ISSUE 6, April 2018
OUR BIGGEST ISSUE YET
Over 100 pages of Photo Inspiration
SUMMER SHOT
COMPETITION WINNERS
INTERVIEW
WITH DOMINIC STOVE
LANDSCAPE ADVENTURES WITH BILLY NUNWEE
SMELLING PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES IN ROTORUA WITH BRENDON GILCHRIST
HOW TO CAPTURE: LAKES WITH RICHARD YOUNG
April 2018
1
From the Editor Dear reader,
Taya Iv, Editor
Join the conversation!
So many of you sent your gorgeous photos to us this month. Your hard work is proof that the future of photography is incredibly bright. Keep inspiring us and submitting your amazing work!
nzphotographer nzp_magazine nzp@excio.io Get in touch! General Info: NZPhotographer Issue 6 April 2018 Cover Photo by Dominic Stove
Issue 6 is filled with motivating and thought-provoking content that will help you reach new heights. Billy Nunweek highlights his favourite landscape images, Dominic Stove talks about his creative journey, Brendon Gilchrist describes the beauty of Rotorua, and much more. To put it simply, we think this issue is our most exciting one yet!
Group Director: Ana Lyubich ana@excio.io Editor: Taya Iv Graphic Design: Maksim Topyrkin
Publisher: Excio Group
Editorial Assistant: Emily Goodwin
Website: www.excio.io/nzphotographer
Advertising Enquiries: Phone us on 04 889 29 25 or send us an enquiry hello@excio.io
© 2018 NZPhotographer Magazine All rights reserved. Reproduction of any material appearing in this magazine in any form is forbidden without prior consent of the publisher. About NZPhotographer Whether you’re an enthusiastic weekend snapper or a beginner who wants to learn more, NZ Photographer is the fun e-magazine for all Kiwi camera owners – and it’s free!
Disclaimer: Opinions of contributing authors do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the magazine.
2
NZPhotographer
TABLE OF CONTENTS 4 BEHIND THE SHOT WITH EMRE SIMTAY 6 HOW TO CAPTURE: LAKES WITH RICHARD YOUNG 7 A VISIT TO ROTORUA 10 INTERVIEW WITH DOMINIC STOVE OF LUCKYSHOTZ PHOTOGRAPHY 16 BACK TO BASICS PART 4 TAKING MANUAL CONTROL OF YOUR CAMERA 18 LANDSCAPE ADVENTURES WITH BILLY NUNWEEK 25 SUMMER SHOT COMPETITION WINNERS Richard Young
Brendon Gilchrist
CONTRIBUTORS RAY HARNESS
RICHARD YOUNG
EMILY GOODWIN
BRENDON GILCHRIST
Ray is an amateur photographer who has dabbled in photography for 45 years. He has a lot of pre-digital knowledge under his belt and enjoys capturing landscape scenes and animals.
Richard is an awardwinning landscape and wildlife photographer who teaches photography workshops and runs photography tours. He is the founder of New Zealand Photography Workshops.
Emily fell into photography a little over 10 years ago. She is passionate about documenting her travels and loves to spend time in nature capturing the details as well as the wider views.
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.
Behind The Shot with Emre Simtay
EMRE, CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUND? I was born in Germany, but returned to my parents’ native Turkey in my late childhood and studied there. In 2005, I came to New Zealand to study Computer Science. While studying here in Wellington I met my wife, got married and settled down. I developed an interest in photography with my wife’s encouragement about six years ago. I taught myself all about taking photos and since then I have been constantly photographing and documenting what’s happening around me. Becoming a photographer has changed my life, I started seeing things with a different perspective, observing people and our surroundings.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR PHOTO? I was wandering around with my camera on Courtenay Place when this gentleman took my attention. My camera setting was on manual so while I am approaching him I set my shutter speed to 1/250 so I wouldn’t get blurry shots, cranked up my ISO, set my aperture to the widest f 1.4 and changed focus mode to continuous. I was going to do a sneaky shot but then I decided to make it obvious to the gentleman. I made my camera visible and interacted with my subject with a smile. He smiled and covered his face with an interesting hand movement - I love this photo.
IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND RE-SHOOT THIS MOMENT, WHAT WOULD YOU DO DIFFERENTLY? I was thinking that if I used my flash I would have gotten better light but then my subject’s face would be visible. I really like how you cannot see anything in the hoodie with only his hand visible. I would probably go ask for a portrait after taking this shot.
WHAT EDITING WAS DONE? I shoot in RAW format so I converted this photo in black and white using Adobe Lightroom. Through editing, I increased the contrast by 30%, reduced the black by 30%, increased the highlights by 35% and increased the clarity by 20%.
4
NZPhotographer
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE? My main camera is a Sony A7ii with a Zeiss 35mm f 2.8 prime lens though sometimes I use my Canon FD 55mm f 1.2 lens. My other favourite carry around camera is a Panasonic GX7 with 200-600mm equivalent zoom lens which I use for telephoto photography only. I also have a Canon 70D with 10-18mm + Sigma 30mm f 1.4 art lens. Additionally, I have two more mirrorless cameras, two SLRs, a TLR and some more lenses to go with them. My favourite film camera is my 6x6 medium format Yashica 635 combined with 120mm Kodak tri-x 400.
DO YOU ALWAYS CARRY YOUR CAMERA WITH YOU? I started carrying my camera with me when I first bought my DSLR. After spending so much money on a camera I thought I shouldn’t let it sit and gather dust
so I decided to carry it with me everywhere I go. Now, when I go out without my camera I don’t feel whole!
WHY CANDID PHOTOGRAPHY? AND WHY B&W OVER COLOUR? I like candid photography because everything looks natural. It’s not staged so it looks more dramatic... what we see is more real with true feelings and actions. I prefer black and white over colour most of the time as I find colours distracting and things look simple and more interesting and moody when it’s a black and white photo.
annoyed so I keep away from them but sometimes if it’s worth it, I just shoot without much thinking and try to be ready for any consequences. Once, I was told off at the Wellington railway station by a staff member because I might be disturbing the passengers by taking their photos.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? www.flickr.com/photos/emre_simtay www.instagram.com/wellington.nz
HAS SHOOTING ON THE STREET EVER CAUSED PROBLEMS FOR YOU? I haven’t had many problems, mostly because I observe people and I can tell if they are going to be
April 2018
5
HOW TO CAPTURE: LAKES
Lake Photography Tips by Richard Young
Lake Matheson, West Coast
F11, 1/125s, ISO 100, 24mm
THINK ABOUT YOUR HEIGHT:
FRAME WITH SOME FOREGROUND:
When photographing an expanse of water, height can make a big difference in your photograph. Getting down lower can often change reflections and allow you to capture foreground, close on the shore. A higher view will often let you include more water and less foreground.
Finding some foreground in your lake photograph will help to add some depth in an image. The foreground could be quite subtle e.g some bankside vegetation or it can be used as a stronger element and the main focal point of the image; like a classic jetty shot.
FIND A VIEW:
LOOK FOR REFLECTION:
Most lakes are only as pretty as what surrounds them, otherwise they are just an open expanse of water. Find a view across the lake, this could be some distant peaks, amazing forest or an impressive sky at sunset. If the opposite lake shore/background is a long way away, you may need to use a zoom lens to bring it closer and make it a stronger focal point.
Reflections in lakes can make striking photographs even on bright sunny days, capturing the perfect mirror image. If you head out on a windy day, don’t expect any lake reflections as the water will be rippled by the wind. Often, calm mornings are best for reflections as there is little breeze until the sun has risen.
CAPTURE LAKE MATHESON ON A 7-DAY WEST COAST TOUR: 19TH - 25TH SEPTEMBER 2018 WITH NEW ZEALAND PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS
6
NZPhotographer
A VISIT TO ROTORUA by Brendon Gilchrist
F/13, 1/100s, ISO 64, 24mm
R
What is that smell you ask? That is the smell of opportunities!
otorua is a town nestled in the Bay of Plenty region known for its volcanic activity (of the good sort) which has beautiful rich colors that only volcanic activity creates. Rotorua might just seem like a small town that is a bit smelly (due to the sulphur-rick air) but if you drive beyond the town perimeter you will discover how lush this region is and how photogenic this place can be. There are 11 lakes in the region all of varying sizes and each rich in history. Lake Tarawera is one of those places, a short scenic 22 minute drive from Rotorua to the lake edges, where there are many jetty’s. It might be hard to choose which one to photograph, but I have no doubt that when you do you can create something special with it. If you are into Astro Photography, this lake has some of the best dark skies in the region with Mount Tarawera being prominent on the other side of the lake - The milkyway rises above it if you visit early in the season. On the other side of this lake there is a natural hot pool which I first learned about many years ago when I was completing my Diploma in Adventure and Eco Tourism – That day we were learning about sea kayaking and after paddling over this lake, having lunch, then soaking in the hot pool it was very hard to climb back into the kayak and paddle back to where the van was. The experience of this was worth it as you’re in nature from the moment your feet hit the sand on the beach to when you get back to where you started.
Also highly recommended is a visit to the Wai-OTapu Thermal Wonderland which includes the famous Champagne pool. This hot spring was formed 900 years ago by a hydrothermal eruption. Its crater is around 65 meters in diameter with a maximum depth of 62 meters, the water is around 260 degrees celsius. This lake has beautiful colours around its edge, formed from orpiment and stibnite deposits. Other features of this magical place are the Lady Knox Geyser which erupts daily at 10:15am so be sure to arrive early so you can get a seat and listen to the very informative guide. Blue Springs - Te Waihou Walkway is one of New Zealand’s most purist water sources and supplies 60% of NZ bottled water. The walkway takes you along the Waihou River, through wetlands, and besides pastoral land. Once you emerge you will be left speechless! I recommenced a Circular Polarizing Filter for this location, this removes glare off the top of the water allowing you to see through the water, while also making some of the colors more vivid. This is a short walk but it is best to take your time, take a picnic, enjoy this place for all it is, and photograph it in a way you see it. To sum up Rotorua, it is a place of diversity offering adventure, mountain biking, nature walks, water sports and amazing and unique photographic opportunists... I wish I had spent more time there. Till next time Rotorua, you are a beautiful area indeed.
April 2018
7
F/3.5, 20s, ISO 10000, 24mm
8
NZPhotographer
F/11, 1/80s, ISO 320, 24mm
April 2018
9
Interview with Dominic Stove of LuckyShotz Photography DOMINIC, CAN YOU TELL OUR READERS A BIT ABOUT YOURSELF? I’m probably best described as a keen amateur photographer. I work a regular job as an IT Manager in Kaiapoi just north of Christchurch, and live on a lifestyle block in Oxford, North Canterbury with a menagerie of horses, dogs, chickens etc.. All this keeps me fairly busy, so I don’t get a lot of time to pursue my hobby! I’m married to a professional photographer (Rhonda Stove), so this helps a lot. It’s good to have someone who understands that I really do need to spend all that money on yet another lens! It’s also great to have someone to go on road trips with whenever the mood arises, to help set up shots and to offer critique and encouragement.
WHAT’S YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY BACKGROUND? My first camera was an Agfa Agfamatic 126 camera that I got for Christmas when I was about 8. I imagine everyone who was a youngster in those days remembers going through a few films and then having to save up the pocket money to get them developed! Photographs were certainly more valued back then and people took more care to get them right because they were so expensive to produce! I grew up in Arthurs Pass, so I had plenty of natural beauty around to inspire me, and I’m sure I took a lot more photographs than ever ended up being developed. Later, at boarding school, I joined the photography club and was able to use their darkroom. I also invested in my first ‘real’ camera, a Russian Lubitel 2 twin lens reflex camera. Before too long I was rolling my own film, taking more photographs and developing the results. I wasn’t overly successful with the film developing, but there is nothing like watching a blank piece of paper suddenly come alive with one of your images. After leaving school I often borrowed my Father’s’ Praktica SLR but I then moved up to Auckland for work and it wasn’t until about 15 years later that I got around to getting another decent camera. It was at this time that my wife also became interested in photography again and started a course at AUT. We each invested in a camera - Hers a Pentax K1000 and mine a Pentax ME. Back then the focus was predominantly around the young family growing up, and general holiday snaps, but the interest continued through the end of the film era, with various Pentax cameras until we purchased an early Fujifilm digital camera and then a Pentax K100d. Suddenly the cost of getting films developed was no longer a barrier, and we could take pictures whenever we felt like it!
10 NZPhotographer
With the children getting older, my wife decided to take her photography hobby further and enrolled in more courses. I helped her with some of them and also started to spend more time taking photographs of things that interested me, rather than just cataloguing life events for distant grandparents that only see their grandchildren once or twice a year! I soon developed a preference for landscape photography and the Pentax was replaced with a Nikon D50. We were now able to take off for the weekend whenever we felt like it, and with family back in Arthurs Pass and Lake Ohau, we had easy access to some of the countries most beautiful scenery which we took full advantage of. We both joined the Rangiora Photographic Society and I found that the enthusiasm of the club members gave me a huge boost as well. The encouragement to enter competitions and the feedback given by the judges has been invaluable in improving the quality of my photography.
WHAT EQUIPMENT DO YOU USE TODAY? I have a Nikon D200 that I take with me most places - It’s in the laptop bag I take to work, or it’s in the car when I go out. It’s not the newest of cameras, and it’s only about 12mp, but everything is easy to find on it and it feels nice and solid - It’s the sort of camera you can’t break! It’s great to be able to take it out and grab a picture of that sunrise that’s just poking through the trees and sending fingers of light through the mist that you’ve just spotted on the way to work. The lens
April 2018
11
12 NZPhotographer
on it at the moment is a Tamron 18-200. I use this lens because it’s light and it covers all the bases for this sort of unexpected photography. I have a Nikon D7200 that I usually use this for planned shoots. I love the D7200 because it has built in wifi, so I can set up shots with my phone or iPad if I have to put the camera in a position that makes the angle difficult, or if its cold and I want to sit in the warm car!! A Tokina 12-24mm lens generally stays on the D7200 all the time but I also have a Tamron 28-75mm lens and a 50mm lens for when I want a closer shot. Other equipment includes ND filters for each lens and a circular polariser filter, a nice light Beike magnesium alloy tripod, and a Peak Design Capture Pro camera clip. I have my ‘fauxpro’ - a $50 GoPro clone that I often set up to capture time-lapse videos of sunrises etc. and I carry a Yongnuo speedlite flash around with me plus remote for it, but I never use it! I also have access to my wife’s studio and various lighting equipment like softboxes, reflectors, studio backdrops and props. However, my most portable camera is a Huawei P10+ cellphone with a Leica 27mm 1:1.8 lens and 22mp sensor. It has a fully manual mode and even takes raw images!
then go back and try for better ones. I like places that nobody has been to, but they’re getting harder to find!
WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Normally I bring all the images into Adobe Lightroom. First I correct the colour profile, white balance, and take down the highlights making sure to balance out anywhere the whites have blown out and bring up the shadows if the detail is lost. If I’m stitching images this is where I copy my settings and paste them to the rest of the images. Then I will go through and correct any spots I can see. This generally takes me about 2 minutes. If the image needs more work, I will bring it into Photoshop and use layers to bring up highlights, add shadows and enhance colours etc. Sometimes I will use Nik filters to bring contrast into the image, especially if it was taken with flat light, or if I want to turn it black and white.
My inspiration comes from online forums and galleries such as the Facebook New Zealand Landscapes group, Gurushots, etc. People that have been a big influence on me are Craig Potton, Andris Apse, and the wedding/ couples photographer Zhou Ya, who puts people in the most stunning landscapes. There are some great photographers at RPS as well.
WHERE’S YOUR ULTIMATE FAVOURITE PLACE TO SHOOT? There are too many! Anywhere in high country. I love capturing water in my images, whether its waves, rain, waterfalls, lakes, rivers or heavy stormy clouds. I like to go places I haven’t been before, get some images and
WHAT TIPS CAN YOU GIVE OUR READERS FOR CAPTURING LANDSCAPE SCENES? Pick your light, usually dawn or dusk, although good cloud can offer a different dimension to a landscape. If you’re driving a distance to somewhere, you often don’t have much choice and have to take the photos as you go, so take an ND filter to bring out some of the depth in the clouds. Direct noon-day sun is very rarely any good even with an ND filter unless you can filter it through a tree or hide part of it behind a hill or something! Shadows add depth to images - Without them, images can look flat so use the sun to your advantage if you can. Make sure you keep your horizons straight and your tripod level - Many cameras have a level in them that you can turn on if you’re in an area where it’s difficult to see the horizon and some tripods have a spirit level builtin. If your tripod is level, when you pan around to take in a large area, it’s much easier to stitch the images later if you want to!
WHAT DOES YOUR POST-PROCESSING ROUTINE LOOK LIKE?
CAN YOU PICK 1 FAVOURITE PHOTO YOU HAVE TAKEN? My favourite image is probably my photograph of the tree in the Nevis Valley. We had planned a trip down to the Catlins, back through Wanaka and across to Haast, the glaciers and back home. I decided to plan a few places that I wanted to go. One of these places was a tree I had seen a photograph of. I knew it was by a pond in the Nevis Valley so I searched Google maps satellite images until I found the most likely place, and put it on my list. When we got to the Catlins, it was pouring with rain, so we only managed a couple of muddy shots of waterfalls. On the way to Wanaka I was going to go to Glenorchy however, the road had been washed out from all the rain and was closed! The weather was clearing though, so we headed to Bannockburn and drove through the Nevis until we found the tree, exactly where Google showed it! On the way back through Haast the next day, the weather again packed in and we missed the opportunity to get to the glaciers, got a very cloudy picture of Lake Matheson, and then it rained all the way home. So the only good image I ended up with was the one I had planned so meticulously! It was worth the effort, as it has won several awards and is one of the few of my own images I have hanging on my wall!
WHAT’S YOUR PROUDEST PHOTOGRAPHY MOMENT? I’ve had a few over the last year actually. I’ve had an image accepted for the Canon PSNZ National exhibition in Dunedin, I’ve had an image published in a book called ‘Big Nature’, as well as in NZ Photographer, but I think my proudest moment was selling 2 images at the Rangiora Photographic Society annual exhibition. It’s a great feeling to have a judge say that my work is worthy of being shown to everyone, but it doesn’t beat the feeling of having someone appreciate your image so much that they want to put it on their wall and look at it every day!
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST CHALLENGING SHOOT? Without a doubt, my most challenging shoot was a family wedding! It was down in Otago in January so we expected searing hot days and cloudless blue skies. The event was meticulously planned and was to be held in a marquee on the family property. The bride’s father had built a small pond with a wooden jetty specifically for the event, and we went down a few weeks before to plan out the shots. The property has incredible views and the pond, a rugged outcrop, and the lavender garden were chosen as feature spots. The day of the wedding came, and about 10 minutes before the bride was
due to arrive, the sky clouded over, the heavens opened, and a full-on southerly storm came up the valley, complete with gale-force winds! The wedding went on regardless, in the windbattered marquee instead of the tranquil pond, and we managed to get some great shots, but the preparation we had done went completely out the door. On the plus side, the storm did pass, and we got some of the shots we wanted, as well as the bride and groom under a full rainbow that we hadn’t expected! The lesson? Never rely on the weather, and always have a plan B prepared! There are some things that you just can’t go back and do next week!
WHAT DO YOU KNOW NOW THAT YOU WISH YOU KNEW WHEN YOU STARTED? I wish I’d saved my images as RAW! I always looked and thought that I could save twice as many images on a card if I just saved as Jpeg format, but I don’t think I’ve ever run out of space on a card, and as images get larger, so do SD cards! You may not have the skills for post-processing now but you will gain as you practice more and as the tools themselves develop. I look back at some of my older images and regret that I can’t go back and edit them properly. It’s like not saving the negatives! Also, just because your camera takes 10 shots/ second, doesn’t mean you should. All you end up doing is filling your card up with duplicates and you usually miss the shot that really counts while your buffer unloads. Wait for the real shot, then take it.
WHAT ELSE CAN YOU SHARE? Find a friend who enjoys going on road trips with you. If you can’t, join a photographic club or society. Most of them let you go to a couple of meetings without needing to join up, and if you don’t like the vibe, try another one in the area. Clubs give you challenges that spark your creativity, competitions that give you something to aspire to, and companionship on field trips, events, etc. Don’t be put off because you don’t feel you’re good enough, or don’t have the right gear - clubs will cater for all levels and all ages.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE? www.luckyshotz.com www.gurushots.com/luckyshotz/photos www.facebook.com/Luckyshotznz www.instagram.com/luckysh0tz
April 2018
15
BACK TO BASICS PART 4
TAKING MANUAL CONTROL OF YOUR CAMERA
W
henever you find yourself in a situation where your camera is not functioning as you had hoped (we’ve all been there when the whirr of the autofocus just doesn’t give us that satisfactory beep no matter how many times we try!) switch to manual focusing and manual metering and you’ll be able to capture the shot you had in mind. There are two parts for taking manual control of your camera, the first is manual focus. You can switch from autofocus to manual focus using the switch on the camera body, or on the lens itself. Many lenses allow manual focus without the need to switch but check your particular model to be sure. It takes practice to get a sharp image when manually focusing but the focusing aids in the viewfinder will show you when you are in focus, and an “in focus” light will come on in the viewfinder. Alternatively, especially if your eyesight isn’t so good when using the viewfinder, you can use the back screen to zoom in before taking the shot. The second part is manual metering, being able to set the aperture plus the shutter speed as opposed to just one or the other as discussed in previous articles. This is usually done by selecting M on the mode dial, then using the dials on the camera body to select the aperture and shutter speed you require. Check your
16 NZPhotographer
by Ray Harness manual for precise instructions if you’re unsure since each camera model varies.
WHEN WOULD YOU NEED TO USE MANUAL CONTROL?
Macro & Close Up Shots. When shooting with a dedicated macro lens, or lens extensions, it is best done using manual focusing. In this situation, the metering system is fine left on aperture priority (or whatever metering setting you chose), but the focusing needs to be precise as you will be working at very short distances which the autofocus system may not be able to cope with. Night Time Shots. Night time shots are difficult to assess for exposure, and auto exposure can fall short, especially in very low light conditions. In this case, you would need to use full manual control and a tripod. A remote shutter release is a bonus as it lets you control the amount of time the shutter stays open as opposed to the camera deciding for you. Digital cameras only extend auto shutter response to 30 seconds - This may be fine for illuminated towns and cities, but poorer lighting requires longer exposure to collect fine detail. Tricky Lighting Situations. In lighting situations where there is massive contrast, or conversely colours are
muted and very similar to each other, both the autofocus and metering can easily be fooled into not performing correctly. So first switch to manual focus, and ensure the focus is correct for your subject, then check the metering. Take a couple of test shots and if the pictures are too light or too dark, bracket up or down with either the aperture or shutter speed depending on which is more critical to your picture. If the shot is too light, use a narrower aperture and vice-versa if too dark. Alternatively, if too light use the next speed up, or again vice-versa if too dark. Artistic Photography. Complete artistic control is achieved with full manual control. You make all the decisions regarding focusing and metering, to purposefully overexpose or underexpose your pictures, to blur backgrounds, purposefully create grain and more. Only your imagination and creative thinking will put any limit on what you can achieve. Look back to the interview in issue 5 with Eva Polak to inspire you!
ALTERING OTHER SETTINGS. ISO One of the three components of the exposure triangle (the other two being aperture and shutter speed), changing the ISO increases the flexibility of the camera by giving more scope in different lighting situations. Most cameras start at ISO 100, this being the least sensitive setting for the measurement of available light. It refers back to the measurement of light sensitivity in film, and this has been carried over to digital photography in the same way. ISO 100 is good for most general daytime
photography, but in lower light, you can increase your options by changing up to 200 or 400, bearing in mind your camera’s limitations regarding acceptable noise. The benefit of increasing ISO is that it allows narrower aperture settings e.g. f2 at ISO 100 becomes f2.8 at 200, or faster shutter speeds, 1/60th of a second at 100, becomes 1/125th at 200, 1/250th at 400. White Balance This is a tool that corrects the colour temperature of a picture depending on the type of lighting you are shooting under. We need white balance to produce natural looking light whatever the source. Fluorescent lighting is quite harsh and gives off a cold blue cast if not corrected. A regular household bulb which is generally incandescent will give a warm reddish / orange to the picture, neither of these will look correct so have to be adjusted. The following presumes you are shotting in jpg, if shooting in RAW then you can adjust your white balance easily in post. The auto white balance function is adequate in most cases, but there are times when you may want to alter it using a pre-set white balance from your camera’s menu, or go one step further and create your own white balance settings. For example, bars and clubs often have a mix of artificial lighting which can make capturing the scene as you see it in front of you quite difficult. You might try a shot using the pre-set fluorescent and incandescent settings which give you the result you were hoping for. Experiment with the pre-set options to see the difference they can make to your photograph.
April 2018
17
LANDSCAPE ADVENTURES with Billy Nunweek
I’m Billy, a 24 year old Landscape Photographer from Auckland based out of Christchurch. During the week I spend my time working as an aircraft engineer with our national carrier, Air New Zealand and on my days off I spend my days exploring our glorious country in a mission to find all things beautiful. I find myself frequently on the road making new friends and travelling across the country with my camera in hand, I often find I spend more time away from home than I do at home but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
18 NZPhotographer
For me, there is nothing better than being on the road with no real agenda apart from soaking in the beauty that New Zealand and Mother Nature has to offer. I am particularly passionate about mountains, golden light, and distant stars but if there is one thing that really takes the cake, for me it is the ever elusive Aurora. Allow me to take you on some of my journeys, showcasing some of my favourite images...
the composition I wanted, I knew how I was going to photograph it, it was all a matter of getting there and having the sky play ball. These little micro adventures are actually my favourite, particularly for sunrise, it’s literally the best way to start the day; watching the stars fade, the horizon glow and the clouds light up. The stuff dreams are made of. The three of us were rewarded for our early start and braving the cool spring morning. With a gap on the horizon and some cloud almost directly overhead we were treated to what I would consider as one of my top 5 sunrises since I got into photography. This shot is composed of 16 photographs, 8 different vertical frames with two exposures to correctly expose the foreground and sky. This image was taken using the Canon 750D paired with the Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/ 3.5-4.5, mounted on the Manfrotto 055 tripod and edited in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. I love this image so much partly due to the preplanning but more so for the technicality of the shot, most images I take are a single exposure image and this was a first for me. I love pushing myself to see what I’m capable of, its all about growing.
WANAKA – 9 OCTOBER 2017 My trip to Wanaka was another great trip for building friendships with other photographers, I left Christchurch with Mark for what would be a three day trip to one of my favourite places in New Zealand. Exhausted after days of doing nothing but drive, Mark and I opted for the lazy option, to shoot the instafamous Wanaka Tree. I’d photographed it before and didn’t particularly like my shot as it looked the same as every other photo taken there. It is very rare that you get an opportunity to take an image that sets you apart when you’re at a location like the Wanaka Tree but I had an idea that, if executed correctly, could be a one off. I for one haven’t seen an image before or after like it and I think that comes down to luck really.
F/11, 1/6s (sky), 1.3s (foreground), ISO 100, 10mm
CATHEDRAL CLIFFS – 11 AUGUST 2017 On this trip, my second visit to Cathedral Cliffs, I took two friends, Temuera and Emily with me whom I met through photography. The cliffs are quite a unique spot and very different to what I normally photograph but that’s all apart of the fun in my mind. I was determined to nail it this time - On my first trip I was without my tripod due to some unforeseen accidents on an earlier trip to Hakatere Park - I had
I decided I would attempt a single exposure image that correctly exposed the Tree and contained star trails, I’d literally never attempted it before, I’d never even set my camera to the bulb function before so after a few test shots to ensure I was happy with my composition I selected my settings and clicked the shutter. It was a nervous wait, probably the longest 15 minutes of my life as I had to watch Mark rattle off some truly stunning shots including the tail of the milky way. I could see low cloud rolling in and had to battle with tourists and their head torches, fortunately, there was one Chinese man who understood what I was attempting and literally stood guard while I waited. 900 seconds later, the shutter closed, the busy message could be seen on the back of my camera
April 2018
19
20 NZPhotographer
F/4, 900s, ISO 800, 35mm
and then boom, there it was, as close to perfect as I could ask for. When it came to editing I removed a few highlights, cropped the image slightly and dialled the exposure down a minimal amount otherwise the image you see here is quite literally what came out of the camera. This single exposure image was taken on a Canon 6Dmki paired with the Canon EF 16-35mm f/ 2.8 mounted on the Manfrotto 055. Edited in Adobe Lightroom.
HUNUA FALLS – 1 MARCH 2018 Aerial photography has always been something I’ve admired, be it from a helicopter or using a drone I’ve fallen in love with the ability to revisit some of my favourite places in New Zealand and capture a completely different perspective of the landscape. Hunua is a place very dear to my heart, I’ve spent quite a bit of time here whilst growing up and respect the land more than I can put into words. Recently there has been a push to raise awareness of Kauri Dieback and close some of Auckland’s greatest trails in an attempt to save what little we have left so it will remain for future generations. I saw this as an opportunity to capture one of my favourite places for potentially the last time in a long time. I wanted something special, something different to really grasp people in a way that had never been done before.
I was already happy with the composition in my mind, all I needed was a ND64 filter to allow for the long exposure effect I was after, something rarely done with a drone. In order to do this I needed perfect weather and yet weekend after weekend I’d fly up to Auckland only to have it rain in what has probably been the worst summer I’ve experienced in New Zealand. Finally, the first day of spring came and with it clear skies! I jumped in my car and raced east as the wind was expected to pick up in the afternoon, unfortunately for me it clouded over in next to no time and rain fell from the heavens trying to get me to turn around but I wasn’t having it, I’d committed now and there was no turning back. To my dismay it was raining at the Hunua Falls which literally dampened my spirits, I decided to rattle out a few shots on my camera since I’d made the effort to come so far and then miraculously I got 15 minutes of dry skies, sent my drone up in the air and got the shot I’d spent literally months dreaming of. This single image was taken using a DJI Mavic Pro paired with Polar Pro’s ND64+PL filter and edited in Adobe Lightroom. I have to say all the struggles to get what should have been an easy shot made the idea of finally capturing it that much more satisfying.
F/2.2, 1/10s, ISO 100
April 2018
21
LAKE BENMORE - 10 FEBRUARY 2018 Location scouting has always and will always be a pivotal part of being a landscape photographer for anyone looking to set themselves apart from the rest, particularly with drone photography. This photograph is a testament to that, I can quite honestly say that I’d never been to this spot until the day I took this photograph but I went there knowing exactly what images I would walk away with, so long as the weather and other acts of mother nature played ball. This little collection of streams are apart of a river of yesteryear that used to take water from
I do hope you’ve enjoyed reading about myself and some of my favourite photographic memories. Coming up in 2018 I’ve got trips around New Zealand planned to iconic places like Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park and Fiordland National Park. What’s even more exciting is that I’m heading to Iceland in September to explore one of the most beautiful places in the Northern Hemisphere. If you’d like to follow more of my adventures feel free to follow me on social media, or for those who’d like to join me on the road and learn more about photography feel free to contact me via email billy.nunweek@gmail.com
www.instagram.com/billynunweek www.facebook.com/btwnphotography
22 NZPhotographer
the likes of Lake Pukaki and Lake Ohau down to Waimate and to the Pacific Ocean. Now however due to hydroelectric dams completely changing the landscape rivers like this one are only ever active to prevent overflows. This provides unique colours as the new waters pick up old sediment providing a view unlike any other. Fate was definitely on my side this day! This is a bracket image made up of three different exposures to ensure I was able to capture all the colours and tones, it was taken on the DJI Mavic Pro paired with Polar Pro’s ND16+PL filter and edited in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
April 2018
23
24 NZPhotographer
SUMMER SHOT COMPETITION WINNERS Our team enjoyed looking through all of your wonderful submissions for the Summer Shot competition, seeing your summer memories from both home and abroad. We think you'll agree that the images featured on the following pages truly reflect the super hot summer that NZ experienced this year! A big congratulations to everyone who entered but especially our 3 winners:
1ST PLACE ROY CHERNOHORSKY WITH HAMILTONS GAP $100 printing voucher
2ND PLACE JOHN KELLY WITH ALL FALL DOWN $50 printing voucher
3RD PLACE SARAH VARENNE WITH WHARARIKI BEACH $50 printing voucher
Winners will be contacted via email on how to access their voucher from Wellington Photographic Supplies
COMPETITION SPONSORED BY:
April 2018
25
1
ST PLACE
HAMILTONS GAP F/16, 1/200s, ISO200 A beautiful day at the gap with extremely low water giving me plenty of reflection and the ability to to cram the image into frame.
Roy Chernohorsky
26 NZPhotographer
April 2018
27
ALL FALL DOWN F/16, 1/50s, ISO200 Beach walking along the coast at Raumati South, I saw this shell stuck in the sand and took the shot. It wasn't till I got home and processed the image that I saw I had captured the sand and debris falling within the shell.
John Kelly
28 NZPhotographer
2
ND PLACE
April 2018
29
3
RD PLACE
30 NZPhotographer
WHARARIKI BEACH F/7.1, 1/125s The wind blew strongly on the northwestern coast of the South Island in February when I took this shot. The sand was swept away at the surface of the beach. I positioned myself so that the numerous streaks of sands seemed to converge towards the distant cape.
Sarah Varenne April 2018 31
LYALL BAY Image taken from the playground at Lyall bay while supervising my daughter.
Fiona Fitchett
32 NZPhotographer
CAPE PALLISER SUNRISE F/2.8, 1/60s, ISO200 I wanted to see Cape Palliser after seeing some family photos of a visit there. I couldn't sleep after 6 weeks of night work, so I left Stokes Valley at 4:30 am to go check it out. This photo was one of the resulting images.
Jonathan Hupman April 2018
33
BLACK AND GOLD F/7.1, 1/125s, ISO100 Taken during a late evening walk through the paddocks on Christmas Eve. Rangitumau, Masterton
Laura Pascall
34 NZPhotographer
April 2018
35
36 NZPhotographer
A SPIRAL OF CANDLELIGHT I was camping at a music festival on The Forgotten World Highway for the New Year this summer. We had cold weather with lots of rain and mist and then a tranquil clear evening arrived for the New Year celebrations! The spiral of candlelight was made by placing tealight candles individually in brown paper bags each weighed down with sand, arranged on the hillside nearby. I was wondering how to get a good image as the light was VERY challenging but when I saw the tent all lit up looking so surreal I had to get it! I used a fence for stability, high ISO and slow shutter speed and got my shot. 5 minutes later the tent lights were gone!!
Mary Livingston
April 2018
37
38 NZPhotographer
MAM XOI F/4.8, 1/250s, ISO100 A farmer walking through the fields near Mam Xoi viewpoint. This is a popular stop for visitors to the region of Cang Chai, Vietnam.
Aaron Herron April 2018 39
THE FALL F/3.5, 1/640s, ISO400 I road tripped around the North Island in NZ for the first time this summer. Caught this beautiful waterfall on the way.
40 NZPhotographer
Adan Meser
SEAGULL IN FLIGHT This photo was taken on Wellingtons South Coast with a Samsung S8 on Auto setting.
Dani Sunko April 2018 41
42 NZPhotographer
BUSY BEE F/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO200 This bee was on one of the pots that I have on my deck.
April 2018
Ali Pike
43
44 NZPhotographer
ESCAPING SUMMER'S HEAT Teenagers jumping off the Days Bay wharf to escape the summer heat.
Andrew Gibbs April 2018 45
46 NZPhotographer
THE LOO Foggy day in the woods on the Banks Track, Banks peninsula.
Baptiste Auguie April 2018 47
48 NZPhotographer
BUSY SUMMER DAY
It takes a lot of energy on a hot summer day to visit and collect enough food. These sunflowers provided a welcome landing pad.
Barb Lewis April 2018 49
50 NZPhotographer
TOGETHER F/5.6, 1/1600s, ISO200 Captured in Petone at sunset, this Panorama captures the beautiful orange hues in the distance above Wellington City. Within the shot is a family playing on the beach.
Benjamin Long
April 2018
51
52 NZPhotographer
TAI CHI TEACHER TRAINING WITH LIGHT SABRE ON MT EDEN F/13, 4s, ISO2000 I wanted to photograph my friend Allister doing some Kung Fu training. I was looking for a way to record his movements (Pref. with a nice backdrop). We decided to climb Mt Eden at night and use a light sabre on a slow shutter speed to create this image of motion.
Cameron Young April 2018 53
54 NZPhotographer
PREPARING TO GO KAYAKING F/10, 1/320s, ISO200 A class being readied for an expedition in Kayaks.
Eric Pollock
April 2018
55
56 NZPhotographer
LAST DAYS OF SUMMER F/2, ISO200 Taken at Auckland's Viaduct harbour on a busy weekend - The perfect 'summer' day in March.
Gail Orgias April 2018 57
58 NZPhotographer
SUNRISE ON BANKS PENINSULA F/2, ISO200 Testing a new surfboard at Marsden Point Beach, a legal road, that you really need a 4wd to access. The Jeep is the perfect vehicle! And it guarantees few other people on your beach.
Goldie Walker April 2018 59
60 NZPhotographer
SUNSET Watching the sun set over the Greek Island. Santorini, Greece
Grant Spiers April 2018 61
62 NZPhotographer
A FIERY DAWN F/16, 1/50s, ISO200 The colours were richer before the sunrise!
Hilary Lakeman April 2018 63
64 NZPhotographer
SUMMER ON ICE F/5.6, 1/160s, ISO200 A selection of colourful summer flowers captured in ice. I wanted to preserve the colors and the form of flower from my garden.
Karen Moffatt-McLeod April 2018 65
66 NZPhotographer
PAEKAKARIKI PERFECTION Wellington gifted us with an uncharacteristically still and clear day to experience the Paekakariki Escarpment. This image was taken halfway through the 10 km tramp and conveys a blissful Sunday afternoon spent outdoors with friends.
Kate Walters April 2018 67
WATERFALL F/9, 1/80s, ISO200 This was taken in Milford Sound from one of the tourist boats. It was a stunning day and we got so close that I had be careful to keep my camera dry. The colour of the moss was stunning.
68 NZPhotographer
Kathleen Seaward
THE SWING F/7.1, 1/1600s, ISO800 Just before the splash!
Solvej Mortimer April 2018 69
70 NZPhotographer
SANDY REFLECTIONS F/7.1, 1/320s My son enjoying Piha beach while on holiday in Auckland.
Kathryn Taylor
April 2018
71
WHAKATANE FARM SCENE F/11, 1/100s, ISO125 A restful pastoral scene but with ghostly tree forms outlining the rolling hills on Maraetotara Road.
Mary Hutchinson 72 NZPhotographer
April 2018
73
74 NZPhotographer
SUNRISE ON BANKS PENINSULA F/9, 1/80s, ISO200 Taken from Godley Head.
Maureen Pierre April 2018 75
76 NZPhotographer
ON GOLDEN RIVER F/16, 1/60s, ISO400 I love the golden light over the river and the layers of the hills in the distance in this image. Taken on an evening walk with my dogs along the Waikato River near Meremere, one of whom fell over the bank into the water when my back was turned. I just heard this huge splash and then this very wet dog appeared. If a dog could look embarrassed this one would have.
Nichola Smith
April 2018
77
78 NZPhotographer
FLOATS LIKE A BUTTERFLY This little guy visited while I was learning to use my camera. Don’t know what setting as I had been playing around with it!
Nigel Fleming April 2018 79
80 NZPhotographer
WAITING FOR A BITE F/13, 1/25s, ISO100 Medlands Beach, Great Barrier Island
Noel Herman April 2018 81
82 NZPhotographer
BLESSING OF THE BOATS F/11, ISO360 Blessing of the Boats is an annual event in Island Bay, Wellington where the fishing fleet gets blessed for safe passage and bountiful catches. It was a heavily overcast but still day and the shot of these two boats waiting their turn seemed to capture the mood of the occasion.
Peter Maiden April 2018 83
84 NZPhotographer
SUMMER SEED F/8, 1/800s, ISO100 Taken near the Moa Point Radar station while watching planes land.
Philip Banks April 2018 85
86 NZPhotographer
RAKING ISLAND Drone shot taken on great Auckland summers day!
Roger Mills April 2018 87
88 NZPhotographer
PLIMMERTON ALIGHT F/22, 30s, ISO200 Plimmerton warf during glowing sunset.
Ryan Cornwell April 2018 89
90 NZPhotographer
FLYING INTO SUNSET F/5.6, 1/320s, ISO125 On a day excursion return from Picton to Wellington on InterIslander I caught this plane flying into the sunset while the Ferry was approaching Wellington.
Sabyasachi Banerjee April 2018 91
92 NZPhotographer
MAGNOLIA FLOWER AND BEES F/8, 1/320s Playing with my wide 11-16mm wide angle lens on a typical overcast slightly rainy day in Auckland.
Steve Harper April 2018 93
94 NZPhotographer
COCKLE SHELL F/2.2, 1/250s, ISO100 Cockle shells at Paekakariki Beach on the Kapiti Coast.
Sydean Kendrick April 2018 95
96 NZPhotographer
BURNING SKY F/16, 1/30s, ISO100 I took this photo of the sunrise at Miranda. Prior to the sun rising, I was surrounded by darkness and birds chattering. As time ticked by, the sky started to colour up into this glorious shades of red and now the chattering birds can be seen as little silhouettes along the water.
Tanya Rowe April 2018 97
98 NZPhotographer
BRILLIANT NIGHTLIFE F/2.8, 1/10s, ISO200 As the sun went down the Chinese Lantern Festival came into its own. The displays were spectacular and this is just one example.
Thomas Charmaine April 2018 99
100 NZPhotographer
SKIMMING AT LONG BAY A boy gets ready for an afternoon of skim boarding at Long Bay Regional Park.
Todd Henry
April 2018
101
A GLORIOUS MISTY MORNING F/4.5, 1/1000s, ISO320 On the way to Kaikoura from Christchurch, my friend who was driving pulled over on the road while I was still asleep in the passenger seat. We started very early that day to catch a morning dolphin tour. As the car stopped, I opened my eyes. The divine light from the sun rays casted colours on to the morning mist creating this beautiful magical moment. I simply could not resist not getting out of the car to capture the moment.
Stephanie Rachman
102 NZPhotographer
JOIN AN AWESOME PHOTOGRAPHY COMMUNITY NZ $25/year only
Your own portfolio on Excio 30 photos, 100,000+ impressions 100+ clicks to your website/month Add your Facebook & Instagram profiles
Member-only offers Discounts from our partners Free Lightroom presets “Early bird” access to events and meetups
Competitions Get free entry into all competitions and earn by participating in photo challenges
BECOME A MEMBER www.excio.io/membership
April 2018
103
104 NZPhotographer
DON'T SHOOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. SHOOT WHAT IT FEELS LIKE David Alan Harvey
April 2018
105