Table of contents for March-April 2016 in Capture

The world is a very different place to what it was like just a few years ago, when social media was only just starting to get a little traction. In 2008, Facebook overtook MySpace, which at one time was a more popular site than Google. Now, this seems very hard to believe given its relative obscurity. Instagram, which has grown exponentially in the last couple of years, did not even exist just six years ago. Today, the power and influence of social media is unquestioned, but for all its positives, there are downsides. Sebastian Copeland argues that one of the more significant casualties is that of the humble website. In our feature on the importance of documentary photography, he says that given the impact of social media which has collectively…

Today’s world feels like someone has slammed their foot on the accelerator and everyone is scrambling to keep up. Endless streams of information, and people with limited attention spans have become the norm. Moments that slow people down in this hyper-paced world are few and far between. But documentary photography allows such moments to occur, as well as contemplation, consideration, and, maybe, action. These photographers, dedicated to documenting the world around them, gently apply the brakes on this accelerated world and capture the stories of things left behind. Many of the issues facing people and the planet today are slow and inching forward. While others are far more rapid. The effects of climate change, disappearing cultures, environmental decay, and socio-economic divides are all around us, but often forgotten as people…

Born in Hobart, surf, landscape and aerial photographer, Stuart Gibson started photography after a car accident left him plastered up and hobbling in crutches. Shooting on a pre-loved Canon film rig, he began to realise that photography may just be the next step in his life. And so, what began as a horrible incident has led Gibson to pursue photography. Now, he travels all over the globe to capture the surf and pristine landscapes from the air and underwater. In his career, he has primarily shot for surfing magazines, surfers and a few relationships have led him to work in a resort in Fiji, capturing surfing. But with a desire to place his camera in such challenging environments comes a need for the right tools. These days, 90% of his…

See National Photographic Portrait Prize 2015, Rockhampton Art Gallery, Rockhampton, Queensland, until 2 April. The National Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition is selected from a national field of entries that reflect the distinctive vision of Australia's aspiring and professional portrait photographers, and the unique nature of their subjects. A total of 44 images were selected for the exhibition. The 2015 winner was Hoda Afshar for Portrait of Ali. bit.ly/1SddchP Life’s a Beach by Martin Parr, Bondi Pavilion Gallery, Bondi Beach, NSW, until 27 March. One of Britain’s most beloved photographers takes the viewer on a colour-saturated journey through a place loved by all – the seaside – with its general absurdities and local quirks. Martin Parr has been photographing this subject for many decades, documenting all aspects of the tradition, including…

Ask any professional photographer today, and quoting seems to be a common source of concern. It also seems to be a significant issue for emerging photographers, let alone “semi-professionals” who are perceived to be undermining the profession, as their idea of the dollar value attached to an assignment is entirely different to those experienced in the industry. Photographers are notorious for keeping their rates, quoting and invoicing experience close to their chests, believing that this gives them a competitive edge. And while this appears to be the norm for so many professionals, it’s impacting the next generation since there is little education on what is appropriate in terms of an approach, let alone establish industry-wide standards. In the industry’s current climate, time-honoured professional photographers who are noticing the new photographers…

Cameras ■ Nikon’s flagship, the new D5 features a new 20.8-megapixel FX-format CMOS image sensor and 180K-pixel RGB metering sensor. Also new, is a 3.2 inch, 2,360k-dot LCD touchscreen. The D5 can capture motion in high-resolution 4K UHD (3840 × 2160)/30p, 25p, 24p, using internal memory cards (either 2x XQD or 2x CF) or simultaneous HDMI output. The latest generation AF system is particularly impressive. At the heart of this is the Multi-CAM 20K autofocus sensor module, which offers 153 focus points – 99 of which are cross-type sensors. Of considerable interest to those working in low light conditions, the centre focus point has a detection range beginning at an impressive -4 EV, with detection at other points kicking in at -3 EV, so you can lock focus in extremely…

Photojournalism is powerful, but it cannot stop a genocide, says Ron Haviv, who has covered three – in Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur – and seen people executed, up close. Sometimes, when he sends shocking imagery out into the world and nothing changes, he’s felt as if he has failed. But, says Haviv, photos have ‘many lives’, and later it becomes apparent what photography can do, not only what it can’t. Haviv, who has documented over 25 wars and conflicts since the late 1980s, says that it’s about understanding limitations. “Especially in the west, and especially as Americans, you think it’s everything or nothing. I felt that if the work had no impact, I couldn’t keep doing this. But then it starts to become a little more feasible… if we can…

Thankfully, nobody gets blown up by dodgy flash powder these days, but the chances of blowing the budget on a $17,000 power pack or $5,000 parabolic reflector are high. The significant investment required for some lighting systems means that photographers really need to know just exactly what they need before whipping out the old chequebook, or refinancing the mortgage. Luckily, good lighting equipment lasts and the technology does date as fast as other components, such as digital cameras. What’s on the market? The photographers interviewed for this article are all high-end professionals, and while they happen to rely on Elinchrom or Broncolor as the heart of their lighting systems, there are a number of other well-known, quality brands out there. There are also many cheaper units to choose from, but…