Thursday 31 January 2013

PSSA Club Winning Images for January 2013



All the club winning images for January 2013 can now be viewed on the PSSA Website here:

http://pssa.co.za/galleries1/club-winning-pictures-jan-2013


Congratulations to Ettienne van Niekerk from the Boksburg Camera Club that won this month again with his image "Barn Owl".


2013 01 Barn Owl-Ettienne v Niekerk-Boksburg CC 335x252



In future all the images that was entered into the monthly competition can be viewed on the PSSA website.

All the photographers are allowed to enter photos for the monthly "Website Winning Picture" through PSSA. Details can be found on the PSSA website.




1st Midrand Camera Club National Monochrome Digital Salon



All individual members of PSSA and all photographers resident in South Africa are invited to participate in the 1st Midrand Camera Club National Monochrome Digital Salon of Photography.

The salon will be conducted in accordance with the requirements and practices of the PSSA.

This is a monochrome only salon and no colour images will be accepted. Remember, a monochrome is a black and white images. A black and white work fitting from the very dark grey (black) to the very clear grey (white) is a monochrome work with the various shades of grey. A black and white work toned entirely in a single colour will remain a monochrome work able to stand in the black and white category. On the other hand a black and white work modified by a partial toning or by the addition of one colour becomes a colour work (polychrome) to stand in the colour category.

There are six categories available for entry. A photographer can enter up to four images per category.

Nature

Images may be of animals, birds, insects, reptiles, marine or plant life and the natural environment, such that a well informed person could testify to its true representation. Images depicting cultivated plants, domestic animals, still life studies, mounted specimens or museum exhibits are not allowed. Only images that do not alter the truth of the photographic statement will be eligible and digital manipulation is not allowed in this section.

Photo Travel

Photo Travel photography is a subcategory of photography involving the documentation of an area's landscape, people, cultures, customs and history. Photo Travel image must express the feeling of a time and place, and portray a land, its distinctive features or culture in its natural state. There are no geographical limitations. Close-up images of people and objects must include distinguishable environment.

Pictorial Open

The subject is free and open. Any general type of image which does not fit into any of the other categories may be entered into this category. This would include, but not limited to, table top, photojournalism and street scenes, altered reality, sport, manipulated nature where human influence plays a large roll and landscapes with human elements.

Low Key Photography Open

The subject is fee and open. Low key photography often uses only one key light that accentuates the contours of an object by throwing areas into shade while a fill light or reflector may illuminate the shadow areas to control contrast. Low key refers to a style of photography that utilises predominantly dark tones to create a dramatic looking image.

Where high key lighting seeks to over light the subject to the point of reduced contrast, low key lighting intensifies the contrast in an image through intensely reduced lighting.

High Key Photography Open

The subject is free and open. High key photography aims to reduce the lighting ratio present in the scene and is used to suggest an upbeat mood. High key photography is usually quite homogeneous and free from dark shadows.

Nature Landscape

A genre intended to show different spaces within the world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic. A 'natural' landscape comprises the visible features of an area, including physical elements, such as landforms, the sea, living elements of fauna and flora, abstract element, like lighting and weather conditions, but no visible human elements.

All entries takes place on www.photovaultonline.com

Full details of the salon can be found on the PSSA website: http://pssa.co.za/salons-mainmenu-81/salon-calendar/569-2013-02-23-mono-digital-salon

The closing date for entries is 23 February 2013.

Please support our salon and good luck.







Wednesday 30 January 2013

February Club Event



The next club evening takes place on Wednesday 20 February 2013 at 19:00 at the Nikon House premises in Midrand.

Our set subject for this month is "Wildlife".

Entries for the Open competition closes at midnight on Wednesday 13 February 2013.

Entries for the Set Subject division closes at midnight on Saturday 16 February 2013.

Please get those entries in early to avoid disappointment.


Good luck.


Summary of a Good Photograph


Evelyn Gibson was recently asked by the Centurion Camera Club to give a talk about good photography and good photography judging. Here is a short extract of the presentation that was given.


Summary of Good Photography 

The talk was based on the book "Looking at Photographs - A Personal View of Appraising and Judging Photographs" by Ken Holland, ARPS, DPAGB from the UK. The book can be found at http://www.blurb.com/b/2932165-looking-at-photographs.

This is part one of three parts.

A good judge does not pass judgement. He should regard judging as appraisal, assessment and analysis. In other words, judging should be evaluative and not critical.

A good judge should, where appropriate talk about the emotional side of a photograph, is it a pleasure to look at, is it depressing, is it moving, is it challenging, or even is it frightening?

This is not to say that the technical side of a photograph should be overlooked, poor technique can often ruin a potentially excellent picture.

  • Be Helpful - this is where we need to be constructive.
  • Be Fair - don't pull the photographer down.
  • Be Informed - be aware of what the photographer was trying to convey.
  • Be Interesting - try where possible to add humor to your comments.
  • Be Unbiased - this is most important.
  • Give three positive comments on each image.
  • Use the sandwich method - A positive, perhaps two constructive comments followed by a positive comment.
  • Keep your approach friendly, humorous, light-hearted and respectful.
  • Don't waffle - Admit you don't know and rather asked your co-judges to help you.
  • Rules are made to be broken - It doesn't always need a center of interest, etc. What does the image "say" to you?
  • Remember that not all images need cropping.
  • Avoid cliches - "I really like this image", etc.

Photography is very much (but not always) about the initial impact.

Always give the appearance that you enjoy judging the images in front of you.

Be confident in everything that you do.

Don't waffle and don't describe the picture in front of you when everyone can see it. Don't repeat yourself.

Don't lecture.

Be totally honest.

Don't attempt to say how a picture was taken.

Talk about the picture as though you were a "critical friend" of the photographer.

Speak with honesty and humility. None of us is God's give to photography, we all continue to learn from one another.

Keep an open mind. You may have strong feelings and opinions about something. This is not the place or time to air those.

Try not to let yourself become prejudiced by what you have seen before.

There may be similar images in the same competition by the same photographer. Judge the image in front of you.

Remember: It is a competition and therefore the best / strongest image in your opinion is the winner.

Please look out for part 2 that will be on "What judges are looking for in a good image?"





Tuesday 29 January 2013

PSSA Northern Gauteng Region - Newsletter 1/2013


Newsletter 1/2013
28 January 2013

Dear Northern Gauteng Clubs

Welcome back after the 2012 holidays.  I visited quite a few clubs the past month and it is great to see all the high-impact images created during the festive season. Keep up the good work!

1. National Salon

Please visit the PSSA website (www.pssa.co.za) and Photovault Online (www.photovaultonline.com) for all the upcoming national salons. The first two for 2013 are the 4th Bethlehem Digital Salon for Colour Photography (closing date 9 February 2013) and the 1st Midrand Camera Club Monochrome Salon (closing date 23 February 2013).

2. PSSA's New Definition for "Manipulation"

Please familiarise yourself with the new definition for "Manipulation" on the PSSA website:

MANIPULATION shall constitute any or all of the following modifications to the original image:
  • Adding an element to the image that was not contained in the original capture;
  • Removing an element from the image that was contained in the original capture; and
  • Moving or re-positioning an element of the image that was contained in the original capture.
In the categories Nature and Photojournalism, manipulation is not allowed. In all other categories, there are no restrictions whatsoever in the way authors choose to post process an image.

3. New Creative Virtual Photo Club

We all know the master of creative photography, Hein Waschefort. During December 2012, the Visual Skills School (VSS) took it one step further by creating a VSS Creative Virtual Photo Club. Please visit their website www.visualskillsschool.com for more information.

4. Training Opportunities

Advanced Bird Photography Workshops


On my workshops you will practically learn the techniques to take images like these. From camera settings, Lightroom to Photoshop techniques.


Workshops consists of a morning and afternoon shoot, followed by some editing in Lightroom and Photoshop.

Equipment needed:

  • Any DSLR;
  • Shutter release;
  • Tripod and Beanbag;
  • Lenses: afternoon shoot 150mm to 200mm, morning shoot 400mm and upwards;
  • The use of a 500mm f/4.5 and 300mm f/2.8 as well as a 70-200mm f/4 is available for Canon users at no extra charge.
Contact Francois Loubser 
082 928 4940

4. PSSA Club Winning Image

Congratulations to all the club winners over the past 2 months. We hope to see more of the Northern Gauteng Clubs' winning images amongst the monthly winners this year.


Magalies FotoFun Club - Valmai le Grange - "Down Under"


PPS - Reg Caldecott - "Venus"


PPS - Christo Serfontein - "Helicopter Jettison"

Rustenburg Photographic Society - Donita Visser - "Elephant"

Rustenburg Photographic Society - Mike Ward - "Fly Fisherman"

Boveld Fotografieklub - Pieter Lotter - "Visvang Tannies"

AFO - Jaco Peacock - "Okavango Fisherman"

AFO - Johan Louw - "Dagbreek"

VSS - Hein Lass - "Wildlife Photography"

PCCC - Hein Waschefort - "Mad Hatter"


4. Photographic Competitions

Please visit the PSSA website (www.pssa.co.za) for details about:
Please remember to send me news from the region should you wish to have it published in the newsletter. Till next time. 

Kind regards,
Anton la Grange APPSA






Saturday 26 January 2013

Weekend Away on 20 April 2013

We are planning an overnight trip during the weekend of 20/21 April 2013 to the Rhino Park at Kromdraai, approximately 45 minutes drive from Pretoria. We can book in at 2pm on the Saturday, and that will give us time to settle in and do an afternoon shoot at any one of the waterholes and feeding areas.

We will all get together for a braai the evening. We can then start shooting again the next morning before sunrise seeing as we don't have to wait for the gates to open.

Space is limited and it will be on a first come first serve basis. The current estimate is that it will cost around R450 per person for the accommodation and we will then share the expenses around food and drinks.

A deposit of R250 is payable to secure your place. Please let us know at midrandclub@gmail.com if you're interest and if you want to book a place.

We will keep you updated with developments as and when they happen.

This is a great opportunity to spend time with some of the best photographers in our region and to get stunning photographs.


Monday 21 January 2013

4th Bethlehem Fotografieklub Salon

It is that time of the year again, where we are approaching the deadline for the first national salon of the year. And this year the first salon is one with a difference.

The 4th Bethlehem Fotografieklub Salon closes on Saturday 9 February 2013.

The salon consists out of 6 categories, three of which only allows entries of photos that have received salon acceptances before and three categories where you are only allowed to enter photos that have not been entered into a salon before.

The three categories that is covered in both the sections are:

  • Nature;
  • People; and
  • an Open category.

This is an interesting concept that will open the field significantly. It is also an opportunity to see which photos are the best of the acceptances over the past couple of years.

Full details are available on the PSSA website.


Good luck to everybody that is going to enter.

Thursday 17 January 2013

January 2013 Category Winners

Congratulations to the following photos for winning the various categories during our January 2013 club competition:



"Untitled" by Bibi Andrews was the Nature category and the overall winner for the evening.


Nico Strydom won the Set Subject ("Action Sport") category with his photograph called "Taking The Corner".


The Monochrome category was won by Francois Rousseau's "Wat Kyk Jy?".


"Pensive" by Ken van Wyk was the Pictorial category winner.


And lastly, the Photojournalism category was won by Martin Maine for his image "Siesta in Morocco".

Congratulations to all the winners.



January 2013 COM and Gold Awards

Here are all the January 2012 COM and Gold award photos that was entered in our January competition.



January 2012 COM and Gold Award Photographs



Congratulations to everybody that entered and to Bibi Andrews for winning the month with her entry "Untitled".




Monday 7 January 2013

2012 PSSA Website Winning Picture

Congratulations to our own Morne Grobler for winning the 2012 PSSA Website Winning Picture with his excellent photograph called "Broken but Standing".

The picture can be viewed on the PSSA website as well as some comments from Morne by following the following link:

2012 PSSA Website Winning Picture