1

Working ProThe

Issue 214 • August 2013

SAVE THESE DATESOnlinE EnTriES will close 5pm Wednesday 21st August 2013

PHySicAl EnTriES must be received by Friday 30th August 2013

JuDging HElD at Melbourne Exhibition Centre on 13th - 15th September 2013

APPA AWArDS PrESEnTATiOn DinnEr 16th September 2013

For more details visit www.appa.aippblog.com

THE 2013 cAnOn AiPP APPA 13TH — 15TH SEPTEmbEr 2013 mElbOurnE

FOR ENTRIES

CALL

©IMAgE by ADAM PRETTy 2012 AuSTRAlIAn PRoFESSIonAl PhoTogRAPhER oF ThE yEAR

Working ProThe

C o n t e n t s# 2 1 4 - A u g u s t 2 0 1 3

4 President’s Message Kylie Lyons is in ‘full awards mode’, reporting from the NZIPP Iris Awards with some suggestions for entering our own Canon APPAs.

8 74 Was GenerousThe feedback might not have been welcome at the time, but it was a great lesson in photography. What would you have scored this photo?

1 0 APPA: Is It Worth It?A large percentage of AIPP members have entered APPA at some stage. What do they get out of it and why should you enter APPA this year?

1 2 APPA Category DecisionsShould you enter all your prints into the one category, or across several categories? It depends on what you want to achieve.

1 4 APPA: How Important Is Print Quality?In professional photography, technical quality is assumed by our clients - and the APPA judges. Here’s how to achive high print quality for APPA.

1 6 APPA: The Review SystemThere are many safeguards in the APPA judging system and the review system is a great example of giving entrants every chance.

1 8 Photo CritiqueWhy did these photos earn Silver Awards? What else could e done? Read Peter Eastway’s observations and suggestions.

2 0 Editors Selection - APPA WinnersA selection of entries that caught the editor’s eye from the 2012 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards.

2 4 The Top Ten?The AIPP launches a quest for the Top Ten Iconic Photos in Australian his-tory. Do you agree with Alasdair Forster’s initial suggestion?

2 6 Make The Shoot FunSuccessful portrait photographers Brian and Kaylene Chapman explain why a positive experience is so important for our clients.

2 8 AIPP & ACMP Work TogetherThe two organisations join together to help commercial photographers through difficult economic times.

3 0 ISO TC42 Photography StandardRobert Edwards reports from a ‘behind the scenes’ meeting – something many of us just take for granted!

3 4 RØDE i16If you need to capture good quality sound, a good quality microphone is essential, but can you use it with your iPhone?

The Working Pro is the official newsletter of The Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP).

Editor Peter Eastway G.M Photog., Hon. FAIPP, Hon. FNZIPP, FAIPP

Disclaimer The information provided in The Working Pro and associat-

ed publications is made in good faith, but is general in nature. Neither

the editor, the publisher or the AIPP accept responsibility for or will be

under any liability for any recommendations, representations or infor-

mation provided herein. The Working Pro presents information, opin-

ions and suggestions for subscribers to evaluate in coming to their

own decisions in the light of their own individual circumstances. The

information should not be relied upon without readers first obtaining

independent advice from their own financial and legal advisers.

Unless otherwise noted, all articles are written by Peter Eastway.

Publication The newsletter is published 10 times a year – monthly

with November/ December and January/February being combined.

The Working Pro newsletter is published by Pt 78 Pty Ltd,

ABN 75 003 152 136, PO Box 351, Collaroy Beach, NSW 2097, Australia.

Phone: (02) 9971 6857; Fax (02) 9971 6641.

E-mail eastway@betterphotography.com

AIPP Membership Contacts

Suite 5, 205a Middleborough Road, Box Hill

South, Victoria 3128

Phone: 03 9856 0700; Fax: 03 9899 6577

E-mail: enquiries99@aipp.com.au

C o v e r : G o l d A wA r d • 90

Jonelle Beveridge M. Photog.2012 CANON AIPP AUSTrALIAN

PrOFESSIONAL PHOTOGrAPHy AWArDS

4

Full Awards ModeK y l i e L y o n s M . P h o t o g I . H o n . L M

I write this month’s President’s report from New

Zealand where I have been invited to judge at

their annual Iris Awards.

Full Awards Mode

This comes off the back of being a part of our six

Epson state awards with Canon APPA just around

the comer. So I am in full awards mode!

Suffice to say, I have been very judgmental as

a judge. I have seen some beautiful photographs

and been able to network with some great pho-

tographers, not only in Australia, but also over The

Ditch.

In all the hours of judging I have witnessed,

there have been some comments that are repeat-

ed over and over again, and many of the negative

comments come back to the print quality and/or

posing.

Skill Required

There are many, many reasons why we still have

print awards. As professional photographers, many

of us still need to make prints for our clients or

supply files that our clients will print from. The skill

required to get what you see on screen onto a

printed page takes a lot of work and can be tricky.

Choosing the right paper stock and finish, get-

ting profiles right and having a print that makes

the judges go “Wow” is no easy task.

Posing of models can also put your image into

an award range, or keep it out. If you’re a regular

entrant to Awards, you’ll know what I’m saying.

Basics First

Judges pick up on the very basic skills of photog-

raphy first, such as hand placement and body po-

sition. They look at the skills of lighting and techni-

cal quality, and then move onto the emotion or

humour in the image.

So, to actually receive an award in my mind

means that you have to have really thought about

all the elements in your image.

Sometimes it takes just a pinch of luck when

one judge sees something in your image that

makes them want to fight for your photo.

Critique Nights

your local state councils have been working hard

to put on many critique nights in recent times to

assist all members in preparing images for awards.

Critiques are great to get opinions from others

which may help in finessing an image for judging.

At the end of the day though, there is a pan-

el of five specially chosen master judges whose

scores are averaged to come up with your final

score. No single judge can manipulate the scoring.

You will gain exceptional knowledge in Photoshop and Lightroom, colour management, fine art printing, and be inspired to create masterpieces for yourself and your clients. The workshop comprises lectures, demonstrations and presentations each morning, backed up with hands-on work after lunch and in the evening. Some people also choose to capture the first or last light of each day, while others edit and print late into the night, or continue their dinner time conversations down at the beach. This year Les and Tony are supported by four experienced tutors to ensure that the knowledge and skills are immediately translated into real-world practice. Specialist topics, as requested, are covered in additional seminars and tutorials.

© P. Sargaison

Orpheus Island Photography Workshop 20137th to 13th October

Presented by Les Walkling & Tony Hewitt

This is the ninth year Les has presented this workshop and he rates it as his best.

This is a full six day all-inclusive unique experience designed for photographers of all levels. The venue is the James Cook University Orpheus Island Research Station, a world class teaching facility, and the tropical islands provide for amazing photographic opportunities.

Tony is a ‘Grand Master of Photography’ of the prestigious Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP). He is an Honorary Fellow of the AIPP and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography. Tony’s career highlights feature over 100 state, national and international photography awards. He was Western Australian Professional Photographer of the Year 2004 and also in 1994. He has judged at various state, national and international awards for the last 15 years, and is invited on a regular basis to speak both in Australia and overseas on subjects as diverse as creative photography and connecting with people. Tony is also a Master Practitioner of NLP.

Dr Les Walkling is one of the greatest educators the professional photographic industry has known. Les has a vast background in professional and university education and fine art photography with his work featured in major public galleries such as the National Gallery of Australia, the National Gallery of Victoria, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, USA. Les is the former Director of Media Arts in the School of Art at RMIT University. He is also a Fellow of the AIPP, and his clients include most of our National and State galleries, museums and libraries.

www.leswalkling.com

www.tonyhewitt.com

Register for this workshop now at: https://www.online247.com.au/orpheus/

© L. Hewitt

© D

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6

Similarly, the judges are encouraged to work as a

team in the best interests of the print before them.

Panel Cohesion

As an example here in NZ, I initially scored a print

at 68 (which is classed as professional practice in

the New Zealand system), but after the challenge

and listening to the debate, I raised my score 20

points into the Silver with Distinction range be-

cause that’s what the panel was working towards.

Later when looking at the award winning im-

ages on the walls outside, I could see what makes

a truly amazing Gold award: it’s when everything

works together and the image just ‘sings’ under

the APPA lights!

APPA In Melbourne

If you have never watched an award judging

process before, can I recommend you get along

to the Melbourne exhibition centre come 13-15

September and be part of one of our Institutes‘

best membership benefits? Not only do you

learn and grow as a photographer by entering,

but you leam so much more by being around

other photographers and seeing such great im-

agery on the walls.

It’s always great to push yourself and put

your work out there for your peers to review.

Take the plunge, be daring and who knows,

you might be able to pick up some accolades!

Best of luck to all APPA entrants. I look for-

ward to seeing you in Melbourne soon.

kylie.lyons@aipp.com.au

0411 552 488

The13 Essential Elements of a Successful APPA Competition Entry

Read More AIPP Member Only ContentTo read AIPP member and specific business related advice, visit the AIPP

website and sign in. Once you’re signed in, follow the menu Member Services, My Publications, The Working Pro - Extended Material.

THE BUSINESS OFP H O T O G R A P H Y

with

With more than 15 years experience, they have built two very unique studios – Family Image Photography and Boudoir Image in Sydney’s Northwest.

This dynamic duo has a different approach to business which sees them achieving great sales averages, repeat customers and a very healthy turnover which continuesto grow even in a down economy. Even more surprising, they don’t sell digital files, they don’t run competitions to get new clients, and they don’t have any minimum orders, yet their sales averages are heading towards $3000 for a 90-minute shoot!

Come and learn from successful studio owners Brian and Kaylene Chapman.

If you find yourself putting in lots of hours but not getting the kind of financial reward you were hoping for from your photography, or are just feeling overwhelmed with trying to run your studio, you will love the fresh approach they take to life and business. Their workshops attract professional photographers of all different levels, from those in the first few years of business, to veterans who have been at it for more than 20 years but want to renew their business to be more profitable.

“Brian is different...He shows you why, He shows you how and he proves it with real numbers...”

“To find a Studio that is willing to share their experiences and teach us from their years of experience is rare.”

“My average sale has more than doubled since attending their workshops”

“I would recommend Brian & Kaylene's workshop to photographers at any stage of their business, it will be a game changer!”

Brian has a great passion for marketing - delivered with sincerity, honesty, openness and a genuine desire for each and every one of us to succeed.

“”

Karen Visser - Evocartiv

You will learn how to:

Bring in the Dollars - How to sell your work and be nice at the same time.

Get your life back - Systemising your business so that it is organised and produces a consistent quality product without the endless hours. Shooting to Sell - Knowing exactly what you are going to shoot at each session/wedding to maximise your sales and client satisfaction. Old School Customer Service - Treating your clients to a wonderful experience and solving any problems that may arise without fuss.

I need bookings - The different types of marketing and who they will attract. Your Website is your shopfront - The 5 must haves for your website. Staying married - Working happily as a husband and wife team and enjoying the journey together. Plus plenty of time for you to ask your own questions in a small group setting.

Make 2014 your best year yet, by learning how to make your business soar. Check out the workshop schedule atwww.thebusinessofphotography.com.au

Accredited with the AIPP CPD program.

Their workshops are in an intimate group setting, held at their Sydney studio rather than online to the masses. This means they can be truly focussed on helping YOUR business at a personal level. Nothing is off limits as they share with you their story, the good and the bad to bring them to the success they have today. They aren’t afraid to openly discuss their figures so you can see what really works in today’s market. “Those who can do: do and those who can’t: teach” does not apply here. At the same time as teaching these workshops they continue to run two busy studios and are very much hands on, so the information is up to date and relevant in today’s market.

Comments from past participants give just a hint of insight into how this couple does things differently...

Small Group Workshops

8

74 Was GenerousP e t e r E a s t w a y , G M . P h o t o g , H o n . F A I P P, F A I P P

The photo opposite was taken on Easter Island

many years ago and, at the time, was one of my

favourites. (The original is not nearly so contras-

ty as this rendition.)

I entered it into the AIPP National Print

Awards, the forerunner of the current Can-

on AIPP Australian Professional Photography

Awards, and I clearly remember the score.

Standing at the back of a darkened judging

room, with five esteemed judges and a panel

chairman sitting around an evenly illuminated

print stand, I held my breath as one by one they

stood up to inspect my print. It seemed to take

an age before they would carefully enter their

scores, but I fully expected a Silver Award.

Well, no.

The panel chairman read out the score: 74.

He then asked if a judge would like to make a

comment, to which Ian McKenzie (a past AIPP

President and still an active member today) said,

“Well, it’s just another travel snap”.

A travel snap! Couldn’t the judges see the

print quality, the fact it was shot on a large for-

mat 4x5” camera, the luminous nature of the

light and the exotic location? Well, no.

Flash forward five years or so and I am

cleaning out my studio. I find a bunch of old

prints and, being in a bit of a hurry, quickly flip

through them, throwing them onto the rubbish

heap. yuck. Horrible. What was I thinking... Many

of my old prints simply weren’t that good.

And then I picked up my Easter Island tree.

This print, unlike the others, stopped me in my

tracks, but not because I still liked it. Gone was

the emotional baggage associated with the

wonderful trip and the effort required to shoot

it. In front of me was a plain, rather boring print

and all I could remember were Ian’s words: It’s

just another travel snap.

He was right.

So, why am I mentioning this? Well, entries

are open for the 2013 Canon AIPP Australian

Professional Photography Awards. I have no

doubt that some entrants will have a similar ex-

perience to mine later this year. (I might even

have it again!) And I hope that, in the fullness of

time, it benefits them like it did me.

Are the judges always right? I have some

prints that bombed in competitions that I still

like. Competitions are great because they put

your work into context within the world, but it

doesn’t have to be the only context.

I think the judges were generous giving my

Easter Island tree a 74. The print is crap, but I still

have great memories of being at that location

all those years ago.

9

Tree, Easter Island. Poor quality scan of 4x5” Kodak Ektachrome. Photo by Peter Eastway.

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APPA: Is It Worth It?W h a t D o I G e t F r o m E n t e r i n g T h e A w a r d s ?

Some photographers love competitions, oth-

ers don’t enjoy them or see the point. Some are

concerned that if they enter and don’t do well,

it may be a reflection on their skill as a photog-

rapher, so why expose themselves?

Incognito

Judging at the Awards is anonymous, so most

people won’t know whose work is being as-

sessed. The exception is if your photograph has

had national exposure already, but if that’s the

case, chances are you’re pretty pleased with the

image and a score at APPA is neither here nor

there.

Improvement

There really is no downside to entering APPA,

short of the cost of the entry fee and the prints.

On the other hand, the benefits are huge.

Many of Australia’s best photographers have

used Canon APPA and the Epson state awards

to improve and promote their careers.

yes, if you win awards it gives you some-

thing to tell your market. It gives you credibility.

It gives you confidence in the work you are pro-

ducing.

More importantly, entering APPA every year

pushes you. The competition challenges you

to produce increasingly stronger work. Most of

the Masters and Grand Masters of Photography

have the APPAs in their mind throughout the

year, thinking about what they will enter and

how they can make a better photograph.

And this is the key. This is what makes APPA

so worthwhile, the process of constantly im-

proving what you do. It’s no happy chance that

someone wins a category or the PPy, they have

worked for it.

Aim Points

Many people enter with the aim of achieving

a Silver Award (80%), and some aim to achieve

three or four Silvers.

However, while an admirable strategy, the

objective should be to earn four Golds with Dis-

tinction. Aim high. Push yourself.

Feedback

So what happens if you don’t achieve your

goals? Well, it’s character building. There’s no

getting around the fact that not impressing the

judges sucks. Winning is much better, but after

the Awards, both wins and losses lose their in-

tensity and you find yourself working towards

the next Awards. And maybe your Associate-

ship, Master or Grand Master of Photography.

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APPA Category DecisionsS h o u l d I e n t e r a l l m y p r i n t s i n t h e o n e c a t e g o r y ?

Can you put your prints in the wrong category?

you sure can?

And should you enter all your prints in just

one category, or several? This depends on what

you want to achieve.

Which Category?

Sometimes it’s obvious which category your

print should be entered into: a classic landscape

photograph should go into the landscape cat-

egory.

However, a detail of an urban landscape, like

a shopping trolley in the corner of a stark car-

park, could fit into landscape, illustrative or even

documentary, depending on the context.

Before you make a decision, read the special

category conditions on the entry form.

For instance, entries into the wedding cat-

egory must have been photographed at a real

wedding.

If you hired models and dressed them up as

a bride and groom, the photograph could not

be entered into weddings and you would have

to choose another category, such as portrait, il-

lustrative or maybe advertising (but check the

special rules for the advertising category too).

Portraiture is another tough decision: do you

enter a photograph of a family into the family or

portraiture category, or if it’s a different portrait,

do you enter it into illustrative? Can you get a

higher score in one category than another?

It’s true that some categories seem to give

higher scores than others, but this isn’t consis-

tent from year to year.

Generally speaking, the judging is even

across categories. yes, there are aberrations

from time to time, but don’t count on them!

The short answer is, choose the category

into which you believe the photograph fits best,

as long as it complies with the rules.

Just One Category?

So, should you enter all of your prints into a sin-

gle category?

This is a sensible tactic for more experienced

entrants who are looking to win a category –

unless you enter all four prints into a single cat-

egory, you cannot win it.

On the other hand, for members wishing to

earn their Associateship or Master of Photogra-

phy, what you really want to achive are four Sil-

ver (or higher) awards, so choose the strongest

four photographs you’ve taken in the last two

years and enter them.

If they all happen to be in the same catego-

ry, then that’s a bonus.

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15

APPA: How Important Is Print Quality?A n d i m a g e q u a l i t y i n g e n e r a l f o r d i g i t a l e n t r i e s ?

At both Canon APPA and the Epson state print

awards, prints are assessed by experienced pan-

els of judges. The senior judges have assessed

literally thousands of prints during their lifetime

and they have expectations as to what makes a

good print.

Many entries miss out simply because they

didn’t exhibit sufficient professionalism. We are

professional photographers and we are expect-

ed to produce a professioanal product.

Essential Steps For Perfect Print Quality

1. A good print requires a good capture, so the

camera file needs to be correctly focused and

exposed, with excellent lighting, composition

and framing. Obviously the file should also offer

sufficient pixels to create a good quality print.

2. After editing, sit back and review the file. Be-

gin by enlarging it to 100% on screen and me-

thodically check it for dust and sensor spots. If

there are any, remove them carefully.

3. return the image to 100% and assess the im-

age for colour balance. Is the colour balance

natural or appropriate to the subject? Are there

clean whites and blacks? Are skin tones natural

or believable?

4. review the image for highlights and shad-

ows. Areas of detailless white will generally be

marked down, while too much sold black can

be seen as a lack of technique as well. Introduce

some tone to these areas if necessary.

5. review the image for small distractions, such

as unwanted hairs, pimples, errant branches

and intrusive rubbish. Should these be re-

touched out?

6. Size the image for printing. Make a copy

of your working file and flatten the copy. If in

doubt, for inkjet printing size to 360 dpi at the

selected dimension. remember that the print

must be at least 26 cm on the longest side.

7. Sharpen the print. Don’t over sharpen it. If in

doubt, you are better off undersharpening rath-

er than oversharpening.

8. Make a print. If you’re serious, you will have a

few days to pin it on a wall and review it. Write

notes on the margin about what needs to be

done. Live with the print. Be critical.

9. return to the working file, make the adjust-

ments required, then make another copy file for

printing and sharpen.

10. Print your masterpiece and have it mounted

professionally. Just as important as the print is

its presentation.

These steps apply to digital entries as well,

although the printing side is obviously not nec-

essary.

16

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The13 Essential Elements of a Successful APPA Competition Entry

Read More AIPP Member Only ContentTo read AIPP member and specific business related advice, visit the AIPP

website and sign in. Once you’re signed in, follow the menu Member Services, My Publications, The Working Pro - Extended Material.

17

APPA: The review SystemH o w d o e s t h e A P P A r e v i e w s y s t e m w o r k a n d w h y ?

Assuming there are two or more judging rooms,

the idea behind the review system is to give

every entry every opportunity to reach a Sil-

ver Award - or the next highest scoring bracket

(Silver with Distinction, Gold, Gold with Distinc-

tion).

While APPA is a robust and refined system,

judging prints is not always an exact science

and, when prints are on the border between

one bracket and the next, the system should

give the entrant the benefit of the doubt.

For this reason, APPA has the majority rule,

which means that if the majority of judges

think a print is a Silver (or not a Silver), despite

the overall score being different, a Silver will be

awarded.

Just Short

Of course, sometimes the majority of judges

feel the print is below Award standard and so

an entry might score 79, yet one or two of the

judges thought the print was good enough for

Silver.

In addition, when a print is scored, the judg-

es may not have an opportunity to challenge

the score, and sometimes this seems unfair giv-

en the print score was so close. Perhaps some

discussion or another look might get the extra

point required. So, what would happen if a sec-

ond panel assessed the print?

Review System

This is where the review system comes into

play.

Under the review system, entries with scores

of 79 could go up to 80 and receive a Silver

Award; scores of 84 could go up to a Silver

with Distinction, 89 to Gold and 94 to Gold with

Distinction.

The review system also uses a second panel

of judges, so by the end of the process, the print

has been assessed by at least 10 judges in total.

The review system is short and sweet. The

judges are told what the print scored and asked,

should the print go up to the next score range,

or stay the same. No discussion is entered into.

The judges assess the print. Let’s say the

print has scored 79 – they are being asked

whether it is good enough to earn 80. If three

or more judges think it should go up to 80, the

print is elevated to a Silver Award. If three or

more believe it should stay at 79, that’s what

happens. A simple majority vote.

The review system works well for both the

judges and the entrants, ensuring each entry is

given every opportunity to be judged fairly.

18

Starburst has impact, but

it was a risk! Some judged

might find it a bit cliche.

Line of mist is strong and emo-tive - works very well.

The image is an excellent back-

ground - if there were some-

thing in the foreground, it may

have scored even higher.

P H O T O C r I T I Q U E

81SCORE

Why don’t some prints make it to Silver or Gold? While you can never predict the judges’ reaction with certainty, sometimes there are aspects or features in a photograph that let it down. Past APPA Chairman and Grand Master of Photography Peter Eastway has, with the photographer’s permission, reproduced this image because it didn’t receive a Silver or Gold Award. His observations are designed to help others assess images from a judging perspective, with the view to improving not only their Award entries, but their professional photography in general.

This print polarised the judges at a recent state event. The original scores ranged from the low 70s to 85, but it eventually

scored 81 after one of the judges challenged! Why was there such a difference in the scores? Starbursts, like sunsets, can

be marked down as being cliché. However, as starbursts go, this is a great example, but what else is there? Is there more to

the story? For instance, had the photographer inserted something more interesting in the foreground, the image may have

scored much higher - a horse, a tree, the silhouette of a farmer etc.

19

It is only when you look closely at the

print that the tiny Maccas sign is re-

vealed and suddenly the print is tell-

ing a different story.

A challenging colour balance,

but when you see the Maccas

sign, it is accepted. Great sky, trick-

ing the viewer into

thinking this is just

a landscape.

Photographing something with a difference can produce high scores. What at first glance seems like a rural landscape sud-

denly takes on a different meaning with the McDonalds sign in the corner. The ‘story’ now works and so other aspects, such

as the unusual colour balance, are accepted. Now that it is no longer a normal rural scene now, a ‘normal’ colour balance is

not required either. This was a brave entry and the gamble paid off, but another panel may have scored differently.

Would You Like Your Photo Critiqued? Are you brave enough to have your award entry critiqued in front of the world? I’m looking for volunteeers! In return for having your entry (state or national) critiqued here (there is no money involved), I wish to be given your permission to use the photo and the critique on my web-sites, on Flickr, YouTube and Facebook etc), and possibly in ebooks on photo competitions. You will remain the copyright owner, but you give me permission to use your image, anonymously, and hopefully you’ll receive some useful advice in return. If you’re willing to partici-pate, here’s what I’d like you to do.1. Create a JPEG of the award entry you would like critiqued, sized to 2000 pixels on the longest edge, setting 8 compression. 1a. Optionally, create a second JPEG of the entry before you have done any editing. Don’t send me the raw file, but a JPEG that hasn’t had much processing.2. Put ‘TWP PHOTO CRITIQUE’ in the header of the email, and attach the JPEG(s).

3. Write this in the email (cut and paste or type the equivalent):“Hi Peter. Enclosed please find my photo (along with an unedited version) for your critiquing and feedback. It scored ?? (enter score). I understand that my photo may not be selected for use. However, if it is selected for use, I agree that in return for you providing the critique and feedback on my photo, I give you permission to use the photo, anonymously, on your website and associated websites such as Flickr, Youtube and Facebook, and in future ebooks. My intention is that this licence will last indefinitely, but I retain the right to ask you to remove the photograph in special circumstances in the future, within a reasonable time (say one month). This just covers me for un-forseen situations.”4. Add your name to the bottom of the email and send it to me at - eastway@betterphotography.com.

Please, just one image at a time and there’s no rush to do this straight away - I only need a few photos to begin with, so I will repeat this offer in the future! And don’t send me your best images because they will probably be too good to critique!

85SCORE

20

There are so many great images at Canon APPA and the Epson State Awards that not every Award gets the attention it deserves. To redress this in a very small way, the editor will present a small selection each issue for your enjoyment.

E D I T O r ’ S S E L E C T I O N

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E D I T O r ’ S S E L E C T I O N

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E D I T O r ’ S S E L E C T I O N

23

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E D I T O r ’ S S E L E C T I O N

24

Alasdair Forster’s choice of Australia’s Top Ten Iconic Photos. Is he right?

Max Dupain Sunbaker (1937) Carol Jerrems Vale Street (1975) David Moore Migrants arriving in Sydney (1966))

Anne Zahalka The Bathers (1989) Michael Riley Untitled [feather from the se-ries ‘Cloud’] (2000)

Glenn Sloggett Cheaper and Deeper (1996))

Merv Bishop Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hands of traditional land owner Vincent Lingiari, Northern Territory (1975)

Tracey Moffatt Something More [central panel] (1989)

Peter Dombrovskis Morning Mist, Rock Island Bend (1979)

Trent Parke Self Portrait: Menindee, outback NSW [from ‘Minutes to Midnight’] (2003)

25

The Top Ten?A I P P L a u n c h e s Q u e s t f o r T o p T e n I c o n i c P h o t o s

The AIPP has launched a quest to list Australia’s

top ten iconic photos taken in the last 100 years.

Said AIPP President, Kylie Lyons, ‘We are can-

vassing our members and the wider community

to see which Australian photos gather the most

support.

‘The basis of the quest is that the photos

themselves are iconic, rather than the scenes or

landscapes and they must be taken by a pho-

tographer associated with Australia. We believe

photographers who came to make Australia their

home should be included, whether or not the

photographs under consideration were made at

the time of their being Australian residents.’

If this view is popularly accepted, this would

allow the inclusion of such photographers as

Sam Haskins and Lewis Morley.

Everyone is welcome to nominate their fa-

vourite photographs and it is planned to in-

clude the ten most nominated photographs in

the book One Hundred Years of Professional Pho-

tography in Australia.

The book contains the history of the AIPP

and is being released in September to com-

memorate the Institute’s 50 years as a national

body and the 100 years since the founders took

the first steps to national affiliation.

Alasdair Forster, of Cultural Development

Consulting and former executive director of

the Australian Centre for Photography, was

asked for some thought starters for a top ten. In

chronological order, not ranking, he was think-

ing of:

•Max Dupain Sunbaker (1937)

•David Moore Migrants arriving in Sydney

(1966)

•Carol Jerrems Vale Street (1975)

•Merv Bishop Prime Minister Gough Whit-

lam pours soil into the hands of tradition-

al land owner Vincent Lingiari, Northern

Territory (1975)

•Peter Dombrovskis Morning Mist, Rock

Island Bend (1979)

•Tracey Moffatt Something More (1989)

•Anne Zahalka The Bathers (1989)

•Glenn Sloggett Cheaper and Deeper (1996)

•Michael Riley Untitled [feather from the

series ‘Cloud’] (2000)

•Trent Parke Self Portrait: Menindee, out-

back NSW [‘Minutes to Midnight’] (2003)

The AIPP is seeking other suggestions for

inclusion in the final list. Kylie Lyons has re-

quested all comments should be emailed for

collation by 10 August to the book’s author, Paul

Curtis.

Paul’s email is paul@paulcurtis.com.au.

26

Make The Shoot Fun!B r i a n a n d K a y l e n e C h a p m a n

According to Brian Chapman, perhaps the single

most important thing a portrait or wedding pho-

tographer can do is make the experience their

clients have memorable for all the right reasons!

“Make it fun! We make sure that on the day,

we joke around and enjoy ourselves. We do

whatever is needed to take great shots, from

wiping snotty noses to making fools of our-

selves.

“When people look at these photographs,

it’s important they feel good about the experi-

ence they had making them. If they had a good

time, it’s a lot easier to sell the photography.

“Clients have told me about their wedding

photographs being hidden in a cupboard be-

cause every time they look at them, they are re-

minded of the annoying photographer!

“Even if the photography is just average, if

the experience was wonderful, you will prob-

ably still make a sale because the photos make

your clients feel good.

“We have to keep reminding ourselves to

make it fun, particularly if the subjects are less

than exciting! For instance, if a family is over-

weight or aesthetically challenged, don’t worry

about this being your best work ever. rather,

the shoot should be about producing the best

photos the client has ever had.

“Beautiful people are used to seeing them-

selves looking beautiful – and they can end up

being very picky too! In comparison, someone

who has never had a decent photograph of

themselves is often the most appreciative.”

Brian advocates a systemised approach to

selling (which he teaches in his workshops), but

one that is based on showing clients your fa-

vourites and putting forward good ideas, rather

than pushing them to buy.

“Placing photographs in a pre-designed lay-

out allows us to present our work in a creative

and engaging way. It can be overwhelming

to show clients too many options, so part of a

good sale is to show them your favourites with

just a few options they may prefer. We shouldn’t

be afraid to say we’re passionate about our work

and why we think it would look great on a wall.

We’re the experts and our opinion helps them

make a decision.”

Brian and Kaylene Chapman have run several pho-

tography businesses successfully for over a decade

and have a passion for teaching. They hold business

intensive workshops that are targeted at studio

owners, turning over between 30K-250K and need

help taking it to the next level. See www.thebusi-

nessofphotography.com.au for more details.

27

This is Brian’s Number 1 best selling family portrait grouping. Notice how the colour tones are tied to-

gether to make this arrangement work.

28

• •

29

AIPP and ACMP Work TogetherF a c i n g C h a l l e n g i n g T i m e s b y P e t e r M y e r s

The board of directors of both the AIPP and

ACMP strongly believe that by working to-

gether, using our combined energy, skill and

resources, we can better help professional pho-

tographers who work in the business-to-busi-

ness and commercial sectors in Australia.

There is no doubt that the market for, and

the deliverables provided by, commercial pho-

tographers have changed significantly in the

last few years.

In recognition of these changes, the AIPP

and ACMP understand that the old divisions

which existed between these two organisations,

if continued, will not serve the needs of the

commercial photography community well.

Therefore, the two organisations have

agreed to work together in the following ways:

Workshops

A number of workshops, seminars and functions

for the commercial photography community

will be jointly planned, co-ordinated and man-

aged by a team from the ACMP and AIPP.

These targeted workshops, seminars and

functions will be co-branded with AIPP and

ACMP logos to visibly recognise the joint com-

mitment to making these events a success.

Marketing

The AIPP and ACMP agree to use their respec-

tive databases and marketing channels to

promote and market these events and to do

everything in their joint power to encourage at-

tendance at these events.

Budget

Each “joint event” will have an event budget

prepared in advance, and the “surplus”, if there is

one, will be split equally between the AIPP and

ACMP.

Communication

Both the AIPP and ACMP will communicate

to their respective memberships the benefits

of this alliance and make every effort to instill

within those members mutual respect and trust.

The ACMP President, currently Lisa Saad, and

the AIPP Executive Officer, currently Peter Myers,

will be the main points of contact to ensure this

memorandum of understanding is implement-

ed in the spirit intended.

30

Photography Members of the Australian ISO TC42 Photography Standard Kick-off Forum, 27 March 2013:

(Left to right)

Jennifer Harwood (Standards Australia)

Penelope Beveridge (ACMP)

Robert Edwards (AIPP)

Geoff Woolfe (Canon Information Systems Research Australia)

Dr. Scott Foshee (Adobe, TC 42 Chairman)

Peter Wyatt  (Canon Information Systems Research Australia)

Dr. David Taubman (University of New South Wales)

Christopher Ruggles (Choice)

Wendy Davis (CIE Australia)

Prof. Anthony Maeder (University of Western Sydney)

Dr. Antonio Robles-Kelly (National ICT Australia)

Nicolas Bonnier (Canon Information Systems Research Australia, TC42 WG18 Chairman)

31

ISO TC42 Photography Standardb y R o b e r t E d w a r d s

In March, the AIPP asked me to attend an ISO

meeting on photographic standards.

Convened by Standards Australia who is this

country’s representative for ISO, attendees in-

cluded key stakeholders from the photographic

industry: manufacturers, distributors, govern-

ment, consumers, technicians, scientists and the

end users – we photographers.

The outcome is that Australia now has a Mir-

ror Committee for ISO TC42.

Who Is ISO

TC42 is the ISO Technical Committee for still

imaging for the International Organization for

Standardization.

(The astute reader will see that ISO is not

an acronym for the organisation, it’s in fact the

Greek word for ‘equal’ and pronounced “eye-

sew”.)

There are more than 2,000 technical com-

mittees within ISO, with TC42 being one of the

first formed along with the ISO itself in 1947.

There are dozens of areas covered by TC42

Mirror Committee relevant to professional pho-

tographers.

An obvious one is the ISO speed on our

cameras. Manufacturers agree on a set of inter-

national standards for imaging sensitivity with

film, sensors and meters.

Within TC42 there are several Working

Groups focusing on specialist areas, such as

WG18 who is responsible for electronic still pic-

ture imaging.

Raw Format Standard

The project I want to report on here is about

halfway through the ISO standard development

process, that is, an international standard cam-

era raw format.

TC42/WG18 has a raw file structure docu-

mented using TIFF/EP, which your camera man-

ufacturer already uses to create their proprietary

raw file formats.

As you may guess TIFF/EP is based on TIFF, a

file format owned by Adobe who permit ISO to

use it.

Adobe recently offered ISO their DNG speci-

fication, parts of which may be used in the new

ISO raw standard.

Special Interests

The ISO was established to reduce trade barri-

ers through recognised international standards.

Like any organisation, including the AIPP, the

ISO is comprised of many stakeholders, each

with its own interest group.

32

Camera manufacturers have solid business

reasons to create undocumented, proprietary

raw formats along with their own raw file pro-

cessor.

Watching Competitors

They don’t want competitors to access confi-

dential and highly valuable information on how

their sensors work or their image-rendering

pipeline. Some cite image quality as a reason to

have proprietary raw file formats.

Not everyone will see eye-to-eye on a pro-

posed raw image standard.

ISO/TC42 is made up of several members

from the photographic industry. This includes

camera and accessory manufacturers, and soft-

ware companies, spread across several coun-

tries.

Making A Difference

To pass an ISO standard requires a majority vote

from member countries. That is where countries

like Australia can assist as our vote will make a

difference.

The Standards Australia National Mirror

Committee will primarily

focus on issues relating to

our country’s needs. How-

ever, the final outcome if

we vote on an ISO stan-

dard will have internation-

al ramifications.

What’s the likelihood of there being an ISO

raw File Format?

That’s pretty much a given and the stan-

dard development process required by ISO is

on schedule for the next meeting. If accepted,

it will be at least another two years before ISO

members vote on a raw camera format stan-

dard.

One Certainty

But there will be an ISO Standard for Camera

raw files, of that I’m certain.

The more pertinent question is whether

camera manufacturers adopt the ISO standard

and we, the end users, will have to drive that.

Disclosure: While I am the AIPP representative

on the ISO TC42 Australian Mirror Committee, the

views expressed here are my own and not that of

Standards Australia or ISO.

Robert Edwards is a past AIPP National President

and is very active in the areas of digital asset man-

agement, along with running his own photography

business, . www.photographer.com.au

The13 Essential Elements of a Successful APPA Competition Entry

Read More AIPP Member Only ContentTo read AIPP member and specific business related advice, visit the AIPP

website and sign in. Once you’re signed in, follow the menu Member Services, My Publications, The Working Pro - Extended Material.

33

W h e r e a r e m y f r e e c o p i e s o f

B e t t e r P h o t o g r a p h y M a g a z i n e ?

T h e y a r e h e r e . . .

w w w . a i p p . c o m . a u

S i g n i n t o t h e m e m b e r ’ s s e c t i o n . . .

G o t o m e m b e r s e r v i c e s . . .

G o t o m y p u b l i c a t i o n s . . .

G o t o B e t t e r P h o t o g r a p h y . . .

D o w n l o a d a n d e n j o y !

M i c h a e l K e n n a • J o h s e l N a m k u n g • S t e p h e n D u p o n t

• S t a g e Y o u r O w n E x h i b i t i o n • C o m p o s i t i o n E s s e n t i a l s

• M a k i n g A m a z i n g P h o t o b o o k s

34

rØDE i16C a p t u r i n g g r e a t s o u n d f o r v i d e o

Whether capturing

sound clips for an

audio visual or back-

ground recordings for

a video, the new røde

i16 will capture re-

markably high-quality

sound with a small but

elaborate recording

system.

Designed for the iPhone, iPad and iPod

touch, the i16 combines sixteen separate micro-

phone capsules to capture the user’s surround-

ing audio environment in broadcast quality.

A similar product, the røde iXy stereo micro-

phone for iOS devices has already gained praise

from both musical and mainstream media, in-

cluding a recent red Dot product award. The

i16 takes the iXy several steps further.

røde’s founder and president, Peter Freed-

man, explains: “When developing the iXy we

were focused on providing the ultimate in ste-

reo audio capture for iOS devices. But during

the project it became evident that there was a

large proportion of the market who wanted to

record in complete surround. We’ve taken that

seriously and produced the i16.”

The new microphone uses røde’s own field

recording app, røde

rec, to record the six-

teen tracks simultane-

ously at quality up to

24-bit/96kHz. At the

heart of the i16 are six-

teen individual gold-

sputtered cardioid con-

denser capsules, which

allow the user a high

amount of freedom to record in either surround,

stereo, mono, or anywhere in between.

“Once the user records the surrounding en-

vironment, software processing inside røde

rec will allow them to cancel background noise

through phase manipulation of the other chan-

nels, working much the same way as noise can-

celling headphones.” explained Peter Freedman.

“In this way the i16 is even more effective at re-

cording dialogue than a traditional shotgun mi-

crophone.”

The i16 is available with both Apple Light-

ning (iPhone 5, iPad mini) and 30-pin connec-

tions. Approximate price is $399.

For more information, visit www.rodemic.

com. The rØDE rec App is available for pur-

chase from the App Store.

35

Internationally awarded travel photographers Ignacio Palacios and Pep Roig are leading an amazing photographic journey to Patagonia in South America

next year and AIPP Grand Master of Photography Peter Eastway will join the tour as a guest presenter and instructor.

Patagonia Itinerary

Santiago de Chile, Pta. Arenas, Torres del Paine National Park (Pehoe Lake, Nordenskjöld lake, Salto Grande waterfall, Laguna Larga, Grey lake and Grey

Glacier), Pto. Natales, El Calafate (Perito Moreno Glacier), Viedma Lake, El Chaltén (Cerro Torre and Fitz Roy, Maestri camp, Poincenot camp), El Calafate.

The trip includes accommodation, all meals, English and Spanish speaking guides, local travel (minibus), transfers and visas. On the Patagonia tour, Peter,

Ignacio and Pep will provide instruction and assistance with your photography as required. There are only 15 seats available on the tour.

Price: AU$7995*(*) Twin share price. The tour price does not include flights.Note: Some level of fitness is required to reach some campsites in Torres del Paine and Cerro Torre. Porters will be available at an additional fee. The tour finishes in El Calafate (Argentina) from where there are flights to Buenos Aires connecting back to Santiago de Chile or directly to Australia. Dates and itinerary are subject to change.

For further information, contact Ignacio by email: info@iptravelphotography.com.au or visit www.iptravelphotography.com.au.

PATAGONIA 2014WITH IGNACIO PALACIOS, PEP ROIG & PETER EASTWAY

Torres del Paine, Perito Moreno Glacier, Cerro Torre & Fitz Roy 8 – 21 March 2014 / 14 days

An eBook by Peter Eastway

G.M. Photog., Hon. FAIPP, Hon FNZIPP, FAIPP

For more information and a read of the free sample, please visit:

www.betterphotography.com

I have judged

many photography

competitions and

there are lots of little

things that entrants

forget to do. If only I could let them

know before entering the competi-

tion, they would do so much better!

Well, as a judge I’m not allowed

to ring up and help entrants, but I can

write a book that distills what I have

learnt over the last twenty years that

will give you a great head start.

Of course, no one can give you an

iron-clad guarantee that you will read

my book and then win the next photo

competition you enter – and I explain

why in the book. However, what I can

guarantee you is that if you read my

book, you will improve the quality of

your photography.

You see, whether you’re aiming to

win a photography competition or just

take a better photograph, the advice is

very similar. And I know that the tech-

niques and approaches I’ve developed

over the years will help you capture

and produce better photographs.

My book is called How To Win Photo Competitions.

It begins with a little about me.

After all, it’s easy enough to write a

book about winning photography

competitions, but it’s better if you have

a little bit of experience. Fortunately

for me, I’ve been lucky enough to win

quite a few competitions, plus I have

a lot of experience as a judge. I can

talk to you about both sides of the

competition.

Add in the fact I’ve been a maga-

zine editor for 30 years and I hope I’m

able to communicate my message

pretty well. So, in just a couple of

pages (I don’t want to bore you), I

explain why I know what I’m talking

about (even though my Dad told me

not to boast).

We then look at competitions

and how they work, how you should

approach them, and how to use the

results to assess your own photog-

raphy. It’s important to set the scene

before we get into creating photos

that win competitions.

The next two sections are the

nitty gritty. We begin by talking about

taking a great photograph in the fi rst

place. Competition winners begin

with the camera and so we talk about

camera technique, colour, composi-

tion, framing and so on - little tricks

and hints that will make a world of

diff erence to your photographs.

From here we step into post-

production – using the computer

to improve the images our camera

has captured. Most readers will have

dabbled with Photoshop, Elements

or Lightroom and this is all you need

to enhance your images so they are

in the running for a competition win.

These days, no matter how good your

camera is, you simply must do a little

post-production to fi nesse your entry.

I fi nish the book with some use-

ful background information about

how competitions work (generally

speaking), and then I analyse some of

the images that have won awards for

me, pointing out the aspects that the

judges responded to in a positive way.

The book has lots of photographs

and illustrations to explain exactly

what I’m talking about.

And it is an eBook. It is easy to

read on a computer, laptop or iPad,

and you need Adobe Reader (Acrobat)

to view the book. There is no paper

version of this book, although you can

print out the Acrobat Reader fi le if you

wish.

I have created a sample eBook for

you to look at on the Better Photogra-

phy website, so please visit and have

a read. If you like what you see, I hope

you’ll purchase a copy.

And for your next photo competi-

tion - good luck!

– Peter Eastway

How To Win Photo Competitions

How To Win

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WinPhotoCompAdvert-2013.indd 1 21/01/2013 9:24:27 PM