Our final featured photographer of this season is Debby Venne.

To learn more about Debby and her photographic journey so far, have a look at our Photo In Focus page.

60 members and 1 guest attended our April 25^th meeting.

• President Carson Plant presented a slideshow assembled by Chris Pidgeon that highlighted our recent trip to The Canadian Raptor Conservancy. Thanks Chris. Great job!

• Our guest speaker was OPP Forensic Officer, Mark Lancaster, who explained what his job entails and how he goes about accomplishing his duties. The techniques used for documenting a motor vehicle collision, how to light a night scene with flash using rear curtain synch and how infrared photos can reveal hidden evidence, were all subjects that were both informative and fascinating to our members. The Chatham Camera Club would like to thank Constable Lancaster for his thoroughly entertaining presentation and we look forward to having him back again.

• Competition photos from the Novice’s From Afar entries and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon member’s Open submissions were reviewed with many high marks being attained. Keith Blackwell’s “Girl Behind A Prism” shot was the highlight of the event, gaining a score of 26.

• Several members brought in prints for display and although time did not permit any discussion, we enjoyed viewing them just the same.

• Our final meeting of the season will be held on May 9^th when we will present our annual Photo Competitions Awards. We’d like to encourage everyone to attend as those who will receive a citation deserve your support.

No elections are needed this year as the executive have all agreed to remain for next season. However, The Club is in need of a Competition Assistant willing to take over from Gavin if he decides to step aside next year. We also need a Welcoming Manager and a back-up Web Co-ordinator. If you are interested in any of these positions, kindly let Carson know.

Enjoy photography and keep your expectations reasonable. Putting pressure on yourself to create world-class photos can sometimes stifle your creative energy.

Advanced Shooting Modes:

What They Are and When to Use Them

57 members attended our April 11^th meeting.

• President Carson Plant opened the evening with this quote by Ansel Adams:
“There is nothing worse than a sharp image of a fuzzy concept.”

• Our guest speaker for the evening was the always informative and entertaining Anthony Chodas from Camera Canada who showed us the latest and greatest in photo gear, including compact cameras, all-in-one cameras, action cameras, mirrorless cameras, SLRs, lenses, drones and printers. The Chatham Camera Club wishes to thank Anthony for his time and effort, and we look forward to seeing him again in the near future. We’d also like to encourage anyone who is in the market for new photo equipment to visit Anthony at the Forest City Image Centre, 217 Dundas Street (at Clarence St.) London or Camera Canada, 301 Oxford Street West, London.

• Our featured presenter in What I Shoot was Margaret DeClerk, who showed us an excellent slideshow of some of her best work. Thanks Margaret. That was great!

• Carson Plant announced that our first Walk-About of the year will be held on Saturday, April 22^nd when we will have the opportunity to visit McLeans Auto Wreckers, 12584 Fourth Line, Nassagaweya, Rockwood, ON. We will meet at the church at 7:30 A.M. and car pool to the location. You are free to go on your own, but Carson has a waiver that we must sign before entry. For a look at what photo-ops are available, have a look at this Flicker page.

• Our next meeting will be held on April 25^th when our featured presenter will be OPP Forensic Officer Mark Lancaster.

– Chris Pidgeon will present a brief slideshow highlighting our recent trip to The Canadian Raptor Conservancy

– Competition photos from the Novice’s From Afar entries and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon member’s Open submissions will be reviewed.

– Don’t forget to bring in one of your favourite prints for display and discussion. We’d all love to see what you’ve been shooting!

Be cautious of “available light” photography. When using that method, the light controls you instead of you controlling the light.

How to Avoid Blurry Photos by
Choosing the Right Autofocus Mode

Our featured photographer for April is John St. Pierre.

John is one of the most accomplished and respected members of The Chatham Camera Club. To see why, have a look at our Photo In Focus page.

57 members and 3 guests attended our our March 28^th meeting.

• Carson Plant opened the evening with this quote:
“You can’t depend on your judgment when your imagination is out of focus.”

• In Mike Blazek’s absence, Carson Plant presented:
How To Prepare An Image For Printing.
For a review, check out this YouTube video.

• Butch Dompierre was our featured photographer in What I Shoot where he showed us his excellent collection of nature, scenic, travel and wildlife photos. Great show Butch! Thanks for sharing.

• Scores from our latest Photo Competition were announced, with Bill Henry (24 pts), Jeff McDonald (23 pts) and Ric Aarssen (22 pts) obtaining the top marks in the Novice division’s entries for Eyes and Jim Pollock (two scores of 24 pts), Linda Pepper (two scores of 23 pts), Larry Kearns (23 pts and 22 pts) and David Barr (23 pts) getting the most points in the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon members’ pictures for From Afar. You can see some of the top scoring shots on our Club Photos page.

• Our next meeting will be held on April 11^th when our featured presenter will be the always entertaining Anthony Chodas from Camera Canada who will show us the latest and greatest in photography equipment.
Also on tap for that evening will be What I Shoot by Margaret DeClerk.

Create images that make you happy, not judges.
Perhaps Theodore Roosevelt said it best:
“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

What do all of those dials and buttons on your camera do?
To find out, read this article on Camera Modes Explained

Cold temperatures and blowing snow kept the attendance at our March 14^th meeting to 34 members.

• Carson Plant opened the gathering by reminding us of an Ansel Adams quote:
“There are no rules for good photographs, there are only good photographs.”

• Chad Barry introduced our special guest for the evening, pro photographer
Wesley Liikane (Cowboy with a camera) who shared his excellent series of night photographs, landscapes and wildlife from locations across North American and Iceland. We want to thank Mr. Liikane for his excellent show. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the evening and we hope to see you again!

• Carson Plant informed the membership of a field trip he is planning to the Canadian Raptor Conservancy scheduled for Saturday, March 25^th. (NOTE – the trip is now full)

• Our next meeting will be held on March 28^th when
– Mike Blazek will show us: How To Prepare An Image For Printing
– Butch Dompierre will present What I Shoot
– We will review the scores from our latest Photo Competition where the Novice group entered Eyes and the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon members submitted photos shot From Afar.

If you don’t think photos are important, just wait until they are all you have left.

You will vastly improve your photographic skills when you learn
How To Use Exposure Compensation

Featured for the month of March is Jean DeBruyn.

To find out more about one of The Club’s longest serving members,
see our Photo In Focus page

Our February 28^th meeting brought out 47 members and 1 guest.

• Dave Noordhoff showed us How To Safely Clean Your Camera’s Sensor.
Dave’s presentation stressed that we should not be overly concerned about cleaning our camera’s sensor unless visible dust is showing up on our pictures. If you feel your sensor needs cleaning and you’re not comfortable with doing it yourself, you can always send it to the manufacturer for professional service. The best way to avoid excess sensor dust is to only change lenses indoors, preferably in a room without carpeting. If you want to do the job yourself, some of the tools that Dave recommends are the Rocket Blower, an Arctic Butterfly or a Eyelead Sensor Gel Stick. If you missed the meeting, you can read a copy of Dave’s Notes

For a brief review on how to safely clean your camera’s sensor, check out this 5 minute YouTube video.

• Dave Stewart was our featured presenter in What I Shoot, where he displayed some of his excellent images. Nice job Dave! We enjoyed your show and the music that went with it.

• The results of our most recent photo competition were revealed with Jana Smith (23 and 22 pts), Wendy McDonald (23 and 22 pts), Jeff McDonald (23 and 21 pts) and Mary Craig (21 and 20 pts) leading the way in the Novice group’s Trees category, while David Barr (24 pts), Linda Pepper (23 pts) and Jim Pollock (23 and 23 pts), scored high marks among the Intermediate, Advanced and Salon members. You can see some of the evening’s top scoring shots on our Club Photos page.

• Mike Blazek and Dave Noordhoff discussed some of the prints that were on display with several favorable comments being made. Our next Print Display will be held at our meeting on March 28^th and we encourage everyone to participate. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours :>)

• Our next meeting will be held on March 14^th when our guest speaker will be Wesley Liikane, (Cowboy with a camera), who will offer his tutorials on night photography, landscapes and wildlife. This is one you won’t want to miss.

The word “image” comes from the word “imagination.”
It doesn’t come from “lens sharpness” or “noise levels.”

11 Stages That Every Photographer Goes Through