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Working ProThe

Issue 234 • August 2015

PROUDLY SUPPORTING THE AIPP

TRADE PARTNERProud supporter of the AIPP

Working ProThe

C o n t e n t s# 2 3 4 - A u g u s t 2 0 1 5

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

Editor Peter Eastway

G.M Photog., FNZIPP, 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

Copyright © 2015

AIPP Membership Contacts

Suite G.02, 171 Union Road,

Surrey Hills, Victoria 3127

Phone: 03 9888 4111

E-mail: enquiries99@aipp.com.au

Cover

A l i s o n l yo n s AAiPPFINALIST - 2014 AIPP PROFESSIONAL ILLUSTRATIVE

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

w w w. a l i s o n l y o n s p h o t o g r a p h y. c o m / m

4 Ross’s Ramblings - Mutual RespectRoss Eason APP.L M.Photog., Hon.LM, National President

1 4 Update 1: AIPP Reflections ProjectLouise Bagger from South Australia describes her positive experiences with the Reflections project.

1 6 Update 2: AIPP Reflections ProjectRobyn Hills from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast says she should have be-come involved even earlier!

1 8 Why The Nikon Event Worked For MeThe Nikon Event in Perth has finished up with a lot of happy convention-eers! Peta Horsten explains why she thought this year’s program was so worthwhile.

2 0 The Nikon EventThere was a lot happening over in Perth this year, and it wasn’t only edu-cation and learning!

2 2 AIPP Honour RecipientsEach year, the AIPP recognises the achievements and hard work of our most deserving members.

2 8 Social Media: Who Are You Abusing?Social media doesn’t give people an excuse to be rude or libellous. In fact, it may stick around to haunt you.

3 0 Peta Horsten - Dreaming Of TravelWestern Australian photographer Peta Horsten has a plan to change her wedding and portrait photography business into travel photography – and she’s well on the road.

4 2 10 Points For Canon AIPP APPA SuccessThe Working Pro asked Grand Master of Photography Rocco Ancora how to give your entries the best chance of achieving a Silver or even a Gold Award at APPA this year.

4 8 Landing Pages For Higher ProfitsPeter Myers explains how using your ‘Search For A Pro” proflies with spe-cific landing pages can lead to lower bounce rates and more bookings.

5 2 SoloShot2Is technology gradually eliminating the need for professional videoand photography services, or is it providing professionals with new tools and new opportunities? Is the SoloShot2 good or evil?out of it too.

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Ross’s Ramblings R o s s E a s o n A P P. L M . P h o t o g . , H o n . L M , N a t i o n a l P r e s i d e n t

The importance of mutual respect

Talking to a member recently, the subject

of bullying in general came up and I promised

I would try to highlight the issue with our

members.

Instinctively, we think of bullying as

schoolyard antics, but in reality bullying

can happen at any level of any organisation

and may involve misuse of power, repeated

harassment, inappropriate comments,

embellishing the facts, threat of retribution or

public disclosure.

May Not Be Intentional

Generally, I don’t think people deliberately

set out to bully and in many cases it is simply

unintentional.

At times, frustration can give rise

to a comment that could be interpreted as

bullying, even though the person passing the

comment may not have meant it as such.

In a membership organisation of peers,

it is inevitable that members will have

different opinions about industry standards,

management and direction. And as peers, we

also compete with each other on a regular basis

for work as well as in the Awards.

This interaction can give rise to verbal or

written exchanges between members that, in

frustration, can intimidate when that may not

have been the intention.

At The Awards

For instance, the photography awards are

incredibly subjective when it comes to the rules,

categories, scoring ranges and comments, both

between judges and about an image.

Each year during the awards process, our

volunteers can be unfairly treated for simply

taking on a role. At times they cop the fallout

from members whose images did not achieve

the score that was expected, or comments

passed in good faith are not well received.

The last point is one of the reasons we have

invested this year in extended training for our

awards judges, but this is not to imply our

judges are bullies.

Warning Signs

The effects on someone being bullied can

be serious and create long term health issues.

The warning signs are:

• distress, anxiety, panic attacks or sleep

disturbance;

• physical illness, for example muscular tension,

• headaches and digestive problems;

• loss of self-esteem and feelings of isolation;

• deteriorating relationships with colleagues,

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family and friends;

• depression;

• thoughts of self harm.

Within the AIPP and its activities, bullying

may happen when the following behaviour is

repeated:

• abusive, demeaning, insulting or inappropriate

comments, either in person or on social

media;

• unjustifiable criticism or complaints;

• exclusion from events or roles;

• misuse of information, including withholding

information;

• spreading negative or false rumours;

• threatening use of social media to force an

opinion;

• embellishing or distorting facts;

• badgering.

Passionate Artisans

So, who could be a bully?

In reality, just about anyone from a client to a

member, council member or a board member

and usually without realising it.

Not many people intentionally bully,

but within the AIPP it can happen easily

and predominantly because we are all such

passionate artisans.

So what do we do about it?

Be objective. Consider the impact any

comment or action may have on someone and

try and to do so before making it.

I can’t think of anyone who would set out

to deliberately cause that level of distress, so

chances are they are not deliberate actions.

Be Objective

If in hindsight, you think you may have

crossed a line, clarify and apologise. If the

person took no offense, they will soon tell you.

Equally, we all have to be very cautious not

to overreact to comments passed or received

because, as I said above, the objectivity applies

to those who are making comments as well as

those receiving them.

ross.eason@aipp.com.au

0438 722 992

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A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | V I C T O R I A

As the new AIPP Victorian Council President, I would like to sincerely thank all the members for the opportunity to serve an industry that I am passionate about. Thank you to the previous council for setting a benchmark in engaging more of our members in participating and enjoying some amazing events last year.

As the new council we intend to capitalise on the momentum and provide more fabulous events and social days including advocacy for our Victorian members to the current National Board. Your new council which consist of Dannii Best (Vice President), Vanessa Macaulay, Joshua Holko and David Simmonds are committed to serving you.

This is an exciting time for the AIPP with the inclusion of the ACMP and the new APVP (Accredited Professional Video Producers). I urge you to get involved. Look forward to seeing you all at our next Event.

M E M B E R S P O T L I G H T - R E B E C C A C R O F T1. How did you fall in love with photography?I guess it was an organic process. From the age of 8 years old my parents frequently travelled overseas

taking both my sister and me. Mum and Dad insisted that we have our own cameras and were encouraged to take as many photographs as we chose to. After high school l studied for 2 1/2 years at a private art college and then went on to complete my Bachelor of Arts (Photography) at RMIT University.

2. If you could have dinner with anyone from history who would it be?LETS MAKE IT A PARTY! Salvador Dali, Hunter S. Thompson, Bill Hicks, Robert Mapplethorpe, Lao Tzu, Nikki Sixx, Andy Warhol, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, John Lennon, Ed Norton, Betsey Johnson, Steve Jobs, Rosa Parks, Frida Kahlo, Coco Chanel, Kurt Cobain, Tony Hsieh, Damon Albarn, Animal (from the Muppets), Leila (my dog) and my Dad.

3. What single piece of technology makes your life easier?Microwave, I won’t be auditioning for MasterChef this year!

4. Which photographer/s do you admire?Robert Mapplethorpe, Diane Arbus, W. Eugene Smith.

5. What is your dream shoot?1969 Woodstock (Backstage…all access).

ALL IMAGES © REBECCA CROFT

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U P C O M I N G E V E N T S 10th August - ‘What Judges Look For’ by Martin Graham Dunn plus Critique Night24th August - Bus Tour to Ballarat Biennale10th September - APPA Critique night27th October - Video Critique Night, Glow Studios

Council Structure: Most councils have five members, but this can be varied by mutual consent.

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F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

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M O N T H LY B R E A K FA S T G AT H E R I N GHere in Adelaide, our State Council provides an opportunity for members to come together for a social chat over a sumptuous breakfast, or for some, just a cup of coffee. Our monthly breakfast catch-up is a staple on the calendar for many as it provides time for a leisurely break from daily routine and keeps our community connected. We welcome all members, accredited, emerging and student, as well as potential members to be introduced to, perhaps, future colleagues. The breakfast gathering is held on the first Tuesday of every month at Alfonso’s Café, Hutt St, Adelaide, from 8 a.m.

T H E F U T U R E O F O U R I N D U S T R YSA Vice President, Louise Bagger, spent a couple of hours with a group of students at the Centre for Creative Photography to introduce them to the AIPP. There is no better time to promote our industry body than to have an opportunity to show a little of what we’re all about. Thanks to the new presentation show provided by Head Office, this gave a comprehensive collection

of information from which Louise was able to expand on based on her own knowledge. The timing was also perfect with the lead up to the SA State Awards in July and to encourage student involvement.

P R E - AWA R D S P R I N T F E E D B A C KBy the time this article hits the streets, SA will have conducted our annual State Awards. An important part of this process was to help our local members to prepare their prints for SAPPA and State Council hosted an evening where members were invited to bring a selection of their printed images to receive valuable feedback before final submission. A panel of highly regarded Adelaide photographers, including local printing guru David Hobbs from Atkins Photo Lab, provided detailed evaluation of the images provided from printing detail to image presentation.

F U T U R E E V E N T S14th August – SAPPA Debrief and Open Forum Q&A (TBC)1st September – Monthly Breakfast – Alfonso’sSep/Oct – New Members Introduction Evening (TBC)

© AARON CITTI

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | S O U T H A U S T R A L I A

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F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

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C O U N C I L N E W SWe’re off to a flying start with this year’s new ACT council. So lovely to welcome Lori Cicchini and Lib Ferreira into the midst. The council would also like to welcome our co-opted members Robert Coppa, Kelly Tunney and Dan O’Day. Please congratulate Ben Kopilow who is taking over the reins as ACT president!

As it stands at the moment, Doug Hall is currently organising monthly catch ups at local cafes. This is a chance to discuss business, get advice about your day-to-day work or any issues you’re having with photography in general.

If you’re madly preparing for APPA, we have a print critique night on 20 August at 6.30 p.m. Any questions you have about your entries must be at the print critique night. Check out the blog and the AIPP ACT Facebook Page.

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | A C T

© DOUG HALL

© DOUG HALL

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F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

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Welcome back to the old/new council and thank you to the record number of members who were nominated to run for council. This is an exciting sign to see so many members wanting to be involved in the state council and although we can’t elect more than five on the team, we value everyone’s input and activity in any area that you can be involved with.

Many thanks Morris and Natalia McLennan for hosting “An Evening with Morris Images Sydney”. Morris gave attendees insights into his customer, marketing and photographic skills. He shared his journey from a manager of restaurants to now operating a home based studio that presents as a professional, fully-fledged, bustling business that is Red Square Media - Sydney. We saw his latest timelapse assignment shot between 11p.m. and 4.30 a.m. at Sydney Airport. A most impressive production. David Glazebrook

“It was an honour to be asked to be the keynote speaker at the Sydney TAFE graduation evening on behalf of AIPP (Australian Institute of Professional Photography) this month. Congratulations to the 180 graduates who were awarded certificates on

completion of their photography courses. The bond between students, graduates and working professionals is so important in any industry and it was clear that the AIPP plays such a fabulous role in this, from continuing the education of photographers at any stage of their careers to creating a wonderful networking opportunity to keep members inspired along the way. A great reminder of the relevance and worth of our Institute!” Anni Payne

N S W E V E N T S12th August - Print Critique night hosted at Kayell

18th August – Inspiration – An Evening With Kylie Lyons at Handprint Photography

TBC - Blue Mountains Brunch Club

TBC early Sep - Print critique night

16th Sep - social - Off the Grid, Como Hotel

24th Sep – Portrait Photography – Katie Kolenberg, Jeremy Byrnes, Karl and Bec Welsch hosted by Momento Pro

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | N E W S O U T H WA L E S

© IGNACIO PALACIOUS © SUE DAVIS

We have organised a whole host of exciting events over the next couple of months. For tickets and full details please keep an eye on your inbox and the official AIPP NSW Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/aippnsw

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F O R M O R E U P C O M I N G E V E N T S

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Well it’s been a huge couple of months here in WA with the end of June seeing the WA Epson Professional Photography Awards completed for another year, leading straight into one of the AIPP¹s biggest yearly drawcards - The AIPP Nikon Event! The State Awards saw a record jump in the number of entries this year – a whopping 33% up on the previous year!

It’s a sure sign that the WA AIPP community is excited and on the rise and it was a massive two and a half days of Judging with a huge thanks to our interstate Judges Anna Blackman, Kelly Tunney and Paul Hoelen for making the trip over, and our local guest judges Chris Rowett and Simon Westlake who all worked hard (and late) every night for PPY judging.

Congratulations to John Woodhouse APP M.Photog, the new WA Epson Professional Photographer of the Year for 2015, as well as all the category winners.

We need to make special mention of our student from CIT, who each worked 70 hours voluntarily throughout the event as print handlers. Your efforts were amazing!

After a successful awards presentation night combined with the opening night for the AIPP Nikon Event, the three day Event was underway and motivating the huge number of photographers who were lucky enough to attend. WA photographers James Simmons, Stef King, Jonelle Beveridge and Steve Wise led the way locally with memorable workshops and inspiring presentations. An amazing three days culminated in the Gala Auction Dinner which raised $58,000 for the charity beyondblue, and WA’s Leon Kozyrski was honoured by the AIPP with the designation of Honorary Life Member. Congratulations to all involved!We also welcome the new WA Council for 2015/16: Kirsten Graham (President), Shaireen Van Tuil, Steve Wise, Des Birt and Vic Natoli. The Council is excited about the upcoming year with some big plans afoot.

U P C O M I N G E V E N T S11th August - Breakfast Meeting27th October - APPA Wrap Up Sundowner

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A

© NATASJA KREMERS

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The 2015 AIPP Tasmanian Epson Awards have been run and won. Congratulations to a growing number of entrants for their participation and to State President Kelly Gerdes and her team of happy helpers for a well organised and smooth running event.

On Sunday 12 July 2015 the awards were judged at Zanzo Studios in Hobart, provided by courtesy of Dean Mansbridge, who is never shy of volunteering his time and resources.

A fun night of celebrations was held the same evening at the awards dinner at The Westend Pumphouse in Hobart.

C AT E G O R Y A N D AWA R D S W I N N E R SWedding – Jon JarvelaLandscape – Paul HoelenIllustrative – Suellen CookPortrait – Dan CrippsPet/Animal – Deb SulzbergerFamily – Conor RichardsonAlbum – Kathleen Smith

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | TA S M A N I A

Emerging – Robert KaracicStudent – Fiona Davidson Highest Scoring Print – Andrew McConachyEpson Signature Worthy Award – Andrew McConachySuellen Cook – 2015 AIPP Epson Tasmanian Professional Photographer of the Year

An extra special congratulations to first time entrant and new council member Suellen Cook who was the Overall Winner.

S P O N S O R SA big thank you to all the event’s sponsors for their continuing support: Epson Australia, Bride Tasmania, Wild Island Gallery, Ai Imaging Art Poster, Walch Optics, and Hobart Imaging.

J U D G E SA further thank you also to all judges for their time and efforts: William Long, Kelly Tunney, Kevin O’Daly, Dan Cripps, Dean Mansbridge, Steve Lovegrove, and Paul Hoelen.

© ANDREW MCCONACHY

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U P C O M I N G E V E N T S F O R T H E N Q C H A P T E RCatherine & Richard Muldoon workshop – Photography as a Vocation. Two Dates: Monday the 28th of September 2015 in Airlie Beach and then Wednesday the 30th of September 2015 in Townsville.In this all day presentation Cath & Rich will share with you much of their hard won knowledge. Rich will talk about the creative influences in his work and suggest ways to get inspired and win your own “War of Art”. He will also describe Vivid’s digital workflow and outline the studio processes which enable him the time and freedom to be creative. Cath will talk about inspiring, educating and qualifying potential clients and creating emotive images they will love. Cath will also focus on the sales techniques which ensure the studio doors stay open. The day will be broken onto four areas of focus: The Creative, The Process, The Client, The Sales.

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Greetings from your new Queensland Council. We are very excited to bring a fresh approach to the AIPP QLD. What a year we have lined up for our members! We have some great speakers for our bi-monthly ‘On the Lounge’ presentations, the always exciting ‘Hair of the Dog’ Event, the always informative and very important Print Critiques and of course the Festive Season Christmas party, and a whole lot more. I won’t give too much away, but let’s just say that your diaries will be full! This year we are looking forward to connecting with as many of the Queensland members as possible through information nights, education events and social fun in the sunshine state.

We thought we might kick off by letting you know where our specialties lie, so there is somebody specific to contact for your particular genre of photography.

Adam Finch (President) – Highly experienced Commercial, Fashion, Wedding Photographer | Suzanne McCorkell (Vice President) – Contemporary Portraits – Family, children, generation | Ryan Schembri – Wedding and Business Guru | Megan Rizzo – Creative Art Portraits – Corporate, Pin Up, Rockabilly, Burlesque, SE QLD contact for Veteran’s Reflections Project | Tristam Evisan – Landscape, Fine Art, Printing genius and damn good listener.

Queensland photographers are on fire with the AIPP Veteran’s Reflections Project. A group of Sunshine Coast photographers even made the Channel 9 news! Check it out HERE

Our very own AIPP National President, Ross Eason was shooting that day and captured some incredible footage. Watch it here (and make sure you have some tissues). HERE

Across South East Queensland alone, there have been 481 registered Veterans, allocated to 49 photographers. My maths is not great, but even I can see that we are in desperate need for more photographers to help out with this very meaningful project.

To get involved register at https://aippveterans.com or contact hello@meganrizzophotography.com.au.

UPCOMING EVENTS17th Aug – Core Skills – From Beginnings to Hero’s in a day19th Aug – Core Skills – APPA Print Critique Evening #19th Sept – Core Skills – APVP Video Critique Evening10th Sept – OTL – Justin Ealand from Bushturkey Studio15th Sept – Core Skills – APPA Print Critique Evening #224th Sept – Inspiration – On the Lounge - TBA

Tell us what you want! We are interested in your thoughts and ideas. If you have a pearler, then we want to know.

If you want to host an On the Lounge, or would like to suggest an On The Lounge Speaker or have a presentation you want to share, tell us! Email aippqld@aipp.com.au

A R O U N D T H E S TAT E S | Q U E E N S L A N D

© FRANK HURRELL

Council Structure: There was an equal vote for 5th position, so a sixth position was created by mutual consent.

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Purchase the eBooks and the Business Planning Templates separately, or buy both and save $49!

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Update 1: AIPP Reflections ProjectL o u i s e B a g g e r f r o m S o u t h A u s t r a l i a d e s c r i b e s h e r p o s i t i v e e x p e r i e n c e s w i t h t h e R e f l e c t i o n s p r o j e c t .

Louise Bagger is the South Australian state

co-ordinator for the AIPP Reflections Project.

Having served for 15 years herself in the Royal

Australian Navy, she says she feels a personal

duty to help, but even putting this aside, she

says it’s the experience of a lifetime.

The AIPP needs more photographers to help

with the Project, so we asked Louise to explain

why it’s such a worthwhile thing to do.

“The project is bigger than I ever imagined,

but it’s just incredible the people I’m meeting.

I photographed a Rat of Tobruk, a gentleman

who went without food for 13 days on the

Kokoda Trail in Papua New Guinea, and a

Lancaster bomber pilot who was shot and

injured over Germany, but managed to get his

plane to safety. For me, to give an hour of my life

is no big deal compared to people who were

prepared to give their lives for their country.

“I’ve spent a lot of hours on this, but it will be

one of my career highlights.”

While all the photographers involved have

been incredibly generous with their time, Louise

made special mention of Tom McNab from

Port Lincoln. “Tom has photographed over 50

veterans all over the Eyre Peninsula.

“Other photographers have indicated they

would like to get involved when their work

allows. I respect that income and family come

first and so I don’t push the point.

“However, two of the veterans I

photographed have since passed away, and two

unfortunately died before I could reach them.

We are doing as much as is humanly possible,

but we really need help from anyone who can

spare a week or so of their time.”

Louise says getting involved with the media

has brought a lot more veterans forward.

“We had a huge response here in the

Adelaide Hills with the two local papers and we

achieved fantastic reach in SA and WA with a

feature piece on Today Tonight by journalist Paul

Makin.

“And the photographers who have come on

board are loving it. There’s a deep admiration

and respect for these people - and the veterans

in turn can’t believe that we are doing this all for

nothing. They shake our hands in gratefulness

and I walk away happy every time I do a shoot.”

Please spread the word about this project to WWII

veterans and photographers. To register a veteran

or a photographer for the project please go to:

https://aippveterans.com

15Veteran John Ritchie photographed by Louise Bagger for the AIPP Reflections Project.

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Update 2: AIPP Reflections ProjectR o b y n H i l l s f r o m Q u e e n s l a n d ’ s S u n s h i n e C o a s t s a y s s h e s h o u l d h a v e b e c o m e i n v o l v e d e v e n e a r l i e r !

“I like volunteering! I like to make the world a

better place and I like to use my skills to give

something back to the profession that has been

so good to me over the past thirty years.”

The AIPP Reflections Project is really getting

photographers to think about their role and

place in society. And with the photography

being extended out to October, now is a great

time to get involved.

“I had seen all the promotions about the

Veterans Project, I just hadn’t done anything

about it. I mean, I’m time poor. I work in four

different industries and I’m a volunteer on three

committees, but when Ross Eason gently asked

why I hadn’t registered, my reply was that I

had been meaning to. Hopefully everyone else

won’t need a personal call like I did!”

Robyn featured in a video showing the

Veterans Project at work (you can see it on

Vimeo at https://vimeo.com/134189634).

“Ross organised my first veteran to come to

my studio. We had the media there, filming the

shoot and that’s how it started for me. However,

it takes time to get things organised and so we

all need to get moving.

“For instance, there are 140 veterans we

know of through the Caloundra RSL. Some

of them are not interested, others are not

able to come into the studio for a shoot, so

I have packed up my gear and gone out to

photograph them. Many are quite lonely and

isolated, so I give them a hug.

“I also make sure I arrive on time! One

veteran said I only had a minute to spare when

I turned up (military habits are still to the fore),

but he was very sweet. He made me a cup of

tea and there were some fresh biscuits from his

daughter. It’s a huge deal for them and their

families love it too. And as they have given their

lives for our country, I think we can all do a little

for them.

”This is a fabulous opportunity for us to

present to the public why we are different -

and why they can’t replicate what we do, no

matter how many apps they have. Everyone

was amazed when I set up the lights and the

background - they were very impressed.

“A classic portrait is timeless and shows that

we stand apart as professional photographers.”

Please spread the word about this project to WWII

veterans and photographers. To register a veteran

or a photographer for the project please go to:

https://aippveterans.com

17Veteran Len Seto photographed by Robyn Hills. This photograph is an additional frame that Robyn took on the day.

“I thought it was nice that Len brought along his original portrait. It is beautiful.”

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Why The Nikon Event Worked For MeT h e N i k o n E v e n t i n P e r t h h a s f i n i s h e d u p w i t h a l o t o f h a p p y c o n v e n t i o n e e r s ! P e t a H o r s t e n e x p l a i n s w h y s h e t h o u g h t t h i s y e a r ’ s p r o g r a m w a s s o w o r t h w h i l e .

The Nikon Event in Perth this year was Peta

Horsten’s second, following the Hobart Event a

couple of years ago. “Not only were there some

inspiring speakers to listen to, it was actually a

challenge to choose the best ones.

“It was great to listen to some local speakers

that we don’t get to hear very often. Steve Wise

was amazing. He’s such a talented and humble

guy – I don’t think he knows how good he really

is. He was showing us his approach to imagery,

how he creates an image and transforms it into

an award print.

“Listening to all the chatter afterwards, I

think he left the whole room in awe. It’s not

often you get to see someone work on an

image from concept to finished product.

“Brooke Shaden was also incredible. She

has such a different approach to photography

with her self-portraits and she was encouraging

everyone to tell their own story, to delve into

themselves and put it onto paper.

“And I loved Joshua Holko. Listening to

Joshua’s talk about polar photography and

his passion for the environment was inspiring.

He explained that he’s not just out there to

make beautiful images, rather he wants to

deliver what he terms an honest image. He

believes that if you transform an image beyond

enhancement, you should be letting your

viewers know that you’ve made significant

changes to the original capture and I also think

this is really important in the digital era.”

Peta approaches her program selection

somewhat methodically to make sure she

attains a good cross-section of knowledge and

development from the Event.

“I try to attend workshops and seminars

that meet particular needs. For instance, I like

to attend something that’s related to the day-

to-day work I shoot and a seminar that focuses

on business development, but I also like to

attend one or two seminars that are purely

inspirational, or that may help me with my own

passion for travel and landscape photography.”

However, just as important as the

knowledge she gained, Peta emphasised the

value in networking with other photographers.

“It gave me a really great sense of community.

A lot of photographers work on their own, so

getting to meet other professionals and mixing

at the social events is a big part of what makes

the Nikon Event so valuable.”

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(Above) During Steve Wise’s epic session at the Nikon Event, Steve set himself the challenge of shooting a surprise guest (Brooke Shaden), then edit-ing and producing a large format portrait print – all in 90 minutes. The print was auctioned off that night at the Gala Dinner.

(Bottom from left) The Nikon Night ( Monday) social function. Peta Horsten, Kirsten Graham, Kylie Lyons, Alycia Angel, Sue Lewis, Lisa Ivandich and Steve Wise. Photos by Karl Welsch.

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The Nikon EventT h e r e w a s a l o t h a p p e n i n g o v e r i n P e r t h t h i s y e a r , a n d i t w a s n ’ t o n l y e d u c a t i o n a n d l e a r n i n g !

The Nikon AIPP Event included a trade show, seminars, lectures and workshops, a number of evening

‘events’, and of course, the gala dinner and charity auction. Photos by Karl Welsch.

The final keynote of the conference was by Brooke Shaden from the USA.

The trade exhibition always seemed to be busy with lots of toys, err, tools of trade to look at.

On the bus and off to the Welcome Cocktail party!

In the trade show. Tanya Wilson, Rocco Ancora, Felicity Biasi and Jade Wisely

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Main Plenary room set to go with the first speaker of the conference, Richard Bowles (not in picture).

The event team and volunteers, Kerrianne Jenkins, Alycia Angel, Lauren Island, Kim Harding, Sue Lewis, Michelle Chappell, Jess Leebold and Heidi Litchfield

Ryan Schembri takes his workshop attendees on location

Cheers to Vittorio Natoli who purchased the ce-lebrity print auction on the Nikon Night

Gala Dinner Charity Auction for beyondblue

The Nikon AIPP Welcome Cocktail Party, Sunday night. Mel Pitt, Darren Van Der Witt, Haley Richardson, Kelly Tunney and friends

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AIPP Honour RecipientsE a c h y e a r , t h e A I P P r e c o g n i s e s t h e a c h i e v e m e n t s a n d h a r d w o r k o f o u r m o s t d e s e r v i n g m e m b e r s .

Paul Curtis

Claude McCarthy Award

Written by Greg Hocking

Claude McCarthy was one of the founding

fathers of the AIPP and the award named in his

honour recognises outstanding commitment,

work and dedication to the AIPP and the greater

photographic industry.

Paul Curtis is a man who needs no

introduction. He is a legend of our industry. Paul

started life as a ship’s photographer, but most

of us know Paul from his days as a magazine

publisher and his long contribution as the

organiser of PICA, a job he did for what seemed

to be forever.

Over many years, Paul has also been a

fantastic friend and contributor to the AIPP and

someone who could always be relied upon to

get the job done.

Back in 2011, the AIPP Board was planning

for the Institute’s 50th birthday celebrations

and this was to include a written history of the

AIPP and professional photography in Australia.

It became very clear to the organisers that

there was really only one person in our industry

equipped to do such a task and that was Paul

Curtis.

In his usual style, Paul enthusiastically

threw himself into the task at hand. Paul’s

commitment was immense, using both time

and personal resources to complete the job

which went far above what was expected.

But then again, anyone who knows Paul

also knows he is someone who leaves no

stone unturned to see a project through to

completion.

The AIPP has great pleasure in awarding

Paul Curtis the Claude McCathy Award for his

outstanding efforts in producing the book, A

History of Professional Photography in Australia.

Janie Boyd

Honorary Life Member

Written by Richard Bennett

After successfully building a furniture

upholstery business with her husband Kerry,

Janie Boyd decided in 2003 that it was time to

follow her passion for photography.

After completing a Bachelor of

Contemporary Art - Photography Major with

the University of Tasmania and being added to

the Dean’s Roll of Excellence for outstanding

scholastic achievement, Janie’s next goal was

to be accepted into the Australian Institute of

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(Above Left) Paul Curtis receives the Claude McCarthy Award from Greg Hocking. (Above Right) Richard Bennett presents Janie Boyd with an Honorary Life Membership. (Below Left) Greg Hocking presents Leon Kozyrski with an Honorary Life Membership.

(Below Right) Alice Bennett receives an Honorary Fellowship from Ian van der Wolde. Photos by Karl Welsch.

24

Professional Photography. In Janie’s words, “That

was the pinnacle”!

Janie joined the Institute in 2004 and soon

after became a member of the Tasmanian

Divisional Council. During the following three

years, her roles included Treasurer, Sponsorship

Coordinator, Event Coordinator and Vice

President.

In 2007 she was asked by the National

President to take on the role of National AIPP

Travelling Exhibition coordinator. Janie became

a wonderful addition to the National Board as a

co-opted member.

During this time Janie achieved her

Associateship. Then in 2009, Janie became

National Sponsorship Coordinator. She was

always working on sponsorship packages and

streamlining systems, with a keen eye for detail.

Janie was elected National Vice President in

2010.

Janie did many of the unglamorous jobs

on the Board, but some of the most important

ones. She was a wonderful cog in the AIPP

wheel. Always a calming influence. Always

smiling. Janie was never the first to give her

opinion, but everything she said was worth

listening to.

And it was never about Janie, rather what

she could do quietly. Always working behind

the scenes, Janie was a brilliant National Vice

President.

In 2011, Janie began photographing

Australian Surf Life Savers. Standing on the

beach one day, documenting the incredible

skills needed to guard Australia’s beaches and

be rescue ready at any given moment, she felt

compelled to do more than just photograph

them. Janie wanted to do her bit!

In 2012, Janie completed her Bronze

Medallion with the Bridport Surf Life Saving

Club and since then has added a Silver

Medallion in Advanced First Aid, Aquatic

Industry Pool Lifeguarding skills, and an IRB

Crew Rescue Certificate.

Earlier this year, Janie was promoted to Patrol

Captain with the Bridport Surf Life Saving Club.

In recognition of her outstanding

contribution to the AIPP and her community,

the Institute honours her with the distinction of

Honorary Life Member.

Leon Kozyrski

Honorary Life Member

Written by Greg Hocking

Starting his photographic career as a colour

printer in a professional colour laboratory in

London in 1969, Leon Kozyrski was on the road

to a lifetime in professional photography.

Leon moved to Geraldton, Western

Australia as a photographer and manager

of a family photographic studio. This soon

led to a position in 1972 as a photographer

and cinematographer with the Audio Visual

Education Centre in Leederville, WA.

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This position didn’t last long as Leon soon

found himself back in the UK as a colour printer,

but that didn’t last long either because Leon

set sail back to Australia and his old job at the

Audio Visual Education Centre in Leederville.

The year was 1977 and Leon soon found

himself shooting weddings and portraits on

weekends and in 1978, Leon began lecturing in

photography at Mt Lawley Technical College.

These were the days of Brian Barrow and

Mike Allman, two tyrants of the still life studio or

darkroom, as the case may be.

One a pipe-smoking, ex-fashion

photographer who thought all students

were colour blind, and the other a glass-eyed

perfectionist (but a lovely guy) who could recite

every photographic calculation known to man

– backwards.

Then there was Leon, a gentle soul and

someone who was always approachable and

knew his stuff when it came to vocational

photographic education.

Leon has also been a great supporter of the

AIPP which he joined in 1977, so long ago the

AIPP was then known as the IAP.

Although Leon may not have been actively

involved on State Council or similar committees,

he was always heavily involved in the area

of industry liaison and making sure that the

AIPP had a voice in how new courses were

developed for the photographic profession, as

well as how best to provide ongoing training

to an industry which over the last 15 years has

been in a constant state of flux.

The AIPP has great pleasure in honouring

Leon Kozyrski for his outstanding contribution

to photographic education in Australia with the

honour of Honorary Life Member of the AIPP.

Alice Gray

Honorary Fellowship

Written by Ian van der Wolde

Alice Gray has done and achieved more at her

young age than most achieve in a lifetime.

She has flown through cyclones with her

cameras and even presented one of her father’s

landscape photographs to the Queen of

England when he was unable to attend.

The daughter of an iconic Australian

photographer, she started her photographic

career earlier than most, first helping and then

assisting her father.

At the ripe old age of 15, Alice Gray (formerly

Bennett) had gained enough experience that

Richard trusted her to help him shoot the

Sydney to Hobart Yacht race from her own

aircraft.

Running her own business Photography by

Alice, Alice has now photographed countless

weddings and portraits over the years.

She has also had many successful exhibitions

and on one occasion sold photos to grace the

walls of an entire floor of Hobart’s Wrest Point

Casino.

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Alice is well published, having five books on

her resume, three of which made it to the top

of Tasmania’s best sellers list. Her fifth book was

published after her home town Dunalley was

decimated by bush fire, to raise much needed

funds for her community. To date, this book has

raised over $25,000.

Alice was a doer from an early age, joining

the APPA events team at 17 and working as

a team leader for many years. Distance was

never an issue and whilst studying under Doug

Spowart in Toowoomba, Queensland, she

drove herself and four other team members to

Melbourne in her little Pulsar for their first APPA.

Alice became Tasmanian president and then

went on to join the National Board, becoming

the AIPP’s second female and youngest ever

National President. She finished her term on the

board as chairman in 2012.

She has achieved or was part of the team

that achieved many positive changes to the

Institute, such as the Fuji Breakaway Weekends,

the introduction of a Student Bursary, and the

Celebrating Women in Photography Event for

International Women’s Day.

She was also instrumental in the

introduction of an accreditation program that

included a professional checklist, marketing

logo and the long requested re-introduction of

folio assessment for new members.

Alice was also part of the team that

restructured the National Office to include the

employment of an Executive Officer.

She nationalised sponsorship of the Institute,

something the industry had been asking for,

for many years and the new structure relieved

some of the workload from our state volunteers.

When Alice started on the Board, the

Institute had around 1200 members and due to

steps put in place by her and her team, we have

seen membership grow to over 3000.

Since retiring from the Board, Alice and her

husband Tom have become the proud parents

of two beautiful boys, James and Barclay.

However, never one to slow down, these days

you are more likely to see Alice serving wine

or making coffee in their family business, the

Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed.

Again, not to do things by halves, this new

venture has won The James Halliday Trophy and

a Gold Medal at the 2015 Tasmanian Wine Show.

The restaurant was also a finalist in the

Tasmanian Seafood Awards, is consistently in

every top ten list of ‘things to do in Tassie’ and

is one of the faces of Tourism Tasmania’s Behind

the Scenery Spring Campaign.

For her commitment to the AIPP and the

differences she has made to the Institute, Alice

Gray has been awarded an Honorary Fellowship

of the AIPP.

Richard Bennett, Greg Hocking and Ian van der Wol-

de comprise the AIPP’s Honours Committee and are

responsible for administering these awards.

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Photographs from Alice Gray’s new venture in life, the Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed

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Social Media: Who Are You Abusing?S o c i a l m e d i a d o e s n ’ t g i v e p e o p l e a n e x c u s e t o b e r u d e o r l i b e l l o u s . I n f a c t , i t m a y s t i c k a r o u n d t o h a u n t y o u .

What do you think about someone who posts a

rude or objectionable comment on someone’s

social media page? Does the comment really

affect the person being accused, or is it more

about the person making the accusation?

I’m not talking about disagreement or

expressing your own point of view, assuming

the context is appropriate. We should all feel

the right to disagree and reflect on different

points of view, as long as we conduct ourselves

politely and respectfully.

I guess I’m suggesting we mind our

manners!

For me, abusive comments say more about

the person being rude than the person being

slammed. I simply discount the comment

because the accuser hasn’t the education or

finesse to more eloquently express his or her

opinion - and therefore isn’t worth listening to.

Someone posted a comment on my website

asking why after I had been to such amazing

places which were already beautiful, I had to

ruin my photographs with unnecessary editing.

At least that comment had a sense of humour

(or maybe not), whereas I see many derogatory

comments on other people’s pages that are

snide, unnecessary and downright rude.

These comments would never be made face

to face in real life.

My suggestion is, if you wouldn’t make

the comment face to face, don’t write it down

where it is there for everyone to read - forever!

I would also suggest the easiest way to stop

a rude person is to delete the post, unfriend him

or report her as appropriate. Life’s too short. If

someone is rude and aggresive to you in the

street, chances are you’d just walk away. We

should do the same online.

Of course, some people use an anonymous

username or avatar, allowing them to slam

their victim with no hope of redress, but if

they hide behind a pen name, what have they

really achieved? It shows the person lacks any

strength of character, so on the one hand, why

worry?

On the other hand, it is annoying when

people write rude things in our space. Perhaps

we need to politely call them out: “Thanks for

your post, but I think it is rude/inappropriate/

not necessary. Does anyone else agree?”

Hopefully your friends will come to your

defence.

Social media doesn’t give people an excuse

to be rude or libellous.

29

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PetaHORSTEN

Accredited Professional Photographer

Peta Horsten’s life seems to revolve around travelling to remote and exotic locations, while shooting

families and newborns in between. And while that might not be completely true, there’s no

doubting her passion for travel.

“As my husband and I both run our own businesses, it has allowed us to travel extensively, usually

for about six weeks each year, although this year we have 17 weeks of travel planned. So far our

travels have taken us to Cambodia, Vietnam, Bali and the USA.”

Later this year (just in case you were going to give Peta a call), she will be visiting Israel, Morocco

and Europe for eight weeks.

“This is what I love to do, so if someone gave me the opportunity to travel, capture images and

earn money, I’d jump at the chance. In fact, that’s my little pipeline dream.”

Peta has family living in China, which she says has allowed her and her husband to get off the

beaten track and visit parts of China that tourists would not normally travel to, sometimes with good

reason.

She says, at times, they have spent anywhere from 10 or 20 hours travelling on a bus or a train to

get to destinations within China that see very few visitors from the Western world.

(Opposite) An example of Peta’s day to day work using natural light in her home based studio. It also received a Silver Award in the 2015 Epson AIPP WAPPAs.

(Following double page) The Art of Papermaking, The Old Town of Lijang, China. A paper store where a traditional paper maker sells his wares.

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32

PetaHORSTEN

Accredited Professional Photographer

33

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“Without our family living there and

speaking the language fluently, it would make

these trips a lot more difficult to do.”

Portrait Studio

Peta runs a portrait photography business from

a home based studio in Booragoon, Western

Australia, and she shoots both in the studio and

out on location, depending on what her clients

need.

“I have always had a love for photography

going back to high school, but I didn’t pick

up a camera again until I was 23. I began as

a hobbyist and did some courses with the

Australian Centre for Photography in Sydney,

back in 2000.

“When I moved back to Perth in 2003, I

enrolled in the Central TAFE Certificate IV in

Photo Imaging, whilst I continued to work full-

time as an office manager in the investment

banking industry.

“I also did many courses and workshops

through Team Digital, PRA Imaging, the AIPP,

Tero Sade and Baby As Art to name a few. In

2007, I started my business on a part-time basis,

before taking the leap and going full-time in

2009.

Success At APPA

“I went along to the Canon AIPP APPAs for the

first time in 2012. I didn’t pluck up the courage

to enter the awards that year, but sat through

all the judging to develop an understanding

of what the judges were looking for. I learnt so

much and I was so glad that I went.

“On returning from the APPAs, I decided to

take the plunge and enter images into WAPPAs

for the first time as a non-accredited member.

“ To my surprise, I received a gold award in

the Illustrative category, as well as four silvers in

the Illustrative and Landscape categories.”

Peta says entering WAPPAs gave her the

confidence to become an accredited member

of the AIPP and to enter APPAs for the first time

in 2013.

She must have learnt something listening

to the judges the previous year because not

only did she pick up a silver with distinction and

three silver awards, she was also a finalist for the

AIPP Australian Professional Travel Photographer

of the Year.

Learning From Judging

“I really love entering the awards – not just for

winning awards, but for the whole process:

making your selections, the critique beforehand,

watching the judging and taking in the

feedback, not just on my images, but other

photographers’ images across all categories.

“I think there is a lot to be learnt from sitting

through all the judging sessions and I have

found it invaluable to enter and attend APPAs

and WAPPAs each year.

“I really enjoy the challenge that the awards

PetaHORSTEN

Accredited Professional Photographer

35

Huangshan Mountain Peaks, Huangshan, China.This is the image that won Peta a Gold Award at the Epson AIPP WAPPAs. Peta has moved out of weddings and now concentrates on portraiture which frees up her calendar so she can travel more.

(Below) The Doctor , Cam Kim, Vietnam.(Following double page) Living on the Edge, Mendenhall Glacier, Juneau, Alaska. Taken from a helicopter looking down on trekkers as

we came in to land on the Mendenhall Glacier.

36

PetaHORSTEN

Accredited Professional Photographer

37

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bring, I like that it pushes me to want to do

better and to become a better photographer.

I only wish that I joined the AIPP earlier and

started entering the Awards sooner!”

Developing Business

Peta says when she began her business,

she took on any jobs that came her way –

weddings, events (corporate, engagements

and private parties), corporate headshots, and

portraits.

However, in 2013 she made the decision to

focus on portraits, as she really loved that part

of her business, and she also didn’t want to be

locked into wedding bookings too far ahead

as she wanted to be able to indulge her love of

travel photography.

“At this stage, I still have lots to learn and

there are many areas I would like to continue

developing.

“I am in the middle of rebranding and will

continue to focus on growing my portrait

business, whilst indulging my passion for travel

and the various personal projects that I have

planned.

“I have dabbled in a little commercial

photography in the past and would love to

delve more into that in the future. I am also

working towards my Master of Photography

with the AIPP and dream to one day regularly

exhibit, sell and have my personal work

published.”

Peta shoots with Nikon DSLRs and currently

has the D4S, D3S and D810 in her kit.

“I prefer to shoot with prime lenses, but I

also use zoom lenses for photographing young

children and for my travel photography.

“My kit includes a 14-24mm, 24-70mm,

45mm TS, 50mm, 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, 70-

200mm and three SB-900 flashes.

“I mainly shoot natural light for my everyday

portraits, but I also use the Elinchrom RX600s

lighting kit.

“And I recently purchased a lightweight

carbon-fibre Gitzo GT-2542T tripod for my travel

photography.”

Outsourcing The Printing

At home, Peta uses a MacPro tower with an Eizo

ColorEdge CG241W monitor, along with Adobe

Camera RAW, Lightroom and Photoshop CC for

her day-to-day work.

“She uses a Mac Mini for her client

presentations, along with ProSelect software

and a large LED screen. She also has a MacBook

Pro for when she is working away from the

office or travelling.

“For printing, all my work is outsourced to

Fitzgerald Photo Imaging and Perth Pro Lab, so I

don’t have a need for an in-house printing setup

at the moment.”

And if she did, we wonder if the inks would

dry up while she was travelling for such long

periods away from home!

PetaHORSTEN

Accredited Professional Photographer

39

Spiritual Pilgrimage III, Langmusi, China. Murmering an unbroken stream of prayers, this Tibetan woman falls to herhands and knees – like so many before her. Taking one small step at a time before falling to her hands and knees in prayer, she would

then lay face down before standing up to clasp her hands in prayer for their three hundredth prostration, through the hilltops sur-rounding the Langmusi temples.She relentlessly continues this pilgrimage, painfully one small step at a time,

from dawn to dusk. Photo by Peta Horsten.

40

“We have had some amazing experiences

and done things I never thought I would do, like

hiking Huangshan (otherwise known as China’s

Yellow Mountains), climbing Tiger Leaping

Gorge, and horseback trekking in the snow

through the Tibetan mountains and staying in

Nomadic tents.

“I can remember having to sit on my

backside going down steps when hiking

Huangshan as it was so dangerous and steep in

parts, but it was also an incredible experience

and well worth the risk.”

And given she earned a Gold Award from

that location at WAPPA, our guess is she won’t

be stopping home for long any time soon.

Peta Horsten is a portrait and travel photographer,

and an Accredited Professional Photographer. You

can see more of her work at www.petahorstenpho-

tography.com.au

White Pass Wilderness, Skagway, Alaska

PetaHORSTEN

Accredited Professional Photographer

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10 Points For Canon AIPP APPA SuccessT h e W o r k i n g P r o a s k e d G r a n d M a s t e r o f P h o t o g r a p h y R o c c o A n c o r a h o w t o g i v e y o u r e n t r i e s t h e b e s t c h a n c e o f a c h i e v i n g a S i l v e r o r e v e n a G o l d A w a r d a t t h e C a n o n A I P P A P P A s t h i s y e a r .

The Canon AIPP Australian Professional

Photography Awards will be held 16-19 October

this year in Melbourne, so now is a good time to

start thinking about your entries.

Master print maker and AIPP Grand Master of

Photography Rocco Ancora suggests 10 points

to help you create prints that will impress the

judges.

1. Work In A Colour Managed Environment

Your computer monitor is the window to

your photography files, so it’s essential that it

displays the tones and colours accurately when

editing your entries. Make sure you use a good

quality monitor and that it is correctly profiled

and calibrated. As a minimum, you should be

using a colorimeter like the Datacolor Spyder5

to set up your monitor, or where funds allow,

you might use a top line monitor designed

for professional photography applications, like

those from Eizo. This is the beginning of your

colour management workflow.

2. Custom Print Profile

Once you have the colours and tones that you

want on your monitor, you need to ensure they

are correctly translated onto the print.

This is achieved using a custom print profile

within your colour managed workflow. You can

download ‘generic’ printer profiles from the

internet, but often these are not as good as a

custom profile you have made yourself, or had

made by a service supplier (such as Les Walkling

- http://www.leswalkling.com/services/faq-

services/).

A good printer profile is the difference

between a good print and a great one.

3. Check Your Print Under Similar Lighting

After you have made your print, don’t just

assume it is correct.

Further adjustments may be required and

sometimes you’ll only know this by looking at

your print under the same lighting conditions

as the judges.

In 2014, the APPA lighting system used two

sets of 40 watt colour tubes (5000°K, CRI 98)

with each set of lights at 45° from the print.

Light intensity is tested with a light meter set at

ISO 100 from the centre of the print, pointing

43Photograph by Dan Cripps M.Photog., Finalist, Portrait Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

44

the incident meter towards the judge viewing

position.

The exposure reading should be 1/60

second at f2.8. The ambient room lighting

should be one stop less, i.e. 1/30 second at f2.8.

(We expect this lighting to remain

unchanged in 2015.)

If you don’t have this lighting or a viewing

box at your studio (most photographers don’t),

view your print in outdoor shade in the middle

of the day.

4. Are You Communicating Visually?

Photography communicates in two ways. First,

there is the subject matter that communicates

to the viewer.

Second, there are compositional and

aesthetic devices that communicate – such as

subject placement, framing, colour and tonality.

It is important that both approaches are

communicating the same message.

For example, a portrait with a face in shadow

and a bright background may not work as well

as a well-lit face with a darker background.

We know the subject is the face, but only in

the second example are the compositional and

aesthetic devices working in harmony.

Rocco suggests turning your print upside

down to see if the dominant areas of tone and

colour match your subject. It may be some

light areas to the side of the subject need to be

darkened down.

5. Paper Choice

The choice of paper depends greatly on your

subject as much as anything, but keep in mind

that a high gloss print will pick up reflections

and may make it more difficult for the judge to

appraise.

Rocco suggests that satin and matte

surfaces tend to work better in the judging

environment.

6. Original Content

While it is great to be inspired by the work

of others, Rocco cautions against submitting

photographs that are too similar to images that

are not your own.

Every year, entries are disqualified for being

too similar to other photographs or artworks,

which leads to embarrassment for both the

photographer and the AIPP.

Copyright laws are very clear: plagiarism is

not allowed. If a judge considers your work to

be too similar to other photographs, your entry

will be marked down.

Whatever you enter should be solely your

own work.

7. Print Quality And Spotting

APPA is a professional awards system, so there

are high expectations of print quality.

Ensure the print has a good tonal range, has

an appropriate colour balance and that there

are no sensor spots or marks.

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Photograph by Sheldon Pettit, AAIPP, Finalist, Landscape Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

46

Even things that look like they might be

sensor or dust spots should probably be

removed in post-production, assuming the

specific category rules permit this.

8. Print Matting

Fashions change, but at present a ‘full bleed’

print where the image takes up all of the 40x50

cm mount doesn’t have the same impact as a

smaller print with a matte surrounding it.

White mattes are preferred by most entrants

while strong colours are generally (but not

always) marked down.

However, if choosing a white matte, consider

its tone.

If you have a warm matte and a cool tone

paper, the matte can make the print look even

cooler than it is – and vice versa.

Similarly, a metallic print under a bright

white matte can struggle because the ‘white’ of

the metallic print is a dull grey in comparison to

the whites in the matte.

Mattes don’t need to be fancy – a simple

matte will let the print do the talking.

9. Vignetting

Subtle vignettes can greatly add to a

photograph’s presentation, but strong vignettes

that are handled awkwardly can lose a lot of

points.

If you are vignetting, keep an eye on the

colours and tonality in the darkened area,

being mindful of colour shifts that may not be

intended.

A good vignette will be invisible to the

judges.

10. Sharpening

Often prints don’t need as much sharpening

as you think and while the correct amount of

sharpening can certainly improve an image,

over-sharpening can kill it.

Don’t over use the clarity slider either and

keep an eye on the white haloes around your

subject edges – if they are too obvious you will

be marked down.

Correct sharpening can only be accurately

assessed on the print, so be prepared to print

more than one to get it exactly right.

There is no guarantee your images will be

viewed by the judges as a Silver Award or higher,

but win or lose, this process of preparing your four

best prints each year builds skills and confidence

for your career as a professional photographer.

It has worked for thousands of members; with

the right attitude, it will work for you too.

Rocco Ancora, APP-L, GM. Photog., is an ambassa-

dor for Nikon Australia, Epson and Canson. He is an

AIPP Board Member and has won the AIPP Austra-

lian Professional Wedding Photographer of the Year

Award four times, plus many overseas awards.

www.roccoancora.com

47Photograph by Benjamin Liew, M.Photog., Gold Award, Portrait Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

48

Landing Pages For Higher ProfitsP e t e r M y e r s e x p l a i n s h o w u s i n g y o u r ‘ S e a r c h F o r A P r o ” p r o f l i e s w i t h s p e c i f i c l a n d i n g p a g e s c a n l e a d t o l o w e r b o u n c e r a t e s a n d m o r e b o o k i n g s .

Peter Myers explains that you have just four

seconds to engage someone who visits your

website, so it’s important that whatever web

page they are visiting contains exactly the

information they are looking for.

The problem for many photographers and

video producers is that they offer a range of

different services. For instance, they might offer

family, wedding and baby photography, all of

which are found on their home page – if you

know where to look.

If their home page is busy with lots of

information, or it takes too long to load

(because it uses Flash or large photos), the

visitor will simply press the back button and go

somewhere else. The visitor ‘bounces’ away from

your website and you lose a potential customer.

The home page is often mistakenly used

by image makers as the main ‘landing page’ –

the location where visitors to your website first

arrive – but you can and should have multiple

landing pages for different purposes.

Directed Behaviour

The trick to higher profits is to turn your website

visitors into customers. To do that, your visitors

need to find what they are looking for - quickly.

Let’s continue our example of a

photographer offering family, wedding and

baby photography.

If the visitor is a bride looking for a wedding

photographer, a lot of the information on

the home page is unwanted. And if what she

wants isn’t clearly visible, she may bounce

away and ‘land’ on another page, possibly your

competitor’s, which might answer her questions

more immediately.

Make It Easy For Visitors

What our photographer needs to do is create a

landing page designed specifically for wedding

customers. Rather than seeing links and

photographs related to a wide range of services,

show a page devoted to weddings.

However, what do you want a visitor to do?

If you want her to look at previous weddings

you have photographed, does the landing page

make this easy for her to do?

Perhaps you want her to look at your price

list, to read testimonials, to view at a short video

or to send you an email and make an inquiry.

Does your landing page do this?

49

Photograph by Luisa Dunn, AAIPP, Finalist, Family Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

50

Peter Myers explains that this is ‘directed

behaviour’.

As professional photographers, we should

ensure all our web pages lead our visitors to do

what we want them to do.

“It has to be obvious to a visitor where they

need to go next, so you in turn need to decide

what you want them to do and why.”

Separate Landing Pages

When we hand out business cards, advertise

on other website or include email footers, we

usually use our website home page as the ‘link’.

Peter Myers suggests having a range of

different landing pages, depending on the

context of the link or your conversation, will

give you a much better result.

For instance, if someone is making an inquiry

about a wedding, the link to your website

would be to a special landing page that focuses

on weddings. You might already have a ‘title’

page for the wedding section of your website –

so use this page link.

Or you might create a special page on your

website for people to click on once you’ve sent

them an email.

They read the email, click on the link and the

website page gives them a special offer or more

directions. In other words, we can help them by

directing their behaviour.

A commercial photographer who shoots

products, architecture and head shots might

have three separate landing pages, one for each

genre. For example:

• www.johnsmith.com.au/products

• www.johnsmith.com.au/architecture

• www.johnsmith.com.au/headshots

This approach also makes sense when

advertising your services on the AIPP’s Search

for a Professional service on its website.

Don’t Assume

When someone searches for, say, an

architectural photographer, you can have a

section on the AIPP website devoted to your

architectural work, plus the link can go back to a

dedicated landing page on your website.

Finally, Peter Myers emphasised the fact that

we can’t assume our website visitors know what

to do next.

It’s true that the internet has been around for

a long time now and that the average visitor is

much more educated, but much better results

can be achieved if we take it upon ourselves to

help them navigate around our website.

So, whatever web page they visit, we must

hit them on the nose with what they need to

do next.

Remember, if you want to keep them on

your website and increase your chances of

converting them into a customer, you have only

four seconds to get them involved.

That’s why you need different landing pages

for different products and services.

51

Photograph by George Favios, Finalist, Fasion Category, 2014 Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards

52

SoloShot2I s t e c h n o l o g y g r a d u a l l y e l i m i n a t i n g t h e n e e d f o r p r o f e s s i o n a l v i d e o a n d p h o t o g r a p h y s e r v i c e s , o r i s i t p r o v i d i n g p r o f e s s i o n a l s w i t h n e w t o o l s a n d n e w o p p o r t u n i t i e s ? I s t h e S o l o S h o t 2 g o o d o r e v i l ?

Is there a job for photographers in the

future? What about cinematographers and

videographers?

SoloShot2 is an automated camera system

that will follow the action, allowing you to

photograph yourself at work, at play, or even

taking photographs!

It’s probably more appropriate for

sportspeople who want some still photos or

videos of themselves in action, but don’t want

to pay a photographer to sit for hours watching

them. Rather, they can invest in a SoloShot2

and a tripod, and SoloShot2 will watch them

instead.

The SoloShot2 system comprises two units.

The SoloShot2 Base attaches to your tripod

and your camera attaches to the top of the

SoloShot2. The Base then follows you in action,

rotating a full 360 degrees and tilting up to 90

degrees up and 60 degrees down.

The unit is capable of tracking at a rate of

80 degrees per second and the built-in battery

lasts up to eight hours.

So, how does the Base know where to

point? This is where the SoloShot2 Tag comes

in. After an initial two step ‘pairing’ process

with the Base, the user puts on the tag (using

an armband, for instance) and the Base simply

follows the Tag.

You can pair up to 10 Tags to a single Base

and you can use as many Bases as you like to

follow one Tag.

However, at present the system doesn’t

work indoors. It seems we still need real

photographers for the time being!

A wide range of cameras is compatible

with the SoloShot2 and, if you use a SoloShot2

Camera Controller (it docks to the Base to

enable communication between the camera

and the SoloShot2 system), you can take control

over the camera as well. This includes operating

the start/stop control and zooming the lens for

a video camera, and taking bursts of still images

with a DSLR.

However, at present it won’t allow you to

shoot video with your DSLR.

A different camera controller is needed for

each different camera.

For more information you can visit their

website at: www.soloshot.com

53The SoloShot2 is a rotating base that holds a camera and sits on a tripod, then follows a tag wherever it goes.

54

Photographs by Rebekah Wilson for the AIPP Reflections Project.

Your InstItute needs

You!You are not too late to join the AIPP’s Reflections Project. In fact, this

is the perfect time to join. We have over 3,000 veterans to photo-

graph and we really need your help. It won’t take you long, but the

experience will live with you for a lifetime.

Please help.Register today by visiting https://aippveterans.com/photographers/

See the video at: https://vimeo.com/132887934