End of Year Exhibition this Saturday

Our End of Year Exhibition will be held this Saturday, December 13, from 7.30 pm at our club's meeting place: Tonsley Hall, 30 - 48 Bradley Grove, Mitchell Park. Everyone is welcome.

At our exhibition we will have on display the prints that gained an acceptance in the End of Year Competitions, in the categories of Open, Portraiture and/or People, Nature, Architecture, Creative and/or Experimental, Photo Essay and Photojournalism.

At 8 pm our exhibition will be opened by Scott Mosen from Diamonds/Photo Wholesalers, and we will then show the slides that gained an acceptance in the same categories as the prints. This will be followed by a presentation of some digital images from the competitions throughout the year.

The evening also includes the presentation of trophies to the winners in each category of the end of year and the aggregates from competitions during the year.

Finally, we will be having a raffle with lots of prizes, followed by supper, which is provided by the members.

Classic Photos from Life Magazine

Life Magazine has shown some classic photos over the years, and has an archive of some 10 million photographs. Google plans to put the archive on the web for anyone to view, and currently there's about 2 million up on Google's site.

So if you're looking for photographic inspiration, take a look!

Program Update for December 9

The Commonwealth Challenge, which is an Interclub competition between EPC and clubs from England and New Zealand, will not be going ahead this year.

Therefore, December 9 will be a "Bring Your Cameras" practical evening. We will be trying out the use of the club's studio flash units outdoors. It will also be an opportunity to re-do the members portraits, or "Rogues Gallery". You have been warned.

End of Year Competitions

Entry forms for the End of Year Competitions will be available this week at the club rooms, or you can download them from the EPC website.

The closing date for the End of Year Print Competition is November 4. Judging will be on November 11 and will be done by a panel of 3 judges, each giving a score out of 5. There are 3 groups of prints: Small Colour Prints, Large Colour Prints, and Monochrome Prints. There are 5 sections: Pictorial (ie Open), Portraiture and/or People, Nature, Architecture, and Experimental/Creative. In the pictorial section a member can enter up to 6 entries; in the other sections the maximum number of entries is 4.

The closing date for the End of Year Slide Competition is November 11. Judging will be on November 18 and will also be done by a panel of 3 judges. The same 5 sections and the maximum number of entries for each section also apply.

More details can be obtained from the Competition rules.

The End of Year Exhibition will be conducted at Tonsley Hall on Saturday December 13, with the best work being displayed.

Program Changes

There have been a couple of changes made to the original schedule for October. The interclub competition with Port Adelaide planned for October 14 has been cancelled. Instead there will be a presentation by Andy Rasheed on Kakadu.

On 28 October Richard Akroyd will be demonstrating the use of U Point image post-processing technology. U Point is a method of adjusting images with all of the power of layers and layer-masks without any need to consciously manipulate layers. For many users it will be significantly more convenient and perhaps more intuitive than some of the more traditional "high end" image adjustment techniques. The technology has been developed by Nik Software Inc. and is now available as a Photoshop plug-in and is also integrated into the latest version of Nikon Capture, the Raw File conversion software for Nikon cameras.

Annual Photo Journalism and Photo Essay Competition

On Tuesday 19th August we will be having our annual Photo Journalism and Photo Essay Competition, for prints and slides. From the Competition Rules:

"Photo journalism is a record of any event which tells a story of what has happened, is happening or is about to happen, the sight of which excites or stimulates one of the human emotions. Set up portraits are excluded."

"A photo essay comprises of a set of four slides or prints which when viewed together tell a story. Each set of prints must be displayed on one mount. The size of the mount shall accommodate up to a maximum of four prints up to A4 size with a maximum border of 5 centimetres on the edges."

An entry form can be downloaded here.

Sunday outing to Port Adelaide

Meet at 3 pm at the lighthouse, Port Adelaide, this Sunday. There may be a shower or two, but don't let that put you off. Often, after a brief shower, there may be wonderful lighting effects against dark clouds. So bring your rain coat and umbrella. We'll finish the outing with fish and chips at a nearby eatery. See you there.

SAPF Annual Audio Visual Exhibition

A letter was received from Neil Gray, who is the director of the 2008 SAPF AV Annual. Club members are encouraged to have a go and enter this year. The letter is as follows:

Hello Camera Club Member,

I would like to bring to your attention the up-coming SAPF Audio Visual Exhibition on Saturday 8th of November 2008.

The exhibition is open to all members of affiliated camera clubs with SAPF, this means that you can have a go creating an audio visual to enter this exhibition. All the details you need to know is on the entry form, which can be downloaded from the SAPF website.

WHAT IS AN AV?
An AV is a series of photo’s compiled together in a sequence that tells a story. Using background music and/or narration that is in tune with the images adds to the overall package. The transitions between the images should flow harmoniously with the music and/or narration. Introduction of multiple image slides also has a great impact to an AV.

If you are inexperienced in making AV’s the section photo harmony is for you. What is PHOTO HARMONY? A photo harmony AV is exactly the same as a traditional AV but without the narration.

If you are interested in having a go making an AV, can I suggest you take a look at some examples to get an idea of what can be done. I have included some helpful links to get you started, I highly recommend Barry Beckham’s web site as your first point of call.

http://www.beckhamdigital.co.uk/audiovisual/audiovisual.htm
http://www.a-p-s.org.au/av.html
http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums//index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=3000&hl=inna+malkova
http://www.maureenalbright.com/digital-av/diav%20pages/links/diav%20links-tutorials.htm
http://www.alrobinson.com/audiovisual1.htm
http://www.thedom.fr/share/dload.php?action=category&cat_id=3
http://www.wnsoft.com/
http://www.topshareware.com/Pictures-To-Exe-download-2824.htm
http://www.nnps.org/links%208.htm
http://www.beechbrook.com/pte/
http://www.digital-av.co.uk/pictures2exe.html
http://www.picturestoexe.com/forums/index.php

The software Pictures to EXE seems to be the preferred program amongst AV workers so if you haven’t already got a copy you can download a copy from one of the links above.

Finally, why not combine your skills with another member and make a combined entry or what about the camera club making an activity in your programme to produce an AV in the club entry section. Even if you don’t enter an AV in the exhibition, please keep the exhibition date free to attend the Gala Presentation & Awards night.

If you have any further questions please contact the director – details on entry form.

Photo Wholesalers Exhibition for August

The Club will be exhibiting prints at Photo Wholesalers for the month of August. Members are asked to bring prints to the meeting on Tuesday 29 July (or to a committee member over the weekend) for selection. We are looking for un-matted prints at A3, A4 and 5 by 7 to 8 by 10 inches, which may or may not have been judged favourably in our competitions. Please also provide the following details with the prints where you can: Your Name, Title, Make and model of camera, Lens Aperture (f stop), Shutter Speed. The exhibition will be chosen to be representative of the club's current and recent work (last couple of years). PW has a range of frame sizes available and the exhibition will also have to fit in with the available frames. Therefore it is preferred that you provide vertical and horizontal format prints to best use the available frames.

Digital Competition File naming convention

The file naming rules have been simplified for entries in digital competitions. To download the new guidelines, go to the News page on the Edwardstown Photography Club's website and look for the link.

Dare to be Different, 29th July

An idea for a club night that hasn't been tried before... breaking free from the "rules" of "normal" camera club competitions. Members may submit up to a total of 4 images, and they can be slides, prints or digital images. The images should NOT follow the usual "rules" such as using the rule of thirds, etc. This is to encourage people to look at capturing images in a different way, and is an opportunity to submit images they like but which may not score well in a normal competition.

Instead of having a judge to evaluate the images and give a score there will be a popular vote to determine the winning image. Further details and explanation will be given on July 8.

Photoshop and Digital camera workshop/tutorial reminder

On Tuesday 8th July there will be a workshop/tutorial on both digital camera basics and on some Photoshop techniques and tools commonly used when processing photographs for printing or entering competitions. The topics will include converting colour to monochrome, using the Curves tool, cropping, and darkening skies.

Upcoming activities at the club

The calendar in the sidebar lets you know what's coming up at the club - all meetings start at 8.00 pm unless otherwise stated.

On Tuesday 24th June, John Hodgson will give an audio visual presentation on his images of China, as well as a tutorial presentation on Close up and Still Life Photography.

On Tuesday 1st July there will be an Interclub competition between EPC and Blackwood Photography Club, in our club rooms. Each club will enter a set of 30 slides, 15 colour and 15 monochrome prints for judging, with each entry getting a score out of 10. The club with the most points at the end is the winner.

On Tuesday 8th July we will have another Photoshop Workshop/Tutorial, which will cover the topics of converting colour to monochrome, using curves, cropping and darkening skies in images.

Sunday Outing 15th June

This Sunday's Club Outing will be at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens. Meet at 1.30 pm at the Friends Gate, which is around the back, on Plane Tree Drive.

Photographing Orchids Practical Workshop

Tonight (Tuesday 10th June) at our clubrooms we will have the opportunity to photograph orchids using different lighting situations. Members are asked to bring their cameras, flash units, tripods, etc. See you there.

Interclub Competition with West Torrens Camera Club

When: Tuesday June 3rd, 2008
Time: 7.30 pm
Where: "Kandahar", 327 Marion Road, North Plympton.

An interclub competition is where each club provides a set of images (in this case, slides), to be judged and scored by a judge, with the scores tallied up to determine the winning club.

As we will be at the West Torrens Camera Club's meeting place on the night, there will be no EPC meeting in our hall.

Tuesday May 20 Guest Speaker, Richard Harris

Richard Harris will be presenting underwater photography from around the world. He is one of Australia's foremost dive photographers, so this is an evening not to be missed. Friends and relatives of members are most welcome to come along.

Club Outing, Coromandel Valley, Sunday 18th May, 2 pm

Meet in the small shopping centre car park, corner of Main Road and Oakdene Crescent. Taking camera, tripod, etc, walk across Main Road and follow paths along Sturt River Linear Park. The track to the right leads to, and just beyond Winn's Road. Cross Winn's Road and have a look at the historic Winn's Bakery. It will be open from 2-4pm - cost $2 entry fee. The track hits private property just beyond the old bakery. The track to the left also meanders along the Sturt River (really just a babbling brook) until opening out in a park near Shepherd Court. It is all easy walking, but wear good walking shoes/boots and be prepared to photograph small cascades and creek scenes. Allow at least 1 1/2 hours to do both left and right paths and perhaps retire to Rimini's at Blackwood's Magnet Shopping Centre on Coromandel Parade for coffee.

The weather forcast is for a few showers on Sunday, so take a rain jacket just in case.

Depth of Field Calculator

How many of us are able to calculate the exact Depth of Field for all of our lenses at the various apertures and hyperfocal distances when there is no depth of field scale on the lens to use (as is the case now with most new lenses), or even if there is a scale if you are using an older lens?

We know, or should know, that the smaller the aperture and the further we are from our point of focus, the greater is the depth of field. As we get closer to our subject the depth of field becomes more critical. This can be a major factor in macro photography, where you need very small apertures to get the most depth of field. With this, lighting usually becomes another problem.

Using a 50 mm Macro lens set to take 1:1, that is life size on the film plane, and an aperture of f32, then your depth of field can be as small as 3 mm. In portrait photography a focal length lens of between 100 - 150 mm is considered best for natural looking portraits. The depth of field available at say, 3 metres at f11 with a 150 mm lens, is 160 mm using these tables.

The amount of depth of field available becomes difficult to calculate if we are using a zoom lens or a digital camera where depth of field scales are not shown.

This website may help: http://www.dofmaster.com/dofjs.html

The list of cameras available is in alphabetical order and the tables for any and all cameras are available using the drop down list, as is the distances in either feet and inches or in metres.

On this web site there is an interactive depth of field calculator where you are able to find out the depth of field available for all lenses of all focal lengths, including digital camera lenses at any chosen aperture. If you are handy there are also instructions on how to make a depth of field calculator which, if made small enough, will fit on a lens cap.

This is an interesting site and well worth a visit.

April Club Outing changed again

The April Club Outing has been changed again - instead of being on Sunday 27th it will be on Friday 25th, Anzac Day. The Anzac Day march will provide ample opportunities for photojournalism. Meet at 8 am outside of the State Library on North Terrace in the city.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused.

April Outing Deferred to April 27th

The Outing scheduled for this Sunday, April 20th, has been deferred until April 27th. The location will be the Adelaide Hills for autumn colour.

Trade Night Tonight, 15th April

A quick reminder that there is a Trade Night visit to Inkjet City at 7.30 pm tonight.

Inkjet City is located on South Road, opposite Castle Plaza. You can find a map on their website HERE.

See you there.

Great Photographic Challenge, Sunday 30th March

The Great Photographic Challenge is where members meet at a particular location and are given a list of subjects to photograph using the most basic of cameras, which are provided by the club at a cost of $10, to cover film processing. A time limit is given, and cameras are returned to Reg, who will organise processing. When prints are returned the idea is to pick the best ones of each subject, and enter them for judging on April 8. The person who gets the highest total score will win a trophy.

This Sunday we are meeting at 1.30 pm at the rotunda in Elder Park, near the Festival Centre in the city.

Outdoor Photography at Dusk

On Tuesday 18th March we will not be having a meeting in the club rooms, instead we will be meeting at 6.30 pm at the bottom car park of the Hallett Cove Conservation Park.  Even though it looks like being a hot day, it will be cooler on the coast in the evening...

Take your camera, tripod, neutral density and polarising filters to try photographing moving water using slow shutter speeds.

The Great Photographic Challenge postponed

Due to the continuation of the heat wave this weekend the Great Photographic Challenge that was scheduled for Sunday has been postponed.  It will now be held on Sunday 30th March.  Here's hoping we will actually get nice autumn weather then!

Reminder for Tuesday 26 February Meeting

Tonight's meeting will include an interactive discussion and presentation on Photography Basics - what makes a good competition image, covering composition, impact, depth of field, etc.

The second part of the meeting will be the screening of the Commonwealth Challenge entries and judging. The Commonwealth Challenge is an international interclub competition between EPC and clubs from New Zealand and the UK.

Program updates

On Tuesday March 4 there will be a presentation by Murray Billett: "Travels and Trains".

On Tuesday March 18 is Outdoor Photography at Dusk. We will not be meeting in the club rooms but meeting at the bottom car park at 6.30 pm at the Hallett Cove Conservation Park. This is an opportunity for sunset photography as well as photography in soft light. A sturdy tripod is a must for photographing waves and water over rocks using slow shutter speeds.

Here's an article that might give you some ideas:
Twilight Photography Tips - from the digital photography school blog

Club Outing, Sunday 17 February 2008

Every Sunday afternoon in January and February, Henley Square at Henley Beach comes alive with free music, entertainment and fun for the whole family. Activities are organised by the local businesses.

Meet fellow club members at the start of Henley Jetty at 1.00 pm for an afternoon of photographic opportunities and social fun.

Digital Image Competition Guidelines

The first digital image competition (where images are projected, not printed) for 2008 will be on February 19. To help members with the preparation of their images for the competition, with regards to image size and naming of the entries, 2 documents have been prepared and are available to download from the EPC website on the News page.

A new page for the EPC website is currently being worked on, and will contain the rules, definitions, and links to download the entry forms and digital imaging guidelines.

Another good photography blog

Here's another photography blog I've come across recently: All Day I Dream About Photography. Today's post is about photographing stairs, and includes some interesting photos that may inspire you to go out and photograph - this might make a good outing!

EPC website updated

The EPC website has been updated:

The News page has been updated to include links to download competition entry forms.
The Program page has been updated to include a link to download the full program.

Links to AV resources

Last night's AV presentations by Barbara Mullins generated quite a bit of interest in how Audio Visual presentations are made and what software is needed to make them.

Here are a few links to the various software mentioned:
PicturesToExe http://www.wnsoft.com/
ProShow Gold http://www.photodex.com/
Wings HERE
Audacity http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
Audition http://www.adobe.com/products/audition/

Audio Visual Presentations, Tuesday 22nd January

Barbara Mullins will be presenting some of her Audio Visual work on Tuesday night, and also some internationally award winning AVs. It will be an entertaining evening, not to be missed.

First meeting for 2008, Tuesday 15th January

The first meeting for 2008 will be on Tuesday 15th January, starting at 8 pm. Members are encouraged to bring holiday photos to show or images they have been working on over the holiday break.

Members will also have the opportunity to nominate which grade they would like to enter in the competitions for 2008. This is especially important for those who wish to enter in the digital competitions, which will be trialling a 2 grade system this year.

Keith Seidel will also replay the 2007 End of Year Digital Images Presentation.

Caroline Fisher's Photo Workshop

Caroline Fisher visited our club last year and showed us her Moroccan images. She runs workshops which are very well organised, and only has a small group so that there is plenty of time for one-on-one instruction.

The next photo workshop will be held on Sunday 10th Feb. 2008. It will be a water, dusk, sunset, night workshop (long time exp) @ Hallet Cove beach. Starting at 4pm and finishing at 10pm. Cost : $150.00. For more information email Caroline - her contact details are on her website here.