Page 4 - Capture Nov 21-Jan 22

editorial
ABOVE: Reason For Being. Photo essay of photographer John Gollings.
All Shook Up
To say that the last 12 months has been challenging for photographers across the spectrum is nothing short of a major understatement. Professionally and creatively the obstacles thrown at them must have seemed to be unrelenting; and as soon as anyone got used to the situation, things changed again. Things seemed to always be changing. Was 2021 unprecedented? Most would argue that 2020 was unprecedented, and that the year that’s just ending simply threw more of the same challenges.
Photographers across most genres had to radically rethink the way they work. And diversification was on the minds of many. Those working in editorial were faced with less work and smaller commissions as magazines simply don’t have the budgets they
used to. Meanwhile, times were also lean for advertising photographers with many lucky to get one or two decent jobs the entire year. And those shooting weddings had to contend with the constant uncertainty that numerous lockdowns brought.
The experience yielded no shortage of novel and inventive ways to get things done. But for some, the experience showed them that the way they had once worked was very much going to be a thing of the past. Renowned Australian photojournalist Adam Ferguson took the opportunity to start writing about his work on the subscription platform, Substack. He discovered that the experience has been tremendously beneficial to his career, and stated that: “by becoming more an author around my own work and explaining its conceptual process I’m adapting as more of a teacher. It feels like a new career developing”.
Motivation was another significant factor throughout the year, and many had to dig deep to find it. As advertising photographer Hugh Peachey said: “Resilience has been essential”. But staying connected with colleagues and others on social media proved to be a godsend for many, helping them utilise any momentum they’d generated to better be able to hit the ground running when things opened up. The fact that things kept opening and closing as a result of numerous lockdowns only compounded issues.
Throughout the feature articles in this edition, photographers talked about the unexpected and welcome silver linings of the pandemic and the resulting lockdowns: the opportunity to rethink, restructure, and recalibrate one’s business; the opportunity to consider new offerings and develop new skills; and the gift of being able to spend more quality time with loved ones.
Given all the hardship, one might assume that the quality of work being produced suffered, but the images contained in this very special edition, our biggest of the year, is testament to the resilience, resourcefulness, and creativity of photographers from across Australia, and around the globe. This year, photographers submitted a staggering number of images for consideration – just under 2,000. As always, the process to select the images that grace this edition is an arduous process as images seem to be swapped around and around and around again. But the truth is that there are always countless magnificent images that don’t make the cut simply because there just isn’t enough space. Nevertheless, I hope you’ll find this edition to be both inspiring and informative. Wising you all the very best for 2022. Let’s hope it doesn’t have quite as many surprises as 2021.
Marc Gafen – Editor
marcgafen@yaffa.com.au
Incorporating Commercial Photography. Established in 1963 as Industrial & Commercial Photography.
Editor
Marc Gafen marcgafen@yaffa.com.au
Contributors
Sophia Hawkes Candide McDonald (and all featured photographers).
ADVERTISING
National Sales Manager Jodie Reid
Ph: (02) 9213 8261 jodiereid@yaffa.com.au
Advertising Production
John Viskovich
Ph: (02) 9213 8215 johnviskovich@yaffa.com.au
SUBSCRIPTIONS greatmagazines.com.au CALL 1800 807 760 EMAIL subscriptions@yaffa.com.au
SUBSCRIPTION RATES 1 year $35
1 year PLUS $39
(print + digital)
1 year overseas NZ A$43, ASIA A$43, ROW A$53
Capture is published by Yaffa Media Pty Ltd. ABN 54 002 699 354 17-21 Bellevue Street Surry Hills NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9281 2333 Fax: (02) 9281 2750
Yaffa also publishes
Australian Photography
australianphotography.com
Publisher
James Ostinga
Marketing Manager
Lucy Yaffa
Production Director
Matthew Gunn
Studio Manager
Lauren Esdaile
Senior Designer
Stephanie
Blandin de Chalain
Contributions
Capture welcomes freelance contributions which are of a high standard. All submissions should be sent by
email to the editor or accompanied by SAE for return. We assume no responsibility for unsolicited material. ISSN 1037-6992
GET CAPTURE ON ANDROID, APPLE AND PC Subscribe to, or purchase single editions of Capture magazine on PC, Android or Apple devices through Zinio. Visit www.zinio.com or download the Zinio app and search Capture.
4
capturemag.com.au
[capture] nov.21_jan.22
© NIKKI McLENNAN
© ISAMU SAWA