Merced Camera Club Home Page
Message Board
This board is maintained for sharing information of general interest to Club members. Members can submit items by e-mail to Tom Kidd or to the
Club's e-mail address. Please limit submissions to text and internet links (no images, powerpoint presentations, spreadsheets, etc.).
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2/6/12--Tom K.: I went to the Merced National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday. The first link is an image I shot then --
not great art, but depicts the conditions. Cranes are there also. A few hundred stood motionless in a field pretty far from
the road. I also saw several flocks of cranes in the air, within a few miles of the refuge:
"Geese, Merced NWR." Here's a related post -- Part two of a series about nature photography at a New Mexico NWR:
"Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, Part 2."
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2/5/12--Robert D.: The March, 2012, issue of Cowboys & Indians lists the winners
in their annual photography contest. Jim Cunningham of the Merced Camera Club
was one of the winners with his image entitled "Wolf Attack".
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2/4/12--Tom K.: Because information relating to tomorrow's Super Bowl is so hard to find, here is some -- a post about
NY Times photographer Doug Mills, a veteran of several editions of the greatest hype on earth:
"Before the Game, Preparing Is Half the Battle."
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2/3/12--Tom K.: Evan Sharboneau blogs about low-tech, clever trick photography on "photoextremist.com." Here's his latest post:
"A Room Filled with an Obnoxious Amount of Money."
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2/2/12--Tom K.: A year ago, NPN's Alain Briot found out that an otherwise reputable organization was using one of his published images
in some of its promotional materials. He writes about what he learned from the experience:
"They Are Stealing Our Work."
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2/1/12--Tom K.: A nice review of some digital photography fundamentals:
"10 Tips For Capturing What You See."
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1/31/12--Tom K.: Gary Hart describes how he made "Moonlight, Garrapata Beach, Big Sur"
-- from pre-visualization, thru exposure/filter techniques, to
post-processing:
"Digital photography the old fashioned way."
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1/30/12--Tom K.: From the Mono Lake Committee's blog -- "On January 17, 2012, Tioga Pass finally closed for the winter as storm clouds
gathered on the horizon. The only other time in history—going back to 1933—when it closed in January was when it closed on New Year’s Day 2000."
Read the rest of the post about this winter's Sierra weather at:
"Two-month dry spell ends with latest closure of Tioga Pass ever."
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1/29/12--Tom K.:
"VIDEO: Touched by a Wild Mountain Gorilla."
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1/28/12--Tom K.: This video features Bodie and border collies:
"Animal Planet Videos: Dogs Find 100s of Bodies In Ghost Town."
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1/27/12--Tom K.: Michael Frye's blogpost anticipates a seasonal Yosemite photo op:
"The Best Time to Photograph Horsetail Fall, Revised."
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1/25/12--Jim and Carlene C.:
National Geographic,"Making Simply Beautiful Photographs."
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1/24/12--Tom K..: From the National Park Service: "Due to a large rockfall that occurred late on Sunday evening, Big Oak Flat Road
(the continuation of Highway 120) is closed in Yosemite National Park. The road is closed between the Foresta Junction on Highway 120 (Big Oak Flat Road)
and the Highway 120/140 (El Portal Road) Junction. It will remain closed indefinitely. The National Park Service, along with the Federal
Highways Administration, is assessing the damage and working on a plan to repair the road. Yosemite National Park remains open, and Yosemite Valley
is accessible via Highways 140 and 41." Here's a photo:
"Images of the Big Oak Flat Rockfall."
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1/23/12--Robert D.: The March, 2012, issue of Cowboys & Indians lists their
annual photography contestwinners. Carlene Cunningham of the Merced
Camera Club won the WILDLIFE category with her image of a lioness and her
kitten, entitled "Protective Mother:"
"Photo Contest Winners 2012: Wildlife."
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1/20/12--Tom K.: Gary Hart writes about composition, and left vs. right brain aspects of his creative process:
"Trust your instincts."
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1/19/12--Tom K.: Cascading water, wide-angle lens, long exposure, very close foreground. Some striking examples from Maryland-based Joseph Rossbach:
"D(r)eaming of Spring."
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1/18/12--Tom K.: Want cute? Have some:
"32 Pictures That Will Make You Say Awwwwwwww."
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1/17/12--Tom K.: Cole Thompson makes dark, atmospheric black and white images. Here's a profile, with samples of his work:
"For Love of B&W: Cole Thompson’s Ethereal Landscapes."
And here's his introspective blogpost about an impending photo excursion:
"Heading For Death Valley!"
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1/16/12--Tom K.: This older post (from last July) by Michael Frye makes some interesting points about the
interaction between composition and lens focal length:
"The Third Dimension in Photography."
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1/15/12--Tom K.: Gary Hart's blogpost begins "I just wrapped up a long week that underscores the best and worst of my life as a landscape photographer."
"There’s no whining in photography."
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1/14/12--Tom K.: From "Digital Photo" magazine:
"2012 Editors' Choice Awards, Our annual collection of noteworthy gear and technology."
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1/13/12--Tom K.: PictureCorrect.com recalls its: "Top Ten Most Popular Photography Articles of 2011."
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1/12/12--Tom K.: Next time you look up from the Yosemite Valley floor at the tiny figures climbing El Capitan, think of this:
"The Nose on El Capitan."
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1/11/12--Tom K.: From "Pro Nature Photographer:" "Robert Rodriguez Jr. Self Publishes a
Calendar and Tells Us How."
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1/10/12--Tom K.: Nature Photographers' Network's best member images of the last year: "Editor's Pick Awards 2011."
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1/9/12--Tom K.: This is normally the season for bird photography at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge. Here's a post about a similar locale in New Mexico:
"Winter Photography: Bosque del Apache Wildlife Refuge, Part 1."
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1/8/12--Tom K.: In 1975, Kodak dominated U.S. film and camera sales. In that year, Kodak researchers created the world's first digital camera. Fast forward to now: "A Digital Death? Why Kodak Stopped Clicking."
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1/6/12--Tom K.: More about our dry, cold winter, specifically regarding Yosemite, from Michael Frye: "A Strange Winter Brings Unusual Opportunities."
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1/5/12--Tom K.: Remember the good old days when winter meant snow in the Sierras? Here's a reminder from "Yosemite Steve" Bumgardner: "Yosemite Nature Notes – Winter Moments
."
For contrast, here's the Merced Sun-Star's rundown on current conditions: "What to do while (t)he snow stays away."
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1/4/12--Tom K.: Virginia-based landscape photographer Ian Plant muses on a famous Ansel Adams quote: "Twelve Significant Photographs a Year."
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1/3/12--Tom K.: Outdoor ice hockey images, including some great wide-angle shots: "16 Beautiful Photos From The NHL Winter Classic."
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1/2/12--Tom K.: The granddaddy of all time exposures from the Toronto Star: "Year-long exposure of Toronto skyline produces 'dreamy' image."
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1/1/12--Andy T.: This is a good reference for ebooks you might want to put on the web site. I especially like Craft&Vision.com as a resource for ebooks on photography: "Top Ten Most Popular Photography E-books."
Tom K.: On another subject -- "HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
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12/31/11--Tom K.: Lewis Kemper is one of many successful pro photographers whose early training included work in Yosemite's Ansel Adams Gallery. Here is an interview, with samples of his work, by ProNaturePhotographer.com: "Lewis Kemper Talks Nature Photography, Photoshop, and The Photography Business."
Another fascinating day-hike on Mount Tamalpais with John Wall: "Year-End Blowout."
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12/30/11--Robert D.: To improve your photography or read some interesting photography articles go to: "Adorama Learning Center Top 20 Countdown 2011."
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12/29/11--Tom K.: The third Epson International Pano Awards contest is accepting entries. There are nice galleries of last year's winners: "Entries are now open!."
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12/28/11--Tom K.: A blogpost about color, and the lack of it: "Monochromatic Love, Exploring the virtues of a simplified palette."
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12/27/11--Tom K.: From photoshelter.com's "Best Photography Blog Posts of 2011," Scott Bourne writes about: "Life, Photography & Amazing Moments."
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12/26/11--Tom K.: From the NY Times, a slideshow of vintage, B&W Santa photos: "North Pole Noir."
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12/25/11--Tom K.: Merry Christmas! "Christmas Eve around the world (photo essay)."
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12/24/11--Tom K.: Some tips for foul-weather photography: "Winter-Ready Cameras."
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12/23/11--Tom K.: "Shooting the West's" website has been updated with information about their March, 2012, symposium in Winnemucca, NV: "Shooting the West XXIV."
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12/22/11--Tom K.: Get some exposure for your exposures. Consider participating in Jim Goldstein's: "Blog Project: Your Best Photos From 2011."
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12/21/11--Tom K.: Digital Photo magazine's "annual collection of noteworthy gear and technology:" "2012 Editors' Choice Awards."
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12/19/11--Tom K.: A nice overview of the artistic capabilities of smartphone cameras: "This week Through the Lens of an iPhone"
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12/18/11--Tom K.: Here are a couple of interesting, out-of-town contests currently accepting entries: "Submit!"
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12/17/11--Tom K.: When I lived in the L.A. area I was struck by Dodger broadcaster Vin Scully's ability to make any ball game interesting and enjoyable, when I'd have tuned out a less-skilled announcer. I am coming to think of Bay-area photographer John Wall as the Vin Scully of nature walks. His words and images from treks on or near Mount Tamalpais always make me wish I had been there to see the sights through his eyes (and lens). Here's the latest example: "Coyotes & Mushrooms ."
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12/16/11--Tom K.: Memory card tip number 3 -- "Never 'erase all images' on your card. Always format the card." See why, plus more tips at: "9 Things Photographers Need to Know About Memory Cards."
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12/15/11--Tom K.: "Focus stacking" is a technique for increasing depth of field beyond the limits of photo equipment. Here's a post on the subject from apogeephoto.com: "How to Get "Tack Sharp" Photo Images."
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12/14/11--Tom K.: Some images of last Saturday's eclipse taken by a member of one of Carol Leigh's Yahoo groups, Daniel Leu: "Lunar Eclipse over Golden Gate Bridge."
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12/13/11--Tom K.: Maggie Taylor is married to Jerry Uelsmann (see yesterday's post). Here's a NY Times article with a slideshow featuring her work: "In Her Garden of Digital Delights."
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12/12/11--Tom K.: This NY Times blogpost begins, "Before Photoshop allowed image makers to bend reality to their will with a single keystroke there was Jerry Uelsmann. He created surreal images the hard way — not with digital shortcuts, but working in a darkroom with seven enlargers and multiple negatives. Now that’s layers." It continues with an interview with the artist, and a slideshow of his images: "Jerry Uelsmann’s Analog Dreams."
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12/11/11--Tom K.: Bay area pro Gary Crabbe is soliciting images for an up-coming book of northern California photos. The most interesting part of his post involves the issue of compensation, or lack of same, for use of the image(s). Read what he says, and see what you think. As I heard someone say, "we report, you decide." Deadline appears to be December 15: "Photo Call: Your Best Northern California Images."
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12/10/11--Tom K.: From the "Improve Photography" blog: "22 Things You Can Do Today to Change Your Photography Forever."
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12/9/11--Tom K.: Ian Plant writes about effort, talent, and enjoying what you do: "The Myth of the Myth of Talent."
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12/7/11--Tom K.: From the U.K: "Digital Camera Photographer of the Year 2011: Shortlists announced."
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12/6/11--Tom K.: From Michael Frye, more info about photographing the coming lunar eclipse: "Lunar Eclipse This Saturday."
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12/5/11--Tom K.: News (good and not so good) about CA State Park closures:
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12/4/11--Tom K.: Looking for a gift for your favorite photographer? Suggestions from PHOTOSHELTER.com:
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12/3/11--Tom K.: Carol Leigh mentioned, in her Yahoo group, that a lunar eclipse will occur next Saturday morning (12/10). Here's a NASA video on the subject: "ScienceCasts: A Super-Sized Lunar Eclipse ." The New York Institute of Photography posted this article on eclipse photography in 2010. Times, angles, etc., won't be valid for 12/10/11, but technical considerations won't change: "Lunar Eclipse Photos."
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12/2/11--Tom K.: From Gary Hart -- pretty much all you need to know about polarizing filters: "Reflections on the polarizer."
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12/1/11--Tom K.: "LENSCRATCH.com" editor Aline Smithson recently juried the "Dreams" exhibition for The Center for Fine Art Photogarphy. She wrote this about the theme, "The concept of dreams is a broad one—a dream can be a personal goal, a life fantasy,
a desire, and an ethereal scramble of ideas and imagery ripe for interpretation." Here are some of the images that failed to make the show: "Dreams Exhibition." And here is the online gallery of the 62 images selected for hanging: "Dreams | December 2, 2011."
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11/30/11--Tom K.: "The Online Photographer" blog gives some advice regarding "How to Review (or Buy) a Lens (or Camera)."
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11/29/11--Tom K.: New England pro Jerry Monkman reluctantly decided to add to the growing list of "blogs devoted to individual and group 52/365 projects, where photographers post a new image every day or week, with or without self-imposed parameters." Now, he's glad he did. He tells why in this post. Be sure to click on the "tumblr.com" link a few lines from the end for more images: "0630."
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11/28/11--Tom K.: New York City street photography by Zoran Milich from "LIFE.com": "Gothamatic: 11.28.11."
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11/27/11--Tom K.: Earlier this month we linked to Rob Sheppard's "Outdoor Photographer" piece, "Close-Up Wide-Angle." Here's another take on the same technique: "Beyond 24mm – An Introduction to Shooting Ultra-wide."
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11/26/11--Tom K.: Christmas lights will be going up soon. Here are a couple of suggestions for using them as photo ops:
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11/25/11--Tom K.: Rob Sheppard has some interesting things to say about zoom lenses: "A Longer Look at the Tamron Lens and Some Other Thoughts About Lenses."
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11/24/11--Tom K.: A slideshow from "LIFE": "Thanksgiving Then and Now." Happy Thanksgiving!
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11/22/11--Tom K.: Tom Bol, in "Digital Photo" magazine, explains an interesting technique for capturing action: "Sequence It!."
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11/21/11--Tom K.: Ansel Adams called the late Philip Hyde, "one of the very best photographers of the natural scene in America." Here's a 3+ minute slide show of Hyde images with commentary by his son: "All New Philip Hyde Video."
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11/20/11--Tom K.: LA Times photographer Mark Boster put together a year's worth of video and stills showing his long-time connection with Yosemite Park: "Time lapse: One photographer, one subject, four seasons."
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11/19/11--Tom K.: In the "Outdoor Photographer" blog, Joseph Rossbach writes about his photograph from Zion NP. Nice image, interesting description of his process: "Perspective, Perspective, Perspective."
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11/18/11--Tom K.: Like our club, "Shutterbug" magazine posts a monthly assignment subject and asks for readers' submissions. Here are the latest results: "Sense Of Scale."
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11/17/11--Tom K.: A brief peptalk for wilderness photographers from Ian Plant: "The Juice is Worth the Squeeze."
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11/16/11--Tom K.: Here's an interesting piece of software for serious landscape photography. By date, time and location, it predicts how the sun and/or moon will fit into your composition: "The Photographer's Ephemeris."
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11/15/11--Tom K.: Catherine Chalmers photographs and videos of critters like houseflies and cockroaches can be both disgusting and beautiful at the same time: CatherineChalmers.com
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11/14/11--Tom K.: From the LIFE magazine website, " LIFE.com offers insights from professional shooters, passionate aficionados, and LIFE editors on what, exactly, makes photos memorable and moving ...:" "What Makes Photos Great?"
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11/13/11--Tom K.: Gary Melnysyn is a naturalist, park ranger, and photographer. Here he gives a brief, illustrated tour of his part-time home: "Yellowstone – A Rangers Perspective."
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11/12/11--Tom K.: Minnesotan Kory Lidstrom writes about the chancy nature of landscape photography: "Holding Out for a Hero."
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11/11/11--Tom K.: Rob Sheppard's article in "Outdoor Photographer" concerns the use of wide-angle lenses to emphasize foreground elements in landscape photographs: "Close-Up Wide-Angle."
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11/10/11--Tom K.: A couple of days ago, a print by German photographer Andreas Gursky sold at auction for $4+ million to become the most expensive photo ever: "And We Have a New Winner," ("The Online Photographer.")
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11/9/11--Tom K.: A new video from Yosemite Steve: "Yosemite Nature Notes – Episode 17 – Black Oaks."
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11/8/11--Tom K.: Today's post on the NY Times photoblog is a group of "street" photographs of cell phone users relating in various ways (or not at all) with their Manhattan surroundings: "Passers-By, Preoccupied."
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11/6/11--Tom K.: "Yosemite Steve" Bumgardner hiked up to Cathedral Lakes on Halloween to shoot footage for "Yosemite Nature Notes." Here's a short video documenting the day. It includes more of Steve's gadgetry (see our 10/24/11 post, below): "One last jaunt up into the mountains.."
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11/5/11--Tom K.: If you ever decide to become a full-time professional photographer, you will probably want to shoot weddings to make financial ends meet. Read this first: "Years Later, Lawsuit Seeks to Recreate a Wedding."
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11/4/11--Tom K.: Here are two blogposts about directing our creativity toward defined themes. In the first, Rob Sheppard suggests that, rather than heading off to heavily-photographed locations, we work with lesser-known subjects close to home. In the second, Noella Ballenger recommends that we identify what she calls "Life Themes." She says "A Life Theme is a subject that you feel so comfortable photographing that you gravitate towards it naturally, or can use whenever you are feeling like you have 'photographer’s block', or can fall back on when your senses seem to be overloaded by the splendor of what you see."
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11/3/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye's latest update for Yosemite Valley foliage: "A Change in the Weather."
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10/31/11--Tom K.: "Vintage Halloween Photos Creepy Enough For David Lynch." BOOOOOOO!
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10/30/11--Robert D.: "Interview with a Pro: Edward Mendes."
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10/29/11--Tom K.: On the "Outdoor Photographer" blog, Kevin Schafer writes "There are few rules in wildlife photography, but there is one which you’d need a pretty good reason to break:" "The Eyes Have It."
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10/28/11--Tom K.: Photographer Jeff Friesen says this about his "Winterdeep" project -- images of an Arctic fantasy world: "Winterdeep is made of painted backdrops, sculpted ice, dye, customized toys, and a few other odds and ends." See examples here: "LENSCRATCH, Jeff Friesen."
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10/27/11--Tom K.: "Outdoor Photographer" editor Rob Sheppard posts a thoughtful piece on selecting and making the best use of lenses in: "Thinking About Lenses."
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10/26/11--Tom K.: Truckee landscape photographer Elizabeth Carmel posted some striking images from a recent trip: "New Autumn Images from West Virginia."
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10/25/11--Tom K.: Guy Tal writes "It occurs to me that one could get a better education in fine-art photography in the 40s and 50s than they might today. Part of the problem, as I see it, is an ocean of knowledge and opinions and a dearth of real teachers to help navigate its waters. Where the great teachers of the past left off very few picked up, and Professor Internet filled in, with as much distraction and misinformation as valuable lessons about the art and purpose(s) of photography." Read the rest of his blogpost at: "Teachers Wanted."
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10/24/11--Tom K.: Steve Bumgardner, aka "Yosemite Steve," is the creator of "Yosemite Nature Notes" -- a series of videos about Yosemite. In this blogpost Steve shows some of the gadgetry he uses to make them. The post ends with a fascinating video showing how he and Josh Helling used the gizmos to record a "Nature Notes" episode about moonbows: "Camera Hardware."
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10/23/11--Tom K.: From Michael Frye's blog: "Yosemite Valley Fall Color."
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10/22/11--Tom K.: Yet another take on a familiar subject: The author says "Have computer skills become more important than camera skills? What exactly is a photograph these days? Should we make a distinction between photography and image-making? If so, where exactly do we place the divide?" "Photography vs. Image-making."
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10/21/11--Tom K.: Yesterday, Sacbee's "Fall Leaves" feature posted a comprehensive update regarding Eastern Sierra fall color. It begins with the sentence "If you have been waiting to photograph the fall foliage or you want to make one last trip, you'd definitely pick this weekend:" "Best bets for fall leaf color, Oct. 21-27."
Dustin Farrell's 3+ minute time-lapse video includes several iconic vistas in the American Southwest: "Landscapes: Volume Two."
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10/20/11--Robert D.: On October 18, 2011, Benjamin Glatt wrote a thought-provoking essay entitled "Seeing the Light."
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10/20/11--Tom K.: From "The Online Photographer" here's a post that disputes conventional wisdom about using your camera's histogram to make optimal exposures: "'Expose to the Right' is a Bunch of Bull."
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10/19/11--Tom K.: If you're planning to shoot fall color in the Eastern Sierra this year it looks like the next week or so will be the time to go. This post from "California Fall Color" is typical of what's being said on the internet: "Mono County Now Glorious and Peaking – Go Now!."
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10/18/11--Tom K.: Rob Sheppard is editor-at-large for Outdoor Photographer magazine. In this blogpost, he reviews the just-announced Canon EOS 1D X camera. Since it will sell for about $7,000, not many of us will be standing in line to buy one. However, his discussion of its various technical innovations, especially in comparison with other cameras, gives an interesting view of future trends in camera technology: "Canon EOS 1D X Affects Us All."
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10/16/11--Tom K.: Seattle photographer Floris van Breugel's blog features some striking images he recently captured in the Washington Cascades: "Enchantment : Winter Snows and Flaming Larches."
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10/11/11--Tom K.: Bay area photographer/naturalist John Wall posted these images taken (all in one day?) on and around Mt. Tamalpais: "First Rain!"
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10/10/11--Tom K.: Carol Leigh takes a Sunday morning walk with a wide-angle lens: "Limitations."
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10/8/11--Tom K.: The Sacramento Bee's excellent "Fall Leaves" section recommends "Best Bets for fall leaf color, Oct. 7-9:"
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10/7/11--Tom K.: Here's a simple tip from Alain Briot. Helpful for beginners to experts: "Using a Viewfinder."
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10/6/11--Tom K.: More seasonal images from the Sierras from Greg Boyer (there are five images here, click on "next" to see them): "North Lake Between Snow Storms." North Lake is near Lake Sabrina, west of Bishop.
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10/5/11--Tom K.: The "California Fall Color" blog posted an update on 10/3: "Mono County Glows!."
We'll watch for further updates to include the effects of the storm currently moving through the area: "FORECAST: The Owens Valley, Mammoth and Mono County
BY: Dennis Mattinson."
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9/30/11--Tom K.: Rob Sheppard's blogpost discusses post-processing techniques for accurate color rendition: "Natural-looking nature photography and color
."
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9/28/11--Tom K.: Here are two brief updates concerning fall color in the Eastern Sierra from Greg Boyer: "Slowly….Step by Step… (9/26)," and "Bishop Creek Drainage Report… (9/27)."
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9/27/11--Tom K.: If you like the idea of going eyeball-to-eyeball with a cuckoo wasp or a dung fly, this post from "Apogee Photo" might be for you: "Introduction to Microphotography."
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9/25/11--Tom K.: Here's an easily understood "how-to" article, from PRONATUREPHOTOGRAPHER.COM about a popular winter-time photo project: "How To Photograph Lightning and Live to Tell About It."
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9/24/11--Tom K.: A slideshow from the Discovery Channel about the science of fall color: "Why Do Leaves Change Color?"
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9/23/11--Tom K.: Sierra leaf-peepers, here's your Autumn, 2011, wake-up call: "California Fall Color."
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9/19/11--Tom K.: Bay Area landscape photographer Patrick Smith stitched together 112 exposures that he took over a two month period to construct a 1.1 gigapixel panorama of San Francisco at twilight. He says the file "could easily be printed at 36ft wide by 6 ft tall (200dpi) with fine resolution with little to no pixelation or noise visible at a viewing distange of 1 foot!" Her's how it looks on his website: "City Lights, San Francisco at Dusk
."
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9/18/11--Tom K.: Remember our club's Scavenger Hunt topic, "Picture in a picture?" Here's an interesting wrinkle on that theme: "Dear Photograph.com."
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9/17/11--Tom K.: A tip about composition in grand scenic photographs from "magic hour travelscapes:" "Small Element, Big Impact."
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9/16/11--Tom K.: If you like photographing Yosemite (I do), and own an iPhone (I don't), you'll want to check out this app: "The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite iPhone App is Available Today!."
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9/13/11--Tom K.: The Yosemite Conservancy has released episode 16 in their "Yosemite Nature Notes" series. This one is about the wildflower population above 12,000 feet along the crest of the Sierras: "Sky Islands."
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9/11/11--Tom K.: "The Moment Before, and After."
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9/10/11--Robert D.: Along with other photographers, Merced Camera Club members Jim and Carlene Cunningham, Robert Dayton, Floyd Hopper, Sam Shaw, and Andy Tolsma will be displaying their work
at the PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW at the Mistlin Gallery, CCGA, 1015 J. St. Modesto, CA from September
13 to October 13. The RECEPTION is Thursday, Sept.15, 5-9 pm.
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9/9/11--Tom K.: California photographer Gary Hart says, "While new locations are always a treat, visiting familiar terrain like the Alabama Hills, Yosemite, Mono Lake, Death Valley, the California coast, and the central Sierra foothills recharges me in a way not possible at a location that I’m trying to absorb for the first time." He discusses the advantages of re-visiting photo locations in: "Familiarity breeds content."
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9/8/11--Robert D.: Congratulations to San Joaquin Valley Camera Club Council
members Shirley Ward (Madera CC) and Sam Shaw (Merced CC, Modesto CC).
They will receive the Excellence Distinction (EPSA) award recognizing their
achievements in the Photographic Society of America at the 2011 PSA International
in Colorado Springs.
Congratulations, Floyd Hopper! Floyd Hopper of the Merced
Camera Club recently won first place at Fine Art America in the "Floral Photography--
Macro Only" contest for his image of "White on White".
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9/6/11--Tom K.: The caption for this slideshow reads, in part, "Steve McCurry is the recipient of the 2011 Leica Hall of Fame award.
The prize is awarded to photographers who have rendered outstanding service to the Leica brand and to the genre of photography.
For more than three decades, 61-year-old McCurry has been on the road as a documentary photographer at the world’s trouble spots and has obtained many awards for his work: "Steve McCurry: A Retrospective."
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9/3/11--Tom K.: Beginning in 1989, Cheyenne Rouse was a successful stock photographer, specializing in adventure sports and outdoor recreation. In 2002, she gave up professional photography. Six years later, she re-invented her career as a fine art photographer of the American West. This April, 2011, post in Outdoor Photographer explains her conversion to digital and HDR techniques. She now sells her work from her gallery in Scottsdale, AZ. There is some interesting (and contentious) back-and-forth in the comments following the article: "Stoking The Flame."
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9/1/11--Tom K.: "Outdoor Photographer" columnist DeWitt Jones wrote this article about the virtues of a smartphone as an extra tool for serious photographers: "The Ultimate Photo Sketch Pad
."
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8/30/11--Tom K.: More info (including videos) on the highway 140 wildfire, from YosemiteBlog and Vimeo: "Motor Fire Update – August 29, 2011," and "Motor Fire Air Show Copyright 2011." Also, according to USFS and CalTrans websites (see 8/27 post, below, for links) 140 appears to have re-opened this a.m. -- don't take my word for this, verify before traveling!
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8/29/11--Tom K.: On August 16, the Boston Red Sox executed a triple play against Tampa Bay, with force outs at third, second and first bases. Boston Globe photographer Jim Davis captured close-up images of all three outs. In this one minute plus video he tells how he did it: "Shooting a triple play."
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8/28/11--Tom K.: In an article for Apogee Photo magazine, Andy Long discusses some photography aphorisms: "Exploring Ideal Photography: Fact AND Fiction."
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8/27/11--Tom K.: I headed for Yosemite today, unaware that highway 140 had been closed for a day or two due to a wildfire. The closure spot this afternoon was about five miles east of Midpines. Here are links to the US Forest Service's incident site: "Motor Fire," CalTrans road conditions (plug in highway 140): "California Highway Information," and a web post by KGO-TV San Francisco from 3:13 p.m. today: "Yosemite fire grows to over 3,000 acres."
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8/24/11--Tom K.: Gary Hart discusses managing depth of field in landscape photographs: "Cameras are stupid, Part deux."
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8/22/11--Tom K.: Humor: "Lenscratch VISUAL PRANK AND PUNS Exhibition 2011."
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8/21/11--Tom K.: Pro landscape/nature photographer Rob Sheppard blogs about how and why he uses his collection of lenses: "Lens Choice for Nature Photographers."
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8/20/11--Tom K.: Oregon photographer Carol Leigh pointed out this article under the heading, "Shoot a flower, go to jail": "Another Resident Detained by Police for Taking Pictures."
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8/19/11--Tom K.: Jimmy Chin is an adventure/expedition photographer. Here's a six-minute video "created during Jimmy’s assignment to cover the climbing culture and cutting edge of climbing in Yosemite for the May 2011 issue of National Geographic."
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8/18/11--Tom K.: From ProNaturePhotographer.com, here's another how-to post: "How to Create a Fake Background For Your Flower Photography."
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8/15/11--Tom K.: A few days ago I posted a link to an "Outdoor Photographer" article about metering for "The Perfect Exposure." From the same print issue of the magazine (September, 2011), comes a piece subtitled "Take advantage of your DSLR’s sophisticated autofocus options to get perfectly sharp shots without missing any action:" "It's About Sharp
."
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8/13/11--Tom K.: "Nature's Best" magazine holds a world-wide contest to select photographs for their annual exhibition. 2010 winners are on view at the Smithsonian thru September 25. This year there is a YouTube video showing a number of the winning images. The video runs twelve minutes. The first minute or two is introduction. The rest is all extraordinary photographs. Be sure to watch it "full screen." "Nature's Best Photography Windland Smith Rice 2010 Awards presented by GEICO."
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8/11/11--Tom K.: "Outdoor Photographer" magazine's article begins, "The various in-camera metering modes and how they’re used are mysteries for most photographers. OP guides you through the alphabet soup and confusing monikers so you can use your meter to the fullest and get perfect exposures." Here's the whole article: "The Perfect Exposure."
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8/8/11--Tom K.: One of the subjects for our Club's summer scavenger hunt is "pets." Here's some inspiration -- photographer Carli Davidson's series, "Shake."
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8/7/11--Tom K.: The "Online Photographer" blog (during its editor's vacation) just re-ran a series of articles listing "ten great photographs." The selections, made about five years ago, are based on their overall significance, whether artistic, intellectual or sociological. An interesting take on what makes a photograph "great." This post is about the image ranked number one. Click on entries in the list at the end of the article for numbers two through ten: "T.O.P. Ten: Number 1."
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8/4/11--Robert D.: For photographers interested in combining
some fall color photography with the
annual Photography Society of America Conference in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, from September 18-24, 2011, check out "Fall Color Drives" for "When to Go" and "Places to See."
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8/4/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye blogposts a wildflower update: "Late Bloomers in the Yosemite High Country." Read the "comments" for tips for other locations.
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8/1/11--Tom K.: Our latest edition of "Getting the Picture" features Brian Ratzlaff's inventive image, "Light Bulb." See how he made it at "Getting the Picture."
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7/29/11--Tom K.: Congratulations to Andy Tolsma! His photograph of "Beginnings," the large sculpture on the UC Merced campus, was selected for the cover of the "2011-2012 Membership Directory" of the Merced-Mariposa County Medical Society. This is the third consecutive year that a Merced Camera Club member's image has been chosen.
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7/27/11--Tom K.: Two successful landscape photographers get together in Guy Tal's "Interview with Marc Adamus."
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7/25/11--Robert D.: Here's an interesting exchange between photographers at NPN: "Is Photography giving up some of it's uniqueness?"
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7/23/11--Tom K.: How important is creating/selecting a title for an image? What should it accomplish? Here are two blogposts on the subject: "The Name Game," by Australian photographer Kah Kit Yoong, and "In Praise of Captions
," by Mike Johnston of "The Online Photographer."
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7/22/11--Tom K.: Photoshelter.com's blogpost begins "Do professional photographers really use point-and-shoot cameras? Surprisingly, yes." Then it lists pros' favorite cameras with their comments: "15 Digital Point-and-Shoot Cameras Used By Pro Photographers."
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7/21/11--Tom K.: Here's a seven-minute video capturing the experiences of viewing and photographing "moonbows" in Yosemite National Park (not just Yosemite Falls): "Yosemite Nature Notes - Episode 15 - Moonbows."
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7/20/11--Tom K.: Wildflower season is about finished locally, in full swing on the coast, and just getting started at higher elevations in the Sierras. Colorado photographer Joshua Hardin's blog gives advice for capturing great images: "5 Tips for Wonderful Wildflower Photos."
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7/18/11--Tom K.: Carol Leigh writes about the importance of approaching photographic subjects with an open mind: "Preconceptions and Blinders."
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7/16/11--Robert D.: Floyd Hopper recently won first and second places in Fine Art America's "National Parks and Natural Wonders" contest. Go to
this link to view his beautiful images: "Winners".
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7/14/11--Tom K.: "Awkward Family Photos Hall of Fame".
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7/12/11--Tom K.: I went net-surfing for Eastern Sierra conditions and found this. It's a July 6 post on the site of Tahoe "outdoor specialy store" Alpenglow Sports. the piece itself is becoming outdated, but the imbedded links are kept more or less current: "Tahoe, Yosemite, Sequoia, Eastern Sierra Conditions".
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7/8/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye blogs about the value of making multiple exposures of moving subjects: "Why Am I Taking Forty Frames of the Same Thing?".
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6/30/11--Tom K.: Mike Johnston's post in today's "Online Photographer" blog begins "... I didn't really become a photographer until 1980, when I was 23. That was 31 years ago. Yesterday I was asked what I'd do if I were 23 and just starting out now." He answers the question, with some interesting opinions/advice in "What I Would Get If I Were Starting Now".
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6/29/11--Tom K.: This is opening day for our Club's exhibit "Take Your Best Shot" at the Merced Multicultural Arts Center. The Gallery is located at 645 West Main Street. Normal hours are 11 to 7 Wednesdays and Thursdays, and 10 to 5 Fridays and Saturdays. The exhibit is scheduled to run thru September 16. There will be an Artists' Reception, free and open to the public, Thursday, July 7, 5:30 - 7pm.
Speaking of the Arts Center, here's a June 14 Merced Sun-Star article about the Center's recent fundraising efforts: "Arts council fundraiser saves Merced Multicultural Arts Center".
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6/27/11--Tom K.: Our latest contributor to "Getting the Picture" is Karen Campbell with "Dramatic Bridal Veil Falls".
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6/23/11--Tom K.: If you shoot RAW you know that you can adjust white balance in post-processing. What if you could do the same computer adjustment with focus? A New York Times article says "While viewing a picture taken with a Lytro camera on a computer screen, you can, for example, click to bring people in the foreground into sharp relief, or switch the focus to the mountains behind them." The full article is at: "A Start-Up’s Camera Lets You Take Shots First and Focus Later".
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6/22/11--Tom K.: More on the flood conditions in Yosemite from Michael Frye (be sure to watch the video): "Yosemite Valley Under Water".
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6/20/11--Tom K.: There is a National Weather Service flood warning in effect for the Merced River in Yosemite Valley (issued 8:19 a.m., today): "Watches, Warnings & Advisories".
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6/14/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye's update on Yosemite conditions, including mild(?) flooding and another chance of a moonbow: "Warm Weather and High Water in Yosemite".
More on Yosemite: "Hwy 140 Construction Delays Alert !!!
".
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6/12/11--Andy T.:
2011-12 On-assignment themes:
October -- Down the Road
Summer, 2011, Scavenger hunt (all pictures must be taken during June, July and August, 2011.):
Abstract
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6/11/11--Tom K.: A recap of awards presented at Tuesday's Club picnic (thanks to Jim Cunningham):
Images of the year:
Member of The Year -- Andy Tolsma
Congratulations to all!
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6/10/11--Tom K.: Peter Eckert is a blind photographer (interesting phrase) who lives in Sacramento. Here are a video about him, "An Inspirational Blind Photographer," and his website: "peteeckert.com."
Michael Frye's latest blogpost gives pointers for evaluating and selecting which of your images you'd like to have represent your work in public: "The Art of Editing." Several of the readers' comments are related to camera clubs.
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6/4/11--Robert D.: For those aspiring to achieve financial success with their
art, consider reading Alain Briot's article, "Artistic and Financial Success".
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6/4/11--Tom K.: Many of us have photographed the Eastern Sierra ghost town of Bodie in Summer and Fall. If you've wondered how it looks in Winter, here's a video by amateur film-maker Daniel Gregoire: "Bodie."
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6/2/11--Tom K.: Want to make unforgettable photographs? Scientists at MIT give their advice: "What makes an image memorable?."
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6/1/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye's update for Yosemite conditions, dated yesterday: "Yosemite’s Late Spring Continues…."
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5/30/11--Tom K.: Here is a Memorial Day video made up of still photos pieced together by an amateur videographer. Includes some powerful images: "All Gave Some, Some Gave All."
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5/25/11--Tom K.: On May 16, Delta Airline passenger Stefanie Gordon took an iPhone photo through the plane window. Then she forwarded the image to some of her social network friends. A blogpost on MSNBC.com says, "Gordon's now-famous photo of the space shuttle Endeavour soaring through the clouds got her an overwhelming amount of attention -- her 15 minutes of fame, Internet style. It also landed her smack in the middle of an ethical and legal debate that may be as important as the future of the Internet itself." Read the rest of the post at: "That famous space shuttle photo: When is sharing stealing?"
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5/24/11--Robert D.: Floyd Hopper won first place in Fine Art America's "Door Handle" Contest. See his winning entry here: Fine Art America -- Leaderboard.
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5/22/11--Tom K.: Over the last couple of weeks, several of our Club members (Andy Tolsma, Walt Jacoby, Karen Palmer, and Carlene and Jim Cunningham) have replaced all or most of the images in their galleries on this site. Check them out: Merced Camera Club Members' Images
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5/20/11--Tom K.: London-based photographer Rob Sheppard, former editor of "Outdoor Photographer" magazine, writes about I-pod/I-phone apps he uses for photography. Many similar apps are available for Droid phones: "A Great Tool for Nature Photographers."
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5/19/11--Tom K.: NPR's website has an article about a photograph that recently sold at a Christie's auction for $3,890,500, allegedly the highest price ever paid for a photo. We all need to raise our prices: "Meet The World's Most Expensive Photo."
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5/15/11--Tom K.: State officials have announced that 70 of California's 278 state parks will close in September as part of our state's strategy to balance its budget. Here's a related article from the San Francisco Chronicle, including a list of planned closures: "70 California state parks fall to budget ax."
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5/14/11--Tom K.: Our May 6 post (below) was about time-lapse photography. YosemiteBlog.com has a video that makes great use of the technique: "Yosemite Nature Notes – People in Yosemite."
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5/12/11--Tom K.: David Leland Hyde's blog has an interesting (and lengthy) read about changing norms regarding color saturation in landscape photography. The post is followed by 30 plus comments on the subject, most by pro photographers. "Did Velvia Film Change Landscape Photography?"
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5/11/11--Tom K.: For anyone planning to shoot the Yosemite Falls moonbow next week, here's a detailed how-to-do-it blogpost from Michael Frye. This was written a year ago, so dates, times, and weather predictions aren't currently valid: "Tips for Photographing Lunar Rainbows."
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5/10/11--Tom K.: Kirk Tuck blogs about legal, ethical, and common-sensical considerations for photographing strangers: "Approval. Tacit Approval. Implied Approval and 'Street Photography'."
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5/9/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye's blog: "Dogwoods Have Finally Bloomed."
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5/6/11--John T.: "The Art of Photography Show."
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5/6/11--Tom K.: Time-lapse videos are fascinating, but I've always thought they required gadgetry that would cost more than I'd want to spend. Apparently some Nikon DSLRs can do time-lapse out of the box. Canons need an add-on that may cost $20 or so. Here is a brief intro to time-lapse videography by Rob Sheppard: "Clouds Over Water – A Timelapse Video." Amazon.com lists several controllers for Canon cameras: "canon timer remote."
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5/4/11--Tom K.: On line info about current Yosemite photo ops: Michael Frye's Dogwood Update. From Don Olson, Texas State University Physics professor: "Moonbow Predictions for 2011."
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5/2/11--Andy T.: Central Valley Meetup.
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4/30/11--Andy T.: For a copy of the flyer publicizing the up-coming Merced County Courthouse Museum/Merced Camera Club exhibition of photographs of local historical landmarks Click here.
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4/26/11--Tom K.: Photographer Guy Tal has begun a 10-week contest, with prizes for weekly, and overall, winners. Entry is free. This week's theme is "Natural Abstracts:" "10 Weeks of Creative Photography Contest."
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4/25/11--Tom K.: Mike Johnston's "Online Photographer" blog for 4/24, begins "I've always wondered...how big a part do you suppose our personalities play in what we shoot?" He writes about the relationship between photographers' personal comfort zones, and their subject matter choices: "Some Things I Suck At."
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4/23/11--Sam S.: The Goldrush Chapter of the Photographic Society of America (PSA) is accepting entries for its 2011 International Photography Exhibition until October 24. Information about the organization is at "Gold Rush Chapter," entry information, as a pdf file, at "2011 Gold Rush Exhibition of Photography Information and Instructions." Goldrush Chapter's December meeting will feature a digital "slideshow" of selected entries.
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4/20/11--Tom K.: Our "Getting the Picture" image for this month is Andy Tolsma's "Sunflower." Another, unrelated, item: Thru June 30, the National Park Service will accept entries in their 8th Annual National Natural Landmarks Photo Contest.
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4/19/11--Tom K.: Here are two blog posts on the same subject. How much does the process of capturing, exhibiting, and (for some) marketing nature photographs interfere with our experiencing the beauty we're trying to portray? Carol Leigh: "Are we photographers or are we hunters?" Guy Tal: "Bring Back the Romance." In both cases, the reader responses/"comments" are well worth reading.
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4/14/11--Tom K.: Photographer Guy Tal's blog provokes a discussion (see the comments at the end) of changing styles in photographic techniques: "Fashion, Tradition and Exceptionalism."
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4/12/11--Tom K.: Yosemite's Ansel Adams Gallery has posted its schedule of workshops for the rest of the year at: "2011 Photography Workshops."
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4/10/11--Tom K.: Nikon, Canon, or "Legotron?"
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4/2/11--Tom K.: A desertusa.com report on California wildflower status, including Carrizo Plain, Antelope Valley, and Arvin: "Desert California Wildflower Report."
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4/1/11--Tom K.: A YosemiteBlog.com update on Yosemite access via highway 140 -- open with delays: "Traffic Delays Expected on 140 as Cleanup Continues."
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3/30/11--Tom K.: Photographer Dan Burkholder calls his latest technique "iPhone Artistry." Here's a sample of his work: "Tree and Pond in Fall" (If you land on a different image, please look around 'til you find this one). In the excellent book "Why Photographs Work" (authored by George Barr), Burkholder says, "For this image, I shot a mosaic of images with an Apple iPhone. I say 'mosaic' because a single shot could capture neither the scope of the scene nor the tonality I wanted in the final print. Stitching on the iPhone (yes, on the iPhone, not in Photoshop) was the solution. Overlapping the 19 images provided both a wide-angle perspective and, thanks to the varied exposures in the to-be-stitched series, a quasi-HDR effect that helped preserve velvety shadows and milky highlight detail." He uses some "inexpensive" iPhone apps in post-processing, and does some final, minor "tweaking" on a "real" computer with Photoshop before printing.
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3/29/11--Tom K.: Our Club's On-Assignment title for May (not April) will be "Still-Life." Here is ehow.com's "What Is Still Life Art?." For some inspiration, the Photo Argus' "35 Superb Examples of Still Life Photography
."
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3/25/11--Tom K.: An update on Yosemite conditions from Yosemite Blog: "Yosemite Open But There’s a Mess Still to Clean Up." As of noon today, the Caltrans website says, "SR 140 IS CLOSED FROM 1 MI EAST OF MARIPOSA TO EL PORTAL (MARIPOSA CO) - DUE TO A ROCK SLIDE - MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO USE AN ALTERNATE ROUTE."
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3/21/11--Tom K.: The National Park Service website posted the following today: "As of 10:30 a.m. March 21, all roads leading into Yosemite National Park are temporarily closed due to snow, ice, mudslides, fallen trees and downed power lines. In the last 24 hours, a winter storm has dropped over 3.5 feet of snow throughout the park in areas including Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Crane Flat. Approximately 9 inches has fallen in El Portal. Highways 41 (Wawona Road), 120 (Big Oak Flat Road), and 140 (El Portal Road) into Yosemite National Park are closed at this time due to snowy and icy conditions. Additionally, Caltrans has temporarily closed Highway 140 outside of the park boundary between El Portal and Mid Pines due to mud slides, rockfall, downed power lines, and fallen trees. The Badger Pass Road and the Hetch Hetchy Road are also closed at this time. There is currently a winter storm warning in effect." More info, including numbers to call for updates at "All Roads into Yosemite Temporarily Closed." Another source reported snow level between 1100 and 1200 feet elevation. National Weather Service predicts snow in Yosemite Valley, with occasional breaks, thru at least Friday.
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3/17/11--Tom K.: This Friday evening the full moon will be its closest to earth since 1993 -- a nice photo op if the weather cooperates (it is not predicted to do so). Here's a NASA post explaining the phenomenon: "Super Full Moon." In case we do get lucky with the weather, Gary Hart's article for "Outdoor Photographer" magazine gives pointers on how to "Shoot the Moon."
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3/15/11--Tom K.: A website called "Core 77" says this about the subject of their post: "Canadian photographer Todd McLellan pulled apart vintage gadgets such as cameras, telephones and typewriters to create museum-like studies from all the parts." "Disassembly: Product Photography for Industrial Designers"
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3/14/11--Tom K.: Another link to Michael Frye's blog. This time he compares the values of Lightroom and Photoshop CS as an upgrade from Photoshop Elements: "Lightroom or Photoshop?"
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3/10/11--Tom K.: Michael Frye's blog kicks things off for petal peepers: "Wildflower Season is Coming!"
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3/9/11--Tom K.: Our March edition of "Getting the Picture" features Floyd Hopper's "Wildflower Trail," and Floyd's instructions for creating the "Orton effect" that he used to enhance the image: "Getting the Picture."
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3/6/11--Tom K.: Ron Webb, our club's March competition judge, mentioned that his high school photography students are enthusiastic about "Grunge Photography." Here are some examples of that style: "25 Spectacular Examples of Grunge Photography."
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3/5/11--Robert D.: Congratulations to Sam Shaw for his acceptance of "Dreamy
Glade Mill" in the Color Theme division of the Coachella Valley Desert Camera Club
International. His work and that of other photographers can be seen at http://www.cvdcc.org/exhibitions/2011/catalog/coachella_2011_interex_catalogue_online.pdf. Click on the gray bar to the right of the photographer's name in order to see
his/her image.
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3/5/11--Tom K.: I have owned a couple of Epson printers. They worked very well except for one chronic problem -- the print heads required far too frequent cleaning. I switched to Canon. Now, I'm in the market for a new printer, and I ran across this post on the Online Photographer blog. If you have, or are thinking about, an Epson printer, you may find it helpful: "A Tip: Avoiding Head Clogs with Epson Printers."
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3/2/11--Robert D.: To get information such as categories,
entry fee, deadline, and submission requirements for Nature's Best
Photography Windland Smith Rice International Awards 2011
competition go to http://www.naturesbestphotography.com/competition_overview.php,
or call
703-467-9783. The deadline is May 2, 2011.
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3/2/11--Tom K.: Spring wildflowers on Carrizo Plain make for one of California's best photo ops. Here's a newspaper article about plans to place solar power generating equipment there. The piece doesn't specify what the impact will be, but one option involves "several hundred 60-foot-tall utility poles." If you haven't photographed at Carrizo Plain, here are some sample views.
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2/23/11--Tom K.: Swiss photographer Corinne Vionnet makes ethereal images by combining groups of similar scenes that she finds on the internet. Here's a post on "The Online Photographer" blog with a couple of examples, and several comments regarding the relevance of copyright law to her technique: "Most Tourists Take Pictures from the Same Spot." See a couple of dozen more examples on Vionnet's website.
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2/21/11--Tom K.: A photographer named Andre Gunther has a website he calls "California Photo Scout." It provides photography-related information for a number of California locations. Check it out.
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2/19/11--Robert D.: For those who are willing to drive the 3 and half hours to
Sequoia NP for snow, here's a recent sample:
"Winter's Glow," Jason Kim.
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2/14/11--Tom K.: Another link to Michael Frye's blog. He has posted two videos, taken a few days ago at Merced National Wildlife Refuge: Evening Fly-in, and Morning Fly-out, each starring thousands of birds (Ross' geese?). "Natural Beauty in Motion—Two New Videos."
Here is a short-term weather prediction for Yosemite: "Yosemite Blog: Major Winter Storm Could Put a Damper on the Firefall."
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2/12/11--Tom K.: Photographer Guy Tal wrote this blogpost about the relationship between "objective reality," and "art:" "Lie Like You Mean It." The comments following his essay are also interesting.
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2/10/11--Tom K.: Charles Cramer is a master landscape photographer and print maker. He recently posted an article, on the website "The Online Photographer," recapping his transition from film to digital photography. This happened at a level, technological and financial, foreign to most of us. It gives some interesting insight into the world of an elite-level pro: "From Film Holder to Memory Card." To see a good selection of Cramer's work, check out his website at "charlescramer.com."
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2/9/11--Tom K.: This is an update of our 12/31/10 post about Yosemite's Horsetail Fall. Michael Frye says that the window of optimum relationship between the waterfall and the setting sun will be February 12 thru 22. He provides more info at "Yosemite Valley: Coming Attractions."
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2/5/11--Tom K.: Ben Heine lives in Brussels, Belgium. He produces interesting and unusual images combining photography with cartoon drawings. He calls the technique "pencil vs. camera." See some examples at "Ben Heine.com."
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2/4/11--Tom K.: Yosemite photographer Michael Frye's blog introduces a new series of tutorials he calls "Digital Photography Basics." He kicks it off with "Reading Histograms."
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2/3/11--Robert D.: Congratulations to Floyd Hopper for his awesome
image of "White Amabilis" orchid. For that he received second place
in the color category of the InFocus Photography Show in Sonora, CA.
The show is from Feb. 5 to March 5, 2011.
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2/3/11--Tom K.: The Turlock City Arts Commission’s 29th Annual Spring Juried Art Show and Sale will exhibit accepted work from March 1 to May 10, in the Turlock City Hall. Entry deadline is February 25. Here is a PDF file with info: "TCAC Annual Spring Juried Art Show and Sale."
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1/31/11--Tom K.: After an extended hiatus, our "Getting the Picture" feature has an update. Dr. Lloyd Bever shows us an image of snow geese in flight, and gives pointers about tripods.
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1/29/11--Tom K.: YosemiteBlog.com featured a video with this description: "Runtheplanet on Vimeo made this awesome video of snowshoeing up the Yosemite Falls trail, around the rim of the Valley and back by Vernal and Nevada Fall. The scenery is beautiful and it gives you an opportunity to see parts of Yosemite most visitors don’t see in summer let alone winter."
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1/28/11--Tom K.: The current hot topic among some California photobloggers is the loss of scenic wildflower population in the Anza-Borrego Desert due to the spread of non-native Sahara Mustard. Here are a couple of sites with related information: "Mustard Weed Alert! (Borrego Springs CofC)," and "Stopping the invaders in Anza Borrego."
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1/26/11--Tom K.: A COUPLE OF RELATED MEA CULPAS: The event calendar on this website had two erroneous dates. Merced Camera Club will meet February 1. SJVCC will meet February 6 (that means the deadline for digital submissions is January 30). Sorry if the errors caused any problems.
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1/20/11--Robert D.: The receiving days for the In Focus photography
show at Sonora. are Jan.27-29 from 11:00--4:00 pm. For entry information, go to
"
24th Annual InFocus Photographic Competition & Exhibition Draws Closer
"
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1/19/11--Karen C.: Didn't know if you've seen this article by: Jim Miotke - Founder, BetterPhoto.com , so I thought I'd send it along to you... maybe you could post it on our website for others to see too...
thanks, Karen
Resolutions for Photographers: List of Top Ten for 2011
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1/12/11--Tom K.: Photographer Jim M. Goldstein apparently asks, via his blog, photographers to post their ten favorite images of the year on their own websites, and provide links to the sites. For 2010, 160 photographers participated. Links to their selections are at "
Best Photos of 2010 by JMG-Galleries Blog Readers"
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1/10/11--Tom K.: Vivian Maier photographed street scenes (mostly), in and around Chicago, from the 1950's to the 1990's. One John Maloof bought thousands of her negatives and prints at an auction, and has created a website to display several of her images and tell her story: "Vivian Maier -- Her Discovered Work."
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1/7/11--Tom K.: I just learned of two items with VERY SHORT DEADLINES: The NANPA Nature Photography Summit (March 9-12, McAllen, TX) will show ten images each of up to fifteen attendees' nature photos. If you plan to attend, and would like to show your work, get details at "2011 Member's Photo Show Event." Also, photographer Rick Knepp will conduct a Mono Lake Committee workshop titled "The Forgotten Season,
Winter Photography in the Mono Basin," January 14-16, cost $220 ($200 for Mono Lake Committee members). Sorry about the short notice.
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12/31/10--Tom K.: Phil Hawkins has an article in the new (February, 2011), edition of Outdoor Photographer about photographing the Firefall-like Horsetail Fall. Mid-February is the only time of year when the setting sun lights the falling water to provide this iconic image. Read his article at "Horsetail Fall In February."
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12/23/10--Tom K.: Photographer/author Michael Frye will conduct a 5-day workshop on "Photoshop and Digital Printing" at Yosemite's Ansel Adams Gallery January 16 thru 20. Price is $950. Info at " 2011 Photography Workshops." On another subject, here's a 7-minute Youtube video showing some techniques for making "Photographic Special Effects with Christmas Lights."
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12/22/10--Tom K.: Lynden Gledhill specializes in high-speed macro photography. Some examples: "Water figures,"and "Insects in Flight." Background info is at "About linden.g / Linden Gledhill."
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12/21/10--Tom K.: Oregon (formerly Grass Valley, CA) photographer Carol Leigh is offering some on-line workshops over the next few months. From my experience, her workshops are informative, enjoyable, and reasonably priced. Info at: "Carol Leigh Classes."
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12/16/10--Tom K.: "Shooting the West" has updated its website with new info about the 2011 event. This hopefully clears up some uncertainty about STW's short-term future. 2011's keynote speaker will be Christopher Burkett. Dates are March 9 thru 13. "Shooting the West XXIII."
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12/11/10--Tom K.: Epson is accepting entries for its annual panoramic image contest. Info at "Pano Awards."
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12/10/10--Tom K.: Here's a 13-minute video by Yosemite photographer Michael Frye about adjusting white balance in post-processing. He demonstrates using Lightroom, but his advice is applicable for Photoshop and newer versions of PS Elements: "White Balance for Landscape Photographs."
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12/08/10--Tom K.: More info on a couple of items that were mentioned at last night's Club meeting: Shooting the West, March 9-13, 2011, and John Shaw Seminar, January 29-30, 2011.
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12/06/10--Tom K.: Here is a photography project to try. Warning -- it takes a substantial commitment of time: "Natalie Time Lapse."
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12/04/10--Tom K.: Two items: (1) ET is alive and well in Mono Lake -- Take me to your tufa -- "Newfound bacterium casts life in a new light" -- LA Times. (2) If you are looking for Christmas decorations to photograph, start here: "Musical light show at Merced home" -- ABC News.
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11/22/10--Robert D.: For those interested in entering the Coachella Valley Desert
Camera Club International go to the following web site for additional information
and the entry form: 2011 International Exhibition of Photography.
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11/19/10--Tom K..: The National Resources Defense Council blog posted this item about Tejon Ranch -- "the largest private landholding in California." It has some positive news about access to areas that offer great opportunities for landscape and nature photography: "Preserving California's Holy Grail at Tejon Ranch."
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11/18/10--Tom K..: Karen Campbell entered The International Aperture Awards competition (see this board's 10/7/10 post, below), and received a "Bronze Award" for her image of a storm over Death Valley. Sam Shaw has a print on display this evening at Mistlin Gallery, as part of the Modesto Photographers' Gallery's show titled "Collision III: The Impact of Poetry and Photography." The Gallery is at 1015 J Street, Modesto.
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11/7/10--Robert D.: Printmakers who like to exhibit their work might consider
doing so at the following galleries in Ft. Collins and Denver, in Colorado: The Center for Fine Art Photography, and Camera Obscura Gallery.
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11/7/10--Tom K.: Last November, I read about a ceremony in Hornitos celebrating El Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). I decided to photograph the event in 2010, then forgot all about it. Maybe next year. Here is Michael Frye's blog post about it: "The Dead Have Their Day—Again."
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10/31/10--Tom K.: High dynamic range (HDR) -- love it or hate it. Here's an informative blog post on the subject by "Outdoor Photographer" editor Bob Krist: "Real World HDR."
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10/29/10--Tom K.: Guy Tal's bio says "I am a naturalist, photographer, and writer residing in the state of Utah." Here is his take on the Traditional/Pictorial discussion: "No Lesser An Art."
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10/28/10--Tom K.: Mariposa/Yosemite photographer Michael Frye posted this yesterday: "Quick Note About Yosemite Valley Color."
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10/23/10--Tom K.: "Pumpkin patches" are popular, seasonal photo sites. "Pumpkin Patches and More.org" provides more pumpkin patch and Halloween information than than you probably want to know.
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10/14/10--Tom K.: "Outdoor Photographer" columnist Bob Krist posted a 26-second time-lapse video of the recent Albuquerque Ballon Fiesta on his blog: "A Blog Post Chock Full of Hot Air!"
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10/7/10--Tom K.: The Club received an e-mail saying the following: "Entries are closing soon for The International Aperture Awards, one of the world's richest online photographic competitions. We would love to see Merced Camera Club members entering the competition! Regular entries close 15th October 2010. Visit our website for more details."
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10/6/10--Tom K.: Our October guest judge, Dean Taylor, showed us a series of images he had processed using "Topaz Simplify." Here's a link to the Topaz website that gives info about Simplify and other Topaz plug-ins: Topaz Lab Products.
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10/5/10--Robert D.: A good source for the status of Sierra fall colors is The Sacramento Bee: "Sierra Fall Colors."
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10/3/10--Robert D.: A photo fair will be held in San Jose on October 16. You
can sell and buy equipment there. Go to the following site for more
information: Photo Fair.
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10/3/10--Tom K.: Rob Sheppard, "editor-at-large" for Outdoor Photographer magazine reviews Photoshop Elements 9.0 at Nature and Photography.
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10/2/10--Tom K.: If you've been wondering how Sam Shaw creates his surrealist, composite images, our latest ""Getting the Picture" is a chance to see how it's done.
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10/1/10--Robert D.: In the October issue of Sunset Magazine a fall scenic image
of the Merced Bike Path is on page 120. The photographer
is Charles Phillips of Mariposa.
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9/28/10--Tom K.: Blogpost by National Geographic/Outdoor Photographer contributor Bob Krist: "Photographing People When You Travel: The Art of Portraits."
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9/25/10--Tom K.: The Mono Lake Committee is taking sign-ups for an October 9-10 Field Seminar titled "Arborglyphs & Aspen Natural History." Info at "The Mono-logue, Aspens and Arborglyphs"
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9/24/10--Robert D..: Alain Briot gives some information on fine art photography in his writing:
NPN Forum -- "Fine Art Composition: Top 15"
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9/22/10--Tom K.: "CaliforniaFallColor.com" posted some information yesterday about fall color status in the Eastern Sierra and NorthCoast. On that subject, here's a repeat of a link to a U.S. Forest Service article we posted last year: "Why Leaves Change Color." In July, the Fresno Bee ran an item on a developing La Nina condition, and its likely effects on California weather (more recent posts from other sources indicate that the condition has continued to intensify over the subsequent two months): "La Nina could revive California drought." From biochemistry to meteorology to astronomy: tonight there will be an unusual Harvest Moon. Details at "Watch out for the Super Harvest Moon "
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9/20/10--Tom F.: We will be judging the prints submitted to Fotoclave -- for all councils & all clubs -- just prior to the next club meeting. The location will be at the same spot we meet at Castle. Judging will begin at 2:30 pm. Judge Dean Taylor (Stockton) will be assisted by Andy Tolsma & Tom Frazier. Club members are invited to watch (but not comment).
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9/17/10--Tom K.: Michael Frye is a Mariposa resident and author of "The Photographer’s Guide to Yosemite." His 9/16 blogpost is about fall color in and around Yosemite NP: "Autumn in Yosemite."
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9/16/10--Andy T.:"On Assignment" subjects for 2010-11:
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9/2/10--Robert D..: From Sandy Steinman's blog,
here is good source for California fall color: "Best California Fall Foliage Web Sites."
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8/28/10--Robert D..: NPN Forum -- "Restaurant and Saloon Burn in Death Valley."
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8/27/10--Tom K.: Two veteran National Geographic photographers, Bob Caputo and Terry Wolinsky, have created a website that uses hmorous videos and illustrated text to give photography tips. Check it out: "PixBoomBa." On another subject -- Karen Campbell recommends Aspen Creek Photo, in Oakhurst, for high-quality photo printing.
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8/26/10--Tom K.: There are a couple of new posts on our site: Our newly-revised Competition Rules include a number of significant changes from last year's rules. "Getting the Picture" features Carlene Cunningham's "The Old Barn."
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8/24/10--Robert D.: Here's an interesting exchange between photograhers on NPN entitled, "'Flawless' subjects required for nature photography?"
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8/21/10--Tom K.: My first digital camera was a Canon Powershot G1. It had a tilt/twist live-view LCD. Ever since graduating to DSLRs, I've wanted one with that kind of viewfinder. Other manufacturers have recently begun to offer them, and Canon is rumored to have one on the market by the end of the year. Here's a blogpost by Rob Sheppard about the virtues of tilting "Live View."
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8/17/10--Tom K.: Carol Leigh is a photographer who, a few years ago, moved from Grass Valley to the Oregon coast. She's been mentioned on this board before -- recently for her decision to stop producing her "Wildflower Hotsheet." In her blogpost this morning she self-critiques her artistic strengths and weaknesses in a frank and interesting way that might be beneficial for the rest of us: "Good News/Bad News"
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8/16/10--Tom K.: National Geographic contributing editor Jim Richardson has written some tips for controlling depth-of-field to selectively soften the focus of background elements. The first tip begins "F-stop matters somewhat less than is generally taught." He goes on to discuss several other methods: "Out of Focus—On Purpose."
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8/9/10--Tom K.: Floris van Breugel is photography's "Renaissance Man." According to his on-line bio he is a painter, jazz guitarist, and Cal Tech PHD candidate. He is also a very accomplished nature photographer. His two most recent blogposts give some idea of how nature/adventure photography enriches his life (and how his other interests enrich his photography): "Summer Monsoons," and "Mountain Highs."
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8/6/10--Tom K.: The host of this 9 1/2 minute video calls hummingbirds "nature's super-heroes." The video shows why they deserve the title, and how some amazing images were captured for the PBS series "Nature": "The Making of 'Hummingbirds, Magic in the Air.'"
Yosemite photographer Michael Frye's blogpost updates wildflower conditions in the Park: "August Flowers."
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8/3/10--Robert D.: Part 1 of an interview with Sean Bagshaw in which
he talks about the importance of photo contests and the business side of
being a professional photographer.
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7/31/10--Robert D: Here's Alain Briot's article on "Composing With Color."
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7/30 Tom K.: Rob Sheppard is a former editor of "Outdoor Photographer" magazine. In this short blog post, he discusses do's and don'ts of selecting titles for exhibition photographs: Photodigitary -- "Titles and other Text."
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7/26 Tom K.: I ran across a Yosemite-oriented website/blog that I hadn't seen before. The most recent post, dated July 25, is a glowing report about wildflowers currently blooming in the park. There is also information about traffic delays for road work on Wawona and Tioga Roads: "Yosemite Photos, Video, and News."
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7/23 Tom K.: There is a video on YouTube titled "Finding Double Rainbow" that currently has more than 6.7 million hits. It was shot and narrated(?) by Yosemite resident Paul "Bear" Vasquez, who calls himself a photographer, farmer, and former cage fighter. He recently appeared on Jimmy Kimmel's TV show. YosemiteBlog.com has posted two videos that show that appearance (be sure to watch both). The original "Double Rainbow" video is included. Enjoy: "Yosemite's Paul Vasquez on Jimmy Kimmel."
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7/18 Robert D.: A workshop/photo festival will be held in Telluride, Colorado
from September 20-26. If you enjoy nature, outdoor, and adventure
photography this event might be for you. Some of the guest speakers will
be George Lepp, Tom Till, Kathleen Norris Cook, Robert Glenn Ketchum, Bob
Rozinski and Wendy Shattil. For more information go to telluridephotofestival.com.
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7/17 Tom K.: Jim Cunningham's image "Sunset on El Capitan" was selected for the cover of the Merced-Mariposa County Medical Society's 2010-2011 Membership Directory. Congratulations, Jim.
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7/13 Tom K.: Bishop, CA, photographer Greg Boyer has an interesting blogpost about the positives and negatives of digital vs. film photography. He says, "Bits and bytes are free and 'The more you shoot, the better you get'. More is better. Right? So off I went merrily filling up CF cards and accumulating thousands of images." Then he discusses how all this has impacted his approach to photography: "Prudence ..."
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7/11 Tom K.: YosemiteBlog.com has an eight and a half minute video about rockslides in Yosemite: "Yosemite Nature Notes: Rockfall!"
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6/28 Robert D.: Here's an interesting exchange between photographers--one interested in knowing how to make money in photography and some who are doing so: "Making a Buck" (Nature Photographers' Forum).
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6/24 Robert D.: The ICPA (International Conservation Photography Awards) are beautiful.
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6/24 Tom K.: Here's an amazing image from the L.A. Times Sports section: "PANORAMA: Lakers championship parade".
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6/18 Robert D.: Tom Frazier and I went to the Eastern Sierra to photograph Wednesday, June 9.
The Tioga Pass had just opened the previous Saturday; so we went through the Park.
After stopping at several vistor and tourist information centers in Lee Vining, we traveled
south on State Route 395 to Big Pine. Our original intent was to photograph wildflowers.
Unfortunately, other than a few isolated exceptions, north of Bishop the flowers had not
bloomed yet, and at lower elevations south of Bishop the spring bloom was past peak.
Consequently, we adjusted our plans and headed for Bristlecone SP out of Big Pine. We
made a good choice. Above the White Mountains lenticular clouds formed and took on
a spectacular rosy hue at sunset. The following morning we were in the Alabama Hills at
sunrise to shoot the area's most popular arch with Mt. Whitney in the background. When we
got to the arch, to our disappointment there were at least 4 photographers ahead of us, dominating the prime positions for shooting the arch. We did a little shooting in the Hills and left,
working our way northward on 395.
Thursday evening, June 10, just south of Bridgeport along 395 we found a field with Wild Irises.
They were a little past peak. We did have to contend with some telephone poles in the background but made the most of it.
Driving south we arrived in Lee Vining about 7:00 only to find that all motels were full. The
Best Western said that they had been booked for a month. Apparently, when travelers know
the approximate time of the opening of Tioga Pass, they quickly make reservations in Lee Vining.
We then decided to make the long 4 hour drive to Merced. We were rewarded at Lake Tenaya
and later Olmsted Point with a brilliant sunset. The lake had cracked ice and a mountain in the
background cast a reddish-orange reflection. When the sunset there began to subside, we
drove on only to stop five minutes later at Olmsted Point for another outstanding sunset. While
the it lasted, one could find lovely compositions in almost any direction. Half Dome was the first
that I shot, followed by a fiery sky over Cloud's Rest. Tom and I concluded that not being able to
get a room in Lee Vining was a blessing.
Finally, thinking that we might want to stay in the area over night, we tried the motel at El Portal
on the western side of the Park. All 340 rooms were full. By midnight we were back in Merced.
It was a rewarding trip and now the post-processing begins.
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6/15 Tom K.: For those who missed last week's Club Picnic, the following awards were presented:
Year-long competition winners:
Other awards:
Congratulations to all!
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6/4 Tom K.: Here are two posts from yesterday on "Yosemite Blog":
"Tioga Pass Opening Saturday"
"Merced (River) Expected to Flood Yosemite Valley This Weekend"
Enjoy!
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5/10 Tom K.: The Birdie website has added a new feature -- "Getting The Picture." The plan is to show one member's image per month, with the photographer's thoughts about the picture. The first post is Tom Frazier's "Patriotism," with Tom's step-by-step directions for duplicating it. Look for the "Getting The Picture" link on our home page.
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5/10 Robert D.: Congratulations, Tom Kidd! Some of Tom's images have been used
by members of a Merced H. S. art class as inspiration to enter a painting contest. Incidentally, one of the winning paintings will hang in the office of Congressman Gary Condit.
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5/6 Tom K.: Floyd Hopper went to Yosemite Valley yesterday to photograph dogwoods. He says that they are just beginning to bloom in spots, and recommends giving them another week or so to put on a good show. The "Yosemite Blog" suggests an earlier bloom, and recommends locations in "Dogwoods Hopefully This Weekend." I'd trust Floyd, and wait a week.
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5/6 Tom K.: A selection of Karen Campbell's prints are on display in the Manteca City Council Chambers, 1001 Center Street, thru June 28. Call 209.239.8400 (Manteca City Hall) to find out when the room is open to visitors.
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5/5 Robert D.: Congratulations, Floyd Hopper! As part of a Turlock Art Association exhibit, Floyd Hopper recently sold his striking image of
"Last Light on El Capitan".
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5/5 Andy T.: "On Assignment" subjects for 2010-11:
Summer Scavenger Hunt 2010 –
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5/2 Tom K.: The National Park Service has posted information about the status of Tioga and Glacier Point roads at: Tioga and Glacier Point Roads Plowing Update.
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4/28 Tom K.: Repeating info from the e-mail Birdie -- next Tuesday's Merced Camera Club meeting will be held at Castle AFB again. On another subject, Yosemite photographer Michael Frye is blogging about Spring in the Park. Both "Dogwoods, New Leaves, and Waterfalls," and "Unfolding Spring" give plenty of excuses for a Yosemite trip.
If you're looking for more Yosemite inspiration, check out this piece in the New York Times. Click on the images, starting with the one of Ansel on the roof of his woody, for audio comments by his former assistant: "Ansel Adams's Yosemite."
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4/21 Robert D.: For a good source to get the status of the wildflower bloom in the Eastern Sierra of California go to: BLM Wildflower Update
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4/21 Tom K.: One of Carol Leigh's buddies, Kahlee Brighton, has started a blog that includes a wildflower info exchange: "The Wildflower Conservancy." Click on "Recent Wildflower Sightings," in the right-hand column.
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4/7 Tom K.: Here's some background info for our 4/27 Yosemite "Moonbow" field trip: Astronomy/Physics stuff at "Moonbow Predictions for 2010 -- Texas State University." Photography tips at "Lunar Rainbows - When to View and How to Photograph a 'Moonbow'."
On another subject, photographer Ron Niebrugge's April 1 blogpost concerns Carol Leigh's decision to shut down the Wildflower Hotsheet. His post and 30+ reader comments, including one from Carol (April 2, 5:19 pm), make for an interesting round-table discussion of the ethical and ecological issues involved: "To share or not to share"
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4/6 Tom K.: According to today's blog post by Pasadena photographer Floris van Breugel, an exceptional wildflower bloom in Death Valley is peaking. See his comments and some images at "Art in Nature Photography -- Desert Blooms"
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4/1 Tom K.: Carol Leigh has decided to shut down her on-line California Wildflower Hotsheet. If you clink on the link, you'll see that she felt the Hotsheet enabled people to behave unacceptably. The site's closure has provoked a lot of on-line opining regarding photographers' (and others') moral obligations to respect nature, private property, and the rights of others. You can read some of this discussion at the "California Nature Photographers' Regional Forum -- Carol Leigh's Wildflower Site-rest in peace." As Carol wrote, "Please walk gently on this earth. Please respect private property. Please stay on the designated trails. Please do not trample, walk on, roll around in, picnic on, or wallow about in the wildflower fields. Your inadvertently inconsiderate actions today affect years of future wildflower blooms."
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3/22 Tom K.: Michael Frye's 3/20 blogpost about Merced Canyon wildflowers: "Hite's Cove Flowers"
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3/17 More wildflower information links:
"VisitKern Wildflower Sightings"
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3/8 Tom K.: Here's some attitude advice (particularly regarding our reactions to judges' scores and comments) from photographer Rob Sheppard: "Who’s Looking Over Your Shoulder?"
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3/7 Robert D.: The NANPA 2010 Road Show is in Los Angeles from May 21-23.
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3/1 Robert D.-- Congratulations to Sam Shaw. Sam won an acceptance in the Coachella 2010 International with his image of "Just Hanging On".
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2/25 Tom K. -- Photographer Mike Osborne will conduct "Waterfalls of Yosemite" workshops in the Park in April and May -- information at:
The Ansel Adams Gallery Blog.
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2/24 Some wildflower photo ops:
Robert D. -- At this site you can print an application to photograph
during the Backcountry Weekend at Henry Coe State Park. It can be a
great place to photograph wildflowers as well as other photo attractions.
Once a year the East Gate to the park is opened off of Hwy 152 near Bell's
Station east of Gilroy. Note that the deadline for applying is Feb. 28, 2010.
The Tejon Ranch Conservancy has scheduled a series of "Community Hikes"
in various parts of their extensive holdings that are not otherwise publicly accessible.
Two ongoing sources of wildflower info are:
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2/15 Robert D. -- Here is a list of upcoming photo symposiums, photofestivals, etc:
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2/8 Tom K. -- What do Gustav Mahler, Monty Python, Sam Shaw, and Floyd Hopper have in common? Their artistic impressions of "The Meaning of Life." Three of them will be represented at The Gallo Center For the Performing Arts in Modesto, February 12 and 13. (Don't expect to see Monty Python)
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2/6 Tom K. -- Apparently, discussions like the one we've been having about the pros and cons of manipulating photographic images were going on a century ago. Here is a 6 minute, 15 second Youtube video about the historic clash between two schools of photography in the early twentieth century:" "Pictorialist and Straight Photography."
Present-day photographer Larry Blackwood writes the following about his interpretation of what happened next: "Originally, pictorialism was embraced by many prominent photographers from Steiglitz (who founded the Photo Secessionist movement based in part on pictorialism), to Weston. Even Ansel Adams started in that area. These same supporters later abandoned the pictorialist style in favor of straight photography, which emphasized making the best use of (rather than masking) the unique inherent qualities of photographic process. The most organized challenge to pictorialism as a legitimate method of photographic art came from the members of f64, anchored by Ansel Adams himself.
The difference between pictorialist and straight photography prints is often reduced to that of manipulation in the former case vs. no manipulation in the latter. In reality however, the difference between the two on this dimension is more a matter of the intent of manipulation rather than its presence or absence. Ansel Adams was a master of darkroom manipulation and spent many hours, even years perfecting prints of specific negatives. His prints often produced results that were very much different from the view afforded to the human eye when the shutter was pressed. His intent however was to produce a sharply focused personal interpretation of the light and physical composition of the scene. His prints have tremendous atmosphere of a different type, accomplished through manipulation that produces in a sense a hyperphotographic image, one that takes ultimate advantage of the unique characteristics of a photograph compared to a painting (e.g. sharp focus, clarity of detail) but one that presents a reality that has been altered according to his own artistic tastes. Certainly his photographs are beyond anything that could be considered strictly documentary in nature. The difference then, is that the straight photographers seek to express themselves artistically by maximizing the unique characteristics of photography vs. other fine art while pictorialism essentially seeks to lose those qualities in the resulting image."
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1/28 Tom K. -- More advice for photographing Death Valley, this time from G. Dan Mitchell:
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1/26 Tom K. -- Those of you going to Death Valley next month might enjoy this blog post by Southern California photographer Floris van Breugel. You won't see the same conditions, but you'll probably see some aftereffects of the weather he describes: "The Rains."
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1/19 Tom K. -- Here is a pretty thorough, and readable, article about how, when, and why to use a polarizer, by photographer Darwin Wiggett: "Seven Rules for Effectively Using a Polarizer."
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1/17 Robert D. -- Here is a source listing some good locations to shoot in the
Big Sur, Point Lobos, and Garrapata State Park areas. "California Photographers' Forum."
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1/15 Tom K. -- The iconic view of Yosemite's Horsetail Fall glowing at sunset happens only in February. Michal Frye has a detailed discussion of when and where to photograph the phenomenon at: "Photographing Horsetail Fall." The Ansel Adams Gallery's staff will conduct classes to help photographers capture this image. Details at: "Photography Classes Featuring Horsetail Falls."
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12/29 Tom K. -- The famous nature photographer Art Wolfe co-founded the International Conservation Photography Awards in 1997. His organization e-mailed our club, suggesting we consider entering this year's contest. Entry deadline is 2/28/2010. Contest info is at: ICP Awards.com.
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12/20 Floyd H. -- Congratulations to Robert Dayton. His image "Moss Covered Tree, Fall" was selected for the Yosemite Renaissance XXV.
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12/20 Tom K. -- Youtube has a couple of videos related to a new book by Andrew Zuckerman. One, "Andrew Zuckerman's 'Bird,'" is a short film promoting the book. The second, "BIRD: Behind the Scenes with Andrew Zuckerman," shows how the images in the book and the first video were made. And here's another bird-centric video: "Eagle Owl In Flight."
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12/9 Robert D. -- Here is information/registration form for the 46th Fresno International (deadline 3/20/2010): Fresno International Application.
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12/3 Robert D. -- Information and entry form for an international photo competition sponsored by the Coachella Valley Desert Camera Club.
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11/26 Tom K. -- For our bird shooters, here is a sample of what is happening at the Merced National Wildlife Refuge:
California Visions, Central Valley Album.
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11/26 Robert D. -- Here is a list of icons to photograph in the Pacific Northwest:
Nature Photographers' Net.
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11/22 Robert D. -- Costco now printing 20 x 30 for $8.99 on a 7880 Epson printer:
Nature Photographers' Net.
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11/20 Robert D. -- 2010 calendars are available at the Merced Multicultural Art Center.
Four of twelve images are by MCC members, Karen Campbell,
Carlene Cunnigham, Floyd Hopper, and Sam Shaw. Sales' proceeds will go to the Modesto Photograhers Gallery, who paid
publication costs, and the Merced Multi Cultural Arts Center.
Honor the artists in our club by purchasing a calendar. The first
shipment to Merced is only 15 calendars; so act soon before they're
all gone.
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11/16 Robert D. -- The calendar store is now open on the mall. There are many calendars with grand scenics as well as speciality calendars.
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11/7 Tom K. -- According to the folks at the Ansel Adams Gallery, on 11/28, at 4:04 pm, the moon will be at the same phase and position as in a famous Adams print. Earlier that afternoon they will conduct a presentation about the making of the original print. Details are at "Moon and Halfdome 'Encore.'"
On another subject: here are two more discussions about the "Traditional vs. Creative" issue:
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11/1 Robert D. -- Here's and interesting article by Darwin Wiggert entitled "Photoshop and Nature Photography. How Far Is too Far?"
.
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10/28 Robert D. -- Floyd Hopper won the editor's choice in the photo art gallery of NPN.
To see his image go to
Nature Photographers' Net.
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10/25 Tom K. -- CJ Nicolai is a blues/rock singer and b & w film photographer in Denver. When she started her blog in May, she posted some "words of wisdom I would give to a new and aspiring photographer." Part of this is for beginning professionals, but most of it applies to any serious photographer. What Every Aspiring Photographer Should Know," (from Photodino)..
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10/16 Tom K. -- We have a new album in the "Galleries" section of the website -- Al Kessler's. Take a look. Thanks Al. Merced Camera Club Album List. Members who don't have albums yet might want to ask Al how painful the process was.
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10/10 Tom K. -- What makes autumn leaves take on the colors we like to photograph? Greg Boyer's photoblog has links to some sites that explain the phenomenon. This one comes from the Forest Service: "Why Leaves Change Color."
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10/9 Tom K. -- Here's another pretty good website for aspen-watchers: "californiafallcolor.com."
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9/30 Robert D. -- Although not specifically designed for photographers, the
following site may be helpful for those interested in fall
color in Oregon: "Oregon Fall Foliage."
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9/26 Tom K. -- On-line (free entry) contest for “Eastern Sierra Fall Color” photos: "One Horse Studio." Scroll to the 9/25 post, if necessary.
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9/22 Tom K. -- I've recently acquired a mild addiction to "photoblogs." There are a few I check every day or two for new posts. Some of them are listed on the "Links" page of my personal website. Today, I found two items that I think will interest some of you:
1. The Ansel Adams Gallery Blog announced that they are going to run a contest for photos "taken at a U.S. National Park, Landmark or Monument." You can see preliminary info now, with more details to come on 10/1, at
"Ansel Adams Gallery National Park Photography Contest." Note that entries "MUST BE SUBMITTED DIGITALLY AND IN JPEG FORMAT NOT OVER 1 MB." Sound familiar?
2. Michael Frye's 9/21 post gives a short first-hand summary of his take on current Eastern Sierra fall color, and provides a link to a blog post by Dan Mitchell at
"A few notes on Sierra Nevada fall color progress." Mitchell lists several on-line sources for timely aspen info.
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9/21 Robert D. -- Here is the information for competing in the next Color Magazine contest: "COLOR 2010 Single Image Contest."
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9/21 Andy T. -- Results of competition at Photographer's Gallery, Modesto, San Joaquin Valley Project, Honorable Mentions [$25 each]:
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9/18 Robert D. -- While at Barnes & Noble today I came across a magazine entitled
"Color," Special Issue 4. It contained winners in a recent photo contest. There
were many different categories, one of which was nature. At the time that I was
in the store, there were two copies left with the submission guidelines in the
magazine. I went online to see if I could download the entry form. Unfortunately,
that did not seem to be available online. If you like entering fine art photo contests,
this might be something that you should consider.
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9/17 Robert D. -- For those who enjoy entering contests, consider: Digital Photo Magazine "Your Best Shot.".
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9/13 Tom K. -- Michael Frye's September 12 photoblog is all about photographing Yosemite and the eastern Sierra in the Fall (with graphic examples). Get some timely inspiration at: "Autumn in Yosemite" -- Michael Frye Photography.
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9/6 Tom K. -- Here's a link to another discussion thread from Nature Photographers' Network.
This one is about the late Galen Rowell's work that many of us have seen in the Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop. It touches on the creativity vs.
realism issue that we have been discussing: "Question about Mountain Light.".
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9/4 Robert D. -- In this article the controversy about the number of megapixels necessary continues: Nature Photogaphers' Forum.
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9/1 Tom K. -- I just discovered that the Ansel Adams Gallery in Yosemite Valley has a blog. It appears to be a good source of up-to-date info
for Yosemite photographers, and regular Gallery visitors. Have a look: "The Ansel Adams Gallery Blog".
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8/29 Robert D. -- A most enjoyable read: "Crafting Creative Compositions: An Alliterative Guide to Advanced Artistic Achievement".
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8/25 Tom K. -- Helicon Focus is a software application that apparently makes it possible to achieve infinite depth of field. Here's a
Popular Photography article that describes it: "Extreme Depth of Field with Helicon Focus".
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8/16 Robert D. -- Following is an interesting discussion about Photo Art vs. Landscape Photography: http://www.naturephotographers.net/imagecritique/bbs.cgi?a=vm&mr=46018&CGISESSID=e08e82b3d9830699bc3f1c634edd2a64&u=32543.
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8/15 Andy T. -- Beginning Tuesday, September 1, Club meetings will be held at Citibank, 1840 "M"
St., Merced, beginning at 6:30. Those wishing to eat dinner will meet at Bubba's at
5:30, corner of 18th and M, in Merced.
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8/14 Tom F. -- Thinking about something to do this Halloween?
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8/14 Tom K. -- Karen Campbell won Best In Show in color prints in this year's Merced County Fair photography exposition. She was awarded 24 ribbons overall, including twelve first places. John Tilley, Ray Reed, Andy Tolsma, and Walt Jacoby also took multiple first places. Congratulations.
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8/11 Tom K. -- The annual Perseid Meteor Shower is predicted to peak tonight between 1 and 2 am local time. Here are a couple of sources of info:
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8/8 Robert D. -- For those of you who
like to go to wilderness areas in California or elsewhere, try Wilderness.net.
There are approximately 50 areas listed for California.
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7/31 Floyd H. -- Here are the results from the Photographer's Gallery Four
Seasons Calendar Contest:
Winter: Floyd Hopper- 1st place,
Andy Tolsma-Gallery Award,
Spring: Karen Campbell- 2nd place,
Andy Tolsma-Gallery Award,
Summer: Sam Shaw- 2nd place,
Karen Campbell- Gallery Award,
Fall: Carlene Cunningham- 3rd place,
Karen Campbell- Honorable Mention,
Sam Shaw-Gallery Award
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7/30 Tom K. -- The limit of eight images per member for this site is now increased to twelve. Get your additional images to me for posting.
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7/29 Andy T. -- Karen Campbell's print "Amargosa Stormy Sunset" was named "Best in Show" at this year's Delicato Winery Photography Show.
Karen's other work received two Honorable Mentions. Carlene Cunningham and Floyd Hopper each won First Place awards. Jim Cunnigham received a Third Place
and two Honorable Mentions. Andy Tolsma had a Third Place and an Honorable Mention. Congratulations to all.
******
"Breaking news: Mono Lake’s state park is off the closure list!
"
"Scheduled for Closure: California State Mining and Mineral Museum."
"Photography Gifts Guide for the Holidays: $50 Or Less ."
"Photography Gifts Guide: $500 or Less."
"Photography Gifts Guide: No Spending Limit!"
"Strobist: How to Photograph Christmas Lights"
"Shutter Sisters: Bokeh Love"
"Celebrating Your World With Photography."
"WATER: A Life Theme & Photographic Playground
."
November -- Clouds and Sunsets
December -- Curves
January -- Fall Color
February -- Forgotten
March -- Graffiti Art
April -- Motion
May -- Patterns
Funny Signs
Nature
Nuts and Bolts
Pets
Picture within a picture
Portrait
Reflections
Rusted or Crusted
Silhouettes
Spirals
Symmetry
Transportation
Un-recognizable
Weather
Projected image, 1st Place overall (Pictorial), "Death Valley Mesquite Dunes with Rainbow," Karen Campbell
Projected image, 2nd Place overall (1st Place Traditional), "Mother Polar Bear Protecting Cub," Lloyd Bever
Color Print, "Great Blue Heron and Chicks," Lloyd Bever
Black and White Print, "Bridalveil Falls Under Dramatic Lighting," Karen Campbell
1) Stop letting resistance get in the way of taking more photos.
2) Start carrying a camera everywhere.
3) Slow down and work the subject. Try different angles, views,
lenses, etc.
4) Gain an understanding of the basics of exposure. In other
words, learn how to venture beyond all-auto.
5) Begin getting the focusing right - every time!
6) Discover the ins and outs of white balance and ISO.
7) Learn all about composition - the rules and the exceptions.
8) Start paying attention to the quality of light.
9) Get a handle on depth of field: what it is, how to control it,
and how to use it to your creative advantage.
10) Start experimenting regularly: shoot subjects outside your
comfort zone, try different techniques, vary your viewpoint, etc.
October- Abandoned
November- Macro/Close-up
December- Blue
January- Door(s)
February- Mood(s)
March- People
April- Sports
May- Still Life
In an article Alain Briot comments on 16 items of Fine Art Photography: "Fine Art Photography Top 16".
Class AAA projected images -- Carlene Cunningham
Class AA projected images -- Tom Frazier
Class A projected images -- Brian Ratzlaff
Class B projected images -- Rosanna Jacoby
"On assignment" -- Tom Frazier
Color prints -- Lloyd Beaver and Floyd Hopper (tie)
Best digital image -- Lloyd Beaver, "Coyote with Rabbit Carcass"
Best print -- Floyd Hopper, "Enchanted Forest"
October- Abandoned
November- Macro/Close-up
December- Blue
January- Door(s)
February- Mood(s)
March- People
April- Sports
May- Still Life
Pictures must be taken in Merced County during June, July, or August, 2010
Four Legs
lone tree
night lights
people at work
Antique/historical
Running Water
Something that flies
Building(s)
landscape
Leading Lines
Park
Shadows
Stormy Weather
Wild
Wing
"What's Blooming Where?" -- Kahlee Brighton
"Carol Leigh's California Wildflower Hotsheet"
"Desert USA Wildflower Report"
Palm Springs Photo Festival, March 27-29
The Moab Photo Symposium,
April 29-May 2
Sedona Photofest, July 18-24
Telluride Photo Festival, Sept.
20-23.
"Photographing Death Valley – Part 1"
"Progress Report: Part 2 of the Death Valley Posts"
11/22 -- Regarding the availability of calendars at the Merced Multi Cultural
Art Center, Karen Campbell is going to deliver them on Monday the 23rd or Tuesday
the 24th.
Read this article on the rebate scam that photographers have had to deal with:
Nature Photographers' Net.
"Photography’s Eternal Identity Struggle." -- Guy Tal.
.
"If 'Photoshopping' Is Cheating." -- Dan Mitchell.
.
Here's some information on calendar printing sizing and costs:
Nature Photographers' Net.
In this link Preston Birdwell gives a nice update on fall color in Yosemite NP.
Nature Photographers' Net.
"Windmill and Water Tank" by Floyd Hopper,
"U.C. Rising" by Andrew Tolsma,
"Cowboy Silhouette" by Carlene Cunningham.
Viewing hours 9:30 - 5:30, Monday - Friday,
10:00 - 4:00 Saturday.
Think no more - FotoClave is your answer.
Not sure yet?
Check out this 3-minute video with music.
Yahoo News
Meteor Photography Tips