may competition - people with animalsfiles.meetup.com › 1381309 › april 2013 exposure...

Southeastern Photographic Society Page:

April 2013 www.spsatlanta.org

Our Next Monthly Meeting is May 3, 2013

May Competition - People With Animals We’ve had themes with people and we’ve had themes with animals. This month we want you to combine the two –

portraits of people interacting with animals (domestic, wild, or captive).

Page April Digital Winners 2 April Color Print Winners 3 April Black and White Print 4 Winners May Guest Speaker and 5 Judge Meet –A-Member 5 Getting Off Auto: Manual, 6 Aperture, and Shutter Priority Explained Procedures for Digital 10 Submission Image Sizing 2013 Competition Themes 11 SPS Board and Contact 12 Information

Passing It On by Mike Boatright

My dad passed away 25 years ago this month. James Virgil Boatright (Jim) studied journalism at the University of Oklahoma and shot OU football games for four years in the 1950’s using a Speed Graphic 4x5 Press Camera. After getting his degree, he shot professionally as a staff photographer for the Tulsa World for about five years, then for the Jerry Cornelius Studio in Tulsa for a couple

of more years before going into advertising.

In July, 1969, when I was 10, Dad set his Speed Graphic up in front of the (black and white) television for the better part of a week and made a handful of shots documenting the Apollo 11 mission and man walking on the moon. One of my most cherished possessions, today, is a

spiral bound book of 4x5 contact prints of those images.

Somewhere around 1971, Dad taught me photography and during my teenage years, we had a darkroom where none of the girls (my mom and my sisters) were allowed. Mom was a painter, my sister, Vicki, is a struggling professional artist, and my Aunt Marie studied at the Sorbonne in Paris and taught Art History at the University of Vermont for many years (she was, at one time, seen as an expert and could authenticate a Dutch

Masters painting).

The whole family was a bunch of artists, but not dad and me—we were photographers! Fortunately, very few of my images from my adolescence exist

any more!

(continued on page 9)

Jim Boatright

“Interference” by Jim Boatright

http://www.spsatlanta.org

Southeastern Photographic Society Page: 2

Digital Winners April 2013

Theme – Macro Judge - David Akoubian

It’s a small world after all…show it to us! Macro photography magnifies a world that’s usually too small to be noticed

by most people and makes the tiniest details big and bold. These images do require the use of a Macro lens (and/or

extension tubes) to get really close to your unusual subject.

1st– Jeff Milsteen “Clash”

2nd – Karen Sapsis “Untitled”

3rd – Josh Earhart “Insect Project #1”

HM – Mary McGinn “Graphex”

4th – Ken Ross “Luminous Spring”

HM – Jim Morgenthaler “Resistance is Futile


Color Print Winners April 2013





1st– Jim Morganthaler “Close in Time”

4th– Jack Martin “Stolen Flower”

2nd– Harriett Dye “On the Level”

3rd – Barbara Stevenson “Splendor in Death”

HM– Catherine Costolo “Day Dream”

HM– Jeff Milsteen “The Red Planet”


Black and White Print Winners April 2013





3rd– John Razza “Contours” 4th – Harriett Dye

“Untitled”

1st – Jeff Milsteen “Suspended Animation”

HM – Catherine Costolo “Grace”

HM – Mary McGinn “Blades”

2nd – Carl Fredrickson “Nuts and Bolts”


Meet-A-Member: Catherine Costolo

1.Where do you live in Atlanta? I have lived in Sandy Springs for 25 years.

2.What is your profession? Many years ago I taught Spanish at a local private

school and since 1998 I have been a Mary Kay Beauty Consultant.

3.How long have you been a member of SPS? I am not certain what year I

joined SPS but it was probably around 1980

4. How long have you been into photography, and how did you get started? Because I had always been interested in photography I began studying at the Southeastern Center For The Arts which was started by Neil Chaput. I believe that was in 1979 and I spent several years taking courses from Neil and other

professional photographers.

5. Tell us about your equipment. My first camera was a Canon AE1 and later I used a Canon F1 which was the top of the line back then. I also have an old Hasselblad and a Wista 4X5 field camera. I shot a lot of black and white negatives with those two cameras. Now I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark lll. With this camera I can shoot multiple

exposures in camera and that adds to the creative possibilities.


May Speaker and Judge May’s Presenter and Judge, Philip Grossman, is a photographer with a natural talent for capturing unique landscapes and architectural scenes. His training in illumination engineering allows him to focus on both the process and the product, both equally important to Philip. His extensive research and preparation to determine appropriate lighting perspectives – be it natural or manmade, depending on the purpose of the photograph – yield photographs that seem organic and effortless. Philip Grossman is both a photographer and an adventurer, spending four days in the Chernobyl exclusion zone and getting unprecedented access to explore 29 separate locations including rare access to the control room of Reactor #4 - AMA. (For more information about Phil's

Chernobyl photographs, see:

www.reddit.com/r/chernobyl/comments/)

Philip’s presentation is entitled "500,000 Voices," illustrating the aftermath of mankind's worst nuclear accident and the subsequent 25 years. The title references the over 500,000 individuals who participated in the cleanup processes of Chernobyl, Pripyat, and the surrounding communities. Philip’s images provide a view into the tragedy by engaging the viewer to imagine being a liquidator through examining the chaotic results of the emotional task of removing the belongings of the city and its residents. The collection consists of over 300 images from 29 locations throughout the Chernobyl Zone of Exclusion, including several rare photos inside the control room of reactor

number 4, the catalyst of the accident.

Having grown up with parents in medical and artistic fields, Philip Grossman managed to land somewhere in the middle. He attended the University of Colorado and received two degrees, BA’s in Architectural Civil Engineering and Illumination Engineering. He received his MBA at the University of Georgia with a concentration in Marketing Technology. Philip’s business savvy, coupled with his innate talent for capturing unique architectural and landscape

scenes, makes him a well-rounded and skilled photographer.

He has incredible creative talent, but is capable of taking it one step further with his background in illumination engineering. According to Philip, it’s just as much about the process as it is the product. He does extensive pre-work to determine the different lighting perspectives, depending on what the photograph is being used for. He loves capturing a scene instantly and then manipulating it accordingly, hence his ability to stir new feelings and emotions

for the viewer in each photo.

http://www.reddit.com/r/chernobyl/comments/12ax7b/i_am_philip_grossman_photographer_and_adventurer/)


Getting Off Auto—Manual, Aperture, and Shutter Priority Modes

Explained You may have heard that once you get a DSLR you need to learn to shoot in manual and only ever use that mode. That if you are using the Aperture or Shutter Priority you’re cheating and if you want to be more like a pro you have to shoot in Manual only, all the time. To that I say “horse pucky”! (if you’re old enough to remember M.A.S.H. you’ll get that reference). What you’ll learn from this article:

what each of the A (Av), S (Tv) and M modes are, a definition of each

what types of situations I would choose each of them and why

some advantages of A (Av) and S (Tv) over manual

some advantages of Manual and when it’s the only choice

some things to look out for The three manual shooting modes what are they?

1. Manual mode: this mode puts you in full control of the three settings on your camera that control the exposure (commonly known as the exposure triangle). ISO, aperture and shutter speed. In manual you will be making all of those choices.

2. Aperture priority: (A on Nikon, Av on Canon) this mode has you in control of two of the three exposure controls: ISO and aperture. The camera will select an appropriate shutter speed to give you a correct exposure.

3. Shutter priority: (S on Nikon, Tv on Canon) this mode once again puts you in control of two of the three exposure settings, this time it is ISO and shutter speed. The camera will select the aperture for a correct exposure.

There are of course other factors involved that will affect the exposure such as what Metering Mode you’re using and Exposure Compensation. More on the latter later.

I actually use the Aperture and Shutter priority modes more often than I use Manual. How I decide which mode to use is based on my subject matter and what is my goal of the image as follows: I choose Aperture Mode when I want to control depth of field (DoF) as my top priority. Such as to create shallow DoF for a portrait, people photos, or any time I want a blurred background (choose a large aperture like f2.8 or f1.8). That also applies if I want a larger DoF as well such as for a landscape photo, group portraits, or shots where I want maximum detail and sharpness (choose a smaller aperture like f11 or smaller) I choose Shutter Mode when my top priority

is controlling motion, either freezing or blurry it. So freezing for subjects like sports or action and I will choose a faster shutter speed such as 1/500th or faster depending on the subject. Subjects like flowing water, waterfalls, or panning a moving subject I will select a slower shutter speed like 1/15th for panning and 2-5 seconds for flowing water. (for more on this topic read my article Using Shutter Speed to Freeze or Blur Motion)


Shot in Aperture mode to control Depth of Field



Explained I switch to Manual Mode in a few specific instances: doing a portrait where the subject is not moving; night photography; pretty much any time I’m using a tripod; doing HDR bracketed exposures (even though my camera does 7 on AEB I still use Manual when on tripod); when using studio lighting; certain times when using a speedlight

(such as working in a dark room and I want to maintain some ambient light levels)

Here’s some example images taken with each of the modes as explained above.

ISO: Remember that when you select either A or S mode you are still choosing the ISO I usually select my ISO first, based on the lighting conditions I’m shooting in. If it’s bright sunlight I go to 100 or 200. If it’s subdued light, shade or overcast I might bump it up to 400. For indoors or dimly lit rooms I may go to 800 or higher up to 3200 if necessary (you need to test to know the upper limits of your ISO and where you’re comfortable shooting with your camera, mine will yield pretty decent results even at 6400 and beyond). How I know I’ve gone high enough with the ISO, is if I have a fast enough shutter speed to eliminate camera shake when hand holding. If I’m on a tripod, I’m usually shooting a ISO 100 or 200 because I can use any shutter speed safely.

Check your shutter speed when in A mode Just because the camera is picking the shutter speed does not mean it will give you a nice sharp image. Yes it will choose a shutter speed to give you the correct exposure, but if you set up your camera for ISO 100 at f16 in dark room you’ll wind up with a pretty slow shutter speed like 1/2 of a second perhaps, and without a tripod you’ll get blur from camera shake.So keep your eye on the shutter sped the camera is picking and if it is too slow (I suggest you follow the 1/focal length rule for minimum shutter speed – for more on getting sharp images read my article 5 tips for Getting Sharper Images) readjust the ISO, the aperture or both – picking a higher ISO will help, so will choosing a larger aperture like f4 as that will let the camera pick a faster corresponding shutter speed.


Shot in Aperture mode to control Depth of Field Shot using Shutter Priority to use a panning

technique and slow shutter speed

Shot in manual mode for night photography challenges

http://digital-photography-school.com/5-tips-to-for-getting-sharper-images

http://digital-photography-school.com/5-tips-to-for-getting-sharper-images



Explained Watch for exposure warning notices in A or S modes Your camera is pretty smart but it can only work within its own limitations. So it will tell you if you’ve gone outside that boundaries of what it can adjust for you. This will show up as a flashing warning in your viewfinder. I’ll give you an example for both Aperture and Shutter modes. Scenario #1 in Aperture mode if you choose say ISO 800, F1.8 on a bright sunny day the camera will tell you there is simply too much light and give you a flashing shutter speed (your fastest) like 1/4000th of a second. If you take the photo it will be overexposed which is what the camera is warning you above. Choose a lower ISO or smaller aperture and try again until the warning is gone.

Scenario #2 in shutter mode in a darkened room with settings of ISO 400 and 1/1000th of a second you will likely get a flashing aperture shown in your viewfinder (the largest your lens goes to such as f3.5 or f5.6). To correct this you need to choose a slower shutter speed and likely a larger ISO as well until that warning disappears. Side note: this is why kit lenses with a maximum aperture zoomed in of f5.6 become somewhat limiting. Grab yourself a simple 50mm f1.8 for low light conditions, it’s an inexpensive great lens to have in your bag.

Exposure compensation in Manual There is often confusion among students about using Exposure Compensation when in Manual mode. This behaves differently depending in the camera you have, in Canons for example it just doesn’t apply, as it is has no affect. When using a Nikon if you shift the Exposure Compensation to say +2 what it does it adjusts the scale you see in your viewfinder to reflect that so if you then set the exposure to match the “0″ mark it will give you a +2 exposure. I’d personally find that even more confusing, so if you want +2 just set your exposure in Manual so that it shows +2 on the scale. Summary: Steps I use are these:

1. choose ISO first

2. decide whether motion or depth of field are most important and choose my shooting mode

3. set my shutter speed or aperture for the results I want

4. check for warnings and slow shutter speeds

5. review image and correct as necessary The preceding article was written by Darlene Hildebrandt for Digital Photography School. The complete article can be found at digital-photography-school.com/getting-off-auto-manual-aperture-and-shutter-priority-modes-explained

Thanks to Carl Fredrickson for passing on the article .

Multiple bracketed exposures using Manual for HDR processing taken during my Drumheller Workshop

Painting with Light during night photography on my Drumheller workshop

digital-photography-school.com/getting-off-auto-manual-aperture-and-shutter-priority-modes-explained

http://www.herviewphotography.com/photo-travel-tours/photography-workshop-drumheller-alberta

http://www.herviewphotography.com/photo-travel-tours/photography-workshop-drumheller-alberta


Passing It On by Mike Boatright (continued)

The Speed Graphic is long gone, but I do have Dad’s Rollieflex twin-lens reflex, medium format camera that I occasionally still use. It is kind of fun, on a rainy Sunday afternoon to develop film in the kitchen sink (I load the film into a light-tight developing tank in closet that I’ve stapled strips of felt around the doorframe to make light-tight). You know, there is still magic in waiting four minutes for the fixer to finish and then pop open the tank and find that there are images there! Takes me back to my childhood and the hours that Dad and I spend in the red light. The Southeastern Photographic Society lost two stalwart members this past month—Rose Marie DeWitt and Justus Baird. As you get older, you should, I guess, become accustomed to losing friends, but it still makes me sad to think that neither will be making images any longer, nor charming us with their wit and insights into the world. One of the things that I love about SPS is our eclectic mix of ages, professions, skill, talent, and interests. Side-by-side, we learn as we teach and we learn as others share their experiences with us. Photography is alive and vibrant! It was kind of cool to sit in a workshop recently next to a 15-year old young woman, who in three years had become a better photographer than nearly everyone else in the room! Have you mentored a young person lately? It will change you (and your photography) forever! It is amazing to think about where photography has come in the past 150-200 years, but also exciting to think about where it will go in the future. If I’ve personally learned anything about photography in the past 40 some-odd years, it is that it is indeed an art—one of many ways that human beings express and share their souls and imaginations with each other as we live out our lives on this island planet we call home.

Meet-A-Member: Catherine Costolo (continued)

6. What is your favorite subject/what inspires you? I love photographing nature so I find inspiration everywhere I go. Close-uo and macro photography are favorites and I have begun doing these at home. I look for interesting

flowers in the grocery store and unique objects around the house.

7. If you do your own post-production work, what software are you using? Name any post processing soft-

ware and I probably have it. Photoshop, Lightroom, Nik, Topaz, Onone……I have used them all.

8. Do you do your own printing? What type of printer do you use? My printers are an Epson 3800 and an Epson 3880. I use the 3800 for color prints and the 3880 is filled with Piezography inks from Jon Cone for black and white prints. I have been trying to learn how to make digital negatives because I would love to do palladium printing. This involves coating a sheet of paper with chemicals and exposing it in a UV printer. That is followed by

development, clearing, and finally a water wash in trays. It is a return to the darkroom but is done with the lights on.

9. Anything else you'd like to share about yourself or your photography? What a wonderful creative outlet

photography has been for me and many special friendships have come about because of it.


Procedure for Digital Submission Image Sizing

Our projector supports 1080p, meaning its resolution

is 1920 x 1080 pixels.

Aspect Ratio Change

Aspect ratio refers to the ratio between width and height. The 35mm / APS-C size all of our standard cameras produce is 1.5 : 1, meaning the width is one

and a half times the height.

Our projector’s aspect ratio is 1.77 : 1. Your image will have to be cropped a bit top and bottom or display

some black borders.

Sizing your image un-cropped

If you want to display your image un-cropped, size it so that it fits within the 1920x1080 projector dimen-

sions. Both horizontal and vertical images will show some black margin on the sides.

Photoshop

In Photoshop, for both horizontal and vertical images set the height to 1080 and allow the width to size automatically (it should end up around 1624 for horizontal and 718 for verti-

cal). The projector will have empty black space left and right.

Lightroom

In Lightroom, set the Export Image Sizing to 1920x1080. These are constraints, so Lightroom will automatically size the image without cropping to fit in these

dimensions

Submission

Submissions are due no later than 9:00 PM on the Thursday before the monthly meeting. Email your images to [email protected]. If you’ll enter “competition” or “submission” in the subject line, you’ll get

an automated acknowledgement of receipt of your image.

mailto:[email protected]


2013 Competition Themes

January - Open The Open competition allows photographers to enter their best work on any subject. The image must have been

taken within the past 12 months so anytime in 2012 will qualify.

February – Landscape The subject for this theme should be a natural outdoor setting showing an expansive point of view. Grand vistas

with few (if any) man-made objects are what we’re looking for.

March – Retro Go old school and create an image that evokes a bygone era when life was simpler. This challenge is capture the

“feel” of a moment that suggests a scene from the 1930s, 40s, 50s, or 60s (or earlier if you like). This could be a

scene with a classic car, a model in period costume, or anything that puts the viewer in that time and place.

April – Macro It’s a small world after all…show it to us! Macro photography magnifies a world that’s usually too small to be noticed



May – People with animals We’ve had themes with people and we’ve had themes with animals. This month we want you to combine the two –

portraits of people interacting with animals (domestic, wild, or captive).

June – Rain This is such a great theme – show us your interpretation of “rain”. This can involve nearly any subject matter but

must focus on rain as the primary theme and subject of the image. Falling rain, rain in puddles, singing in the rain…

use your imagination!

July – Architecture These images should highlight architecture (man-made structures) as the primary subject. Images of whole struc-

tures (buildings, bridges, etc.) or of architectural details are typical.

August – On the street Another great interpretive theme, here we’re looking for your “street” images. This may be involve things moving

along streets, city views from street level, or even portraiture involving “street people”.

September – Wheels Big wheels, little wheels, rolling on wheels, things with wheels – show us how you wheelie feel about this one!

October – Travel The primary criterion here is that the image must give the viewer a sense of place outside of Atlanta. This might be

someplace out in the country [near Atlanta] or some far away land. Take us there.

November – Still life [VINTAGE] Still Life is a classic style in nearly all forms of media art. Show us your take using your personal style. Image may

be older than 12 months (no limit – Vintage category).

December - Member’s Choice It’s that time again – members get to choose from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-place winners from the previous 11 months

of Digital, Color Print, and B&W Print categories and vote for their favorite!


Exposure Notes Published monthly by the Southeastern Photographic

Society P. O. Box 49646, Atlanta, GA 30359.

Newsletter Submittals: Information and articles for the newsletter should be submitted one week prior to the meeting date. Articles should be sent electronically to Josh Earhart at

the email address above (please no .pdf documents).

Meeting Location: The Southeastern Photographic Society (SPS) normally meets in the Fellowship Hall of Briarcliff Bap-tist Church, 3039 Briarcliff Road, on the first Friday of each

month at 7:30 PM.

Directions: Take the Clairmont Road exit from I-85. Go south on Clairmont Road toward Decatur/Emory. At first light, turn right onto Briarcliff Road. Take the first left past the QT sta-tion and the wrought iron fence. This is the driveway to the church parking lot closest to the entrance for the meeting. An awning labeled 7'6" CLEAR covers the entrance to the hall

2013 Committee Chairs

Competitions

Ray Davis [email protected]

Facilities

Charles Pinckney [email protected].

Programs

Jack Martin [email protected]

Membership

Stephanie Earhart [email protected]

Communications

Josh Earhart [email protected]

2013 Officers President

Mike Boatright [email protected]

Vice President

Cherie Truesdell [email protected]

Secretary

Stan Kalisch [email protected]

Treasurer

Elton Saulsberry [email protected]

Past President

Ken Ross [email protected]












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