This month’s featured photographer is Glen Spooner.

Glen is a well traveled shooter who brings a wealth of experience to The Club.
Find out more on our Photo In Focus page.

Our April 26^th meeting was attended by 41 members and 3 guests.

• 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

• The Club is still seeking nominations for President and Executive Assistant. If you’d like to see our organization continue in its present form, why not consider stepping into one of the open positions? If you’re interested or would like to nominate someone who is, let Chris Jorgensen know at chrisj@mnsi.net

• We are also in need of someone to complete a year-end audit of our financial books. If you can spare a few minutes of your time, contact Carson Plant at whiterock@sympatico.ca

• A list of local events that may provide some interesting Summer photo opportunities has been added to the bottom of The Club’s Meeting Schedule page. If you can add an event to the list, kindly send it to Jim at jim@jamespollock.com

• Dave Noordhoff presented Travels In The Southwest, a brief look at his photographs from Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Texas and New Mexico. Dave’s collection of desert scenes, sunrises, sunsets, clouds and cactus provided us with some incentive to venture into this beautiful region of the United States. Thanks Dave! We loved your pictures.

• Keith Blackwell and Mike Blazek reviewed the prints that were brought in for display and discussion and made several interesting observations and comments. If you have a picture that you’d like to share with the rest of us, Walmart and Shoppers Drug Mart on St. Clair St do an excellent job at reasonable prices. This is an area that we don’t want to see come to an end and we look forward to more participation next season. Prince may have died, but we hope prints haven’t.

• Our final CCC photo competitions were reviewed with the Novice group competing in Fill The Frame and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon members showing their Black And White photos. Top marks for the Novices went to Kellie Watson (24 and 23), Bill Henry (23), Debby Venne (23) and Danielle Gagnier (22). In the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon group, high scores were given to Jim Pollock (25 and 23), Gavin Stuart (23), Mike Blazek (23 and 23), Patricia Kral (23), Chad Barry (23 and 21), Paul Schmoldt (22), Linda Pepper (22) and Larry Kearns (22).

• Wendy Beasley was featured in What I Shoot where she showed us some pictures of her two main interests, Family and Travel. Her working vacations around the world have enabled her to capture beautiful scenic shots in far away lands as well as the local people and their customs. Club members were thoroughly entertained by her memorable photos. Thanks Wendy!

• Those in attendance were also treated to Twelve Photos In A Year Is A Great Crop by Frank Vadovic, where we saw a brief collection of his outstanding bird pictures.

• Our final meeting of the season will be held on May 10^th when our new executive will be introduced and the winners of our photo competitions will be announced. A summery of the year’s best photos will also be shown, making this a meeting you don’t want to miss.

What I like about black and white photographs is that they’re more like reading the book than seeing the movie.

Always challenge yourself with new styles of photography, new equipment, or new subjects. Sometimes, the challenge of something new on the horizon can help a photographer find motivation and see subjects in a fresh way.

Our April 12^th meeting was attended by 48 members and 4 guests.

• 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

• The Club is still seeking nominations for officers, including President. If you’d like to see our organization continue in its present form, why not consider stepping into one of the open positions? If you’re interested or would like to nominate someone who is, let Chris Jorgensen know at chrisj@mnsi.net

• Our guest speaker, pro photographer and author William Cornies spoke to us about long exposure photography. His comprehensive tutorial taught many of us how this fascinating method is accomplished and the samples of his own work inspires us to give it a try. We’d like to thank William for making the trip to Chatham and sharing his knowledge with us.

For a review, see this video on using a Neutral Density Filter

Check out William Cornies video called “Slices Of Time Compressed”.

• Our next meeting will be held on April 26^th when the Novices will compete in Fill The Frame and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon groups will show their Black And White entries. Wendy Beasly will be featured in What I Shoot and Frank Vadovic will present Twelve Photos A Year Is A Great Crop. We also encourage everyone to bring in a print of any size, any subject for display and discussion. You know you want to.

Cameras don’t take great pictures any more than typewriters write great novels.

Costly equipment does not necessarily equate to better photographs. Know your existing gear like the back of your hand so you’ll be ready when an interesting photo-op presents itself.

Our featured photographer for April is Jana Smith

Since joining The Club, Jana Smith has continually impressed the membership with her outstanding images. To see why, check out our Photo In Focus page.

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.