Page 3 - Cape-Camera-January-February-2021

Cape Camera January/February 2021

News from the Council

Welcome to the year 2021 and the activities with CTPS – we are entered into our monthly com-
hope that the Covid-19 virus will play a diminishing role in what petition that are photographs, but
we can and can’t do. These past weeks of January and early Feb- the best images that ‘wow’ the
ruary, with the second wave affecting us, but now thankfully di- audiences and win acceptances
minishing, has meant the continuation of meetings over Zoom, in salons are so often manipu-
but has not stopped us holding an outing to The Castle and lated/manufactured. You could
planning regular outings throughout the year. As outings are argue then that maybe, instead
planned for the outdoors, I encourage you all to support them, of having a special genre for pho-
even though a third wave may reach us at some stage in the fu- tographs, you should rather have
ture. Support is particularly encouraged for the weekend outing a special genre for manipulated/
to Agulhas from Friday 21st of May until Sunday the 23rd. Make manufactured and arty photo-
bookings as soon as possible at the SANParks chalets at Agulhas. graphs? I could see there may be
A problem has arisen with the September outing planned for an argument as to which genre
the West Coast Park in that the chalets at Duinepos in the Park slow shutter images would fit in?
are not available yet on their website, as they are changing the I am not trying to belittle such art, but in a way trying to en-
service provider. We will monitor their availability closely and courage it. I aim to try and learn more about doing that myself. I
inform members when to make that booking. always look forward to seeing the amazing creations that some
Our Audio Visual section started off the year on a Zoom meet- of our members put together each month with mainly the help
ing at the end of January and decided to hold monthly Zoom of the computer. However, if I am not wrong, I think only six
AV meetings where members AV’s will be shown and instruc- out of the 24 photos entered into last year’s Interclub were not
tion given. Those interested in knowing what making AV’s are straight forward photos - less than I expected.
all about are encouraged to make yourself known to Ken Woods In my before and after examples below, who would have
at kenwoods@photowild.co.za . known that Robert Maginley actually was not standing at the
Here is a tongue in cheek few paragraphs about something I end of the quay at St Helena Bay but was one kilometer away,
have been meaning to write about for some time now: How and that the rowing boat out in the bay was actually on the
about introducing a completely new genre into our monthly Langebaan Lagoon? I have not yet added the seagulls flying
competitions (and perhaps in salons as well) that is for just plain past, however! And now with my latest version of Photoshop
simple and unmodified photography? For this category, you I can even change the sky with one click! Is this photography?
may only do adjustments to exposure, contrast and colour as Can it be judged on the same level as just plain photographs?
well as crop, but that is all. The same restrictions should apply At the moment it is. No one can argue that composite images
here as for the genre of photojournalism and nature photogra- do not make for a more exciting end result – more easily sold,
phy. score higher, much admired and likely to gain an acceptance or
So all those double exposures, in camera movements, filter even a Merit Award in a salon. So if you can’t beat them, then
overlays and Photoshop composites would be not allowed in join them! But should we have a separate genre? Let’s hear
this genre. I acknowledge that we do have many images that what you have to say.

If you had not seen the first two images I think it would be easy to trick you into believing that the last image is actually what I took
(left image as shot).
Richard Goldschmidt
President

Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will as-
sert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-
safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.

– Cecil Beaton

Cape Town Photographic Society 2