30 Day Photo Challenge for June...

"Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June." -Al Bernstein

Tomorrow is the first day of June, and the beginning of our 30 day photo challenge for the month.   The purpose of the exercise to get in the habit of taking a photo a day.  So do not wait, and take a weeks worth of photos.  You will have two and a half months to complete your project.  If you miss a day in June, then take it in July.  (Example: if you missed June 5th, then take a photo on July or August 5th). The 30 photos will be due at the August meeting, which I think will land on the 15th.  You can present them in any manner you desire...all on one page, several to a page, as a calendar, or a photo a day (maybe a 4x6 size).  You can use any camera you want, iPhone, iPad, point and shoot, DSLR, or any combination there of.

I hope you find this project fun, and challenging.  I know we will all be surprised at the creativity.  Thank you for joining me.

Here's the list:

1. Morning
2. Something western (in anticipation of our Chisum Cowboy safari)
3. Hands
4. Favorite shoes
5. Clouds
6. Books
7. High Angle
8. Sunrise or sunset
9. fresh fruit
10. Animal
11. Silhouette
12. Sun Flare
13. Reminder of Childhood
14. Action
15. Something Red
16. Father (in honor of Father's day)
17. Mason Jar
18. Bokeh
19. Eyes
20. Water
21. Close-up
22. Landscape
23. Black and White
24. Love
25. Citrus
26. Favorite Color
27. Your Weakness
28. Sport
29. Trees
30. Self-portrait

Memorial Day...

We Remember...

"And I'm proud to be an American

where at least I know I'm free.

And I won't forget the men who died

who gave that right to me."

     -Lee Greenwood

Safari at the Chisum cowboys shoot...

Howdy Parnters,

Bushwackin' Bobby has invited our Photo Club to come out for a rip roaring photo shoot at the Chisum Cowboy (http://chisumcowboys.com) shoot on Sunday, June 2 at 9:00 a.m. It goes until you are plum tuckered out, and have your heart's desire of photos.  You might even shoot a rifle or a gun as well as your camera.  They require eye & ear protection on the range. Safety or sunglasses will work & they have ear plugs if you need them.

If you do not know where the Chisum Cowboys shoot, then meet us at the Convention Center at 8:30 a.m., and we will carpool out there.  Please contact Barbara to let her know you plan to attend:  

Phone: 622- 6456, email: scheerassoc@yahoo.com

All photos were taken by Bobby Goode.   Mark your calendars, grab your camera, and come on out for a good photo taking time.  

Composition Studio...

The Composition Studio will be meeting again this Sunday afternoon, May 26,  from 3 - 5 p.m. at Barbara Scheer's home.  If you have not been to Barbara Scheer's new home yet,  please call  for directions and parking instruction.  Her phone # is 622-6456.

Please bring pictures to share and discuss. They can be in any format (USB drive, photo card, disk or print). She will be sharing some material on "Learning to See".

Crosslighting Workshop, June 13, 2013, Update.

The next workshop "Evening Portraiture" will be on Thursday, June 13, from 7 - 9 p.m.
We will be taking the club's parabolic reflector and shooting during the evening in the courtyard at Jennifer's studio in Artesia. Weather permitting, Jennifer will let us use her parabolic reflector so that we can set up cross-lighting.
Even if weather is not permitting, we will also have two other shooting spaces inside the studio.  This is hands-on, and there will be no teaching section. Just shooting and/or hanging out.
As always, if you have a person that you would like to photograph and they don't mind being photographed by others in the club, bring them along.
This workshop will be held at Jennifer's studio.
The studio is at 1114 1/2 Main Street. There is limited parking, but there should be extra spaces at Artesia Building Supply for overflow.
Rob has a few people in mind to do modeling, so we will have people to shoot.
Kelly and myself will be be going early to help Jennifer set up. We will be setting up a time and meeting place for those who want to carpool as the event comes closer. The Artesia Camera Club has been invited, and we expect to have a few of them there. Maybe we should get someone to make cupcakes or something!

The fine print:
Please bring a good attitude, respect the studio, and share your knowledge. We want to do more of these, covering all types of subjects, and need positive attitudes to continue these types of sessions.
This is a Portfolio Building Session. Please share what you shoot with everyone involved in the session. (If you shoot a model, share the images with the model for their own portfolio, share the images on the PASR flickr group, share at the club meeting, etc.)
Because this is a PASR sponsored event, non-members that want to do photography at the open studio will need to pay a five dollar activity fee. This is also an event that is open to the Artesia Camera Club, and anyone who is a member of the Artesia Camera Club does not have to pay an activity fee to shoot.

Below are photos of Jennifer's studio and a map. If you see this when you get there, you are in the right place.

Again, we will be setting up cross-lighting. It is the most common type of off camera lighting to use during wedding receptions and basketball/volleyball games because it gives good off camera light across a wide area. We will use the courtyard at Jennifer's studio as our large area to set up.
If you want to read up on cross-lighting, here are a few links.
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/04/lighting-101-cross-lighting.html
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2006/04/on-assignment-prep-basketball.html
http://strobist.blogspot.com/2007/02/on-assignment-speedlighting-college-gym.html
http://www.sassaniphotographyblog.com/2011/09/off-camera-lighting-how-i-light-my-wedding-receptions/
http://blog.tomleuntjensphotography.com/?p=2385
http://www.rangefinderonline.com/features/how-to/How-To-Light-Up-A-Ro-7175.shtml

UFO Billboard Safari...May 18...

"E.T. phone home!"  -from the movie E.T.

On Saturday, May 18th, several members of the photo club traveled to the newest UFO sighting in Roswell.  It is south of town on U.S. 285 right before the Dexter turn off.  Muralist, John Cerney, http://www.johncerney.com, famous for his giant sized, ply-wood art work, has graced Roswell with his latest piece of work depicting humans hospitably welcoming the aliens with a freshly baked pie.  The aliens look like they are afraid they might be baked into the lady's, (Dorrie Faubus from the Chamber of Commerce) next pie since it is shaped like a flying saucer.

The artist has done a wonderful job of bringing interest, and detail to his mural.  Notice the child alien has an E.T. doll, and the human little girl has a Raggedy Annie.

The aliens in the spaceship look equally distressed, and one is holding a map of New Mexico with a star in the location of Roswell.

The mural sits on property owned by farmer/rancher, Bill Marley.  His son is the kind person offering to give the alien's spaceship a jump start from his old green pickup truck.

Of course, member of the photo club had to get in some of the photos.  We had to document we were there at the lastest UFO sighting.

Rob McKelvy making pals with the aliens

Tom Lancaster checking out the engine

Travis Meidinger tries to get a bite of pie

Travis Meidinger resting on the truck

Anthony Concepcion aghast as the alien

It never fails on a safari that some members find other things to photograph other than the intended subject.  It does add interest and sometime drama to our safaris.

 Doesn't this Horned Toad kind of look like it could be an alien.  It was probably checking out the alien spaceship for long lost relatives.

Travis Meidinger and Anthony Concepcion and their little Horned Toad friend

This creature brought so much joy and entertainment to the group.  You all should have been there.

A good time was had by all, and we wished that pie was the real thing.

June Photo Challenge...

"What is so rare as a day in June, then if ever come perfect days."  -James Russell Lowell

"A good photo is knowing where to stand."  -Ansel Adams

Can you believe it will be summer in about 4 weeks?  Summer is a perfect time to get outdoors and take pictures.   Take your camera out, and get a fresh prospective on old scenes.  Don't stand in your normal photo taking mode.  Give your camera new angles, get low, get high, but most of all, get close up and personal, rather than the standard eye level photo.  Stretch yourself.  Be different.  Be creative.  

That is what June's challenge is all about CLOSE UP AND PERSONAL.

You do not need a macro lens to participate.  You just need imagination, patience, and a creative eye, and to GET CLOSE or ZOOM in on your subject.  All our cameras have the little "flower" icon that is for shooting objects close up.  Try it out.  The sky is the limit for subjects…get textures, flowers, insects, people, objects, signs, letters, fruit, and other things. 

June Challenge: Close up and personal

Rules: 

• submit no more than TWO pictures-any size, matted, framed,  on any medium.
• include file information and any post processing editing.
• no archives are acceptable.  Photos must be taken between the May and June meetings

Get outside, and get clicking--high. low, angled, but always CLOSE UP!

Here are some examples of Close up and personal.

Photo by Cliff Powell

Photo by Cliff Powell

Photo by Cliff Powell

Photo by Jordan McKelvy

Photo by Jordan McKelvy

Photo by Rob McKelvy

Photo by Rob McKelvy

Photo by Rob McKelvy

Photo by Rob McKelvy

Photo by Rob McKelvy

Photo by Jaymi McClusky, website: iHeartfaces.com

For an excellent tutorial on how to add bubbles to fruit like the one above picture, go to: http://www.iheartfaces.com/2012/08/how-to-take-macro-photos-of-fruit/

I hope these pictures help get your creative juices flowing.  I cannot wait to see your photos.

Yvonne

In honor of Yvonne, a photo book was designed using pictures provided by members of the photo club to present to her husband.  The club thought a book would be more lasting than flowers.  Photos were collected, and Rob McKelvy designed the book.  The book was presented to Jack, and copies were distributed to Yvonne's mother, and children.  It was reported that they loved the book, and eight more books were wanted.  Thank you all to who provided pictures, and to the club for financing the project.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own personalized photo books at Shutterfly.com.

Crosslighting Workshop, June 13, 2013

We have been invited to Artesia to see and participate in a lighting workshop at Jennifer Coat's new studio.  You will not want to miss this one!  Weather permitting, we will be working with cross lighting in her outside courtyard using two parabolic lights.  So mark your calendars, and do not forget to sign up when the email goes out.

When:  Thursday, June 13, 2013

Where:  Jennifer Coats' Studio

             1114 1/2 Main Street

             Artesia, NM

Time:    7 pm- ???????

There will probably be a central spot to meet so we can carpool to the workshop.

Jennifer has also invited the Photo club from Artesia to attend as well.  

More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.

Hope to see you there.