July • 2013
Volume 30 • Issue 7
President’s Message page 2
Food for Thought page 3
Lightroom Workshop page 6
Contest Winners page 12
Field Trip Photos
page 27
A Space Trip to Russia page 33
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JULY EVENTS July 18, 2013 7:00 pm Monthly Meeting Garden Center, Independence Park Monthly Competition Medium: Digital Projection Theme: Open Date: Thursday 07/18/13 Due Date: Tuesday 07/16/13
President's
Message
July 20, 2013 9:30 am - 3:00 pm Lightroom Seminar Jones Creek Library
LPS to host Gulf Coast Camera Club Council Convention
Cover photo : Shrimp boat near Biloxi, Mississippi by Renee Pierce
Louisiana Photographic Society meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Baton Rouge Garden Center 7950 Independence Blvd. Baton Rouge, LA
Across from Louisiana State Police Headquarters Visitors are always welcome! Membership dues are $25/year Each additional family member $5/year
PO Box 83834 Baton Rouge, LA 70884 www.laphotosociety.com
The LPS membership has voted to host the 2014 Gulf States Camera Club Council convention. GSCCC includes 31 photography clubs in five states and has hundreds of members. This is a great opportunity to showcase our club and put on an exceptional convention. In order to do that, we need a commitment from a lot of our members to help put this on. Linda Medine and Renee Pierce have volunteered to co-chair the convention. They will determine what committees are needed and will put together a timeline for when things need to happen. Please volunteer for as much time as you can. We have a great club and I am confident that we will have a large number of members volunteer and contribute. Hosting a convention gives our members an advantage in attending the workshops and presentations. We should have a number of nationally recognized speakers that can educate you in photography techniques and motivate you to improve your skills. Take advantage of this opportunity and register for as much of the convention as you can. We have not yet set the date for the convention, but it will be in the spring in April or May.
-Gene Bachman
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F ood for T hought The Last Word on Composition (at least MY Last Word on Composition) By Elizabeth Mangham
Framing subjects - Sub-framing When you look through your lens or isolate a subject on your LCD, you are framing your image. There are many things to consider: horizon line placement and leveling; placement of the subject, settings for sharpness, focus, and depth of field; background, corners, distracting items,; and so much more. As you consider these things, you begin to realize just how important framing is. At times sub-framing is used to emphasize the subject. You may remember that at our program on composition, I said that there is almost no use for an out of focus photograph. One of the rare uses is for teaching and learning. So I will use a photograph of mine that is not well focused, but illustrates sub-framing. In this photograph you will notice that the bird is framed by the tree limbs. This draws the eye in to the subject. In this image there is a rare sub-sub-framing. The head of the bird is framed by a smaller loop of a branch. Too bad I was not prepared when he moved . Always strive for good framing and look for opportunities to sub-frame your subject. It really is fun. When framing your image watch the corners. It is important to avoid letting the corners pull the eye out of the photograph. A bush, limb, building, or even a darker area can cause the eye to remain in the photograph. Part of the art is elimination - get rid of items that interfere with the message you choose to capture. Either move their position, your position, the camera's view, depth of field, f stop, or shutter speed. You don’t take a photograph, you make it.
– Ansel Adams
Having reviewed a number of composition related subjects on controlling the eye, I hope you feel empowered and will get your camera out in the field and practice each of the things we have visited. There is much more to be learned. Our library and the internet have thousands and thousands of instructional articles and videos. Search for your topic and utilize these resources.
Rules are made to be broken, but you can't successfully break the rules of composition until you successfully understand and use them. There is no "correct way to take a photograph" It is all a matter of artistic choice, but all the foresaid improve the impact. And impact is what you want.
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Self assignment: Remember last month, I challenged you to do a DOF study with agapanthus? Here is my f 5.6 study. Notice that the background subjects are deemphasized and the subject is emphasized with focus and light and shadow. If the subjects in the background are far enough away, f 5.6 will cause the background to be dark. How did your agapanthus studies turn out?
Don't be afraid - try PS, try new things, if you fail, you have learned something. You can only succeed if you try. The image below was just a fun experiment and I learned while playing.
If you can't take a great photo in our own backyard, you can't take a great photo in Patagonia!
Tips and hints:
Shoot RAW, save tiff
Take advantage of field trips
Watch the light,; back or side lighting adds interest
Use spot metering to select focus and metering points & help composition
Always use a lens hood
Be prepared for shooting with others: know your camera, split cost of gasoline, share information
Level water
Make ants vanish in Photoshop selections (ctrl+H),
Do not sharpen sky, water, skin - reduce clarity for skin
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S peaker I
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Flash Photography and Photographing People By Troy Kleinpeter July 18, 2013
Kleinpeter Photography is co-owned by Troy and his brother, Greg Kleinpeter. In 1983, Troy started his photography career fresh out of high school. Troy started out assisting Greg with weddings and the rest is Kleinpeter Photography history. He recruited his then fiancée, Kelly, to run and manage the office. Troy and Kelly have two children: A daughter, Taylor and a son, Chandler. They will be celebrating Taylor's wedding in November and Chandler will graduate high school in 2014. In addition to spending time with his family and photography, Troy's passion is hunting and fishing (and will always have a camera in hand). Every year Kleinpeter Photography has continued to grow and is celebrating it's 40th year in business. When asked what he attributes to the success of the studio, Troy responds, "Personal service and love of people". 225.928.7596 www.kleinpeterphotography.com www.facebook.com/kleinpeterphoto
One of the best photography tips shared with me was… We seem to have a growing number of members who are just getting started in photography or are ready to increase their skill level Here are a few sites that I subscribe to and check frequently. They all have Facebook pages and will deliver emails to your inbox. They also have materials for beginner, intermediate and advanced photographers. There is more than one way to accomplish a task and several schools of thought about how to do it. Always check multiple sources, try multiple solutions and stick with what make sense to you and what works for you.
http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2013/06/25/first-camera-crash-course-simplesolutions-for-mastering-your-new-dslr/ http://121clicks.com/ http://digital-photography-school.com/ www.picturecorrect.com You may submit your tips for consideration to educationcoordinator@laphotosociety.com 5
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Lightroom Workflow Workshop July 20, 2013 Jones Creek Library 9:30 am to 3:00 pm Gene Bachman will host the Lightroom Workflow Workshop. The morning session will cover the workflow from importing files to final print out of images in Lightroom 4. The afternoon session will cover the use of presets and add-in’s such as Photomatix and Nik software. He will also preview additional functionality that will come with Lightroom 5 . This workshop will help you organize your photo libraries and show how to edit in Photoshop and re-import back to Lightroom. You are encouraged to bring your laptop with Lightroom installed . You can download a free 30 day trial from www.adobe.com/go/trylightroom Anyone who is new to Lightroom or has struggled with Lightroom will benefit from this workshop. Please register by sending an email to our Education Coordinator.
Experienced LPS members are encouraged to come and help your fellow members get to know their equipment better and share your knowledge, tips and tricks with them. FUTURE EDUCATION EVENTS November 9th
Why Can't I Get Good Pictures With My Current Camera? - Ken Wilson 6
Monthly Competition LPS is a member of the Gulf States Camera Club Convention along with 31 clubs from Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. GSCCC has a competition for prints and digital projection for most months of the year. Categories include Photojournalism, Nature, Black and White, and Pictorial. All prints from last year have been returned and the supply is low. Don’t worry about what the category is each month, just bring in prints of your best images, especially those which have won monthly competitions here at LPS to the meeting this month. LPS won a multitude of awards in GSCCC competition last year because we had current winning prints. I would like to see that happen again as your GSCCC coordinator. Submissions for GSCCC: Photojournalism. Note: LPS is low on these entries. LPS Members should bring photojournalism prints to the meeting in July to be entered in the August competition. Theresa Low will collect your prints and enter them at the appropriate time. Please email your digital submissions to Gene Bachman.
In the Pictorial category, anything goes. It is ok to manipulate the image. Realism is not a requirement. Photojournalism entries shall consist of pictures or sequences with informative content and emotional impact, including human interest, documentary and spot news. The journalistic value of the photograph shall be considered over pictorial quality. In the interest of credibility, photographs which misrepresent the truth, such as manipulation to alter the subject matter, or situations which are set up for the purpose of photography, are unacceptable in Photojournalism competition. No elements may be moved, cloned, added, deleted, rearranged, combined or changed in any way that affects the integrity of the image content. No manipulation or modification is permitted except resizing, cropping, selective lightening or darkening, and restoration of original color of the scene. No special effect filters can be added or applied either before or after image creation, and any sharpening must appear natural. Color images can be converted to grayscale monochrome. Print, slide, or digital sequences may be entered by placing more than one picture in a single image. Nature photography is restricted to the use of the photographic process to depict observations from all branches of natural history, except anthropology and archeology, in such a fashion that a well-informed person will be able to identify the subject material and to certify as to 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 enhance the nature story. The presence of scientific bands, scientific tags or radio collars on wild animals is permissible. Photographs of artificially produced hybrid plants or animals, mounted specimens, or obviously set arrangements, are ineligible, as is any form of manipulation that alters the truth of the photographic statement. No techniques that add to, 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 are permitted. All adjustments must appear natural. Color images can be converted to grayscale monochrome. Infrared images are not allowed.
LPS members usually submit 11 X 14 prints that are matted to 16 X 20. A clear sleeve to protect the image is encouraged along with a backing. Prints must be no larger than 16”x 20”, either mounted or un-mounted. For a mounted print, the mounting board should be no larger than 20”x 24”. There is no minimum size. Prints may be printed commercially or self printed. Each print must be identified with a title, the maker’s name, and the name of the club. 7
Congratulations! CYPRESS ISLAND VISITOR CENTER - YOU ARE A WINNER! That is the message Tommy Graner and Tony Thibodeaux received. Their photographs were chosen to hang at the Cypress Island Visitors Center. Tony won First Place! We are proud of you both. The Cypress Island Visitor Center opened in the Spring of 2010. The Conservancy now has a full time presence at the Cypress Island preserve at Lake Martin near Breaux Bridge in St. Martin Parish. With nearly 10,000 acres previously donated by Chevron, Cypress Island preserve is the Conservancy’s largest preserve in Louisiana. With a water bird rookery that is among the largest in North America, over 200,000 visitors a year make their way to Lake Martin each spring. To provide information and a Conservancy welcome, the Visitor Center is staffed by volunteers as well as Conservancy staff. To see all of the winners, visit http://www.fotojoeusa.com/TNC2013/Winners2013.html
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Tony Thibodeaux - Egret Displaying
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T his -N -T hat Dianne Richards suggests if anyone is planning a trip to Houston over the summer, this exhibit at The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston might be worth a visit. Faking It: Manipulated Photography before Photoshop http://www.mfah.org/exhibitions/faking-itmanipulated-photography-photoshop/
Show Your Work! Plan now to have some of your favorite pieces matted and framed to be hung on display. This is an excellent means of
2013
Monthly Competition Schedule Month
Medium
Theme
July
Digital Projection Open Theme
August
Prints
Patterns in Nature
September Digital Projection Open Theme October
Prints
LPS Field Trip Photos
November
Digital Projection Past Presidents Choice
December
No Competition
Christmas Party
publicity for you and the club. Details are announced at the meetings, in the newsletter and on the web.
August 2013 Greenwell Springs Regional Library
October 2013 Jones Creek Regional Library
Blog post about cropping images.
Current showings Review of on-line printing services.
The Arts Council 444 Laurel St
The mission of LPS is to advance and promote the art of photography in the River Parishes of South Louisiana.
LSU Museum of Art Manship Theater Gallery At the Shaw Center
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Notice: TO ALL LPS MEMBERS! Reminder, a BLACK & WHITE category will be added to our Digital Projection Competition this month! The category will begin with Levels A & B competing together as we currently compete in prints. Thanks to everyone for their interest in expanding our competition. Tommy Graner Monthly Competition Coordinator
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Prints Category A
1st Place
W inners
Timber Fox by Kathy Reeves
Level A
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2nd Place
You See Me in the Clouds Theresa Low
Level A
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3rd Place
Artic Owl by Kathy Reeves
Level A
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1st HM
Best Fried Chicken Around by Linda Medine
Level A
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2ndHM
Assassin Bugs by Tommy Graner
Level A
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3rd HM
Final Resting Place at Arlington by Renee Pierce
Level A
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Prints Category B
1st Place
Pontchatrain Blue by Debora Reid
Level B
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2nd Place
Honey Bee by Mark Canatella
Level B
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3rd Place
Pink Fusion by Sheila Eeds
Level B
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1st HM
Proud of My Feathers by Jackie Wilson
Level B
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2nd HM
Sitting Pretty by Debora Reid
Level B
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3rd HM
Time to Sun by Jackie Wilson
Level B
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Black & White
1st Place
Sanctuary in a Storm by Renee Pierce
B&W
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2nd Place
Waterfall Reflection by Theresa Low
B&W
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3rd Place
The Ravages of Time by Kitty Kuhnert
B&W
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Alcorn State University
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Church at Rodney, MS
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General Store, Lorman, MS
Windsor Ruins
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Bethel Presbyterian Church 1824
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Ghost Town Doorknob
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Member Submissions A Space Trip to Russia and Kazakhstan
By Richard Robison I recently had the opportunity to go to Kazakhstan to see the May 28 astronaut launch. Since the retirement of the space shuttle, our astronauts have been traveling on Russian spacecraft to the International Space Station. I found a tour company in Moscow that organizes tours to the launch site in Kazakhstan, the Baikonur Cosmodrome. For this space geek, I decided that this should be my next adventure. The tour departed from Moscow so while in Moscow I took a tour of the city and the Kremlin. Also I scheduled a tour to visit the facilities at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Star City outside of Moscow. There we saw the Soyuz spacecraft simulators and were able to go inside the MIR space station and International Space Station training modules. Also, we saw the centrifuge which simulates the G forces experienced during space flight and the hydro lab which is a water tank used to simulate weightlessness during space walks. St. Basil's Church in Moscow
International Space Station Training Modules
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Centrifuge at Cosmonaut Training Center
Our group flew three hours from Moscow to Baikonur which is in a vast barren desert in Kazakhstan. Many of the earliest achievements in space exploration happened here, from the launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957 to the launch of the first human, Yuri Gagarin, into space in 1961. This record of significant accomplishments has continued with the launch of the first piece of the International Space Station in 1998 and the launch of all Russian crewed missions to date. The first highlight of the trip was to watch the rollout of the Soyuz Rollout of the Soyuz Rocket to Launch Pad rocket from the assembly building to the launch pad. We were joined by the families and friends of the astronauts during the activities at the space center. The day before the launch we had the opportunity to attend the astronaut’s press conference. The prime and backup crews were there but were behind a glass partition as they were in quarantine. 35
Erection of Soyuz Rocket on Launch Pad
Baikonur has a great space museum with many displays such as space suits and rocket models. We even had time to visit the local market and shop for souvenirs. The crew for this launch included one Russian cosmonaut, one Italian astronaut from the European Space Agency, and one American astronaut from NASA. 36
The evening of May 28 was the beginning of the launch activities. We were able to watch the astronauts leave from the Cosmonaut Hotel and board buses for the half hour ride to the Cosmodrome (space center). Later in the evening, our group boarded a bus to the Cosmodrome. We went to the preparation building and waited outside while the astronauts donned their space suits and conducted the suit Astronauts depart hotel for ride to Space Center pressure checks and said their good byes to their families through glass. Then we were able to watch them come out of the building and walk to the bus to go to the launch pad. Our group then had an early morning dinner while final preparations were underway at the launch pad. After dinner, we were taken to the launch viewing area which was one mile from the launch pad. The launch occurred at 2:31 am local time and was a photographer’s dream. I had found an article on the internet that gave some exposure settings for photographing night launches. The sights and sounds of the launch were hard to describe. The rocket was so bright it was difficult to look directly at it and the sound was tremendous. Astronauts depart Preparation Building for trip to Launch Pad
I traveled halfway around the world to witness this event and to tour the Russian space facilities in both Russia and Kazakhstan. I hope you enjoy my photos.
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LPS OFFICERS President:
Gene Bachman president@laphotosociety.com
Vice President:
David Arbour vicepresident@laphotosociety.com
LPS COORDINATORS Digital Projection:
Monthly Competition:
Education:
Newsletter:
Donald Ewing dpcontestcoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Jay Patel/ Debra Babin
educationcoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Past President:
Equipment:
Secretary:
Exhibits:
Elizabeth Mangham pastpresident@laphotosociety.com
Cathy Smart secretary@laphotosociety.com
David Howell equipmentcoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Kathy Reeves exhibitcoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Facebook:
Treasurer:
Ray Totty treasurer@laphotosociety.com
Stephanie Ross facebookcoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Field Trips: Louisiana Photographic Society is a member of the Gulf States Camera Club Council. The GSCCC Newsletter is available at: http://www.gulfstatesccc.org/html/ newsletters.html
Ken Wilson fieldtripcoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Greeter/Name Tags:
Stephanie Ross facebookcoordinator@laphotsociety.com
Tommy Graner monthlycompetitioncoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Renee Pierce newslettereditor@laphotosociety.com
Programs:
Linda Medine programscoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Publicity:
Mark Claesgens & Barry Spears publicitycoordinator@laphotosociety.com
Refreshment: Position Open
Website:
David Arbour websitecoordinator@laphotsociety.com
Competition Review Chair: Gene Bachman president@laphotsociety.com
GSCCC Representatives:
Theresa Low & Gene Bachman GSCCCcoordinator@laphotsociety.com
Library:
Helen Haw librarycoordinator@laphotosociety.com
The LPS website has a new, quick checklist for preparation of images for digital projection competitions. The new checklist can be found on the Monthly Competition page of the website, or by using this link: http://www.laphotosociety.com/ userfiles/Checklist%20for%20Entering% 20Digital%20Competition.pdf
http://www.gulfstatesccc.org/ Find us on Facebook
http://www.psa-photo.org/
Membership Drive While we are always eager to welcome new members our Membership drive continues. Please remember to pay your dues and to invite your friends and colleagues to our meeting and encourage them to join us this year. Our membership roster has been updated. To continue to be eligible for fieldtrips and competitions and receive the newsletter, you must be current on your dues. The membership form is at the end of the newsletter.
LPS Members are encouraged to submit photographs and articles for inclusion in FOCUS, the Louisiana Photographic Society Newsletter. Items received up to 3 days before the end of the month will be included in the following month’s newsletter. Send your submissions to: newslettereditor@laphotosociety.com Please be sure to read the sizing guidelines before submitting.
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Membership Form Mail completed form and dues to:
Louisiana Photographic Society P.O. Box 83834 ,Baton Rouge, LA 70884-3834 www.laphotosociety.com MEMBER OF PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA AND GULF STATES CAMERA CLUB COUNCIL
WELCOME TO LOUISIANA PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY LPS communicates to members through website, e-mail, and monthly meetings. All members are encouraged to visit the LPS website at www.laphotosociety.com for the latest on club news and events. The monthly newsletter “FOCUS” is available on the website on the first day of each month. Please provide an e-mail address below to receive club updates. If you do not receive e-mail communications after 30 days, notify LPS at treasurer@laphotosociety.com. Select one: [ ] Membership Renewal [ ] New Member – If you are a New Member, how did you learn about LPS: [ ] Current Member [ ] LPS Website [ ] Newspaper/Magazine [ ] Social Network [ ] Other______________ Select one: [ ] Individual Membership $25.00/year [
] Student Membership $5.00/year–Must be a current student
Name _______________________________________________________
Date ______________________
Address __________________________________________ City _________________ State ____ Zip______ Home Phone (
__ )_______________________ Cell Phone (
__)_________________________
E-mail Address ___________________________________________________________________________ [ ] Additional Family Member $5.00/year–ONLY available with the Individual Membership, not Student Membership
Name _______________________________________________________
Date ______________________
Mailing Address ____________________________________ City _________________ State ____ Zip______ Home Phone (
_ )________________________ Cell Phone (
__)_____________________________
E-mail Address ____________________________________________________________________________ SPECIFY FOCUS OF PHOTOGRAPHY:
SPECIFY AREA OF LEARNING INTEREST:
SPECIFY AREA OF INTEREST IN CLUB PARTICIPATION: [ ] Competition (set up, tally votes, present ribbons) [ ] Education (plan/teach, set up workshops and seminars) [ ] Equipment (store, transport, set up for LPS functions) [ ] Exhibits (explore locations, set up/take down exhibits) [ ] Field Trips (plan and arrange to photograph at various sites) [ ] Gulf States Camera Club Council (GSCCC liaison, collect and submit entries for GSCCC competition) [ ] Library (display and maintain materials, check-in/out)
[ ] Programs (plan speakers, make arrangements for speakers at monthly meetings) [ ] Projection (set up and operate equipment for digital projection competition) [ ] Publicity (publicize programs, meetings, events) [ ] Refreshments (plan and set up refreshments)
YOUR PARTICIPATION IS GREATLY APPRECIATED! 40