Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Joel Grimes Lecture in MInneapolis

Update:
Joel Grimes Workshop tickets will not be available at the door. They must be purchased through his website. See the following link: Joel Grimes Workshop

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Joel Grimes is a professional commercial photographer with a unique style of his own. He has created a body of work that combines studio shot images with non-studio shots that are simply amazing in concept and beautiful in execution.

You can see Joel's portfolio's at Joel Grimes. Click on "menu options" at the bottom of the page to view all of his portfolio's.

Joel is also going to be in Minneapolis in October for two big events. The first is a lecture he is giving at the Minneapolis convention center on Friday October 14th at 7:00 pm. The cost of this lecture is $50.00. Click on the image below for more information.


He is also giving a two day seminar beginning Saturday October 15th on studio lighting and the creative process. This seminar will also be held at the Minneapolis convention center. For more information about it go to: Seminar.

Also, Joel offers instructional DVD's that explain his techniques and work flow. You can view and purchase these at: tutorials.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Digital Camera Explained

Below is an instructional video on how a digital camera works.

Monday, September 26, 2011

A Must See in Winona Minnesota

John Ringquist of Crosstown Camera was with our group when we traveled recently to Lanesboro for a weekend photo outing.  On the way back, John and his wife took it slow and stopped in a number of towns along the way.

John mentioned they found a great new museum in Winona that just opened in 2006.  It is called the Minnesota Marine Art Museum, located on the Mississippi near downtown Winona.



John mentioned the museum is rapidly becoming a tourist attraction in the area because of its outstanding facilities, and wonderful exhibits.  Currently the museum features an exhibit called "America's Great Rivers" depicting all of our nations great river systems.  Also featured is an exhibit of 32 works called "Flow"  that contain various interpretations of images related to water from traditional to abstract.  Also there is a photography exhibit by two local artists in the region called "Portrait and Place" that features images of people and places in Winona.

Another big draw to the facility is a new wing that houses the museum's permanent collection, and the Burrichter/Kierlin Marine Art Collection that contains work by such notables as Georgia O"Keefe, Picasso, Renoir, Van Gogh and Monet, to name a few.

If you are in the area or plan to be this museum is a must see.  It is located at 8oo Riverview Drive and its location is depicted on the map below.  You can call ahead at 507-474-6626, and visit the museum's informative website at: Marine Art.


A special thanks to John Ringquist for bringing this find to our attention! 

Fall Colors

Below is the current map of fall color in Minnesota.  The twin cities and immediate surrounding areas are still at 10-25%, but just North all the way to Canada the colors are at 50% peak or more.

To keep up with the latest fall color information remember to go to the DNR's webpage.

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Camera Council Wins at PSA Conference in Colorado Springs, CO

The picture below was taken yesterday at the PSA Conference in Colorado Springs, CO. TCACCC placed 1st in the Print section, and 2nd in the world in overall points for Prints, Color Digital, and Monochrome Digital.

From left to right: St. Paul Camera Club members Morris Gildemeister, Herb Gustafson, Pat Schwope, and Gene Schwope, and North Metro Photo Club member Jean McDonough, pose at PSA's 73rd Annual International Conference of Photography in Colorado Springs, CO, with the TCA Council's 1st Place Print entry in the 2011 PSA Councils' Challenge Competition.  


Congratulations to the winners. Details to follow.






Friday, September 23, 2011

TED/David Griffin - how photography connects

http://www.ted.com/talks/david_griffin_on_how_photography_connects.html

"The photo director for National Geographic, David Griffin knows the power of photography to connect us to our world. In a talk filled with glorious images, he talks about how we all use photos to tell our stories."

Nikon Mirrorless Camera

Nikon has announced a new mirrorless camera - apparently designed to complete with the Micro 4/3, but has a smaller sensor. One would think that the smaller sensor suggests more of a consumer market (2.7x crop) than the DSLR, but the reviews should start pouring in very soon as the device is delivered to interested parties. The proof is in the pudding, as they say, and we will be watching and pointing out the reviews as they appear. The cameras should start appearing around October 20th, triggering the official reviews.

USA Today

Wired Magazine

dpreview.com

extremetech

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Sigma 200-500 f2.8

http://www.amazon.com/Sigma-200-500mm-Ultra-Telephoto-Canon-Cameras/dp/B0013D8VDQ/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

101 lbs of mean green for a mere $26,000. Someone needs to rethink the motivations of the R&D department at Sigma. Please check out the reviews before someone at Amazon takes them down. Or, just slide over to the following link: Photography Bay. If you have ever been questioned about the size of your lens, you will appreciate the comments.

Might I suggest a nice, tidy little Micro 4/3s?

The Folio Option

After the big issue of which camera to buy, to carry, and to use – the next big issue is presentation. That covers websites, slideshows, and, most importantly, printing. DPS (the west side digital club break-off from the east side TCDigi), has been exploring presentation for a few years now. This is our second year in the exploration of the Folio. A folio is midway between a single image and a book. The images are printed and included inside a folder designed especially for the project. The Folio Project is part of a yearly event called “The September Project”, which allows members to show the results of what we have learned through the year. Our 2012 September Project will be a book developed by each member and presented to the group.

The folio idea was developed by Bruce Jenson of Lenswork Magazine (http://lenswork.com/specialeditions/lwfolios.htm) and it has proved to be very useful idea. Here are a few examples of the completed works.
John Olson:

"The Rodeo" is part of the "Vintage America Series" that I am putting together which will include several other themes.  Each will have its separate folio.  Eventually, I am hoping to put a book together and maybe even market the series.

As a vintage American experience, the rodeo goes back through history, so I wanted to create the feel of a photograph taken over 100 years ago but introduce slight, subtle elements of the present day.  Thus, tying the present day in with our history.  I also wanted to include a little caption about each event along with the photograph. The images in the folio are printed on Hanemuhle Photo Rag paper which is richly textured and prints with a soft impressionistic feel.

Photographing the rodeo came about because of my love and respect for horses, a favorite subject of mine for years.  Initially, I was attracted to the barrel race, but the other events such as saddle bronc riding, calf roping, bull riding and others eventually drew my attention.


Judith Barat:
Attached is 1 of 10 images in my folio " a virginal journey". These images were created during the workshop "Environmental Nudes: 72 Hours with Layne Kennedy" through Minneapolis Photo Center. I chose this folio title   because it is how I felt photographing and interacting with female nude models for the first time.


Barb Smith:
In June, 2010, I was strolling through Grand Old Days in St. Paul, Minnesota and came across a piano store that specialized in selling and repairing pianos and other instruments. It was a snap decision to capture the delights of the back room and a few of the lovely instruments in the midst of being salvaged.


For more information, contact any member of DPS or send an email via this Blog.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Fall Classes at the MInneapolis Photo Center

It's being billed as the "Fall in Love with Photography" month at the MPC with a slate of interesting and informative classes to help imporove your photographic skills.  Included are an introduction to HDR and to Nik Software's Silver Efex Pro 2 the popular software for black and white conversion. 

Click to see the offerings below, or go to the MPC website for more information about registration and price.


Monday, September 19, 2011

More Images from Lanesboro

Here are some additional images from the people on the Lanesboro trip:

By Forrest Pearson



By Mark Karney


By Steve Shor


By Gary Eckhardt



By Cynthia Fleury


By Brian Billadeau



By Geoff Kuchera



By Holly Kuchera



By John Olson



By Dale Lewellyn

The night before we left Lanesboro we held a final show at the local VFW of all the images submitted by the participants.  It turned out to be a wonderful recap of the weekend shooting there.

Great job by everyone on the trip. 

If your club has an outing and wishes to submit images make sure you send them to us for posting here.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Lanesboro MInnesota Images

Below are some of the images from the Crosstown Camera Club trip to Lanesboro late last month organized by Cynthia Fleury.  The photographer responsible is noted, if known.

By Cynthia Fluery


 By Gary Eckhardt


By Geoff Kuchera


By Forrest Pearson


By Holly Kuchera


By Mark Karney


 By John Olson


 By Scott Board


 By Steve Shor




By Lee Swenson


By Brian Billadeau




By Scott board


There were hundreds of great images taken over this weekend adventure.  More will be posted in the future. 



 

Mirrorless Camera Update

As noted in this blog previously, both Sony and Samsung have announced new mirrorless cameras that are remarkably small, but have very large image sensors.  Now Panasonic has made an announcement of its own but moves the four/thirds system to an even smaller scale.



It has produced a "collapsible" zoom lens that fits its cameras, as well as, those from Olympus.  It works like the lens on a point-and-shoot camera.  It collapses to a very small size to give the camera an equally small profile when not in use, or during wide angle use.  But it can telescope to increase the focal range.

Unlike a point and shoot, the telescopic range is optically stabilized to give sharp images throughout the entire focal range.  The stabilization allows for zooming-in while shooting video with the camera just like on a point-and-shoot.  This makes shooting sharp video much easier than using a DLS that requires manual focus while zooming.

  

Update on Photographer Rights

http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

Personally, I find being in agreement with the ACLU can sometimes be problematic, but at times they can be very helpful. In this case, the information is interesting and I think it is helpful. As usual, its the timing and its a matter of perspective. Anyway, check it out.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

the last Interview - Ansel Adams

ART NEWS - ANSELADAMS-THE LAST INTERVIEW - 905N-000-001
Source: maryellenmark.com

Capture Minnesota

There is a photo contest called "Capture Minnesota" that is held by Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) on their website.  Viewers can submit photos in a variety of categories, and then vote on the images submitted.  Each day a photo is selected as the photo of the day. 

On September 10th the photo of day was taken of the high bridge in St. Paul below.  It was taken by Elizabeth Genovese a member of the Crosstown Camera Club.


Then yesterday the photo of the day that was selected was of the Lake Harriett bandshell in Minneapolis.  It was taken by another Crosstown member Forrest Pearson.



Not only that but two days earlier Brian Billadeau of Crosstown won image of the day for his picture below.


 

Congratulations to these Crosstown members on their winning images.  It was quite a week for Crosstown with three winning images in 4 days.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Photo Editing

CNN recently posted a piece on the dos and don'ts of photo editing.  It contains some useful tips on taking and editing a photographic story.  

To read the entire article go to: Photo Editing.

Photography at the Renaissance Festival

A member of one of our camera clubs was shooting someone at the festival with consent when he was approached by a security agent who confronted him about his activities. This confrontation apparently took place because our member possessed "professional' quality photography equipment.

The festival is a private event that takes place on private property, so it has the right to set the guidelines or standards for activities that take place there. Here is the festival's statement about photography rights from their web page:



The confrontation raises the issue of photographers rights when taking images on both public and private property. We've put articles on this blog previously relating to this topic, but the area is still a confusing one for photographers because of the number of different fact circumstances that can give rise to issues relating to our rights. 

The council will continue to post information about your rights as a photographer here when it becomes available. We have also asked attorney Mike Waterman (who made an enlightening presentation on intellectual property at the last Spring Break) to send us any information he can provide on this subject. We hope to have his input here soon. In the meantime, if you do go to the Renaissance with your equipment be mindful of the lens length restriction, and make sure you ask permission to take images of visitors who are not participants in the festival.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Pilot Mound Minnesota

Cynthia Fleury of the Crosstown Camera Club organized a well-attended outing to Lanesboro, Minnesota at the end of last month. 31 members and their spouses attended. Images from our weekend spent shooting there will be posted here in the very near future.

On the way down three of us decided to take the back roads to Lanesboro and came into the town of Pilot Mound, Minnesota. We had come through a number of small towns on the way, but this one had a church that looked particularly interesting, so we stopped to shoot it.



Just down the end of the block from the church, and on the main street of the town, was a building that advertised itself as the General Store.


The three of of us took some images from outside, but we really weren't interested much in going inside to explore a general store. Finally, Forrest Pearson decided to go inside to see whether it was a functioning facility because it had stained glass hanging in the windows, but no merchandise.


We met the owner Karl Unnasch who told us he had purchased the store and converted it to a glass art studio. He invited us inside to see his work and to have a beer. (actually I coaxed beer out of him). Anyway, his work was remarkable.



He said he created it by first sketching our the design, then cutting colored glass and finally firing it in a kiln much like potters fire pottery. He often has to paint the glass many times using this process to create the fine detail and color he achieves. When lit from behind the glass pieces seem to come alive with brilliant and vivid color renditions.




Before we left I remarked to him that the studio location and his art reminded me of the type of story typically seen in an "On the Road" segment by Jason Davis on KSTP Sunday night. Since he had provided the beer, and maybe because I was feeling the effects of it, I promised to send information about his art studio to Jason Davis when I got back home.

I did contact Mr. Davis suggesting he visit Karl's studio because of the quality of his work and the unique location of the studio. Surprisingly Jason wrote back immediately telling me my timing was excellent. He had a trip to Lanesboro planned that week and he would stop by Karl's studio.

I checked in with Karl and Jason Davis's production crew did schedule an appointment to meet him on Friday September 2nd. I don't know yet how it turned out, or if Jason Davis will air a segment on TV. If I find out it will be aired, I'll post it so everyone has the opportunity to watch it. In the meantime, you can visit Karl's website at: Pilot Mound Design. Just bear in mind the website doesn't do justice to stained glass. It really has to be seen in person to appreciate the color, detail and work involved.

It was fortunate we decided to take the slow route to Lanesboro, and more so that we stopped to talk to Karl Unnasch. Meeting him was very much like viewing one of Jason Davis' segments about Minnesota. There is a lot of stories to be found traveling around back roads of this state.

Fall Colors

Fall is coming for better or worse. To catch the fall colors throughout the state you can check the DNR's fall color index. It contains a map of the state and the estimated color range of every area from 0% to past peak. It also lists the various state parks and gives a short description of any interesting details for each location. The site will also allow you to upload your own fall color images and view others.

Go to: FALL COLOR for all of the DNR information.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Photo Contest @ Caponi Art Park

Caponi Art Park is located in Eagan Minnesota. It was created according to its history as an "outdoor laboratory to teach and demonstrate how creativity is a necessary part of daily living".

For the past three years the park has held a photo contest and it is doing so again this year. Entries are being accepted up through October 9th. Besides a cash prize, winners will be honored at an awards ceremony and winning images displayed in an exhibition at the Eagan community center.

Click on the image below for all the details, or go to: CAPONI to learn more about this art park and the photo contest.


Monday, September 5, 2011

Shooting Star Trails

Photographer Ben Canales likes shooting star trails. He was also the grand prize winner of the 2011 National Geographic photo contest.


He is producing a series of video tutorials on how to shoot star trails. He currently has two free videos available on his website. Go to: Star Trails to access the videos and any future offerings. You can also view Ben's work on his website at: Ben Canales.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

6th Annual Photo day In Urbandale Iowa

If you have the inclination, or happen to be near Urbandale Iowa on September 17 - 18, check out the 6th annual Photography Day and the list of classes being offered. It's an event that attracts lots of photographers to the area.

For more information go to: Photography day.