The View Finder - cvcameraclub.orgcvcameraclub.org/Newsletters/CVCC_Jan_News15.pdf · Happy New...

The View Finder Catawba Valley Camera Club’s Newsletter

Cover Photograph by Dennis Hacker

Dwight Bowman Print of the Year: 2014

January 2015

Happy New Year

2

Volume 4, Issue 1 January, 2015

Of all the types of photography that I am involved with, I seem to get more questions

about food photography than just about everything else combined.

I appreciate that not everyone who

drives a car wants to know how the en-

gine works so—with that principle in

mind—I have prepared this checklist

that should yield a more than satisfacto-

ry results when photographing food:

Blur the background.

This forces the focus to be on the food.

A good photograph has to guide the

viewer.

Use a very narrow depth of field.

This strengthens the image by focusing

the viewer’s attention even more.

Use a window as the background but

not with direct sunlight coming

through.

This gives a light, airy feel to the photograph.

Use fill flash otherwise the subject will be too dark.

The bright background would silhouette the food without some help from the flash

Diffuse flash with either greaseproof paper or purpose made diffuser.

Undiffused flash light is very harsh and causes hard shadows. Hard shadows are the

enemy of the food photographer.

Shoot on a level with the food and not looking down on it.

People see the top down view every day. A different angle stimulates the brain. This

angle also works best with the light through the window background.

FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: RECIPE FOR A GREAT IMAGE

2

PRIZED POSSESSIONS QUIZ 4

WEB SITES TO TRY 4

ASK TIM GREY 4

CAMERA CLUB YEAR END AWARDS

5

VIDEO LINKS YOU MAY LIKE 13

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT PHOTO COMPOSITION

16, 17, 18

HOW TO CREATE THE PERFECT PHOTO COMPOSITION

3

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 3

WINNING IMAGES 6-12

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 ASK TIM GRAY

13

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY: RECIPE FOR A GRAT IMAGE

14, 15

PRIZED POSSESSIONS QUIZ AN-

SWERS 18

CLUB OFFICERS & PRESIDENTS REPORT

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

19

20

Inside this issue:

C a t a w b a Va l l e y C a m e r a C l u b

Continued on Page 14

Food Photography: Recipe for a Great Image

Dan Eitreim

3


In this article, I want to focus on creating the perfect composition. But before we can

create something perfect, we have to know what perfect looks like.

Why is composition

important? It is the

difference between a

snapshot and a

photograph. In a

snapshot, you bring

up the camera, look

through the

viewfinder, and take

the picture. Very

little thought goes

into setting up the

shot.

Calendar of Events

Jan 7 Competition - Projection - Open Randy Knauf

Jan 21 Competition - Projection - Food & Beverages Randy Knauf

Jan 24 Field Trip - Grayson Highlands & White Top Mtn. Ed & Donny

Feb 4 Instruction - Polarizer & ND filter use Ed Lane

Feb 18 Instruction - High Speed / Stop Motion Photos Robert Dant

Feb 21 Field Trip - Hickory’s Finest Framing (8:30 a.m.) David Futrell

Mar 4 CVCC Photography Student Critique Joe Young

Mar 18 Competition - Prints, Open Randy Knauf

Mar 21 Field Trip - Carolina Raptor Center Judy Young


Continued on page 16

How to Create the Perfect Photo Composition By Ron Kness

http://ronkness.com

4



Prized Possessions

Don’t ask us to choose just one. Each of these North Carolina objects are artifacts contributes special significance to our state treasure chest.

1. At one time, pirates prowled the North Carolina coast, and an iconic reminder of that era is a bell from Blackbeard’s ship, Queen Anne’s Revenge. The bell and other Blackbeard items can be seen at the N.C. Maritime Museum’s Carteret County location in what town?

A. Beaufort

B. Hatteras

C. Southport

2. Wilmington native George “Meadowlark” Lemon’s basketball uniform is a popular exhibit at the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame. Lemon’s claim to fame is the more than 16,000 games he played while entertaining folks as a member of what team?

A. Charlotte Hornets

B. Los Angeles Lakers

C. Harlem Globetrotters

3. The Carolinas Aviation Museum at Charlotte Douglas Interna-tional Airport is home to a vintage DC-3 airliner painted in colors honoring Piedmont Airlines, which began operation in Winston-Salem in 1948. This twin-engine link to our state’s transportation history was manufactured by what company?

A Douglas Aircraft

B. Boeing

C. Lockheed

4. The Ava Gardner Museum in Smithfield pays tribute to the most glamorous actress to come out of North Carolina. One popular item in the museum’s collection is a dress, worn by Gardner in the 1949 file The Great Sinner, that has a waist circumference of how many inches?

A 26

B. 24

C. 18

5. The Country Doctor Museum in Baily has a collection of items illustrating rural medicine in our state. One object is a 1926 Ford equipped with items a doctor of the period would have carried on his rounds. What mode of Ford is this Tin Lizzy ?

A. Model A

B. Model D

C. Model T

Answers on page 18

http://500px.com/popular

http://digital-photography-school.com/

http://photonaturalist.net/

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/

http://www.steeletraining.com/

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/

Click on the links above

Web Sites to try

Ask Tim Grey

I've never tried macro photography, but I think it might be interesting. I hear a lot of photographers complain-ing about too little depth of field with macro, but I never hear any actual numbers. Can you give me a sense of just how limited depth of field is with macro photog-raphy?

Tim's Answer:

Depth of field in macro photography is incredibly limited. In fact, when talking about macro photography I often say that you should expect to never be able to achieve as much depth of field as you would like.

In general, under what I would consider typical photo-graphic conditions for macro and close-up photography, you should expect depth of field to range from virtually non-existent up to perhaps a few inches.

The key factors here are the aperture used and the distance to the subject. But in general, I would say that distance to the subject is the most significant factor, since many of the other factors will remain relatively fixed.

Let's assume the example of a full-frame digital SLR, with a 100mm macro lens, stopped down all the way to the mini-

Continued on page 13

5



Catawba Valley Camera Club

Year End Awards

The Accomplished Division winners were:

Photographer of the Year: Judy Young

First place print: Ed Lane with an image entitled “Denali”

First place projection: Tom Devlin with an image entitled “Car as a Sacred Place”

Second place print: Judy Young with an image entitled “Crash Test”

Second place projection: Janice Setzler with an image entitled “Me and My Gal”

Third place print: Judy Young with an image entitled “Lilac Breasted Roller”

Third place projection: Steven Gold with an image entitled “Blue Grossbeak”

Honorable Mention print: Judy Young with an image entitled “As Time Goes By”

Honorable Mention projection: Mitzi Gellman with an image entitled “Mandrin Duck”

The Intermediate Division winners were:

Photographer of the Year: Dennis Hacker

First place print: Dennis Hacker with an image entitled “Cutie”

First place projection: Randy Knauf with an image entitled “Time for a Dip in the Pool”

Second place print: Randy Knauf with an image entitled “Jacob”

Second place projection: Dean Powell with an image entitled “Mantis”

Third place print: Paul van Breemen with an image entitled “Puffin Joining Group”

Third place projection: Randy Knauf with an image entitled “Keb Mo”

Honorable Mention print: Paul van Breemen image entitled “Maid in Colonial Louisburg”

Honorable Mention projection: Ann Fitzsimmons with an image entitled “Still Life”

Pete Minor Projection Image of the Year: Ed Lane with an image entitled “Teton Morning”

Dwight Bowman Print of the Year: Dennis Hacker with an image entitled “Pumpkins”

The “Frank J Miller Artistic Image of the Year Award” is given annually to the club member judged to have the most artistic and creative image. This year the recipient of this award is Mitzi Gellman with an image entitled “River Bank Reflection”.

6



Accomplished Division Print Winners

Ed Lane

“Denali” First Place

Judy Young

“Crash Test” Second Place

Judy Young

“Lilac Breasted Roller” Third Place

Judy Young

“As Time Goes By” Honorable Mention

7



Accomplished Division Projection Winners

Tom Devlin

“Car as a Sacred Place” First Place

Janice Setzler

“Me and My Gal” Second Place

Steven Gold

“Blue Grossbeak” Third Place

Mitzi Gellman

“Mandrin Duck” Honorable Mention

8



Intermediate Division Print Winners

Dennis Hacker

“Cutie” First Place

Randy Knauf

“Jacob” Second Place

Paul Van Breemen

“Puffin Joining Group” Third Place

Paul Van Breemen

“Maid in Colonial Louisburg” Honorable Mention

9



Intermediate Division Projection Winners

Randy Knauf

“Time for a Dip in the Pool” First Place

Dean Powell

“Mantis” Second Place

Randy Knauf

“Keb Mo” Third Place

Ann Fitzsimmons

“Still Life” Honorable Mention

10



Pete Minor Projection Image of the Year

Ed Lane

“Teton Morning”

Dwight Bowman Print of the Year

Dennis Hacker

“Pumpkins”

Frank J Miller Award

Mitzi Gellman

“River Bank Reflection”

11



Accomplished Division

Photographer of the Year

Judy Young

Intermediate Division

Photographer of the Year

Dennis Hacker


First Place Prints

Ed Lane


First Place Projection

Randy Knauf

12




Second Place Projection

Janice Setzler


Third Place Projection

Steven Gold


Honorable Mention Projection

Ann Fitzsimmons

Club members enjoying the part food.

13



Continued from Page 4 Ask Tim Grey

mum aperture size of f/32. This provides something of a fixed equipment configuration, with the lens aperture stopped down in an effort to maximize depth of field.

If we assume a minimum focus distance of about one inch (about 25mm), the depth of field will be essentially zero. Yes, you can achieve focus, but it will envelope a tiny range of the scene.

At a more typical working distance of perhaps six inches, the depth of field would be less than a tenth of an inch (about 1.5 to 2mm). At a 12-inch working distance the depth of field goes up to around half an inch (about 1.25mm), and at 24-inches from the subject the depth of field is about two inches (50mm).

This is why you have probably seen macro photos of tiny insects, for example, where only part of the insect is in focus. In general, for close-up photography you'll achieve a depth of field measured in inches (generally single digits), and for macro photography (very close focus or high magnification) you'll likely be dealing with depth of field that is a fraction of an inch.

Video Links You May Like

How to Get a Perfect Exposure in Snow (Video Tutorial)

An Intro to Line, Shape, and Form in Photography (Video Tutorial)

You Can’t Afford to Take Portraits Without These 3 Mindsets (Video)

How to Modify a One Light Portrait Setup to Get the Look You Want

Advice from a Travel Photographer: Focus on the Journey

The video above is by Steve McCurry

Using an Egg to Understand Portrait Photography Lighting (Video Tutorial)

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/using-an-egg-to-understand-portrait-photography-lighting/

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/advice-from-a-travel-photographer-focus-on-the-journey/

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-modify-a-one-light-portrait-setup-to-get-the-look-you-want/

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/you-cant-afford-to-take-portraits-without-these-3-mindsets/

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/an-intro-to-line-shape-and-form-in-photography/

http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/how-to-get-a-perfect-exposure-in-snow/

14



Continued from Page 2 Food Photography: Recipe for a Great Image

Make sure all ordinary household lights are

switched off.

Different lights have different temperatures and camera

sensors see this even though we don’t.

Check that camera white balance is set for sun-

light.

This will give the clean white light that the best food pho-

tography uses.

If photographing in the kitchen, check that the range hood

light is off.

Again, this is related to color temperature. The range hood

light will cast a nasty orange glow over anything nearby.

Use a tripod and either a remote shutter release or

the timer on the camera.

This will make the image pin sharp by removing camera

shake from the equation.

Use as low an ISO setting as the camera allows.

This will eliminate noise, which will make for a sharper

looking image.

Use white plates and a plain surface. Brushed

stainless steel is ideal.

White plates and brushed steel give really nice understat-

ed reflections that add great depth to an image.

Remove clutter. Leave only the plate and the food.

A simple compositional point helps the viewer to focus on

the food.


15



Continued from Page 14 Food Photography: Recipe for a Great Image

Don’t overfill the plate unless the photograph is

for a fast food chain.

The reason for this is twofold. It helps the viewer and it

contributes to the general airiness of the image.

Use a sprig of a fresh herb to add a dash of color.

Food is often beige, and a splash color can really make an

image come alive.

Make the plate big in the image.

Obvious one this but the plate should occupy at least 80

percent of the width of the photograph.

Don’t be scared to crop the plate. Use the plate’s

edge as a compositional element.

A shot with just half of the plate in frame makes for a real-

ly pleasing composition.

On the computer use a little sharpening but not

too much.

Generally speaking some sharpening is a good thing, but

overdoing it makes the edges very unnatural looking.

Crop to tighten up the composition if required.

It is best to get as close to the final composition as possi-

ble with the camera. Viewfinders do not always show the

image exactly as it will appear in the final photograph, so

a little cropping may be required.

This may seem like a lot to remember, but it does become

second nature very quickly. Remember, though, that these

are only guidelines and not hard and fast rules. The best

photographs are taken by those that are prepared to take

risks and to learn from the process.

About the Author:

For more about food photography and minimalist cooking

including examples of my photography check out my

guest post on my wife’s blog Minimalist Cook. For more

about minimalism in general and additional examples of

my camera work check out my wife’s other blog Minimal-

ist Woman. I have been fascinated by minimalism for

many years, especially as it pertains to photography and

the arts.

16



Continued from page 3 How to Create the Perfect Photo Composition

Why is composition important? It is the difference be-

tween a snapshot and a photograph. In a snapshot, you

bring up the camera, look through the viewfinder, and

take the picture. Very little thought goes into setting up

the shot.

But when creating a photograph, you bring up your cam-

era, look through the viewfinder, and then make several

decisions before pushing the shutter button. What goes

into these decisions is the basis for this article.

A photograph begins with using some basic composition-

al elements. The most basic elements are lines, shape,

form and texture. Lines create a path for the eyes to fol-

low. Whether they are S-shaped, curved, or straight, they

all lead the viewer’s eyes from an edge of a photo to the

subject.

Lines

Diagonal lines impart a sense of motion while jagged

lines create a feel of violent change. Straight horizontal

lines, such as the horizon, orient the viewer and create

some order to a photo. But horizontal lines can also con-

fuse the viewer if used improperly.

Straight vertical lines tend to show direction and a sense

of action. Curved lines suggest motion and growth, while

spirals portray flowing forces. Circles and spheres sym-

bolize nature’s perfection. Triangles and polygons give a

graphic sense of strength, stability, and permanency.

Shape

Now let’s move to shapes. The simplest shape is a silhou-

ette. Even without texture, color, or form, a viewer can

usually identify the object by its outline—think the pyra-

mids in Egypt. Shapes alone can make great graphic imag-

es. A shape only showing one side stresses shape, but the

form or depth is missing.

In other words, with a one-sided shape, we can see how

high and wide it is, but we can’t discern how deep or how

far back it goes. When we add a second side, by shooting

from an angle where we can see both the front and side of

an object, we get the depth and create form.

Form makes an object three-dimensional and therefore

more lifelike. The recesses of an eye-socket, the cylindri-

cal trunk of a tree, and the curve of a horse’s flank all give

these objects form and therefore depth. Shooting from an

angle gives these objects a much different feel than when


17



Continued From Page 16 How to Create the Perfect Photo Composition

shot from the straight-on viewpoint.

Texture

Texture defines the surface of an object. It shows us the

smoothness or roughness of an object’s surface. But

showing texture is not always what we want to do. De-

pending on the subject, it might be better to minimize the

texture. Let me explain.

Accenting texture works well when showing the rugged

weathered face of a fisherman but doesn’t work well

when showing the face of a model.

How you light the subject determines if the texture will

be accented or minimized. Direct side-lighting accents

texture and allows the viewer to visualize how that object

feels while diffused side-lighting or front-lighting mini-

mizes texture.

Elements of Composition

Now let’s talk about a few elements of composition and

how to use them to your advantage when creating the

perfect composition:

Positive and negative space. Positive space is the area

within a pattern of lines, while negative space is the area

outside a pattern of lines. In your mind, picture a sailboat

on the water. The area inside the outline of the boat, sail,

and mast is the positive space. The area outside this trian-

gular pattern of lines is the negative space. The contrast of

positive to negative space—and the relative size of each—

creates balance in a photo. Try to have your positive space

(or the subject) toward the foreground and off-center. If

your positive and negative space are about the same size,

it is difficult for your viewer to determine the subject of

the photos.

Horizon placement. Remember what I said earlier about

how horizontal lines could confuse a viewer? When shoot-

ing horizons, don’t place the horizon in the middle of the

photo. When the sky and ground get equal attention, it

causes confusion in the mind of the viewer. What is the

subject in this photograph? Give the area you want to em-

phasize the most room in the photo. If you are emphasiz-

ing the landscape, have the horizon two thirds of the way

up from the bottom. If you are emphasizing the sky, have

the horizon only up one third of the way from the bottom.


18


Leading Lines.

Highways, roads, trails, and rivers all are good sources

for leading lines, and as their name indicates, they lead

the viewer’s eye from the edge of the photo to your sub-

ject.


Prized Possessions

1. A. Beaufort

2. C. Harlem Globetrotters

3. A. Douglas Aircraft

4. C. 18

5. C. Model T

We’ve discussed only three of the twelve compositional

elements. In a future article, we will discuss the other

nine. Be sure to read the follow-on article to see the other

ways you can use to create the perfect composition.

About the Author:

Ron Kness is a digital photography specialist from Sun-

light Media. You can find his website at Digital Pho-

tography by Ron Kness for more digital photography

tips and technique articles.

Continued From Page 17 How to Create the Perfect Photo Composition

19


Welcome to the new with the Catawba Valley Camera Club! Thank you for having confi-

dence in me to serve as your president for the upcoming term. I will do my best to lead the

club forward. I believe the Club has a great year ahead and with a little help from everyone it

will be a fun and productive year.

One of our first priorities is to update the pages in our on-line member pages section. We have

a lot of members with no photo. Please email a picture to Donny Teague at:

([email protected]) or bring one to the next meeting, or we can shoot one for

you at the meeting. Thanks to Donny for continuing to manage these items and publish our

outstanding newsletter.

We have many great programs, trips and shows coming up quickly. Help from the members is

appreciated by the committee chairmen but participation by everyone contributes to a suc-

cessful year.

I look forward to serving as your president and a very successful 2015.

John Setzler

President’s Report

We’re on the Web

http://cvcameraclub.org/

Club Officers

President: John Setzler [email protected]

Vice President: Tom Devlin [email protected]

Secretary: Judy Young [email protected]

Treasurer: Stan Bolton [email protected]

Image Coordinator: Randy Knauf [email protected]

Webmaster: Scott M. Powell [email protected]


20



Application for Membership

NAME_____________________________________________________DATE__________________

ADDRESS_________________________________________________________________________

CITY_____________________________________STATE________________ZIP_______________

PHONE: HOME (____)____________WORK (____)___________CELL (____)_______________

E-MAIL___________________________________________________________________________

Dues are $35 per year. Meetings are the first and third Wednesday of each month. Students: $15 per year.

New Member ____ Renewal ____ CLUB USE ONLY: Date Received______________ Cash_______ Check______

Please indicate your preference for committee membership on which you would serve if asked.

Program ____ Field Trip Leader ____ Working on Website ____ Newsletter ____ Mentoring ____ Social Events ____

Publicity ____ External Judging ____

Club Website: www.cvcameraclub.org

Please print clearly as our club correspondence is conducted via e-mail.

Occupation:____________________________________________________________________________

Website:_______________________________________________________________________________

My skill level in Photography would best be described as: Beginner ___ Intermediate ___ Advanced____ Professional ____

Do you have accounts with: Facebook ____ Google+ ____ Twitter ____ Other ___________________________________

Shoot Mostly: Film ____ Digital ____ Both ____

Camera Make: Canon ____ Nikon ____ Sony ____ Other _____________________________________________________

Photography Interest: (Check All that Apply)

Architecture ____ Eclectic ____ Events ____ Family ____ Landscapes ____ Macro ____ Nature ____

Photojournalism ____ Portraiture ____ Sports ____ Travel ____ Underwater ____ Waterfalls ____

Wild Flowers ____ Wildlife ____ Other ____________________________________________________________________

Computer System: Mac ____ Windows ____

Photo Editing Software: Aperture ____ Elements ____ Lightroom ____ Photoshop ____

Other _____________________________________________________________________________

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