HPC - January 2011 by Bob Douglas

January 2011

HPC Monthly

Bill Irwin Sacred Mountains, Spiritual Gardens

Kathleen Carr EHCC Opening

Member’s Choice Steve Clark

The Hilo Photography Club is a photography club based on the Big Island of Hawai’i, and has been meeting monthly since 1978. Our members all have a common interest in photography and in sharing their craft/profession/hobby with others. Skills range from novice to professional. We currently have around 50 members from all parts 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 members 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 333-0402

Contents Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner 4 The 1/250 Second Banana 5 Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Page 6 Meeting Minutes 7 Outings 8 Photo Contests and Art Shows 8 Upcoming Meeting 10 More Member Pictures 11

President’s Corner

Aloha and a Happy New Year to all! What will this new year bring? Will there be more photo opportunities, new ways to photograph a favorite subject, trips to friendly yet unfamiliar places, trying new techniques, or just improving current methods? Yes, I’m hoping for all those and perhaps more as we club members share and learn from each other as well as guests who present their special skills and talents throughout the year. I was amazed with the December Shutterbug listing of the best 60 photo books for 2010 along with a brief review of each. The titles covered a large gamut: beginning and advanced guides for photography, outdoor and wildlife photography, select places, history, social issues, cultures, influential and women photographers, student and underwater photography, nude photography, making money with your camera, high dynamic range methods, camera usage, posing, lighting, and internet. Something for everyone with very few “coffee table” books. You know them...

big format photos perfectly composed and printed without a hint of how the work was accomplished. Bought many over the years and they all ended up on someone’s living room coffee table collecting dust. Today’s photo books convey more than just beautiful photography. Many artists share their knowledge so that we may learn and become better photographers either as generalists or specialists. Of course, they won’t share everything so one must still practice and try various techniques. No one size fits all. Regarding books - I was wondering if members would like to share their favorites with the club, perhaps presenting a book review as a member’s choice? Think about it. Our road trip was fun, a little long, and so cold. We went from Phoenix where temperature was in 70s to Burbank (60s) to Utah (10s). Saw significant fresh white snow driving from Utah to Arizona and was able to stop and take some photos though mostly they were from highway as the off roads were not visible and certainly not driveable.

Our trip did not include any winter storms in the plan, but mother nature intervened. Even in winter this canyon land is very picturesque so perhaps another trip will be needed. Though I lived most of my life in the southwest there was never sufficient time to see it all. Prior to the trip I had opportunity to meet with Krystal Moore who teaches Yearbook at Hilo HS. What she revealed was that there is one camera shared by the class. I asked how they produce a yearbook with such minimal resources. She says there is a volunteer who takes many of the photos and that some of the kids use their cell phones in addition to the class camera. Her students cannot afford DSLRs. If anyone wants to help the HS with ideas or equipment, please contact me or any board member. Regarding hospital photo display and recognition.... This issue is being worked and I am positive that a solution will

be forthcoming soon. Preparing a press release ready prior to celebration is great idea - kudos to Jonathan and Steve. Too bad the big storm obliterated the chance to see the eclipse. Truly a bummer as it will be a very long time until another event like this occurs. I heard a few of you challenged the elements, avoiding the rain to visit the park and shoot the glow. Please share your photos. And don’t forget to enter February’s photo critique... Great turnout for the holiday pot luck. The food and drink was delicious with plenty of choices, good conversation, and the desserts....very ono! The Yankee gift exchange was loads of fun. I can’t remember laughing so hard! Thanks to everyone for the great time! May 2011 be filled with more of the same. Steve

The 1/250 Second Banana Dear Readers, Our 1/250 Second Banana will return next month.

Editor’s Page New Year Resolutions If you are like most people you are probably dreading answering your friend’s questions, What’s your resolution this year? It doesn’t have to be difficult if you choose something realated to your passions in life such as photography. So I ask again what are your resolutions? Please send me a note descibing yours. I’ll post some of them in the next issue.

Triumphant, tragic, absurd and the quiet significance in between, our stories unfold without cease. Explore the emotions and actions that define being human. http://www. c4fap.org/cfe/2011HumanBeing/index.asp The juror is Phil Borges. If you have a chance checkout his web site http://www.philborges.com/

Congratualtions goes out to Mary Goodrich. Two of her images recieved Merit mentions in the 2011 Single Image issue of B&W magazine. Perfect segue for my resolution. This year it’s time that I try and submit a portfolio to B&W and or Lenswork magazine. OK I cheated the deadline for B&W magazine was December 31, 2010 so my resolution was completed before the new year. That’s not important. What is is that while seemly a daunting task it was really not that difficult. The process was straight forward and I was able to complete it within 2 hours. I encourage everyone to consider entering one nationally recognized event. Following is one you may find interesting Center for fine art Photography

Human + Being Due January 12, 2011 Juror Phil Borges Being human is complicated. Human + Being is an equally complex equation, the sum of these parts a richly textured experience unique to the individual but shared universally.

For other oportunities see Jim Kelley’s column or search the web. There are many out some charge a fee but there are also free ones out there. Just be wary of those that require an unlimited license. Bob

Meeting Minutes by Mary Goodrich

November 17, 2010 Christmas Banquet The December 15 HPC Banquet/Swap this year was our best one yet. If you weren’t there, maybe you will come next year to join in the fun! There were several things that made this December 15 special – the delicious food, the inspired gift swap and the numbers of people who came. Everyone had a great time! December Outing The December 20th outing attracted only 6 people to come up to Volcano to photograph the plume and the eclipse of the moon. Rain was forecast and the situation looked grim for viewing the eclipse. However, after a potluck dinner at Ken and Mary’s Volcano home, some of us diehards packed up our gear and went out there anyway. To our surprise, it was beautiful – no rain, no wind and it was warmer than usual at Jagger Museum. The moon was obscured by clouds and there was a lovely glow over the caldera. We didn’t really see the eclipse other than a gradual darkening of the sky – but the lava lake was bubbling away and we got good plume shots. Ken recommends autofocusing on the nearest edge of the crater, then set focus and exposure on manual. Open to your widest aperture. Set your ISO at 400 or 800 and try a 10 to 20 second exposure depending on atmospheric conditions Membership George reports that our membership numbers have dropped. What’s the deal, here? Isn’t fifteen bucks manini for a whole year of activities and programs? Our meetings are open and anyone can come but we appreciate the support of those who attend. There is usually a surge of new members around the time of Photo Expo when everyone’s

photographic juices get boiling but for the first part of the year membership is pretty skinny. Right now, HPC membership is down about 50%!!! See George at the January 19th meeting and renew your dues. In Club Competition And, very important, bring your competition entries to the January meeting! Remember how we all sat nearly speechless during the last competition? Chris James and Jennifer Griffith did an awesome job of finding great judges who really knew their stuff and gave us the low-down on how to improve our photographs. Now, they are doing it again – so bring in your entries on a disc or flash drive and Chris will download them onto his computer at the January meeting. In February, we will see the results and hear the judge’s comments. Even if it isn’t your photo the judge is talking about, you will learn from hearing the comments on other people’s work. This is all anonymous, unless you wish to acknowledge that a specific image is yours. Photo Expo Entering competition is a great way to get some feedback on any photographs you may want to consider for Photo Expo. Hear what the comp judge has to say and you will know if you are on the right track or maybe ought to choose something else. We have until March 19 to get our digital entries in for this year’s show. For more information on Expo, go to HYPERLINK “http://www.hawaiiphotoexpo.com” www.hawaiiphotoexpo.com.

Outings

by Linda Halsted January TBD This outing will be to the SHIPMAN BEACH. Unfortunately when I last checked with the Shipman office, I was informed that we cannot drive to the location. We will need to park at the end of Kaloli Point, and hike to the beach. This will be about a 1 hour hike. The Nenes are breeding about the time that we go there. Date to be announced. I will need a head count as to the number of members who want to go to this outing. If there are not enough attending, this may be cancelled and something else substituted.

Photo Contests and Art Shows by Jim Kelly

For those of you who are interested, here are some 2011 photo contests and art shows easily available to Hilo Photography Club members. Most have no entry fee and accept digital entries. Some have prizes such as money, trips, or cameras. Others will exhibit your photo or publish it in their magazine. Check the appropriate website for complete instructions. Although the entry deadlines may be several months away, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not too early to begin thinking about it and stockpiling photos.

Deadline probably August 2011. Submit a maximum of 8 prints. See contest website www.hawaiimagazine.com/ photo_contest Honolulu Magazine, Annual Photo Contest. Deadline probably in September 2011. Submit up to 2 digital images at the Photo Contest website or mail a CD. No entry fee. Cosponsored by Halekulani Hotel. Website is at: www.honolulumagazine.com/photocontest/ Canon Camera Deadline probably September 2011. Submit up to 10 digital images either by uploading at the contest website or sending in a CD. No entry fee. The 2010 Grand Prize was a trip to National Park of your choice. Other prizes were Canon cameras: 5D, 7D, Rebel T2i, and Power Shot GV. The contest website is: http://www.usa.canon.com/dlc/controller?act=GetArticleAc t&articleID=1326&refID=17 AAA Hawaii Photo Contest Deadline probably November 2011. Submit one photo by sending an email with your photo attached. No entry fee. Website is: www. AAA.com/hawaiimagazine-contest Nikon Photo Contest International Deadline probably in November 2011. No entry fee. Prizes are Nikon cameras. Website is: www.nikon-npci.com Smithsonian Magazine, 9th Annual Photo Contest

Hawaii Photo Expo, 2011 Deadline March 19, 2011 This is the annual photo contest at Wailoa Center using approximately the same schedule as the 2010 Photo Expo. The Prospectus will be available in January. The 2011 contest will have 3 categories: Masters, Enthusiasts, and Beginners. George Lee, Photo Editor of the Honolulu Star Advertiser, will be the judge. The website is at www.hawaiiphotoexpo.com <http://www.hawaiiphotoexpo.com> Hawaii Magazine, Photo Contest

Deadline probably December 2011. Submit digital images through the contest website. No entry fee. Five categories: Americana, Natural World, People, Altered Images, and Travel. All category winners and the Readerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Choice winner will receive $500 and their photo published in the Smithsonian Magazine. The contest website is at: http://photocontest.smithsonianmag.com/

ART SHOWS Kathleen Carr - A Journey through Light and Color HPC member Kathleen Carr will be showing her fine art photography in January at EHCC along with two other artists, Francene Hart and Pamela Colton Thomas. The show is entitled “A Journey through Light and Color” and will have an opening reception on January 7, 2011. For details see page 11. Artists of Hawaii Deadline April 1, 2011. Submit up to 3 digital entries for $35 using the Café website. Selected framed images will be exhibited at the Honolulu Academy of Arts from June 30 to September 26, 2011. Juror for the 2011 show is Wu Hung, Director, Center for the Art of East Asia, University of Chicago. Website is at: http://www.honoluluacademy.org/cmshaa/academy/ index.aspx?id=5658

The 2011 contest will probably have 3 categories: Masters, Enthusiasts, and Beginners. The website is at www.hawaiiphotoexpo.com August 2011 Hawaii Magazine, Photo Contest, Deadline: Probably August 2011. We just missed Hawaii Magazine’s 2010 contest. The deadline was August 6, 2010. But, keep it in mind for next year. This year the contest had 4 categories: Kauai, Oahu, Maui, and Hawaii, with up to 2 photos accepted for each category for a maximum of 8 photos. A photo print was required but it could be accompanied by a digital image on a CD. Prizes included a trip to Kauai, money, or gifts. See this year’s contest website at: www.hawaiimagazine.com/ photo_contest April 11, 2011

Honolulu Academy of Arts Artists of Hawaii 2011 Fee: $25.00 (Artists of Hawai’i 2011) EHCC (East Hawaii Cultural Center) Spring Arts Festival Entry Deadline: 4/1/1 Deadline probably end of March 2011. Entry fee is $15 per picture for members, $25 for nonmembers. Cash prizes. Entries must be framed. Selected pictures will be exhibited during the month of April in the EHCC Gallery in downtown Hilo. Website is at www.ehcc. org EHCC (East Hawaii Cultural Center) Fall Arts Festival Deadline probably end of October 2011. Same procedure and fees as the Spring Arts Festival. March 2011 Hawaii Photo Expo 2011, Deadline: March 2011 This is the annual Hilo Photography Club’s photo contest at Wailoa Center. Digital entries will be accepted sometime in March using approximately the same schedule as the 2010 Photo Expo. It’s not too early to begin thinking about taking photos or selecting photos for next year’s contest.

The Honolulu Academy of Arts annual juried exhibition is one of the longest running juried exhibitions in the country, showcasing the quality and diversity of Hawaii’s artists. All artists residing in the state of Hawaii are eligible. Artists may submit up to 3 artworks. There is a $25 Jury Fee which includes one digital image submission. Each additional digital image submitted is $5 (1 entry=$25; 2 entries=$30; 3 entries=$35; 1 entry+1 detail=$30; 2 entries+1 detail=$35, etc). For more information on the Honolulu Academy of Arts please visit www.honoluluacademy.org.

A Journey Through Light and Color

An East Hawaii Cultural Center Exhibit with Kathleen T. Carr, Francene Hart and Pamela Colton Thomas January 7 through 27, 2011 Artists’ reception Friday January 7, 5:30- 7:30pm Guided Gallery Walk Saturday, January 8, 10:30-Noon

says “Kathleen’s photographs, with their multiple layers of image and meaning, are exquisite evocations of life, nature, and the human form. Her images are ethereal journeys to places of beauty that are discovered on a walk through her neighborhood, a hike into the woods, or on a distant voyage.” Francene Hart incorporates Sacred Geometry with images of nature and spirit. Her watercolors touch a part of us that translates universal information into transformative energy. And the vibrant watercolor and acrylic paintings of Pam Colton Thomas display bold colors and gorgeously designed scenes of Hawaii and the divine feminine. They enliven your senses and act as a bridge of light. This is an exhibition you may want to see again and again. Kathleen T. Carr is a fine art photographer, teacher, author, and a former Creative Uses Consultant for Polaroid. Her work has been exhibited internationally and has appeared in numerous books and periodicals. Kathleen’s books include Polaroid Transfers, Polaroid Manipulations (Amphoto Books), and To Honor the Earth (HarperSanFrancisco).

© Kathleen Karr The first exhibit of 2011 at the East Hawaii Cultural Center will fill all three galleries with color and light. As you walk through the galleries, a journey of differences and similarities, light and color awaits your exploration with the work of three accomplished artists whose vision and techniques will delight your senses and open your hearts. Kathleen T. Carr is filling the main gallery with 70 photographic images--from her most recent enhanced infrared prints to earlier Polaroid transfer and SX-70 handcolored work. Her work is best summarized by a quote from Jim Alinder of the Alinder Gallery, and internationally respected photography authority, who

Her current passions are black and white infrared photography and filming wild dolphins and whales in Tonga. She resides in Honaunau. Visit her websites at www.kathleentcarr.com and www.kathleencarr.com.

and the offices of healers and seekers planet wide. She employs the wisdom and symbolic imagery of Sacred Geometry, reverence for nature, and experience of our interconnectedness to create watercolor paintings of beauty and spirit. She is artist and author of the Sacred Geometry Oracle Deck and Sacred Geometry Cards for the Visionary Path. Her website is www.francenehart.com. Pamela Colton Thomas has held a paintbrush in her hand as far back as she can remember. In her formative years she was tutored by her father, who was an accomplished artist in Washington D.C. She then studied at the Academy of Art in San Francisco in the late 70’s, but it was not until she came to Hawaii in the early 80’s that she really found her stride. In addition to painting, she is a writer with poems and artwork published in Psyche’s Journey. She is presently completing a book about the return of the feminine as a pathway to wholeness. Her website is www. pamelacoltonthomas.com.

© Kathleen Karr “For many years I have photographed nature, people and the landscape in my travels. I was fortunate to have studied extensively with Minor White. His meditative approach to photography had a profound affect on my perception, encouraging a reverence and connection with the subject before exposing the image. I began then to see photography as a vehicle for spiritual growth--a mirror of my inner and outer awareness of life. Using a variety of techniques, I experiment with ways to express this connection and presence more tangibly. Caring deeply about nature, especially when I see such environmental destruction in the world, I want my photography to inspire people to honor the earth and all who live upon it.” Francene Hart is an internationally recognized visionary artist whose work is widely published in books and magazines and hangs in the homes of art collectors

Upcoming Meeting © Bill IrwinJanuary 19, 2011 Bill Irwin Sacred Mountains, Spiritual Gardens A Tour Through China’s Spiritual Treasures in HDR Photography

Having developed an interest in HDR photography I thought a good test of the technology would be to use it to record my recent trip to China exploring some of China’s sacred mountains and classical gardens. I thought using it in the field everyday for a few weeks exploring a subject would give me an idea of its usefulness and limitations and it certainly did. At the January meeting of the Hilo Photography Club I will be showing photos from my trip to Jiuhua Shan, China, the Buddhist sacred mountain of the south, and the classical Chinese gardens of Suzhou. I will be using my collection of HDR images from this trip to illustrate both the problems encountered and the benefits of HDR photography. The technology can capture some stunning images and it can cause you to miss other great images, I will be talking about some of the trade-offs, benefits, and problems I encountered trying to record a subject almost entirely in HDR photography. I will be using my photos to illustrate some of the things I learned about HDR on my trip. I will also be talking about the subject matter of the photos. Mount Jiuhua Shan is one of the 4 Sacred Buddhist mountains of China. It is located in some very rugged mountains in the southern part of Anhui Province, China. This holy mountain is the center of worship of the Bodhisattva Di Zang who is the Buddhist savior to those who are in Hell. His Bodhisattva vow is to save and give comfort to all souls suffering in Hell. Since Di Zang can provide aid to the deceased Jiuhua Shan is a popular pilgrimage site for those who have lost loved ones. The Village of Jiuhua is a small place in the mountains but has 30 to 40 temples in the village and surrounding mountains making it a great site to do a photo essay on Chinese religion and the mountains provide some opportunities for landscape photography. I will also be making some comments about the state of religion in China today.

Then we are going to take a brief look into the classical Chinese garden.

The purpose of this detour is to discuss Chinese aesthetics of art, religion, and life style as expressed in the garden. The classical Chinese garden is where Chinese art, literature, religious ideas, and the desire for a retreat from society come together in garden design. The Chinese garden is a lovely place to visit and having a better understanding of what the garden designer is trying to accomplish can enrich your experience. The Chinese garden is also a wonderful place for the photographer to work as it is filled with a variety of landscapes, views, and unusual items to photograph. All this will be illustrated by my HDR photography of the garden setting.

Steve Clark Member’s Choice will be Steve Clark. Steve travels each year to Colorado and has some beautiful images of the place. It was the natural world that inspired me to take pictures. My early attempts at nature photography almost always failed to produce what I wanted, only very rarely did a frame come back from the developer with something that made my pulse quicken – that conveyed some of the wonder I felt. After giving up on the whole idea many times, I gradually realized that what I was trying to do wasn’t easy and that meant that I just had to be willing to work harder at it and invest more time and money into it. In 2003 I started shooting photos with a cheap 3 megapixel digital camera for work, and while I scoffed at the idea of shooting serious photos with a digital camera and continued shooting film for several years, it was the beginning of a new era for me.

In 2007 I spent a week in the Rocky Mountain National Park and shot all digital, determined to make the best of the advantages in spite of the “terrible shortcoming of the camera and the technology”. I shot over 500 pictures where normally I might have shot 3 rolls of film. The number of good photos went up by a similar ratio. I was basically sold then, but I needed a real camera, so in 2008 I got my Canon 40D and attended a workshop with George Lepp in Colorado and that really opened my eyes. I’m loving everything about photography now, even the hard to learn stuff, and I think my photos are starting to say something that I’ve wanted to say for a long time. For me its about an experience, usually found in nature, that’s fleeting, spiritual, beyond words. Its never repeated in the same way, always different on the surface, always the same at the core, an echo of the Creator’s voice.

More Member Pictures

ÂŠ Steve Clark