ISSUE 13, November 2018
INTERVIEW WITH WERNER KAFFL
CAPTURING IGUACU'S WONDER WITH BRENDON GILCHRIST
NIKON Z7 REVIEW
HOW PHOTOGRAPHY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MEETING EACH OF OUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS
HOW TO CAPTURE: RIVER LANDSCAPES WITH RICHARD YOUNG
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WELCOME TO ISSUE 13 OF NZ PHOTOGRAPHER MAGAZINE
HELLO EVERYONE, In this issue, we're thrilled to bring you a review of the Nikon Z7, Nikon's flagship full frame mirrorless camera. Astro photographer Mark Gee took it out for a spin and shares his findings with us. We also learn how photography can contribute to meeting each of our emotional needs, a thoughtprovoking piece from Tony Yuille that gives us even more reason to pick up the camera, get out there to take some shots, and connect with like-minded people. For our regular features, we're off on world travels once again as Brendon Gilchrist takes us to Iguazu Falls on the Brazil/Argentina border and Parmeet Sahni whisks us off to Nepal as we learn about her favourite capture from her recent Gathering of Life exhibition in Behind The Shot. These features might give you itchy feet but no matter where you are in the world you can use Richard Young's river landscape tips in How To Capture. Last but never least we have readers' submissions towards the back of the magazine. We're always thrilled to see your submissions but it doesn't have to stop there - If you would like to contribute an article, take part in Behind The Shot, or be interviewed do let us know.
Emily Goodwin
Editor NZ Photographer General Info: NZPhotographer Issue 13 November 2018 Cover Photo by Werner Kafl www.wernerkaffl.com
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NZPhotographer
Publisher: Excio Group
Editor: Emily Goodwin
Website: www.excio.io/nzphotographer
Graphic Design: Maksim Topyrkin
Group Director: Ana Lyubich ana@excio.io
Advertising Enquiries: Phone 04 889 29 25 or Email hello@excio.io
REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS
Brendon Gilchrist
Richard Young
Brendon is the man behind ESB Photography. He treks from sea to mountain, and back again, capturing the uniqueness of New Zealand’s unforgiving landscape.
Richard is an award-winning landscape and wildlife photographer who teaches photography workshops and runs photography tours. He is the founder of New Zealand Photography Workshops.
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Š 2018 NZPhotographer Magazine All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. Disclaimer: Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.
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CONTENTS
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6 INTERVIEW WITH WERNER KAFFL
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BEHIND THE SHOT WITH PARMEET SAHNI IGUACU’S WONDER by Brendon Gilchrist HOW PHOTOGRAPHY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MEETING EACH OF OUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS by Tony Yuile HOW TO CAPTURE: RIVER LANDSCAPES with Richard Young REVIEW OF THE NIKON Z7 by Mark Gee
BEHIND THE SHOT WITH PARMEET SAHNI
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INTERVIEW WITH WERNER KAFFL BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH
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HOW TO CAPTURE: RIVER LANDSCAPES
HOW PHOTOGRAPHY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO MEETING EACH OF OUR EMOTIONAL NEEDS
A new era of Nikon imaging has arrived. A system born from our unending quest for perfection. A system that opens a new dimension of possibilities. A system inspired by our past but designed for tomorrow.
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F6.3, 1/30s, ISO800
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Behind The Shot With Parmeet Sahni HI PARMEET, TELL US ABOUT YOUR RECENT TRIP TO NEPAL WHERE YOU CAPTURED THIS PORTRAIT. I have a great appreciation for street photography and as a travel photographer too, I really wanted to visit a country with a rich culture, vibrant colours, and spiritual energy. Therefore, I took a five day solo trip to Nepal in June of this year with my Canon 6D to celebrate my birthday by doing what I love. When I was in Nepal, I visited Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Nagarkot, and Sankhu Village. Everywhere I went, I found myself surrounded by a thousand stories, all of which I tried my best to capture through my lens. I took well over three to four thousand photos on this trip, and I was ecstatic to bring them back to share with my family and friends.
SO WHO IS THE MAN IN THE PHOTO? This man is a sadhu; a holy man, sage or ascetic. I saw this sadhu outside Pashupatinath Temple, which is located on the banks of Bagmati River about 5km from Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital city. When I asked him if I could take a photo of him, he happily posed for the camera. He talked about experiences he has had with many other tourists too, who were also eager to click photos of him as they walked past. The sadhus situated around this temple are a common attraction for tourists from around the world and are quite famous on social media, I was able to see faces that I saw in Nepal on Google Images when I got back home!
WHAT’S THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS POSE? The pose he is making with his hands is called “Gyan Mudra” or “Chin Mudra”. A Mudra is a symbolic or spiritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism. In Sanskrit, Chin means consciousness and Mudra means seal or gesture, therefore, the Chin Mudra is the gesture of consciousness, it symbolises the union of Self with the universe. www.instagram.com/soulfulmemoriesbyps
The Gyan Mudra is the hand gesture which is used during meditation and also while practicing breathing exercises during Yoga. Along with the Gyan Mudra, the sadhu also taught me how to do a few other mudras and the symbolism behind them.
WHAT WAS HAPPENING BEHIND THE CAMERA THAT WE CAN’T SEE? This image was taken right before sunset. At the temple, the Bagmati Aarti (evening prayer by the riverbank) was about to start. Behind me, thousands of devotees were roaming around the temple. I could hear the prayers from inside Pashupatinath temple, which created an extremely relaxing and peaceful aura. The Bagmati Aarti is one of the most mesmerizing rituals that take place in Nepal. All devotees collectively pray for all of humanity. This Aarti is famous all around the world and attracts a huge number of tourists each day.
SINCE RETURNING HOME TO NZ HOW HAS THIS IMAGE BEEN RECEIVED? This was one of my favourite photos that I took on my trip. When I showed it to people around me, everyone was struck by all the colour in the image. Many were intrigued by the way he was dressed, the way he was posing and the significance of the image. I got a similar reaction to my other work from Nepal too, especially from my colleagues, who encouraged me to display these photos at an exhibition. I got in touch with the New Zealand Nepalese Association, and was able to hold two rounds of a fundraising photographic exhibition named “The Gathering Of Life: Capturing the Culture & Streets of Nepal” where more than 200 of my photos were displayed. The event was free entry but prints were for sale and we collected donations. The full sum of money accumulated was for a charity which provides underprivileged children in Nepal study materials. For me, the best feeling was seeing around 300 people from different communities and cultures coming together to support a noble cause and appreciate the photos as well as the country. www.facebook.com/SoulfulMemoriesByParmeetSahni
You can read more about Parmeet and learn about her photography business Soulful Memories as well as her Gathering Of Life series and exhibition on our blog.
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Iguacu’s Wonder By Brendon Gilchrist
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ARGENTINEAN UPPER TRAIL F16, 20s, ISO64
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IGUACU PLANK F16, 20s, ISO64
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ontinuing on my South American journey, in this issue I want to introduce you to the natural wonder of Iguacu Falls aka Iguazu Falls – The first spelling if you’re standing on the Brazilian side, the second spelling if you’re standing on the Argentinian side.
A FEW FACTS FIRST • There are 275 separate waterfalls which cascade over the same shelf from the same river also called Iguazu. • The falls stretch around a horseshoe shape that measures 2.7 km in length. • The Iguazu river is a branch of the Parana River, the second biggest in South America spanning 4,880km. To put some scale to the size let’s compare it to home. To drive from the tip of the North Island to the very bottom it’s only 2083km. The Parana river is just under twice the size of the length of New Zealand! The longest river in New Zealand is the Tongariro, a tiny 604km long in comparison.
THE BRAZILIAN SIDE The Brazilian side has the most panoramic views of the 2 sides and is the closest side for being able to touch the waterfall. Maybe not so much in terms of you touching it, but it touching you – the spray soaks you to the bone when you walk the plank to the edge of one very big drop! It is hard to describe the feeling you get when you’re in such a place. Surrounded by water, surrounded by people chattering away happily in many different languages, the pitter patter of feet walking around as you lean on the railings taking in the majestic view, capturing an
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internal photograph and video of Iguacu’s tumbling water. The wildlife at the falls is special to watch, it reminded me how amazing nature is at adapting to its environment. At first I thought I was seeing things but birds called the Great Dusky Swift really do fly through the water to reach their nests. The water is so powerful I don’t know how they manage to fly through it. The Vultures, aka nature’s clean up crew, were also out, gliding so gracefully around the falls for hours (they do not circle their prey like some say). I was in envy of their view, it must be even more amazing than the one I was getting at ground level. Other wildlife at the falls included monkeys, Toucan’s and other colourful birds, butterflies, giant ants, and many, many Coati. The Coati is a member of the raccoon family but reminded me of a small feisty yet friendly dog, aggressive at times. I found this location to be a difficult one to photograph as it’s all been done before – Every angle, every style. I knew it would be impossible to take something completely fresh since over 1 million people visit this place every year, many of whom are professional photographers along with amateurs plus the cell phone snapper’s but sometimes you have to go somewhere and see it with your own eyes, hoping that you are capturing something fresh through your own perspective.
THE ARGENTINEAN SIDE If you want to visit over 100 different waterfalls in one day, and can manage 10km of walking, head over to the Argentinean side as I did as part of an organised tour. The reported highlight of the trip within Iguacu National Park on the Argentinean side is getting to
see the giant horseshoe-shaped cascade that is Garganta del Diablo. It required a long train journey followed by a long walk of 1.1km which went across the river on a suspended walkway. This place was the most powerful but also the most difficult place to take any good photos because you’re standing on top of a waterfall that is pouring thousands of litres of water every second, the spray of the water as intense as the sheer number of people. Personally, I believe the best section of the Argentinian side is not the Diablo, but the Upper and Lower Circuits, each one measuring in at 1.7km long. Why do I think this? Because there are so many more individual waterfalls to see and photography, not just the main falls that are seen from Brazil or from the Diablo. The Upper Circuit has magical panoramic views towards the Diablo and towards Salto San Martin. So magical that you have to pinch yourself to make sure it’s real and you’re not dreaming. It was here that I could get my telephoto lens out and capture some long exposures of some of the waterfalls. I managed to get 12 in one photo, that’s right 12 waterfalls in one frame. After capturing one lookout, packing up my gear, walking through the bush, listening to the birds, taking in this magical
place, I kept asking myself what more can this place offer, can it get any better than this? It did! I was not disappointed and despite the 30 degree heat (in their Winter time!) it was well worth the suffering to be able to witness the magic of the Upper Circuit. The Lower Circuit had more what I might call ‘intimate falls’, smaller in size and surrounded in bush with smaller drops with less water, but still impressive. The magic of this place is something that will last forever. Places like this, you visit once for a small amount of time, but the memories never fade away unlike so many other fleeting moments in our lifetime.
3 TIPS FOR CAPTURING A WONDER OF THE WATER WORLD
• Understand that you will be surrounded by many people who will push and shove so having a tripod is not always possible. • The best time to visit is late in the day as there are fewer people around, all the tourist buses having been and gone. • Due to the amount of water that is sprayed around, it is very hard to do long exposures. A short 10 second exposure is better than a long 30 second exposure as you won’t get as many water droplets on your lens and therefore in your photo.
On the Brazilian side looking towards the Garganta del Diablo. F11, 1/125s, ISO200
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12 FALLS IN ONE SHOT F16, 30s, ISO64
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How Photography Can Contribute To Meeting Each Of Our Emotional Needs
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s well as the obvious ‘basic needs’ for water, food, and shelter, humans have a set of 9 emotional needs, which are not so obvious but are just as essential to our wellbeing and happiness. In fact, our moment to moment decisions and actions are almost ALWAYS driven by our need to meet one or more of our emotional needs. Unfortunately, all too often in modern western culture, our emotional needs are not well understood or treated with the attention they deserve, and this is reflected in the current high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression within the population. The good news is, that once we understand our emotional needs, and how well we are currently meeting them, we can take action. In this way, people are able to create breakthrough changes in their behaviours leading to more fulfilling happier, healthier lives. Let’s take a look at those 9 needs and how photography is already helping us to meet them.
OUR 9 EMOTIONAL NEEDS Achievement: In order to maintain our self-esteem, we need to have a sense that we are accomplishing things of value. Photography enables us to recognise, and use, our existing competencies, skills, and resources. It also provides us with an opportunity to develop new skills and knowledge. Every photo we take increases our skill and capabilities as a photographer and provides us with an opportunity to extend ourselves beyond our comfort zone. We can set, and achieve, ever more challenging goals for ourselves (e. g. take a photo a day, get a photo published in NZP or the local paper, win a prize). And when we achieve our goal(s) we get a wonderful ‘feel-good’ sense of achievement. Security: We all need to feel a sense of security that
things will be okay and we can lead our lives without experiencing undue fear. Routine and predictability are things that give us a sense of control, assurance and safety. If we are lacking a sense of security in our lives, even a small sense of predictability can give us something to hold onto. The process of taking a photo is predictable as is the outcome (most of the time!). Often when we are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed we may find it difficult to express our thoughts and feelings verbally. We may feel ashamed, afraid, or embarrassed. Photography acts as
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by Tony Yuile non-verbal communication through which we can express our fears and feelings, in a way that feels safe.
Community: We need to feel connected to a
community and have a sense that we contribute. Photography provides an opportunity for us to connect and interact more with people, especially fellow photographers, for example by joining a photography club/group, whether a local group or an online community. Belonging to part of a community means that there are likely to be opportunities to contribute whether to a project, a competition, or simply help others to learn their camera and improve their skills.
Status / Respect: It’s not enough to just be part of a
group, we need to have a sense of our value within the group dynamics we’re a part of. We need to feel that we have something worthwhile to contribute, we need to feel we are respected and acknowledged and that others appreciate our talents. By creating photos that we are proud of, we can start to build a reputation amongst family, friends, and others, as a good or even expert photographer. People may start approaching us for tips and advice. When others start to pay attention to us and appreciate and respect us, this appreciation and recognition helps establish and maintain our sense of self-esteem and self-worth. When we say “I am a photographer” or “I am a visual artist” we are expressing an identity, having a positive identity is essential to good mental health.
Privacy: The need and right to obtain privacy, time and space to reflect on and learn from our experiences. With so many things vying for our attention 24/7 nowadays it’s easy to become overstimulated and/or overwhelmed. Photography provides a reason and the motivation to get outside and connect with nature and enjoy some alone time. When we are in nature we can clear our minds, be grounded in the present moment, and reconnect to how beautiful and diverse our world is. This gives our brain a welcome, and much needed, break from negative thoughts and worries. Purpose & Meaning: In the same vein of feeling that we’re accomplishing things of value, we all need to have a sense that we’re part of something greater than ourselves that has purpose, meaning and value. Each of us has a reason why we take photographs, and each photograph we take is created for a
particular reason whether we consciously know it or not. Photography gives us a voice; we can bring attention to issues big or small and inspire people to take action, creating positive change in the world. We can enrich other people’s lives.
Attention: We need to receive attention from those
we care about and also give them our attention in return. Images are able to grab our attention easily, and we are immediately drawn to them. By showing our photography to family, friends, and the public we can receive positive attention and positive feedback. The very act of taking a photograph provides a shift in perspective (we’re literally looking through a different lens, seeing the world in a new way). We can ‘reframe’ how we perceive the world, our problems, and our lives.
Control: We all need a sense of autonomy and
control, to feel like we have the power to direct our own lives and exist autonomously. For people whose life seems to be spiralling out of control, photography
can provide a vital sense of autonomy and control. As photographers, we are in total control of the whole creative process. With a camera in hand, we control what the lens captures, we decide whether to keep that image or not, whether to edit it and how to display it, if at all.
Emotional Connection: To be emotionally fulfilled
we need to feel connected to other people. We need to experience friendship, love, and intimacy. We need to feel a sense of intimacy with at least 1 other person, someone who accepts us totally for who we are, ‘warts n all’. Photography can be a wonderful catalyst for creating friendships, as we meet fellow photographers and people who are interested in our work. The value of friendship is incalculable, it is not the number of friends that counts but the quality of the friendship. True friends share one another’s interests and successes as well as failures. With a true friend, you can express yourself and be accepted for what and who you are.
See some of Tony’s photos on the following pages where he’s paired an emotional need with one of his images. BIO Tony Yuile qualified as a life coach and clinical hypnotherapist 6 years ago, a redundancy in the financial services industry followed by the recommendation of an NLP course, being the catalyst for personal transformation and a subsequent career change which lead to him forming TY Coaching. Today, Tony specialises in helping people manage stress, avoid anxiety and lift depression, he also helps people overcome a range of common problems such as fear of public speaking, weight management issues, phobias, breaking unhealthy/ unwanted habits, building self-esteem and goal achievement. His approach to coaching is solution-focused, practical, and evidence based. He focuses on giving people the skills and support they need to manage their own well-being and success. As a keen photographer, Tony understands only too well the benefits a hobby such as photography can have on our mental well being. He bought his first camera a Canon AE‑1 Program in 1986 on arrival in NZ from the UK. He’s been an avid Canon user ever since and currently owns a EOS700D. We look at some of his photos on the following pages.
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PRIVACY The garden in which this statue was located in Vietnam was one of the most serene places I’ve ever visited
COMMUNITY The glass ball on the right looks like it has been cast out of the group by the two balls on the left and is now alone.
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ACHIEVEMENT To satisfy their need for achievement humans like to challenge themselves even if it sometimes means taking risks.
ATTENTION When it comes to paying attention, the Eagle is an expert. I got this shot of a carved eagle in Vancouver, Canada.
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HOW TO CAPTURE: RIVER LANDSCAPES River Photography Tips with Richard Young
Tasman River, Mt Cook
F11, 5s, ISO64, 35mm
CAPTURE MOVEMENT:
GET YOUR FEET WET:
Using a longer shutter speed will allow you to capture the movement of the river but you'll need to use a tripod. Look for an area of fast flowing or white water to capture. Including some foreground rocks will also help to add some depth to the image.
Often, you'll get the best view and photo of a river by standing in the middle of it! Try to fill the frame with water, a large rock, or a bridge. These can also provide an excellent viewpoint, as can a bend in the river which may offer an open view upstream.
FIND A SUBJECT:
SHOOT UPSTREAM:
Decide if you want to capture the whole river or isolate a part of it. If only a small part of the river is interesting then a tele-zoom lens will pick this out. For wide sweeping river vistas you will likely need to use a wide angle lens to include everything. If using a wide angle lens, move around to find some foreground interest, otherwise an image can easily become boring. Also, think about your height above the river, as this will dramatically change the view.
Photographing upstream with the water coming towards you normally works best, as it draws your attention into the photograph, not out of the photograph which can happen with a downstream view. Use the shape and flow of the river to lead you into a background subject. This can be a distant peak or a prominent feature such as an overhanging tree. Shooting directly across the river to a subject on the opposite bank can also work well sometimes.
LEARN HOW TO CREATE FINE ART BLACK & WHITE LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHS ON A 4-DAY LONG EXPOSURE MASTERCLASS IN THE HOKIANGA & BAY OF ISLANDS WITH NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
REVIEW OF THE NIKON Z7 by Mark Gee
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he Nikon Z7 is the flagship model of Nikon’s first full frame mirrorless camera range equipped with a 45.7MP full frame CMOS sensor. As an owner of a Nikon D850, I was quite keen to get my hands on the Z7 to test out its capabilities. My main focus in photography is astrophotography so I was especially interested to see how it performed in low light situations. I received the Nikon Z7 just in time for the new moon period and lucked out with perfectly fine weather in Wellington, which can certainly be a rare combination in this part of the country! The test camera came with the new Z Mount 24– 70mm f/4 lens. I was eager to test this lens as I had heard how sharp, from corner to corner, the quality of the images are when shot with the Z Mount lenses. However, for my astro shoot I was going to use the FTZ converter so that I could use my Nikon 14–24mm f/2.8 lens. One thing to note with using the converter is that you don’t have any autofocus capabilities but for me, that’s not an issue as I only use manual focus for astro. Before I headed out to Wellington’s south coast in the dark for the astro shoot, I spent some time at home familiarising myself with the camera. The first thing I noticed was the obvious size and weight difference compared to other DSLR cameras. At first, it felt a little awkward for me to hold as I was so used to my Nikon D850, but it didn’t take long to get comfortable with. The camera itself is really well built and weather sealed as with the Nikon DSLR range. It didn’t take me long to work out all the controls even though some of them are different from what I’m used to with the D850. In the end, I found I navigated the menus and changed most of the settings on the LCD screen, which was really intuitive and easy to use.
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The electronic viewfinder on the Z7 is top notch! It’s so sharp that you don’t see any granularity, and if felt like I was just looking through a regular optical viewfinder. The really useful thing I found with the EVF was that you could review the photos you’ve taken through it, this is great in situations where you have a lot of light around which would usually make for difficult viewing on the LCD screen.
of longer and shorter exposures. On this particular morning, there was some great light and interesting cloud formations so it was the perfect day for it. I shot both handheld and on a tripod for some of the longer exposures, although I was surprised at how sharp I was able to get a shot when I did a 1 second exposure handheld. This was most likely due to the Z7’s 5-axis optical image stabilisation which is built into the body.
For the astro shoot, I decided to shoot with both the Nikon Z7 and the Nikon D850 for comparison of image quality. After I shot the first few frames, I was super impressed with the quality I got out of the Z7. Even when I was shooting with an ISO of 10,000 the amount of noise in the image wasn’t bad at all compared to shooting with other brands of cameras.
After getting home and doing a processing session on the images I shot that morning, I was really impressed with the dynamic range of the Z7. Even on some of my underexposed images, I was able to pull out good clear detail from the shadows and blacks. And on some of the more overexposed images, I was able to rein in some of the extreme highlights. But the thing that excited me most was the sharpness of the images, even in the corners, when using the Z Mount 24–70mm lens.
I ended up sticking with my typical exposure settings for astro which is a 30 second shutter at f/4.0 and an ISO of 6400. After getting home and having a close look at the images, I would say that the Z7 had slightly less noise and a slightly better dynamic range than what I had shot on the D850, that could be the result of the Z7’s newer Expeed 6 image processor. This was really great for me and I’m now confident that the Z7 would be a great astro camera. It would even be better for shooting astro timelapse compared to the DSLRs, since you don’t have to worry about shutter wear and tear, and you have an inbuilt intervalometer just like the other Nikon DSLR models. I wanted to further test the camera’s dynamic range capabilities, so I headed down to my local beach for a sunrise shoot. I went with the Z Mount 24–70mm f/4 lens for this session, wanting to try a combination
The Nikon Z7 full frame mirrorless camera has certainly wowed me with its performance. The build and handling of the camera are second to none, and the image quality, especially when using the native Z Mount lenses, is some of the best quality I’ve seen. The biggest gripe I’ve heard with this camera is the single memory card slot, but for me personally, that doesn’t even factor when there are so many other great things about this camera. So if you have a chance, go check it out for yourself – I believe Nikon has done a great job with their first full frame mirrorless camera. See the post-processed images I took on the following pages.
Nikon Z7 November 2018
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F4, 30s, ISO6400
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November 2018
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F22, 1s, ISO64
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F16, 1/8s, ISO64
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F16, 1/8s, ISO64
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FRESH SHOOTS PHOTO COMPETITION
ENTER
The competition is split into four quarterly competitions based on each of the four seasons.
Submissions for Spring season are now OPEN To submit your image and see T&Cs please go to: www.excio.io/freshshoots
CATEGORIES
PEOPLE
NATURE
CREATIVE
EVENTS
PRIZES SENIOR - overall winner Voucher from Nikon NZ worth $400 & WPS Society membership valued at $84
JUNIORÂ - overall winner A place on a New Zealand Photography Workshop in Wellington
View category prizes here: www.excio.io/freshshoots
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Interview with Werner Kaffl HI WERNER, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF LETTING US KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU DO! I was born and raised close to Munich, Germany and came to Wellington in 2010. I became a NZ citizen a few weeks ago! I have always been interested in technical stuff and artwork in general. I like doing creative things with my own hands – or with the help of a camera and computer to edit images and from the age of 15 worked with airbrushes, doing this at a hobby level for quite some time. I enjoy leaving the beaten track behind and experimenting with things that most others don’t even try. I love challenges, going to the limit, and beyond. I started my professional career as an electrician, then studied and switched to IT as a systems engineer. In 2016 I had a breakdown and couldn’t handle the IT environment anymore. Running out of options, I thought of what other talents I had, trying photography as a profession was the next natural thing to do. I started a business, did some part time study about business management, and now I do a wide range of photography and related services. Those services range from fine art photography to portrait photography to business related photos, product photos, and family or event photography. I also started using my IT experience in different ways, offering social media management, content production, website design (to a certain degree). Some of my clients simply don’t have the time to do their social media posts or don’t want stock images on their websites. In such an environment, borders are pretty blurred. Taking photos of an event and then posting them in an album on a Facebook page for the client, is actually three different jobs in one – event photography, content production, social media management. Generally, I’m open to any ideas my clients may have, from plain photos of their real estate property to elaborate compositions for their lounge or office wall or a campaign to raise awareness for certain causes.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED IN PHOTOGRAPHY? My mum was an educated photographer, my dad was an SLR enthusiast, and I was always good at drawing. In 2000 I bought my first digital
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camera, followed by better and better point-andshoot cameras. Finally, around 2013, I got my first DSLR camera. I saw some astro photographs and started to try astro myself, asked accomplished photographers for their settings, and learned by doing (and reading occasional articles). Everything I do is self-taught, from my beginnings in drawing and airbrush, to my most elaborate digital compositions.
YOU COVER A WIDE RANGE OF GENRES – IS THERE ONE THAT’S CLOSEST TO YOUR HEART? Generally, I prefer soft light and darkness. So I love the golden and blue hours, as well as the dead of night. Photography is an Ancient Greek expression, which means “drawing with light”. The best way to draw with lights is in a dark environment. For the most part I prefer landscapes and panoramas, but I also enjoy doing working with people (some are models), in the same context.
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WHAT’S YOUR ALL-TIME FAVOURITE CAPTURE?
TELL US ABOUT YOUR RECENT VIP PHOTO SHOOT…
I think it’s my first milky way panorama, with the moon in the centre. When I got to my planned location, I discovered the Moon was out too. The Moon should have spoiled the whole thing, but I decided to try anyway – You’ve nothing to lose after a one hour drive. The result is my first (and favourite) astro panorama – and an encouragement for me to ignore boundaries set by others.
I met a good friend of mine in Cuba Street by chance for the first time in ages. We had a quick chat and she told me their company would have a VIP going to their offices for a visit. So she asked me if I were free for a general shooting, and if I could also get staff images of the visit. I agreed, got a shooting date confirmed, and just 2 days before the shoot, learned that the VIP in question was our Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. I felt incredibly honoured and got pretty nervous, but all went extremely well. I’m pretty proud of this accomplishment!
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE? I have 3 camera bodies; Canon EOS6D, 5D M2 and 5D M3 plus a variety of lenses: Canon 24–104mm f4 Sigma 15mm f2.8 Sigma 24mm and 50mm f1.4 ART lenses Tamron 24–70mm f2.8 Tamron 70–300mm Tamron 150–600mm
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TELL US ABOUT THE FASHION CREATIVE… The Fashion Creative is a group of very enthusiastic and extremely talented people. As the name suggests, we are very interested in fashion and related photography. For me that means, everything involving models, make-up artists, designers, hair stylists, photographers, and the creativity we all share, to make incredible things happen.
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Once a year we all come together (in 2018 it was roughly 100 people), to do creative photo shoots. Everyone has people assigned to their projects, and for a whole weekend, we are all working on our ideas. None of us gets paid for this, we do it just because we love what we do. For any readers who are interested in learning more and perhaps joining us, click on the Fashion Creative link or get in contact with me for more information.
(for the History Channel). I also did BTS and still photos for “Stolen Senses”, a not yet published short film, which gave me my first taste for the movie business, and another short film called “The way it is”. I also had the opportunity to do the lighting for a special short film “The Phone Awakens”, which was filmed in super 8x8, and had to be filmed in the final sequence, no cuts. I even make my own props for some of my shoots!
WHAT TIPS CAN YOU SHARE WITH OUR READERS WHO WANT TO MAKE A LIVING FROM THEIR PHOTOGRAPHY?
Away from the camera, I’m passionate about raising awareness of invisible illnesses. I run a Facebook page concerning invisible illnesses such as cancer, depression, etc. and one Facebook page just around depression. I’m currently working on a project with the Wellington Multiple Sclerosis Society, raising awareness for MS.
Making a living from photography is quite hard. I think you need a big amount of optimism and to start as a side business first. What I found most important is developing one’s personal style, experimenting a lot, and not believing in limits!
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
ANYTHING ELSE WE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOU?
www.facebook.com/wernerkafflphotography
I work on both sides of the lens. Sometimes I’m a model for portrait shoots and I have also been an extra in a few movies and commercials.
www.instagram.com/werner_kaffl_photography
I’ve been extra in “Wellington Paranormal”, “Mortal Engines” (coming to cinemas in December), “Palisades”
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www.wernerkaffl.com
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PORTFOLIO
BEST READERS' SUBMISSIONS THIS MONTH
DRAGONFLIGHT F5.6, 1/3200s, ISO1000
CARMEL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A Dragonfly flying in sunlight with the background in shadow.
Andy Popadiuk
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ZEN PELICANS F5.6, 1/1000s, ISO100
CARMEL, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A Gliding pelicans in a smoky sunset thanks to numerous forest fires.
Andy Popadiuk
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LAKE HAYES SPRING SNOW F20, 1/125s, ISO400
LAKE HAYES, QUEENSTOWN The heaviest snowfall of the year, in September, brought so many photo opportunities.
Ann Kilpatrick
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ENGAGEMENT F1.4, 1/8000s
RAGLAN, NEW ZEALAND A beautiful sunset engagement photo with a fun and happy couple.
Anthony Morris
November 2018
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NUGGET POINT SUNRISE NUGGET POINT, OTAGO My first time visiting the eastern part of the South Island and witnessing a beautiful sunrise at the infamous Nugget Point Lighthouse.
Ayla Matencio
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LAKE REFLECTIONS TWIZEL A beautiful and calm morning in Twizel with a display of autumn colours and lake reflections.
Ayla Matencio
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HOLLYFORD RIVER REFLECTION PANORAMA F11, 1-180s, ISO200
MILFORD ROAD The Hollyford River in strong mid-morning light and reflecting the surrounding mountains, allowing me to create this 10-image panorama.
Bernd Kupka
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KAKANUI MOUNTAINS PANORAMA F11, 1-80s, ISO100
CATLINS, NZ The Kakanui Mountains snow covered and with beautiful clouds creating spectacular scenery for this 12-image panorama.
Bernd Kupka
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MANUKAU INFINITY F4, 1/5s, ISO800
MANUKAU HARBOUR An image with light, water, mist and sunrise all combining for a brief minute.
Bruce Simons
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SALEN WRECKS F11, 1/60s, IS0200
SALEN, ISLE OF MULL, SCOTLAND Had a trip to the Isle of Mull in August. These are two of three wrecks just on the outskirts of the village of Salen. Had to wait a while to make sure my shot was clear of people, the rain clouds rolled in.
Carole Garside
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GRAND CANYON F13,1/125s, ISO100
GRAND CANYON, ARIZONA, USA Bright Angle Point can be seen in the far distance. Mule teams regularly carry passengers down these slopes.
Chick Piper
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DREAMY WAIAU Playing with my 10 stop filter on the river near home... I saw this branch and thought it would be a good subject looking down on it from high up the river bank.
Chris Watson
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CURIOUS KEA F8, 1/750s, ISO320 I am a leader at Scouts here in Te Anau - We were on a winter camp for the weekend recently and I took a group of kids and parents up Key Summit on the Milford Road for a walk. It was a stunning clear frosty chilly beautiful day.... We were sitting on Key Summit enjoying the vista around us when a Kea decided to join us for about 30min. It climbed all around us and over our bags, having a wee tug at anything shiny to see if it could take anything away.
Chris Watson 68 NZPhotographer
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WHITE HERON F8, ISO500
LAKE HOOD A White Heron flying gracefully away on a sunny afternoon.
David Oakley
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KOOKABURRA F5.6, 1/1000s, IS0400
BAROON POCKET DAM, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA We took a little trip to Australia a couple of weeks ago and found some great spots to photograph. This is from a dam on the Sunshine Coast.
Dominic Stove
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MAPLETON SUNSET F16, 1/50s, IS0100
MAPLETON, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA Another stunning sunset taken while on holiday in the Sunshine Coast.
Dominic Stove
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SILK VENDOR F5, 1/100s, ISO200
URUMCHI BAZAAR, XINJIANG,CHINA. A sadness in contrast to the bright silk she sells.
Greg Arnold
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O'CONNELL ST REFLECTIONS F5.6, 1/100s, ISO100
O'CONNELL ST., AUCKLAND CBD A lane-way in Auckland CBD has a disk suspended between the buildings that turns in the breeze. The mirror on one side creating a contrast with the surrounding buildings.
Ian Bray November 2018 77
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NOT JUST AN OLD SHED DUNEDIN This old shed is beloved by NZ photographers. It got damaged by one of the storms this year, and everyone hopes it can be fixed soon.
Jana Luo
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OHAKUNE TOWN AT NIGHT F11, 6s, IS0100
OHAKUNE
While shooting some night scenes in Ohakune town centre I was experimenting with long exposures of vehicles passing to give the image a surreal look.
Jason Langman
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ON TOP OF THE WORLD F10, 70/1s, ISO100
ROYS PEAK These are the moments I live for. Waking up at 3am, dragging your sick friend out of bed to go on a hike in almost 0 degree conditions. I had been wanting to climb this mountain for a while. It took under 3 hours to reach the peak, arriving just in time for the sunrise. I felt so alive being here. This was definitely one of the most rewarding sunrise missions, as the views were literally breathtaking.
Jinal Govind
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THAT TAUPO TREE LAKE TAUPO An early morning mission to find this spot. I was greeted with a beautiful pink sky as the sun was rising.
Jo Mohi
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SUNSET PETONE BEACH A wonderful unplanned afternoon spent at the beach. I decided to stick around for sunset and was not disappointed with this beauty.
Jo Mohi
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BROKEN BITS AND PIECES iPhone 7 Plus
NORTH SHEEN, LONDON I liked the vivid and vibrant colour on this driveway!
John Kelly 88 NZPhotographer
HUKA FALLS Panorama from my OJI Mavic Pro
HUKA FALLS, TAUPO My first trip to Huka falls, a cold morning and a misty sunrise but a beautiful, peaceful moment before the morning tourists arrived.
Joshua Goodey
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PINK PORT F14, 2.5s, ISO50
PORT CHALMERS, DUNEDIN Back Beach in Port Chalmers is bathed in pink during golden hour.
Kerensa Clark
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MOUNT COOK BLUES F4.5, 20s, ISO50
MOUNT COOK NATIONAL PARK Mount Cook in hues of blue with Hooker Lake in the foreground. This was actually taken in the evening under a darkening sky.
Kerensa Clark November 2018 93
RUNNING FREE Horses enjoy the freedom to run in a large meadow without halters. This is a composite image, the horses transplanted into a more interesting meadow!
Kim Falconer
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BURNING RIVER F5.6, 1/125s, ISO200
EPUPA FALLS, NAMIBIA Getting up early while on vacation is never easy, but when I have a specific shot in mind, I often find myself lying awake way before my alarm goes off. It was the last day at Epupa and even the clouds played along with my idea of a shot.
Mariette Du Tait
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SPARROW Despite generous feeding over the last few years the local sparrows keep a respectful distance, hence the need for a good telephoto lens even in the backyard. The bird was heavily backlit, so I had override the exposure by 4 stops to get the shadow to open up.
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Mark Hoffman
PEACH BLOSSOM F4, 1/250s, ISO200 Close up of new peach blossom taken with telephoto zoom to create minimal depth of field and smooth bokeh.
Mark Hoffman
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JUMPER F8, 1/200s, ISO400 Tiny jumping spider only about 5mm long sitting on a flower. Photo taken at 4:1 magnification, and focus stacked from 4 images, creating a greater depth of field.
Murray McCulloch
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CLOUDSET F11, 1/150s
BETHELL'S BEACH, AUCKLAND Auckland's West coast beaches are fantastic places to watch the sunset over the ocean. The serene landscapes and dramatic skies there are fascinating.
Olga Macagon
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INNER SPACE MANAWATU GORGE On the centre of the road with frame. Model: Kelley
Paul Robertson November 2018 105
MOERAKI BOULDERS F13, 1.6s Sunrise on a beautiful clear spring day at the Moeraki Boulders
Peter Ambrose
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KAREKARE FALLS BACKWATER F14, 10s, ISO200 I originally visited Karekare Beach to capture the Karekare Falls. It was mid morning by the time I arrived and the light was not great. The sun had already placed itself directly on the crest of the falls meaning I had to shoot directly into it. Looking for alternatives I ventured into the adjacent waterway and found a multitude of smaller falls cascading through the bush.
Simon Wills
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SUNRISE AT CALTON HILL EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND A famous monument in Edinburgh and a beautiful sunrise.
Prashant Joshi
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SEAPLANES LAKE TAUPO Two seaplanes berthing on Lake Taupo.
Robert Hsiao
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TE HENGA WALKWAY F16, 8s, ISO100
TE HENGA WALKWAY, AUCKLAND'S WEST COAST
The Te Henga walkway is a pristine piece of real estate on Auckland's west coast. Although it was a fairly bleak day I tried to find a composition that represented its rugged beauty regardless of the weather conditions.
Simon Wills
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SONG THRUSH F6.3, 1/640s, ISO1000
CORNWALL PARK
Head shot of one of our frequent visitors as we walk through the park.
Steve Harper November 2018 115
GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY IS ABOUT DEPTH OF FEELING, NOT DEPTH OF FIELD 116 NZPhotographer
PETER ADAMS