Cambridge Photo Group is closed.

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP

Thank you for visiting our Blog. Unfortunately we have closed the Cambridge Photography Group as many of us have moved on to new locations.

I hope you enjoy the posts here as they are still very interesting and you might even want to try some of the challenges.

If you are interested in working on starting a group in Elmira, you may want to contact the author...

January 23rd, 2011–Issue 24

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUPBaby, it’s cold outside! Winter this year has been whiter and required more woolier than it has in a very long time. Burrr…
Christmas has come and gone. A new year has begun, and the members of the Cambridge Photo Group met on another chilly afternoon in the back of the Video 99 to share some photos and conversations.
After sharing some of our photos from the challenge, and from the excursion out around the lights in town, we spent some time viewing Ruby’s Flickr collection. Some great images Ruby. Thanks for sharing!
Monthly Challenge
Each month, we present our members with a challenge to inspire their photography and prompt them to get out there with their cameras and sometimes stretch their photography to include a subject they would not normally include.
The Last Challenge: Blind PhotographyOur challenge this month helped us to “see” in a different way. “Blind Photography” is about making the things we hear help us relate to the subject of our photography. The challenge was based on the theory of an Israeli group of actually blind photographers. Don’t believe me? Check out their website for details, and galleries of some examples of their work.
Here are some images from our group: It was interesting to see the odd angles that came from these images – not composed for the lighting or the viewpoint, they were composed for the purposes of capturing the source of the sound.
Jen was listening to her husband play guitar, heard the music and pointed her camera towards him picking a tune. The angle is natural and almost inviting.
Gary heard the ticking of an antique clock in the relative quiet and snapped this image of the pendulum of a clock sitting on a mantle.
Tammy heard the crunching of teeth on bone and turned to snap this photo of her dog. Notice how the subject is centered in the frame? If you were more interested in taking this picture visually you might be more interested in capturing the dog, but the angle of the photo tends to point more to the bone – and the noise that is being made as it is chewed.
Rachel, remembering the sound of her alarm clock radio going off every morning took this image.
The photography might not have been some of our most technically excellent and creatively stunning work, but we did learn some interesting things from these images. Realizing that the “rules” that apply to good images don’t always have to apply, and in some cases, finding another “center” to our subjects was an eye opener.
This Month’s Challenge: Black & WhitePerhaps it was because there were no colour images in the early days of film, but Black and White photography became an art form in itself. Photography’s grass roots were built on Black and White. The contrast of light and dark and the fundamental idea that photography is about capturing light (White) and shadow (Black).
Along those lines of thought, capturing a Black and White image is not always about the situation of the photograph as it can be about the contrast of light and dark within the image. The dark and the light can be a metaphor that produces an emotional response to the image.
Our challenge this time is simple enough – take a Black and White photograph – either in camera, or in post processing. But how “moody” can you make it? How much can you use the contrast of darkness and light to highlight the mood of your subject?  
Next Regular Meeting: March 20th, 2011SPECIAL NOTE: There will be no meeting in February. Due to circumstances, the dates we had planned for the February meeting are unavailable and we are cancelling the February meeting. Be sure to book the date on your calendar though for the March meeting, and bring your Black and White photos with you.
We meet at the back of the Video 99 store in Hespeler (see the map on the blog). And for those of you who have already been by, don’t forget to post your images to the Flickr group!

December 19th, 2010–Issue 23

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
Christmas is a beautiful time of year. Love, joy and peace are all around us – or at least in our hearts if not in the mall. Sharing and visiting with friends and family, and the putting up of Christmas lights to shine brightly in the darkness.

The busyness of Christmas also reduced our numbers this month, so there were only a few to share images and take the excursion out to photograph the Christmas lights in Cambridge. After a dinner at Ernie’s, we headed out to look for festive displays.

While we were shivering in the cold, the tripods were nice and steady. We got some nice shots out on Hunt Club Road. Here are a couple of examples:

This Month’s Challenge: Blind Photography
Since there were so few in attendance, it was decided to extend last month’s challenge. See November’s blog for details on “Blind Photography”.

Next Regular Meeting: January 23rd
Our next regular meeting will be held at Video 99 as usual on January 23rd.

November 21st, 2010 – Issue 22

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
Winter’s coming, we’re hearing the wind howl more often and the temperature is dropping fast. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather keep my camera inside – near the cozy warmth of the fireplace. But then I’d be missing all those great images of sun glistening on the snow, and lights twinkling in the darkness.

So, don’t let the cold stop you cold. Be sure to get out there and keep shooting!

We all enjoyed viewing each other’s images this month – the challenge brought some really cool shots (see below) and sharing them brought some really great ideas on what we liked and what we thought worked really well.

Sadly for us, but not for David, David Adamson shared the news that he has accepted a position in Virginia Beach and will be moving down there this coming month. We’ll miss the images he has shared with us and his warm personality. You’re welcome back any time you visit back up in the North David.

Our Contest last month was a lot of fun, and went over well enough that we discussed doing it again, so, coming up in January, we’ll have another opportunity to enter images and have them displayed in the Video 99 store once again for customers to vote on. Stay tuned for details and come and share your images with the group and the public!

Monthly Challenge
Each month, we present our members with a challenge to inspire their photography and prompt them to get out there with their cameras and sometimes stretch their photography to include a subject they would not normally include.

The Last Challenge: The Haunting
Last month was Halloween. Ghouls and Ghosts and Goblins wandered the streets along with Fairies, Princesses and Star Wars Characters in a parade of costumes. Our challenge wasn’t limited to costumes though – the idea was to depict the supernatural. Some of the images we shared were absolutely ghastly (in a good way), some were eerie and others were just plan and simply quite good!

David captured an image of the ghost of Galt Collegiate by mixing this image of a pumpkin face over the image of the school. As was mentioned, David is moving to Virginia and we are going to miss his photos.

Tammy opened up the store again this year and offered photos of the kids dressed in costume. She had some great shots, but we all liked this one of a skeleton she had hanging up in the display. No, that’s not one of the kids.

Jennifer had an eerie picture of an old barn with a warm glow inside and pumpkins all around. It brought about some great talk about ISO & Exposure.

Rachel and Gary did some photoshop work on some images to add Ghosts to photos most of which were taken during the month, but some elements were almost 100 years old (see the flickr group for some of those)..

Ruby, brought this great shot of a friend of hers in London under-lit and backed by faces on a mural… very cool, and somewhat spooky.

As always, there were lots of tips and suggestions made on a lot of the images, You’ll

This Month’s Challenge: Blind Photography
”Blind” photography you say? That’s an odd concept? How can a blind person take a picture? And even if they did, what good would it be to them? They couldn’t see it! Well, that’s what makes it so interesting. A couple of photographers in Israel have been working with blind people helping them to work with cameras to visually express their creativity and give others a view into their world. Check out the website for more details, and then view the galleries.

While their images may not make it to Vogue or National Geographic, they are provocative and inspiring. Their odd angles and interesting choice of subjects draws you into a different world and a different way of choosing how you point your camera.

So how do you, a sighted person, take a “blind” photograph”? Its not as difficult as it sounds. Close your eyes for a moment and use your other senses: listen, smell, touch. Then point your camera in the direction of the thing that you find interesting – that noise, or the object that’s creating the fragrance, or the texture of that object.

As usual, bring your images with you and share them at our next meeting.

Freebie of the month: Photo Book Creator
So, ultimately it’s not really free because they want you to buy the book, of course, but this bit of software is pretty cool for designing your own photo books with fully customizable layouts and a neat view of what the book will look like – and they’re printed in Canada!

Check out the software at http://www.photoinpress.ca/en/index.html

With a little know how, you can print your photo book to a PDF file and simply e-mail it to others for free! (check here for a free PDF printer)

Next Regular Meeting: December 19th
Our next regular meeting will be held at Video 99 as usual on December 19th.

Following the meeting, some of us will be grabbing a quick bite and taking a stroll through the local neighbourhoods to take some photos of the Christmas lights. Be sure to bring your camera and a tripod if you would like to join us. We’ll be sharing techniques, tips and tricks with each other, so bring some of your own and be ready to learn some new ones.

Future Meetings:
January 23rd – We’ll be opening up another contest – details to follow.
February 20th

October 24th, 2010 – Issue 21

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
And the winner is…

Well, before we get to that, let me explain. Last month we collected images for our first ever Photo contest voted on by customers of the Video 99 store. Thanks again to Tammy for opening the space for our group. There were quite a number of entries to be judged in two categories – a local image, and a non-local image. The prize was 1 half of the proceeds from the contest for each category.

There was no criteria for judging, simply which image the customers felt was the best.

When the ballots were counted, it was interesting to see which images received the most votes. It was also interesting that a number of the photographers felt that there were some really great images that were overlooked in votes – a reminder that art is in the eyes of the beholders.

In the end, everyone was a winner. We all got to see some fantastic images, and to share some of ours with the community.

So, now, for the winners… The image with the most overall votes was this picture of Signal Hill in Newfoundland by Tammy Burden. She received first prize for the best overall picture.

David Adamson’s great image of a homeless person on a cell phone walking towards a bum on the street received the second highest number of votes. and deserves an honorable mention.

Gary Scott’s image of Doors in Elora received the third highest number of votes and was deemed close enough to home to also receive the first prize place for local image.

All of these images are still on display at the Video 99 store, so come on by and have a peak at the larger versions.

There was a lot of discussion about the contest, and it was decided that we would hold another again between the January/February meetings.

Tammy and Gary, though thankful for the honors and the prize money for their images, decided to donate the money back to the group to add to the “kitty” for snacks and other incidentals for the group in the future. It’s all part of the fun!

4 Week Challenge
Each month, we present our members with a challenge to inspire their photography and prompt them to get out there with their cameras and sometimes stretch their photography to include a subject they would not normally include.

The Last Challenge: Night Skyline
Night skylines are definitely not only for city scapes. The challenge this month was to take an image of a night skyline. A real challenge considering how quickly the sun sinks below the horizon each night. Rain and clouds also made it difficult to get just the right moment to capture that great skyline.

Ruby Parhar created this fantastic image of an amber sky reflecting on the street outside her window. She tells us that there was no colour enhancement or adjustment to this image – it was taken just as you see it. This is a great example of why you should always have your camera handy – you never know when the perfect photograph will be just outside your window!

Gary took a drive up 86th line west of Elmira one night in hopes of a nice sunset. The clouds did not cooperate exactly, but some of the evening silhouettes were gorgeous.

Tammy took a walk across the river from the story to capture this great image, nicely framed by the trees – a great example of both a fibonacci curve and the rule of thirds – and the colours are great too!

There were lots of other great images and examples of skylines. But you had to be there to see them… so, if you weren’t there, why not! Hopefully we’ll see you at the next meeting – and bring your images to share too! (Oh, and psst… all you who were there, be sure to upload your images and add them to the Cambridge Photo Group Flickr page!)

The Next Challenge: The Haunting
There was also some lively discussion about our next challenge and how it might be “executed” (Pun intended)…

Halloween is approaching, so of course we have a Halloween theme. The challenge this month is “Halloween” – for those who just want a subject to shoot, the challenge is to create an image of some of those fantastical and spooky setups people have around their homes, or perhaps the trick-or-treaters, or maybe even your own costume.

Those who wish to take on a bigger challenge can try to create an image of the paranormal – a ghost in the image, or something particularly spooky and spine chilling. You can use photographic techniques in camera or in post processing.

Whatever your image, be sure to bring it next month to share, and the stories of how you obtained such a rare photograph of your neighborhood poltergeist.

Freebie of the Month
Thanks to David Adamson for pointing us to this month’s freebie. Actually a couple of freebies. virtualStudio and virtualPhotographer.

virtualPhotographer is a plug-in set for Photoshop that provides a number of pre-set filters – all for free. virtualStudio is a free application to run them (and other Photoshop filters) in, without having to have Photoshop.  If you’re looking for something to use to enhance your images, or simply to place a frame around them, then give virtualStudio and virtualPhotographer a try.

Next regular meeting: November 21st, 2010
Be sure to come along to the next meeting and bring your spooky images. Meet at the Video 99 store as usual, from 4:00pm-6:00pm

Future meetings:
December 19th
January 23rd