NZ Photographer

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SIMPLE TIPS to improve

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHYPart Two

Issue 8 December 2nd 2009

GEAR REvIEw: GIMP IMAGE EDITING SOfTwARE

Off the Bookshelf: PRESS PASS How To

GET GREAT SUMMER HOLIDAY

PHOTOS

Helping you take better photos

EatingPHOTO ESSAY

wINNER

TIPS fOR YOUR CHRISTMAS PHOTOS

SON0008B Sony Vaio Alpha A4.indd 1 3/11/09 1:39:37 PM

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16. EatingESSAY wINNER

6. Off the Bookshelf

10. HOw TO: Get Great Summer

Holiday Snaps

15. YOUR wORKCritiqued

20. EvENTS

CONTENTS

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One of our key reasons for working so hard on NZ Photographer is to

create a community in New Zealand to promote photography and

increase the profile of the photographic industry. Basically by inspiring

you lot to take better pictures and network with other amateur and enthusiastic

photographers we help the industry as a whole to grow.

That said, we’re pleased to announce a partnership with a brand new forum for

photographers – Phototalk (www.phototalk.net.nz).

when I say brand new, I mean you are some of the first people to hear

about it! Phototalk will provide us all with a forum for photographers to talk

about photography – without the distractions of your 368 friends’ updates on

facebook.

we are working hard with Phototalk to create an online presence,

and we’re even going to have the ability to upload photos to enter our

competitions via their website.

That will all come in the new year – in the

meantime, check out and sign up to the forums

at www.phototalk.net.nz – and don’t forget to

join the NZ Photographer fans group!

Editorial

go extreme. there’s no turning back.You go to extremes to get just the right shot, and with the SanDisk Extreme®

line of CompactFlash® cards, you’ll get that shot, every time. Engineered to be

lightning fast with blistering read/write speeds of up to 90MB/sec, these cards

are also rigorously stress-tested for extreme shock, vibration, temperature and

humidity so you can take it to the extreme—no matter what.

90MB/second 60MB/second

For more info contact info@lacklands.co.nz

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 editor@nzphotographer.co.nzGROUP EDITOR Trudi CaffellART DIRECTOR Jodi OlssonADvERTISING ENQUIRIES Phone Richard on 09 523 4112 or

email richardl@espiremedia.com

ADDRESS NZ Photographer, C/- Espire Media, PO Box 137162, Parnell, Auckland 1151, NZwEBSITE www.nzphotographer.co.nz

NZ Photographer is an Espire Media publication

www.apix.co.nz

NZ Photographer

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Geoff Dale’s professional life has been spent capturing

the moments that have defined our current events. His

retrospective of news and sports in New Zealand over

the past forty years provides a thoughtful, provocative and insightful

collection of iconic images and memories. If you lived through these

events, fascinating background information will add a new dimension,

as well as professional techniques from a highly skilled practitioner.

from the now-infamous fish and Chip Brigade plotting their

rise to power, to the shot of the sunken Rainbow warrior the

morning after the fatal bombing in Auckland harbour, these

are poignant and important moments in our history. Contrast

All Black captains Buck Shelford and Richie Macaw – one

covered with mud, blood and the sweat of on-field battle, the

other being sprayed by a make-up artist; witness the grief of the

family of an innocent victim of a motorway shooting; wince at

a jockey’s bone-crushing fall; or shadow-box with Mohammed

Ali... These amazing photographs transport you to those

decisive moments, providing an absorbing insight into what it

has been like to be a Kiwi.

fROM JIM TULLY’S fOREwARD:

“Journalists produce what former washington Post publisher Philip

Graham called the ‘first rough draft of history’. In print media,

reporters write the words and photographers take the pictures.

Photographers are usually closest to the action, and often it is the

image that lingers longest in the mind of readers...

“The age of computers and satellites has transformed and

enhanced the practice of photojournalism at a time when most

newspapers are online and there is an even greater premium

on immediacy. Sadly, however, newspaper photographers have

also seen their specialist role eroded as reporters routinely take

Off the Bookshelf PRESS PASS: A HOw-TO Of PHOTOJOURNALISMAuthor: Geoff DalePublisher: Harper Collins

RRP $49.95Where To Buy This Book

© NZ Herald – Rainbow Warrior Bombing, 1985

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a ‘point and shoot’ digital camera on assignment. Then there

is the increasing use of photographs and video supplied by so-

called ‘citizen journalists’.

“As we witness enormous change in the practice of

journalism, Geoff Dale’s anthology of his work spanning a long

and distinguished career is a timely reminder that we need well-

trained, highly competent photojournalists who have a passion

for their profession and for recording that first rough draft of

history.”

About the Author: Geoff Dale is a highly respected award-

winning press photographer who began working with The New

Zealand Herald in 1970, and has covered major current events

ever since, winning five Qantas press awards and three best

Photo of the Year awards, amongst others. He lives in Orakei,

in Auckland.

To listen to a book review of Press Pass, click here

To listen to an interview with the author, click here

© NZ Herald – Steeple chase, 2003

© NZ Herald – Muldoon loses, 1984

© NZ Herald – Sky Tower complete, 1997

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© NZ Herald - The “Fish and Chip Brigade”, 1980

© NZ Herald – steer on the loose, 1996

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© NZ Herald – Kaiaua double murderer 1992

© NZ Herald – Morrie Davies, Air NZ - Erebus Crash, 1979

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How To: Get Great Summer Holiday Snaps

The days are getting longer, holiday plans are being discussed,

and we’re all fooling ourselves into thinking that the next four

months of our lives will be spent in cloudless, sunny bliss... It

must be summer! Time to whip out those jandals, pack the suncream,

and run back inside while the car’s still running to get the hat you left

on the counter...

And if you take lots of photos you’ll remember these holidays for the

rest of your life!

So, how do you plan to record history this summer? Here are some

tips and tricks to help:

GEAR

Don’t forget your camera, of course, but that’s not all you’ll need.

Batteries and Memory Cards – Take more than you think you’ll use,

because local shops have a habit of hiking the prices on these

photographic essentials. Keep memory cards safe, cool and dry, and

use rechargeable batteries or dispose of used batteries properly.

Gorillapod/Mini Tripod – You don’t want to be lugging a heavy tripod

around your holiday, but sometimes you need something else to hold

your camera for a bit – ask for a Gorillapod for Christmas, and kiss the

person who gets it for you.

waterproof Camera – My favourite summer camera is my pocket-sized,

waterproof camera. Strap it on tight and take it swimming with your

mates – it’ll give you some great water images without the stress of

having to keep it dry.

© Ollie Dale, PhotoNZ Ltd.

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Keep your equipment cool – whatever camera you take, keep it

cool! Don’t just chuck it on the sand and take off, because if the

beach goblins (you know, the ones who steal your best pair of

sunglasses and one of your shoes) don’t pinch it, the sun will cook

it beyond repair. Also remember how hot your car can get, even

when you’re driving. You could stop short of having a dedicated

chilly bin for your camera equipment – or perhaps not...

TECHNIQUES

for after the tent has been put up...

Take more candid shots – So many summer holiday shots are groups

of people looking at the camera. The only story that tells is “look

at our family, everywhere we go we stand in a pack and stare in

the same direction...” – spice your facebook page up with shots

of people doing the things you do on holiday. Believe me, by day

three everyone will be so used to you that they’ll relax and you’ll

capture some great moments.

Early mornings/late nights – Have you heard the term ‘golden hours’?

Those are the hours just after sunrise and just before sunset – the

sun is low in the sky, the light is warmer (golden?), and the cooler

temperatures mean you’ll be able to concentrate on shutter speeds

without expiring. Summer’s golden hours are much longer than

winter’s, so make the most of the fact that the whole campground is

awake by 7am, and take the kids for a photo expedition.

© Ollie Dale, PhotoNZ Ltd.

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De-clutter images – for at least half of your images make a

conscious effort to de-clutter – keep your images simple and

illustrative, and avoid too many elements in the photo; use your

zoom or change your angle to keep your photos interesting without

being messy.

Don’t be shy, get amongst it! – There may be a local festival,

a town fair, or even just a game of beach volleyball that’s

interrupting your sudoku – what better opportunity to get up close

and personal than amongst a whole bunch of strangers that you’ll

most likely never see again!

flash Control – Just for a change, and because you’re feeling brave,

turn the flash on during the day and off at night – you’ll be amazed at

the results!

Experiment yourself silly – Digital photography’s free, right? (Ha!) well,

a lot less expensive than film was – so read all the tips and tricks we’ve

brought you this year, and experiment till your batteries run out.

HINTS

for impressing the rellies at the next family dinner...

Look at postcards – If you travel away from home, pop into the local dairy

and look at the postcards they invariably have at holiday destinations – if

you can recognise some of the local landmarks, buy the cards and use

them as reference and inspiration for shooting your own postcard shots.

Record first impressions – Quite often the exhilaration of first impressions

is inspiration enough for astounding photos – just remember your family

is waiting in the car.

Photograph ordinary people – Locals doing what they do can tell lots of

stories about your holiday, so look for opportunities to sneak a few shots

from a distance.

finally... print all nine Issues of NZ Photographer to study the How-To

articles, and then send your best four-six images in by 1 february 2010

to enter our Summer Holiday Essay competition!

This article was contributed by Ollie Dale, a professional photographer based in Parnell, Auckland, and a qualified

member of the NZIPP (Commercial). More details can be found on his website, www.photonz.com

Images © Ollie Dale, PhotoNZ Ltd.

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You have until • December 14th to get your images in to us, so

there should be plenty of decorated houses around to photograph

in time for our deadline – if you’re in Auckland, why not head

into Ponsonby’s franklin Road for a smorgasbord of twilight

opportunities. In fact we know that most towns and cities in

New Zealand have some of those people who think that it isn’t

Christmas if they don’t cover their house in fairy lights – maybe

you’re even one of them!? Consider using long bulb exposure

settings to capture the lights at night, or perhaps even trying to get

some faces in the reflected glow of the christmas lights.

Christmas to you may not be Santa• – perhaps it’s church,

nativity scenes and children dressed up as shepherds and

angels? whatever it means to you, we’re eager to see your

photos and be a part of your experience. Remember, it’s

emotions that make the photos, so make sure you capture the

spirit of the time of year.

Carols by Candlelight• – another opportunity to get some low

light, long exposure shots. why not try a 2-minute exposure

(if your camera has a bulb setting) at f/22 and see what

happens... It’s also an opportunity to think about unusual angles

and perhaps an unexpected macro shot among all the people

and their celebratory extras.

Decorations are decorative.• Practise your macro skills on some

glittery figurines or oodles of tinsel. Again think of unusual

angles, and pushing boundaries until the decorations become

art. Perhaps think about using the reflective surface of those shiny

round ones, or create a scene with the family putting them on the

tree. Think natural rather than posed for best results.

Keep it simple• – Christmas can have a lot going on – try

to keep a single focal point in your image and not get too

distracted by everything else going on around you.

Have fun• – if you’re not having fun you’re not doing it right. fun

makes great photos.

NExT ISSUE’S COMPETITION (SINGLE IMAGE) IS CHRISTMAS – SO wE THOUGHT wE’D GIvE YOU SOME INSPIRATION TO HELP YOU wIN THE PRIZED SPOT Of BEING OUR fIRST CHRISTMAS COvER... AREN’T wE LOvELY!?

ILLUSTRATINGChristmas ILLUSTRATING Christmas

Image © Ollie Dale, PhotoNZ Ltd.

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Seeing as our final issue for 2009 goes out on

Wednesday 23rd December, what better subject to

illustrate than Christmas!? We’ll give you some tips in

the next issue about how you can create stunning Christmas

imagery, but get your thinking caps on, and start planning

some ideas.

Submit your best image to competitions@nzphotographer.co.nz.

Entry Deadline: 5pm, 14th December 2009

Winner Published: Issue 9 (Christmas)

Get your image published, and be the cover of our next •

issue.

Have your winning image printed on canvas, thanks to •

PhotoNZ.com

Plus, with summer just around the corner, get your greasy •

hands on this wicked BBQ set, care of our friends at Brand

Storming Promotions.

Brand Storming Promotions provides unique and pretty cool

apparel and promotional merchandise for any corporate event or

marketing strategy. To promote your business or to get something

branded with your logo, check out their website at www.bsp.co.nz.

PhotoNZ.com can get your favourite images printed on high-

quality canvas at almost any size. Hang your photography around

your home or office, or make highly personalised gifts for friends,

relatives and those people who seem to have everything. Order

your canvas online at www.photonz.com.

COMPETITION RUlES:

You should enter only one image, and only if you are a

subscriber to NZ Photographer.

The image should be emailed at a minimum of •

100dpi, 20cm wide.

The image you enter must have been taken on or •

after November 11th 2009.

You as the photographer will retain all copyrights •

to the image. By entering your image you grant

NZ Photographer a non-exclusive license to use the

image in the magazine and on the website www.

nzphotographer.co.nz.

NZ Photographer will not sell or make available the •

image to any third party for any reason.

The judge’s decision is final, and is not open for •

debate.

CHRISTMAS SINGlE-IMAGE REMINDER

PIC OF THE Bunch

NZ Photographer

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Camera: Olympus E510

Shutter Speed: 1/640th sec

Aperture: f5.6

Lens: Af-S Dx vR Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm

OLLIE’S COMMENTS:

Cool shot! I can’t claim to be a nature or landscape photographer, so I can only

go on photography basics when it comes to comments on this shot, but you’ve

done well. Technically, the composition is good, your short depth of field is great,

and you’ve exposed it nicely. Apart from using a reflector to bounce some light

back on to the main flower, you’ve done a good job onsite, and everything else

is back on the computer.

Because imagery is so subjective, the post-production techniques you use are

as well, but there are a couple of basics to do first. I think the lower 25 percent

of the image doesn’t really add anything, and the bottom right corner is a little

messy with the contrast jumps and harsh lines. I’d crop the bottom off the image,

and then I’d increase the contrast and exposure a little – the image is a little

muddy straight from the camera, so put a little bit of life back in. OP1 shows the

difference that +0.50 exposure, +20 contrast and +25 vibrance gives.

That’s the easy bit – from there you can go any way you like...

what about using the colour sliders to drop off the other colours in the image

and leave the lovely pinks and reds? (OP2)

Add some under-exposure to the rest of the image to make the main flower pop

out? (OP3)

Or even run the image through an art filter to add another look to it. (OP4)

The possibilities are as endless as your imagination, and you’ve given yourself

the best opportunities by creating a great image in your camera that really only

needs a few touches to make it look its best.

YOUR wORK CRITIQUEDJudge: Ollie Dale

Sized Up

OP1

OP2

There’s no better way to learn than by having your work

critiqued! In this section you get to have your work critiqued

by a professional photographer, Ollie Dale. Ollie has

been a professional photographer for 6 years, and has had

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).

OP3

Call for entries: Get your images critiqued by

a professional photographer – send an image to

critique@nzphotographer.co.nz 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. You’ll win

yourself a great pair of NZ Photographer Binoculars,

care of our friends at Brand Storming Promotions.

OP4

NZ Photographer

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Our Eating Essay WinnerTAKING A BITE OUT Of LIfE

with such a broad subject to illustrate, the entries

were varied and certainly up to the task. Lots of you

looked at one specific part of eating, and that is true

of our winner:

Rick McQuinlan

Rick’s focus was on coffee, which he claims is an addiction of his

(and so many others, Rick). what I liked was his attention to lighting

his subject, and the different angles he used. I was also really drawn

to the image we used on the cover – very well done, Rick.

As well as the notoriety and fame that will no doubt come his way

for nabbing the cover image for this issue, Rick will receive the great

NZ Photographer BBQ set from Brand Storming Promotions, and a

canvas print of his cover image, care of PhotoNZ.

NZ Photographer

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NZ Photographer

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NZ Photographer

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2 19Yay for holidays! whether you’re away with your mates,

packing the kids up or off to forget about kids altogether,

take your camera (and a printout of this issue) with you and

tell us a story about your whole trip, part of your trip, or what you

got up to during the summer.

Because we’re also going away (camping, I hope) you’ve got

an extended deadline for this one – in fact, you’ve got almost

two months! Get your best four to six (ok, we’ll take eight this

time, but only the once) images into us by 5pm on Monday 1

february 2010.

Remember, plan your shots and send your best four to eight

images to essays@nzphotographer.co.nz

If you didn’t read the article on how to shoot photo essays in the

first issue you can download it here.

Get your image in to win:

Be the cover of Issue 10, the first of 2010.•

Have your best image printed on Canvas, thanks to PhotoNZ.com•

Plus, with summer threatening to actually arrive, get your •

greasy hands on a wicked BBQ set, care of our friends at

Brand Storming Promotions.

ESSAY RULES:

You should enter four to six images per essay, and only 1.

if you are a subscriber to NZ Photographer.

Images should be sent through at a minimum of 100dpi, 2.

20cm wide, and can be on separate emails.

The images you enter must have been taken on or after 3.

October 21st 2009.

You as the photographer will retain all copyrights 4.

to the images. By entering your images you grant

NZ Photographer a non-exclusive license to use

the images in the magazine and on the website

www.nzphotographer.co.nz.

NZ Photographer will not sell or make available the 5.

images to any third party for any reason.

The judge’s decision is final, and is not open 6.

for debate.

Win withNZ PHOTOGRAPHER

SUMMER PHOTO ESSAY COMPETITION

Image © Ollie Dale, PhotoNZ Ltd.

Get Inspired

Workshop SeriesBringing the knowledge to you.

NZ Photographer is pleased to announce the dates of our next Workshop Series... If you like NZ Photographer, you’ll love these workshops!

Comments from the Basic Workshops:

Loved the course... looking forward to the Photoshop one. Inspired to get snapping in the various competitions! Thanks.

Allison Mackenzie

My first workshop, really enjoyed it. Was great to meet other like-minded people. Learned heaps, thanks for answering all my questions Liz Robertson

Post Production Skills 1 Basic Photoshop Other Software Options Workflow Tips+ the Latest Magazine Reviewed

90 min / $40Sat 12th Dec10 - 11:30am

Post Production Skills 2 Advanced Photoshop Techniques+ the Latest Magazine Reviewed

90 min/ $40Sat 12th Dec12 - 1:30pm

Limited seats for each workshop, so book now! Email editor@nzphotographer.co.nzeditor@nzphotographer.co.nz

Workshops held at Studio 3D, 93 The Strand, Parnell, Auckland, in association with PhotoNZ Ltd. Come and meet other subscribers, ask questions and get tricks & tips to improve your images!Pre-bookings

Essential!

An Eye on the Universe

Astronomical photos

whangarei Museum

23 November 2009 to 31 January 2010

Simply Grey

Greyhound photography

Community Arts Centre Palmerston North

12 December 2009 to 12 January 2010

Mrs Ray Turley

Pixel Painting

Monmo Gallery, Orewa, Auckland

12 November 2009 to 20 December 2009

PHOTOGRAPHY EvENTS AROUND NEw ZEALAND

Image ©

Cate M

arshall

Imag

e ©

Mrs

Ray

Tur

ley

Imag

e ©

Ton

y Kw

ak

If you haven’t heard of GIMP, then you’re in good company – until

a well-educated reader of NZ Photographer pointed it out to me,

neither had I. I thought it was time to introduce everyone to GIMP,

or more specifically GIMP 2.6.6 on windows.

In one sentence, GIMP is a free imaging editing program that has

many of the features that Photoshop has, and if you’re struggling

to find a way to pay the price of Photoshop, this may be a viable

alternative for you. If that statement is enough to convince you that

your future creativity lies with GIMP, then click here to start the

download process. for more details, read on...

for starters let me make one thing clear – Adobe is the king of image

editing software, with its flagship, Photoshop, combined with Bridge

and Camera Raw being my choice for post production heaven.

Having said that, GIMP was a pleasant surprise.

for anyone familiar with Photoshop, the layout is different enough

to be distracting. GIMP’s default still has the tools palette to the left

of the screen, and the brushes and layers to the right. Different to

Photoshop, though, is that the windows all appear to be different

windows floating above each other – like having different programs

open – and the default colours are beige, as opposed to the neutral

grey of Photoshop.

A lot of the same tools are available too – Rectangle, Ellipse and

free selections similar to the Marquee and Lasso tools of Photoshop

– but there are new tools like the scissors tool, which claims to

“Select shapes using intelligent edge fitting”, and the foreground

Select tool – but these are really just repackaged versions of

Photoshop’s Quick Mask, Magnetic and Polygonal select tools.

But the nitty-gritty of Photoshop isn’t its selection tools – it’s options

like layers, adjustment layers and filters.

GIMP has layers, and layer masks, but no adjustment layers.

So much of my personal post production includes the glory of

non-destructive adjustment layers that I don’t think I could live

without them – I’ve heard it said that next to the invention of the

layer itself, Adjustment Layers arguably represent Photoshop’s best

feature for retouching.

There are some other drawbacks – like only being able to work in

8-bit RGB colour (not 16- or 32-bit, and not CMYK, although there

are some plug-ins that claim to help) but if you don’t know why

that’s a limitation then it probably doesn’t matter to you. There are

MANY other great features that GIMP does have – filters, blending

modes – that are very useful tools for working on your images… and

remember to try out the perspective clone tool. Nice!

I wouldn’t give up Photoshop for GIMP, but if I was just starting out

then GIMP would be a fabulous beginning. when you consider that

this program is developed by volunteers, and when you do some

research and see the plans they have for GIMP’s future releases, it’s

obvious that it’s an amazing program for free, and I have no doubt

that Adobe will be keeping a firm watch on GIMP’s progress.

GEAR REvIEwBRING OUT THE GIMP!GIMP Image Editing Software

NZ Photographer

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Pardon us while we freely admit that we have literally no idea

what’s going on inside a camera -- whether it’s digital or those

quaint film-based ones you hear about from your grandma.

Luckily, our own kids might not have to suffer as we have: a group at

the Computer vision Laboratory at Columbia University have designed

and built a prototype digital camera that should demystify the devices.

The Big Shot digital camera kit, if and when it hits the market, will be

a box of all the necessary parts for kids to be able to build their own

simple, candy-coloured digital camera. while the Big Shot is still in

prototype testing phase, we really hope this gadget (and more like it)

makes it to the market sometime soon.

Editor’s note: It’s uncanny how this resembles many of the

electronics I owned as a child – only this one’s supposed to come

apart! Must get one for my son, who appears to be following in my

footsteps – at least when it comes to pulling anything mechanical/

electronic to pieces...

Source: Engadget

COOL STUffTHE BIG SHOT DIGITAL CAMERA KIT

NZ Photographer

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In the next issue of NZ Photographer-winner of the ‘Christmas’ Single Image Competition

Christmas Give-aways from NZ Photographer

Gear Review Focus on Memory Cards

How to recover lost or deleted photos