2012 Canon/AIPP Australian Science, Environment and Nature Photographer of the Year


 
Last Monday night at the annual Canon/AIPP Australian Professional Photography Awards (APPAs) dinner, Foto Frenzy’s very own Darren Jew was named as the 2012 Canon/AIPP Australian Science, Environment and Nature Photographer of the Year.

This is the fourth time (previously in 2026/09/10) Darren has won the Nik Software sponsored category.

The four images in Darren’s 2012 portfolio were captured during his shoots in the Kingdom of Tonga and off South Australia, and on last December’s Expedition to the Coral Sea. His haunting image of the great white shark was awarded a Silver with Distinction, while his three other entries received Gold Awards. Darren’s images brought strong praise from the Judges and his nature/environment peers.

We at Foto Frenzy are immensely proud of Darren’s achievements and it serves as an incentive for the team to strive to produce better personal images whilst offering quality photographic tuition.

In it’s 36th year, the 2012 APPAs attracted over 3000 entries from all sectors of Australia’s professional photographic community. A gallery of winners from the various categories, covering all aspects of professional photographic endeavour, can be found here. You might also like to read Canon’s Press Release announcing the winners.

Posted in Featured Photographer, What's happening with the FF Team, World Photo News

Cam’s Easter on the farm

How wonderful it was to get away from it all and spend 4 days on a friends property near Bundarra, NSW over the Easter break. With very little phone reception and no real agenda other than to relax and take some photos just for fun, it was just thing I needed to recharge the batteries. The weather was perfect and I was even gifted a nice and early, foggy morning on Sunday which I took advantage of to get some great Australian country flavoured images.

The other great photo spot I encountered was an authentic old shearing shed on a neighbouring property. Full of charm, cobwebs and the unfortunate stench of countless sheep gone past, it was a perfect way to reinvigorate my love of photography exploration.

This is a selection of the images captured over my Easter break on the farm. The colour images were shot with a Nikon D3 with either a Nikkor 24-70mm f2.8 or a Nikkor 70-200mm f2.8 VR while the black and white images were shot with an Infrared converted Nikon D300 with a Nikkor 17-55mm f2.8.

All the editing was done using Nik Software’s Snapseed for iPad/iPhone and desktop computers. Snapseed is an amazingly powerful piece of editing software and is also very inexpensive. For around $6 for the iPad / iPhone and around $20 for a desktop machine it’s one of the cheapest photo editing programs around. If you haven’t tried it out, make sure you do so soon!

Cam.

 

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Posted in General Foto Frenzy, What's happening with the FF Team

Foto Frenzy’s Underwater 1.01 gains AIPP’s CPD Accreditation

Darren Jew's Underwater 1.01 Workshop gains AIPP CDP accreditation

Darren Jew’s unique workshop Underwater 1.01 is the first of our course offerings to gain accreditation under the AIPP’s CPD program. AIPP members who attend the workshop can gain 25 CPD Points, enough to fulfil half their total 2012 requirement.

Over one and a half days, through theory, demonstration and practical pool sessions, photographers will receive all the sound advice, practical information, tips and techniques that they’ll need to further explore their photography below the surface… from one of Australia’s most accomplished and awarded underwater image makers, AIPP Master of Photography Darren Jew.

Underwater 1.01 is next on offer over the weekend of April 28/29 2012 in Brisbane.

 

Click here for more information about Underwater 1.01

Click here to book for Underwater 1.01

Click here to learn more about your tutor Darren Jew

 

 

Posted in General Foto Frenzy, Specialty Workshops

Poole back in the studio

It might have been a while since Ian Poole had regular access to his own studio, but as one of the Foto Frenzy team he now has the beautiful Foto Frenzy HQ Studio at his disposal. (side note: The last period I worked in a studio with Ian was when I was an assistant in his shared studio in the mid-1980’s!)

Ian has started a new project aimed at creating a new body of work that will help to satisfy his need to shoot. Last week he had his first subject in front of the lens – Brisbane family photographer Lynda Coulson.

Poole Portrait Project

In this image of Lynda we find quite a confrontational approach– you get the feeling it’s an attempt by Ian to delve deep into the character of his subject.

With a background in working with black and white film emulsions and using the 6x6cm Hasselblad system, here Ian seems to be attempting to replicate a medium format, filmic look and feeling, using his full-frame Nikon D700 and a 60mm Micro Nikkor lens. This is bringing him very close to his subject and requiring an intimate connection between subject and photographer that is not necessarily achieved with a longer lens. The careful use of available light is another sign of a master plying his trade.

We will watch to see more of the Poole Portrait Project in the near future.

Posted in Featured Photographer, What's happening with the FF Team

Foto Frenzy’s Monthly Photo Competition

Jasmine Connor's Winning Image

Last month Jasmine Connors became the inaugural winner of Foto Frenzy’s Monthly Photo Competition. Jazzy was able to choose from our range of courses, and we look forward to her joining Darren’s Underwater 1.01 Workshop in April.

The entries are judged by a panel of Foto Frenzy tutors and selecting a winner initiated plenty of debate amongst the team!

Here are Darren’s thoughts on Jazzy’s image– “I found Jasmine’s image to be haunting. I enjoy the contrast between the two main characters in the image– the gentleman on the left portrayed as blissfully unaware of the camera, while the woman’s intense expression pierces the scene. The traffic’s direction adds to the feeling of an everyday moment being passed-by by everyone but the photographer. I like the suggested movement in the wings of the pigeons created by an appropriate shutter speed, and the desaturated, contrasty treatment gives the city a cold, impersonal mood. Within the tangles of a modern metropolis, composing street images is always a challenge so well done to the photographer.”

We asked Jazzy for some thoughts about her image:

“The image was shot in the streets of Sydney, Winter of 2011 on my Nikon D700 with Nikon 17-35mm f/2.8. While volunteering at the 2011 APPA’s, I was surrounded by amazing, award winning photographers & images, I couldn’t help but be inspired…. filled with enthusiasm I got out my camera and started capturing some moments in time. I’m intrigued by strangers and their quirks. My image has many different characters telling their own unique story. I chose a moody/grunge style treatment to emphasize the flith of city life.”

After considering a few different career paths and having a few jobs after leaving school, Jazzy is now a 2nd year student at Southbank Institue of TAFE and is looking forward to a career in a yet-to-be-determined field of photography.

Liza Yorkson's People Choice Winner

Foto Frenzy also offer a People’s Choice prize for our Monthly Photo Competition and the joint winners in January were Jazzy Connors and Liza Yorkson, whose number of Facebook “Like” were neck and neck as voting closed. Liza and Jazzy both received Fine Art prints from their winning entries.

So, it’s on to our March Competition… they say “Home is where the heart is” and January’s Monthly Photo Competition winner Jazzy Connors has chosen “Home” as the theme for March 2012. So from here it’s up to you! You can take the theme literally if you like, or you might want to extend your creativity into a subject that makes you feel like home; it may be someone else’s home; it could possibly be a creature’s place of abode; maybe it’s your favourite corner of your lounge room or out back in your shed. Whatever home means to you, we want to see it in pictures!

 

Entries for our March Monthly Photo Competition are open now. Entries will become available to view on Foto Frenzy’s Facebook Page as they come in.

 

So think about home, and get your entries in!

 

 

Posted in General Foto Frenzy

FOTO FRENZY’s new Awards Print Service

Foto Frenzy is offering a “one-stop shop” print, mount and mat service for all entrants in the 2012 AIPP Queensland Epson Professional Photography Awards. (Still affectionately known as the the QPPAs by some).

Take the worry out of entering the prestigious State Awards by letting the experienced team at Foto Frenzy take your precious imagery from completed file (a bunch of pixels) to an on-time entry (a beautifully presented masterpeice) in seven* easy steps…

STEP ZERO
Calibrate your monitor (insert smile)

STEP ONE
Pay in advance for your prints. You’ll receive a copy of our target file, and a reference print created on our system from that file .

STEP TWO
Prepare your files. (With some feeling, please)

STEP THREE
Send sized files to Foto Frenzy
File specs:
Physical Size@300ppi… Remember QPPA print size specs.
Adobe(1998) RGB Colour space
Best 16bit .tif but will accept highest quality .jpg
You can send via yousendit.com or Drop Box (please ask for details)

STEP FOUR
Send us your print case and your QPPA print labels and delivery labels**

STEP FIVE
Foto Frenzy prints your file/s on Ilford Fibre-print Gold paper.
At this point, if you wish, you can visit Foto Frenzy HQ and assess your print under APPA-like lighting conditions. If you would like to make any slight adjustments, we will do them UNDER YOUR DIRECTION at Foto Frenzy***

STEP SIX
We mount and matt your print on Museum White, Museum off-white, or Black. Default matting provides 5mm of white paper around your image (shows your full printed image) Optional: shows no paper white around image, so you will loose a few mm off the edges of your image. If you choose the optional ‘no white paper’ you will need to add 6mm to the minimum QPPA print size to ensure you attain the minimum display size after matting. Please specify if you want the optional ‘no white paper’ matting.

STEP SEVEN
Your Print Case will be delivered to QPPAs*

PRICES

$75 per image

$275 for four images

$65 for each additional print over four

* Eight steps for some...
**optional if you want us to deliver your entry on your behalf
***reprint fee is $20 per re-print incl GST

Entries close Wednesday 21 March 2012, so do not… we repeat DO NOT… hesitate! Get to work on those files and lets us do the work printing and mounting them for you!

PLEASE NOTE: The Foto Frenzy Awards Printing Service is in no way associated with the AIPP, and supplying your files to Foto Frenzy does not constitute an entry in itself. You must enter the State and National awards via the AIPP/APPA website.

For more info Email: or call Foto Frenzy HQ on 07 3395 2168


Posted in General Foto Frenzy, World Photo News

What is Hair of The Dog?

Hair of The Dog is QLD AIPP's annual creative kick-starter

We at Foto Frenzy are passionate about the concept of learning photography from experts; so it is not surprising that we wholeheartedly endorse one of Queensland’s premier teaching events – Hair of The Dog ! The HoTD is a convention run by the Queensland Division of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) at the start of each year to encourage photographers to creatively think of new ideas, exchange thoughts and listen to some of the best people in the photographic industry. Additionally various trade houses have not only the latest equipment on show but provide skilled operators to demonstrate and display new materials and concepts.

All Foto Frenzy staff will attend or participate in HoTD.

Cam Attree, who was a presenter at HoTD in both 2009 and 2010 will be helping out the Qld Council throughout the weekend, introducing a number of this year’s speakers. He will no doubt also be found hanging around the CR Kennedy and Nikon stands at the trade show and trying to get as much hands on time with the new Nikon D4 as he can. Although we are sure he will have to fight everyone else for the same opportunity as this will be the first public appearance of Nikon’s latest release.

Adam Finch, a four-time HoTD speaker, will be waiting to see his friend Greg Gibson’s first Australian presentation. You don’t know Greg? We would suggest that a quick Google is in order to understand Greg’s significance in photography.

Tony Holden will be leading the C.R. Kennedy stand with plenty of great equipment from Hasselblad and Pentax and Harmon papers, and his usually fabulous conversation.

Darren Jew will be seen around the fringes of HoTD this year after being up-front in 2004, 2010 and 2011. You’ll probably find him around the Canon stand talking enthusiastically about how to photograph whales up close and personal and also recounting his experiences with the latest release printers from Canon.

And you won’t miss me, I’ll be on of the HoTD convention area stage introducing a variety of local, interstate and international speakers, including:

• Greg Gibson – all the way from Washington DC, this two time Pulitzer Prize winner will be showing emotion-packed images in social documentary;
• The Legendary Yervant from Melbourne, but equally well known almost everywhere else in the world, will be delivering a keynote presentation embracing his approach to weddings;
• Brisbane Master Photographer Wayne Radford will be showing his unique style of portraits of children;
• Murray Fredricks (Generalist) – the AIPP use the term “Generalist” to describe Murray, but with work exhibited at the Louvre in Paris and the National Gallery of Victoria; a Master of Arts; a documentary shown on ABC TV (Salt), and uses a 10×8” large format camera; maybe you should attend HoTD and find a better word;
• Local Brisbane Wunderkid Jonas Peterson will be showing a different and exciting approach to wedding photography; and
• Kristen Cook (Portrait), William Long (Commercial), Vicki Bell (Portrait), Mark Galer (Photoshop), Shane Monopoli (Business/Marketing), Christine Pobke (Portrait), Glen Krohn (Commercial), and Matt Adams (Social Marketing) will bring diversity and variety to the speaking panel.

Foto Frenzy would encourage anyone with an interest in further photographic education to visit the Hair of The Dog website and consider attending next weekend, 4th to 6th February 2012.

Ian Poole

Posted in General Foto Frenzy Tagged , |

Find your way to Foto Frenzy HQ

OLD NEWS… Foto Frenzy has moved and our number has changed see our current location here
Great news… the Foto Frenzy team is excited to announce our home!

From the 1st week of February, Foto Frenzy HQ will serve as classroom, studio, print facility and office– conveniently located in the Brisbane suburb of Camp Hill, just 15 minutes from the heart of the CBD and 5 minutes from the Gateway Motorway.

LEARN
As a classroom, Foto Frenzy HQ offers high resolution digital projection and seating for up to 20 participants in air-conditioned comfort. And conveniently, we’re located just a couple of doors from a great bakery. Yum.

SHOOT
As a teaching studio, we have a range of backdrops suitable for a variety of looks and styles and capability to comfortably shoot full length. It’s a great space for shooting both available light and with professional studio lighting equipment. The air-conditioned space (with or without studio lighting gear) is also available for hire on an hourly basis.

PRINT
Foto Frenzy values the printed image, so in addition to being the home for our courses and studio workshops, Foto Frenzy HQ offers a fully colour-managed print facility built around the latest print technology. Offering sheet-fed desktop A3+ up to 44″ (112cm) wide large format capacity, we print on photo-style papers, fine art stocks and canvas from your files. So whether its a canvas for your wall or an awards image you need printed, matted and mounted, our experienced team can help.

OPENING HOURS
Photography is often about being outside, so Foto Frenzy HQ will be staffed as required. Please call ahead if you need to visit.

OLD NEWS… Foto Frenzy has moved and our number has changed see our current location here

Foto Frenzy HQ
569 Old Cleveland Rd
Camp Hill QLD 4152

Ph: 07 3395 2168


View Larger Map

GETTING THERE BY CAR
Inbound: from Old Cleveland Rd, turn left into either Princess or Tarana Sts, then street park and walk up the hill to Old Cleveland Rd.
Outbound: from Old Cleveland Rd, turn right at the lights into Boundary St, then right again into Albert St and right again into either Princess or Tarana Sts, then street park and walk up the hill to Old Cleveland Rd.

GETTING THERE VIA PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Old Cleveland Road is a very busy bus route. Inbound BCC Buses stop virtually at our door, and outbound buses stop across the road.
Inbound it’s the stop after Princess Street, Camp Hill. Bus Stop Camp Hill 30.
Outbound it’s the stop after Pampling Street. Bus Stop Camp Hill 30.

If you’re up for a stroll, we are approximately 2km from Coorparoo Railway Station

Posted in General Foto Frenzy, World Photo News

Featured Photographer - Ansel Adams

Each week we will be featuring a different photographer, discussing their influence on the greater photographic community and providing some interesting and inspiring quotes they have made during their career. While most of these photographers will be well known throughout the world, we will also endeavour to introduce you to some the wealth of Australian photographic talent developed here.

Our first featured photographer should be known to most photography enthusiasts.

Ansel Adams (1902-1984) – “A good photograph is knowing where to stand”

 

Ansel Adams was born in Golden Gate, San Francisco and was to spend most of his career documenting the west coast of America. Best known for his large format black and white interpretations of the landscape, he was also a passionate educator and advocate of the American National Parks system. His early membership of the Sierra Club enabled him to both extensively visit these dramatic areas but engendered in him a desire to photographically document them as well. His development of the “zone system” of film exposure and development (albeit complex) was to set him apart from other photographers. He was a friend of Edward Weston and a contemporary of Alfred Stieglitz and Paul Strand – but Adams was the master of the landscape.

 

Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico; 1941, Gelatin Silver

Whilst better known for his use of the large format camera (5×4” and 10×8” black and white negatives), Adams had a long connection as a consultant to both the Hasselblad and Polaroid companies. Much of his later work was to be shot on the 6x6cm Hasselblad format.

Adams is well known for his 1941 image “Moonrise, Hernandez, New Mexico, but I have included in this short resume of his work the image, his 1960 image Moon and Half Dome which is usually shown as a black and white print but was originally shot in colour using the Hasselblad camera.

A complex and larger than life person, Adams is still regarded as a benchmark for any aspiring landscape photographer.

Ian Poole.

Moon and Half Dome; 1960 Gelatin Silver

Posted in Featured Photographer

New Workshops

We’ve just added a few more workshops to our calendar.

Due to popular demand we have added an Intro to Studio Lighting for Portraiture evening on February 28th. This promises to be a very informative evening where we will explain all the technical jargon associated with studio lighting and give some great buying advice on what gear is best for your budget. We will then continue the evening with a demonstration of some of the more popular portrait lighting setups and a few that are a little less popular but will produce some stunning portraits.

Our other big specialty workshop announcement is Underwater 1.01 Our resident Aquaman Darren Jew will lead a two day workshop over the weekend of the 28th and 29th of April where he will give you all the practical information, tips and techniques that you’ll need to gain the confidence to further explore your photography below the surface. Covering all the theory, advice on equipment and including practical pool sessions, this is going to be an invaluable workshop for anyone interested in not only getting their feet wet but their camera as well!

Posted in Specialty Workshops