Appraised by Craig McKenzie
Photography
Video: Pipe Bands photo walk
For those who enjoy the dulcet tones of the bagpipes, then this was the photo walk for you!
If you weren’t able to join us, you can enjoy these images and the sounds of the day in this video.
[Video] Recent Events
We always try to have at least one photowalk or field trip each month and when we get back we like to share a selection of photos taken on the trip – to entice other members to join us on the next trip! Here are the slideshows from some recent trips (and a workshop).
Vogel Street Party photowalk: 8/10/16
Light Workshop, starting at Queens Gardens: 31/10/16
Overnight field trip to Quarantine Island/Kamau Taurua: 12-13/11/16 http://quarantineisland.org.nz/
Summer Projected Image Exhibition 2016
Held on Monday the 14th of November
Appraised:
Julia Home (Natural History)
John Boyd (Open)
2016 Spring Print Exhibition Results
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.
Congratulations to everyone who had images accepted for the exhibition. The honours and awards images are in the slideshow below.
47th Dunedin Festival of Photography
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

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

Member Profile: Kathy Richards
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? | |
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. |
Member Profile: John Casey
Year joined DPS | 2003 |
Signification positions held in DPS | President, Treasurer, Councillor, Festival Co-Ordinator, Natex Co-Ordinator |
Current camera | Nikon 750 |
Favourite camera you have ever used/had | Nikon 750 |
Which do you prefer: Film or Digital? | Digital |
And why? | Have never got into developing and my serious interest in photography has only really developed since the advent of digital |
Which do you prefer: Print or Projected? | |
And why? | Nothing like holding a good print in your hand. I like digital also but print is more permanent and a quick ready reference |
How did you get into photography? | Did quite a bit in the old days of youth – mainly centered around family and youth Forest and Bird Activities. Later at end of school days in Tonga I did the Tourist type photos in slides and a little later the camera died and I did not replace it as Robin did most of the family photography.
John Hart ran a series of lectures through DPS one of which I attended was made welcome, the bug regenerated I bought a camera and the rest is history |
What is your most memorable moment from your time at DPS so far? | Being awarded a Life Membership at the 125th celebration |
What keeps you inspired with your photography? | Watching the crop of excellent photographers we presently have in the club and trying to learn from them how I can effectively capture the things I want to. I want the end result to match my vision which I find very difficult to do but have lotsa fun trying |
Do you have a particular theme that would summarise your photographs? | Water, Landscape, Buildings, lowlight and backlight |
Where is the best place that you have been to take photos? | Milford Road and Sound |
What piece of equipment could you not do without in your camera bag? | Lens hoods |
Do you have any advice for your fellow photographers? | Follow your vision and don’t give up |
Do you have any favourite photography related websites or web resources that you’d like to share with other members? | DPS (Digital Photography School) Cambridge in Colour |
Any other comments? | I enjoy my membership of DPS and by participating, listening and looking, learn much which then challenges me to put into practice |
DPS – Routeburn Field Trip July 2016
Participants: Craig McKenzie, Glenn Symon, David Steer, Jenny Longstaff
Article written by Jenny
Hooray! End of the working week and let’s get outta here! Arrived at Sylvan campsite (60+km beyond Glenorchy) by about 10.30pm and erected our tents under the trees to keep out of the hoar frost zone. Seemed to be several other campers tucked away too, plus deer. Hot cuppa brewed and so to bed, snugly tucked up in several layers and sleeping with camera to keep battery warm (I only had the one battery, unlike Craig who had 10!).
rosy-fingered dawn / beckons early riser / cupping a tin mug
Caterer Craig’s cordon bleu fare provided nourishment then off to the start of the Routeburn Track. The guys were lugging their tramping packs, camera bags and tripods, signalling a serious photographic expedition, while my camera gear is a small point and shoot waterproof camera (not that I have ever used it underwater, but on a South Island tramping trip you never know!!). I was on the trip mainly for the tramping and was delighted to discover that it triggered some poetic notebook scribblings, as you shall see interspersed in this account.
green therapy / nature’s healing touch / in the balm of your land
The track itself and bridge crossings are very well constructed, the Routeburn Track being designated a Great Walk. Our destination for Saturday night was the Routeburn Falls hut, (capacity 48), so with plenty of time to get there and only 8 or so km to walk, we could dawdle beside the picturesque river, photographing the beech forest, ferns, waterfalls, mossy rocks and other forest details, with some kakariki, south island robins, tom tits and riflemen for company.
inquisitive visitors / tiny bush birds / strut their fluff
We took a lunch break at an old landslip site which afforded great views across to the Humboldt Mountains, then eventually we arrived at the Falls Hut, dumped our things then out again to explore the Falls area, rich pickings for compositions of rocks and water, foliage, mountain scenery and atmospherics. The weather was holding well, so I continued along the track until I could get a view of Lake Harris.
focused photographer / captures panorama / exposure on the summit
The evening was spent consuming Chef Craig’s candle-lit dinner and huddling over a reluctant wood burner. (The next morning he discovered the water tank and the coal shed.) We had chatted to some other trampers on the track, but the only other people staying at the hut were two young Invercargill women. Tough kiwis go winter tramping!
crumbling erosion / swirling tannin waters / dunking gingernuts
And then it rained all night. A deluge. No point getting up early. Later in the morning in typically fickle style it cleared and we ventured out at 11-ish, spending time checking out the waterfalls, gushing most spectacularly, before we descended to the lower valley for other riverside photo stops, with a lunch break at the Routeburn Flats hut.
raging river / chuting the rapids / canyon clefts
The rain had woken up all the tiny lichens and mosses and had turned the river and side streams into torrents, but we were relatively dry on our hike out.
washed clean / forest greens gleam / radiant after rain
It was a pretty good outing for photographic variety, from wide angle vista to macro minutiae, and best part on a tramping excursion with fellow photographers is that they don’t pick on you to keep up! Back at the vehicle it was good to shed our packs and get out of our boots, then we did a side trip to photograph ‘the Paradise tree’. A great weekend away, proving that you can cram a lot into a short space of time, creating memorable moments.
tongues hanging out / waiting by back door / muddy hiking boots