NZPhotographer Issue 5, March 2018

ISSUE 5, March 2018 

INTERVIEW 

with Eva Polak 

FACING 

FACEBOOK CHANGES 

BY EMILY GOODWIN 

UNCOVERING INCREDIBLE INDIA 

with Susan Blick 

HOW TO CAPTURE: 

MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHS 

Astrophotography Tips by Richard Young 

LONG EXPOSURE 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

BY RICHARD BROOKER 

March 2018 1

From the Editor 

Dear reader, 

Join the conversation! 

nzphotographer 

nzp_magazine 

nzp@excio.io 

Get in touch! 

Taya Iv, Editor 

Welcome to Issue 5 of NZ 

Photography Magazine! 

This month, you'll get to 

experience the beauty of New 

Zealand as well as other parts 

of the world. You'll discover Gail 

Stent's stunning underwater 

photographs, find creative gems 

in our interview with Eva Polak, 

learn about Facebook changes 

and so much more. You'll also get 

to see our favourite submissions, 

all of which are bound to inspire 

you to go out with your camera. 

Our community has been thriving 

because of your contribution and 

support. Thank you for sharing 

your stories, talents, and ideas 

with us. 

We look forward to seeing you in 

the next issue! 

General Info: 

NZPhotographer Issue 5 

March 2018 

Cover Photo 

by Eva Polak 

Summer 

Publisher: 

Excio Group 

Website: 

www.excio.io/nzphotographer 

Group Director: 

Ana Lyubich ana@excio.io 

Editor: 

Taya Iv 

Graphic Design: 

Maksim Topyrkin 

Editorial Assistant: 

Emily Goodwin 

Advertising Enquiries: 

Phone us on 04 889 29 25 or send 

us an enquiry hello@excio.io 

© 2018 NZPhotographer Magazine 

All rights reserved. Reproduction 

of any material appearing in this 

magazine in any form is forbidden 

without prior consent of the 

publisher. 

About NZPhotographer 

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! 

2 NZPhotographer 

Disclaimer: Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.

CONTRIBUTORS 

TABLE OF 

RICHARD BROOKER 

CONTENTS 

4 

BEHIND THE SHOT WITH GAIL STENT 

Richard is an enthusiast 

photographer with too 

A NATIONAL TREASURE AWAITS EXPLORERS TO ARTHURS PASS 

6 Brendon Gilchrist 

much time oh his hands! 

He’s fascinated with 

capturing movement in 

8 

INTERVIEW WITH EVA POLAK 

a still image. 

BACK TO BASICS: UNDERSTANDING SHUTTER PRIORITY 

16 Ray Harness 

BRENDON GILCHRIST 

18 

UNCOVERING INCREDIBLE INDIA WITH SUSAN BLICK 

FACING FACEBOOK CHANGES 

28 Emily Goodwin 

HOW TO CAPTURE: MILKY WAY PHOTOGRAPHS 

30 Richard Young 

LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY 

Brendon is the man 

31 Richard Brooker 

behind ESB Photography. 

He treks from sea to 

49 READERS SUBMISSIONS mountain, and back 

again, capturing the 

uniqueness of New 

Zealand’s unforgiving 

landscape. 

RAY HARNESS 

RICHARD YOUNG 

TAYA IV 

EMILY GOODWIN 

Ray is an amateur 

photographer who has 

dabbled in photography 

for 45 years. He has a lot 

of pre-digital knowledge 

under his belt and enjoys 

capturing landscape 

scenes and animals. 

Richard is an awardwinning 

landscape and 

wildlife photographer 

who teaches 

photography workshops 

and runs photography 

tours. He is the founder 

of New Zealand 

Photography Workshops. 

Taya is a portrait 

photographer whose 

work has been featured in 

magazines and on book 

covers. In addition to 

taking photos, she loves 

reading, learning, and 

sharing her knowledge 

with people like you! 

Emily fell into 

photography a little 

over 10 years ago. She 

is passionate about 

documenting her travels 

and loves to spend time 

in nature capturing the 

details as well as the 

wider views.

Behind The Shot with Gail Stent 

GAIL, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT 

YOURSELF AND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY 

CAREER? 

I have always been interested in photography 

and did a little darkroom work when I was in 

high school. When digital cameras came out I 

became really interested as all I needed was a 

camera and a computer. I had small children 

(twins) at that stage, so took a lot of photos of 

them and the dogs in-between being a mother 

with a part-time job. My photography really took 

off when I joined the North Shore Photographic 

Society. I taught myself Photoshop and that was 

really exciting as I was able to create composites 

which I love doing. I have developed my 

photography to such an extent that I now teach 

photography, Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom 

at Auckland Zoo, NZPhotography Tours and 

Mairangi Arts Centre. I also exhibit and sell my 

fine art pieces, as well as doing photo shoots for 

families and underwater portraits. 

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED WITH YOUR 

UNDERWATER SERIES, AND WHY? 

In 2009 I went to the PSNZ National Convention 

in Whanganui where I listened to an Australian 

guest presenter, Narell Autio. She showed us her 

underwater photographs and I was captivated. 

Having spent my sporting life underwater 

as a synchronised swimmer, this felt like my 

domain. I immediately went out and bought 

a small Canon G10 camera with housing and 

started photographing my daughter and her 

teammates. However, it was only really in 2014 

that I started creating this type of image. 

CAN YOU TAKE US THROUGH SHOOTING 

THIS PARTICULAR SHOT? 

This shot was taken in an indoor pool. I think we 

shot for about 30-45 min - The girls get quite cold 

after that. I most often work with girls who are 

familiar with the underwater environment and 

brief them before we go in about what I want 

from them, facial features, body positions etc. 

When I work with non-swimmers, I usually go 

into shallower water. I work with the model - We 

discuss how to make a better image e.g., closer 

to the surface, arm positions, etc. I use a mask 

and snorkel, so come up for air with the model 

and we discuss a repeat or the next move. 

WHO IS THE MODEL AND HOW DID YOU 

START WORKING TOGETHER? 

The model in this image is Katie. I used to coach 

her synchronised swimming when she was 

younger - She is now a coach herself. She is very 

comfortable and relaxed underwater and I love 

working with her as she is very flexible and looks 

amazing in the water. I also use my daughter 

(when she’s in town) and my niece, as well. 

WHAT EQUIPMENT ARE YOU USING? 

I started off with a Canon G10 and then moved 

to a Canon G16. I now use a Sony A7R ii with an 

Ikelite housing and a Sony FE 16/35 f4 lens. The 

difference in quality is amazing - My images are 

now on another level. I tend to use natural light, 

but also have a small Lume Cube light that is 

waterproof and has amazing power. 

I wear a short wetsuit as I get cold really easily, 

a weight belt to keep me under (I’m super 

buoyant!!), fins (so that I can get back to the 

surface!!) and a mask and snorkel. I don’t use full 

scuba gear as I need to communicate often with 

the model, so come up to the surface to breath 

and talk. 

ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW? 

After the shoot, I always have to post process 

in Lightroom as well as Photoshop. Underwater, 

everything is blue, so I have to get the White 

Balance correct. I prefer doing this in postproduction. 

These days I often tend to convert 

to B&W or use textures as I find this gives another 

dimension to the image. 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

www.gailstentphotography.com 

www.facebook.com/mifotoshows 

www.instagram.com/gailstent 

4 NZPhotographer


5

A National Treasure Awaits 

Explorers to Arthurs Pass 

By Brendon Gilchrist 

In the heart of the Southern Alps, which is a short 1 hour 

19 minute drive from Greymouth or a 2 hour drive from 

Christchurch, you will arrive at a small village called 

Arthurs Pass which is on the south western side of Arthurs 

Pass National Park. 

I have been hiking, climbing and exploring this National 

Park for many years. It has always drawn me as a place to 

go and explore. The diversity of attractions is so much more 

then what most people will ever think, but you need to 

walk or climb to reach these stunning destinations. 

Within the township you will often see Kea, standing on top 

of the railway station, hanging out at the cafe, or outside 

the Wobbly Kea. Yes, you read it right, that is the name of 

a cafe/restaurant in the village! 

Devils Punch Bowl is a large waterfall that towers 131 

meters from top to bottom that can be accessed from 

the western end of the village, a one hour return walk 

from the car park. You'll find great views over to the other 

mountains, a lively forest of native birds, and a viewing 

platform looking towards the mighty Devils Punch Bowl. The 

famous Punch Bowl Branch can be viewed from here. A 

focal length on your camera of about 100mm will capture 

this world famous branch. 

Arthurs Pass offers something for everyone from easy day 

walks to difficult mountaineering and rock climbing routes. 

There are hiking huts, large tarns (Mountain Lakes) to camp 

beside and even hot springs. Where do you begin? 

Due to the diversity, it’s one of those places where you’ll 

see or do incredible things, but beware of the weather, as 

it can and will change quickly. 

To start off, Bealey Spur is an easy day walk that walks 

through lush bush then enters onto golden tussock tops 

overlooking the Waimakarir river and all its braids. The 

view is such a classic New Zealand south island river. The 


hut was built in 1935 and used as a base for high country 

sheep farming until 1978 when it was retired and added to 

Arthur’s Pass National Park. It is a must do and a must see. 

On the other side of the scale is a hike to 3 Alpine Tarns 

which are located within Kelly Range and Carol Hut. It's 

a solid 3 hours to Carol Hut and an extra 1 hour walk will 

get you within reach of the parks best kept secret. You 

can camp almost anywhere near the Tarns. On the left 

side of the mountain, there is a large slip, if you are careful 

you can walk down and stand where water is gushing out 

the side of the mountain. You can feel the earth tremble 

below you. I remember the taste of the water was so fresh, 

suprisingly freezing cold even though it was summer. 

Arthurs Pass is also home to Canterbury Mountaineering. A 

base for so many peaks, from easy peaks like Avalanche 

Peak at 1883 meters high to the more advanced Mount 

Temple at 1913 meters mostly needing rope skills. There's 

also Mount Rolleston at 2275 meters, or the more longer 

access peaks of Mt Murchison at 2302 meters. From 

entry level climbing on rock and ice in winter to the 

more advanced climbing routes, there are just so many 

different peaks to think of, so many valleys to walk up, 

so much diversity in wildlife here. You'll find 5 different ski 

fields, forests, glacier's and beautiful streams and rivers, 

wide open fields of tussock grass, and tarns right below 

mountain peaks, or nestled in golden tussock grass. 

Standing on top of these mountains looking at more 

mountains will give you moments of pure joy as you 

ponder life and the world we live in. “We do not climb the 

mountain, the mountain climbs us.” 

I love this place. Due to its size (1,185 km2) it manages to 

have everything. There is no other park in New Zealand 

quite as unique as this one. 

I hope you will read this, see the photos, and then start to 

plan a trip to this unique place.

F/18, 1/20s, ISO400 

F/16, 1.3s, ISO100 


7

Interview with 

Eva Polak 

An Impressionist Photographer On An 

Imaginative Journey of Creativity. 

EVA, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF? 

I made New Zealand my new home 20 years ago after 

leaving Poland. If you had told me the day I landed in 

Auckland airport that in a few years time I would run 

online impressionist photography courses, write books or 

speak in front of people about my work, I would laugh at 

you. None of it was even remotely in my plans. In fact I 

didn’t even speak English or own a camera back then. 

Thanks to photography I really found my place and my 

voice here. I live with my husband in West Auckland and 

work for a printing company during the day, the rest of 

my free time I dedicate to my photography. 

WHAT CAMERA EQUIPMENT DO YOU HAVE? 

I have a Nikon D300 and D810 and several different 

lenses - I really love the Nikkor Nikon AF-S 70-300mm 

F/4-F5.6 lens as I can take images in the middle of 

the day without needing an ND filter. I use the Sigma 

AF 50mm F/2.8 Macro lens for most of my macro 

photography. I also have a collection of M42 lenses, 

mostly 50mm and 85mm. These lenses create an 

amazing variety of effects, from a buttery, soft bokeh to 

a crazy swirly bokeh and very interesting lens flares. 

If anyone wants to peek inside my camera bag and see 

what I do with each lens they can look here: 

http://evapolak.com/camerabag.html 

HAVE YOU DONE ANY PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES 

AND TRAINING OR ARE YOU SELF TAUGHT? 

It all started in December 2004 when my husband gave 

me a small digital camera for Christmas. I was spending 

most of my free time with my camera, always taking 

photographs, reading about photography or planning 

my next photo shoot. I was enjoying myself immensely 

and I even entered a few local competitions with some 

success. After a year or so, I felt that I was ready for my 

first SLR camera. I wanted to have more control and be 

able to experiment with shutter speed and aperture. 

I also started to attend photography workshops and 

presentations. I was having fun experimenting with 

different types of photography, slowly buying new lenses 

and other equipment. 

By 2007 I was a pretty competent photographer. On 

one hand I was enjoying making images, but I also felt 

trapped and increasingly frustrated with all the “rules” 

of traditional photography. Around that time, I came 

across an advert for a workshop at Auckland University, 

The Art of Impressionist Photography. I knew instinctively 


that this was something that I wanted to be doing. And 

the rest, as they say, is history. 

As I was experimenting with impressionist photography 

I very quickly realised that there are certain looks and 

effects that I’m attracted to. I started to study my own 

work, trying to really pin down my likes and dislikes. 

Soon I was using this process in my work to open up 

experimentation. I very quickly learned that what starts 

as ‘What if?’ could become an image that I love. 

CAN YOU DESCRIBE IMPRESSIONIST PHOTOGRAPHY 

FOR US – WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU? 

The wonderful thing about impressionist photography is 

the freedom that it gives you. There is no right or wrong 

way to create these images, just guidelines. Also, there is 

no need for expensive lenses or special equipment; you 

only need a camera with manual control settings. 

There is the freedom to work with precision and control, 

or to try a spontaneous, experimental approach. 

Creating impressionist work doesn’t mean just using 

special techniques. You still have to use your sense of 

composition and have a knowledge of light, colour and 

other elements of visual design to present your subject in 

the best possible way. 

Success in impressionist photography requires an 

understanding of the genre and knowledge of its 

strengths and limitations. It is not as easy as some people 

might think. The most essential ingredient that you need, 

to elevate your images from good to great, is expression. 

Actually, the fundamental building blocks of images go 

hand in hand with expression, because they allow the 

viewer to read and feel the photograph’s mood. 

If asked to define this style I would say that impressionist 

photography is the first step to abstraction, and the 

viewers have a clear idea as to what they are looking 

at and respond to emotionally. Photographs should only 

suggest detail, rather than focus on it.


9

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE PIECE OF WORK 

THAT YOU HAVE CREATED? 

This is a very hard question as there are so many images 

that are important to me. Nearly every image leads to a 

new discovery or improvement of my work or steers me 

in a new direction. I like to work on long term projects 

and usually there is only one at a time. 

I spent more than three years just perfecting one 

technique - ICM (Intentional Camera Movement) with 

slow shutter speed. I really wanted to learn all aspects of 

this technique like light, different shutter speeds, different 

subjects, combinations with other techniques, etc. 

Then I moved into a different technique and discovered 

dandelions. 

I can clearly see how my approach to this one subject 

was changing and how my images were evolving. 

I finalised this project with a book, The Secret Life of 

Dandelions which you can get at http://evapolak.com/ 

The_Secret_Life_of_Dandelions.html 

I had a similar journey with moss. I created a book with 

this project as well, called Parallel Universes. 

http://evapolak.com/parallel-universes-book.html 

I believe that by focusing on one subject for a long time 

we can discover and capture the full potential of it. 

WHERE’S YOUR FAVOURITE LOCATION FOR 

SHOOTING? 

The west coast of Auckland is definitely one of my 

favorite spots; it’s a very diverse environment of wild 

spirit, rolling surf, dramatic cliffs, and distinctive black 

sand beaches. For me it is a magical place. I always go 

there to recharge and relax. 

I also love being in my garden and look at the world 

through a macro lens. Beauty is everywhere - we just 

need to open our eyes. 

ANY TIPS FOR RUNNING A PHOTOGRAPHY 

BUSINESS? HOW DO YOU MANAGE YOUR 

TIME BETWEEN TEACHING, WRITING BLOG 

POSTS, PROMOTION AND ACTUALLY TAKING 

PHOTOS? 

The secret to any success, in my mind, is consistency. 

Small steps but frequent... 

I don’t have a lot of time between my full time job 

and my private life so I have to organise my time very 

carefully. 

My students are my priority. They are the most important 

people. I do my best to keep them happy and make 

sure that they are learning a lot. 

I try to make everything else as easy as possible for me... 

If I feel I have nothing to say I don’t write my blog post. I 

planted a lot of flowers in my garden so I don’t have to 

travel anywhere to take pictures which saves me time! 

I’m not the most organised person and I’m easily 

distracted. My effort this year will be in learning to focus 

so I can do more. 



11

ANY TIPS FOR OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS IN 

PROMOTING THEIR WORK AND MAKING 

MONEY WITH THEIR PHOTOS? 

There are many opportunities to make money with 

photography at the moment. The Internet makes it 

possible for us to reach a global audience. The trick is 

to treat photography as a product and then find the 

right people for that product. This is the hardest part, 

but if this first step is done right then everything else is 

easy. 

I research a lot of photographers and artists to find out 

how they run their businesses and if possible I adopt 

proven strategies. To me knowledge means power so I 

invest heavily in personal development. 

YOU SEEM TO DO A LOT OF GROUP 

EXHIBITIONS, HOW DOES THAT WORK AND 

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED? 

I got together with three of my friends and we put 

together a proposal for the exhibition at UpStairs 

gallery in Titirangi. 

After the proposal was accepted I spent a lot of time 

researching and learning about exhibitions. My goal 

was not only to exhibit but also to sell my work, so I 

followed all the advice as best I could to reach my 

goal. 


After a few solo exhibitions I received invitations to 

do other group shows. I always said, Yes. For the past 

few years I have been invited to do a few school 

fundraising shows. I love these opportunities as they 

are very well organised and run. 

I always encourage my students to exhibit their 

work, even if the exhibition will be just for family and 

friends. Having a show is an exciting and very special 

experience. Also it gives you a direction and focus. 

YOU CRITIQUE PHOTOGRAPHY, CAN YOU TELL 

US A LITTLE ABOUT THAT? 

To me, looking at a photograph, especially an 

impressionist or abstract one, is like deciphering a 

visual message coded in lines, shapes, and colour. 

If the message is clear then the image is successful. 

If I have trouble understanding the story my job 

as a teacher and judge is to honestly point out 

the weaknesses and give my best advice for 

improvement. Most of the time I see the problem lies 

with the composition or overly relying on a specific 

technique to tell the story. 

For me the hardest part is to ignore my own 

preferences and honour someone else’s point of view 

and creativity. Art is very personal, and individual 

expression is very important. It should bring joy to one’s 

life. I’ve seen so many hearts broken by unthoughtful 

comments.

WHAT TIPS CAN YOU OFFER PHOTOGRAPHERS 

WHO WANT TO TRY THIS STYLE OF 

PHOTOGRAPHY? 

I would say “Just do it!” Take photographs as often 

as possible. Learn from your successes but also from 

your failures. Carefully study your own photos, and 

ask yourself a lot of “why” questions. Finding your own 

personal style is a lifelong, personal journey, so listen to 

your heart. As a great photographer, Ernst Haas, once 

said, “We see what we know until we know who we 

are, then we see what we feel.” Most of all, enjoy your 

journey! 

WHAT ELSE SHOULD PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT 

YOU OR YOUR WORK? 

I’m very grateful to my students. Because of them my 

understanding of photography, my own processes 

and techniques are without doubt greater. So if you 

really want to learn something, teach someone else! 

I do small group (up to 10 people) weekend 

workshops 2-3 times a year. I like small groups as I can 

really give individual attention to each participant. 

But my main focus is on online courses. These are 5-6 

weeks long and are very rewarding for me as I can 

see a huge improvement and development of each 

student. I try to have no more than 10 students at one 

time so I have enough time for each student. 

ANY FUNNY PHOTOGRAPHY STORIES TO 

SHARE? 

One afternoon I went to Piha to photograph the 

sunset. As it was a midweek day there was nothing 

happening there. The beach was deserted and the 

the weather didn’t really promise a spectacular 

evening. 

As I was strolling along the beach I noticed in the 

distance a figure swimming in the ocean. With the 

hope of making some images I got closer. To my 

surprise, through my 300mm lens I could clearly see 

that he was naked. I felt a bit uneasy. It is not in my 

nature to photograph unclothed people with my 

telephoto lens, even if I’m not capturing any details. 

Soon enough I noticed that he saw me. So, I turned 

around and walked away. This guy was very quick 

getting out of the water and dressing up. He caught 

me just before I got to my car and demanded to see 

my photos. I apologised and explained to him the 

nature of my work. 

The expression on his face was priceless as he 

discovered that any particular features of his were not 

recorded. 


13

DO YOU EVER FEEL THAT YOU LOSE YOUR 

CREATIVITY? 

Of course, many times. I don’t think that there is an 

artist who is immune to that feeling. 

When that happened to me for the first time I was 

scared and I thought, “This is it. This is the end of my 

photography journey.” 

Now, I know that I just need to relax and rest. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE REST OF 

2018? 

I have so many projects I would like to finish this year. 

I have three or four books in the making at the 

moment... Wonderland’s Impressions - Creative Macro 

Photography, Dance Impressions - a collection of 

images I created going to ballroom competitions. 

Creativity Journal - Tips, ideas, exercises to keep 

your creativity alive and last but not least Flowers 

Impressions - a flower a day stories. I’m also working on 

another online course - Composition in impressionist 

and abstract photography. 

I have a lot of ideas and sometimes this is a curse, as 

very little is actually done! 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

www.evapolak.com 

www.facebook.com/evapolakimpressionist 

www.instagram.com/eva.polak 


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15

BACK TO BASICS PART 3 

UNDERSTANDING SHUTTER PRIORITY 

by Ray Harness 

In the last issue, we delved into Aperture Priority and 

Depth of Field. Now we explore Shutter Priority and its 

uses. 

Shutter Priority is where you select the shutter speed 

and the camera takes care of the aperture, used 

when needed to capture subjects in motion. On most 

cameras, shutter priority is designated S or Tv on the 

program dial. The speed selected is shown on the top 

display panel (if the camera has one), in the viewfinder 

itself, and/or on the rear viewfinder. Once in shutter 

priority mode, the change to select the speed is usually 

made using the spin dial. 

Whether you are working with telephoto lenses, fixed 

or zoom, without the aid of a tripod and irrespective of 

subject matter, rule of thumb says shutter speed should 

equal or exceed the lens focal length. For example, 

shooting at 100mm should have a shutter speed of 100/ 

th of a second or faster. 

You need to consider what kind of picture you wish to 

take, to apply the kind of speed required to achieve 

the desired look. For extremely fast moving objects, you 

would generally need a fast shutter speed (i.e. to freeze 

motion on cars, fast-moving sports, birds in flight etc). 

Typically, fast cars would warrant a speed of 1/1500th 

of a second or more to freeze motion. To accentuate 

the actual speed the car is traveling at, a slower speed 

of say 1/750th of a second, with you following the car 

(panning the shot) should be enough to stop the action 

of the car, speed blurring the background to show the 

car’s motion. 


The same rules can be applied to wildlife photography, 

though your shutter speed may not need to be so 

extreme unless photographing birds in flight. In this 

case, you will be following the bird’s flight as they move 

around, so a fast speed is desirable, around 1/1000th 

to 1/1250th of a second, maybe more if using a long 

telephoto lens. 

You should also consider whether you are constricted 

by shutter speeds on your camera - This is where the use 

of the ISO setting can increase your speeds to what you 

may need. Increasing the ISO from 100 to 200 gives an 

immediate full stop of shutter speed from for instance 

1/125th to 1/250th of a second. You do need to take 

into account that higher ISO numbers increase the level 

of noise in your pictures and it also reduces the camera’s 

dynamic range, though modern cameras have gone a 

long way towards minimising these negative effects. 

If you’re feeling a little daunted at using shutter priority 

mode don’t despair as many top photographers (even 

sports photographers) shoot purely using aperture 

priority. The latitude in aperture settings allows you to set 

an aperture that will produce the desired shutter speed 

unless you find yourself in a rare situation when you need 

a very specific speed. 

People ask what are the best apertures, or speeds to 

use in varying picture scenarios, but so much depends 

on the amount of light available that it is almost 

unanswerable. It’s something that you need to explore 

and pracise so get out there and have a go! If at first, 

you don’t succeed, try again, and again and again. 

You will achieve what you are aiming for with more 

experience behind the camera.


17

UNCOVERING INCREDIBLE INDIA 

with Susan Blick 

India, incredible India they tell us in the 

advertisements and they’re not wrong. Most of us 

have probably thought about going to India at 

some point in our lives. After all, the saying goes, 

“You haven’t travelled till you’ve been to India”. 

Another one says, “You can’t die happy if you haven’t 

seen the Taj Mahal”. I’m not sure about that, but 

certainly going to India gives you new and thoughtful 

perspectives on life and faith. 

India is like a love-hate relationship. You love it when 

you arrive, then you can’t wait to leave. Once you 

have left, you’re planning a return. It’s a drug, a 

stimulant. It stimulates your senses, all of your senses. 

It fuels creativity and teaches patience. It’s what you 

need, if you don’t like being bored, and most of all, 

if you’re looking for something new to inspire your 

photography. 

I’ve been travelling to India since 1998. On that first 

visit I entered the country overland from Nepal and 

traveled down to Varanasi and then West all the way 

to Jaisalmer and into the Thar Desert. By the time my 

month of travel was up, I was hooked! Since then I’ve 

been visiting on average every few years. 

I generally travel with a pretty compact photography 

kit, but naturally it depends what region I am visiting. 

For a street-based India tour I take either my Canon 

6D or 5D Mark 3, the 16-35mm F/2.8 III for landscapes 

and the 24-105mm F/4 for street shots. If I am visiting 

a mountainous area like Ladakh I will trade the 24- 

105mm for a longer telephoto like the 70-200mm 

F/2.8. I always take at least one neutral density filter, 

usually the 6 stop as it’s more versatile, and always a 

graduated filter, usually the soft grad 1.2. I used Lee 

Filters for many, many years, but have fairly recently 

moved over to Nisi as I find them far superior. I always 

travel with one of my tripods, usually the Sirui tripod 

with ball-head for international travel as it’s that much 

lighter. 


This shot (above) was taken in Khari Baoli the largest 

spice market in all Asia. This humble Holy man sets up 

his little puja offering stall just after dawn and goes 

through a ritual that I was lucky enough to witness 

and experience. He only does this once a day. He 

awakens the Gods or spirits by using little balls of 

explosives - He throws them into the candle and they 

combust in a flurry of flames. He runs his hands through 

the flames. I squatted down the on road beside 

him and he happily allowed me to photograph 

his process. I find Indians are like this, they’re very 

welcoming and kind, so long as you show some 

respect. Afterwards, local shop owners came by and 

gave him small amount of rupees for which he blessed 

them. Moments like this stay with you! 

I find the best time of day to explore in the city is early 

morning. Mornings are cool and people awake in a 

good mood. You feel at peace as you wander the 

streets looking for imagery. You’re welcomed with 

Namastes, and you feel you’ve found something 

more soulful than the cacophony that envelopes 

the streets by midday. People are going about their 

business, some are rushing to work, others are hanging 

around waiting to open shops. The streets are littered 

with paper and debris from the day before. Street 

sweepers come by and fine dust particles are lifted 

into the air with shafts of light reflecting through them. 

Who knew pollution could be so photogenic! 


19


Transport in all its known forms pass by, with bullock 

and horse carts jostling for space on the crowded 

roads among cycle-rickshaws, cars, trucks and every 

man and street dog. There isn’t anywhere to look 

where nothing is happening. Your eyes, all your senses 

in fact, are beaming, you’ve never been more awake 

or alert to your environment. You feel consumed with 

adventure and excitement, and this is just the first day! 

I couldn't help but name this image (bottom left) The 

Backstreet Boys! As a foreigner with a camera you 

tend to attract attention. Mostly on the streets you 

find curious young to middle-aged men. They often 

want to know where you’re from, what you do, and 

if you have children. Having children is obviously 

more important in their culture than mine, they usually 

can’t fathom why I wouldn’t want to have kids! So 

it was during my wanders I came across this group 

of lads, doing what… I have no idea, but quickly 

they gathered around and I was like the paparazzi 

snapping away happily as they laughed and joked 

to stall holders either side of the street. They spoke 

broken English, and mixed with my bad Hindi, together 

we smiled and laughed as I captured this candid 

moment. Moments in India are almost always candid, 

images are a record of a split second in time. A time 

that you forever recall with a smile. 

Painted in the colours of the Indian flag, a pedestrian 

swing bridge (above) stretches high over the river 

Ganges in Rishikesh. I sit at an open-air German 

Bakery sipping a cappuccino and watching 

pilgrims make their way across the bridge. Indian 

photographers wait to take Indian tourists’ photos, 

they print the shots while the tourists visit the temples. 

They’re only in town for 24 hours. I spent time 

chatting with them, they’re no different than the 

photographers we have in New Zealand at any tourist 

site like the Queenstown cable car or at the Sky Tower 

in Auckland. 

Vendors on this side of the bridge sell dried corn, 

peanuts, flowers and other knick-knacks to be offered 

up to the Gods for puja once the pilgrim makes it over 

to the temple on the other side. Before they reach the 

temple however they must run the gauntlet of Rhesus 

Macaque monkeys waiting to relieve them of their 

goodies. The monkeys work in gangs, and although 

mostly harmless they are quite frightening. If you’re 

carrying any food at all they will snatch the quarry 

from your hand. 


21

The pulsating streets of New Delhi are alive with colour. 

It’s quite humorous sitting back enjoying my morning 

coffee watching the next poor unsuspecting tourist 

being mugged in broad daylight by the monkeys! I 

love Rishikesh with its temples, Holy men, the Beatles, 

cows and monkeys… Life here in the foothills of the 

Himalaya is idyllic as the bells at the temple across the 

river chime in a spiritual trance the gorgeous days just 

saunter by. 

These days I’m running photo tours to some of the 

most photogenic and culturally significant parts of 

India and I’d love to take you with me. My tours 

are different from most. Firstly, they are reasonably 

priced, and secondly, we are travellers not tourists 

while in India. There is a huge difference and one you 

can best appreciate once there. We interact with 

common people and I take you into the back streets 

where the photo ops are gold and the best memories 

are made. 

Join me on my next available departure in April 2019, 

when we’ll visit incredible Mughal dynasty sights like 

the Taj Mahal and the Jama Masjid. We’ll venture 

North, first to Rishikesh, where the Holy Ganges runs 

blue, and then into the Indian Himalaya taking in the 

great expanses of the mountainous landscapes that 

make up Ladakh, the number one up-and-coming 

travel destination in the World! 

For more information on traveling with me whether in 

India or NZ visit www.susanblick.com 

www.facebook.com/susanblickphoto 

www.instagram.com/phomadic 


Susan Blick is an English teacher, and 

a landscape and travel photographer 

based in Auckland, New Zealand. She 

has visited 39 countries - many of them 

numerous times - and has resided in seven. 

She was New Zealand Geographic’s 

Landscape Photographer of the Year 

in 2015 and notably, won gold awards 

at the Sydney International Exhibition of 

Photography for Landscape and the Prix 

de la Photographie Paris in the Travel 

and Tourism category in 2015 and 2016 

respectively. 

Susan enjoys documenting stories 

behind small NGOs (non-governmental 

organisations) and has studied visual 

journalism. 


23

A Sadhu in Rishikesh enjoys his chillum of ganja 


The Taj Mahal at sunrise, looking down the Yamuna River

An old man feels grief as his mother is burned 

on a funeral pyre in Agra. 


25

The Taj Mahal at dusk 


Sadhus line the side streets in 

Rishikesh, reminding you of chilled 

times and Rasta ways

A sadhu with the most beautiful smile - This 

man was genuinely filled March with peace. 2018 

27

FACING FACEBOOK CHANGES 

At the start of the year, Mark Zuckerberg 

announced it was time to ‘Fix Facebook’ due 

to most people’s newsfeeds being overrun with 

content from businesses and brands with posts from 

friends and family often getting buried. The news feed 

algorithm will be altered so that it no longer prioritises 

delivering relevant content, instead, the focus will be 

on creating meaningful interactions with friends and 

family and between users, such as members in groups. 

Essentially Facebook is going back to its roots, it 

doesn’t want to give users a passive experience 

anymore and will cut back on the amount of content 

a Facebook user sees from brands, businesses and 

media outlets knowing full well that this means people 

are going to spend less time on the platform. It would 

seem that using Facebook for entertainment purposes 

is going to become a thing of the past, mindlessly 

scrolling through and hitting like is no longer enough 

for FB though I’m sure they won’t be stopping the 

advertising and ability to boost posts with $$! 

What does this mean for photographers who have 

built a following on their FB page? It’s difficult to 

guesstimate just how bad the change is going to be, 

but it’s a safe bet to say it’s going to become more 

difficult (and probably more expensive) to get your 

photography seen by your fans - Anyone who relies 


By Emily Goodwin 

solely on Facebook to promote their work could be in 

for a big shock and a crash in their earnings. 

Facebook has been experimenting with the idea 

of a second ‘explore’ feed where all ‘professional 

publishers’ posts (anyone who publishes from a 

Facebook page rather than a personal account) will 

be placed, meaning users have to navigate over to 

a 2 nd tab to see updates from the pages they like and 

follow. 

Even if users do get used to the idea of a second news 

feed, we’re told that pages with posts that people 

don’t interact with or comment on are going to see 

the biggest decrease in distribution. At the same 

time, Facebook has said that posts that gain likes and 

shares but nothing else will be discouraged. This move 

is to help stop the spread of ‘fake news’ and clickbait 

posts. As a FB user that’s great, but as a photographer 

running a small-business it leaves me wondering how 

I can make my content engaging enough so that 

people will leave meaningful comments, without 

turning it into ‘engagement bait’ which is now a huge 

no-no. 

It would seem the way forward is through live video 

- Facebook users spend 3 times longer watching live 

video than a video that’s no longer live (or never was

live), and users comment 10 times more during live 

video which is classed as meaningful engagement. 

Many of us cannot afford to pay to ‘boost’ our posts 

or to advertise on FB which is the current trend if you 

want to be seen, so with the upcoming newsfeed 

changes I think many people will be jumping off the FB 

ship to find other ways to connect with their audience 

and promote their work. 

No matter what you decide to do here are some 

ideas and options for you on how to proceed: 

Continuing with Facebook: 

Do: 

• Get started with Live Video. 

• Ask followers questions or advice to create 

meaningful conversations. 

• Consider if you can promote your work purely 

through a personal account. 

• Consider creating a Group Page - Groups will likely 

get preference over pages. 

Don’t: 

• Post updates just for the sake of posting something 

new. 

• Create posts in order to get likes/shares – Posts 

now need to create meaningful conversation via 

comments. 

Staying Connected Without Facebook: 

Here are some alternative options for you to stay 

engaged with your fans. We deliberately have not 

included social media sites since even Instagram has 

said they will be making changes by the end of the 

year to their feed. 

Excio – This is NZP’s very own sister app so we’re a little 

biased on how good it is! With Excio your images are 

displayed on users mobile phone home screens – No 

need for this visual loving audience to open an app 

or visit a website to see your new work, it appears 

slap-bang in front of their face every time they look at 

their phone with a description and links to your site/ 

social media pages – You can even add audio files to 

describe your work and connect with your audience 

that way! 

500px – A portfolio site for photographers to display 

their best work with community and marketplace 

features. 

Blog/Website – The best thing about having your own 

website/blog is that it’s yours – A company cannot 

come along and change things up, well, excluding 

Google of course! 

Email Newsletter – An oldie but still a goodie since 

everyone is still connected to their inbox daily if not 

24/7. 


29

How To Capture: Milky Way Photographs 

ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY TIPS BY RICHARD YOUNG 

Milky Way over Mt Sefton & Mt Cook 

18mm lens, ISO 3200, f3.5, 25s 

SHOOT UNDER A DARK SKY: 

A dark sky without any light pollution is the most 

important requirement to see the Milky Way, let 

alone photograph it. For the darkest skies, you will 

also need to be shooting near or during a new 

moon. 

LOCATE THE GALACTIC CENTRE: 

The time of year will affect what parts of the 

Milky Way you can see. In New Zealand, the 

galactic core of the Milky Way is only visible from 

February to October, with June and July being 

the best when the core is at its brightest. Use a 

mobile app to help you plan your shot of the 

Milky Way. 

FIND A SUBJECT: 

Just because you are photographing at night 

doesn’t mean you should forget about the 

foreground, it is this that will make the photograph. 

For the best shots, frame the Milky Way lining up 

over a landscape, mountain, hut or even a person. 

Don't forget the Milky Way will move across the sky 

during the night. 

DON’T BLUR THE STARS: 

To photograph the Milky Way, you’ll need to use 

a high ISO (ISO 3200) and a large aperture (f2.8) 

to capture as much light as possible. Select the 

correct shutter speed so not to blur the stars, due 

to the rotation of the earth. There are various 

rules for how long this time is and it depends on 

your camera and lens focal length, 25 seconds is 

a good starting point on a wide angle lens. 

JOIN NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS ON AN 4-DAY ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY 

MASTERCLASS AT MT COOK ON THE 10TH - 13TH AUGUST 2018. 


LONG EXPOSURE PHOTOGRAPHY 

I 

remember the moment this became a thing for me. 

A friend came down from Hamilton and together 

with a few other friends we went out to Princess Bay 

to take photos. Brent took his camera, placed it on 

a tripod down amongst the rocks and pools of water 

and casually announced that he would be taking a 

three-and-a-half-minute photo. 

Huh? Three and a half minutes? 

Well, three and a half minutes later, I was looking at 

the back of his camera and bam, long exposures 

became a thing. 

They are fascinating. You can SEE what is happening 

in a long exposure even through nothing is moving. 

They give a sense of motion, time, change and 

movement… all in a static image. Clouds drag their 

way across the sky, waves are perpetually crashing, 

rivers become glass… 

The first long exposure photograph I took is still 

a favourite of mine. I was down at Plimmerton 

foreshore experimenting with a 10 stop filter that I had 

purchased and was shooting the sunset. 105 seconds 

worth of water movement, cloud movement and a 

sun corona to boot. 

By Richard Brooker 

WHAT YOU WILL NEED. 

• Camera + Lens 

• A Tripod 

• A filter with a high enough ND value for the image 

you want to capture. 

• Patience. 

• Maybe a little luck. 

WHAT TO DO. 

Decide what you want to photograph. 

As long exposure photographs are best used to 

portray movement, you want something in your scene 

that moves. Be it a car, a cloud, a wave, even a 

child, just something. The scene will also drive your 

lens selection but there is no requirement that you 

use a wide-angle lens. Primarily long exposures are 

landscapes so a wide-angle lens is used, but I have 

taken long exposures on focal lengths ranging from 

16mm right through to 400mm. 


31

Compose the photograph. 

A little backwards here. Take the photograph... before 

you take the photograph? Yes. This allows you to get 

composition nailed and workout the metering (it also 

lets you compose the picture without having the filter 

on the front – not as easy as it sounds). Attach your 

camera to a tripod (this is a must – it will avoid camera 

shake), set your aperture and ISO to achieve the 

affects you are looking for and take a note the shutter 

speed that results in a correctly exposed photograph. 

Photo looks good? Prepare for some long exposure 

magic. 

Attach the filter. 

Filters come in all shapes and sizes. If you are 

beginning I would recommend purchasing a cheaper 

set before spending serious money, find out whether 

the long exposure genre is for you. As you progress in 

skill, there are high-end kits available; Lee filters, Nisi 

filters. Each set has advantages and disadvantages. I 

currently have Nisi v5 filter set; a 6 stop, 10 stop and a 

3 stop hard grad. I will explain more about those later. 

Work out the exposure time. 

A filter is, simply put, sunglasses for your camera. They 

filter out a nominal amount of light that will allow you 

to keep the shutter open for longer. They come in 

different strengths and can be measured in a couple 

of ways. Calculating the correct exposure time based 

on the strength of your filter is critical for maintaining 

the correct exposure. 

CLICK! 

Take the photo… do a happy dance… 

Be prepared to get frustrated, to give up, to think that 

it’s too hard. I did, several times… but each time I 

quit, I came back. It takes perseverance to get right, 

but the results will be well worth it. 

TECHNICAL: HOW TO CALCULATE THE 

CORRECT EXPOSURE TIME. 

3 stop, 6 stop, 10 stop, ND8, ND64, ND1000, how does 

the strength of the filter affect the exposure time? 

Well… there is a formula. 

t n 

= t 0 

x 2 stops 

This is simpler than it looks. The new exposure time, t n 

, is 

equal to the original exposure time (as worked out in 

your composing photograph), t 0 

, times 2 to the power 

of the strength of your filter. For example, if your 

unfiltered exposure time is 1/100th of a second and 

you’re using a 10 stop filter, the corrected exposure 

time is calculated by: t n 

=(1/100 x 2 10 ) which results 

in an exposure time of 10 seconds. A ten second 

exposure can include quite a bit of movement. 

If your filter strength is measured using an ND value, 

they have already calculated the 2 stops for you. The 

exposure time is now calculated by multiplying the 

unfiltered exposure time by the ND value: 

t n 

= (1/100 x 1000) which also results in an exposure 

time of 10 seconds. 

Easy! 

EXAMPLES OF LONG EXPOSURES AT VARIOUS 

FOCAL LENGTHS. 

Long exposures can be photographs of anything, but 

for me, right from day one, mine had to have water 

in them. Beaches, rivers, waterfalls, rain… I find the 

movement of water to be calming. 

LONG EXPOSURES ARE GOOD FOR THE SOUL! 

Plimmerton Boat Ramp 


F/22, 30s, ISO400

A river in the Tongariro National Park somewhere 

F/22, 2,5s, ISO50 

Old Tokaanu Wharf 

F/11, 60s, ISO50 


33


Ngatuhoa Lodge - Whio Falls: 

F/8, 20s, ISO100 

This is a panorama of several photos. 


35

Ngatuhoa Lodge – Pump House Falls: 

F/22, 8s, ISO 50 

Tongariro National Park – Kaimanawa Road: 

F/11, 60s, ISO50 


Tongariro National Park: 

F/5.6, 4s, ISO100 


37 

A vertical panorama of 3 photographs.

Waikanae Beach 

F/22, 30s, ISO100 

Te Mata Peak 

F/22, 20s, ISO100 


Paraparaumu Beach 

F/7.1, 30s, ISO100 

Lake Wairarapa 

F/18, 30s, ISO50 


39

Titahi Bay 

F/11, 10s, ISO200 

Plimmerton 

F/11, 30s, Titahi ISO200 Bay 


Cape Palliser 

F/8, 1s, ISO200 

Plimmerton 

F/22, 5s, ISO1600 


41


Plimmerton – F/22, 2s, ISO 50 


43


Plimmerton 

F/5.6, 5s, ISO100 


45

EXTRAS: 

The following are not long exposure photographs, but they exhibit many of the same properties. These rely on 

the speed of the moving objects which allow a shorter shutter speed while obtaining the desired amount of 

movement. Neither of these was shot with a ND filter attached. 

Home 

F/18, 1/15s, ISO50 

Home 

F/2.8, 1/800s, ISO100 



47

Best 

Summer 

Shot 

COMPETITION 

Partners 

Show us your best photographs taken this Summer 

and be in for the chance to win! 

1st Place $100 printing voucher 

2nd Place $50 printing voucher 

3rd Place $50 printing voucher 

Prizes are proudly brought to you by Wellington Photographic Supplies 

Competition runs 1st-20th March 2018 

Submit up to 3 images 


To enter or find out more, visit 

www.excio.io/submit

PORTFOLIO 

Best readers' submissions this month 


49


MARAETAI WHARF 

30S, NIKON D810 WITH B+W FILTER 

Love going to to this wharf to shoot the sunset. 

Alex Moore 



SUNRISE WRIGHTS LAKE 5166 

F/8, 1/20s, ISO100 

Sunrise on Wrights Lake, Sierra Nevada Mountains 

Brian Fox 



MA I RUNGA I MA 

F/9, 1/200s, ISO800 

Ma i runga i ma (White on White)One of a series of White on White images of my favourite 

model Levana. White background, White make-up, White Clothes with varying backgrounds 

to enhance the High Key aspects of the shoot. 

Cheryl Muirson 



PADDLES 

1/250s, ISO100 

Shot at the Rangariri Pa site - this is where one of the fiercest battles of the 

Waikato war was fought between the Maori and the British with many casualties 

on both sides. Part of the Pa is now an historical reserve. 

Diane Beguely 



RUSSEL FALLS - TASMANIA 

F/14, 0.6s, ISO125 

One of the most accessible, and beloved, waterfalls in Tasmania is Russell Falls, situated 

within the Mount Field National Park, and definitely spectacular! 

Dominic Scott 



'THE NUT' - STANLEY TASMANIA 

F/13, 30s, ISO200 

'The Nut' - an old volcanic plug at Stanley in Tasmania 

photographed in early morning light. 

Dominic Scott 



THE SURVIVOR 

F/20, 13s, ISO50 

Binalong Bay is situated at the southern end of the beautiful Bay of Fires. The area 

is one of the most scenic and beautiful places in Tasmania, from the blue sea 

and fine white sand to the orange-tinged boulders that hug the coast. 

Dominic Scott 



BAY OF FIRES - TASMANIA 

F/20, 13s, ISO50 

Another shot taken at Binalong Bay at the southern end of the beautiful Bay of Fires. 

Dominic Scott 


HOGARTH FALLS - TASMANIA 

F/11, 30s, ISO100 

One of Tasmania's 60 Great Short Walks, this walk 

starts at the top of Peoples Park in Strahan and is a 

gentle, meandering stroll through sweet-smelling 

bush to this delightful waterfall. Light conditions 

were good with overcast skies and occasional 

rain just to keep it interesting! I love the water swirl 

patterns the long exposure has created 

Dominic Scott 



67


LAKE PEARSON 

F/18, 30s, ISO100 

Lake Pearson, Flock Hill Station, Cass. 5 shot panorama 

Dominic Stove 


69


LAST LOAD 

F/10, 1/80s 

Truck, Lees Valley 

Dominic Stove 



BUDDIES IN THE AIR 

F/8, ISO300 

Close contact with a pair of Starlings 

Eric Pollock 



ENGELA 

Fine art photograph of soft pink and yellow Peonies. This image is named after my mother in law, 

most of my recent floral images are named after influential woman in my family. 

Marina De Wit 


75


INA 

Fine art photography of soft pink and purple Peonies named after my mum. 

Marina De Wit 



CAREFREE 

F/5.6, 2000s, Auto ISO 

This photo depicts the character and freedom expressed in a way Dolphins do best 

Mark Watson 



CHEEKY 

F/10, 1/400s, ISO800 

Sparrow showing off its breakfast 

Steve Harper 



LOOKING EAST 

F/8, 13s, ISO800 

Looking east prior to sunrise from Maungakiekie, Auckland 

Steve Harper 



SKY AND WATER 

Reflection of the sky over water surface near Lake Campillo, at the south of Madrid, Spain. 

Tomas Fernandez 



THE CAMERA IS AN 

INSTRUMENT THAT 

TEACHES PEOPLE 

HOW TO SEE 

WITHOUT A CAMERA 

Dorothea Lange 


87

NZPhotographer Issue 5, March 2018

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