Autumn & Winter… favourite seasons!

It’s that time of the year again when photographers and artists get out to capture the colours of autumn and face the cold weather to capture the starkness of winter.  Here are a few ideas of what to photograph during these favourite seasons…
  Colours of Autumn Many photographers have headed to South Island to capture the glory of autumn colours, but no matter where you are it’s not too late to capture autumn and have a bit of fun with the following: Focus on falling leaves – for something a little different set your aperture to f/1.8. Focus on the leaves rather than your model/subject as they throw leaves in the air. Take photos in the morning for the golden light effect – use direct light to take classic portraits, backlight to create a golden haze, and side light for atmospheric portraits. Shooting from a low angle will let you capture both your subjects and their surroundings.  Photograph in fog and overcast days – lakes, forests, rivers and streams are good subjects for photography during overcast or foggy days. Don’t forget the cities too. Use a circular polariser to enhance contrast and colours, blue sky, and removes unwanted glare from rain and wet days.  On top of this it slows the shutter speed slightly – great for moving water. Look for contrasting colours – golden leaves on a blue sky – a red leaf on a lush green grass… Slightly underexpose your shots – you’ll find that it gives your colours a slightly deeper saturation. Apply a warm white balance when editing to bring out more of that warm autumn colour. Starkness of Winter The leaves have gone and you are left with skeletons as stark silhouettes.  You can get quite creative with winter photography, with or without snow: If you’re near snow, capture macro snowflakes – add an extension tube to your macro lens to get even closer. Photograph some dramatic wet and wild storms with crashing waves. Sunrise is soooo much later it’s like a sleep-in!  So go out and capture the start of the day.  Clouds make it more exciting. Capture city lights in the rain – great reflections on the roads and pavements. Pay attention to bright colours –  a colourful subject will instantly make your winter photo more striking, as the colour will stand out against the dull and grey background.   Take advantage of the long winter nights – winter night skies can be stunning, the best time of the year for astro photography.   But even if you can’t see the night sky due to light pollution, there are a lot of other beautiful subjects to photograph at night, as well as light painting. Experiment with minimalism – the mist, snow, barren landscapes, and lack of colour are ideal for composing simple photos, stripped of everything but the essentials. Take advantage of the outdoor winter sports and photograph the mud, sweat and tears. Apply a cold White Balance when editing as it will help enhance the winter atmosphere where winter shadows are cool. Remember, there’s no bad weather for a photographer – some favorite winter images have been captured in “bad” weather when it was more tempting to stay at home and keep warm. Hibernate Indoors Ok, so you’re not into going out in the rain and cold. So stay home and set up an indoor studio in the house – in the kitchen, in the garage, in the spare room…. Lots to photograph: Learn some new lighting techniques Create a composite photo by cloning yourself multiple times in the image. Play with lights to create bokeh backgrounds – have a big distance between a model and the lights and use the barrel compression with a longer focal length. Get into smoke photography – your house will smell wonderful with all the incense you burn! What about some indoor splash photography – make sure you do this in an area that can cope with the water splashes. Indoor light painting with still life is a great way to add a wow to your still life photos. Water drop photography needs lots of time and is quite addictive.  Macro food photography – use objects from your kitchen (for example, chopping boards, silverware, fruit or vegetables) to make your food picture look more interesting. Improve on your editing skills and learn more photoshop techniques. Indoor Photography ideas North Shore Salon of Photography Vivienne Rowell’s image “White Faced Heron”, the winner of the Salon Trophy 2020 Entries Open:  1 June
Entries Close:  19 June

  Each year, the NSPS has run a competition for New Zealand photographers, with the 2020 Salon attracting 1996 entries from entrants including members of 46 photographic clubs and societies from Whangarei to Southland and overseas. The Salon convenes independent panels of selectors to judge entries in various categories, with accepted prints and digital images being publicly exhibited at Mairangi Bay Arts Centre. Entrants to the Salon’s competitions are typically amateur photographers from photographic clubs and societies, although the Salon is open to professionals and club membership is not a requirement. In fact, in recent years we have had a good number of first-time entrants that are not affiliated to these organisations.

The 2021 North Shore Salon of Photography has eight categories: Print Categories: Open Open Monochrome ‘Scapes Nautical Digital Categories: Open Song Title Yellow Altered Reality North Shore Salon of Photography Auckland Festival of Photography 3rd – 20th June 2021

The Auckland Festival of Photography is a city-wide contemporary art and cultural event which takes place within Auckland’s major galleries, project spaces, non-gallery venues and public sites during June each year. The programme includes a mix of emerging and established artists and comprises existing works and creation of new work. The annual Festival is produced by the Auckland Festival of Photography Trust.

There is a lot happening and a lot to see at this year’s Auckland Festival of Photography, so start planning what you would like to see now.  The exhibitions cover the Annual Commission, the Core Exhibitions and the Satellite Exhibitions.  You also may be interested in viewing the Digital Screens or take part in Talking Culture. 2021 Festival Programme A great idea is to keep an eye on the Festival Calendar.  If you click on the exhibition that you want to see, the dates, venue and details of the exhibition pop up on a new tab, as well as showing a map of where to find the exhibition. 2021 Festival Calendar If you’re a person who uses their phone for everything….  Fantastic, there’s even a Festival APP.  Download it and you can get to everything you need to see as much as you can.

View the APP through the browser on your phone, desktop or download from the App Store.
 *pleae note – please scroll down from landing page to see full Guide.  2021 Festival APP NZ Art Show Image: ‘Secret Stairs’ by Nik Brinkman Gala Evening:  Thurs 3 June
Show Days:  Fri 4 June – Sun 6 June


The NZ Art Show Online runs through to the end of December, so make sure you check out the latest works by over 160 talented NZ artists.  It’s a visual feast of stunning art, with something to suit every taste!  NZ Art Show Art Week Auckland 9th-17th October 2021
  Artweek Auckland is an annual, week-long festival celebrating the visual arts of Auckland. Throughout the week activations will be taking place all over Auckland, newcomers and experts alike can immerse themselves in Auckland’s diverse and vibrant contemporary art scene. Venues include galleries, public, private spaces, pop ups and street art. If you are an artist looking for a site or an opportunity to show your work during Artweek, please fill out your details below before 1st June, 2021 and we will be in touch about your proposal. Expressions of Interest 1 Parkhead Place
Rosedale
Auckland
09 415 6659
021 132 1691
john@printart.co.nz
www.printart.co.nz
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