Arno Wirtz
Photography Tutor
Ext. 8425
wirtza@cpit.ac.nz
"I love being able to combine my two professional interests; photographic imaging and tertiary education. While I enjoy the creative process of photography for its own sake, I believe that any paid work, arts based or not, should be of service to others. I see my main role as helping to deliver a high quality, progressive and vocational photography programme to industry expectations."
Following his business education in Duesseldorf, Germany, Arno spent a year travelling around New Zealand, Fiji and South-East Asia. After settling in New Zealand in 1988 Arno found laboratory work in the Christchurch and photographed weddings and commercial assignments for a range of clients. After winning professional awards in 1993, 1994 and 1995, Arno focused on developing his photographic business specialising in the advertising and commercial markets.
A strong interest in tertiary education was sparked after being invited to give a guest lecture at the CPIT School of Art & Design in 1995. This later resulted in Arno being contracted to the CPIT photography department during 2003 and 2004 to redevelop the current digitally focused photography programmes. Having managed the transition from analogue to digital, Arno is now a full-time tutor.
Arno's interest in photography originates from his love of travelling and a fascination with the qualities of light. His images have been published in a range of media including; magazines, brochures, posters, annual reports, company profiles, bill boards, newspapers, gift cards, calenders, books, television, CD Roms, video presentations and on the web.
Current photographic interests include environmental portraiture, street photography and resolving problems associated with the use of digital systems. Arno particularly enjoys the work of German photographer Andreas Gurtsky and is currently working on personal projects mixing and fine-tuning photographic imaging techniques with interactive digital media such as video, 3D modelling and animation.
His main area of teaching expertise is in all areas of digital production, from studio and location lighting to colour management, interactive CD Rom authoring and web design.
While acknowledging the benefits of film-based image capture, Arno believes that a balanced photographic education should include digital post-production processes and technologies.
Arno believes that the active link between staff and students, and representatives from photographic industry associations, form the corner stone of the industry-based, digital photographic programmes at the CPIT School of Art & Design.
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