August 2010
HPCMONTHLY
Next Meeting Tom Benedict's Aerial Photography Member's Choice: Tom Whitney
Table of Contents President’s Corner.............................................................................................................................................................................4
Notes from the Second Banana........................................................................................................................................................ 5 Editor’s Page..................................................................................................................................................................................... 6
What's Coming Up............................................................................................................................................................................ 7 August 18th Club Meeting.................................................................................................................................................................7 Review of the July 21st Club meeting...............................................................................................................................................8 Announcements........................................................................................................................................................................9 Other News..................................................................................................................................................................................... 10 Abstract Only Contest.......................................................................................................................................................... 10
The Hilo Photography Club is a photography club based on the Big Island of Hawai’i, and has been meeting monthly since 1978. Our me m b ers all have a com mon interest in photography and in sharing their craft/profession/hobby with others. Skillsrange from novice to professional. We currently have around 50 me m b ers from allparts of the Big Island. The club holds a meeting every month in Hilo. In addition to a business meeting, we often have demonstrations, slide shows from me m b ers or invited photographers, invited lectures, in-club photo contests and exhibits, discussions about upcoming contests, photographic technique, technology, equipment, digital manipulation, darkroom, etc. This monthly meeting is usually the 3rd Wednesday of the month, at 7 p.m, at the Kamana Senior Center on Kamana St. in Hilo Google Map . Hilo Photo Club Website Editor Bob Douglas 333-0402xx
HPC Monthly
President’s Corner Doug Halsted The Kona Camera Club recently announced their 2010 Contest. You can submit your images digitally. Be sure to read Ken Goodrich’s email or go the Kona Camera Club site ( www.konacameraclub.com) or contact Rick Decker (rickdecker@hawaii.rr.com). The competition is juried with 1st prize $200, 2nd prize, $100, and 3rd prize $50. In addition there will be a people’s choice prize of $100, voted on at the Kona Camera Club meeting in August (26th). We will have a planning meeting in August for members interested in helping on an HPC booth at the County Fair to be held in September. We need your help to staff the booth; it’s a lot of fun: the public can enjoy your work and you can sell your images. Please consider helping. Please assist your Club by serving as an officer or joining the Board this coming year. The time commitments are modest. Contact any Board member for details. We have monthly board meetings and all members are invited to Board meetings to share ideas and give direction to the Club. If you can’t serve, try to attend a Board meeting occasionally. I have enjoyed serving as President of HPC. We have a great Board which makes the President’s role easy. Aloha, Doug Halsted President
All content copyrighted by either HPC or the original photographer.
Š Steve Godszak
Notes from the Second Banana Steve Godszak The in-club competition was fun, entertaining and interesting particularly so when club members did not agree with the critique presented. Those images prompting discussion added content to the process. After all, most of us do not agree with movie critics either. Anyway, the discussions added another perspective to the critique and I was glad to see the participation. Next time we should use a microphone, however, because much of the conversation could not be heard (I was in back of room). I was unable to participate in the Scott Kelby photo walk this year so I hope everyone had a good time. The park area is well known to everyone so it is akin to shooting in one's backyard. Being creative in a familiar landscape is very challenging especially for many of we left brain types. I hope some of you will share your images. The orchid show is just around the corner and once again club members have the chance to shoot the displays prior to the opening. For all the new members, this is a treat. The flowers are exquisite and the presentation is first rate. The lighting can be tricky and the wind blowing through the stadium can whip the subjects on occasion, but that's part of the fun. If you've the time, it's well worth the effort. I enjoy reading history and just recently read the following: "It is not the person ignorant of writing but the one ignorant of photography who will be the illiterate of the future." This prediction was made by one Laszlo Moholy-Nagy, a painter and photographer in the early 20th century. Inquisitive, I researched Laszlo and discovered that he 'foresaw photography as the art form of the future' and realized that technical advances in photography and film would transform social and cultural values as the 20th century progressed. Laszlo was a visionary, though I doubt he ever envisioned today's technologies and loss of film. It's now possible for anyone who can push a button to take a picture - even a toddler. There is a major difference between a picture and a worthy image, though. The latter requires skill and vision that typically takes years to acquire. It is a learning process with lots of trial and error before the craft is perfected. The results are the art that most of us appreciate and admire. I think that's what motivates most photographers - creating that perfect image. Mahalo! Steve
Editor’s Page Bob Douglas Aloha, Sorry folks it's late but life's been a bit hectic. We just got back from Europe and this weekend we had to move. Hopefully we have only one move left. I just wanted to bring up one observation. My wife and kids hate it when I bring along my camera backpack so I decided to try something different. I decided to try a P&S or point and shoot camera. The prerequisites were that it had to shoot raw and have a short focal length. The bonus is that it sports a Leica lens, woohoo. Being a SLR kinda guy I seriously doubted that a P&S would satisfy my requirements. So I took the plunge. B&H was kind and sent me a beautiful Panasonic Lumix LX3 camera in exchange for a king's ransom. The first immediate surprise was how comfortable the camera felt in the hand. The controls were were I would expect them to be located and the grasp just felt so natural. Within no time at all I could make pictures that met most expectations. The form factor of the camera adapted well to street photography. It was so easy creating pictures of people as they are. I only got caught once and it was by a French policeman who read me the riot act. He told me I couldn't do take pictures like that. What he didn't know was that is was too late. The only improvement for street photography would be to add a real wrist strap. The downside of the camera which was to be expected is a bit more noise but I am hoping Define or Photoshop will eliminate most of it. Bottom line is I truly love this little camera. I was able to use it spontaneously. My family didn't whine, it was easy to secure in a little belt pouch and it made for a totally hassle free vacation. Hope to see you at the next meeting, August 18th.
Aloha - Bob
What's Coming Up 08/7-26/10 08/18/10 09/15/10
Wailoa Center, Abstract Only Aerial Photography by Tom Benedict Photography by Rick Decker
August 18th Club Meeting Next Meeting, August 18: Tom Benedict takes aerial photographs using a kite. You will see some of his exciting photos will be in this newsletter. To learn more about Tom, go to http://tombenedict.wordpress.com/.
Member’s Choice Will be a demonstration on low-cost framing by HPC member Tom Whitney.
Review of the July 21st Club meeting Program President Doug Halsted was on vacation so VP Steve Godzsak stepped in to run the meeting. Our program tonight was the results of the Open Category Contest with member images that were submitted last month. Contest Coordinator George Jensen arranged for the judging to be done by a colleague from the North Minnesota Photography Club, Dennis Hoyne. Mr. Hoyne has a long association with NMPC and has been a photographer for many years. Hoyne’s comments were read to us by George as each image came on the screen. Our members then gave their own comments and critique, which were at times in opposition to the juror’s. First, second and third place ribbons went to Mary Goodrich, Steve Godzsak and Joe Ruesing, respectively. Three merit awards were given to members Chris James, Gene Udwin and Peggy Ruelke. The contest made for an enjoyable evening and we plan to do this more often. Member’s Choice After the break, the Member’s Choice presentation was given by Wendy Acker. Wendy has been taking photographs for about 5 years. She is interested in many different subjects and her work reveals an inquisitive mind and creative eye. She played music
with her slideshow and we were treated to a mix of images from many places including the Southwest and Hawaii. Wendy also has a flair for photographing people – typically her women friends dressed up in unusual styles and wearing fancy makeup. Also included in the slideshow was a particularly sensitive series of a friend who was undergoing chemotherapy. Following the slideshow, Wendy was open to receiving critique from members and gracefully accepted all comments. Wendy also brought a frame and some mats for the winners of the contest. Thanks, Wendy! Announcements Steve G. gave us an update on the Hilo Hospital’s offer to print and frame some of our photographs for display in the hospital. The details are still being sorted out, but for now we can be thinking about which of our images might be suitable for hanging in a hospital. Ken G. announced that Photo Shop classes will resume in September. The Scott Kelby Photowalk takes place 6/24, and there will be a write-up with photographs elsewhere in this newsletter. HPC Members are welcome to come and take photos at the Hilo Orchid Society’s 58 th annual show that officially opens on August 6. Come to Edith Kanakaole Stadium on the 5th and take photos of these beautiful flowers without the crowds. Plan to arrive about 1pm or later, and stay to about 5pm. There is a fee of $4 per person which can be given to Mary or Ken Goodrich or Ben Gaddis. Our thanks go to Ben for arranging this! County Fair Booth This is just a heads up, but it is time to think about the County Fair again which will be held in mid-September. There is no cost to members, but there is a commitment of time and energy. Last year we had a big booth for photos to be displayed and many people stopped to admire the photographs. There were a couple of sales. Ruben Casile has spearheaded this event in the past, and has done a great job. Now, he would like some help with the planning and member volunteers to sit the booth. No date has been set for a planning meeting yet, but we will get the word out soon. Hospital Display Update In mid July Chris and I met with hospital staff and discussed the displaying of member's photographs throughout the hospital and LTC facility. Frame sizes in the 20 x 25 to 24 x 30 are desired with border mat would mean photos would fall in the 13 x 19 to 18 x 24 range. The photographer would be responsible for printing with the hospital handling the matting, framing, and hanging. I suggested there be 2 frame sizes so that there be a little diversity. The photos will be selected by the club. No people or religious images are allowed. Underwater photos would be most welcome. The artist information must be included within the frame - no separate hangers or cards allowed on walls. The club will be responsible for creating a template to be followed. There is an opportunity to hang large works in the LTC facility including canvas gallery wrap. They suggested the creation of a usage agreement between the artist and the hospital with the expense to produce the work paid by the hospital. Obviously the hospital would have to see the image and decide if they want to use it before proceeding. Details for such are still pending. They are hoping to begin hanging in October, but must get bids on the frames. We provided several supplier names and suggested that local vendors also be solicited. Stay tuned! A final note: THANKS to all of you for your previous work. To my knowledge, all have been removed and returned. Newsletter We need contributions of photos, write-ups from outings, and articles on photography. A show of hands indicated that almost everyone present reads the newsletter. If you have something photographic to sell this is a good way to advertise it. Why not write about your thoughts on photography and send it in? What challenges you? What influences the choices you make
about image making? Who is your favorite historical photographer? This kind of thinking and writing will expand your visual horizons and enhance relationships with other photographers in the group.
Other News Abstract Only Contest Wailoa Center announced the “Abstract Only” show which takes place every other year. Ed Goldstein won Juror's Choice! The show will be up from August 7 – 26.
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