August Meeting to Feature Contest Image Selections

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

August 2013 Newsletter

August Meeting – August 7, 2013, 7:00 PM

 

Program: PSA Wisconsin State Showcase Image Selection and Member Image Critiques

It is time to select our images for the 2013 PSA Wisconsin Chapter Club Showcase.  This is the annual competition between Wisconsin Camera Clubs that are members of PSA.  Our club has an outstanding record in past Showcases.  (See information on the 2012 Showcase results below).  Each club is allowed to submit seven images – each image must be from a different maker.  Images can be of any subject and digital manipulation is allowed.  So…find your best image and submit it for consideration. We will use the first part of our meeting to select the seven images to submit for the competition.   

Please email your image to Rick Vollbrecht (Rvollb@wi.rr.com) by Tuesday, August 6^th.  Images must be in JPEG format.  Please provide a title for your image.  If possible, size your image to no larger than 1024 W x 768 H, 100 Res.  File size should not exceed 800KB.  If you do not know how to size your image, please do not let that stop you from submitting an image.  The important thing is that everyone submits an image so we have a lot of images from which to select our seven entries and that everyone is able to compete.  We can always size your image later if it is select.  We are looking forward to seeing some wonderful images!

We will then spend the remainder of the evening viewing member images.  In addition to the members listed below, all members are invited to submit images they would like to have critiqued by fellow club members.  This is a great way to learn how to improve your images.  Submit images that you think are pretty good and see if there are suggestions on how they could be improved, or perhaps you have an image that you know you has a problem and you are looking for suggestions on what you could have been done to make it better. Since our last meeting we have had three field trips – Milwaukee County Zoo, West of the Lake Gardens, and Retzer Wildflowers.  Please bring images from these event to share with the club.  Please limit yourself to five images so we have time to look at all the images. Images should be emailed to Rick Vollbrecht prior to the meeting.

As part of our regular monthly member image sharing, the following members should provide images to share at the August 7th meeting:

          Shirley Putschoegl, Barb Rasmussen, Joe Recer, Frank Remfrey

2013 Club Programs:

The following is a list of programs that are planned for 2013. 

September 4, 2013 - Landscape Photography  Terry Molter will present landscape photography with an emphasis on Fall colors.

October 2, 2013 - Miscellaneous Topics  This will be a meeting dedicated to a number of smaller topics:

          Rick Vollbrecht will talk about packing your photo gear for travel.

          Jim Edlhuber will tell us how to keep our lens clean.

Rick Vollbrecht will cover resizing images for digital projection and   competitions and how to transfer images to a thumb drive.

          Tom Wright will discuss offsite image backup and cloud storage.

          Terry Molter will discuss procedures for photographing the moon.

November 6, 2013 - Simple Steps to Improve Images  Roy Schneider will discuss simple steps to improve your images in image editing software.

December 4, 2013 - Scavenger Hunt Images  We will view member images

PSA Wisconsin Chapter Club Showcase Results:

The results are in for the 2012 PSA Wisconsin Chapter Club Showcase, and Retzer Nature Center Camera Club has done well again!  We placed 3^rd out of twelve clubs!  Well done!  Four of our members placed in the top 25 images:

          #12 – Nadya Romanova            Still Life with June Flowers

          #13 – Jim Edlhuber                   Free Ride    

          #17 – Jim Donner                     Mother’s Load

          #22 – Rudy Willis                     Here’s Looking at You

Congratulations!

Photo Scavenger Hunt:  Photo scavenger hunts are a fun and challenging way to get your imagination and creative juices flowing! The rules are simple:

          1. Submit one image of each topic.

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

          3. Images should be taken between now and December 1st.

          4. Have fun.

Tom Wright has developed the list for this scavenger hunt.  Thanks Tom!  Images will be viewed at the December meeting. So start shooting!  Here is your list:

         

Scavenger Hunt Topics

1. Car(s)

2. Fence

3. Funny

4. Hands

5. Kitchen item

6. Old

7. Self-portrait

8. Smooth

9. Storefront

10. Tall

11. Texture

12. Wildcard - what is it

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.  Frank Remfrey has agreed to again coordinate some field trips for the club.  Frank has scheduled the following tentative field trips: 

          Milwaukee River Walk: Tuesday, August 6th.  Join us for our annual outing to capture some great pictures of downtown Milwaukee at night!  Meet near the Vogel Hall entrance of Marcus Center for the Performing Arts at 7:00 PM.  Or if you are interested in car pooling, gather at the Hwy G Park & Ride lot (exit 291) at 6:30PM.  We will leave promptly! 

.

          Wings Over Waukesha: Saturday, August 24th.  Air Show begins at 1:00 PM.  We will meet at the east end of Lancaster Drive, City of Waukesha.  We will be able to view the show from the park located in the subdivision.  There is a small playground nearby.  Frank Remfrey and Rudy Willis will be co-hosts.

We could use some volunteers to coordinate some of these trips.  If you are interested please let Frank know.  If you have some additional ideas of where you would like to see us go, please let Frank know (FRemfrey@wi.rr.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. 

Future Events of Interest:

None to reports at this time.

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 them to Rick Vollbrecht so 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.  Check their web sites for more information.

WCTC:  www.wctc.edu

UW Waukesha:  www.waukesha.uwc.edu 

If you are aware of other photography classes or seminars, please forward the information to Rick Vollbrecht

Photo Contests and Exhibits:

Old World Wisconsin Foundation 2013 Photo Contest - Deadline August 30, 2013

For more information go to the Foundation web site:  www.friendsofoww.org

Capture Wisconsin - Capture Wisconsin is looking for images of Door County and additional images for a 2014 wall calendar.  This may be an opportunity for you to get some of your Wisconsin images publised.  Check out these links for more information:

Calendar: http://www.capturewisconsin.com/products/39?utm_content=Capture Wisconsin Weekly Update&utm_campaign=Capture Contest Emails&utm_source=mail.capturecontest.com&utm_medium=email

Door County: http://www.capturewisconsin.com/news/announcing-capture-door-county

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

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

Jim Edlhuber’s blog: http://www.windowtowildlife.com/ 

Wildflower Walk Slated for July 16

Join plant expert Jim Edlhuber for a wildflower walk at the Retzer Nature Center on Tuesday, July 16, beginning at 8 AM.  Jim will share his expertise on photographing and identifying wildflowers.  The blooms are reaching their peak right now and this year's crop of wildflowers could be the best in recent years, according to Jim.

It's always a good idea to wear knee pads or some other means to protect your knees in case you have to kneel while taking images.

West of Lake Gardens Next Field Trip

Retzer Nature Center Camera Club

Photography Field Trip

West of Lake Gardens

Manitowoc, WI 

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Join Carl Courtois and Roberta as they return to one of their favorite shooting locations along the shores of Lake Michigan: the West of the Lake Gardens in Manitowoc.  The gardens have an interesting history and outstanding flowers and vistas of Lake Michigan.  The admission is free and tripods are welcome.  For more information visit the link below:

http://www.travelwisconsin.com/natural-attractions-and-parks/west-of-the-lake-gardens-201059

If you are interested in joining us, please reply to this notice (fremfrey@wi.rr.com) and include a contact number.  Carl would like to depart from Goerke’s Corners at 8:30 AM SHARP on July 10^th.  If you would like to carpool, please let me know and indicate if you’d be willing to drive or if you prefer to be a passenger.  Passengers are expected to make a nominal contribution to the drivers for gas.

If you prefer to meet the group at the gardens, plan on an arrival around 10:30 AM.  Carl and Roberta can be reached at (262) 662 3295 if you have questions about the trip or the gardens. 

Finally, don’t forget about the other photo outings slated for later this summer: 

Wildflower Walk, Tuesday, July 16

Milwaukee River Walk, August 6^th, 7 PM

Wings over Waukesha, Saturday, August 24^th, 1 PM

June Meeting Info. Announced

Retzer Nature Center

Camera Club

June 2013 Newsletter

June  Meeting - June 5, 2013, 7:00 PM

 

Program: PSA Region 21 Images and Member Image Critiques - We have received the results of the PSA Region 21 Showcase judging and our club has once again performed well in this friendly competition with twelve other clubs in Wisconsin.  We will review the results and look at the top 25 images from the Showcase.   use these images to review what makes a good image.   We will then spend the remainder of the evening critiquing member images.  In addition to the members listed below, all members are invited to submit images they would like to have critiqued by fellow club members.  This is a great way to learn how to improve your images.  Submit images that you think are pretty good and see if there are suggestions on how they could be improved, or perhaps you have an image that you know you has a problem and you are looking for suggestions on what you could have been done to make it better. Maybe you shot some good wildflower images this Spring. Please limit yourself to three images so we have time to look at all the images. Images should be emailed to Rick Vollbrecht prior to the meeting.

Member Image Sharing:

Members are also encouraged to submit several (up to five) images to share with the club for gentle critique.  This is a great way to get suggestions for improving your images and developing your photographic skills.  We would like to encourage members to submit images for sharing in advance by email to Rick Vollbrecht at Rvollb@wi.rr.com.  This will help to streamline the process of viewing member images. We look forward to seeing your images.

In order to give everyone a chance to share their images during the year, we have decided to provide a schedule listing individuals who will be given priority at each meeting.  Other individuals may also provide images which will be shared as time permits.

The following members should provide images to share at the May 1st meeting:

          Marci Lanois, Terry Molter, Wendy Muller, Edna Pfeiffer, Allen Poulin,

2013 Club Programs:

The following is a list of programs that are planned for 2013. 

July 3, 2013 - No Meeting

August 7, 2013 - PSA Region 21 Image Selection  We will select member images to submit to the annual PSA Region 21 inter-club competition.  We will also spend additional time on member image critiques.

September 4, 2013 - Landscape Photography  Terry Molter will present landscape photography with an emphasis on Fall colors.

October 2, 2013 - Miscellaneous Topics  This will be a meeting dedicated to a number of smaller topics:

          Rick Vollbrecht will talk about packing your photo gear for travel.

          Jim Edlhuber will tell us how to keep our lens clean.

          Rick Vollbrecht will cover resizing images for digital projection and competitions and how to transfer images to a thumb drive.

          Tom Wright will discuss offsite image backup and cloud storage.

          Terry Molter will discuss procedures for photographing the moon.

November 6, 2013 - Simple Steps to Improve Images  Roy Schneider will discuss simple steps to improve your images in image editing software.

December 4, 2013 - Scavenger Hunt Images  We will view member images from the Scavenger Hunt.  See note below for further information.

Photo Scavenger Hunt:  Photo scavenger hunts are a fun and challenging way to get your imagination and creative juices flowing! The rules are simple:

          1. Submit one image of each topic.

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

          3. Images should be taken between now and December 1st.

          4. Have fun.

Tom Wright has developed the list for this scavenger hunt.  Thanks Tom!  Images will be viewed at the December meeting. So start shooting!  Here is your list:

         

Scavenger Hunt Topics

1. Car(s)

2. Fence

3. Funny

4. Hands

5. Kitchen item

6. Old

7. Self-portrait

8. Smooth

9. Storefront

10. Tall

11. Texture

12. Wildcard - what is it

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.  Frank Remfrey has agreed to again coordinate some field trips for the club.  Frank has scheduled the following tentative field trips: 

          Milwaukee County Zoo: Tuesday, June 18th (rain date 19th).  Meet inside main entrance at the zoo.

          West of the Lake Gardens: Wednesday, July 10th,  Manitowoc.  For more info visit http://www.westfoundation.us/  Carl Courtois will be the trip leader.

          Wildflower Walk:  Tuesday, July 16th (rain date 17th).  Location: Retzer Nature Center.  Time TBD.  Jim Edlhuber will lead the walk.

          Milwaukee River Walk: Tuesday, August 6th (rain date 7th).  Meet near Vogel Hall entrance of Marcus Center for the Performing Arts at 7:00 PM

.

          Wings Over Waukesha: Saturday, August 24th.  Air Show begins at 1:00 PM.  We will meet at the east end of Lancaster Drive, City of Waukesha.  We will be able to view      the show from the park located in the subdivision.  There is a small playground nearby.  Frank Remfrey and Rudy Willis will be co-hosts.

We could use some volunteers to coordinate some of these trips.  If you are interested please let Frank know.  If you have some additional ideas of where you would like to see us go, please let Frank know (FRemfrey@wi.rr.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. 

Future Events of Interest:

June 8, 2013 - Wehr Nature Center Camera Club Green Bay Outing.  The Wehr Nature Center CC has invited any interested members of our club to join them for an outing in Green Bay.  They will visit Bay Beach Wildlife Sanctuary and the Green Bay Botanical Garden.  The cost is $40 which covers the cost of the bus and lunch.  The bus will leave from the Hales Corners Park & Ride at 8:00 AM sharp!  They will also make a pick up at the Menomonee Falls Park & Ride at about 8:20 AM.  If you are interested, send your name, lunch choice (Perch sandwich, Grilled Chicken sandwich, Mushroom Swiss burger), and a check for $40.00 payable to WNCCC to Sheila Hall, Treas WNCCC, W312 S8899 Cherokee Pass, Mukwonago, WI 53149.  Here telephone number is 262-363-8120.  Please indicate that you are a member of Retzer Nature Center CC. 

August 1-4, 2013 - Southwestern Michigan Council of Camera Clubs (SWMCCC) Summer Weekend of Photography The Southwestern Michigan Council of Camera Clubs invites you to attend the 39th annual SWMCCC Summer Weekend of Photography and Digital Imaging. Whether a beginner or an advanced photographer, you will find instructional opportunities and shooting sessions designed to enhance your creative skills and knowledge of photographic tools. Join us for a weekend of photographic learning, fun and fellowship.  A number of our members have attended this event in the past and have found it very educational and enjoyable.  If several of us plan to attend, we could carpool.  For more information go to http://www.swmccc.org/WeekendOfPhotography.html

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 them to Rick Vollbrecht so 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.  Check their web sites for more information.

WCTC:  www.wctc.edu

UW Waukesha:  www.waukesha.uwc.edu 

If you are aware of other photography classes or seminars, please forward the information to Rick Vollbrecht

Photo Contests and Exhibits:

WACCO  2nd Annual Exhibit - Deadline July 27, 2013.  WACCO is sponsoring the 2nd Annual photo exhibit at the Reuss Building in Milwaukee.  Each photographer may submit two images for consideration in the exhibit.  Selected images must be printed and framed at a minimum size of 16x20.  Images will be on display from August 10th - September 21st.  For more details see the attached information sheet.

Old World Wisconsin Foundation 2013 Photo Contest - Deadline August 30, 2013

For more information go to the Foundation web site:  www.friendsofoww.org

Capture Wisconsin - Capture Wisconsin is looking for images of Door County and additional images for a 2014 wall calendar.  This may be an opportunity for you to get some of your Wisconsin images publised.  Check out these links for more information:

Calendar: http://www.capturewisconsin.com/products/39?utm_content=Capture Wisconsin Weekly Update&utm_campaign=Capture Contest Emails&utm_source=mail.capturecontest.com&utm_medium=email

Door County: http://www.capturewisconsin.com/news/announcing-capture-door-county

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

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