NZ CameraTalk – August 2026

Summary

David Smith FPSNZ's "Mist on the Sportsfield" covers the fourth 2026 edition of NZ CameraTalk, and August 2026's PSNZ magazine pairs that image with a winter photography special at page 28, running Beyond the Gloom at 29 through Recharging the Lens at 41.

NZ CameraTalk August 2026, the official magazine of the Photographic Society of New Zealand, opens with From the President at 4 and Key Dates for the Diary at 6. The winter photography special anchors the issue at 28, with Beyond the Gloom at 29, Dealing with Winter Weather at 35, Winter Garden Birds at 38 and Recharging the Lens at 41. Society business runs More Than a Tagline at 8, the Bowron Foundation Fellows Exhibition at 11, judge accreditation at 12 and Melanie Dick's Journey to Fellowship at 62.

The back covers Travel Tips Part 2 at 50, AV News at 52, Using AI as a Learning Tool at 56, Workshop Reviews at 78 and Canon Online Round 3 Results at 88. The winter special is the reason to read: four pieces built for the season a New Zealand photographer is actually shooting in August.

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Content Guide

▸ Special Feature: Winter Photography
p.28 · SPECIAL FEATURE : WINTER PHOTOGRAPHY
The issue's special feature opens at 28 with the winter photography strand, gathering four pieces under one theme. It sets out what the season offers rather than treating winter as an obstacle. Plan one winter shoot from this section before the weather turns.

p.29 · BEYOND THE GLOOM
Beyond the Gloom at 29 takes on low winter light and what to do with it, naming the conditions and the camera response. It treats flat light as material rather than a problem. Shoot the next overcast morning instead of waiting for sun.

p.35 · DEALING WITH WINTER WEATHER
Dealing with Winter Weather at 35 covers the practical problem of shooting in cold and wet, including what it does to gear. The piece names the conditions and the protection needed. Keep a dry cloth and a spare battery in your bag on every winter outing.

p.38 · WINTER GARDEN BIRDS
Winter Garden Birds at 38 turns to the birds that stay through the season, naming the species and the approach to photographing them. It gives locations within a garden rather than a reserve. Set up one feeder near a window and shoot from inside.

p.41 · RECHARGING THE LENS
Recharging the Lens at 41 closes the winter strand, dealing with condensation and the optical problems cold brings. It names the fault and the fix. Let your lens reach room temperature in a sealed bag before you open it.

▸ Society
p.4 · FROM THE PRESIDENT
From the President at 4 sets the society's current direction, with the new tagline "Your Lens – Your Community – Your Opportunity" framed through More Than a Tagline at 8. It names the priorities for the period. Read it alongside the tagline piece to see the reasoning.

p.11 · INTRODUCING THE BOWRON FOUNDATION FELLOWS EXHIBITION
The Bowron Foundation Fellows Exhibition is introduced at 11, naming the fellows and the work shown. It is the first outing for the exhibition. Visit the exhibition named here if it reaches a gallery near you.

p.12 · JUDGE ACCREDITATION PANEL UPDATE
Judge accreditation at 12 reports who has been accredited and what the panel requires. It names the judges and the standard. Check the requirements printed here before applying.

p.62 · MELANIE DICK'S JOURNEY TO FELLOWSHIP
Melanie Dick's path to Fellowship is told at 62, with the images and the standard the panel applies named. The piece gives a second concrete model this year after June's Berger account. Compare her sequence with your own if you are working toward honours.

▸ Practical
p.50 · TRAVEL TIPS (PART 2)
Travel Tips Part 2 at 50 continues the travel advice, covering gear and planning for photography trips. It names the equipment and the precautions. Pack the bag list printed here before your next trip.

p.56 · USING AI AS A LEARNING TOOL
Using AI as a Learning Tool at 56 looks at where AI helps a photographer learn, and where it does not. The piece names the tools and the limits. Try one tool on a technique you are stuck on, then check the result against a reference image.

p.78 · WORKSHOP REVIEWS
Workshop Reviews at 78 reports on sessions members attended, naming leaders and what was taught. It tells you which workshops earned the fee. Book the next workshop from a leader reviewed well here.

p.88 · CANON ONLINE ROUND 3 RESULTS
Canon Online Round 3 Results at 88 prints the competition placings, naming photographers and images. It is the page members check first. Compare your entry against the placed work named here.

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Editor's Take

NZ CameraTalk August 2026 gets the season right, and that is its whole achievement: the winter photography special at 28, running Beyond the Gloom at 29 through Recharging the Lens at 41, is four pieces a New Zealand member can use in the actual month the magazine arrives. Dealing with Winter Weather at 35 and Recharging the Lens at 41 are the two that will save gear. The weakness is the front half: More Than a Tagline at 8 spends a page explaining a slogan, and the society notices at 16, 19 and 24 are internal housekeeping with no read outside the membership. The cover, David Smith's "Mist on the Sportsfield", is quiet and better than the usual competition winner. This is worth buying for the winter special alone; skip the society pages unless you need the deadlines.

Strengths
• Winter special matches the month members shoot in
• Weather and condensation pieces protect real gear
• Two Fellowship journeys give honours models

Weaknesses
• Tagline piece spends a page on a slogan
• Society notices are pure internal housekeeping

Verdict: Selective read — Buy for the winter photography special; the society pages are housekeeping.