of equipment and lack of skills and
experience” - rubbish!
I’ve seen your work, and it’s fabulous. You’re
one of the better students I’ve had here at TPI.
Have you actually figured out how much
you need to charge to break even? Do
you know what all your costs are? How
do you know that the local photographer
whose prices you got as an indication is
charging enough to break even, or even
make a profit? The current median income
for self-employed photographers in New
Zealand is only $27-28k! If you’re basing
your prices off theirs, and undercutting them,
you may be undercutting someone who
doesn’t charge enough to start with and
you’ll both go out of business, not to mention
bring down the name of professional
photographers everywhere in the process.
Have you factored in insurance? If you
aren’t producing professional grade work
you open yourself to the personal liability of
getting a true pro to fix it at your cost.
You also need commercial insurance
for gear, vehicles, public liability etc. Your
FEATURE
One of my students raised an interesting point recently, and they’ve agreed to let me reproduce our
conversation here – I think it’s a vitally important part of the photographic industry and is at the heart
of the future success or failure of photography as a whole in New Zealand.
yoU CHarge
How MUCH?
By Ollie Dale
NZ Photographer
Oct 27
11
domestic insurance is null & void the moment
you start accepting money.
And since when did the amount of
equipment you have dictate whether you
can provide a professional service?
You may not think you’re a professional,
but the New Zealand Institute of
Professional Photography does, and it sobs
uncontrollably every time it hears comments
like yours, because it’s precisely that line
of thinking that is killing the photography
industry in New Zealand.
I know you don’t want to give up your
day job and become one of the world’s best
wedding photographers, but Jasmine Star
did (www.jasmine-star.com).
She says on her website “I found
something I couldn’t stop dreaming of until
it became a reality: Photography. I left law
school and started my business in 2006”
She left LAW SCHOOL and started a
photography business the year I got married
- 4 years ago.
She is now one of the world’s best
wedding photographers.
She didn’t say “because I have no
experience I can’t charge a professional’s
rate” - she told brides she wouldn’t rest until
she had captured them looking their best on
their wedding day, and then did that. She
also charged $1500 for her first wedding,
and upped her rate by $500 every third
wedding after that. She now charges
obscene amounts of money per wedding (like
tens of thousands of dollars - 4 years later!).
Yes she started off modestly, but she didn’t
undercut all her opposition by half, and
she DID have a plan in action to bring her
charges up with her experience levels as she
grew in confidence and skill.
I appreciate that you’ve done your
research into other photographers in your
area, but you need to go read “The Goal”
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_
of_Constraints) and understand that if you
differentiate on price (i.e. undercut) you
won’t be helping anyone.
You should also get in touch with your local
regional NZIPP and see when the next “Best
Practice” seminar is - there have been some
touring the country recently about costing and
pricing, and this would be ideal for you (you
don’t have to be a member to attend).
I suggest you look at this Base
Rate Calculator (www.nzipp.org.nz/
NzippWeb/Default.aspx?tabid=153) If
you can genuinely get overhead costs
(before ANY income) below $40k I
suggest you recalculate the figures as I’ve
never seen anyone who can operate for
less than this sort of level.
You’re a great photographer. You have
a great eye. You would far out-shoot any
of the ‘uncles’ who bring their cameras to
weddings. Your portraits will have your flair
and style and creativity injected into them.
Your work will inherently be yours.
So value it, and help the whole industry
out in the process!
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NZ Photographer
Nov 17
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GettinG to know
Richard Brown
By Ollie Dale
geTTing To Know: BLair QUaxNZIPP WeDDINg PhOtOgraPher Of the year 2010
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
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I met Blair a couple of years ago when I
first joined the NZIPP. He’s a great guy
and has an intriguing sense of humor,
which I totally appreciate.
For the last two years our two families
have shared accommodation for the Iris
Awards and Infocus Conference, and this
year was awesome because it was in
Queenstown. What was also awesome was
to be sitting next to him and his wife Lauretta
at the awards dinner the moment he was
named Wedding Photographer of the Year -
we were all shocked and elated at the same
time, but no one more so than Blair himself.
I caught up with Blair recently to find out
more about this unassuming but extremely
talented photographer.
nZp: so how did you
photography?
bQ: “Lauretta and I always used to laugh at the
stories of how amazing photographers started
their careers at the age of 6 when they sat
on Granddad’s knee and he gave them his
old SLR camera, and from there a superstar
photographer was born - we laughed because
it wasn’t that way for us, we just kinda woke
up one day doing photography.
But then I remembered that I did have a
story - when I was about 6 or 7 I used to save
up my pocket money and go down to the
local dairy in Raglan and buy a disposable
camera. Every couple of months I could
afford to do it again. It never really turned into
anything but I guess it was a start.”
nZp: what madE you buy your First
disposablE camEra at thE agE oF 6?
bQ: “I don’t know - it was probably the most
interesting thing in the Raglan dairy? It was
either that or a few 50c mixes.”
nZp: what was thE nExt mEmory you havE
oF photography?
bQ: “My dad imported a camera when
I was about 14; cameras were really
expensive then, so he imported a Pentax
SLR with a 50mm prime lens. I used it for
my photography in Form 7 (now ear 13,
kids) and then later in my Polytech courses.
At High School I was really into art subjects
- I did them all, and pretty much failed
everything. I got loads of support from my
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teachers about my work but then as soon
as I sent it away for marking it’d come back
as a fail. That was really interesting for me.
I then got into Polytech on the basis of my
painting portfolio, and chose to study a
Bachelor of Media Arts majoring in Painting,
but it was such a broad subject that at one
point I was working with video.
“Once again I couldn’t get into the
photography stream - I kept failing it, so I
went down a fine arts path. I guess the big
thing I learned was about conceptualising
what you do before you do it, and that’s
been really valuable.”
nZp: whErE did you go aFtEr polytEch?
bQ: “Well, try as I might, I couldn’t find any
work as a fine arts painter... so I got other
jobs, I travelled - basically I had a couple of
gap years, and when I came home I moved
back in with my parents in Raglan. Not long
after that I got a job at a camera store in
Hamilton, and that was where I met Lauretta.
“We hooked up and within a year we
had decided to start our own business - it
took us nearly a year to go through various
concepts for the business idea, and finally
we decided to set up a photography studio
that did everything, as you do. We were
completely naïve, but we started and that’s
the main thing.
“We shifted to Whangaparaoa because
it was close to Auckland without being
Auckland, and being a small town boy I
wasn’t keen to shift into the city.”
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nZp: so, you startEd a photography studio
doing EvErything - how did you gEt into
wEddings?
bQ: We thought weddings were easy to market
to and had a place to market - wedding
magazines, shows etc. Weddings for us kinda
took off without us realising. We tried to do other
photography as well, but it took us a couple of
years to realise that if we wanted to look after our
clients properly we had to focus on one area,
and weddings were really popular.
“We started out as Goode Photography and
design, Lauretta’s surname, because Lauretta
already had a few clients and because I thought
it was an interesting pun. Then in 2007 we had
a major year - we got married, bought a house,
and rebranded our studio to Shine Studios.
“We really wanted to set ourselves up for the
future and create an entity we could both be
a part of, and it helped me find my place and
validate my role in the business.”
nZp: so whErE do you gEt your work From?
bQ: “Now we’ve got enough of a history and
enough happy clients that most of our work
comes from referrals - people ring up and
directly ask for either Lauretta or myself to be
their photographer because of a referral from a
friend.”
nZp: and what was it likE bEating two wEll-
known wEdding photography hEavywEights
and winning wEdding photographEr oF thE
yEar?
bQ: “I was quite surprised... I knew the images
I’d entered were the best I’d ever entered - well,
I was confident and happy with my images,
and I was ready to just see what happened.
We went into this year’s Iris Awards solely
focusing on the wedding category, and we had
a good think about what the judges would talk
about. It was a HUGE surprise to win it over
those two guys who have won it so many times!
It’s certainly restored a bit of faith in myself.
“I am really proud of the work, but I was still
totally shocked to win.”
For more info or to contact blair directly go to www.shinestudios.co.nz
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Nov 17
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COMPETITION WINNERS
Congratulations this month goes out
to Hillary Lakeman for her urban
image of the recent devastation in
the Canterbury area. The crop we used for the
cover focused on the reflection which worked
for the cover image, but I also like the bigger
picture (pun intended) told by the original.
Hillary wins this issue’s cover and a
$100 voucher from the fabulous people
at Giclée Print. For all YOUR fine art and
canvas printing needs, visit www.gicleeprint.co.nz.
WINNER: Hillary Lakeman - My image
shows the Victoria Street clock, which stopped
at the time of the earthquake, reflected in
the window by Asko’s - my family’s business
was also attached to this building and all the
block has now been demolished and cleared.
(Sony DSC-R1, 1/250th sec. at f/4.5)
Agnes Arnold
David Garratt
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Chris Brickell
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
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Chris Gin
Blair Walker
NZ Photographer
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Graham Barr
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
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HOW TO
By Ollie Dale
SporTS pHoTograpHyPhotograPher: Brendon o’hagan
Sports photography can be
glamourous, and it can be painful.
The sports photographer can share
in the elation of the moment, and they can
share in the taste of defeat. While the team
can have a good day on the field the sports
photographer can just as easily be having
a bad day. I know one photographer who
dropped a memory card full of All Blacks
photos somewhere on the pitch at Eden Park
during the game – sports photography can
be equally as emotional as sport itself.
One of New Zealand’s leading sports
photographers knows this himself; Brendon
O’Hagan has made a name for himself
in the sports photography world, and has
been at most of the major international
sporting events New Zealand has hosted
over the last few years.
“Probably the most memorable moment
recently was when the All Whites qualified
for the World Cup on November 14th,
2009 – that was THE most electrifying
atmosphere I’ve ever experienced at a New
Zealand sporting event.”
Brendon started his photography with a part
time job at the Manawatu Evening Standard,
after first applying to join the Police.
“They (the Police) told me to come back
when I was 20, as I was only 18, so I
looked around and the Evening Standard
job looked cool.”
After learning photography in Manawatu,
Brendon moved to the Wanganui Chronicle,
and then on to the NZ Herald as a staff
photographer, where he was able to be
involved with a lot of major sports.
He was with the Herald for two and a half
years, but was caught up in their restructuring
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ten years ago and left New Zealand on his
O.E. in late 2000.
After a couple of years overseas Brendon
returned as a freelance photographer,
and his love of sport continued to shape
his career. A few years ago he started
working for AFP (Agence France Presse) in
NZ, and now covers “any sport with an
international flavour”.
“I’ve just come back from the rowing;
I do a lot of the All Blacks, Black Caps,
All Whites, sailing regattas, etc. I also do
a considerable amount of underwater
photography.”
But to show you again that photography’s
not cheap (like you need a reminder, right?),
Brendon’s kit bag includes 6 Canon bodies
(1D MKIV, 7D, 5D MKII, 2 5Ds and a 60D)
and at least 14 lenses, including a 300mm
f/2.8 and a 500mm f/4.
“Basically I’ve got everything covered
from 14mm through to 500mm, plus a
couple of 1.4x extenders.”
When it comes to the how-to tips for
sports photography, there’s no one list that
covers everything because every sport is
different, but Brendon’s shared some points
that apply to most situations:
• Firstly, a bigger lens helps! As big as
you can afford!
• Know the sport you’re photographing
– or don’t. Sometimes not knowing
the sport you’re photographing means
you approach it with a fresh view,
but then sometimes knowing the sport
gets you in the right place at the right
time. If you don’t know the sport,
don’t let that hold you back, but be
more aware of what’s going on and
be ready to adapt quickly.
• Try to get clean backgrounds where
possible – this is where the big lenses
work their hardest, because they help
to throw everything else out of focus. A
lot of the stuff I shoot has sponsorship
banners in the background which is a
pain. Pick your spot carefully so you
avoid that security guard in the high-vis
day-glow vest.
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• Take a risk – sometimes a completely
different angle works. Up high is always
a good option for a different look to
your images, if that’s what you want.
• Shoot on the smallest aperture possible,
and this is again where the professional
lenses are better than the consumer models.
• Your shutter speed depends on the
sport you’re photographing and the
look you’re going for, so experiment.
Rugby, cricket, basketball etc. all tend
to demand high shutter speeds to
stop the action. (Editor’s note – when
I used to shoot rugby and basketball
it tended to always be 1/500th of a
second at f/2.8, or faster if you had
enough light)
• I find the 7D is a great camera at an
affordable price – it has a high frame
rate which is good for sport, and it’s
pretty good in low light.
• Finally, sometimes it’s better to pick your
spot and wait for the action to come to
you – it’s worth it because, while you
may not get as much the stuff you do get
is really good.
Brendon is based in Auckland, but regularly
travels the country for his work. “I have a
website (www.brendonohagan.co.nz) and
there is also a blog on there - I rabbit on
about what I have been up to (all with very
bad grammar and crap spelling!)”
12:00 pm - 4:00pm
Studio 3D, 93 The Strand, Parnell
4th Dec 2010
Hi my name is Brian Foose. I am a p r o f e s s i o n a l c o m m e r c i a l a d v e r t i s i n g & f a s h i o n photographer.
On Saturday 4th of December we are hosting a Help-Portrait session in our Auckland studio.
Help-Portrait is a collection of photographers around the world using their time, equipment, and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate. What does that look like? It looks like photographers taking pictures, and then giving those pictures back to the families.
None of the photographers or volunteers involved are being paid or making money off these photographs. None of the pictures taken will be used on personal websites or portfolios. The goal is simply to find people in need and take their picture in order to give the picture back.
Last year I photographed over 50 people and delivered more then 100 photos for child cancer foundation families. The best part is listening to their stories and knowing you are making a little bit of difference in their life.
This year we have an even bigger team; apart from yours truly we will also be joined by my good friend and one of the best commercial & lifestyle photographers, Ollie Dale, the fabulous professional makeup artist Lucy Medway-Smith and heaps of other good people willing to give back to their community.
So we need your help to spread the word around and to help us find someone in need to have a good cheer up this holiday season.
Who needs pictures? Maybe you know a single mum who never had time for herself. We will give her full makeup and photo shoot to make her feel special.
Pretty much anyone who wouldn’t normally have access to or be able to afford professional photography would be ideal for Help-Portrait. We suggest the following groups of people for starters…Orphans, single mums/dads (and their kids), the elderly, underprivileged families, or even your neighbor?
DATE : 4th Dec 2010 TIME: 12:00pm - 4:00pmVenue: Studio 3D, 93 The Strand, Parnell, Auckland
If you would like to give us a hand (make-up, hair, food and drinks etc.) please contact me directly on [email protected] or follow me on twitter @BrianFoose . For more information about Help-Portrait please visit www.help-portrait.com
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Nov 17
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TIPS
fOr BegINNerSBy Pete West
I was using the background eraser today
and thought that not many people use
this, so this is the subject for this issue.
There are a number of ways you can
‘clear cut’ an image out of a background.
You can make a mask around it using a
marquee tool or painting it out by using
the ‘edit in quick mask mode’, or you can
use the background eraser tool. As with a
lot of these tools they work better on high
contrast, sharp pictures, but the background
eraser tool does have some flexibility, and
is very useful for cutting around hair or fine
lines, (on sharp pictures).
In fig 1 you can see the 3 options
for the eraser tool. We’re looking at the
middle one, ‘Background eraser tool’.
In fig 2 you can see that the tool gives
you a circle with a cross in the centre.
Hold down the option key to give you
the eyedropper, and then click on the
surface, or colour that you want to
protect. This colour will then appear in
the foreground of the tool palette and will
now be protected.
If you right click with your mouse you can
bring up variations as for a normal brush,
(fig1A). I tend to go for zero spacing and
a soft edge to the brush, but you can try all
these out. You can also reduce or enlarge
the brush by using the left and right bracket
keys on your keyboard.
Firstly, make sure your background has
been turned into a layer by double clicking
on the background in your layers palette.
Now, keeping the cross in the centre of
the brush on the area to be cleared you can
move it around the edge and magically see
the background disappear as the object you
want to keep is left (fig 2).
In fig 3, you can see that the tolerance is
set to 10%, this ensures that the eraser does
not eat away the object I want to keep.
Fig 4 and 5, show you what happens if
your tolerance is set wrongly. Here tolerance
is 100%, and the result (fig4) shows that the
eraser has eaten into the area you want to
keep. In this case reduce the tolerance and
try again. As I said a high contrast sharp
object largely reduces the need to play
around with the tolerance.
11a
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pete west emigrated from the uk in 2002 and taught photoshop at natcol for 3 years. he works freelance producing aircraft
illustrations and photographic articles on airshows for magazines in the uk and brazil. www.flickr.com/photos/oneleggedpom/
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There’s no better way to learn than
by having your work critiqued! In this
section you get to have your work
critiqued by professional photographers
Lisa Crandall and Ollie Dale.
Lisa is a multi-award winning
portrait photographer. In 2008 she
was named ‘People Photographer of
the Year’ at Iris, NZ’s professional
photography awards. Her studio,
ImageMe www.imageme.co.nz is
located in Takapuna in Auckland. She
also runs photography workshops,
and is an Associate of the New
Zealand Institute of Professional
Photography (ANZIPP).
Ollie has been a professional
photographer for seven years, and has
clients such as the NZ Herald, Visa,
Microsoft, Westpac, Unitec and BMW.
He is also a qualified commercial
member and Associate of the New
Zealand Institute of Professional
Photography (ANZIPP).
camEra: Nikon D60
shuttEr: 1/640 sec
apErturE: f/4
iso: 800
author: Eddie Kyle
From thE author: Driving in Central Otago
I saw this scene and it captured me. I
stopped, pulled out my Canon 500D and
diligently assessed the image I wanted to
capture. I considered what I liked about
it – the contrast between rugged granite
face with shadows, the strong blue sky and a
softer mountain in the distance. I ensured a
power pole on the mountain remained out of
shot, thought about rule of thirds and clicked
off several shots, changing the f-stop up and
down in order to get different exposures.
Then I assessed the shots and realised what
was missing which made the shot – the road
leading seemingly into the mountain face.
Having done everything right to this point (?), I
got excited, waited for a break in traffic to run
out into the middle of the road, and took only
one photo. I then threw the EOS into the car
and got on my way. Dismay came later when
I realised that the best shot was over exposed.
CRITIQUE
Sized Up yOUr WOrK CrItIQUeD
Hardly an expert with editing, I’ve tried
correcting with Colour Curves on GIMP
(thanks to a previous NZ Photographer
review) but to a novice this is just
frustrating. How can it be fixed (and
otherwise improved)?
olliEs’s commEnts: I like your description
of what you went through to get your shot,
Eddie. I’m sure lots of other photographers
have had similar experiences.
Firstly, the answer to what you could
have done to ensure against overexposure is
simple – shoot in Camera RAW – you retain
99% of the data that your camera caught
and it’s much easier to recover over- or
under-exposure in post processing.
Going on what you’ve sent in though,
here are a few things you could try:
• First, clone out the white road
posts – they’re incredibly distracting,
and who would know they were
supposed to be there, right? And
crop the image down into a more
panoramic shape as that sky isn’t
really adding anything (OP1)
• Secondly, the image is screaming
out for a black and white treatment –
add some contrast, clarity, dodging
and burning, whatever your tastes
dictate. In option 2 (OP2) I’ve used
the black and white adjustment
layer to manually control the effect.
I also added a touch of exposure to
the very black region on the left –
shooting in camera RAW would have
given more latitude for recovering the
shadow area. I also gave the whole
image a vignette and then removed
some of it on the left and right sides.
You don’t have to go as extreme as this
but you definitely need to pull some more
out of the image. Think of taking the picture
in the camera as the first step on the way to
making your image.
op1
op2
call For EntriEs: Get your images critiqued by professionals – send an image to [email protected] with a brief description
of how and why you took the shot, and we’ll tell you what we think and if it could be improved. The views and opinions expressed in this section
are only two people’s ideas on photographic imagery. You may have different, constructive ideas about how good or not the images are, and what
could be done to them. You’re welcome to send those ideas in to [email protected]. We agree that the opinions contained in this
critique section are by no means the only opinions that could be held about these images.
NZ Photographer
Mar 3
32
COMPETITIONS
SporTSpHoTograpHy(SINgle Image Or SerIeS)
With summer almost upon us
antipodeans, here’s your
chance to try your trigger
finger at some sport. Re-read the article
about sports photography and go out and
find some. Capture a sporting moment in a
single image, OR, if your moment is better
represented as several moments then you
may also enter a series of images. Send
your entry in to us to claim not only the cover
of Issue 21 (February) but also the fabulous
$100 voucher from the awesome people at
Giclée Print!
Thanks again to our sponsors of our
competitions - for all YOUR fine art and
canvas printing needs, visit
www.gicleeprint.co.nz One entry per person, and you must be in
New Zealand or hold a NZ Passport at the
time of entry to qualify to win.
Images must be 100dpi, 1600 pixels
wide, and sent to [email protected] by 5pm on
Monday the 14th of February, 2011.
(Yes that’s Valentine’s Day 2011)
The Winner will be published in Issue 21,
out on Wednesday the 23rd of February,
2011
NZ Photographer
Oct 27
33
a QUICK remINDer…
Food CoMpeTiTion(SINgle Image)
We want Issue 20 to
look YUM! Here’s your
chance to try out the
tricky world of food photography –
re-read the article about Nick Tresidder’s
food photography from Issue 18 and
cook up a storm. Capture it in a single
photograph and send it in to us to claim
the Cover of Issue 20 (December) and
the $100 voucher from those amazing
people at Giclée Print. For all YOUR
fine art and canvas printing needs, visit
www.gicleeprint.co.nzOne entry per person, and you must be
in New Zealand or hold a NZ Passport at
the time of entry to qualify to win.
Images must be 100dpi, 1600
pixels wide, and sent to competitions@
nzphotographer.co.nz by 5pm on
Monday the 6th of December, 2010.
Winner will be published in Issue
20, out on Wednesday the 15th of
December, 2010.
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
34
GADGETS
Before I got my iPhone I usually met
up with clients in a café or office to
showcase my work on my laptop. I’ve
always found the laptop so inconvenient; it
takes up so much space on the table and the
client is always confused about which key to
press to go to the next image.
Then I got my first iPhone. I imported
my portfolio and client’s images before the
meetings and, as usual, I met with them in a
café, home or office. The clients loved the way
the images were presented on a small enough
device they could hold to view the images.
However, I then had another issue: The screen
was too small, and sometimes when the client
was viewing the images I would get a call
or text message. Totally unprofessional! Since
then I have been thinking: What if there was
a device, similar to my iPhone but a little bit
bigger, even just to show off images to clients?
(And this was way before the original official
iPad announcement!)
Finally, 3 generations of iPhones later,
Apple announced iPad and I was really
excited about it. Now I’ve had my iPad
for over 5 months and I want to share
with you how my iPad works for me as a
professional photographer.
1. Just to clear things up a little bit: Is
it just a big version of iPod touch
or iPhone?
The answer is a big NO, although
they do share the same operating
system and similar functionalities.
But the iPad offers a totally different
experience. From surfing the web,
email, and reading a book, to
signing off model releases. Can the
iPod touch or iPhone not do the same
thing? Yes they certainly can, but the
experience is nowhere near the same
as on the iPad.
2. Show off your images in style.
Like I said, ever since my first iPhone
I’ve imagined a device like this, even
if all it did was show off my work to
clients in a professional and easy to
use manner.
Out of the box you can import all
your photos into the built-in photo
app, to start using it as your portfolio
to show off to your clients. Or if you
like you can download one of the
apps available on the App Store
designed to manage your images
into a more portfolio-like presentation.
gear reViewThe iPad: a PhoTograPher’s ToolBy Brian Foose (“Inspector Gadget”)
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
35
3. Signing model releases on the iPad
is more fun.
Preparing model releases, printing
them out and remembering to get
them signed off by the models used to
be a drag. I think mostly it’s because
I hate dealing with paper. Now there
is an app for that; I just have to create
a model release template in the app.
Once I arrive on the set, I hand the
iPad over to the models to key in all
their details and digitally “sign” it on
the screen (with their finger).
A copy of the release gets emailed
to both the model and myself. Job
done! No paper, no mess, instantly
saved and backed up.
4. Tethered shooting with the iPad.
Apology for the misleading title...
There is currently no way to shoot
tethered to the iPad. However, we do
use the iPad as a portable wireless
monitor when shooting tethered
to the iMac or MacBook. First we
downloaded one of the Wifi capable
VPN remote control apps, linked it
up to our computer via Wifi, and
everything on the monitor is beamed
to our iPad. Then we shoot tethered
to the iMac or MacBook and start
shooting. Instant feedback on the
iPad’s large screen without running
to your computer monitor after every
shot is great! Also you can change
the image treatment on-the-fly on the
iPad, all from where you are shooting
without moving a inch. Brilliant!
5. Import your photos and videos to it.
With an optional USB and SD
card reader attachment you can
download and backup your photos
from a digital camera into the iPad.
The iPad is also capable of reading
and displaying most of the RAW
formats from DSLR cameras. You can
even do some basic editing on the
iPad before emailing or uploading
the images to an online image
sharing site.
6. On location references
Sometimes I want to refer to my tear
sheet or shot-list for shot references,
or even just quickly Google up some
ideas. Now I go straight to my iPad
instead of my laptop. I chose the
iPad with 3G for occasions like this
when I don’t have access to Wifi
internet on location.
Here are just a few ways I use my iPad as
a professional photographer. But, of course,
that’s not all I use my iPad for.
I also really enjoy using my iPad
when I am doing things that require less
computing power. I surf the web and
email on my iPad on the couch more than
I use my laptop. I am writing this review
on iPad right now meaning the on-screen
keyboard is comfortable enough to use
to write an article with. The iPad offers
10 hours of battery life and that’s not an
overstatement. My iPad has lasted me
more than 10 hours and I can confirm
that number is pretty accurate.
The bottom line is, the iPad is not going to
replace your computer. But there is definitely a
place for it in your digital lifestyle. Read a book
or news paper; read an animated book before
bed-time with your kids; use it as a cookbook
in the kitchen; surf the net on the couch instead of
in the corner of your room so you can at least
pretend to be socialising with friends and
family; use it as a picture frame to display all
your favourite photos; Skype on it, etc…
Or, take it to your next client meeting
instead of your laptop. The possibilities
are endless.
brian Foose is the gadget-guru here at nZ photographer and will be reviewing all the cameras, gizmos and accessories that manufacturers and pr companies send us. he’s also a great photographer - check out his website at www.brianfoose.com
NZ Photographer
Nov 17
36
CooL STUFF
GADGETS
canon Eos 5d mark ii timElapsE vidEo
Dustin Farrell has sent us his latest Canon
EOS 5D Mark II timelapse video and
there are some jaw dropping scenes in
this one.
http://vimeo.com/16198274
From Dustin: ”Over a year ago now
I began getting interested in DSLR time
lapse photography. Now a DP with
Crew West Inc. in Phoenix, AZ I began
to miss the opportunities of editing my
own material. I quickly discovered that
shooting time lapse with a DSLR not only
gave me editing material, it gave me 5K
RAW image sequence editing material!
On my home PC I could crank out 4K
video clips with ease.
“My DSLR interests grew when I found
the timescapes.org forums. There I
found a wealth of knowledge, including
information about a camera called the
“Canon EOS 5D Mark II.” It seemed
that every serious time lapse shooter was
using it. So, we bought it along with a
24mm 1.4 mark2.
Since then I have been shooting
incredible time lapses. The low
light image quality of the 5D2 is
amazing. Add the 24mm f1.4 and
the combination is unmatched. 80% of
‘Landscapes: Volume ONE’ was shot
with this combination.”
SOUrCe: Planet5D Blog
canon’s cross mEdia station
Pulling memory cards and downloading
pictures? A pain. Keeping track of a drawer full
of different-sized battery packs for your travel,
studio, and video cameras? A headache. If that’s
you, Canon’s Cross Media Station could be a big
hit of aspirin. Finally shown to the world after being
teased at the Canon Expo last month, the prototype
device looks something like a chubby scanner
from a dark future. However, the top is actually an
inductive charging pad. Set your camera up there
(up to three at once) and a blue light will pop on
to indicate flowing electricity. While the power
heads one direction the data goes whizzing by
in the other, pictures pulled and categorized on
the device based on time, place, and recognized
faces. As you can see in the video (http://www.
youtube.com/watch?v=922zFnVa0IE), photos can
be displayed over HDMI onto your HDTV. We’re
guessing the wireless data spec is TransferJet, as
Canon is a member of that consortium, but when
it comes to the wireless charging we’re somewhat
in the dark. It looks like the models in the video are
using adapters to enable this functionality, but surely
this will be integrated eventually. You know, in the
future, when all the best stuff happens.
SOUrCe: engadget
Seen anything cool lately that’s even remotely
photographically related? Let us know by
email to [email protected]
NZ Photographer
Oct 27
37
in THe nexT iSSUe oF nz pHoTograpHer…
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NEXT ISSUE
Astrophotography (as requested by Jon – anything for you mate!)
Food Competition Winner (Get cookin’ and shootin’, kids!)
Canon S95 Camera review
Plus Much More!
Issue 20, Out Wednesday 15th December 2010