Category Archives: Meeting Notes

April 2, 2018 meeting notes

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Sixteen people attended the Dubuque Camera Club meeting on April 2, 2018. We were happy to say hello again to new member Julie Johnson. Remember, all tri-state area photography enthusiasts are welcome to attend our regular club meetings! We meet twice a month, September through May, at E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center in the Mines of Spain.

Club President Ron Tigges led a planning discussion for the 2018-19 season. The goal is to challenge both beginners and experienced photographers. “I’d like to see more hands-on interaction or workshops we could do as a group,” he said. “The club is for people to learn, to share, and to get feedback from others.”

Here’s the tentative meeting ideas we came up with for next season:

  • Macro night.
  • Creative night. “We’ll use the lab downstairs and make a mess down there,” said Ron.  It can be oil & water or anything using water. Look on the internet and bring your ideas.
  • Post-processing.  This would be similar to the presentation on Photoshop techniques that we enjoyed in January.
  • Night photography. This would be an offsite club night. We would meet somewhere else to take photos. Weather dependent.
  • 3 judging meetings. Our club has committed to judging the N4C competition three times next season: 
    • September 17, 2018 – Judging Digital Pictorial
    • February 2019 – Judging Digital Black and White
    • April 2019 – Judging Digital Travel

N4C competition. Remember, the resolution size for competition submissions has increased to 1920 pixels on the longest side. File size is still limited to no more than 500KB.  If a photo receives a first, second, third, or merit award, it must be retired. Photos receiving an honorable mention may be resubmitted.  A photo collage that tells a story (like a three-photo filmstrip) is acceptable in the Digital Journalism category; however, longest side is still limited to 1920px. 

In Digital Travel, add the state to your filename or it may be disqualified by whatever club is judging. Even obvious landmarks (like the Statue of Liberty) run the risk of being disqualified for not having a state in the filename, so always be sure to add the state to travel submissions. For more detailed information about the monthly competition, see the N4C website.

Absent members. Sadly, two of our most experienced photographers, DeWayne and Gary, have been dealing with health issues that prevent them from attending meetings. We hope they will both be feeling better and back with us soon!

Now that Lori B. is back from her luxurious Florida vacation, we hope to also be seeing her at meetings again soon. More female representation is needed to keep the boys in line!

Dubuque Museum of Art show. We have agreed to organize an exhibit for the Dubuque Museum of Art. This will be our sixth annual exhibit at the art museum. Ron met with the curator to discuss. The tentative theme revolves around the color red. Selective (de)saturation is fine.  We will be ordering  12″x18″ metal prints.

The show will run from Sept. 22 to Nov. 4, 2018. Prints need to be delivered to the museum the week prior to the show’s opening. Club members can submit as many images as they wish, keeping in mind that prints will run about $65 apiece. Our SmugMug website will be used for photos submitted to the show.  If he is available, General Bob Felderman has been appointed as committee leader for this exhibit.

Blufftops & Visions

Thanks go out to everyone who has been generously giving their time to the Blufftops & Visions planning sessions. What a lot of exciting ideas have been tossed around! There is so much to do!!! Some committee leaders have already been named, but there are still plenty of ways to get involved.

For instance, we will need an official event photographer for the Blufftops & Visions convention. This will allow us to showcase photos in a gallery at the end of the convention. Are you interested? Naturally, everyone who attends is welcome to take pictures.

  • When you post your pictures on social media, use this hashtag: #blufftopsandvisions 
  • We also have a hashtag for the club: #dubuquecameraclub

Attend the April 16 club meeting for a brief overview of Blufftops & Visions planning, and to find out ways you can get involved.

Upcoming Events

  • Next regular club meeting: Monday, April 16 @ 6:30 p.m. Judging digital black and white.
  • Blufftops & Visions Planning Sessions: Saturday, April 7 @ Convivium. Saturday, April 14 @ Mines of Spain.
  • N4C Spring Mini-Convention will be held May 4-6 in Panora, Iowa. Find more information on the N4C website. On Sunday, May 6, mini-con attendees will hear our plans for Blufftops & Visions. [Jennifer is looking for tourism-related photos for this presentation. Email her to discuss contributing your photos].
  • The Linn Area Photo Club’s annual photography workshop is on May 19, 2018. Visit their website for more details.
  • Dubuque Camera Club Annual Potluck Picnic: June 4, 2018
  • Blufftops & Visions: Sept. 13-14-15, 2018

March 19, 2018 meeting notes

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Sixteen people attended the Dubuque Camera Club meeting on March 19, including one new member. The March 5 meeting was cancelled due to severe winter weather, so this was the first time we’ve met since February. Jennifer started the meeting with a few announcements. 

The N4C Spring Mini-Convention will be held on May 4-5-6 at St. Thomas More Center, in Panora, Iowa. Find more information on the N4C website.  On Sunday morning (May 6) at 9:00 a.m., representatives of the Dubuque Camera Club will promote Blufftops & Visions  to attendees of the mini-con with a Dubuque tourism-related slideshow.

SAVE THE DATE for Blufftops & Visions

The 62nd annual N4C convention will happen right here in Dubuque on September 13-14-15, 2018. Our club will be hosting this adventure! Workshops, photo shoots, good food, and talented photographers to learn from and meet.

We are currently finalizing the details to determine the keynote speaker(s). That information will be announced when it becomes available. To stay up-to-date, sign up for the Blufftops & Visions email list.

“We need  people to commit to that weekend,” said Jennifer. Fun activities on convention weekend will probably include a riverboat cruise on Saturday afternoon, and getting a tour INSIDE the historic Shot Tower.

Estimated ticket cost for the entire convention, including meals, will be around $199.  (This  figure could changes, and does not include lodging.) There is some discussion of a discounted price for club members, volunteers, and students. Tamron, Canon, and Hunts Photo are confirmed as vendors/presenters.

Remember, in order to make this a powerful experience, we will need financial sponsors. Ask your employer or a business that you know!

We will also need donations of small items for “swag bags.” They need to be 80 to 150 in quantity, and suitable for an out-of-town visitor. Dubuque tourism stuff or photography-related stuff would be ideal, but other items can work too.

A preliminary planning session for the September convention is tentatively scheduled for Friday, April 6. Contact Jennifer or Pamela if you are a club member and would like to attend.

The Linn Area Photo Club (LAPC) will be holding their annual day-long photography workshop on Saturday, May 19, 2018. The speaker will be Chuck Kimmerle. 

Lois and Ellie have gone to this event in the past. “It’s a nice day,” said Lois. “It’s very worthwhile.”

Location: New Covenant Bible Church, 3090 Center Point Rd., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52411. Cost is $30 for the day, including lunch.

Register Now: 2018 LAPC Annual Photography Workshop

Winning photographers

Much of the evening’s meeting was taken up by viewing returns from November 2017 and January 2018.  These photos were submitted to previous monthly N4C competitions and have been returned to our club with comments and results. 

Our club is awesome! Congratulations to the following photographers:

  • Gary Fagan
  • José García
  • Shannon Woulfe
  • Kevin McTague
  • Andreas Exner
  • Ronald Tigges
  • Jennifer Tigges
  • Kenneth Kiss
  • Lori Burrows
  • Gen. Bob Felderman

For complete results, see the winners’ galleries.

EASTER deadline. The deadline for the next round of submissions is on April Fool’s Day, aka Easter Sunday. Get your submissions in as soon as possible so our N4C reps (Cara and Ken) will have time to put them on the voting website.

Next Club Meeting: Monday, April 2, 2018 @6:30 p.m.

 

 

February 2018 Meeting Notes

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The first meeting of the month, on Feb. 5, 2018, was cancelled due to severe winter weather.  Competition submissions were made as usual. Remember, Cara and Ken are our N4C representatives, and they handle the image submission process.

Being able to submit photos to the monthly competition is one of the perks (and challenges) of Dubuque Camera Club membership. If you have questions, please attend a meeting and ask! Our more experienced members will be happy to help!

Judging Criteria
Technique: Focus, lighting, color rendition, exposure.
Composition: Arrangement of all elements within the picture area so the subject is harmonious and well-balanced.
Interest: Originality, imagination, interpretation, subject, impact, mood, humor.

Twelve people attended the meeting on Monday, February 19, 2018. The top priority on the evening’s agenda was judging the Digital Altered Reality category. There were 96 images, all of them unique, and many of them awesome!

José García, Greg Nauman, and Rick Noel served as volunteer judges. Each photo was judged on technique, composition, and interest. The DAR category showcases image manipulation, so we saw many examples of digital editing techniques. The images were of many different subjects and came from a variety of other photography clubs across the midwest.

Many comments — both helpful and critical — were offered by the group. A few of the photos were simply outstanding! Everyone who attended came away with creative ideas for our own photography.

Upcoming Meetings

  • Monday, March 5 @ 6:30 p.m.  We’ll go over N4C competition returns, and also select the new submissions. Because we judged Digital Altered Reality in February, our club can submit double (16 total images) in this category in March. Club members, send in your submissions before the meeting! The sooner the better!
  • Monday, March 19 @ 6:30 p.m. Agenda to be determined. Possibly a workshop or presentation.

January 15, 2018 Meeting Notes

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The January 15, 2018 meeting was attended by 17 people, including two new people. Welcome!

The Dubuque Bald Eagle Watch is coming up this weekend, on Saturday, January 20 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Download the Eagle Watch brochure here. Our club will have a vendor table in the Grand River Center.  Members can bring framed prints to sell. [Please contact Jennifer in advance if you plan bring something.] We will also display a slide show of member-created nature photos and will have printed copies of our 2018 brochure available. If you’d like to volunteer to represent the club, just stop down.

DeWayne has resigned as club treasurer due to health reasons, so John Leicht has stepped forward to fill the position. Ron will work with John to ensure a smooth transition.

We reviewed the January N4C competition submissions. If you’d like to take a look, they are available on our voting website. Submission to the competition is one of the perks of club membership.

Flash workshop. For the main program of the evening, club president Ron Tigges gave a presentation about flash photography and speedlights. Club members Greg Nauman and David Smethers also contributed to this informative discussion. We learned about various accessories such as gels and soft boxes. Thank you, gentlemen, for this helpful workshop!

Upcoming Meetings

  • Sat. January 20, 2018 — Dubuque Bald Eagle Watch. Our club will have a vendor table.
  • Mon. February 5, 2018 – Returns/submissions.  N4C competition submissions are due by Sunday, Feb. 4 at midnight. Get your submissions turned in early so there is time to put them on the voting website. No Digital Altered Reality submissions this month, because our club will judge that category at the next meeting.
  • Mon. February 19, 2018 – Our club will judge the Digital Altered Reality category in the N4C competition. Judging is always an enjoyably visual event. Visit the N4C winner galleries to see the type of photos that excel in this category.
What is Altered Reality Photography?
The primary distinction for the Altered Reality category is that the maker intends (and the viewer easily recognizes) that the image is not a representation of reality. The Altered Reality image must have a photographic base of the maker’s own creation. Manipulation of the basic image or images can be done in camera and/or in computer. The makers of Altered Reality images should feel free to use a wide range of tools and resources, limited only by imagination.
— Learn more about the N4C competition guidelines.

January 2, 2018 Meeting Notes

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Are you interested in joining the Dubuque Camera Club? Membership is open to anyone in the tri-state area with an interest in photography. You may complete the membership application and bring it to any club meeting.

Despite the cold weather, 16 people attended the post-processing workshop on January 2, 2018. We briefly reviewed the submissions in two categories: Digital Nature and Digital Black and White (Submissions to the other categories were not yet available).

Photographer and club member José García shared some of his Photoshop techniques on a portrait and a couple of landscape images. Some of us brought laptops, were given the image files, and tried to keep up. Jose uses Adobe Camera Raw, Raya Pro, and Nik, in addition to extensive manipulation in Photoshop.

“The key to editing is to make it natural,” he said. “We want to enhance the picture.” On portraits, he uses a variety of techniques, including masking, filters, blend modes, and the spot healing brush when needed.

“Black conceals; white reveals,” suggested Ron, about masking in Photoshop. When you’re editing an image, you have to start with a vision of what you want.

Then José combined two identical winter landscape photos. One shot was exposed for the highlights; the other for the dark tones. “It’s very important to align, because even when you are using a tripod, sometimes you can move a little bit.” He used channel masking to combine the two versions.

To shoot stunning landscapes like this, José uses a gradient filter over the camera lens. The darker color at the top of the filter makes a more dramatic sky. He also uses a polarizer to photograph reflections in water.

We have a number of excellent photographers in the club, so the audience commentary was also insighful.

For instance, General Bob pointed out that many of the tasks that were being demonstrated can be done more quickly in Lightroom.

Andreas said he prefers to work with Smart Objects in Photoshop: “When it is nondestructive, I can go back and change what I don’t like.” There have been improvements in the rendering engine, so it no longer will balloon the file size.

Ron pointed out that the Photoshop file export process has also improved: “They keep getting better and better at sampling the image and recreating data from nowhere.”

The consensus was that everybody needs to download the Nik Collection while it is still free. This software suite has just been purchased from Google by DxO.

The final recommendation of the evening’s workshop involves using RAW files. Several of the photographers in the room are fully convinced that this is important, particularly when your goal is to create beautiful prints. After all, file backups and storage have become less expensive. “If you use a compressed file, a JPG, there are many things you cannot do,” said Jose.

Thank you to José for sharing his image editing expertise!

Other news:

  • John Leicht has been appointed club treasurer. This is an important volunteer responsibility, especially with the convention coming up next year. Thank you for stepping forward!
  • Laurie Helling had a photo selected for publication in Images of 2017, a magazine which appeared in the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald on Thursday, January 4, 2018. Congratulations, Laurie!
  • A photo by Bob Felderman was selected as a third place winner in the Keep Iowa Beautiful photo contest. Here’s a news story about the contest results. Congratulations, General Bob!

Are you looking for a contest to enter? The National Audubon Society is accepting submissions for their annual photography contest. The quality of photography entered is very high. Here’s more information.

Upcoming Meetings:

  • Our next meeting will be on Monday, January 15 @6:30 p.m. The agenda will be a flash/Speedlight workshop.
  • Please visit our table at the Dubuque Bald Eagle watch on Saturday, January 20 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. A few people have volunteered. Remember, club members have the option to bring prints to sell. Contact Ron or Jennifer in advance if you plan to do so. Visit the Dubuque Audubon Society website for more details about the day’s events.

Spring Planting in Dubuque County, Iowa. This photo by Gen. Bob Felderman was awarded third place in the 2017 Keep Iowa Beautiful photo contest.