2022 judges

This year we have once again attracted a panel of distinguished judges, Geoff Beals, Sarah Caldwell, Lynn Clayton, Mike Langford, Timothy Lomax, Jackie Ranken, Tracey Scott and Smita Upadhye, who will have the difficult task of selecting the best images from the thousands of entries for acceptance into the salon.

Geoff Beals, APSNZ

Geoff Beals has a life-long passion for photography, enjoying all forms with a particular emphasis on creative, landscape and nature imagery.

He has been an accredited member of the PSNZ Judging Panel since 1995 for open photography, and 2007 for nature. This is his third invitation to judge at the North Shore Salon. He regularly judges at club level, and has also judged for The Whanganui Salon, The Dunedin Salon, The National Exhibition numerous times, and the PSNZ International salon.

Geoff’s strong interest in bird photography has led him in 2011 to volunteer on Tiritiri Matangi island as a guide and he’s subsequently also become a member of the Kōkako Monitoring Team. This has enabled him to indulge his interest by learning bird behaviours and photographing some of our rarest bird species.

Geoff says “Developing my image assessment skills remains a work in progress. I really enjoy evaluating other people’s images and find it hones and stimulates my own photography. It’s always an honour and a privilege to see what other people are doing with their imagination and imagery, and I thank the North Shore Salon Committee for the opportunity to view and assess such an exciting body of work.”

Sarah Caldwell

Sarah is an Auckland based photographer who is passionate about creative architectural photography and enjoys some landscape photography as well.

She became serious about photography in late 2013 and started by taking a few beginner DSLR courses at night school. Then over the intervening years Sarah participated in quite a few workshops to further her skills.

In 2015 she started exploring architectural photography after encouragement from a workshop and, then stimulated by her career as a pilot taking her to some great cities for architecture she quickly became passionate about it, and it is that feeling that she tries to convey in her work.

Sarah retired from Air NZ as a 777 Captain and during covid found inspiration creating abstracts out of her architectural work, exploring the beauty of lines, shapes and symmetry.

Currently a member of PSNZ, Auckland Photographic Society and the NZiPP.

Lynn Clayton, Hon PSNZ APSNZ EFIAP ESFIAP

I was one of the instigators of this prestigious salon and am so proud to see it still running 27 years later. Back then we had one subject ‘Abstract’ which was quite controversial back then; how times have changed. We received 954 entries from 140 people. I have been a guest selector for this Salon 5-6 times and always feel honoured to be invited.

I joined a camera club 40 years ago and this led me to a career as a part time professional photographer; highlights were photographing CHOGM and APEC, Royalty, Govt.House Investitures, Eden Park Rugby, as well as invitations to China as a photographer and later as a judge. I have judged 6 International Salons and I love the challenge. I’ve won my share of awards and am proud to have won the overall Gold in this particular salon back in 2009. I have exhibited in Lower Hutt, Auckland and Sydney and although I am no photo shop wiz I am enjoying the fun creative side that digital technology has given us. I hold an APSNZ from the PSNZ and my EFIAP plus three honorary awards for services.

I grew up in Central Otago and moved to Auckland 40 years ago and pre Covid times commuted between Auckland and Sydney. I shoot with Canon, Sony and Apple.

Lynn Clayton Hon PSNZ APSNZ EFIAP ESFIAP

Mike Langford

Mike is a New Zealand born landscape and travel photographer. He has been a professional photographer for over 35 years and an International Awards judge and lecturer for 25 years. Mike’s passion is travel/Landscape photography and Photographic book publishing, with over 28 books to his name.

He is a Grand Master & Fellow of the Australian Institute of Professional Photography (AIPP) and a Grand Master and Honorary Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photography (NZIPP). He is also a Canon Master and EIZO Ambassador.

He and his wife Jackie Ranken, who is a photographic artist, live in a small alpine town in the middle of the South Island of New Zealand named Twizel from where they run their Creative Photography workshops.

Johannes van Kan

Once I was a scientist. A Food Technologist for those that need to know.

I forget now if the coffee addiction came before or after the urge to create photographs that told stories. I suspect the latter! Amongst all the laws of science I was troubled by the notion that the facts would always get in the way of creative expression. One day the magic of time in a darkroom captured my imagination, soul, and then pretty much every waking moment. I had to leave science because it was too serious and stopped me spending time on photography.
I love photographing people
I love photographing wedding
I love the attention to details
I love the emotions
I love the stories
I love the relationships
I love the chaos

Actually I especially love the chaos because it is from the chaos that comes the unpredictable and exciting opportunities of a wedding. This unpredictability allows me to photograph weddings all over the world.

I have photographed weddings and portraits in Colorado, Miami, Wanaka, Christchurch, Perth, London, Barcelona, Queenstown, Auckland, Malaysia, Vanuatu, Fiji, Martinborough, and Wellington. These challenges make me work even harder and appreciate my good fortune as a photographer.

Jackie Ranken

Jackie Ranken is an Australian born, multi-award winning landscape/art photographer who has lived in New Zealand since 2004. She has over thirty five years’ experience within the visual arts and has been an international awards judge since 2002.

She combines her art practice with teaching and is a presenter in workshops and seminars internationally. Her passion is the creation of multi-layered narratives via in camera multiple exposures and intentional movements. Allowing play and serendipity into her creative process gives her personal freedom to break rules and push the so-called boundaries of traditional image making processes.

Since 2001 she has won many prestigious photography awards which have culminated in making her a Grand Master of both the Australian and the New Zealand Institutes of Professional Photography. She is a Canon Master and EIZO Ambassador.

My passion is the creation of multi-layered narratives via in camera multiple exposures and intentional movements. Allowing play and serendipity into my creative process gives me personal freedom to break rules and push the so-called boundaries of traditional image making processes.

When judging others images I am looking to connect emotionally and intellectually. I want to celebrate the successful marriage of the content within the frame to whatever techniques have been used to create that image. I don’t just want to see technique, I'm looking to be taken on some kind of journey.

www.qccp.co.nz https://jackieranken.co.nz/

https://www.instagram.com/jackieranken/

Tracy Scott

Based in Rotorua . 35 year’s experience as a Commercial, Creative and portrait photographer.

Tracey’s commercial work includes work for websites, brochures, billboards, vehicle signage, magazines, calendars and newspapers and her work has been commissioned by companies as far afield as Sweden, Japan, Australia and China. With a degree in fine arts and a passion for artwork, you will also find Tracey's Images in art exhibitions and private collections in New Zealand and Abroad.

In my spare time I enjoy working on my old villa, collecting art and antiques, Mountain biking, reading and travel.

Tracey Scott FPSNZ, AFIAP, MNZIPP(Dist 5), Dip FA

Smita Upadhye

Smita Upadhye is an Indian-born contemporary artist, based in Auckland, New Zealand. She has had life-long passion for art. Smita had formal art training from 'Sir J. J. School of arts’- a renowned art college in Mumbai, India. Although specialising in illustration, she started taking photos for reference purpose, and then she developed her interest in photography as well.

She had worked successfully as an Illustrator, Designer & Art Director in the advertising industry of India for twenty five years before moving to New Zealand. She has worked as a lecturer in Sophia Polytechnic Art Institute, Mumbai, and worked and freelanced with several ad agencies.

As she migrated to New Zealand her inner artist was fascinated by beautiful nature, and colourful gardens of New Zealand. As a graphic designer, illustrator, painter and an art teacher she has grown to enjoy and practice art more & more. She has held three successful solo exhibitions of her paintings, and her work has been exhibited in a number of group shows and won prizes in India and in New Zealand.

After so many years being busy in art, Smita believes that her art keeps her creative mind healthy and fresh, and she shares her knowledge and experience with her students as an art teacher by holding drawing and painting classes and workshops for Rangoli (the Indian powder art).

https://www.artismita.com