Meetings
There are 419 National Park Sites across our land. How can we enjoy a wonderful photographical experiences in them taking advantage of their natural features, wildlife, historical features and so much more? We will explore some local sites and many far away including the world’s first national park, Yellowstone. Safety for the site, its wildlife and visitors will be included as well as what sets them apart from the rest of our 87% public lands.
Documentation of crime scenes and evidence is vital to an investigation and the subsequent court proceedings. The ultimate goal is to take the crime scene to the courtroom in order for a jury to better understand what occurred. This is done with detailed notes and sketches, supplemented with photos. This presentation will provide a brief history of law enforcement use of photography, from early film cameras to modern digital equipment. Along the way we’ll discuss how to document evidence with various techniques such as lens selection, painting with light, aerial photos, 3D mapping, and infrared. Al will also explain why post processing is generally not permitted and the exceptions when it can be used.
Al is a retired Howard County Police Officer, currently working as a civilian Forensic Specialist for HCPD. He is both a Certified Senior Crime Scene Analyst and a Certified Latent Print Examiner. A hobbyist photographer since his teens, Al took those early skills into investigative work. He often used his own gear to shoot better quality photos of accidents and crime scenes. This led to specialized training at the FBI Laboratory and the former Kodak Law Enforcement Program.
During his 45 years in law enforcement Al has worked with many different cameras and film formats. This included dark room work to provide the best possible images for presentation in court testimony. With the technological changes to digital equipment, Al has been able to apply old school film techniques to the digital world. As a hobbyist, Al has won awards in various local contests and was also a finalist in the Smithsonian’s Air & Space photo contest. His professional work is usually not seen outside the courtroom, but some images have been published in a variety of training manuals.
Even if you can't draw or paint, you can create a digital painting from one of your own photos using iPad apps and software plugins. At the April 11 meeting, Cam Miller will show us how to take a photo and give it the look of a watercolor or an oil painting without wetting a brush. She will also show us how to take the "painted" photo one step farther by using layers and masks in Photoshop to bring back important detail that may have been lost in the painting process. The meeting is at 7 pm at the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center in downtown Frederick.
Start thinking about what photos you want to have reviewed at our March meeting. Photographer Marc Weinberg will be doing a critique of member work. Some people like to bring work that reflects a new technique they have tried (studio lighting, black & white, or infrared, for example). Others bring photos they want to learn how to improve. Some will be showing work for the first time, and want to know what an independent reviewer thinks of it. The choice is yours. If you are considering submitting some work to our juried summer show, this critique is a good opportunity to show some pieces you might enter for the show.
Marc will discuss each photo so that the entire group will learn from his comments and suggestions.
For this critique, prepare five photos for review. Depending on the number of photos we receive, we may limit each person to the first three, and if there is time, move on to the remaining images.
Images must be submitted in jpg format with a minimum of 1200 and a maximum of 2400 pixels in the longest dimension. It is recommended that the files be in the sRGB color space. Please number your photos in order of preference with LastName#1, i.e. Smith#1.jpg, Smith#2.jpg, etc. Save them in a folder with your name on a flash drive to be given to John at the beginning of the meeting.
Here is more information about Marc:
Marc Weinberg started taking photos with a Brownie box camera when he was 8 years old in 1956. In February 2008, he thankfully retired from his career as a government lawyer. Since then, he has been able to dedicate himself to his long held passion for photography. Marc jumped on the digital bandwagon in 1998. While photographic tools have changed, photography hasn’t. It’s still what's behind the viewfinder that counts most -- the photographer’s unique eye and vision and knowledge of camera operations and light. Marc teaches digital photography at Frederick Community College and Shepherd University, and he has led workshops at the Griffin Arts Center, and the Rehoboth Arts League, in Rehoboth Beach, DE. He is a resident artist at the Griffin and has a studio there. In addition to his fine art work, he provides photography services in Frederick, MD. And, he has been a regular contributing photographer for area magazines. In addition to TAG, his work has been showcased in several galleries in Frederick, MD, including the Griffin Arts Center, Delaplaine Visual Arts Education Center, The Frederick Arts Council, McGuire Fine Arts & Framing, Lafayette Gallery, Frederick Community College, and the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce. His work also has shown in Carlisle, PA, at The Garden Gallery, Haverstick Gallery & Studios, and the Carlisle Arts Learning Center. His work is in private collections and on permanent display at PNC's headquarters building in Baltimore.
Capturing The Night Sky & Milky Way: A visual presentation of images captured in Maryland and other parts of the United States.
At the February 21 meeting, photographer Robert Fawcett will cover the “what, when, where and how” to capture the night sky and Milky Way Galaxy. Through the series of images presented, the following will be covered:
What? Everything related to camera equipment and what’s necessary or recommended for capturing the night sky (Nightscaping); Gear needed - camera and lens, tripod, and remote shutter; and Lighting - for advanced shooting various types of light sources for Low Level Lighting (LLL).
When? Planning, which is the most important part of nightscaping, using very basic apps, maps and other tools to get "that shot.” Where to find the Dark Sky and other factors that guarantee a successful night time outing.
Where? Finding and locating dark sky with various apps for Milky Way positioning.
How? Back to the camera again for the basics of shutter speed, aperture and ISO. How to see in the dark for proper focus and composition.
Throughout the discussion recommendations for post-processing will be touched on as well.
Robert’s work can be seen at his website: https://robert-fawcett.pixels.com/
Want to learn about stock photography, in particular, microstock photography? Want to learn the pros and cons of trying to make money in this market? Microstock companies evolved out of the internet/digital age and have grown into an industry where images, vectors, video, and now music are available to buyers. Come and learn about the process of editing, submitting, and selling photos at agencies that offer millions of images to potential buyers.
Information covered will be from the perspective of a landscape/nature photographer who has “dabbled” in microstock for the past 6 years. Learn more about this industry and decide if selling your photos via microstock is right for you.
In lieu of our December meeting, we will be having our annual holiday gathering. Please join us and bring your spouse or partner for the evening.
We invite you to add to the delicious buffet by bringing your favorite side dish or dessert to share. Please be mindful of food allergies and label your dish accordingly. We will be providing a main course along with non-alcoholic refreshments; however, you are invited to bring wine, beer or other alcoholic beverages if you'd prefer.
We will also be doing the photo swap again this year! If you are interested in participating, bring a wrapped matted photo suitable for framing. This always brings lots of fun and laughter and legal theft!
Again this year, we are having a special presentation brought to us by YOU! Our presentation this year will be a series set to music of your 5 Best Shots of the Year. If you are interested in participating in the show, go through your pictures from 2017 and pick your top 5. Send them to Peter Foiles: pfoiles@mac.com. (1200 pixels on the long side is sufficient). Please include your name in a watermark on the photo so everyone knows who took the photo. The presentation will play during our holiday party as an homage to all our talented members! All entries MUST be sent to Peter by 12/6/17.
Photographers choose to do personal projects for a variety of reasons. Some seek new inspiration; others want to explore a theme or step outside their comfort zones; yet others find personal projects to be a type of therapy, a way to deal with personal struggles or challenges. Whatever the motivation, a personal project may be just what you are looking for to spark your creativity or to give you new inspiration. At the November meeting, you will hear an overview of various types of personal projects, how to find or create them, and how to keep yourself motivated. A panel of several club members will share their personal projects with us and answer your questions.
John Casper will be presenting "Social Media For Photographers" at the October 11 club meeting. Here is a description of his talk
Whether you are new to photography or an experienced shooter, this month’s meeting will have something for you. The world is online, and as photographers and artists we are proud of our work and want to show it off. Aside from having a website, social media is the best way to get maximum exposure. We'll answer questions about which types/apps may best meet your needs as a photographer. Is it Facebook? Instagram or Twitter? Tumblr or SnapChat ? The list goes on. We will also demystify the process of posting an image you took with your camera to social media by demonstrating how to size it and upload it, including how to gain followers by using “keywords” and “tagging." Lastly, we will do a real time post so you can see the immediate results of posting to social media.
If there are specific questions you would like to see addressed in this discussion, feel free to post them here, and John will try to include them in his talk.
Have you been considering a photography trip, but aren't sure how to choose one to fit your needs? Tom Fretz has taken many such trips. At the September meeting, he will discuss why we take photo trips, and what to consider in making your decision. He'll include information about what to expect, and give an overview of some of his many trips. Tom will finish with a critique of two of his recent photo trips, discussing who lead the trips and why the leaders made a difference, along with a few photos of the tour. You can see Tom's work at his website: http://tomfretzphotos.zenfolio.com/.
Unfortunately the July meeting has to be cancelled due to building-wide HVAC issues and repairs at the Delaplaine.
The Summer Show dropoff will still be from 6-7 at the Delaplaine.
The April Meeting will be a Crtique by Wendell Poindexter Professor of Art at Frederick Community College. People should bring 3-6 images for review. It doesn’t need to be your best, could be an image you have questions about or need help with. Images should be at least 1200 but preferably 3000 pixels on the long side, jpg format, sRGB color space.
The March meeting will be a blast from the past with John Nelson presenting on traditional photographic processes such as Wet-Plate Collodion. John will have examples of the equipment he uses and a few samples of the results using the wet-plate process. Peter Foiles will have a brief demonstration of how to use your digital camera and macro lens to make digital copies of you old film negatives or slides. And last but not least John Casper will have a quick presentation of color look-up tables, what they are and why you may want to use them.
Photography is all about controlling and capturing the light. To learn how we can do that better, David Blecman will be giving a live demo of food and product photography. David is a noted commercial photographer based in Annapolis MD. Over the years his clients have included Sears, Color Me Beautiful, JCPenney, Bath & Body Works and he has photographed celebrities such as President George W. Bush, Christina Aguilera, Jimmy Buffett, Steely Dan and the Moody Blues.
I began scuba diving in early 2009, and immediately fell in love with the underwater world. I am a passionate shark conservationist, and especially enjoy diving with and photographing sharks. I have had the honor of diving with tiger sharks, hammerheads, sand tigers, makos, blue sharks, sandbar sharks, whitetip reef sharks, Caribbean reef sharks, lemon sharks, whale sharks, and nurse sharks. I encourage anyone who has not had the privilege of viewing them in the wild to do so. It will change your life; I know it did mine. Sharks are not the vicious bloodthristy man eaters so often portrayed in the media. People kill over 70 million sharks a year, whether to use their fins in shark fin soup, or as bycatch in unsustainable fishing practices. Sharks are apex predators, and the ocean needs them to maintain a healthy and balanced ecosystem. I hope that my images will show the incredible beauty and grace that sharks possess - they are truly worth our time and energy to help protect.
Tanya will also have some of the equipment she uses for her underwater photography at the meeting so it should be a fascinating presentation
Steve Ferendo was born and raised in north central West Virginia. While enlisted in the Army, he "discovered" photography, and through a program for Vietnam veterans ("Project Transition"), Steve was able to intern as a photographer for the European Stars and Stripes, in the Augsburg bureau.
After his discharge, Steve was hired as an "entry level" General Photographer at the United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, (USAMRIID) at Fort Detrick, in Frederick, Maryland. This began his civilian federal career that took him to bio-medical photography positions at many agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Naval Medical Center (NNMC), the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), and finally, back to USAMRIID at Fort Detrick.
After 40 years of federal service, Steve retired in 2008 as the Visual Information Manager for the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC) and USAMRIID.
Since his retirement from federal service, Steve has embraced his passion for nature and wildlife photography. Due to a leg injury that has hampered his mobility, 95% or more of his photographs are taken from his vehicle. Steve can be found most mornings slowly cruising along our county’s gravel roads and battlefields, in search of wildlife.
Steve writes a blog to chronicle his photographs and his adventures. You can see his work – and his passion – at http://naturalworldthroughmycamera.blogspot.com.
A few months ago award-winning author and photographer Tony Northrup put a You Tube video entitled Twenty Things Most Photographers Get Wrong. We don’t want to get anything wrong so we will review Tony’s list and see if we can learn something. Here is a sample of the first ten things: #1: - Your lens’ SWEET SPOT probably isn’t f/8; #2: - FOCUS BREATHING might make your lens short; #3: - The RECIPROCAL RULE isn’t a rule at all; #4: - Buying a camera without checking the lenses; #5: - Using INFINITY FOCUS to get everything in focus; #6: - DEPTH-OF-FIELD isn’t real at all; #7: - 4K is great even if your screen isn’t; #8: - Printing at 300 DPI doesn’t mean perfect sharpness; #9: - F/STOPs don’t tell you the exposure, T-STOPS do; #10: - FULL FRAME LENSES on CROP BODIES are less sharp and ten more.
Patty, of beautifulflowerpictures.com, is a Bethesda based fine art floral photographer. She finds peace and beauty in the natural world. Whether she is photographing a bed of tulips at a local botanical garden or a wildflower in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, she seeks to capture the simple beauty of a flower to share with you.
Patty also photographs flowers in her studio, something she didn’t think she would ever do. She finds that photographing flowers in the studio allows her to capture details in the flowers that she was never able to share before.
After getting a Master’s Degrees in Public Policy and History and working for several years as a grassroots activist, in 2002, Patty acquired a new digital camera and rediscovered her love of photography. For Patty, the flexibility and freedom of digital photography means she can finally create the photographs she has always envisioned.
Photographer Mary Louise Ravese has fine art photography in private, university and corporate collections in over 40 states and is exhibited nationally through art shows, galleries and shops. Her images have been used in calendars, magazines, books and websites including various projects with National Geographic Maps.
For over 20 years, Mary Louise has specialized in outdoor color photography from locations across the U.S., Europe and Japan. Her favorite subject matter includes country landscapes, nature close-ups, interesting architectural details and wildlife. She draws inspiration from a variety of visual arts to produce photographs often described as “painterly”.
Her photographs are about intriguing juxtapositions of vibrant colors, distinctive shapes, and unique textures. Through her photography Mary Louise aims to capture the essence of the natural world in color, form and spirit. She enjoys capturing fleeting moments of beauty or drama that might otherwise be lost. Her ambition is to incorporate the beauty of painting in the clarity of photography.
Her photographs are created using both film and digital equipment. In the digital world where software programs offer vast possibilities for altering reality, Mary Louise’s philosophy regarding her own work is that it is important to stay true to nature. She does not digitally manipulate her photographs to generate unrealistic images and instead takes the time and care to produce the best "in camera" images possible.
We are going to ask everyone to step out of their comfort zone this month. To start the meeting we will have a frame sale. The Clique is the proud owner of about 70 16x20 black wood frames that we have used for past shows. Most will have wire hangers on the back but none will have any glass, just the frame. They are $5 each with an initial limit of 10 per person for May. First come first serve. Next, if there is interest we would like to have a 20 minute Q&A session on any photography questions you may have, for example how do I make a B&W image using Lightroom. The highlight of the evening will be a visit to Artomatic. If you are interested in photography you are interested in art and Artomatic is the premier art event I Frederick and only happens every couple of years. Artomatic is on Church street just a couple of blocks from the Delaplaine so we can all walk up and take in the show. Feel free to bring a camera and take some shots and we can view them at the June show and tell.
