Focal Point
March 2010
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
March 2010
Northern California Professional Photographers Officers
Committee Chairs and Coordinators
Miscellaneous
President Randy Cazinha 925-249-1999 president@ncpponline.org
Website Tom O’Connor 925-586-2745 webmaster@ncpponline.org
NCPP Sustaining Members receive a 40% discount on advertising rates, and a complimentary link on our NCPP website in addition to other special benefits.
1st Vice President Programs Wayne Miller 925-330-8737 1stvp@ncpponline.org
Newsletter - Focal Point Graphics and Layout Editor Tom O’Connor 925-586-2745 newsletter@ncpponline.org
2nd Vice President Print Competition Denny Weigand 925-336-7994 2ndvp@ncpponline.org
Coordinator and Copy Editor Denny Weigand 925-336-7994 newsletter@ncpponline.org
Send Newsletter information to: Denny Weigand. newsletter@ncpponline.org Deadline for submission of articles and ad copy for the February issue is March 25th. Information received after the deadline cannot be guaranteed publication.
3rd Vice President Membership Ken Johnson 925-487-2279 3rdvp@ncpponline.org
Hospitality Lisa Duncan 925-284-3878 hospitality@ncpponline.org
Classified Ads Per issue, $18 includes up to six lines ($3 each add’l line). Classified ads free to NCPP members, up to three issues.
Treasurer Malcolm Slight 925-330-8737
treasurer@ncpponline.org
Membership Ken Johnson 925-336-7994 membership@ncpponline.org
Secretary Michael “Mack” McNamara 510-384-5535 secretary@ncpponline.org
Apprentice Membership Ann Gordon 510-222-4115 appmembership@ncpponline.org
Newsletter Advertising Annual Rates Back Cover $1000 Page 1 $900 Full Page $800 Half Page $600 Quarter Page $400
Night School
Focal Point is published by Northern California Professional Photographers. Articles and comments are invited; publication is subject to space available and editorial approval. Note: Articles are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of NCPP. Ads and flyers may or may not have the endorsement of NCPP or its Board of Directors.
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March 2010 Table of Contents
Ramblings from 1st VP
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March Program - Paul Tsang
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End of Year Print Comp
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Print Competition
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Best of Show - February PPC Style
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Membership
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Annual Pot Luck & Awards Pot Luck
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Hire our Members
12 - 13 - 14 - 15
NCPP Sustaining Members
16 - 17 - 18 - 19
Educational Opportunities
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Coming in April - David Peters
22 - 23
Calendar - Important Dates - New
24 - 25
Our Neighboring Affiliates
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Sunset Chart
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NCPP meeting this month
TUESDAY, MARCH 2ND
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
March 2010
Ramblings from the 1st Vice President Wayne Miller (aka PdTG guy)
NCPP NEEDS YOU Do I have your attention? Do you want to help? Do you have the desire to give back to this great organization? Well it is time to step forward and get involved and do something to help NCPP continue to grow. Remember the 80-20 rule that 80% of the people only do 20% of the work, and 20% of the people do 80% of the work? Well are you an 80%’er or are you a 20%’er? You want to keep NCPP CE (continuous education) alive? Then we need a person to chair that position…..simply put: no CE chair, no CE. The elections of NCPP Executive Officers are coming up very soon (June meeting) and the new officers take their positions at the July meeting. We have several Executive Officer positions that we need to fill. The secretary and treasurer are two year positions. The rest of the board positions are one year terms: President, 1st VP (Programs/ Education), 2nd VP (Print chair/newsletter/website), 3rd VP (membership), plus appointed positions: Newsletter, Webmaster, and Hospitality. Please see one of the current officers for details about each position…..NCPP needs you Wow, We had 72 people who attended Robert Evans “Fusion and the Wedding Timetable” presentation at the February meeting. It was standing room only for the late comers as the meeting starts at 7:00pm sharp. Robert covered the essentials of video and photography fusion and how to get time with the wedding party before the chaos. If you missed the meeting you missed a lot. Thanks to Gustavo Fernandez for inviting his group the SF meet-up. Next month we have Paul Tsang, a Master Photographer and artist who will cover both the art of photography and how to survive in today’s economy. Remember to get there by 7:00pm sharp to get a seat, The old saying “ya snooze ya lose” applies. Make sure you come early for socializing in the lounge from 6:00pm to 6:45pm, then head down to meeting (that starts at 7:00pm sharp……..). Check out some of Paul Tsang’s work at http://www.aboutmasterpiece.com/ Pano hand-held of the PdTG visit to the SF Gallery.
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March 2010
Ramblings from the 1st Vice President Wayne Miller (aka PdTG guy) NCPP Spring PARTY on SATURDAY March 20th 2010 make sure you RSVP and attend. This notice was sent out to the Yahoo members only group….. The PdTG had some very cool outings, one was a tour of a private photographic gallery in SF. Thanks to Denny we all got to see a magnificent collection which included Richard Avedon’s work. I have attached some images taken there with my Iphone.
These are HDR’s done with the Iphone hand held and all done in the Iphone…..I am blown away by the technology, and wonder when my dSLR will have some similar capabilities, not the in-camera HDR but the ability to do an overlay in-camera for lining up the next image with the previous as in the PANO application of the Iphone. I can also transfer my image to my laptop via Iphone with a $2.99 application. Hmm Canon, why does it cost $700 for my dSLR to Wi-Fi to my laptop? All NCPP members are welcome to join the PdTG outing……call me
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March 2010
NCPP Speaker for March 2nd presents Paul Tsang “Business & Pet Portrait" Paul Tsang was educated in the Bay Area majoring in Photography and Fine Arts and his scope of talent is wide-spread. He has directed his creative talents towards family portraiture and wedding photography for over 25 years. During the last 10 years, as an animal lover, Paul has created some memorable, prize-winning pet portraits as well as delighting the many owners whose pet portraits he has done. He says, "Pets are family too!" Paul's technical ability and his creative gift for the art of photography are matched by few. He is a natural at bringing out the warm qualities of his subjects and capturing those priceless expressions that make treasured photographs for years of enjoyment. This unique gift combined with his creative eye and feel for design, page layout, form and color, have earned him wide recognition in his field. Paul Tsang's accomplishments include numerous awards, the most notable of which are: Kodak Gallery Elite and Kodak Gallery Award for Portrait, Fuji Masterpiece Award for Wedding Photography, Photographer of the Year - PPA and PPGBA, Best of Show in the Western States, First Place in the State of California, First Place in the Professional Photographer of the Bay Area, and Certified of Special Recognition in recognition of outstanding and invaluable service to the community, from a Member of U.S. Congress. Visit Paul’s website: http://www.aboutmasterpiece.com/
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Northern California Professional Photographers
NCPP End of Year Competition On Monday December 14th, 2009, the End of Year Competition was held and judged by three Master Photographers from another affiliate. Following is a list of those competing: Electronic Imaging Environmental Portraiture Denny Weigand - Dark Secrets Richard Stahlberg - Living Her Dream Peg Jackson - Sarah Miko Richard Stahlberg - Transformed Puffer Peg Jackson - Billy The Kid Illustrative Denny Weigand - Reflections Denny Weigand - Girl With a Gold Earring Denny Weigand - View From the Pier Wayne Miller - City Lights Peg Jackson - Yin-Yang Tom O'Connor - A Pioneers Wagon Wayne Miller - Sweet Sixteen Wayne Miller - Cruzin at Lou's Richard Stahlberg - Street Dancer
Paula Buzatu - Belle Charles Anderson - Erin Michael Van Auken - Misunderstood Wayne Miller - The Longshoreman Charles Anderson - The Dance Paula Buzatu - Afternoon Glow Michael Van Auken - For The Fun of It Tom O'Connor - A Precious Moment Michael Van Auken - Mary Oros, Sculptor
The Print of the Year was also decided. Please note that only images entered in competition (not People’s Choice) were considered. A few entries were disqualified because they did not meet these criteria. The fun part is to see who wins! We will announce the winners at the Annual Banquet, and will show a slide show of all the participants. To do this I need the digital files of your image. Please send them to my drop box at: http://dropbox.yousendit.com/Dennyweigand11511471 A jpeg image would be nice but not mandatory, and size is not a limitation. Best of Luck to all participants! Denny
Make sure you come to the NCPP Spring PARTY Pot Luck SATURDAY March 20th to see who the winners are!
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March 2010 Print Competition ... PPC Style
This month we are having PPC style print competition. Bring your images and register them with Denny Weigand. You may enter up to two images. There will be a total of only 20 images allowed in the competition. They need to be registered before 6:58pm. Images entered after that time will not be allowed in their respective competitions. Good luck to all!! If you are interested in volunteering with print comp, please contact Denny Weigand at 925-336-7994 or E-mail Denny.
PRINT COMP RULE CLARIFICATIONS: There were questions last month about the re-judging of prints scored 78 and 79. This is correct. Any print scoring 78 or 79 is re-presented to the judges, one at a time, and a thumbs up means the print goes to a score of 80 and a thumbs down means it stays where it was scored. A majority of the judges is required. Also, we have not been following the letter of the law having to do with Automatic Challenges due to a 10 point difference. There is an Automatic Challenge when one or more judges scores are 10 or more or 10 or less from the "Averaged Score" (meaning the score given to the print). It is not a difference of 10 between judges. We will be scoring Automatic Challenges correctly starting in March.
FEBRUARY WINNER
1st - Lisa Duncan "Contemplation" There was only one score of 80 or above this month and that was Lisa, so she stands alone on the podium!! 8
Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point Print of the Month
March 2010 by Lisa Duncan
Contemplation was a client shoot, and the photograph was taken at the Historic Arsenal Park, specifically the building at 940 Tyler Street in Benicia. The image is a High Dynamic Range (HDR) image with the subject being brought back into the photo using one of the three stills. I asked the client to be very still while I shot the three images. I have my Canon 5D set with a custom function for HDR. When I turn the dial to Custom Function, it is set to take three images, the first a perfect exposure, the second is two stops underexposed, and the last is two stops over-exposed. It is easy to set a custom function, and I have mine set to use aperture priority, which comes in handy when I want to shoot an HDR and I don’t have my tripod. If there is enough light, in the custom function I can dial down to 2.8 and still take a successful HDR image. The meta-data to get this images was: for all three images the aperture was 5.0, at iso 100 at 70mm using a 70-200 on a tripod. The shutter speed for the three exposures were; the first was the perfect exposure at 1/4, the second was under-exposed at 1/15, and the last was over-exposed at 1.0 second. I the used PhotoMatix Pro to process the image.
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March 2010 Membership Information
MEMBERSHIP NEWS NCPP is in need of two positions to be filled. We are a volunteer organization and it takes participation by everyone to keep it going strong. Ken Johnson, our esteemed Membership Chair and 3rd VP is moving to Arizona. So we need someone who is interested in getting involved more with NCPP to come forward and volunteer. Call or E-mail Ken Johnson if you are interested. Charles Anderson our Night School Chair has had to take a step back for personal reasons. This is a great time to get involved. Night School will be taking on a new format. You can be part of the team that establishes how it will run going forward.
APPRENTICE NEWS Contact: Ann Gordon @ 510-222-4115 If you have comments or information regarding new applicants, please send them to: Ken Johnson, NCPP Membership Chair: membership@ncpponline.org
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March 2010
Member News: Pot Luck Dinner and Awards Presentation for 2009
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 Hire Our Members
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 Hire Our Members
NEED A RETOUCH SPECIALIST ??? Tired of Retouching? Tired of Wedding Edits? Tired of Enhancing Your Images? Just Plain Tired of Spending Time Behind the Computer? Printing Quality Less Than Desired? Administrative Details Got You Down? Call the Expert!
Call Denny at (925)
336-7994
For Reasonable Pricing and Solutions
Email: digitalwhims@comcast.net Web: http://www.digitalwhims.com Member: PPA NAPP AIDG NCPP Telephone: (925) 336-7994
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 Hire Our Members
Jill Heller (Hager), CPP – Photography by Jill Photographer, Photoshopper and sales-gal extraordinaire! Great with all aspects of studio work. Photoshop CS4, ProShow, ProSelect and SuccessWare trained. Available for your studio work assistance. Call 925-286-2097 or email jill@photojill.com. 14
Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 Hire Our Members
Glamour Retouch Makeover
Glamour retouching to create that special image for your clients. Sometimes an image needs a little punch to take it to the next level, or a digital make-over for a magazine cover look. Sends us your jpeg marked up for a free quote or sugestions for the glamour makeover. Visit www.wmphotos.com to see some finished images. Special rates for NCPP Professionals. Guaranteed Satisfaction we will make it right or your money back!
Wayne Miller Photography fineart@wmphotos.com Clayton, CA 925-330-8737
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 NCPP Sustaining Members
Sustaining Members are companies that manufacture or distribute photographic equipment, laboratories, publishers or firms providing services to photographers. These Sustaining Members also contribute to the welfare of NCPP, with monetary and technical support. Sustaining Members may participate in all NCPP events, however they may not vote or hold office. We encourage our NCPP members to support our Sustaining Members. If you are interested in becoming a Sustaining Member, contact Rick Konlon. 925-253-6079 or E-mail @ sustainingmembers@ncpponline.org -Listed Alphabetically-
THE ART OF PICTURE FRAMING APF is a full-service wholesale custom framing facility. We work closely with Fine Art and Framing Galleries, Interior Designers, Professional Photographers, Art Consultants, Retailers and others in need of custom framing at wholesale prices. APF specializes in creating custom programs or packages to your individual business or market needs. We offer superior quality with flexible pricing to fit your individual needs. Contact: Mike Moretti 1084 Shary Circle, #B Concord, CA 94518 (Located behind Costco) E-mail: apfwholesale@sbcglobal.net 925-689-5177 web: http://stores.apfwholesale.com/StoreFront.bok
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 NCPP Sustaining Members
BAY PHOTO LAB Contact: Debbie Thomas E-mail: debbie@bayphoto.com 510-585-7049 web: http://www.bayphoto.com/ 2161 Delaware Ave. Santa Cruz, CA 95060 800-435-6686 fax: 931-475-5257
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 NCPP Sustaining Members
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 NCPP Sustaining Members
CAMERA WEST Retail Camera Store: Camera West is a Central California-based business specializing in the highest quality photographic equipment and staffed by professionals who are passionate about photography. We have expert product knowledge and are dedicated to customer service and strong, longterm, customer relationships. Camera West has the only true "Leica Shop" in North America with one of the largest stock inventories on the continent. Please visit us and see more of what Camera West is known for! Contact: Dan Leto E-mail: dan@camerawest.com 925-935-1424 http://www.camerawest.com/ 1255 S. Main St., @201 Walnut Creek, CA 94596 925-935-1424 fax: 925-935-2008
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PARTICIPATE IN NCPP
GET INVOLVED
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March 2010
NCPP CE Continuous Education Lightroom Workflow with an HDR (High Dynamic Range) Segment
“City Lights” - Best of Show Northern California Professional Photographers Feb 2009 th
Saturday April 10 2010 9am until 5pm
Limited to 30 students $99 early bird by April 3rd, or $120 after. Location: Marriott Hotel at 2355 North Main Street in Walnut Creek, CA In the Sacramento Room lower level This is a special hands-on workshop to help you master your workflow in Lightroom. Bonus: Plus a special segment on HDR post production of images using Photomatix. • • • • • • •
The workshop will walk you through the start to finish A-Z workflow of Lightroom. Library Module: Importing, tagging, sorting, tagging, and creating a smooth workflow. Develop Module: Color correct, crop, use of presets for effects and Sync settings. Slideshow Module: Learn and create powerful client / family slideshows that rock. Print Module: Exporting images to local print or lab using/creating templates, and export presets. Web Module: Show off your creations on the web with LR web and plug-ins. Lightroom HDR export and use of Photomatix for the grand finale of this workshop.
Students should have a laptop with Lightroom 2.6 and Photomatix loaded. Pending PPA approval Free trial copies of both these programs are available: Lightroom 2 http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshoplightroom/ Photomatix Pro http://www.hdrsoft.com/download.html •
Laptop useful but not required just follow and take notes. PPA Members will receive 1 merit for this class
Instructor: Wayne Miller is a Certified Professional Photographer, with award winning images in regional and international PPA merit print competition. You can reserve you spot via check or PayPal http://www.ncpponline.org/NCPP%20PayPal.htm Policy: Cancelation full refund within 48-hour of workshop, no refunds less than 48-hours.
Wayne Miller Photography Clayton, CA 94517 925-330-8737 Email: fineart@wmphotos.com website: www.wmphotos.com 21
Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point NCPP Speaker April 13th:
March 2010 David Peters - The Mind. The Heart. The Art.
Upcoming Speaker April 13th NCPP is proud to present David Peters.
The Mind. The Heart. The Art. The Art of Influence and the crucial role it plays in our success as Professional Photographers. Learn to increase sessions and sales as well as create more dynamic images through the application of a few basic principles.
With 40 yrs. experience operating a successful high end portrait studio in San Rafael, Ca. David Peters, M.Photog, Cr., Fellow, A.S.P., declares influence to be the most crucial skill needed to survive in a very competitive environment such as today. He will share how it enters our business day from the photographic images we present to the business image we project and finally to the way we enter the hearts and minds of the people we photograph.
You can visit David Peter’s website at http://davidpetersphotography.net/
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point NCPP Speaker April 13th:
March 2010 David Peters - The Mind. The Heart. The Art.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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March 2010 NCPP Calendar
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March 2010 NCPP Calendar
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March 2010 Our Neighboring Affiliates
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March 2010 Sunset Table
This information is for Walnut Creek. You can obtain sunset times for other locations at http://www.sunrisesunset.com/
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Northern California Professional Photographers