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

September 26th, 2010 – Issue 20

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
Summer is over and most of us are back to our regular routines. The kids are back to school. Work is ramping up for the fall. And it’s no different for the photo group. We had our first ever “Open House” this past meeting and invited everyone to join with us as we mixed and mingled over some food and sharing our images. It was a great success.

Those who missed the open housed missed some great food, and meeting lots of new folks along with some regular ones.

We also collected images for our contest. Here are some thumbnails to give you a hint (in no particular order). Be sure to drop into the Video99 store to vote on your favorite pictures.

   

If you still want to post your pictures for the contest, bring them by the Video99 store and ask for Tammy. But remember, the later you post them, the less chance you have to receive votes, so bring them by soon.

4 Week Challenge
Every month, we challenge each other with a task – try our challenge and bring your photos to the next meeting on a memory stick to share with everyone. We’ll tell you what we like about them. If you don’t do Digitial, bring a print! We’d love to see your images.

The Last Challenge: Three Part Story
The idea behind this challenge was to take three images that portray a story. It’s a bit like a cartoon, or a three frame movie. Where one image tells a story, each one progresses the story … If one picture is worth 1000 words, then three must be worth… well, you get the picture(s).

Dave brought us this series based on a familiar story this time of year, of our kids going off to college:

Gary brought a couple of stories – one familiar and one humorous.

Sometimes the stories are very simple, like this tale of a man eating lunch at the diner.

Other times they can be humorous. Rachel helped out with this humorous word play. Note the sign says “Butts here”…

Next Challenge: Night Skyline
As we move into Fall, the days are getting shorter, but the weather is still nice enough to sit out or go for a walk, at least with a sweater or a coat. Time to start thinking about some evening or night time shooting.

Not living in a big city might mean you need to be a little more creative than simply taking an image of the night lights of the cityscape. Perhaps you’ll share your sunsets, or you have a particular building in mind, or know of some unusual shadowy places when the darkness comes. As always, get creative, carry your camera and watch for that evening opportunity to capture a night skyline. Bring your images to share at the next meeting.

Freebie of the month: Colour Theory
Along with composition and the technical aspects of light, colour plays a big part in the attractiveness of the images you create. Marius Waldal has a great article on Colour Theory on his Blog site “Framed Reality”. Have a read of this article, and then browse his blog for even more great tips for all photography enthusiasts.

http://www.framedreality.com/color-in-photography-color-theory

Next Regular Meeting: October 24th, 2010
Be sure to come along to the next meeting to hear the results from the contest. Note that entries can still be made and your photos displayed in the Video 99 store at any time by dropping the images off, but voting will continue throughout the month, so the longer your image is posted, the more likely it is to receive votes.

Future dates to keep on your calendar:

Future meetings:
November 21st
December 19th

And for those of you who are interested, check out the Henry’s Photographic, Video and Digital Imaging Show, October 15th to 17th. Check their site for details: http://www.henrys.ca/Show/Imaging-Show.html

See you next time.

August 15th, 2010 – Issue 19

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
Summer is quickly coming to a close. The weather has been great this summer and many of us have taken holidays all around the world. It’s getting time again to get back to the daily grind – kids go to school and vacations are over. As we settle back into our routines, we’ll have some time to sort through those thousands of images we took over the summer and start to find the best ones. Be sure to save a few of your absolute best images to bring to the open house and share with all the customers of Video 99 in Hespeler.

That’s right! At the next meeting, bring your best images in 8x10 format for display at the Video 99 store. The images will be voted on over the next month by customers and the winners will receive half the entrance fees. Sound worth your while?

4 Week Challenge
Every month, we challenge each other with a task – try our challenge and bring your photos to the next meeting on a memory stick to share with everyone. We’ll tell you what we like about them. If you don’t do Digitial, bring a print! We’d love to see your images.

The Last Challenge: Old Barns
There is a strange attractiveness to an old run down barn. The ghosts of past lives still seem to live on in the rustic boards of the weather worn buildings, whispering their stories to those who pause a moment. David seemed to have captured a few of those stories in his images of boards and windows and old trucks. In this image, the bicycle, long abandoned seems to beckon it’s rider to return as David waits, hiding behind a fence.

Still as if peaking into history, Gary preferred to stay a little further away from those ghosts and framed the barn behind a field of wild flowers and a crop of Soy Bean.

Scott brought a number of great images, some of which you will have to come to the open house to see – they are really marvelous, but sticking with the barn theme, he  used an HDR technique to enhance this image. He also managed to crop and replace the sky skillfully enough that we had a hard time telling that he had done so. That’s not an easy feat when cropping the leaves of trees!

Rachel didn’t really bring us a picture of a Barn, but her macro shot of Noah’s arc was close enough for us to add it to this small gallery. Nice “Rule of Thirds” Rachel.

Next Challenge: Three part story
Images should tell a story, right? So what about three images? Will they tell three stories? Well, not if they are all in one image. Confused? So am I.

But the challenge is not that confusing. Rather like a cartoon strip, simply take three or more sequential images and put them together to tell a story. There are different ways to do this – one way is like the cartoon strip, another is by combining the sequence into a single frame much like you have seen on sports shots. In fact, there is an entire flickr group dedicated to this kind of sequence shot… check it out: http://www.flickr.com/groups/sequence_photography/

As always, be creative, use your surroundings and let the story be heard!

Open House
At our next meeting, September 26th, we will be having our first (hopefully) annual Open House – and you are invited to participate by bringing and displaying your favorite images in the Gallery to be set up in the Video 99 store in Hespeler.

This is an opportunity to share your talent with All of Cambridge. And there will be prizes too. Don’t worry if you don’t think your photo will win – it’s not just about the prize money, though we want to encourage those who do win, we also want you to have an opportunity to show your talent.

On September 26th, Tammy will be firing up the barbeque out back - bring your own food and a little for someone else to share. We'll be enjoying a mix and mingle time and be displaying our images. Entry to the contest is $5.00 per photographer and the total of all entry fees will be returned to the winning photographers in two categories: 50% will go to the best "local" image (Cambridge and area), and 50% will go to the best image in an "open" category.

To enter, bring between one and three 8x10 printed images that we can display at the Video 99 store between the Open House on the 26th and our closing date of October 24th (the following meeting). During that time, Customers at the Video 99 store will be able to leave an anonymous ballot with the number of their favorite image in each of the two categories. In October, the ballots will be counted and the prizes awarded accordingly.

Sound exciting? I know I’m looking forward to being able to display some of my work, whether I should win the prize or not, and I hope you are too!

Freebie of the month: Stock Xchng
This month, in stead of free software or tools to create images, how about a site that provides free images? That’s what Stock Xchange is all about. On this site you can download literally thousands of images royalty free for promotion and commercial purposes. Many photographers are happy to have their work used and all they ask is a credit. Signing up for an account is free, and if you’re ambitious, you can even submit your own images to see if the “Stock Gods” will smile upon you and accept them for publication – it’s not an easy task to get published, but it’s rewarding to see your images promoted on the site.

Visit here: www.sxc.hu

Oh, and if you’re curious, you can visit my portfolio.

Next Regular Meeting: September 26th, 2010 – 4-6pm
Be sure to update your calendar, print your images and bring some food for the barbeque. Bring your photos on a memory stick too so we can share some of them on the blog and a friend to share in the fun. Meet us at the back of the Video 99 store in Hespeler – see the side panel for a map to the location.

Upcoming Meetings
October 24th – Contest Closing, judging and prizes.

July 25th, 2010 – Issue 18

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
Be sure to read through to the end of the blog this month as there is a date change, and a special announcement regarding an upcoming event!

Surprises! Yes, it’s great to be able to set up a shot just the way you want it and have it turn out just the way you planned, but sometimes it is capturing an unexpected moment or an almost missed opportunity that is the most thrilling when it comes to photography.

Don’t you wish you had your camera handy all the time to catch those moments? Well, for those of us who went on Scott Kelby’s World Wide Photo Walk on July 24th, we had a great opportunity just like that.

Shoot Out: Scott Kelby World Wide Photo Walk
Well, it wasn’t an official “shoot out”, but it was a good chance to get out and socialize and meet some other photographers. Thanks to Scott Toman for organizing the event this year in Hespeler.

Not long after we began the walk, we ran into our surprise. We met Shawky Fahel who is developing the old American Standard building, which closed in 2007, to become riverfront condominiums. He kindly offered to take a group through the building. Many of us grabbed the opportunity to shoot some awesome photos inside what will soon become history.

Check out the Flickr Group for pictures from our photo walkers, and the Scott Kelby site for photo walk images from around the world.

4 Week Challenge
Every month, we challenge each other with a task – try our challenge and bring your photos to the next meeting on a memory stick to share with everyone. We’ll tell you what we like about them. If you don’t do Digitial, bring a print! We’d love to see your images.

The Last Challenge: 50mm
Our challenge this month was to take an image using your 50mm lens only – or with a fixed focal length. Here are some of the shots we looked at.

Gary used an extension tube on his 50mm lens to get some close up shots of bugs – of course, the extension tube removed any in-camera lens communication, which made taking these pictures an interesting challenge, moving forward and back to find just the right focal point.

Tammy was the “official photographer” at her church event where she practiced some of her 50mm shots. The angle and focal point of this shot was very interesting. Don’t you just want to reach out and pop that bubble?

Rachel had an opportunity to travel to Northern Ireland, where she had a great time and took some great photos. Being Rachel, some of her best images were of the local flowers, like this one of the buttercups.

This month we welcomed two new folks to the meeting who were at the photo walk – unfortunately, they did not have any of their shots with them, but we look forward to seeing some of their work in the future. You can also view some of their photos from the photo walk.

Our Next Challenge: Old Barns
Everyone loves the look of those old boards, the barns and the livestock roaming through them. This month’s challenge is to go looking for some of those great old scenes, time the light right, and grab a great image of an old barn. Here is a flickr search for inspiration:

 

As always, bring some of your best shots to the meeting next month, along with any other shots you would like to share – we love to view them and comment (typically encouraging comments with a few helpful tips).

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: OPEN HOUSE
Be sure to plan on coming to the September 26th and October 24th Photo Group meetings as we will be having a very special event I know you will all want to participate in. We are planning an "Open House" event where you will be able to bring and display your favorite photos in a Gallery set up in the Video 99 store!

This is an opportunity to share your talent with All of Cambridge. There will be a contest too, but don’t worry if you don’t think your photo will win – it’s not just about the prize money, though we want to encourage those who do win, we also want you to have an opportunity to show your talent.

On September 26th, Tammy will be firing up the barbeque out back - bring your own food and a little for someone else to share. We'll be enjoying a mix and mingle time and be displaying your images.

Entry to the contest is $5.00 per photographer and the total of all entry fees will be returned to the winning photographers in two categories: 50% will go to the best "local" image (Cambridge and area), and 50% will go to the best image in an "open" category.

To enter, bring between one and three 8x10 printed images that we can display at the Video 99 store between the Open House on the 26th and our closing date of October 24th (the following meeting). During that time, Customers at the Video 99 store will be able to leave an anonymous ballot with the number of their favorite image in each of the two categories. In October, the ballots will be counted and the prizes awarded accordingly.

Sound exciting? I know I’m looking forward to being able to display some of my work, whether I should win the prize or not, and I hope you are too!

Next Regular Meeting: August 15th, 2010 – 4-6pm
Be sure to update your calendar if you have already booked the 22nd – there were a number of people who could not make that date and asked that it be moved to the 15th – so, as always, bring your photos and meet us at the back of the Video 99 store in Hespeler – see the side panel for a map to the location.

Upcoming Meetings
September 26th – Open House
October 24th – Contest Closing

June 27th, 2010 – Issue 17

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
I have an admission to make. I missed the meeting. First one in a year and a half, so I figure that’s not too bad. And I’m really late putting up the Blog this month :(

Anyway, I hope to make the next one again, and hopefully it will be a year and a half before I miss another one! How about you? Do you think you’ll be able to make the next year and a half of meetings? I hope so.

I’m afraid I don’t have a great cross section of pictures this month, but I’m including what I have. If you were at the meeting and shared a picture you think should have been posted here, please send me it – it’s never too late to add!

Shoot Out: Air Show
So I hope you all got out and got your cameras out somewhere, and I’m sure you’ll be sharing all those summer pics at our upcoming Open House Gallery (Details will follow). I definitely enjoyed my time at the air show as always. It’s a challenge to trigger the shutter at just the right moment as the planes wiz by – you only get one shot at it for sure!

The Waterloo Regional Airport hosted the Aviation Expo and Airshow again this year on June 19th and 20th. There were plenty of planes to shoot, both on the ground and above it, and as always, the snowbirds were definitely a highlight.

There were lots of near misses and high flying formations and occasionally opportunities to shoot planes doing things planes don’t normally do – like land on a Winnebago! Or do loops and spirals while the engine is completely stalled!

4 Week Challenge
Every month, we challenge each other with a task – try our challenge and bring your photos to the next meeting on a memory stick to share with everyone. We’ll tell you what we like about them. If you don’t do Digitial, bring a print! We’d love to see your images.

The Last Challenge: Strangers
Last month’s challenge was to talk at least three pictures of someone you didn’t know. That’s a challenge for me to do since I always have a hard time walking up to someone and saying, “hey, can I take your picture?”, but Brett helped me out a lot… he had a model shoot he was doing for a local clothing designer and I was invited to help take some of the shots for the catalogue. Here are just some of them. 

The models were, of course, total strangers to me, so I figure I’ve got it covered! If you’d like to see the rest of the images (and shop for the clothes, you can find them here.

Brooke Anderson shared some images of strangers as well, though I’m not sure he approached them… though I’m pretty sure the cows did not mind him taking their picture.

Our Next Challenge: 50mm
Take an image using a 50mm lens only. All these fancy lenses sometimes take the challenge out of photography, and the creativity too. This month’s challenge is about shooting with a fixed lens.

Even if you don’t have a 50mm lens, set your zoom to 50mm and leave it there – don’t touch that dial! Move around your subject towards it and away from it to look for an unexpected perspective.

Next Regular Meeting: July 25th, 2010 – 4:00pm-6:00pm
Come on out and share your images at our next meeting – as always, at the back of the Video 99 store in Hespeler (see the side panel for a map of the location).

Upcoming Meetings: be sure to put them on your calendar!
August 22nd
September 26th

SPECIAL NOTE…
At our September meeting, we will be having an “Open House” to show off our photos. Come out to the meeting to get more details and provide some input on how you would like to see this event run!

May 30th, 2010 – Issue 16

THE CAMBRIDGE PHOTO GROUP
Welcome back! Hope you’ve all been out shooting lots and having fun. I know, I know, the strong sunlight makes for harsh shadows… well, perhaps you want to take a nice snooze in the warm sun before you head out in the cooler evening and better light – either way, I’m enjoying the great weather.

Speaking of which, come to our meetings from 4 to 6 monthly – after the meeting is a great time to just go out and shoot some photos – the light is good, the weather’s great, and you may have picked up a few great tips during the meeting!

That’s exactly what we did right after our meeting this month. We went round the back of the old furniture building where Video99 is located and took some shots of my bike in the grass. This wasn’t the only shot of course. Come out next month to see more, or bring your own!

Some other highlights of this month’s meeting were Shannon’s sharing of her first attempts at DSLR HD Video (I want one!) and Brett sharing photos of his latest model shoot. There were lots of great tips shared on how to capture not just great images, but great poses.

Those who missed out on the Henry’s “Photographic, Video and Digital Imaging” show missed a great opportunity to get some tips from the pro’s in a variety of photographic disciplines. Myself, I enjoyed sessions on everything from making movies on a DSLR, to Nature Photography with Ethan Meleg (who also has a blog on blogspot), to Travel photography with Michael Willems.

The place was packed with photographers of all grades – from full on pro to point and shoot newbie's. Many eager to buy equipment that ranged from a few dollars to many thousands of dollars. There were lenses to try out and if you brought your own gear, many of the booths allowed you to try their products on your camera right at the show.

Another highlight of the show was a great shooting area with some really cool setups. Hot bikes and hot fire breathers… was there a theme going on? At least they didn’t set off the fire alarms!

4 Week Challenge
Every month, we challenge each other with a task. Try our challenge and bring your shots to the next meeting on a memory stick to share with everyone. We’ll tell you what we like about them.

The Last Challenge: Speed
Capturing speed isn’t as easy as some led me to believe. It’s tricky to get that smooth motion of the camera, and focusing at the same time can be difficult as well. We had some good discussion about the images.

Shannon had some interesting shots at the fair where she shot a posed person in front of a moving ride (sorry Shannon, I didn’t get the copy of your images to post :(

Brett managed to capture a few images while waiting by the curbside and managed to pull it off quite nicely with a few very sharp images of cars passing by.

Our Next Challenge: Strangers
Sound odd? Scary? Well, it wouldn’t be a challenge if it wasn’t… well… a challenge. The idea behind this challenge is to bring at least three images of people you don’t know. Chat with the people, ask them if you can take their picture and pose them if you can. Some of us find that really hard – and I know some find it very easy (I definitely fall into the hard category). Either way bring your photos next month and let us see your new friends.

And remember, you’re welcome to bring any images you have taken and share them with the group – they don’t always have to be from this month’s challenge.

Future Challenge: 50mm
All these fancy lenses sometimes take the challenge out of photography, and the creativity too. Start thinking the next month about shooting with a fixed length lens.

Shoot Out: Air Show
Well, there were lots of undiscussed options this month. Get out and shoot! Take your camera when you go looking for flowers for your garden, your trip to the beach or anywhere else.

Here’s an idea. The Waterloo Regional Airport is hosting the Aviation Expo and Airshow again this year. The show is on June 19th and 20th from 9:00am until 5:00pm. If you didn’t get those “speed” shots before, maybe you’ll get some of the jets screaming by!

Freebie of the Month: Tintii
Last month we showed you a photoshop plugin package from filterforge. Plugins are great but if you don’t have photoshop, they’re not very useful.

Here’s a little utility that is both – the paid version is a photoshop plugin, so if you can afford it, it works directly in your photoshop. If, however, you just want to run it as a standalone, then you can.

The program will let you take a full colour photo and processes it into a black and white image with some elect highlighted colours quickly and easily.

Download here. And enjoy!

Next Regular Meeting: June 27th, 2010 – 4:00-6:00pm
Come on out to our next meeting, share your images. As always, meet us at the back of the Video 99 store in Hespeler (see the side panel for a map of the location).

Upcoming Meetings: be sure to put them on your calendar!
The Fourth Sunday of every month…
July 25th, August 22nd, September 26th…