Volume
44 - No. 6 |
Founded
1965 - our 44th Year |
February
2009 |
The Newsletter of the
Northern Virginia Photographic Society |
Inside Monthly Program |
Calendar
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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. All meetings for the club year will start at 7:30 PM at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. The doors will open at 7:00 PM for a "meet and greet". As the weather becomes colder, there's a chance that a meeting may be cancelled due to snow or freezing rain. NVPS follows the Fairfax County school closing policy. Whenever evening activities in Fairfax County schools are cancelled on a meeting night [the activity cancellations are announced on TV and radio], the NVPS meeting will be cancelled as well. If you're unsure, you can call one of the Board members. We will also send out email to the membership list when a decision has been made. Remember to lock your car and place valuables out of sight. Please remember to take seats immediately when the meeting starts and to silence cell phones. |
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Monthly Program |
Photographic Journey
Maxwell MacKenzie
February 3 , 2009
We are very fortunate to have Maxwell MacKenzie joining us to present his "Photographic Journey" for Program night on Tuesday, February 3. He is a well-known commercial & fine-art photographer who specializes in architecture and design.
Based in Washington since 1980, he has shot projects all over the USA and in 16 foreign countries for architects, interior designers, magazines, developers, hotels & restaurants. His photographs are widely published and have appeared on over 400 magazine covers. He has also taught professional workshops at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre in Florida and the International Center of Photography in NY.
Mr. MacKenzie dedicates 2 months each year to his fine-art work, and has had one-man shows all over the country. He is the author of 3 books containing his personal work: Abandonings, American Ruins, & most recently, Markings–a collection of color aerial abstracts taken from his self-piloted ultra-light aircraft.
Max's presentation will explore the evolution of his body of work,
both commerical and "fine art".
Max will also be joining us for dinner at Chili's at 5:45 pm prior
to his talk, so please rsvp mary.m.o'neill@gsk.com by Monday, February
1, if you're interested in attending dinner with the speaker.
Mary O'Neill
VP for Programs
mary.m.o'neill@gsk.com
703-548-8669 (H)
Workshops, Education,
and Training |
Destroying Digital Darkroom Dilemmas
February 11
The February 10, 7:30 PM workshop at the Dunn Loring Fire Station will attempt to show members a number of computer techniques to solve their digital darkroom problems. A panel of digital darkroom experts will show techniques that can be used to enhance photo images in the digital darkroom. This will be an opportunity for members to submit questions, dilemmas, and problem images to the panel. The experts will demonstrate computer solutions to them and discuss alternatives. The workshop will try to answer questions such as: acquiring images into the computer, managing images, using digital darkroom to manipulate images, printing images, and color management.
If you have questions, suggestions, or problem images you would like the panel to help you with, you may contact Bill Prosser (prosserwm@aol.com) on or before January 27.
If there are any questions, please contact one of the Workshop Coordinators:
| Bill Prosser prosserwm@aol.com |
Melanie Marts jasmarts@cox.net |
Ed Ruggiero eruggiero@cox.net |
Competitions |
Competition Judge
Stan Klem
February 17, 2009
Stan Klem has been an active member of the Silver Spring Camera Club since 1981. Over the years Stan has served as SSCC president (1984-85 and 2005-07), director (1986-89 and 2003-07), newsletter editor (1983-85 and 2003-05), and program chairperson (2006-08).
In the mid-1990’s Stan and fellow club member Jim Malaro expanded SSCC’s activities by launching a digital imaging workshop, which introduced SSCC members to the art of electronic image manipulation. Three years later Stan started a separate digital workshop specifically for beginners. And in the last 15 years, Stan also introduced the club to concept of mini-portfolios. Stan would select about two dozen images along with some biographic information of a senior club member and present the images to the membership as 10-minute tributes. Stan felt that this exercise would help the membership gain a fuller understanding of how their fellow photographers viewed and experienced this visual world.
In club competitions Stan’s focus was almost entirely on color slides, and his subject matter was predominantly portraiture, followed by close-ups, nature, and experimental. In the his first 10 years with the club, Stan was awarded SSCC Photographer of the Year in Advanced Slides three times and achieved the honor of SSCC Master of Photographer in 1991.
In the 80’s and early 90’s Stan photographed weddings and portraits in his spare time, and in the mid-90’s he joined the Great Exposure Photo Gallery in Savage Mills, MD as one of its founding members.
For most of his professional career (39-1/2 years) Stan worked as a publications manager and editor with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, DC. He retired in January 2008. Apart from tending to much-needed home fix-up and repairs he hopes to devote more time to photography, travel, and possibly teaching.
Sandi Croan
pashli@aol.com
Matthew Schmidt
mgs@loreleistudios.com
Below are some images that received a first place award in the January competition. Clicking on one of the pictures will display a larger version.
First place winners in future competitions may be submitted to editor@nvps.org. Submitted photos should have maximum width and height of 1024 pixels and 768 pixels respectively. Images should be sent to editor@nvps.org by the Friday following the competition.
January Competition Results
| Award | Photographer | Title |
| Novice Monochrome Prints | ||
| 1st | John Naman | Geometric Icicles |
| Advanced Monochrome Prints | ||
| 1st | John Dexter | Table and Chairs |
| 2nd | Willa Friedman | Stairs |
| Novice Color Prints | ||
| 1st | Dirck Harris | Ice Fence |
| 2nd | Anna Gomez | Blowing in the Wind |
| 3rd | Will Haubert | The Wave – View from Front Door |
| HM | Lorraine Chickering | Flying Fences |
| HM | Fred Gillis | Blue Man Attacks Piano |
| HM | Tuan Pham | Decaying Lotus Leaf |
| Advanced Color Prints | ||
| 1st | John Dexter | Staircase |
| 2nd | Scott Musson | Capitol Reef |
| 3rd | Melanie Marts | Candy Dish |
| HM | Bob Feldman | Tulips of Meadowlark |
| Enhanced Prints | ||
| 1st | Tom Mangan | Hanging Out |
| 2nd | Jorja Feldman | Meadowlark Lotus |
| 3rd | Bill Prosser | Sine Curve |
| Advanced Slides | ||
| 1st | Amie Tannebaum | Rhythmic Hues |
| 2nd | Brian Payne | Squares |
| Novice Digital Images | ||
| 1st | Charles Rusnak | Red Shoes |
| 2nd | Laura Howell | autumn reflection |
| 3rd | Charles Rusnak | Rollercoaster |
| HM | Lorraine Chickering | Serpentine Salad |
| HM | Gayle Dennis | Sony Center Potsdamer Platz |
| HM | Tom Lonergan | Sandy Beach |
| HM | Tuan Pham | Circular Staircase |
| Advanced Digital Images | ||
| 1st | Scott Musson | LA Stories |
| 2nd | Evelyn Kuniyoshi | Dancing Wires |
| 3rd | Scott Musson | East Meets West Wing |
| HM | Judy McGuire | Leaf After Rain |
| HM | Bill Prosser | Wishbones-blacklight abstract |
| HM | Bill Von Holle | Drops on Green Leaf |
| HM | Emi Wallace | Smartbikes |
Matthew Schmidt Co-VP Competitions mgs@loreleistudios.com |
Field Trips |
Longwood
Gardens Conservatory
Kennett Square , PA
Date: Sunday, Feb 1, 2009
Departure
Time: 6:30 AM. (car pooling from Dunn Loring)
We will meet at the Longwood Ticket Office by 9:00 AM. The club photo shoot will last until Noon (however, you can stay until Garden closes at 5:00 PM). The Group discounted admission is $12 ($11 for seniors 62+) Details were provided in last month's FotoFax at nvps.org/main/docs/fotofax//2009/2009-1.html#LongwoodGardens
Charleston SC
April 2nd, 2009 – April 5th, 2009
Car Pools or Amtrak (from $89 each way) may be available.
Accommodations: Town and Country Inn ($119+tax) or Sleep Inn Charleston
($89+tax; $139+tax starting April 3rd).
Note that hotels rooms are very scarce and expensive in Charleston that
weekend due to the “Cooper River Bridge Run” event.
Charleston is a lovely historical city, with great architecture, parks,
waterfront and swamps. Spring flowers will be in bloom and the massive oak trees
will be draped in moss. We will visit Magnolia Gardens and other attractions
too. For more Charleston visitor information, go to http://www.charlestoncvb.com/visitors/
If you have any questions or suggestions about any of the field trips, please call or email:
Gerry Abbott
gerry.abbott "at" cox.net
703.967.9677
(mobile)
Forum |
Personal Style
Steve Passman
February 24, 2009
Gayle Dennis
Gayle.Dennis@comcast.net
Members' Gallery |
Prints
Gallery
John Dexter
February 24 , 2009
John Dexter has been interested in photography since his teens, when he acquired his first camera, learned darkroom processing, and discovered the possibility of creating images beyond the snapshot level. Pursuing a career in the Foreign Service with many overseas assignments in exotic places, his photographic enthusiasm intensified; always including darkroom work in both black and white and color. John has tried to improve his skills through reading and photography courses—although until now, he has not felt motivated to present his work for exhibit or judgement outside the walls of his own home(s).
After a succession of Contax, Nikon, Rollieflex, and Pentax film cameras through the years, and now enjoying the freedom of retirement, he went digital in 2001. John is now a Nikon DSLR and Photoshop devotee. Joining the NVPS in 2007 provided the incentive for the first time to offer his work for critical evaluation and public exhibition. With his professional career and family responsibilities behind, he now gains immense satisfaction from the challenge of applying today's amazing technology to the goal of producing photographs of as much aesthetic merit as his talent allows. In this effort, the NVPS has been an invaluable inspiration and learning experience.
Digital Projection
Curtis Gibbens
February 24 , 2009
Curtis gained knowledge and experience from the past nine years he has been a member of NVPS. The club has helped him through the hard transition from shooting film to digital. His favorite subject to photograph is wildlife, but he loves nature photography in general. This year he was also hired to shoot pictures at a social event, something he never thought he would do a few years ago.
Curtis works for McNeil Technologies and is contracted to work at the Department of Defense’s Freedom of Information Office. He is a Northern Virginia native and has seen this area grow. His favorite places to photograph are Chincoteague, Shenandoah and Huntley Meadows.
Luella Murri
703-256-5290
luellamurri@aol.com
Meadowlark Nature Photography
Expo |
What Is Meadowlark Nature Photography Expo?
A good description about the Expo can be found at the About page. Here
is the link:
http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/about.htm and
more info about the Expo on
Its web address: http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/.
When will it be held?
March7-8, 2009
Where is it?
Meadowlark Botanic Garden, a property of the Northern Virginia Regional
Park Authority,
9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court,
Vienna, Virginia 22182
Phone: 703-255-3631
http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/meadowlark/index.php
How do I get there?
From the Beltway/I-495: Take Exit
47A onto Route 7 West. Drive 5 miles though Tysons Corner, turn
left onto Beulah Road and drive 2 miles to the park entrance on the
right.
From I-66: Take I-66 to the Route 7 exit heading toward
Leesburg (second right exit). Drive 5 miles through Tysons Corner, past
the Wolf Trap light, to Beulah Road. Turn left onto Beulah Road and drive
1.5 miles to the park entrance on the right.
Who will be participating in the Expo?
Loudoun Photography Club, Manassas Warrenton Camera Club, McLean
Photography Club, Northern Virginia Photographic Society, and Reston
Photographic Society.
Who are Meadowlark Expo Coordinators for NVPS members?
Trinka Reddie (trinka@email.com) and Yulan Guo (yguova@yahoo.com).
How many images can each member submit?
No more than 6 images.
What are the Awards?
A panel of 3 jurors will select Best in Show, 2nd place and
3rd place images.
The People's Choice award will be selected by expo attendees. Each club will select an image by one of its members to be submitted.
Each of the sponsors of the expo will select a Sponsor's Award.
Where can I find more information on the People’s
Choice submission rules?
http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/peopleschoiceaward.htm.
Where can I find submission guidelines for submission of juried
entries?
You can download a pdf file on the Exhibitor Guidance page at http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/ExhibitorGuidiance2009.pdf
When and where can I start deliver my images?
Jan. 27, Feb. 3 and Feb. 10, 2009 at the NVPS meeting location.
Who are the 2009 Jurors?
Ian Plant, Miriam Stein and Chuck Veatch.
Do the images need to be packaged for submission
Yes. Each image must be in a clear plastic bag. Otherwise the image
will be rejected.
NVPS will have some for sale. To encourage all NVPS members to submit
the best work to Meadowlark Exhibition, John Naman will sell some
Clearbags at his cost of 3 bags for $1 (exact change, cash only).
Specifications: 16 7/16" x 20 1/8" (417x510) Crystal Clear Protective Closure Bags (Adhesive Strip is on the Bag instead of Flap) - contains 10% recycled poly, For 16x20s up to 3/8" thick. The bags can be found at: http://www.clearbags.com
Who is the Keynote Speaker?
Bruce Dale is the keynote speaker. He has produced over two thousand
published photographs in National Geographic during his travels in over
75 countries. Recognitions include twice being named Magazine Photographer
of the Year, 1989 White House Photographer of the Year, and receiving
honors for his digital work from the Smithsonian Institution. In
addition to many other awards, one of his photographs now journeys beyond
the solar system on board NASA's Voyager Spacecraft as testimony of the
planet Earth. His versatility ranges from anthropological studies of
Gypsies and American Mountain People, to highly technical work such as
mounting remote cameras on the vertical stabilizer of a jumbo jet to
make in-flight photos. His portfolio includes photographic essays on
China, Bats, Roadrunners, a book on the American Southwest, and a collection
of landscape images. In 2007, National Geographic
published a collection of his infrared photography taken at Arlington
National Cemetery and some panoramas taken in India.
When and where will he speak?
March 6, 2009 from 7-9pm at the Tyson's Corner, Marriott, in Vienna, Virginia
How much is the ticket?
$25 online, http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/KeynoteSpeaker.htm
$30 at the door.
Who are the other speakers at Meadowlark?
Tony Sweet, Ian Plant, Joseph Rossbach, Corey Hilz, Jim Clark, Mary Louise
Ravese, Josh Taylor, Wayne Wolferburg, Wil Hershberger. You can
find intro for each speaker at http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/Speakers.htm.
Where can I purchase the ticket? How much is it
for each presentation?
Oneline, $5 and at the door : $7
http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/expoadmission.htm
Tickets will be available online through February 28. After
the 28th, tickets can only be purchased at the Expo.
How much is it the admission fee to the Meadowlark Botanic Garden
each day?
$5 per day per person. $25 for an annual pass and it’s good
for 2 people.
What other activities will be at the Expo in addition to the presentations?
There are quite a few vendors at the Expo, such as Penn Camera, ACE Camera.
Free Camera Cleanings will be provided by Strauss
Photo-Technical Services.
Here is the link to the Expo Activities page: http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/ExpoActivities.htm
Is there a food vendor at the Expo?
Yes.
Who are the NVPS representatives for Meadowlark?
Yulan Guo (yguova@yahoo.com) and Trinka Reddie (reddie@verizon.net)
Other questions and answers can be found at: http://www.meadowlarkphotoexpo.org/faqs.htm
Other Articles |
How to Make Images Tack Sharp
John Naman
| For the past year, I have been researching how to make my images "tack sharp". I will briefly summarize what I have learned and tell you a no-cost, simple way to improve the sharpness of everything you shoot (the way I did). I just want better images, so these tips are about "how to" and not about "why" or the math and science of photography—maybe another day. |  |
Sharpness is the clarity of detail in an image. There are two elements that contribute to sharpness: focus and contrast. (technically: resolution and acutance). When images are not "tack sharp", they look "soft", "out of focus" and detail is "washed out". We know it when we see it. Photoshop can only help one part of sharpness, the other part comes when the image is taken.
What I care about is improving my images: what can I do to control and increase sharpness? It turns out there is a lot; and most things cost me nothing, once I understood the problems.
In the remainder of the article, asterisks point to the solutions I have found. Some will be a review, some may be eye openers.
Motion blur seems to be #1 in terms of losing sharpness. If the camera moves or the subject moves, the image will be soft or blurred.
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Wind is my enemy, especially for roses. Early in the day (dawn) the air is almost still. |
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Use a tripod or monopod. Hold the camera still. |
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Flash fires in less than 1,000th/sec, which makes a tack sharp image. No tripod required if using flash, which one reason why wedding photographers use flash even outdoors. |
VR (vibration reduction)/IS (image stabilization) help make a bad situation less bad, but doesn't really make tack sharp images.
Handhold at 1/(focal length) is an old tale. A 100mm lens at 1/100thof a second is not tack sharp. It takes about 5-10 times the shutter speed to achieve tack sharpness: try 1/500th for sharp hand held (or use a flash or a tripod)
* |
A remote shutter release (infrared or cable) may help a little, especially if you usually stab at the shutter-release button. |
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Mirror Lock-Up, even with the best cameras, can cause your image to blur slightly when using very slow shutter speeds. I use this feature occasionally, but the improvement is not much. On the other hand, it doesn't cost much either. |
Camera Practices: You probably have heard most of the above before. Some non-motion tips:
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Keep your lenses clean, and keep them protected! Dirt and scratches both soften images. |
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Try to shoot outdoors before noon. Any fog, dust and other impurities in the atmosphere will make objects further away appear somewhat hazy and lacking in contrast. This is always true, but water vapor evaporated off of vegetation and bodies of water by the afternoon sun will bond with any pollution present making the effect even more apparent. Pollution is so severe it can be hard to take a good picture across a valley or other expanse in the afternoon. |
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Use a Polarizer! Polarizers cut haze, reflections and increase contrast and saturation. At least pull it out of the bag, look through it and see if it helps. Outdoors, it usually does. Keep the threads pointed toward you or it won't make any difference. |
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ISO. For all brands of camera, the higher the ISO, the less contrast in an image (muddy, washed out). Try to keep ISO as low as you can. A small difference. Who knew? |
Lens sharpness. Every lens, from the cheapest to the most expensive is tack sharp at the center and softer at the edges. Corners are worst. Excellent lenses can be 25% less sharp at edges than at the center. Below average lenses can be much less than 1/2 as sharp at the edges.
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For maximum lens sharpness, using an FX lens on a DX camera is almost the best you can do, because you are not using the softest edges of the lens. Unfortunately you pay double for this one: FX lenses are much heavier and cost way much! This is true for all brands of lens. |
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If you use a zoom, widen a little and crop the soft edges. This makes a huge difference, no cost. |
Every lens, from the cheapest to the most expensive is softest wide-open and closed down (f/48).
* |
Optimal lens sharpness and contrast is always about 2 stops down from wide open: f/5.6 for a f/2.8 lens or f/8 for a f/3.5 lens. After that, depth of field increases, but sharpness and contrast decline, the image gets softer, but more is in focus. Depth of field is not sharpness. |
Every zoom lens, from the cheapest to the most expensive is softest at the ends, wide and telephoto, and sharpest in the middle range of the zoom.
* |
For optimal lens sharpness and contrast in a zoom telephoto, zoom all the way out and then back up a quarter turn. If the zoom goes to 300m, back off to 200-250mm. Much sharper. Also, you can crop a little of the edges (soft) and end up with what you were zoomed in at full zoom. |
* |
Teleconverters reduce contrast and may also reduce resolution. Close-up lenses also suffer from edge and corner softness. Buy the best add-ons you can afford and use every tip above to improve sharpness, particularly stopping down to f/5.6 or f/8. |
Photoshop. Lenses affect both resolution and contrast. Once the image is in the camera, resolution can not be artificially increased: detail that isn't recorded can't be pulled out of thin air. However, contrast can. This is what unsharp mask (USM) does: it increases the brightness differences between adjacent areas. So, judicious use of unsharp mask will make the detail that was already in it more visible. The way it does this is determined by the parameters: amount, radius, and threshold. The amount sets how much USM changes the contrast. The radius determines how far USM looks from each pixel to make the adjustment. The threshold means how much difference it looks for to make any change at all. Each of these impacts the picture in a specific way.
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Of the three USM variables, Radius is the pivotal one: it determines the type of impact USM will have. |
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Printer: The Epson 700, 890, 980 1900, 2400 all print 720 dpi. If you only print 360 dpi, your images will be less sharp. The difference between 360 dpi and 720 dpi on my 2400 shows up in portraits: each hair is distinct at 720 dpi. The printer could do it, except I used to print at 360 dpi. |
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Print at 720 dpi. |
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Small prints are sharper than larger prints. The larger the print size, 8x10 or larger, the more important all of the above tips. If a print looks soft, try printing it a smaller size. "If you are not planning on making large prints, you should not have any problems with most of the amateur telephoto lenses as long as you use a good tripod." |
A no-cost simple way to improve the sharpness of everything YOU shoot (the way I did).
- Find something that roughly represents your shooting subjects: the roof of a nearby house, a silk rose in a vase, a mannequin or shirt on a hanger. Be sure they are fixed and completely still and have lots of detail so you can see if the images are sharp or soft.
- Get a pad of paper and number it 1 to 20.
- Put your camera in your favorite mode: aperture priority or time priority and fix the ISO for now.
- Take a series of the pictures at different f-stops. Say f/2.8 at 1/200th, f/4 at 1/100, ... Make a note of each exposure-time on each line of your notepad. Try this with a tripod, monopod, VR, hand-held. Try different ISOs or switch to AutoISO. Try flash, if it makes sense.
- Go into Lightroom or Photoshop or just a JPEG viewer and view each one, in order, at the highest magnification you can. Try to look at corners and edges. (I like my neighbor's roof because there is detail from edge to edge.) Score each one A, B,C,D,F
* |
Some of the images will be much sharper than others. Maybe even Tack sharp. Make a note of which ones are sharpest. That is your custom setting for YOUR hand, camera, lens combination and the types of subjects you shoot. Try to always shoot where you are sharpest and avoid the combinations that were soft. If you buy a new camera or another lens, do it again. Every camera and lens has it own "sweet spot" and once you find your sweet spot, try to shoot there. |
For me, I shoot a lot of roses, thousands in the past couple of years, so I tried one of everything with a silk rose indoors (no wind!) and my neighbors roof across the street. I found out where VR works for me, where a tripod works, and surprisingly that I get the best results using both a tripod and dynamic VR. Who knew? I've tried to use every one of the above tips when I shoot and I think I'm getting better. But there is always room for more improvement!
John Naman
john "at" jnaman.com
Member News |
Photographers of Northern Virginia
The last two of the repeat programs will be shown on Fairfax Public Access Channel 30 on Mondays at 3:30 p.m. and Fridays at 3 p.m. Guests during the first two weeks of February will be:
| Feb 2 & 6 | Nancy Sherwood |
| Feb 9 & 13 | Helen Goodrum |
My sincerest thanks to all of you who appeared as guests on the series and to all of you who watched the programs and gave me your encouragement and helpful comments.
Luella Murri
Host
703-256-5290
luellamurri@aol.com
NVPS Executive Board 2008-2009 The elected and appointed board members for the 2008-2009 club year can be found at http://nvps.org/main/about/board-members/. |
Announcements |
Laura Howell
Laura Howell received an Equal Merit award for her image, Headlight, in the League of Reston Artists small works! BIG TOO!! exhibition at the University of Phoenix, 11730 Plaza America Drive, 2nd Floor, Reston, VA. The show runs from January 3 - February 28, 2009.
Laura Howell
howellphotos@yahoo.com
Wounded Cities
Leo Rubinfien
Corcoran Gallery
After the tragedy of 9/11, photographer Leo Rubinfien set out on a six-year journey to over 20 cities to document what he called "the mental wound". The exhibit lasts through February 16. More information can be found at www.corcoran.org.
*fotobamaweek* International Photography Contest
In keeping with our mission to bring you the best of all things photographic, FotoWeek DC and The Newseum proudly announce *fotobamaweek*, an international photography contest celebrating the Presidential campaign and the Inauguration of Barack Obama.
Images taken during Inauguration week, or ones already shot that capture the spirit of the Presidential Campaign, and the Election are eligible. Amateur and professional photographers anywhere in the world are invited to submit. Guidelines can be found at: www.fotoweekdc.org. Entries are due March 15.
Click! Photography Changes Everything
History in the Making
This is the Smithsonian's first in a series of topical calls for entry to click! photography changes everything http://click.si.edu/Contribute.aspx
Submission guidelines
Submit a photo and an original story (500 words or less) about the recent
U.S. presidential election and inaugural season to become part of "History
in the Making." You can also write about an inaugural photo from
the Smithsonian's photographic archives posted on the Smithsonian
Flickr Commons.
Some things to consider: Has photography changed the way you express your thoughts about democracy and the political process? Do photos like yours spark debate or political dialog? Do your photos reflect current events differently from mainstream media? Will photos like yours become valuable historical artifacts?
Submitted by John Naman
http://click.si.edu/Contribute.aspx
Joshua Taylor
Joshua Taylor’s photography workshops, classes, and lectures for the first half of 2009 are posted on his web site. Added for 2009 are workshops at Longwood Gardens, the Adkins Arboretum, and Ace Photo. Web site: archiphotoworkshops.com.
Christine Kent Bowles (CKB) Workshops
| 2/17/2009 | Online Photo Critique Session: Students will learn from constructive feedback on their own images, as well as images shot by others. Each student will upload up to 5 digital images (nature subjects preferred, but any image may be submitted) to a private gallery on my website. I’ll review each image and post my critique comments to the gallery. Session begins on February 17. Cost is 45 per person. |
| 3/7/2009 | Indoor Macro Flower Small Group Shoot: Participants will focus on potted and cut flowers (which I’ll provide) in the natural light of south-facing windows. I’ll be on hand to offer tips, suggestions, and opportunities to peek through my viewfinder. Held in Ellicott City, MD, on Saturday, March 7 from 9:00-11:30 am. Cost is $65 per person. |
4/25/2009 |
Backyard and Trail Deluxe Workshop: Nature photography workshop for beginner to intermediate photographers; includes classroom instruction, photo shoots in the backyard and on the trail, and a group photo critique session. Held in Ellicott City, MD on Saturday, April 25 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Cost is $120 per person; 10% discount for early registration (by 2/14/2009). |
5/17/2009 |
Macro Photography Workshop: This workshop focuses on close-up photography using macro equipment and is appropriate for intermediate level photographers; includes classroom instruction, a macro photo shoot, and an online group photo critique session. Held in Ellicott City, MD on Sunday, May 17, from 12:30-5:30 pm. Cost is $90 per person; 10% discount for early registration (by 2/14/2009). |
Christine Kent Bowles (CKB) Photography
410-719-9656
www.ckbphotography.com
Corey Hilz Photography
| January 31 | Nikon D60/D40x/D40 Location: Ashburn VA, 12:30 - 4:30pm, $99/$125 Learn about all the buttons, dials and menu options of the Nikon D60/D40x/D40 in an easy to understand manner. This class teaches you how to take advantage of what your camera’s capabilities and use it to capture the best pictures. |
| February 7 | Introduction to Photoshop Elements Location: Vienna VA, 10:00am – 2:30pm, $100 Learn how to adjust, enhance and manipulate your photographs. From demonstrations and hands-on practice you’ll learn how to crop, straighten, selectively lighten and darken, remove unwanted elements, resize, make selections and more. |
| February 8 | Macro & Close-up Photography Location: Vienna VA, 10:00am – 12:00pm, $50 This class teaches you about technical and creative aspects to successful close-ups. You’ll learn what equipment to use and when to use it; the class also spends time on choosing the best aperture, working with background elements, getting the most out of your depth of field and placing the focus right where you want it. |
| February 14 | Introduction to Light & Lighting Location: Vienna VA, 10:00am – 12:00pm, $50 Understanding lighting makes a photographer uniquely creative; this class introduces you to different types of lighting and how they can be used to create more beautiful photographs. Time is spent on the basics of white balance, flash photography and using tungsten or strobe lights in a home studio. |
| February 28 | Introduction to Digital Photography Location: Vienna VA, 10:00am – 12:00pm, $50 Learn the basic functions of your digital camera. Topics and camera functions that will be covered include white balance, ISO, memory cards, focusing, exposure modes, image quality and histograms. |
| March 21 | Introduction to Aperture, Shutter Speed & Exposure |
March 21 |
Nikon D90/D80 |
March 22 |
Introduction to Photoshop Elements |
| April 2-5 | Charleston Workshop Location: Charleston, South Carolina, $525 Charleston is rich with photographic material from historic architecture to vibrant flowers, even views of the ocean. It's a beautiful location in the spring with azaleas, irises and poppies blooming; historic downtown has colorful houses with photogenic details. |
| June 4-7 | St. Michaels Workshop Location: St. Michaels, Maryland, $525 St. Michael's and surrounding areas offer the opportunity to photograph marinas, boats, working harbors and marine scenics. The Maritime Museum, Tilghman Island and Oxford all offer great subjects for this workshop on Maryland's eastern shore. |
Corey Hilz
703.473.4618
corey@coreyhilz.com
www.coreyhilz.com
Manassas Warrenton
Camera Club
Contact: Gene
Wells (703) 330-5835 or ewellsjr@verizon.net
Website: www.mwcc-photo.org .
Meetings: Held
on the 1st and 3rd Thur. at 7:30 pm, Manassas City Hall, Old Town Manassas,
or as indicated.
Program: February 5th - Jim
Clark speaking on "Photography for Children’s Books and Other
Projects."
Competition: February 19th – Competition Theme: Open; Judge: Sandi Croan
McLean Photography
Club
Contact: Bruce
Copping at (703) 725-9331 or bcopping@gmail.com
Website: www.mcleanphoto.org.
Meetings: Held on the 2nd Wed. at 7:30 pm (meet & greet
at 7:15 pm), at the McLean Community Center, or as indicated.
Program: Competition this month
Competition: Feb. 11, Wed. 7:30 p.m. at the McLean Community Center, Ellis Rosenberg will be judging.
Reston Photographic
Society
Contact: Ellis
Rosenberg at 703-855-4008 or erosenberg@cox.net
Website: www.leagueofrestonartists.org
Meetings: Held the 3rd Monday of the month 7:30-9:30 pm at the Reston
Community Center – Hunters Woods (Note location)
Program: On Feb. 9th (note new date 2nd Monday) at RCC Lake Anne (note location) we will have Steve Beltz a veteran photographer, giving an interesting presentation on crime scene and surveillance photography.
Competition: On Feb. 9th (note new date 2nd Monday), our club’s Peoples Choice for the Meadowlark Photo Expo will be chosen and images for Meadowlark will be collected.
Vienna Photographic
Society
Contact: Mary Jane Fish at (703) 281-9743 or fishsfotos@aol.com or
Mike Stevens at 703-619-1605 or mike@stevenslink.net
Website: www.vps-va.org
Meetings: Held on the
1st and 3rd Wed. at 7:30 pm in the main lecture hall of the Thoreau Middle
School, 2505 Cedar Lane, Vienna, VA.
Program: Wed (2/4) @ 7:30PM … Jim Clark presenting “A
Natural Celebration”
Competition: Wed (2/18) @ 7:30PM… themed competition (“Cityscape/Villagescape”)
with Andy Kline as judge.
Field Trip: Sat (2/21) … Hawaiian Display at the Botanical Gardens
For Sale |
Canon EOS 30D digital SLR (body only) with: --BP511A battery and battery charger --USB interface cable --wide neck strap --CD installation disk, instruction manual Excellent condition, perfect working order; few small scratches on the viewing screen. Only selling because I'm moving up to the 5D Mark II. $525.00 (Was $1150 new). Will include two 2GB Sandisk memory cards ($23 and $15 respectively) if you wish. Also available: Really Right Stuff 30D L-plate for tripod mount. $50 ($140 new). Chuck Cecil 703-504-6956 cecilimages@comcast.net
Canon 75-300mm Image Stabilizer f4-5.6 telephoto lens. $300.00 Chuck Cecil 703-504-6956 cecilimages@comcast.net