Set Subjects

The official definition is any living person over 65 by New Zealand Government standards. Judges won’t be asking for proof of age! One favourite definition is ‘when you look in a mirror and wonder who is looking back at you’.
Judges want to see a variety of images - Close up of aged hands - close up of eyes- activities such as swimming - gardening –dining – nursing/care - driving - all involving this wonderful bunch of people who often have huge character. Their activities are numerous. Action, quiet moments, photo journalism, street photography. Blur is fine but we need to be able to identify the age or seniority. The key to success is EMOTION & CHARACTER........ so the subject can be challenging but has a wide scope. Enjoy!

This is an opportunity to shine with your originality. Find a song you love and then create an image to compliment it. Be careful not to be too obscure. Again try and be original and avoid huge hit songs, for, as one judge said, there were 4 people who chose ‘This Old House’ - too easy! Remember the same rules apply.....watch for bright white highlights especially on the edge of the frame. We want to see a lot of mood....

Photo impressionistic technique defies definition. It is experimental in nature. Check out Freeman Patterson & Andre Gallant’s photography books for their take on Impressionism. Be creative; try swinging your camera around on a slow shutter speed..... just hold on tight! Panning is the obvious answer but try different techniques. Google the word. Here are a few ideas:
• In camera multiple exposures; some people like this effect the best because there is an element of chance and the soft colours and forms remind me of impressionistic paintings
• Photoshop montage; is much more contrived but the effects can be very powerful
• Slow sync flash
• Rear sync flash
• Multiple flash
• Moon light exposures

Frigid - devoid of warmth and cordiality- expressive of unfriendliness or disdain- a frigid greeting- got a frosty reception - a frozen look on their faces - a glacial handshake - icy stare - wintry smile – rain- gale force winds – hail - snow. The scope is huge. If you choose the emotional definition make sure it is strongly portrayed.
Remember snow is best over-exposed to retain whiteness.... There is also an old saying, "If it is bright, add light." Maybe bracket to ensure one shot is correct. Try photographing the splash of rain onto surfaces, people playing in the rain, or the water as it beads off trees. Rain looks best backlit under street lamps for example. Shutter speed and light are the key to capturing rain. Make sure it’s slow enough to capture the movement of the rain and the flash should stop the action! Use a tripod. Take an umbrella!
Finally protect your camera from moisture...... they hate it!

What a fun subject............. literally we suppose anything you have ever seen a post card of fits this subject. For prints let’s make these postcards small postcard size ......intimate imagery to be viewed up close. 7 x 5 inches - two 7 x5s if including the reverse side but still on one mount. Projection still one image but it could be two pictures i.e. front and back or just one. You decide.
Chocolate box landscapes of Greek Islands won’t cut it with most judges – surely that is not what they wanted! The Definition: a rectangular piece of thick paper or thin cardboard intended to be written on and mailed without an envelope.
This allows for some great Photoshop creativity.......write the words that will inspire or capture the judge’s attention...... or just do the scenic side. This could be where you will enter a landscape or street scene. Judges would like to see sepia, monochrome, vignetteing & artistic interpretations. But stay small. Let your creativity go wild. Post cards need to be reinvented – here is your chance.

This is pretty obvious and runs along with the subject ‘From an Ants Point of View’! So you will have to lie down to look through the viewfinder and the seniors may find this tricky. When photographing from this level try using the 2 second delay or remote cable. Set your aperture etc and then place on ground. Surprise us with unusual perspectives....feet instead of faces – wheels - babies. Shooting along the yellow centre line can be dangerous but effective. Don’t become road kill! BUT much empty street space is boring unless it leads to a very strong point of interest. Try shooting through long grass. Photograph your pet from floor level – that’s fun. Tilt the camera slightly upwards or at a variety of angles to get fun effects. Wide angle lens can be useful here. Perhaps dig out that fisheye lens. Tilt the lens sideways for zany effects.

New Zealand lends itself well to this subject
You've probably heard the expression, “you can’t see the forest for the trees.” However, in this case, the opposite might be true, “you can’t see the trees for the forest.” In other words, detail is very important in making a picture in a natural area, such as a forest. Shoot close-up. Point your camera straight up towards the sky. Look for interesting detail in the trunks of the tree.
Learn about the different lighting conditions. Sunrise and sunset produce very subdued lighting conditions that often require a tripod. However, long exposures under these conditions can make for extraordinary intense and vivid colours. Midday lighting conditions can include sunbursts that come filtered through the forest canopy and produce visible streaks of light on the film. Wide angle (often the wider the better) - find a rare clearing in the bush with dappled light falling on the ground. The dappled light allows you to figure out the scale of the forest floor and with that, you get a sense of camera angle and depth. Watch the wind.....it plays havoc with slow shutter speeds or adds artistic beauty!
No excuses! Every one of you has access to bush. This site lists all the bush reserves on the North Shore.
http://www.tourismnorthshore.org.nz/viewtype/4/attractions/

Actions or activity, a change in position; this subject lends itself to slow shutter speeds and panning creating blur and movement. Whether it is real or created movement doesn’t matter. Avoid bright white areas especially around the perimeter of your image. Photos of sports, horse and speeding cars are great. Also flowers blowing in the wind, birds flying or fluttering their wings, a beautiful girl tossing back her hair, wheels, propellers, look for the unusual..... Stir -frying the wok – be imaginative.

This seems an easy enough subject at first glance. Water reflects beautifully. However, try using mirrors, automobiles, sunglasses, wine glasses, crystal, dewdrops, pianos, puddles, eyes etc. Think beyond the normal and experiment. For a Landscape type image expose on part of the water that doesn't contain the actual reflection, yet is still close to some part of it. Suggest F11. Whereas for a close up try f 5.6. Polarisers are something which aren't that straight forward as they can enhance or completely kill a reflection – experiment. Focus on the reflection about 1/3 into it. Remember to use your depth of field preview button.

Well what a fun evening this will be...... especially if you all participate! Express who you are – black and white, sepia or colour...... solarise yourself – have fun! Portrait photography has many guidelines which still may apply, such as eyes in the top third of the image, head on an angle and so forth. However, just this once break out of the mold and take striking portraits by at least bending the rules and adding a little randomness into your self portrait. Try looking down on yourself from a higher angle....... or side on. Take yourself laughing or crying. The Thirds rule is one that can be effective to break – placing your subject either dead centre can sometimes create a powerful image – or place yourself right on the edge of a shot – this can sometimes create interesting images. Allow room to look into the photo...or not! Bold lighting, reflected colour or shadows on the face. A tripod may help too.
Check this out for a crazy self portrait! The author took 68 pics of herself jumping.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/trishabrunner/2247534887/

Sometimes called Contre-jour; French for 'against daylight', this refers to photographs taken when the camera is pointing directly toward the source of light. Back lighting..... do not be nervous – it will not damage your lens! Be careful to eliminate flare and ensure correct exposure. Use a lens hood or hold up a hand or magazine to remove flare. If your camera reads the bright light it will give you a false reading. Maybe this is where you can manually expose and try under exposing perhaps as much as 2 stops. Silhouettes are acceptable and make very dramatic pictures. Look for bold shapes such as architectural features such as a grid or arches. People too are good subjects. Back lit sheep and cloudscapes are popular so try and be unique. In Italian, the technique of contre-jour is known as chiaroscuro, meaning “light-dark.” Have fun.

Someone once said Elegance looks like Lauren Bacall or Grace Kelly. Effortless, easy and graceful. Another suggested a '38 Bugatti 57C, and a Stradivarius. Photographically speaking try this suggestion “Not too much, not too little......................” Simplicity is usually a winning formula. The Kiss principle. Keep it simple stupid! Watch the backgrounds are not distracting....try a shallow depth of field to blur the background into insignificance. Perhaps a soft vignette would create elegance. You may photograph a single flower or a piece of jewellery. Still life images are challenging and will suit this subject. You could hang a beautiful garment against the window, or find someone beautiful to wear it. Still Life requires a tripod and good light. Try window light if you don’t have fancy flash systems. Feeling adventurous why not try black glass as a backdrop to a rose or whatever. . Remember the strength of diagonal lines. An elegant photograph should show not only stillness but also life!

Street photography is usually people but street scene could be a cobblestoned alley with great light. Remember photography is about LIGHT, so you need shadows, shafts of light or a lamp post shining...... you need dramatic lighting. Focus about 1/3 into the image and watch for bright white highlights especially around the edges. Try shooting from ground level and/or blurring pedestrians or traffic. Use a tripod so the buildings remain sharp. Try shooting from a rooftop down into the street. You are taking but a moment, make the story count. A wide angle (50mm) might be your preferred lens... you can shoot from an interior looking out to the street. Try talking to people on the street, be bold and ask permission........ 95% say yes then pose them as you wish. People walking away can be as effective as the reverse. "In photography, creation is a quick business — an instant, a gush, a response — putting the camera up to the eye's line of fire, snatching with that economical little box whatever it was that surprised you, catching it in midair, without tricks, without letting it get away. You make a painting at the same time that you take a photo."
Henri Cartier-Bresson

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