NZPhotographer Issue 22, August 2019

Brought to you by 

ISSUE 22, August 2019 

INTERVIEW WITH 

RICHARD BROOKER 

MIND GAMES: THE ART 

OF BLACK AND WHITE 

IMAGINE AUCKLAND 

COMPETITION WINNERS 

MINIMAL LANDSCAPES 

BY RICHARD YOUNG 

August 2019 

1

WELCOME TO ISSUE 22 OF 

NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE 

HELLO EVERYONE, 

I can't resist putting a spin on an 

old joke and asking you 'what's 

black, white, and read all over?' 

Issue 22 of NZ Photographer of 

course; our monochrome focused 

issue! 

Start to see our colourful world in 

a different way as you peruse the 

following pages, and get inspired 

to go out and capture your own 

black and white masterpieces. 

Articles from Ana and, guest 

author, Peter Kurdulija serve up 

a double dose of thought and 

inspiration as to why you should 

shoot in monochrome whilst 

Richard Young's article shows 

us that we don't have to turn to 

black and white to make a photo 

minimalistic. 

If the Winter Blues have got you 

down and you're in need of 

new photo location inspiration, see if our Behind The Shot feature with Jason 

Blair tempts you out into the snow. No? How about taking to the railway as 

Brendon has been doing? Alternatively, our interview with Richard Brooker 

might be the inspiration you need whether you find yourself wanting to go find 

and photograph abandoned buildings or realise that a complete change of 

genre is what you need to shake up your photography for the better. 

As well as announcing the winners of the Imagine Auckland competition, 

we're pleased to bring you the first in a new series to promote 

#WomenInPhotography – Each month we'll be getting to know one of Lesley 

Whyte's female photographers as we discover how her photography journey 

started and where she hopes it will lead. 

Emily Goodwin 

Editor NZ Photographer 

General Info: 

NZPhotographer Issue 22 


Cover Photo 

"Ruapehu" 

by Richard Brooker 

Publisher: 

Excio Group 

Website: 

www.excio.io/nzphotographer 

Group Director: 

Ana Lyubich 

Editor: 

Emily Goodwin 

Graphic Design: 

Maksim Topyrkin 

Advertising Enquiries: 

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 

6 

HOW MONOCHROME CAN 

CONVEY YOUR DISTINCT 

PERCEPTION OF THE WORLD 

BY PETER KURDULIJA 

BEHIND THE SHOT 

WITH JASON BLAIR 

6 

10 

14 

24 

39 

BEHIND THE SHOT 

with Jason Blair 

CHUGGING ALONG THE RAILWAY 

by Brendon Gilchrist 

INTERVIEW WITH RICHARD BROOKER 

HOW MONOCHROME CAN CONVEY YOUR DISTINCT 

PERCEPTION OF THE WORLD 

By Peter Kurdulija 

IMAGINE AUCKLAND COMPETITION 

WINNERS AND BEST ENTRIES 

54 #WOMENINPHOTOGRAPHY 

GETTING TO KNOW RAEWYN SMITH 

62 

66 

IMPROVING YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY 

PHOTO REVIEW SESSION 

MINIMAL LANDSCAPES 

by Richard Young 

24 

INTERVIEW 

WITH RICHARD BROOKER 

70 BEST READERS SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH 14 

#WOMENINPHOTOGRAPHY 

GETTING TO KNOW RAEWYN SMITH 

54

Deliver 

a larger 

impact. 

BONUS 

Epson Signature 

Worthy Sample 

Pack** 

EPSON PHOTO RANGE – FOR PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO WANT MORE 

· Unparalleled print quality: Print at resolutions up to 

5760x1440 dpi using advanced Epson all-pigment ink 

· Outstanding productivity: Print at high speed with 

cost-effective high-capacity ink cartridges up to 200 ml 

· Exceptional media support: Print on the widest range of 

fine art media including roll based stocks, and thick board* 

· Superior control: Print with maximum precision via an advanced 

driver, special Black & White Mode, and an optional SpectroProofer* 

· Simpler operation: Epson Print Layout Software for rapid production 

of a vwide range of outputs for various display requirements 

· Lower maintenance: Stable permanent print heads covered by a 

comprehensive warranty with optional on-site service extendable up to 5 years 

SC-P600 A3+ 

SC-P5070 A2+ 

SC-P800 A2+ 

Learn more, visit www.epson.co.nz 

*SureColor P5070 only 

**Valid with purchase of SC-P600, SC-P800 from Epson or selected resellers.

Behind The Shot 

with Jason Blair 

HOW DID YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY JOURNEY 

START? 

I had a keen interest in photography from a young 

age. After finding the academic environment of 

university wasn’t a good fit for me, I decided to 

turn my interest in photography into a possible 

career option and enrolled in a Diploma Course in 

Photography at UCOL. 

Fast forward and I started my company Katabatic 

Creative, initially as a way for me to formalise my 

side-hustle while I worked a variety of other jobs. 

Subsequently the business has grown to incorporate 

my commercial and editorial photography business as 

well as a graphic design and print studio in Hokitika on 

the West Coast. 


Creating a company was the easiest way for me to 

compartmentalise and separate business activities 

and expenses from personal, which suits the way my 

brain works. I’m glad I did it early on as it forced me 

to be more serious about the endeavour and I think it 

would have been challenging to untangle and set up 

further down the track. 

BEHIND THE SHOT IS PROUDLY 

SUPPORTED BY 


7

WHAT'S YOUR BIGGEST PHOTOGRAPHY 

ACHIEVEMENT? 

It’s hard to isolate a single achievement, but 

awards wise, I’m very proud of taking home a 

Gold in the Commercial category at the NZIPP Iris 

Awards in 2013, and subsequently becoming a 

Fellow of the Institute (now known as a Master with 

two bars). 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR POWDER HOUNDS SHOT… 

I photographed this during an introduction to ski 

touring course run by the West Coast Alpine Club. 

I was volunteering to help the instructor, and also 

photographing for the club’s usage and my own 

interest/portfolio. This combination of being active in 

the outdoors, volunteering, and photographing is a 

significant thread of my photography outside of my 

commercial work. 

I enjoy photographing the activities that I love to 

participate in, and it’s nice to work without the 

pressure and constraint of a commercial brief 

(although I do really enjoy that also). 

This shot came about while the course participants 

were having some “free experimentation” time to get 

accustomed to their equipment in a small bowl below 

Cheeseman Skifield. 

The subject is Troy, who was actually another 

volunteer helping out. I spotted him lower down the 

hill with Max and Kingston, his dogs, and noticed 

that I was close to the edge of the shadow being 

cast by the ridge. I moved over to the boundary 

of the shadow to place the sun close to the rim of 

the ridge and asked Troy to ascend so that he’d 

end up between me and the sun. I exposed for 

the sky, focused on the ridge top, and captured 

a series of frames as he approached and passed 

the sun, hoping for a dynamic and strong silhouette 

composition. 

As it happened, the position of the dogs was the 

deciding factor in which frame was the most 

appealing, so I selected this one rather than one 

where he was directly in front of the sun which I’d 

imagined would work best. 

DID YOU PLAN TO SHOOT THIS IN B&W OR 

WAS IT CONVERTED LATER FROM COLOUR? 

Silhouettes always lend themselves to B&W 

conversion, and I tend to operate with my camera 

monitor displaying monochrome all the time as I find it 

helps me focus on composition more so this shot was 

always likely to end up a black and white image. 

That said, it was really when I tried it with a few 

different conversions and saw the interesting cloud 

really pop with a “red filter” profile that I was really sure 

that this was the best way to present the photograph. 

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT THIS SHOT, IS THERE 

ANYTHING YOU WOULD CHANGE? 

I really enjoy a simple, graphic photograph and this 

one is particularly satisfying because I pre-visualised 

something and was able to construct something very 

close to, and perhaps even better than, what I had in 

my head. 

As I said above, I think the position of the dogs is a key 

element here so if I could improve one thing it would 

be having the second dog separated from Troy’s 

outline and in a more dynamic pose like the first dog 

is, and perhaps both dogs right on the horizon of the 

ridge so that their legs are visible. 

ANY TIPS FOR OUR READERS ON MAKING 

PHOTOGRAPHY A CAREER? 

Photography is a wonderful art and can make a very 

rewarding career, but it isn’t an easy way to make a 

living, especially starting out. I would say value your 

work, persevere, and seek mentorship. 

Black and white image making is wonderful and 

rewarding, but it almost certainly won’t pay the bills! 

But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. Shoot with 

your camera displaying black and white previews 

and it will improve your overall photography, as well 

as your black and white images, of course. 

HOW DID YOU DISCOVER EXCIO? 

I won an Excio subscription through the Federated 

Mountain Clubs photography competition, I think it 

was actually with this image! To be honest though, I’m 

still working out exactly what Excio is and how to drive 

the platform but I find the concept quite interesting 

and look forward to learning and experimenting 

more. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? 

I’m currently developing a new personal project 

involving photography and video, outdoor recreation, 

and mental health. I’m seeking funding to get it off 

the ground at present and assembling a team to help 

produce it. So hopefully I’ll be very busy with that in 

the near future! 

WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? 

www.instagram.com/jaseblair 

www.facebook.com/KatabaticCreative 

www.katabatic.co.nz 

albums.excio.io/profile/Jase

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 last season of the competition is now open: 

Winter 

22 June - 20 September 2019 

CATEGORIES 

NATURE 

PEOPLE & 

EVENTS 

CREATIVE 

PARTNERS 


9

Chugging Along The Railway 

by Brendon Gilchrist 

F5, 1/500s, ISO160, 80mm 



11

F5.6, 1/1000s ISO64, 24mm 

If you are a train fanatic, this journey will be one 

you want to put on your list. Through the mountains 

from Christchurch to Greymouth, or vice versa, this 

is a trip that will take you through so many different 

landscapes that you’ll be wondering why you didn’t 

do it sooner. 

It’s not just for old retired people, all ages should get 

onboard – Pack your suitcases, stay a few nights and 

then return on the same train you came on. You could 

rent a car and explore some of the west coast gems 

like Punakaiki, head on down to glacier country, or just 

hang around Greymouth where there is plenty to see 

and do. 

Still need enticing? Let me take you on my train 

journey… 

The day starts early as the train leaves at 8.15am from 

Christchurch Central Train Station. The carriages are 

comfy, warm on this cool winters morning and the 

commentary oh so funny making the staff top-notch 

and easy to talk to if and when needed. 

Upon leaving the station there’s a short section 

through the urban jungle along the straight tracks 

but the views soon improve as the mountains slowly 

get bigger and bigger the further out we go – The 

Canterbury plains are one of the biggest plains in 

New Zealand and are a magnet as you can see the 

Southern Alps. 

Cars stop for us when the bells clang at the railway 

crossings as we have the right of way to pass through 

on our journey to the other side of the island. There are 

a few stops on the way out to the mountains to pick 

up more passengers, these being Rolleston, Darfield 

and then Springfield but you only have a couple of 

minutes at each location with no time to exit the train, 

each stop getting you one step closer to the highlight 

of the trip, a train ride through the mountainside. 

At Springfield, the train leaves the main highway 

behind, turning off to follow the Waimakariri River and 

travelling along the gorge. Somehow, looking into the 

river from a train window makes it look more beautiful 

and surreal. The crystal clear water from the glacier’s 

that feed the river and the way that water has shaped 

this landscape over thousands of years is a sight to 

behold. With perfect blue sky and no weather systems 

to worry about I thought how can this get better? 

It wasn’t long untill we entered an area that is well 

known for its very cold temperatures, and there was 

no disappointment as there was a hoar frost, or what 

I call a white winter landscape. It looked so pure with 

many small frozen ponds and as we entered and 

exited short tunnels this hoar frost just kept going. 

I was outside in the viewing carriage so it was cold 

and with the train moving at a good speed I found it 

hard to get good photos. I wish the train could have 

stopped but it was not to be. I worked with what 


I had, one carriage with lots of other people with the 

same objective of capturing this Winter wonderland 

that just went on and on – I knew this area had hoar 

frost but I had no idea the area it covered was so 

large so it was the biggest and best surprise of the 

day. The best image I got was when we went over 

the Broken River bridge, a quick couple of snaps and 

I managed to get something stunning. 

Once at Arthurs Pass, we got the first opportunity to 

exit the train and stretch our legs on the platform 

before the darkest part of the trip; the Otira Tunnel. 

This tunnel starts at Arthurs Pass and exits the mountain 

8.5km later (roughly a 20minute journey) and has a 

gradient of 1 in 33 meaning that for every 33 meters 

you travel you either gain or lose 1 meter in height. 

Construction on the bridge started in 1907 and 

finished 11 years later in 1918. At that time it was 

the 7th longest tunnel in the world, an incredible 

achievement in that day and age. 

Upon exiting the tunnel on the West Coast side 

we entered into a lush green rainforest beside the 

Rolleston River. It left me marveling at how it’s possible 

such a stunning location with a scenic railway right 

beside it can exist. 

Heading towards the old railway town of Otira, the 

river changes from the Rolleston to the Otira to the 

Taramakau before we take a right-hand turn and 

head towards Moana, a small township on the shores 

of Lake Brunner where some passengers disembark 

and others join us. 

Lake Brunner is small, you get a view of it before you 

get to Moana and a quick view as you leave, but it 

was enough to whet my appetite, a place I would like 

to go back to and explore with my sea kayak on a 

calm day as the reflections looked like glass from the 

train. 

By now we’re almost 6 hours into our journey and 

approaching our final destination having passed 

through many different photo-worthy landscapes. 

At Stillwater, a small village on the edge of the Grey 

River, the view is spectacular from the railway track; 

limestone shaped walls with a deep river running 

through it that draws in the white water kayakers and 

other visitors who want to see the site of the Brunner 

Mine, the place where 65 people were killed in 1896. 

Once into Greymouth, our final destination, I had a 

1-hour break before I was back on the train for the 

reverse journey. To go there and back in 1 day it’s 

a 13 hour journey so I do recommend staying a few 

nights to split the journey up a bit and give yourself 

more time to see what Greymouth and the west coast 

has to offer. 

3 TIPS FOR PHOTOGRAPHING ON A TRAIN 

JOURNEY. 

• Have your shutter set to burst mode so that you 

don't miss the shot. 

• Have settings as if you were taking sports images 

so a very high shutter speed to take into account 

that the train is travelling at a speed. 

• Since your shutter speed is so high you need to 

compensate that with your aperture. F4 to F5 will 

be enough to have plenty in focus without it being 

too dark. 

F7.1, 1/800s, ISO64 


13

Interview with 

Richard Brooker 

PAREWANUI 

F1.4, 1/100s, ISO800 



15

• Canon 5DMk4 

• EF 16–35 f/2.8 

• EF 50 f/1.4 

• EF 85 f/1.8 

• EF 100 f/2.8 Macro 

• EF 70–200 f/2.8 

• EF 2x Converter 

• Nisi Filters 

• RRS panorama head 

Over and above this, I have 2 Godox AD200 studio 

lights (the wee ones) while I learn studio portraiture. 

WOULD YOU SAY YOU HAVE A CERTAIN 

PHOTOGRAPHIC STYLE? 

No, I do not believe I have a certain style. I can 

never decide which ‘look’ I prefer and so, from 

a single shoot, I often produce images that look 

totally different; each edit suiting the photograph 

but no two photographs looking the same. I look 

at other peoples’ work and can see the similarities, 

or their signature, but I am still looking for that 

something that is uniquely ‘me’. 

RICHARD, TELL US WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT 

YOU DO... 

I work as an Oracle database administrator for 

enterpriseIT, a Wellington based IT company with 

large ambitions. Outside of work, I am a father 

to four boys, ages 9 to 16… who now run for their 

lives whenever I bring my camera out. Work keeps 

me pretty busy during the week, but when the 

weekend rolls around, I like to go and photograph 

whatever I can. 

SO HOW AND WHEN DID YOUR 

PHOTOGRAPHY VENTURE BEGIN? 

Photography for me started in 2012 when Instagram 

was released on the android platform. My first ever 

Instagram photo was of a sock, hanging on the 

corner of a washing line. In typical Wellington style, 

the sock had blown off by the time I had my phone 

ready to take the picture. 

Borrowing a DSLR from a friend for a roadie 

way back in 2013, I developed a penchant for 

photographing abandoned buildings. Purchasing 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR GEAR… 

I have been quite lucky with the camera gear 

that I have had over the years. Moving from a 

cellphone, my father bought me my first DSLR, a 

Canon 60D in 2014. I had two kit lenses with this 

camera, an 18–55 and a 55–250mm. Riiiight up 

until water entered the camera body while I was 

shooting my son on the high ropes at his school 

camp (he did very well by the way!). 

Insurance came to the party at this point with 

a replacement Canon 70D which I augmented 

with an EF-S10–22mm wide angle lens. This combo 

lasted three years and thousands of k’s until my 

grandfather passed away. My grandfather was 

an exceptional man and in his infinite wisdom he 

left some money to each of his grandchildren, 

enough to begin quite a nice kit so this is what I am 

currently shooting with: 


PATEA MEAT WORKS 

F4.5, 1/20s, ISO640 

my own DSLR in 2014 caused my interest in 

urban exploration to really take off (I have been 

frogmarched off premises more than once for 

being where I shouldn’t). There are a surprising 

amount of derelict buildings around NZ if you are 

prepared to drive a ways. 

Since then I have moved through landscape 

photography, attempted macro photography, and 

am now heading down the road of wanting to be 

a people photographer. People express so many 

emotions in so many ways; I would like to discover 

how to capture that in a way that makes people 

wonder what was going on when the photo was 

taken. My macro lens makes a very fine portraiture 

lens and I’m always looking for people who do not 

mind having their photo taken… Hint, hint! 

TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ABANDONED 

BUILDINGS, WHAT FASCINATED YOU? 

I liked to walk where others had been but no 

longer frequented. I liked the thrill of being caught. 

I do not tend to do this often anymore; I am a 

little old now to be vaulting over barbed wire 

fences without leaving patches of skin behind but 

I have dreams of going to places like Chernobyl, 

Detroit, Gary Indiana… places where industry has 

subsided leaving behind mechanical monstrosities, 

monstrosities waiting to be explored. 

The great thing about abandoned places is 

that they are generally hidden in plain sight. In 

Wellington, there are several places which are 

quietly rotting, still in the public eye. Head out 

into the country and the number of abandoned 

buildings goes up dramatically. All up and down 

the North Island there are abandoned structures 

waiting. I have not made it down to the South 

Island yet, but I’m sure there are plenty to find 

down there also. 

YOU HINTED AT BEING FROGMARCHED 

OFF OF CERTAIN PROPERTIES, ANY OTHER 

NARROW ESCAPES YOU CAN TELL US 

ABOUT? 

North of Wellington, there is an abandoned 

Catholic girl’s school, visible from the state 

highway. Exploring those buildings taught me a 

valuable lesson: make sure you always have a 

way out. I was photographing three side by side 

toilet stalls and was moving slowly backwards to 

see if I could fit them in frame. The door (sans door 

handle) closed and I heard the latch ‘click’. Well… 

stuck in a toilet, no door handle, I had to ‘squeeze’ 

out of a smaller-than-ideal hole in the wall to get 

out and managed to almost remove my finger in 

the process. A quick trip to the hospital, a stern 

telling off by the doctor, and I was back planning 

new targets within the week! 


17

TONGARIRO CROSSING 

F2.8, 1/1000s, ISO50 

YOU SAID YOU’VE ‘MOVED THROUGH 

LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY’ – WHAT MADE 

YOU MOVE ON? 

I spent the longest time shooting landscape 

photography and there have been some good 

times. I enjoyed capturing long exposures of 

moving water (as you’ll remember from issue 5) 

from beaches to rivers and waterfalls, there is plenty 

of moving water with interesting rock formations 

around New Zealand and I have photos from all 

over the North Island, Tongariro National Park being 

one of my favourite places to shoot. 

However, when I was asked to shoot headshots 

for The Fashion Creative, I had my first glimpse of 

what it’s like to shoot people, people who WANT 

their photo taken. The quality of photo’s produced 

by TFC is very high; it’s a great place to learn and 

great people to learn from. At that point, I decided 

that landscapes look better with people in them 

and landscapes with people in them are called… 

portraits;) 

WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST LEARNING 

CURVES IN PHOTOGRAPHY? 

Technically there were a couple of eureka 

moments for me early on after changing from a 

cell phone to a DSLR (realising that the f-stop scale 

for aperture went down where the others go up 

and learning that the peg at the bottom of the 

viewfinder was a light meter)! 

Photographically, I haven’t stopped learning 

and I doubt I ever will. Each type of photography 

I’ve tried has had its challenges; for abandoned 

buildings it was finding places, finding entry to those 

places, trying to get a usable photo from what was 

usually a pretty dark place (no power = no lights) 

while trying not to get caught and evicted. 

For landscapes my problem was trying to capture 

the whole dynamic range, maintaining both the 

highlights and the shadows – Especially when the 

exposure is measured in minutes. This was probably 

the most expensive learning curve for me as it 

added several expensive filters and a panorama 

head to my kit. 

As for portraiture, I now own a couple of small 

studio lights and am learning how to use them. 

Trying to shape the light to get the look that 

I want… let’s say I’ve a ways to go yet! 

I spend time trolling the internet learning about 

photography; Youtube, Phlearn, anything that 

has information about whatever subject I am 

researching. I have a sister who has been a 

photographer for almost 30 years, she is also 

a valuable source of information and critique. 

I cannot count the number of occasions when 

I have been… reminded… of how little I know 

about the subject but still, I keep trying. 


ROWELLS 

F4, 1/40s, ISO320 

NAPIER HOSPITAL 

F3.5, 1/30s, ISO200 


19

KAITOKE 

F3.2, 1/2500s, ISO100 

MT VIC 

F5.6, 1/1600s, ISO200 


RAETIHI 

F2.8, 1/6400s, ISO100 

LAKE WAIRARAPA 

F22, 20s, ISO50 


21

DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE B&W 

IMAGE? 

I belong to a Lower Hutt group called ‘The 

Fashion Creative’ whose members often 

collaborate to produce pictures for the 

benefit of those involved. There are some 

very talented folks in the group. At last years 

Christmas dinner, I was shooting Kasey in the 

attic of one of the Trentham Racecourse 

buildings. One of the photos of Kasey 

happened to have the light fall on half her 

face (almost like it was intentional) while 

she was looking down at the book she was 

holding. It did not work so well in colour, but in 

black and white it’s magic. This is my favourite 

portrait shot from the last few years (it even 

hangs on my wall!), everything seemed to just 

work. 

WHAT TIPS CAN YOU GIVE READERS FOR 

SHOOTING IN BLACK AND WHITE? 

Watch… learn… read… practice… share… 

critique… be critiqued… rinse and repeat… 

(Incidentally, this applies to all forms of 

photography.) 

Tips: 

• Make sure your photo includes ‘black’ and 

‘white’, not just 50 shades of grey. 

• Pay attention to shapes, lines, shadows, 

patterns and textures. 

• Shoot RAW. 

• Contrast is your friend. 

• Darker blacks make for brighter whites. 

• Adjust the ‘colours’ that make up the image 

(B&W sliders in LR). 

Photography is like anything, without practice, 

there is no improvement. With digital cameras, 

all it will cost you is time and storage. There is 

no right; there is no wrong; there is only what 

you like. 

HOW CAN PEOPLE GET OUT OF A 

CREATIVE RUT IN PHOTOGRAPHY WHILST 

IMPROVING THEIR SKILLS? 

Both the 365 Challenge and the 52 Week 

Challenge are excellent ways of getting out of 

a creative rut, especially when they are task 

related: “this week you shall take a photo of… 

”. 

Another suggestion is to join a camera club. 

I have things that interest me and I tend 

to pursue those things. Joining a camera 

club has opened me up to a whole host of 

different ideas that I had not thought of. As 

an example, I attended an Eva Polak macro 

impressionism workshop. That opened my eyes 

to new ways of seeing the very small and has 

given me different techniques to apply to 

other forms of photography as well. 

But even more than that, carry your camera 

around with you. Everywhere. Not your whole 

kit, but something small that is inconspicuous 

and quick to use. That way, while you go 

about your daily life, you have an opportunity 

to catch moments that you would otherwise 

not be prepared for. Who knows, this may 

begin a photographic journey in an entirely 

new direction. 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTRODUCTION TO 

EXCIO AND WHY YOU LIKE OUR APP… 

I met Ana through a good friend when she was 

developing Excio and agreed to be a guinea 

pig for her while the app was being developed 

and tested. 

What I enjoy most about the Excio app is 

seeing other people’s take on things and 

being able to get a little of the backstory 

about the photo that I am seeing. There are 

as many different ways to take a photograph 

as there are photographer’s and Excio is a 

platform where not just the photo is being 

shared, but often stories about how that photo 

came into being and what it represents/ 

means to the photographer. 

There are many talented people on the Excio 

platform and with the worldwide coverage 

Excio brings, even a small tin pot photographer 

has a chance at being appreciated by many. 


instagram.com/thelongsilence 

instagram.com/thelongportrait 

facebook.com/tuenz 

500px.com/thelongsilence 

albums.excio.io/profile/The Untrained Eye 

22 NZPhotographer

KASEY 

F2.8, 1/250s, ISO200 

JESS 

F2.8, 1/1000s, ISO100 


23

How Monochrome Can Convey Your 

Distinct Perception Of The World 

By Peter Kurdulija 


PERPETUAL VOID 


25

We live in a world surrounded by colour and make 

many choices based on it every single day. Colour 

helps us see, identify and single out objects and 

interests within their cluttered surroundings. It can 

trigger and change our emotions. Therefore, I find 

it curious that so many of us are attracted to the 

genre of photography entirely devoid of it. How can 

technological limitation from a time gone by be so 

often and purposefully chosen as a valid creative 

choice? 

Is it simple nostalgia, something deeply rooted in our 

culture that fills us with spontaneous appreciation 

of its aesthetic qualities or the allure of visual 

agelessness? Whatever the answer may be, this style 

of photography is not going the way of the dodo any 

time soon. 

Digital photographs are taken in colour and enter 

the monochrome world in a process known as 

conversion. The resulting image contains only tones 

of a single colour, with grey being the most common 

choice. Although we call this variation ‘black & white 

photography’, a more accurate term would be 

‘greyscale’. 

Instead of giving you step by step instructions on how 

to achieve this effect and the technical intricacies 

(there are already so many tutorials over the Internet) 

I want to discuss the motivation behind several of 

my images, in an effort to inspire some readers to 

craft their future ideas using this freshly discovered 

expression choice. 

GIVING MUNDANE SCENES AN AIR OF MYSTERY 

You can find many interesting photographic subjects 

while walking city streets. Night offers a whole new set 

of possibilities giving usually ordinary places a range 

of different visual qualities, with mystery being one of 

them. 

In my image ‘Urban Shadows’ I was relying on a slow 

shutter speed of 1/5sec. I had to lean against the wall 

for extra stability while trying to keep the ISO as low 

as possible. This is not always practical, and giving 

your ISO a boost is the most common approach when 

combating potential blur due to prolonged exposure 

times. Another option is using a tripod which would 

aid image quality in terms of sharpness, keeping the 

camera’s ISO at a low setting. 

My image ‘Urban Shadows’ is also a good example 

of a high contrast chiaroscuro situation and adds 

to the perception of a scene. It is a classic painting 

technique that relies on visual dynamics provided by 

the tension between strong highlights and shadows, to 

further the illusion of three-dimensional depth within a 

frame. 

MAN-MADE OBJECTS IN MONOCHROME 

Monochrome photography is well suited for the 

depiction of man-made objects, pretty much a tool 

of choice when focusing attention on shapes and 

textures. It will give you an opportunity to add volume 

to the subjects which have a tendency to look flat, 

sculptures for example. 

By adding a series of dodging and burning strokes in 

post-processing, like painting with an imaginary light 

brush, it is possible to add lifelike characteristics to 

sculptures as you can see in my images ‘The Struggle’ 

and ‘Golgotha’ when you turn the page. 

TURNING NOTHING INTO SOMETHING 

It is not always easy to recognise a potentially good 

monochrome image, by simply looking at the colour 

scene in front of you. There will be many failures as our 

ability to visualise this ‘on the fly’ conversion comes 

with time and experience. So while working on your 

colour photograph, don’t fixate on one outcome in 

post processing or give up on an image altogether 

before checking out its monochrome alter ego. 

The image ‘They Were Here, I Was There’ was rather 

uneventful in its original colour form – The large 

land area easily consumed the smaller subjects 

and diminished its storytelling potential. Striping the 

frame of colour, its main distracting feature, left room 

for tonal enhancements and focused the viewer’s 

interest squarely on the geometry within, resulting in a 

dramatic and puzzling image. 

CONVEYING EMOTIONS 

When we lose focus of the important and delicate 

moments in our daily lives, our photography may 

follow us there. It can become cluttered and lose 

its ability to engage. As we know that colour and 

contrast provide the most important stimuli, eliminating 

one of them will significantly promote the other. With 

colour gone, the communication will default to its 

building blocks – contrasts, lines and textures. The 

simplified visual environment offers a much better 

chance of focusing the viewer’s attention to emotioninducing 

visual cues. 

The ‘End of the Pilgrimage’ was conceived during 

a trip which had great significance for the person 

depicted in it, and for that reason came with a 

dose of an emotional charge. It was challenging to 

take under the relentless Fiordland rain, making it 

technically imperfect but visually gripping. In this allsymbolic 

composition, a very small silhouette facing 

a grandiose setting is imposing itself without difficulty, 

being placed in a lighter part of the frame while at 

the same time cutting the perceived horizon. This kind 

of narrative is much more difficult to conduct with the 

presence of colour. 


In my image ‘Another Day in Paradise’ which was 

taken on a visit to the local zoo you’ll see a strange 

human-like sorrow radiating from the scene. Without 

colour around, the entire emotion is focused on 

the contemplating soul far away from its natural 

habitat. A familiar natural shape set against the sterile 

background geometry captures observer’s attention, 

doubling as a mood amplifier in the process. 

An attempt to depict eternity after a loss was the 

main motivator for the image ‘Perpetual Void’. The 

little statue is illuminated by a narrow shaft of light 

coming down from the heavens, helping it to stay 

compositionally clear of its desaturated background. 

MONOCHROME & LONG EXPOSURE 

The marriage between monochrome and long 

exposure is a match made in heaven. The 

monochrome part kicks out all trappings of colour with 

long exposure dissolving any dynamic distraction into 

a featureless, subject enhancing backdrop. When 

paired together, they will turn moving grass into a 

mysterious haze and the uncooperative waves, like in 

the image ‘Existential Singularity’, to an infinite, flat ice 

plate. If you are searching for visual representation of 

timelessness, look no further. 

PUT YOUR CREATIVITY TO THE TEST 

My images are only an idea, a creative trigger for 

the most important ingredient that no one can give 

or sell – your emotions and distinct perception of the 

world. It is essential to stay unique and not be caged 

by the lemming mentality of current trends, regardless 

of how popular they may be. Remember, the camera 

is just a tool that together with that precious creative 

bit inside of you, will impress and uplift the rest of us 

with visions of our surroundings we didn’t expect or 

imagine. 

ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE 


27

THE STRUGGLE 


GOLGOTHA 


29

END OF THE PILGRIMAGE 



31

EXISTENTIAL SINGULARITY 



33

I WAS HERE, THEY WERE THERE 



35

URBAN SHADOWS 



37

Your beautifully-looking portfolio 

ready for you when you join Excio 

For only $7.99/month 

with a 14-day free trial 

Explore the membership benefits 

excio.io/portfolio 


Imagine Auckland Competition 

Winners and Best Entries 

Together with Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) and other partners 

we invited photographers to share their moments captured in the city of Auckland in our 

"Imagine Auckland" photo competition. The competition received almost 200 entries - See which 

photos took top awards on the following pages. 

1ST PLACE 

Simon Wills 

'Takapuna Beach Hamster Wheel' 

2ND PLACE 

Robert Green 

'Golden Gannets' 

3RD PLACE 

Gabriella Morton 

'Hello Milkyway' 

HIGHLY COMMENDED: 

Susan Blick with 'City Bokeh' 

Marvin Condor with 'Framing Auckland Sky Tower' 

Heather Marree Owens with 'Dark Edifice' 

Roumen Ivanov with 'Night Sky Tower' 

Scott Cushman with 'Dawn Twinkle Over Rangitoto Island' 

See all images online and vote for your favourite to decide the People's Choice winner until 

20 August 2019 at WWW.EXCIO.IO/AUCKLANDVOTES 

SPONSORED BY:

WINNER 


TAKAPUNA BEACH 

HAMSTER WHEEL 

A classic Auckland sunrise shot through the 

Hamster Wheel at Takapuna Beach Playground. 

Simon Wills 


41

WINNER 

GOLDEN GANNETS 

Sunset over the Gannet Colony, Murawai. 

Robert Green 


WINNER 

HELLO MILKYWAY 

F4.4, 1/1000s, /SO800 

KAREKARE BEACH 

Hello Milkyway, old friend. It's been well over a year 

since we last met. I know you're busy up there confining to all the 

laws of physics etc, and we both know that the Moon tends to steal 

your glory. The clouds down here seem to have a mind of their own, 

I don't even think they realise the inconvenience they've caused. But 

for what feels like a split moment, all the elements have aligned. I 

hope that this doesn't revert back to a rare occurrence, because I do 

genuinely enjoy your company! You've proved to me how small we 

are in the grand scheme of things. You help me treasure moments 

rather then objects, experiences more than materialism, souls over 

status and I guess if you wanna put it simply... Life. 

Gabriella Morton 


43


HIGHLY 

COMMENDED 

FRAMING AUCKLAND SKY TOWER 

It took about 3 visits for everything to fall into place. This morning the sky 

went nuts and I was so stoked that I went out to shoot the sunrise. 

Marvin Cordon 

August 2019 45

HIGHLY 

COMMENDED 


NIGHT SKY TOWER 

Monumental night view of the Sky Tower. 

Roumen Ivanov 


47

HIGHLY 

COMMENDED 


DAWN TWINKLE OVER 

RANGITOTO ISLAND 

Taken on the coastal walkway between 

Takapuna and Milford. 

Scott Cushman 


49

HIGHLY 

COMMENDED 


CITY BOKEH 

Shot from Mt Eden using a super shallow depth of field on a Lensbaby composer 

pro lens. Finding the sweet spot took a bit of work, leaving only the subject sharp; 

the city lights create beautiful bokeh with such a wide aperture. 

Susan Blick 


51

HIGHLY 

COMMENDED 

DARK EDIFICE 

Auckland's Sky Tower at night, 

shot with the Zenit fisheye lens 

on my Canon. 

Heather Maree Owens 


#womeninphotography 

Getting to Know Raewyn Smith 


NIGHT LIGHTS 


55

PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY: 

TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU… 

I’m a born and bred Northlander, currently living in 

Auckland. I work full time managing a Resene Colorshop 

in Botany Downs, Auckland. I am married, a mother of 

two sons, and a grandmother of two granddaughters 

and one grandson. I’m a passionate gardener (there 

is an abundance of roses growing in my garden) and 

an avid reader (there is always a book on my bedside 

table). 

HOW AND WHEN DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN 

PHOTOGRAPHY? 

I have always had an interest in photography, always 

had a camera of some sort going back to the good 

old Instamatic. Down the line came a Kodak Digital, 

then I progressed to a later model digital. By chance, 

I noticed an advertisement for a beginner’s photography 

class at Uxbridge Creative Centre in Howick and signed 

up. I quickly became hooked! A few months later 

I completed an intermediate class. The tutor for both of 

these courses was Treve Dromgool so I have her to thank 

for my enthusiasm. 

DO YOU HAVE A PREFERRED GENRE? 

Being a gardener and roses my passion, I particularly love 

photographing flowers of all types, especially close up/ 

macro. But I also like photographing animals, (I have a 

dog who is a good poser) along with landscapes and 

I rather like black and white. I’d love to photograph more 

people, I just need willing models! 

WHAT ARE YOU SHOOTING WITH? 

I recently purchased a Canon 80D. Most of the photos 

featured were shot with my previous camera, a Canon 

100D. 

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU COME UP 

AGAINST WITH PHOTOGRAPHY? 

I really had to think hard about this question. For me 

personally, I find the only challenge is finding enough 

time to do as much photography as I would like. 

Hopefully, in a few years, retirement will make that 

happen. 

HOW DO YOU PUSH YOURSELF TO IMPROVE AND 

WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET OUT OF A CREATIVE 

SLUMP? 

I follow a lot of photography Facebook groups, watch 

YouTube tutorials, and read everything I possibly can 

to learn as much as I can. Belonging to Lesley Whyte’s 

group is a great way to keep me motivated, especially 

by having weekly challenges. Sometimes life gets in the 

way but the challenges certainly keep me thinking about 

the next subject. 

HOW DOES BELONGING TO LESLEY’S 

‘#WOMENINPHOTOGRAPHY’ GROUP BENEFIT 

YOU? 

Through this group I have met lots of other women 

with the same passion for photography and we help 

each other as we are all at different levels of learning. 

(Shout out to fellow member Leanne Silver of Argent 

Photography who took the photo of me above!). 

I feel that being in an all female group allows women to 

feel comfortable asking questions that they may not ask 

in a mixed group for fear of being laughed at for asking 

what they may think of as a silly question or something 

that they should know. 

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ADVANTAGES ARE OF 

BEING A FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER? 

Many people feel more comfortable with a female 

photographer. I think we have more empathy which 

can be an advantage when photographing families/ 

children. 

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE? 

I’m most probably leaning towards selling framed 

photography – flowers will obviously feature 

predominantly. I am also interested in photographing 

people – portraits, lifestyle so am thinking along those 

lines. 


www.instagram.com/raewynjsmith 

albums.excio.io/profile/photoqueen

VINTAGE ROSES 


57

THE TWO OF US 

TE REWA REWA BRIDGE 


A WALK IN WINTER 

ARE WE DONE YET 


59

Mind Games: 

The Art of Black 

and White 

by Ana Lyubich 

Thinking of the colour wheel, black and white are 

lovers rather than neighbours. They are the complete 

opposite of each other yet are the only 2 colours on 

the wheel that can work together to create a stunning 

and memorable masterpiece on their own. 

However, how many of us consciously choose our 

colour palettes or white balance offset ahead of time 

to create a certain mood in our photo? More likely 

you turn a photo to black and white when you realise 

“Oh, this photo has too much noise, let’s see how it 

looks if we convert it into black & white… oh yeah… 

better!” 

STEERING THE CONVERSATION 

Some people say that photography is a conversation 

between the photographer and the viewer. I’d say it’s 

a monologue. 

As a photographer, especially in our digital era, you 

can’t see viewers’ reaction when they see your photo 

and you can’t hear what they say most of the time. 

Basic comments on social media don’t make it a 

“conversation”. 

Communication through photography is one-sided 

and absolutely based on the visual aspect, this is why 

it’s important to structure and create our photographs 

in such a way that it generates the “right” response 

when we publish our work. 

HUMAN PERCEPTION 

Opting to remove colour from a photograph is a 

brave and bold choice. 

When we look at colour photos, we subconsciously 

make our own judgements based on what we 

see and how it makes us feel, what emotions we 

experience. We can see whether the photo is a sunset 

or sunrise, how it is processed, whether the colours are 

oversaturated or faded, whether they make us feel 

warm or cold. We can guess which season the photo 

was taken in because we can see certain things in the 

photo (colours of tree leaves for instance) and make 

an association. 

Black and white images are timeless. Removing 

colour makes it much more difficult to put a date on 

the photo but at the same time can evoke a much 

stronger emotion. 

Don’t forget that black and all shades of grey are 

considered to be the colours of depression. There 

have been numerous studies showing that people 

who post black and white images on social media 

(and by the way, according to a different study, black 


“All colours are the friends of their 

neighbours and the lovers of their opposites.” 

Marc Chagall, Artist 

and white photos tend to generate less engagement 

on Instagram!) are trying to “distance” themselves from 

reality due to being “lost” and so are more likely to feel 

depressed. 

Because we see the real world in colour, removing 

them from a photo makes us pause, look closely at 

what is left, and think as we pay more attention to the 

light and shadow, highlights and accents. 

CONCLUSION 

Black and white photography should be a conscious 

choice with the end goal in mind – what message do 

you want to get across? How will it make people feel? 

The more control you have over the elements and 

colours in your photographs, the more say you have in 

the interpretation of it. 


61

62 NZPhotographer 

PHOTO BY LEVENTE KADAS

Improving Your Photography 

Photo Review Session 

by Excio 

REVIEW BY: 

Samuel Ogunlaja 

Commercial Photographer and Teacher/Trainer 

COMPOSITION 

INITIAL THOUGHTS 

This is an extraordinary work of art. A nude 

photograph of an anonymous lady shot in 

monochrome - very expressive, emotional, and 

powerful while still appearing simple. 

Photographs such as this are used to express 

strong emotions and would easily pass as a 

form of surrealism photography. Oftentimes, the 

picture may not have an underlying meaning 

and would have been captured to incite 

emotions in viewer’s or it could be that the 

photographer just wanted to lay emphasis on 

some elements like lines, shapes, texture etc. 

THE GOOD THINGS ABOUT THIS PHOTO 

Things that stand out in this photograph which 

contribute to it being aesthetically beautiful are 

as follows. 

HIGH CONTRAST 

The presence of the high contrast easily 

demarcates the black and white elements in 

the photograph. The body of the model is well 

highlighted causing the easy differentiation 

between the model and the rest of the frame. 

The careful and intentional use of light causes 

the picture to have lots of depth which allows 

the intricate details of the body; like the high 

cheek bones, the flattering bust line, the neck, 

jawline etc. 

LINES AND CURVES 

The use of lines and curves to divide space and 

to balance elements in certain areas of the 

photo is done very well. For instance, the jawline 

to the face of the model, the shoulder line on 

the left side towards the elbow, down to the arm 

leading to the elbow which is also well divided 

by the light that comes from the neck. 

Interestingly, the photograph contains a lot of 

triangular composition. This type of composition 

is very different from the popular rule of thirds, 

it seeks to balance elements closely related 

but that fall in triangular portions of the frame 

making the picture more pleasing to the eye. 

It often helps to track the relationship between 

elements. 

The first prominent triangle is the one that starts 

from the shoulder on the left side of the picture 

to the hand that goes to the arm that leads to 

the armpit, towards the collar bone and back 

to the shoulder. Another is the small triangle 

obvious on the face caused by the highlights. 

Yet another perfect triangle is created by the 

shadows from the lower part of the elbow 

towards the armpit back to the right end of the 

frame and back to the elbow. Finally, another 

obvious triangle goes from the jawline towards 

the second arm that goes up and back to the 

jawline. 


63

MAKING THIS PHOTO EVEN BETTER 

One thing to point out however, that would 

have made this picture better, is the distracting 

shadows as a result of the type of lighting used. 

LIGHTING 

While the use of harsh light was necessary 

to get a perfect contrast between the body 

and the rest of the frame, the shadows cause 

distractions due to the sharp and clear-cut 

distinctions. This could prevent the viewers eye 

from flowing with the model’s body structure. 

The use of a soft light with an increased 

intensity would have created softer and better 

transitioning from highlights to mid-tones and 

obvious shadows. 

In the images below, you can see the areas 

of sharp transition between lighted areas and 

shadows outlined in red. A similar picture, shot 

by myself, with the use of soft lights is included 

for comparison. 


We are the South Islands most advanced digital photo lab. 

With experienced staff and state of the art printing 

equipment, we can cater for all your photography output 

needs. 

We can offer professional output at very competitive pricing 

on the following services- 

• Canvas Prints, stretched with or without floating frames 

• Ilford Fine Art paper printing 

• Giclee photo printing up to 60 inches (by any length) 

• Genuine silver halide photo prints up to 30” (by any 

length) on our ZBE Chromira printer. 4 paper service availble 

including Fujiflex 

• Colour film processing and printing and in-house B&W 

film developing 

• Scanning of original art and film up to 5x4 on our Flextight 

drum scanner 

• Full restoration services 

• School portfolio printing specialists 

A Division of 

161 Victoria St Christchurch 

www.kens.co.nz 

digital@kens.co.nz 

03-3661985 


65

y Richar 

Minimal La 

How to simplify your images t 

ARCHWAY ISLANDS, GOLDEN BAY 

F11, 8s, ISO100 


ndscapes 

o create minimal landscapes. 

d Young 


67

MORNING LIGHT, MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS 

F11, 1/125S, ISO100 

When arriving at a stunning landscape location, it is 

easy to get a bit overwhelmed and often the result of 

this is that you try to photograph the whole expansive 

vista in front of you. While there is nothing wrong with 

this approach, it can sometimes produce an image 

with no defined subject and little artistic vision. 

The first thing you should ask yourself is; what are you 

photographing? Yes, the beautiful view in front of you, 

but what part of this is your subject? And what parts of 

this view do not add anything to the image or distract 

from your subject? I think this is the most important 

question when shooting minimal landscapes, as you 

need to try and break down what your subject is and 

what elements do not add to the image and can 

therefore be removed. 

SUBJECT 

A painter has the luxury of choosing what to include in 

their painting, a photographer needs to choose what 

to leave out, this is harder than it sounds… 

Shooting landscapes with wide-angle lenses can 

produce some stunning results, but if not used well, 

a wide-angle lens can result in you capturing a very 

complex image without any clear subject. For this 

reason alone I think it is one of the hardest lenses to 

master. I find many photographers will seldom reach 

for a longer lens when shooting landscapes and 

this can often be a great way to help to simplify a 

landscape, by filling the image with your subject so 

that the viewer can easily focus on it. By focusing on 

a smaller area on a landscape, you can reduce the 

number of elements in your photograph, producing 

a more minimalist image with a clearer and more 

defined subject. 

NEGATIVE SPACE 

While the use of long lenses can help to simplify a 

landscape as discussed above, they can also work 

against you when shooting minimal landscapes. 

Negative space can be very powerful in an image. 

It allows the subject space to breath and can help 


SNOWFIELD, FOX GLACIER 

F8, 1/1250s, ISO400 

MORING LIGHT, MARLBOROUGH SOUNDS 

to amplify the subject when it is displayed against a 

larger canvas. When working with negative space you 

need to work with background elements that will not 

distract from the main subject. Working in conditions 

like heavy mist and fresh snow can work brilliantly 

for using negative space, likewise so can coastal 

landscapes by filling a large part of the image with 

the sea or the expansive horizon. 

LONG EXPOSURES 

Long exposure photography can be an excellent 

way to help minimalise landscapes, especially when 

working around water. By using longer shutter speeds 

you can help to render out some distraction within a 

landscape like ripples on the water’s surface and turn 

these into a blank canvas. If your main subject is then 

framed among this simple background, it can help 

not only to define in but also create a photograph 

without some of the complex elements that can be 

hard to remove by composition alone. 

USE OF COLOUR 

The use of colour can be a very powerful tool in 

photography, bold or contrasting clours can easily 

hold our attention to a part of an image, but they 

can also make a photograph more complex. When 

shooting minimal landscapes, it is often better to 

work with a more limited and subtle colour pallet, so 

that the eye can focus on form and shape without 

stong colours competing. Likewise, with lighting, the 

softer light that can be found at the beginning and 

end of the day is easier to work with than strong 

and contrasting direct sunlight. Black and white 

can also be a great option when trying to remove 

the distractions found in colour images, creating an 

image of minimalist quality simply because of its lack 

of colours. 

IMPROVE YOUR LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY THIS WINTER ON A WORKSHOP IN TONGARIRO NATIONAL 

PARK OR AT MT COOK WITH NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS 


69

THE GALLERY IS PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY 

PORTFOLIO 

BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH

HE KNOWS 

F4, 1/250s, ISO400 

Sue Muir 


EVEN SHADOWS USE SMART PHONES 

F5,6 1/125s, ISO200 

Shadows are our constant companions. Our smart phones are now 

permanently integrated into our shadows and life. 

Allan Fleischmann 



73


THE BREATH OF LIFE 

F8, 1/200s, ISO400, 32mm 

BUFFALO BEACH, WHITIANGA 

Mother and Daughter come together to 

share the breath of life. 

Anita Ruggle-Lussy 


AT REST 

F3.5, 1/900s, ISO160, 55mm 

MINNIESDALE CHAPEL, TAUPAKI 

Resting in peace at Minniesdale Chapel 

overlooking the beautiful Kaipara harbour. 

Craig Chalmers 



77

PASSAGE OF TIME 

F8, 1/60s, ISO100, 35mm 

Rusting quietly at Smash Palace in 

the Central North Island. 

Craig Chalmers 



79

OFF KEY 

F8, 1/2s, IS0100, 90mm 

ENDEAN'S SAW MILL, WAIMIHA 

After many years of good service it's now somewhat tuned 

out with this key being the worst of a bad bunch. 

Derek Teague 



81

AFTERNOON TEA 

1/100s, ISO100 

Macarons, a cup of tea and a straw hat on a Summers Day! 

Di Lewis 



83

WAIHI FALLS 

F8, 3.2s, IS0100 

WAIHI FALLS NEAR DANNEVIRKE 

A beautiful waterfall near Dannevirke that worked 

perfectly in mono with high contrast lighting conditions. 

Dominic Scott 



85

WRECK OF THE GAIRLOCH 

F11, 30s, lSO100 

OAKURA NEAR NEW PLYMOUTH 

The last remains of the SS Gairloch which ran aground in 1903. The long 

exposure here was designed to try and convey time passing while the 

wreck is quietly reclaimed. 

Dominic Scott 



87


MATAIKONA ROCKS 

F16, 25s, ISO64 

MATAIKONA NEAR CASTLEPOINT 

These fascinating rock formations are usually hidden by the sea, but 

at low tide you'll see them all the way along the winding gravel road 

from Whakataki to the settlement of Mataikona. 

Dominic Scott 


89

A WINTER FEELING 

F11, ISO200 

CENTRAL OTAGO NEAR NASEBY 

Central Otago presents many beautiful 

options at this time of the year. 

Don McLeod 



91

NUMBER 1 

My daughter waiting to 

participate in soccer 

drills in Dubai. 

Fairlie Atkinson 


LITTLE WATTLE BIRD 

F4.4, 1/1000s, /SO800 

POINT ARKWRIGHT, SUNSHINE COAST 

This bird was being very protective of a nest in a tree 

and so I was able to get quite close. 

Kathleen Seaward 


93


DREAMS LOST IN WATER 

F 5.6, 1/60s, ISO200, 50mm 

THE LOST SPRING, WHITIANGA 

Dream state, somewhere between sleep & awakening where 

one is floating and attempting to hold on to the dream. 

Karen Moffatt-McLeod 


95

THE PIPE CONNOISSEUR 

F11, 1/10s ISO200, 55mm 

Never judge a book by it's cover nor a man by his. 

Karen Moffatt-McLeod 



97


TURNED LEAF 

F5.6, 1/200s, ISO125 

Water lilies floating in a pond attached to a overturned leaf. 

Linda Cutche 


99

BLACK BAYOU LAKE TEXAS 

TEXAS, USA 

Winter cypress trees in Black Bayou Lake, the bark 

showing the water levels. 

Maureen Pierre 


TESSELLATED ROCK PATTERNS 

F14, 1/4s, ISO400 

PATONGA, NSW, AUSTRALIA 

Nature's patterns in sand stone out in the 

Australian bush near the Central Coast coastline. 

Murray Lowe 


101

STONE COTTAGE 

F14, 1/125s, ISO 400 

Old gold miners cottage in Fruitlands 

district, Central Otago. 

Murray Lowe 



EXOSKELETON OF POMPIDOU 

F6.3, 1/100s, ISO100 

PARIS, FRANCE 

One side of the Pompidou Modern Art Centre. 

Paul Robertson 



106 NZPhotographer 

FOR NEXT SEASON 

F2.8, 1/15s, IS0100 

A dandelion on a summer afternoon. 

Paul Robertson

FORMED BY NATURE 

F4.5, 1/4s, IS0100, 90mm 

HAMILTON GARDENS 

A simple yet stunning form in nature 

with repeating elements albeit no 2 

elements the same. 

Derek Teague 


THE SOUND OF SHELLS 

F8, 1/500s, IS0100 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA 

Sydney Opera House minimalism shot during early twilight. 

Paul Robertson 




SOLITUDE 

F11, 1/500s, ISO360, 55mm 

WELLINGTON 

A couple sitting on a bench at the top of the hill looking 

out over the Pacific Ocean - in complete solitude. 

Peter Maiden 


111

KINA 

F7.1, 1/25s, ISO100, 200mm 

LOFOTEN ISLANDS, NORWAY 

I took this photo of a cluster of Kina, and felt that it was better as a black 

and white photo as that highlighted the texture of the shells without the 

colour being a distraction. With this photo being taken in Norway, the kina 

reminded me of home. 

Tanya Rowe 



“ONE DOESN’T STOP 

SEEING. ONE DOESN’T 

STOP FRAMING. IT 

DOESN’T TURN OFF 

AND TURN ON. IT’S ON 

ALL THE TIME.” 

ANNIE LEIBOVITZ

NZPhotographer Issue 22, August 2019

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?