pagespicsNews and a Winning Pic
Posted on June 17, 2023
China
A big move to China will be underway in just over a Month. I will be making a new life in an area called Daya Bay. Daya Bay is going to be very different from the last time I was in China and living in Shanghai. Daya Bay is a popular holiday resort for many Chinese, particularly those that live in the nearby city of Shenzhen. Expect a slightly more laid-back style of Travel Photography, possibly drawing on skills I have developed living by the beach in New Zealand. When I do feel more adventurous, Hong Kong is a short trip away and accessible by bridge. Below is a photo of one of my favourite areas of Old Shanghai, an area that will have changed a lot since this photo was taken!
A Winning Photo
Leaving travel photography for a moment, I am pleased to have won the Still Life Photography Award, here at Gisborne Camera Club. This club is going to be missed a lot when I move abroad, and it has pushed me in a variety of photographic directions. It has been fantastic to shoot with such a great bunch of people. Still life is an effective way to learn about light and shadow and is something that all photographers should try! I have some ideas on how I may continue working on the theme of eggs…
Mmm, not sure about the grey area on the left of this copy of the image, but since I’m editing and writing whilst on a ferry crossing the Cook Strait of NZ I am going to leave it. There is just one more piece of news, but I will save that for the next post.
Take care and keep clicking, Chris
Telling a story
Posted on November 20, 2022
This month the local photo club in Gisborne hosted a photo essay challenge. The task required capturing 3-5 images that told a story. There were no words allowed. I had great plans involving lighting and set up. Maybe something in the kitchen, or blitzing the garage (yeah, I know I lead an exciting life). Time as ever ran way too fast, so I needed a quick solution. Without further ado I grabbed my trusty iPhone and started my morning by taking photos.
Morning Preparation
I’m pretty certain nobody wants to see what I look like first thing in the morning. However, this project could be shot using my phone and stared myself as a model. What could possibly go wrong? And yes, it all happens in this order, so now you know something else about me.
Near Winner
Well, my image set did not win, but earned a respectable joint second place. It was great fun putting the project together. What would your ideas be for a story challenge? Feel free to leave your thoughts below.
Take care and keep clicking, Chris
Lastly – well done Pauline for capturing the excellent winning series of doggy fun at the beach. This proved the old adage of ‘never work with animals’ is completely untrue!
Photo Feedback and the PSNZ
Posted on June 20, 2022
Last week I received feedback on three of my photos that were entered for the monthly challenge at Gisborne Camera Club (GCC). Secondly, I am now a member of the PSNZ, which stands for the Photographic Society of New Zealand. Hopefully, joining the PSNZ will open some new doorways provide some inspiration. Anyway, without further ado, here are some photos with the feedback I recieved.
B39-Open-Evening Peace
The perfect title. This is indeed a very peaceful image. The pastel colours are beautiful. I can’t
decide if the ship is a distraction or not. On balance I decided it was nice, especially as the red of
its hull looks quite pastel like. The layout of the tree in the bottom third balances well with the
negative space of the water. Just nitpicking but perhaps the large trunks sticking up are a little too
bright. It’s not a major thing and the layout and colours win me over.
Evaluation: Honours (Chris Page)
39-Still Life-Got Milk
A wonderful abstract still life. I am assuming this is an upside-down mug or perhaps a jug. The
strong geometric shapes and patterns are engaging and visually stimulating. Using black and
white like this can be challenging, however the author has controlled the exposure, and everything
is just so. Nice work!
Evaluation: Honours (Chris Page)
B39-Interaction-See You Later
This is a very strong street photography image where the author has managed to catch this
moment as it unfolds. What I love about street photography is that in this tiny moment we can build
up our own back story and try to fill in the gaps. It’s like people watching on steroids. When I look
at this image I have so many questions, do they know each other? Was this someone complaining
about the other getting in their way? What are all those marks on his legs? Is that normal dress or
is she going to an event? And so, it goes. There are a few distracting elements and I wonder if this
would be stronger in black and white. This is a nicely seen moment.
Evaluation: Highly commended (Chris Page)
Thoughts?
Effective feedback is the single best way to improve as a photographer, and I am incredibly grateful to the guest judge of this month’s photos. It was also nice to get a good mark for images that are outside of my specialist genre. However, living in NZ has brought my Landscape photography along in leaps and bounds.
What do you think of the comments the judges made? Agree, disagree, of have something to add? Either way, enjoy the pics and hopefully this blog will continue to inspire some of you to get your camera out. I’m now looking at starting to put together a final project based around the East Coast of NZ’s North Island. Watch this space.
Keep clicking, Chris
A winning photo
Posted on May 29, 2022
I have recently won an award. In this instance it is the ‘Cody Mono Award’, at my local Gisborne Camera Club. I do not often process images in black and white, despite it being a popular form for Street Photography.
This image was captured in Mumbai, India and it is of a steel worker, who I am guessing is coming out for a breath of much needed fresh air. Looking ahead, the focus for this month’s award is ‘nature’. My best shot so far is of a piece of seaweed, which not something you will often see on my shot list! Thanks and hello to everyone at GCC.
Wishing everyone a happy Monday (aren’t they great…)
Keep clicking, Chris
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