Creative Shots Photo Club

📸 Creative & Abstract Tip: Look Beyond the Whole Subject

Abstract photography often begins when you stop photographing the entire scene.

Instead, focus on:
• Texture
• Shape
• Colour
• Lines
• Repetition
• Tiny details

A peeling wall, reflections in water, or the centre of a flower can become an artwork all on their own.

Sometimes less reveals more.

📸 Creative & Abstract Tip: Move the Camera on Purpose

Not every photo needs to be sharp.

Intentional Camera Movement (ICM) can create beautiful abstract effects using:
• Slow shutter speeds
• Panning
• Twisting or zooming during exposure

Trees become paintings.
Lights become streaks.
Flowers become soft impressions of colour and shape.

✨ Experiment first — analyse later.

📚✨ Exciting Workshop Coming to Creative Shots Photo Club ✨📚

We’re thrilled to announce that later this year we’ll be welcoming internationally respected artist and educator Anne Pappalardo to Mackay for a very special hands-on photobook workshop experience.

Over the workshop weekend, participants will create beautiful handcrafted concertina-style photobooks while exploring visual storytelling, sequencing images, and creative presentation techniques. Whether you are an experienced photographer or just beginning your creative journey, this workshop is designed to be inspiring, practical, and accessible.

Participants will leave with two — and possibly even three — completed handmade photobooks, along with skills and ideas they can continue using long after the workshop ends.

One of the featured books will be inspired by Anne’s beautiful “Through My Window” concept, incorporating layered storytelling and creative design elements.

Workshops like this are a rare opportunity for Mackay photographers and creatives to learn directly from an experienced artist in a supportive and encouraging environment, and we are incredibly excited to bring this opportunity to our members and local creative community.

More details, dates, and booking information will be announced soon — so keep an eye on our page!

Available for members of Creative Shots Photo Club only.

Interested in joining our fun and enthusiastic camera club?
https://csmackay.myphotoclub.com.au/

📸 Natural Light is Your Friend

Beautiful portraits don’t need complicated lighting.

Soft natural light can create stunning results:
• Open shade
• Window light
• Early morning light
• Late afternoon golden light

Avoid harsh overhead midday sun where possible, as it can create strong shadows and squinting.

Simple light often creates the most timeless portraits.

☕📸 CCC EVENTS – Coffee, Camera & Conversation

Looking for a fun and relaxed way to practise your photography while enjoying great company?
Our upcoming CCC outing is the perfect opportunity to try your hand at street photography in a vibrant community atmosphere.

🎶 River of Life Festival CCC Outing

📅 Saturday 30 May 2026
⏰ Meet at 3:00 pm
📍 Bluewater Quay — at the Fishbone Sculpture

The River of Life Festival is a free community event featuring:
🎵 Five stages of live music
🎡 Rides and activities for children
🍔 Food vans and festival atmosphere
🌅 Beautiful riverfront scenes along the Pioneer River

The main stage runs until 8pm, giving plenty of opportunities to capture:
📷 Street photography
📷 Live music and performers
📷 Candid people moments
📷 Festival atmosphere and night scenes

We’ll meet at 3pm and then decide together where and when to gather for coffee, drinks, and conversation afterwards.

Come along for photography, friendship and a fun afternoon by the river! 💛

Find out more by visiting:
https://csmackay.myphotoclub.com.au/

📸 Watch the Background

A cluttered background can distract from your subject.

Before pressing the shutter, quickly check:
• Bright objects behind the person
• Trees or poles “growing” from heads
• Distracting colours or shapes

Sometimes moving just a step or two can completely improve a portrait.

A clean background helps the viewer focus on the person and their story.

A few of our members were lucky enough to attend a wonderfully creative workshop by Anne Pappalardo — “Sequenced and Folded: Creating a Concertina Book with Your Photography” — at the recent 2026 Photographic Society of Queensland Convention.

Not only was the workshop beautifully organised and well paced, but by the end we had all created an array of beautiful and emotional handmade books that each held something deeply personal and meaningful to us.

Thank you Anne for your patience, encouragement, creative input and for sharing your inspiration so generously with everyone involved.

As the title of the workshop suggests, it has opened our eyes to another meaningful way to use and share our photography — transforming images into something far more personal and intimate for both the creator and the viewer.

Drum roll please for the Champion Image of the Month. This month we are happy to announce the winner is Lenore Hansen for Lines of Silence.

Minimalism was the Set Subject for May, and here are the highest scoring images.
Honour: Rob Crutcher – Stillness.
Highly Commended: Marian Moyle – Aerial Harmony, Janice Tirrell – Ducks on Lake Biwa.

The Creative section always displays some wonderful talent:
Honour: Rob Crutcher – Convergence, Cheryl Eagers – Floral Chorus, Cheryl Eagers – The Floral Dynasty.
Highly Commended: Marian Moyle – Daybreak in Motion, Cheryl Eagers – Between Breaths.