Award winning 'astrophotographer' Mark Gee spoke recently at the Wairarapa Camera Club, sharing his techniques on time lapse photography, including his stunning video of a moonrise over Mt Victoria that was a hit on social media. Members put his tips into practice on a field trip to Erewhon, South Canterbury, getting up at midnight and dawn to try their hand at photographing the night sky.
It's these sorts of opportunities that have seen skills leap ahead in the past few years, says Peter McNeur, President. The Club meets monthly and runs workshops and competitions, with guest experts giving feedback and sharing their ideas and skills.
The Club's biennial exhibition at Aratoi is another motivation to push their abilities. This year it's called The Power to Light and opens on 27 May. The over 50 members were invited to submit up to four images and a panel of judges selected 48 of the best. All photographs are for sale, and are pigment inkjet prints on a baryta-surfaced archival paper, finished with a gloss laminate to protect the surfaces.
McNeur says he's pleased with the diversity and creativity that will be on show and thinks this is due to how the Club operates: 'We encourage people to grow their skills and there is a lot of willingness among people learn from each other. I've noticed that every month we'll have someone who has had their work chosen for a magazine or website. I think we underestimate the level of skill we have in the community in this area.'
Tim McMahon, Secretary of the Club agrees: 'Even though the advent of digital cameras and super-clever camera phones have made some aspects of photography, quite literally, child's play, it's another thing altogether to make an image that will engage a range of viewers. We aim to produce photographs that communicate an idea or feeling, and that stimulate a sense of intrigue, or an emotive response for the viewer.'
As well as exhibitions, monthly workshops and meetings, the Club runs public workshops in cooperation with the Wairarapa REAP. Meetings start at 7:30 pm on the first Tuesday of every month from February to November, at the Masterton Lands Trust Education Centre, next to Parkview Motors in Dixon Street, Masterton.
Visitors and new members are always welcome, and McMahon hopes the exhibition will encourage others to study and practice photography in Wairarapa.
Go to: www.wairarapacameraclub.org or contact Peter McNeur T: 06 377 1379 or Tim McMahon T: 06 304 8884. The Power to Light, Aratoi, 27 May - 3 July 2016.
Caption: An image of the Tararuas by Stewart Watson.