The health and economic crisis caused by the covid-19 pandemic is having a profound effect on our lifestyles, and there is currently no end date to the restrictions it is imposing.
As a result, the Focus Committee has taken a number of important decisions:
New shoot and image posting guidelines
- Recreational landscape photography is no longer permitted across most of Australia. International and inter-state travel are severely restricted. As a result, there are no official Focus shoots until further notice.
- Focus does not condone Members breaching official guidance for their daily exercise or travelling away from home for the purpose of recreational photography – which is clearly not permitted under current legislation. Members who ignore this policy and who share images in the Focus community, risk having their images removed.
- These limitations will be relaxed as soon as authorities permit outdoor recreational activity, such as landscape photography, but Focus firmly asks its Members to comply with the restrictions currently in place. Examples of images which might be in breach of these rules include long exposures and aerial / drone shots, which require equipment not essential for “daily exercise”. Being alone at sunrise does not excuse any of us from the guidance.
- Posts from Members’ back catalogue of landscape and seascape images are, of course, permitted.
- Such strict measures have prompted the Focus Committee to relax its rules surrounding content on its social media platforms. To encourage Members to continue to enjoy and experiment with their photography, new subjects can be introduced for a limited six-month period, to include still life, macro and abstract compositions from around the home and garden, for example. Existing rules to exclude portraits and domestic pets remain !
Support for Focus Sponsors and Trip Providers
- Many businesses are suffering as a result of the crisis, including Focus Sponsors and Focus-approved Trip Providers. Focus will contact each of these businesses to identify ways we can continue to support them during this difficult time.
2020 Focus Awards cancelled
- The combination of these factors has prompted the Focus Committee to cancel the 2020 Focus Awards competition and the 2020 Focus Awards Dinner.
- The Focus Awards is by far the biggest project run by Focus during the course of a year and takes months of preparation. It relies on the generosity of Sponsors to raise a significant prize pool which, in the current climate, cannot be taken for granted.
- Gatherings of up to 200 people are, of course, not permitted currently. Although these restrictions may have been lifted by November 2020, it is not possible to plan and make financial commitments for such an event at this stage. Hence the decision to cancel the Focus Awards Dinner.
- The Focus Committee will, however, be planning for the return of the Focus Awards competition and the Focus Awards Dinner in 2021.
- The Focus Awards has generated a small financial surplus over recent years, to help fund additional Focus activities. Fortunately, Focus has maintained prudent financial reserves and can withstand a year of reduced revenue, while continuing to offer online and other services to its Members.
New initiatives
- Focus remains committed to encouraging and inspiring its Members to follow their shared passion for landscape photography. We can do this in a number of ways : by continuing to post images (shot before restrictions came into place); to experiment with new photographic styles, such as still life, macro or abstract compositions from around the house or garden, for example; to stimulate photography-related conversations in the Focus community ; by running smaller / occasional competitions and by collecting and sharing free content that might interest and inspire Focus Members. More announcements on these initiatives will follow soon.
- 2020 will be a difficult year for many of us, but we can only echo what so many others have already said, which is to take care, stay safe and we will get through this.
- Please address any comments or suggestions to the Focus Committee at : https://focusphotographers.org/contact/