What You See is What We Get!

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Media Release
10 March 2006

What You See is What We Get!

Photography throws open it’s shutters to all of Auckland, sharing the individual perspectives of the many people that work, live and play in NZ’s largest city.

The Auckland Festival of Photography is delighted to extend the active PARTICIPATION section of its annual programme with a series of open access events, offering photographers of every kind the opportunity to create and view the images that shape Auckland’s unique character.

The people of Auckland are crowned “photographers for a day” on Saturday the 10th of June when AUCKLAND PHOTO DAY takes to the street for its popular annual day in life competition. Once a year, for an otherwise entirely ordinary day the camera is called upon to create a visual story book of the scenes, places and people that define the diverse personality that is Auckland. With no requirements aside from a 24 hour time-limit and the use of a camera AUCKLAND PHOTO DAY encourages everyone to open their eyes to the city they live in.

For the first time in the festival’s history 2006 allows audiences to experience the best photographs collected in the last two PHOTO DAY events, with exhibitions showing over the greater Auckland region. The Mairangi Arts Centre (North Shore), The Trusts Stadium (Waitakere) and The EA Gallery (Auckland Central) are delighted to join this year’s festival programme in the presentation of these inspirational collections.

The participation event that premiered in the festival’s inaugural year returns to the Avondale Bowling club on the 17th of June exhibiting images documenting the celebrations, rituals, sports and cultural events which bring a community together. A BIT OF A DO selects images from a public submission process, the results of which have reflected the true diversity of Auckland’s culture. Images have ranged from the solemnity of a military memorial service to the comedy of a staged arrest by the Santa Parade police; an Ethiopian Tea Party at Potters Park to the red carpet wave of Charlize Theron at a film premiere; the tentative steps of a toddler at his first party to the image of a grandfather nodding off post Christmas dinner with party hat in tow.

New to the 2006 programme is the event that invited photographers to capture the spectacle of culture on offer in Albert Park for the AsiaNZ Chinese Lantern Festival. In its first year LANTERN has exceeded expectations with the receipt of hundreds of public entries, the best of which will be publicly exhibited at The Aotea Centre from the 3rd of June.

The Auckland Festival of Photography is delighted to see increased enthusiasm for active participation, as independent groups design their own open access public events. A series of sepia photographs taken in the French countryside on a winter’s day become features of a crime scene. POLAR D’HIVER at Alliance Française invites members of the public to write a short story inspired by these images in either French or English, the best of which will win a prize. Organised by the Gallery

The Auckland Festival of Photography runs 2nd to 24th of June. ALL EVENTS ARE FREE.

Creative Exposure Festival 2006 is supported by Adshel, ASIA NZ Foundation, North Shore City Council, Creative Communities, Community Organisation Grants Scheme, Waitakere City Council, Nikon Camera, NZ Community Trust, Triangle TV, Lion Foundation, Philips, The Trusts, Pub Charity, Auckland City Hobson, Western Bays and The ASB Community Trust.

ENDS

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