WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

1st April 1947  Page 224 - Vol. 54 No. 4 Australasian Photo-Review

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
At the annual general meeting held on February 25th, Mr. H.A. Larsen was elected President; H.C. Astle, Vice-President; F.W. Woodward, Secretary; and R.W. King, Assistant Secretary and Librarian.

In review, the year was marked by large increases to the club’s library, furniture and supper properties, by the purchase of an excellent club enlarger, and by the successful conduct of the 1946 Inter-Club Exhibition, which was won by the Wellington Amateur Photographic Society with Christchurch Photographic Society gaining second place. A selection from this exhibition is to tour Australia shortly, and clubs wishing to have the prints for showing should write the editor of this journal. Noteworthy, too, was the decision to commence night classes in photography, for which Mr. H.J. Cashford, late of the Photographic Section R.N.Z.A.F., has been engaged as instructor. This should ensure a high standard of technical excellence in the future work from the club.

The year’s competitions resulted in a win for Mr. H. Astle in the Senior Section, and Mr. R.W. King in the Junior. The Hunt Championship Cup for the “Print of the Year” was won by Mr. H.C. Astle.

A number of exhibitions and print folio circles have been arranged, and in conjunction with the Waikato Winter Show, the Society is to hold an International Salon in June, 1948.



20th July 1948  Page 3 - Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25551

EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY
PRINTS ON VIEW IN CHRISTCHURCH
“Some people say that photography is not an art, just a mechanical process; but anyone who has had any experience in this work knows that there is a lot more to it than that”, said the Mayor (Mr E.H. Andrews) opening an exhibition of the fifth New Zealand International Salon of Photography at the D.I.C. lounge yesterday afternoon. “The camera takes the pictures, but the photographer has to choose the subject and catch the expression", he said.

The salon was organized by the Waikato Photographic Society and the exhibition is being held in Christchurch under the auspices of the Christchurch Photographic Society. The conservative, nature of the society was indicated by the fact that of 584 entries received only 204 were accepted, said Mr Andrews. It was hoped to make the exhibition an annual one, but this depended on the interest shown by visitors.

Entries had been received from 16 countries, said Mr F.L. Casbolt (President of the Christchurch Photographic Society). There had been good support from the world’s leading pictorialists. Members of the Christchurch society had done well to have 12 prints accepted for the exhibition. The salon will be shown for five days.



2nd AUGUST 1949
Page 3 - Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25871

EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHY
FINE SELECTION OF PRINTS
The modern techniques of photography are well illustrated in the 6th New Zealand International Salon of Photography, which is at present on exhibition. Among the exhibits, which number nearly 300, are photographs from 31 countries and examples of nearly all the recognized processes and treatments, including, for the first time in the salon, a number of color prints. The exhibition is of a high standard.

Outstanding among the examples of symbolic work, and perhaps the most interesting group in the exhibition, are three photographs by Francisco Aszmann, of Brazil. One, “De Profundis”, a religious study, is particularly arresting. In the foreground is a hand holding up a white cross, with other hands stretched up on either side in attitudes of prayer, and above and behind, in shadow, the head of Christ. The striking effect of this and the two other photographs by Aszmann (“Shylock” and “Insanity”) are produced by photo-montage, a process by which two or more negatives are blended. Another photograph in which the same method is used is “Civilization" a woman reclining on a couch under a head which is half face, half skull. The photograph comes from Greece, the artist being Paul Faradjian.

For bold realism there is nothing to equal “Waterfront,” by the American photographer, Axel Bahnsen. The photograph is simple, showing two men walking round a concrete roadway on the waterfront, and a pale sun looming through the mist over the sea, but it suggests power, and seems to symbolize modern America. It contrasts strangely with several photographs from two Czechoslovakian artists, Alois Kotek and Antonin Olmer, which depict street scenes in Prague — two men standing on cobblestones at a street corner under the arch of an old stone building; a man leaning against a pillar, reading a newspaper under a lamp.

There is an excellent selection of portraits and outstanding among them are those of Rolf Winquist, of Sweden, the only artist to have four photographs in the exhibition. His works include a fine study of H.R.H. Prince Wilhelm of Sweden. Another fine character study, is “Scornful”, a portrait of a young girl by Ivan Yakovenko, of Bombay, India. There are a number of exhibits from India, where photography is apparently flourishing as an art, and all are of a high standard.

Of the New Zealand exhibits, the best is probably one by Alan Lindsay Gordon, of Gisborne. The photograph, entitled “Lombardy Landscape”, is remarkable for a most unusual and beautiful cloud formation which rears up over a row of poplar trees.

It was hoped to have a big exhibition of photography in Christchurch for the centenary next year, said the Mayor (Mr E.H. Andrews) when he opened the exhibition yesterday afternoon. He was not a judge, nor a connoisseur of photography, but he could not help being impressed by the standard of the work in the exhibition, he said.

Sir Erima Northcroft, patron of the Christchurch Photographic Society, and Mr F.L. Casbolt, the society’s President, also spoke.



1st May 1950
Volume 57 Number 5 - Page 326
The Australasian Photographic Review

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
At the Annual General Meeting of the Waikato Photographic Society held on March 14th, 1950, the election of officers resulted as follows:

PATRON: Mr. A.E. Manning (re-elected)

PRESIDENT: Mr. T.R. Paterson (re-elected)

VICE-PRESIDENT: Mr. A. Rice

SECRETARY-TREASURER: Mr. R.W. Cooper (re-elected)

That the year constituted a record for the Society was evident from the reports presented by the President, Secretary, Salon Director, and Print Steward. Membership was steadily increasing, the average attendance was high, and a great spirit of keenness and friendship was noticeable.

Lectures and demonstrations by very capable instructors were naturally a feature of the past year’s program, and it was hoped to widen considerably the scope of these with the completion, in the very near future, of the club darkroom. Practical nights, when members brought their cameras and photo graphed set subjects, were very popular, and members also enjoyed a visit to the Times Photo Engravers, where they saw the operations involved in photo reproduction for the press. Members of the club interested in movies entertained occasionally with 8mm and 16mm films.

The 298 prints entered for club competitions made an increased figure over any previous year, and although it was a pity all were not submitted for the Annual Exhibition, the 170 prints on the walls on that occasion made a great showing. The judges, Messrs. H.A. Larsen and H.S. James, commended entrants on the consistently good technical quality shown throughout.

RESULTS OF THE YEAR’S COMPETITIONS WERE:
LORIMER CUP SENIOR AGGREGATE POINTS: A. Rice	LARSEN CUP JUNIOR AGGREGATE POINTS: T.S. Stokes	HUNT CUP SENIOR CHAMPION PRINT: T.B. Ambrose	MORAN CUP JUNIOR CHAMPION PRINT: A.G. Jones
JUDGES AWARDS FOR SPECIAL MERIT: V.P. O’Kane A.L. Fow	SMITH AND JAMES TROPHY MOST ORIGINAL PRINT: Irene A. Cooper		JUDGES AWARDS FOR SPECIAL MERIT: H. Wiles F. Morriss
A SECTION OF THE SOCIETY KEENLY INTERESTED IN COLOR WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOME VERY FINE WORK IN THIS FIELD DURING THE YEAR:
GAYLARD COLOR CUP FOR AGGREGATE POINTS: T.R. Paterson		COOPER COLOR CUP FOR CHAMPION SLIDE: H.S. James

In the Inter-club Competitions, the Society gained the honor of winning the Wiltshire Memorial Cup for Color, one of our workers, H.A. Larsen, producing the Champion Slide for New Zealand, and another, H.S. James, the runner-up. Fourth place in the Bledisloe Cup Competition (monochrome) was a happy result. Many members were well represented in overseas salons with both monochrome and color entries.

Several club picnics were greatly enjoyed during the summer, A.L. Fow being the recipient of a special award given for the best picture made on one of those outings. Another source of enjoyment was the club bulletin, Snapshots; at the meeting members showed their appreciation of the work of its editress, Irene A. Cooper, by acclamation.

The 6th New Zealand International Salon, again conducted by this Society in 1949, was in every way a success. Leading exhibitors from all over the world submitted works in monochrome and color, thus enabling the judges to demand a very high standard of acceptance. Letters from photographic societies throughout this country were received by the Salon Director, remarking on what inspiration the Salon had proved to their members, and its value to the Art of Photography in New Zealand.

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
TROPHY WINNERS

(Back Row): A.G. Jones, A. Rice, H.A. Larsen (holding the Wiltshire Memorial Cup), T.S. Stokes, H.S James.
(Front Row): T.B. Ambrose, Irene A. Cooper, T.R. Paterson (President).

1st November 1950
Volume 57 Number 11 - Page 721
The Australasian Photographic Review

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
The color slides shown to the Waikato Photographic Society on 27th June by Mr. I.L. Elliott, of the Rukuhia Soil Fertility Research Station, were not only entertaining, but added much to our store of interesting general knowledge. Mr. Elliott made these color shots while in the U.S.A., showing how they have brought into production large areas of peat swamp. His New Zealand slides, illustrating the results of lack of different minerals in the soil, were equally instructive.

HON.SECRETARY, R.W. Cooper (left), holding the Bledisloe Cup for Monochrome Prints,
shakes hands with President T.R. Paterson, holding the Wiltshire Cup for Color Slides.

Mr. T.R. Paterson’s demonstration on July 11th on print retouching proved of great value to new and older members alike. On the same evening the prints about to be sent to Christchurch for the Bledisloe Cup Inter-club Competition were reviewed.

Continuing his series of demonstrations on how to obtain good Print Quality, Mr. H.A. Larsen, on 25th July, projected negatives to show results from under-exposure, over-exposure and normal exposure; under-development, over-development and normal development, as well as all the combinations. This method was an excellent means of showing an audience what constitutes a good negative. The screening was ably supported by his extensive commentary.

On 8th August, Mr. B.A.L. Desgranges, of Te Kuiti, gave a demonstration on toning prints for the purpose of coloring.

Also on 8th August, Mr. R.W. Cooper, Secretary, had two important announcements to make. Firstly, that the darkroom under the Art Gallery was at last completed and, secondly, that this Society had won the Bledisloe Cup Competition for 1950.

By winning this competition, the Society has achieved the honor of being the first club to hold the two major New Zealand trophies at the same time. The Wiltshire Memorial Cup for Color Slides was won for 1949-50.

A good attendance of members listened to Mr. J. Lesnie when he lectured on August 22nd. His valuable lessons on several photographic problems were seasoned with much wit, making the evening very enjoyable indeed.



1st May 1951
Volume 58 Number 5 - Page 317
The Australasian Photographic Review

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
Congratulations to the Editor of the Waikato Photographic Society (New Zealand) C.C.’s Snapshots on gaining a P.S.A. red ribbon “for high score in editorial content components”. It is stated that sixty-two bulletins from leading clubs in five different countries were represented in this competition for club bulletins. It was further mentioned that there is a possibility that the competition will be open next year to non Photographic Society of America clubs. “The great value of the competition is not so much in the possibility of winning medals as it is in obtaining complete breakdown scores on the five components of a good bulletin, plus written suggestions to improve the bulletins”.



1st June 1951
Volume 58 Number 6 - Page 330
The Australasian Photographic Review

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND

WAIKATO CLUB’S SUCCESSFUL
COMPETITION SET-UP

By R.E. O'Daniels

Christchurch Camera Club Highlight, April, 1951.

Whilst in Hamilton at Christmas, I had the good fortune to meet Mr. and Mrs. Russell W. Cooper, Secretary-Treasurer and Editor respectively of the Waikato Photographic Society. Although the time I was able to spend with them was all too brief (they were going on holidays next day), nevertheless I gained the firm impression that much of the Waikato Club’s success is due to the efforts of these indefatigable workers. One of Waikato’s most notable triumphs has been in the field of club competitions and, naturally, I was just one big question mark as to how? how? how? do they manage to average a showing of seventy prints a month with a club membership of only one hundred.

I was not surprised to learn that their competitions are run quite differently from ours in Christchurch. Here is their set-up:

Two competitions are held every meeting night (twice a month) as only a part of the evening’s program, and two prints may be entered in each. Spot judging is employed and marks are awarded up to 100. No placings are recognized in individual competitions, the marks awarded totaling for an aggregate at the end of the year. No marks are awarded for presentation; in fact, there is not even a rule which says that a print even has to be mounted. Prints larger than whole-plate are the exception. It is firmly impressed on members that these are club competitions only.

All competitors are graded Senior or Junior (with an Intermediate grade to be added this year). All that is necessary for a Junior to become a Senior is for him to receive 80 marks for each of two prints. He becomes a Senior from the date he receives the second “80”.

In the Junior grade, all marks count for the aggregate, but the Seniors 'miss out' on any marks lower than 70. When a Junior earns promotion, any marks between 70 and 80 which he or she may have received earlier in the year are automatically transferred at the same time.

At the end of the year five awards are made. The year’s work is exhibited and from this exhibition are selected Champion Print, Senior and Junior Aggregate, and Most Original Print. Prints in this Exhibition must be mounted. Altogether, thirty-six print and four color slide competitions were held during the past year.



1st February 1952
Volume 59 Number 2 - Page 69
The Australasian Photographic Review

WAIKATO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY
HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND
Elected to office in the Waikato Photographic Society for the ensuing twelve months were: Patron, Mr. H.D. Caro; President, Mr. B.A.L. Desgranges; Vice-President, Mr. A.L. Fow; Secretary-Treasurer, Mr. R.W. Cooper; Editor, Mrs. Irene A. Cooper; Committee, Mrs. M.E. Desgranges, Messrs. R.C. Gaylard, H.A. Kinzett, H.A. Larsen, R.M. Moran, F.E. Morriss, T.R. Paterson, and R.F. Swarbrick.

Some 300 prints, about half the number entered into club competitions during the year, were shown in the Annual Exhibition, giving satisfactory evidence of improvement in individual members work over the period.

AWARDS 1951:
LORIMER CUP SENIOR AGGREGATE POINTS: Mrs. M.E. Desgranges	HUNT CUP SENIOR CHAMPION PRINT: Mrs. M.E. Desgranges	LARSEN CUP JUNIOR AGGREGATE POINTS: A.L. Fow	MORAN CUP JUNIOR CHAMPION PRINT: Mrs. D.H. Larsen	SMITH and JAMES TROPHY MOST ORIGINAL PRINT: Miss Kay L. Cooper	RICE TROPHY BEST PORTRAIT: Charles Davenport	GAYLARD CUP COLOR SLIDE AGGREGATE POINTS: Mrs. M.E. Desgranges	COOPER CUP CHAMPION COLOR SLIDE: B.A.L. Desgranges

A Refresher Course series is being featured at the first meeting of each month, Mr. B.A.L. Desgranges having already lectured on the use of lighting to bring out form and texture, and how to produce better pictures by making use of shadows. Mr. R.W. Cooper has pointed out the value of using pattern, and has also given a lecture on how to make more story telling pictures by the use of different camera angles. Mr. R. Tizzard, member of the Rutland Art Group, has spoken on Picture Management.

The second meeting of the month proved equally instructive and enjoyable. Color slides were screened on several occasions; slides entered into club competitions, a series made by Mr. T.R. Paterson during a South Island tour, and slides from the New Zealand Inter-Club Competition for the Wiltshire Cup for 1950.

Portrait lighting was demonstrated by Mr. B.A.L. Desgranges, and another time Mr. H.A. Larsen gave an interesting talk on the Photographic Societies of Australia, some of which he visited during his recent visit to that country. An evening when members showed off their pet gadgets was very much enjoyed. Mr. R.W. Cooper, at another meeting, explained the principles of the photo-finish camera, and demonstrated the special technique, aided by his usual working assistant Mr. R.C. Gaylard.

A very special occasion saw Mr. Jack Lesnie, well known Auckland professional, giving a full-scale demonstration of lighting for glamor portraits, his chief model, a glamorous blonde, was very much photographed by the large attendance of members that evening.

Recently, members brought along their cameras again and had fun photographing still life and amusing table-tops. While this went on upstairs, small groups were being taught print-finishing downstairs in the club darkroom.

Beginners classes, given in the club darkroom every month, have been very successful. So far these new workers have been instructed how to develop their own films, make contact prints, and make (from simple to controlled) enlargements, the tutors being Messrs. R.W. Cooper, T.R. Paterson, H.S. Kinzett, and H.A. Larsen.

Exhibitions enjoyed to date have been the 7th New Zealand International Salon, the 1950 Wiltshire Color Slide Inter-club Competition, the 1950 Inter-Club Competition for the Bledisloe Cup (won by the Waikato Photographic Society), the same competition for 1951 (in which the Auckland Camera Club took first place), and the prints entered into the 1950 National Competition for the Kiwi Challenge Cup (won by Mr. H.A. Larsen, runner-up Irene A. Cooper). The Inter-club Postal Portfolio has been received, enjoyed, commented on and, with our contributions, sent on to the next club.

That members are working well again this year is shown by the average of over eighty prints a month entered into the club competitions, with the standard of work improving all the time. An Intermediate class for monochrome was introduced at the beginning of the year, the most prolific workers being found in this group.

Juniors are credited with all marks given their prints. When they have submitted four prints marking 70 or over, they become Intermediates, and their work must gain 65 marks to be credited. Four prints marking 80 or over promote them to the Senior class, where 75 points are the minimum for crediting to their aggregate for the year. This grading is working out very well.

There is still only one class in color. In recent competitions several new workers in this medium have entered slides, and it is hoped their numbers will increase still more.

© PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITIONS OF AUSTRALIA