Canberra Photo Marathon Team loves to keep in touch with participants from previous years. We love the feed back, the criticism and also the enthusiasm the participants share with us. It really helps us in making the photo marathon better each year.
This year our long friend and past winner Debbie Hartley was very generous in giving us time to chat with us. Debbie was the 2010 portfolio winner and this year will be her third photo marathon. She’s very excited for this year’s event and so are we. Read our chat for some tips that might prove valuable to you on the 31 of March.
Welcome back, Debbie, it’s good to have you back this year. Tell us what does photo marathon mean to you as an accomplished photographer?
I love the personal challenge that the photo marathon presents to me. The excitement of discovering what themes have been chosen and how they may be interpreted, not only by me but all the photographers. The photo marathon really gets the creativity working and that’s what I enjoy the most! I hear that the date has been announced as the 31 March and I have already entered and blocked that day out on my calendar!
What was the best thing for you in your photo marathon experience?
I think that having to push myself to think of an idea for a theme in a short amount of time is exciting for me. Normally I will take days to come up with theme photos for other projects, but having to do it quickly and in order really gets your adrenalin going and your mind working!
Do you think photo marathon is too challenging for newbie photographers? We know there are a lot of newbie photographers who are sitting on the fence, still thinking whether this event is way out of their league.
The photo marathon is for everyone, and it is definitely not out of anyones league! If you love taking photos and have a camera then you should participate! You dont have to be a seasoned photographer with an expensive camera, some of the best shots come from photographers just starting out with a point and shoot camera.
Did you do any special preparation before the day?
Nothing special. I will do things like check my camera settings, and also check the time and date in my camera. I make sure all batteries are charged and memory cards are formatted and I also clean my lenses if they need it. That’s about all I do before the day. The night before the photo marathon I try to have a good nights sleep, although usually this doesn’t happen because of the excitement of the day ahead, and I am always nervous that I will sleep through the alarm!
Were you working on the themes yourself or did you recruit friends/family to help you out?
In my first year I had not only the moral support from my partner, daughter and granddaughter but they also assisted with holding things and also appearing in my images, and they didnt complain too much!. Last year I had no helpers and I worked alone and that was ok too.
Any advice (or pre warning) for partner/family/friends who accompany participants on the day?
Be helpful if needed and make sure that you provide food and drink at regular intervals – after all it is a marathon!
In a scale of 1-10 how fun was the past photo marathon for you?
I would have to say 10+.
Any expectations on this year’s photo marathon? Are you anxious to know what the themes are?
I dont usually have any expectations, only that I want to take photos that I am happy with and get them all done on time! Last year I finished my last photo with about 1/2 hour to spare, and I still had to get to the final meeting place to have them entered. I think I was more anxious about getting my photos in on time than I was taking them! I am always excited to find out what the themes are. When an idea for a theme comes to mind I just go with it. There is not a lot of time for each image, and there is always pressure when you have to do a photograph for each theme in the order that they appear on the list. I know last year when I was out and about I saw a lot of ideas for images for certain themes, but I couldn’t use those ideas as I still had other theme photos to do first!
You were taking the first prize for the best portfolio in 2010, any tips you’d like to share?
I dont really have any tips about how to win, I think just have fun enjoy the day and you never know you may have taken that winning pic! It helps to be at the meeting place earlier, because then you have more time to interpret a theme! Remember, you’ve to to be in it to win it!
Debbie, thank you so much for your time!
My pleasure.
That’s it folks. You have to be in it to win it. It is 17 days to go. If you haven’t registered already please do so, and for those who have we’ll see you soon.
Click Debbie Hartley Photography to check out her work.
