Get by with a little help from your friends… Per Wikipedia, the adage "A picture is worth a thousand words" refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. Are your images doing that? Where do you get your advice to make your photographs better? Some of us have taken classes or workshops with photographers who have shown us how to make our images better. As I began my journey in photography, John Gonsalves (my first DSLR instructor) provided the technical information I needed to allow my camera to capture what I wanted it to capture. He forced me to shoot “manual” in order to better understand the photography triangle of aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. I saw how the interplay of these factors influenced the exposure of my image. My journey continued as I explored the three C’s of photography with Joe Miller: Craftsmanship (the technical aspects of the image), Composition (the design aspects of the image) and Creativity (the different, imaginative, unusual aspects of the image). The three C’s helped me better communicate the story I wanted to tell. This summer, as I rehabbed after tendon surgery, I did a lot of reading and watched a lot of videos about photography. One of the most inspiring webinars I watched was by Art Wolfe on CreativeLive. Art’s photographs summarized all of the advice I had learned about communicating through photography and inspired me to explore how to better my images. My point is that photography is a journey. Enjoy the trip and try to learn something new every day. The internet is a great resource for exploring the “world” of photography.
This year, get a little help from some new Internet friends. Let them help you tell your story. Make your picture replace a thousand words! Georgette Grossman The NVPS Board has kept dues at the same level for the upcoming club year: $45 for individual & $65 for family memberships. Dues may be paid by check to NVPS or cash & given to the Membership Co-Chairs [Amy or Joy] [at the first table inside the entrance] at NVPS meetings starting on 2 September or mailed to Tom Brett at 4216 Wynnwood Dr., Annandale, VA. 22003. You may also pay dues through PayPal, by way of the NVPS website. During the 2013-14 club year, Board member expenses stayed within the budget. Annual expenditures during 2013-14 were: $4,590 for the Dunn Loring Fire Department meeting hall rental; $1,278 for Competitions [judge honoraria & meals, End-of-Year [EOY] ribbons, trophies, plaques & printed programs]; $718 for Programs [speaker honoraria & meals]; $890 for EOY Banquet subsidy; $400 for liability insurance; $221 for Membership; $169 for equipment replacement; $150 for Education & Training; and, $85 for PSA membership. Expenses were $1,002 lower than expected, due to the weather-related cancellations of meetings. The EOY Banquet cost for the hotel meal & hotel support fees was $4,327 against ticket sale income of $3,437 at $35 per person; NVPS paid the $890 subsidy to allow ticket prices to be $35 per person. The NVPS treasury current effective balance is $8,329, which will increase as dues are received in September and October. Please encourage your friends to renew or to join NVPS. Thank you, Tom Brett, Treasurer September 2nd: Kevin Ambrose – Storm Chaser NVPS welcomes members, guests and members of other photography clubs to come see Kevin Ambrose on Tuesday, September 2, 2014 at 7:30 PM at the Dunn Loring Fire Station.
The Co-VPs for Programs for this year are Tami Stieger and Willa Siegel. The line-up of speakers for this Society year is as follows: (Stay tuned for the details)
September 9th: Using Portable Flash Units David Piazza is presenting a talk to NVPS members on the use of portable flash units in photography. His talk will primarily focus on the use of portable flashes with light modifiers and simple techniques for successful flash images. He was formally trained at Newcastle Polytechnic in England and has over 30 years experience in the photographic industry. David is primarily a portrait photographer. He comes to us through the auspices of F. J. Westcott – a manufacturer of photographic and lighting equipment. The schedule of Education and Training presentations for this season are as follows:
Education & Training is looking for people who are willing to help novices with questions at meetings. The first such meeting will be September 30, 2014, on types of photography - macro, architecture, etc... A later meeting will cover software processing. Please take this VERY short four question survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/6WWHR98. Thanks for your help The Education and Training Coordinator for this year is Tom Pratuch.
There is no theme for Competition Night, September 16. Jim Steele is a photographer in the tradition of Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Working primarily in medium and large format, his “scapes” of land, sea, and body represent the finest in traditional and digital photographic imagery. In our D.C. area his work can be seen in Studio #343 in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria. “First and foremost, I photograph what interests me, until it no longer interests me; then I photograph something else. Most of my work is landscapes and figure studies executed with both traditional and digital materials.” “In the end, it’s not about the process, it’s about the image. It either works or it doesn’t.” Biography of James D. Steele Education: B.S./M.S. Industrial Engineering, University of Missouri. Master photography classes with George Tice, Carson Graves, Christopher James, Cole Weston, Joyce Tenneson, and Martha Casanave. Biography: Jim Steele is a photographer working in both monochrome and color landscapes and nudes. Steele is equally comfortable in both traditional and digital processes. Steele photographs the landscape throughout the Southwest, Northeast, Pacific Northwest, and Europe. Steele has a studio in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Va. He frequently lectures on the subject of fine printing and has taught at Photoworks, the Smithsonian Institution, the Art League in Alexandria, Va, and has guest lectured in photography at Georgetown University. Teaching statement: Craft is not a substitute for a lack of vision….. The Co-VPs for Competition for this year are Jamie Kiechlin and Beth Morris. Street Photography For this theme “street photography” is defined as a photograph featuring 1) the human condition or 2) the relationship or interaction between people and their surroundings. A street photo example could be a candid, semi-candid or spontaneous (but not staged) photo of a person (or persons) in a public, private or open place doing something other than posing for you to take their picture. Water From a single drop to a mighty ocean, and anything in between, water is the theme of this monthly competition. It can be still or moving but liquid water must be a key subject of the image. Still-Life For this theme, a still-life is defined as an artistic arrangement or collection of non-moving inanimate objects, either natural or man-made. The arrangement can be arranged by the photographer or someone else such as in a store-front window or flower bouquet. Please, no architectural subjects such as buildings or bridges, people, landscapes or moving objects for this theme. The still-life must be the main subject of the image. September 23rd: "Your DSLR Takes Movies. Have You Used This Feature?" - presented by Wayne Wolfersberger It is so easy to take a movie with your iphone and email it to friends. But have you ever tried to make an informative high quality movie? There are lots of opportunities to use your DSLR’s movie feature, download it onto your computer and then use one of the many software products to edit, splice, modify sound, add stills and so much more to turn it into a short video. Wayne will show you a variety of short videos using several different editing features available. Some videos will feature short clips of Yellowstone and many other areas. Tips and Techniques will be covered and some inexpensive equipment will be shown that aid in the movie making process. Besides making movies for your own enjoyment, you may also want to upload them onto You Tube. Below is an image from my video with the most hits on You Tube.
An ecologist-naturalist, educator and nature photographer by professional training and passion, Wayne has integrated all areas to become a well-respected professional nature photographer in the Washington DC area. His photographic expertise was honed while working for a D.C. area commercial photography firm, the US Navy Photographic Center and involvement in numerous professional seminars and workshops. Wayne is a member of NANPA (North American Nature Photography Association), NAPP (National Association for Photoshop Professionals), the Vienna Photographic Society and Northern Virginia Photographic Association for which he serve as VP and President. Wayne has delivered numerous and varied photographic programs for many local groups in the Greater Washington area, in the Southern Appalachians, and internationally in the UK and Australia. Many of his images have appeared in local, national, international magazines (including multiple images in Nature's Best), on calendars, postcards, exhibited and sold as fine art prints. Wayne has also worked as a wedding photographer and done the craft circuit. Wayne teaches a variety of photography classes locally during the fall, winter, and spring (if not on short travel excursions) and most recently during the summer. For 14 years spent the summers (May to September) in Yellowstone National Park working for the US NPS he turned in his badge after the 2012 season in order to spend time with his family and new grand daughter when they moved to Maryland after 9 years Down Under. Wayne has found the summers in the DC area to be a new experience photographically because in 1999 when he first started working in Yellowstone he had only photographed the summers in the area with film cameras.
September 23rd: Joy Brathwaite - Prints, and On September 23, Joy Brathwaite will present her prints and Kim Enevoldsen will present her digital images for September's Members Gallery.
Photography provides a relaxing artistic juxtaposition to her job as an aerospace engineer. Whether photographing abstracts or landscapes, Joy enjoys taking images with strong shapes and vibrant colors. These elements add lots of energy to the image making the shot dynamic. Currently, she is working on a series about bridges, and authoring a book for elementary students on the history of the various memorials on the National Mall.
Kim Enevoldsen has been a member of NVPS since 2010. While working in Washington, D.C., on a temporary work assignment, she purchased a digital SLR and recognized she needed and wanted to get more involved in photography again. Although Kim spent some time shooting film in high school and early college, she concluded that finding a group, which could provide instruction, guidance, and fellowship with like-minded fanatics was paramount. Hence the Northern Virginia Photographic Society. Kim is an amateur photographer who uses her day job to fund her hobby. She recently sold several photographs taken this summer. How awesome is it to have fun and get paid at the same time! Kim has no formal photography training but at times can be a seminar junkie. She enjoys shooting a variety of topics that coincidentally parallel activities her family is currently involved in such as ice hockey and horse shows. Kim uses Canon equipment but finds that most of her creative images come from her iPad, much to the chagrin of some of her fellow photographers. Kim looks forward to many more years with NVPS. She plans to master the "video" DSLR concept, take more photography on-location workshops, and one day...many years from now, maybe, just maybe make enough to buy more photography equipment in pursuit of the perfect image. The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this year is Colena Turner. Presentations schedued for this season are:
September 30th: Education and Training Night Small Group DiscussionsSmall group discussions between members on “how-to” and “what about…” of various photographic subjects – architecture, macro, etc… NVPS did something similar two years ago on cameras to give most people a reference point for the style of the night. Look forward to seeing you there! Your club “level” is not what’s important here. It’s the willingness to share information and help others. September 6: Field Trip to the National Zoo This year’s field trip coordinators, Bob Friedman and Mike Whalen, will be hosting the first club field trip to the National Zoo in Washington DC on Saturday, September 6. Meeting time will be at 8 AM at the zoo visitors center which is near the Connecticut Avenue entrance . Bob and Mike will be joined by noted zoo photographer and lecturer, Don Johnson who will be offering tips and suggesting good photo ops. Don was the program speaker at NVPS on October 1, 2013. The National Zoological Park, commonly known as the National Zoo, is one of the oldest zoos in the United States, and as part of the Smithsonian Institution, does not charge admission. Founded in 1889, its mission is to provide leadership in animal care, science, education, sustainability, and visitor experience. The zoo is an excellent place to photograph wild animals from around the world. The zoo map shows where each group is located. The grounds opens at 6:00 AM and some of the animals are out and about so feel free to come early and walk around before the crowds arrive and before the field trip begins. Entrance to the zoo is free, but parking in the zoo lots cost a flat fee of $22. You can park in lots A and B after 6:00 AM. Other zoo lots don’t open till 8:00 AM. There are also several other nearby parking lots. There’s also the DC metro which gets you pretty close. Use the Red Line and get off at either Woodley Park/Zoo/Adams Morgan stop or the Cleveland Park stop with a short walk to the zoo entrance. As far as equipment, a telephoto lens of 200mm or higher might be useful to get animal close-ups. Tripods and monopods are also allowed at the zoo. Of the two, Don recommends a monopod. In case of rain, the field trip will be postponed till the next day, Sunday, Sept. 7 also at 8:00 AM. NVPS had a good turnout for the field trip to the Montgomery County fair. Bob Friedman and Mike Whalen have posted images that the NVPS Members captured during the field trip. The images can be found at the following link:nvps.org/gallery/v/fieldtrips/2014/Montgomery+County+Fair/ Please email Bob and Mike at field-trips@nvps.org if you are interested in attending this field trip or have any questions. Important: Please provide your name and cell phone number (before Sept. 6) where we can contact you in case of changes or postponement due to weather. We look forward to seeing you at the Zoo! If you are interested in meeting up with other NVPS members to do a less formal photo shoot, check out the club's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NVPSPhoto/ If you are looking for other interesting photo destinations in the DC area, the club has descriptions of a number of lesser known photo destinations in the DC area at: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=140 There is also a club site on Flickr and although it has been relatively inactive over the past few years, it is still up and available for Flickr users who are willing to share: https://www.flickr.com/groups/thenvps/pool/
Chuck Campbell has had to resign as Co-VP of Competition from the board. Jamie Kiechlin has accepted the position. The following is an updated list of our elected officers for program year 2014-2015. A full list of all current NVPS Board members and their club contact information can be found at: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=23
Notice: The information about workshops and events not sponsored by or affiliated with NVPS are provided as an informational courtesy to Members. Individuals should review the detailed rules and conditions for contests and gallery shows to determine what impact entering an image has on the photographer's rights and ownership of the submitted images. Review the descriptions of workshops to see whether participation in a particular workshop would actually meet your personal learning goals. NVPS attempts to screen events for legitimacy and quality; however NVPS does not recommend these events and cannot assume responsibility for their ultimate quality. We recommend due diligence and encourage you to share your experience with other club members. Joel Goodman
Joel presented a program on Camera Technology to us in April. Joel, a scientist and systems engineer who worked for several government contracting firms in the Washington area, received his Bachelors in Engineering Physics from Cornell and a Masters in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Illinois. He retired in 2011 from QinetiQ. He also was a teaching fellow and instructor at George Mason and George Washington universities. Joel loved soccer and coaching Falls Church City house-league teams. He and Betsy were season DC United ticket holders and attended all the home games. During the league coaching season, Joel's face would light up as he spoke with pride and joy of the improvements his players made - not just on the field - but off of it as well. One of his unshakable beliefs was that sports, especially team sports, taught us a lot, not just about the specific sport but also about life. The funeral service was held at Temple Rodef Shalom in Falls Church, Va., on Friday, July 11 with burial at National Memorial Park. He is survived by his wife Betsy, son Benjamin, and daughter Rebecca. (photo by Alan Goldstein)
Do you need help with a photography problem, but don't know who to ask? The Members' Resource Program is here for you. Have you ever been asked, "How do you do that?" If so, then consider sharing your knowledge with other club members. 2014-2015 Membership Dues: This year there are a few good reasons to pay your NVPS dues earlier rather than later! This year all Nature Visions submissions (Nature and Fine Arts) are digital submissions. You may submit from August 25 to September 24. To be eligible to enter images you must be a club member in good standing, i.e., be current in your dues. To make sure you qualify, John Quigley will compare our list of paid members against the submissions he receives. So please pay your dues before you submit to Nature Visions. In past years we have given members who compete in monthly competitions a grace period to pay their dues. For those competing in the September 16 competition, the grace period ends October 1. Please note that awards/points received in the September competition will be removed for members who have not paid their dues by October 1. Early payment identifies you as an active member of NVPS and allows us to better serve your needs. This year will be NVPS's 50th anniversary; be part of the celebration! Payment can be made by:
Our new season begins on Tuesday, September 2, 2014. Kevin Ambrose of the Washington Post will present a program about weather-related photography (http://nvps.org/home/?p=5524). Our members routinely receive photo awards and recognition and have images in shows. As FotoFax only comes out monthly, the best place to look for current events is on the website at: Tuan Pham Member Tuan Pham is being invited back to the U. S. National Arboretum in September for an encore of his signature program--"Photography as Zen Art." The workshop applies various Zen creativity techniques to lift the curtains of preoccupation and habitual tendencies to enable direct seeing. Its goal is to create photographs with balance of beauty and feeling that fit one's true nature. The workshop meets four times on Saturdays -- September 13, 20, 27 and October 14) from 8:45 am to 12:00 Noon. Registration is now opened. Last one was sold out. More information is available at Lorelei Studios/News. Ginger Werz-Petricka Ginger Werz-Petricka had two images in the Third Annual Lubec Photo Workshop Show in Lubec Maine in the month of July. She also has two images in the Washington School of Photography's show "Simplicity: Art in Black and White" from September 5-30 at 12276 Wilkins Ave, Rockville, Md. 20852. Her photos are below:
Nature Visions 2014 Update The 2014 Nature Visions Expo will be Friday, November 14 - Sunday, November 16 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Prince William Campus, George Mason University Rick Sammon will present the Friday all day seminar and be the keynote speaker. The Nature Visions website opened for Expo registration on August 1. Members who registered their e-mail with NatureVisions are eligible for a $30 discount off their registration fee. A link for the discount was sent to each member on August 1. Members should register for workshops as soon as possible because the more popular ones will fill up fast. There will be a substantially smaller requirement for volunteers this year than in past years because an Event Planner has been hired to fill most of the positions. The primary need will be for set up on Friday night and take down on Sunday evening. Only individuals with juried images will be required to volunteer. To be eligible to enter images you must be a club member in good standing, i.e., be current in dues. Each member may enter up to 6 images in the Nature exhibit at no cost and up to an additional 4 for a fee of $20. Each member may enter up to 2 images in the Fine Art exhibit. Judging for the nature exhibit will be in the following categories: birds, wildlife other than birds, macro/closeup/other (all images to include insects, spiders, flowers, etc.),water, landscapes and flora. There are no categories in the Fine Arts exhibit. Abstracts hall be submitted in the Fine Arts exhibit. Images will be submitted digitally for judging and only juried images will have to be printed. Digital submissions for the Nature and Fine Arts Exhibits will open on August 25 and end September 24. Judges will conduct their review and make selection of juried images from September 25 - October 14. Announcement of juried images will be made on October 15. Prints of the juried images will be collected until Tuesday, November 4. Attachments to the following website post include guidance for digital and print submission: http://nvps.org/home/?p=5570 John Quigley Washington School of Photography (WSP) Located within WSP, the Washington Gallery of Photography hosts monthly gallery shows, open to the public, and consisting of work from mid-Atlantic Photographers. They hold regular gallery receptions, hosted on the first Friday of each month. See details on their calendar at: http://www.washingtonschoolofphotography.com/index.php/events
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