Focal Point
MAY 2011
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011
Northern California Professional Photographers Officers
Committee Chairs and Coordinators
President Wayne Miller 925-330-8737 president@ncpponline.org
Membership Stacey Flurscheim 925-330-7130 3rdvp@ncpponline.org
1st Vice President Programs Denny Weigand 925-336-7994 1stvp@ncpponline.org
blog / Website Wayne Miller 925-330-8737 blogomeister@ncpponline.org
2nd Vice President Print Competition Tom O'Connor 925-586-2745 2ndvp@ncpponline.org
Newsletter - Focal Point Editor Tom O’Connor 925-586-2745 newsletter@ncpponline.org
3rd Vice President Membership Stacey Flurscheim 925-330-7130 3rdvp@ncpponline.org
FP Copy Editor Denny Weigand 925-336-7994 newsletter@ncpponline.org
Send Newsletter information to: Tom O'Connor. newsletter@ncpponline.org Deadline for submission of articles and ad copy is the 24th of each month. Information received after the deadline cannot be guaranteed publication Advertising Costs: 11 Issues per year NCPP Members: • •
Treasurer Malcolm Slight 925-330-8737
Hospitality Lisa Duncan 925-284-3878 hospitality@ncpponline.org
treasurer@ncpponline.org Secretary Kevallyn Paskos 925-766-3121 secretary@ncpponline.org Chairman of the Board Randy Cazinha 925-249-1999
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Note: Members can use the Yahoo Group email to advertise at no cost.
Apprentice Membership Ann Gordon 510-222-4115 appmembership@ncpponline.org Sustaining Members: •
Photographer Eduardo Cardona
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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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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011 Table of Contents
Presidents Message • "There is no success like failure………” - Wayne Miller
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Preparing an image for "Projected Image Comp"
6–7
May Speaker – Christian Peacock • “Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow”
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Educational Opportunity • “From The Edge With Peter Lik” • Business 101 • Super Monday
9 - 11
Print Comp Winners and Calendar • "PPA Style Print and Projected Comp"
12
Best of Show – April 2011
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Western District Competition NCPPer’s Results
14
Image Competition Notice!!!!!!
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April Meeting Images
16 - 20
"Non Destructive Dodging & Burning and Contrast Control" – Michael Kirwan
21 - 25
Coming on June 14th, 2011 – Gary Bergren
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Membership Information
27
NCPP Presidents, Awards & Degrees
28 - 29
PPA Certification, Merit & Degree Programs
30
NCPP Membership Classifications and Fees for 2011
31
Member Advertisements & Ad Specs.
32 - 33
NCPP Sustaining Members
34 - 39
Our Neighboring Affiliates
40
Calendar - Important Dates
41
Sunset Chart 42
NCPP MEETING THIS MONTH TUESDAY, May 10, 2011 Doors open at 6:15pm, meeting starts at 7pm Come early at 6:15pm to socialize!! 3
Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 President’s Message - Wayne Miller
“There is no success like failure…………….. And failure is no success at all”-Bob Dylan. Back in the 70’s this made a huge impression on my attitude toward business and life. Yeah the 70’s man when we never exhaled, or what did one Prez say oh “I never inhaled”….whatever. During our last meeting I was speaking with a few NCPP peeps and asked a few Master Photographers if they were going to enter something next time in Projected Image competition (we have dropped prints except for People’s Choice as we had NO prints entered in April). All I got was a feeling that they were not going to enter or were not interested. It then occurred to me that maybe, maybe, even Master Photographers can suffer from the same fears that new photographers may have when it comes to entering image competition. Fear of failure. Hmm, a Master might even have a bigger fear of not winning than a newbie. Think about that for a second, if you earned your Masters Degree several years ago and now you have to “test the waters” with your art again! Well, my thought is that if you want to stay on top of your game you need to get feedback on your art forever; yes, that means a possibility of failure even as a Master in image competition. Gasp, you say, if I do not enter then I cannot fail! I say to that failure is no success at all. NCPP members need to see all members work in competition so they can also learn from the feedback of the judges. Image competition is for all levels from newbie to Master photographers period. What better way to see how to improve one’s art than to get feedback from your peers from judging your images. Photography like life is a journey in becoming better, and being a Master is not the final destination. I for one have had many failures in business and life. When I first joined NCPP and entered print competition both my images didn’t even get a blue, and both were moved to the unacceptable pile, as I watched others get blue and gold awards. Crap, I came from being a camera club “Master” photographer and with the big boys I didn’t even rate an acceptable. How humbling was that? Did I accept this failure as my lot in life, would I cry and feel sorry for myself and live under a freeway overpass to avoid the embarrassment? Hell no! This was my wakeup call that I needed to step up my game and improve my photography. Well I never gave up and “Never Surrender” is my mantra, folks. When I went for my CPP (Certified Professional Photographer) I passed the written part with flying colors with a score of 88 out of 100. Then came the image submission and I put in 20 of my best images for review, and guess what, I failed to meet PPA standards. So did I give up…NO. Another wakeup call! The review committee was right, my images stunk. So I had to review what I didn’t get right, and I re-submitted 3 months later and passed the general/commercial photography certification. After that I put in another 10 images for my Portrait Specialization Endorsement and got that. Did I reach the destination? No, I am still on the journey. I then decided that I would pursue both my Masters and Craftsman degree with PPA. So I entered the Western Regional Image competition with four prints and got a “seal” (over 80 score) on one of the images. I sent all four off to PPA International images competition and got a total of three merits, plus one image went into the Gallery Book collection. Still on the journey! Last year I entered Western Regional which had a live webcast of the judging, and was able to see them score images, mine included. “Cruising at Lou’s” had won Best of Show at NCPP Sept 2009 and when it came up it scored an 87, then one of the judges challenged the score, and after review it got a 77. Man was I a happy camper…no. Again they were right, it had flaws that I fixed, reprinted and sent off to PPA. By the way, four images at Regional no merit/seal. So I swapped out two images and sent off four to PPA and…………… drum roll, please, I got zip, nada, zero. Disappointed yes, immobilized no!
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MAY 2011 President’s Message - Wayne Miller
So another year has passed, I was able to obtain my PPA Craftsman Photographer degree for sharing my knowledge and getting 13 speaking merits, 12 service merits. I recently entered Western Regional 2011 competition and got three images “sealed”, which will fetch merits when sent off to PPA. One of them was a facelift on “Cruising at Lou’s” and it finished with an 84. I will be half way on my journey toward my Masters, and looking forward to how I can raise the bar even higher to get my images over the 90 mark. Congratulations to Michael McNamara, and Richard Stahlberg (past NCPP member) in their winning images in Western Regional. I know both these guys have failed a few times in Western and PPA competition as I did, but kept on keeping on. Image competition is not for the faint of heart; sometimes you need the skin of an Armadillo to weather the judges’ comments and the results of competition. With failure comes: humbleness, knowledge, experience and the chance to grow as a photographer in your craft. If you are green you are growing and if you are ripe you are rotting. So why not grow as a photographer in your craft even if you are a Master or a newbie? There is no success like failure and failure is not success at all. So what are you all waiting for? Maybe you need a personal invitation to enter image competition without any chance of failing?
Well I personally invite you……………. (No I CHALLENGE all Masters and first timers) to enter image competition and without a chance of failure, because the real failure is not to enter. May 10th we open the floor for NCPP nomination for Officers. This organization needs leadership to carry on the great tradition that you have all come to expect. The List of Officers and duties are: Full list link here President: Preside at all meetings of the Association. Direct the activities of the Association. 1st VP: Responsibility for program events and Association equipment, and duties of the President during the President's absence.
2nd. VP: Responsibility for monthly print competition and year-end print competition. 3rd VP: Complete responsibility for membership. Treasurer: Supervise and have custody of the funds of the Association. Secretary: Supervise the maintenance of the minutes of all meetings But I am too busy to be part of this great Board, you say. To that I say BS most of these positions require a minimum of 2-4 hours a month (more if you want) and that includes the Officers Meeting before the general meeting. I would bet, and give odds that 80% watch more BS TV a month than 4 hours that could really make a difference. Why did I become part of the Board? It was because I wanted to give back to the organization for all the education, professional advice, print competition feedback, and experiences that I got from the meetings and friendships that I developed in NCPP. It is a great feeling to give back to NCPP because why this organization exists is to educate Professional Photographers, and to be part of its growth. Again we make time for the important things in life, our priorities, things that matter, things we want to do. We can either sit back or do nothing, or we give back to the organization that made us who and where we are today. Step up. NCPP Mission Statement: The Northern California Professional Photographers is an organization dedicated to advancing the business of professional photography. Our purpose is to create an environment amongst professional photographers that will inspire each of us and to help one another grow as business professionals and artists.
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Preparing your image for "Projected" Image Comp This article will remain permanently in the Focal Point.
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MAY 2011
Preparing your image for "Projected" Image Comp This article will remain permanently in the Focal Point. Here are the basics for creating your "Projected Image" file. We will be setting the file type, dimensions, color space, jpg quality, pixels per inch and file name that that will qualify for NCPP Projected Image Comp. These requirements are the same as the PPA requirements with the exceptions of the two items in NOTE 2 below. 1. Create a file that will become the background for your image that is 4,000px Wide x 2,200px High @ 200 pixels per inch. (20" x 11") This size fits our monitor and will be displayed at its optimal. 2. The color space can be sRGB or RGB1998. 3. The file type is a jpg with a Quality setting of 10. Total file size not to exceed 3.5mb. 4. You can apply a color or pattern to this layer just as you would do for a printed image that you would have entered previously in print comp. 5. Next prepare the image that you are going to insert over the background. The color space, ppi etc needs to be the same as your background layer. 6. Size the image as you wish in either a vertical or horizontal format. The image size must be at least 80 square inches. An example is 8" x 10". The image may be placed anywhere you want to put it on the background layer. The positioning of the image on the background layer will be part of your "Presentation" score just like with Printed print comp. 7. Add a stroke or any other edge treatment to the edge of the image you want, or not. 8. All images will be shown only with the background in the "Horizontal Format". This is the same way that PPA is handling it. The monitor will not be rotated for vertical images. They will be shown just like the example images on the previous page. 9. There is to be no photographer name or studio name on the image. 10. Name your file with the following convention: • Member's First Name_Last Name_Image_Title_.jpg (Use _ for spaces). • Example file name: Bill_Jones_Mount_Diablo_Sunset.jpg 11. More information for download or viewing at. NOTE 1: If you plan to submit any of these images to PPA, I would initially save this file as a layered PSD or TIFF. When I was done and ready to submit to NCPP, I would then save it again as a jpg with all of the requirements listed above and submit the jpg. This way if you later decide to enter this same image with PPA, you can open your PSD/TIFF and make any changes required for PPA. NOTE 2: PPA Projected Submission Specifications match what is required for NCPP, except: • PPA requires your PPA# in place of your name in the file name: Example: 12345_Mount_Diablo_Sunset.jpg • Link to the PPA site for a video on “How To”: http://www.ppa.com/competitions/tutorials.php ENTRY RULES AND DEADLINES: • Cost per each image is $5.00 prior to the Sunday, (at midnight), prior to the Tuesday meeting. Late fee is $10 per image up to Monday midnight. Fee is to be paid via the NCPP PayPal link. Walk-ins Projected Images day of meeting $20 per image (cash at the door) • E-mail images to 2ndvp@ncpponline.org. Limit of 20 Projected images allowed per meeting. This is at the discretion of the Print Chair on a month by month basis.
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NCPP Proudly Presents on May 10th, 2011 – Christian Peacock “Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow” Our speaker for May 2011 is Christian Peacock, a commercial photographer and renowned lecturer on the subject of photography and how it influences our lives as professionals. Christian will explain to us why he takes photographs and how his love of photography projects onto his clients. His enthusiasm and energy translates into sales. “This is which we do”. Christian adopted this expression to explain to people why he takes photographs. “It’s something I have to do – It’s in my DNA.” He captures the human spirit using his camera. His lifelong relationship with photography is compelled by his curiosity to observe and participate. From his very first photograph at the age of five to a very prolific creative burst of energy today, Christian will talk about the influence photography has on everyone. Using examples of his lifework, he will share commonalities we all have with this medium. Showing examples of his commissioned work from worldwide branding campaigns, as well as personal images, he will explain how the images all have some connection to our lives. He uses all forms of image capture ranging from 4x5 cameras to iPhones and multi-media to video to achieve his vision and tell the story. Christian will inspire us with his positive message of “Do what you love and the money will follow.” The enthusiasm in which we approach our photographic endeavors will carry over to our clients, resulting in more income. Bio: Christian Peacock captures the human spirit using his camera. His lifelong relationship with photography is compelled by his curiosity to observe and participate. Beginning his career in New York City, he then relocated back home to San Francisco in the early 1990’s. His skills have been utilized by major advertising agencies and companies in the healthcare, pharmaceutical and service industries. From large-scale productions to simple one on one sessions, Christian’s abilities have helped humanized stories for the global market. Among Christian’s clients in his twenty year career are US Census Bureau, AT&T, Bank of America, Charles Schwab, Eli Lilly, Genentech, GlaxoSmithKline, GE, PG&E, Bayer, Roche, Farmers Insurance, YMCA, Comcast, United Way, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, American Second Harvest, Kashi, Fresh Air Fund. Christian has also published a series of Paris photography that have been top selling posters around the world. His photography has been recognized in Communication Arts, One Show, Addy and recently in Philanthropy.com for one of the outstanding photographs in the field of philanthropy. Recent events: San Francisco lecture on the influence of photography in our lives. Nationwide Apple store iphoneography events. Popular Photography Digital Days keynote address speaker. APA panel discussion on estimating. Mechanics' Institute - Gallery opening of Paris Exhibition. You can see more of Christians work at www.christianpeacock.com 8
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MAY 2011 Educational Opportunity
by: Tom O’Connor
Beginning Thursday, March 31st, and continuing every Thursday, there will be thirteen 30 minute programs on The Weather Channel titled “From The Edge With Peter Lik”. See your local TV listing for times and channels. The Weather Channel covers all things weather by providing you with a variety of inspiring and entertaining HD programming delivered by passionate personalities. This includes awe-inspiring weather coverage from experts who make weather fascinating, as well as surprising and dramatic documentary shows that reveal how weather shapes our world. Peter is very passionate about his photography. There are many videos on The Weather Channel as well as on his website so you can get a feeling for his passion and inspiring personality. About the Show: Join one of the world's most acclaimed photographers in a brand-new action adventure nature series slated to debut on March 31, 2011 at 8PM on The Weather Channel. Hosted by Peter Lik, a native of Australia and one of the world's most awarded and collected fine art photographers, the show documents his odyssey across the United States in search of nature's most dramatic landscapes. The camera follows as he visits locations as varied as the volcanoes of Hawaii to the snows of Alaska's Denali National Park, often while battling or embracing the weather in his quest for the perfect shot. Throughout his travels, Lik reveals the country in a whole new perspective, capturing its diverse climates and natural beauty through his lens. "Bringing viewers along on my travels across the beautiful country will allow them to see parts of America that many have not had the pleasure of experiencing," says Lik. Bringing weather to life The show - the network's first foray into original programming - was inspired in part by the thousands of viewers who share their passion for capturing Mother Nature by sending in their own photos to The Weather Channel and weather.com every week. This natural connection between photography and weather comes to life through the camera lens of Master Photographer Peter Lik, whose unique point of view will give viewers an amazing look at the country and some of its most treasured landscapes. Throughout the 13-episode season, Lik will travel far and wide across the country, to places as varied as the Big Island of Hawaii, the mountains of Montana and the awe-inspiring vistas of Arizona’s Grand Canyon, among many others. I have taken the liberty to pass on to all of our members some of the information that is readily available on The Weather Channel web site http://www.weather.com/tv/tvshows/peter-lik, so most of the information shown in my article is credited to The Weather Channel and Peter Lik. 9
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TITLE: Business 101 A to Z a new photographers guide to business success. Date: June 25, 2011 9am‐5pm Location: Clayton, CA Business 101 is designed for the aspiring or newer professional photographer to learn the business tools to help in the success of their new business or existing business. With the challenges of competition and changing technology this class is designed to learn about customer service, budgeting, cost of goods, scheduling, networking, social media marketing, blogging, licenses requirements and tools that every photographer needs to be aware of and use. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Accounting: Without a good accounting and cost of goods how will you survive. Branding: Your brand is as important as your artistry as a photographer. Creativity: Artist create business make money merge the two for success. Dedication: Enthusiasm is your key to success so find it and use it to succeed. Education: When you’re green you are growing and when you’re ripe you’re rotting. Stay green. Funding: How to plan spending on your business and equipment without going overboard. Growth: Plan a growth strategy that will help you stay focused and profitable. Health: Learn to monitor you business to keep it health, wealth and wise. Investing: Invest in your education and your business without burnout. Join: Join professional groups and organizations to expand your network. Knowledge: Workshops, seminars, school and lectures to help you grow. Learn: Share and learn from others to grow your business and your photography. Motivation: Stay motivated with your craft and business to thrive, Numbers: Learn the numbers for a successful business, pricing, cost of goods, and overhead. Overhead: Most photographers struggle with this concept, so we will demystify it. Preparedness: Learn to be an active thinker not a reactive one by preparing ahead of time. Quiz: Find out how you are doing by asking others that will give you an honest answer. Resources: Use good resources for good information and look inside for guidance. Success: Know what it means and how to get there before it is too late. Tenacity: Learn to become tenacious and move on in spite of yourself. Understand: Pricing, the market, social media, and the tools for success. Vitality: Your business needs your energy and enthusiasm to grow keep it motivated. Workflow: Learn to establish a clean and fast workflow in your business and post production. Xenophobically: Don’t become one by leaning what it is and how to avoid it. You: Why do people choose you as a photographer? It might open your eyes. Zealous: Keep the passion alive by keeping both the business and artist happy.
Instructor Bio: Wayne Miller Photography Cr.Photog, CPP of Clayton, CA is a Craftsman Photographer and a
Certified Professional Photographer, with a Portrait Specialty Endorsement and also does Commercial Photography. His creative style with an Avant-garde twist has won several NCPP Best of Show print competitions, and PPA merited prints. He has also given workshops in Wedding Posing, Studio Lighting, Model Portrait Workshops, HDR (High Dynamic Range) plus Lightroom and Photoshop seminars. Wayne also has done speaking presentations for local affiliates, PPC state convention, and local photography groups. SIGN UP TODAY: Cost of Class is $99 early bird (PayPal Seminar Fee 5 before June 1st) and $129 thereafter. PPA members get one merit. Open to all professional and aspiring photographers.
PPA Super Monday Clayton, CA Glamour & Portrait Creative Retouching Course #CA10 Wayne Miller, Cr.Photog., CPP You take great images, but how do you move them up to the next level? This creative retouch workflow class will show you how with all the tools available in the digital darkroom. You’ll learn how to nip and tuck without surgery and add punch with filters, overlays and composites. Get ready to make those ordinary portraits extraordinary. Course Date: Monday, May 16, 2011 Course Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm Items to Bring: Laptop with Adobe® Photoshop® and/or Lightroom® at a minimum. Wacom Pen Tablet is recommended but not necessary. Course Location: Wayne Miller Photography Keller Ridge Drive Clayton, CA 94517 Location Phone: 925.330.8737 Instructor Contact Info: wm@wmphotos.com Instructor Website: www.wmphotos.com __________________________________________________________________ Sign up here: http://www.ppa.com/education-events/sm/states/sm_states_ca.php __________________________________________________________________
Orinda Lightroom from Soup to Nuts Course # CA30 Denny Weigand, Cr.Photog., CPP It’s time to get on the Adobe® Photoshop® Lightroom® bandwagon and see what really managing your workflow can do for your business (and art). Come learn all there is to know about Lightroom from an Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)…and make your images stand out! With Denny’s help, you’ll soon be spending at least 50 percent less time behind the computer and more time behind the camera. Course Date: Monday, May 16, 2011 Course Hours: 9:00am-5:00pm Items to Bring: Laptop pre-loaded with Adobe Photoshop Lightroom (or use one of the instructor’s computers in his teaching lab), image samples or a project you want to accomplish. Course Location: DigitalWhims Glorietta Blvd. Orinda, CA 94563 Location Phone: 925.336.7994 Instructor Contact Info: digitalwhims@comcast.net Instructor Website: www.digitalwhims.com
Focal Point
MAY 2011 Print Comp Winners and Calendar
May 2011 begins PPA Style Projected Images Only. Except for People’s Choice, all image submissions will be Digitally Projected Images Only. If you are interested in volunteering with image comp, please contact: Tom O'Connor at 925-586-2745 or Email Tom @ toconnorphotography@gmail.com The next NCPP PPA Style Image Competition will be at the June 14, 2011 meeting where we will have "Projected" image competition. For more information on "Projected" see Table of Contents on page 3 of the Focal Point…Preparing an image for "Projected Image Comp" 2011 Print Comp Calendar: May: PPA Style / Jun: PPA Style / Jul: People’s Choice / Aug: PPA Style / Sep: PPA Style / Oct: PPA Style / Nov: People’s Choice
CONGRATULATIONS!!!! 1st Place – Kevallyn Paskos – “Good Girl" 2nd Place – Wayne Miller – “Capturing Beauty” 3rd Place – Wayne Miller – “Illusions of L.A.”
Images by Eduardo Cardona 12
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Best of Show April 2011 - "Good Girl" by Kevallyn Paskos
“Good Girl” My love of animal photography began over 20 years ago while practicing on my first dog a Weimaraner. This was a fun time and we would often go exploring and find the perfect countryside location for a shoot. She would pose, stay put just as I requested and look back at me with those amazing green eyes. The color traits of this particular dog breed are unique and photograph nicely in either color or black and white. I learned so much from my patient companion and this practice time also helped me to grow as a photographer. My photography business also includes weddings, families and children but particularly enjoy photographing horses and dogs of all breeds. These four legged subjects can be a bit more challenging but worth all the effort in getting that perfect look or soulful expression. As a pet owner, I find this part of each portrait session to be the most fun! For the past 6 years, I have worked specifically with the Northern California Weimaraner Rescue organization (NCWR) and Weimaraner clubs such as SFBWC and SVWC, photographing silent auction events, dog shows, field / agility trials and new litters of puppies (my favorite)! This work has significantly helped to expand my business by networking with and marketing to these dog loving families. Most of my family photography business comes from dog owner referrals! The Best of Show image, ”Good Girl” is of my amazing 6 year old Weimaraner, Kymber. I have been photographing her since she was 8 weeks old and is a natural in front of the camera. This particular image was captured early afternoon on an overcast day in Benicia, Ca. We had a couple of hours and lots of cheerios to use as Scooby treats. My goal was to find little nooks that had some architectural or industrial charm and start photographing. Since Kymber will pretty much do anything asked of her, we got to work and this image was one of many personal favorites captured that day. Since Weimaraner’s are hunting/ bird dogs, they can catch a scent out of nowhere! In this particular shot, I instructed her to lay stay while looking at me when all of a sudden, she caught a scent of something and turned her nose up smelling the air in perfect alignment with the Keep Out sign! I was on the ground shooting and captured this once in a lifetime moment. Transforming this image into black and white was an effect that perfectly tied the subject and architectural elements together. Earning Best of Show with the “Good Girl” image is such an honor and I would like to thank the NCPP judges and member peers for their support. Thank you so much, Kevallyn Paskos
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Congratulations to NCPPer’s in the Western District Competition April 2011
For those unfamiliar this is a PPA style regional image competition. Images with a score of 80 and above get a “seal” that gets a PPA image merit when entered in PPA National Image Competition. Richard Stahlberg “CITY OF THE DEAD” 79 “DISTRUST” 76 “A STUDY IN BLACK AND WHITE” 81 “TANGO ARGENTINO THE STREET DANCE” 84 Wayne Miller “ABANDONED” 87 “CRUISING AT LOU’S” 83 “LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE” 80 “RED ROCK CANYON” 78 Michael McNamara “DIVINE LIGHT” 81 “HEARTLAND RHAPSODY” 75 “I CAN'T PUT IT DOWN” 76 “WHEN THE LIGHTS GO DOWN IN THE CITY” 79
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MAY 2011 Image Competition Notice!!!!!
Starting in May 2011, there will no longer be PPA Style Printed Print Competition. The only PPA Style competition we will have is Projected Image Competition. We will also continue to have People’s Choice twice a year in the same format as we have been doing. We have not had submittals with actual prints for the last few months, so we are going to eliminate it. There is a lot of gear to bring and set up for prints, and if nobody brings prints (which we do not know until 7pm), then it is a lot of work for nothing. Although there is a charge for Projected Image Comp, it is small and the funds will buy us better equipment. Presently we are using two laptops that members are donating every month to get the job done. And we would all like a 30” monitor just like PPC and PPA. There is another good side to all of this. Be sure to keep the Projected images you submit during monthly competition. They are perfect for submitting to PPC and PPA. Keep your files in a layered format so you can make changes to them before submitting to PPC or PPA. The only difference in submittal to PPC and PPA is the way you name the file. See the written instructions on pages 6 and 7 of this issue of the Focal Point and on the NCPP web site along with two fine videos showing you how to do it in Photoshop and Lightroom. You can also use these same images for NCPP End of the Year Print Comp!! Submittal will be so much easier. There will be no delivering your images to a studio someplace and then having to go back to get them when it is over. And there is nothing to get damaged. It is a Win - Win!! Personally, I am also going to add the score of my images to the file name of the master file of each image, just so I have a record. Now that there is no physical print to write the score on the back of, we should still keep track. The Print Comp Chair (2nd VP) also has all of the scores as they are recorded and kept by month and year. If you have any questions, just give me a call or email. Tom O’Conor
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MAY 2011 April Meeting Images
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MAY 2011 April Meeting Images
March Meeting Images
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MAY 2011 April Meeting Images
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MAY 2011 April Meeting Images
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MAY 2011 April Meeting Images
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Non Destructive Dodging & Burning and Contrast Control - by Michael Kirwan
Dodging and Burning Over the past couple of releases of Photoshop we have seen an improvement in the operation of the dodging and burning tools. However, dodging and burning, unless you create a separate layer, can be destructive and very difficult to undo once your file has been saved. So here is a neat trick which allows dodging and burning to be done on separate adjustment layers; in addition you can fine tune these layers by adjusting the opacity. We start as always by duplicating our image. Go through and make all the changes the image needs, contrast control, hue and saturation changes, tidying up the image etc. Now we will create our adjustment layer where we will apply our dodging and burning. Go to the Layer/New and create a new layer with the Mode set to “Soft Light”, Opacity 100% and be sure to check the “Fill with SoftLight-neutral color (50%) gray and click OK.
The following screen shot shows our new Dodge & Burn adjustment layer; pretty simple stuff.
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Non Destructive Dodging & Burning and Contrast Control - by Michael Kirwan
Now with our Dodge & Burn layer active, select the paint brush, a white brush will provide act as the dodging control, while the black brush will act as the burning control. It is very easy to overdo so I usually set the Opacity of the brush to 20% and the Flow to 7%. Best for you to experiment, but I find these settings work best for me. I usually check the Airbrush icon as well when I am using my Wacom tablet; but again experiment and see what works for you. The image below is a blow up of an image I took on the streets of Bangalore in India. I really like this image and the expression on the boys face and the store owner in the background. However, the owners face is in shadow and gets lost in the background.
So selecting the brush and setting the brush color to white and carefully dodging the gentleman and some of the background to show more of the detail, I also applied a small amount of burning to the front of the counter to provide better separation from the boy.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011
Non Destructive Dodging & Burning and Contrast Control - by Michael Kirwan
If you find you have overdone the control, just change your brush color and paint back in until you get the result you are looking for.
Very simple yet quite effective tool for dodging and burning and if you save your files with layers, you can always come back and delete the layer and start again. For some images when I want more control I will create separate layers, one for dodging and another for burning. High Pass Contrast One of the problems we encounter is getting sufficient contrast in the mid-tones. It is all too easy to get good contrast in the shadow and highlight areas. This technique has two benefits, not only does it provide good mid-tone contrast, it also sharpens the image, so two controls in one. We will use the same image to demonstrate this technique. First we will select all our layers and holding the Alt (PC), Options (Mac) go to Layers, Merge Visible. Call this out HPC Layer. This will give us a new layer to apply this technique, while keeping all our previous adjustment layers intact. The next step is to double click our new IHP layer, and change the blend mode to “Overlay� set the Opacity to 20% (we can always come back and change this value when fine tuning the effect. Now comes the really cool part. We are going to change the Blend-If sliders to 50/70 and 185/215. This will prevent the delicate details in the shadows and highlights from clipping. To make the change click on the top left slider while holding down the Alt (PC) or Options (Mac) to split the slider controls. Now repeat for the top right slider. Your layer style should look like the image below. The final step is to de-saturate the layer (Image, Adjustments, de-saturate); this eliminates many hue and color shifts associated with the Overlay mode.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011
Non Destructive Dodging & Burning and Contrast Control - by Michael Kirwan
The image below shows the effect, a little difficult to see at this size, but there is an overall improvement in the mid-tone shadow detail and sharpness. For this image I did change the opacity of the IHP layer from 20% to 40% which really made the image pop.
This is another image from my trip to Bangalore. This was the first in a sequence I took for conversion to HDR. The colors intrigued me, but this particular image really needs some mid-tone pop.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011
Non Destructive Dodging & Burning and Contrast Control - by Michael Kirwan
Applying the same technique the boost to the mid-tones gave the image a slight boost in sharpness and little more punch in the mid-tones.
I discovered this technique at a workshop last year and have been very pleased with the results with both black & white and color images, and another tool for the toolbox.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011
NCPP Proudly Presents on Tuesday, June 14th: Gary Bergren My name is Gary Bergren. I'm a San Francisco Bay Area resident, born in Berkeley, California. My interest in art began at the early age of five and I've been actively involved ever since. Both my parents have involved themselves in the arts. My mother is an interior decorator and my father a successful sculptor. Together they helped me acquire the basic principles of three dimensional drawing, color and perspective. For the purpose of biographical brevity I offer the following: Childhood: Orinda, California. Interests: Drawing, Falconry, music, gymnastics. Art Education: California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, CA - creative and figure drawing1968.. Walnut Creek Civic Arts Dept. - oil painting. Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill CA figure drawing, painting, architectural rendering and perspective 1970-1974. David Hardy in Oakland CA Renaissance techniques, color theory, composition and pigment formation 1982. William Parsons color theory, composition and application techniques. Van Waldron Impressionism, color theory 1996. Charles White landscape 1998. Galleries: First Street Landing in Niles Canyon Fremont California. Shepard Gallery in Danville CA. Impressions Art Gallery in Danville CA. Crossroads Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Main Frame fine Art and Framing in Placerville CA, Lasting Impressions in Carmel CA, The Danville Art Gallery in Danville CA, Simic New Renaissance Galleries in Carmel CA, Studio 7 Galleries in Pleasanton CA and Becquet Winery in Valley Springs CA Art Medium: Oil, acrylic, oil pastel, pencil pen and ink. Form: Portrait, wildlife, landscape. Style: Realism Special Interests: American History, music composition. Notable Art Collector: Ken Hofmann.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 Membership Information
Contact Stacey Flurscheim with / for any Membership Information Stacey Flurscheim @ 925-330-7130 If you have comments or information regarding new applicants, please send them to: Stacey Flurscheim, NCPP Membership Chair: membership@ncpponline.org WELCOME NEW NCPP MEMBERS
PROSPECTIVE NCPP MEMBERS
Jean Slavin – Professional Active Jean Slavin Photography 1046 Vista Pointe Circle, San Ramon, 94582 Ph: 925-785-2075 Web: www.jeanslavinhotography.com Email: jean@jeanslavinphotography.com Sponsor: Laura Cottril
Stephen (Tony) Gotelli - Aspiring Business Name 1108 Springfield Ct., Antioch, CA 94531 Ph: 925-550-9400 Email: tonygotelli@mac.com Websites: Sponsor: Needs a Sponsor
Jenni Harmon – Professional Active Wentling’s Studio 1804 Colfax Street, Concord, CA 94520 Ph: 925-685-7760 Email: sales@wentlingstudio.com Website: www.wentlingstudio.com Sponsor: Dirk Wentling
Marilyn Cunningham - Aspiring Business Name 1421 Lydia Lane, Clayton, CA 94517 Ph: 925-200-0413 Email: info@marilyncunningham.com Websites: Sponsor: Needs a Sponsor
Yolanda Mendoza – Professional Active Y Mendoza Photographer 804 Vineyard Court, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523 Ph: 510-435-4357 Email: y4alcu@gmail.com Website: www.ymendozaphotography.com Sponsor: Denny Weigand Joe Messina – Professional Active Messina Photography 602 West K Street, Benicia, CA 94510 Ph: 707-373-9692 Email: joe@messinaphotography.com Website: www.messinaphotography.com Sponsor: Michael Van Auken Bill Baker – Professional Active Bill Baker Photography 220 Lexington Avenue, San Leandro, CA 94577 Ph: 510-701-7685 Email: bill@billbakerphoto.com Websites: www.billbakerimages.com and www.billbakerphoto.com Sponsor: Needs a Sponsor
NorCalProPhotogs - Meetup NCPP has a new web presence with a Meetup group. Join NorCalProPhotogs now for free. NCPP-Meet-Up 27
Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 NCPP Member Awards
NCPP Past Presidents 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Michael Van Auken Judy Host Jim Fidelibus Linda Johnson Walter Guasch Kimberly Peterson Jim Fidelibus
2005 2006 2006-2007 2007-2008 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011
Michael Gan Michael Gan Laura Cottril Leslie Artis-Gan Brent Walton Randy Cazinha Wayne Miller
NCPP Member of the Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Peg Jackson Michael Van Auken Jim Fidelibus Jim Fidelibus Kay Simon Shelly Najera Linda Johnson
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010
Heather M. Whiting Michael Gan Laura Cottril Tom O'Connor Brent Walton Wayne Miller
2005 2006 2007 2007 2008 2009 2010
Richard Stahlberg Leslie Artis-Gan Michael Van Auken - Tie Richard Stahlberg - Tie Richard Stahlberg Wayne Miller Wayne Miller
Photographer of the Year 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Peg Jackson Jim Fidelibus Richard Stahlberg Michael Gan Richard Stahlberg Shelly Najera Leslie Artis
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 NCPP Member Degrees
PPA Master Craftsman Photographers Lisa Evans Peg Jackson Michael Gan Judy Host Leslie Artis-Gan
PPA Master Photographers Jim Fidelibus Linda Johnson Deidre Ligenfelter Mary Small
PPA Craftsman Photographers Denny Weigand Wayne Miller
PPA Certified Professional Photographers Leslie Artis-Gan Dana Smith Laura Cottril Richard Stahlberg Lisa Duncan Arleen Thomas Michael Gan Darleen Tom Jill Hager Denny Weigand Judy Host Wayne Miller Greta Heintz Brent Walton Tammy Hughes Pam Biasotti Linda Johnson Jennifer Chesterman Scott Kouns
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Jennifer Fink Stacey Flurscheim Nicole Gee Tod Gomes Ann Gordon Malcolm Slight Terry Riggins Mary Small
Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 PPA Certification, Merit & Degree Programs
If you are interested in becoming a Certified Professional Photographer, Master of Photography, Master of Electronic Imaging or a Photographic Craftsman, click here. Or, contact Wayne Miller or Denny Weigand PPA CPP Liaisons. This link will take you to the PPA website and you will see the page shown below. The image below is just a screen shot of the website, the links are not hot on this screen shot.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011
NCPP Membership Classifications and Fees for 2011
Professional Active: Annual Dues $135. A professional photographer is an individual who on a regular basis, takes and sells photographs or photographic services. Must satisfy federal, state (resale permit), & local license requirements. Professional Active members have full membership privileges (Free meetings, voting, use of NCPP logo for self promotional use, and image competition). Aspiring*: Annual Dues $135. An individual who does not work in the photographic field, or derive any income from photography but plans to enter the profession. Limited to one year. Membership privileges: meetings and entering image competition, but may not vote, hold office or use the NCPP logo. May not actively sell photography or advertise/promote themselves as a photographer for hire. Limited 20% enrolment. Student*: Annual Dues $50. Members preparing for a career in the photography and currently enrolled in a school as a full time student. Applicant must show evidence for enrollment. Membership privileges: meetings and entering image competition, but may not vote, hold office or use the NCPP logo. Limited 10% enrolment. Sustaining: Annual Dues $150. Membership issued to the business name of the organization, which is a supplier, vendor, or manufacturer of photographic materials, supplies or photographic services. One representative of the organization shall have meeting privileges only, additional pay guest fees. * Aspiring & Student Classifications must assist/help six events per year to maintain classification or move to Professional Active.
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 Focal Point Advertising Information
Advertising Costs: 11 Issues per year NCPP Members: • •
You supply camera ready art work and text. 1/4 page for 3 months per year - Free
Additional / Larger Ads: • • • •
1/4 Page for 3 months $25 1/2 Page for 3 months $50 Full Page for 3 months $75 Change to ad $25
Ad sizes are: • 1/4 Page: 4-1/4” Wide x 5-1/2” High • 1/2 Page: 8-1/2” Wide x 5-1/2” High • Full Page: 8-1/2” Wide x 11” High Spec is: • Jpg @ 94ppi • Color Space: sRGB • Include at least 1/8” of white space at the outer edges the sizes listed above.
Note: Members can use the Yahoo Group email to advertise at no cost. Sustaining Members: • •
You supply camera ready art work and text. Full Page per year - Free
Non Members/Non Sustaining Members: • •
You supply camera ready art work and text. Full Page per year - $500
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Northern California Professional Photographers
Focal Point
MAY 2011 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 Denny Weigand. 925-336-7994 or E-mail @ digitalwhims@comcast.net -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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MAY 2011 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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MAY 2011 NCPP Sustaining Members
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011 NCPP Sustaining Members
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011 NCPP Sustaining Members
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011 NCPP Sustaining Members
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Northern California Professional Photographers
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MAY 2011 Our Neighboring Affiliates
PPC Professional Photographers of California Affiliates
City
Company Name â–˛
Phone
All Valley Professional Photographers - AVPP
La Canada Flintridge
(818) 262-7903
Associated Image Makers - AIM
Fairfield
1-888-442-6606
Central Valley Professional Photographers - CVPP
Fresno
559 266-0305
Channel Islands Professional Photographers Association - CIPPA
Camarillo
(805) 573-7637
Gold Coast Professional Photographers Association - GCPPA
Pismo Beach
805 733-5197
Inland Empire Professional Photographers & Videographers - IEPPV
Riverside
951-737-7310
Northern California Professional Photographers - NCPP
Walnut Creek
925 330-8737
Professional Photographers of California
Escondido
Professional Photographers of Los Angeles County - PPLAC
Culver city
(818) 344-0671
Professional Photographers of North Valley - PPNV
Redding
530-241-2191
Professional Photographers of Orange County - PPOC
Mission Viejo
949.916.2471
Professional Photographers of Sacramento Valley - PPSV
Sacramento
530 363-0138
Professional Photographers of San Diego County - PPSDC
San Diego
(858) 695-9563
Professional Photographers of Santa Barbara County - PPSBC
Santa Barbara
(805) 403-6556
Professional Photographers of Santa Clara Valley - PPSCV
San Jose
408 244-2293
Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area - PPGBA
So. San Francisco
530 574-6033
Professional Photographers of the Redwood Empire - PPRE
Santa Rosa
707 548-1181
Stanislaus Professional Photographers - SPP
Modesto
209 847-0540
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Web Site
Northern California Professional Photographers
NCPP
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Sunset Table
This information is for Walnut Creek. You can obtain sunset times for other locations at http://www.sunrisesunset.com/ 42
Northern California Professional Photographers