What's next for my images?

Many of our camera club members have taken, submitted and gotten acceptances of images by their clubs and in other competitions. But what's next after all of this fine work? An answer maybe found at an artists talk that will be held in downtown Minneapolis, and best of all it is free and open to the public.

The presentation entitled "Beyond Print" deals with how photographers can communicate better in our digital age. It will be held at the Arts Institutes International in downtown Minneapolis located on 9th Street between Hennepin and LaSalle Avenues. There is ramp parking just around the corner on LaSalle and street parking available as well. You can click on the image below to learn more about this informative talk.

Also, you can review the presenter's blog at www.marketingphotos.wordpress.com, and purchase the presenter's self-published book on the subject at www.mvswanson.com. Please note that although the presentation is free you must register ahead of time to attend. You can do that at: cmullins@aii.edu.

I'll see you there.

Evolution of the Camera

We've come a long way in the last 500+ million years. (Click on image for larger view)






What's next?

Landing Encampment Photos

Bob Hosker and Lil Polley just sent in these wonderful images of the event:

Lil Polley:

Bob Hosker:

These do a great job of capturing this historical event.

10 Tips to Improve your Images

There are certainly more than 10 things to consider when trying to create an image, but remembering the basics is always a good start. And of course "experimentation" covers most everything else.

Velodrome

If you want to take action shots of bicyclists racing go to the National Sports Center in Blaine. They have a velodrome that features races throughout the summer with the opportunity to photograph any number of racers. So what is a velodrome? Well it is defined as:

If that definition is not technical enough then click on this:


Too technical? Don't worry just head out to the Sports Center in Blaine this weekend for what is billed as "Three days of speed" June 11-13th for the fixed gear classic. If you can't make it don't worry as the action continues all summer long in this, the 20th anniversary year of the track.

For more information on events, times, dates and location of the track go to: www.nscsports.org/sports/cycling/index.htm.

Landing Encampment Photos

Here are some more images of the Landing Encampment sent in by Steve Shor of the Crosstown Camera Club.

Great job Steve!

Photos - The Landing Encampment

A number of camera club members turned out to witness life in rural Minnesota in the 1860's recreated at the Landing Encampment in Shakopee. The location contains a number of buildings expertly restored to their former conditions so visitors can experience what life was like during these times. Below are some of the fine images submitted so far by those who attended. Click on the images to view at a larger size.

HOLLY KUCHERA:

PETER THORPE:
MARK KARNEY:

If you attended and wish to share your images of this event send them in.

Polo Anyone?

In club salons it is common to see action shots of various sports, or images of horses.  So you may consider combining both by going to a local polo match.

There are two locations just west of the cities where you can view all the action. The Twin Cities Polo Club has a field and clubhouse located at 6755 Turner Road in Maple Plain just off of Highway 12 and northwest of Lake Minnetonka. To see a schedule of events go to their website at: www.twincitypolo.com.  The biggest match of the year is the "Binger Cup Tournament" scheduled for August 13-15th, but there are matches and practices scheduled on various weekends throughout the summer. 

You can also see a match at the Annual Polo Fundraiser held this year on July 17th at the Blackberg Ranch at 1980 Sally Avenue in Watertown, which is located near the TC Polo Club. This is a scenic ranch that features a wonderful field for playing and viewing polo matches. The above image was shot last year at this event.  You can get more information and directions to the ranch at: www.freedomfarmmn.org. Click on "polo event" in the menu for details of the polo match.  Also note this is a great location for shooting images of horses and riders when the ranch is open to the public. 

If you go to a match make sure to bring a long lens because the field of play is really large (160 yards wide by 300 yards long!). Bring a shorter lens to for close-ups of the horses, riders and groomers on the sidelines and during any breaks in the action.  A match is made up of "Chukkers" that are periods of play.  Each Chukker lasts 7 minutes with a break in between.  There are six Chukkers in a match, or four in arena play.  Each team consists of 4 players on the field; 2 for offense, 1 to defend and try to revert the action back to offense and 1 defender playing back near the teams goal. The ball in play is hit with the long end of a flexible mallet as seen above.  A score occurs when the ball is hit through two poles at the opponents end of the field.

Despite the speed of the horses you can get a lot of interesting action shots during play and many during the breaks and on the sidelines.  Check it out. 

Photographic Society of America (PSA)

The Camera Council and many of it's various camera clubs are members of the PSA. It has members in over 60 countries. It was established in 1934 to promote the art and science of photography and has become the largest organization of its kind. It accepts both individual and club members, as well as, professional and amateur enthusiasts of all skill levels. It also recognizes achievements in the field of photography on it's website and in international exhibitions held throughout the year. You can visit the PSA website at: www.psa-photo.org for more information. Make sure you check out the wonderful images posted in the members galleries.

Also, the PSA recently celebrated it's 75th anniversary with the publication of a anniversary book that showcases select images submitted over the years from members. It is a limited edition book that contains 250 pages, 239 images and retails for only $50.00. On the PSA home page click on the icon for this book. It will take you to a listing of all of the images that can be viewed in thumbnail form.