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Inside Dues Reminder Note: You can click on the above links to go directly to the article; or you can scroll through the entire newsletter. You can also print the entire newsletter. NVPS Membership Dues reminder: You must be a current member of NVPS to compete in the monthly competitions. If you have not yet paid your annual dues for the 2007-08 season, please do so by October 9 to help ensure eligibility in future competitions this year. Additional information about NVPS membership can be found at: http://nvps.org/main//about/about-nvps October 2, 2007 Don North has traveled most of his working life as a Photojournalist. He is currently involved with production of two documentaries to show his photojournalism. They are: Return to Guazapa: A Review of the El Salvador Revolution and Return to Dieppe: With Canadian Veterans of the 1942 Raid on Nazi Occupied France. He is also involved with planning, Remembering Saddam. In Nov. 2007, he will lecture at the University of Shantou, China at a conference of war correspondents. Don North has carved a real niche for himself in photojournalism and war reporting by looking closely at some of the biggest armed conflicts in recent history. Armed with a Nikon, notepad and film or video, he has ventured into the maelstroms of Vietnam, Afghanistan, El Salvador, the Gulf War, Bosnia, Kosovo and Iraq---15 wars in the past 30 years. After 3 years in Vietnam as a cameraman and then correspondent for both ABC and NBC News, Don studied Arab Nationalism at Columbia. Shifting focus from Asia, he became NBC bureau chief in Cairo and covered the Middle East. He was based in Tel Aviv in 1973 and followed the Israeli forces in the Golan and Suez. Based on his experience covering terrorism, he directed the documentary, "Time of the Jackals: the Carlos Connection" and won a Gold Medal at the New York Film Festival in 1976. Don then covered the Afghan war against Soviet occupation and, then, during the Gulf War, he served as Media Advisor to Joint Commander, Prince Khalid Bin Sultan. He produced TV programs, trained Saudi Military spokesmen and accompanied the Saudi 20th Infantry into Kuwait. In 1993, Don covered the Bosnian conflict and siege of Sarajevo for TV news and an Arab news magazine. He also trained TV journalists for UNESCO in Bosnia and Romania and for USAID in Egypt. He directed aerial footage in Yemen for Paramount's "Rules of Engagement." During the Iraq War, he was embedded with the Army's 101st Airborne Division; after the fall of Baghdad he became Senior Advisor and staff trainer for the Iraq Media Network. Recently, Don has done university lectures on Iraq, Vietnam and Burma. He seems to be constantly at work either doing photojournalism or educating others about it. You are invited to join Don North for dinner at Chili's at 6:00PM on 2 Oct. in the Tyson's area on Route 7. Please inform Tom Brett if you will join the group for dinner.
Survey Later this month we’ll be sending out a link to an online survey so we can learn more about our members preferences and how the membership feels we are doing as a club. I encourage everyone to participate as it will help this year’s board and boards in years to come serve the membership better by understanding what our members like and dislike. To encourage your participation we’ll be giving away a couple of $20 gift certificates to Penn Camera to 2 random survey respondents. Polarizing Filters Nights are getting cooler and the smell of fall is in the air. What better time is there to dust off your camera and get reacquainted with it? Apple orchards, pumpkin patches and fall leaves are just around the corner. It’s a great time to join us at NVPS for a meeting, a field trip or possibly a workshop to help improve your photography skills and prepare you for the fall color. Be sure to pack your circular polarizing filter to intensify the fall. Check out http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml for more information on polarizing filters. Hot Air Baloon Festival Information on fall foliage is available from the state of Virginia web site at http://www.virginia.org/fall/home.asp. Also of interest is the Shenandoah Hot Air Balloon Festival coming up on October 19th – 21st. Balloons can be an excellent subject to photograph particularly with early morning or early evening light. More information can be found at http://www.historiclongbranch.com/balloonfest/. We hope to see you at NVPS soon for your fall photography preparation. Scott Musson October 16, 2007 The first of three THEMED and TIME-DATED competitions announced by NVPS for the 2007-2008 camera club year will take place October 16 at 7:30 p.m. The theme "Street Photography/Photojournalism" will be judged by the renowned documentary and fine art photographer, journalist and author, FRANK VAN RIPER. Since 1992,he has been the photography columnist of the Washington Post, where his column, "Talking Photography" now appears in the Camera Works section of Washingtonpost.com. His first book of photography, Faces of the Eastern Shore, was published in 1992, and another book,Talking Photography, a ten-year collection of his columns and other photography writing, was published in 2001. A popular teacher and lecturer, Van Riper is on the faculty of PhotoWorks at Glen Echo Park, MD and has lectured and/or taught in the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program, Maine Photographic Workshops, the University of Maine at Machias and at other colleges and universities in the mid-Atlantic. Since "themed" competitions have a 2-year TIME REQUIREMENT, members are reminded that all parts of the image must have been shot within two years of the competition date. "Street Photography" is photographed in towns and urban areas where the image tells a story. An example might be a couple walking down a busy sidewalk holding hands or a policeman in the middle of an intersection directing traffic. However, it is not necessary to have a person in the image. A "Going Out of Business" sign in a store window also tells a story. Rehearsed or posed performances are NOT permitted. Behaviors should be unaffected by the camera's presence. Due to the earlier starting time of 7:30 p.m. for ALL NVPS meetings, members are URGED to allow sufficient driving time to arrive safely and to have all entries properly registered and submitted fifteen minutes BEFORE the start of the competition. Copies of Mr. Van Riper's books will be available for purchase and inscription at the meeting. Promotions Congratulations to the following people: Willa Friedman, promoted to Advanced Monochrome Bob Friedman, promoted to Advanced Color Prints Emi Wallace and Susan Breen, promoted to Advanced Digital Images
Amie Tannenbaum VP Competitions
717-398-9705 miladyamie@aol.com
As you all no doubt noticed, the digital projector is in serious need of adjustment. Many of the images that had white highlight areas appeared “blown out” to the judge, an issue that the competition team is very concerned about. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be acquiring a color calibration system and using it to get the system in better color balance. Our goal is to be able to produce images that look as good projected as they did on your computer at home. We will be posting additional information on the website and in FotoFax as the maintenance continues. If you have any comments, suggestions or questions feel free to contact me. Images for Digital Competitions must be uploaded by 6 PM on the Sunday preceding the competition. The upload location is: http://nvps.org/dc/. Help for uploading can be found at: http://nvps.org/main//misc/digital-competition-info/ . Matthew G. Schmidt
Old Post Office Building, Washington D.C. Subject - Cityscape The Old Post Office observation deck is “one of the city’s best kept secrets”. It is located at Pennsylvania Avenue and 12th Street. The panorama spans the monuments and Pennsylvania Avenue Corridor and the silhouettes of the Washington Cathedral and Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. The 315 foot tower makes it the third tallest structure in the District. Visitors can also view the Bells of Congress, one of the largest sets of change ringing bells in North America. More information can be found in the September issue of FotoFax. Highland Scenic Highway, Monongahyela National Forest, West VirginiaSubject - Fall Foliage - Landscape RESERVE YOUR ROOM TODAY, NLT OCT 5! This overnight field trip takes us to the beautiful Allegheny Highlands of West Virginia at the peak (I hope.) of the fall color. Jim Clark has immortalized this area in his book “West Virginia, The Allegheny Highlands.” There are literally miles of picturesque landscape. More information can be found in the September issue of FotoFax. The tentative calendar for the entire year can also be found in the September issue of FotoFax. Sign-up Information You can sign up for any of these trips at club meeting,
by e-mailing me at tek7@cox.net or
by calling me at (703) 938-6391 most evenings. Although email is
preferred, if urgent call my blackberry (day) or cell (eves) at (571) 201-0497
and (571) 217-1010 respectively.
Teresa Klinkosz October 23, 2007 The NVPS October Forum, taking place on 10/23/07, will focus on the Art of Seeing. Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant are internationally renowned photographers. Each year they conduct workshops in New Brunswick, Canada, which are attended by photographers from all over the world. This year a dozen members of NVPS participated in a workshop from Freeman Patterson and Andre Gallant. At each workshop, every participant is given an individualized assignment designed to stretch imagination and inspire creativity. The October Forum will be a presentation of the assignments by the NVPS participants. Don't miss these examples of “photography under pressure", and an opportunity to learn how you can tap into the creative genius that lies within you. Mary O'Neill
CRITIQUE - October 9 Recently several NVPS Camera club members completed Joe Miller’s Seminar on Judging. Two or three of them will critique images October 9, 7:30 PM, at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. Critiques are intended to give you educational feedback and enable you to learn about visual design and other attributes of good photography from observing the critique of images made by you and others. We encourage you to consider submitting images that were taken on field trips, respond to recent workshop topics, or are eligible for the October Street Photography/Photojournalism themed competition. To give the “critquers” adequate time to discuss individual images there will be a limit of three images per person. (Even with this image-number limit, it may not be possible to critique all submitted images depending on the number of entries.) You are encouraged to bring your pictures as digital or film slides, rather than prints, because they are easier for the audience to view. You should feel free, however, to bring prints, if you wish. Regardless of what media you submit, please designate your priority preferences—one, two, or three—in case we have too many entries. For film slides (and prints) we will have three trays (stacks) designated, 1, 2, and 3 into which you are to sort you pictures. The “critiquers” will critique all the 1-preferences before moving the 2’s. If you bring prints or film slides, please arrive several minutes early to sort your images in the correct stack or tray. If you plan to submit digital slides, please attach them to an email addressed to Minnie Gallman (pggallman@verizon.net) and send them to Minnie by 6 PM, Sunday, October 7. Put “Critique Workshop Image(s)” in the Subject box. Images should not exceed 1024 pixels wide or 768 pixels high. Resolution should be 72 pixels per inch. Please name your digital slides by designating the preference first, followed by your name, and title; e.g., 2-Bill Prosser-Seneca Window. If you have questions, you may contact Minnie by phone. Novice Night on October 30th The Workshop committee is taking advantage of the 5th Tuesday to hold a Novice Night. The evening will begin with a lecture by Ed Funk who has taught many photography courses at Northern Virginia Community College. Ed will cover some of the fundamentals of photography to include:
The second half of the evening will give participants the opportunity to ask questions and use their cameras. We will have “stations” to answer questions about Nikons, Canons etc. In addition, we plan to have some opportunities to use your camera. Hopefully, we can have a part two to continue this learning experience. If you have questions you may contact us by email or phone: Workshop Coordinators:
Portfolio Project Update Currently you should be working on what type of portfolio you would like to put together. Since we have over seven months before they need to be turned in, like me, you may want to work on more than one and decide later which you wish to have critiqued and judged. At the September Workshop we talked a bit about the artist’s statement. Probably for many of us, a more accurate term would be a portfolio statement. Your statement might be that you have included images that you consider the best of the year, that you enjoy many different types of photography so you did not restrict yourself to a theme. Of course, you can choose a theme for your portfolio; for example, infrared imagery, the best of Great Falls, water, children, or grandchildren – what ever you enjoy photographing. If you are planning on selling your images or would like them hung in a gallery, then by all means, follow the advice Jim Steele and Carla Steckley gave us at our Workshop. Find out what your potential customers wants to see and put together a portfolio that is specifically designed for their needs. In this case, you need to write an artist’s statement that reflects your qualifications as a photographer and some words about the content of the portfolio. Search the web on, “writing a photographer’s artist statement.” Try several search engines and you should find a wealth of information and help. If your portfolio, like mine, is only for personal use, then make it suit your needs. I’m trying to learn how to make IR images, so one of my portfolios is going to be the best IR images I’ve made this year. The following is my portfolio statement:
I’ve received several requests to change the project’s time (June 2007 to May 2008) requirements. One individual was already working on a project that began before the June 2007 start date and wanted to know if they could back the start date up a few months to incorporate the work they have already done. Another individual is working on a wildlife portfolio and was concerned about losing the month of May (Portfolios will be turned in for judging in early May.). Since May is the peak month for the animal behavior he is most interested in capturing, he requested backing up the starting date several months. If you have a similar concern, please talk to me. I’m sure we will be able to accommodate your needs. The Portfolio Project, as originally conceived, was to consist of current work, to challenge members to go out and collect twelve excellent images over a year’s time. We would like to avoid having our critiquers reviewing images that are 5, 10, 20 or 30 years old. We all change with time (this is brought to my attention every time I pass a mirror) and our photography changes with time too. It makes little sense to critique old imagery since you are not the same photographer today. All portions of the Portfolio Project are optional. If you don’t want to participate in the on-line critique or the final judging, that is fine. If you don’t wish to display your portfolio at the end-of-year banquet, that’s also fine. You may feel your images can stand on their own; therefore, you don’t see the need to write an artist’s or portfolio statement. That’s fine too. It’s your portfolio. I have established the on-line portfolio album on the NVPS website. Go to www.nvps.org and click “Gallery” on the left. When the Gallery page comes up, scroll down and click on the image above “Album: Portfolio Project.” Currently, I only have one album in the project. When you email me your pictures, I will create an album containing your images for each of you. Click on the image above my name and you will enter my album. You will see my portfolio statement at the top and 17 attempts at IR photography below. Please send me some of your images and your portfolio/artist’s statement and I’ll set up your album. Directions for submitting images: You don’t have to wait until you get all 20 images before you send them to me. I suggest that when you have about 5, that you email them to me a pwsimmons@msn.com. Part of the capabilities of albums is that you can make comments on each other’s images. All you need to do is click “Comments” on the left side of the screen. Comments that you enter will appear below the photo. Critiquer’s comments will appear above the photo. I encourage you to enter comments on each others work, to get an exchange going. A comment like, “I certainly enjoy this image. It’s one of the strongest in your portfolio.” As well as a comment like, “I feel this image is one of the weaker images in your portfolio.” can be very useful in determining which of your images others like. In the distant past, when I actually worked for a living, I hung my images around my office cubical. I was always surprised at which images people enjoyed and which (always my favorites) they didn’t. We had to set some limits for this project so we won’t swamp those critiquing and the judge. The limits are:
Your images will be sorted on the file name and displayed in ascending order. Please follow the naming convention described above. By doing this, you will be able to control the order the images are displayed in the portfolio. I will be able to add, subtract and rearrange the images in your portfolio. Just email me with what you want done. I’ve gotten several comments from individuals concerned that they don’t have twelve good images. Remember, you have 7 to 8 months to collect them and that the joy of photography is photographing. Go out and have some fun. I’ve also received several questions regarding the physical format of your portfolio. This, of course, is up to you. Pick a display format that fits with your needs. Many commercial portfolios are contained in a portfolio box. These can be purchased from Light Impressions (www.lightimpressionsdirect.com). Portfolio boxes usually contain matted prints. Portfolio boxes have the advantage that you can quickly change the content of your portfolio to reflect the needs of your potential client. My portfolio is going to be in an album made by Prat that I purchased from B&H (www.bhphotovideo.com). It holds 11 inch by 14 inch prints in polypropylene sheet protectors. I plan on printing 8 by 10 inch images in the center of the 11 by 14 inch sheets of photo paper. The white border around the image will serve as the mat. I have also found albums and scrap books at Michaels and Penn Camera. Another option is to produce your portfolio as a book or booklet. Internet publishing is a going concern and a lot of fun. You might try Kodak or MyPublisher (www.MyPublisher.com). Sherwin Kaplan has graciously agreed to serve as our judge. Sometime early in May I will collect the portfolios and deliver them to Sherwin. I would like Sherwin to have three weeks to review them. If you are publishing your portfolio as a book or booklet and wish to have more that twelve images, that’s ok. I will instruct Sherwin to judge the first twelve images in your book as your portfolio. Well, I believe that’s enough for now. Paul Simmons
Hendry House The annual Hendry House exhibit for NVPS will be November 9 through 11. Sign up to exhibit at Hendry House until Oct. 9. See the September issue of FotoFax for more information. Arlington Library We have a chance to exhibit at the Arlington Library. The theme of the exhibit will be "Flowers of Virginia". Turn in Pictures for Arlington Library by Oct. 2. See the September issue of FotoFax for more information. Jan Ponder
Photographers of Northern Virginia No new programs are being taped. Repeat programs are being shown by Channel 10 on a filler basis. Please refer to the nvps website, http://nvps.org/main/upcoming/tv_program_photographers_of_no/, for each month's schedule. Luella Murri
Corey Hilz’s 2008 Location Workshop Schedule Corey Hilz’s 2008 Location Workshop Schedule
Details about each workshop (and photo galleries) can be
found at www.CoreyHilz.com in the “Instruction” section.
Feel free to contact Corey with any questions: corey@coreyhilz.com or
703.473.4618 Frank Van Riper Fall/Winter Classes, Field Trips at PhotoWorks Frank Van Riper, longtime Washington Post photography columnist, author and lecturer, will be offering a full plate of workshops and field trips this fall and winter at PhotoWorks at Glen Echo, Park, Md. Frank is one of PW's most popular teachers, who emphasizes hands-on, no-pressure, instruction in everything from studio lighting, documentary photography, to mastering your on-camera flash. His classes fill early, so early registration via the Photoworks website is strongly recommended. Upcoming offerings include:
See Glen Echo Park website for further classes and registration: http://www.glenechopark.org/. Frank also can be contacted directly: GVR@GVRphoto.com Va Digital Photo Safaris Calendar
10% discount for repeat participants 10% discount for camera club members To sign up for a Va Photo Safari go to www.vasafaris.com. Jack Nevitt & Alan DeFelice CKB Photography Classes Christine Bowles will offer two workshops in September - Water Photography and Macro Photography. Both workshops will take place in Ellicott City, MD. For dates, prices, and additional information, please refer to the attached flier or visit the Workshops area of my website at: www.ckbphotography.com.
World Press Photo Award-Winning Photos A photo exhibit that is accessible on the web, but which
unfortunately will not be coming to Ansel Adams and Annie Leibovitz Exhibits at the Corcoran Gallery There will be an exhibit of Ansel Adams works including some famous and some rarely-exhibited prints at the Corcoran Gallery from September 15, 2007 to January 27, 2008. Her professional work along with some of Annie Leibovitz's personal photographs will be on display from October 13, 2007 to January 13, 2008. Tickets are required. Visit the Corcoran website ( http://www.corcoran.org/index.asp) for further information. Dreamscapes and Destinations - Andre Gallant The Manassas-Warrenton Camera Club is sponsoring a full day of tips, techniques, abstracts, montages and instruction by Andre Gallant. The seminar is November 3, 2007 from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and the fee is $60 before September 30th and $70 afterward. For information call 703-590-5921 or 540-347-0006 or visit www.mwcc-photo.org. Costa Rica Costa Rica awaits, come photograph BATS, birds and more with
Wildlife Photo Tours in 2008. Costa Rica is home to all three species of
Vampire bats and we hope to photograph all three. Additionally, Costa Rica
is home to some of the most magnificent birds on the planet! Other tours
for 2008 include Bosque del Apache, Aransas, TX for Whooping Cranes, and
bats and venomous reptiles in Arizona and New Mexico. Visit our website
at www.wildlifephototour.com for additional tour information. Loudoun Photography Club Meetings are held on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays at 7:00 pm at theCascades Library (aka Eastern Regional Library) or as indicated. No additional information was provided. Manassas Warrenton Camera
Club Program: Members Showcase – Summer Vacation Photo Shoots. Competition: PhotoArt exhibit Oct 1st - 28th. RCC
Hunters Woods. Judge Steve Passman Self-Improvement Outing: Sat, 10/13 @ 8:00 a.m. (Green Spring Gardens Park, 4603 Green Spring Rd., Alexandria) … This is a fixed, small group of photographers … the October assignment is “Triangles” … for more information, contact Dan Feighery at VPS_Dan@cox.net
Bogen/Manfrotto 3275 Compact Geared Head (Quick Release)
with plate. Photogenic Studio Lights (2 lite heads) with power pack, 400 watt seconds power; great for a first time studio set-up. $1400. Erwin Siegel 703-960-6726 anytime.
Equipment assistant – someone control the lights at meetings, move prints on competition nights, transport the print display box and to learn and/or help with the presentation equipment. Contact Scott Musson, smusson@mindspring.com Feature Editor - one or more people to write articles of interest to the membership for the monthly newsletter. Digital photography, film photography, specialty photography, articles about members, etc. Contact Sam Schaen, editor@nvps.org |