Whether you are just starting out in photography or are an experienced professional, Crosstown Camera Club is a great place to sharpen your skills, share ideas and socialize with others who share a passion for the art of print and digital photography. Our meetings throughout the year provide opportunities to:
- Develop, improve photographic techniques (photo capture and post-processing).
- Learn design, emotional impact, storytelling and other fine-art techniques.
- Socialize with other photographers.
- Participate in monthly digital and print salons critiqued by experienced judges.
- Gain photography-related insights from guest speakers at monthly programs.
- Join members on photography field trips.
For more information, refer to the General Information menu to the right and click on About Our Club.
Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month, September through May (with the exception of December when we have our holiday party). The meetings include a digital or a print salon competition and photographic presentations. Guests are welcome but you must be paid members to compete in the monthly salons.
Our Meeting on Thursday February 21
Speaker Don Tredinnick spoke about Winter Photography
The February salon judge was Howard Christopherson
Howard is a master picture framer and owner of Icebox Quality Framing & Gallery. Icebox was the first fine art gallery to emerge in North East Minneapolis in 1988. Howard is also one of the founders of Art‐A‐Whirl, a well-known annual arts event.
People, Places, & Dreams Photography is his way of describing his wide interest. Howard approaches his photography in an intuitive spontaneous way. Always searching with passion and daring for that special image. His has a wide range of interests: Sublime landscape, decay, animals, street photography, people, night photography, portraiture, humor, beauty, and the female muse.
February 2019 First Place Topic Image (Circular):
Circular 3 by Bill Donovan
February 2019 Salon First Place Open Image:
Stokksnes Sundown by David Suggs
Check out all the February acceptances here
Our January speaker was Curt Brown of Brown Imagery
To learn more about the image stacking technique that Curt talked about here is a short, easy to follow discussion on Photo Stacking for Night Photography
Here is an article by Bryan Hansel about using Low Level Lighting for Nightscape Photography. Bryan does a lot of shooting and workshops on the North Shore.
The program (for Mac only) that Curt uses for image stacking noise reduction is Starry Landscape Stacker
Here’s information on Windows software that does the same thing -
Sequator – FREE PC Milky Way Stacking software that reduces noise
Upcoming Club Meetings
March 21 Meeting:
Speaker Tom Olmscheid talking about Photojournalism – The Story Behind the Picture
Tom’s website is TOMO Photography
Print Salon, Topic: Shadow
April 18 Meeting:
Speaker is Carlyn Iverson, Topic: Galapagos Island wildlife photography on location
Digital Salon, Topic: Speed
Carlyn’s web page is Absolute Science Studios
May 16 Meeting:
We will have fellow CCC members discussing their favorite capture
Print Salon, Topic: Portrait
Wednesday June 19:
Yearend Banquet and Awards
We will be back at the Centennial Lakes Park Pavilion again this year. Mark your calendar, details coming later.
New Photography Exhibit –
Imagine: Surreal Photography by Erik Johansson
The American Swedish Institute
2600 Park Ave, Mpls
Now thru Apr 28, 2019
Imagine a place where fish are islands, landscapes become waterfalls, and the moon is hung from a ladder. Find these impossible worlds in the work of Erik Johansson, a Swedish photographer/visual artist now based in Prague, who creates dream-like realities through clever and complex montages of nature using his own photographs knit together digitally. The ASI exhibition includes nearly 30 of his works, including seven new pieces that will be exhibited here for the first time.
Finding Your Voice as a Photographer
Are you interested in taking your photography to a new, more personal level? Do you want to open new doors to your work, but are not even sure where the doors are? My name is Michael Crouser and I am an experienced fine art/commercial photographer and teacher, and I love helping people progress with their personal vision.
I have taught this class called “Finding Your Voice as a Photographer” at New York’s International Center of Photography, the Santa Fe Workshops and also here in Minnesota at the Mpls Photo Center. This is a six week course where we will cover ten lessons with slide presentations that demonstrate such topics as Composition, Perspective, Subject Choice, Light, Equipment, Color vs. BW and others. We do this by looking at the work of famous photographers who use these elements in specific ways to establish their personal look and feel…their voice.
So, not only are you learning about concepts in photography but you are also being exposed to photographers that you may find inspirational or influential to your own work. All the while we are trying to hone your aesthetic tastes in an effort to begin to make your pictures more your own. There are two fun and challenging assignments each time we meet and at the following class we will review your work.
Cost is $1000 for the six two hour sessions (sometimes we go longer), meeting at your convenience. I offer the class in my home for 1-4 people at a time, with a $100 discount per person for a class 3 or 4 people. There are snacks and drinks and a lot of conversation in a calm and relaxed atmosphere. This class has proven to be very popular and quite helpful to those who enroll. As one student said, “I went looking for my voice and found my choir.”
I look forward to meeting you and talking photography!
Michael Crouser Photography
Email: Michael Crouser
YouTube Video
Cell – 646-369-9021
Lightroom User Group Facebook Page
Photoshop User Group Facebook Page
Photoshop User Group Webpage
Crosstown’s top images are on display at Edina City Hall
The top 12 year-end award-winning images from Crosstown’s 2017—18 season are being featured now through September 2019 in the Edina City Hall, 4801 W. 50th St, Edina, MN 55424. The photos are available for viewing in the Community Room during regular business hours (but best over the noon hour when the room is less prone to be in use). Enter city hall, walk up the stairs and head straight back to find the Community Room.
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