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Issue 2 | April-May 2009
WELCOME TO SNAP! #2
Issue #2 of SNAP! sees this newsletter move into a wholly online format -- to make for quicker and easier access and reading. If you're new to SNAP!, then this is the bimonthly newsletter for the Snapshooter, a unique art-based photography enterprise created by WA photographer, Seng Mah. SNAP! features news about upcoming projects, exhibitions and activities, along with news about photographic events and opportunities in Perth.
In this issue:
> Fables & Nocturnes ~ photographing the landscape of dreams
How do you depict the fantastical and ever-changing landscape of dreams through the medium of photography?
Fables & Nocturnes takes the long-held belief that a photograph somehow depicts reality – and inverts this. Through the use of photographic and digital manipulation, the images in this exhibition have been deliberately created to depict the fantastical, the otherworldly and the unreal. Fables & Nocturnes is an exhibition of photographs that evoke the landscape and atmosphere of dreams, posing a real challenge for the photographers who are more used to taking pictures of the concrete, tactile things in their lives.
This exhibition, organised and curated by Seng, shows the works of a group of passionate and creative photographers from the Photographers in Perth online community. These photographers share a common passion and interest in creative photography; their work is astounding, confronting, moving and humorous, and the exhibition presents a complex tapestry, a feast of images that will excite, frighten and confound.
All works in this exhibition will be available for sale.
Fables and Nocturnes shows at the Cracked Gallery in Behind the Monkey, from Saturday May 16 to Sunday May 30th. Th exhibition will be officially opened on Sunday May 17th by Louise Mann, and is proudly supported by Team Digital, Carlise Printing and Behind the Monkey. Keep an eye out for exhibition flyers and invitations.
Behind the Monkey is located at 479 Beaufort Street, Highgate.
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Run too fast.. Fly too high (c) Brad Hile
I dream of you (c) 2009 Seng Mah
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> The Snapshooter moves to Freo
The Snapshooter has moved into a studio in the High Street Mall in historic Fremantle.
Dubbed "Up on High", the studio is located above Dymocks bookstore in the mall, and is fully-equipped with studio lights, backdrops, a dark room and lounge/client area.
Having this space lets me conduct studio portraiture in a comfortable and spacious setting, with plenty of room for customers AND equipment.
Donna and Dean (c) 2009 Seng Mah |
Turbulence (c) 2009 Seng Mah
Dancers: Jenny Loth, Will Banks, Jessica Ausserechner and Rebecca Frasca.
The space has been used for a range of portrait photography sessions, as well as a unique photographic session featuring four talented dancers from the WA Academy of Performing Arts.
Plans are afoot to run regular model photography sessions in "Up in High".
Keep your eyes peeled on www.thesnapshooter.net for further news about this.
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> Winter Workshops with the Snapshooter
Have you purchased a digital SLR (DSLR) camera but struggle to use it to its full potential? Would you like to learn how to take creative photographs by optimising the use of your DSLR's functions and controls? Do you want to learn more about strobing with external flashes or studio lights, to create amazing portraits?
The Snapshooter will be launching a series of modules this Winter for digital photography enthusiasts of different levels and interests. Taken individually, each module focuses on a core area of photography with the aim of giving you competency in this area. Taken as a series, they will help you develop your photography from woe to go, giving you the skills to do more with your DSLR and with your creative eye.
These workshop modules are designed for individuals or very small groups (no more than three) - which allow for maximum one-on-one time, enabling the material covered to be personalised to your own learning needs.
Modules will include:
- Taking your DSLR beyond Auto - for beginners and those new to DSLR photography, this module will give you greater confidence in using your DSLR and taking creative photographs.
- Creative exposure with the Manual setting on your camera - for those who still dare not turn the dial to M. Learn how to see light, and how you can expose for creative lighting effects in your photographs.
- Making the most of off-camera flash - come to grips with using your external flash on- and off-camera, for creative effects.
- Studio portraiture with strobes - demystify the mystery surrounding the use of studio lights and studio portraiture.
If you're interested in these workshops, please contact Seng at seng_mah@yahoo.com.au to register for further information.
> An Oarsome Summer of Surf Rowing
What a busy summer it has been! I've been photographing open water swimming and surf club events since 2006, and the 2008 - 2009 season was no different. This season, however, I focused my photography on surf rowing events at local surf carnivals.
The surf rowers (boaties) don't seem to get as much coverage from the photographic media as the other surf sports. I'm not sure why, as there is as much action and raw physicality in surf rowing as in the other events.
Perhaps this is because surf rowing is a team sport, as opposed to the other surf events which are more about the individual endeavour, the lone hero of the surf; the media loves its Alicia Marriots and Brendon Sarsons.
For me, however, much of the excitement in spectating and photographing this sport lies in watching a team of four and one sweep work as a single mechanism to power a massive row boat through the wild surf.
There are few sports more physically demanding, and emotionally draining. Men and women give their all, straining on unyielding oars come hell or high water. And win or lose, the emotion and exhaustion become deeply etched on their faces. This is human action and human drama played out on the edge of sand and sea.
This season has been a blast and my thanks go to the lads and ladies who crew the boats for Scarboro SLSC, for having me in their company and letting me document their surf exploits; special thanks to Shane Bowler, Tony Bartlett, Jeff Sansom, Marc Goodall and Amanda Rukuwai of Scarboro SLSC.
Images from this season's surf events are planned for inclusion in the hard cover second edition of Sons of Beaches, due out in a few months. Keep an eye out for news of its release in the next issue of SNAP! |
Scarboro surf crew (c) 2009 Seng Mah |
> Light Magic, Bunbury style!
In the last weekend of March, I joined a band of mischief-making photographers in running the Light Magic two-day workshop in at Studio Wildchild in Bunbury. This aim of this workshop was to provide attendees with an immersive experience in studio portrait photography - from shooting in Manual setting, to the technicalities of setting up and controlling studio strobes, to art direction and make-up artistry, to location lighting with off-camera flashes.
A great time was had by all, presenters and learners alike. To top it off, an evening with Tesla Down Under was organised that allowed everyone to behold and photograph the marvel that is the Tesla Coil lightning generator.
The workshop was a hit (as well as a hoot). Comments from participants include:
For me personally, this was a fantastic weekend workshop. More recommendations from me too, for those who would like to have a go at studio and location shoots, should another one be planned.
I think I learned more in that 48 hours than I have in the past 8 months since buying my DSLR.
What a great weekend.... Fun, Laughter, Learning etc etc.
Fantastic group of people.
A second Light Magic workshop is planned for later in the year. Watch for its announcement on The Snapshooter website or in a future edition of SNAP! |
Photograph (c) 2009 Rob McLellan
Photograph (c) 2009 Rob McLellan
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> Upcoming exhibitions in Perth
Harvest Restaurant > 20 March to 13 May
1 Harvest Road, North Fremantle
Christine Tomas - "Inertia Overcome"
Inertia Overcome is the latest solo exhibition by Western Australian photographer Christine Tomas. The exhibition features works made from double exposed photographs that contain images taken from platforms of trains boarded in Spain and France. The images are layered, mostly with women from advertising billboards in and around the train stations, and are often the first things seen once you step onto a platform.
The trains, a metaphor for forward movement, and the women in the advertising billboards, in combination create a textured representation of the drive to progress from despondency and gravity, towards energy and emergence in a new state of life.
Perth Centre for Photography > 10 April to 3 May
Tanya Baker - "I am a rock, I am an island"
NSW artist Tanya Baker presents her series I Am A Rock, I Am An Island which reflects on the arbitrary nature of existence. The work comprises of seemingly disparate images that form a juxtaposition of euthanasied dogs, autistic children and landscapes. These confronting images form an association between the known and the unknown, that is, the fragility of life and the certainty and finality of death.
Grace McKenzie - "The Last Residents"
Kew Cottages was a Melbourne institution set up in 1887 which was home to many disabled people. This exhibition represents three years Grace McKenzie spent photographing the last 100 residents of Kew Cottages, which closed in 2008.
‘In the time I spent with the residents I worked hard to capture something of their lives, to show them in their home environment. The resulting images are sometimes haunting. My exhibition is a celebration of the everyday for these people; the subjects are individual and proud. Through photographic art and documentation I am revealing a community that has hitherto gone unnoticed’.
Perth Centre for Photography > 8 May to 31 May
David Collins - "Thoth"
In May PCP will present local and emerging photo media artist David Collins with his latest body of work, Thoth. Collins says of his works,
“My latest body of work explores the highly romanticised ways we can perceive our lives to make mundane experiences beautiful and the tragic bearable. Utilising young and idealistic subjects in baroque settings, the images are intended to seduce the viewer into an uncanny escapism.”
Central Park Building (152-158 St. George’s Terrace)
Canon Australia Professional Photography Awards: Perth Exhibition > 20 April to 1 May
From the Canon website:
The Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards (Canon APPA) represents the very best in Australian Professional Photography. Now in their 32nd year, the Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards recognise the top professional photographers in Australia. The 2008 awards received a record number of entries with an increase in submissions of 45%.
The Canon Australian Professional Photography Awards are open to all Australian and overseas professional photographers. Photographs are individually critiqued and scored via a rigorous peer-review judging process to determine the highest-scoring prints across the different categories of Advertising/Fashion, Editorial, Commercial/Industrial, Illustrative, Portrait, Wedding, Environment, Science & Nature, Landscape, Photo Illustrator and an Open Award. From the 10 category winners, one photographer is chosen as the major winner.
In 2008, the major prize and title of Canon AIPP Australian Professional Photographer of the Year was awarded to Melbourne-based professional photographer, Mercury Megaloudis, of Megagraphics Photography.
> Photographic events and opportunities in Perth
FotoFreo Fringe Festival 2010 - Call for submissions
The FotoFreo Fringe Festival, a series of concurrent exhibitions occurring in Perth and Fremantle during FotoFreo 2010, is seeking expressions of interest from photographers and venues keen on holding an exhibition as part of the Fringe Festival. Successful submissions will be included in the FotoFreo 2010 programme and website. For more information, please refer to www.fotofreo.com/fringe
Buddha's Birthday - Supreme Court Gardens > Saturday April 18, Sunday April 19, 11am to 6pm.
Join in the celebration of the birth of Sakyamuni Buddha, who was born over 2,500 years ago in Northern India as Prince Siddhartha. The Buddha's Birthday celebration at Supreme Court Gardens will be a visual feast for photographers, with events including the bathing of the Buddha, making offerings, exhibition of the Buddha's birthplace, meditation sessions, multicultural vegetarian food and a wide range of entertainment.
Fremantle Arts Festival - April 11 to 13.
This Easter long weekend, the historic town of Fremantle bursts into life as it plays host to the supreme skill and outrageous behaviour of the world's best Buskers. The festival, in it’s 11th year in 2009, has grown from a celebration of Fremantle’s unique busking culture to Australia’s biggest street performance festival. With so much to see and do, the Fremantle Arts Festival is truly a photographer's paradise.
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