Indholdsfortegnelse for Aug/Sept/Oct 2021 i Capture

TOP TIPS FROM THE JUDGES MATT PALMER Setting your camera in RAW and then in monochrome mode can allow you to ‘see’ in black and white on the back of your camera. You will still have the colour data to work with later if you wish, but you will have the benefit of instantly seeing what is working and what isn’t in black and white. I find this a great way to shoot in any situation where I do not have control over the environment or its colour. ALEX CEARNS By removing all colour from your images, you take away a layer of distraction. Everything has equal status and so to emphasise what the photographer wants others to see, elements like tone, contrast, and exposure need to be tweaked. It’s…

Dutch photographer Gabriël Scharis has emerged from a year that tested, and tortured, wedding photographers with a smile on his face despite its rigours. He learned to become very flexible in his business. And that saved his business. It began as soon as COVID restrictions were announced. He had a wedding that day and the restrictions were made public during the wedding. “It became a very strange wedding,” he explains. “During the day, all the guest mingled as usual, but in the evening they had to be split up, half in one room viewing the ceremony on a screen and the other half participating. From that point, COVID got me.” Weddings began cancelling. Scharis was more fortunate than some, though. One of the locations at which he shoots weddings decided…

SUPPORTING SPONSORS The Mono Awards is a celebration of the best black and white photography from Australia and New Zealand, and the largest competition of its type in the region. The single-image B&W competition features three categories: Animals, People, and Places. The 2021 contest was judged by a panel of eight respected experts – all masters of the medium – with specialisations covering a wide breadth of genres from animals to landscapes to portraitraiture to documentary and traditional print-making. A huge congratulations to our category winners, runners-up, and all the top placegetters. Their stunning images appear on the following pages. Congratulations must also go to those whose work was deemed Highly Commended and Commended. Notification for those entries will be sent via e-mail in the coming weeks. The category winners…

TOP TIPS FROM THE JUDGES MATT PALMER In a black and white image, there isn’t any colour to create differentiation. Utilising the full range between full white and full black allows a photographer the opportunity to create a visual hierarchy that guides the viewer’s eye around the image. This typically occurs where the image is brightest, or where there is the greatest area of contrast between bright and dark. ALEX CEARNS For colour images, it’s often recommended to avoid grain, or digital noise – but for black and white images, digital noise can add a layer of texture and depth, which elevates the overall look and feel of the image and emphasises areas you want the viewer to notice most. WILLIAM LONG With respect to contrast, ensure that the black…

“Mishaps happen on a daily basis. It’s never about the problem, but how we respond to the problems.” This wisdom comes from Australian photographer and photography coach, Jai Long. “The trick is to make sure you have big and new problems. You don’t want to be stuck on little old problems over and over. Every business will have problems, so you might as well aim to have big, exciting problems that will teach you something new and push you forward.” When life has other plans Not everyone feels the same courage well inside them at the thought of confronting business problems. Perseverance is an asset, but Australian wedding photographer Dan O’Day has two bulletproof solutions. The first is human. “Second shooters! The universe’s gift to wedding photographers!” he states. “I…

WHAT THE JUDGES THOUGHT This image has an immediate “wow” factor. The strong pose and central placement of the subject appearing from the surrounding blackness commands your attention. His mysterious hat dip leaves us asking who he is and wondering about his story. Expert use of exposure, shading, and lighting has produced a masterful portrait, which is completely at home in black and white. A true work of art! – Alex Cearns This faceless portrait carries a wonderful air of mystery, leaving the viewer wanting to know more. With the combined assembly of beautiful textures, skilful lighting, and the fantastic use of monochrome tones, this image is breathtaking and perfectly executed. – Helen Whittle WINNER SUSAN SVENTEK Susan Sventek started her photographic journey in 2017 after raising her two children.…

Rocco Ancora and Tanya Wilson. Yin and yang Rocco Ancora and Tanya Wilson met as established photographers. Ancora was a highly awarded wedding photographer internationally. Wilson had moved into wedding and portrait photography from photojournalism and added teaching to her career. They met in 2011 and working together was a natural evolution that occurred very gradually, over four years, beginning with Wilson assisting Ancora. “We dabbled a little bit here and there and that was a real bonus. We got to understand how each other works.” There were some scratchy patches early on, they admit. “When we first started photographing weddings together, I’d get in the car afterwards and say, ‘Why are you talking to me like that?’ I was being sensitive because we were partners, and he thought he…