The latest Latitude magazine is out now. Each issue I have a double page spread of one of my images, with a few words about what was going on in my head at the time.  Often it is not easy to articulate why I like something, it just seems right, so I find it an interesting exercise having to put pen to paper (actually finger to keyboard).  Here is this issues image, click it and you will go to a full 1600×1200 pixel version which you are welcome to ‘borrow’ if you need a new spring themed desktop.  Oh, and here was my ‘insight’ about the image:

“As a full time photographer much of my time is spent aiming for not only a creative composition but also technical perfection, coaxing the maximum detail from every pixel.  Now and then I enjoy stripping the composition right back to the basics, sometimes less detail works better to convey the mood I’m trying to capture. Too much detail can distract. There are still some people around who feel that photography should always be a literal representation of reality, but everyone’s own reality is very different.  The camera is just a tool to help show my particular view of the world.”

I spent last weekend in Wellington at the annual NZIPP (NZ Institute of Professional Photographers) conference.  As well as a series of interesting speakers, trade displays and catching up with other photographers from around the country there were the Iris Awards. Full time photographers can submit work to be judged.

I’m ambivalent about entering awards because I firmly believe the only opinions that matter are those of the photographer (and client if a commercial job).  While there are some obvious elements of technical skill and innovation in some work, the emotional response of  like or dislike from any images is rather subjective.  In short, I make photographs that please me – if other people like them, that is a bonus. But the process of entering awards not only involves much valuable self-criticism but also gives the opportunity to analyse what everyone else is up to.

My entries in the Landscape and People categories picked up bronze awards which I was happy with as the judging seemed to be particularly tough this year.  Out of over 1200 entries only around 20 made gold standard.

The most enjoyable part for me was seeing what everyone else is doing in the people category.  While I have leant more towards landscapes in the past I’m hatching plans to photograph people more.  One at a time though, not family groups, weddings etc.  What I enjoy most and am best at is working with people one on one, coming up with images that are beyond your average portrait, unique to the individual. Often more art than portrait. Such as the one below, one of my award winners last weekend.

As a bit of an antidote to my general obsession with extreme detail and quality I have been doing a bit of work lately with images that are more impressionist than realist. It is photography deconstructed, conveying more of a mood or feeling than a literal record.

In most situations I will still be striving to capture as much detail as possible but at the same time i will be looking out for an alternate view. I have started a small collection of these images on my projects page, just click the ‘Impressionist’ tab.

This image here – familiar (yet not) to locals was taken early one morning on main street outside the Brown pub. I have made a 50×80 cm print on canvas of this, now hanging at the Icehouse Gallery.