Author: dunedinphotogsoc

47th Dunedin Festival Exhibition

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The 47th Dunedin Festival of Photography was opened at a wine and cheese event tonight by Dunedin Photographic Society President, Kate Burton.

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Kate thanked everyone for supporting the Festival with their entries; there was a record number of submissions which was great, but also meant the judges had to be a bit more ruthless with their selection.  It has resulted in a fantastic exhibition however, and if you are able to visit the Dunedin Community Gallery between 5th and 10th November you will be able to enjoy the final results.

For those of you who are out of town, we have prepared digital versions of the exhibitions which can be viewed below.

Dunedin Festival Exhibition images selected

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Phew! After a huge day on Saturday, images for the 47th Dunedin Festival of Photography have been selected.  Congratulations to all who have had an image, or images, selected for the exhibition.  You may have heard through the grapevine that we had a record number of entries this year – a total of 1553 images across all the sections!  A full list of exhibition acceptances will be available once the exhibition opens.

Entrants  should now have received notification of their results.  If you have not, please contact Melanie (webmaster.DPSNZ@gmail.com).

The exhibition will be open at the Dunedin Community Gallery from 5th-10th November, 10am-6pm.  If you are unable to visit, we will make a slideshow of the digital and print exhibition available once the exhibition opens.

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Jenny Reeve, Chris Gable, and Derek Morrison discuss the Open prints.
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Glenda Rees, Paul Sorrell, and Gary Speer discuss the finer details of a Natural History print.

2016 Spring Print Exhibition Results

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This year we held our Spring Print Exhibition at the Dunedin Community Gallery (28-31st August).  Having the exhibition on for a few days gave members a chance to view the images multiple times if they wanted, and enabled us to share our work with the public.

Along with the Spring Print exhibition, we had the Dunedin Junior Photography Exhibition on display.  2016 was the first year for this and we were pleased to get 18 entrants who submitted photos on variety of subjects.  10 images were selected for the final exhibition. We look forward to running this again next year.

In addition we presented a digital exhibition of member’s work from the Filderstadt Photoclub (FCF).  In 2015 a member of the FCF visited a DPS exhibition, and this has led to several interactions between the two clubs this year.

We had a good number of visitors through the gallery, and all positive feedback.  Our second meeting of the month was held on Mon 29th at the Community Gallery where we heard feedback from the judges (Paul Sorrell, Natural History; John Hart, Open) and got to catch up with one another over drinks and nibbles.

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Congratulations to everyone who had images accepted for the exhibition.  The honours and awards images are in the slideshow below.

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47th Dunedin Festival of Photography

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The Dunedin Photographic Society Inc. invites you to submit entries for exhibition in the 47th Dunedin Festival of Photography for 2016.

The Festival is open to all New Zealand residents, and also to financial members of PSNZ affiliated camera clubs.

All the rules and entry information can be found on our website: https://dps.org.nz/2016dunedinfestival/

We look forward to receiving your entries.

Important Dates

Urban Vista
2015 Champion Open Print: Urban Vista, Liz Hardley

Opening Date for Entries: Friday 19th August

Closing Date for Entries: Friday 30th September

Judging: Saturday 15th October

Festival Exhibition Opening: Friday 4th November

Festival Exhibition: Saturday 5 – 10th November; Dunedin Community Gallery, Princes Street, Dunedin

Workshop: 22nd Aug

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Our next meeting on Monday 22nd 7.30pm is an indoor (vege) light painting workshop.  It’s going to be a fun night where you can let your creative side run wild and come up with some interesting images
Please bring:
– camera
– tripod
– shutter remote if you have one
Optional items to bring:
– small torches, glow sticks, iPads, LEDs, mobile phones
– interesting shaped/coloured fruit or veges
– still life objects e.g. books, bottles, flowers, old boots, anything!
– large pieces of dark, dull fabric e.g. velvet (not shiny, preferably not wrinkly)
– download a free app such as Pocket Softbox for a selection of any coloured light
This event is open to anyone, but a gold coin donation on the night is requested for non-DPS members.VegePainting

Member Profile: Kathy Richards

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Year joined DPS 2015
Signification positions held in DPS Council Member
Current camera Nikon D3000
Favourite camera you have ever used/had Nikon D3000
Which do you prefer: Film or Digital? Digital
And why? Because I can experiment more and see the results instantly
Which do you prefer: Print or Projected? Print
And why? Projection is convenient and easy to use and share but I enjoy viewing images in hard copy more
How did you get into photography? My husband was interested in photography and I used his camera to record the kids as they were growing up. I enjoy all sorts of art forms. Drawing, painting, fabric sculpture etc. For me, photography is just another medium for sharing how I see the world.
What is your most memorable moment from your time at DPS so far? I had two goals when I joined DPS. To get an image on the wall in an exhibition and to get an image into the NZ Camera book. I have achieved both so I am stoked.
What keeps you inspired with your photography? I tend to be obsessive with hobbies, then get bored of them and move on to something else. But photography is so diverse, there are always new concepts, subjects and tools to explore, I don’t think I will ever get bored with it. I look up photographers that inspire me, but mainly I am inspired by the world around me.
Do you have a particular theme that would summarise your photographs? I like the wabi sabi concept. The beauty of imperfection, impermanence, the state between being and not being.  Layers of peeling paint, rusty cars, stark trees, skeleton leaves, subtle colours, patterns and textures. I also look for juxtapositions and emergence.
Where is the best place that you have been to take photos? On the glacier at Franz Josef. Blue ice, melted into constantly changing sculptures.
What piece of equipment could you not do without in your camera bag? My camera. That’s all I really need.  I don’t have much equipment. One camera, two lenses, one battery, an ND filter. A couple of little bean bags which are useful to hold my camera still when I don’t have my tripod.
Do you have any advice for your fellow photographers? Stay true to yourself. Make images that you like and are proud of, not just ones that meet the brief, or you think the judges will like.
Use the title to help tell the story.
Always shoot in RAW and use good editing software to get the most from your image.

Do you have any favourite photography related websites or web resources that you’d like to share with other members?		 I like pinterest for ideas like portrait poses and tips.
Graphicriver has some fun photoshop actions.
http://graphicriver.net/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&term=photoshop+action&as=0&referrer=homepage
My favourite photography book resource is ’30-Second Photography’ edited by Brian Dilg.

Enter Now: Spring Print Exhibition

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A gentle reminder about the upcoming Spring Print Exhibition.
 
Closing date for entries: Monday 8th August 2016 (at our meeting)
Members can submit up to six entries in each of the Open and Natural History Sections.  More details.
 
We will be exhibiting the selected images at the Dunedin Community gallery, so this is a great opportunity to get your work on display to the public. John Hart will be selecting images for the Open section and Paul Sorrel selecting for the Natural History section.
 
John Casey has organised a good deal with the Framing Factory in South Dunedin if you need to purchase new mats and foam core backing. Contact John or Laurie by 25th July to order your mats.

Member Profile: Matheson Beaumont

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Year joined DPS 1948
Signification positions held in DPS
  • President on three occasions, the last for our 100th Anniversary year.
  • Chairman of the Organising Committee of the 50th PSNZ Convention in Queenstown
  • Current Patron
Honours ONZM, FRPS, FPSA, Hon FPSNZ, Hon FNPSNZ
Current camera Canon D5
Favourite camera you have ever used/had Although I love my D5,  I had a love affair with Olympus for a number of years owning OM1, OM2, OM3 and OM4’s
Which do you prefer: Film or Digital? Digital
And why? I enjoy the ability one has to manipulate the image, to make it into the picture you envisaged at the time of taking.
Which do you prefer: Print or Projected? Print
And why? I am a print maker, and prefer this medium to the projected image. I had a long involvement with Slides from the early 1950’s and even pioneered Multi Screen Audio Visuals in NZ , in the early 1970’s. My AV’s being shown around NZ, in Australia as well as in London.
How did you get into photography? I was given my first camera about 1942 whilst at High School. Living next to my parents in St Clair were the Erwin’s; energetic members of DPS. Occasionally Mrs Erwin would bring members of DPS in to our garden to photograph the Gold Fish in our Lily Pond, which fascinated me. And as I grew up I was impressed by the pictures of scantily clad girls on the covers of the Photographic Magazines in the Book Shop at the St Clair Beach, so these two influences were significant.
What is your most memorable moment from your time at DPS so far? Presenting my Multi Screen,  6 Projector AV. ‘Something Special’ To the 21st.  PSNZ Convention in Queenstown. – To a standing ovation.
What keeps you inspired with your photography? The Challenge of image making and the involvement with the special people who share the same interest.
Do you have a particular theme that would summarise your photographs? I love the Landscape and the challenge that it presents. I have pursued many branches of photography, from Marine to Portraiture and Genre, but it continues to be the Landscape which presents for me the greatest challenge.
Where is the best place that you have been to take photos? I have photographed in many places from Mexico to Tibet, in The UK the USA and Europe, but the place that really brings me on is the Mackenzie Country and the ‘Lindis’ Pass. When I am there and the light is “right” I think that I ‘vibrate’.
What piece of equipment could you not do without in your camera bag? My Canon 28mm to 135mm zoom.
Do you have any advice for your fellow photographers? Learn to Look.  And having looked – See!
Any other comments? Some thoughts on photographing the Landscape.
The very nature of the photographic process is perhaps the reason for the landscape being so seldom done well. Photographs are made in a 125th of a second, usually less, and are often made by casual photographers who are out “Taking Pictures”. If the painter could rip off a canvas in so short a time, the world would be without many of its great works. The photographer who understands the landscape takes time to contemplate and actually feel what is going on in front of the lens. The skill is in ‘making’, rather than the predatory ‘taking‘  which leads to success.The great landscape relies on fine union of trained eye and imaginative mind. To make it you must be not only intellectually involved, but sensitive to what is going on in the subject, if you are you, you will have a better chance of communicating your feelings to your viewers. The photograph should open up our minds to the mystery of the scene and allow our imagination to to escape”.

Member Profile: Pam Constable

dunedinphotogsoc

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Year joined DPS 1987
Current camera Olympus  E300 / Canon ixus 800
Favourite camera you have ever used/had Olympus C730
Which do you prefer: Film or Digital? Digital
And why? Because I can process the image exactly how I saw it in my head when I pushed the button. AND its a lot cheaper (once you have your computer setup)
Which do you prefer: Print or Projected? Both – no preference
And why? They each do different things. I prefer projected images now because all my photo work is done on the computer, but the printed image allows for more care and thought both when during the creative process and when being interpreted by the viewer. It is a pity for instance, when the photographer has put a lot of effort into making a distinctive image, enters it into the  projected images section of a salon where it might even win an award  but it is still  only seen for 6 seconds during a convention.  A print submission will be on the wall for the entire convention and is available for people to absorb and make comment back to the author.
How did you get into photography? My whole family were passionate photographers and I had the usual box brownie when I was 12,  then a gap of many years till I was given a Kodak Instamatic, which took square photos so I dutifully recorded the babies and pets till my husband gave me a small 35mm and a week or so after that we went to Taranaki and while he was busy I spent a whole day driving around Mt Taranaki shooting off 5 films in all. The difference for me was that the 355 mm format was making a picture rather than just a record, the shape suited how I saw things and suddenly I couldn’t want to do more and more.  On the flight back home I said to my husband “Thank you again for my Christmas camera but I have had such fun today that I think I need to go and spend a lot more money and get a proper SLR”. And so I did.
What is your most memorable moment from your time at DPS so far? Walking into the exhibition and seeing my first ever top print award on the wall.
What keeps you inspired with your photography? One of the  current inspirations is continuing to enter images in salons throughout NZ. As I cannot roam  as I used to, my material is based on my archives, and when an entry is due, I mentally review what I have on hand and rework it ti suit the current requirements. I am also co-manager with Ian Thomson of the yahoo photo group DNZ-3 online and it has competitions every fortnight alternating set subject and  open (https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/dnz-3/info  if anyone is interested)
Do you have a particular theme that would summarise your photographs? I don’t have an exclusive theme, but interests include landscape, specially what I term “specific or detailed landscape”, architecture and created images; i.e. montaged multi image compositions to illustrate an abstract idea.
Where is the best place that you have been to take photos? Travel is always inspiring  and Yosemite was a highlight, but then so was a week spent with friends in Hanmer Springs, going out all day up the Clarence Valley, coming home at night then spending evenings reviewing the day’s efforts,  the best workshop I have ever done.
What piece of equipment could you not do without in your camera bag? Well, my camera of course, but for me the best piece isn’t in the camera bag it’s in my head, and that’s the piece I enjoy using the most. Probably because it can create endless images from just a single frame, providing that has good basic ingredients  to start with.
Why have we not seen you much of late? I find it difficult to get along to club meetings these days but I am still participating in digital competitions when I can, as well as coming along to any special events.
Do you have any advice for your fellow photographers? Always, always follow your own pathway regardless of where others think you should be going.  Real inspiration comes from your own individuality, not from conforming to a set of salon rules.
Smart phones do not make smart pictures, but they are wonderful to record the exact moment which would be well gone by the time you ran for the SLR.  I hope this novelty for the gadget-minded will wear off fast for serious image makers and allow us to get back to what we do best, crafting thoughtful, artistic works for others to enjoy.