Fort Wayne Photographers Club

Hummingbird moth

2009-07-19T14:52:00.004-04:00

I have seen these tiny moths over the years and I always thought they were baby hummingbirds. They fly and dart in and out of flowers just like hummingbirds. One day I took a photo of one on a flower and when I looked at the picture enlarged I was amazed to find it was a moth.

I have only captured them on film twice in 20 yrs. This is the most recent.

Bill Aeschliman

Just Blending In

2009-06-08T01:22:00.002-04:00

June 6, 2009
George

It's a small world

2009-06-08T01:16:00.002-04:00

June 6, 2009
George

Rocky Mountain

2009-06-08T01:09:00.002-04:00

June 6, 2009
George

It's in the Angle

2009-06-08T00:53:00.002-04:00

June 6, 2009
You never know what you might find!!
George

Tribute for Memorial Day

2009-05-25T20:21:00.003-04:00

Just a few pics that I've taken over the past year that I thought are fitting for Memorial Day.

Kim

Goodbye

2009-05-15T04:12:00.002-04:00

Later

George

Can you find Me?

2009-05-15T04:05:00.002-04:00

George

And Yes Again

2009-05-15T04:00:00.003-04:00

I'm Not Leaving Yet

George

And Again

2009-05-15T03:58:00.003-04:00

Still Here!

George

Bee Still

2009-05-15T03:53:00.001-04:00

He just wanted his picture taken.

George

Spring

2009-05-15T03:48:00.002-04:00

George

Rain Water on the Hood

2009-05-03T20:42:00.003-04:00

For your entertainment!

Last Minute

2009-04-25T16:33:00.003-04:00

george

Son Before and after

2009-04-25T01:46:00.006-04:00

george

Where would you go on vacation to take pictures?

2009-04-15T20:28:00.003-04:00

We need advice.
Kathie and I want to go on a vacation but we cannot decide where to go. We want to go somewhere we have not been before. Somewhere we can take walks and take pictures. We love the outdoors. We have been to Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula, Monterey California, San Francisco, Phoenix Arizona, Las Vegas, Florida, Chicago, New Orleans and New York City. That is where we have been over the last 15 years. We are OK with metropolitan areas but prefer historical places, mountains, rain forests, “the big outdoors”. We are not into camping or tents. Roughing it would be a Motel 6.
So, can you give us some recommendations for some great locations to vacation? Take into account the time of the year. We went to New Orleans in the month of July and it was not good! Where have you been and where would you stay? Where would you go to take pictures? We are looking for suggestions within the North American Continent. Europe etc. is out of our range for now.
Thank you,
William and Kathie Aeschliman

Idea 2

2009-04-13T01:43:00.002-04:00

I think some festivals let organizations set up and pass out info. I would like to do that for the club and look into give aways like key chains, calendar cards.....something we can have our logo on. Even this would take planning

What do you think about this??
George

Idea for the club

2009-04-09T21:03:00.002-04:00

I have an idea for the camera club.
Could we set up a tent/booth for club members to display and sell their photos at festivals? There are a number of large festivals in Indiana such as the Jonny Appleseed festival here in Ft. Wayne. I have been to the Madison Festival in Madison Indiana many times and there are always several booths set up by photographers. I think it would be a good way to display our photos and get a chance to sell some of our prints. The professional photographers in the club could advertise their services.
It would require some investment in the booth and the cost for space at the festival. It would also require people to work the booth. It would require a lot of work to set up and manage, but think of the exposure.
Club members would supply the prints.
I have a wood working work shop and I could help manufacture boxes to display the prints. A tent could be rented for the occasion.
What do you think?
William Aeschliman

2009-04-05T22:26:00.001-04:00

2009-04-05T20:42:00.004-04:00

William Aeschliman

Trumpet Vine

2009-04-05T20:15:00.003-04:00

William Aeschliman

Nice family photo.....

2009-04-05T17:08:00.003-04:00

My wife Kathie took this photo. She took this during a portrait photography class at IPFW.

William Aeschliman

2009-04-05T07:24:00.002-04:00

George
Macro shot of top of a broken glass bottle.

Storm Water 2

2009-03-10T01:15:00.001-04:00

Storm water

2009-03-10T01:09:00.002-04:00

george

Blogger Info

2009-02-27T23:20:00.002-05:00

When posting or commenting on a post or image, please include your name so we know who is writing or who is the maker of an image.

Thanks!

Keven

Wildlife

2009-02-27T15:26:00.001-05:00

The weather is getting warmer! Come on out and start shooting!

2009-02-20T02:52:00.001-05:00

george

2009-02-20T02:50:00.000-05:00

george

Into the Water

2009-02-20T02:38:00.001-05:00

george

Photoshop Don'ts

2009-02-18T10:56:00.003-05:00

Received this from my PCPhoto E-Newsletter and tho't it was worth sharing. I'd recommend looking into a subscription, but at the very least I'd recommend getting set up on their email newsletter list. Keven

Five Things to Never Do with Photoshop
PC Photo E-Newsletter 02/16/09
By William Sawalich

The old adage “never say never” is often appropriate in life, but when it comes to digital imaging there are certain things you should never do. Be it for reasons of bad karma or bad technical results, take heed these warnings, friend. There are some things you should never, ever, ever do with Photoshop.

1. NEVER click a funky filter and assume the outcome will be unique. Just because it’s new to you doesn’t make it new; imagine how infatuated a caveman would be with even the worst show on television. Every digital photographer experienced a honeymoon phase when we first started working with computers, and we looked at all those weird and wacky filters and the wild results they produced and felt like we couldn’t go wrong. But we did. Thankfully, we eventually grew out of it. Even better is to never grow into the habit in the first place. Skip the “one-stop-shop” filter effects and remember that they’re better served as a subtle part of the whole equation. Running a photo of Angelina Jolie through the Emboss filter isn’t going to make it art. It will just make an ugly picture of Angelina Jolie. Trust us. Don’t do it.

2. NEVER sharpen an image before you work on it. This is especially true if you’ll be resizing the image in later steps, or if you’re only doing one-step sharpening. Many photographers apply a subtle sharpening—often during the RAW conversion—before working on the image. That’s fine, as long as it’s not the only sharpening to be done. Because resizing affects sharpness, and because every other modification you make to an image will affect the perceived sharpness, it’s always best to save the sharpening until the last step of the process before saving a file. When you sharpen, you create (along with the positive sharpening effect you intend) little artifacts from the process. When sharpening is the last step—i.e. sharpening for the specified output—you’re able to use your eyes to verify that artifacts are minimized and the correct sharpness is applied.

3. NEVER work on the only version of an original file. Make a copy, and don’t wait until it’s too late! It only takes one accidental Ctrl-S and Ctrl-W combo (saving and then closing—throwing away the undoable abilities of the history menu) to make this one sink in for good. When you’re working on the only version of your high-resolution 40-megapixel file and you make the web-sized version, save and close, and then realize that you’ve gone from 40-million pixels to 40 pixels… ouch. (Along with that, don’t forget to save often as you go, and always back up those files too. No matter how tempting the space-saving may be, never save originals as anything other than a lossless TIF, PSD or RAW file format like DNG.)

4. NEVER downsize an image (for emailing or anything else) before you fix it up. It can be tempting to resize first to make the edits go faster, but you need to think of an original, maximum-resolution file as your digital negative. For the entire history of the medium photographers clamored for the largest negatives they could get, and the same is true for digital files. All edits should be done on a file that can be downsized later. After all, you can always make a big file smaller, but you can’t make a small file much bigger without destroying the quality. Since so much computer processing is all about eliminating extra steps, remember that it’s easy to shrink an image but not to expand it. Always work on a high-res file knowing that you can easily shrink it later.

5. NEVER destroy a beautiful image with an ugly watermark. If you’re a high-paid photographic master who’s images are really in demand, I can understand your hesitation to post a high-res file unprotected online. But there are so many better ways than obliterating a beautiful image with a trashy watermark or logo—particularly if it’s only a web-res file. Not only do obnoxious watermarks make your photos look bad, they make you look obnoxious too—like you’re more afraid of someone stealing your precious photo than you are interested in showing it to the rest of us. The point is simply to be smart and protect your work within reason. Include important information in the metadata, and even run a copyright notice across a portion of the picture if you’d like. But completely ruining an otherwise lovely landscape with a tacky logo? That’s a real travesty.

Call for Entry

2009-02-02T14:23:00.000-05:00

New Haven-Adams Township Park & Recreation Department

Community Photography Show

Opening Reception: March 6, 2009 5:30-7:30 pm

Visit their web site at www.newhavenin.org to download the entry form. Go to the recreation tab in the top right hand corner to get to our page. Once there, they should see the entry form.

classic

2009-02-02T01:36:00.001-05:00

George

Ball in the Basket

2009-02-02T00:18:00.001-05:00

George

Hole in the Sky

2009-02-02T00:12:00.001-05:00

George

2009-02-02T00:04:00.001-05:00

2009-01-31T19:37:00.007-05:00

Eagles in Spring

2009-01-31T19:23:00.005-05:00

Need Some Action?

2009-01-28T17:51:00.004-05:00

Tired of snow? Check out the IHSAA schedule. The players are skilled and the games exciting. You might just get to see a future star from your home town! Plus, you're supporting your school's economy. A win, win. Hope to see you at some games!

Ice trees

2009-01-21T18:43:00.003-05:00

Any Comments? I was hoping it would come up for critique during the meeting but it did not.

Bill Aechliman

2009-01-21T10:07:00.002-05:00

RED

2009-01-20T23:55:00.002-05:00

Where's the Picture?

2009-01-19T22:09:00.008-05:00

Sometimes I struggle with finding the picture in a situation. There are people that I know that are amazing at this. They can walk up to nearly anything and get the most amazing shot of it that makes you just say, "Wow!" And then there's me. I can be at the same place and take the shot. Later when I'm looking at it, I wonder what in the world I was thinking.

So my family was up in farm country visiting grandma. We were outside and having some fun with the kids when I noticed across the street this farmer in his field. It got me to thinking, "Where is the picture here?" Instead of just shooting away and hoping for something good like I usually do, I stopped to consider what I wanted as my end goal. Thinking about this ahead of time shaped the pictures I was taking to help me reach that end goal.

Now, don't get me wrong. I took a lot of pictures. This is the one I wanted to work with. When I first showed it to the wife, she just looked at me, smiled, and said, "That's great, dear!" Ok. She didn't say that. She just looked at me with a quizzical look and left it at that.

But I knew what my end goal was and it never left my mind. After some work in Lightroom 2.0 (no PhotoShop on this one), this is what I came up with. This is the picture I had in my head - a hot, dry day with a farmer working his field, the dust billowing up as he brings his season to an end.

So when you're out and about and you see that something sitting there and you think to yourself, "There's gotta be a picture there somewhere," think about the end. See it hanging on a wall or on a computer screen. Imagine what you want the viewer to think and feel. Then click that!

-Chris

Amorilis?

2009-01-18T02:15:00.002-05:00

Photographed this flower today for a friend. Will turn it into wall art.

George

Vacation Lens...

2009-01-15T11:27:00.005-05:00

My husband will be returning home from his second year-long deployment this spring. We decided to go to Disney World again (we went in 2005 after his first deployment). Our 3 kids and I were looking thru pictures from our first trip to Disney, and man were those pics bad! lol! I'm excited about going again and taking better pics...but our kids are older (and taller) so we can ALL ride the rides this time. So I am struggling between being the vacation photojournalist and a participant.

Our youngest was 4 the last time we went, and now is 9 so we won't need a stroller and all the junk that comes with taking a young one. So I want to downsize what we lug through the parks. I think I want to take my 5D body and two lenses. I'm thinking about the 70-200 2.8 and the 50mm 1.4 (even though the 70-200 is SO heavy!) lol. I want fast lenses that will cover indoor low light situations, tight shots, and zoom without taking everything I own. So what lenses would you haul around the park?

Thanks! Kim

For Sale

2009-01-13T08:06:00.003-05:00

Manfrotto (Bogen) tripod heads:
1. 3055 ball head >> $45.00
2. 410 junior gear head >> $80.00

If interested, contact George by leaving comment.

Thank you

Keep Shooting

2009-01-13T06:56:00.002-05:00

It's said that if we don't take photos for awhile, our percentage of keepers will go down until we get the feeling back.

Copyright

2009-01-13T01:09:00.002-05:00

Just a reminder that all copyright laws apply to the images posted on this blog.

Ice meets Glass

2009-01-13T00:38:00.001-05:00

Ice on the pond

2009-01-12T08:54:00.001-05:00

Big Red

2009-01-12T08:43:00.000-05:00

Dash IN

2009-01-12T08:32:00.002-05:00

Don't forget our exhibit at the Dash In. It is open for breakfast and lunch only. The exhibit ends Feb. 15th.

To Kim

2009-01-09T22:46:00.002-05:00

Good luck with your list!!!!
About the light meter.........do not buy one yet, I have several you are more than welcome to try for as long as you want. I will get them to you.
About the tripod........think of it as a tool to improve the quality of your images. To me the head it what makes the difference. I use a gear head for macro work, you have the most control by far. For other shooting try a gimbel head. They may look strange but play with one.

George

Older Posts

2009-01-09T22:39:00.002-05:00

Don't forget to click on older posts at the bottom of each page. It's worth going back to see all the great postings.

George

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-08T23:10:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about how far I've come in photography, and how far I still have to go. I'm going to step outside of my comfort zone each year and try to understand (hopefully master) new skills. This is my list of things to learn and buy for 2009:

1. Studio lighting. ( I've got it. I've used it. I fear it.)
2. Flash. (I am flash challenged).
3. I will purchase and use a light meter.
4. Macro. (I long to do macro shots. I've got my eye on a Canon 180mm).
5. Tripod. (I feel like I am shooting with a ball and chain when using a tripod, but need it for macro).
6. I'm comfortable with photoshop, and need to dig deeper into the software so that I'm not just scraping the surface.
7. I really really want to use textures. They are SO cool for certain shots.
8. I need to become more comfortable doing family shoots.
9. Posing is SO unnatural to me. I've taken workshops, read books, but it is still not second nature. I'm going to get it this year! lol.
10. I'm going to set aside time to take photos for just my personal enjoyment and more photos of my family.

Kim Ross

Watermark

2009-01-08T23:02:00.003-05:00

You may want to watermark the images that you upload to this blog. Come to think of it, you should watermark your images anytime they are floating around in cyberspace. I would try to place your watermark into the main part of the photo itself so that is harder to clone out. Unfortunately these are the times that we live in. You can google how to make your own brush in photoshop (just reduce the opacity), or just type on a layer. Now come on....show us those photos!

2009-01-01T00:41:00.001-05:00

Winter Wonderland! Those blue skies and ice covered trees were just breathtaking!

Ice Storm Photos

2009-01-01T00:09:00.006-05:00

You can see more of my photos by clicking here.
Here are a few of my favorite ice storm photos...anyone else have any? Okay, Okay dumb question!
Schwabby

WINTER????????????

2008-12-31T22:28:00.002-05:00

Is that a snowmobile????????

2008-12-31T09:42:00.002-05:00

In the digital age, photographers are often tempted to alter images of nature. Its success is measured by believability. A nature photograph is irrevocably connected to our human beliem, rather than the image itself.

2008-12-28T01:07:00.002-05:00

Cameras capable of making great photographs have become commonplace these days, but photographers have not. While technical innovations have made photography ever easier, the art of producing images that people will care about has become more formidable.

SUNSET ON ICE

2008-12-28T00:57:00.001-05:00

2008-12-20T09:47:00.002-05:00

We learn lots of ways to adjust our cameras without giving much thought to adjusting the way we see.

Did You See That Sky

2008-12-20T08:48:00.001-05:00

MEMBERS

2008-12-20T08:09:00.005-05:00

FWPC members, become active active in your blog. Share your photos, even ask for critiques. Pass along and ask for information. Share your favorite websites. Have something on your mind, speak up. Is there something you would like to see happen or changed with the club post it here.
This is our blog to share with, inform with, speak your mind with, and have fun with.

Become active!! It's not "My Space" or "You Tube".............it's "OUR SPOT"

Christmas Party Slideshow (click arrow to start)

2008-12-10T15:47:00.003-05:00

The images were all submitted by the Photography Club's members.

2008-12-09T23:41:00.000-05:00

2008-12-02T20:56:00.000-05:00

A Photographer

2008-12-02T20:42:00.002-05:00

A photographer who is able to communicate intention consistently is said to have a creative style

Creative Flash

2008-11-25T09:06:00.002-05:00

Reflection

2008-11-25T08:54:00.002-05:00

Exhibits

2008-11-25T07:34:00.004-05:00

The Peabody exhibit will be coming to an end Nov. 30th. The photographs from this exhibit and the ACPL exhibit will be at the meeting Dec 4th please come to pick them up. The next exhibit is Jan 5th. at the Dash IN. This exhibit is our only one that has a theme.....Downtown Fort Wayne.......and there will be room for about 30 or less photographs. This is the best time for members that participated in the Fort Wayne walk back in August to show thier best images. The deadline to get them in this exhibit is Dec 18th. Contact George to let him know if you will enter prints for this exhibit. The next event will be our Second Annual Regional Photography Competition, which will take place in early April.

December Meeting

2008-11-23T10:32:00.002-05:00

Our next meeting is Thursday Dec. 4th at 7:30pm. Members start getting your prints ready and visitors come see what your missing.

POP

2008-11-23T10:21:00.002-05:00

This image was taken at our last workshop. The sound of the popping ballon set off the flash. The image was recorded before the water had a chance to fall. Great fun!!

Clipping Path in Photoshop

2008-11-20T08:28:00.002-05:00

When you have a photo you want to clip the background out of, especially one that involves fine detail like hair, there are several ways this can be achieved.

1) Create a path with the pen tool

2) Use the magic wand

3) Use the color select feature

4) Use a plug-in

5) Use the channel method

I prefer to use the channel method. I feel this gives good results with the built in features of photoshop with out having to buy additional plug-ins.

What is your prefered method and why?

Brian Rowe

Hosta

2008-11-19T18:16:00.005-05:00

The graphic elements in this hosta leaf are what makes this photo work. Back lighting was used to make the design in the leaf more visible.

Backdrops - Real or Digital

2008-11-19T09:53:00.003-05:00

When shooting portraits, which type of backdrop do you prefer real or digital and why? There are benefits and drawbacks of both, lets hear your thoughts.

Brian Rowe

Opinion

2008-11-18T10:20:00.004-05:00

It's my opinion that the use of photoshop is not much different than the use of the darkroom of the past. Yes you can do much more with photoshop. Yes what may have taken hours in the darkroom how takes minutes with photoshop. I also believe the main use of photoshop is to enhance an image and not totally change it.
As far as I know, the vision of the photographer starts in the camera and it's the vision of the photographer that continues to photoshop.

George

Question

2008-11-18T09:47:00.003-05:00

Why do some photographers object to making an image with photoshop?

You don't take a photograph, you make it.

2008-11-17T09:03:00.000-05:00

I like to take this quote by the spirit of it...

You don't take a photograph, you make it.

- Ansel Adams

With that quote in mind, my love of photography and technology combine. With the advent of Photoshop and digital photography, I like to look beyond what I see in the view finder and imagine what the final photo could look like.

Take this shot for example...

This shot as is really does not say much, and lacks a solid point of interest. How would you improve this shot? There are many things the photographer could do to enhance the outcome of this shot from a composition and exposure standpoint, but would the outcome speak to you?

This is a shot that I took from the balcony of our condo on Hilton Head Island one night. What I was trying to capture was the moon light hitting the water. From there I just let my imagination take over.

I saw this shot as a surreal or mystic scene. A little change in the orientation, color of the lighting with some stars, and a sail boat to pull you in.

Now I'm not saying this is a prize winning photo, or that it would speak to everyone, but rather to use your imagination! Do your best when shooting a photo to compose it, and check your exposure, but when you download your photos after you get home from vacation, don't trash the shots that may not be "perfect" look deep into them and see them for what they could be.

You don't take a photograph, you make it.

To see more before and after shots, check out my Flickr site.

As a side note: this photo "Midnight Sail" did take 3rd place in the Creative Category at the Club's Sept 2007 print competition.

Brian Rowe

The Gap

2008-11-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

Thank you to whoever closed the gap! Maybe it closed itself? Maybe it comes and goes on it's own?

Question

2008-11-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

There is a large blank space between two postings, which makes it seam like you have come to the end but you haven't. Can anyone explain why and how to fix it.??

Monument Valley Floor

2008-11-16T07:45:00.000-05:00

This shot was taken when the sun was somewhat low in the sky. It brings out the detail in the earth of the valley floor. It produces the shadows that you see. During the afternoon sun this same scene would look very flat. This is Monument Valley, USA

On the Move

2008-11-14T10:39:00.000-05:00

This image was taken after dark while driving. You can set the camera on the dash while holding it, or on top of the steering wheel, or just hold it. Try to use a wide angle lens(wider the better). Play with the exposure until you get what you like and have Fun. Needless to say please be carefull......driving always comes first. Never review your shots while driving.

Question

2008-11-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

"Why do you like or even love photography?"

The Daily Dose: Fort Wayne Photographer's Club

2008-11-13T22:48:00.000-05:00

The Daily Dose: Fort Wayne Photographer's Club

That's close enough!!

2008-11-13T09:12:00.000-05:00

This is a "baldface Hornet" making sure I don't get too close. They build their nest in a birdhouse on my back deck. They do not bother anyone as long as you don't bother them. They come back each year. I took this image with a 180mm macro lens at a distance of about 2 feet.

Question

2008-11-12T09:12:00.000-05:00

Why would you want to buy a new camera if you don't know how to use the one you have?

Sunset with a Twist

2008-11-12T05:53:00.000-05:00

Here's something you don't see every day. This could be an example of being in the right place at the right time. Remember to visit our website for much more. http://www.fwphotoclub.com/

Please add any comments you might have.

Be Creative

2008-11-11T08:56:00.000-05:00

Question: Is this reflection in water?????

No: This is a reflection on the top of my truck! It was taken by setting the camera on the truck. I used a wide angle (10mm) lens to get this look. BE CREATIVE!

Your Thoughts

2008-11-11T08:28:00.000-05:00

Question: Does better equipment make you a better photographer?

Fort Wayne Photographers Club

2008-11-10T08:19:00.000-05:00

2008-11-09T23:40:00.000-05:00

Visit our next meeting, December 4th at 7:30pm. Visit our website for the location and directions. Everyone is welcome. http://www.fwphotoclub.com/

2008-11-09T12:29:00.000-05:00

This is fall in Indiana. This photo was taken, 10-23-08 during early morning light to produce the long shadows and bright deep colors. Location, Fort Wayne IN.