In Focus May June 2008 Final
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Volume 2, Issue 3, May/June 2008
www.grandphotos.org/
FROM THE PREZ…
By Jerry Weinstein
Special Interest Groups (SIGs)
By Ken Kroen
The initial response to the plan of forming Special
Interest Groups (SIGs) has been very positive. As of
this writing, approximately 50 members have
responded to the initial e-mail that was sent to
everyone on April 9th. The majority of the people have
shown an interest in multiple groups. The most
popular group has been Adobe Photoshop Elements.
Enough interest has been shown to support between 2
and 3 groups for Elements. The goal is to have groups
of less than 15 members. Two people have expressed
an interest in Pro Show Gold. If we can get a few
more requests, then we‟ll have enough to form a SIG
for Pro Show.
The current Special Interest Groups that are being
organized are Adobe Photoshop CS3, Adobe
Photoshop Elements – Advanced, Canon Digital SLR
Cameras, Nikon Digital SLR Cameras and Pro Show
Gold, assuming we can get a few more requests. Each
SIG will consist of between 5 and 15 members who
have a common interest. These SIGs will be part of
the Sun City Grand Photo Club with one of the
members of each group acting as the coordinator. Any
Photo Club member can join one or more of these
groups at any time.
If you are interested in joining one or more of the
above SIGs, send an e-mail to GrandPhotos-
SCG@cox.net listing the group(s) you would like to
join. If you are a temporary resident of SCG, don‟t let
that stop you from joining a SIG. With e-mail and
phones it is possible to maintain contact throughout
your travels. Also, let us know if you have an interest
in an area other than those listed above. There may be
other members in the club who have a similar interest.
The next step in developing the SIG program is to
assign people to each of the groups and identify a
coordinator for each group. Also, a set of guidelines
will be developed for the SIG coordinators. Once
these two steps have been completed, the SIG
coordinators will contact the members in their groups.
If you are interested in being a coordinator, please
send an e-mail to GrandPhotos-SCG@cox.net. ♦
Contents
1 From the Prez, SIG’s
2 VP, Membership, ACCC
3 Webmaster, Greece Trip
4 Monthly Photo Contest,
Photo Shoots, Editor
5 -6 Focusing in on…, Orientation
7 -8 Favorite Places
9 Tips and Tricks
10 Why Compete?
11-12 Photo Gallery
13 ACCC Winners
14 Classifieds
We did it again!! The Spring Faire was a big
success. We had many visitors and sold pictures,
notecards, and wine bottle covers. We also ran a
very successful auction. We didn‟t stop there. We
had a table at the SCG Garage Sale and did very
well. Thanks Lyle, Spring Faire Chair and Betty
Burke, Fund Raising Chair plus all of you who
helped to put these fund- raisers together.
Thanks to Gary Jann, our workshops are going
great guns and will continue throughout the
summer. The Club is planning special interest
groups (SIG). Be sure to sign up. We have a new
website and it is great! It has a load of information
and a slide show of member pictures. The website
will also have tutorials of many of the workshops
for those members who did not get the handouts.
Thanks, Marshall Oseas, our new Webmaster.
Keep up the great work!
How about our Annual Banquet? It was without a
doubt the best ever. We had 100 members at the
dinner with entertainment by Dave Pritle, one of
our members. Gale McCall chaired a terrific party
and did a stand-up routine that you could have
seen at a comedy club. Our club is one to be
proud of. It‟s unbelievable how we have grown so
much in such a short time. We have 275 members
and counting. Let‟s all look forward to a great and
busy summer.♦
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VP Report By Gary Jann
Our workshops continue to be very well attended. I
assume this is because the subjects are diversified,
meeting member needs, and are being led by good
instructors.
Beginning in April, we identified workshops for
beginners, intermediates, and advanced
photographers, if they are repeats from earlier in the
year. I hope this has helped you make a decision as to
their appropriateness in meeting your needs. We are
also running a trial workshop feedback form for a few
sessions. (Thank you, Gene McDermott, for the first
draft.) These forms are intended to provide two types
of feedback. One is for the instructors to let them
know how they conducted the session and to provide
any ideas for improving subsequent workshops. The
second is for members to express how well they felt
the session met their needs and expectations. I hope
you will take the time to fill out the form if you attend
one of these sessions. I also would like your feedback
as to the appropriateness of having feedback forms for
our workshops. Are they beneficial? We will make a
decision on the use of these during the October Board
meeting.
I am still looking for additional workshop ideas for
this summer to help us become better photographers.
There are also many of you with hidden talents that
are just waiting to be unleashed in a workshop. Let
me know what talents or knowledge you have and are
willing to share with the rest of the club. I look
forward to hearing from you soon!
Thanks and see ya in a workshop! ♦
“To sleep, perchance to dream…”
j. j.
Membership By Betty Burke
What a growth spurt we had over the winter!
Our membership has now risen to 275 with 109
new members in 2008. Here are some other
interesting stats: 78 members are snowbirds, 97
are women, we have 48 couples, and 110
volunteers.
If you are still missing a name tag after checking
the box in the lab please let me know and I‟ll
order one for you. If you have lost your tag I will
order you a new one for $5.00. How often we
hear someone say, “I remember faces but not
names.” So PLEASE wear your tag to all club
functions. We are a friendly group and it‟s so
nice to call each other by name. ♦
Photo Tip for DSLR Lens Reviews:
Here’s a great site!
www.Photozone.de/
John Hertia
ACCC Fall Roundup By Stan Bormann, President Elect
The Fall ACCC Roundup will be held on
November 15th and the Rotating Category will be
Doors and Windows. I don't know if that needs
any further definition, but clearly Doors or
Windows or both must be a major element of the
image. You will notice there are few limits here to
your creativity. The image can be as shot from the
camera or any amount of "creativity" you wish can
be added to the image, as long as all the elements
in the image originate with you. The Fall
ACCC Board Meeting where our Club
Representatives will need to turn in our entries is
Saturday, November 4th. They will set our club
image turn-in date to allow them to organize the
entries and meet that date, so plan to have your
entries ready in late September. There is now a Competition Guidelines document
on the ACCC web page. You will find a link to
this document at:
http://www.arizonacameraclubcouncil.net/index.ht
ml.
This document provides explanation in one place of
the rules and guidelines for participation in ACCC
competition. There are many opportunities to
compete in the ACCC roundup and our club has the
highest level of participation of any of the ACCC
clubs. Let's keep it up. ♦
3
Words from the Webmaster . . . I‟m very pleased and appreciative, having the
opportunity to become Grand Photo‟s new
Webmaster, allowing Ron to pursue other
activities he is involved with. What I have done
is make many decisions on my own, and some
with advice and suggestions from our President,
Vice President, and Secretary.
In essence, this is OUR WEBSITE and it is there
for us to enjoy; the club members at large. While
we do have some parameters, we are certainly
open to positive suggestions as to how we may be
able to improve our site. As an example, John
Menard had suggested utilizing Flickr.com for our
slide show instead of Adobe with which we
started. As it turned out, it was certainly an
excellent suggestion. Jim Urquhart suggested that
some of the colors I had used for fonts were too
dark to read easily, and we corrected that as well.
We can still accept photos for uploading to the
website slideshow from members . . . I would like
to see at least 50 members showing their work.
For now, we will limit it to one per member . . .
and I still have a couple of mine uploaded that
should be replaced with your photos. Right now,
they are merely place marks. Perhaps in the future
we will also have the season's competition winners
shown in a separate link as well.
Please let us know how we are doing . . . what we
can improve . . . or what changes we can make to
bring you the best possible website. Our Board
maintains ultimate control, and we have already
discussed placing links to members‟ own websites,
which was defeated by the Board. This was to
keep the website as "commercial free" as possible
by not linking to any commercial endeavor other
than websites of interest to camera buyers,
software, etc.
I remain open to hear from anyone in the Club.♦
Sincerely,
Marshall Oseas
PhotoOracle@cox.net
Grand Photos 4th
Annual Banquet By Gale McCall
We broke all records with 100 people signed up
to attend the banquet. Everyone had a great time
despite the delay in Dillon's setting up the bar. I
had to dodge the rose petals being thrown at me,
but they were only about seven minutes late and
all was well.
What can I say about our member Dave Pritle?
He was great! He contributed a great deal to the
sophistication and high class of the evening.
You are booked for next year!
I have started a folder called "Photos for the
2009 Banquet". You all know what kind of
photos I am looking for. Several of you had
already sent me great photos, but it was too late
for this year‟s slideshow deadline. Did you
catch someone in a humorous pose? An unusual
position? Trust me; the club wants to see them!
Thanks to all the wonderful people who helped
me in so many ways and for my "setup" girls,
the BB band, Shirley Bormann, Sue Marrugi,
Betty Burke, Sherry Weinstein and all the little
Weinsteins. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!) ♦
ASU and Sun City Grand are sponsoring a
Learning Trip to Greece September 11-
September 22nd with the possibility of a four
day add-on for a cruise to the Greek Islands.
We will be accompanied by an expert on
Greece and we will have discussion on
different aspects of Greece. We will also have
a one on one experience with Greeks in
Athens. Some of the places we will be visiting
are Athens and the marvelous Parthenon,
Kalambaka with the incredible rock top
monasteries, Delphi and the oracle which
foretold the future, Olympia, Nauplia (and the
remains of King Agamemnon's palace) and the
magnificent theater in Epidaurus. This trip is
more extensive than the average Greece trip
and the hotels are all 4 or 5 star in excellent
locations. The cruise will include a stop in
Turkey to visit Ephesus, an ancient Roman city
which contains one of the Seven Wonders of
the World, the Temple of Artemis, also visiting
the magical Greek isles of Mykonos, Santorini
and Rhodes. What great photo opportunities!
For more information, contact Gale McCall, a
member of Grand Photos, the Language Club
and a teacher for ASU here at SCG. Until May
2nd at 623 975-3253, anytime: cell 315 882-
2708, or e-mail: Galemccall@AOL.com.♦
4
MONTHLY PHOTO CONTEST
2008 - 2009
PHOTO PROJECTS
SUBMIT PRINTS & VOTING BY MEMBERS IN
ATTENDANCE
DATE SUBJECT
OCTOBER 2008 “CUTE KID”
NOVEMBER 2008 “ACTION”
DECEMBER 2008 “STREET SCENES”
JANUARY 2009 “LANDSCAPE”
FEBRUARY 2009 “4 LEGGED FRIENDS”
MARCH 2009 “STORMY WEATHER”
APRIL 2009 “WILD FLOWERS”
Also note:
Submit 8x10 prints
One print per member
Owner to be identified on print
Prints can be mounted or unmounted
Members in attendance will vote on their
favorite
Monthly Photo Contest
Ron Szwiec
Photo Shoots By Shelly Morgenstern
March was a very busy month for photo
shoots. There were many opportunities for
us to take day trips for photo-ops.
On March 1st there was a wildflower shoot
that was begun as an e-mail suggestion by
Betty Burke. Gary Jann led the shoot.
Dennis Cutler headed up the shoot at the
Cactus League game on March 16th
.
The White Tanks wildflower shoot was led
by Marshall Oseas on April 1st. Not as an
organized shoot, but we offered the club
members three suggestions for a daytrip:
Boyce Thompson Arboretum
Tres Rios Nature Festival
Bird Sanctuary
Most recently on April 20th
Dan Jacob
invited the membership to his home in the
evening to photograph the full moon (no
wolves allowed!).
A drive into the Grand Canyon led by Dan
Jacob and Gary Jann is planned for this
summer. More details to come. ♦
Grand Photos members all lined up for “moon shoot”. Photo by Dan Jacob.
From the Editor…
We wish you a wonderful, safe,
happy and healthy summer.
We will miss you snowbirds
and welcome you back in the
fall! In the meanwhile, those of
us remaining in SCG will
continue to stay active in
Grand Photos!
Look for the next issue of
IN FOCUS the first week of
July.
Sue Marrugi, Editor
Nancy and Dan Jacob,
Proofreaders
5
Focusing in on…
Dik Salsbury
By
Sherry Weinstein
In a recent bio Dik prepared for the 50th
reunion of his
high school class, he wrote: “Fifty years? That can‟t be
right … can it? I still feel like a kid!” Having recently toured the Salsbury home, I fully understand why
Dik feels like a kid. No elaboration necessary on the obvious, this guy
is simply having the time of his life. Every day, his internal batteries
get recharged as he „plays‟ with his current carpentry or photography
project. Living with his best friend, Joyce, he readily admits that she
still makes his heart throb, after 45 years of marriage. It does the heart
good to see the desks in their office facing each other … hers with a
sewing machine on it and his with a computer, both with all the
necessary bells and whistles to generate what they‟ve created in their
minds‟ eye. And with greatest of gusto, Dik treasures his role as
Grandpa to eight-year-old Alex and eight-month-old Josiah. Alex,
along with his mom, Stacy (Dik and Joyce‟s daughter), and dad, Ken,
live in Spokane, so visits take a bit of planning and always feel too
few and far between. Baby Josiah, on the other hand, can pop over
anytime because his dad, Dana Salsbury and mom, Melana, live right
here in Goodyear.
Ancient through Post-Modern Career History
Growing up in Topeka, Kansas, Dik watched how his father – a true
craftsman – built things, not realizing what impact and inspiration this
would have on his mindset or his future life. After graduating from
Kansas State with a degree in Architecture, Dik made some bold
choices and began a career path that would take him first to Omaha,
NE and Minot, ND, then on to Coeur d‟Alene, ID and finally to
Spokane, WA. Early on – as an intern to several accomplished
architects – he realized the need to shift into high gear and soon
became an architect himself, licensed in several states. Over the
years, Dik‟s diversified projects ranged from the design of lake
homes and hospitals to that of free-standing stores and regional
shopping malls. Discussing with me how much he loved his chosen
profession, Dik explained it this way, “One of the things I enjoyed
most about being an architect is that you need to learn everything
about your project – the distinctive language of it, the eccentricities of
its organization, the specific nomenclature. Architecture is an ongoing
exercise in interpretation.”
After completing many projects for a great regional supermarket
chain in Spokane, Dik was made an offer he couldn‟t refuse. He went
to work for the chain and was put in charge of all their design and
construction work – everything from site selection, leasing, the
architectural process, construction oversight as well as equipment
specification and procurement.
He soon became VP of Retail Services and gained
even further responsibility, including the creation
and management of the Capital Projects Budget. In
1990, the employees purchased the company and
the dreams of many came true as business soared.
The company was sold in 2000, with a most happy
ending for Dik, as he would now be in a position to
retire.
Over the course of forty years, Dik designed and
built three homes for his family, much of the actual
„building‟ done by his own skilled and enthusiastic
hands. The first of these homes was in Coeur
d‟Alene, where the Salsbury children were born
and raised. The second home, in Spokane, started
out filled with a very active family and gradually
became a classic empty nest. The third and last,
therefore, was supposed to be Joyce and Dik‟s
retirement home on a pretty little mountain lake,
north of Spokane. What happened? Surprise!
On the Road to their Dreams
With their minds set in neutral after retiring, the
Salsburys took to their motor home on an
expedition around the country in search of a good
place to spend their winters. Once they had scouted
around a bit – with no preconceived notions about
which part of the U.S. would be right for them –
they could no longer deny a compelling
gravitational pull to this part of Arizona. And so it
was that they found what would become their own
version of paradise, Sun City Grand. Loving life
here, they ultimately sold their lake home in
Washington State, but still delight in heading to
their much-loved northwest (and proximity to
Alex) for several months each summer.
Retired? Hah!
Unlike the proverbial picture of the retiree whose
initiative has turned to inertia, recent retiree Dik
jumped into woodworking, pottery, stained glass,
Continued on Page 6
6
(Focusing in on Dik Salsbury – Cont.)
and boating (which he‟s always done), with so much to do
that his theme song became “Something‟s Gotta Give.” After
finding himself „working‟ 24/7, he decided to spend the
majority of his time with his two favorite pastimes –
carpentry and photography – while he would just dabble in
the rest as his schedule and energy permitted. The word
„carpentry‟ – when used with reference to Dik – does not
mean the replacing of a broken hinge or the sanding of a door
edge so it closes more easily. No, Dik-style carpentry takes
the form of designing, planning, building, and putting every
finishing touch on cabinetry and furniture … all with the most
intricate, eye-catching detail. If you think I‟m exaggerating,
go to Casa Salsbury and see for yourself the fabulous
furniture and cabinets for their home extension … all objects
of Dik‟s design and construction.
As for Dik‟s penchant for photography, it is immediately
recognizable that his photos have been shot by someone with
a critical eye for form, structure, color, and exceptional
composition. But it‟s not only the taking of great photographs
that sets Dik in motion, it‟s also what happens to those images
once the shutter has clicked. A master of creative post
processing, Dik always seeks to show his and others‟ photos
in the most agreeable light, generously teaching and
mentoring photo club members so that they may share his
fortune of knowledge in digital manipulation as well as his
slide show skills and techniques. For anyone who has seen
one or more of Dik‟s slide shows at the photo club, you are
familiar with the highly artistic, innovative, and inspired
results he gets … showing all our images off to their best
advantage. And if you have not yet seen a Dik Salsbury
production, stay tuned for a knock-your- lenses off
experience. The rave reviews you‟ve heard are very well-
deserved. Fortunately for Grand Photos, we have an in-house
treasure who is delighted to spend his precious leisure time
trying to entertain us, and making it happen.
Travel is yet another passion for Dik and Joyce, who are just
about to embark on a month-long trip to Australia, New
Zealand and Fiji. Some of their favorite travel to date has
taken them across North America, Hawaii and Europe. Since
they both have a weakness for – and great strengths in –
capturing beautiful images, these „field trips‟ set the stage for
many a magnificent photo and a fair share of awards.
On a More Personal Level
Asked about any favorite books, Dik‟s response was: “I read
a variety of genres and generally prefer authors that write a
lot of books with the same characters. And books that are set
in places I'm familiar with. Favorite authors are Dean
Koontz, J.A. Jance, Janet Evanovich, Dan Brown, Grisham
and Carl Hiassen. Everything from thrillers to comedies to
thought-provoking books such as The Da Vinci Code.” The subject of favorite movies brought this reply: “We try to
do a weekly „date night‟ which consists of a matinee, dinner
and a little shopping. It's difficult to find good movies to see.
We liked Juno, Michael Clayton, The Italian Job, and
Oceans 12. We almost always hate the movies praised by the
critics and enjoy the ones they pan. We want entertainment,
not social comment, in our movies.”
When I asked Dik, “If you could be anyone in history, who
would you choose to be?” he answered, “Leonardo da Vinci or
Michelangelo, the best of the Renaissance men.” Considering
Dik‟s awesome talent and affinity for creating beautiful things,
combined with a keen interest in so many different areas of the
arts and sciences, it‟s no wonder he would identify with being a
Renaissance man.
What is the greatest measure of a man and his success? When
he can say – with all candor – that his LIFE IS SWEET, he is,
no doubt, the most successful of all. Dik, may you always
celebrate la dolce vita.♦
Plans for Orientation Meeting
By Ken Kroen
The club is planning two Orientation Meetings over the next
6 months. These Orientations are for the entire membership,
not just the newcomers. The first Orientation will take place
in the May/June timeframe and the second in the
October/November timeframe. The purpose of these
Orientations is to provide everyone with an overview of the
organization and the services and opportunities available.
The following is a tentative agenda for the meetings:
Opening comments by the Club President.
Introduction of the Club Officers and their roles.
Club structure and facility overview.
Overview of Special Interest Groups and Mentor
Program.
Overview of the Photo Lab and the plans for the
future.
Overview of the Club Website and Newsletter (In
Focus).
How to obtain assistance with your photographic
needs.
Education Programs
Photo Competitions
Photo Shoots
Volunteer opportunities.
Future plans for the Club.
Question and Answer Session.
If you would be interested in attending one of these sessions,
send an e-mail to GrandPhotos-SCG@cox.net stating which
session you want to attend and what time of the day you
prefer (Morning, Afternoon or Evening). Also, include in the
e-mail any suggestions you have. For those of you who have
replied to an earlier e-mail, thank you.
You will be notified via e-mail as to the actual dates of the
Orientations.♦
7
.
Favorite Places…
By Mike and Joyce Seddon
Mike and I had to try our hand at describing our favorite place…Porto Penasco, Mexico. Please hear us out…we
certainly have been on more exotic, expensive, and more fun vacations, but this one was a brief three day get away
that really surprised us with literally hundreds of wonderful pictures. Mike and I were always hesitant to go to
Mexico ourselves. Fear of getting lost, stranded or ending in some Tijuana jail was always in the back of our
minds, but then a bus tour caught our eye and that was the perfect solution.
We left the driving and the frustrations to them, and all we needed were our passports, clothes and gear. The bus
drove us first to a wonderful restaurant, Casa de Capitan at the top of a hill overlooking the harbor. I would be
scared to take my car up that road, but they took all 20 of us in a very comfortable bus. The color of the sky and
water were so vivid, you would think they were Photoshop saturated, and against the bright oranges, greens, reds
and yellows of the buildings, costumes and flowers, it just screamed “Ole!” or for us, “Okay!” The shrimp boats
were coming in. All our fellow bus passengers were enjoying a lovely lunch, and we had a hard time stopping long
enough to eat. The tiles, the arches, the fountain, the angles!
Off to our hotel, Penasco Del Sol, a newly renovated one
which, in March, was quiet and peaceful. Mike and I both
have a deep love for the ocean. (So why are we in Arizona?)
The waves, sounds and even smells of the ocean call us.
What was special about Porto Penasco was that their empty
beach had such a gentle slope. The difference between high
and low tide was amazing… some 300+ feet deep and miles
long? That is 300 feet of potential tidal pools to look at,
shells to find, and starfish to search for. Add pelicans and
seagulls being reflected in the tidal pools and it adds up to a
lot of photo ops.
But on top of that was the sky, so
clear and dramatic with wisps of
clouds everywhere. Then add the
sunset. Wow, we were in heaven!!
By this time our tour guide came out
to see if we were all right. He
stopped as his shoes got stuck in the
wet sand and gave up. We had
kicked ours off long before that,
rolled up our pants and were really
into it until the sun gave us no more
light. It is not that we were anti-
social and did not want to go to the
dinner with them… it‟s just that, as all
of us know, that magic hour won‟t
wait for anyone.
8
As I was bending over, taking my 200th picture or so, some children came up to see what I was doing.
I showed them the pictures I took and asked them and their parents if I could take a picture of them
looking at the sunset. It‟s one of my favorites. The silhouette of the children backlit by the blue gold
of the sunset. By this time our toes were numb, so we went back to warm up.
Next morning the sunrise was disappointing, but the morning light made up for it at the oceanside.
Seagulls swooping or suspended in midair gave us more than enough to concentrate on. And then
there was the clear glass reflection of hotels on the wet sand! Our tour took a trip to a local market
place and as everyone hurried to get their prize pottery, rug or souvenir, Mike and I shopped for
pictures….pottery in piles, rugs in rows, bushels of baskets…it was all there. And yes, I did find
time to buy a little shell turtle. A short trip to a museum gave us more interesting photos and we
actually learned a thing or two. Another great sunset and another great meal. The next day we had
an opportunity to walk the beach and go down to the docks where the old rusty shrimp boats and
some wrecks of ships gave us plenty to focus on.
The last morning Mike and I raced to see our seagull
friends again, and then the tour bus started to leave for
home. But first, a final stop at a fish market…Great
Pelican Pictures! And great lunch and margaritas too.
I wish we had more time to take more pictures of dead
fish! Now that‟s a statement only a fellow
photographer would understand.
The best part is that the tour bus got us through
customs both ways without a problem, we never had a
concern about “drinking the water” or eating in the
places where they brought us, and of course everything
was secure. And we never ended up in jail! What
more could you want of a vacation! ♦
9
“Tips and Tricks”…
How to Shoot a Portrait
By John Macy and Gene McDermott
When we started to write this we realized how broad a topic we had selected. There are all sorts of portraits;
formal studio portraits, group, wedding and engagement portraits, family and let us not forget, pet portraits.
The intent of this article is to talk a little about how to shoot a good portrait and how the studio lighting system
we now own can really help. It is said, that the eyes are the windows of your soul and are key elements in good
portraits. Catch lights in the eyes give life to the person‟s face. Select a facial expression that makes the subject
look his/her best. Big broad smiles have a tendency to crunch the eyes and wrinkle the face. A portrait
photographer should tell the subject to think inner happy thoughts and not try to force an expression but get the
subject to relax and shoot lots of pictures (it‟s digital).
How to shoot a portrait.
One of the projects Grand Photos was asked to do were portraits of the CAM Board. The process we followed
is when we first meet each person we quickly assess what is that person‟s most prominent feature, ears, nose,
etc. Next was the basic shape of the subject‟s face, round or thin. How we posed or directed the subject to turn
their head, tilt their chin, was based on these initial assessments. The person with a round, full face would have
short lighting, in which you illuminate the side of the face that is turned away from the camera. We used the
units with umbrellas for a softer modeling of the face. This diffuse lighting helps to reduce the amount of time
one spends in Photoshop. During this process we learned that our senior subjects might have a few minor
wrinkles and brown spots. Removing all the natural signs of becoming a senior citizen should be avoided
because over retouching creates a very plastic, unnatural appearance. We are who we are.
Shooting session
Each person was photographed in a seated position in order to get them to relax. We turned a male subject to
about 45 degrees, so one shoulder was closer to the camera and had him face the camera. We noted that we
could see only one ear and had him look at the lens. With the use of our studio modeling lights we were careful
to avoid reflections in the glasses. Having the subject tilt his head slightly removes reflections in glasses. The
results of the portraits are now on display in the Adobe Center and are examples of short lighting, avoiding
reflections and limited use of Photoshop.
The example below shows a different lighting approach in portraiture. This lighting is well suited to male
subjects but may be too harsh for female subjects.
A soft box behind was
used to separate the
subject from the dark
background and serves
as a hair light.
Camera at slightly above eye
level and the subject‟s chin is lowered. We have one catch
light in each eye.
Main light is high and at 45
degrees to cast a shadow to
define the shape of the face.
The triangle of light cast
by the nose is referred to as
Rembrandt lighting after the
sixteenth century
Dutch artist.
Thanks to our model, Ullrich Seike!!
Want to learn more? We are currently in the process of setting up classes on using the studio lights.
Check your e-mails.♦
10
Why Compete???
By Bill Haskamp
Whether you are new to the club or not, you might
have noticed a definite buzz about competitions,
whether our own, Northwest Valley, or ACCC.
We hear about them in our excellent IN FOCUS,
at the meetings, or in some of the classes that are
given. When I first came here to Grand, I joined
the SCG Grand Photo Club to increase my photo
skills, since that was their mission. Everything else
was secondary, including meeting some of the zany
characters that populate our roster. Despite the
nearly constant drone and prodding by some of the
members, my reaction to competing was classic
indifference at best. For most of us, after 40 years
or more of daily competition in our jobs, we
cherish a non-competitive approach to our lives.
So why bother?
As a veteran now of 2 competitions, my attitude
has changed, and for what I believe are some very
good reasons. Browse through any competition
exhibition, and the first thing you realize is that
there are no technically poor entries. The critique
held this past month emphasized that. Soft focus,
blown out whites, black shadow areas and the like
are plain and simple rejects out of the chute.
Perhaps you tolerate some of these in your
photographs now, but your personal standards will
ratchet up right away when you really internalize
that these are competition rejects. You begin to
really work at improving your images technically.
The second benefit of competition is a true refining
of your personal vision. Many of us believe we
shoot for ourselves, and if the judges like it, great.
And if the judges don‟t like it, then they are wrong.
Not a bad philosophy I might add. However, and a
very big however, is that sometimes the personal
vision is a bit hazy, cloudy, or cluttered. Betty
Burke said it succinctly when she said that her
friends and relatives always praise her
photographic skills (everyone is taken in by
wonderful subjects and pretty colors), but the club
competitions provide a big dose of reality. After
you enter a competition or two, and fail to garner
all of the awards, you begin to understand that your
images may not be quite as good as you think they
are. Then you take those images to the club, a
judging critique, or a similar forum, and find out
how you can improve them. Quite likely this will not be
an overnight process. Gary Jann and I attended the
critique that Jim Urquhart sponsored this past month,
and both of us brought images that we love and
submitted numerous times, but we have yet to win
anything, not even an honorable mention! The judges
critiqued the images and suggested changes to make the
images better. I went home and made changes to the
images based on the critique and the images were
improved! The judges critiqued a number of images and
mentioned that the subject was not well defined or
presented. The subject was lost in an image that was too
busy. Here is where the refining of the personal vision
comes in. Clearly the person who made the image knew
what the subject was, but hadn‟t refined the presentation
of the subject well enough to really make it “pop.”
Finally, if you decide to enter a competition, your entries
must comply with the rules. It is very difficult to
prepare images without learning a great deal,
particularly with respect to printing, mounting on just
the right backing, and resizing and preparing digitally
compliant images. These are the same skills needed to
present images for your personal viewing pleasure, for
presenting to family and friends, to make into slide
shows, and just plain show off your best work.
Yes, the whole thing is a lot of work, learning is never
easy, but entering some competitions will make you a
better photographer, and that‟s what we‟re all here for,
zany and colorful characters notwithstanding.♦
Holiday Photos Needed By Dik Salsbury
Some of you may have seen our slideshow preceding the Grand
Singers' Spring Concert. The Singers received positive feedback
and have asked us to create another thirty minute slideshow of
our members' images for their Holiday Concert this Fall. It would
be shown as people find their seats and wait for the concert to
begin. This is a good opportunity to show our work to a lot of
people and invite them to join us. If we do a good job, it will
probably be a re-occurring opportunity for us if we want to do it.
We need to collect about a hundred images of holiday scenes. They
could include children opening presents, beautifully decorated
trees, selecting a tree, the Thanksgiving table, closeups of
ornaments, New Year's Eve celebrations, general winter scenes,
etc. Anything that conveys the excitement and sentimentality of
the holiday season would work. If you have or take images that
you want to share with the community, please put them on a CD
and leave them at the club lab for Dik Salsbury. ♦
11
Photo
Gallery
“Rodeo” Ron Szwiec
“Camel Boy in
the Sahara” Gale McCall
“Eddontenajon Lake, B.C.”
Ed Knox
12
Photo Gallery
Continued…
“Copenhagen” Darlene Eger
“Forbidden City” Marv Weinstein
“Docking in Norway” Sherry Weinstein
13
ACCC
Spring Round-up April 2008
“Cactus Flower” Jerry Weinstein
Digital, Open, 2nd Place
“VFR on Top” Dik Salsbury
Digital, Rotating, 3rd Place
“Monument Valley” John Wolff
Print, Rotating, 3rd Place
“Desert Museum Owl” Stan Bormann
Print, Monochrome Nature, 2nd Place
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