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

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