Tuesday 15 April 2014

Q5 Photographer's Interviews for Slice of FNQ


Queensland Festival of Photography 5 - Cell Art Space, Cairns

We are happy to have taken part in this statewide biannual photography festival and be one of many venues around Cairns that has one running during April 2014.  You can see a list here.  At Cell we asked photographers to submit their favourite slice of FNQ and living up North amongst the rainforest.  We had a wonderful response but being a petite sized gallery we had to narrow it down to the collection you see today.


We asked participating photographers 5 questions to gain some insight into their work and to share with us any tips they have for other photographers.  Read their responses after the break.
 
Images from installation day Saturday 5th April

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Larry Russell

 
Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
 
I started my involvement with photography about five years ago after It was suggested to me that I would need to have a hobby when I retired. I had taken some photos many years earlier in the days of film, but that interest was swallowed up by work. Now that I have finally retired, I now have the time. I don’t specialise in any particular form of photography, but tend to embrace all subjects. I am a member of the Cairns Photographic Society and find the monthly competition subjects give me a reason to pull out my camera and get the creative juices flowing.

Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
 
I have two images in the exhibition – both of which can be purchased framed. The Humpback Whale image was taken on a recent whale watching cruise with Reef Magic Cruises. I took a few images, but I like this one which has the whale in a similar pose with Green Island in the background – both flat on top. It was taken with my Nikon D90 DSLR with an 18-200mm lens maxed out at 200mm at 1/1600th. The rafting photo was taken at the Kuranda Day Festival on the Barron River with the same camera at 1/250th also at 200mm. Everyone looked like they were having a great time.

Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
 
I enjoy all aspects of photography and being a relative newcomer find that it is a continual learning curve for me. We live in a beautiful natural environment and the availability of subject matter is limitless.

Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
 
My best tip for newcomers is to be organised with filing your images on your hard drive or whatever storage device you use right from the outset. To be disorganised (as I was) can be a VERY time consuming exercise to fix later on.

Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
With today’s modern cameras anyone is capable of taking a great shot on any given day. I particularly enjoy seeing new photographers full of excitement and questions about how to get THE SHOT from their new camera. It reminds me of just how far I have come on my photographic journey.

Larry Russell
Mobile: 0447577649
Email: lothlarien@bigpond.com
 
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Ian Hocking

 
Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
 
Running two businesses gives me little time for photography, however I often find myself in unusual places and situations and take every opportunity to capture a scene.  I always have my Canon 7D and two lens in the vehicle I happen to be using at the time.
Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
 
"Bull Rider at the Mt Garnet Rodeo" - the dust, the tension of man and beast, the excitement on the faces of the on-lookers, enticed me to try and capture the moment.
"Malanda Billy Kart Races" - arrived for the last few races and loved the colourful clown with the checkered flag and the big smile on the face of the driver as he crossed the finish line at the bottom of a long hill.

Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
 
Trying to capture a quality shot as I see it and the excitement, and sometimes relief, when I see it on the computer screen for the first time and I have managed it.
Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
 
"Don't ever let a chance go by"
Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
No particular favourite, though appreciate a well captured image by anyone.
 
 
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Heather York

Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
 
I guess I have always been "taking photos", even without a camera.  I have always loved wonderful scenery, the way the light dances on the water or backlights on a child's golden hair whilst playing in the garden - having a good camera to capture the moment is a treasure.
Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
 
"Low Tide" - The Cairns to Port Douglas road is a wonderful trip, regardless of time of day.  The incoming tide at Yule Point across the sand bars was changing so quickly, and the setting sun on the water was just magical.  I just saw the whole scene in monochrome.
"Sundown in the City" - Cairns is no longer a sleepy country town of Far North Queensland.  A stroll through the city at sundown made me envious of those living in the high-rise buildings, being able to enjoy the setting sun every day from their balconies.
Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
 
Whilst capturing a scene as you see it is a challenge, I would have to say my favourite part of photography is capturing the essence of a person - whether by their expression, their situation, their interaction with you, and the story in their eyes.
Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
 
If you are somewhere and you get the "feeling" this is a great scene or the right time of day and subject, do not miss the opportunity - take the shot.  Trust your feelings - something or someone drew you to that place.
Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
Too many to name really.  My favourites would be more the individual images rather than the artists who created them.  However, having said that, Peter and Charmaine Rossi of Cairns are internationally renown photographers - an honor so richly deserved.
Heather York
 
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Georgina Friend


Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
 
I am a photographer and graphic designer. Photography is where my heart lies, and it has been a part of my life since the age of 15. My Dad gave me a compact point and shoot, and boom, I was away! I spent many summers in Kowanyama and the light out there is amazing. I still love the quality of film and still have my Canon 3000N, digital is just convenient for my hectic life. I love the finding the line in a composition. Natural or man made, the eyes will find the line and follow. Then the journey begins.

Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
 
My entry in the Slice of Life epitomizes a typical Sunday afternoon in Cairns. I lived at Stoney Creek and relocated across the Lake to Caravonica. The go between foot bridge is a popular hang out for fishermen, twitchers and locals. On this particular afternoon we caught snag after snag. Instead of heading home, we sat, talked and just enjoyed the beauty of the Barron River. I just loved the way the light reflects off the water, it’s like a blanket of gold.
 From this bridge, you will witness some vibrant sunsets over Glacier Rock.
 

Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
 
 For me, every moment is a photograph waiting to happen. I enjoy macro, and will find joy in shooting the detail in everything. In recent months, I’ve become obsessed with light streams, so night photography and long exposures are my key areas of focus. I live a stones throw away from Coronation Drive in Brisbane, so the opportunities are endless!

Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
 
The best tip, is to be patient. This comes from my early years of shooting on film and being too poor to process it straight away. I hate wastage. Just be patient! The shot will come together. There’s a lot more freedom in digital when you shoot in continuous mode but who wants to sort through images after every shot.
 

Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
I’m a lover of music, and nature. So my all time favourite is Annie Leibovitz. I grew up seeing her images on covers like Vanity Fair, Time and Rolling Stone. When I saw her exhibition at the MCA in Sydney in 2011, I had to hold back the tears. The same iconic images were in front of me, and I felt like she was in the room watching me have a “celebrity moment”.

Eric Lafforgue is another brilliant portrait photographer. He has a wonderful way of capturing the true identity of his subjects, and for me, he represents a true visual anthropologist.
 
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Donna Rondeau

 
Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
 
My name is Donna and I’ve been interested in photography since the mid 80’s tho never owned a REAL camera till a few years ago. I really don’t think I have a style but do like to do Macro photography, landscapes and wildlife. My dream is to travel to different parts of the world and take photos. Until then, I travel around the Cairns region and then shoot macro portraits of my little dainty tree frogs using a tabletop lightbox.
 
Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
The two pieces chosen for the exhibition:
 
"Toadstool", was propped by me and my little dainty frog. A really big mushroom had grown in the backyard so I took my tree frog out and placed him on the top. This was actually my first shot with a new Tamron 90mm macro lens I had just purchased.
"Masts", was a group photo session with some photography friends and we went down to the Cairns Marina. It was a gorgeous night, the waters were calm which made it ideal for this type of shot. The reflection was what I was attempting to achieve. This is actually one of my favourite shots.
 
Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
 
I think my favourite part of photography is going out and looking. Actually looking at the world in front of you and how you see things, then being able to capture what you see is the grand prize. I don’t always do this but when I do, I’m quite pleased.

Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
 
My best photography tip is to look around. Look at things, really LOOK at things. SEE it. See the beauty in everything, including a run down old house or an old rusty Cadillac. 
 
 

Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
A couple photographers I admire right now is Ansel Adams… always admired his works. And Jay Maisel, his works are simple yet, abstract. 

You can find more of my works at donnarondeau.com and I can be emailed at dlrondeau@me.com for any enquiries regarding my photos.

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Hans Schmidt


Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
 
I have been taking digital photos since 2005 when I purchased my first DSLR. I joined the Cairns Photographic Society in 2007, and this allowed me to develop my photography by participating in club competitions. I joined the Australian Photographic society in 2010 In 2011 I had a feature article published in the Australian PhotoReview magazine on my Macro photography which was a real thrill. Whilst my main interest lies in Landscape and Macro photography, I enjoy and pursue other avenues to further my photographic knowledge and expertise. 
Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
 
The two landscapes that were selected for the exhibition were taken in 2013, the Barron River Sunset was taken in October when we had a lot of bushfires on the Tablelands and the sky literally was red. I went to the mouth of the Barron River at Machans Beach to get the view up river towards Glacier Rock. The picture was a panoramic stitch of 3 frames.
The Lake Tinaroo after Dark was taken in September when I was participating in a Landscape workshop and on the last day we finished the workshop at one of the small coves at Lake Tinaroo where we found some old tree stumps protruding from the water. Again this was a 4 frame stitched image and was set up to take stars in the sky as a backdrop. It was taken just after sunset before full dark set in.
Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
 
My favourite part of photography is getting out and shooting, unfortunately like most of us I am not able to get out as much as I would like. I also like to innovate in my photography to try to capture viewpoints that make you think and hopefully are unique.
Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
 
My best photography tip is get out and take photos. There is no substitute for actually doing it and play with the camera controls.
 

Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
I don't have specific favourite photographers.

My contact details for the sales info are: 
 
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Sandy Edgar


Q1 Tell us about yourself and your photography style.
I strive for high key images that hold interest and sit together as a collection.  I use photography as a tool as well as exploring it as an art form in itself.  As I study at JCU I am changing the way I use the camera but it is an integral part of my arts practice. 

Q2 Please share with us about the images you have in the exhibition.
I have two images in this exhibition.  The first is a close-up of driftwood taken on the Esplanade in Cairns - on one of the few patches of sand you find there.  The second is a landscape image taken near Kuranda at around 7am in the morning.  I noticed the lovely early morning light as I was driving by and stopped to capture it.

Q3 What’s your favorite part of photography?
It's flexibility and seeing the technology behind it evolve and improve all the while helping me to capture better images.  I enjoy exploring the medium and seeing what others are creating which is also very inspirational.  I also enjoy the chance to collaborate with people in making images with my portrait work.

Q4 What’s your best photography tip?
Take lots of pictures and shoot in RAW format. 

Q5 Who are your favorite photographers right now?
 
I'd like to share with you the photographers who have inspired me and encouraged me in my journey of learning.  Rob Harris, Anika Betts, Penny Whetton & Emon Hassan.  I follow a number of artists on Google Plus in this circle as well for daily inspiration! 
 
You can see more of my work and purchase prints on my website at www.sandyedgar.com
 
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'Slice of FNQ' runs from April 5th to May 2nd, 2014.  The renovations outside are almost done and there is parking again across the road from the gallery which is open 24/7 at 109 Lake Street Cairns.

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