Wednesday, August 29, 2018

September Meeting Agenda: PSA Image Selection & Macrophotography


Retzer Nature Center 
Camera Club 
September Newsletter 

September Meeting  Wednesday, September 5th, 2018, 7:00 PM

Program  Part 1: Wisconsin PSA Club Showcase Image Selection

We will be selecting seven member images to represent our club in the annual Wisconsin PSA Club Showcase.  Last year our club placed first among the eighteen clubs eligible to participate, so we want to retain our bragging rights!  Please look at your images and submit your best image now.  
Details for image submission are listed below.

Program  Part 2: Macrophotography: Hunting and Imaging Dragonflies and Damselflies  

Our member Kurt Huebner will discuss how and where he finds dragonflies and damselflies to photograph and show us some of his amazing images.  He will tell us about the equipment and techniques he uses to capture his images.

Wisconsin PSA Club Showcase Image Selection Specifications:

Your images are due now!

Here are some things to keep in mind when selecting and submitting your image:
1. This is an Open competition - images of any subject are allowed.
2. Images may be from any time - there is no defined time frame.  
3. Digital manipulation is allowed.
4. Submit an image that has an interesting subject and is technically strong (proper exposure, in focus, etc.)
5. Submit only one image.
6. The image file name should start with your name.
7. Images should meet the following specs:
a. JPEG format
b. SRGB profile
c. 100 resolution
d. Maximum of 800 KB file size 
e. Sized at a maximum of 1024 pixels (Horizontal) and 768 pixels (Vertical)
Note:  If you are uncertain about how to change your image to meet these requirements, please do not let that stop you.  Submit your image as you normally do for image sharing.  If your image is selected, we will help you size it correctly.  We want to see your image!

Submit your image to Tom Wright at TomWrightwi@gmail.com no later then Tuesday, September 4th.  At our September meeting, members will select our club’s seven best image to submit for the Showcase.  Between December - February, all participating clubs will have the opportunity to vote on all the images.  Votes will be tabulated to select the top images and top clubs.  Results will be available in the spring.  

We are looking forward to seeing your great images.  Please send them in to Tom now!

Member Image Sharing:  Since we will be viewing member images as part of the selection of images for the Wisconsin PSA Showcase, there will be no additional member image sharing this month.

2018 Club Programs:

Our 2018 programs and meeting dates are listed below.  Our program chairman, Randy Scherkenbach, is looking for your ideas for programs for 2019.  If you have a topic you would like to see presented, please let Randy know now. Please forward your ideas to Randy (rscherkenbach@gmail.com ).

2018 Program Schedule:  

• September 5, 2018 – Kurt Huebner – Macrophotography: Hunting and Imaging Dragonflies and Damselflies
Selection of images for PSA Wisconsin Showcase.
• October 3, 2018 – Jim Kurovsky – Mirrorless Cameras
• November 7, 2018  Caryl Sedushak – Photographing with Lensbaby
• December 5, 2018 – Holiday Party - Member Scavenger Hunt and Best of 2018 Images.



Field Trips:

Photo field trips are a great way for us to share our common enjoyment of photography, learn some new techniques and share in camaraderie while getting to know our fellow club members.  Our Outings Co-chairs, Elizabeth Whitcomb and Caryl Sedushak, are working on a schedule that will include some of our traditional outings plus a few new ones. They are always looking for your ideas of some places you would find interesting for a club outing.  If you have any ideas of places you would like to have us shoot, please send your ideas to our Outings Chairperson, Elizabeth Whitcomb (lizannwhit@gmail.com)  Better yet, why not offer to coordinate a field trip.  It's not hard - find a place you would like to go, pick a date and we can announce it to the club.  Perhaps you have a favorite place for fall colors or winter scenery.  

2018 Field Trips:  No trips are planned at this time.

New Members:  We had two new members join our club at the August meeting.  Please welcome Patricia and Jennifer Vinarski.  Look for them at the meeting and introduce yourself.  Welcome to the club Patricia and Jennifer.

FacebookOur camera club now has a Facebook page!  If you are on Facebook, simply put Retzer Nature Center Camera Club in the search box and you will find us.  Click on the Join button and Elizabeth or Randy will approve you.  This is a Closed Group and open only to club members.  This means that anything posted here can only be seen by members of the group.  You can feel free to share your work here without fear that someone outside the club will have access to it.  Anything posted here is private, so feel free to ask questions – don’t be embarrassed or shy about it.  The monthly Newsletter, meeting topics and outings will also be posted here.  Check it out!


Scavenger Hunt:  

Our Photo Scavenger Hunt has become a popular annual event which we will be doing again this year.  Photo scavenger hunts are a fun and challenging way to get your imagination and creative juices flowing! The rules are simple: 
1. Capture one image of each topic. 
2. Be creative - think of a unique way to express the topic.   
3. Images should be taken in 2018
Your scavenger hunt images will be shown at our Holiday Party in December.  

The topics for our 2018 Scavenger Hunt are:
1. Angle
2. Awakening
3. Close encounters
4. Delicious
5. Depth
6. Electric
7. Eyes
8. Patience
9. Play
10. Work

Future Events of Interest:

WACCO Birds of Prey Workshop – September 8, 2018:  This workshop will be held at the Schlitz Audubon Nature Center.  Approximately 14 different birds including Bald Eagle, Snowy Owl, and Great Horned Owl will be posed in outdoor natural settings.  Early registration fee is $49.00 (before August 18th).  After that the fee will be $69.00.  For more information, go to the WACCO website: http://www.wicameraclubs.org/programs/
  
If you are aware of any events of general interest, please let us know so we can share them with the club. 

Photo Contests and Exhibits:

WACCO Fall 2018 Competition – Saturday, November 3, 2018.  Submission deadline: October 13, 2018. This competition is open to all members.  Categories include Projected Open, Projected Nature, Small Prints and Large Prints.  There are two random categories: Birds (Nature) and Portraits (Open).  Please see the WACCO website - www.wicameraclubs.org – for details and entry instructions.  You will find the information under “Competition Info – Uploader”.  This is a great opportunity to see how your images can do in a competition.  Then come to the judging on November 3rd to see all the images as they are judged.

Wisconsin Print Circuit – Prints due November 7th. Members may submit one image in color and one image in black & white.  Subject is Open, so any subject and digital manipulation is allowed.  Prints must be 8.5 x 12 or smaller (typical sizes are 8x12, 8.5x11 or 8x12).  Your name, club name and image title must be on the back of the print.  Draw an arrow on the back of the print to indicate the top of the image.  Print must be given to Elizabeth Whitcomb no later than our November meeting.

Garden Expo Photography Contest – Application deadline: December 15, 2018.  Sponsored by Wisconsin Public Television, this is the inaugural year for the contest.  It is designed to bring another form of art, imagery and perspective to the Garden Expo.  Additional information is available at: www.wigardenexpo.com/photocontest . 

If you are aware of any photo contests or exhibits, please forward the information to Rick Vollbrecht at Rvollb@wi.rr.com


Photo Ops:
As a club, our members have a wide variety of subjects that we enjoy photographing.  This newsletter can serve as an excellent way to share various photo opportunities with club members.  If you know of interesting subjects or events that may interest other club members, please forward those to Rick Vollbrecht (Rvollb@wi.rr.comso they can be included in future Newsletters.  If you are interested in having others join you, that information can also be included.  It is fun to shoot with a group. 

Photography Classes:

A variety of non-credit, reasonably priced classes on photography and Photoshop are available at Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC) and UW Waukesha.  The new UW Waukesha catalog is now available.  Check their web sites for more information.  

WCTC:  www.wctc.edu
UW Waukesha:  www.waukesha.uwc.edu

Art’s Cameras Plus has an extensive list of classes covering everything from camera basics to photographing in a variety of situations and use of Photoshop Elements.  Check out their web site:  www.Artscameras.com .  If you are aware of other photography classes or seminars, please forward the information to Rick Vollbrecht 
Websites of Interest:

Retzer Camera Club blogwww.RetzerCameraClub.blogspot.com
WACCO (Wisconsin Area Camera Clubs Organization): www.wicameraclubs.org PSA (Photographic Association of America): www.PSA-photo.org PSA Wisconsin:  www.PSA.wisconsin.org
Friends of Retzer Nature Center: www.FriendsofRetzer.org
Jim Edlhuber’s bloghttp://www.windowtowildlife.com/  

Club Organization:  

Our club officers are: 

President   
Tom Wright
Vice President   
Jim Hobbick
Treasurer   
Jim Edlhuber 
Program Chair   
Randy Scherkenbach  
Outings Chair   
Elizabeth Whitcomb, Caryl Sedushak


Members should feel free to contact the officers with any questions and suggestions they may have for the club.