Meeting Location: Edina Art Center

4701 West 64th Street
Edina, MN 55435
952-903-5780

Directions from Crosstown (Hwy 62):

• Exit at France Avenue and go South 2 blocks to 66th Street
• Turn right onto 66th and go West about 1/2 mile, past Lake Cornelia to West Shore Drive
• Turn right and go 2 blocks to 64th Street
• Turn right again

Crosstown Camera Club Members welcome!

Print Salon: “Long Exposures” - Using a long duration shutter speed to sharply capture the  elements of an image and blurring others.

Judge – Michael Andert – http://www.englewoodcameraclub.com/2011/andert1103/andert1103.shtml

Judge’s Picks – Color Open:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Judge’s Picks – Monochrome Open:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Judge’s Picks – Monochrome Topic:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Program: Leslie Hammons
Leslie is the Director of the Weinstein Gallery located in Minneapolis. Established in 1996, the Weinstein Gallery has exhibited work by outstanding nationally and internationally recognized artists working in all media, with a special focus on modern and contemporary photography. The gallery is a member of the Art Dealers Association of America and the Association of International Photography Art Dealers.

Due Date: May 7, 2013

Prints must be submitted to the Edina Art Center (EAC) CCC drop off area by 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, the week prior to the Salon.

How to Prepare Your Prints for Salon:

• All prints shall be the results of an initial exposure by the member. All other processing may be commercially done, if desired.
• Matting is encouraged but not required. No frames are allowed.
• A TITLE, CATEGORY (Topic or Open), member’s NUMBER, and DIVISION entered (Monochrome or Color) must appear on the back top left side of the matte board. Entries with a member’s name will be disqualified.
• Prints may be entered in either of the Topic or Open divisions but to a maximum of three prints TOTAL per member per salon.
• Prints shall be no smaller than 15 square inches (3″ x 5″) and no larger than 320 square inches (16″ x 20″). Prints must be mounted on matte board no smaller than 80 square inches (8″ x 10″) and no larger than 320 square inches (16″ x 20″).

The following four pieces of information are required for entry and should appear in the top left corner on the back side of the matte board:

1. NUMBER: your CCC Member Number (not your name). This number can be found on your Membership Card.
2. TITLE: a descriptive title for the photograph
3. TOPIC: indicating a Topic category entry. OPEN: indicating an Open category entry.
4. MONOCHROME -or- COLOR

Program: Clare O’Neill – Claire is a local photographer and publisher and works with encaustics as a post printing process that involves ‘painting’  photographs with wax. 

Digital Salon: “Triptych”- An image that is divided by lines  or patterns into three distinct panels.

Judge: Mariann Cyr

Judge’s Picks – Open:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Judge’s Picks – Topic:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

• Focus: While auto focus is great you will find that often your camera ends up hunting for something to focus upon. You will be well served to learn how to use your manual focus. Be forewarned that some lenses have excellent manual focus abilities while others are kind of sloppy.
• Composition: look for patterns, color schemes, graphic lines. Observe from standing kneeling perspectives; even get right down to ground level. Observe from a distance as well as very close.
• Sharpness: It is very difficult to have everything in focus with flower photography. You may be better off looking for “selective focus”: Which is some part of flower in focus and rest is a pleasing blur or softer.
• Background: Backgrounds can make or break your image. Try not to have too much distraction around your main subject. Remove broken twigs etc. Sometimes it helps to carry a 3×4 foot piece of black or gray fabric to cover unsightly background.
• Blurred background: You get better blurred background with longer lenses that have large aperture (unfortunately these are the most costly).
• Enjoy your experience: take the time to really look around. Decide what captures your eye/imagination and work with that.
• Do a lot of handheld looking and shooting before you decide to set up your tripod.
• Lighting: I prefer to use natural light but some people like to use off camera flash or a ring flash. Overcast day is actually best for flowers but almost any lighting can work.
• Lenses: my two favorite lenses are the Nikon 105/2.8 Macro and the Nikon 80-400/F4.5-5.6 zoom. I also have a 200/F4 macro and a 300/F4 that I sometimes use.
• Metering: some people say “spot” metering best but I personally do not see much difference between that and the “av” metering.
• Extension tubes: essentially spacers – allows one to get closer to subject but sacrifice some depth of field. Kenko makes tubes that work with several manufacturers and costs about $200.
• Close up lens: like a magnifying glass. Canon makes a very good one called Canon 500D (+2 diopter). Costs about $50-150. Screws onto front of lens and allows one to get very close but limits depth of field significantly.
• Teleconverters: contains optics: extends lens by 1.4X or 2X. lose 1F stop for 1.4X and 2 F stops for 2X. These are more expensive costing about $250-500. Handy to have in your bag however.
• Diffusion and reflectors: Diffusion screen can help when bright sunlight. Reflectors can help direct light onto some part of flower. Cost about $50 – 100.
• Remote shutter release: handy to have or can use self timer on camera.
• Tripod: whatever works for you: A good head is needed so you can adjust camera to many different angles. Some people use a “focus rail” which gives precision adjustment forward and backward. Also want a tripod that can be set up close to the ground.
• Small foam kneeling pad: can make it much more comfortable for you when kneeling or laying on the ground.

Macro Tutorials:
http://vimeo.com/9667236
http://www.ephotozine.tv/video/macro-photography-tutorial-1249
http://www.thephotoargus.com/tips/photography-techniques-macro/
http://www.ephotozine.com/article/ten-macro-photography-tips-18726
http://digital-photography-school.com/6-tips-for-near-macro-photography-with-a-telephoto-lens

Focus Stacking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJiEw4VCcYU

Focus Stacking using Photoshop CS5 (some people having problems with CS6):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=intzev1gsbI

Extension Tubes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwgbYaB2jqI&NR=1&feature=endscreen

Good Overview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeFrQZ03_m8

Good Book:
“Fine Art Flower Photography” by Tony Sweet
Tony Sweet Flower Photography Blog: http://www.networkedblogs.com/blog/tony_sweets_flower_photography_blog

Video by Tony Sweet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8_btceWWlA

On-line Classes and Photo workshops:
Mark Lissick:
http://www.wildlightnaturephotography.com/Home_Page.htm

Due Date: April 9, 2013

Digital images must be submitted as email attachments sent to digitalsalon@crosstowncameraclub.com by 11 PM Tuesday, the week prior to the Salon.

How to Prepare Your Digital Images for Salon:

• All digital images shall be the result of an initial exposure by the member. Images may be captured either using a digital camera or scanned from slides or negatives.
• All digital images must be labeled with a CATEGORY (Topic or Open), member’s NUMBER and TITLE in the filename. Entries with a member’s name or other image-maker identification on the image, such as Copyright Watermark, etc. will be disqualified.
• Digital images may be entered in either of the Topic or Open divisions but to a maximum of three images TOTAL per member per salon.
• Digital images shall be 1280 pixels on the longest side.
• Image file type must be JPEG.

Filenames for digital entries should appear as follows:

• The file name should contain the following four items:
• T for the salon topic or O for the open category.
• NUMBER: your CCC Member Number (not your name). This number can be found on your Membership Card. Entries with names will be disqualified.
• TITLE: a concise descriptive title for the image.
• .jpg

Examples:

• T.691.TheCat.jpg (Topic Entry)
• O.691.TheBird.jpg (Open entry)

Additional Notes:

• Always make a copy of your final image and resize and orient properly for viewing (horizontally or vertically) your duplicate prior to emailing.
• Use maximum/100 image quality when saving image using the Save for Web method, or use Maximum/12 when using the Image Save method
• Titles are for identification – for yourself, and for those who keep club records. Judges don’t always pay much attention to them. Use description instead of commentary (e.g. “MikeOnABike” instead of “WillHeMakeIt”). Calling a photograph “Untitled” risks confusion in club records and later, in your own memory.

The Digital Committee will interpret and apply these rules at each club salon and have the right to reject any entry not properly presented or labeled.

See https://www.crosstowncameraclub.org/salon-competition-rules/ for additional information.

Meeting Location: Edina Art Center

4701 West 64th Street
Edina, MN 55435
952-903-5780

Directions from Crosstown (Hwy 62):

• Exit at France Avenue and go South 2 blocks to 66th Street
• Turn right onto 66th and go West about 1/2 mile, past Lake Cornelia to West Shore Drive
• Turn right and go 2 blocks to 64th Street
• Turn right again

Crosstown Camera Club Members welcome!

• Landscape
• Action
• Nature
• Still Life
• Street Photography
• Portrait
• Abstract
• Photojournalism
• Floral

Prints and digitals receiving Acceptance during the club year are entered into the year-end judging. Prints with Acceptance (exact prints judged) will be collected at the May 16th Meeting or drop in the year-end portfolio at the EAC before 7:00 pm on May 23rd. Digital Acceptances are already on file with digital and judge chairpersons.

If you forgot if your images received an acceptance, please refer to the Salon Results 2012-13 web page (each month). Images displayed were awarded acceptance.

For “Best Of Category Awards”, members must designate their acceptances with one of the categories listed above for each acceptance as they see fit.

• If digital, simply email the digital chairperson at: digitalsalon@crosstowncameraclub.com with image name(s) and category(s) before 7:00 pm on May 23rd.
• If print, write the category choice on the back of each print and bring to the May 16th Meeting or drop in the year-end portfolio at the EAC before 7:00 pm on May 23rd.

Members with less than 3 Acceptances can choose from their yearly submissions a total of 3 images. Examples: two Acceptances during the year means you may choose one additional image. One Acceptance – two additional images. No Acceptances – three images can be chosen. Additional images MUST have been submitted into salon during the club year and the same form (digital or print) as entered. These images are also entered in the “Best Of Category Awards” so follow the same instructions as above.

Reminder: Members indicating that their name and/or images to be excluded from publishing on the website or in the yearbook are ineligible from year-end judging and awards. Those wishing to exclude only their contact information in the handbook are still eligible.

Questions? Contact Judith Barat or Brian Billadeau.

Meeting Location: Christ Presbyterian Church

Mini Tutorial: Flower Photography – Steve Shor
There will be a brief discussion regarding equipment and technique and many of the accessories will be brought in to show.
Please try to be seated by 6:15PM so that we can start on time.

Print Salon: “Impressionistic”- The image captures the essence of the subject rather than its details. Colors are used to create a vibrant image with the optical mixing occurring in the eye of the beholder. Emphasis on the play of natural light  and reflection of colors from an object to the subject.

Judge –

Judge’s Picks – Color Open:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Judge’s Picks – Color Topic:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Judge’s Picks – Monochrome Open:

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Program: Ben Thwaits
Ben Thwaits is the arts coordinator for Northwest Passage, Ltd., an organization that provides programs to support at risk youth. Ben will talk to our club about one such program called ‘In A New Light’ which helps teens find new hope through nature photography.