Gold Medal Win in North Shore National Photography Salon
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It was a little bit of a surprise to visit the results page at the North Shore National Photographic Salon 2017 and see my image staring back at me. Once the initial surprise subsided I was pleased to note that not only had I won a Gold Medal, but also two acceptances for creative works in the Open Section.
For me the North Shore salon represents one of the largest and best known national salons in the country - it attracts a lot of entrants and the standard is very high. It is very rewarding to be acknowledged amongst the best in the country. |
Winning Image in Street Photography
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Covering Vintage WeekendI was pleased to be approached and commissioned by Mainstreet Whanganui to cover the 2017 Caboodle, the first day of the Vintage Weekend they organise.
Armed with a schedule of events at different times and locations it was a gruelling 8 hours of walking, running, and shooting to get the type of images they requested for their future marketing. |
STEAMPUNK: Covering the generations at Caboodle. PICTURE / ANTONIA SIMS
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Caboodle 2017 - the biggest so far - By Kelly Scarrow Wednesday Feb 1, 2017
It's been a big few weeks in my world. Caboodle / Vintage Weekend, the end of the school holidays, a family wedding and then there's the day-to-day stuff on top of all that... and then there is the never-ending wind that seems to blowing summer out of our grasp!
Caboodle 2017 For all of you who participated by attending, dressing up, rummaging through the flea markets, dancing the night away at the after party through to admiring the cars or playing with your children in the family zone - thank you from the entire team at Mainstreet Wanganui.
It was our biggest Caboodle to date and the turnout from our community was overwhelming. The Vintage Weekend is an iconic event for our city, bringing tourists from far and wide and it is...
Full article Wanganui Midweek
Caboodle 2017 For all of you who participated by attending, dressing up, rummaging through the flea markets, dancing the night away at the after party through to admiring the cars or playing with your children in the family zone - thank you from the entire team at Mainstreet Wanganui.
It was our biggest Caboodle to date and the turnout from our community was overwhelming. The Vintage Weekend is an iconic event for our city, bringing tourists from far and wide and it is...
Full article Wanganui Midweek
Summer Hampers Library Mural - Wanganui MidweekOur unseasonable summer has interfered with a lot of holiday plans, as well as being a hindrance for the Davis Library's new foyer mural.
Produced by local photographer and author Antonia Sims, the mural was finally installed |
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on Friday, February 3. Further foyer improvements, including new lighting, are still underway.
The library concept was to have a view as if patrons were looking out a window. It also had to be unmistakably local and ideally a view looking across the river towards the mountain. However, as Ms Sims explains, this was to prove a little difficult. "I was standing outside with Sonny Tamihana [of the library] discussing the required view. I remember one of my first comments was whether he could wait until a cool clear winter's day. At the time the wind had stirred up so much dust, pollen, and ocean spray that even the opposite river bank was hazy. Unfortunately deadlines meant this project had to be done as soon as practicable."
To capture the image Ms Sims went up to the library several times a day for more than two weeks hoping for perfect weather. Test shots were made, and several other panoramas around the Queens Park area created as potential backups if the weather didn't improve. "I needed a clear, still, windless day with the mountain not covered in cloud," says Ms Sims.
The 30th January 2016 proved the perfect day, almost unprecedented. "I arrived and there was the mountain in all its majesty - crisp, clear, and no wind! I set up immediately and did several sets of images. I'm glad I did as as soon as I had finished clouds started moving over Mt Ruapehu and stayed there for the rest of the day. We haven't had such a perfect day since."
Apart from the weather there were a number of other technical challenges.
Due to the size of the mural (8.5m x 1.35m) the original image presented to the library was a 620 megapixel image - an iPhone 6 is only 12 megapixels. This required 69 separate images (three rows of 23) to be stitched together like a patchwork to create the image.
Also due to the high brightness of the snow and reflections off leaves, compared to the darkness of shadows on Bastia Hill, each of those 69 patchwork images was made up of seven identical images taken at different exposures. "Putting together 463 images really taxed my computer, and I noticed my power bill went up over this period," says Ms Sims.
In the end the library decided to use a smaller crop of the original image, which had extended from the Dublin bridge and included all of Bastia Hill as well as an extended foreground which included Bell St. While not as high a resolution as the full image, there is still enough detail that you can still see the dining room table in one of the houses across the river.
Apparently the most asked question and comment about the image has been "Where was it taken from?" and "I hope no-one is doing something they shouldn't in the windows of the houses". As for the location it was taken in the grassy dog exercise area by the Davis Library car park, and adjacent the tree closest to the Police Station.
This is the only spot where the mountain isn't obscured by trees. As for people doing what they shouldn't ... we'll let readers try and spot that.
¦ More information about the technical side of the shoot, and the original full panorama is at gwww.fluffydog.pics/river.html
- Wanganui Midweek
The library concept was to have a view as if patrons were looking out a window. It also had to be unmistakably local and ideally a view looking across the river towards the mountain. However, as Ms Sims explains, this was to prove a little difficult. "I was standing outside with Sonny Tamihana [of the library] discussing the required view. I remember one of my first comments was whether he could wait until a cool clear winter's day. At the time the wind had stirred up so much dust, pollen, and ocean spray that even the opposite river bank was hazy. Unfortunately deadlines meant this project had to be done as soon as practicable."
To capture the image Ms Sims went up to the library several times a day for more than two weeks hoping for perfect weather. Test shots were made, and several other panoramas around the Queens Park area created as potential backups if the weather didn't improve. "I needed a clear, still, windless day with the mountain not covered in cloud," says Ms Sims.
The 30th January 2016 proved the perfect day, almost unprecedented. "I arrived and there was the mountain in all its majesty - crisp, clear, and no wind! I set up immediately and did several sets of images. I'm glad I did as as soon as I had finished clouds started moving over Mt Ruapehu and stayed there for the rest of the day. We haven't had such a perfect day since."
Apart from the weather there were a number of other technical challenges.
Due to the size of the mural (8.5m x 1.35m) the original image presented to the library was a 620 megapixel image - an iPhone 6 is only 12 megapixels. This required 69 separate images (three rows of 23) to be stitched together like a patchwork to create the image.
Also due to the high brightness of the snow and reflections off leaves, compared to the darkness of shadows on Bastia Hill, each of those 69 patchwork images was made up of seven identical images taken at different exposures. "Putting together 463 images really taxed my computer, and I noticed my power bill went up over this period," says Ms Sims.
In the end the library decided to use a smaller crop of the original image, which had extended from the Dublin bridge and included all of Bastia Hill as well as an extended foreground which included Bell St. While not as high a resolution as the full image, there is still enough detail that you can still see the dining room table in one of the houses across the river.
Apparently the most asked question and comment about the image has been "Where was it taken from?" and "I hope no-one is doing something they shouldn't in the windows of the houses". As for the location it was taken in the grassy dog exercise area by the Davis Library car park, and adjacent the tree closest to the Police Station.
This is the only spot where the mountain isn't obscured by trees. As for people doing what they shouldn't ... we'll let readers try and spot that.
¦ More information about the technical side of the shoot, and the original full panorama is at gwww.fluffydog.pics/river.html
- Wanganui Midweek
La Fiesta's surprise first responders - Wanganui ChronicleThe La Fiesta festival has its official launch this Saturday with the opening of An Artist's Response at Space Gallery.
The exhibition promises to be full of surprises and even the main organiser, Kelly |
Paul Rayner, Kelly Scarrow, Mark Rayner, Antonia Sims, Sarah Williams and Justine Handmethatpencil. Photograph by Lewis Gardner.
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Scarrow is unsure what the works will look like.
Last year, Ms Scarrow asked women in Whanganui to write their memoirs in just six words and share them for the La Fiesta festival.
The aim was to give voice to women in the local community and allow them to express themselves in a "concise and powerful way."
The six word memoirs then formed an exhibition held at Gallery on Guyton for La Fiesta 2016 and this year they will be displayed again alongside works by local artists.
"I approached local artists and asked them to choose a memoir and create their responses to them.
"They are a very diverse group of artists and they all work in different mediums so I'm really excited to see what they have come up with."
The exhibition will be curated by Sarah Williams at Space Gallery and Ms Williams says 12 artists have contributed works including paintings, photographs, ceramic pieces and mixed media interpretations.
Ms Scarrow said local businesses have sponsored the artists to the tune of $100 each to cover their material costs and all proceeds from the sale of works will be donated to Women's Network Whanganui.
The opening of La Fiesta and An Artist's Response commences at Space Studio and Gallery, 64 Taupo Quay at 5.30pm today. All welcome.
- Wanganui Chronicle
Last year, Ms Scarrow asked women in Whanganui to write their memoirs in just six words and share them for the La Fiesta festival.
The aim was to give voice to women in the local community and allow them to express themselves in a "concise and powerful way."
The six word memoirs then formed an exhibition held at Gallery on Guyton for La Fiesta 2016 and this year they will be displayed again alongside works by local artists.
"I approached local artists and asked them to choose a memoir and create their responses to them.
"They are a very diverse group of artists and they all work in different mediums so I'm really excited to see what they have come up with."
The exhibition will be curated by Sarah Williams at Space Gallery and Ms Williams says 12 artists have contributed works including paintings, photographs, ceramic pieces and mixed media interpretations.
Ms Scarrow said local businesses have sponsored the artists to the tune of $100 each to cover their material costs and all proceeds from the sale of works will be donated to Women's Network Whanganui.
The opening of La Fiesta and An Artist's Response commences at Space Studio and Gallery, 64 Taupo Quay at 5.30pm today. All welcome.
- Wanganui Chronicle
Quiet Launch for New Book - Dogalicious-nessMy new book Dogaliciousness, focused on dogs attending events in public places, was quietly launched in December 2016 and sold out virtually immediately along with a limited run of calendars based on images in the book.
In this delightful book, street photographer Antonia Sims shares her history with dogs and their influence on her life.
More than that she has dozens of wonderful images capturing that magical moment of the ‘first time meeting’ when a dog meets someone new, as well as dogs just chilling when unaware they are being watched. It is in these moments that their true personality and character is revealed by their pure and unfiltered expressions. “It was a gruelling job. Nowhere else have I been showered and overwhelmed with so much affection” Most of the images are accompanied by inspirational quotes about dogs. For any dog lover or afficianado, this is a must have |
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Featuring dogs from Whanganui and Wellington, it proved particularly popular locally with a number of people coming back to request more books for friends. A further print run is planned but will be delayed to the production of my next books - several are concurrently in the design phase.
Dogaliciousness, ISBN 978 04733 81127, A5 Perfect Bound softcover,
Dogaliciousness, ISBN 978 04733 81127, A5 Perfect Bound softcover,
Book Launch at Rayner Bros Gallery
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Book captures the buildings of region - Wanganui MidweekLocal artist and businesswoman Antonia Sims is best known for her Art Deco Castlecliff postcards and her dog Mocha who steals the show at the Saturday River Market. She is about to release the first book in a series, entitled Avenue & Alleyways - Whanganui - a photographic art book focusing on aspects of local architecture.
Whanganui has a unique collection of architecture. The problem of being a local is familiarity - you overlook what is under your nose, she says. Antonia has taken on a personal project to record and share our architecture with other New Zealanders, and internationally. The first book is being quietly launched at the Rayner Bros gallery this Friday, July 29 as part of a group exhibition. Paige's Book Gallery has agreed |
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to stock the book and take pre-orders. Other books focused on the Whanganui region are planned and are at various stages of progress.
"I have a love of architecture and after moving here almost two years ago immediately began to appreciate the uniqueness of the buildings here," Antonia says. "The rapid growth of Whanganui from 1870 to 1920s gave rise to a significant number of buildings, appropriate for what was the fastest growing city in the country. Most of these buildings are still standing, and someone told me recently that more than 10 per cent of heritage listed buildings in the country are in Whanganui. "It is a generally unrecognised resource, and fantastic for lovers of history and architecture."
Avenues & Alleyways - Whanganui takes a slightly different approach to the norm. "As an artist and photographer I decided that the books needed to be photographic art books first, and historical books second.
"We have a number of local historians doing a fantastic and invaluable job of recording historical details, but no-one visually recording the character and details of the architecture. Ultimately for international appeal the books need to be an art book, or coffee table book. Ideally I want someone in Australia, or Germany, to pick up one of these books and say 'I want to go there'. Already a number of tourists from Europe and Australia specifically target Napier for its architecture. If you are going to Napier, you should be also coming to Whanganui for its architecture."
As the title suggests, the book focuses on the buildings of the Avenue from the alleyways and back streets. "I worked with the proposition that buildings reflect the ongoing needs of the people with use and inhabit them. There is a front face, which can be likened to the persona that we all, as individuals, present to the world. However, just like the true character of a person reveals itself when the mask comes off and we think no-one is watching (just like when we curl up on the couch after a hard day) so it is with buildings. Hence I've likened the back face of a building to an actor after a performance is over, and they are backstage with the stage make-up off.
"The result is a unique view of Whanganui. These are not pretty photographs of photoshopped cover models. These are authentic views of seasoned character actors. I want people to look at these images and wonder about all that has gone on in that building. What do all the lines and wrinkles tell us about its life. I want people to reminisce and hopefully recall memories about being there - as a child, when they started their first job and other memories. There is an innate beauty in the back faces of our building which tell us many stories - they are just not the augmented prettified artificial images we are bombarded with every day."
When asked what gave her the inspiration for the books Antonia said, "My love of architecture and how buildings interact with people made this an inevitable choice for a book. However there were a number of catalysts to make it happen. When I arrived in Whanganui I lived in Windsor Terrace, up by the Durie Hill Tower. Walking into town I often met tourists and chatted with them. When asked what they were enjoying about Whanganui, often an unplanned stop, most loved the view and proximity to the mountains, the friendliness of the people and the character of the buildings in the CBD which gave a unique feel to the town they had not experienced elsewhere on their travels. It reinforced to me that there was a genuine interest in the character and details of the architecture in this town.
"At another level we can blame Hemingway. In the middle of a cold, gray, foggy Hamilton winter I was chatting with a friend about where we'd be, if we could be anywhere and do any thing. I laughingly commented that 'I'd be in the Florida Keys, in a little cottage by the sea and doing the Hemingway thing - writing books, but not the alcohol thing'. Well, now I'm in a small cottage in Castlecliff, about 300m as the crow flies from the North Mole and ocean, and now the first book has eventuated. The Universe seems to have a little bit of a sense of humour in how it delivers what you wish for - perhaps Castlecliff is the new Florida Keys but we just haven't realised it yet!
"More seriously, I couldn't have written the book in the Keys. Everything I needed to implement a book is right here in Whanganui. The subject matter, a great town to focus you on creative pursuits, and a printer able to meet my publishing demands. There is also an active Camera Club, of which I am now vice-president, with a large group of members who enthuse and support each other. The club effectively restored my passion in photography after a hiatus.
"I must acknowledge our local library which is extremely supportive of local authors and researchers. As far as feeding back into the community it is probably one of the best in New Zealand. Without the resources provided through the library and passion of its staff, the book may not have eventuated. And this is probably true of many other books by local authors. It is as though everything came together in Whanganui.
"As a consequence I have started the boutique firm Fluffy Dog Publishing. At the moment I am funding these books myself, but as I grow the business I will looking to possible liaisons with printers and book distributors. I am keen to keep as much of the work being done in Whanganui - all the printing work is done locally, and all the content and design is done myself. I intend to develop the business using a lean business model, and hence all marketing will be strategic and rely on building new networks. Fortunately, as a patent attorney, I have a wealth of experience from all the businesses I have worked for and with, as well as the networks established through being on various boards.
"As to why I called it Fluffy Dog Publishing? That is after my dog Mocha, a Keeshond (Dutch Barge Dog) and he appears in the logo. I laugh that he is better known locally than I am - I think everyone who attends the Saturday markets knows who he is or has stopped to pat him. We are always getting stopped in the street, or getting out of the car. It is quite wonderful really, which is why I promoted him to Marketing Manager! If ever the city needed a mascot to represent its friendliness, it is personified in Mocha. Perhaps he should run for Mayor!"
Deciding to move to Whanganui was not a difficult choice as Antonia has family here, and she has been coming here most of her life to visit. She learned to swim in the Whanganui East pools, experienced her first earthquake here, and her first snow. "I just hope Whanganui soon realises its assets and takes moves to protect them. Its architecture and buildings are one of these assets and I hope that by bringing attention to them through my books we can pay more attention as a city to preserving what we have, while showcasing more of our "jewels" to potential tourists."
- Wanganui Midweek
"I have a love of architecture and after moving here almost two years ago immediately began to appreciate the uniqueness of the buildings here," Antonia says. "The rapid growth of Whanganui from 1870 to 1920s gave rise to a significant number of buildings, appropriate for what was the fastest growing city in the country. Most of these buildings are still standing, and someone told me recently that more than 10 per cent of heritage listed buildings in the country are in Whanganui. "It is a generally unrecognised resource, and fantastic for lovers of history and architecture."
Avenues & Alleyways - Whanganui takes a slightly different approach to the norm. "As an artist and photographer I decided that the books needed to be photographic art books first, and historical books second.
"We have a number of local historians doing a fantastic and invaluable job of recording historical details, but no-one visually recording the character and details of the architecture. Ultimately for international appeal the books need to be an art book, or coffee table book. Ideally I want someone in Australia, or Germany, to pick up one of these books and say 'I want to go there'. Already a number of tourists from Europe and Australia specifically target Napier for its architecture. If you are going to Napier, you should be also coming to Whanganui for its architecture."
As the title suggests, the book focuses on the buildings of the Avenue from the alleyways and back streets. "I worked with the proposition that buildings reflect the ongoing needs of the people with use and inhabit them. There is a front face, which can be likened to the persona that we all, as individuals, present to the world. However, just like the true character of a person reveals itself when the mask comes off and we think no-one is watching (just like when we curl up on the couch after a hard day) so it is with buildings. Hence I've likened the back face of a building to an actor after a performance is over, and they are backstage with the stage make-up off.
"The result is a unique view of Whanganui. These are not pretty photographs of photoshopped cover models. These are authentic views of seasoned character actors. I want people to look at these images and wonder about all that has gone on in that building. What do all the lines and wrinkles tell us about its life. I want people to reminisce and hopefully recall memories about being there - as a child, when they started their first job and other memories. There is an innate beauty in the back faces of our building which tell us many stories - they are just not the augmented prettified artificial images we are bombarded with every day."
When asked what gave her the inspiration for the books Antonia said, "My love of architecture and how buildings interact with people made this an inevitable choice for a book. However there were a number of catalysts to make it happen. When I arrived in Whanganui I lived in Windsor Terrace, up by the Durie Hill Tower. Walking into town I often met tourists and chatted with them. When asked what they were enjoying about Whanganui, often an unplanned stop, most loved the view and proximity to the mountains, the friendliness of the people and the character of the buildings in the CBD which gave a unique feel to the town they had not experienced elsewhere on their travels. It reinforced to me that there was a genuine interest in the character and details of the architecture in this town.
"At another level we can blame Hemingway. In the middle of a cold, gray, foggy Hamilton winter I was chatting with a friend about where we'd be, if we could be anywhere and do any thing. I laughingly commented that 'I'd be in the Florida Keys, in a little cottage by the sea and doing the Hemingway thing - writing books, but not the alcohol thing'. Well, now I'm in a small cottage in Castlecliff, about 300m as the crow flies from the North Mole and ocean, and now the first book has eventuated. The Universe seems to have a little bit of a sense of humour in how it delivers what you wish for - perhaps Castlecliff is the new Florida Keys but we just haven't realised it yet!
"More seriously, I couldn't have written the book in the Keys. Everything I needed to implement a book is right here in Whanganui. The subject matter, a great town to focus you on creative pursuits, and a printer able to meet my publishing demands. There is also an active Camera Club, of which I am now vice-president, with a large group of members who enthuse and support each other. The club effectively restored my passion in photography after a hiatus.
"I must acknowledge our local library which is extremely supportive of local authors and researchers. As far as feeding back into the community it is probably one of the best in New Zealand. Without the resources provided through the library and passion of its staff, the book may not have eventuated. And this is probably true of many other books by local authors. It is as though everything came together in Whanganui.
"As a consequence I have started the boutique firm Fluffy Dog Publishing. At the moment I am funding these books myself, but as I grow the business I will looking to possible liaisons with printers and book distributors. I am keen to keep as much of the work being done in Whanganui - all the printing work is done locally, and all the content and design is done myself. I intend to develop the business using a lean business model, and hence all marketing will be strategic and rely on building new networks. Fortunately, as a patent attorney, I have a wealth of experience from all the businesses I have worked for and with, as well as the networks established through being on various boards.
"As to why I called it Fluffy Dog Publishing? That is after my dog Mocha, a Keeshond (Dutch Barge Dog) and he appears in the logo. I laugh that he is better known locally than I am - I think everyone who attends the Saturday markets knows who he is or has stopped to pat him. We are always getting stopped in the street, or getting out of the car. It is quite wonderful really, which is why I promoted him to Marketing Manager! If ever the city needed a mascot to represent its friendliness, it is personified in Mocha. Perhaps he should run for Mayor!"
Deciding to move to Whanganui was not a difficult choice as Antonia has family here, and she has been coming here most of her life to visit. She learned to swim in the Whanganui East pools, experienced her first earthquake here, and her first snow. "I just hope Whanganui soon realises its assets and takes moves to protect them. Its architecture and buildings are one of these assets and I hope that by bringing attention to them through my books we can pay more attention as a city to preserving what we have, while showcasing more of our "jewels" to potential tourists."
- Wanganui Midweek