Getting to know Kapiti Coast Photographic Society

Kapiti Coast Photographic Society cleaned up at the 2014 Photographic Society of New Zealand Central Regional Salon, topping the digital set competition and placing third in print, with individual members Neil Gordon and Alison Viskovic winning the print and digital sections, respectively. And beyond competitive success, the club also put together a 54-image exhibition at the Paraparaumu Library Gallery. The Waikanae Estuary Exhibition was contributed to by 17 society members, explains Viskovic, who is now the organization’s new president.

“This publicized the work of the Waikanae Estuary Care Group, and attracted many positive comments from the public for the interest, quality and presentation of the images.”
It’s not surprising the photographic community of Kapiti Coast is such an active and high-achieving lot, the area itself is the perfect breeding ground for photographic talent. Natural features like mountains, bush, farmland and coastal scenes are never far, there’s a scientific reserve boasting 60 types of birds, and the district’s towns play host to year-round community activities.

The society is currently around 60 members strong, with a social atmosphere Viskovic describes as “friendly, keen, active”. Comprised of novice, intermediate, and advanced member grades, the club runs four annual salons in which each grade competes in print and digital categories.

The society also takes part in the PSNZ-sponsored interclub salons.
Education is an important part of society life too, with special development groups set up to focus on upskilling in targeted areas, such as lighting, working with layers in Photoshop, Lightroom workflow, and matt cutting. Viskovic says there are plans to expand these offerings to include a mentoring scheme for novice members, which will also link into future development sessions.

Other big plans for 2015 included building on the success of the Waikanae Estuary Exhibition, and working towards an even bigger show, called Kapiti from the Mountains to the Sea, with a view to exhibiting in 2016.

“This is intended to cover anything that can be seen in the Kapiti region, from landscapes to wildlife, to people’s activities to the expressway that is marching through the area.”
For more information on the Kapiti Coast Photographic Society visit kcps.org.nz.

This article was originally published in D-Photo Issue No. 64. You can pick up a print copy or a digital copy of the magazine below: