These Are Exciting Times! › Newsletters › lccc2011dec.pdfHenri Cartier-Bresson famously called this ―the decisive moment….the simultaneous event…‖ of controversy. Some
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Exposures - December 2011 Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 5
I Could Have Taken That Picture By Mike Wilson
Have you ever heard someone say "I could have taken that picture!" as they are viewing a photo exhibit? I have heard such comments from viewers looking at my work and the work of others. Perhaps you have even uttered this phrase yourself - I know I have! As I was thinking back over the years, I recall a few times when photographic opportunities came my way that were true "moments" - events that if not captured would be missed and gone forever. There was the eruption of Mt. St. Helens on May 18, 1980. I made photographs from a safe distance of around 50 miles. And, there was also the subsequent steam eruption of Mt. St. Helens in June of 1980 that produced a beautiful mushroom cloud. Both of these were certainly presented "moments" to be captured. The first eruption continued for a short period of time, while the second event in June was something I watched for nearly 2 hours before I made my first image. But, despite the time factor, these events are likely not to be repeated in my lifetime. And, not every "moment" happens slow enough to take one's time to find just the right spot to setup and take multiple shots, let alone making images from differing locations. There was also the "moment" when I was in high school and had the opportunity to photography one of my fellow FFA (Future Farmers of America) team members hand chicks to small school children during a yearly livestock/farming event at the Portland, Oregon Exposition Center. It was a "moment" that was fleeting. It required a reaction, almost a reflexive, subconscious action, to capture an instant in time before it was gone forever. In this case, there weren't hours or even minutes to compose and make an image. This particular image won second place in the national FFA photo contest my junior year of high school, making the "moment" that much more special. The majority of the "moments" that I have captured as images are not fleeting, but are as most photographic moments I've experienced - they present themselves, and allow time to take advantage of them. These "moments" come without fanfare or spectacle and sometimes, these "moments" cause an excitement within me that is very much the same as occurs with a spectacular event. I have revisited a number of sites where some of those past "moments" have occurred not only to make new images and experience new moments, but also to see if it was possible to recapture a previous image. Much to my disappointment, my experience has been less than successful. However, even though I was not able to recreate a past photographic "moment", I have experienced success making new images. One such example is the photo of the lighthouse at Bandon, Oregon. I went back last year to see if I could recapture a successful image I made of the lighthouse without any success. But, there was some beautiful driftwood in the area that presented some opportunities. So, why is it that I could not recreate the same image? As I began thinking about this, I soon realized that I had a camera with a different image format than I did when I originally photographed the lighthouse 30 years ago. The image format of my current camera is rectangular as opposed to the square format of years ago. I also realized the light conditions were different and it is possible I was visiting the location at a different time of day than previously, however, I do not keep a log of such things, so it is impossible to tell. I don't even recall the time of year I made the original image.
Exposures - December 2011 Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 6
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You see, I came to realize that a number of things factored into my inability to recreate one of my favorite images. I not only have a different camera than I did in 1981, but the conditions from the wind to the light, my perception of the subject, what my feelings and attitude were like that day, and 30 years of experiences and changes in the way I "see" affected my response to the subject. I often go on outings in Oregon (when I go "home" for a visit) with my best friend Dave. While Dave and I photograph the same general area, we never make images that are alike. Each image is unique because of the factors just mentioned. Each image becomes its own "moment" in time, never to be repeated again. One exception might be in a studio where all the environmental elements can be easily controlled and repeated. Lights and objects can be placed in the same locations and the same backdrop can be used shot after shot. When shooting outdoors, however, environmental control is out of the hand of the photographer. So, for those who think they can see a photograph and recreate it, unless they are in a totally controlled environment such as a studio, will have a very lofty challenge! Even if the photographer were to be lucky enough to locate Ansel Adam's tripod holes on a trip to Yosemite and use Ansel's tripod and camera, the resulting image and print would evolve into their own "moment" no matter how hard they may try to recapture one of Ansel's "moments". So, enjoy the "moment" and know that it is uniquely yours!
Cut The Cheese By Sheldon Wecker
I enjoy taking candid photos of interesting people, especially when traveling. This picture was taken in Salzburg, Austria.
My wife, Gail, and I are ―foodies‖ so we were attracted to this outdoor cheese stand. As we were drooling over all the
choices, a mother and son came up and started admiring one of the largest cheese wheels I‘ve ever seen. Their
animated conversation was clearly about the cheese, but since my German is very limited I didn‘t understand what they
were saying. I remember being surprised that a young boy would be that interested in cheese (after all, this is not
Wisconsin), and thinking from the body language that the two of them were close and enjoying their outing. I also
thought – I‘ve got to get this shot.
I dialed the zoom lens on my camera to wide angle, and while it was
still hanging from the neck strap, pointed it at the subjects and took
the shot without raising the camera to my eye. The picture was taken
with a Fuji S9100, 32mm, f/4.5, 1/320sec, ISO200. Since this picture
was taken, I‘ve purchased a Sony alpha55. Both the Sony and Fuji
have tilt out screens which can be useful when taking candid's since
you can hold the camera at waist level, and even point it sideways
and still compose the shot. The higher burst speed of the Sony is also
an advantage when taking unaided candid's – especially if both you
and the subject are moving, but the Fuji has one significant
advantage that none of the ―big boy‖ DSLR‘s can match. If you use
manual focus and turn off the bips and bleeps, the camera is nearly
silent. I doubt that I could have taken this shot undetected with the
Sony.
After we returned, I asked my family to suggest a caption for the picture. The winning entry was – ―When you grow up,
you‘ll be able to cut the cheese just like your dad‖.
Exposures - December 2011 Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 9
2011 - 2012 CACCA
Schedule
Special Category
Individual DPI Competition
December Striking
January Black and White + one color February High Key Photo
March Fabulous Flakes April Structures of Life
May Clouds CACCA conducts seven Special Category competitions during the year as an individual Class of competition. Subject matter of entries in each monthly competition is restricted to the pre-announced category for that competition. Images may not have been previously entered in a CACCA competition.
All entries must follow the standard DPI naming and sizing requirements. Submit your entries to: [email protected]
Good Things Come to Those Who Wait By Darren Rowse
This old proverb was one that I heard a lot of growing up – it was a
favorite saying around our house and one that I think has had a fairly
significant impact upon me in numerous aspects of my life – not the
least of which is my photography.
While digital photography is sometimes known for it‘s spontaneity, I‘ve
found that most successful photographers also have the ability to sit
with a scene or subject for a considerable amount of time until the
situation is right to get things just as they should be to get the picture
perfect.
Patience comes into play in many forms of photography:
Landscape – there are many aspects of landscape photography that
takes patience ranging from scoping out the perfect place to shoot
from to waiting to get the light just right before shooting.
Sports – last year when I was at the Australian Open (tennis) I went
along expecting that the skill I would need the most was to be
spontaneous as a photographer but I came away realizing that the
only reason I came away with any decent shots was that I‘d really
persisted and taken my time in thinking through my shots. It was only
because I continued to shoot over a longer period of time that I honed
my framing and exposure to get things just right.
Portraits – studio portraits can be a little more predictable
than candid portrait shots but in both cases people are
unpredictable beings and getting a pose just right or capturing
an interaction between two subjects can take considerable
time to get right.
Wildlife – taking photos of animals is even more unpredictable
than photographing people and as a result there can be long
waits to both find them in the wild but also to capture them in
a the right position, light and framing.
Macro – similarly taking macro shots is generally not an
overly spontaneous thing to do, especially when your subject
is a moving one (insects for example) and when you‘re
shooting in a natural environment when the light changes and
wind blows.
The list could go on….
I find that the actual moment that you take an image is often a
very spontaneous one but that to get to those moments you
often need real patience.
Of course patience is not something you can really teach in
an article like this – except to say that it‘s a skill to work on
and that great photographers generally set aside time to hone
I‘m sure you have seen this slogan on our website and on
the cover of every newsletter. Thanksgiving is one of the
best times to share moments and photographs which are
important to us. We share our feelings and give thanks
for the things we have, the things which have come our
way, and the things that have made us what we are
today. Yet, time can pass by quickly, circumstances can
change drastically and all we have are memories.
Lyrics from “The Way We Were” - Barbara Streisand
Memories
Light the corners of my mind
Misty watercolor memories
Of the way we were
Scattered pictures
Of the smiles we left behind
Smiles we gave to one another
For the way we were
Can it be that it was all so simple then
Or has time rewritten every line
If we had the chance to do it all again
Tell me - Would we? Could we?
Share photography because the best memories are
revitalized by photographs. Each photo is a window into a
moment, and the collections of images we take over the
years are a window into who we were and what we
valued.
More that one speaker at CAPS indicated that a good
photographer doesn‘t take pictures—they make pictures.
During this holiday season as you are sharing moments,
set a goal to make some pictures of ―the way we were‖.
Make some memories.
In the next year or the next decade, someone will share
this photography. Ultimately it comes down to a simple
truth – seeing a moment captured makes us genuinely
happy.
So it's the laughter we will remember
Whenever we remember
The way we were.
Exposures - December 2011 Volume 4, Issue 4 Page 12
Dates To Remember
November 22 Club DPI Due
November 22 CACCA Individual ―Striking‖ DPI Due
November 30 ―Sepia‖ Challenge Due
December 1 Club Competition Night
December 1 CACCA Nature Prints Due
December 1 CACCA Photojournalism Prints Due
December 3 Excursion to Garfield Park Conservatory
December 10 CACCA Competition
December 17 Shutter Café at Grandma V‘s
Share Moments - Share Photography By Ken Johnson
Important Reminder
Please remember, our meeting location has been changed for our December 1 competition night. We will not be meeting at the church, but instead be meeting at the University Center of Lake County, 1200 University
Center Drive, Grayslake.
The University Center is located off of Washington Street on the College of Lake County campus. There is parking on the north side of the building. Once you enter the building, follow the hallways to the right towards the south west wing. We will be meeting in the Lecture Hall.
Please be very aware of a major road construction project on Rt. 45 which impacts the corner of Rt. 45 and Washington Street. The project isn't slated to end until at least a week later, so expect delays. Allow extra time to get to the location so that you are guaranteed to have your images turned in no later than 6:45 p.m. The meeting will still start at 7:00 p.m.