All About Light - Meeting Mon 15 Dec

Our upcoming meeting this Monday will feature Enoch Chan, photographer and much more. Enoch's work with light caught my eye at his current photograph exhibition at Bella Gallery in Edgewater.

Enoch holds a BFA in Theatre and a BA in Art History from Boston U. His talk, titled "Figures of Light" will give us some insight in photographing figures in flight with simple setups. From what I've seen, it should be both entertaining and informative.

We'll also hear some suggestions about preparing for our coming Lowe House Office Building exhibition along with framing recommendations for those who have been juried into the show.

And my part to play will be a short demo that follows Enoch's theme: "Light Painting with Photoshop and Lightroom." This is our last meeting of 2008 - come early - we'll start right at 7, Rm 308, Maryland Hall.

CF 8GB memory cards for $10

Hi, shutterbugs - with the holiday gift-giving in mind, you might think about a real deal for yourself or friend/family.

If your camera uses compact flash cards, at Adorama.com until Dec 15 you can order an 8GB card by a reputable manufacturer (Lexar) for under $10 after a huge rebate (82%). I've never had a problem with getting a rebate through Adorama. These also are shipping free and of course no tax for shipments to MD.

An 8GB card will store about 600 RAW shots from a 10MP camera, or roughly 2500+ jpgs. A bit more than a film cartridge, eh?

These are rated fast enough for almost any of us at 133X. I remember seeing these a couple of years ago at over $500. Comparables from Sandisk discounted are about $30 + S&H.

GoTo: http://www.adorama.com/ILXCF1338G.html?emailprice=t

Donate an old camera --

Here's an opportunity to help new photographers. This was posted by the AA Community College and is repeated here as a favor. You may want to interact as you like, on your own. I've tried to adjust the typeface for better readability - hope it's not too bizarre on your screen.

"The Art Department of AACC is seeking ways to increase the number of cameras we can provide students with to complete art assignments. If you have updated/replaced your digital with a new high resolution please consider donating your "old"(working condition) camera. Donated cameras are used by AACC students during lab periods and are returned and secured at the end of each lab. They are limited to on site use and will be retained from semester to semesters for student use. Make your donation by bringing your old camera to Cade-113 and place it in our Camera Drop Box. If you have the instruction booklet please include it as well, although this is not required. Please include your name and office location (address) and we will see that you get a "donation" letter from The AACC Foundation.

Thank you for your support!

Joan Roberts
Office Manager School of Arts & Sciences
The John A. Cade Center for Fine Arts
phone 410-777-7230
fax 410-777-4280

Next Meeting - Dec 1

We're already going to be into December at our next meeting - hard to believe. This will be the review of our Challenge photos on the theme: "Colors". Generally, how does color enhance this photograph? The gate for submission of entries has now closed. We expect a lot of entries.

The reviewer for our Challenge will be Dick Bond - one and the same that I mentioned in my last post. His reception was well attended and I hear that he sold quite a few of his framed photos. Hope you got there, and can drop in to see what a big view camera with 5" x 7" film (!) does.

After our review with Dick, we'll have three short subjects. For our Tech Talk, Laurie Brice will make sure that everyone is comfortable with sending photos by email; for our Web Walk Robbie Mislevy will tell us about sites with ideas and tips for taking holiday photos; and Sandy Huberfeld will update us on the exhibit she's arranged for us to hang in the Lowe's House Office Building starting in January.

Don't miss this meeting! See you there.

Dick Bond Show Opens Saturday

You may know of Dick Bond, Annapolis photographer of many years and teacher at MD Hall in various film areas as well as composition. He is opening a new show this Saturday and sends:

I hope you can join me for

A WALK IN THE WOODS

recent work by
DICK BOND

at the Annapolis Collection Gallery
45 West Street
Annapolis
November 15th to November 30th
reception November 15th
5 to 8 pm

Dick will be reviewing our current "Colors" Challenge coming up on Dec 1st. See the work of a real photographic artist. I'll be there.

Next Meeting - Nov 17

Our next meeting will be Nov 17th, Monday evening at 7 as usual. But the program won't be "as usual" - because we'll have a Nat'l Geographic staff photographer presenting his fire-fighting experiences. Mark Thiessen will join us for an hour of exciting photos from his daring adventures as a qualified forest firefighter using a camera instead. You can preview this theme here: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/firecall/

Following his presentation he'll stay for Q&A, and Matt Korbelak will run a Showcase of photos taken at the last four Field Trips. We'll catch up with these, and then try to have a Showcase following each trip for the rest of the year. We're hoping Mark will stay to comment for us.

Another "don't miss" evening !!

Next Meeting - Nov 3

Well - we've been a full circuit now with speakers, Showcases, and a Challenge.

Our next meeting starts with a speaker, and a Showcase will follow. We didn't make it to the planned talk last time, so it will be first thing up this time. Veteran professional photographer and DPCA member, Dan Beigel will present some reflections on assembling a portfolio. Dan's work has been published in National Geographic, Time, and USA Today. He is currently working on his 3rd photo book.

His topic - Creating a Portfolio - is something we all should be interested in because that's where a good presentation of your photos starts. He'll explain why you should pay attention to the content and context. I'm looking forward to hearing him, and then creating my own portfolio(s).

For the Showcase, get your three shots ready quickly - photos are due in by this Monday evening, Oct 27!!! DKD

Next Meeting Oct 6 '08

Our meeting this coming Monday evening will feature a Showcase. See the President's Blog for details. You can expect to see lots more superb photos by our members.

Following this, we'll have short presentations by members of our Technical Committee. First will be a Tech Talk by Laurie Brice, on "File Types and submissions to DPCA" (for Showcases and Challenges). Then, Robbie Mislevy will present "Organize Your Photos for Today and Tomorrow: Keywords and Tags." Of course, Q&A on anything is welcome. This will round out this interesting evening. Hope to see you there. DKD

New Show - sort of...

Well...! Talk about serendipity - a friend called and said he'd offer a month's wall space at the City Dock Coffee on Maryland Ave. since he couldn't get there this month. So...if you missed my latest hangings at Bella Art Photo in August, then you can get to gaze this time at the little gallery at 71 Maryland Ave. and have a caffe macchiato while you're there. To be frank, it's similar to the Wood and Water show shown at the MFA Gallery in February. Can't update continually, y'know, but after all, moving it around town isn't all bad. Open 6:30 am (!) to 6:30 pm. throughout October. May see you there within civil hours.

So what has this to do with the Club? It's notice that you can pursue various places to get your photos seen that aren't traditional galleries. For example, there are four of these City Dock coffee spots in the County and many places in town that hang 2-D art. Give the proprietors a try. DKD

Coming up -- !!

See you all on Monday for our program on wildlife with long lenses: the speaker and a Table Topic for more "exposure" with our members, and Q&A.

And go out looking for Shadows !! This weekend should have lots of them in sunny weather, and there are several things going on - including USNA hosting 2-hr tours from the Academy seawall to two warships anchored on the Bay starting at 2pm Friday, AYC's Antique Car and Boat Show "Keels and Wheels" (open to the public on the yacht club's grounds), "Plein Air" contest-painting all over Paint Annapolis with the final displays at MD Hall 4-6 Sunday, and more. Have fun -- DKD

Next Meeting, Sept 22, '08

"Nature Photography and the Long Lens" is the topic of our first speaker for this season, Tom Bowden. Here's one of his eagles, and you can read about him on a former entry here. Hope you'll come to hear about his techniques and technologies on Monday Sept 22 at 7 pm, Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts in Annapolis, Room 308. We meet here every other Monday at this time. See you there.

Get a start toward making good photographs

Although I've been teaching in the area for over five years, seldom has the opportunity come up to do a course that includes a field trip, a critique, and offers printing and a print to take home. This weekend, Sept 20-21, is such an opportunity. The owner of Edgewater's Bella Photo Art and Framing Gallery, Mike Kellogg, and I will present on the first day an all-day session touching on subjects that are important to know for fine photography.

The next day implements that knowledge, starting with a morning walk in Annapolis, shooting for a couple of hours followed by a critical and helpful review back at the Gallery. Once the student makes a choice among the photos taken, Mike will demonstrate how to print it well and actually make a large print for the student to take home.

We think it will be popular. You can sign up at http://www.bellaphotoart.com/workshops, and do it soon. Only ten students will be admitted. Lunch can be had nearby or bring your own. And bring a camera that can make individual settings so you can see how to control it for a variety of situations - either a DSLR or an advanced compact. Hope to see you there - regardless of your knowledge level it will be time well-spent.

Get 8x10s for a dollar

I'm a fan of Adorama's site for several reasons. One of them is their sales of prints. I don't need any right now, but I just prepaid for 25 8x10s at $1 each. I can draw on that at any time. They say they won't offer this again, after several years of it.
They produce good prints - I've used them for years in pro work. Anyone interested has to sign up for this before 22 Sept. Just go to adoramapix, either sign in or register, go to Account - Manage button and then Prepaid Prints button. Regards to all !!

The RenFest 08

Quick Field Trip -- The Rennfest (Renaissance Festival) is now open on weekends at its woodsy facility in Crownsville. Being a senior, I go every year on Labor Day when it's free. Why? Because it's a very colorful action spot for photos of people who are glad you're shooting them. It's also a lighting and camera technique challenge. Here's their site: www.rennfest.com/index.php

They open at 10am. Join me at the entrance on Labor Day outside or just inside until about 10:15, when I'll start walking around looking for interesting people. If we miss, have fun.

Here's the most popular album on my web page (over 4,000 hits), the Rennfest: www.pbase.com/merrymar/renaissance_03
where you can see all my missed focuses and bad exposures (that was way back in '03, of course). I haven't posted any shots from recent years...yet. It got a little better. Later.

Long-Range Digital Wildlife Photography

Reach out and touch something – without breaking the bank.

Our first speaker of this season on Sept 22 will be Tom Bowden, a part-time nature photographer from the southern Bay's western shore.

Tom will discuss various techniques and tips for long-range wildlife photography. He recently published a collection of his work in BaySplash Magazine. Balancing a day job as a corporate lawyer in Richmond, Virginia with his deep interest in nature photography, he shoots his subjects in his backyard, on the James River, and on Lancaster Creek on the Northern Neck.

And he shoots really long-range, without the really expensive equipment. Bring your questions and experiences - we'll have a lively discussion.

Our coming '08-'09 season's meetings will increase our members' participation. For our first half, we'll regularly bring in expert speakers for inspiration on special topics, while alternately making more opportunities to review member photos. Our formats for Showcases and Challenges will continue to stimulate what our members can do with photography by seeing the depth of talent we all share in the Club.

Meetings will also include topics to help develop skills over the breadth of today's digital methods that include discussions of the whole process from shooting through presentation in a variety of ways. Our Table Topics of past years will return, so that we can have small group discussions about a single subject.

We'll show what members are doing to visit interesting places on the Web through continuing our WebWalks, and we'll try to stimulate you with information about the mechanics of the digital photography process through our TechTalks. Occasionally we may also have a primary subject of the meetings dedicated to "how-to" in response to member requests to increase that area.

Programs are developed a few months before presentation. If you have a desire to participate in that process, please contact me. I'd like some help in deciding what is of interest and in the mechanics of scheduling, contacting, and follow-up on speakers. Let me know what you think.