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Through The Lens
Cheyenne Camera Club
CheyenneWyoming
December2017
From The President
Hello shooters! We are mid swing with the holidays and hopefully our winter wonderland will be gracing us with another year of winter photo ops. For some reason I have failed to take advantage of great opportunities that winter has to offer us for photo ops.
So this year I challenged myself to get that winter shot we look for. What does that mean? Well it means get yourself out there! For me I am my own worse enemy. Seems my own winter is tied to something else that takes up my time. But this year I want to get out with you guys and shoot a winter scene, so be ready as I put something together for us!
I also wanted to touch on our coffee breaks. We have only had two but the turnout and fellowship on those
have been truely amazing! That is what it’s all about, not the photos, or the food we eat, but the fellowship we share. So I want to thank all of you for kicking that little aspect off with again amazing results. We will continue to do that and actually get some photos in on one or two of them!
With that I hope that your holiday plans are plenty and your photo opportunities are abundant! So stay focused and stay behind the lens.....
Paul
Club Meetings
Camera Club meetings are held the first and third Thursdays of each month at 6:00 PM in the Pub Room (second floor above the east entrance) at the Primrose Retirement Center on Dorothy Lane at Powderhouse Road in The Point Subdivision.
ThuDec 7 Contest: Football(FB)
Thu Dec 21 Christmas Party
Thu Jan 4 Education Program
Thu Jan 18 Contest: Wildlife (WL) Non-captive mammal
Thu Feb 1 Contest – Clouds (CL)
Thu Feb 1 Cheyenne Parks and Rec Reception
Thu Feb 15 Annual Awards Program and Potluck
Upcoming Events
CCC Christmas Party
The Cheyenne Camera Club Christmas Party is December 21 at our normal meeting location beginning at 6:00. Bring your own service (plates, silverware) and drinks. Families are welcome. This year will be a chili potluck dinner. Brew up your favorite chili for this event.
Upcoming Shows and Contests
There are a number of annual shows and contests in Cheyenne that include photography. Here is a list of upcoming shows. No specifics are included, only the month the show is held. More details will be available as they come out.
CAG Tony James Memorial Photo Show – January 2018
Cheyenne Parks and Rec Show – February 2018
Marilyn, Linda, and Friends Show – March 2018
Keep these shows in mind as you are out photographing.
Cheyenne Artists Guild Tony James Photography Show
The Cheyenne Artists Guild Photography Show is now named the Tony James Memorial Photography Show in honor of their former member Tony James. The show is being held January 2018. The categories are Black and White, Macro, Abstract, and Nature. Up to three images can be entered. Best of Show will be awarded $75. CAG members cost is $8 per entry or three for $20. Non-member costs are $10 or three for $25. Dates to submit your entries are December 1 - December 14. (The Guild is closed December 16 – January 2.)
Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Show
The Cheyenne Parks and Recreation Show will be held during February 2018. The theme for this year’s show is “Take Your Best Shot”. The divisions are 18 & Under, Amateur, Intermediate, and Professional. Contest entry is limited to Laramie County residents.
Registration is January 22 – 26 at the Kiwanis Community House in Lions Park, a change of location from previous years. Entry fee is $5 for one image and $10 for three images with a limit of three entries. Entries are to be turned in to the Civic Center on January 30 from 10:00am – 5:00pm.
What’s Happening
What Have You Been Up To? Program
A new program has been implemented at the camera club meetings. The name of the program is “What have you been up to?”. The purpose is for members to share what they have been doing with photography during the previous month, either in images they have shot or what they have been doing with an image in the computer. If you want to participate, submit up to two images to Pete at rior to the meeting.
CCC Morning Coffee Meetings
The camera club has started a morning coffee meeting at the Barnes and Noble Starbucks coffee shop. This is an informal get together for folks to meet and talk over a cup of coffee. The meeting time is 9:00am and will be held the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. Come and join your fellow photographers for fun and relaxation.
New Judging Process for Club Meetings
After discussion at the planning meeting,a new system for judging was implemented in September.Each member present will be given a judging sheet. The judging will begin with a critique of each image with attention to specifics such as composition, technique, etc. Each member will have time during this discussion to decide on their scoring. In this process everyone has the opportunity to get involved and sharpen their judging skills. At the end of the competition, the sheets will be collected and the results compiled in a spread sheet. Each judging session will have a moderator to make sure we keep the discussion on track about the quality of each image.
RSVP Artfest Winners
The 19th Annual RSVP Artfest was held at the County Library during November and December. The following club members earned awards in the show.
Photography
Best of Show – Allen Bird – Waves of Winter
2nd Place Wildlife – Mary Angell – Bedraggled Hawk
1st Place Creative – Linda Williams – Windy Shadow
2nd Place Creative – Lon Phau – Look Up
3rd Place Creative – Tim Leberman – Granny’s Hurricane Lamp
2nd Place Scenic – Fern White – Steel Truss Bridge
3rd Place Scenic – Edwin Carlson – Frosted Trees
Artwork
Best of Show – Vanda Edington – Abandoned
2nd Place – Acrylic – Chuck White
3rd Place Pastel – Vanda Edington – Fresh Market Deux
Congratulations to all the winners and to all the entrants into this show.
New Contest Entry Sizing
The camera club has implemented new sizing for the photographs entered into our contests. The new sizes are double the previous image sizes. The horizontal size should be no larger than 2048 pixels. The vertical size limit is 1536 pixels.
Club Members Website Pages
Cheyenne Camera Club members have the opportunity to have images posted on their own web page in the Cheyenne Camera Club’s website. Edwin is developing a photo page for those club members who would like to be included in this opportunity. If you want to participate, send Edwin seven images to be included in your webpage. He will set up your own personal page.
CCC 2017 Scavenger Hunt
The Scavenger Hunt this year was a huge success. Twenty-three members entered 157 entries in ten categories. Sixteen of the individual members who entered placed in a category, an excellent distribution of winning entries among everyone. Way to go folks.
The Scavenger Huntwinners are listed in the Contest Winners Section.
Hand Held Steadiness
Larger and longer telephoto lenses will proportionally increase the risk of camera shake when you are using them hand held with no tripod. You need to take extra care when shooting with these lenses if you want sharp images.
Image stabilization offers a major benefit toward accomplishing steady hand held shots. This is especially true at slower shutter speeds though it is beneficial at all speeds. Even with using image stabilization, good hand holding techniques will contribute to sharp images. Take a steady stance – feet slightly apart, back straight, and support the lens with your left hand under the lens. When you are ready to fire the shutter, exhale so your body is relaxed. Then squeeze the shutter, don’t jab at it.
Use some other support such as a wall, post, tree, anything you can rest the lens on to support it. Kneel down on one knee and support the camera and lens with your elbow on the other knee. Sit on the ground with your elbows on both your knees for additional support.
Don’t forget about the “rule” for shooting hand held. Shoot at a shutter speed equal to or greater than the reciprocal of your effective lens focal length. If shooting at 200mm, use a shutter speed of 1/200 or greater. The advent of image stabilization in cameras and lenses has helped to get around this rule though still advisable.
Using good hand holding techniques will improve the steadiness of your camera and help in achieving sharp images.
Camera Shake
Many photographers do not realize that camera shake, and thus unsharp images, is caused by two actions that start before the image is even taken. The first is when the shutter is pressed. This will introduce movement into the camera. The second is caused by the action of the mirror flipping up when the exposure starts. There are techniques you can use to eliminate these problems.
Use a remote release to fire the shutter. Most cameras today will accept a remote release, either an electrical release or an infrared release. These releases eliminate the need to push down on the shutter button.
Use the self timer in the camera. Obviously this does not work with moving subjects, but is an excellent option for landscapes and still subjects. Whether you use the two second or the ten second option, both provide enough time for any camera vibration to stop.
Vibrations caused by the mirror flipping up can be eliminated by using the mirror lock if your camera has it. It works by locking the mirror up prior to the shutter being tripped to avoid this source of vibration. This is not a problem with mirror-less cameras.
Bean Bag It
A tripod is not necessarily the best support to use when photographing landscapes. This is especially true when using longer lenses in excess of 200mm. This is doubly especially true when shooting out in the Wyoming wind. A large bean bag can do better in supporting longer lenses by supporting the entire length of the lens. It will help eliminate vibrations caused by the shutter vibration (below 1/125), mirror slap, pushing on the shutter button, and those introduced by the wind blowing on your system. Fill the bean bag with sand, grain, rice, beans, or anything that will support the camera and lens. In use, lay the bean bag on a supportive surface and snuggle the camera and lens into the bag. Adjust the snuggle until you get the view you want through the lens. The tripod head is normally the weakest link when supporting long lenses, so improve your technique and use a bean bag.
Sharp Image Technique
Optimally, use the best technique to obtain the sharpest image. Use a good solid tripod and head. Do not raise the center post. Optionally, use a good bean bag. Step the aperture down a couple of stops from its widest setting. Do not use apertures greater f/16. Turn off the image vibration option on the lens. Raise the mirror. Use a shutter release or the self timer.
Contest Winners
2017 Scavenger Hunt Winners
Scavenger Hunt Overall Winners
1st - Kim Sharples
2nd - Pete Arnold
3rd - Edwin Carlson
HM - Fern White
Fall Colors
1st -Fern White
2nd - Farris Vrbas
3rd - Chuck White
HM - Linda Williams
Farm/Ranch
1st - Kim Sharples
2nd - Farris Vrbas
3rd - Chuck White
HM - Fern White
Insects
1st - Fern White
2nd -Pete Arnold
3rd - Kim Sharples
HM - Chuck White
Oil/Water
1st - Susan Janke
2nd - Edwin Carlson
3rd - Kim Sharples
HM - Carol Sutherland
Pets
1st - Kim Sharples
2nd - Alicia Vrbas
2nd -Mike Whitmore
3rd - Susan Janke
HM - Carol Sutherland
Shadows
1st - Edwin Carlson
2nd - Linda Williams
3rd - Pete Arnold
HM - Judy Myers
Signs
1st - Edwin Carlson
2nd - Judy Myers
3rd - Kim Sharples
HM - Farris Vrbas
Street lamps/lights
1st - Pete Arnold
2nd - Judy Myers
3rd - Fern White
HM - Allen Bird
Waterfalls
1st - Allen Bird
2nd - Diane Egge
2nd - Lon Pfau
3rd - Chuck White
3rd - Kim Sharples
HM - Carol Sutherland
HM - Mike Whitmore
Wildlife
1st - Pete Arnold
2nd - Chuck White
3rd - Don Edington
HM - Carol Sutherland
Parting Shot
The best way to learn photography is out with your camera.
Edwin Carlson – TTLEditor
2017 CHEYENNE CAMERA CLUB 2018
Beginner - Amateur - Advanced
Meeting Nights: 1st and 3rd Thursday each month at 6:00pm in “The Pub”, Primrose Retirement Dues: $20.00/individual; $25.00/family Center 1530 Dorothy Lane
Contest Entry: Digital entries: deliver to Pete Arnold by Sunday preceding the contest at
2017 Outings and Club shoots tba – as volunteer leader steps forward to organize one
September 7Program: Macro Photography
September 21Contest: macro (MA)
October 5 Education
October 19 Contest: landscape – mountains (MT) – (hand of man ok)
October 22 Scavenger Hunt deadline
November 2 Scavenger Hunt judging
November 16 Education
December 7 Contest: Football (FB)
December 21 Christmas party
January 4 Education
January 18 Contest: wildlife (WL) – non-captive mammal
February 1 Contest: Clouds (CL)
February 15 Annual Awards Dinner
TBA Parks & Rec photo contest reception
March 1 Education
March 15 Contest: Scenic – moving water (MW) – (no hand of man)
April 5 Education
April 19 Contest: reflection(s)
May 3 Election of officers
Contest: pictorial – pick a subject
May 17 Contest: Creative (CR) homemade filter/modification between subject & camera. (Use name of filter in the title of image)
June 2 Planning meeting (Saturday)
President: Paul Bobemoyer (638-9266 or 256-6695) Program/Contest: Judy Berkley (634-0357)
Vice President: Judy Myers (421-0018) Education: Pete Arnold (634-8077)
Secretary: Judy Berkley (634-0357) Treasurer: Gerry Lancaster (634-5320)
Cheyenne Camera Club Contest Rules, June 2017
The purpose of contests is to promote active interest in better photography among members of Cheyenne Camera Club.
A. BASIC ENTRY REQUIREMENTS 1. The contests are open to all members in good standing. (i.e. dues paid up to date.)
2. Submit an index card with entries listing maker, entry titles and categories.
B. TYPES OF CONTESTS
1.Nature: Nature photography embraces the entire physical natural world, a field that extends from a single drop of water to an entire landscape, from sea to sky. Nature photographs are restricted to nature in all its forms including the many facets botany, geology, and zoology. All acts of nature are included. There must be no evidence of the influence of man in your subject matter. The influence of man is considered to be present in subject matter such as a cultivated flower/flowers and domestic animals.
Nature contests are divided into two categories: Nature wildlife (animals) and Nature scenic (no animals)
2.Pictorial: Pictorial can be anything including nature as long as it meets the basic entry requirements.
3.Photo-journalism: Photo-journalism can be considered as picturing “life in our world.” The predominant theme is “humans and their environment.” The subjects may include spot news, sports, dramatic events or commonplace human-interest happenings – items that would be seen in a newspaper, for instance. The photographs must tell a story. Good titles or captions are mandatory and are part of the judging process.
4.Assigned subject: From time to time special subjects or topics will be assigned for a given contest.
C. ENTRY RULES
1. The contest season will be from January 1 through December 31 to be eligible for the annual awards.
2. Entrants must be current members of the Cheyenne Camera Club.
3. Each entrant may enter two images in each contest category unless otherwise announced.
4. Award-winning images from previous camera club contests may not be re-submitted for intra-club competition at any time. Ribbons or certificates will be awarded for the annual awards only.
5. Images must have been taken by the entrant within the previous five years before the competition submission.
6. The above rules governing classes and eligibility will apply in the annual awards contest, except that an entry must have “placed” first, second, third or honorable mention in a regular intra-club contest or scavenger hunt during the contest season. The annual awards contest will be held at the second meeting in February.
7. The following descriptions were adopted by the club members by ballot vote:
Pictorial, and assigned topics: Alterations allowed. Please see list under digital guidelines.
Creative: Anything goes–any alterations allowed.
All other photos (nature and pj): should accurately reflect the subject matter and the scene as it appeared in the viewfinder. Nothing should be added to an image and aside from minor dust spots, nothing can be taken away. Cropping and minor adjustments to color and contrast are acceptable.
Nature: No computer manipulations or enhancements are allowed in Nature. Elements in the picture cannot be moved, cloned, added, deleted, rearranged or combined. The following adjustments are permitted: resizing, cropping, selective lightening or darkening, and restoration of original color of the scene.
Photojournalism: In the interest of credibility, photos should represent the truth, with no manipulation to alter the subject matter, or situations which are set up for the purpose of photography (as is published in newspapers).
D. JUDGING RULES
1. On the night of each contest, the Presiding Officer will choose from among the members and guests, three persons that he/she feels will be qualified to do the job adequately.
2. Each judge will award points (from 1 to 9), giving consideration to each of the following 3 categories:
a. TECHNIQUE – clear subject, proper exposure, focus, lighting.