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Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

November Meeting - November 7, 2012, 7:00 PM

Our featured speaker will be Chris Jourdan, a well know local photography instructor.  Chris will talk about current trends in photographic equipment.  He will discuss new equipment and features that are available on new cameras and future trends in equipment.

2013 Club Programs:

It is once again time to plan our meeting programs for next year.  Over the last several meetings we have received ideas from many of you.  If you have any additional ideas that you feel would make interesting programs, please forward them to Rick Vollbrecht.  You are the best source of ideas - these are your meetings and we want to make them interesting and informative for you.  We are also looking for some volunteers to meet for a few hours to take these ideas and work on creating a program schedule for next year.  If you are willing to help, please let Rick know.  We will probably meet at the end of November or early December.  This is an opportunity for you to help keep our club strong!

Future Events of Interest:

November 3, 2012 - WACCO Fall Competition.  Waukesha State Bank, Oconomowoc, Lower Level, at 11:30 AM.  Take I-94 West, exit 282.  Go North on Hwy 67.  The bank is on the left. The deadline has passed for entering the competition, but you are invited to view the judging.  This is a good chance to see some great images and see how the judging process is done.

January 27, 2013 - PSA Wisconsin Chapter Meeting 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM  Waukesha State Bank, Lower Level.  Take I-94 West, exit 282.  Go North on Hwy 67.  The bank is on the left

Showing of 2012 PSA Chapters Showcase

Selection of 12 images for 2012 PSA Chapters Showcase.  Each member may bring 2 digital images.

Members may bring images for a Bring-Your-Own show

Afternoon program - John Rummel and Mark Weiter will discuss their methods of photographing the Milky Way and lighthouses at the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

March 9, 2013 - WACCO Photography Seminar  Door County Photographer Dan Anderson will be the featured speaker.  Mark your calendar - details will follow.

March 10, 2012 - PSA Wisconsin Chapter Meeting 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM  Waukesha State Bank, Oconomowoc, Lower Level.  Take I-94 West, exit 282.  Go North on Hwy 67. 

Business meeting and election of officers. 

Region 21 Individual Showcase - PSA members may bring two images (print or projected) for consideration for the Showcase. 

Members may bring images for a Bring-Your-Own show, 

The afternoon program will feature Jim Cowell with a program on Natural Element Photography.

May 17 - 19, 2013 - PSA Wisconsin Chapter Photo Outing to Door County.  PSA members will meet in Door County for a weekend of photography

Photographic Society of America (PSA):

We talk a lot about PSA , so I thought it would be a good idea to give a little explanation of the organization.  According to the PSA web site: "The Photographic Society of America (PSA) is a worldwide organization for anyone interested in photography. The society includes casual shutterbugs, serious amateurs, and professional photographers. Founded in 1934, PSA has members in over 70 countries. Individual, Club, and Council memberships offer a wide variety of services and activities: a monthly magazine; online photo galleries, image evaluation, study groups, and courses; competitions; an annual conference; recognition; and discounts on photography related products and services."

The Retzer Camera Club is a member of PSA.  In addition, a number of us are individual members of PSA.  Annual membership dues are $45.00.  There is also a Wisconsin Chapter of PSA that meets four times a year (note schedule above).,  Annual membership is $5.00.   One must be a member of PSA to be a member of the Wisconsin chapter.  The Wisconsin Chapter has an open invitation to non-PSA members to attend its meetings as a way of introducing you to PSA and the local chapter - so please feel free to attend one of the chapter meetings to find out more about PSA.  It is expected that after you have attended several meetings and you find them interesting that you would then consider joining PSA and the Wisconsin chapter.  If you have any questions, please contact Rick. 

Photo Contests

Friends of Retzer Nature Center Annual Photography Contest:

See the contest brochure for details.

Entries are due Wednesday, October 31, 2012 at 4:30 PM

Reception and announcement of winners  - Sunday, November 4, 2012 , 1:00 - 3:30 PM

Old World Wisconsin Foundation 2013 Photo Contest.

See the contest brochure for details

Deadline: August 30, 2013

Websites of Interest:

Retzer Camera Club blog: www.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

Future Meetings:

December 5, 2012

January 2, 2013

February 6, 2013               

March 6, 2013

April 3, 2012

May 1, 2012

September Meeting Highlights Photo Resources

Below is a list of resources that were shared at our September meeting.  Thanks to Rudy Willis for compiling this list and making the main presentation at the meeting.  In addition, we also want to express our appreciation to the other contributors.  -FDR

From Rudy Willis: 

Shawn Hibbard provided a list of her favorite sites:

500px.net
DIYPhotography.net
Golden-hour.com
Bluehoursite.com
Strobist.com
Pixiq.com
Digital-photography-school.com
Flickr.com
Cmphotography.com
Jaymaisel.com
Joelgrimes.com
Daveblackphotography.com
Versachephotography.com
Moosepeterson.com
Laurieexcell.com

Additional sites mentioned during the presentation:

Google Reader

Equipment Review:

dpreview.com
steves-digicams.com
fredmiranda.com

Tutorial sites:

Lynda.com
Steeletraining.com
KelbyTraining.com
Cambridgecolor.com/tutorials.htm
Petapixel.com
ePhotozine.com
photographyblog.com
onestopunder.com
picturecorrect.com
retzercameraclub.blogspot.com
tv.adobe.com

Milwaukee Photo Shoot a Success

12 individuals participated in the Milwaukee photo shoot on August 22nd.  The group had a perfect night to stroll along the riverwalk beginning at the west end of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. 

Below are a pair of links to images by Jim Edlhuber and Frank Remfrey.  When you see the small thumbnail images, double click and you'll see a larger version of the photos.

Jim's:   https://picasaweb.google.com/109038919513758014473/RetzerCameraClubMilwaukeeShoot8252012

Frank's:   https://picasaweb.google.com/fremfrey/MKESHOOT?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKLo5cCZ1ZmaPQ&feat=directlink

Retzer Camera Club Photo Shoot Scheduled for August 22nd

The Retzer Camera Club will be conducting a photo shoot along the Milwaukee River on Wednesday, August 22^nd.  The purpose of the event is to share photo techniques and discuss equipment as we shoot photos along the Milwaukee Riverwalk.  All ranges of expertise and equipment are welcome.  If you have a tripod, it may be a good idea to bring it. 

We will depart at 6:30 pm from the Park and Ride lot off of Highway G (Pewaukee Exit).  If you would like to meet us along the river, we will look for you near the entrance to Vogel Hall, across from the parking structure of the Marcus Center for the Performing Arts around 7 PM.  Carpooling passengers should expect to make a nominal contribution to the drivers for gas and parking expenses. 

Please email or call Frank Remfrey if you are able to join us.  Here is Frank’s contact information:  fremfrey@wi.rr.com, (262) 542-0176. 

Wildflower Shoot a Success

A nice showing of members from the Retzer Camera Club met on Tuesday July 17th at Retzer Nature Center for the wildflower shoot. Despite the drought conditions, the nature center had an abundance of wildflowers to photograph. At least 15 different species were photographed there near the main entrance west to the butterfly garden. Members had a great time sharing ideas and tips on what will make a great photo. At a later club meeting, yet to be announced, members will be able to show case a few of their prize images taken at the event.

Summer Events For Camera Buffs

Below are a few events that are taking place in the near future that some of the members of the camera club may be interested in attending.  The links contain additional details for each event.

1.        The Paine Art Center in Oshkosh has an exhibition of Ansel Adams photographs beginning June 24. 

 http://www.thepaine.org/

2.        The Carl Zach Memorial bicycle race in downtown Waukesha is scheduled for Sunday, June 24, 2012.  This event offers opportunities for some great action shots.   http://www.downtownwaukesha.com/carl-zach.php

3.       The International Canoe Federation’s 2012 Junior Canoe Slalom World Championships will take place July 10-15, 2012 on the Wisconsin River in downtown Wausau, Wisconsin, USA. The world’s best young paddlers under age 18 from more than 30 countries are expected to compete.  Rick Volbrecht has attended past paddling events in Wausau and can advise you on the best vantage points for capturing the action.

http://2012wausau.com/

If you hear of other events to share with the club members, contact Frank Remfrey, fremfrey@yahoo.com

Wildflower Walk Planned for Mid-July

Save this date:  July 17!

Jim Edlhuber will be leading the annual wildflower walk and photo shoot at the Retzer Nature Center.  Below are the details from Jim:

Wildflower Walk and Photographing Wildflowers at Retzer Nature Center

Date: Tuesday July 17th and rain date the following day on Wednesday the July 18th starting at 7:30 am.

An ideal time for photographing wildflowers is mid July with the most amount of species blooming at one time, subject to recent weather conditions. This will be a great time to photograph wildflowers and learn some of the ID's of native plants at Retzer Nature Center. I would highly recommend a tripod for this event. I would expect the event to last about 2 hours but could run a little longer.

Zoo Trip Planned!

Retzer Camera Club Field Trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo

WHEN:  Tuesday, May 15 (Rain Date: Wednesday, May 16)

TIME:    9:30 AM.  We will meet at the main entrance.  Parking may be available free along Bluemound Road for early arrivals. 

CAR POOLING:  Meet at Goerke’s Corners Park-N-Ride at 9 AM. 

CONTACT PERSON:  Frank Remfrey, (262) 542-0176.  Fremfrey@yahoo.com

More details regarding admission prices and animal feeding times will be available at the May meeting.  If we can recruit at least 15 people to participate, we will be able to purchase admission tickets in advance at a discounted group rate. 

If you are 100% sure you can join us, please send Frank an email at the above address. 

Trumpeter Swan Alert!!!

Here's some information from Jim Edlhuber alerting club members about the arrival of a group of Trumpeter Swans:

Here is a great opportunity for club members to go out and photograph Trumpeter Swans here in Mukwonago. There have been a half dozen here for a couple of weeks and if you are quiet they have been close to shore. I would recommend 8-9 am for good light. The location is Phantom Glen Park at the end of Andrews Street on the east end of Lower Phantom Lake. I can put a map location on this email. Also a link to images I just took this morning 2-22-2012. If you want to put this on the Retzer Blog please do. You decide. You never know if they will hang around but the swans have been there for a while.

Trumpeter Swan Link to images taken 2-22-2012:

https://picasaweb.google.com/109038919513758014473/TrumpeterSwanLowerPhantomLakeAndLongTailedDuckLakeshoreStatePark2222012

Bing Map link to Trumpeter Swan photo opp location:

http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=42.856363569045264~-88.33650994244591&lvl=18&dir=0&sty=h&sp=Point.r48fkh7n4rtq_Fishing%20dock%20for%20photographing%20Trumpeter%20Swans____

February Meeting Details Announced

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

Wednesday, February 1st, 7:00 PM

Are you looking for a way to get some great indoor portraits? For our February program, Jim Marsala will demonstrate how he gets the great portraits he showed us last year. Jim believes that capturing the uniqueness or special quality of an individual is at the heart of a good portrait, and lighting is the key. He will demonstrate using both available light and studio lights to achieve the best portraits. Join us for this great learning experience.

We expect that the program will take the majority of our time, so we will not have any time to look at member photos. Please plan on bringing some photos to share at our March meeting.

See you next Wednesday.

Rick

Future meetings: March 7th, April 4th, May 2nd, June 6th

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