2005-Winter EDCC Newsletter V14.pub

Foothill
Focus
THE
Newsletter of the El Dorado Camera Club
Vol. 15, No. 1
Dedicated to Sharing, Learning, and Enjoying Photography
we are looking for that “magic
light,” those few hours around sunrise and sunset. The resulting photos can be very disappointing.
Photographers have learned to
compensate for exposure problems
over the years. Ansel Adams, who
primarily used negative film, used a
hand-held light meter to read the
brightness of various areas of a
scene and then developed the Zone
System which aided him in reliably
predicting the exposure for a scene
Expanding
Dynamic
Range
By Karen Buckland
Image exposed for highlight detail.
as he visualized it. Then, knowing the
properties of the film he used, he was
able to further compensate for exposure problems during the development of his negatives. Finally, using
traditional darkroom techniques such
as dodging and burning, he was able
to produce a print to match his previsualization of a scene. Adams’
Zone System is still in use by photographers today, and there are several
good books dedicated to the subject.
Continued on page 5
Image exposed for shadow detail.
© Karen Buckland
IT HAS PROBABLY happened to
you. Anyone who has often stood before magnificent landscapes, and then
tried to capture a scene with their camera as they saw it with their eyes, has
inevitably discovered the difference
between the dynamic range of the human eye and that of their camera’s capture medium. Whether you use negative film, transparency film, or digital
imaging chips to capture your images,
you will not always be able to record a
scene the way your eye sees it.
Our eyes are truly amazing in
this regard. Our brains adjust for
differences in the range of brightness in a scene. We can see all of
the cloud detail in a bright sky at
the same time we can see all of the
detail in the dark shadows. The human eye is said to have a dynamic
range of about 10 stops.
Unfortunately, our capture mediums have a dynamic range less than
that of the human eye. Negative film
is said to have a dynamic range of
about 7 to 9 stops, transparency film
about 4 to 5 stops, and digital about 5
to 6 stops. This means that in photos
with an extreme difference in the
brightest and darkest areas, we will
not capture the view as we saw it
with our eyes. This can be especially
true during those times of day when
Winter 2004/2005
Bryce Canyon Vista created by combining two separate digital exposures using Michael
Reichmann’s Layer Mask Digital Blending technique.
F
k
EDCC Directory Updates
Welcome to our new members! Be sure to add their
contact information to your EDCC Directory:
Now
Showing
Glenda Bell
Off The Wall Art & Frame
3490 Palmer Drive, Cameron Park
Karen Buckland
Goldsmith Gallery
321 Main Street, Placerville
Janice McBride
Wythe Gallery
340 Main Street, Placerville
Nelson Passas
Gallery El Dorado
6180 Main Street, Placerville
Bill Robinson
Gold Country Artists Gallery
379 Main Street, Placerville
Betty Sederquist
Folsom City Hall
Folsom Zoo Exhibition
Rob Stewart
River City Bank
348 Main Street, Placerville
Shelly Thorene
Gold Country Artists Gallery
379 Main Street, Placerville
Page 2
NEW MEMBERS
ADDITIONS & CHANGES
Maxine Levine
3612 Montclair Road
Cameron Park, CA 95682
(530) 672-9821
maxilevine@hotmail.com
Keith McIntyre
keith@houseofmcintyre.info
Marida & Tom Martin
5692 Valley Oaks Court
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 672-2926
MJMartin@OSPR.DFG.CA.gov
Shelly Thorene
qtc100@sbcglobal.net
Anne & Ken Musso
3322 Flame Court
Cameron Park, CA 95682
(530) 676-2474
ginasmom@comcast.net
Herb Samuels
herbsam@d-web.com
Randy Wilkinson
preta@direcway.com
(note no “t” in “direcway”)
See note from Albert & Betty
Rotting at right for their new
contact information.
www.eldoradocameraclub.com
The EDCC website recently received an “Honorable
Mention” award in the 2004 Photographic Society of
America (PSA) International Web Page Contest. Each
year, PSA rates websites of PSA Chapters, Clubs, and
Councils. The websites are rated on specific criteria in the
categories of “Content,” “Ease of Use,” “Links,” and
“Photos.” When you visit our website be sure to
download a color copy of this newsletter in PDF file format so you can view the newsletters photos in color.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Membership Dues For 2005 Are Now Due
Dues are $24.00 per person or couple. Please send a check for
your membership dues along with member name(s) and contact
information, including address, telephone, fax, and email to:
Brenda Sue Pignata, Treasurer
El Dorado Camera Club
2369 Pinon Road, Rescue, CA 95672
Membership dues notices are NOT mailed out to members, so
please remember to submit your dues as soon as possible.
Membership dues must be current by the February 2005 membership
meeting for inclusion in the Directory, to be published in March.
Foothill Focus
Winter 2004/2005
Farewell to
Al & Betty Rotting
Photo Safari Goes After Big Game
ALBERT AND I MOVED to Oregon
on November 19. We made it with
the help of our grandsons and our
daughter, Marjan, with two U-Haul
trucks, our own 2 cars, and 3 cats.
Albert was tired of mowing a big
lawn, so we bought a townhome in
Fairview, Oregon. (No yard work!) It
will not be ready for occupancy until
mid-February. Therefore, we are temporarily living with Marjan in Portland.
The weather here is very cold,
foggy, and rainy. I was not even here a
month before I began missing California.
We are so sorry that we missed
the last print competition due to the
move. Al had a perfect picture for the
theme, “Infinity.”
We'll keep our club membership
going to stay in touch with the club
activities. Therefore, don't be surprised if you see us at one of the
meetings, in the future.
To all our camera club friends,
it's not a “good bye,” but “till we
meet again.”
Until mid-February, our temporary address is:
8756 N. Wilbur Ave.
Portland, OR 97217-7032
Cell: (530) 305-0055 (for now)
Email: albettyrotting@yahoo.com
After mid-February, our mailing address is:
21919 N.E. Heartwood Cir.
Fairview, OR 97024-6790
Cell: (530) 305-0055 (may change)
Email: albettyrotting@yahoo.com
Happy Holidays to all and a
healthy New Year. So long, and
come and see us here in Oregon.
— Albert & Betty Rotting
Winter 2004/2005
© Rob Stewart
Albert and Betty Rotting, both of whom have
served on the EDCC Board of Directors and
have been active members of our club, and
both of whom are award-winning photographers, recently moved to be closer to their
daughter and grandchildren. They will certainly be missed! Betty sent the following
message to be included in the newsletter.
Jeanine Mays captures a reptilian portrait at Sacramento Zoo.
OCTOBER 3rd WAS A BEAUTIFUL DAY, with moderate temperatures, and it was sunny. The Safari shooters arrived shortly before 8:30
a.m. when the zoo opened. It turns out that Sunday morning was a good
time for this excursion because there was not much competition for
viewing space. This gave us the freedom to set up our tripods and equipment without getting in the way of other visitors. In addition, this was
feeding time for many of the animals, so they were fairly active.
The morning sun made the flamingo’s pink plumage glow like a neon
sign. The group spent a lot of time at the orangutan cage. The orangutans
were natural hams and seemed to know what we were up to. Arthur Bell
took a wonderful shot that he shared with all of us.
The zebras were out playing, giving us many opportunities to play
with their striped patterns for that special shot. Three giraffes paraded
back and forth in their pen reaching for the tree limbs that were just out
of reach. We heard that the pandas were out, but unfortunately found
them to be camera shy. Since the zoo is fairly small, by 11:30 a.m. most
of us had headed home. Hopefully we can do this again sometime and
sneak up on those pandas!
— Reported by Rob Stewart
Do you have an idea for a Photo Safari location?
Let president Jim Taylor know.
You can telephone him at (530) 677-9724
or send email to jtphoto@comcast.net
Foothill Focus
Page 3
FALL PRINT COMPETITION RESULTS
November 18, 2004 — Theme: Infinity
Color Landscape/Scenic
… Jeanine Mays .............. Wondering
† Jim Taylor.................... Christmas Valley’s Aspens
‡ Berle Beliz ................... Mono Morning
Color Animals
… Jeanine Mays .............. Knowing
† Keith McIntyre.............. Intention
‡ Jeanine Mays .............. Snow Leopard
Color Portrait
… Jim Taylor.................... Hummingbird
† Coryn Herring .............. My Leaves
‡ Jim Taylor.................... California Quail
Color Open
… Brenda Sue Pignata..... Unconditional Love
† Nelson Passas............. The Crack
© Jeanine Mays
Alternative
… Jeanine Mays .............. Sunburst
† Christine B. Morris ....... Pigeon Point Light
‡ Brenda Sue Pignata..... Lightbulb Poppies
Theme — Infinity
… Jeanine Mays .............. Forever Bodie
† Arthur Bell.................... Winging It
‡ Jim Taylor.................... Sunflowers Forever
Jeanine Mays’ photo, “Forever Bodie,” was the winner in the
“Best of Theme” category for best representing the theme
“Infinity.” A $25 prize was awarded for the winning entry.
B&W Nature (no hand-of-man)
No Entries
B&W Landscape/Scenic
… Max Kern..................... Hwy 50 Wagon
† Max Kern..................... Silver Lake Cabin
B&W Animals
… Jeanine Mays .............. Whiskers & Stripes
B&W Portrait
… Coryn Herring .............. Urban Cowboy
† Coryn Herring .............. Mischief
B&W Open
… Coryn Herring .............. Split Glass
† Shelly Thorene ............ Homage to William Blake
Page 4
© Jim Taylor
Color Nature (no hand-of-man)
… Brenda Sue Pignata .... Citron de Cap Dahlia
† Jeanine Mays .............. Tufas by Flashlight
‡ Berle Beliz ................... Prelude to Winter
Jim Taylor’s photo, “Hummingbird,” was the first prize
winner in the “Color Portrait” category.
Foothill Focus
Winter 2004/2005
Galen Rowell, who primarily
used transparency film, was well
known for using graduated neutral density filters in his landscape photos to
control problems of dynamic range.
These rectangular filters combine a
clear area on one end and a neutral
gray area on the other end. The neutral gray portion of the filter holds
back the bright areas of a scene, causing the brightest and darkest areas of
a scene to be captured more closely
to what you see with your eyes. The
neutral gray color does not affect the
colors in the image.
Along with Singh-Ray
(www.singh-ray.com), a manufacturer of
photographic filers, Rowell helped develop 1-, 2-, and 3-stop graduated neutral
density filters. The numbers indicate the
number of stops of light the neutral gray
portion of the filters are designed to hold
back. The filters are also available in “soft
step,” with a very gradual transition line
between the filtered and non-filtered portions of the filter, or “hard step,” with a
more abrupt transition line. Singh-Ray
now offers 4- and 5-stop filters, and reverse graduated neutral density filters in
addition to the original line developed
with Rowell.
The filters are designed to be held
in front of your camera’s lens with the
Cokin “P” holder. The Cokin holder is
easy to attach to the filter threads of
your lens with an adapter. The adapters come in sizes to fit lenses from 48
to 82mm in diameter. Singh-Ray also
makes filters to fit the Lee filter
holder, which is similar to the Colkin
holder. Some photographers forego
the use of a filter holder, preferring to
hold the filter in front of their lens
with their hand.
The Singh-Ray filters are 84mm
by 120mm (3.3" by 4.7"). They slide
within the filter holder, which also
rotates, allowing you to move the
transition line within your composition to correspond to the best position
to hold back the brightness. They are
relatively easy to use.
Winter 2004/2005
Cokin also makes graduated
neutral density filters which fit their
holder. They are 84mm square and
are a little less expensive than the
Singh-Ray filters. However, they are
made of lesser quality of materials,
and this is thought to negatively affect
image quality. Nevertheless, they
may be a good way to experiment
and decide if you like using this
method of controlling dynamic range.
Some manufactures, such as
Tiffin, make a round, screw-on
graduated neutral density filter.
These are not recommended because the transition line is right in
the center of the filter and cannot be
moved up or down to compensate
for varying compositions.
Contemporary photographers
who have made the transition to
digital have developed new ways of
overcoming for the limitations of
dynamic range with digital capture.
There are several different ways of
accomplishing a similar result.
Digital photographer Fred
Miranda (www.fredmiranda.com) has
developed a plug-in for Photoshop or
Photoshop Elements which easily
blends two images shot at different
exposures. One image is exposed for
the highlight detail (such as a bright
sky) and one image is exposed for the
shadow detail (such as a foreground
in shadow). The two images should
be captured using a tripod or other
method of immobilizing the camera
so that the images will line up properly with each other. The result of
using the plug-in is that your new
image will be combined from the best
exposure data from each image, resulting in an image that more closely
matched what you saw with your eye.
The plug-in works with both digitally-captured files or scanned film.
Michael Reichmann, on his
we b s i t e a t w w w. l u mi n o u s landscape.com, describes methods
of accomplishing a similar result
within Photoshop without purchasing a plug-in. His tutorial can be
found in the website’s tutorial secFoothill Focus
© Karen Buckland
Expanding Dynamic Range
Continued from page 1
Image created using 2-stop, soft step
Singh-Ray graduated neutral density filter.
tion under “Digital Blending.” His
methods are also featured in his DVD
magazine, The Luminous Landscape
Video Journal, Issue #6.
Photographer Erik Krause has a
tutorial titled “Conrast Blending” on his
website at www.erik-krause.de which
presents another method, as does an article found on www.creativepro.com titled
“Digital Camera How-To: Expanding
Dynamic Range.”
If you shoot raw format with your
digital camera, you may also want to
try “developing” one image in Adobe
Camera Raw (a part of Photoshop and
Photoshop Elements 3) into two different files, one “developed” with the correct exposure for the highlights and the
other “developed” with the correct exposure for the shadows. This may not
work for all images, depending on how
much image data has been captured in
the file, so it is best to try to capture
your exposures in the field.
If you have been disappointed in
the past with your camera’s ability to
capture the scenes you see before your
eyes, perhaps you will be able to develop a workaround from one of these
suggestions that will get you closer to
your pre-visualized images. Page 5
SLIDE SHOOTERS COMPETITION — 2005
Date:
Location:
Judge:
Theme:
Entry Time:
Judging Begins:
For More Info:
To be announced
ERA Meeting Room
4064 Flying C Road, Suite 19
Cameron Park
PSA-Qualified Judge to be announced
Life’s Precious Moments
6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Lori Wahl at 642-2288
email: loriwahl@calweb.com
Categories
Judging will follow PSA format. Ribbons will be
awarded for each category of each division. All 12 point
winners will receive a Blue “Honor Award” ribbon. First,
Second, and Third place will be selected from the 12-point
winners. Awards will be in the following divisions:
• Nature (no hand-of-man)
• Landscape/Scenic
• Animals
• Portrait
• Open
• Theme
Definitions
Each competition has a different theme. Use your imagination
when expressing the theme photographically. The “Best of Theme” winner will receive a $25 prize!
In the category "Nature (no hand-of-man)" the subject should be
untouched by people and there should be no recognizable evidence
anything made by people in the photograph.
The "Open" category is the place for pictorial prints including
architecture, still life, and other subjects which do not fit into the other
categories.
The "Theme" category may contain photos that would otherwise fit
into other categories if they were not related to the theme. In other
words, you could have a theme photo that is a landscape, a theme photo
that is a portrait, a theme photo that is a still life, etc. The only requirement is that the photo express the theme of the competition.
Off The Wall
Art & Frame
3490 Palmer Drive, Suite 3G
Cameron Park, CA 95682
(530) 677-6690
offthewall@directcon.net
Page 6
Entry Instructions
Bring your slides in standard slide mounts, to the assigned
room as soon after 6:00 p.m. as possible. This will be a nonnarrative presentation (which means individual slides will be
projected without sound). Create a suitable title for each
print. Be sure to follow the competition rules on entering.
Place your slides in the category which best fits the description given.
Slide Competition Rules
1. Fee per entry: EDCC members, $2.00 per entry; NonEDCC members, $3.00 per entry.
2. No limit to the number of slides entered.
3. Photographs must have been exposed by entrant since
January 1998, but may have been processed by others.
4. Slide formats accepted are 35mm, 6x6, and 6x7.
5. Slides must be properly mounted in standard slide
mounts.
6. All entries must be labeled on the slide mount with entrant’s name, division,, and title.
7. Please identify each slide with a red dot on the lower left
hand corner of the image in its upright position so that we
know which way up to put them in the slide tray.
8. Photographs submitted in previous EDCC slide competitions not eligible. (Slides may be made into prints for entry into future EDCC print competitions.)
Carol and Malcom, the owners of Off The Wall Art &
Frame, located in the Bel Air Shopping Plaza in Cameron
Park, have offered to hang the winning photos from our
competitions in their store. In addition, Off The Wall Art
& Frame has offered to give a 15% discount to any member of the El Dorado Camera Club.
Please be sure to stop by their store to view the winning
photos and to thank them for their support of the art of
photography.
Foothill Focus
Winter 2004/2005
Southeast Alaska 2005:
Closeup Encounters with a
Camera
June 30—July 5:: Gustavus to Hoonah Icy Strait and/or Glacier Bay
August 6—August 14: Wragell to Petersburg
© Betty Sederquist
Although Alaska is one of the greatest places in the
world for photography, getting to the choicest locations can
be problematic. Folks experienced in photography and
Alaska wilderness travel can help you get to where the great
images can be made. One of those people is Betty Sederquist, local college photography teacher, former Alaska resident, and member of the EDCC. This year she is leading two
trips because of high interest.
Using Dolphin Charters’ 50-foot Delphinus as a liveaboard base, photographers explore intimate coves and wilderness beaches for great moments with bears, humpback whales,
bald eagles and much more. The itinerary is somewhat flexible,
depending on individual interests. On the boat, up to eight passengers enjoy cozy cabins and gourmet food. Because the
vessel cruises in protected waters, seasickness is seldom a
problem. On shore, explore tidepools or go on hikes through the
magnificent Alaska rainforest, accompanied by a naturalist and
photo instructor (Betty). Captain Ronn Patterson, a former
whale biologist with an encyclopedic knowledge of natural history, has been cruising these waters for some 30 years. This is
Betty’s sixth season with Dolphin.
Belly-flopping Humpback Whale.
Betty, a local photographer and educator, will be leading two
photography trips to Southeast Alaska in the summer of
2005. Please contact her for details at (530) 626-0985 or
betty@sederquist.com. Photos from past trips can be viewed
on her website at www.sederquist.com.
Join Us for Our Next Meeting on Thursday, January 20
TOPIC: POLAROID SX-70 MANIPULATION
VISITORS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME
Karen Buckland will be speaking about Polaroid SX-70 manipulation, a process which produces painterly, impressionistic images. She will discuss the types of subjects that work
well with this process, as well as the tools, materials, and
methods for manipulating the film emulsion. She will also
describe how to further manipulate the print using additional
alternative processes such as handpainting and digital enhancement. Karen will bring a few SX-70 cameras from her
collection, will discuss how to find and purchase these cameras (which are no longer manufactured), and will describe
how to modify modern Polaroid cameras to accept SX-70
film. She will also demonstrate how to make SX-70 prints
from 35mm slides using a DayLab processor.
DRIVING DIRECTIONS: From the Placerville area, drive west on
Hwy 50 to the Cambridge Road exit. Turn left on Cambridge Road
(go over freeway). Turn left on Flying C Road. Turn left into the ERA
Business Complex parking lot. Stay to the right. The meeting room is
between the Pool Table Store and the Select Group Marketing Department offices.
© Karen Buckland
ERA Realty Center, 4064 Flying C Road,
Suite 19, Cameron Park
Thank you to the ERA Realty Center for providing this meeting location. You can visit their website at www.erarealtycenter.com
Winter 2004/2005
Foothill Focus
Page 7
Calendar of Events
Jan 29....... Membership Meeting
Topic: Polaroid SX-70 Manipulation
Feb 17....... Membership Meeting
Mar 17....... Membership Meeting
Apr 21....... Membership Meeting
May 19 ...... Membership Meeting
Jun 16....... Membership Meeting
2005 EDCC Board of Directors
President
Jim Taylor................. 677-9724
Vice President
Berle Beliz ................ 644-2399
Treasurer
Brenda Sue Pignata . 677-8009
Secretary
Pauline Irwin............. 644-4997
Membership/Publicity
Jeanine Mays ........... 672-0502
Visit our website at http://www.eldoradocameraclub.com
Newsletter Editor
Karen Buckland ........ 333-1534
The Foothill Focus is a quarterly newsletter published by the El Dorado
Camera Club. The club is dedicated to learning, sharing and enjoying photography. Regular club meetings are held the third Thursday of each month at 7:00
p.m., except July and December. Locations will be announced before each meeting. Visitors and non-members are always welcome to attend our meetings.
Print Competitions
Rob Stewart.............. 677-7327
For further information about the club, including information about becoming a member, contact Jeanine Mays at (530) 672-0502 or email to jj@innercite.com.
The club is interested in submissions to this newsletter. To submit an article for
publication, contact Karen Buckland at (530) 333-1534, fax to (530) 333-2088, or
email to news@eldoradocameraclub.com.
El Dorado Camera Club
P.O. Box 928
Diamond Springs, CA 95619
Social Director
Judy Brantner ........... 677-6299
Slide Shooters
Lori Wahl .................. 642-2288
Exhibit Coordinators
Nelson Passas.......... 626-3323
Marilyn Hrobsky........ 642-2524