THE
April 2019
May 16th‐ End of Year Compe on Building G Sung Harbor 8 PM
th May 4 ‐ Model Shoot ‐ Mayr Studio ‐ Staten Island Camera Club Meet‐Up reserve a seat @: h ps://www.meetup.com/ Staten‐Island‐camera‐club/events/259170884/ spaces are limited. May 16th‐ End of Year Compe on ‐ Harbor Room 8:00PM Image of the Year Selec on ‐ Judge Al Brown. June 6th - Annual Awards Dinner - Real Madrid Restaurant - All are welcome - Bring a Friend - Paid Reservation is a must! June 8th Saturday Governors House Meet‐Up reserve a seat @: reserve a seat @: h ps://www.meetup.com/Staten‐Island‐camera‐ club/events/ spaces are limited.
Well, the End of Year Compe on is almost here. On that For those who a ended in the past the menu is the same. night we will decide the Images of the Year. So come on down on May 16th.. Color and Mono Digital Images and You can secure your reserva on with a $45.00 per person pay‐ Prints will compete for the coveted awards in each of their ment on May 16that this month’s End of the Year Compe ‐ respec ve categories. You can enter any 4 Color or Mono on. Please bring a check payable to Staten Island Camera Club. Digital and or Print that you competed with this season. If you are not a ending the End of Year Compe on, but would Here is the low down on the Awards Dinner being held on like to a end the dinner please mail your check to: Thursday June 6th, 2019. Barbara M. Hoffman at 323 Stobe Avenue, SI, NY 10306. Place: Real Madrid ‐ 2075 Forest Avenue, SI, NY 10303 Time: 7:00 to :10:00 PM The deadline to reserve your seat(s) is May 27th. Bring a friend. Cost: $45.00 per person. Guests are welcome. We are looking forward to seeing all of our members a end.
The Blue Hour‐ By Dennis Arculeo In capturing outdoor scenes the time of day is the Try taking pictures before and after this time to see how your most important factor in controlling Photographic Style, images differ. You will generally find that when capturing cities Mood and Color. When photographing in the Blue Hour after the blue hour, the natural light will have faded away and time is most crucial. The Blue Hour is not just limited to your images will appear darker in the sky. This usually proves the period after sunset. Similar light can be found in the to still be a good time to take interesting but different kinds of early morning (usually before sunrise) and in the evening pictures. (just after sunset). Consider your subject and viewpoint. When preparing to During the Blue Hour the buildings in our cityscapes in our take pictures during the blue hour it is important to remember a urban scenes are usually lit, and streetlights come up, few considerations. Mainly your concern should be about what making this an ideal time for urban and city photography. are you going to photograph and how will you frame your im- This results in a perfect blend of natural and artificial light. age? Usually the sky takes on a deep blue hue with cold tones and warmer colors from the illuminated buildings. A gradi- My first thought is always to decide on your subject and consid- ent of colors from blue to orange tinges the sky and cre- er what you want to include in your image. You may want to ates special color in places near the fleeting light of the frame your subject with an attractive background or foreground sunrise and sunset. to make the image look more visually pleasing.
In the evening, the Blue Hour coincides with the end of There is a mental process we need to employ, in which we twilight which happens just after the golden hour. In the should ask ourselves a very basic question. Which goes some- morning, it coincides with the initial part of the twilight, that thing like this “if I chose to photograph this scene as my main occurs just before the golden hour. Con nued on page 17 THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 2
NJFCC Spring Print Compe on April 16th, 2019
How we fared at the NJFCC Spring Print Compe on ‐ by Dennis Arculeo
It is becoming quite usual that the Staten island Camera Club has come to rack up awards at the NJFCC Print Compe ons. Our very own Barbara Ma era Hoffman hit the high mark for a second me this past season by taking in another Medal Award in April, which is the compe ons top prize. Barbara, Len and I rounded out the winnings with two more HM’s each which makes for some pre y exci ng news. In April there were 98 entries in the Color Category and 77 in the Mono‐ chrome and we grabbed overall 7 of the coveted Awards.
All in all, in the three contests this past season we took home three Medals, one in each of the three contests.
NJFCC Spring Print Compe on April 16th, 2019 Host Club: Teaneck
Judges: 1. Dave Mills, 2. Bob Thomas, 3. Ellen Bedrosian
Total Title Category Maker Club Score Award
In Darkness there's Light Mono Barbara M Hoffman SICC 26 Medal Watching and Wai ng Color Dennis Arculeo SICC 25 HM Lady with Snake Mono Len Rachlin SICC 25 HM Hitching a Ride Color Dennis Arculeo SICC 24 HM Sun Star Guggenheim Color Barbara M Hoffman SICC 24 HM Guggenheim Oculus Mono Barbara M Hoffman SICC 24 HM Tracey Mono Len Rachlin SICC 24 HM
I got my first Medal in the Fall in the Color category, Barbara got the other two, one in the Winter and One in the Spring Compe ons. Len and I each got Merit awards. And we three rounded out the awards with the HM’s. Total tally for the seasons is as follows:
Medals : 3 (1‐Fall , 1‐Winter , 1‐Spring Compe on)
Merit Awards: 2 ( Winter)
Honorable Men ons:
3 earned in the Fall Print Compe on.
6 earned in Winter Compe on.
6 earned in Spring Compe on
15 in total. Medal In Darkness There's Light ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman See the following page for other winning images. THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 3
Sun Star Guggenheim HM
HM HM Sun Star Guggenheim ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman Guggenheim Oculus ‐Barbara Ma era Hoffman
HM Watching and Wai ng ‐ Dennis Arculeo
HM Hitching a Ride– Dennis Arculeo
HM
HM HM Tracy—Len Rachlin Lady‐with‐Snake ‐ Len‐Rachlin THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 4
Award Award Fall Colors ‐ Sco Allen Spring Dawn ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman
Award Award Spring me ‐ Bob Green Infrared Autumn at Clove Lakes ‐ Dennis Arculeo
HM HM First Signs of Spring ‐ Len Rachlin Cime ere Saint Louis de la Nouvelle Orleans ‐ Joanne Meure
Award ‐ First Place (9) HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8) THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 5
Award
Award April Morning ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman Definitely A Wintry Mix ‐ Dennis Arculeo
Award
Award ‐ First Place (9) Vermont ‐ Bob Green HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8)
2018-2019 SICC Competition Top Score Winners
Color Digital Mono Digital First Place: Dennis Arculeo 98 Points First Place: Barbara M. Hoffman 101 Points Second Place: Barbara M. Hoffman 94 Points Second Place: Len Rachlin 93 Points Third Place: Bob Green 87 Points Third Place: Dennis Arculeo 88 Points Len Rachlin 87 Points Bob Green 88 Points Joe Sorge 87 Points Color Print Mono Print First Place: Len Rachlin 100 Points First Place: Len Rachlin 103 Prints Second Place: Barbara M. Hoffman 94 Points Second Place: Barbara M. Hoffman 96 Points Third Place: Dennis Arculeo 91 Points Third Place: Dennis Arculeo 88 Points
Top Score For Assigned Subject Digital: Dennis Arculeo 52 Points Top Score For Assigned Subject Print: Barbara M. Hoffman 52 Points THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 6
No. of Assigned Subject Digital Total As of Last Compe on ( ) Entries Member Points Award Honorable Men on 6 Dennis Arculeo 52 Infrared Autumn At Cloves Lakes 6 Bob Green 48 Spring me 6 Barbara M. Hoffman 48 Spring Dawn 6 Len Rachlin 43 First Signs of Spring 6 Lauren Arculeo 39 6 Joe Sorge 39 4 Sco Allen 34 Fall Colors 4 Shelley Levine 33 5 Michael Miglino 33 5 Nurul Amin 32 4 Joanne Meurer 30 Cime e'Re Saint‐Louis de la Nouvelle 3 Lora Livshits 20 2 Kirs n Bernhardt 16 2 Denise Canlon 14 1 Henrie a Robinson 6 Award ‐ First Place (9) 1 Mona Wexler 6 HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8)
No. of Assigned Subject Digital Total As of Last Compe on ( ) Entries Member Points Award Honorable Men on 6 Barbara Ma era Hoffman 52 April Morning 6 Dennis Arculeo 48 Definitely A Wintry Mix 6 Bob Green 44 Seasonal ‐ Vermont 6 Joe Sorge 39
Staten Island Camera Club Website: h ps://www.sicc‐photography‐club.com/
Image Cri que Meetup website h ps://www.meetup.com/Image‐Cri que‐Meetup/
Staten Island Camera Club Meetup/FSM h ps://www.meetup.com/Staten‐Island‐camera‐club/
September 2018 Architecture The Monthly Assigned Subject compe ons are in addi on to our regular monthly compe ons. You have the op on to com‐ October 2018 Reflection (s) pete in any Assigned Subject in both Prints and or Digital for‐ mats. November 2018 Landscape or Seascape The Assigned Subject can be entered as a Mono or a Color im‐ February 2019 Shadows and Highlights age. The season winner will be the member who has the highest number of points at the conclusion of the compe on year. March 2019 Story Telling For the End of Year Compe on, you can enter one of your pri‐ or Assigned Subject entries as one of your four final images, April 2019 Seasonal Scene either in Digital Mono or Color and or in Print THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 7
The Importance of Shadows in Portrait Photography by John McIntire
When you’re starting out with learning how to light your photography, the most impact. it’s easy to fall into a pattern of blasting your subjects with light from all Lighting your subject from behind will render most of the foreground of your angles. The results are often bright images without a hint of a shadow frame as shadow tones, with only certain aspects of your subjects rendered anywhere. Sometimes that’s exactly what the job calls for: bright, clean- with highlights. ly lit images with very little contrast. However, obliterating the shadows in your images can have a negative impact. To control the strength of your shadows, you can change the size and
The difference between heavily lit images and those with the shadows shape of your light source, change the distance between the light source and your subject, or fill the shadows with a secondary light source. maintained can be astounding. Deliberate and effective use of shadows in your images can help to create a natural contrast and depth, convey Lighting choice drama and emotion, and provide you with powerful compositional ele- Making a deliberate lighting choice (like a 2’x2′ softbox) to emphasize your ments in your photography. shadows is one of the easiest ways to take control of the shadows in your imagery. If you use a small (ish) light source in close to your subject, you This article will discuss these reasons why it’s not only important to can make use of the faster rate of light fall off to help introduce shadows retain the shadows in your imagery, but to keep them in primary consid- into your images. eration while you are still planning your images. There is also an outline of a simple exercise you can do to help you to start better seeing shad- For an even better grasp of this, pick a few movies or television shows ows, and how they affect your images, that you can use to improve (especially dramas) and study the lighting choices during dramatic scenes your understanding of light. with a lot of dialogue. In a lot of cases, you will find that there was a con-
scious choice to light the actors in a way that highlights specific features Not just low-key while throwing most of the rest of the actor in shadow. Obviously, low-key images rely heavily on shadows, but shadows are important in all styles of photography. It is important to clarify one thing Compositional elements here. This concept doesn’t just apply to low-key images where the vast Shadows are a great way to help compose your images and can help you majority of the space in the frame is dominated by shadow tones. In to draw attention to your focal point. Shadows can be used to wonderful fact, shadows are just as important to brightly lit images as they help to effect in crafting compositional devices within your images. Using darker define the shape and features of your subject. tones to frame your subject, or to lead your viewer’s eye to what you want them to see, can help to make more dynamic and interesting images. Why shadows are important Retaining the shadows in your images can do a lot of things for you, Fill especially in terms of image design. Listed below are a few of these for Shadows don’t have to be dark. Even filled in with additional lights, you can you to consider. still use shadows for contrast and depth.
Depth and contrast When you’re talking about shadows, that doesn’t mean you have to stick to Retaining shadows in your images can help give you a natural contrast ultra dark tones with little or no visible detail. By using fill lights, you can and add depth to your images. still light every single part of your image while retaining shadow tone. If you
Contrast, in terms of this article, is the tonal difference between dark expose your fill light two or three stops below your key light, you will still and light. This contrast is how we see things in three dimensions and have the appearance of contrast in your images, but you will retain all the finer details that would be missing if you hadn’t used fill. it’s exactly how you can create the appearance of three dimensions in your two-dimensional imagery. The thing is, it’s hard to do this without An exercise in shadows shadows. (It’s also difficult to do it without specular highlights, but that’s To get the grips with this concept, try this simple exercise with a lot of differ- a different discussion for a different day.) ent subjects. First, choose a subject. Any subject will do, but you might want to start with something static. For example, to illustrate the three-dimensional nature of a nose, you need a highlight that graduates into mid-tones. The highlight indicates Take a good, critical look at what you’ve picked to photograph and start the closest point of the nose to the light. Assuming the light is above thinking about the lighting. However, instead of thinking about the high- your subject, shadows will fall underneath the nose. This provides a lights, try to focus only on where you want to place your shadows. visual indicator that the nose is protruding from the face. Without the With that decided, pick a light source (a desk lamp will do) and light your shadows, there will be little, if any, differentiation between the nose and subject so that you have the desired effect. the rest of the subject’s face. If you want to take this further, once you have your shadows in place, you This results in a flat, unsettling image. Even if your viewers cannot fig- can further modify and manipulate your light so that the highlights behave in ure out what they’re looking at, they will still be aware that something a way that compliments the shadows. seems wrong. Ensuring that you have shadows in your images will help to have pleasing, natural-looking images in any type of lighting. That’s it While this is a simple concept, it can seem counterintuitive. When you’re Add drama and evoke mood approaching lighting, of course it makes sense to think about the highlights Shadows are a fantastic tool when you are trying to create images that first; however, incorporating some extra thought about your shadows can evoke mood and emotion. Generous use of shadow tones in your imag- help take your lighting skills to a new level. Try the exercise above with a es is one of the quickest and most effective ways to evoke a sense of few different subjects, and evaluate if and how you can make shadows mood and helps you to create images with bags of drama. You can do work for you in your photography. this in a number of ways including:
Backlighting and short lighting The post The Importance of Shadows in Portrait Photography appeared Short lighting is a great tool to help you place shadows where they have first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by John McIntire. THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 8
Award Award Award Strumming Her Life with Her Fingers‐Lauren Arculeo Dancing On The Highline ‐ Sco Allen Older But Wiser ‐ Dennis Arculeo
Award Award Orchids, my Favorite ‐ Shelley Levine Pink Hibiscus ‐ Lauren Arculeo
Award Award A Day in the Swamp ‐ Joanne Meurer At Home is a Broken Jug ‐ Dennis Arculeo THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 9
HM HM HM The Most Interes ng Man In The World ‐ Sco Allen Free Spirit ‐ Michael Miglino Steam Punk ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman
HM HM Sculptor at Work ‐ Len Rachlin Hot Pink ‐ Michael Miglino
HM HM Squirrels' having Breakfast ‐ Joe Sorge Beau ful Flower ‐ Lora Livshits THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 10
Award Award Boardwalk Scene ‐ Len Rachlin BW Bu erfly ‐ Bob Green
Award Award
Street Jazz ‐ Joanne Meurer Tenderness ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman
Award Ar st at Work ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 11
HM A Waterfall ‐ Joe Sorge
HM HM Hoo ng ‐ Bob Green
Beau ful Eyes ‐ Michael Miglino HM Beau ful Headshot ‐ Sco Allen THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 12
No. of Assigned Subject Digital Total As of Last Compe on ( ) Entries Member Points Award Honorable Men on 12 Dennis Arculeo 98 At Home Is A Broken Home Older But Wiser 12 Barbara M. Hoffman 94 Steam Punk 12 Bob Green 87 12 Len Rachlin 87 Sculptor At Work 12 Joe Sorge 87 Squirrels Having Breakfast 12 Lauren Arculeo 85 Pink Hibiscus Strumming Her Life W/Her Fingers 12 Lora Livshits 79 Beau ful Flower 9 Sco Allen 71 Dancing On The Highline The Most Interes ng Man In The World 10 Nurul Amin 66 9 Michael Miglino 62 Free Spirit Hot Pink 8 Denise Canlon 61 8 Shelley Levine 60 Orchids, My Favorite 5 Joanne Meurer 40 A Day In The Swamp Award ‐ First Place (9) 4 Mark Harris 30 1 Mona Wexler 6 HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8)
No. of Assigned Subject Digital Total As of Last Compe on ( ) Entries Member Points Award Honorable Men on
12 Barbara M. Hoffman 101 Ar st At Work Tenderness 12 Len Rachlin 93 Boardwalk Scene 12 Dennis Arculeo 88 12 Bob Green 88 B‐W Bu erfly Hoo ng 12 Joe Sorge 83 A Waterfall 12 Lauren Arculeo 80 9 Sco Allen 70 Beau ful Headshot 10 Nurul Amin 70 10 Michael Miglino 68 Beau ful Eyes 7 Shelley Levine 55 5 Joanne Meurer 39 Street Jazz 2 Mark Harris 28 2 Denise Canlon 12 2 Mona Wexler 12 Award ‐ First Place (9) HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8) THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 13
Using Flash in Manual Mode - Dennis Arculeo
Last month we examined TTL flash metering. Now ing some test shots. let’s explore working with Manual Flash. Your camera meters ambient light, however, it does When to use your flash in manual mode not do the same for flash output. Don’t worry You should strive at getting comfortable using though, with practice and a bit of trial and error, you your flash in manual mode every time you will get to know your flash and when to use full pow- need to use flash. This can really help you to er or half power, for example. get consistent photos when you’re not moving From there, adjust the power of the flash until you around or when the ambient light isn’t chang- get the desired result. This way, you’re guaranteed ing. to have the ambient light metered correctly and use The best times to use flash are when you want the flash to fill in the light exactly where you want it. to pop some light onto your subject when In this way you can use a built in flash or an exter- you’re competing with the sun outdoors, or nal flash on your camera or off-camera in manual when you want to control and create light in a mode. Using it off-camera will give you a more an- studio, to fill in shadows, during sunset or low gled direction of light and may inspire some creative light, and for indoor settings. lighting. On camera, be careful of the power output For example, when you are taking a family por- and angle you have your flash. Outdoors, you’ll trait session outdoors with the sunset, you may probably want to point the flash at your subjects. need to use the flash to fill in light so that you Indoors, however, you might want to bounce the can get the beautiful sunset and not have your light off of a ceiling subjects in the dark. Now you’re probably wondering what full power Another example is when you are in an indoor even means. An external flash has power output setting, like a bride getting ready and you can levels which are read in fractions. Full power output bounce your flash off the ceiling to add some means that the flash is giving everything it has got light into the room. and this is transcribed as 1/1. From there it can go to 1/64 of its power output. Using your flash in a studio setting can be a little more tricky since flashes don’t come with There is no right way to begin practicing, however, modeling lights. If you’re photographing in a it’s best to meter for the ambient light that you want dark room, using a flashlight to focus your to achieve in-camera. For example, if you’re photo- camera first can be a big help. Some flashes graphing a family during sunset, meter for the sun- have a fluttering effect to help with focusing, set. Once you have that settled, put your flash in check your manual to turn this function on. manual mode and begin with a power output of 1/4 power. Using more than one flash at different power output levels can also create stunning photos If you’re using a modifier like a flash diffuser, be with lots of depth, much like real studio strobe aware that the light output will be different than us- flashes but with more portability and less ex- ing the flash without a diffuser. The power needed pensive. to light your subject also depends on the distance at which the flash is from your subject. When your To do this, you’ll need transmitters or in some flash is closer to your subject, it requires less power cases flashes come with built-in sync transmit- because the light is closer. ters. This means that when one flash sees an- other go off, it also goes off. If you are at a distance, then you’ll need to up the A few things to keep in mind when you’re pho- power on the flash in order for it to reach your sub- tographing subjects with flash in manual mode ject at all. This can be especially tricky outdoors so include the batteries, shutter speed, ambient make sure you are checking your photos after tak- Continued on Page….18 THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 14
Judging at the Club Level ‐ Informa on taken from an on‐line ar cle by Jean‐Claude Roy
Image apprecia on, like for all other art, is field. Is the picture noisy, are there distrac ng elements. subjec ve. It is only the opinion of the one mak‐ Would the choice of another format improve the pic‐ ing the cri que. True, the more experienced the ture—panoramic, ver cal, horizontal, square? Most o en photographers unnecessarily limit themselves to cri que‐maker is in a par cular photographic the standard available print formats. Those are general genre, the more valuable the comments. When comments that can explain your construc ve cri cism of judging at club level, the main objec ve of the the image. But, above all, avoid all offending comments. cri que should be to help the mage maker to im‐ Remember the objec ve is to help and not discourage. prove his/her art. Remember also, that club members and staff members As Jon Fishback said in a infamous ar cle that ap‐ too are judging you. Rudeness certainly will not get you peared in the February 2010 issue of the PSA Journal: invited a second me. And for those, whose work has “Analysis is not designed to find something wrong. It been cri cized, do not take it personally. Remember, it is designed to see something right and then see things is only one judge’s opinion of your work and not neces‐ that can be improved upon.” To me, the first ap‐ sarily the correct one. Best proof of that are the results proach to the analysis should be: Is the image an eye you may get when entering an image in a mul ple judg‐ catcher? How does it move you? Do you like it or not? ing compe on. What is its first impact on you the viewer? The same image may be rejected by one judge and re‐ Then, the cri que maker should try to explain his/her ceive awards by other judges. Had the rejec on oc‐ feelings technically to the best of his/her ability. Be curred at the first presenta on of your work, you might honest, say why you like it or don’t like it and if you have been discouraged and shoved the image in a dark have an exper se in the area, please do provide ad‐ corner of your house. Lesson here is to enter your art to vice as to how you think the work could be improved. the review of at least 3 different judges. Second p is to enter your work in interna onal exhibi on circuits, Ask yourself the ques ons: “Has the maker presented where your work can be judged by 4, 5 or 6 different the work in the strongest and most effec ve way pos‐ judges at one me! And finally to the clubs, for a sible? Has he contributed to the picture? Is there themed contest, invite judges that have exper se in the some crea vity, some efforts on its part to produce area. art, or is the image a mere recording of a scene in front of him/her? Is the image telling a story? Does it And for all contests, avoid judges whose only com‐ have a message? Does it trigger emo ons? Can you ments are: “in” or “out” or without sugges ons to im‐ put these into words?” prove images that are presented to them. In answering these ques ons review these technical Comments by Dennis Arculeo aspects: On composi on, please do not recite the Rule of Thirds. Instead, in your own percep on, is the It has been my experience over the last few years spa al placement of the main subject contribu ng to to listen, evaluate the cri que, go home and try the image success or not? Can it be improved by elim‐ out the sugges ons and decide who was right the ina ng non‐essen al dead spaces, or to the contrary, Judge or me. I usually compromise somewhere in by giving it more breathing room? the middle. If the judge didn’t get my point or did‐ Does the intended main subject pop out to the view‐ n’t see what I saw in the image, then I missed my er, or must some inves ga ve work be done to find a mark. If he saw something else or focused on main subject? However, the main subject may be the some abstract concept then he missed my intent. colors, the texture, the use of geometric shapes and He nor I are wrong, we both have our own likes forms, the grand view. So don’t be obsessed with and opinions. finding one main subject. On atmosphere, mood, feel‐ ings. Are the colors pleasant, harmonious or con‐ As I figure it my image is something more personal tras ng? than just a picture. It is my crea on, good or bad, its what I chose to present . I revere my successes Would it improve the image if it were presented in and my failures equally. For they make me a monochrome instead of color and vice versa? Was it the best me of day? Has the photographer chosen be er photographer because I can analyze the the best angle, has he made good use of depth of judging and where the cri que is coming from and adjust my mind’s perspec ve accordingly. THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 15
Award Award Renaissance Minstrel ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman Magic ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman
HM HM Care and Comfort ‐ Dennis Arculeo S ll Life with Ar st Materials ‐ Len Rachlin
HM S ll LIfe with Apple and Persimmon ‐ Len Rachlin
HM 22 Via Capella ‐ Dennis Arculeo
Award ‐ First Place (9) HM HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8) Liberty Lighthouse ‐ Joe Sorge THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 16
Award
S ll Life with Peaches and Glassware ‐ Len Rachlin
Award Holding ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman
HM
Award Sorry is the Hardest Word - Dennis Arculeo
Curves and Forms - Dennis Arculeo
Award ‐ First Place (9) Award S ll Life with Pitcher and Teapot ‐ Len Rachlin HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8) THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 17
HM Award Newark Cathedra ‐ Barbara Ma era Hoffman Sundown along the Kill Van Kull ‐ Joe Sorge
The Blue Hour subject how will the lights and shadows effect my image and exposure time to allow for some movement. will the ambient light in the scene provide me with the look I am currently striving for? It would be wise to remember this Long exposures are another great way to create amazing old adage and shoot for the colors, but do experiment a bit. photographs. For example, they can be used to exaggerate cloud movement or traffic trails even further. Try anything over Consider the exposure, aperture and shutter speed. This 30 seconds. is no time for full autoexposure. You will need to decide on the settings you want to use. In this process, you need to consid- 5. Use a tripod or something for support. Using a tripod or er whether a fast shutter speed or a slow one will work best for a stable surface such as a table or wall is of paramount im- your image. If there is movement in the image, you may want portance when photographing the blue hour. These tools will to prioritize shooting in shutter speed priority. If not, then by help you to achieve sharper pictures by minimizing unwanted choosing aperture mode you may best employ that mode to camera shake. A tripod will allow you to take advantage of achieve greater depth of field. slower shutter speeds to blur the movement of people, vehi- cles and water. As a result slower speeds can help clean up The correct exposure will automatically be set to let in the right or soften the annoying distractions within an image. They can amount of light when you capture your images. Both methods also completely eliminate these unwanted intrusions that de- allow the use of longer exposures. As my subjects were static, tract from the main focus of your capture. I opted for aperture priority to achieve more depth. Conclusion. The Blue hour is a magical time to take photo- 4. Try different shutter speeds. As the light fades, you may graphs. Whether it is a Landscape or a Cityscape or even a find that you want to increase your shutter speed to maintain Seascape you’ll see the difference the time of day makes in a well-exposed shot. I would start at around a second and in- your images. Photographing during that time of evening or crease the exposure accordingly when darkness falls. Trial morning helps evoke a certain type of mood. and error will determine how fast or slow your shutter will be. As an artist you determine which is best. Further, it helps foster a special characterization in your imag- es. If you follow the above steps you’ll be much more suc- You can also use shutter speeds to create special effects. For cessful in your efforts. See if you can improve the mood, style example, capturing moving traffic trails during the blue hour and color in your photos captured during the blue hour. can give pleasing results. Try anything over five seconds of THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 18
No. of Color Prints Total As of Last Compe on ( ) Entries Member Points Award Honorable Men on 12 Len Rachlin 100 S ll Life W/ Apple & Persimmons S ll Life W/ Ar st Materials Renaissance Minstrel 12 Barbara Ma era Hoffman 94 Magic 12 Dennis Arculeo 91 22 Via Capella Care and Comfort 12 Joe Sorge 84 Liberty Lighthouse 2 Sco Allen 17 2 Carol Mayr 12
No. of Monochrome Prints Total As of Last Compe on ( ) Entries Member Points Award Honorable Men on
12 Len Rachlin 103 S ll Life W/Peaches & Glassware S ll Life W/Pitcher & Teapot 12 Barbara Ma era Hoffman 96 Holding Newark Cathedral 12 Dennis Arculeo 88 Sorry Is the Hardest Word Curves and Forms 12 Joe Sorge 78 Sundown Along The Kill Van Cull 3 Carol Mayr 21 Award ‐ First Place (9) 1 Sco Allen 6 HM ‐ Honorable Men on (8)
Continued from page . .12. Using Flash in Manual Mode - Dennis Arculeo
light metering, and high-speed sync. Practice makes perfect The flash also takes much longer to recycle when Using flash can seem really intimidating. However, the batteries begin to drain and lose charge. Have at controlling your flash by using it in manual mode can least three or more sets of batteries at the ready in be just the right move for you to get comfortable us- case this begins to happen. ing a flash. Practice makes perfect and the more you practice with your flash, the more you’ll understand When you’re using a flash in ETTL, the fastest shut- how to power it in certain lighting situations. ter speed that you can use is 1/200th, on some it can go up to 1/250th of a second. This isn’t too fast if As time goes on, you’ll be more comfortable setting, you’re photographing in outdoor light or competing testing, and using your flash in manual mode. with the sun. Many flashes have the ability for high sync speeds when you’re using the flash in manual In conclusion mode. If you feel like using your flash sometimes gives your The distance of the flash to your subject can also images an inconsistent look, try using your flash in affect where to set the power on your flash in manual manual mode. Manual mode lets you be in full control mode. The further away your flash is from your sub- of how much light you want the flash to fire giving you ject, the more power you’ll need in order for the light more consistent exposures and taking out the guess- to reach your subject. The closer you are, the less work of the flash itself. power you’ll need. Of course, this depends on where you are photographing your subject and if ambient Also never underestimate using a flash modifier like light is a factor. a tissue held in place by a Rubber Band. It works. THE CLIX - “STATEN ISLAND’S FRIENDLY CAMERA CLUB!” Page 19
Important SICC Websites Email us at: Staten Island Camera Club Website h ps://www.sicc‐photography‐club.com/ [email protected] Image Cri que Meetup Website h ps://www.meetup.com/Image‐Cri que‐Meetup/ Note: All Blue characters are Hyperlinks. Staten Island Camera Club Meetup/FSM Ctrl Click with mouse or tap your stylist to follow the h ps://www.meetup.com/Staten‐Island‐camera‐club/ links on‐line.
Competition Guidelines
There are six categories to submit into for a monthly competition. You can enter 2 Color Digitals, 2 Color Prints, 2 Mono Digitals and 2 Mono Prints, as usual (8). And now you can also enter in the Assigned Subject category one Digital and one in Print.(Which equals a total max of 10 images per competition)
You are permitted to make up One missed Regular competition in each of the categories that you are participating in; except for the Assigned Subject Competitions, which can not be made up.
Digital entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM on or before the Tuesday evening prior to Thursday‘s competition, using the upload procedures established by the Photo Contest Pro website.
All print entries must be submitted and ready for Competition by 7:45 PM on the night of the Competition. Print Entry Sizes: Printed images will be no less than 8x 10”, but not more than 13x19”. Prints must be mounted on a board and can be single matted. Over all presentation size including the mat or backing board should not be less than 10X12”nor any larger than 17X22.” Commercially available mats for 8x10" sized Photorama prints are generally 11x14" with an opening for 8x10" prints and are available in local stores or on-line.
The upper rear Left Hand corner of the print must contain our competition label filled in with the image’s This year’s featured speaker, Title, Member’s Name and the Color/Mono Category; checked in the appropriate box. Assigned Subjects are not numbered. The entry # on the Label (#1 or 2), must correspond to what is printed on the Bob Krist, was a seasoned speak‐ scorer’s sheet. er and, we were told, did a great All images, both Digital and Print, will follow the same scoring scheme. First Round entries that are scored a “6” or less will be dropped, any image scored a “7” makes it into the 2nd Round. job. His program was offered in During the 2nd Round the Judge will re-score the Photo and will either keep the "7" Score or raise it to an "8" gaining an "Honorable Mention" or a "9" which is the designation for an Best in show "Award". four parts, Photography, Using
Once a Photo receives an “Award” (9) it will be retired and may not be re-entered into any future Flash and to on video. The new regular Monthly Club Competition in the same or any other category. Any 9’s earned during the season can compete with other photos in the Photo of the Year competition. Photo of the year winning images venue worked, with lots of avail‐ also will be retired and restricted in the same manner as above.
Any color Digital, or Print that received a 7 or 8 may not be re-entered into competition in the same season able parking. The boxed lunch in the same category. However it may be re-entered in a succeeding season, only once, in a different category. was reportedly very good. The only nega ve reported was that Competitions are held in the Harbor Room, Snug Harbor Building G, on the third or fourth Thursday of each month at 8 PM. (See our Schedule on our Website for exact dates and times.) the tables used during the mee ng were round; folks felt rectangular tables might have been be er.
President: Dennis Arculeo Secretary: Carol Mayr Visit NJFCC First Vice President: Eric Mayr Competition Chairperson: Carol Mayr Second Vice President: Nurul Amin Clix Editor: Dennis Arculeo http://www.njfcc.org/ Treasurer: Barbara Mattera Hoffman Webmaster: Dennis Arculeo Organized for the mutual advancement and enjoyment of photography .