NZPhotographer Issue 18, April 2019

Brought to you by 

ISSUE 18, April 2019 

INTERVIEW WITH 

EMRE SIMTAY 

PLANNING & CAPTURING 

A PHOTO STORY 

BY JAMES GILBERD 

MIND GAMES: 

HIDING BEHIND THE LENS 

FRESH SHOOTS: 

SPRING PEOPLE'S CHOICE 

AWARD WINNER 

HOW TO CAPTURE: 

AUTUMN COLOURS 

WITH RICHARD YOUNG 

April 2019 

1

WELCOME TO ISSUE 18 OF 

NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE 

HELLO EVERYONE, 

In this issue, we are putting the 

focus on Street Photography. 

Get inspired to walk the streets 

with your camera to capture 

everyday life at home and 

abroad in our interview with 

Emre Simtay and in Behind the 

Shot with Mary Hutchinson where 

you'll learn what makes street 

photography so interesting. 

If you've always been shy of 

taking candid photos on the 

street, Ana gives some insight 

into getting more comfortable in 

approaching people so you've 

no excuse not to give it a go! 

Think you've got a great street 

photography shot already? 

Read our photo review and see if 

you could improve your own shot 

with the tips and tricks offered. 

We also have James Gilberd sharing his thoughts on how to put together 

a photo story, explaining that a set of 6 images can convey an event, 

emotion, or place better than a single image. Plus, Brendon takes us on 

a return journey to Punakaiki as he enjoys time out in nature walking the 

river and beach. We also get to learn about the photographer who won 

the Fresh Shoots People's Choice Award with her 'After the Storm' poppies 

photo. 

Emily Goodwin 

Editor NZ Photographer 

General Info: 

NZPhotographer Issue 18 


Cover Photo 

Emre Simtay 

Publisher: 

Excio Group 

Website: 

www.excio.io/nzphotographer 

Group Director: 

Ana Lyubich 

ana@excio.io 

Editor: 

Emily Goodwin 

Graphic Design: 

Maksim Topyrkin 

Advertising Enquiries: 

Phone 04 889 29 25 

or Email hello@excio.io 

2 NZPhotographer

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS 

Brendon Gilchrist 

Brendon is the man 

behind ESB Photography. 

He is an avid tramper 

who treks from sea to 

mountain, and back 

again, capturing the 

uniqueness of New 

Zealand’s unforgiving 

landscape. 

Ana Lyubich 

Co-founder of Excio, 

Ana's photography 

journey started many 

years ago with one of the 

first Kodak film cameras. 

She loves exploring the 

unseen macro world and 

capturing genuine people's 

emotions. 

Richard Young 

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. 

nzphotographer nzp_magazine nzp@excio.io 

© 2019 NZPhotographer Magazine 

All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in 

any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. 

Disclaimer: 

Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the 

opinion of the magazine. 


3

CONTENTS 

18 

10 

6 

9 

10 

14 

18 

26 

28 

30 

32 

9 

INTERVIEW WITH EMRE SIMTAY 

PUNAKAIKI 2.0 

by Brendon Gilchrist 

HOW TO CAPTURE: AUTUMN COLOURS 

by Richard Young 

IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY 

PHOTO REVIEW SESSION 

FRESH SHOOTS: SPRING PEOPLE'S 

CHOICE AWARD WINNER 

INTERVIEW WITH EMRE SIMTAY 

PLANNING AND CAPTURING A PHOTO STORY 

By James Gilberd 

BEHIND THE SHOT 

with Mary Hutchinson 

MIND GAMES: HIDING BEHIND THE LENS 

by Ana Lyubich 

PORTFOLIO: BEST READERS' 

SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH 

IMPROVING YOUR 

PHOTOGRAPHY 

PHOTO REVIEW SESSION 

MIND GAMES: 

HIDING BEHIND THE LENS 


30

F2.8, 20s, ISO10000 

Punakaiki 2.0 

by Brendon Gilchrist 

In Issue 4, I touched on the small west coast town of 

Punakaiki, or what I called Jurassic Park. Well, I’ve been 

back! It is rare for me to be on the West Coast aka the 

Wet Coast but thankfully, I got lucky with the weather 

with only a little bit of rain. 

Punakaiki is surrounded by limestone landscapes of 

many different forms including the mysterious and 

popular pancakes rocks, so perfectly stacked upon 

each other that no one knows how/why they formed 

exactly like that. These pancake rocks and the blowholes 

are the main attraction of Punakaiki and amazingly are 

still free to walk around and enjoy. 

By day this place is always busy, usually busier at high tide 

just in case the swells are coming from the right direction 

to create an updraft of water and air for the blowholes 

to activate. But at night there are very few people 

around, maybe 1 or 2. 

I decided to visit the platform that overlooks the 

pancake rocks one night to capture the milky way over 

the mountains. It was a good night to continue playing 

with my new Nikkor 14–24 2.8g. I have been missing out 

on that extra 14mm of focal length for a long time now 

and am happy to be able to shoot ultra wide angled 

shots. 

On the one rainy morning I got when I visited, I walked 

beside the river on the beautiful and well maintained 

Pororari River Track with the towering limestone cliffs 

that rise up to 100 metres above the water. I don’t know 

about you but I find walking in the rain so refreshing, the 

smell of fresh rainwater pattering on the tree leaves, 

slowly dripping down to the forest floor, it’s refreshing to 

be in that moment when nothing else matters but that 

sense of being in nature and enjoying what you are 

about to do – Capture some moody landscapes! 


F11, 1/250s, ISO64 

F16, 1/3s, ISO31

As the track weaves besides the river, taking you 

on a magical journey through a land locked in time 

that only nature can touch, you come to viewing 

points overlooking the river and there are a couple of 

opportunities to get down to the river edge or even walk 

into the river to take some photos looking up the river 

from a completely different angle that many won’t see. 

There’s so much to photograph and marvel at from the 

nikau palm trees to the native flaxes and the walls of 

limestone leading you out up the river into an unknown 

world not forgetting the wildlife with the native Kereru 

munching on the berries. I found an amazing looking 

tree to photograph, it sits right beside the river and towers 

above all the other trees in an iconic location of this 

area. 

Sunsets can be very epic on the West Coast but on my 

last evening it was raining on and off and I thought about 

not going out to shoot at the pancakes as it seemed like 

no light was going to shine through and that it would be 

a boring dull grey sunset – I’m so glad I went out anyway! 

The sunset was perfect with a gap in the cloud allowing 

enough light to shine through creating some epic light 

rays and a hint of golden sun colours. It was hard to 

believe there were only a few other photographers here 

witnessing this event but I’m glad to have captured this 

and have my personal take on Punakaiki at sunset as 

I love storms and sunsets and I’ve been wanting a sunset 

shot like this for a long time but actually thought it was 

too easy and not my style. As I grow as a photographer 

and a person I learn to appreciate the easy and the not 

so easy locations, everything is unique and different for its 

own different reasons. 

Driving from Punakaiki on the Great Coast Ride you get 

the sense that you’re in a forest driving beside the coast. 

It’s hard to keep your eyes on the road at times because 

the impressive view is always evolving into something 

new, the coastline changing from charming calm bays 

to rugged coastline with large rock outcrops. 

This small area has everything you need to survive and 

everything you want as a photographer. I assure you that 

unique inspiration awaits so pack your bags because this 

place will blow you away, whether it’s raining or not! 

A TIP FOR SEEING THE BLOW HOLES: 

• Photography is about planning so if you want the 

shot you need to plan to get it. To see the Punakaiki 

Pancake rocks blow holes in action the best swells 

you need to look for are at high tide though not 

when there is a south-westerly swell. Saying this, they 

are not always blowing at high tide so luck, patience, 

and perseverance are required! 

ASTRO PHOTOGRAPHY TIPS: 

• Always shoot in raw, the level of detail, especially in 

the shadows, will outweigh anything shot in JPG or 

any other format. 

• To find focus in the pitch black is very hard. Use 

the live view and zoom in (on the screen) onto the 

brightest star, manual focus and twist the focus ring 

until the star is nice and sharp. 

F16, 1/5s, ISO64


Capture the best of this year's Autumn colours with tips by Richard Young 

Autumn offers one of the best times for photography with landscapes that are full of burnt oranges, warm 

yellows, and other beautiful autumn shades. Shooting during the ‘golden hour’ in autumn will add a soft, warm 

glow to colours that are already vibrant and also increases the sense of atmosphere that is conveyed by the 

scene. Mood is often key when photographing in autumn, so don’t be afraid to go out with your camera on 

rainy days. Forests, lakes, and rivers are good options to photograph in overcast conditions. 

Reflections: Bright colours and bold shapes become 

abundant in autumn, reflections can be used to 

enhance these elements. 

Abstracts: Instead of photographing a grand view, 

try capturing a smaller more intimate shot. Make the 

most of the fallen leaves and look for little details, 

taking time to scout the scene trying to find a subject 

that catches your eye. 

Autumn Colours at Lake Wanaka 

Trees: Look for a single tree in a wide sweeping 

landscape, this can create a dramatic shot. Also, try 

shooting under the forest canopy looking up at the 

foliage or using natural features to frame your subject. 

Use a Circular Polariser: This filter is your best friend 

in autumn whether you’re in the forest or capturing 

an open scenic view. On rainy or overcast days a 

polariser will remove unwanted glare from wet shiny 

leaves. 

VISIT SOME OF THE SOUTH ISLAND BEST AUTUMN LANDSCAPE LOCATIONS ON A 7-DAY SOUTH ISLAND 

PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR IN APRIL WITH NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS

Improving Your Photography 

Photo Review Session 

by Excio 

F9, 1/800s, ISO400 

REVIEW BY: 

Almin Vranac 

THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY BY DEJAN KIJEVCANIN 

THE MAIN STREET IN THE OLD TOWN IN BELGRADE, SERBIA 

INITIAL THOUGHTS AND PLUS POINTS 

The first thing I like about this photo is that it's done 

in black and white which enhances the edges of 

the buildings and the patterns. Shooting street and 

architecture photography in black and white is a 

really common and well received technique in the 

photography world. 

The second thing which I also love is the lighting in 

this picture. To be precise, the great thing about it is 

how the centre of the scene is lit by natural sunlight, 

making it a bit overexposed (but not too much) 

while the sides of the photo are in the shadows and 

a bit darker. This gives you the feel like you're really 

there, giving the viewer a better experience, which is 

something that we should strive for with every photo. 


POSSIBLE 

IMPROVEMENTS 

The first thing that catches 

my eye right away about 

this photo is the mistake of 

not using the rule of thirds 

properly or not using it at 

all. Let's take a look at the 

photo explanation: 

We should always aim to 

put our objects on vertical 

lines or on the meeting 

points where vertical and 

horizontal lines meet (this is 

for smaller objects). For this 

particular photo, we should 

be putting the ends of the 

side by side buildings on 

each of the vertical lines 

to make it more visually 

pleasing. 

Another pretty significant thing 

to improve in this photo is the 

asymmetry. 

As we can see from the photo 

explanation, we should base 

our symmetry around the 

imagined line that is set in the 

middle of the gap between 

the two parallel buildings. 

What does that mean? It 

means that this line should 

go through the center of 

our scene, slicing it into two 

identical halves. We should 

always tend to recreate what 

is on the left side of the line on 

the right side too. Of course, 

this is only applicable if the 

scene is set up to allow us to 

do that but this photo with the 

two parallel buildings of similar 

sizes is the perfect occasion. 


11

In this photo there are two main 

ways we can achieve this: 

1. For the first option, the best one, 

we should adjust the scene setup 

before we take the shot. What 

do I mean? Well, in this case, that 

means that we should move a few 

steps to the left so the centre of the 

gap between the two buildings is 

right in the middle of our scene. 

Since this way of achieving a 

symmetrical scene isn't always 

an available option (for various 

reasons), there's an alternative. 

2. Cropping. When the photo is 

already taken and we don't have 

another one that is shot better, the 

only way to achieve symetry is to 

crop the photo according to our 

reference line. That means that 

we should crop the photo until our 

imaginary symmetrical line gets to 

the middle of our newly cropped 

photo. See the photo explanation 

on the right. 

As we can see, the cropped photo below looks a lot more professional 

and more visually appealing. 

Ready to take your photography to the next level? Get friendly yet informative tips and advice when you join Excio.

A new generation community 

for passionate photographers and image lovers 

Proven to increase awareness of your photography, 

improve your skills and give you 

the confidence to succeed. 

LEARN MORE 

www.excio.io

FRESH SHOOTS: SPRING PEOPLE'S C 

Vandy Pollard 


HOICE AWARD WINNER: 

POPPIES 

F2.8, 1/1000s, 70mm 

‘Beauty after the storm’ 


15

INTERVIEW WITH VANDY POLLARD 

HI VANDY, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF... 

I live in Wellington on the South Coast, Lyall Bay and 

have always been a keen amateur photographer. 

I completed a Bachelor of fine arts (BFA) and majored in 

Graphic Design/Photography back in 1985 at Canterbury 

University Art School where I was using an Olympus OM2n 

which was a single lens reflex film system camera. 

I have become more serious about my photography 

in the last couple of years since purchasing my first 

DSLR, a 80D Canon. 

I have a post-graduate diploma in Secondary 

teaching but work as a regional manager covering 

Central North Island for the National Advocacy Trust/ 

Health and Disability Consumer Advocacy Service 

which is a service provided under the Health and 

Disability Commissioner Act 1994. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS A 

PHOTOGRAPHER? 

I consider myself a serious amateur photographer and 

in my spare time photograph most days. 

I’m a keen gardener but despite my winning shot for 

the people’s choice awards, flowers/plants are not my 

usual subject matter. 

My main inspiration comes from nature as I live on the 

South Coast of Wellington, love walking and enjoy 

varied landscape and birdlife on the coast. I also 

frequently visit Zealandia Ecosanctuary in Wellington 

to photograph the wildlife/birds. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR POPPIES SHOT... 

I had purchased an EF 70-200mm f 2.8L IS II lens and 

was keen to try it out with my 80D. 

I entered this particular photograph of the last of the 

poppies with just a few petals precariously hanging onto a 

hint of summer colour as the change of seasons intrigued 

me. I found such beauty in the spent blooms in sharp 

contrast to the richness of the trees in the background. 

I chose to use a shallow depth of field to focus on the 

poppies in the foreground and to achieve a soft focus 

for the background trees. My composition is almost as 

shot in camera with only minor cropping/editing. 

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT 

YOU HAD WON THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE? 

I was incredibly excited as I haven’t entered many 

competitions before and I had actually forgotten I 

had entered this photograph! Winning the people’s 

choice was special as people liked the photo I had 

entered. 

HOW DID YOU FIND OUT ABOUT THE 

COMPETITION AND WHAT MOTIVATED YOU 

TO ENTER? 

I attended a Wellington Photography meet up 

group hosted by yourselves at the Wellington 

Botanic Gardens in October last year as I 

wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone of 

photographing wildlife and landscape, but had 

also learned of the Fresh Shoots photography 

competition through the Wellington Photographic 

Society. I entered a few photographs from this 

meetup walk and another workshop run by the 

Wellington Photographic Society at the Botanic 

Gardens that month. 

HAS WINNING THE PEOPLES CHOICE 

INSPIRED YOU TO TAKE YOUR 

PHOTOGRAPHY FURTHER? 

Winning has definitely inspired me to take a few 

more risks with my photography, to not become 

complacent with my usual subject matter, and to 

explore other places with my camera. 

Since submitting my photo to the competition I 

have completed a few workshops. One with wildlife 

photographer Chris Helliwell on a trip to Zealandia 

and most recently a one day long exposure 

workshop hosted by Richard Young. 

Learning new techniques and photographing/ 

learning from others has helped me grow as a 

photographer and I am keen to find an opportunity 

to enter more competitions and share my 

photographs. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO OTHER 

PHOTOGRAPHERS? 

Don’t be afraid to get out of your comfort zone. 

Find other people who also enjoy photography and 

who share your passion - join a local photography 

group or society, find local meetups, don’t be 

afraid to ask for help, exchange ideas, share your 

photos, explore, and experiment. Be brave, push 

your own boundaries, and continue to challenge 

yourself and grow. 

www.instagram.com/coastal_wanderer_nz 

The Fresh Shoots Autumn season competition is now open - Submit your photos from Wellington 

Botanical Gardens and it could be your photo featured here in a future issue!

FRESH SHOOTS 

PHOTO COMPETITION 

We’re inviting photographers to highlight all the wonderful things that make the Wellington 

Botanic Garden much more than a garden, while encouraging photographers to focus on 

the garden season by season. 

For prizes and full Terms & Conditions see: www.excio.io/freshshoots 

The competition is split into quarterly competitions based on each of the seasons: 

Summer Autumn Winter 

15 December - 

22 March 2019 

23 March - 

21 June 2019 

22 June - 

20 September 2019 

CATEGORIES 

NATURE 

PEOPLE & 

EVENTS 

CREATIVE 

PARTNERS 


17

Interview with 

Emre Simtay 

EMRE, PLEASE TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU… 

I was born in Germany, but returned to my parents’ native 

Turkey in my late childhood and studied there. I came out 

to New Zealand in 2005 and attended Victoria University in 

Wellington to study Computer Science and upon graduation, 

began a career as a software developer. 

WHEN AND HOW DID YOU START LEARNING 

PHOTOGRAPHY? 

I developed an interest in photography with my wife’s 

encouragement about seven years ago. I taught myself all about 

taking photos and since then I have been constantly taking 

photos and documenting what’s happening around me. 

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OF 

PHOTOGRAPHY? 

I don’t think I ever really focused on one particular style or 

category. I just enjoy taking what attracts my eye and adjust to 

the current environment. As I am mostly out shooting in the 

city, I usually do street, documentary style, urban and portrait 

photography. Extraordinary things never fail to catch my eye. 

I constantly observe my surroundings and anything that tells a 

story about society or the world around me will get captured on 

my camera. 

WHAT CAMERAS DO YOU HAVE? 

Currently, I have a full frame Sony A7ii with Zeiss 35mm F2.8 

and Canon FD f1.2 lens. The camera I always carry with me is 

an APS-C Fujifilm XF‐10. It has f.28 18mm fixed prime lens with 

APS-C crop sensor and the snapshot feature, very small and very 

light compact camera with all the features I can find on a DSLR. 

I also have film cameras, a medium format Yashica 635 and a 

35mm Canon AE‐1 with 50mm f1.8 prime lens but I don’t do film 

photography very often as I am not a patient person and usually 

do it only on weekends when I have the time to fiddle around! 

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU TO PICK UP YOUR 

CAMERA, ESPECIALLY WHEN ‘LIFE’ TAKES 

OVER… 

The thought of looking through my photos in the future and 

seeing how life around us has evolved motivates me. It makes 

me go out to do photography and makes me feel like I should be 

shooting even more. 

TELL US ABOUT THE COVER PHOTO. 

This was taken whilst we were showing our Wellingtonian 

friends around Istanbul. We went to the Hagia Sophia museum 

and there was a tourist lady posing for her friend. I liked how 

the light was highlighting her dance with the sunlight so took a 

photo! 

WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU’RE ALWAYS 

LEARNING AND PUSHING YOURSELF TO 

CAPTURE BETTER IMAGES? HOW DO YOU DO 

THAT? 

I guess so! Yes, I try to push myself to capture better images. 

I sometimes take a short break from photography and go 

through all my photos and re-evaluate them. I always ask myself 

what makes a good photo and the answer to this question has 

changed many times since I started shooting. 

When I first started photography, I mostly focused on using 

negative spaces correctly, having the right exposure and making 

one nicely composed beautiful photo then I realised I needed 

to study my subject better and try different perspectives and 

I believe this improved my photography a lot. 

Once I started feeling confident, I decided I needed to shoot 

more often so I did photography walks every day for couple 

years and focused on just taking photos – I mean without much 

thinking, whatever I found interesting I took a photo of. I would 

then go through all my photos to analyse them and think about 

how I could improve them and what I would do differently next 

time. 

WE DID A BEHIND THE SHOT FEATURE WITH YOU 

IN ISSUE 6 (APRIL 2018), HOW WOULD YOU 

SAY YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY HAS CHANGED/ 

IMPROVED SINCE THEN? 

My photography has changed a little. I carry more lightweight 

cameras and focus less on the aesthetic and more on the story 

aspect of photography, trying to produce more meaningful 

photos. 

18 NZPhotographer


19

I prefer my photos tell a story and leave people imagining what is 

going on behind the scene however, I still photograph beautiful 

looking landscapes and whatever takes my attention but my goal 

is to make a photo that tells a story. 

YOU’VE RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO 

TURKEY, HOW DID STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IN 

TURKEY DIFFER FROM STREET PHOTOGRAPHY IN 

NEW ZEALAND? 

Taking photos in Turkey is much easier than New Zealand. You 

can be way more productive because cities like Istanbul are 

much more dynamic than here, there is a lot happening. In 

Turkey, people don’t seem to care when their picture is taken. 

I would say it’s like a heaven for photographers! 

I find street photography is more comfortable for myself and 

others around me when my camera is always ready in my 

hand in a semi-pointing position. This way I don’t get so much 

attention when I take the shot because I am already in position. 

I have had situations where people didn’t want their photo taken 

(you can tell from their body language) and in that case, I point 

my camera somewhere else and don’t take the photo. Also 

sometimes people tend to shield their faces when they don’t feel 

comfortable. However, if I’m not sure, I always take the risk of 

taking the photo when I think it’s worth it instead of regretting 

not taking it later. 

WHAT WAS YOUR OVERALL FAVOURITE PHOTO 

FROM TURKEY? 

I have two favourites – First the one with a boy selling 

bottles of water on the street. I like the colours with 

blue dominating and the frame with the body of 

another water seller. I also like the photo of a random 

guy having dinner on the street with his friends, but 

his friend was too shy on this occasion and did not 

want to be in the photo – probably the only time this 

happened while we were there. 



21

TELL US ABOUT YOUR ‘WORKING PORTRAITS’ – 

WHY DO YOU ENJOY CAPTURING THESE? 

I notice people who are focused on their work, so focused that 

they’re isolated from the outer world and will immortalise 

this moment with my camera. I like it when I can make natural 

looking, candid photos that capture peoples emotions and this is 

much easier done when people are working, lost in the moment, 

not knowing that they’re being observed. I think my Working 

Portraits are important because one day the job might disappear 

so I like to document this just in case for future audiences. 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING 

CURVE IN TERMS OF PHOTOGRAPHY? 

I think being ready and acting fast while I’m out. Adjusting to the 

changing light (having the correct shutter and aperture settings 

to avoid blurry shots), getting a good composition, predicting 

your subject’s next move, focusing on the right spot, trying not 

to attract attention and figuring out when to press the shutter 

and doing all this in less than 3 seconds – otherwise you probably 

missed the opportunity! 

WHEN DO YOU THINK PEOPLE CAN MOVE 

FROM PRACTICING PHOTOGRAPHY TO 

HELPING OTHERS/TEACHING? 

I think when you shoot regularly and start feeling comfortable 

with your camera even when it’s on manual mode, I guess you 

can help/teach beginners how to do compositions and set up a 

camera correctly for likely situations. However, I believe that to 

become a good photographer is a very hard thing to teach, you 

need to shoot regularly and experiment with different things on 

your own and not limit yourself in any way. 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

www.instagram.com/wellington.nz/ 

www.instagram.com/perspektif.nz/ 

albums.excio.io/profile/Emre%20Simtay 



25

Planning and Capturing a Photo Story 

In what is now known as the Golden Age of 

Photography – loosely the 1930s‐1950s, the picture 

story was king. The best photographers, such as Henri 

Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene Smith, and Margaret Bourke- 

White were household names (try thinking of a current 

photographer who’s a household name!) and magazines 

such as Vu (France), Life (USA) and Picture Post (UK) were 

people’s main source for images of world events. That 

was until television came along and ruined it! 

These magazines all had specialised picture editors, 

whose craft was to edit (select, size, crop) the photos 

into picture stories. Examples of famous picture stories 

are W. E. Smith’s ‘Minamata’ and ‘Spanish Village’, 

and our own Brian Brake’s ‘Monsoon’. 

Once colour photography took over, picture editors 

would place the photographer’s developed slides 

(transparencies) on a light box and examine them in 

detail using a loupe magnifier before selecting which 

photos to print. As you can imagine, photographers and 

picture editors often argued over the published story. 

“How dare you crop that photo, the composition was 

perfect in camera!” Or “You left out my best shot!” 

Nowadays, we photographers can do our own postproduction 

work so no clash of egos need occur! 

If you’re a photographer who is always working towards 

capturing that one perfect shot, consider putting that 

approach aside and try using your camera to describe 

an event or location using a number of images. Initially, 

six photos is a good number to aim for. 

TV programmes and movies are put together using a 

variety of shots: 

• Long Shot, or Wide Shot: the overall location and 

people (establishing shot). 

• Full Shot: a person head to foot, and surrounds. 

Mid Shot: a person from the waist up. 

Close Up: head and maybe shoulders. 

Extreme Close Up: just the eyes, or some other 

small detail. 

By James Gilberd 

We can use the above list as a starting point to 

make our own photo story more interesting. Shoot 

in both portrait (upright) and landscape (horizontal) 

frames and include compositional techniques such 

as high viewpoint (looking down), low angle, wide 

and telephoto shots as well as including foreground 

elements to frame your subject. 

Before you cover an event (such as Wellington’s 

CubaDupa festival), write yourself a shot list by 

imagining some of the photos you might aim to get. 

Try to make this as varied as you can. Having a shot list 

is a professional tip to help cover-off the assignment 

with varied and interesting images. 

Once you have your photos, you can select the 

ones for final consideration digitally. Try this: use your 

software to edit down to your 20 or so photos and 

print them out, postcard size (10x15cm). This is cheap 

as chips. Then lay them out on a clear table and 

start moving them around, putting this one next to 

that, and you will see that some photos ‘talk to each 

other’ while others don’t. Gradually pare it down to six 

photos that tell your story. 

There should be variety in your final six; an establishing 

shot, a strong close up, and other things between. 

Remember: 

• No photo should do the same job as another. 

• Find graphic and formal relationships between 

shots. 

• It helps if there’s some visual harmony between 

them all. 

• Be prepared to exclude your best shot if it doesn’t 

fit the series! 

By planning to work in series, editing down from a 

wide selection of photos to a coherent set of images 

that conveys a strong sense of the event or location, 

you will quickly develop your photographic eye, your 

editing skills, and learn to pre-visualise images as well 

as being alert and in the moment to capture that 

‘must have’ image when it presents itself. 

Get your final selection together, tweak the files a 

bit and go make a decent sized print of each (A4 or 

larger). You’ll have a small portfolio of photos that 

work together to tell a story that reaches far beyond 

what a single image can tell. 

Remember that the best photographers are the 

ones who have learned to recognise what they’ve 

shot and to know how to select and present their 

photographs in their own way. This is an important 

aspect to achieving a personal photographic style.


27

Behind the Shot with Mary Hutchinson 

MARY, TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO! 

I was fortunate enough to retire a few years ago which has 

given me more energy for photography which I got back 

into around 2012. 

I started off trying to do macro nature photography 

but wasn’t good at it! However, as a result of gaining 

knowledge and confidence from Wellington High 

community classes and my local camera club, (Wellington 

Photographic Society), I read all I could about famous 

art photographers and tried my hand at capturing street 

scenes. I found I liked the contrasty historic ‘look’ when 

converting them to B&W. 

I’m motivated by an interest in the never ending variety 

of human behaviours and features, especially faces; also 

clothing, quirky juxtapositions, and humorous things that 

‘happen’ in everyday life in the street. I attempt to show 

the common humanity we all share by making images of 

members of my local community, some of whom are very 

different to me. 

I have a Nikon D610 with a 50mm prime and a 60mm 

macro lens. I also occasionally use my phone to take 

photos. I shoot in RAW and in manual mode though use 

autofocus.

F8, 1/320s, ISO400 

the left. I was struck by the front row, middle row, back row 

positioning of the three lots of contrasting people, perhaps 

reflecting their apparent ‘success’ in society? 

At the time, I noticed the central seated man’s cool gear, 

with labels & wording, but I only saw the interesting detail 

of these, and the bonus of ‘Truly Madly DEEPLY’ on the left 

hand shoppers bag later. Can retail consumerist activity 

really facilitate love-like experiences? 

I like the middle (horizontal) band of hands doing different 

things, and the inverted ‘V’s’ formed by the shoppers legs & 

their bag handles; triangles being a favourite shape for me. 

It was luck that two people were drinking from cups at the 

same moment; here I enjoy the (non-inverted) ‘Vs’ made 

by their arms, which provides balance across the image as 

well as lying across a diagonal, adding to dynamism in the 

scene. 

As I am familiar with this stretch of street, the line of trees 

(background upper left) probably registered unconsciously 

as a pleasing lighter leading line, together with the 

receding overhead shop signs, to take the viewers eye from 

the front to the back of the image, which adds interest to 

the story told in this snapshot. 

THERE ARE RARELY ANY SECOND CHANCES IN 

STREET PHOTOGRAPHY, HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH 

NOT MISSING THE MOMENT? 

I take a lot of images if its a moving or evolving scene and 

then delete & crop! Also, if seeking consent to potentially 

use the images with recognisable people, I talk to the 

subjects AFTER taking the shots, and also offer to send or 

post them small copies to keep. 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING CURVE 

IN PHOTOGRAPHY? 

Two things come to mind; I’m slowly learning to ask for 

consent to use images at the time of making them – saves 

a lot of walking the streets searching later!! (Though of 

course, it is legal to photograph in public without asking 

for consent). And secondly, working out dimensions for 

hanging an exhibition, or a pasting layout, as in the project 

mentioned below, continue to tax my non-mathematical 

neurons! 

TELL US ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR STREET SCENE… 

WHAT CAUGHT YOUR EYE AND MADE YOU TAKE 

THE SHOT? 

I took this photo in a busy part of Wellington – Te- 

Whanganui-a-tara’s CBD (Willis St.) where there is a bus 

stop, seating, and often interesting light though at this time 

of day, 1:40pm this is less of a feature. 

I liked the ‘thirds’ arrangement of people across the image 

and was particularly interested in the man sitting on the 

footpath behind the seat, and his contrast in position, dress 

style, and posture in comparison to the seated man in 

cool attire and the chatting shoppers with their bags on 

WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON RECENTLY? 

I have recently completed a temporary public ‘pasteup’ 

installation of cut out life-sized people onto a shipping 

container, in Newtown, Wgtn., called ‘…a footpath near 

you.. ara hīkoi pātata..’ 

I am interested to do more large scale public art but first, 

want to complete a colour photo book about my own 

suburb; Mt Cook – Pukeahu. 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

www.maryhutchinson.co

Mind Games: Hiding Behind The Lens 

Overcoming the fear of looking ‘strange’ when photographing people in the street. 

One of the genres that involve photographing 

people “impromptu” is street photography 

which is closely related to photojournalism. 

In the blink of an eye, a scene may unfold right in front 

of you that you want to capture and that scene will 

very likely involve having people in the frame. Street 

or documentary shots may happen anywhere – on or 

off the street, but the good ones have a story to tell, 

30 NZPhotographer 

by Ana Lyubich 

show emotion and authenticity, evoke empathy and 

provoke people to pause and think. 

Most blogs and articles discussing how to overcome 

a fear of photographing strangers suggest you start 

talking to people on the streets if you want to take a 

photo of them. In pure street photography however, 

you rarely have a chance to approach people as you

TALK 

Unless you feel that you are likely to be punched in 

the face in the next few seconds, stay where you 

are and acknowledge you took a photo of them. 

There is nothing wrong with it. The person you just 

photographed may simply be curious about what you 

are doing, why you chose them, and where the photo 

might end up, even where they can access it later as 

if they see and like the photo they might want to share 

it with friends and family. You never know, you might 

have just captured a perfect moment in their life that 

they would be thrilled to get a copy of. So tell them 

your story, why you like street photography, where you 

come from, and perhaps even hand them a business 

card or share your social media name with them. In 

most cases, what could have been a sticky situation 

will end up well and in the best case scenario, it will 

also help you spread the word about what you are 

doing and hopefully get lifetime appreciators of your 

talent! 

BEWARE OF KIDS 

While kids are the most genuine models you can find 

(often until they become aware of your presence), 

you should never cross the line there. Their parents or 

guardians are likely to approach you if they notice 

you photographing them to ask to remove the photo 

you just took of their child. There may be many 

reasons for that and there are many cases where a 

random photo of a child at a public place was shared 

on SM that then triggered the attention of custodians, 

courts and so on so tread with extreme caution where 

minors are involved, photography is not about ruining 

your own or other people’s lives. 

are “all in” that perfect moment of clicking the shutter 

button. 

Turning the tables, it’s easy to appreciate why a 

person who is minding their own business as they walk 

or drive down the street could feel stressed when they 

see a person with a camera photographing them – All 

sorts of thoughts will pass through their mind; “Why are 

they photographing me?”, “Is there something wrong 

with me?”, “I’m not in my best shape/clothes/mood 

today”, “What’s going on?!”. So what do you do and 

how do you behave if you are approached by the 

subject of your photo? 

BE POLITE & TAKE RESPONSIBILITY 

Always be polite and responsible. It is worth 

remembering that in such cases you as a 

photographer represent the whole photography 

community and should something go wrong 

and the upset subjects of your photographs take 

it to social media or it leaks into the news, the 

photography community as a whole is affected. “The 

photographers these days have no respect…”, “These 

photo snappers need to be stopped” are phrases 

we need to nip in the bud. If you are asked to delete 

the photo – it is always better to do so, no questions 

asked. 

Here in NZ, you are legally allowed to take 

photographs of people in public places where no 

privacy is expected but always check the rules of 

other countries and states if you are going overseas. 

For general guidelines take a read of 

https://nzlaw.co.nz/news/how-private-is-privatewhen-taking-photos-in-a-public-place. 


31

PORTFOLIO 

BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH

LIGHTHOUSE 

ISO100, 116mm 

MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA 

A rainbow competing with the bright 

colors of a decorative lighthouse at 

Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. 

Andy Popadiuk 


33

FASHION ON THE BEACH 

F2.8, 1/640s, ISO200 

KAREKARE BEACH, AUCKLAND 

Photographer / Retoucher: 

Anupama S. Wijesundara 

Model / Makeup Artist : Danisha 

Anupama 

34 NZPhotographer 

S. Wijesundara


35


CAMBRIDGE CHERRY BLOSSOM 

F4.5 

CAMBRIDGE AVANTIDROME 

Stunning Spring Cherry Blossoms. 

Ben Langton Burnell 

April 2019 37


SPIDER 

F7.1, 1/250s, ISO200 

During a visit to Owharoa Falls, I decided to get out my macro lens 

and take a closer look at the Monbretia growing wild. I spotted this 

spider against the bright orange of the flowers. 

Carole Garside 


39


JEKYLL ISLAND 

F8,1/2s, ISO64 

JEKYLL ISLAND, GEORGIA, USA 

Dawn at Jekyll Island. This kind of light is magical and makes the 

Island seem magical too. 

Chick Piper 


41


EMPEROR PENGUIN MOULTING 

F8,1/2s, ISO64 

SCOTT BASE, ANTARCTICA 

An Emperor Penguin in full moult outside Scott Base. 

Dan Poulton 


43


MATAURI BAY 

F11, 1/160s, IS0100 

NORTHLAND 

We spent a couple of nights at Matauri Bay in our motorhome and 

loved this view taken from a high point on the road from Whangaroa. 

Diane Beguely 


45

ABSTRACT 

F16. 1/200s, ISO200 

TAUPO 

A stunning colourful 

abstract against a clear blue sky. 

Gary Reid 


FEA OF THE SLEEPING NATURE 

Photographer & Retoucher: Tanya Mishchuk 

Model: RuiJie Tang 

Makeup Artist & Hair Stylist: Sabrina Begum 

Costume Designer: Marz Court / The Baroness Creates 

Tanya Mishchuk 


47


CHEETAH LAZING AROUND 

F6.3, 1/320s, IS0400 

TAUPO 

This photo was taken on a recent trip to Nambiti Game 

Reserve in South Africa. 

Jessi-Lee Long 


49


THE BEAUTIFUL PEST 

F2.8, 1/2000s, IS0200, 400mm 

ROTOTAWAI, FEATHERSTON. 

Numbers make the Rabbit a National Pest, 

but their beauty is undeniable. 

Greg Arnold 


51


FAMILY 

F8, 1/180s, ISO200 

KAREKARE BEACH, AUCKLAND. 

I went for a photo shoot of a young girl and her whole family came to 

support her. I got this candid shot while they were going to the beach. 

Harendra Bahadur 


53


THE RIGHT ANGLE 

F7, 1/40s, 132mm 

As my friends pose and take pictures, the 

camera man keeps saying he can't get a good 

angle. Little did he know that it was just the right 

angle for me!. 

Gwyndolyn Domino 


55


A BLUE AND YELLOW 

MORNING IN THE MOUNT 

F5.6, 1/100s, ISO200 

MOUNT MAUNGANUI 

An early morning walk was well worth it when I 

was greeted with colours like this. 

Jo Mohi 


57


THE GATHERER 

F5, 1/1000s, IS0800 

WAIKANAE, KAPITI COAST 

One of the many tireless worker bees visiting the 

pohutukawa tree this summer. 

Kelly Pettitt 


59


MILKYWAY 

8s, ISO3200 

MOERAKI CAMPING GROUND 

This photo was taken 2 weeks back at 

Moeraki on the way to Christchurch. 

Nihad Mahamood 


61


MY EDEN 

F7.1, 1/56s, ISO 200 

MT EDEN SUMMIT 

This iconic volcanic cone was my home for 

many years. The views from the summit are some 

of the best in Auckland. 

Olga Macagon 


63

NO SWIMMING TODAY 

F18, ISO100, 23mm 

MURRAYS BAY JETTY, AUCKLAND 

An 8 minute long exposure taken at the end of Murrays Bay Jetty on 

Auckland's North shore with a 10 stop filter. 

Wayne Boardman 



65

"PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT 

FINDING OUT WHAT CAN 

HAPPEN IN THE FRAME. 

WHEN YOU PUT FOUR 

EDGES AROUND SOME 

FACTS, YOU CHANGE 

THOSE FACTS." 

GARRY WINOGRAND

NZPhotographer Issue 18, April 2019

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