WORKSHOPS
UPDATING DAILY!
Exclusive Bird Photography Workshop
with John Parker, Maddox Photography
Napier - Fotofest Bird Photography Workshop – Anderson Park, Napier (8 person max)
Date: 21st September 2025
Location: Start 3pm Sunday 21st September, Anderson Park, Napier (Carpark opposite ST John)
Duration: 2 hrs
Host: John Parker, Maddox Photography NZ
Join me for a fun and practical 2-hour bird photography workshop at Anderson Park, where we’ll cover the essentials of bird photography from gear to light, composition, and backgrounds.
Perfect for beginners or anyone wanting to refine their skills; this hands-on session offers a chance to learn in the field and walk away with images you’ll be proud of.
Bring your camera and let’s get shooting!
Gear Need: Camera, lens 100-400mm ideal, tripod, sturdy shoes, old warm clothes (they could get dirty)
Book here
FLOOR TALKS
"The Invisible" Floor Talk by Davide Conti
Sunday 21st Septembr 10am
CAN Gallery Napier
Originally from Sicily I’m now a Rotorua-based hobbyist photographer, drawn to bold and honest storytelling through portraiture and street photography. My focus is on people—those often unseen or overlooked—capturing raw emotion, presence, and the untold stories behind every face.
At FotoFest, I’ll be presenting The Invisible, a series that began with quiet portraits of people on the margins and evolved into a deeper, confronting project documenting gang members and street communities. Through this work, I aim to challenge assumptions and invite reflection on identity, vulnerability, and connection.
Photography, for me, is a way of witnessing and sharing—through the eye of the camera—the images, the stories, and the emotions of my encounters on the street.
John Parker - Maddox Photography Talk
Sunday 21st September 11am
CAN Gallery Napier
John, the passionate eye behind Maddox Photography NZ, is an award-winning bird photographer whose journey began in the wake of personal tragedy. Following the loss of his son Maddox, John turned to the natural world for healing, a path that led him to pick up a camera and eventually discover a deep connection with bird photography. His work is now widely published and recognised for its emotional depth and technical excellence.
In this presentation, John shares his powerful story of resilience, transformation, and purpose. He will take you behind the lens of his most meaningful images and reveal what he looks for in every frame, not just light, composition, and subject, but a story.
Tin Type Wet Plate Portrait Sessions
FOTOFEST 2025: Wet Plate Portrait Sessions
Step back in time and experience one of photography’s earliest and most captivating processes. As part of FOTOFEST 2025—Hawke’s Bay’s annual celebration of photography—I’ll be offering wet plate collodion portrait sessions in Napier and Hastings.
On Saturday, September 27, I’ll be at Creative Arts Napier (CAN), 16 Byron Street, Napier.
On Sunday, September 28, I’ll be at Arts Inc. Heretaunga, 106 Russell Street South, Hastings.
Each session captures a one-of-a-kind image on glass or metal using 1850s photographic techniques. Sessions are limited to 2 people per plate. Your finished plate will be carefully varnished and posted to you about a week later.
Come be part of this hands-on, historic experience—and take home a portrait like no other.
Bookings: https://events.humanitix.com/fotofest25
