January Meeting To Feature PSA Judging

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday January 4th, 7:00 PM

Merry Christmas to all! It is hard to believe that another year has passed and 2012 is just around the corner. It has been a pleasure to have each of you involved in the camera club this year. I hope that each of you has found something new to help you along your photographic journey. Our program for 2012 is taking shape nicely and I anticipate some great learning experiences.

At our January program we will be judging the PSA Region 21 images. These are images submitted by camera clubs from around the state (7 images per club), that are now being judged by all clubs. You may recall that our club finished in first place last year - a great showing for the club. This year promises to have some more great images. Because we will be judging in a dark room, please bring along a pen or pencil and a small flashlight to help you see the scoring sheet.

The second half of the meeting will be used to look at member images. This is a great opportunity to get some gentle critiques from fellow club members and use that information to improve your images. Please limit yourself to five images so more people will have an opportunity to participate. Image should be in a JPEG format. It is best if you bring them on a thumb drive and have only the images to share on the drive. That will save us time when we load them for viewing.

I have attached a brochure for the WACCO sponsored Moose Peterson seminar on March 10th. The seminar is at the Midway Hotel in Brookfield. Our club is a member of WACCO so your cost is $75.00 if you register by February 11th. This is a good chance to get some pointers from a professional nature photographer at a reasonable price. This could also be a good last minute Christmas gift for the photographer in your life. Or, leave the brochure on the kitchen counter as a big hint!

Have a great holiday with your family. See you in a week and a half at our first meeting of 2012.

 

Future Meetings: Feb 1st, Mar 7th, Apr 4th, May 2nd, June 6th

The Word is Spreading!!

Santa Says: "Don't Miss the Dec. Meeting!"

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday, December 7th, 7:00 PM

With the holiday season upon us, our December program will look at creating personalized greeting cards using your photos. Ruth Ruddock and Barb Rasmussen will show us how they create their greeting cards. Rick Vollbrecht will also demonstrate using Photoshop Elements to create cards. I am sure that many of you have created your own cards in the past, so please bring along some examples of your cards to help give club members some creative idea. If anyone would like to take a little more time to demonstrate the process they use, please let me know and we can include you in the program!

We should also have some time to look at member images, so bring some images to share with the club. Please limit yourself to five images so we have time for everyone. Images should be in JPEG format and work best if they are on a flash drive. Newer members and those who have not shared images before are are encouraged to participate. We can provide some gentle critique to help you improve your skills.

See you next Wednesday.

Rick

Future meetings: Jan 4th, Feb 1st. Mar 7th, April 4th, May 2nd

Snowy Owl Alert from Jim E.

Here is some information on Snowy Owls from Jim Edlhuber:

Wisconsin birders are saying, we have an invasion of beautiful Snowy Owls. In recent weeks, at least 12 Snowy Owls have been reported on the Wisconsin Birding List. They have been reported over the entire state. The Snowy Owl lives at the extreme northern margins of the Arctic tundra. Some years they come far south to Wisconsin and other Midwest states for food sources, when their northern natural food supply of lemmings is low. Other reasons mentioned is that it is a good breeding year. That is when there are excellent opportunities to photograph them. 

Following the Wisconsin Birding List, http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/WISC.html can give you recent sighting locations. Keep in mind good birding ethics when viewing these or any other birds. Obviously reported birds can be at locations for only minutes, hours or days. Snowy Owls are usually seen in Wisconsin from Dec-Jan, so they are early birds (no pun intended).

Jim Edlhuber has gone to a few of the locations and has some pictures to share at the links below: 

Sheboygan Marina Snowy Owl:

https://picasaweb.google.com/109038919513758014473/SnowyOwlSheboyganMarinaNov212011

Horicon Marsh Snowy Owls:

https://picasaweb.google.com/109038919513758014473/SnowyOwlsHoriconMarshDikeRoad11262011

November 2nd Meeting Will Focus on Projectors

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday, November 2nd, 7:00 PM

You have some great images and you want to share them with family and friends. What is the best way to do that? Should you buy a digital projector? If so, what features should you look for? How much will it cost? At our November meeting, Mark Blackman will give us his insight into what to look for if you are buying a digital projector. We will also look as some other alternatives including using your flat screen TV. This meeting should give you some ideas on how to show off your images.

We will also have some time for members to share images with the club. Please bring up to five images to share. Images should be in jpeg format and on a thumb drive. This is a great way to show us what you have been shooting and get some gentle critiques from your fellow club members. We especially encourage our newer members to bring some images.

Reminder: Entries for the Friends of Retzer Photography Contest are due at the nature center by 4:30 on Wednesday November 2nd. If you need additional information, check the Friends of Retzer Nature Center web site. Don't miss the deadline!

See you next Wednesday.

Rick

Future meetings: December 7th, January 4th, February 1st, March 7th, April 4th.

August Meeting Plans Announced

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday, August 3rd, 7:00 PM

At our August meeting, we will be selecting seven images to submit to the PSA Region 21 (Wisconsin) Club Competition. Each club member is asked to submit up to three of his or her best images. At the meeting club members will choose the best of your three images and then pick seven images from the best from each member.

Images should be resized to the following specifications: JPEG format, no more than 800 KB file size, 100 resolution and no larger than 1024 (horz) x 768 (vert) pixels. Images may not have watermarks or anything that identifies the maker. If you can size your images, that would be great. If you have trouble doing this, do not let this stop you! We want your images. You can submit them in whatever size you have, and if your image is selected I can resize it for you. The important thing is we want everyone to participate!

Since we must submit seven images from seven different makers, everyone has a good chance of having his or her image selected. Everyone is strongly encouraged to participate - especially newer members. This is a good chance to get involved and show your work to the club.

In order for the meeting to progress smoothly, I am asking that you email your images to me prior to the meeting. That way I can have them loaded on my computer and avoid taking time at the meeting.

The meeting should be a lot of fun as we look at your images. I am looking forward to seeing images from everyone!

After the selection is complete we will take time to look at some of the images and offer gentle critique This is a good learning tool.

Looking ahead to our September meeting, we will be viewing images from our photo scavenger hunt. As a reminder, I have attached the instructions for the scavenger hunt. I hope everyone is having some fun with this!

I have also attached information about the WACCO sponsored Birds of Prey shoot on October 22nd. If you want to get some good bird shots, give this consideration.

See you next Wednesday

Rick

Future meetings: September 7th, October 5th, November 2nd, December 7th

Happy 4th of July!

For more great shots like this, including some tips on shooting fireworks, visit the gallery!

July Meeting Announced

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

July 6th, 2011, 7:00 PM

Our July meeting will review some of the basic, but easily overlooked, principles of photography. We will look at determining proper exposure, and using some of the camera preset exposure functions. We will also see how White Balance can affect our images. Understanding Depth of Field can also make or break a photo, so we will give a basic overview of this important function. We will also look at a couple of filters that can be a big help. This should be of great help for the less experienced photographers as well as a good review for those who are more experienced.

We will also have time for members to share some of their images. If you joined Jim Edlhuber for the outing at Scuppernong, bring some of your images and show others what they missed! Or, bring some other images you would like to share. This is a good time to get some gentle critiques from your fellow club members, and help you improve your skills.

Don't forget to keep working on images for the scavenger hunt. If you forgot the topics, check our blog: www.retzercameraclub.blogspot.com/ . Images will be presented at our September meeting.

See you next Wednesday.

Rick

Future meetings: August 3rd, September 7th, October 5th, November 2nd, December 7th

June Meeting Calibrates Members to Monitor Their Monitors

If you attended last night's meeting, below is the handout Rick Mayo distributed during his presentation.  Several links are now positioned in the blog's right hand margin that Rick also mentioned, such as Dropbox.com, Red River Paper and his favorite ink supplier, Atlex.com. Since The info. below was scanned, you can't just select the links, you must carefully type them. To make the scan larger and easier to read, simply click on it. 

Special thanks to Rick and his wife Nancy for spending several hours with us last night.

Jim Edlhuber to Lead Nature Hike

Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail Photography Hike

Come join the fun with a hike at Scuppernong Springs Nature Trail. The date is Wednesday, June 1^st 2011.  The trail consists of a 1.5 mile loop and we will be photographing nature and wildlife. This is a great opportunity to get some good wildflower, bird, insect, and general nature photos. You will also have an opportunity to share some techniques and learn from other club members. If you haven't done this before, this is the best way to learn! If you bring a tripod, remember the hike is 1.5 miles and tripods can get very heavy. I will be using a field stick as a tripod when and if needed. Meet at 8:00 AM at the parking areas with the map information which is just west of the intersection of State Hwy 67 on County Road ZZ. This location is adjacent to the entrance of Ottawa Lake Camp Ground.  I am planning on the hike lasting approximately 2 hours.  Rain date: Thursday, June 2^nd, 2011.

Anyone interested in car pooling should send a mass email to the club members.  Please provide your name and location.  Anyone interested in car pooling can work out the details together.

Warbler Alert from Jim Edlhuber

I was down at Lake Park Milwaukee yesterday and the warblers are migrating through there and many other places in the state. Lake Park is special because Lake Michigan bird species tend to follow the shoreline north instead of crossing over the lake so concentrations are high there.  Maybe there are a few interested members who want the challenge of photographing these small, elusive birds.


(Editor's Note:  Visit the gallery to check out Jim's warbler shots.)

Photojournalist Bill Meyer to Present May Program

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday, May 4th, 7:00 PM

Our May meeting will feature a presentation by Bill Meyer who has had a long career as a photojournalist with the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel. His presentation, "Photojournalism: From Darkroom to Digital at the Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel" will include photographs that are story-telling - showing people in action. He will also show some travel and flower photos. Bill has led photo workshops, and will share some information on his upcoming workshop in California this September.

Join us for a very interesting and informative program.

Future meetings: June 2nd, July 6th, August 3rd, September 7th, October 5th

See you next week Wednesday.

Rick

Retzer Friends Announce Photo Contest Details

Today the Friends of Retzer Nature Center sent out details about this year's photo contest.  Below are some of the highlights from their announcement.  You'll note the deadline for submitting photos is November 2, 2011. 


Contest is open to any amateur photographer.
 Photographs must be taken at Retzer Nature Center.
 NUMBER OF ENTRIES: Contestants may submit up to
five entries in each class.
 ENTRY FEE: General Public: $3.00 per photo
Friends Member: $2.00 per photo
Students (12 and under): $1.00 per photo
Checks payable to: Friends of Retzer Nature Center.
 ALL ENTRIES:
1. Photo Size: No smaller than 5” x 7” or larger than 81/2” x 11”.
2. Must be individually matted or mounted on a heavy
medium. (NO FRAMES PLEASE)
3. Photos may not have been previously entered in a
Friends contest.
4. The following information must be noted on the top of the back
of each photo:
Name, address and phone number
Where photo was taken at Retzer
Class entered
Top of photo
5. Deadline for entries:
4:30 PM Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Some thoughts from John Hasse...

I don’t BLOG.      

At least until today when I viewed Retzer Camera Club’s new Blog Site and wonder if I got inspired, what could I contribute?  I’m a bit older so inspiration comes a bit slower these days, but eventually I thought:

Photos: Actually I saw that a few other members had some up already so this probably wasn’t a very original thought.  With my images I might tell why and how I took an image.  I’d try not to shamelessly promote myself.

Insights: Have I discovered something photography-related that might be of interest to others?

Reviews: I bought entry-level digital equipment waiting to see if I missed film too much and go back to it or could I venture into stepping up to better equipment.  I read interesting reviews of equipment, photography books and places to visit.  I attend photography seminars and conferences. Maybe others would benefit from shared information.

Make a List:  I make lists of what camera equipment I might want to buy the-next-time-around; I make lists of my favorite photographers; I list favorite photo websites.  Maybe I just made a list of lists.

Ask a Question:  Do I need an answer to a problem or situation? Could I poll other blog readers’ thoughts, insights?

Today I eventually came around to thinking that if I ever did blog photography, I’d pass on a quote I recently saw attributed to professional photographer DeWitt Jones: “You miss 100% of all photographs you don’t take.”     ---John Hasse

From Terry Molter...

I was at this show last night at the opening and it is, in my opinion truly outstanding.  Featured are over one-hundred photographers, all of whom are, as far as I know, local.  There is a good mix of pros and amateurs, and a broad range of subjects.  Worth seeing for anyone with an interest in photography.  Free admission.

--Terry Molter

Pasque Flowers are in Bloom!

Barb Rasmussen reports that the Pasque flowers are blooming at the preserve off of Piper Road.  Thanks to Barb, below are directions to the Pasque Flower Preserve.  Also, check out Barb's Pasque photos on the gallery (See upper right for Gallery tab).

Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest – Pasque Flower Preserve.  Pasque Flowers and Prairie Smoke can be found in April / May.

 From I-94 west, take Hwy 67 south.  Just past the Ottawa Lake area, turn left on Piper Road.  Just before you get to Ulrickson Road there will be a metal gate on the right.  Park along the side on the road (not in front of the gate).  Walk along the horse trail back into the prairie area.  These flowers can be found a short distance off the horse trail to the right in a large depressed area.

Sharing Images at Meetings?

If you would like to share your images at future meetings and subject yourself to some "gentle critique," here are a few suggestions that will help Rick find and display your images efficiently:

1. Use a USB / thumb drive rather than burning a CD.
2. Dedicate your USB drive to the photos that you plan to share at the meeting.  In other words, don't include any other images on the drive. 
3. For any photos that need to be rotated, make sure you take care of that task before saving your images onto your USB drive.
4. Images should be in JPEG format, and, if possible, resized to 1024 pixels on the long side. 

Finally, remember that 2 and 4 GB USB drives can be purchased for less than $10 at Radio Shack and Office Depot.  In addition, Best Buy is offering a 2 GB drive for $5.99. Do you know of another good deal for USB drives elsewhere?  If so, please contact Frank Remfrey (fremfrey@yahoo.com) with the details.

Scavenger Hunt Details Announced at April Meeting

If you missed the April meeting, below are the details regarding the Retzer Camera Club scavenger hunt.   You'll note that the 10 images should be ready for the September meeting.  Since the April meeting covered the topic of saving images to a USB drive, we expect all members to follow the suggested protocol for saving images to a USB drive, aka "thumb drive."  (See the post which discusses USB  / Thumb Drives).

Photo Scavenger Hunt 2011

The rules are simple:.

1.  Submit one image of each topic listed below.

2.  Be creative - Think of a unique way to express the topic.

3.  Images should be taken between April 1st - September 7th, 2011.

4.  Bring your 10 images to the September club meeting to share with the club members.

5.  Have FUN!!!

Find an image that represents:

1.  Night life

2.  Reflections

3.  Buildings

4.  Humor

5.  Water

6.  Tall

7.  Curves

8.  Old

9.  Signs

10. What is it?

April Meeting to Feature "Survey Topics"

Did you respond to Rick's survey several months ago?  If you did, the April 6th gathering of the Retzer Camera Club may offer some information about the topic you requested.  This meeting will also welcome audience input to these numerous topics.  We plan to briefly discuss the following topics, which appeared as requests in the annual survey:

1. Saving photos on a "thumb drive" / USB drive
2. Using an HDMI cable to view photos on an HD television
3. Trail cameras
4. Resizing photos
5. Watermarks
6. Histogram

The agenda will also include information about a new venture for our club:  a photo scavenger hunt.   There should be time to share a handful of your images as well.

March Meeting To Include Image Judging

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday, March 2nd, 7:00 PM

Note: This meeting announcement is coming out a week earlier than normal as I will be on vacation for the next several weeks.  The meeting is two weeks from today!

For our March meeting, we will be judging the PSA Region 21 Showcase images.  Our club, along with twelve other Wisconsin camera clubs, has submitted images to the Showcase.  Now we get to judge the images.  The results will be announced in several months after all clubs have had a chance to judge.  In the past, our club has done quite well - finishing in the top five for the last several years!  You will have an opportunity to see ninety-one great images, and see how our club compares to other clubs in the state.  Following the judging, we will have a chance to look more closely at some of the images and critique them as a way to help us improve our own images. 

Note: Please bring along a pen to use for scoring.  It is also helpful to have a small flashlight to help you see the score sheet.

We will also have time for members to share some of their images for gentle critique.  Please bring along some of your images to share with the club.  We especially encourage those who have not shared images before to take this opportunity to show us some of your work.  It is a great way to get help in improving your photographic skills.  Please limit yourself to 10 images.

See you on March 2nd.

Rick

Future meetings: April 6th, May 4th, June 1st. July 6th

Retzer Camera Club Joins the Blogosphere

This is the first post for the Retzer Camera Club blog.  We hope to use this forum to announce events such as photo outings or meetings.  Be sure to bookmark this page or designate it as a favorite since it has a web address that may not be easy to remember.