Early exercises of photographing family and friends were not beneficial for my technique, I needed to produce something that I felt was uniquely mine, in style and substance and looking at work by the famous portrait photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Peter Lindbergh inspired me to explore new avenues of visual expression. I decided to join Facebook pages to ask if any models would work on a TFP basis (Time for Prints, where photographers and models agree on print as payment for a shoot) and was lucky enough to get a reply from Scout Liu who agreed to work with me. My world changed, as I found someone to discuss my ideas with and benefited from her insightful feedback. I discussed with Scout my love of old paintings and compositions, particularly the ones where the subject is surrounded by colourful textures and illuminated with a delicate light. We decided to do a modern version of this, working on the outfit and layout to get the desired effect. The image “Old Light” was the brainchild of this creative collaboration. As the story goes, a world of dreams and a practical one are often out of step with each other, which in my case resulted in a very clumsy start. Logistics were a significantly bigger part of the endeavour than I thought and I would find myself not completely prepared for photoshoots. The leading idea was there, but the operational difficulties made me rely on my model to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion. After that, I put extra focus on planning, including location, costume, and makeup choices. With the first positive results behind me, my pool of models got larger and I was able to create different themes based on the variety of their looks. It is worth mentioning that this genre of photography includes some costs with clothes, makeup, props and sometimes locations themselves having to be paid for. To remedy this I decided to use public spaces or my home as a makeshift studio. I find that second-hand shops are the best place for outfits, but if one is blessed with sewing skills, they can make their own. Some models do have a wardrobe which provides extra options when trying to create different ‘looks’ too. In my image ‘Urban Goddess’ I had the idea to recreate a scene from Greek mythology within a contemporary context. I searched for a location and found that Massey Memorial in Wellington would be the closest to what I wanted. With model Kelly O’Brien, I finalised the details like makeup, hair, and outfit. The moody day provided changeable light and a sense of drama which perfectly complemented the scene in the image. I often search for locations before the shoot which involves photographing the places without the subject just to find out how the delicate interplay between shapes, shadows, and light looks on the screen. A good example of this is the image ‘White Fairy 101‘. The outfit was a result of a second-hand shop visit, while the location needed to contribute lush vegetation with a INDIGENOUS GLOW forest-like background. I found one at Karori cemetery. It was a kind of fantasy shot I like and the one my model Kelly O’Brien wanted to have in her portfolio. Finding the location is the foundation of the concept with the rest of the creative endeavour revolving around it. I find that this helps ‘sell’ the driving idea behind the project to your model(s) helping them understand costume and makeup choices as I generally choose a style of makeup but rely on the model to produce it exactly or as close as possible to my suggestion. Knowing the theme and location also motivates the models in that all-important acting role in front of the lens. I have found that this style of photography satisfies the dreamer in me, cultivates my creativity, and inspires me to keep advancing. In some way it brings out the child in me, reminding me of a time when I was young and played dress-up with my sister Christine in our imaginary role-play! The images you’ve seen here are a mature reflection of those memories, imaginary worlds of childhood and nostalgia for the times in our lives when you could have anything you wanted by simply reshaping your dreams to fit your desires. Yes, it can be challenging, but is also very rewarding when it all comes together. www.facebook.com/linda.cutche F1.4, 1/100s, ISO2000 www.instagram.com/cutchelinda Model: Kayla Tui
ABOVE IT ALL MODEL KELLY O’BRIEN F5, 1/400s, ISO100 WHITE FAIRY MODEL: KELLY O’BRIEN F2.8, 1/400s, ISO100 <strong>NZPhotographer</strong> <strong>November</strong> <strong>2020</strong> 11
- Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 37, November 2020 CAPTURING F
- Page 3 and 4: CONTENTS 5 8 15 16 22 30 48 52 60 8
- Page 5 and 6: FANTASY TREE REFLECTION F22, 1/3s,
- Page 7 and 8: ONLINE Portfolio & Processing Maste
- Page 9: My journey into photography started
- Page 13 and 14: NO LOOKING BACK Model: Melissa More
- Page 15 and 16: PHOTO COMMUNITY Do Good. For Good.
- Page 17 and 18: WERNER KAFFL LONELY WAVE Wellington
- Page 19 and 20: MELYSSA F.T. A GUARDIAN OF THE PEOP
- Page 21 and 22: MICHAEL COOKSON ST CLAIR The famous
- Page 23 and 24: DELICATE F10, 1/250s, ISO1000 WHAT
- Page 25 and 26: and how we see the world around us,
- Page 27 and 28: THE CALL OF THE KĀKĀ F3.2, 1/250s
- Page 29 and 30: 2017 2018 2019 2020 Digital Cameras
- Page 32 and 33: DRAGAN KECA 32 November 2020 NZPhot
- Page 36 and 37: GEOFF HAGLUND 36 November 2020 NZPh
- Page 40 and 41: MATT JONES 40 November 2020 NZPhoto
- Page 44 and 45: ZHANNA YASINETSKAYA 44 November 202
- Page 48 and 49: Tumbledown Bay by Brendon Gilchrist
- Page 50 and 51: $120 / YEAR or $12 / MONTH SUBSCRIP
- Page 52 and 53: A Deep Dive Into Underwater Photogr
- Page 54 and 55: An underwater photographer is a uni
- Page 56 and 57: MAUVE STINGER F6.3, 1/100s, ISO100
- Page 58 and 59: As it is in all environments, light
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NZ Photography Competition Creative
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MT COOK ABSTRACT Arriving at Mt Coo
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WANAKA BASIN Overlooking the Wanaka
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BLUE HALCYON On a recent trip south
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1st Place ST BATHANS HOAR FROST In
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GANNET AND CHICK First time out wit
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POST AUSTRALIAN BUSH FIRE TEXTURES
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NZ Photography Competition People &
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THE SULLEN TEENAGER My teenage son
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A WINNER'S SMILE A friend of mine h
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THE SUN FLOWER A group shoot to Fra
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THE IMPACT OF ICONIC LOCATIONS When
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BRIDGE F25, 1/8s, ISO200, 110mm One
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I CAN'T, I HAVE A BOARD MEETING F11
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PINK REFLECTION F8, 1/1200s, ISO400
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STRENGTH AMID ADVERSITY F5.6, 1/250
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EYEFUL TOWER F25, 1/8s, ISO200, 110
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"THE TRUE MYSTERY OF THE WORLD IS W