AIPA NEWS: AUGUST 2007
Hello again TPM readers. President Leon is out of town working on a big assignment so he has asked me to write this month’s AIPA News column in his absence.
First up it gives me great pleasure to announce that the AIPA’s Workspace photography book recently won a gold award and the sheet fed category at the 2007 Pride in Print Awards. This is quite an achievement and highlights the exceptional skill and effort put in by the Brebner Print team. The judges comments say it all really – “Brilliant colour, exciting to view and excellent binding. Overall a top job!”
As a category winner Workspace was also in the running for the Pride in Print supreme award but was beaten for the top spot by another photographic publication – the stunning “Fiordland” collection by Andre Apse. So congratulations to Andre and his team for securing the supreme award. I have to say it’s really encouraging to see photography books at the forefront of New Zealand’s print industry (as they should be).
Moving from good news to even more good news, last month we saw the AIPA membership reach the 200 member mark. Our numbers have been increasing steadily over the last few years at a rate of about 25-30% per annum. This trend doesn’t seem to be slowing down as we have welcomed over 25 new members from all over the country since the beginning of April.
This got me thinking: why are so many photographers now choosing to join associations like the AIPA? Obviously there are the financial reasons (business promotion, supplier discounts, etc.) but I think in this digital age the social element has also become a key incentive. I remember fondly back to the days of film, when a trip to the lab meant more than just dropping off a few clip tests – it was a social occasion where you inevitably bumped into a couple of colleagues and had a bit of a chat. These days it feels like if we’re not shooting we spend every waking hour in front of a computer monitor where the only interesting social interaction comes in the form of an occasional personal email that we’re far too busy to even read, let alone reply to.
So with this dilemma in mind the AIPA Executive has started taking steps to make our Association meetings and events more interesting and entertaining. Our mission is to coax photographers out of their small dark retouching suites and back into the ‘real world’ where people actually talk to one another - face to face. Trust me, it’s not nearly as scary as it sounds, and who knows, you might even enjoy it!
I look forward to seeing you all soon at an upcoming AIPA event.
Aaron K
AIPA Executive Director
