Photographers capture Wairarapa in artistic glory

POWERFUL LANDSCAPE: Stewart Watson captures Castlepoint during Cyclone Pam in Big Waves, Little People.

For the Wairarapa Camera Club's upcoming exhibition, the Wairarapa region is the star of the show.

But there won't be a "chocolate box landscape" in sight.

The camera club's biennial showcase, this year titled The Power to Light, opened at Aratoi yesterday, and will feature works from 27 of the club's 50 members.

For the exhibition, photographers were asked to submit works capturing Wairarapa -- with images ranging from Henley Lake at sunset, to Castlepoint in a storm, to one of the locations for Lord of the Rings.

But, while Wairarapa is known for its expansive terrain, members have expanded their portfolios beyond traditional landscapes, experimenting with abstracts, artistic portraits, multiple exposure and bokeh techniques.

Club secretary Tim McMahon said the club's inventive exhibitions reflected a change in the group's more diverse membership.

"When I first joined about 10 years ago, there were 18 members, mostly middle-aged chaps," Mr McMahon said.

"Photos were pretty much the standard portraits and chocolate box landscape, with sheep and pretty green hills.

"But now, a third of our members are women, and we've got some really talented younger people.

"People are taking their creativity to new levels and thinking outside the box."

The Power to Light is composed of 47 large-scale photographs, some featuring iconic landmarks such as Castlepoint, White Rock, the Putangirua Pinnacles, and the "House on the Hill" at Ponatahi.

Techniques taught at the club's regular workshops have been explored, including black and white photography, capturing movement, composition and balance, and bokeh -- the art of blurring the background to sharpen focus on the subject.

"With photography, everyone can be looking at the same thing and see a different story," committee member Rebecca Kempton said.

"One person might stand back and get a panoramic landscape shot, and another will get up close to get all the folds in the hill."

Also included are documentary-style photographs of shearing competitions and the Pukemanu Bull Ride, portraits experimenting with light effects and multiple exposure (several images in one frame), and abstract renderings of ordinary images.

Mr McMahon said having the exhibition in a space such as Aratoi helped boost members' confidence.

"It's a chance to present their work as real artworks.

"A lot of photographers believe that a photograph is not a photograph until it is printed.

"So it's really satisfying to share a large print on a wall where people can reflect on the idea they are trying to communicate."

The club meets monthly, and members can attend photography courses -- usually run by Wairarapa REAP -- and field trips.

Mrs Kempton, who learnt the art of digital photography through the club, said it is a "great training ground" for amateur artists.

"People are very friendly and welcoming, and there are always opportunities to learn."

The Power to Light opened on May 28, and runs until July 3.