Capital Image
July 2011
A publication of the Canberra Photographic Society
Tropic Bird by Robert Douglas
is published electronically by the Canberra
Photographic Society approximately monthly
and is available from the society website
http://www.cpsaus.org/
or via the link on the society forum page
http://cps.ausact.com/phpBB3/
communications@cpsaus.org
The Editor Capital Image
Canberra Photographic Society
GPO Box 857
CANBERRA ACT 2001
aims to promote excellence in photography as
a recreational pursuit and as a serious art
form. The society's first meeting was held in
October 1945. Visitors are welcome.
The CPS email addresses have changed. Please
update your records.
president@cpsaus.org
secretary@cpsaus.org
treasurer@cpsaus.org
competitions@cpsaus.org
communications@cpsaus.org
enquiries@cpsaus.org
webmaster@cpsaus.org
Gallery Five
Member Galleries and Gallery Nine
CPS Flickr Group
Monthly Projected Images Competition
This magazine is copyright and may not
Monthly Print Competition Rules be reproduced without the permission of
New Member and Visitor Information: the Canberra Photographic Society.
Copyright for each image is retained by
Membership Form
the photographer.
Meeting and Activity Calendar
1
T
HE FOCUS FOR the Canberra Photographic Society this
month is it’s Annual Exhibition, Out There 2011, that
opened last week at Watson Arts Centre. The exhibition is
on until 10 July (Open 10 am - 4 pm Thursday – Sunday each
week). See Member News for details. Many thanks to Judy Parker
who has skilfully juggled exhibition organisation with family
commitments. All exhibitors and helpers can be proud of an
excellent show.
Our website team has been really busy this month, launching our
new website domain
http://www.cpsaus.org/
and the new procedure for entering Projected Image
Competitions at
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=80
New galleries and functions are being added to the online
Forum and Gallery at
http://www.cps.ausact.com/phpBB3/
If you are a member and have not yet registered to use the
Forum and Gallery, consider doing so now.
I am always interested to find out who (if anyone) is reading
Capital Image, so if you have read it - or even just looked at the
pictures - please drop me an email. Also note my request for
expressions of interest in a CPS Calendar or yearbook. So far I
have had 146 views but only one response - see the online forum
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=53
to register your interest.
2
T
HE JUDGE FOR the June Competition Night, Bob Miller was, until 2010, a lecturer in
Photography/Graphic Design at the University of Canberra. Although he originally
trained as an artist printmaker and sculptor, he has always had a passion for
photography and has used his image making in such far ranging areas as commercial
photography, press, sport, portraiture, weddings and his specialisation - archaeological
photography. He is a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography,
AIPP, and has served on both state and national AIPP Councils. When not working, Bob
can usually be found out riding his road bike, sailing or in the outback of Australia.
In the June Competition there were 31 A grade entries and 13 B grade entries, giving a
total of 44 images, which is trending down from a high of 63 in February. In A grade there
were 21 entries in the Open competition and 10 entries for the Set Topic, and of these 3
were projected images. In B grade there were 7 Open entries, 6 entries for the Set Topic
and 5 projected images.
Joint Image of the Night: Endurance by Julie Garran
3
Images of the Night Images that Scored a 5
Bob Miller chose two images as Image of the Within Without by Dave Bassett
Night: Endurance, a colour print by Julie Garran Dave says:
(previous page) and Tropic Bird, a projected
image by Rob Douglas (see cover ). He also The shot was taken at the 'Within without'
awarded scores of 5 to a further 6 images. The Skyspace just outside the National Gallery
photographers of the selected images have and the white light in the top left is coming
provided the following commentary. through the circular skylight. It is a great
spot for graphic architectural images and
Endurance by Julie Garran well worth a visit. I guess I was lucky that
Julie says: the skylight was in the perfect position to
give me a pleasing composition.
This was one of many photographs taken when
I stayed with my niece who owns a large property It was taken at the wide end of my sigma
at Upper Corindi, near Coffs Harbour. She and 10-20 zoom attached to a Canon 50D.
her husband are both endurance riders. Last year
a ride went through their property and this year
in July they will again be helping organise a ride
in the area. I was very taken with the historical
and iconic feeling of the porch and as soon as I
noticed my daughter looking through the old
screen door I started photographing. Over 3 days
I took many shots of the porch,the house,the
horses and dogs.
I asked Julie how she chose images for entry into
competitions. She said that she thought that her
main reason for choosing a particular image was
her emotional attachment to it at the time. She
added “More and more I am choosing the images
that are saying something to me and hopefully
to others, more than a technically well executed
image.”
Tropic Bird by Robert Douglas
Robert says:
The red-tailed tropic bird was photographed at
Malabar on Lord Howe Island in December 2010.
The camera I used was a Nikon D700 with a
Nikon 28-300 mm lens @ 300 mm in bright
conditions on an early morning walk. The
Malabar cliffs are a nesting site for the red-tailed
tropic bird. We generally go to Lord Howe Island
about every 2 years when we want a holiday,
rather than travel to more exotic locations. I
would walk the Malabar ridge nearly every
Within Without by Dave Bassett
second morning while there.
4
Self Portrait by Julie Garran
Self Portrait by Julie Garran
Julie says:
This composite image is part of a set of images that form a complete
circle around this room. I wish I had anti-ageing potion but no such luck!
I did quite a few series of photographs taken doing a circuit of the room
with me or other friends in it. They were taken in the early 1980s. I had
never printed them before. I finally had a reason to dig them out, scan
and print them.
Self-Portrait by Brian Jones
Brian says:
This portrait is from a series of 28 large,
finely detailed portraits of friends and
relatives about my age. The theme of the
series was 'a glass half full' and the idea
was to juxtapose signs of vitality and
ageing. The portraits were largely candid
shots, which is obviously highly
problematic for a self portrait. I tried to
become highly engaged in a conversation,
ostensibly ignoring the camera, while at
the same time monitoring and waiting for
the critical moment to release the shutter.
It took many attempts but I think that the
result captures a characteristic expression.
The photo was taken with natural light in
open shade. The technical details are:
Canon 400D; 100mm macro lens from
about 2 metres; 1/100 at F8 and ISO 200.
The conversion to monochrome was
tweaked to accentuate skin texture.
Self Portrait by Brian Jones
5
Thistle by Helen McFadden
Helen says:
I had the idea that the thistle would be a
good subject for a photograph, so I
cultivated one in my garden until it had
some good-looking flowers. Trying to get
it into my studio was a challenge - as
anyone who has tried to handle a thistle
will have discovered. I captured the
images using natural light through a
skylight and a white wall as background
on my Canon Eos 7D on a tripod with an
EFS 60 mm f 2.8 macro lens at f 20, 0.8 sec,
ISO 100. I used Helicon Focus and tethered
shooting to acquire a stack of 18 images
that were processed in the software to
achieve focus across the whole image. I
did some post production to enhance
detail and structure and to make the
background completely white to create a
feeling like a painting. The image is
printed on Epson Velvet.
At the competition night Judy Parker gave
me a poem that she had written many
years ago. She had kindly agreed to me
reproducing it here. I think it captures the
essence of the thistle.
Thistle by Helen McFadden
Thistle,
armoured weed,
a sort of
plant echidna
in a state
of permanent defence.
Thistle: Poem by Judy Parker
6
Vancouver Truck Driver by
Phil McFadden
Phil says:
We were visiting Vancouver in
February and had visited the
local tip hoping to get some
shots of the numerous bald
eagles that hang out near
there. A couple of large trucks
were parked by the roadside
and I noticed the drivers were
Sikhs. They were very happy
to pose for photographs.
This image was shot using a
Canon 5D II with a 24-105 mm
L series lens at 1/125 sec, f 9.0
ISO 640.
I have done some processing
in photoshop: in fact I used
this image as one of the
examples in my Activity Night
Vancouver Truck Driver by Phil McFadden talk. I have cropped the
original photograph, removed
the distracting colour casts
across the driver’s face that
come from the the truck
interior and I have darkened
the clothing to focus attention
on the face. I have made
extensive use of curves, hue
and saturation and levels
layers with masks carefully
constructed from the
information in the blue
channel. I have also used
several types of sharpening to
bring out different elements
in the image, such as the
texture of the beard.
Vancouver Truck Driver: original capture
7
Silver Gull with Seagrass by Graeme Watson
Silver Gull with Seagrass by Graeme Watson
Graeme says:
"Silver Gull With Seagrass" was one of a series of gull and shore bird photos I took recently at
Shoalhaven Heads where my son and his family live. The Shoalhaven River has been diverted
at the heads making a large benign lake where the river once flowed into the sea.
Silver Gulls are great to observe as they go about their daily activities. They can be seen feeding,
mating, preening, washing, landing, taking off, feeding young, fighting and generally upholding
the pecking order. They can be quite nasty and aggressive toward their own type and to other
birds. To me there was a double story of the dynamics of bird take off and the collecting of
seagrass to add to a nest in progress.
I have taken a series of landing / taking off shots, and depending on the light , these can be very
productive.
This shot was a risky one to put into a competition as the central body parts are fairly sharp but
the wings show quite a bit of motion blur.
It was taken in late May at 5.30 on a cloudy afternoon on my Canon 7D with a 100 - 400 mm
zoom at 400 mm. The exposure was 1/500 sec @ f/8 and ISO of 400 with an exposure
compensation of +1 EV . Like all of my shots it was originally a Canon CR2 RAW file converted
to a DNG then processed first up in Lightroom before a final polish in Photoshop CS2.
8
A Grade B Grade
Julie Garran 32 Robert Douglas 20
Brian Jones 20 Chris Oosthuizen 19
Helen McFadden 20 James McKenna 16
Kim Woo 19 Bruce Clark 14
Judy Parker 19 Graham Hine 13
Graeme Watson 18 David Maish 13
Dave Bassett 15 Matt James 7
Phil McFadden 15
Lisbeth A Westra 13
Viv Moir 13
Alan Pendergast 13
Murray Foote 12 Competition Scoring
Ian McInnes 11 Rating 1 = 1 point;
Ian SKinner 11 Rating 2 = 2 points;
Rating 3 = 4 points;
Marion Milliken 11
Rating 4 = 7 points;
Russell Hunt 11 Rating 5 = 11 points.
There are 5 bonus points for entering a
Set Subject image and 5 bonus points for
Image of the Night. Tables prepared by
Trish Grice.
9
A Grade B Grade
Julie Garran 81.5 Graham Hine 56.5
Helen McFadden 78.5 James McKenna 56
Phil McFadden 72 David Maish 50.5
Brian Jones 71.5 Darryl Alexander 48
Judy Parker 68 Bruce Clark 44.5
Dave Bassett 63.5 Matt James 30
Graeme Watson 62.5 Anandam Banerjee 28
Kim Woo 62 Robert Douglas 20
Viv Moir 56 Chris Oosthuizen 19
Russell Hunt 48.5 Harshaj Patkar 19
Brian Rope 44.5 Ulrike Nedomlel 19
Murray Foote 41.5 Geraldine Cote 16
Ian McInnes 39
No Name on Card 12.5
Ian SKinner 38
Richard Cooper 8.5
Tony Brown 33
Nenad Vasiljevic 8
Alan Pendergast 30.5 Tamsin Kelly 5.5
Lisbeth A Westra 24 Dorothy Kanaley 4
Marion Milliken 23.5
Ray Osmotherly 23.5
Bill Laurie 22
Annual Aggregate
Erin Stonetreet 21
Competitions
Anton Van de Zandt 14.5
The points awarded in monthly
Trish Grice 14.5 competitions are used to calculate
aggregate scores for A Grade and B
Ross Gould 12.5 Grade. Awards are presented to the
winners of the annual aggregate
Richard Marris 9.5
competitions at the December
No Name on Card 9.5 meeting each year.
Ian Copland 8
Tables prepared by Trish Grice.
Paul Livingston 7.5
Thomas Bush 7
Steven Shaw 5.5
10
A
T THE JUNE Activity Night Phil McFadden talked about Photoshop techniques and Murray
Foote gave a demonstration of the use of Lightroom. Murray’s presentation is given in
a separate article (see p 17). Phil spoke about the wisdom of using Photoshop for
non-destructive editing, in which the original pixels are retained as far as possible, and where
manipulation of those pixels is performed using layers and masks. He presented several
examples, but only one is given here in its entirety to demonstrate some of the key features of
Photoshop.
Snowgums - Original capture open in photoshop showing as the background layer (selected in blue).
11
Layer 1 Remove rock from background
copy (left)
In this demonstration, Phil worked
through the various layers he used to build
up the image. Each layer is shown as
selected by the blue highlighting and as
visible by the “eye” next to the thumbnail
(bottom right).
The first layer in this image was actually
created last - demonstrating the flexibility
of non-destructive editing. All the previous
steps had made the rock look distracting.
The background layer was copied (Ctrl-J)
and the rock removed using the clone tool
(from the panel at the left of the image -
see previous page).
Layer 2 Curves lighten tree (right)
The curves adjustment is shown at the top
of the right panel. A soft-edged mask,
hand-drawn with a brush, that allowed just
the foreground tree to show through was
used.
Layer 3 Curves darken background (left)
This time a curves adjustment layer was
used to darken the background. The
relative lightening of the tree and
darkening of the background makes the
tree more prominent.
Layer 4 - Color Balance
The color balance sliders were used to
enhance the natural red and yellow tones
in the lower trunk of the main tree. A mask
was used to restrict the change to this area
of the image.
Layer 5 Hue-Saturation
The saturation of the colors in the main
tree trunk was slightly increased.
Layer 6 - Curves turns sky blue
The intensities of red and green were
reduced using a curves layer - effectively
boosting the blue channel relative to the
rest of the image. Applying this selectively
to the sky required the construction of a
highly detailed mask (see next page),
which Phil achieved in just a few seconds
by using the image to make its own mask.
Creating a Perfect Mask - Step One (left)
Phil looked at the various channels to see
which contained the information most
likely to form the basis of a mask. In this
case the blue channel looked good. He
made a copy of this channel.
Creating a Perfect Mask - Step Two (right)
Here is where destructive editing is the best
way. Adjust the levels (Ctrl L) so that the
greys of the mask become either black or
white. Any patches that don’t behave quite
right can be touched up manually, or using
a brush set to overlay mode. In order to
convert this into a selection, click on the
dotted circle icon (see left) at the bottom
right hand side of the channels panel. In the
layers panel select a new curves adjustment
layer. The selection is automatically
converted to a mask. The edge of the mask
is feathered slightly to prevent halos along
the edges of the branches.
Layer 7 - Curves darken sky (left)
The same mask is used with another
curves layer set to “Multiply” blend mode
to darken the sky.
Layer 8 - Curves Vignette (right)
A curves layer is used with a soft mask to
darken the edges of the picture and
produce a subtle vignette.
14
Layer 9 - Curves add contrast to tree (left)
Another curves layer with the mask
(copied up from Layer 2 using Alt-drag) is
used to bring the tree forward even more
by adding additional local contrast.
Creation of High-pass filter (right)
Creative sharpening is applied using a high
pass filter created as shown, blended in
“Overlay” mode. The mask here is
modified so that this sharpening is also
applied to the snow. Earlier steps were not
applied to the snow to avoid creating an
artificial look.
Layer 10 -High Pass Overlay 10 pixels to
give midrange structure (left).
Further pre-printing sharpening would be
applied once the printing medium had
been selected.
Snowgums - Original version (left) and edited version (right).
In this example all the changes have been achieved using non-destructive editing in Photoshop
via adjustment layers and masks. The incremental changes made at each step on the previous
pages are subtle and may be hard to see. This is indeed the aim: to make subtle changes that
have a cumulative improving effect on the final image. Note that all of these steps, including
the construction of the detailed mask, were performed “live” during the demonstration, showing
that quite complex editing in Photoshop can be achieved relatively quickly and is not necessarily
difficult or time-consuming.
L
IGHTROOM HAS BEEN around for some
years now and I have been using it
since Version 1 Beta. There was a
time when Photoshop was my editor of
choice; for the most part it is now
Lightroom. The alternative workflow is
Bridge and Photoshop or Bridge and
Photoshop Elements. In my view, Bridge
lacks much of the capability of Lightroom.
While I use Camera Raw and Photoshop or
Elements essentially to process single
images, I find Lightroom particularly
useful for digital capture where I need to
process many images. Although
Lightroom is a complex program like
Photoshop, I found that once I started
using it, it was both straightforward and
powerful.
The features of Lightroom that I find most
Lightroom’s Development Module - valuable compared with Photoshop or
Histogram and Crop Tool Photoshop Elements are given below:
· Reversibility of changes
o Lightroom keeps a complete list of changes for each image and you can always go back to
any previous state. Lightroom stores changes to your files in sidecar files or you can also
specify to save changes in your RAW files rather than the sidecar files
· Database/Catalogue of images
o Bridge has some capacity here but I find Lightroom is much more integrated and powerful.
Lightroom automatically backs up catalogues, but you still need to back up your files.
· Import/Export
o Import from card and copy images to disk or just tell Lightroom of images already on disk
without needing to copy them
o You can browse with the import interface without importing
o Lightroom has very flexible Export options
· Flexible interface
o You can display components such as side panels, toolbars and filter bar or hide them all and
just display the image
· Comparing and selecting images
o Bridge shares some of Lightroom’s capability but I find Lightroom is much better for
making quick or detailed selections from many images
17
· RAW Processing
o Camera RAW has much of the
same capacity but Lightroom to
my mind has a superior interface
and most importantly,
Lightroom excels in selecting
from many images and applying
changes en masse
· Library module for image inventory
control
o Classify, sort and select your
images using Folders and
Collections
o Compare images using Quick
Develop
o Utilise Grid [G], Loupe [E],
Compare [C], Survey [N] modes
o Assign numbers or colours to
images to aid sorting and
selection
o Filter selections by number,
colour, keyword or metadata
· Development module for image editing
and batch editing.
o The development module has a
wide range of functionality as
demonstrated in the screen
captures
· Printing
o You can save all your driver
settings (printer, paper,
intention, many others) as a
preset so you don’t need to
specify them each time
o Printing is more easily
customisable for printing
multiple images on a single
piece of paper than Photoshop
· Web
o There is a web module in
Lightroom where you can
generate web pages. I haven’t
Lightroom’s Development Module - used this because I use either
Image adjustment sliders JAlbum or Wordpress.
At the top right of the above panel is the
Adjustment brush. The sliders immediately below I have come to use Lightroom for 80% of my
the brush appear when you click the adjustment processing or more. When you get used to the
brush icon to activate local adjustment capability.
interface of Lightroom, it becomes direct and
The other icons at the top are (from left) Crop, Spot
Removal, Red Eye Correction and Graduated Filter. easy to use. Even so, there are still areas where
I use Photoshop.
18
The library interface is one of the strengths of Lightroom
Areas where I still use Photoshop:
· Regional adjustments
o Lightroom has useful capacity for this but Photoshop is much more powerful. Photoshop
CS5 has particularly capable masking
· Soft proofing
o Lightroom does not soft proof and is therefore not fully colour managed. I make round
trips into Photoshop and then print from Lightroom. Conversely, Lightroom is I think easier
for test prints than Photoshop
· Sharpening
o Lightroom’s sharpening routines are quite good and sufficient for most cases. You can
even brush in some regional sharpening or blurring. However, Photoshop can give you
more power, especially for regional sharpening. I often use PK Sharpener from within
Photoshop
· Reducing noise
o Lightroom’s luminosity noise reduction is useful, less so its chromatic noise reduction. Still,
usually it’s all you need. There are various methods of noise reduction in Photoshop, which
you can also apply regionally and third party products such as Neat Image can also be
useful
· HDRs (combining tonal range of several exposures)
o You can get a shareware program called Enfuse that allows you to make HDRs from inside
Lightroom but others are more powerful. I launch a selection of files to Photoshop or
Photomatix. When I save and close the result, it appears in Lightroom
· Panoramas
o Similarly for panorama I use Photoshop or perhaps a specialised panorama program such
as Autopano Pro or PT Gui.
19
Various screen captures from the Development Module in Lightroom demonstrating
the range of functionality available for image editing and batch editing.
For more information on Lightroom, here are some links to informative videos:
Adobe TV: http://tv.adobe.com/product/lightroom/
NAPP: http://www.photoshopuser.com/lightroom3
Lightroom Killer Tips: http://lightroomkillertips.com/
For more about Lightroom sharpening, see the link in News from the Ether on page 28.
20
T
HE WORKSHOP MEETING is becoming established as a regular part
of the CPS calendar. It is great to see the variety of interpretations
of each exercise that we undertake every month. The May
exercise was enthusiastically embraced. At our June meeting, we saw
the results, but didn’t have much time to talk about the images. Several
images from the May exercise are shown in this article.
The May exercise was:
“Make one portrait per week.
Each portrait should be of a different person (a self portrait is ok).
At least one portrait should be of someone whom you haven't previously
met.”
Half of our June meeting was spent in creative imagination with Chris
Holly. Our aim is to develop a major collaborative photographic project
for the CPS. People seemed to imagine a creative and impressive
exhibition as a result of the project. The whiteboard jottings from the
discussion and some conversation are on our forum at
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=72
Chris Holly will generously return to our July meeting to continue the
process. Please get involved in the conversation on the forum.
The June exercise (for next meeting Tuesday 12 July) is:
One lens (focal length) for one week.
Select a week between the 14 June and the 12 July workshops and restrict
yourself to one focal length (i.e. use a prime lens, or use your zoom at the
same focal length for each photo) for all photographs for that week.
Choose a focal length/lens which is not your favourite. Bring a few images
to the July workshop (about 3-5) to share what you have explored and
discovered by this exercise.
Aims:
to become more familiar with you camera
to explore composing a photo with a focal length that you may not
have chosen for that image
to provide additional freedom by reducing the amount of choices to
make
to encourage creative problem solving.
Have fun, and use that camera!
21
22
T
HE JUNE EXCURSION included photography of the gardens and sculptures around the
Australian National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery (NPG). Photography was
followed by a visit to the exhibition “Between Light and Shadow: Portraits by Stuart
Campbell (on at the NPG until 17 July 2011) and a meal in the sunny NPG cafe.
23
Still distracted by dreams of Italy, Different Strokes is trying to come down to earth again, sort out
masses of photos and reflect on her recent overseas trip. As fate would have it - my most successful
images (including all those shown here) were captured using my iPhone and the Hipstamatic 201
app.
It’s All in the Planning
It was all about being there, though it took me some time to articulate that. Italy in April! I was
to spend two weeks touring with a friend before joining a photographic workshop in Liguria
(that strip of coast near Genoa) for the third week, so I had to be ready for a wide range of
situations. I wanted to travel lighter, so I could relax and savour the experience, the places, the
photography, without wearing myself out lugging too much stuff or fussing about missed photo
opportunities. Inevitably, it started with photo gear: what to take; how to carry it safely and
comfortably onto planes, trains, buses, boats, up steep flights of steps, around cobbled streets,
into churches and museums; how to fit laptop, camera gear and personal essentials into a single
carry-on bag I could actually carry for more than five minutes at a time... I wanted to keep my
gear simple as well as lighter – enough to give me options, not enough to slow me down and
distract me from finding my vision.
Finally, I had a plan: one DSLR, two zoom
lenses, a fast prime, a high quality
compact camera, an iPhone (trust me, it
is camera gear), the laptop, an external
drive, plus batteries, chargers, memory
cards, a more comfortable camera strap,
a smaller suitcase (so I had to pack less),
the right carry-on and camera bags, a
lightweight rain cape that could cover the
camera bag, the tripod I always pack and
never get around to using. There were
glitches, of course, but the plan worked
pretty well, freeing me to enjoy the
experience to the full.
Roman Flare by Andrée Lawrey
The pink flower shape seems to be an effect of the
iPhone sensor when the sun strikes it from that
angle, probably assisted by the Hipstamatic app).
24
Future trips will require much less
preparation, just a few minor adjustments
– a second external drive for extra
backups, maybe a single zoom lens
instead of a pair, a small torch for checking
camera settings in low light, a checklist to
remind me, for example, to clear extra
space on my laptop and set my cameras
to the destination time zone before I leave
home.
How Many Cameras?
Well, um, three counting the iPhone. My
heavy but gorgeous Nikon D700, of
course. I wouldn’t go to Italy – or anywhere
further afield than Queanbeyan – without
Lion, Genoa by Andrée Lawrey
it. Then there was my Panasonic Lumix
DMC-LX5, a delightful compact with a
fast, sharp wide-angle zoom, my “go
anywhere” handbag camera for all those
times when I don’t have the DSLR with
me. And, finally, the iPhone, my latest toy.
I used them all, honest! The Lumix was
there primarily as a fallback in case
anything happened to the “serious”
camera – I hoped I wouldn’t need it, but I
wasn’t about to head overseas with only
one capable camera.
At that point I still regarded the iPhone as
a toy – expensive, extravagant, by no
means essential, but the source of much
photographic fun and creative enjoyment.
Venice by Andrée Lawrey But I thought it would be fun to use the
iPhone alongside my more “serious”
cameras throughout the trip and see what
happened.
Small is Beautiful
I was right, it was fun – all of it. But my
attitude to all three cameras evolved along
the way and each, in turn, contributed to
my photographic exploration. Even in this
digital age, a camera is only a tool, a box
designed to control the amount of light
that hits the sensor, when that happens
and how long it takes. Any working
camera can do the job if it’s used with care
and attention.
Beach Huts near Portofino (taken from the bus) by
Andrée Lawrey
25
But different cameras do some jobs better
– or at least differently – than others. For
example, the Lumix really came into its
own inside churches, where my zooms
were too slow and my 50 mm prime wasn’t
wide enough. That fast, wide angle lens let
me capture images I couldn’t have made
any other way. And sometimes a compact
camera just seemed more appropriate
–smaller, quieter, more discreet – than a
DSLR.
The DSLR gave me more creative control
in some ways – there’s nothing like a
viewfinder to help the composition – but
Trevi Fountain, Rome by Andrée Lawrey
with practice it’s possible to “guesstimate”
what’s happening on an LCD screen in all
but the brightest sunlight, though I would
forget about manual focus and fine control
of depth of field under those
circumstances. Besides, making images
often feels more spontaneous and playful
precisely because the camera isn’t a
proper – i.e. serious, even professional –
DSLR. Then again, sometimes it’s just nice
to go extra light, taking both little cameras
for a walk and just playing with the
possibilities that present themselves along
the way. How better to explore a new
place or rediscover a familiar one with
fresh eyes? And we’re back to the art of
being there – without that, no images can
be made, even with the mind.
Burano by Andrée Lawrey
More, I think we need to give some time
and attention to being there in order to
find the images we hope to make. Trying
to rush things – click! click! click! – can only
deliver snapshots. Stroll, pause, linger,
look, listen, touch the stonework, take a
gondola ride, enjoy the food and wine,
watch the people – maybe even strike up
a conversation? – and, above all, see the
light and experience the moment. So
maybe it isn’t really surprising that many
of my favourite photos from this trip were
made with my iPhone.
Camogli by Andrée Lawrey
26
30 June 2011
The Lytro Camera
The most intriguing news event for this month is Lytro, a new sensor
technology whereby you can take a photograph and then change the
focus of it later, on a web page for example. Here is a quick summary
in a NY Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/22/technology/22camera.html?_r=
4&hp=&pagewanted=all (courtesy of Ian on our new web forum
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/index.php).
Here are some images that you can click on to change the focus:
http://www.lytro.com/picture_gallery
The catch is that it takes a 16MP capture to get a 90KP image, so the
final image has a resolution corresponding to about 0.5% of the
capture resolution. So to get a camera that delivers a 24MP output
image, they just have to develop a cheap compact 4,300MP sensor
first. In the meantime, their forthcoming product will be a digicam
with modestly sized output for web display.
Actually, it’s not as new as they make out either. At the link below,
we have already available a range of very stylish pocket cameras
(depending on the size of your pockets), probably based on the
concept of a collision between a wheat silo and a warehouse. Price on
application, which probably means it's incredibly cheap and they just
want to temper the demand:
http://www.raytrix.de/index.php/models.html ... and up to a massive
3MP.
Other Equipment and Software
Another odd little product – here is a review of the Lensbaby
Composer Pro/ Sweet 35:
http://www.dpreview.com/lensreviews/lensbaby_composerpro_swee
t35/
27
Those people contemplating or using Lightroom may find this article
on Lightroom sharpening of interest:
http://www.earthboundlight.com/phototips/lightroom-
sharpening.html
It seems that the demand for film is so low and decreasing that digital
memory may make film become an item of human memory rather than
chemical memory, as with glass plates: http://www.northlight-
images.co.uk/stuff/?p=1108
Working as a Photographer
Vancouver riot kiss photo: http://www.popphoto.com/how-
to/2011/06/interview-photographer-richard-lam-his-vancouver-riot-
kiss-photo
Here is an interesting article on doing photography as a business:
http://laurencekim.com/2011/04/28/the-photography-business-and-
the-american-dream/
Here is an interesting article on how someone successfully pursued a
copyright infringer: http://www.jeremynicholl.com/blog/2011/06/13/the-
10-rules-of-us-copyright-infringement/
For videos about how to use Photoshop (including Photoshop 101),
see Mark Johnson: http://www.msjphotography.com/ .
This month’s “News from the Ether” would not be complete without
mention of the CPS changes in the ether - namely its new website. If
you haven’t updated your links, please do so now.
http://www.cpsaus.org/
28
Canberra Contemporary Art
Space
19 Furneaux St, Manuka
Closed 22 May 2011*
Review by Helen McFadden
The Canberra Contemporary Art Space
may not be the first place one thinks of
when trying to find a photographic
exhibition, but I found this exhibition to
be a gem. It was not to everyone’s taste: I
was attending a workshop on portrait
photography when I discovered it, and so
I suggested to fellow workshop
participants that we visit it on one lunch
break. Apart from my husband, not one of
my companions, including the two
instructors, liked the exhibition. My view
is that this was most likely because of the
Elle à donne´ by Barbara Doran challenging nature of the work.
“Elle à donne´” was a photographic exhibition by Barbara Doran. Styled in the spirit of the great
masters of still life painting, the works were intended to invite the viewer to linger and
contemplate Australia’s early colonisers and their dependence on the wool and meat industries.
The works were, at first glance, attractive. All were obviously carefully staged with props,
costumes and exquisitely controlled studio lighting. The artist demonstrated a mastery of her
craft and all images were immaculately executed lamba prints presented in black antique-style
frames. However, there were confronting elements to the work. The images explored themes
of “His”tory, exploitation and environmental degradation and contained clear references to
the Vanitas paintings of the old masters. Some of the images were quite blatantly
confrontational and disturbing, such as the picture of a woman lying on a birthing table, legs
akimbo with a light shining at the birth canal. She was surrounded by men looking at her as
they would gaze on an object. Other images showed more subtle consideration of the exhibition
theme: it took me a while to notice that all the elements in a carefully composed still life were
feral: weeds and invasive animal species resulting from European-style land-use practices.
Other images contained unexpected and seemingly inappropriate lumps of meat.
Although the subject matter was not necessarily pleasant, each image was beautifully crafted
and told a powerful story - which is, after all, the essence of good photography.
*This review was held over from last month (Images used with permission)
29
Images from the exhibition: Elle à donne´ by Barbara Doran
30
We welcome Rob Douglas, whose image “Tropic Bird” graces the
cover of this month’s Capital Image.
Robert Douglas
Hi, I’m Rob Douglas. Jane and I have
moved back to Canberra after 11 years in
Victoria. I joined the CPS to be inspired by
the images of my fellow members and
challenged to improve my photography.
I took up photography soon after we
moved to Jane’s farm at Alexandra in
Victoria in 2000. I was an early convert to
digital, first with a scanner and printer, and
then later with DSLRs. I helped several
members of the Alexandra Camera Club
Bearded seal to move towards digital.
My photography was going well until I
resumed part-time employment in 2004.
By 2005, I had moved back to Canberra for
a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in water
policy at the Murray-Darling Basin
Commission. Unfortunately, Jane
remained on the farm. There was little
time for photography.
The costs associated with the 2007
drought were crippling — it takes a lot to
feed 400 cows and their calves. Jane sold
the farm, and we decided to live in
Melbourne, close to the family and
grandkids. I left the MDBC to ‘retire’, but
was soon head-hunted into the Victorian
public service. After 2 frantic years, I finally
Lets run retired in 2009.
31
2009 was our year of ‘bi-polar disorder’, with trips to both Antarctica and the arctic. The
bearded seal was a consolation prize for not seeing polar bears. It was on the Antarctic trip
that we decided we had to return to Canberra.
We moved back late last year, and plan to divide the year between Canberra and Melbourne.
I am mainly an outdoor photographer, landscapes, furry and feathery things, etc. I use Nikon
gear, and Photoshop. I also use Aperture, mainly to print photographic records of our journeys.
The final image is another image of Lord Howe Island, my favourite holiday location.
Lord Howe Island by Robert Douglas
32
Forum:
http://www.cps.ausact.com/phpBB3/
Gallery:
http://cps.ausact.com/gallery/
Would you be interested in purchasing a 2012 Calendar or a yearbook
of CPS images? Go to
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=53
to register your interest
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=80
Closing date 27 July. For details see
http://cpsaus.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=92
'Out There 2011' at the Watson Arts Centre, 1 Aspinall Street, Watson.
Thu 30 June – Sun 10 July 2011
(Open 10 am - 4 pm Thursday – Sunday each week – Entry free)
33
Canberra Photographic Society Forthcoming Committee Meeting
Committee 2011 dates for 2011:
President Brian Jones 26 July
Vice-President and 23 August
Jim Mason 27 September
New Members
25 October
Vice-President Steven Shaw
22 November
Secretary and
Competition Trish Grice December nil
Director
Treasurer and
Tony Brown
Membership
We welcome Bill Laurie to the CPS
Public Officer and
Committee. Bill is our hardworking
Workshop Ian Marshall
website coordinator. We are still
Coordinator
seeking an Activities Coordinator. If
Communications you would like to continue enjoying
Director and Activity nights, please consider
Helen McFadden
Capital Image volunteering for this role - contact any
Editor committee member without delay.
Activities
vacant
Coordinator
Excursions We have just updated the CPS
Ulrike Nedomlel
Coordinator committee email addresses as part of
Exhibitions our overhaul of the CPS web presence.
Judy Parker
Coordinator Please use the new addresses listed on
Committee page 1. Emails to the old addresses will
Murray Foote be forwarded for a short time only.
Member
Committee The Society Constitution can be found
Anandan Banerjee
Member on the website.
Committee Bill Laurie
The Membership Form can also be
Member
found on the website .
34
Competition Night: Unreal and Open
Griffin Centre: 7.30pm
July Tuesday 5
Coordinator: Trish Grice
Chopsticks 'n Pixels Coordinator: Ulrike Nedomlel
Workshop: Further discussions around the Major
Collaborative Project. Review of the “one lens (one focal
Tuesday 12 length) for one week” theme results
Griffin Centre: 7.30 pm
Coordinator: Ian Marshall ian.marshall.au@gmail.com
Excursion: Photograph at the ice skating rink, Garema
TBA Place. Details to be advised.
Coordinator: Ulrike Nedomlel
Activity Night: Hot Tips on Gear for Travel Photography:
Five CPS members with quite different approaches to
travel photography talk about their equipment and
results. Presenters: McFadden(s), Andrée Lawrey, Brian
Tuesday 19 Jones, Julie Garran and Murray Foote.
Griffin Centre: 7.30 pm
Coordinator: Brian Jones
Chopsticks 'n Pixels Coordinator: Ulrike Nedomlel
Competition Night: Ted’s Hedda Morrison Portfolio
Competition
August Tuesday 2 Griffin Centre: 7.30pm
Coordinator: Trish Grice
Chopsticks 'n Pixels Coordinator: Ulrike Nedomlel
Workshop: Ongoing discussions and critiques.
Major Collaborative Project
Tuesday 9
Griffin Centre: 7.30 pm
Coordinator: Ian Marshall ian.marshall.au@gmail.com
Activity Night: TBA
Griffin Centre: 7.30 pm
Tuesday 16
Coordinator: TBA
Chopsticks 'n Pixels Coordinator: Ulrike Nedomlel
Competition Night: High Key and Open
Griffin Centre: 7.30pm
September Tuesday 6
Coordinator: Trish Grice
Chopsticks 'n Pixels Coordinator: Ulrike Nedomlell
35
Fyshwick: Photographic Exhibition at
PhotoAccess
by Andrée Lawrey and Barb Smith
We are delighted to be presenting Fyshwick at
the Huw Davies Gallery at PhotoAccess in the
Manuka Arts Centre from 14 to 31 July 2011.
The exhibition brings together personal
Newcastle St (I) 1991 by Barb Smith photographic projects documenting and
celebrating Canberra’s oldest industrial suburb
over time.
As photographers and long term Canberra
residents, we both find Fyshwick a challenging
yet fascinating photographic subject, well
worth documenting for both aesthetic and
historical reasons. Barb began photographing
Fyshwick 20 years ago for an art school project;
Andrée started work in early 2010, initially as a
contribution to a book project, North and South
Canberra – A Southside Camera Club Perspective
(a preview of the book is available from
3 Yallourn Street by Andrée Lawrey http://www.blurb.com/books/1742349).
photoaccess
presents in the
Hu w D av i es Ga l l er y
Fyshwick
Andrée Lawrey and Barb Smith
You are invited to the opening
6 pm Thursday 14 July
by Linda Groom
Fyshwick
Former Curator of Pictures, National Library of Australia
Exhibition runs until 31 July
10 am 4 pm Tuesday to Friday
12 4 pm Weekends
H u w D av i es Ga l l er y is located at Manuka Arts Centre
Manuka Circle Griffith ACT
www.photoaccess.org.au
ph: 02 6295 7810 Andrée Lawrey Barb Smith
36
Having begun our projects quite independently, we continued to work separately throughout the
capture phase, but collaborated closely on the final selection and presentation of our images. Barb
used a manual Nikon film camera and 35mm perspective control lens throughout her project, while
Andrée used full-frame DSLR, an assortment of lenses, adding a supplementary mini-series captured
with her iPhone in the last few weeks of shooting. We both kept post-processing to the bare minimum
needed to produce the best possible prints.
We hope our Fyshwick exhibition will show this utilitarian but essential suburb in a new light and
persuade Canberra residents to appreciate the visual feast it has to offer.
Exhibition featuring botanical photography - see http://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/whatson/.
Peter is running a workshop to coincide with this exhibition - 6-7 August. See Forum for further link.
BRONWYN JEWELL: ERUB JULY 1
NOW SHOWING: Until 10 Jul 2011
PhotoAccess Huw Davies Gallery
An exhibition by respected photographer Bronwyn Jewell, dedicated
to the Erub Community and showing at PhotoAccess Huw Davies
Gallery in concert with the NAIDOC Week exhibition.
Free
Info: 62957810
www.photoaccess.org.au
Bronwyn Jewll
KERSTIN STYCHE: WALAN BUDHANG YINAAGIRRBANG
NOW SHOWING: Until 10 Jul 2011
PhotoAccess Huw Davies Gallery
PhotoAccess Emerging Indigenous Photographer Kerstin Styche
shows an exhibition of portraits of strong black women as part of
NAIDOC Week celebrations.
Free
Info: 6295 7810
www.photoaccess.org.au
Kerstin Styche
INSIDE – AN INTERIOR EXPLORATION BY THREE ARTISTS
NOW SHOWING: Until 10 Jul 2011
Strathnairn Homestead Gallery: 90 Stockdill Drive, Holt
EASS: Emerging Artist Support Scheme Exhibition 2011
S.A.ADAIR – SCULPTURE
STEPHANIE PARKER – PHOTOMEDIA
NICK WOOLLEY – GLASS
Free
Info: 02 6254 2134
www.strathnairn.asn.au
37
If you ever wanted to travel but couldn’t go far, have a look at Louise
Hawson’s project. She has visited different suburbs in Sydney looking
for their essential character. Her images are often presented as diptychs
that marry the personal and the patterned as in the image below.
When Louise Hawson realised she was a stranger in her own city, she
set herself a mission - to explore and photograph one new Sydney
suburb a week for a whole year. Originally presented as a weekly blog
http://www.52suburbs.com/
that developed a strong online following among Sydneysiders as well
as fans across the world, 52 Suburbs reveals Sydney beyond the clichés
of its harbour and beaches, delving into places most tourists would
never think to explore. Inspirational, adventurous and eye-opening, 52
Suburbs captures beauty in the burbs, celebrating the vibrancy,
multiculturalism and community of Sydney's localities in a refreshingly
unconventional way.
52 Suburbs is now an exhibition showing at the Sydney Museum, until
9 October - entry fees are charged. It is part of the Head On Photo
Festival. The exhibition was recently featured on the ABC - see link
below for the program, which is well worth watching.
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/stories/s3246494.htm
Lovely lattice by Louise Hawson
38
APSCON 2011
AT
PORT MACQUARIE
24TH TO 30TH SEPTEMBER
Port Macquarie, situated on the mid-north coast of NSW, is the venue for APSCON this year. The
conference will be held in The Glasshouse, situated in the centre of the CBD. This building brings
together a heritage centre, two performance spaces, an art gallery, a commercial area, and a
conference centre -- a very modern arts building that we are delighted to have secured for APSCON
2011.
Photographic opportunities are boundless with extensive beaches and headlands, the Hastings River,
Historic Buildings and Cemetery all within 15 minutes of the city centre. The hinterland region
abounds with treasures, wildlife, natural areas and pristine forests. Many of these natural areas are
situated within a short drive from the town Centre. This week long conference offers you opportunities
to hear some wonderful presentations, view the pick of the Australian Photography Folio Images,
Interstate Competition, Trans-Tasman Competition along with the APS National Exhibition.
Professor Des Crawley will do the opening introduction to the theme 'Conceptualisation to Reality and
Beyond' .
Other speakers include Rob Smith, AAPS, (www.wowfactorpix.com) a Port Macquarie based freelance
photographer with many years of experience. Rob's subjects vary from Seascapes to Abstract and all things in
between. He is constantly challenging himself. He is an accredited judge. He will give two lectures and also do
two workshops on Lightroom.
William Yang, (www.williamyang.com) a Sydney based freelance photographer largely documenting the social
cultures of Sydney.
Jenni Horsnell, AFIAP, FAPS (http://www.jennihorsnell.com) is well known in APS circles as a dedicated
photographer and naturalist.
Gerard Saide, SSAPS PSQA, whose main interest is in social documentary photography and his talk will centre
on 10 great Australian images.
Tony Mott has been capturing musicians for over 20 years and has thousands of his photographs published.
His stories will be
entertaining.
Mike Bowers is the nation's most experienced political photographer and maintains a keen interest in the rights
of photographers.
Niomi Sands, BAVA, is the curator of Port Macquarie Glasshouse Regional Art Gallery and will discuss
Preparing for an Exhibition.
Mike Kane, LRPS (UK) is a tutor in basic photography and studio work at Port Macquarie Community College as
well as a freelance Studio Photographer and will run three workshops during APSCON - 'Escaping from Auto on
your SLR' and 'Image Presentation' as well as the 'Outdoor Model Shoot' on Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
Some optional activities have been arranged: These include Sunset and Sunrise Cruises on the Hastings
River. A light breakfast will be served in the mornings and fish and chips in the evening. The program indicates
that these cruises are an hour in duration however will be one and a half to two hours. The food is included in
the cost.
39
A Walk On the Dark Side will enlighten you to the secrets of Port's past - A convict settlement.
Beach Walk - This 8 km walk along boardwalks and beaches, tidal pools and the Lighthouse. It is not necessary
to do the whole walk, there are coffee shops along the way and pick-up and drop-off points will be arranged.
Besides these organised optionals listed on the Registration from many other opportunities to visit the many
attractions this area has to offer during free time will be outlined during the week.
Social Activities are the Welcome Function on Saturday night, The Digital Division dinner at Port Macquarie
Panthers will include the Mid-Week dinner where all are invited to attend. The Annual Dinner will be held at
Westport Bowling Club on Friday 30th at the conclusion of APSCON.
For full details of Program and Registration Form please check out the APS Website: http://www.a-p-s.org.au/
and Port Macquarie Panthers Camera Club website: http://portmacquariecameraclub.net/APSCON2011/ for
Speaker's Biodata, updates and local information. Registrations close on 9th September. For further enquiries
please phone Robyn Mussett on 02 65823858.