Our March 22^nd meeting was attended by 49 members, 2 new members and 1 guest.

• President Vince Gagnier reminded us of the Year End Lunch slated for May 14th at Smitty’s Restaurant, 307 Grand Ave W. Chatham from noon until 2. If you plan to attend, please let Vince know by e-mail at vgagnier@teksavvy.com

• Elections Officer Chris Jorgensen spoke to the group about the upcoming elections which will be held at our May 10^th meeting. Chris asked those assembled what they got out of The Camera Club and received several enthusiastic responses that included “Learning new techniques”, “It brought me out of my photographic shell” and “The fellowship of other members.” Chris then pointed out that none of these things would be possible without the hard work and dedication of The Club’s executive. If we are to continue to function, we need people to step into the vacant positions of President, Treasurer, Executive Assistant, Welcoming Manager, Print Manager, and Alternate Web Co-ordinator. If you would like to run for office or nominate someone else, let Chris know by e-mail at chrisj@mnsi.net.

Remember: This is your club. It cannot function without everyone’s participation. We urge you to take on whatever you can.

• Dave Noordhoff continued his excellent series photo tutorials by introducing many of us to “Back Button Focusing”, a technique where you can assign the focus function from the shutter button to another of your choice. For a review of Dave’s lesson, check out this page on Back Button Focusing.

• In March’s CCC photo competition the Novice group entered their Open: Colour shots, with Mary Craig, Glen Spooner, Bill Henry and Danielle Gagnier receiving scores of 22. Debbie Venn and Bob Miller each scored a 23 and Jana Smith continued to impress with marks of 24 and 25. The skill set of this group has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few months. Well done everyone. Your pictures looked great!

• The Intermediate, Advanced and Salon members showed their submissions for the Fill The Frame category. Chad Barry lead the way with two scores of 24, Linda Pepper and Jean Debruyn both received a 23 and Keith Blackwell and Gavin Stuart attained a 22.

• Herman Geithoorn was featured in our What I Shoot segment where he showed us his excellent collection of Flower, Insect and Bird photos. It takes a great deal of skill to master this type of photography and Herman has done just that. The whole gang appreciated your show, Herman. Thanks a lot!

• Kathryn Parent was our guest presenter for Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop, where she treated us to her incredible weather photos along with some Nature and Scenic shots. As always, great job Kathryn! We always look forward to seeing your work.

• Several interesting prints were on display before the meeting and during the break. Thanks to all of those who took part.

• Our next meeting will be held on April 12^th when our guest speaker will be pro photographer and author William Cornies who will share some of his stunning photographs and techniques with us. This is a meeting you don’t want to miss.

Don’t practice until you get it right.
Practice until you can’t get it wrong.

It doesn’t matter if a place or subject has been photographed by nearly everyone you know. If you haven’t shot it, shoot it anyway and learn from the process.

Our March 8^th meeting was attended by 53 members and 7 guests.

• President Vince Gagnier reminded us of the upcoming elections which will be held at our May 10^th meeting. If you would like to run for office or nominate someone else, let Elections Officer Chris Jorgensen know by e-mail at chrisj@mnsi.net

• This evening’s guest speaker, Ethan Meleg, gave a presentation he calls “The Crazed Photographer”, in which he emphasized three key components needed to create exceptional images: Knowledge, Patience and Persistence. As a professional outdoor photographer, Ethan has crawled through mud, kayaked deep into swamps, endured -30 degree temperatures and hiked for miles in total darkness (often with 40 pounds of camera gear on his back) to capture his spectacular photos of nature at its best. Illustrated by his favourite photos and stories, this light-hearted and humorous presentation entertained and inspired all of those in attendance. The members and guests of The Chatham Camera Club wish to thank Ethan for his outstanding show as we eagerly await a return visit in the near future.

• Our next meeting will be held on March 22^nd when our Novice members will show their entries in the Open: Colour category while the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon groups will compete with shots that Fill The Frame.

• Details of our main presentation are still being finalized.

• Herman Geithoorn will be front and centre in What I Shoot, while Kathryn Parent will be featured in Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop.

• We want to invite everyone to bring in a print, or two, or three for display and discussion. This is a chance to show some of your work in a non-competitive environment, so why not participate? We’d all love to see some of your favourite shots in print form. Any size, any subject is more than welcome. Don’t think that your shots aren’t “good enough.” Of course they are. You’re among friends here.

The more gear you carry around with you
the less you will enjoy photography.

Carry a cheap, compact rain sleeve in your camera bag. If the weather is dusty or wet, the sleeve can make the difference between taking great photos and putting your camera away.

Our featured photographer for March is Steven Taylor.

Learn more about one of the most talented photographers in The Chatham Camera Club on our Photo In Focus page.

Our February 23^rd meeting was attended by 38 members and 3 guests.

• Our main topic for the evening was Photo Equipment I’m Glad I Bought, where several of our members showed us photo accessories that have helped them achieve a desired result.

– Mike Moynihan has been very pleased with a monitor calibration tool called ColorMunki that has helped him make sure his colours are accurate and match his printer.

Another of Mike’s recommendations for outdoor shooting is a Pelican 1510 Carry-On Case. He uses his to carry and store his gear in cold weather and says it helps keep condensation to a minimum. The case, which sells for around $160, is water and dust proof and has adjustable dividers.

– Jim Pollock showed us two rain jackets for shooting in inclement weather: An economy model called an Op/Tech Rainsleeve that sells for around $10, and a more rugged Kata Rain Cover which retails for $49. Both of these products do an excellent job of keeping water and dust away from your camera and lenses.

Jim also gets good use out of his Chair Blind, which enables him to stay out of sight from wildlife and get close enough to photograph them. The Ameristep One-Man Chair Blind is available from Canadian Tire for $100.

– Chris Jorgensen showed a couple of after-market camera straps that replace the standard rough-edged straps that often dig into our necks and cause irritation. The first was a Black Rapid strap which allows the user to carry a camera at your side for quick access. The second was the very popular OP/TECH Pro Loop Strap that is used by many of our club’s experienced members.

– Vince Gagnier encouraged us to purchase a good quality tripod the first time instead of buying a cheaper model that usually proves unsatisfactory and often gets replaced at additional expense. Vince recommended a light weight carbon fiber tripod with a ball head as shown in these examples. If you need advice on buying your first tripod, Vince or any of our other senior members will be glad to help you.

To go along with your tripod, Vince also suggests getting a remote switch to trigger your shutter without touching the camera and causing vibration.

A photo vest is also on Vince’s list of preferred equipment. Large pockets give quick access to filters, triggers, spare batteries and other small items.
Vince likes to carry his gear with a Cotton Carrier system such as the ones shown HERE

• The results of this month’s CCC Photo Competition were reviewed with top marks in the Novice division going Jana Smith, Debby Venn, Barb Ferren and Danielle Gagnier, who all scored 23 for their Cityscape entries.
Linda Pepper (25), Jim Pollock (25), Chad Barry (24), Tere Deslippe (24) and Kellie Watson (24) received the highest scores in the Open: Colour category for the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon groups. Several others had scores of 23 and 22.

• A collection of printed photos were reviewed by Keith Blackwell and Vince Gagnier with several favourable comments being made. Keith also highly recommended Maple Art Gallery in Chatham for custom framing your larger prints.

• Jana Smith was our featured photographer in What I Shoot, where she impressed us with her work in Nature, Scenic and Landscapes. Her excellent composition skills have enabled Jana to compile a great collection of photos from across Canada and we look forward to seeing more in the near future.

• Keith Blackwell presented Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop, where he chose to display his fascinating People shots. Keith’s many years of experience and accumulated skills have helped him capture energy and emotion in his photos that compel the viewer to ask questions about the subjects. As always, his work has inspired us to achieve his level of excellence.

• Our next meeting will be held on March 8^th when our guest speaker will be professional outdoor photographer Ethan Meleg who will present “The Crazed Photographer.” There will be no extra charge to attend this meeting and all are welcome.

What type of camera one uses is irrelevant. It is how you use it that matters.

Before making an expensive photo purchase, seek the advice of an experienced photographer. Never rely on what a commission sales person tells you.

Inclement weather kept the turnout for our February 9^th meeting to just 33 members.

• Our main topic for the evening was Photo Equipment I Wish I Hadn’t Bought, where some of our members showed the rest of The Club items that either didn’t work as advertised or that are seldom used.

Jim Pollock showed a Better Beamer Flash Extender, which when used gives a “flashed” look to wildlife as opposed to more pleasing natural light. He also shared his experience with an expodisc, a device for helping to set a custom white balance, a process that Jim feels is too tedious and takes too much time when shooting on location.

Chris Jorgensen brought in a portable 40 Gig hard drive that still works well, but at $600 is vastly undersized by today’s standards. He also showed us a Canon 2x teleconverter that extends a lens to twice its length, but sometimes produces soft images.

Standing in for Dave Noordhoff, Vince Gagnier showed Dave’s set of neutral density filters that he bought but never uses because he finds them cumbersome to mount and fiddly to change.

Vince brought in an extra large backpack that turned out to be extremely heavy and difficult to carry when filled. He also showed us his Canon 50mm lens, which although produces sharp results, loses out in favour of more flexible zoom lenses. An Arctic Butterfly sensor cleaner was also on Vince’s list of seldom used purchases. His wet swab sensor cleaners have also been retired.

*Note* The best sensor cleaner that we have found is a Sensor Gel Stick
.
* We must note that all of the above products work well under the right conditions and our members’ only real complaint was that they bought these items but seldom use them. Links are provided for reference only.*

• During the break we were treated to an on-screen display of some of our member’s favourite digital photos as assembled by Dave Noordhoff.

• Chad Barry presented an excellent tutorial on Converting Photos To Black And White using Nik Silver Efex Pro, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom.

• For those using Adobe Photoshop Elements, Tere Deslippe showed us some of the methods she uses to change a colour photo to black and white.

For review, have a look at this page on Black And White Conversion Techniques.

Thanks to all of our presenters who took the time to assemble informative and well thought-out presentations for this evening. The membership appreciates your efforts.

• Our next meeting will be held on February 23^rd when our main topic will be Useful Equipment I’m Glad I Bought, where some of us will share what has worked for them in our efforts to take better photos. Also on tap will be the CCC Competitions for the Novice group (Cityscape) and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon members (Open in colour). Jana Smith will present What I Shoot and Keith Blackwell will be featured in Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop. We also invite all of our members to bring in a print of any size, any subject for display and discussion. If you haven’t participated in the print displays before, now is the time! C’mon, show us one of your cool prints.

 
“The term accessories has come to include a host of photographic gadgets of questionable value…” – Ansel Adams

When you take a picture, don’t jab at the shutter button. Squeeze it gently and evenly, eventually getting a feel for exactly when the shutter will trip. This helps reduce camera shake.

Our featured photographer for February is Jacquilne Gruszka

To learn more about Jacquilne’s photographic journey,
see our Photo In Focus page.

54 members and 1 guest were on hand for our January 26^th meeting.

• Sonya Blazek presented a volunteer opportunity at the Thames Art Gallery for those who are interested in emulating the work of Quebec photographer / artist Holly King. The Gallery is looking for one of your landscape photos that will be turned into transparencies. You would then work with other artists who would use miniature sets to create a second scene. Your group would collaborate on the lighting and the picture style and you would take a second photo to produce the final image. Printing and framing costs will be covered by The Gallery. If you would like to participate in this event, contact Sonya at: sonyab@chatham-kent.ca. The Chatham Camera Club wishes to thank Sonya for her presentation and we encourage our membership to take advantage of this chance to spread your creative wings and be a part of something special.

• Long time member and seasoned photographer Nelson Harrison was featured in our What I Shoot segment where he showed his fine collection of photos that covered virtually every genre. He also explained his process, locations and equipment used to produce his excellent images. At the conclusion of his presentation, Nelson received several compliments from the group. Well done Nelson! Thanks from all of us.

• The results of this month’s CCC Photo Competition were revealed with those members competing in the Novice group showing their Sill Life / Table Top shots. The top scores were given to Barb Ferren, Debbie Venne, Glen Spooner, Mary Craig all with marks of 21. Bob Miller and Danielle Gagnier both had two images that scored 21.
Cityscapes from the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon groups produced scores of 22 for Tere Deslippe, Dave Noordhoff, Angel Webster, Keith Blackwell, Linda Pepper and Carson Plant. Doug Woodman and Jim Pollock had two scores of 22 and John St. Pierre had the top mark of the evening with a 23.

• Several of our members brought in some of their prints for display, followed by a brief discussion led by Vince Gagnier and Keith Blackwell. If you would like to show The Club some of your favourite prints, your next opportunity will be on February 23^rd. Any size, any subject is more than welcome. Remember, an 8 x 10 print is available from Shoppers Drug Mart on St. Clair St. and from Wal-Mart for around $4. Books and binders to keep them in are also readily available and will provide a lasting memory of the work you’re currently doing. Don’t be shy. Show us what ya got.

• Mike Blazek presented Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop, where he displayed examples of some of his finest Nature, Abstract, Table Top and Portrait work. As always, Mike provided motivation for us all to try to achieve his level of excellence.

 
Before heading out to shoot photos, have a plan. Hoping to have luck is a lousy method of photography.

Always use your lens hood. Besides protecting the front element of your lens, they keep out stray light and improve the contrast of your photos.

Despite the inclement weather and poor driving conditions, 44 members and 5 guests attended our first meeting of the new year.

• Jim Pollock kicked off Flash 101 by showing how portraits can be greatly improved by using a Hot-Shoe Flash that swivels as opposed to an on-board Flash or an economy unit that does not turn. We also saw how flash modifiers, such as a Rogue Flash Bender, a Sto-Fen Omni-Bounce and a Gary Fong Lightsphere give different lighting effects.

After a break in which members experimented with different flash techniques, Dave Noordhoff instructed the group on how to darken the background and highlight a subject using Manual Mode and Flash.

Special thanks goes out to Jacqueline Gruszka for serving as our model during our flash demonstration. Your participation is greatly appreciated.

You can review Dave’s notes on Flash 101 and Read More About Flash by clicking the icon and choosing to Open or Download these PDF files. They are well worth the read.

Check out this Review of Flash Modifiers.

For more about flash photography, read this page on Getting To Know Your Flash

• Printed photos were on display before the meeting and during the break, with some interesting work being shown. We invite all of our members to take advantage of this opportunity to show the group what you’ve been shooting in a non-competitive environment. Your next opportunity will be on January 26^th

• Our next meeting will be on January 26^th, 2016 when Sonya Blazek will present a volunteer opportunity at the Thames Art Gallery, Nelson Harrison will present What I Shoot and Mike Blazek will be featured in Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop. Also on tap will be our first Photo Competition of the calendar year, with the Novices showing their Still Life / Table Top shots, and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon groups displaying their Cityscape photos.

If you haven’t mastered light, then you’re doing it wrong.

The sunnier the day, the more you need flash. Not for necessity, but for creativity.