Newsletter from Kim Westerskov

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Tips & Tricks - or The Journey? 2. National Geographic winners 3. NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year 4. From Kim s Field Diaries Hurry up and wait 5. Landscapes photo workshop - Sunday 22 July 6.

1 Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested and, of course, if you d prefer not to receive future newsletters from Kim, please just Reply with Unsubscribe please as the subject. Thanks Newsletter from Kim Westerskov kimsworkshops@gmail.com Web: 20 Greerton Road, Tauranga 3112, New Zealand Phone Newsletter #67 July Tips & Tricks - or The Journey? 2. National Geographic winners 3. NZ Geographic Photographer of the Year 4. From Kim s Field Diaries Hurry up and wait 5. Landscapes photo workshop - Sunday 22 July programme Mentoring, Meetings & Tuition This newsletter goes out to many photographers in New Zealand and overseas - and to anybody who asks to go onto the mailing list. If you know anybody who would like to be on the mailing list, please get them to me. It s free and they can unsubscribe at any time, of course. Brando Wildboy Yelavich, the first [and to date only] person to circumnavigate New Zealand's 8000km coastline on foot. Here he s a bit north of Whangamata, on the homeward stretch.

1. TIPS & TRICKS - or THE JOURNEY Tips and tricks? You deserve better. You need better. Tips, tricks, shortcuts & secret settings won t really make you a better photographer.

I do too, but I recognize them for what they are, mostly just a quicker or more efficient way of doing something, or something quirky I hadn t thought of, but will keep in mind in the future.

The better photographer that I want to be [and you want to be] is somewhere ahead of me [and you] on the journey, the road. One step at a time.

2 1. TIPS & TRICKS - or THE JOURNEY Tips and tricks? You deserve better. You need better. Tips, tricks, shortcuts & secret settings won t really make you a better photographer. We all like tips & tricks, I suspect. I do too, but I recognize them for what they are, mostly just a quicker or more efficient way of doing something, or something quirky I hadn t thought of, but will keep in mind in the future. They might make me a slightly more efficient photographer, but do they make me a better photographer? No, not really. The better photographer that I want to be [and you want to be] is somewhere ahead of me [and you] on the journey, the road. One step at a time. It s easy to get caught up in discussions about equipment [ my lens has a higher corner resolution and less astigmatism at f22 than yours ], techniques [HDR, hyperfocal distance, Photoshop] and rules, and many photographers do get caught up. To their detriment. Some knowledge of these things can be useful, but most of them won t make you take significantly better photos. YOU are what creates better photos, IF you bring to the journey your passion, your vision, your persistence, your drive, your love of photography and of the world. There is no app for great photography. You can t Google great photography and be doing it by evening. It s deeper and richer and much more rewarding than that [thank goodness]. There are thousands of good, competent photographers who will happily teach you about cameras and depth of field and all the technical stuff, but remarkably few who [at least to my knowlege] will help you move ahead at a steady, satisfying pace on your journey to become a better and more creative

photographer. I ve looked at the websites and learning resources of hundreds [probably thousands] of photographers, and there s very few that make me say Yes!

They don t ignore the technical stuff [nor do I], they just put it in its rightful place and then talk about the really important stuff that leads to great photography. http://davidduchemin.

3 photographer. I ve looked at the websites and learning resources of hundreds [probably thousands] of photographers, and there s very few that make me say Yes!! Three that do are David duchemin, Freeman Patterson and Bruce Barnbaum. I recommend all three highly. They don t ignore the technical stuff [nor do I], they just put it in its rightful place and then talk about the really important stuff that leads to great photography NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WINNERS Have a look at some of the many wonderful photos here. The standard just keeps going up, doesn t it? 4. NEW ZEALAND GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR New Zealand s biggest, richest [$5,000 in cash, plus an expedition voyage] and most prestigious photography competition is now open for entries:

Wildlife Photographer or even Landscape Photographer as a job description seems to have a highly desirable ring to it for many people, conjuring up romantic images of being out in nature somewhere

4 Wildlife Photographer or even Landscape Photographer as a job description seems to have a highly desirable ring to it for many people, conjuring up romantic images of being out in nature somewhere nice taking award-winning photos at regular intervals and mostly before dinnertime. We can look at the reality some other time. This series, From Kim s Field Diaries, may have given you a more realistic appraisal, though even these highlight the interesting bits more than the not-so-interesting bits. 4. FROM KIM S FIELD DIARIES - HURRY UP AND WAIT The realities of life in Antarctica do include the good bits, of course, but there s a lot of nothing-much days : stuck back at base, dull weather/light, nowhere near any wildlife, blizzard keeping us indoors etc. To get to the most interesting places in Antarctica [and to get to Antarctica in the first place] needs transport and whenever planes or helicopters are involved, a lot of waiting around is involved, usually for weather or logistical reasons. Scott Base, Scott Base, this is K-390, K390, how copy, over. K-390, Scott Base, copy you loud and clear, over. Scott Base, K-390. We ve completed photography and are ready to break camp. When can we expect the helo [helicopter] tomorrow? Over. K-390, Scott Base, stand by.. VXE-6 advises that unless the weather changes, sometime after 0800 hours. "Scott Base, K390, roger, confirm sometime after 0800 hours, many thanks, K390 out." "Scott Base out with K390 and listening. So by 0800 hours we ve moved everything to a nearby flat site where the helicopter can pick us up. Then we wait. And wait. Nothing unusual there, It s a great place to wait. Silent, wonderful, wild Antarctica. No grumbles from me about the waiting, it s just a fact of life here in Antarctica. Hurry up and wait we call it. We do a lot of it in Antarctica. Hurry up and wait is a small price to pay for the privilege of being here in Antarctica in the first place, and having been transported to somewhere special. That s me in the photo above, hurrying up and waiting. With a field safety assistant [Mike Perry, with a recent ascent of Mt Everest in his CV] and Nicola Holmes, I d just spent a few days camped next to the Blue Glacier in the foothills of the Royal Society Range in the Transantarctic Mountains. I was there methodically ticking off a long list of photos needed for Christchurch Airport s Antarctic Visitor Centre. The Royal Society Range is a series of spectacular peaks and so photographing them seemed a good idea. The location was good but our timing wasn t. It was midsummer, with the sun wheeling around and around the clear blue Antarctic sky all day. There were no sunset or sunrise colours, no golden hour, no blue hour, no real contrast or shadows in the distance, just a bluish cast to everything 24 hours a day. So I did the best I could, but I don t think the resulting photos were ever used I got many much better ones at other times in other places. Still we tried. And we hurried up and we waited.

5. LANDSCAPES WORKSHOP Sunday 22nd July Aaaah, landscapes!

specialness of what was in front of us when the shutter clicked.

The landscape you were standing in front of looked great which is why to you took

Unfortunately, gremlins from a parallel universe got into your memory card and by

showing you how to get the good gremlins [from a different parallel universe] to

5 5. LANDSCAPES WORKSHOP Sunday 22nd July Aaaah, landscapes! There s not many of us who don t photograph landscapes some of the time or most of the time. On a good day, we ll come back with some photos we re reasonably happy with. Occasionally very happy. But on other days [far too many] there s nothing we took that approaches the specialness of what was in front of us when the shutter clicked. Something got lost in the translation. The landscape you were standing in front of looked great which is why to you took the photo[s]. Unfortunately, gremlins from a parallel universe got into your memory card and by the time you looked at the photos on your computer, they didn t look anywhere near as good as you hoped, and expected. This workshop is about correcting that - de-gremlinizing your landscape photos and showing you how to get the good gremlins [from a different parallel universe] to help make your landscape photos POP!. Translating the Wow you felt standing in front of a good landscape into a Wow photo. Techniques, approaches, tips, tricks. Landscape is a big topic and there s many ways of approaching it, so we ll be covering a lot of ground. Topics covered will include: Grand [Classic] Landscapes and Intimate Landscapes Why landscapes are both easy and hard at the same time - and what to do about it

Extractive landscapes Dynamic landscapes and quiet landscapes Figures in the landscape Common

Clouds, weather, light Time of day, sunrise/sunset, golden hour, blue hour Stars & night

The importance of foregrounds Forests, hills, mountains, waterfalls, geothermal areas Water:

backgrounds & boring skies Lens choice: wide angle vs normal vs telephoto Your gear: camera,

Hyperfocal distance explained and simplified Choosing the best camera modes and settings Some

It s a huge and very rewarding subject. One of the best that photography has to offer.

6 Extractive landscapes Dynamic landscapes and quiet landscapes Figures in the landscape Common landscape problems and their solutions Technical stuff AND the creative stuff Common mistakes Clouds, weather, light Time of day, sunrise/sunset, golden hour, blue hour Stars & night photography Getting your composition right. The importance of foregrounds Forests, hills, mountains, waterfalls, geothermal areas Water: waterfalls, rivers, lakes, estuaries Sea shores Dealing with scruffy foregrounds, blah backgrounds & boring skies Lens choice: wide angle vs normal vs telephoto Your gear: camera, lenses, tripods, filters etc. Colour or black and white? Depth of field. Hyperfocal distance explained and simplified Choosing the best camera modes and settings Some good places to go Post-processing polishing your photos so they look great. It s a huge and very rewarding subject. One of the best that photography has to offer. Care to join me? Cost: The full course fee [which includes tuition, hand-outs, Vivienne s yummy catering, assignment and follow-up] is $295, dropping to $245 for Early Birds if you register by 17 th July. Students with ID $150.

7 PROGRAMME - revised dates JULY Sunday 22 nd July. Landscapes workshop. Full day plus follow-up. AUGUST Tuesday 7 th August. Photos & Coffee informal meeting pm. Free. Saturday 18 th August. Composition & Light workshop. Full day plus follow-up. SEPTEMBER Tuesday 4 th September. Photos & Coffee informal meeting pm. Free. Saturday 15 th September. Getting started in Lightroom. Half day. OCTOBER Tuesday 2 nd October. Photos & Coffee informal meeting pm. Free. Saturday 6 th October. Good photos, great photos anytime, anywhere workshop. Full day plus follow-up. Saturday-Sunday October. Great Photography Weekend workshop. Weekend + follow-up. NOVEMBER Tuesday 6 th November. Photos & Coffee informal meeting pm. Free. Saturday 24 th November. New worlds with your camera workshop. Full day plus follow-up. DECEMBER Tuesday 4 th December. Photos & Coffee informal meeting pm. Free. Half-day workshops 9.00am 1.00pm Full day & two-day workshops 9.00am 5.00pm COST: Course fees include tuition, detailed hand-outs, yummy catering, assignment and follow-up evenings for full and two day workshops. Half day workshops: $135 or $115 for Early Birds if you register early. Fulltime students with ID $70. One day workshops: $295 or $245 for Early Birds if you register early. Fulltime students with ID $150. Weekend workshops: $475 [$425 Early Bird]. Fulltime students with ID $ PRIVATE TUITION Yes, like you I m usually busy doing other stuff too, but I can nearly always fit private tuition in, and am very happy to do so. First 2 hours: $80 per hour, after that $70 per hour. If you come again, it s $70 per hour right from the first hour. Think not just about cost, but value it s one-on-one with a supportive, experienced photographer and teacher and we cover a lot each hour. Or for just the cost of a full-day workshop [with Early Bird discount] - $245 you get my full attention - one-on-one - for 4 hours. This can be out in the field or at my studio, looking at your photos on my computer, going over your camera functions, looking into specific techniques, or all of the above and more whatever you want to do. I m here for you. For $475 you have me for the whole day. 8. MENTORING

Mentoring is the ongoing process of inspiring, advising, guiding, teaching, critiquing whatever is needed for the ongoing development of a photographer.

One month it may be about equipment or Photoshop, next month it may be I just want my photos to have more Wow in them, the following month it may be Photos of Kim by Malcolm Macfarlane & Tony

8 Mentoring is the ongoing process of inspiring, advising, guiding, teaching, critiquing whatever is needed for the ongoing development of a photographer. It s one-on-one, so it s different for each person. One month it may be about equipment or Photoshop, next month it may be I just want my photos to have more Wow in them, the following month it may be Photos of Kim by Malcolm Macfarlane & Tony Whitehead about exhibitions or Should I go pro?. Who is mentoring for? Anybody. I mentor both established professional photographers and amateurs. Minimum of 6 months. Talk to Kim about what would work best for you. 9. KIM S PHOTOS & COFFEE EVENINGS We meet on the first Tuesday of each month [every month of the year except January], chat informally about photography, and view some of the recent photos we ve taken. It s free [no charge], supper is served, and there s no obligation of any kind. Please me if you d like to come [it s not a big room so I need to keep an eye on numbers]. These evenings are always fun and friendly - there s usually many smiles and laughs. It s a great way of meeting up with like-minded people, being inspired by the creativity of our group of photographers, and coming away with news ideas and tips. There s a wide range of interests and abilities so for those of you who have not been before, you re very unlikely to feel out of your depth. Bring photos if you wish, but there s no obligation to bring any. Some people do, some don t. The next one will be on Tuesday 7 th August, starting 7.00pm. 18 Greerton Road, Gate Pa, Tauranga. Free, but please book by PHOTOGRAPHING ARTWORKS, PHOTOSHOPPING, PHOTO RESTORATION I also offer photo restoration, Photoshopping, and Photographing your Artworks services. $50 per hour. 11. INVITATION TO ALL CAMERA CLUBS & GROUPS If your club or group might be interested in hosting one of my presentations - or workshops - or Field Trip + Photo Critique days, please get in touch. ABOUT KIM Passionate about photography and passionate about inspiring, guiding, and supporting photographers. Over 30 years as a professional photographer Five First Prizes in the BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the Olympics of nature photography worldwide. 18 books published written and photographed by Kim. Five are currently in print. Teaching photography for over 10 years now

Newsletter from Kim Westerskov. Newsletter #21- April 2013

Newsletter from Kim Westerskov. Newsletter #21- April 2013 Please forward this to anyone you think might be interested and, of course, if you d prefer not to receive future newsletters from Kim, please just Reply with Unsubscribe please as the subject. Thanks