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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
A Message From The President 3
Dates To Remember 3
Capturing Landscape Photo With Character 4
My Thoughts about Landscape and Nature
Photography
6
Landscape Photography 9
Photo Excursion: Anderson Japanese Garden 10
PSA : Significant Update to Nature Photo
Definition
11
Year End Specialty Awards 12
A Brief History of Photography Part 7
The Dawn of Color
13
April Challenge Images 18
Landscape and Nature Photography A Message From The Editor
Wikipedia states “Landscape photography shows spaces within the
world, sometimes vast and unending, but other times microscopic.
Landscape photographs typically capture the presence of nature,
but can also focus on man-made features or disturbances of
landscapes. Nature photography refers to a wide range
of photography taken outdoors and devoted to displaying natural
elements such as landscapes, wildlife, plants, and close-ups of
natural scenes and textures. Nature photography tends to put a
stronger emphasis on the aesthetic value of the photo than other
photography genres, such as photojournalism and documentary
photography.”
From the very first days of photography, some of the most
important and celebrated photographers have been motivated by
an appreciation of the beauty of our natural environment and a
desire to see it preserved. For example, Ansel Adams spoke
passionately in defense of the natural world. Well known nature
photographers include Frans Lanting, Galen Rowell, Eliot Porter and Art Wolfe.
In the last edition of Exposures, one article emphasized that a key to success as a photojournalist is to be an empathetic
storyteller. Landscape photographs are no different. A good landscape image should make a connection with the viewer, and
tell a story. A good landscape image should have a viewer finding interesting details each time they look at it.
Andrew Carter, an Australian Landscape Photographer writes,
“Landscape photography should remind you of that connection we
all have to the land, and remind us to stop every so often, to take a
big breath and be aware. Landscape pictures can also show both
the strength and the fragility of nature, the volatile beauty of the
wilderness and the earth that needs to be protected.”
Landscape photography doesn't always have to be nature
photography. The term “Urban Landscape” describes photographs
of a city taken in the manner of a landscape, using skyscrapers and
other man-made architecture as elements of composition which
should be treated in the same way a photographer would treat
mountains and trees.
Landscape photography is an addictive pursuit. You can often
forget those times when the light was wrong, the weather was
wrong and those darn tourists got in the frame when everything
finally comes together and you can joyfully share moments and
share photography.
Inside This Issue
Share Moments - Share Photography
June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10
© Ken Johnson
“Nevada Falls”
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
2013 - 2014
Board Members President Mike Trahan
President Elect Mark Theriot
Past President John Williams
Secretary Terry Ferguson
Treasurer Jim Ross
Vice President, External Operations Michelle Cox
Vice President, Internal Operations Bill Sullivan
2013 - 2014
Committee Chairpersons
LCCC is a proud member of the
Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association
and the Photographic Society of America.
The club’s mission is to promote, teach and share the ideals, skills, techniques
and good practices of the art of photography and the use of cameras and
photographic equipment.
Visit the club’s website www.lakecountycameraclub.org.
The club meets at 7:00pm on the first Thursday of every month at:
University Center. 1200 University Drive, Grayslake IL
Questions or comments about this newsletter?
Please contact Ken Johnson, Newsletter Editor at:
[email protected]
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 2
CACCA Representative Bob Kruzic
Challenge Coordinator Linda O’Rourke
Competition Chair Bob Kruzic
Community Involvement Coordinator JoAnn Sullivan
Company Contact Coordinator Open
Continuing Education Coordinator Jim Ross
Critique Coordinator Liz Rose Fisher
DPI Competition Coordinator John Rouse
Educational Events Coordinator Open
Event Communications Coordinator Sue Baron
Facilities Coordinator Bill Sullivan
Gallery Coordinator John Williams
Historian Egon Shein
Hospitality Desk Margie Hurwich
Judge Procurement Tony Roma
Librarian Larry Chua
Long Term Planning Mark Theriot
Mentoring Program Coordinator Open
Membership Chair Terry Ferguson
New Member Coordinator Judy Reinhardt
Newsletter Editor Ken Johnson
Photo Excursion Coordinator Debra Olson
Program Chair Stevan Tontich
PSA Representative Egon Schein
PSA Photo Travel Coordinator Birgit Tyrrell
PSA Photojournalism Coordinator Linda Kruzic
PSA Projected Image Coordinator Ron Sheade
PSA Nature Coordinator Jeff Bark
Small Group Coordinator Ron Sheade
Webmaster John Rouse
Year End Party Coordinators Jeff Bott
Sheldon Wecker
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 3
A Message From President - Mike Trahan
Our NIK Plugin small group has just ended our series. We had six sessions attended on average by over 20 people at each
session, all mentored and taught by Margie Hurwich. Our thanks to Margie for a great series. We all got quite a bit from it.
As we thought when we started the small group concept given almost any subject, we've got some club members who are
knowledgeable on it and willing to teach others. I'm also in several other small groups and have learned a lot from each plus
enjoyed meeting on a small group basis with others.
Others are having the same experience. I saw an email from a member of one of our Novice/Intermediate small groups agreeing
that we needed to skip a session in May because of members' schedule conflicts, but saying how disappointing that will be
because she's learning so much at each session.
Jim Ross, our resident philosopher, recently sent a tip about how worthwhile being in a camera club over three decades has
been to him and how he's still learning things through the club. It made me think about how much I've enjoyed being a member
of LCCC. The photography came first, but being in the club has kept me involved in photography far more than I would have
been otherwise and stretched me to try things outside what I'd normally have done. It's also great fun to meet and socialize with
many like-minded people who I just plain enjoy talking to. Can it ever be too much?
Do you:
-- Plan your vacations around photography? Check.
-- Have your spouse complain that you spend more time with your cohorts from the camera club than with her/him? Check.
-- Spend more than 2/3rds of your non-fiction reading time on photography? Check.
-- Spend more on camera equipment than on jewelry for your spouse (or yourself)? Not quite. A fact that I frequently point out to
my wife, usually before buying some new piece of camera equipment.
Oh good. I'm still not too far gone. How about you?
Challenge Due: ‘Spring Scenes’ May 31
Program Night: Monochrome Conversion presented by Stevan Tontich June 5
Photo Excursion: Anderson Japanese Garden June 7
Board Meeting: All are welcome June 19
Shutter Café 8:00 AM June 21
Newsletter Articles Due: Macro Photography June 21
Challenge Due: ‘Dusk to Dawn’ June 30
Photo Excursion: Eyes to the Skies Balloon Festival July 5
IMPORTANT NOTICE : July Club Meeting Date Change July 9
Dates To Remember
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Capturing Landscape Photo With Character By Andrew Goodall
Landscape photography is a most rewarding
pastime, but it can be far more challenging
than some people imagine. It sounds so
easy; visit a beautiful location, shoot a few
snapshots, and come home with a work of
art in your camera. After dealing with the
public for over 20 years, I swear most
people think it really is that simple.
But really good landscape photography is
much more challenging. Anyone can
recognize the potential of a good subject,
but turning that potential into a memorable
image is another story. The task is even
greater if it is a popular location. When you
photograph a place that is photographed a
thousand times a day, you have to find a
way to create something different from the
everyday snapshot.
4 Tips For Capturing The Character Of A Landscape
1. You Don’t Have to Fit Everything In
Some panoramic views are so huge that the only way to fit everything into your photo is to use a very wide-angle lens. The
trouble is, this reduces everything in size, so that the grandeur of your subject is diminished. It can be more effective to
concentrate your composition around one feature of the landscape; a feature other people will recognize. With this approach, you
can use a larger lens to add size and prominence to the subject. You may also capture details that could be lost with a wide-
angle lens.
2. Look For a New Angle
Why is it that so many photos of the great landmarks
look the same? Simply because everybody
photographs them from the same lookouts. It is easy
to get a good shot from a major lookout; in fact, that
is probably why the lookout was built in the first
place. The trouble is, it is almost impossible to get a
unique shot if your photo is taken from the same
angle as all the others.
If possible, search beyond the established lookouts
to see if there is a more interesting angle to take
your photo. This may take a little more effort, and
you may have to do some bushwalking to find the
best spot. I don’t suggest risking your neck or
trespassing, but in most cases there are alternatives
to the established lookouts.
.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 4
“Saguaro_1679” © Michael Just (click to see more from Michael Just
“Ice-over-Yamanaka Lake” © Kustiyah (click to see more from Kustiyah
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3. Use The Surroundings to Your Advantage
Anyone can take a snapshot of a mountain range. But what about a mountain range framed through the branches of a tree in the
foreground or with a river winding away into the distance, drawing with it the eye of the viewer?
Every landscape can be photographed from a number of angles; the most obvious one is not always the best. By scouting
around and looking for interesting foregrounds, you can add real character to your image and create something truly unique.
4. Consider the Conditions
Capturing your subject in the best light can
be a real balancing act. First you need to
consider the time of day. Usually the ideal
light is early in the morning and late in the
afternoon, when the light is softer and
more colourful. The trouble is, any
photographer with experience already
knows that. So how do you take your
photo to the next level?
Keep a constant eye on the weather. You
may be able to see something special, like
a storm front, a good cloud formation, or
even a good chance of a rainbow starting
to develop. If you choose your moment
just right, you can be on location in time
for something really special.
This is a measure of the commitment of a
landscape photographer. The more effort
you put in, the greater the rewards. You will spend a lot of time waiting for the right moment, but once you get that perfect image,
you will see it was not time wasted. You will know you have done a good job when people start to say, “I have been there, but my
photos are nowhere near as good as yours!”
About the Author:
Andrew Goodall writes for http://www.naturesimage.com.au and is a nature photographer based in Australia. He manages a
gallery in Montville full of landscape photography from throughout Australia.
Reprinted with permission from PICTURECORRECT.
Go to full article: Capturing Landscape Photos with Character
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 5
“Wonderland” © Andy Hough (click to see more from Andy Hough
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
Continued on next page
My Thoughts about Landscape and Nature Photography By Gary Smith
Well for gosh sakes, I’m no Ansel Adams, so I am a bit uncomfortable writing anything on the subject of Landscapes and Nature.
I like writing about technical things regarding photography, like light waves, apertures and lengths of exposure etc. While those
things come in to play with the subject at hand, I feel this subject is where the “Art” of photography really comes into play.
My first bout with photography was in 1957 with a Fujica 35mm camera. The first photos I took were of people (friends and
family) and some hotrod cars. It took years until I discovered the joy of going “out there” and trying to capture on film what I
always loved, Landscapes and Nature, the outside. That’s when I realized I needed a better camera, but like most young folks
who got married early, I couldn’t afford a good camera. It took years before I got my first SLR and more still to get lenses that
could get anywhere near close up, then my two prize possessions, a 20Omm Macro, and eventually a 24mm. Back then, I shot
slides and joined this club about 25 to 30 years ago when I first met Jim Ross and Jerry Donahue.
But I digress. So lets look at the differences between Landscape and Nature
photography. I feel they are somewhat intertwined, so all I can say is that
Nature, to me, is of wild plants and animal life. Usually one would almost fill the
frame with a critter photo like this Colorado Moose crossing a stream. (image
left).
In regard to landscapes, I would
suggest you open up your vista
to capture the grandeur of a
mountain scene, a whole tree or
waterfall from top to bottom like
this lonely tree in Kansas:
(image right).
Nature can be a macro shot of
some small bug or of a critter of
some kind like these geese on
their nest (image left), but not a
large landscape view.
A wide view of a mountain
scene with many buffalo far
away would be more of a
landscape shot than of a Nature
shot as this Yellowstone photo
will attest. (image right).
A nature shot of the same
subject matter would be of one
buffalo. (image left).
See how complicated this classification business can become. That is why I
think there is some over lap between the two. Also, when taking landscapes
you most often want to maximize your depth of field to sharpen everything in
the image. Many Nature shots are of animals or flowers in a tight group, with
shallow depths of field to isolate the subjects from their surroundings.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 6
All images © Gary Smith
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Continued from previous page
The use of a tripod is of course useful for any good image. If you are trying to sharpen a scene in a landscape shot, you will
want to stop down the lens (make the aperture smaller) to create a larger depth of field. By stopping the lens down you will
increase the exposure time, this requires the use of a tripod to eliminate camera shake. One is also needed for macro
photography, usually nature.
Oops sorry, I’m getting technical. I’m really trying to stick to the artistic side or difference between Nature and Landscape. Let
me focus on the landscape side of things for a bit. How about having a subject in a landscape, something that adds interest to a
larger scene.
In this beautiful birch tree within a mountain scene (image right), I had to
position it to improve the aesthetic value of the photo.
You can place it on the right or left, near the top,
bottom or vertical (image left). The rule of thirds
can help you, but you don’t have to follow it, it’s just
something to guide you.
What about the foreground and background? In
this mountain scene in Wyoming with a pond in
front of me, my subject was the mountain. Did I
want the foreground to be water only (image right)
or did I want some shoreline at the bottom of my
photo to give an idea of the size of the pond?
(image left). The choice is yours to make, but that
choice will have a statement to make about your
scene. The mountains in the
background are of course
beautiful, but a good sky can
lend so much to a picture.
The sky can be as important as
the foreground. A sky can be
very dramatic and impact your
image a great deal. For a sky to
be dramatic, you need clouds
and the more threatening the
better as this shot of a barn on
Casey Rd near Libertyville
shows. (image right).
Remember that lines can direct
your eye to a point of interest.
Roads provide wonderful lines,
here straight to some mountains
in New Mexico. (Photo 11 NM
Highway) or curved as in this
Wyoming scene. (Photo 12
WYO Hwy). Diagonal is good or
any angle except one running
straight through the center of the
photo.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 7
All images © Gary Smith
Continued on next page
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Continued from previous page
Let’s not forget Nature, or what I consider Nature as opposed to Landscapes.
Here I think we should focus in on something in the natural world. How about
smoothing a small waterfall to give it a soft touch with the feeling of motion as in
this Kentucky road side shot. (image right). Again your choice, but giving your
photo the suggestion of movement is a good idea.
A close-up of almost anything
alive is always fun, especially
when the subject is causing your
heart to race, as this Bull Snake
in New Mexico did to me (image
left). It was giving a wonderful
display of being a rattlesnake and
convinced me until I knew it was
just a bull snake.
Nature doesn’t have to be of plants or animals, it can show the violence of Earth
and Sky as in this shot of a Geyser in Yellowstone. Here there is the drama of
the gushing spray and the threatening clouds above (image right). Notice also
the lines of the geyser’s spray, almost pointing you to the clouds above.
In many cases, it’s a good idea to
shoot with lens wide open so you
isolate the subject from the
background as in this shot of a
Pronghorn antelope on
Wyoming’s wide open plains
(image left).
So, is this a Landscape or Nature Photo of a group of elk in Kentucky (image
right)? I’d have to say Nature because in my mind you can’t see to the horizon.
But that’s just my opinion.
While there are many overlaps in Landscape and Nature photography, there are
distinctions. Either way you are outside enjoying the wide world about you.
You may be interested in a Google+ Landscape Photography Community.
https://plus.google.com/communities/116871042716967304935
The objective of the community is to be able to showcase the Natural World around you. We highly encourage you to promote
your own work and contribute to the knowledge of the other community members. Enjoy & Share.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 8
All images © Gary Smith
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
Landscape Photography Presented by the Nature Photographers Network™
Landscape photography is both challenging and an extremely rewarding genre of nature photography.
Rarely does blind luck alone lead to captivating or evocative landscape
photography. Snapshots of the landscape taken from a car window or the side of
the trail seldom translate into images that stir the soul or the imagination. Planning,
scouting, perfect timing and a little bit of luck, all contribute to getting consistent
successes.
The good news is that landscape photography doesn’t require any highly
specialized equipment like wildlife or macro photography, for example. In fact, a
camera body and a kit lens is more than enough to get started. The closest
essential piece of equipment that is extra is a good, sturdy tripod. Landscape
photography is often all about using small apertures and relatively long shutter
speeds in low light, so stabilization is essential.
More than any other type of photography, landscape photography requires the
greatest attention to the direction, intensity, and color of the available natural light.
Choosing or waiting for the right light and paying attention to how it falls on the land
is essential to creating powerful and meaning landscape images. Patience is a
personal trait that will serve you well.
In addition to light, close attention to composition is paramount to good results.
Keeping the primary focal point from the center, using the Rule of Thirds, and
incorporating the use of lines in the composition, all can contribute to the perceived
flow, balance, and aesthetic value of the image. These suggestions are simply
guidelines and often must be broken to be successful, but they are good places to
start.
Landscape Photography can be difficult to truly master, but the rewards of each success are often the most powerful and
inspiring images.
The Nature Photographers Network™ is an international cooperative network of amateur and professional photographers
dedicated to the art and technique of nature photography.
Enhance your nature photography skills by learning from some of the most talented photographers in the field today while
sharing your own skills and passion with fellow nature photography enthusiasts!
http://www.naturephotographers.net/landscapephotography.html
The NPN website is intended to serve as an online resource for nature photographers of all skill levels, from beginner to
professional. Our focus is on the art and technique of nature, wildlife and landscape photography.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 9
© Richard Bernabe
© Richard Bernabe
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
All images © Anderson Japanese Garden
Photo Excursion: Saturday, June 7
Anderson Japanese Garden By Debra Olsen
This garden is a hidden gem in the heart of Rockford. If you are looking for
something different to shoot, then attend this excursion. Very beautiful and
tranquil, it has been voted the highest quality Japanese garden in North America.
You will receive a map before going out to explore the grounds. The trails are
mostly light gravel and there will be some climbing of stairs.
You may want to buy some fish
food when purchasing your
tickets – the Koi fish are
gorgeous!
Have fun and enjoy the peaceful
environment.
www.andersongardens.org
There is no parking fee, but there is an $8 Adult or $7 Senior (62+) entrance fee.
If you will be attending, a carpool has been set up. We will meet at the Northeast corner, Lower Level Sears at Westfield Mall/
Hawthorne in Vernon Hills at 7:00 am, leaving no later than 7:15 am. If you plan on meeting us there, we will meet at the main
entrance at 9:00 am. The garden is located at 318 Spring Creek Rd, Rockford, IL. No tripods are allowed in the garden during
touring hours, but monopods are permitted. Also, commercial photography is permitted. All attending are responsible for liability
and travel arrangements. The photo excursion is subject to weather, no rain date. If you will be attending, please email
[email protected] . Include in your email if you will be carpooling or meeting at the location as well as your
cell phone number.
Please note: We are appreciative of those who volunteer to drive for the carpool. If you are carpooling with someone, please
consider offering to help with gas expenses if you are able to do so. Thanks!
*Note from Larry Chua: If you are a member of the Chicago Botanic Garden or one of the area gardens you might want to bring
along your membership card. You will be able to get in free with their RAP (Reciprocal Admissions Program).
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 10
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
PSA : Significant Update to Nature Photo Definition
The same definition for nature and wildlife categories will now be used in competitions and exhibitions by three major
international photographic organizations.
June 2014 -- Three of the world’s largest international photography organizations have defined a common definition for nature
and wildlife photography. The Photographic Society of America (PSA) which represents 6500 members and 470 camera clubs,
the Fédération Internationale de l'Art Photographique (FIAP) which represents more than 85 national associations and The Royal
Photographic Society (RPS) with over 11,000 members will all use the same definition for nature and wildlife categories for their
respective competitions and exhibitions.
The new definition will come in to effect from 1 January 2015.
The introduction of a common definition is primarily intended to provide clarity to competition entrants. In addition, it will support
efforts by all three bodies and their affiliated organizations to clamp down on those entering ineligible images or who set out to
abuse the rules.
Commenting on the new definition John Davis / Riccardo Busi / Derek Birch, President of PSA / FIAP / RPS said: “The
development of a common definition for nature and wildlife photography will be an important step in helping photographers, many
of whom enter competitions internationally, know what the rules are. It will also provide organizers with a very clear definition
when they need to deal with the problem of ineligible images. We would encourage other competition organizers to adopt the
definition.”
Nature Photography Definition
Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict all branches of natural history, except
anthropology and archaeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and
certify its honest presentation. The story telling value of a photograph must be weighed more than the pictorial quality while
maintaining high technical quality. Human elements shall not be present, except where those human elements are integral parts
of the nature story such as nature subjects, like barn owls or storks, adapted to an environment modified by humans, or where
those human elements are in situations depicting natural forces, like hurricanes or tidal waves. Scientific bands, scientific tags or
radio collars on wild animals are permissible. Photographs of human created hybrid plants, cultivated plants, feral animals,
domestic animals, or mounted specimens are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic
statement.
No techniques that add, relocate, replace, or remove pictorial elements except by cropping are permitted. Techniques that
enhance the presentation of the photograph without changing the nature story or the pictorial content, or without altering the
content of the original scene, are permitted including HDR, focus stacking and dodging/burning. Techniques that remove
elements added by the camera, such as dust spots, digital noise, and film scratches, are allowed. Stitched images are not
permitted. All allowed adjustments must appear natural. Color images can be converted to grey-scale monochrome. Infrared
images, either direct-captures or derivations, are not allowed. Images used in Nature Photography competitions may be divided
in two classes: Nature and Wildlife. Images entered in Nature sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above can
have landscapes, geologic formations, weather phenomena, and extant organisms as the primary subject matter. This includes
images taken with the subjects in controlled conditions, such as zoos, game farms, botanical gardens, aquariums and any
enclosure where the subjects are totally dependent on man for food.
Images entered in Wildlife sections meeting the Nature Photography Definition above are further defined as one or more extant
zoological or botanical organisms free and unrestrained in a natural or adopted habitat. Landscapes, geologic formations,
photographs of zoo or game farm animals, or of any extant zoological or botanical species taken under controlled conditions are
not eligible in Wildlife sections. Wildlife is not limited to animals, birds and insects. Marine subjects and botanical subjects
(including fungi and algae) taken in the wild are suitable wildlife subjects, as are carcasses of extant species. Wildlife images
may be entered in Nature sections of Exhibitions.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 11
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
Year End Specialty Awards By Terry Ferguson
Nominations for the Year End Specialty Awards are due at the June Member's Meeting (June 5th). The Board will then choose
the winners and make the presentation at the Year End Party in August. Members can nominate another member by presenting
the nomination in writing to the President by the June meeting. The Board will then select a winner. The winner does not have
to be one of the nominations and the award may not be given if it is determined that no one meets the requirements. The
Specialty Awards are:
Ambassador Award
The Ambassador Award is awarded to an individual who brings value to LCCC by best promoting the club as an
ambassador for new members, presenters and activities.
Achievement in photographic competitions is not considered in making this award.
The winner of this award may not be awarded the Contribution Award, Distinguished Service Award or Will Fletcher
Award in the same given year.
Contribution Award
The Contribution Award is awarded to an individual who has added value to LCCC based on a single significant
contribution.
Achievement in photographic competitions is not considered in making this award.
The winner of this award may not be awarded the Ambassador Award, Distinguished Service Award or Will Fletcher
Award in the same given year.
Distinguished Service Award
The Distinguished Service Award is awarded to an individual for outstanding contributions and overall service to
LCCC. It honors the dedicated service to the club in furthering interests in photography, the club, CACCA and/or
PSA.
Achievement in photographic competitions is not considered in making this award.
The winner of this award may not be awarded the Ambassador Award, Contribution Award or Will Fletcher Award in
the same given year.
Will Fletcher Award
The Will Fletcher Award is awarded to an individual who best exemplifies the spirit and efforts of Will Fletcher in
mentoring or teaching members of LCCC.
Achievement in photographic competitions is not considered in making this award.
The winner of this award may not be awarded the Ambassador Award, Contribution Award or Distinguished Service
Award in the same given year.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 12
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
A Brief History of Photography
Part 7 - The Dawn of Color By Mike Kukulski
While the advancement of photography steadily progressed from daguerreotypes, through calotypes, wet plate collodion, dry
gelatin plate, on to celluloid film, one aspect of this progress was a constant – the images obtained were monochromatic or gray
scale, exhibiting a tonal response from white through gray to black. All of these methods failed to address a key limitation posed
by the silver-based emulsions they all shared. They did not capture the natural world as the human eye perceived it – in color.
The photographic community was keenly aware of this limitation from the start.
The first approach to add color to images was via hand coloring or tinting to the
images after development. Daguerreotypes were colored via direct hand painting
on the gilded or varnished daguerreotype, or by applying transparent tints to
selected portions of the image and fixing them by heating the plate. These print
coloring efforts continued with later paper-based print images, via various
methods of tinting or hand coloring the developed prints. While these means
could impart at least an artistic aesthetic, if not a greater sense of realism to many
images, it is obvious they could not be counted on to faithfully record the actual
colors of the original scene.
Early photographic experimenters were teased with glimpses of what might be
possible. In 1840 Sir John Herschel reported a limited ability to record red, green,
and blue colors on silver chloride papers, but these colors could not be fixed and
faded to black under lamplight. Edmund Becquerel and Nièpce de Saint-Victor
attempted to record colors directly on daguerreotypes from late 1840-1860, via a
process called heliochromy, but these images too could not be fixed. In 1851, a
New York Baptist minister, Levi L. Hill, claimed to have developed a direct-color
daguerreotype process, called hillotypes, but his achievements appear to have
been made by accident and he could not replicate the process.
The real birth of true image capture of color began in 1861 through the
efforts of the famed Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell (Maxwell’s
equations, and his theories of electromagnetism, are considered the
“second great unification in physics,” and lay the foundation for the fields
of special relativity and quantum mechanics). More relevant to our
interest, he published award-winning color theory papers from 1855 to
1872; he proposed that if 3 black-and-white photographs of a scene
were taken through red, green, and blue filters, by projecting the images
onto a screen using three projectors equipped with corresponding filters
an accurate color reproduction of the scene would be achieved. Maxwell
in fact demonstrated this in 1861 at a Royal Institution lecture on color
theory, with an image of a tartan ribbon. Because the photographic
emulsions of the time were orthochromatic, highly sensitive to blue light,
marginally to green light, and almost completely insensitive to red light,
the results were not perfect, but the theory was shown to be sound.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 13
Continued on next page
Figure 1: Hand-colored daguerreotype, sixth plate, ca. 1850. Courtesy of Cornell University Library
Figure 2: Tartan Ribbon, Photo of projected image by Thomas Sutton, 1861. Reproduced by permission of the Trustees of the Science Museum, South Kensington, London
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
Maxwell’s color theory was based on the additive theory developed by Thomas Young and refined by Hermann von Helmholtz.
Additive theory holds that red, green, and blue light is mixed to form any color in the visible spectrum; when mixed equally, they
appear as white light to the human eye. This theory is also the basis for how LED, LCD, plasma and CRT color video systems
work, as well as how digital camera sensors electronically record colors. This is known as the RGB color model.
In contrast to the additive process is the subtractive
method, where primary colors are subtracted from white
light by dyes or pigments. In photography, the red filtered
image is used to make a cyan dye image; the green filtered
image yields a magenta dye image; the blue filtered image
creates a yellow dye image. When these three dye images
are superimposed they produce a complete color image.
This is known as the CMYK color model, where the “K”
comprises a black component to compensate for
imperfections in the colored inks used in ink-jet and other
mechanical printing processes.
One of the best-known early photographers to employ these principles
was Russian photographer Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky, known for color
images made between 1909-1915 of the Russian Empire (over 3500
images) and his color portrait of Leo Tolstoy in 1908. Prokudin-Gorsky
made his images via a demanding process, each image made from
three exposures, one each with a red, green, and blue filter. These
three exposures needed to be perfectly registered to avoid color
fringing; these images could be taken in sequence with a tripod-
mounted camera, or via specially-designed triple image camera that
employed prisms, or beam splitters, to simultaneously record all three
filtered images on one plate. While the results, as in Prokudin-Gorsky’s
case, could be excellent, the technical demands were very high.
Numerous color process variants were developed in the late 1800’s
through the early 1900’s that utilized an additive screening process. These include the Dufaycolor (Diptichrome), Finlay, Paget,
and Joly processes. In these screening processes, a filter screen comprising the three additive primary colors, red, green, and
blue, was placed in front of a silver-based negative plate. The screens employed a variety of patterns or matrices to filter the
three primary colors; some patterns were parallel lines, others were crosshatched, etc. After exposure, the negative plate was
contact printed onto another negative plate to create a positive transparency (reverse-processed). This transparency could then
be viewed through a viewing filter that corresponded with the image-taking filter, which would yield an image rendering
reasonably accurate color. The primary disadvantages of these systems were the long exposure times required, image
degradation due to artifacts of the filters themselves (visible lines, etc.) and the exacting image and filter registration required to
render the colors correctly.
In 1907 the French Lumière brothers began marketing their patented Autochrome Lumière color plate photographic process.
The Autochrome was an additive mosaic screen plate process. The medium consisted of a glass plate coated in a random
mosaic pattern with a layer of microscopic grains of potato starch, dyed red-orange, green, and blue-violet. These randomly
distributed dyed grains acted as filters, with lampblack, a fine black powder, filling the spaces between the grains. This one-grain
thick layer was sealed, and then coated with a black-and-white panchromatic (sensitive to all colors of light) silver emulsion.
When exposed in the camera, the colored grains filtered the light before reaching the silver emulsion. The plate was then
reverse-processed into a positive transparency. Since the silver emulsion grains and the mosaic of starch grains remained in
precise alignment throughout the exposure and development process, when the transparency was illuminated, the grains of the
silver image acted as a micro-filter, allowing more or less light to pass through the adjacent starch grain, reproducing the original
distribution of the three colors.
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 14
Continued from previous page
Figure 3: Additive & Subtractive Color
Figure 4: Picture and filtered negatives of Alim Khan (1880-1944), Emir of Bukhara, 1911, by Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky
Continued on next page
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
Because of the light lost through the filtering, Autochrome images required longer
exposures than equivalent monochrome emulsions, and were thus relegated to
static versus moving subjects.
Autochromes were not well suited for projection; the high heat of projector lamps
tended to discolor the plates. They were best viewed using devices called
diascopes, which used daylight, as from a bright window, to backlight the
Autochrome plate for individual viewing. Because they were especially designed
for daylight use, and because the starch grain colors do not coincide exactly with
the color filters used in modern color films or digital sensors, it is difficult to
accurately copy Autochromes today and keep the color faithful to the original
plate. While the starch grains were somewhat coarse, they imparted a painterly,
or pointillist effect, to Autochrome images.
Autochrome glass plates were manufactured through the 1930’s, when they
began to be supplanted by film-based versions. The technical advantages of the
chromogenic color film process spelled the end for the Autochrome, but French
loyalty for the process remained until manufacture of the final film version,
Alticolor, was discontinued in 1955.
Next Time: Kodachrome & Color Film
This is the seventh installment of an ongoing series on the history and
development of the art of photography. It is inspired by the History of
Photography class taught by Professor Jeff Curto in the College of DuPage
Photography Program. While not a slavish copy of his work, I freely admit to
following his general course outline and sharing many of the perspectives he has
developed. I would encourage anyone with a greater interest in this subject to
follow his course online via video podcasts, at http://photohistory.jeffcurto.com.
Sources:
A World History of Photography, 4th Ed, 2007 by Naomi Rosenblum History of Photography Podcasts, class lectures with Jeff Curto from College of DuPage http://photohistory.jeffcurto.com Wikipedia, “Color Photography”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_photography Filmmaker IQ, “The History and Science of Color Film: From Issac Newton to the Coen Brothers”, http://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/the-history-and-science-of-color-film-from-isaac-newton-to-the-coen-brothers/ COLOURlovers, “The History of Color in Photography”, http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/2008/04/30/the-history-of-color-in-photography Luminous Lint: For Connoisseurs of Fine Photography, “A Concise History of Color Photography”, http://www.luminous-lint.com/IaW/public/5/1/2/1/0/20/T/ Wikipedia, “James Clerk Maxwell”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Clerk_Maxwell Wikipedia, “Autochrome Lumière”, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autochrome_Lumière Color Theory, “Autochrome”, https://home.bway.net/jscruggs/auto.html EdinPhoto, Early Photographic Processes, “Color Photography from 19th Century”, http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_processes_-_colour_photography.htm and “Autochrome: 1907-1940”, http://www.edinphoto.org.uk/1_early/1_early_photography_-_processes_-_autochrome.htm “The Autochrome: 100 Years of Color Photography”, by Mark Antman, reprinted from The Picture Professional, Issue 2, 2007, http://theimageworks.com/pdf/100years.pdf Smithsonian Magazine, “In Living Color”, by Robert M. Poole, Sept 2007, http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/in-living-color-161118412/ The Ryerson Photographic Preservation and Collections Management Program, “Autochrome”, http://www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/topographica/Autochrome.html The Ryerson Photographic Preservation and Collections Management Program, “Process Summaries”, by Amanda Maloney, http://www.imagearts.ryerson.ca/topographica/Process%20Summaries.html Pictorial Media Archaeology, “Autochromes: The Art of Early Color Photography”, http://users.telenet.be/thomasweynants/autochromes.html InstitutLumière, “Lumière’s Autochromes”, http://www.institut-lumiere.org/english/lumiere/autochrome.html
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 15
Continued from previous page
Figure 5: Autochrome of Samuel Clemens in Oxford Robes, Dec.21, 1908. Photographer, Alvin Langdon Coburn
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© Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor.
April Challenge - Let’s Go Outside By Linda O’Rourke
When I decided April’s Challenge to be “Let’s go Outside”, I thought we would finally be getting over winter. It was not to be… it
was cold, rainy and snow fell on April 14th. Mother Nature has decided to show us who’s Boss.
As you will see though, club members
found ways to go outside and they are:
Deb Olson found a couple of turtles
“Soaking up the Sun”
“Spring Run Off”, John Rouse was out
and about, viewing the rushing water
from our prolific 3rd snowiest winter.
Julie Boatright, “Crooked Path” What a
wonderful view. I feel as if I am walking
on the path, don’t you?
“Harry in Flight”, John Williams. I just
love these Birds, and John captured a
beautiful one.
Ken Mischke, “The Eastern Sky” Looks
like this was a beautiful morning.
Ron Hahn, ”Great Catch!” I think this one
sums it up. Baseball is upon us. Let’s go
Outside.
A Great Catch by all.
Please take a look at the Challenge
Gallery on the LCCC Website as there
are more images for your viewing.
To our new members, I encourage you to
give this a try! It is always fun to see
your images included in the Gallery and
there is no competition. Please submit
them to the Challenge Gallery through
the LCCC Website.
The May Challenge is “Spring Scenes”.
The April Gallery included several
nighttime shots that have inspired me for
June’s Challenge which will be “Dusk to
Dawn”. I hope this gives us all a purpose
to practice some evening shooting and/or
early morning as well.
Challenge images must be newly taken
images between the first day of the
assignment month and the end of the
given month. Up to ten images may be
submitted on a monthly basis by each individual.
Give it your best shot!
“The Eastern Sky”
“Great Catch”
Exposures - June 2014 Volume 6, Issue 10 Page 16
© Ron Hahn
© John Rouse
“Spring Run Off”
© Deb Olson
“Soaking up the Sun”
© John Williams
“Harry in Flight”
© Julie Boatright
“Crooked Path”
© Ken Mischke