Fourteen people attended the virtual meeting of the Dubuque Camera Club on Monday, January 18th, 2021. Topic of the evening was “Creative Stuff Critique.”
Club members had been asked to submit up to three manipulated images before the meeting. Sixteen different images were submitted and posted to the club’s online gallery. The critique submissions included several before and after images. During the meeting, the club viewed and briefly discussed each image, with the photographer also sharing information about their work.
A highlight of the evening’s “Creative Stuff Critique” was an interlude when Ron demonstrated how to use Content Aware Fill in Photoshop, with General Bob serving as the remote mouse operator. Ken spoke up a couple of times to point the dynamic duo toward the right option. Amazingly, they got it done!
Photoshop has least three ways of doing content aware fill — for the most control, use the method that pops up its own panel so you can fine-tune which area of the image is used (or not used) for the fill. This technique helps photographers to expand a blank area or neatly fill in a spot after an object has been moved. Content aware fill has gotten bigger and better in recent updates, so check it out. The clone stamp tool was also briefly demonstrated at tonight’s meeting. If you missed the details, you can learn more inside Photoshop itself. Find tool tutorials simply by hovering on the tools menu.
Also at tonight’s meeting:
Kevin demonstrated, via a barn image that he had transformed from day to night, that it is possible to use brushes in Photoshop to paint stars. He got the star brush from Phlearn. Much of their stuff is for subscribers only, but they do have some free tutorials .
Lorna shared two smartphone-edited images that she altered with the help of an app called Painnt (with two Ns). To see what else this company’s apps can do, check their Instagram.
Casey, who recently had a photo in the TH, added a voice of encouragement in favor of submitting to area publications. (Scroll down for a call for images).
General Bob, with a cover photo on the February issue of Julien’s Journal, and drone photos in both the January and February issues of Neighbors of South Dubuque magazine, has been preparing for a post-pandemic career in world travel by spiffing up his professional website. It’s now a sharp-dressed website, see for yourself.
Ron recently invested in a new camera (the Canon EOS R5) and gushed enthusiastically about its auto-focusing ability.
Karen was listening, and winked and blushed at Jim, but we don’t know if he’s planning any shopping for Valentine’s Day (yet!).
Although Henry snuck away early, we’re confident his Photoshop skills are stellar so that’s okay.
Cara was only dreaming about the huge number of submissions that will roll in before our next virtual meeting. (Scroll to the bottom of this post to learn more).
Nick was the last one out the virtual door, so he must have learned something during the club’s “Creative Stuff Critique.”
I’m not sure what silly comment to make about Andreas, so maybe I’ll just pop over to his blog to see what he’s posted recently.
See you at the next meeting!
Nature images wanted. The following notice appeared in the Jan. 10, 2021 issue of the Dubuque Telegraph Herald:
“TH seeks scenic, nature photo submissions. The Telegraph Herald wants to continue highlighting local residents who capture the beauty of the area. The newspaper welcomes submissions of scenic, nature and other photos for possible use in our print edition and on TelegraphHerald.com. Share those fantastic shots with the entire tri-state area.
“Photos can be submitted – now and at any time in the future – to photo@wcinet.com for consideration. All photos should be freshly taken. No old shots, please. Please include the name of the photographer, where the photo was taken and when, and a phone number in case we need to follow up. The photographer responsible for each photo will be noted when the image is used. For more information or with questions, send an email to photo@wcinet.com.
Send in your N4C submissions before the next meeting!
The next virtual meeting of the Dubuque Camera Club will be held on Monday, February 1st at 6:30 p.m. Club members, send in your N4C submissions before the meeting.
No Digital Pictorial submissions, because our club will judge that category in February. Visit the Competition page to learn more about the monthly N4C contest.
Judges needed. If you are an experienced member who is interested in doing virtual DP judging in February, be sure to attend this meeting and speak up to volunteer.