Master Photography 04 2010

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Cover by Paul Callaghan FMPA, who achieved the first MPA Wedding Fellowship for several years in 2009 and was awarded a £7,000 Bursary by Loxley Colour. See page 22 for the rest of his Fellowship portfolio, and story.

Loxley Colour decided, following the 2009 awards

to Paul and to Kevin Wilson who passed his Bursary down to benefit three aspiring Associates, to extend this award to 2070. Any Wedding Fellowship passes at the 2070 judging will receive the same bursary value of Loxley products and services.

MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY

Vol 7 No 3 • April 2010

Intro - Out of Focus

New Licentiates, Qualifiations Et Awards news.

Yervant is Back

First news of a free seminar for the Awards day.

Learn to be a Judge Master News

Trade and MPA news updates.

Focus on Imaging

Photographs and stories from Focus

PMA 2010

Gary Friedman reports from Anaheim, CA.

WPPI2010

Thoughts from Shane Miller LMPA, who visited the convention is Las Vegas with British colleagues.

Screen Exposure: Togs on 1V

Paul Colbert of Ventura Productions talks about making his arts documentary covering the awards.

Test: onOne Photo Frame 4.5

Fellowship Portfolio: Paul Callaghan FMPA Dreaming in colour with an Irish master of fantasy and imagination.

30 Licentiate Profile: Rosie Parsons LMPA

4

6

7 8

10

14

16

18

21 22

There's more to this new Licentiate than her Focus pass submission reveals ...

34 Test: Canon EOS 1 D MklV

Speed, accuracy, build quality, stamina - what more could you ask?

36 Test: Spyder3 Studio PrintSR

Profiling made perfect - or quick and easy.

38 The 25-Year Lapel Pin

Retired member Ray Sherratt looks back at 91.

39 MPA Regions and Diary

44 MPA DVD/CD and software shop

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MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY 3

The Master Photographers Association Jubilee House, 1 Chancery Lane, Darlington DL1 5QP Tel: 01325 356555 Fax: 01325 357813 Webiste: http://www.thempa.com

Chief Executive Tel: 01325 356555

President

Tel: 020 8943 3333

National Chairman Tel: 01388 710626

Hon. Treasurer Tel: 01446 797120

REGIONAL CONTACTS

CENTRAL

DAVID P MACDONALD FMPA 81a High Slreet

ware

Herts SG12 9LG

Telephone: 01920 486095 david@davidpmacdonald.com

EASTANGLIA

EUZABETH WHITE AMPA Mobile: 07720 398 768 Iiz@weddingsbye/izabetll.co.uk

GREAT WESTERN NICK WILUAMS LMPA Acorn Studios

62 High Street

Staple Hill

Bostol BS16 5HN Telephone: 0117 9109771 nwp@blueyonder.co.uk

LONDON & ESSEX MARTIN BARNARD LMPA 123 High Road

Benfleet, Essex SS7 5LN Telephone: 01268 794561 bamey.photlJ@dial.pipex.com

Colin 8uck Hon. FMPA DipPP e-mail: mpa@mpauk.com skype: colinbuck.mpo

Desi Fontaine FMPA

e-mail: desi@desifontaine.co.uk

Trevor J. Lewis Hon. FMPA DipPP (Hons) trevorlewis55@btinternetcom

Derek Booth Hon. FMPA

email: derek.booth@virgin.net

NORTH EAST

FIONA NICHOLL LMPA Purple Pomegranate StudiOS 155 Prince Consort Road Gateshead NE8 4DS Telephone: 0191 4412241 nona@puiplepom.com

NORTHWEST

LYDIA TAYLOR·JONES AMPA Spong Vale Studio, Bury Road Edgworth, Bolton

Lencashire BL7 OAR Telephone: 01204 853032 /tay/fJrjones@aol.com

SOUTH EAST

DAVE COSENS LMPA

Photogenic Imagas Ltd

18 The Avenue, Aylesford

Kent ME20 7LE

Telephone: 01622 710064

Mobile: 07973 740812 photogenicimages@blconnectcom

SOUTHWEST

GREG CAMERON·DAY AMPA The portran House

The Mews. Dumgate St

Dorchester DT1 1 JP.

Telephone: 01305 267211 ~co.ti<

WALES

WAYNE WILKINS LMPA Creative Looks, The Studio

20 Main St, Pembroke SA71 4NP Telephone: 01646 622222

Fax: 0870 7063208 wayne@creaUvelooks.co.uk

WESSEX

KEITH CURTIS AMPA

Kenh Curtis Photography Powells Farm, Plaitfonl, Romsey Hampshire S051 6EE Telephone: 01794 323366 keitl1@keitht:urtis.co.uk

WEST MIDLANDS

CLAIRE LOUISE AMPA Claire Louise Photography 16 Banbury Road Southam

Warwickshire

CV471HL

Telephone: 01926 811 270 ciare@clare-/OUise.co.uk

YORKSHIRE

PAUL HAUEY FMPA Thorneycroit, Bradfonl Rd East Anlsley

Wakefield

West Yorkshire WF3 2DJ Telephone: 01133 074458 paul@paulrghaJey.com

MASTER PHOTOGRAPHY APR1L 201 0

ISSN 2042-0234 Vol 7 No 3 published for the membership of The Master Photographers Association

ten times each year by

Icon Publications Limited

Maxwell Place, Maxwell Lane, Kelso, Scottish Borders TD5 7BB masterphotography.com, dphotoexpert.com, photoclubalpha.com Editor - David Kilpatrick Hon. FMPA FBIPP

Tel: 01573226032 Mobile: 07971 250786

email: editor@iconpublications.com

EAST MIDLANDS PHILIPPA DOUBLE LMPA 21 Chilwell Road

Beeston SCOTLAND

Nottingham NG9 1 EH DAVID BRYCE LMPA

Telephone: 0115 925 2725 110 Granton Road

_magepho/DgIaphy.co.uk Edinburgh Eh5 3re Telephone: 0131 5520321 Mobile: 0790 665 5422 infrJ@Oavidbryce.Com

Advertising - Richard Kilpatrick, RK Media Throckmorton House, 1 Worcester Road, Mustow Green DY10 4LA Tel: 01562 777729 Mobile: 07951 888958

email: adsales@btconnect.com.dmc12@btconnect.com

leon Publications Ltd can accept no responsibility fOT loss of or damage to photographs and manuscripts submitted, however caused. Respcnsibiltty for insurance and return carriage of equipment submitted for review or test rests with the owner. Views expressed in this magazine are these of the individual contributors and do not necessarily represent the views and policies of The Master Photographers Association, Icon Publications Ltd or its advertisers. All technical data and pricing information contained in news and feature articles is printed in good faith. While all advertising copy is accepted in good faith, neither Icon Publications Ltd or the Master Phctcgraphers Association can accept any legal responsibility for unjustified claims or the quality of goods or services arising from advertising in this publication. All contents including advertising artwork created by Icon Publications Ltd are copyright and cannot be reproduced by any means without prior permission. c2010 leon Publications Ltd. EEtOE.


MASTER INTRO PHOTOGRAPHY

Ready to roll - the MPA stand. Photograph by Derek Booth.

Focus on Imaging was another resounding success for the Master Photographers Association, with over 40 applications for Licentiateship and 37 passes (subject to completion of

the Diploma in Photographic Practice). Many more Affiliate and probationary membership applications have been received following the show. The following new Licentiates are congratulated:

(there is no significance to the order listed) Dennis Ng - Singapore (upgraded to Associate) James Leonard Smith - Banffshire

Dominic Needham - Kirkby Mallory

Jim Schofield - Blessington, Co. Wicklow Nigel Ord-Smith - Market Harborough Annie Armitage - Kingston On Thames Bernie Raffe - Leighton Buzzard

Lorraine Oates - Dalton In Furness

William Tindall - West Molesey Chris Wright - Kirriemuir

Bibi O'Gorman - Hayle

Melanie East - Pensford

Stuart Lane - Bournemouth Barry Paffey - Billericay Keith Beesley - Pontypool Christina Golian - Edinburgh Sharon Williams - Odiham Julia Holland - Norwich Nicola Mills - Bolton

Rosie Pa rsons - Exeter

Elena Bocharnikova - Derby Paula Veverica - Blantyre Kylie Johnson - London

Gary Patterson - Cheshunt Lindsey Brooker - Cheshunt Ali Calvert - Edinburgh

Paul Inskip - Bognor Regis Ch ris Butler - Ch ichester

Lisa Stevenson - Aberdeen Kelly Jo Hearsey - Calvert David Gynn - Alresford

Mark Pearson - Leeds

Emily Hancock - Ringwood Hayley Bray - West Molesey Andrea Burridge - Gillingham Martin Roffe - Hornchurch John Wilson - Bellshill

Entering the Awards

The changes made to the annual Master Photography Awards last year reduced the cost of first round entry, removing the need to enter 20 x 16" prints for the initial judging phase. The deadline in 2010 is August 2nd, at Head Office. Full details will be published later this month.

Associateship and Fellowship Judging

The 2010 AEtF judging will be held on August 25th 2010. There

is plenty of time to prepare for this year's chance to upgrade your MPA qualifications to a higher level - perhaps the ultimate goal

of Fellowship. As in 2009, Loxley Colour are offering a £1,000+VAT services bursary for all successful Wedding Fellowships - a real incentive to follow in the footsteps of Paul Callaghan (see p20).

- Colin Buck Hon. FMPA Dip.PP

Just awarded yet another accolade as the leading wedding photography trendsetter today, Yervant Zanazanian is booked for a free* Graphistudio sponsored seminar in October - when the Master Photography Awards return to the West Midlands.

IS IT really time to be thinking of putting the Master Photography Awards weekend in your diary? Yes!

The event this year will be held at the Hilton Metropole Hotel,

in the heart of the National Exhibition Centre complex, Coventry! Birmingham. This venue is directly accessible from Birmingham NEC Rail station and Birmingham Airport, with flights arriving just minutes away. Left: Jeremy Price of Graphistudio, Yervotr; and Colin Buck.

The date to remember is Sunday October 17th 2010 - but you may wish arrive on the Saturday night, as there will be a full seminar from Yervant free* on the Sunday, before the awards dinner.

WHO is Yervant Zanazanian, and why should you be interested in a return visit from a speaker who tours Europe almost every year?

Yervant is an Australian Armenian businessman who realised from the start that

if you want to be highly paid you must work for clients who can afford to pay you highly. He also recognised that these clients only buy services which have a reputation to match their budgets. And he knew that to succeed, the product offered must be instantly recognisable with a brand identity.

Yervant is a photographer, but he is also a brand - his name is known all round the world. His images are uniquely finished to give them a distinctive look. You can tell a Yervant image just as you can tell a Jimmy Choo shoe or a Lowry painting.

To complete this, he designs his own ranges of albums, creates Photoshop Actions, and has produced his own album design software. Like many successful wedding photographers he makes money showing others how he does it. He's one of the most highly paid teachers in the business.

In March, at the 30th Anniversary of WPPI (Wedding Et Portrait Photographers International) USA, Yervant was honoured with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his "unparallelled contributions to professional wedding photography internationally by changing the face of the industry, by setting new standards and trends and leading the way technically and in style': He is the only Australian, and one of the youngest (51) to be so recognized. They consider him "the most influential wedding photographer of the time". He also won the Grand Award Wedding Photojournalist of the year 2010).

Meet Yervant with MPA on October 17th!

6


Learn to be a judge

The second annual New Judges' Training Day is for Fellows

who aspire to be recognised as Judges, Associates heading for Fellowship and Licentiate members who are keen and conscientious, looking to improve their knowledge and require an insight to Judging whether for their own benefit or to help organise regional events.

You will learn what is required for award-winning images and also what is essential for your own panel to give you higher qualifications. This full day will be held at Hilton Hotel Coventry on Monday June 7th 2010 - registration 9.30am for 10am start. The cost of £125 includes buffet lunch, tea and coffee.

There are limited spaces on a first come, first served basis.

This is a new initiative for the MPA with a view to increasing the pool of judges and speed the assessment of new members.

Last year we attended the first of these events and it was one of

- or a winner

•

the most interactive sessions you can imagine - the participation of the 'audience' was essential, with 'judging panels' made up from the floor to see how closely their opinion matched regular AEtF and Awards judges.

This is a unique day in the MPA calendar and it's worth travelling a long way to be part of it - Editor.

Photos from the 2009 day: Richard Kilpatrick, Nikon 03.

Judges' Training Day

with recognised MPA Qualifications & Awards Judges Monday June 7th 2010

Hilton Hotel Coventry, Paradise Way, Walsgrave Triangle, Coventry CV2 2ST.

Registration 9.30am for 10.00am start. Includes buffet lunch tea and coffee. £125 inc VAT

To register, call MPA HQ on 01325 35655 with all details ready, or return this form with payment by post.

Send to: Master Photographers Association, Jubilee House, 1 Chancery Lane, Darlington DL 1 SQP Cheques Payable to: Master Photographers Association

Name: ___

Member No: Quals _

Address: _

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Post Code: Tel & Mobile Nos _

Payment Method: Cheque 0

Credit Card No: _

Valid From: Expiry: Issue No: Sec No: _

Signed: Date _

Credit Card 0


MASTER NEWS PHOTOGRAPHY

New free versions of award-winning software products Photo Tools 2.5 and PhotoFrome 4.5 provide free resources for photographers, including over 140 free presets for Ughtroom and Adobe Camera Raw, onOne Exchange and the new onOne University.

onOne Software has now released two fully-functional Photoshop plug-ins: Photo Tools 2.5 Free and the new PhotoFrame 4.5 Free. The free plug-ins for Photoshop are based on

the award winning versions of PhotoTools 2.5 Standard Edition and PhotoFrame 4.5 Standard Edition and are compatible with Photoshop CS2, CS3 and CS4.

PhotoToo/s 2.5 Free and PhotoFrame 4.5 Free provide photographers with select content while maintaining full functionality, unlike 30 day trials.

The free presets for Ughtroom 2, Adobe Camera Rowand the onOne Exchange allow photographers to streamline their workflow and get the most out of the products they already own. The new on One University offers over 100 free training videos with more planned.

The 15 effects available in PhotoTools 2.5 Free range from reproducing classic photographic

effects like Bleach Bypass and Cross Process, to reproducing film stock such as Kodachrome and Velvia, to modern ef-

fects including automatic skin smoothing.

PhotoFrame 4.5 Free includes 20 professional grade edges, backgrounds, textures and adornments.

onOne Exchange - The onOne Exchange is a free online resource that offers regularly updated content. There are over 65 presets from onOne Software and customers to date.

To get your Mac or PC versions of the free limited editions, visit: www.ononesoftware.com/free

The onOne Exchange is available at: www.ononeexchange.com.

The onOne University is available at: www.ononesoftware.com/university

onOne Plug-In Suite 5, the full package, is available at a special MPA members price of £289 - call HQ on 01325 356555. The full suite can be downloaded as a trial before making the decision to buy.

When you pay MPA, you will be given a serial number to unlock the downloaded software.

6

Budget raises the VAT registration threshold

From 1 April 2010, the Government will increase the VAT registration threshold in line with inflation from £68,000 to £70,000, keeping more small businesses from having to join the VAT system. - Government Budget Report website, March 24th.

IIford profiles for latest Canon large format

ILFORD is pleased to offer ICC profiles for the new wide format printer range announced this month from Canon. The three new models include the iPF6350, iPF6300 and iPF8300, which all boast a re-enqineered frame with greater rigidity for precision printing and a new 12 colour LUCIA EX ink set for greater colour gamut and image quality.

The ILFORD GALERIE and GALERIE Graphic range of media is fully compatible with the new inks from Canon, further evidence of the world-class coating technology used in the GALERIE range of media. The GALERIE range of media is compatible with all aqueous wide format printers from HP and Epson as well as Canon.

Further information on the new Canon printers can be found at www.canon.com. Full details of the GALERIE media range including FREE ICC profiles can be found at www.ilford.com.


Calumet one day photo shows London a Manchester

CALUMET is running an exclusive 'one day only' spring trade show at its London Euston and Manchester branches on April 27th and 29th.

Photographers can join free live photo shoots and see demonstrations of latest products from some of the biggest names in the imaging industry.

Francesca Munden, Calumet's PR and events coordinator explained: "Any photographer who couldn't get to Focus can catch up at our one day show.

We'll have experts on hand

all day from lOam until 8pm

at Calumet Manchester on Tuesday April 27 and Calumet Drummond Street, Euston on Thursday April 29.

"Hasselblad will be us-

ing professional models as they demonstrate their latest capture equipment (see story, right). Nikon will showcase a comprehensive range of lenses, flashguns and DSLRs, including their flagship D3X model.

"Lighting experts Bowens will demonstrate latest products and Canon camera specialists will

be on hand with the company's innovative 550D and 1 DMK IV models, plus accessories.

"Lowepro will showcase latest camera carrying solutions; Giottos will be displaying a comprehensive range of tripods, monopods and heads suitable for all photo-shoot situations, including latest Vitruvian VGR models - complete with reverse leg technology."

She added: "on One software will be there too, along with Sigma, Blubox photo compression software, MTA, Parkers, and of course, Calumet Own Brand. Epson will be showing their flagship A3 and A2 R2880 and pro 3880 photo printers and will offer 'on the day only' free prints (one per customer) from supplied images

"We'll have some exclusive special offers available and Calumet will offer photographers a free CCD cleaning service."

More information at: www.calumetphoto.co •• uk

6

Reflect on this - zebra gold-silver taco wrap for flash

HONLPHOTO's 8" Gold-Silver Reflector/Snoot from Flaghead Ltd gives a pleasing warm skin tone to portraits. It converts to a snoot to concentrate the I ig ht from your shoe-mount flash

for dramatic cinematic lighting. Perfect for everything from dramatic portraits to concentrating light on background elements. It fits a wide variety of flashes, including Canon's 430 to 580 Speedlites and Nikon's SB24 to SB900 Speedlights, as well as the Vivitar 285.

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Cherubs Partners Day

THE STAR speaker a this event will be Ray Lowe HonFMPA,

who promises to pump out profitable ideas as fast as he did last year. There will be a print competition (any size photo, one per person) and the best saleable photograph will win a £100 Loxley Colour voucher.

"Remember the day is about helping each other, and we will have spot prizes for best marketing ideas", says Ray.

"It is all about networking, bring any literature you might want to swap with others, give and take. My PowerPoint programs this year are going to be hard-hitting - succeed or die,"

Cherubs Partners have been invited to the event which takes place on April 13th.

Hasselblad college tour - with MPA stopover

HUNDREDS of photography students at colleges and universities across the UK have been getting to grips with cutting edge digital camera technology in a unique nationwide roadshow organised by Hasselblad during March and April.

Hasselblad is also holding evening sessions after each student day event - and these are open to all professional photographers. More details on www.handsonahasselblad.com.

The tour will also take in the MPA's Induction Day and Cherubs Partners Day, April 12/13th 2010, at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry, where a full working studio and a team of Hasselblad staff will be on hand for demonstrations.

Remaining dates following this are:

University of Wales - 14th April 2010 University of Gloucestershire - 16th April 2010 Edinburgh College of Art - 20th April 2010

Chris Russell-Fish, Hasselblad UK MD explained: "Students are the future of the imaging business so we decided to plan a completely free of charge, nationwide educational roadshow to enable them to get some real hands-on experience with the 40 mega pixel medium format H4D-40, which offers ultimate image quality and is as easy to use as any 35mm camera.

David Summerfield, Hasselblad's Roadshow manager said: "Reaction has been outstanding. We're not hard-selling anything. We

are just giving students and tutors the chance to play with and test-drive this amazing camera in real time on real shoots. The later courses are really filling up too after students use Twitter to tell friends and colleagues to register for one of these events".

New Members' Free Induction Day

ON APRIL12th all new MPA members who have joined since April 2009 are invited to a free Induction Day sponsored by Photoshield

at the Hilton Hotel, Coventry (M6/M69 junction) where a line-up of professional experts will help them into the overtaking lane for the coming year. This is a great day for networking with your fellow new members (see 2009 day, above). Other members interested in attending should call Head Office on 01325 356555.

Photoshop fantasy montage genius Christopher Bradbury AMPA

headlines the event, joined by:

Clare Louise AMPA - how the MPA and achieving AMPA helped Greg Cameron Day AMPA - studio promotions to fill the diory Darron Hartas - PR and Internet

Chris Burfoot AMPA - portrait lighting with Elinchrom Jennie Woods - Photoshield Insurance

John Cohen - printing solutions from Fujifilm Professional Nick Wh ite - optimising your ouput with Epson UK

Colin Buck - your future with MPA

This 10am-6pm day is FREE to all new members, excluding Overseas/Students/Affil iates/Trade Affi liates.

Hasselblad (see above) will be a operating a demonstration studio and presenting the new H4D system. The following day, April 13th, Cherubs Partners are invited to their own full day seminar (left).

Ringflash Adaptor '

for portable flash units

The RAYFLA5H Ringflash Adapter is uniquellt was designed to create the same lighting effect normally

only available from ringflash units made by studio flash equipment manufacturers, which are expensive, heavy and have a cable from ringflash to power pack. It fits onto the front of Nikon 58800 8. 58900 and Canon 580EX series flash units and is also compatible with some other units.

It makes very efficient use of the flash unit's light output: f8 at 1.8 meters (100 ISO, RAC170-2, Canon 580EX MKIIJ.

• Get the "fashion look"without heavy and expensive studio flash units.

• No hard, visible shadows in horizontal or vertical shooting mode.

• Highly mobile and portable: no power packs, cables or stands needed.

• Use as main light or fill-in for fashion, beauty, portrait, weddings, events, or for close-up and macro photography.

• Use in TIL or Manual mode.

CCO & CMOS sensors in digital cameras with interchangeable lenses need cleaning! Q

G.EEN CLEAN \OflA\rJ

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• Safe and contact-free "MiniVac" dust removal vacuum system.

• Removes dust from sensor without touching the surface.

• Also removes dust from mirror box and rear lens barrel.

Custom Brackets offer ~

a high quality range of ,& ustOrt1 camera brackets, rotating !::''''rackets camera mounts, quick change

adapters and flash mounting hardware. These precisionengineered brackets are unique - they do not need to be tightened or adjusted to keep them working perfectly. Custom Brackets are made from lightweight aluminium and modem plastics, with spring loaded parts to prevent metal-to-metal contact and to compensate for wear. All metal parts are anodised black for durability.

For DSLR's, 35mm, medium format cameras and all types of flash units.



Monster crowd turnout

AT THIS YEAR's Focus On Imaging the very largest crown of the Show was reserved for Dave Lee Travis - "the Hairy Monster': Dave who is a FBIPP and an ARPS, published his book A Bit of 0 Star which is a collection of pictures of media women in 1985, and currenty dedicates much of his time to raising money for two disablement charities.

"His once-in-a-lifetime appearance at Focus was sensational", said Chris Whittle of hosts The Flash Centre. "Although his crowd was huge, he had time for everybody, and the applause was rapturous.

"All of which, in my view, makes him 'a lot of a star'!"

DLT presented a series of his portraits on big screens and talked through the story behind each one, from anecdotes of the sitters and subjects to technical aspects of some surprisingly complex shots.

6

Ice cool response for One Vision

DEREK POULSTON, One Vision Imaging's sales and marketing manager, said: "We had a fantastic Focus. The whole event felt extremely buoyant and almost every photographer I spoke to was feeling very positive about the future"

One Vision launched their new range of albums and photobooks including a first viewing of their acrylic 'Ice' album. When it comes to finished products, OVI are one of the market leaders in acrylic production (Focus visitors, above, are seen examining wall prints closely) and so when they applied their skills to their album range it's no surprise the album reportedly received an excellent response.

Poulston added "We were latecomers to the album market and so we had to find new ways of being innovative and offering something different. The acrylic 'Ice' album and indeed our PhotoCoverBooks certainly hit the spot and all at a price that will be a welcome surprise to many photographers"

To find out more about One Vision Imaging's award winning services please visit their website at www.onevisionimaging.com or contact their Customer Care team on (0845) 862 0217.

MASTER FOCUS ON IMAGING PHOTOGRAPHY REPORTS

The MPA stand at Focus was busy from open to close of the four-day shop. Henk van Kooten flew in to lecture on the Tuesday (above). Loxley Colour provided large prints for the stand displays.

40% discount on new loxley design samples

LOXLEY COLOUR had a busy stand (do all their staff abd customers dress in black?) with 'wings' showing all their many product lines. They launched new Bellissimo ranges, and for the coming season's sample albums they are offering a 40010 discount on new samples:

Classico - a timeless classic offering many size, finish and cover options. The pages are flush mounted with a visual break in the image across the opened spine, on traditional photographic paper or in four new press-printed paper options; art watercolour, art watercolour ivory, standard pearlescent and oyster pearlescent.

Perfetto - a seamless spread across the spine, flush mounted edge-to-edge using traditional photographic paper in lustre or metallic finish.

Apertura - a matted overlay album 14 x 14" withup to 20 spreads (40 pages). The cover is fine leather; the pages come in four mount colou r options.

Loxley also now has a new albums and books brochure without pricing or reference to Loxley Colour, to help you boost sales. A separate price list is downloadable by photographers only, from the website.

Enter code FOCUS2070 within ROES or LOP at the time of placing your order to claim this sample album discount; one album per customer only. closing dote April 30th 2070. www.loxleycolour.com

Fujifilm Dry labs continue investment trend

FOCUS ON IMAGING was a great success for Fujifilm, with the company reporting many firm sales and much higher than expected levels of enquiries for both dry and wet labs.

Peter Wigington, Marketing Manager for Fujifilm's Photo Imaging Group, was delighted by the level of interest the company's stand attracted. He commented: "A trade show is all about making sales, and this year we were pleased to take ten confirmed orders for our Focus offer on DL410 DryMinilabs, plus three DPC6 Smartpix kiosks. There are also plenty more sales expected from the numerous leads generated over the four days. It is extremely encouraging to see that photo retailers as well as professional lab owners are willing to invest in new equipment to help their businesses grow.

"In addition to the DL410 and DL430, the other big draws to our stand were Fujifilm's newest dye-sublimation printer, the ASK-

2500, and the new DPC9 SmartPix kiosk with a tilting 17" or 19" widescreen option. We also showcased the flexibility of the Xerox Docucolor252 which proved a big hit with visitors. The Wunderbars canvas stretching counter drew plenty of interested customers too. The orders weren't limited to dry technologies either - we also took an order from Digipix in Ilford for a Frontier 770 and it was interesting to see the levels of enquiries wet labs attracted from visitors."

Focus organisers backed up Fujifilm's positive response to the event, recording a biggest-ever attendance of over 34,000 over the four day show.

For further details on Fujifilm's range of photofinishing products and services, contact photoimaging@fuji.co.uk

Towergate camerasure is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Limited. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority

Calls maybe recorded for training purposes


MASTER FOCUS ON IMAGING PHOTOGRAPHY REPORTS

DCP headline the large format printers

DCP SYSTEMS took twice the amount of orders for large format printers at Focus 2010 as they did last year, including nearly 50 orders for photographic printers from Epson and HP.

Their printers ranged from the A3 professional desktop Epson printers right up to the brand new and environmentally friendly 42" HP Latex Designjet L25500 printer.

Epson launched promotions at the show including half price 3-year warranties on all Epson Stylus Pro series printers, a new loyalty bonus for existing Epson users looking to upgrade, and up to a third off all Epson Photo and Fine Art papers.

Other special offers at the show included HP's Buy and Try,

Trade in programme and media Start Right incentives. The HP Latex Designjet L25500 printer is the latest printer in HP's drive to become the worlds' leading environmentally conscious printer manufacturer. It includes an inkset developed using latex technology that will print on to virtually any substrate and adhere with durability, yet doesn't emit any of the harmful gasses associated with traditional UV printing, enabling finished prints to be hung safely in close confined public spaces.

DCP Systems have now installed all the printers back at their purpose-built centre of excellence for photographers and fine art customers, which is available for pre-booked demonstrations.

For more information or to book a demonstration, call 0114 257 3640, info@dcp-systems.co.uk or see www.dcp-systems.co.uk

Profoto Pro-Bs AirS fast battery pack

PROFOTO introduced a revolutionary new battery pack, the Pro-B3 AirS. It is the fastest 1200Ws pack on the market, with a recycling time of 0.06 to 1.8 seconds, giving up to 16 flashes per second, and ultra-short flash durations. It can also be used while recharging.

One of the smallest and lightest 1200Ws battery generators on the market, it measures only 17x24x28cm including handle. The weight of the complete unit with battery is only 8.8kg.

A new light Lithium Ion Iron Phosphate (LiFeP04) battery extends capacity to 300 flashes at maximum power and over 30,000 at minimum. Battery life is four times longer than Lead Acid.

It includes Profoto Air Sync to trigger from a distance up to 300m at the fastest sync times. Depending on country regulations, you are allowed to take this generator with you on flights.

6


Graphistudio - doing the business

EVERY TIME we passed the Graphistudio stand at Focus, it was busy. Jeremy Price (above left, explaining the new FORMS display capsule concept) and colleagues had abandoned the old over-the-counter format where the mass of unprofessional Focus visitors could earwig on the dealings of real photographers. Instead, there was a roped-off inner sanctum for genuine customers and one-to-one introductions to these albums which look set to up the game from boutique class to designer label bracket.

For more information, call 08707 280690 or visit:

www.graphistudio.co.uk

GF Smith nationwide roadshow tour dates

April 8th 13th 14th 20th 21st 27th May 4th 5th 11th June 15th 30th July 22nd

Birmingham - Westly Hotel B27 7UJ

Aberdeen - Burnett Arms Hotel, Banchory AB31 5TD Dundee - Invercarse Hotel DD2 1 PG

Belfast - The Stormont Hotel BT43LP

Londonderry - Everglades Hotel BT47 2NH Hertfordshire Photovision - Hatfield House AL9 5NQ

Ilkley - Rombalds Hotel LS29 9JG Liverpool - Alicia Hotel L 17 3AA

Manchester Photovision - Old Trafford M16 ORA

Coventry Photovision - Ricoh Arena CV6 6GE Windsor Photovision - Race Course SL4 5JJ

Bristol Photovision - Ashton Gate Stadium BS3 2EJ

August

10th Norwich - George Hotel NR2 2DA

11th Ipswich - Claydon Country House Hotel IP6 OAR

12th Chelmsford - Ivy Hill Hotel CM4 OEH

September

7th Dublin Photovision - Croke Park

14th Glasgow - Glasgow Pond Hotel G 12 OXP

October

5th

19th

Oxford - Linton Lodge Hotel OX2 6UJ

Kent Photovision, Brands Hatch Circuit DA3 8NG

November

2nd Leicester - Leicester Stage Hotel LE18 1JW

MPA will be present at all the Photovision events listed above.

Gary Friedman reports on some of the brilliant - or weird! - innovations he uncovered during a visit to the Anaheim. CA. trade show for the USA. It's a very different kind of show than Focus on Imaging. more like a mini-photokina.

That's right; this is the stuff you don't normally read about because it wasn't heralded by an army of press agents ... the small entrepreneurs, the obscure products,

and the products that just don't stand a chance!

Pixolution GmbH www.pixolution.de

Let's start with what I thought was the most original idea I've seen in a long time. It's image categorizing and searching software that organizes pictures according to their visual similarity. If you know in your mind

the image you're searching for on your hard drive but don't remember where it is, this software will show you thousands of tiny thumbnails from some

or all of your directories at one time and literally let you zero in on the image you were thinking about in about 10 seconds. This is really amazing.

This company offers free evaluation software, plus free access to a beta software which lets you do an image search

on Flickr and Yahoo. It starts out the same as a conventional image search, but then you can select an image and say "Show me images that are visually similar to this one" and it goes ahead and does so.


Aputure - the Gigtube www.aputure.com

This isn't the only device of its type, but it did catch my eye. In addition to making radio flash triggers and wireless remotes, Aputure makes the Gigtube Wireless Digital Viewfinder.

My favorite is the GWl S, it is a transmitter-and-receiver combination designed to take advantage of your camera's Live View capability. Just plug the transmitter into the HDMI output port and watch your viewfinder on the wireless remote PDA-like device, from about 100m away. Press the button on top and you can focus and take the picture. Very cool!

A tethered version called the Gigtube DSLR Digital Viewfinder is available too.

Niln Batteries www.PowerGenix.com

The latest battery craze is a form of nickel-zinc AA batteries with higher-than-normal voltage and low internal resistance. This is a great thing! Put into your accessory flash, your flash will recycle as quickly as if an externa I battery were attached (a little less than a second).

Th is is rea Ily usefu I if you use wireless flash a lot in your studio! There is one caveat though.

I first learned about these fast-recycling batteries at my favorite wireless flash website, strobist.com (http://strobist. blogspot.com/20 10/0 l/newnizn-batteries-offer-lightningfast.htmlj, and in addition to describing the fast recycling time, some youtube videos were shown of just how quickly a flash will overheat when shooting about 20 shots in a row at full power.

Judging by the comments below the posting and by other postings I read over at dpreview. com, that article left readers with the impression of "if you use these batteries, your flash will overheat".

While it's nice to know the limits of your equipment before you take it out in the field, it

is also true that this demo is not in any way a typical use

of a wireless flash (and if it is you should be using monolights anyway). Probably the more important limitation to know of is that you won't get as many flashes per charge, and that

the batteries won't hold their charge as long when sitting on a shelf.

I took home two sets of batteries and absolutely love using them in my wireless remote flashes in conjunction with diffusing umbrellas and softboxes. Highly recommended!

Clik elite camera bags www.clikelite.com

Yes, there were a gazillion camera bag makers at PMA, but this company actually had one product I had not seen before:

They make something called a ClickStand which is a metal frame with a tripod screw on top that is embedded within several of the company's backpacks. Put the backpack down, extend the clickstand, and you have a handy tripod-like device with a heavy base for stability. Or compress the clickstand, wear the backpack on your front, and you are now wearing a camera-stabilizing brace.

Drive eRazer www.wiebetech.com/products/ Drive_eRazer.ph p

Many people hate to dispose

of hold hard drives because of

a fear that someone could go dumpster diving, find the hard drive, look at its contents, and somehow either profit from it or do harm to the original owner. And while these fears are mostly overblown, that doesn't mean that there's not a huge market for this kind of a product: it's

a stand-alone module which attaches to your hard drive

and sequentially writes zeros

to every spot on the disk.This

is much better protection than just formatting the drive. Want better protection? This device

ca n activate a "secu re erase" function in the disk's firmware that can make the information even less recoverable. If you're the paranoid type, you want one of these.

Photographer's business cards www.uk.moo.com

Most photographers have one, maybe two images on their business card - hard to summarize your work and creativity this way! Now image this scenario: when it comes time to whip out your business card, it's more like a deck of cards, with each business card having a different image on it (with your name and contact info on the back). The recipient is immediately stricken by the wide array of strong composition and bold colors appearing on each of the cards as they are fanned out. "Pick a card you like!". The potential client may walk away with only one image, but the strong mental impression of your mini-portfolio will stick in their mind.

You ca n order a deck of 50 images (with all 50 cards being different if you want) for only £12.49 in the UK. And it gets substantially cheaper the more you order. The editor tells me they were art Focus - but we saw 'em first at PMA ...

Puzzleshots www.hasbro.com/puzzleshots

PMA was absolutely filled with turnkey systems for putting photos onto various items such as coffee cups, wooden bowls (via laser), iPod skins, etc. - you know, things that consumers buy. Here's one more: Has-

bro, the US toy company, has licensed many popular children's

characters to allow them to

be "included" in kids' portraits. Nothing new here, other than the fact that they were giving away free jigsaw puzzle samples of you taken with the character of your choice, and so here is a picture of me and Spiderman.

PhotoScramble

Photo Contest Software www.PhotoScramble.com

It's nice to see entrepreneurs

at the show. This one, Michael Connors, wrote this software and is positioning it as the world's easiest to use photo contest software. How easy is it to use? Well, they host everything and make it look like your website - all you have to do is provide links to it. It handles the registration, photo upload, voting, and print sales. Because this is software-as-a-service (rather than software that you buy and install in your webhost), they charge per contest - anywhere between $100 and $275 USD per event.

LensPen SensorKlear Loupe www.lenspen.com

Cleaning dust off my sensor has always been a 20-minute ordeal. You've been there: Stop down your lens, take a test shot, move it to your computer to examine for dust, and if you find some, good luck being able to target

it accurately. I'd use all sorts of wet wipes, vacuums, blowers,

a nd even my trusty LensPen, but no matter how hard I tried to provide good light I could never actually see the dust particles on the sensor, so I never knew

if I got everything off without having to put the lens back on and go through the whole test process again.

That changed forever when

I found the new SensorKlear Loupe from Lenspen. It has four bright LEDs pointing downward to illuminate the dust, which you can remove with whatever tool you please. This simple device REALLY makes a difference! My sensor cleaning time is now down to two minutes and there's no need to ever take a test shot.

At the show they were selling a "combo" box - the SensorKlear Loupe, a small LensPen, and a blower bulb. I bought one immediately once I saw how well it worked. I'm a big fan of LensPen. It's a remarkable tool for wiping dust and oils off of lens surfaces and DSLR sensors without scratching.

Here are two products for those of you who are in the event photography business and wish to sell prints of your customers before they leave the event:

Wi-Pics Mobile www.wi-pics.com

This is a PDA-like accessory that mounts either under your camera or sits in your pocket. The unit sucks up the images from your camera when you shoot them, and changes the filename and EXIF information to include the barcode on the card you hand to your customers. Other information can be changed as well, such as the event name, location, or even the people's name if you type it in. Optionally it will then send your pictures to a remote computer via WiFi (802.11 b or g), which is running their Wi-Pics event photography management package. Your trusty assista nt just sca ns the barcode of the card, and all the relevant pictures are instantly displayed for pu rchase.

The PDA-like accessory is a

Microsoft Windows CE device; only Nikon and Canon cameras are currently supported.

Hili Pll0S PocketStudio www.hiti.com/us/I nfo/NewsDetail.asp?lid=Etnid=42

Don't have an assistant or a booth to WiFi your pictures to? Then you'll want this handy Dye Sublimation printer slung over your shoulder so you can print your pictures out on the spot. Up-front costs are pretty low

- USD $250 for the unit, and $0.40 per sheet. It takes about one minute for a 4 x 6" print to print. The only thing this device doesn't do is allow you to swipe cred it ca rds.

Products That Are Annoying

You Bobble! (www.youbobble. com}. .. you can't get the annoying images out of your head! This company uses a great deal of skill to convert photos of

you into a real-life, handmade bobble-head caricature figure. Now you and your ego can claim your rightful place next to your favorite sports figures!

3D Photoworks www.3dphotoworks.com

This produces eerie, topological canvas portraits from your 2D photograph. Like a relief map, the canvas is flat except for

the body and facial features which protrude from the canvas. If you want to freak out your grandchildren, hang one of these portraits of yourself over the fireplace and let them have nightmares for years to come. Or maybe th is prod uct is idea I for porn stars. I don't know ...

o

www.friedmanarchives.com


Shane Miller went with a group of MPA colleagues to Wedding and Portrait Photographers International's convention in las Vegas. He recommends it as an antidote to the British disease of perennial pessimism.

There's nothing neon about the Berkshire countryside, especially in the pallid month of march. But this time of year, however dreary on the surface, brings with it a revitalising blast; WPPI. With over 14,000 attendees, 150 different seminars and a showgirl round every corner, WPPI is undoubtedly the ideal antidote to those relentless winter blues. And lets face it, where better to get a yearly inspiration injection than the original Sin City?

The truth is, stripped of all

its debauched reputation, Las Vegas is, in its own way, quite breathtaking. It provides the perfect, luminous backdrop for what is now the single largest photographic convention in the US. If you haven't yet been to WPPI, imagine Focus, supersized, with a lot more alcohol, and you're getting somewhere close. With over 50 judges participating in the print competition,

and the biggest market tradeshow in America, it is not only

a colossal event, but also the perfect environment to get an education - yankee style.

o brother!

Now I'm not a big whooper, never have been, never will be. I can say the same for the brotherhood of togs I travel with.

But let's face it, this is America, the land of enthusiasm. There is utter frenzy around the 'celeb' speakers, who, accompanied by an enviable entourage, and a healthy dose of hype, whip up total adoration amongst devoted fans. People happily queue

for over two hou rs to catch

a glimpse of their favourite photographer, and it's perfectly normal for a 900+ room to be bursting at the seams.

Admittedly, some of the 'hell yer!' teaching strategies don't


MPA photographers and friends at WPPI: left to right, Steve Tarling, Mark Ashworth, Shane Miller, Jerry Ghionis (WPPI Masterc/ass speaker), Mark Swinford, David De La Motte, Mark Bailey. Kneeling: David Moffitt.

sit comfortably with us Brits, and cynical eyebrows were certainly raised when we were asked to 'pat each other on the back'. But even I, a self confessed grump, cannot help but get swept along on this wave of positivity.

Self improvement is mas-

sive in America; people strive

for bigger and better, we all know this, and WPPI is a prime example. A hotbox of enthusiasm; people exchange ideas, styles and business cards as a matter of course. Photographers don't wince away from competitors or conceal their next big marketing move, self promotion

is encouraged, celebrated even. All the seminars advocate going forward with both your art and your business. Positivity and passion form the clear central themes.

Don't get me wrong, WPPI, like many conventions, has its fair share of flop speakers. I

can only assume Jazmine Star expelled so much creativity hyping the programme, she had no energy left to craft any kind of content. Scathing? Yes, but I am British.

On the other hand, inspirational speakers are able to totally reinvent your perspective. Jesh De Rox's platform class

'Beloved' did this. His attitude that, as photographers, we are part of people's most precious moments in life, certainly struck a chord. Yes, it's sentimental, and perhaps a little sickly sweet for our English palates, but what a fantastically positive way to look at our industry!

look on the bright side

The fact is that in a floundering economy it's easy to be negative. I could have, quite happily, spent the last couple of years grunting my frustration into my computer screen. Sitting in my box studio, a dinosaur of the white background, longing for

a more vibrant and dynamic company. But in reality, going

to events such as WPPI actively forces a change of attitude. It is so important to alter, reinvent, rebrand and, above all, keep going.

Submerging myself in photographic conventions like WPPI has provoked exciting change

in my own boutique business.

In my opinion, the Americans are at the top of their game at the moment, they've never been shackled to the sterile white backgrounds that have become standard to us in the UK. Their branding is exceptional, and their range of products is vast. A while ago I adopted the essence of the American attitude, 'experience is everything'. This has now become the ethos of both my companies; Shane Miller Photography and my new venture The English Boudoir Company.

Much of the inspiration for my businesses has come from the US. Boutique business is not just about slapping up some wallpaper and playing some suitably benign muzak (although maybe that helps). It is ridiculously hard work, and at times

lo\n WPP\ free to take up the offer a\)O'le. use

the re'lerse of 'lour magazine

ma\\\ng carr\er or dOv.Jn\oad th\S form from the MPA. S\te

... " ~ ." , .' .

The MPA has commissioned a television arts programme covering the 2009 Master Photographer of the Year Awards. which was previewed last month at Focus on Imaging. The director of the TV documentary describes his journey.

It's two year since my son Craig persuaded me to

go with him to FOCUS on Imaging in Birmingham. A decision that was to open up

a whole new world for both

me and my company Ventura and hopefully, the MPA and the world of photography itself.

For thirty five years I've been involved in image creation as a producer, director and executive producer, firstly at the BBC and more recently for my own Independent television production company.

I thought that I'd seen and created great images during

that time for the programmes that I'd worked which included Match of the Day, Wimbledon, The Oscars, The Cannes Film Festival and a host of other shows that I had made while travelling the world. But on that February day in 2008, my illusions were to be shattered.

I only went to FOCUS because my son had recently sta rted a photography degree and, if truth be told, he no doubt wanted his dad to stump up some money for a new bit of photography kit ! Within ten minutes of arriving though, I'd stumbled upon something that was to change my tv production world and

give me the opportunity to meet fellow professionals in a new creative sector.

Tucked away around the back of the MPA stand were the winning images from the 2007 British Professional Photography Awards. I was absolutely stunned at the sight of those beautiful pictures. I'd not previously had the privilege of seeing such an impressive range and array of images in one location at the same time at any other stage in my broadcasting career.

Perhaps I should get out more, or maybe the industry that I have worked in all my


At the premiere of the pilot edit - from the left, Christopher Bradbury, Lisa Visser. Kris Dickson, Chris Astbury, David Bryce and Ian Pickering. All are featured in the documentary film.

life gives one an artificial "air

of superiority" because of what we perceive to be great images created by our own Directors of Photography and the intensive processes involved in making television? I knew immediately however that that Februa ry day, that I had stumbled onto something special with the quality of the work of those winners and their photographs.

Over many years produc-

ing and directing television programmes for a wide range of genres, I'd had the privilege of making a number of tv award shows. Indeed some say that it was my field of expertise with live transmissions of events including the BAFTA Awards,

The Cable Guide Awards and the Publican Awards from some of the country's top venues. Not only that, but I'd been specialising in the new world of High Definition production since

1999 delivering High Quality programming for clients such as

Sony and broadcasters including NHK in Japan and I'd even won a Royal Television Society Award for On Screen Excellence for pioneering work in HD.

On that February day in 2008 however, it all seemed to come together.

I'd wondered why there was relatively little programming about photography on television, but it was actually staring me in the face. Normal N until recently had just 625 lines and was shown on little square boxes in the corner of a room, but what I had been producing and what is now becoming the norm, is television that has five times that quality and also the ability to reproduce five times the detail - perfect for showcasing those amazing images on 42 inch flat screens and above for the new generation of viewers.

And so from that day forward I was to embark on a two year project that would finally culminate in a premier screening of

the MPA awards in front of an audience of winners, sponsors and others at the Hilton Hotel at the NEC Birmingham in early March, as well as in front of thousands of visitors attending FOCUS 2010.

Back in October 2008 however, after having brief conversations with the Chief Executive of the MPA Colin Buck in the intervening period, I took the train to Newcastle for the BPPA Awards night with my son and

a small hand held camera to capture the flavour of the event and to assess the quality of the evening.

What I observed was a delight. An event that was professionally produced (excepting the unforeseen break in power that was to affect much of Newcastle that night) and

an event competed by a larger than life host who obviously knew the industry inside out. What I didn't expect was the announcement that evening

of the fragmentation of the two organisations that were involved in staging what was billed in my own mind as "the u Iti mate awa rd show celeb rat - ing top professional photographers in the UK" and the key endorsement for the product that I planned to get in front of television commissioners

and broadcasters in the coming months.

For the next year I sampled and learnt about the industry, meeting and working with a number of names including Colin, Ray Lowe, Simon John, Clare Louise, Guy Gowan, Sophocles Alexiou and Kevin Wilson, each with their own unique style, way of working and located at studios allover the UK. To an outsider it was fascinating.

At the same time, I entered into negotiations with the MPA for funding and access to the Awards show, its winners and the judging process. Eventually, just in time for the 2009 Awards we signed the contract and had a deal in place.

Ventura were then able to cover the MPA Awards as well as pre recording Colin's links, interviewing the winners post show all of which was followed by a whirlwind tour of the UK to film them on location and in their studios, all in High Defintion.

Top: filming in Lisa Visser's studio. Centre: the first showing. Above: director and producer Paul Calbert of Ventura Productions.

Ch ris Astbu ry in Pou Iton Le Fylde, David Bryce in Edinburgh, Kris Dickson in Northern Ireland, Ian Pickering in Hinkley, Lisa Visser in Sussex and thankfully nearer to our home base in the Midlands, that master of digital imaging Christopher Bradbury.

It was a fascinating process and great privilege for a humble tv producer to meet these creative photographers and capture them

at work in their own respective fields.

Many of the winners we featured in our films said that they were nervous before our arrival, but I hope that we eventually put them at their ease. Certainly their edited pieces are a credit to both them and the MPA and

I hope that we have helped

to create a buzz in the Industry at this difficult economic

time. To them, the MPA Board and everyone involved in the production process I pass on

my grateful thanks for access, funding and the sharing of their photography secrets.

And what of the finished programme, designed to be for

a one hour slot on television as well as for corporate and promotional use on the web along with digital distribution and featuring Carol Smillie as narrator on the television version? Well, it's a cracker as well as a tear jerker in places and a really good watch.

At a screening of the rough cut with Colin Buck, just before Christmas 2009, it was wonderful to observe his reaction when seeing MPA members being made stars and having their work celebrated "on the box". Oh, and Colin is a bit of a star himself as presenter. Expect signed autographs being offered at the MPA Awards 2010 !

So that's the easy bit. We've now got a show that is unique, featuring a new and exciting creative sector complete with amazing images that really stand up in High Definition.

It's time now for Colin and I

to make pitches to a number

of commissioners, broadcasters, distributors a nd sponsors to take the awards up to a higher level of exposure in our attempt to get more photography and photographers on television.

Over the next few months,

I'll be visiting studios around the UK selling our wares and will also be on the lookout for a team of photographer's to take part in a new formatted television show that we are soon to pilot - Celebrity Hot Shots. But that's detail for another occasion!

For now, wish me luck, not as an executive producer but as a humble salesman for the next stage of the process, pitching in the cut throat world of television. If the powers that be don't latch onto the opportunities being showcased by the world of photography in HD then I

will be flabbergasted. Fingers crossed and watch this space.

- Paul Colbert, Executive Producer, Ventura Pictures.

.0-

www.ventura-productions.co.uk


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PHOTOFRAME 4.5 from the onOne Plug-in Suite 5 is about almost anything

BUT putting a frame round your picture.

The choice of over 1,500 layerable effects starts out, if you choose to browse the entire library, with emulsion-brushing style vignettes or ragged edges. These are masks not frames.

It goes on to show you graffiti-style or chalkboard lettering which can be overlaid across images; a whole bundle of baby-photo decorative elements; graphic scrolls and swirls which can coil into your picture like vegetation; and a bewildering variety of borders, textures, renderings, and treatments.

PhotoFrame certainly started out many years ago adding simulated wooden frames (and so on) but it's now much more like a darkroom and art effect plug-in than a framing workshop plug-in. To test it, I picked a shot of a Venice mask shop and first used a small version as shown on this page.

Sized for a 6 x 4" print, my layered combination of white decorative brushed scrolls and

a Polaroid-type border was very sharp. I added a local contrast enhancement action followed by desaturation and a hue shift to get the look I wanted.

Seeing what appear to be full size photographic images used for parts of the PhotoFrame package, I doubted whether they matched the resolution of today's cameras. The instantfilm surround is an example. So my next test was at the full 24 mega pixels.

PhotoFrame 4.5 with Photoshop CS4 on my iMac 27" i7 proved surprisingly fast even with this large image. It took just a few seconds to render

the white decoration, and 20 seconds to render the instantfilm mask. Each stage you add is adjustable and can be removed from the stack which shows

to the left side. Every effect is

previewed in the browser using the cu rrently active Photoshop image; the resulting output is layered and non-destructive.

Needless to say, the film border was quite soft and blurry at 24 megapixels, but the graphic decoration was more crisply scaled. This also applies to some of the simpler frame simulations, and most of the ragged

or brushed style vignettes and pa per textu res.

If the overlay being used looks like a photo image, it

will be sharp up to around a 6 megapixel final use and increasingly soft with larger images such as those from the Canon 7D, 5D Mkll, Nikon D3X or Sony Alpha 900. You would not want to add these effects to a Hasselblad 60 megapixel original; I found the use on 24 megapixels just acceptable. I output a 35 x 54cm print on Lakeland Artist watercolour paper (£6.95 for 30 sheets A2, profiled by ColorMunki) on the Epson 3800 and the resolution difference between border and image did not clash.

As part of the £289 suite offer to MPA members, this is real value. Your clients will love the results. - OK

Above: there are many instant presets but I found the browser. belaw, fast enough

on my system to build my

own effect. It uses your open Photoshop image to show all the 1,500+ options in a Bridgelike window. Just click to add!


Do you dream in colour? Should a dream wedding end up the way dreams really are - surreal. inexplicable. memorable. suspended half way between fantasy and the waking world? Paul Callaghan FMPA takes his couples there if they want. In colour!

Paul Callaghan became the first photographer in seven years to earn a Wedding Fellowship from the MPA. In 2009, after end of the joint qualifications boa rd with BI PP, Pa u I was the fi rst to make the highest distinction in what is considered to be the most difficult field, joined by Kevin Wilson later in the same judging day. Paul also achieved a BIPP Wedding Fellowship with a different set of prints.

We have grouped Paul's MPA Fellowship panel images here by colour to emphasise the way in which this County Cavan, Ireland, photographer uses distinctive pa lettes,

Laid out this way, the dream-sequence quality of the pictures becomes even more apparent. Some of these pictures



are so powerful that the bride and groom will carry the mental impression for ever, even if they don't have the large wall print which goes naturally with artworks at this level. Paul says that the wall print may follow months or even years after the wedding - "When they have settled all their bills and enjoying financial stability, they'll come back and order a £1,OOO-plus wall print for the hall or over the couch. They do see it as a work of art."

One problem facing anyone looking for higher wedding qualifications is that wedding coverage may be at its best without single strong images. Storybook and page design albums rely on a flow of sympathetic shots without unique standout treatment.

Paul's Fellowship pictures are not, in general,


elements for a story. They are stand-alone images which have to

be presented individually and Paul positions them at the very end of the album, in the last three or four pages. They are also used one per page.

"A wedding album should be just like a good book - a good introduction, a good story, but when you reach the end that wow factor!

"I pick my locations to shoot these special pictu res, often at the end of the wedding, but not always. I am a pro-active photographer rather than re-active, and I am classically trained - I

use a hand held meter,

a tripod and a cable release. These shots are planned, no matter how much software goes into completing them."

His wife Margaret does initial editing

and proofing, at which stage all the images are 'straight' treatments.

He may shoot from

100 to 300, but never


the several hundred and over a thousand shots favoured by some wedding photographers.

"Every picture is hand-finished for the final album", he told

us. "I do not use batch actions, each picture gets individual treatment in Photoshop."

He regularly uses the onOne Plug-in Suite 5, which offers very rapid adjustment of many effects and controls. The final album page layouts are proofed electronically to clients who come from all over the world


to Irish wedding venues, using secure PDF (which can not be printed out). Paul is very careful to explain copyright and other legal aspects of his contract

to clients, normally reading through it with them to be sure there is no misunderstanding.

"It is for their protection and mine alike", he remarks. "I believe in maintaining standards; every time I lift my camera to my eye, I feel I am representing thousands of professional photographers."

Paul is great supporter of association membership, MPA, and of the mentoring system for those seeking higher qualifications. He's a great opponent of what he calls "the race to the

bottom", whether that consists of wedding venues which throw in cheap photo coverage to secure large party bookings, or training courses which promote the idea that equipment and

software can turn an amateur into a professional.

"Vinnie O'Byrne and Kevin Wilson were a great help to

me with my Fellowship portfolio selection", he says. "Vinnie planted the seeds of developing the colour palette idea."

"I like to produce images that challenge the viewer. I hope I am constantly developing, and changing my style. I'll go to bed thinking about an image and

wake up knowing up what I wa nt to do with it."

He takes the same approach to albums, buying selected products from Graphistudio, OneVision Imaging and Loxley Colour instead of sticking to a single range. "I select for differant aesthetics, to give a choice, not replicating anything - a few from each range.

"The Loxley Colour £1,000 Bursary for the MPA Wedding

Fellowship has been a great thing I must thank them for. I was not previously a customer of Loxley, and now I am."

Paul is also something unique in Southern Ireland - he is the only current Wedding Fellow of MPA, IPPA or BIPP. Those exotic imported albums from England, Scotland and Italy probably have less to do with this success than his approach to filling them.

"When I compose my pictures,

I am already thinking of the planned layout. I do all the layout work myself so that I have control of the complete finished album."

With clients travelling thousands of miles to be married at location such as Castle Leslie in Monghan, where Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills were wed, his price structure probably needs no explanation here; he's working at the top end of the global luxury wedding market.

Recently, he has won 'Best Bridal Portfolio' and 'Best Avant-Garde Wedding Portfolio' from the Irish Professional Photographers Association. He is a Qualified European Photographer (QEP) in weddings, and

in 2009 he was the Mario Acerboni Wedding Albums Overseas Photographer of the Year. He holds over 250 individual image awards from IPPA, and many other past titles.

-OK

To learn more about Paul Callaghan and see his latest work, visit his website: www.paulcallaghan.com


Images from the Wedding Fellowship of Paul Callaghan FMPA


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Rosie Parsons earned her licentiateship at Focus on Imaging. Here's the entire Wedding set - 10 images from one wedding, one this spread followed by ten selected from other albums. But it's not where she begins - or ends.

See http://www.rocknrollbride.com/201 O/Ol/u nder-the-spotl ig ht-rosie-parsons/

Almost the first thing

Rosie Parsons said about her successful Wedding Licentiateship entry was "it's not really what I am doing". It was a selection made on the basis of risk management - Rosie, as the web link above will reveal when you visit it, is playing well above the game expected for a new Licentiate. At Focus she was playing very safe.

This is sensible. Rosie is

an imaginative photographer whose website, blog, national magazine feature exposure and presence on other websites like the Rock'n'Rol1 Bride interview attract equally imaginative clients. Her weddings can be far from typical, and the coverage anything but traditional.

For the Licentiateship panel, she was able to find the necessary sets of images without straying too far from the conventional. Even so, a lovely Chinese bride on the Thames with

a tower of cupcakes in place of the usual tier of fruit or sponge made for a colourful main series ending with the night-time release of a lucky lantern.

And Rosie loves colour, especially when the men of the party eschew blacks and greys for vivid purple or line up with a paintbox of socks.


A Licentiateship wedding submission must include ten pictures from one wedding. Rosie chose a creative wedding full of fun. And those socks are not Photoshopped!

Her weddings have taken

her from Devon all over the UK and into Europe to Italy and wherever stylish couples choose to create their memories. She networks actively, and works

with other photographers; her clients are often real friends not just Facebook friends, but social networking sites are vital to her growing reputation.

This new Licentiate is think-

ing business, career, creativity, profit, enjoyment, happy clients, professional standards, originality, excitement, friendship, future - everything at once. Expect to hear more from and about Rosie

Parsons - including the work she deliberately did NOT put in for her LMPA.

-OK

More images overleaf

Rosie told us that she loves colourful weddings. The tiger print background was spotted and set up for impact and a memorable fun shot.

Ten further pictures, from eight weddings, complete the portfolio. Rosie combines upbeat happy images with high style. See: www.rosieparsons.com




Canon EOS 1 D MklV

THE CANON 10 MklV might seem at first to be an extravagant investment for the average wedding or portrait photographer - something only suited

to the sports, news, action, or wilderness shooter firing off thousands of frames in rugged unpredictable conditions.

After all, who needs a cropped 1.3X frame when the Canon 50 Mkll gives you a

full 24 x 36mm sensor, and by having 21 mega pixels instead of only 16, it's genuine extra image area?

Indeed, if you have the discipline to compose your images in such a way that you can crop them to match the 10 MklV sensor, you will get much the same result as a 10 MklV user.

Only, based on my experience of the two cameras, you won't. The 10 MklV has a far superior build quality which means more precision all round. It feels better, and does most things faster, not just the phenomenal maximum shooting speed of 10 frames per second.

It is so responsive that it can can actually adjust autofocus and auto exposure while shooting at 10 fps. No other OSLR

I know of can manage this. What's more, the adjustments are meaningful and only lose

a few frames catching up - generally a single one at a time. This contrasts with the 50 Mkll where an action sequence at half that pace once lost to the focus sensor can take three or four frames to recover a good lock-on.

Lenses which I felt were not delivering the goods across the full 50 Mkll frame lost the soft corners which spoiled them on full format. On the 10 MkIV,

the slight crop meant that even wide angle zooms - or the 24- 105mm f/4 L which I found very patchy in sharpness on the full frame - were sharp from corner to corner. Also, I'd have to guess that the sensor itself is truer to plane, flatter, and better aligned inside the camera. Where the

50 Mkll and the 70 produced a significant proportion of slightly soft images due to minor focus errors, the 10 MklV nailed the focus brilliantly from an all-new 45-point AF module covering more of the frame area than previously thought possible.

All but six of the sensors are f/2.B enabled, and all the f/2.B sensors have a graded response when using lenses between f/2.B and f/5.6. With most f/4 L series lenses, they offer increased accuracy although the lens is not f/2.B.

What's more, they can work all the way to fIB. Lesser Canon AF sensors have a cut -off at f/5.6 so you can't put a 2X converter on an f/4 lens like the popular 70-200mm IS USM design or a 500mm f/4. With the 10 MkIV, you can add the 2X converter and the camera will still autofocus.

Combined with an improved metering system, what the 10 MklV delivered for me during my test period was a nearly perfect record of capturing anything I aimed at.

The ISO sensitivity, in common with other new cameras of th is class, goes a II the way to 12,BOO in normal mode and can be extended to 25,600 and then upwards to a maximum

of 102,400. I didn't find the extreme boost much use at the time, but after the camera was returned, Adobe launched the Beta version 2 trial of Lightroom 3 with a greatly improved conversion.

The only fault I found on the MklV was a tendency for very bright highlights in night scenes to produce a streak of lighter bleed (along the length of the sensor). Only light sources with a substantial area, like very bright windows, produced this and it was only visible against plain tones like evening sky.

I thought that with the 24-105mm turned into nothing more exciting than a 30-135mm equivalent, I would be limited

by the 1.3X crop factor. In fact

I ended up liking the results. If you compose wedding groups (as an example) this crop prevents you placing faces in the distortion hot zone of lenses like the 17-40mm or 16-35mm at their wide end. The bit of the image where the face might look elliptical or stouter ladies be unflattering fattened up is cropped off. Th is zone is a Iso where slight unsharpness can

hit full frame digital. With that cropped out, a I most any g rou p shot will be better from the 1 D than it would be from a 1 Ds or a 5. Far from being a restriction, it is a restraint - holding the photographer back from filling the entire angle of view of a lens with important details.

The final important bit of the 1 D MklV, in addition to 16.9 megapixel resolution, high ISO,

vastly improved AF and metering is the HD video capability.

Unlike the Nikon D3S, this is full 1080/24-25-30p capable and produces .MOV format files which open directly in QuickTime compatible editors like iMovie on the Mac. That makes for a very fast video workflow to industry Full HD standard. The D3S is the closest direct competitor, and although full frame is only 12 mega pixels and limited to 720/25-30p video, in the Motion-JPG format which is better for single frame extraction (something which can not be done in-camera with the Canon).

With the earlier and smaller format Canon HD-video capable SLRs, the compression of the video stream can be pretty strong, and that's rather like compressing a JPEG to lower quality. As a result, I found that Nikon's 720p was really not far off Canon's original 1080p in terms of absolute detail resolved in typical scenes.

But the 1 D MklV has dual processors, a huge buffer and extremely fast card interface. It does not need to compress the data stream as much and pro-

vides a highly detailed Full HD. Combined with comprehensive manual control options and a very neat method for triggering video - almost a second shutter release able to act instantly no matter what mode you are in - the 1 D MklV becomes Canon's most professional and versatile HDV-DSLR.

Niggles remain; the stereo sound input is only for a microphone, not strictly compatible with preamps or mixer line out feed, and has no provision for fixed manual level. Auto gain

is not optional. .. you get it whether wanted or not. Choice of microphone makes a difference.

The 1 D MklV follows the earlier 1 D models so closely in ergonomics and interface that it will be immediately familiar. Buttons have been improved in tactile response, gloved-hand friendliness, and position; the screen is huge and some buttons have been moved to make way for it. I did not expect to like this big camera much; but I loved it.

-OK

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Datacolor Spyder3 Studio PrintSR (Part Two)

EPSON ink can work out expensive, and when I came to test the Spyder3 Studio PrintSR printer calibration I was dismayed to see that in order to do my job properly - to test all the possible levels of calibration - I would need to use a my entire 25 sheets of Fotospeed Platinum Gloss, a 290gsm fibre-based stock I had not tried before on the Epson 3800. Testing the three increasingly accurate levels of profiling worked seemed a bit of a daunting task.

The most basic test needs two sheets. The startpoint settings were Epson Professional Gloss Photo Paper, No Colour Management, 1440dpi, High Speed.

-,-- ......

_, ..

In contrast to the ColorMunki, which prints very desaturated medium tone targets with an iterated sequence (measure the first, print the next, measure again) the Spyder prints highly saturated patches for the Page

1 and less saturated for Page 2, stra ig ht out.

With the emphasis dearly

on the darker tones, the test output was lavish with the gloss black ink and I decided to leave a generous drying time before placing the 225 'EZ' patches under the rolling reader device.

Th is platen (see photo, rig ht) just sits on top of the print on any smooth table, and has a slot. Gripping the rubberized handle lip, you can roll the slot across each row of patches and the twin long rollers keep it straight. For maximum accuracy you should put three thickness of blank sheets under the test.


."

Fotospeed Platinum Gloss is easily damaged by handling, and has a thick highly opaque base so I ignored that advice; fine if you have lots of scrap paper.The Print SR reader, calibrated in its cradle first of all, is run along the slot for each row in turn and automatically passes the readings via USB to the software.

It's important not to press the reading end, but use your palm to gently retain the device in its sliding guide. It takes a couple of tries to get the speed right, after that you can operate it with confidence and no errors.

You need about ten minutes, after 30 minutes drying time,

to read the two sheets at th is basic level. Doing a seven-sheet professional profile with check prints and fine adjustments - the software allows you fine tune the profile it creates - would be an hour's work at least for each paper type.

That's the bad news. The good news is that the EZ profile with a mere 225 patches to read created an excellent first-off, unadjusted profile for the paper being tested. Compared to using Epson's PGPP profile (the default for this type of paper) even

the black neutrality was visibly superior, and the faintest hint of a cold cast was eliminated producing great skin tones from the provided test matrix of images.

I actually used five sheets

of paper including test print outs from 5pyder3 Print5R and Photoshop C54; that's not bad, for a custom profile which would take a day or two to get from Fotospeed (they do offer this service free) but might be needed in half an hour.

It wou Id be ha rd to choose between the ColorMunki and this for the quality of the profile at 'EZ' level, but the Spyder kit goes where I have no time to

go - into detailed fine-tuning of profiles for the ultimate in print quality. - OK

U PHOTOSHIELD

SEE FOR

YOURSELFl

Take a peek at some of the benefits of a Photoshield policy:

Comprehensive cover

Interest free payments over 10 months UK , European and worldwide cover Includes professional indemnity

Photo-tag included to give you and your equipment added security Cover available for the Irish Republic at very competitive rates

• Plus an ffil'fff!/.W ggJjJ ~ off your annual premium on production of your MPA membership number

Please accept my application for consideration as eligible for the above Pin. I have been a continuous member of the Association since 27th June 1962 including a period of 18 years in Australia 1978-95. My Certificate is signed by the founder G. Scott Bushe, giving me the entitlement to use the designation Registered Master Photographer whilst remaining a member of the Association - a title which was valued and recognised by the general public, much more than a string of letters after one's name.

Now at the youthful age of 91, when photography has been a joyful way of life, I am often amused to read claims of novelty regarding the modern journalistic - reportage - documentary style of weddings. After de-mob in January 1946 (after six and a half years mobilisation in North Africa, Italy and Austria) I freelanced, parttime mostly in photo-journalism.

In 1947, a young lady sitting on my knee at the back of bus (they were overloaded in those days) confided that she was getting married in a few months time ... and would I please take her wedding photographs? How could I refuse?

This caused great concern. The established photographer, along with most others, used a half plate camera; he took three poses using the same tripod position over the years, six plates, doubling up. These were sent to A. H. Leach at Brighouse for printing. Regardless of what was on the negatives, the prints were pristine, with eyes fully open, not a hair out of place and creases only where they were meant to be'. How could I, using a 35mm rangefinder camera, compete?

If you can't be better, be different! I decided to cover the wedding in exactly the same way as I did my usual work - tell the whole story in pictures. Using 35mm film meant no restrictions on quantity. Plates were on quota, rationed. Clothing coupons also meant restrictions. The bride already had a dress but she was making the bridesmaids' dresses, so here was the first picture. A later one was when she wrote out the invitations.

The whole wedding story was covered, through to leaving for the honeymoon with the usual lipstick graffiti, tin-cans trailing behind (less any smell of the fish on the exhaust pipe). The film was immediately processed, with prints for the local and county newspapers. A complete set of prints was mounted in a John Dickinson album, gift wrapped to await the bride's return (not a month or more after).

The joy and amazement to be met with a record of what actually happened was shared with her many friends, and especially

her workmates. Result; around two thousand unsolicited weddings covered in the following fifty years, some families returning over two and even three generations.

I became a Registered Master Photographer pre-1970 when the business of photography was declared by the gurus to be ONE part photography ... NINE parts marketing and sales! Never been short of work, never solicited an order.

Hoping I qualify for a Pin. Still enjoy photography! Yours faithfully

Ray Sherratt (Retired)

• A. H. Leach employed a staff of retouchers who finished professional prints by hand. Ray has been sent his 25-year pin.

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gramme. The daytime seminar will close with a talk by UK Family Portrait Photographer of the Year and Central Region Photographer of the Year,

Hoss Mahdavi. All for just £55, including a two-course meal at teatime! In the evening there will follow our Annual Print competition (£3 per image entered, 10 x 8 print and a digital file, categories as before). Cheques payable to the MPA Central Region, to Colin Clark at Royston.

All meetings are on a Thursday night 7.00 for 7.30 unless stated. For further details: David P MacDonald on 01920486095, david@davidpmacdonald.com; Hoss Mahdavi on 01923 494532, hossain@hossphotography.com

doesn't really describe the wide range of Mike's work. London based photographer Mike Curry has run his successful photography business for 25 years and has been awarded a 'Commended' prize for the Landscape Photographer of the year 2008! This is the second consecutive year Mike have been short listed from over 30,000 entries! Plus lots of other accolades he will tell you about on the night.

New venue: Ye Olde Plough House in Bulphan. Why not join us at 6.30 for a mea I a nd a pre meeting chat?

May 19th 2010 - Regional Print Competition.

For information contact:

David Islip, 01376517955.

be bought by 1st May 2010 The deadline for prints is May 10th. Our awards will be judged at MPA Head Office by the panel of judges for the Licentiate Qualifications.

Pri nt entries are £5.00 per print and categories must be clearly marked on the back.

All entries must be supplied as prints and have a disc including high resolution files. Any prints entered after this date or without files will not be judged. Those with annual trophies must return them to Fiona Nicholl by 23rd April.

The new print sizes are

12x16 card mounted. Prints must be image only (no borders or mounts). All entries to be mounted on to card (no foam board). All entries must be supplied on a disc contain-

ing a high res file along with

the print. If any image is to be entered into a different category there must be separate prints. Each print must have the member number and the category on the back. No envelopes.

Three labs have kindly offered to print a ny Award entries at a very special price. Loxley Colour Et Colorworld for £6 +VAT (remember to notify them the order is for the awards) and Digitalab for £7 inc VAT (their online service has a special

MPA NE print option). Information about new categories, and more detailed entry rules, will be emailed directly to regional members.

June 30th 2010 - Model Day. Event with models to photograph; venue and details TBA.

Fiona Nicholl: 01914412241.

Email-fiona@purplepom.com

National

August 2nd 2010 - Final Deadline for Receipt of Master Photography Awards Entries August 25th 2010 - Associateship and Fellowship Judging 2010. Please call HQ on 01325 356555 for information. October 17th 2010 - Master Photographer of the Year with daytime free Yervant seminar and awards dinner. Metropole Hotel, National Exhibition Centre, Coventry/Birmingham.

Great Western

East Anglia

April 19th 2010 - HDR (High Dynamic Range) pictures. Compass Inn, Tormarton

May 17th 2010 - Portra it Competition Night.

June 21st 2010 - Wedding, Fine Art and Landscape Competition.

For programme information contact: Mike Rich, Chairman, telephone 01454 778816 or mike@richphotos.com

For information contact Elizabeth White. Mobile: 07720 398 768. Email: liz@weddingsbyelizabeth.co.uk

International

September 21st-26th 2010 - photokina, Cologne, Germany.

East Midlands

Central

April 19th 2010 - Social Evening. Venue: The Unicorn Pub, Gunthorpe.

May 24th 2010 - Regional Print Competition.

For information please contact Philippa Double, 01159252725, philippa@ doubleimagephotography.co.uk

May 27th 2010 - Image Makers Golf Day To Be Held

at The Hertfordshire Golf Club, Broxbourn; contact Colin Clark colin@roberthclark.co.uk, entrance fee £50; sponsors are Loxley Colour.

June 15th 2010 - Summer Spectacular at Ware Priory with Annual Print Competition in

the evening. Daytime seminar

- Robert Shack showing us his amazing wedding work. GraphiStudio will then be showcasing their album designing pro-

North East

April 28th 2010 - Desi Fontaine FMPA, afternoon into evening seminar at Lumley Castle.

May 23rd 2010 - The NE Regional Awards are to be held at Lu m ley Castle. Tickets for the dinner are £40.00, anyone entering the Awards must attend the dinner. Tickets must

Greater london/Essex

April 21st 2010 - Mike Curry

- Landscape and Pictorial Photography. Make sure you don't miss Mike's amazing photography. Just Landscape and pictoral

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North West

For up to date event info contact Lydia Taylor-Jones AMPA. Telephone: 01204 853032. Emoil - Itaylorjones@ao/.com

Scottish Region

April 25th 2010 - provisional date for regional awards dinner, venue and date to be confirmed.

For information contact David Bryce, telephone: 0131 5520321 E-Mail: info@davidbryce.com

South East

Regional Chairperson, Dave Cosens on 01622 710064 or email photogenicimages@ btconnect.com

South West

May 10th 2010 - Speaker to be announced, plus print competition. Categories: Under Five, Pets, Family and Commercial. Entry by 10 x 8 prints and digital files on a memory stick. No limit to number of entries £3 per entry.

July 5th 2010 - All-day Monday seminar probably Exeter area, exciting speaker on weddings and portraits.

September 27th 2010 - speaker plus print competition Monochrome, Portrait, Engaged Couple and Fashion/Pictorial. Venue Ashburton.

November 22nd 2010 - Wedding speaker plus competition Classic, Reportage and Ten on Wedding. Venue Ashburton.

Please put these dates on you ca lenda rand please su pport your region!

For further information contact the regional chairman Greg Cameron-Day on 01305267211.

Welsh Region

Contacts: Chairman: Wayne Wilkins 01646 622222. Secretary: Mike Roberts 01639 820840.

Wessex Region

May 10th 2010 - lisa and Frazer Visser. Venue, Wellow Golf Club, 3pm-8pm, price £45. The fantastic child photography and successful fellowship of lisa


Visser, along with her husband Frazer who is great with the marketing of their successful studio, have kindly agreed to come to our region for a seminar. Booking is in advance, by contacting Grahame Austin on 01202513387.

June 21 st 2010 - All-Day Seminar with Trevor and Faye Yerbury. Exbury House, price £55. A great chance to see this well known Scottish couple demonstrating their wedding skills. 9am registration, 5pm finish. Bookings:

Grahame Austin, 01202 513387.

For information on future events and enquiries: Keith Curtis, keith@keithcurtis.co.uk

West Midlands

April 27th 2010 - the Wonderfully talented Julie Oswin will be coming to our region and sharing with us her succesful marketing skills and tips in the wedding sector. Julie is one of the leading wedding photographers in the Midlands and her new work is

a pleasure for all to see. Her innovative and fresh approach

to marketing makes this a must see seminar. 7.30pm at Clare-

louise Photography, 16 Banbury Road, Southam, Warwickshire CV47 1 HL. Members £10, nonMembers £15, tea and coffee included.

May 18th 2010 - Annual AGM and Print Competition. This event will be held at Clare-louise's Studio address as above, 7pm for the AGM. We are looking to elect a treasurer. Judge

is MPA's lady President Desi Fontaine. Desi will be critiquing the work before you, then as you all head off home will make her fi na I decisions.

June 20th 2010 - Annual Awards Dinner. This year our overall winner has not only

a trophy but a prize of £150 which, once again, has kindly been sponsored by Photoshield. We would very much like your feedback as to the format of the evening, by email please to clare@clare-/ouise.co.uk

July 13th 2010 - 1 pm to 7pm seminar. We have two most FANTASTIC wedding photographers, complete with models,

to show you two completely different styles and approaches. louise Sumner (see South West Region award winning image

Louise Sumner is the South West Region's Photographer of the Year. The print above won Pictorial, and the David Facey Memorial Trophy for

the most original entry. Louise received her trophy (right) fram Steve Beveridge of competition sponsors Photoshield at

Focus on Imaging, where the insurance specialist's stand adjoined MPA's.

on the previous page) and Rob Sanderson are two diverse and creative wedding photographers, and will bring new ideas to

your shooting. location for this event is to be confirmed. £50 members, £65 non-members, tea and coffee supplied. GF Smith will be present at this event, exhibiting their new product ranges. We require a minimum attendance of 20 people and insist on confirmation via email along with a cheque for £50.

Check out these websites - louisesumnerphotography.co.uk curvephotography.co.uk

Don't just wish you could be a step above the rest?

August 24th 2010 - Bruce Smith. An inspiration and true genius when it comes to fashion and fine art portrait photography. Venue to be confirmed. Minimum number of 15 required and limited to 25, again confirmation via email and cheque by June 28th. Cost £100; tea and coffee supplied. Be brave enough to step outside of your own box and see what wonders YOU can create!

brucesmithphotography.com Contact: Claire Louise, telephone 01926 811270 or clare@clare-Iauise.ca.uk

Yorkshire Region

April 19th 2010 - AGM followed by lee Fra nee specla list on SED and internet marketing. May 10th 2010 - Print Competition Judging and critique by Desi Fontaine FMPA FBIPP (start selecting your images now)

Contact: Paul R G Haley FMPA. Telephone: 01133074458. Email-paul@paulrghaley.com

For regional diary, visit: www.thempa.com/members

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