The
Contact Sheet The Newsletter of the
Finger Lakes Photography Guild
October
2020
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The Contact Sheet October 2020
Finger Lakes Photography Guild www.fingerlakesphotographyguild.org Member of the Photographic Society of America OFFICERS Joann Long, President. JKLong@rochester.rr.com Jim Hooper, Vice President . Hooperphotographic@yahoo.com Joy Underhill, Secretary. JoyHill@rochester.rr.com Robin Voorhees, Treasurer. robinvoorhees@yahoo.com EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Charles Cappellino Barbara Drake Lee Drake Karl Dueland Jim Hooper Joann Long Joy Underhill CHAIRS Stephen Burnett, NFRCC Rep Melody Burri, Publicity Chair Don Delong, NFRCC Rep Alternate Karl Dueland, Exhibit Chair Jim Hooper, Education Chair, Newsletter Editor Tom Kredo, PSA Representative Michael Linse, Challenge Co-Chair Nik Nagane, Outings Chair Robert Snyder, Challenge Co-Chair Bob Sundell, Social Chair Liz Voorhees, Membership Chair FACEBOOK Public Page: Finger Lakes Photography Guild Member Page: FLPGMembers MISSION The Finger Lakes Photography Guild is a collaboration of photographers who are striving to advance their use of digital imagery as a form of fine art. Members pursue photographic excellence, in a collegial environment, through the use of ongoing training, peer reviews, and shared experiences. While we make every effort to be accurate and factual with the contents herein, we do make mistakes once in a while. Please be kind. PHOTO CREDITS Front cover, Joann Long. This page, Jim Hooper (Model: Eliza Ashley).
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From the Editor’s Desk...
Hot apple cider, pumpkin spice, and eye popping colors saturating our hillsides, friends we know what all of these things mean! It’s Fall in the Finger Lakes, and it’s a great time and place for a photographer to be! Many of us have already been out with our cameras, capturing beautiful scenes, while others are still waiting just a bit longer to get out there. Whatever your plan, I hope you find yourself bringing home some beautiful images before the... well, we all know what comes after the brilliance of Autumn. Just be sure to check out Nik’s tutorial on making the most of your CPL this season. This issue also brings you ten tips for working with models, as we prep for our October Education night meeting, where I will have a model live in studio, for a shoot, as well as an A to Z primary from making the first contact, to editing your best images. We will also have a Q&A session with model Nico Noir and myself, in studio.
There are a lot of good articles this month, with contributions from many of our members. So pour yourself a cup of hot cider, and enjoy the show!
CONTENTS departments
3 From the Editors Desk 4 News and Notes 5 ProSeries: The Subjective Landscape 6 The Contact Sheet Crew 6 Upcoming Events 6 PSA and NFRCC 7 Resources & Member Pages 8 Shooting with Models 13 Members’ Quick Tips 15 The Armchair Tourist 18 Member Spotlight: Regina Muscarella 22 Behind the Image: David Soderlund 24 Your Best Friend for Fall Photography, The Circular Polarizer 28 What’s In The Bag: Jim Hooper 30 Accolades 31 FLPG Logo Merchandise
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Shooting with Models: Jim Hooper shares ten quick pointers for working with models, as we prepare for our October Education night meeting.
The Armchair Tourist: The Covid-19 Pandemic can’t stop Joy Underhill from sharing her travelogs. See how she’s sharing her images in a whole new way.
Your Best Friend For Fall Colors Nikhil Nagane shares his love for the Circular Polarizer for getting the best out of your Fall Photography.
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News & Notes
Photo by Angela Browne Our next meeting will be October 7. This will be a VIRTUAL Education Meeting. Details on the next page. NEW! If you are submitting images for the Challenge, Free For All or Show and Tell, you will now be submitting images to Joann Long (JKLong@rochester. rr.com) one week before the meeting. We are hoping that by sending all images to one person, we will simplify the submission process for all members. For November, please submit images no later than October 28. Please be courteous and follow deadlines, as it may be difficult for Joann to download images the day of the meeting. Challenge: Our next Guild photo Challenge will be “Dirt”. For our November Meeting you are Challenged to create 1 or 2 abstract images. In review, the Guild Challenge is intended to motivate members to create one or two new images that interpret the subject we present. It may move us out of our routine comfort zone or emphasize an important element of composition. It is intended to make 4
us creatively see and think. Reworked archival images are not appropriate. If you accept the Challenge, it may lead to new perspectives and skill sets. It is not intended to be easy. Show and Tell: Send up to 5 of your favorite images from the Fall, for sharing. The Show and Tell segment of the meeting is intended to give members a chance to share with one another about the how and why of their best work. It should go beyond simply showcasing your most recent work, but really help us to learn from your techniques, and help us to understand how the images were made. Alternatively, members may submit ONE image for a critique by members, in lieu of sharing five images. Free For All: Our current FFA image is supplied by Charlie Cappellino. You can find this image in the Dropbox folder that Joy has set up for members (click here). Take your best shot at editing the image and email your revised image to Joann Long before the next meeting.
ProSeries: Change of plans! As with all things 2020, our intended ProSeries workshop with Chris Murray has been put on hold for the time being. FLCC is currently not accepting rental reservations, and we don’t yet know when they will be. We have been in contact with Chris, and he is fully in agreement to postpone the Subjective Landscape workshop until we can meet together again safely. All is not lost though! Chris has volunteered to present a one-hour Zoom program, at no cost. Think of this as a primer for the full workshop, whenever that can be rescheduled for. The Zoom program has been scheduled for October 17, the same day that we were supposed to be meeting in person. The program will be one hour in length, from 10am-11am. Once we are able to establish a new date for the full day ProSeries workshop with Chris, we will be sure to let all members know as soon as possible.
The Subjective Landsape with Chris Murray
October 17 10:00am Zoom
. Create images that go beyond merely outward appearances and reflecting your thoughts and feelings. Chris Murray will draw a distinction between objective and subjective landscapes, discuss the defining qualities of each and how they differ in approach and intent. He will discuss ways to help you access and develop your own personal vision in order to make more subjective personally expressive images.
FREE! This one-hour primer will give you a taste of the program that Chris will be presenting, Spring 2021!
Register today at hooperphotographic.com/education
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The Contact Sheet Crew! Jim Hooper
Exciting news! The Contact Sheet is GROWING! The Contact Sheet has been a true labor of love for me over the years. I first created the Contact Sheet when I became the Education Chair of the Guild, as a way of sending out short educational tips in a quick email, once a week. It has certainly come a long way since then, and members are now submitting articles to help and support this effort. Each month, the Contact Sheet ranges from 24-40 (!!) pages, and feedback has always been very positive. This month, I have requested the support of a few willing members to come together and form a new committee who will help to develop the Contact Sheet with me each month. I sent out an email to three people, and all three immediately agreed to step in and contribute, and I could not be more happy! The new committee includes David Soderlund, Melody Burri, and Charlie Cappellino. Within 24 hours of my initial email, collaborative ideas were being shared, and a Zoom meeting was set up to look to the future for this publication. I am extremely grateful for their support and commitment, and we have already discussed some really great new opportunities. We will be working together to identify potential articles, new recurring features, potential contributors and more. Our first order of business will be setting out some longer term ideas for the Contact Sheet. Often times, I come up with an idea less than a week before publication day, and ask a member to pull something together on a moments notice.
Photographic Society of America
The Finger Lakes Photography Guild is a member club of the Photographic Society of America (PSA). PSA offers some amazing benefits including online courses, one-onone mentoring opportunities, access to the monthly PSA Journal, member galleries, club and individual competitions, study groups, and even discounts on popular products and workshops. Some benefits are available as a member club, others require individual membership. For more information, visit PSA online at psa-photo.org.
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Upcoming Events October 7: Education Meeting. Portrait Shoots with Models, from A-Z with Jim Hooper and Nici Johnson. ** October 17: The Subjective Landscape with Chris Murray. Pre-Registration REQUIRED. Go to hooperphotographic. com/education to register today. ** ** Note: These meetings will be conducted via Zoom once again. An invitation will be going out by email. You’re welcome to invite anyone who you think might be interested. We’d love to use this new meeting format as a way of extending our reach to new audiences! Because we are resilient too! This new committee will help with planning themes and ideas well in advance so that members will have time to contribute that great content that we all appreciate as members of this Guild. We will also be working on developing some templates or tutorials on how to write a great, compelling article for the newsletter. We know that all of our members have some really great skills with photography and processing, and everyone has unique skills and workflows, but not everyone feels as confident about writing. It is our hope that with some gentle encouragement and some tips and templates, more members will feel motivated to share some of their own skills with the rest of the membership! If you have ideas for the committee, or would like to contribute articles to the next issue, we’d love to hear from you! Please reach out to me and I’d love to help make it happen!
Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Club
The Finger Lakes Photography Guild is a member club of The Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Club (NFRCC). NFRCC is made up of 18 individual camera and photography clubs, with some of those clubs belonging to the Canadian Association of Photographic Arts (CAPA) and/or the Photographic Society of America (PSA). Established in 1957, the NFRCC encompasses an area in the Niagara Peninsula in Southern Ontario, Western New York and Pennsylvania, thus making it truly an International Organization. Our meeting season is from September through May with meeting schedules at the discretion of each club.
Resources
Find a great website, with lots of great information? Share it with your fellow Guild members, here! This list will continue to grow as more people share their favorite resources. Reviews www.dpreview.com Processing Tutorials www.laurashoe.com (Lighroom) phlearn.com General Photography Education behindtheshutter.com www.diyphotography.net (DIY stuff) fstoppers.com petapixel.com photographylife.com strobist.blogspot.com (lighting) blog.joemcnally.com backcountrygallery.com Mattk.com CreativeLive.com www.josephrossbach.com Nature Photography Resource www.luminous-landscape.com www.naturescapes.net Magazines Shutter: behindtheshutter.com Manufacturers www.redriverpaper.com NikonUSA.com Retailers adorama.com bhphotovideo.com keh.com (used equipment) YouTube Channels Fro Knows Photo: www.youtube.com/user/JaredPolin Tony and Chelsea Northrup: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDkJEEIifDzR_2K2p9tnwYQ
Member Pages Several of our members currently showcase galleries of their photography with personal websites. Take some time to check these out! If you have a website of your own that you would like to share, Please contact Jim Hooper for inclusion in future issues! Melody Burri Web: www.MelodyBurri.Zenfolio.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/melodyburri Don Delong Web: DonDelong.smugmug.com/ Karl Dueland Web: www.duelandphoto.com Jim Hooper Web: www.HooperPhotographic.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/himjooper Facebook: www.facebook.com/HooperPhotographic Stephen Kalbach Web: www.StephenKalbachPhotography.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/ stephen.kalbach.photography Tom Kredo web: www.flickr.com/photos/tomkredo Joann Long Web: www.Joann-Long.pixels.com Instagram: www.instagram.com/joannklong Facebook: www.facebook.com/ JoannKLongPhotography/ Nik Nagane Web: www.NikNaganePhotography.com Mike Nyerges Web: www.mikenyerges.com Instagram: instagram.com/mike.nyerges David Soderlund Web: www.davidmsoderlund.com
Photo Sharing web.500px.com Photography Schools New York Institute of Photography: nyip.edu Digital Photography School: digital-photography-school.com 7
Models!
Shooting with
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A Primer in Art and Glamour Portraiture Jim Hooper. Model Casey DuPont. Rochester, NY. Image for submission to Nephilim Magazine, March 2018. Behind the scenes image captured by Joann Long. 9
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erhaps you’ve never given much thought to photographing beautiful models in lavish wardrobes lounging in gorgeous scenes, but many of us have probably had the experience of being approached by a friend or a family member “since you have a really nice camera” and asked to do senior photos, or family pictures, or something of the sort. Or maybe you’re genuinely curious about exploring a whole new genre of photography. I started off shooting wildlife and landscape images over 20 years ago, but I have shifted to shooting primarily glamour and fine art portraiture over the past four to five years. Over that time, I have learned a great deal, and I will be sharing a lot of those lessons when we meet in October. In preparing for this workshop, I wanted to share some thoughts here in the Contact Sheet. There are many reasons why people start shooting portraits. For me, my first portrait shoot was a senior portrait for a co-workers daughter, many many years ago. It was a unique challenge, and having never photographed people (aside from events, which is still very different), I spent a lot of time trying to learn poses and lighting for people pictures. Luckily, that first shoot turned out some good images, and I didn’t run away crying! That shoot led to more opportunities for senior portraits, and in my current job working at 4-H Camp, I have a steady stream of 17 year old camp staff looking for senior pictures. Each of these sessions gives me a chance to learn, hone and improve my skills. Once I moved back to New York in 2005, I connected with a local area model, and we did a few shoots, which really got my interest going. I set up an online portfolio with the images I’d shot with the model,
Model Nici Johnson, Batavia, NY. For portfolio. July 2020 10
and began actively looking for more opportunities to shoot with new models. In the years since, I have had the opportunity to do close to a hundred different photoshoots with people, including many model shoots. The Rochester area has a number of very active Facebook groups devoted to local photographers and models, and I’ve networked with a good number of folks on some really great collaborative efforts. This article will share my top ten tips about shooting with models, so maybe you will have a chance to test the waters yourself! We will cover these, and more, when we do our October Education Night, when I have model Nici Johnson in studio with me. We will have a discussion with Q&A, a quick shoot, and a little bit of an editing demonstration as well! Hope you can make it! Tip 1: Finding a Model to Work With In the world of the internet, it’s becoming easier than ever to find models willing to work with you. While there are certainly modeling agencies out there, they don’t want to work with hobbyist photographers, so I don’t recommend seeking an agency. Rather, networking websites like Model Mayhem or One Model Place are an option for hobbyist photographers to network with non-agency models. To be honest with you, I’ve had a portfolio on Model Mayhem for over 15 years, and I’ve never actually booked a shoot directly because of it. That said, I have connected with local models on Facebook and then later found that they also had a portfolio on ModelMayhem.com where I could read their bio, stats, look at their images, etc.
Facebook and Instagram have been far more productive for me in identifying models to work with. As I mentioned before, the Rochester modeling community has several Facebook groups where you can get a feel for who’s who. There are frequently both models and photographers posting opportunities there. Even new photographers can post, letting models know they are interested in doing a photoshoot and often an available model will respond. Once you’ve made a connection, you can check out their images, and have a bit of a dialog, which leads directly into Tip #2... Tip 2: Open, Honest Communication Great! You’ve made a connection with someone who is interested in possibly modeling for you. It is absolutely critical that you begin an honest dialog with them. Just like photographers, there are different types of models out there, and you don’t necessarily want to shoot with the first model that replies to you. You will want to get a sense of their goals and aspirations, the different types of looks they are comfortable with, and a general sense of their professionalism. Likewise, they will be trying to size you up as well. I always prefer to err on the side of talking too much, rather than too little. If I am getting the sense that the model is kind of flakey, or not taking things very seriously, I may opt to move on and look for another model. Tip 3: Game Plan. There are a couple of different schools of thought on this one, but at the end of the day,you’re going to want to have a solid game plan well before you meet up to shoot. If you are reaching out to connect with a model, they may be expecting you to have a theme or a style already in mind. Other models may have their own ideas and be willing to steer the ship, so to speak. Often times, however, you will find that neither party has a specific plan when they first connect, but rather, will prefer to discuss some options, and work together to determine a theme. For me, personally, I am in love with Pinterest, and I always have several
different pinboards with different ideas. Sometimes I see an idea and I might think to myself “Nici would be PERFECT for this look!” and I will message her. Other times I will see something and think “I’d love to do that, if I ever found the perfect model for it”, and then when I am making arrangements with a model I may go back to my boards and see if the model would be interested in shooting something from my wish list. Tip 4: Have a Contract I know, I know... You probably aren’t looking to get paid from your first model shoot, but having a contract in place is really important, even if there is no money exchanging hands. Even when you are good friends with the model (or the coworkers daughter you’re photographing, etc), it’s always a good idea to have something that spells out some of the details like costs (if any), how many finished images the model can expect, how long they can expect to wait to get those images, image resolution, copyright, usage rights, and more. I’ve heard models tell me that they shot with a photographer 6 months ago, and they haven’t gotten a single image from the shoot yet. For me, my contract says I will deliver a gallery of proof images within one week of the shoot, and I will deliver a minimum of ten fully editing images within one week of the models selection. Every photographer is different. I always allow the model to select their favorite images, but many photographers simply select their own favorites, and the model simply gets a low resolution copy of the photographer’s favorites. Bear in mind that if there is no money being exchanged, then the final edited images ARE the compensation for both parties, so to me, it makes sense to be as generous as possible, especially when you are just starting out. Tip 5: Location, Location, Location This is an old real estate term, but the same can be said for photography. Where you do your shoots is tied to the style and the theme for your shoot. Will you be shooting outdoors at a local park with natural light and
Model Janae Genna, Rochester NY. Image for portfolio. December 2019. wooded backgrounds? Is your theme better suited to a fancy, elegant indoor location? Is it more boudoir themed, where shooting at a hotel, or the model’s home may be appropriate? Does it require full studio lighting and gear? Sometimes the location can be dependent on the theme, other times the theme may be dependent on the location. For example, shooting in a park will yield a very different feel than
Model Msytic Fourness, Ashville NC. For portfolio. March 2019 11
shooting in front of a sweeping spiral staircase in a luxury hotel lobby, which is going to be very different than shooting in the crumbling concrete ruins of an abandoned warehouse. Tip 6: Lighting, Lighting, Lighting We know that photography is quite literally painting with light, so any time you are using a camera, you’re going to need to understand lighting. Are you a natural light photographer? Are you using speedlights? Are you using studio strobes? If you’re shooting in natural light, do you know how to use reflectors and diffusers and natural obstructions to move, shift, and shape the light as you need, to make flattering images? If you are using speedlights or strobes, do you know how to balance artificial light with natural light? Are you familiar with lighting patterns and lighting ratios? In glamour photography, there is no right choice, but as a photographer, you need to be skilled in selecting the right setup for your particular shoot. Tip 7: Giving Feedback When you’re photographing a model, remember that even though you can see the images on the back of your camera, the model doesn’t until you show them. Remember all of the work you put in to having a plan and communicating with the model in tips two and three? You’re still going to want to be talking with your model during the shoot. Give them positive feedback as much as possible. If you are shooting away, and giving no feedback, they don’t know if they are giving you the look you want or not. And never ever ever look at the back of your camera and make negative comments or expressions! Your models will pick up on that every single time! Now, it’s fair that sometimes you won’t love every single image you see on the back of the camera, but keep talking positively. If something isn’t quite right, give the model feedback but frame it positively. Tell them what you need to change, but be respectful. “That’s great! Let’s get another shot where we move your hand to your hip... I want to give a little separation between your arm and your side.” or “YES! Now turn your chin toward the light... YES! That’s awesome!” will yield way better results than “move your elbow away from your gut, you look really heavy with your arm tucked in like that” or “You need to look toward the light because we are seeing your double chin when you look away”. Ack! Don’t do it! Tip 8: Never Touch Your Model This one really explains itself, but you should never just go up to your model and move their hair around or put their hand on their hip, etc. I think this one is especially true for male photographers working with female models. There are situations, however, where I may ask a model for permission to move their hair out of their eyes because having the model move it themselves may interrupt a particular pose. I always invite a model to bring a friend or a parent with them to the shoot, especially if I’ve not worked with them before, and this can be a good way to give the friend something to do, while also alleviating the need for me to touch the model. I will just ask the model if it’s OK for their friend to adjust the hair. Typically the friend can see what I am looking at, and can make the adjustment just as easily as I could. 12
Model Tina Johnson, Phoenix AZ. Image created for submission to Myssfit Magazine, June 2019. Tip 9: Be Prompt with Follow Up After the shoot is over, I download all of my images into Lightroom, and then cull out the duplicates, the blurry images, the awkward expressions, the shots where my lights didn’t fire, etc., and then export a watermarked set of proofs within 24 hours. Again, there is no right or wrong answer here, but I like to turn things around as quickly as possible. I then use Pixieset to upload a password protect gallery of proofs. I can send a link for the gallery to model, and invite them to “Like” their favorite images. My contract specifies ten images so once the model “likes” their favorite ten, I will get an email that tells me a new favorites list has been created. From there, I simply pull up the list, and earmark those images as “2-star” images in Lightroom. Once I’ve edited them, I will mark them as “3-star” images. Then I simply export the collection using the specifications outlined in my contract. In my case, that means I export to 2000 px on the long side, at 300dpi, with a watermark applied. Most models are only using these in online portfolios or social media, so they have no use for the full res photos. If they are planning on printing, they can just let me know and I will gladly send them the full res. Again, every photographer will approach this differently, this is just the system that works for me. Tip 10: Be a Good Human Ok, perhaps this isn’t unique to art and glamour portraits, but I do think there is an element of special note here when it comes to working with models. In the glamour photography genre, our aim is to make the client as beautiful, sexy, and glamorous as possible. To make this possible, it is absolutely critical that you build a level of trust between model and photographer. That trust is based on all of the interactions you have with the model from the very first moment you contact them. Every interaction with your model is a chance to demonstrate your professionalism, and you should treat it as such. If your model has any reason to believe that you are being dishonest or just plain creepy, the images will show that tension. Additionally, they are likely to share their negative experiences with the modeling community, and you will find it all but impossible to arrange a shoot with another model. So, just be nice. Be a good human, follow through on your commitments, deliver on your promises, make good images, and enjoy the experience!
Members’ Quick Tips Lightroom Gallery Quick Tip! Joann Long
“Step Up” Your Filter Game Jim Hooper
I always wanted to make an online gallery of my work for a certain group of people but didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting a domain and making a website. Imagine my surprise to learn that I can make an online gallery through Lightroom! . I didn’t know it was possible until I listened to Matt K’s online tutorial. The benefits of the LR Gallery include prohibiting right click saving so people can’t take/download your photos, you can make a gallery for each group of people you want to share with, the layout is customizable, and it’s easy!
Back in the day, photographers tended to carry a full array of different filters including UV/Haze, CPL, Warming, Cooling, FLW (Fluorescent) filters. Today, that arsenal has largely been replaced with post processing, but I am still a big advocate of UV filters, and of course Circular Polarizers can’t be replicated in post. If you’re like me, you carry a bunch of lenses with you in your bag. Even if you’re only carrying two lenses, there’s a good chance that each of those lenses has a different filter thread, meaning you can’t use the same filters on each of those lenses. Buying an entire set of quality filters for every single lens can be quite expensive.
I have numerous pictures of my 99-year-old Mom that I wanted to share with my family. So, this process to create an online gallery was perfect to share all the photos I had and doesn’t have to be static. I can add more photos easily as time goes on. Rather than reinvent the wheel to describe how it’s done; Matt K’s video thoroughly describes how to create your own galleries. https://mattk.com/how-to-get-the-most-adobe-episode-1/ I highly recommend you check out this little-known function! Feel free to check out a couple of galleries that I put together. My mom’s gallery is here: https://adobe.ly/2KcBDgd, and I also made one for the East Bloomfield Firehouse Training, here: https:// adobe.ly/30H142q . Create Stunning Product Images with Studio-like Sweeps Jim Hooper If you want to try your hand at product photography, get yourself a sheet of poster board, some tape and something you can use as a backstop.
This is where “Step Up rings” come into play! A SUR is simply a metal ring that is threaded on each end, and has a different diameter on each end. When you buy a SUR, will see that it is marked with the two different filter thread sizes, on the ring. For example, you might see it marked as a 58-62mm or a 52-77mm ring. Rather than buying a whole collection of filters for each lens, look at the filter size of your largest diameter lens. Let’s say you carry lenses with filter sizes of 52mm, 58mm, 62mm and 77mm. Simply purchase filters at the largest (77mm) and then buy a 52-77mm SUR, a 58-77mm SUR, and a 62-77mm SUR. Personally, I like to use a UV filter on all of my lenses at all times, so I would likely still purchase four UV Filters, but just one Circular Polarizer, one 2x ND, and one 4x ND filter. One final note, if you do go this route, remember that your original lens caps will no longer fit. My suggestion is to purchase three new 77mm lens caps (if you carry the lenses in the scenario above, the 77mm lens would already have a cap, so you wouldn’t need a new one).
Lay the poster board on the table near the window, let one side stay flat to the table, and the other end should be raised in a gentle arc, and then affixed to the backdrop. Get out your camera and macro lens and start to play around! Left: The “Behind the Scenes” setup showing the simple posterboard being used as a studio sweep for photographing the figurine. Right: The resultant image of the figurine.
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Border Patrol Diane Dersch Adding a border in Photoshop Elements or Photoshop 1. First you will need to open a photo in Photoshop Elements or Photoshop (fig. 1). 2. Next you will need to make a background copy. 3. Then go to the select tab and choose all. 4. Next you need to go over to the edit tab and select stroke (outline) selection. 5. You can choose the color and how wide you’d like your stroke. I have found that if you’ve cropped your photo the stroke will have to be a smaller size. You will need to play around with the size to see what you prefer (fig. 2). 6. After choosing the size of the stroke you will need to go back to select and choose deselect. 7. If you want to add another wider border you can go to image, choose resize and then canvas. 8. You will need to change it to inches. I usually add .3 and choose a color to make it a nice border around the simple line one (fig. 3). Previously I had always been doing canvas and enlarging the image. I found that using the stroke selection is much easier to do.
Figure1. Original image.
Figure 2. A thin black stroke applied to the image.
Figure 3. Heavier color border, matching a tone from the image. 14
The Armchair Tourist Giving back with things you probably have around the house Text and Photos by Joy Underhill
If you’re like me, you may have found yourself wondering if there was some way to make lemonade from the lemon called COVID-19. Here I was, sitting on a mountain of photos from trips I had taken. My usual outlet – doing travelogues at local libraries – was no longer an option. But was there another way to share...? That’s when I hit upon the idea of the Armchair Tourist. The term originated from that classic children’s book, “Mr. Popper’s Penguins,” where the protagonist sits in his chair reading about penguins in “National Geographic” and ends up hosting a bevy of them in his living room. Rather than creating a video of my traditional PowerPoint slides, I decided to develop photo collages, each of which captured one aspect of the trip. For instance, in the Australia series, I covered Sydney and Melbourne for a day or two, then focused on interesting animals and plant life, hikes, and the Great Barrier Reef. Likewise, when the Armchair Tourist visited Cape Cod, I created separate collages for birds, black-and-white images, and beach time. This was the hardest part of doing the collages: deciding on the theme of the day. I typically planned these out well in advance, using the top 100 shots from any major trip. Longer trips (two or more weeks) earned 10 collages; shorter ones, just five.
Figure 1. Join Joy as she travels the world, sharing images from her adventures! 15
Figure 2. Joy uses the last day to share some of her favorite images that may not have fit into any of the earlier themed days.
Creating the Collages I’m not particularly skilled at using Photoshop, so this was my chance to learn. As with anything, repetition made it oh-somuch-easier the next time around.
later created a dedicated Facebook page just for the Armchair Tourist series. That way, people wouldn’t have to search through my other Facebook posts to find the collage of the day.
First, I created a template containing the name of the series, a subtitle of the topic, my copyright notation, and the date. From there, it was a matter of plugging in the right photos…easier said than done!
I contacted the Victor Farmington Library as well, and they began posting them on their Facebook page. Over time, the librarian asked if I would do virtual slideshows via GoToMeeting. Again, since I already had my travelogue slideshows created in PowerPoint, it was a matter of showing up and running through my presentation. We recorded all sessions for later viewing. My latest virtual travelogue to Scotland is scheduled for October 8, with registration coordinated through the Victor Farmington library website.
I crop based on the characteristics of the photo, not print or presentation size. That preference made for challenging layouts, but I eventually found a way to make things fit. My goal was to have the viewer’s eye travel easily from one image to another, but not in any particular pattern. I chose a color theme to distinguish one day from the next and to coordinate with the predominant colors in the collage. Lastly, I added captions for each photo and flattened the image before creating a JPG. Share, Share, and Share Again I initially offered nursing homes and senior centers a weekday email containing the collage of the day with a short writeup. I asked friends and family for contacts and reached out directly. I ended up sending emails to about eight locations, one as far away as Connecticut, which they would post on TVs in gathering rooms at their facilities. I also posted the collages to my personal Facebook page, and 16
Lessons Learned As with many things sent electronically, I got great feedback from some places and none at all from others. The nursing homes responded sparingly, but then, they were dealing with a pandemic! I did develop a nice following on Facebook, which only encouraged me to create and share more. The virtual tours were sparsely attended, but I think some of that was due to Zoom overload. We did have good postpresentation discussions, where people were able to share their own travel experiences. I very much enjoyed the process of selecting the images and making pleasing arrangements of them. The revisiting of treasured trips in a time when no one could travel was
very satisfying, and seeing the collages as a collection gave me a real sense of accomplishment. I’m considering putting them together in a photo book as a memento of this strange time. If you’re considering doing something like this, I would advise: •
•
•
•
•
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Select and group your top x photos. Depending on how many collages you want to create, choose more than enough for the series. I used between four and seven images per collage, so having a “top 100” to draw upon eased the selection process when I needed to make things fit. Create a template up front and use it religiously. It makes the collage effort much easier and gives your images a cohesive and predictable brand. Build more than one collage at a time. I found that I could easily create a week’s worth of collages in short order once I was on a roll. On busier days, all I had to do was write up an intro and click Send or Post. Share collages at a predictable time of day. This makes it easy for recipients and viewers to expect and anticipate your images. Include photo captions. Otherwise, no one has a context for what they are seeing. Captions let you inject a little personality and fun too. Save your favorite images for your last collage. I often found that my best images lacked a theme, so I saved them for a final “parting shots” collage.
Figure 3. Capturing the true taste of Maine on Day 1.
Figure 4. The theme of Waterfalls is evident in this daily excursion in New Zealand.
To see more of Joy’s Armchair Tourist collages, check out https://www.facebook. com/Armchair-Tourist-111910270557396.
Figure 5. Day 2 in Sedona, AZ features the famous red rock formations. 17
Member Spotlight!
Regina Muscarella How long have you been shooting? I got my first camera, a tan Kodak Brownie Box camera, when I was 6 years old, a kind of consolation prize for the birth of my little sister. I loved it! I spent many hours through my teen years with my dad in his darkroom. He even gave me his prized Nikkormat which I used for many years until the shutter died. My husband and I made our own darkroom in our kitchen, with tents of blankets to block out the light, while the remnants of Dad’s darkroom filled our countertops. Today, the camera is part of my decor, with a prominent place on my mantle. As a self-proclaimed geek, I gravitated toward digital photography in the 90s, as it combined my love of photography and my keen interest in computer technology. My first digital camera was an Olympus with a whopping 3 megapixel resolution. I moved up to the giant Sony Mavica, with its floppy disc storage, and then returned to Nikon, working my way through their CoolPix line. I got my first DSLR in 2006 when Nikon introduced the D40. I needed more speed than the Coolpix afforded, and the DSLR seemed the way to go. I am still with Nikon, and currently shoot with my full frame D800 and my D7100 crop. I hope to replace the D7100 with the D500 this year.
Cerda Woman - My husband Lennie and I were in Cerda, Sicily, meeting members of his family for the first time. I shot several pictures of animated family chatter, which attracted the attention of a little lady who peeked out of her kitchen window to see what the commotion was. I love the look in her eyes, as she is enjoying the exchange of broken English, Italian and their obligatory gesticulations. 18
What’s your preferred genre of photography? I enjoy shooting everything. When I am shooting birds, I will say that my favorite genre is nature, but when I am the volunteer photographer at Genesee Country Village, I will tell you that I love to shoot still life, portraits and landscapes. When I mount my camera on the tripod for a night shot, I will say that I love the beauty of the night sky and the challenges of setting up a long exposure shot. And I love shooting performances: theater, music, dance. I love it all and I find something inspiring, exciting and challenging about every aspect of photography. How did you get where you are now, in terms of your skills? Chappy Martian Milky Way - I set up my camera and tripod in the early evening, getting I learned many photography basics from my ready for a Milky Way shot over the beach in Chappaquiddick. The bonus was Mars, dad. Formal education came much later when low in the sky and casting its orange glow in the waters by the infamous Dike Bridge of I began with Nikon digital cameras and The Nikon School in New York City. I participated in Teddy Kennedy fame. three weekend workshops with Nikon and then began doing New York Photo Safaris with Zim Pham. As a teacher at Victor Junior High School, I started a digital photography enrichment class, where I began to really hone my Photoshop skills. YouTube became my go-to in my learning-by-doing approach. Before my retirement from Victor, I joined the Montanus Photography Classroom, the Finger Lakes Photography Center, and most recently, The Finger Lakes Photography Guild, taking advantage of the myriad of classes and resources they provide. Best of all, because of these associations, I feast on the smorgasbord of knowledge each member has to offer. Hobbies outside of photography? I am a fitness instructor with Charlene Merritt’s Transform program at CrossFit Rochester. I love to hike and so appreciate the serenity of the woods. Having grown up on the coast of Connecticut, I love anything on the water, especially kayaking and paddleboarding. And if I could, I would travel. My bag is always packed, ready for an adventure. At home, I love my rescue pups: Flynn, a” chihuahua - ish,” and Sophie and Stewie, the pugs. 2020 brought me the best new hobby, my granddaughter Emersyn. My life is full. The photos here represent the serendipitous moments in photography. Each one was taken when I intended to shoot one thing, and found my favorite shot was one completely unexpected.
Green Heron - I was on the Auburn Trail, photographing the blue herons that frequent the pond. I was delighted to see a green heron for the very first time, and even more so when he fished for dinner in the reflecting waters.
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Ontario Parkway - In my never-ending quest to photograph the saw whet owl in Owl Woods, I found myself driving down the Ontario State Parkway once again. This time it was early in the morning. I looked out my window and saw this pond with its mirror-like reflections. I pulled over to take this shot. I did get some shots of the owls, but is by far my favorite of the day.
Late Night Cappuccino - I was in Rome at Christmas time, and decided to walk into the ancient city to see the Christmas lights. They were breathtaking, but this shot of two women enjoying each other’s company in a little piazza made me feel the real Italy. I loved the quiet friendship these women displayed on the crisp winter evening.
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Social Distancing - In the early spring days of the pandemic, I ventured to the Mary Frances Bluebird Haven to see if the bluebirds were out and about. I was met by a beautiful bluebird, perched atop a social distancing sign. It was unexpected, but oh so fitting.xt and
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Behind the Image: Skyline Reflection Dave Soderlund
Subject Inspiration: I was in Boston in the summer of 2015 for an American Chemical Society meeting. Carol found that there was a huge outdoor fiber art installation at the Boston Greenway -- a large web of colored ropes, suspended from buildings and floating over the open park. While she was viewing and trying to photograph the art installation, my eye was caught by the distorted reflection of the Boston skyline in the glass facade of the Intercontinental Hotel. I decided to take an iPhone shot just for fun (Fig. 1). The iPhone image showed me the potential to create an architectural abstract if I could figure out a good composition and deal with perspective distortion. Shooting: I was traveling light that day, with just my D750 and 24-120 f/4 lens in a small shoulder bag. A wide shot at 27mm was, like the iPhone shot, greatly distorted and included a lot of material I didn’t want in my envisioned image. I also tried to isolate individual reflections at focal lengths of 60-120mm, but I was not pleased with what I saw on the back of the camera. Finally, I took four overlapping vertical images for use in assembling a panorama. Processing: As I viewed and processed this series in Lightroom, I realized that the wide angle image (Fig. 2) had the greatest potential to produce what I envisioned. However, to get what I wanted I needed to first address the perspective distortion and then crop the image to a desired composition. I used the transform tool to establish true horizontal and vertical lines. I then cropped the image to focus on the three bright areas and eliminate both the area of sky above the building and the street-level clutter at the bottom. These adjustments are shown in a Lightroom screenshot (Fig. 3). The development of the final image (Fig. 4) in Lightroom was pretty conventional. I adjusted Exposure, Black and White points, and Highlights and Shadows. I increased Vibrance and Saturation, and added a touch of Clarity.
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Fig. 1. iPhone sketch image.
Fig. 4. Skyline Reflection.
Fig. 2. Original D750 image.
Fig. 3. Vertical transformation and cropping in Lightroom 23
Your Best Friend for Fall Photography - A Circular Polarizer Nikhil Nagane
I am writing this article on the first day of Autumn season, which starts my favorite season to photograph in the Adirondack mountains. Vivid array of colors on trees and the ground below, a nip in the air and most importantly the end of bug season. What is not to like?
leaves is polarized in nature. Most of this polarized light can be filtered out using a circular polarizer.
When it comes to photographing the colors of autumn, one of the challenges I face is being able to capture the vividness of the fall foliage without the distracting glare. Leaves have a shiny surface which leads to them reflecting the sky just like a water surface or a metallic surface do.
In figure 1, notice the bright areas on the tree in the middle . The reflected light prevents the underlying foliage to be seen through, leading to duller colors. In contrast, in figure 2, you do not see the sky reflecting in the foliage. This was achieved by using a circular polarizer. Result is an image with greater intensity of colors, lack of distracting glare which is more desirable to me.
To help you counter this challenge, a simple solution is using a circular polarizer. The reflected light from the surface of
Let us look at an example observing the effect of a polarizer on fall foliage.
Figure 1. Highlights in the foliage of the middle tree reflected from the sky.
Figure 2. Use of a Circular Polarizer has reduced the glare of the sky, resulting in richer, more saturated colors.
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Figure 3. Reflections of the sky are evident without the use of a polarizer.
Figure 4. Use of a Circular Polarizer has eliminated the reflection. As a photographer, you will need to decide whether you like the reflections or not.
A circular polarizer is also useful to cut through the haze or fog around the foliage, which again results in acquisition of more vivid fall foliage. However, one needs to be careful with the use of a polarizer. The orientation of the filter will depend on the direction of the subject, and the orientation of the camera itself. For example, if you change the orientation of your camera from landscape to portrait, you will have to turn the polarizer 90 degrees as well. A circular polarizer will act similar to a neutral density filter, adding a couple of stops of light to your frame. This will mean you will have to adjust your exposure to counter the lower amount of light reaching the camera sensor. Circular polarizers are also more useful when the sun is up in the sky or in overcast conditions. A polarizer will not work well during early morning or late afternoon due to the low angle of sun. Also, a polarizer does not work very well with ultra-wide lenses.
On an ultra-wide lens, a polarizer may create dark areas within the frame. Sometimes, reflections on a surface may be more desirable and using a polarizer may eliminate them. Following example shows the difference a circular polarizer makes. Figure 3 is taken without a polarizer and figure 4 is taken with a polarizer. Without the polarizer, the camera captured some reflections on the leaf, which lead to less vivid colors. However the wet rock in the background was able to reflect the surroundings in it. These reflections are taken away in the second image, by the use of a circular polarizer. While it may be subjective, the image captured without using the circular polarizer is more desirable to me. The wet rock, reflecting the fall foliage and sky adds a lot to the image. Many times, I will find a midpoint somewhere between full effect and zero effect of the polarizer to fine tune the reflections depending on the scene. 25
If circular polarizers are so great, why limit its use to your main camera? You can buy small polarizers made specifically for your cell phone too. I use a jury-rigged version of such a filter, which was made using an old phone case, an old circular polarizer and a lot of instant glue (figure 5). It works really well with the rotating filter and results are fantastic! Figure 5. A Circular Polarizer has been affixed to a phone case, allowing the use of a Circular Polarizer with a cell phone. Figure 6. Shot with Auto White Balance, the camera has chosen to filter out some of the magenta tones.
Figure 7. Using a custom white balance gives a more accurate rendering of the fall colors in this scene.
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Bonus tip for fall photography - Don’t depend on Auto-White Balance The computer inside our cameras determines the right white balance for an image by analyzing the pixels in the frame. It will try to remove any magenta or green cast from the image. Fall foliage scenes can be full of vivid colors such as magenta, purple, red etc, which will often confuse the camera. This may result in an “auto-white balance” set such as to negate the magenta cast in your images leading to duller fall foliage. I always try to tinker with the white balance during postproduction by adjusting the color temperature and tint. Give it a try sometime.
A
Following is an example, where the first image is “auto-white balance” which was set by the camera (figure 6), followed by the image with my “custom white balance” (figure 7). It is a subtle yet effective difference. Result is a more accurate and more desirable color palette.
FingerClothing Lakes Photography Guild OrderGuild Form
Clothing Order!
re you ready to rep your Guild proudly? We are placing our first ever order for logowear, featuring the new FLPG Logo! We will need a minimum order to be able to make it a go, so if you want to be among the very first to rock the new fashion, get your order in ASAP. We will place the order after our May meeting.
Email order to HooperPhotographic@yahoo.com or bring to the May meeting. Payment due at the May meeting. Order Information:
Are you ready to represent your Guild proudly? We are placing our first______________________________________________________________________________________________ ever order for logowear, featuring the new FLPG logo! We need Name: a minimum order so if you want to be among the first to rock the new Items (prices include tax) fashion, get your ASAP! theS-XL)..........................................................$16.00 Guild’s Dropbox folder for Navy Polo Shirt within FLPG logo order embroidered with whiteCheck thread (sizes (XXL available for additional $2.00. XXXL available for additional $4.00) an order form today! Navy Fleece Jacket with full zipper and pockets. FLPG Logo embroidered with white thread (sizes S-XL)...........$25.00 (XXL available for additional $5.00. XXXL available for additional $8.00)
Polo Shirts just $16 each!!
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What’s In the
Bag?
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Photographer: Jim Hooper Primary Style of Photography: Portrait The Bag: Tamrax Expedition 7x
Bodies • Nikon Z6 • Nikon D800 Lenses • Nikon Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S • Nikon 85mm f/1.8G AF-S • Nikon 105mm f/2.8G ED-IF AF-S VR Macro Lens • AF-S NIKKOR 70-200mm f/4G ED VR • Nikon 17-55mm f/2.8G AF-S DX IF-ED • Tamron SP A011 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD • Nikon FTZ Adapter for F-mount lenses to Z- body Flash • Nikon SB800 • Impact remote transmitter and receiver Accessories • Peak Designs Capture Clip Belt clip • 8-pk Rechargeable AA batteries (for flash) • 4-pk Alkaline AAA batteries (for flash remote receiver) • 2-pk 23A Batteries (for flash remote transmitter • Filters • 58mm Circular Polarizer (Zeikos) • 62mm UV (Hoya) • 67mm UV (ProMaster) • 67mm Circular Polarizer (Tiffen) • 77mm UV (Hoya) • 77mm Circular Polarizer (Tiffen) • 77mm 4x Neutral Density Filter (ProMaster) • 77mm 4x Neutral Density Filter (Hoya) • 52mm-67 stepup ring • 58mm-67 stepup ring • OpTech Rain Sleeve • Pair of Jewelers Screwdrivers • Kinetronics SpecGrabber • PhotoCo LensPen Mini Pro • Homemade Paracord Wrist Strap • Mini Flexible tabletop tripod (generic) • Business Cards • Nikon EN-EL15A spare batteries (x2)
Jim says:
The Tamrac Expedition 7x does a good job of carrying what I need it to, in the field. It is large enough to carry most everything, though I do carry the big 150-600 lens separately, and I usually leave it in the car unless I am planning to shoot wildlife that day. I bought the bag used for $70 on Craigslist years ago, and when I bought it, the outside vertical zipper pockets both came with busted zippers, so I don’t use them at all. The padded straps and the waist belt mean I can carry this bag comfortably for quite some distance if necessary, though I don’t usually need to hike too far. With all the gear shown here, the carry weight is 25 pounds. In addition to the contents shown here, I also occasionally carry the Slik 700 Pro DX tripod with the Slik PistolGrip head. Unfortunately, the base plate for the Capture Clip that I use to carry the camera on my belt doesn’t remove without a wrench, making it impossible to transition from belt clip to tripod. With my typical work in portraiture, the Capture Clip is usually the favored option. 29
Accolades! Diane Dersch’s photo “Eagle Falls” won Honorable Mention in the “Life in the Finger Lakes” photo contest. She credits David Soderlund, saying “I worked on it after his online class of black and white editing”. Joy Underhill had her fishing image appear in the 2020 Falmouth Official Guide. It’s widely distributed throughout Cape Cod during tourist season! Also, FLPG Members have been scoring well in the Image City Photo Challenges. These challenges have been going on for a while, Challenge 3: Don Delong Challenge 6: Diane Dersch, Joann Long Challenge 8: Tom Kredo Challenge 9: Karl Dueland, Joann Long, Tom Kredo Challenge 10: Joy Underhill Challenge 12: Don Delong Challenge 14: Tom Kredo and Diane Dersch.
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Guild Clothing Order Form
A
re you ready to rep your Guild proudly? We are placing our first ever order for logowear, featuring the new FLPG Logo! We will need a minimum order to be able to make it a go, so if you want to be among the very first to rock the new fashion, get your order in ASAP. We will place the order after our May meeting.
Email order to HooperPhotographic@yahoo.com or bring to the May meeting. Payment due at the May meeting. Order Information: Name: ______________________________________________________________________________________________ Items (prices include tax) Navy Polo Shirt with FLPG logo embroidered with white thread (sizes S-XL)..........................................................$16.00 (XXL available for additional $2.00. XXXL available for additional $4.00) Navy Fleece Jacket with full zipper and pockets. FLPG Logo embroidered with white thread (sizes S-XL)...........$25.00 (XXL available for additional $5.00. XXXL available for additional $8.00)
Polo or Fleece
Quantity
Size
Unit Price
Total
Grand Total Please make checks payable to Finger Lakes Photography Guild. Payment due no later than the May 6 Guild meeting. If mailing your order and payment, mail to Guild Treasurer, Robin Voorhees: robinvoorhees@yahoo.com.
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO NOVEMBER 1, 2020- LAST CALL! 31
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© 2020 Barbara Drake 32
