The Newsletter of the Park West Camera Club! Photo Notes Our 75th Year Summer 2012
Presidentʼs Letter The Return of Paul Perkus
Someone was needed to clean up the mess left by the departing president, but nobody wanted the job. So it’s up to me to get back in harness and lead PWCC through another exciting year of chal- lenges and accomplishments: our 76th year.
I thank all the members for their confidence in me and disinterest in the job of president. The Nomi- nating Committee and I did our darnedest to in- terest someone else in the position. But you all were too smart.
Well, here’s to another year in the saddle and to In This Issue my fellow and sister officers and committee heads. The Constitution Revision Committee will President’s Letter...... 1 be hard at work all summer. It will strive to im- Who’s Who & What’s What...... 2 & 3 plement changes that will speak to the concerns Club Info...... 3, 5 & 10 members expressed at the recent showdown at the B&H Space...... 5 Stage Door Saloon and elsewhere. Competition...... 6, 7 & 8 The Tyranny of Reality...... 9 There are lots of other exciting events planned for Inquiries...... 11 this summer, beginning with the 75th Anniversary Business Meeting Minutes...... 12 Otto Litzel Dinner on June 11th. Call for Entries...... 14 Gallery Watching...... 15 Now that the news is out of the way, why don’t Club Photos...... 19 you all settle down for a good read of the follow- Otto Litzel Dinner...... 20 ing pages? They are chock full of photo lore and Schedule of Activities...... 21-29 enticing events to chase away post-election dol- Field Trip Reunion...... 30 drums. In the Mailbag...... 31 ! (continued on page 4) and so much more! Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 1 Park West Camera Club Committee Chairs Archives!!Myrna Harrison-Changar The Park West Camera Club is an independent not- 212 663 1422 [email protected] for-profit corporation. Guests are always welcome at meetings and activities. Competition! George Hansen! 212 595 7869 [email protected] The Park West Camera Club newsletter , Photo Notes, Hedy Klein is published every month by and for the members of 718-793-0246vv [email protected] the Park West Camera Club. Subscriptions are in- Joan Slatkin cluded with Club membership. Yearly subscriptions 212 260 7091 [email protected] are available to non-members by e-mail (free) or Field Trip!! Susan Sigrist! postal service ($10 per year). Individual issues are 212 758 0036 [email protected] available at PWCC meetings. Inna Grubmair 646-355-6840 [email protected] Submissions of full-length articles or smaller items of photographic or general interest are always ac- Gallery!! Christine Doyle cepted. The staff of Photo Notes reserves the right to 212 595 4920 [email protected] edit any submissions which are published. Maria Fernandez 908 447 8075 [email protected] Deadline for submissions is the first Monday of each month. House!! Seymour Perlowitz 718 338 6695 [email protected] Photo Notes is optimized for viewing on the inter- Chuck Elster net. 917 796 7847 [email protected]
Contact Information Membership! Marlene Schonbrun 212 662 3107 [email protected] Website www.parkwestcameraclub.org Newsletter!! Chuck Pine! 212 932 7665 [email protected] E-Mail Address [email protected] Program!!Marilyn Fish-Glynn 212 685 8784 [email protected] Club Mailing Address 345 East 73rd Street, #8L, NY, NY 10021 Social!!! Sid Georgiou! Photo Notes Mailing Address 212 777 3960 [email protected] 680 West End Avenue, #5D, NY, NY 10025 Telephone Tree ! Dottie Mills! 212 926 4375 [email protected] Club Officers Website!! Ruth Lowell President!!Paul Perkus! ! 212-362-4379 [email protected] 212 929 1687 [email protected] Bob Wine V. President!!Ed Lee! 212-758-5762 [email protected] 212 242 8714 [email protected] Workshop!! Jerry Harawitz Treasurer!!Myron Galef 212 673 2096 [email protected] 212 249 1270 [email protected] Corres. Sec.!!Helen Bohmart Pine! !! 212 932 7665 [email protected] Cover Photo Rec. Sec.!!Lee Backer! ! Dam Square at Night 212-662-6740 [email protected] by Chuck Pine ©2012 Pres. Emeritus!Chuck Pine!!!! 212 932 7665 [email protected]
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 2 Competition Info Did You Know?
Here’s some information for our members regar- Did you know that the on-line PDF version of ding our Club competitions. All the details may Park West Camera Club’s Photo Notes offers you be found in the PWCC By-Laws (Article III) and/ advantages? or in the illustrated PWCC Competition Manual. Did you know that all of the website and e-mail There will be one slide, one print, and one pro- addresses are hyperlinks? That means if you jected digital image (PDI) competition each click on them, you will be taken to that website month. (if you are connected to the internet) or to your e-mail program to send an e-mail. Each member may submit up to four images each month but no more than two in any compe- Did you know that the images are in color and of tition. higher quality than when printed out? And, you can enlarge them a bit, too, for detail. Print and slide entries must be submitted to the Competition Committee by 6:45 p.m. on the eve- Did you know that reading Photo Notes on-line ning of the competition. PDIs must be via e-mail saves trees, landfills, inks, toners, water, and to
Here’s a hint for the Year-End Competition held Photo Notes Staff in June. Each member may submit up to four Publisher: Paul Perkus prints, four slides, and/or four PDIs. Only im- Editor: Chuck Pine ages which competed in this year’s (October through May) monthly competitions are eligible. Committee: Bill Apple, Elsa Blum, These entries must be unaltered from their origi- Madeleine Barbara, Ruth Formanek, Sid nal entry. The Club does not keep records of Georgiou, Gladys Hopkowitz, Hedy which slides or PDIs you entered. You should Klein, Helen Pine, and Judy Rosenblatt make a list of all your entries (and their scores) Contributors: Bill Apple, Leer Backer, for your own benefit when you are ready to Myrna Changar, Christine Doyle, Maria submit to the Year-End Competition. Fernandez, Ruth Formanek, George Grubb, George Hansen, Paul Perkus, Chuck Pine, Judy Rosenblatt
Photo Notes is produced on a MacBookPro using iWork Pages and Adobe Photoshop. All uncredited images are royalty-free clip art or oth- erwise believed to be in the public domain. Credited images remain the sole property of their copyright holders—all rights reserved.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 3 Presidentʼs Letter Rules of Photography
(continued from page 1) Were you ever in a boat on rough waters? Were you getting seasick? Other than taking a pill or The little woman and I headed east to Sicily and wearing a copper bracelet (does it really work?), Rome for a couple of weeks to regain our bear- or a medicated patch what is the number one ings after a tough spring of campaigning to find remedy for that queasy and dizzying feeling? another presidential candidate.
I was always told (and, believe me, I have plenty We’ll be back for the big shindig on the eleventh of experience with this) to just keep looking at and look forward to seeing everyone. There may the horizon. Why, you might ask? Well, most even be a few pleasant surprises! seasickness has to do more with the brain than All the best, anything else. It starts with the liquid in your in- ner ear sloshing around. It’s that motion in your Paul head that causes the motion sickness because the brain can’t keep your world straight. However, by staring at the unmoving, stationary horizon, you can assuage your uneasiness.
And so it is with photographs! If you look at an image and the horizon is just a tad off, just a smidgeon tilted, it doesn’t feel right. You either want to go up to the picture hanging on the wall and straighten it, or just walk away and forget it.
Therefore, a very important rule of photography is to keep your horizons horizontal, in other words, parallel to the bottom of the picture frame. By the way, a horizon can be anywhere in an image: where the sky meets the ocean; where the sky meets the land; where the land meets the water; and so many other non-traditional hori- zon lines.
The best way to achieve horizontalness is to snap the photo correctly in the camera. After the fact, there are many ways in image editing software to straighten out an image.
Look at the horizons to the left for examples.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 4 PWCCʼs Yahoo Group B & H Event Space
Have an idea to go shooting but don’t want to go B & H Photo is offering free workshops in their alone? Have a question about Photoshop™, or newly redesigned presentation space. Here is a your camera, or some technique but don’t have sampling of some of the photography offerings someone to ask? Know of a great photo op or this month: workshop that you’d like to share with your fel- low Club members? What to do? Monday, June 11, 2012 Photographers' Rights in the 21st Century Ta Da! The Club’s Yahoo group is the answer to Speaker: Len Speier your questions. You can communicate with other PWCC members about these and more. All you Tuesday, June 12, 2012 have to do is sign up for the group. It’s easy and Documentary Photography it’s free. Speaker: Thatcher Hullerman Cook
All you have to do is send an e-mail to the Club Monday, June 18, 2012 at
If you have a (free) Yahoo e-mail account you Tuesday, June 19, 2012 can go to the group site. There you can see all Introduction to Photoshop 6 prior e-mails, post pictures, post links to other Speaker: Andy Graber websites of interest, and more. If you don’t have a Yahoo account, you can only send and receive Thursday, June 21, 2012 e-mails. Basics of Nature Photography Speaker: Michael Melford Note: if you reply to a group e-mail, it will bounce to everyone. For some responses, it is Monday, June 25, 2012 more appropriate to write to one member only; Adobe Lightroom: The Library Module you will have to forward your response to them, Speaker: Tim Cooper as opposed to replying to the e-mail. If it’s an e- mail asking “Where can I buy an old Polaroid Monday, June 25, 2012 camera,” perhaps you want to reply because this Adobe Lightroom: The Develop Module information could be of interest to all. If you are Speaker: Tim Cooper saying “thanks for the information,” for exam- ple, perhaps you should forward your response Monday, June 25, 2012 to only that one member. Landscape Photography Speaker: Tim Cooper
Check out the website
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 5 Year-End Competition Results
PDI-of-the-Year Three Chicks by Chuck Pine
PDI Runners-Up Footsteps by Paul Grebanier Young Man in Glory by Dottie Mills Sexuality at Best by Nyla Misty Tree by Doreen Rose PDI-of-the-Year PDI Eliminated in Tie-Breaker Three Chicks Little Girl in Morocco by Elena Pierpont ©2011 Chuck Pine
Print-of-the-Year Two Girls Walking into Fog by Marvin Fink
Print Runners-Up Store Window by Elsa Blum Sky Bridge by Bill Apple Teatro De La Ribera by Madeleine Barbara Slide-of-the-Year Dunes at Death Valley by George Grubb Rain at Night ©2005 Joan Slatkin Slide-of-the-Year Rain at Night by Joan Slatkin
Slide Runners-Up Figure in Landscape by Marilyn Fish-Glynn Buckets by Marilyn Fish-Glynn Ready to Sweep by Susan Sigrist Mom Silhouette by Joan Slatkin
Congratulations to all the winners and to all who participated in the Year-End competition!
Thanks to those who made it all happen: Ed, Joan, Susan, Hedy, Eileen, Rita, George, Susan, and Chuck
And a Special Thanks to our three Print-of-the-Year Two Girls Walking into Fog judges: Rivka Katvan, Don Burmeister, ©2011 Marvin Fink and Moshe Katvan.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 6 Runners-Up, Etc.
© Marilyn Fish-Glynn
© Susan Sigrist © Bill Apple © Marilyn Fish-Glynn
© Joan Slatkin
© Elsa Blum
© George Grubb © Doreen Rose
© Dottie Mills
© Madeleine Barbara © Paul Grebanier
© Nyla
© Elena Pierpont
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 7 Final Cumulative Point Totals October 2011 through May 2012 Note on Cumulative Points by George Hansen If you compete in only one category (PDIs, PDIs prints, or slides) during the year, all your points are counted in that category and are Chuck Pine 122 First Place used to determine the Yearly Cumulative Natalie Manzino 114 Second Place Points winners. Rain Bengis 112 Third Place Helen Pine 106 If, however, you are multi-talented and com- Myra Resnick 96 pete in 2 or 3 of the categories (slides, prints, Rita Russo 96 PDIs) during the year, all of your points are Carole de Beer 92 counted to determine the Yearly Cumulative Eileen Duranko 90 Combined Points winners. This category is Doreen Rose 86 not open for those members who compete in Paul Grebanier 86 only one of the categories (as listed above). Janna Amelkin 84 Evelyne Appel 82 Jerry Harawitz 82 Prints Hedy Klein 80 Madeleine Barbara 142 First Place Nyla 70 Bill Apple 98 Second Place Dottie Mills 68 Elsa Blum 84 Third Place Dolores Roddy 68 Oggy Doytchinov 66 Donald Ruscigno 48 Ruth Formanek 40 Barbara Berg 22 Sarah Corbin 38 Fonda Charne 16 Marvin Fink 30 Joe Cruickshank 14 Noe Cosme 14 Marjorie Gurd 12 Marilyn Thypin 10 Combined Bob Wine 8 Inna Grubmair 90 First Place Nicole Dosso 84 Second Place Slides George Hansen 80 Third Place Joan Slatkin 124 First Place Elena Pierpont 80 Third Place Marilyn Fish 92 Second Place George Grubb 74 Susan Sigrist 84 Third Place Pierre Henri 12
Fun Facts In Shakespeare's time, mattresses were se- The percentage of Africa that is wilderness— cured on bed frames by ropes. When you 28%. Now get this… The percentage of North pulled on the ropes, the mattress tightened, America that is wilderness—38%. making the bed firmer to sleep on. Hence the
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 8 The Tyranny of Reality parts. Except for whatever elements had been in by Bill Apple your mind’s eye as you conceived the photo, you let go of everything else. My first too-close encounter with graphic arts came in a No Parking sign; I was under 10. It TV commercials come close. You won’t see litter, was a fallen sign my father, then a cabdriver, had passersby, stray signage, or any extraneous flot- picked up on a lark, and it lay in our vestibule sam and jetsam in those 30-second spots. What- for the next decade. ever has been put into the frame got there through someone’s intention. But there was something wrong with the sign. Even a child could see that the green box sur- This kind of “cleansing” and paring away of the rounding the big “No” wasn’t quite square. unneeded and unwanted is perhaps digital pho- Ramrod-straight lines seen from street level tography’s strongest suit: post production and were, on closer inspection, dissolving into crook- the medium’s plasticity. It’s what Photoshop and edness and drippy paint. It looked amateurish. other software does: bending graphic reality to Somehow at that tender age it influenced one our will. The most powerful tools let you sweep boy’s esthetic sense. away undesirable objects with a few clicks.
You see, I was looking at reality that was very far I’m convinced that this esthetic is what’s behind from—forgive me—any Platonic ideal. I always my recent return to black-and-white work. Ar- had thought squares should be, well, square, and guably, color does make some pictures. More of- lines sharp. Couldn’t the sign painter have done ten, however, color weighs a photograph down, better? a garish distraction that binds the eye too liter-
Later, as an adult absorbed by photography, I was able to clarify that esthetic and put it into words: It’s to pull out all stops, to make things beautiful and clean and clear and truer than true; it is to portray something over and above its humdrum world. Ironically, that often involves breaking with reality, then reassembling it.
When a camera captures what it sees, you have not created a photograph. You’re merely present, applying a few grams of pressure on the shutter release, what a surveillance camera does auto- matically. Red or Green? In this black-and-white Your job as photographer, however, isn’t to be a photo, color would be beside the point, mirror or mindless camcorder. Instead it’s to be a distracting even. It’s all about graphics, highly polished, highly focused mirror, adept at lines and curves. (Photo ©2012 Bill Apple, pruning, editing, and serving up only the key all rights reserved.)
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 9 ally and can lead it astray, away from composi- flaws and let a crystalline version of reality tion and a photo’s inherent graphic sensibility. emerge, sing out. We do whatever it takes to Stripped of color, pictures often assume a new, make the world finer visually, to sand sharp razor-like clarity, I have found. corners, play down imperfection. You are not a mirror—you shouldn’t be. Not long ago, I came across two news items to challenge my esthetics. One reported on a 14- You get raw material with the camera. It’s up to year-old girl, Julia Bluhm of Waterford, Maine, you to shape it and make it work. who railed against the flawless, airbrushed faces she comes across in magazines. “They don’t have freckles or moles anywhere on their bod- What is Photoville? ies,” she told a reporter—it made her feel bad about her own skin. So she rounded up 46,000 Photoville is a new Brooklyn-based photo des- signatures on a petition for Seventeen magazine, tination—a veritable village of freight contain- demanding they run one unaltered photo spread ers transformed into temporary exhibition each month. spaces, taking place this summer from June 22nd to July 1st. The other item describes a University of Chicago study of some 3,600 people, who estimated their Photoville will feature a feisty mix of exhibi- body’s type and shape by matching it to one of a tions, lectures, hands-on workshops, nighttime series of printed silhouettes. Their accuracy de- projections, a photo dog run, a camera green- pended on how much they weighed. Those of house, and a summer beer-garden with food normal body weight scored most accurately. But trucks that will create a photography destina- moderately overweight and more obese people tion like no other. And best of all, Photoville is were fairly bad at matching their body types to free for all to attend and participate (beer & the drawings; almost in denial, they always food sold separately). opted for skinnier silhouettes.
Where is Photoville? Occupying more than Clearly, pictures are clashing with reality, and 60,000 sq. feet in the heart of Brooklyn Bridge “psychology” rears up. If you shoot portraits, Park, Photoville will be located on the uplands you’ll know. Most people don’t especially like of Pier 3, along the Brooklyn Waterfront be- seeing their own image, airbrushed or not; it’s tween DUMBO and Atlantic Avenue. Check just not easy to take, for many reasons. And out the website
Photographers should never let personality quirks interfere, whether their own or their por- trait subjects’. Our job, plain and simple, is to fix
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 10 Wanted… Inquiries
Does autofocus work properly if you point the camera at an image in a mirror?
The answer to this question is a definite…yes! (Weren’t you expecting me to say maybe?)
Autofocus is a wonderful invention. It can help you in just about any situation. And, if used properly, it can be more accurate and much faster than manual focusing.
To begin with, you have to know what you are aiming your camera at; in other words, what your camera is focusing on. For example, if you’re aiming your camera directly at a tree, the distance your camera is focusing on is simply the …volunteers to write for the Park West Camera distance from the camera to the tree. Club’s Photo Notes. Could be on a continuing ba- sis or as a one-shot deal. Experience not neces- sary. Enthusiasm is a must-have. Don’t worry about spelling or grammar or the like—our crack editorial staff handles all the details. However, if you are aiming your camera at a tree reflected in a mirror (or a pond, or anything Some suggestions for individual articles or else), the distance your camera is focusing on is monthly columns are: not the distance from the camera to the mirror, rather, it is the distance from the camera, to the • photo magazine reviews mirror, and then to the tree. • photo workshop reviews • Club field trip reviews • photographic gallery reviews • equipment reviews • technical/technique articles • photographic hints and tips • computer hints and tips You must take this distance into consideration • photographic poetry when shooting reflections—especially if you • photography puzzles (X-word, jumbles, want things to be in focus that are near the mir- word-search, etc.) ror as well as things reflected in the mirror. • recipes from Club pot-luck dinners • anything else you can dream up—as Think before you shoot, and set your aperture long as it is photo- or Club-related. accordingly.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 11 Minutes Field Trip—Three successful field trips were by Lee Backer recently completed and three more trips are scheduled. May 21, 2012 Gallery—Nineteen members have submitted (This is a draft copy and has not yet been ap- photos for the Manhattan Borough President's proved by the membership.) Office exhibit. The deadline has been extended to June 11th. The committee will try to accommo- Call to Order—President Paul Perkus called the date a member’s request to hang prints in a meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. New members in specific order. attendance were introduced. House—Please help put away chairs at the end Minutes of Previous Meeting—The minutes of of a competition night. If you leave early, put the April 30th meeting, which appeared in the your chair away. May 2012 Photo Notes, were approved. Membership—Three new members joined Treasurer’s Report—We have a total balance of through the Expanding Visions class. There are $10,050 in the bank, of which $103 is for trips, now 73 active members. leaving an adjusted balance of $9,947. The bud- get for next year was presented. It is based on Newsletter—The next newsletter will be out by having 70 active members. the time of the year-end dinner. All articles must be submitted within the next two weeks. Committee Reports Archives—Images made from the archives will Program—Marilyn Fish-Glynn announced the be available to view online. The committee is judges for the year-end competition. She is re- also working on images for a slide show at the searching speakers for next year. year-end dinner. It would be helpful to have a projector in advance to prepare for the slide Social—Chips and dip tonight. show. Scrapbook-sized archival pages are no longer available. Website—Nothing to report.
Competition—George Hansen asked how many Workshop—No report. Chair not present. images should be entered in the year-end com- petition. He said the current rule that permits 4 Old Business prints, 4 slides, and 4 PDIs unfairly favors mem- Extended Field Trips—There were two extended bers who compete in the Combined category. field trips this year. Chuck and Helen Pine will Many, but not all, members agreed with him. host a reunion for those trips at their apartment After further discussion, the Competition Com- on July 9th. All participants are invited, but mittee was told to set the policy for the number space is limited. Details will be in the next Photo of entries allow-ed. George said the policy will Notes. There are currently no plans for future be to allow no more than four entries per mem- trips. Contact Chuck with suggestions for exten- ber across all competitions (prints, slides, PDIs). ded trips or long weekend trips.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 12 Election of Officers—President Paul Perkus an- Expanding Visions—The group has met twice. nounced the candidates running for office, all There were 58 different people, with 48 people incumbents. They are Paul Perkus, President; Ed shooting, The program collected over $1,400. Lee, Vice President; Myron Galef, Treasurer; Three people became new members of the Club. Helen Pine, Corresponding Secretary; and Lee Backer, Recording Secretary. A motion was made New Business From the Chair and seconded to elect the slate of candidates. The Summer Meetings—Meeting dates were set for: motion passed. Paul announced that Susan • June 25 – TBD. (Suggestions made for June 25 Hoehn has volunteered to assist him with and August 6 were: day trip by bus to administrative tasks. Jones Beach, boat ride, field trip to shoot sunset.) Otto Litzel Dinner-75th PWCC Anniversary-Awards • July 9 – Extended field trips reunion —The dinner will be at the Salmagundi Club. It • July 23 – outdoor model shoot in Central Park will be buffet style and will include wine and at Bethesda Terrace soft drinks. It will be held on June 11 from 6–9 • August 6 – TBD pm. The cost is $40 per person. Doors open at 6 • August 23 – indoor figure study workshop at pm. A continuous loop of images from the Club Camera Club of New York (subject to studio archives will be shown all evening. The buffet availability) will begin at 6:30 pm, and ceremonial activities will start at 8 pm. These activities will include a New Business from the Floor talk by the archives committee about Otto Litzel, Judge Selection Policy —Marilyn Fish-Glynn ex- the presentation of awards to the competition plained her policy in choosing judges. She does winners, and a report from the gallery commit- not give judges rules to judge by, but prefers that tee giving the results of the points garnered by judges use their own criteria. If she considers a the ringer images inserted into the competitions. judge's performance to be poor or incompetent, she does not ask the judge to come back. She ad- Future of PWCC—A committee will be formed to vised members to take scores judges give with a recommend changes to the constitution. Possible grain of salt. Helen Pine mentioned that other topics to be considered are the number of busi- camera clubs have the same problem with ness meetings, “member in good standing,” tab- judges. ling voting on important issues until the next meeting, and having co-presidents. Good and Welfare Marilyn Fish-Glynn—Is anyone interested in a Labor Day BBQ—A location has not been found. field trip to one of the amateur nights at the With past picnics, too much of the preparation Apollo Theater on 125th Street? Tickets cost $12. and provisioning was done by Chuck and Helen. She suggested meeting at 4 pm to photograph in Having a picnic in Central Park with everyone the area and have dinner at 6 pm. She could get bringing food was ruled out because of the up to nine tickets. Three people expressed chance of rain. Catering is a possibility. Myra interest. Resnick will look into the Pier 63 event space. Myra also suggested a boat tour. Myrna Changar—The person who left the May 15th special meeting [about the future of PWCC]
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 13 at the restaurant because he could not hear had a Deadline Extended—MBPO 2012 legitimate concern. Very noisy environments, she by Christine Doyle & Maria Fernandez said, can lead to deafness. She also mentioned Gallery Committee Co-Chairs that she suffers from vertigo and recommended a cure. Our next PWCC exhibit is scheduled for the month of September, 2012, at the Office of the Ed Lee—Brochures for the New England Camera Manhattan Borough President. The title of the Club Conference are available. Some photo- show is On My Block & Around the Corner. This graphy DVDs are available. Others that are out encompasses images taken on the block, street, are due back. or immediate area (“around the corner”) where you live, but each individual artist’s submissions Marilyn Fish-Glynn—If anyone can't attend Ruth should be limited to the same area/location. Gruber's talk on May 24 because of a conflict with Expanding Visions, a DVD about her is Works do not have to be all the same size but available. each individual artist’s work must be matted (ei- ther white or off-white) and framed (simple Adjournment—The meeting was adjourned at black or silver metal frames) in a similar manner. 8:08 p.m. Members are invited to submit up to 6 images each; entry fees are: 1 - 3 images, $10.00; 4 - 6 im- Accessory Quiz ages, $20. Payment, cash or check, should be re- mitted to Christine Doyle or Maria Fernandez by Can you name this photography accessory? the extended deadline, June 11th. No prizes, just a fun challenge! Send your guesses to
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 14 Gallery Watching over 150 exhibitions by Ruth Formanek and Judy Rosenblatt in his 15 year tenure there. Around this We visited more galleries this month than we time, hoping to have space to write reviews. A word of advice: If reach a wider audi- you want to see shows, plan on either those on ence, he also created and around 57th Street, or the ones in Chelsea, or Photo Poche, a series the ones downtown. The bimonthly magazine of small, affordable, Photograph is an excellent guide to the shows. soft cover photogra- phy books—the first Delpire & Co at Aperture Gallery, 547 West 27th of their kind. Street, 4th Floor, through July 19th—by Judy This brief sum- Have you ever heard of Robert Delpire? Before Maurice Baquet mary only suggests the scope of pro- this exhibit, I didn't know who he was and nei- ©1968 by Robert Doisneau ther did Ruth. And I suspect this is true of most jects and activities of the members of the Club. But after viewing engaged in by this this and related exhibits celebrating his life and exceptional man. He seems to combine an innate work, this ignorance is hard to understand. A esthetic sensibility with a tremendous enthusi- visionary French publisher and exhibition or- asm for displaying artwork of quality. An Aper- ganizer, he’s been crucial to the cause of art pho- ture magazine quotes him as saying, “I need to tography, promoting many photographers who do and to make. What I love most, still today— went on to become great masters of our time. when photos are on the table with pieces of blank paper and the making begins. What joy!” Robert Delpire was born in 1926 and lives and still works in Paris. At age 23, as a medical stu- The exhibit at Aperture is like a journey through dent in Paris, he was offered a chance to publish the great photography of the 20th Century. Rep- his school’s semiannual bulletin and trans- resentative works by the photographers Delpire formed it into an art magazine called Neuf. He championed line the walls—Lartigue, Cartier- corralled writers such as Sartre and Henry Miller Bresson, Frank, Josef Koudelka, to name just a to contribute to it, as well as photographers such few. Samples of his books and magazines are as Cartier-Bresson, Brassai, and Robert Dois- presented, along with other projects. Covers of neau. He finally gave up medicine, having Amnesty International calendars reveal his hu- found his real calling, and established Editions manitarian interest. We see commercial posters Delpire, which became a premier publisher of produced in collaboration with his wife, photog- graphic art and photography. In 1958 he pub- rapher Sarah Moon, for clients such as Cacharel. lished Les Americains, the ground-breaking book There are videos and a wonderful full-length of photographs by Robert Frank, then a little- movie of him being interviewed, produced by known Swiss photographer. his wife. He comes across as a generous man who deeply values his friendships with the art- In 1982 Delpire became head of the new Centre ists he's supported—someone you’d really like National de la Photographie in Paris, producing to meet and talk with.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 15 It should be noted that Aperture Foundation, dealt with with its partners, is presenting this tribute to during his Delpire in celebration of its sixtieth anniversary. years at Of course, Aperture has played no small role in the Centre promoting and publishing fine art photography National here in the U.S. de la Pho- tographie. Of the other exhibits in conjunction with this Under one, some are unfortunately closing in mid-June. each pho- We did stop at one of them out of curiosity: an tographer’s Untitled exhibit of Sarah Moon's photography at the row of prints © Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt Howard Greenberg is placed Del- Gallery, 41 East pire’s book on him/her for you to browse 57th Street, to June through. Many of these are from the Photo Po- 16th. Moon’s pal- che series. Though some of these names will be ette is dark and familiar—Doisneau, Marc Riboud—many will somber. Most of her not. So this worthwhile exhibit is full of new dis- prints are toned coveries. Michel Vanden Eeckhoudt? A wonder- black and white; ful Belgian photographer whose photographs of she is not fond of people and animals call to mind Elliot Erwitt, color. She presents but have a humor and pathos all their own. faceless women in Harry Gruyaert? Another Belgian photographer soft focus in a whose urban scenes are almost the only work in world of dreamlike color in the whole show. And many more. These Eva shapes and tones, photographers have ranged far and wide and ©1997 by Sarah Moon and actually used this recorded both the historic moment and the ordi- approach successfully nary street scene with fine photo-journalistic as a fashion photographer. Her prints are dis- eyes. tressed and hark back to photography’s bygone days. Not my cup of tea, but I did find some of It’s interesting to note that, even among the cur- her sharper, scenic prints haunting. rent photographers we cover here, black-and- white work predominates over color. Perhaps Delpire & Co. at The Gallery at Hermes, 691 many photographers agree with Sarah Moon Madison Avenue at 62nd Street; part of the Del- that “…the essence of photography is black-and- pire tribute featuring more contemporary pho- white. Colour is but a deviance.” With few ex- tographers; through July 19th—by Judy ceptions, her husband’s choices seem to reflect this view as well. If you walk through this tres elegante clothing and accessory store and take the elevator to the Ruth’s comments on Delpire: fourth floor, you will come upon a brightly skylit I loved the work of most of the photographers he gallery which is dedicated to photography. Here made famous, his little photo books, and his you will find the work of photographers Delpire larger coffee-table books. Were it not for him, I
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 16 might not know the work of Koudelka or Ri- Fred Stein’s boud or any of the others he has championed. work consists of Sarah Moon’s filmed interview of Delpire is well small silver worth watching and offers much food for prints of the thought about photography. 1930s and 1940s (Stein was born I was less enchanted with Moon’s prints and in Germany, fled bothered by her distressed negatives. Although to Paris after she prints in silver gelatin, which is usually bor- Hitler assumed derless, she adds a border, customary with power, was able platinum/palladium printing, but really unnec- to reach New essary with silver. York City after Central Park Snow WWII began, Josef Hoflehner at Bonni Benrubi 41 East 57th ©1945 by Fred Stein and died in 1948). Street, through July 6th—by Ruth Both his Paris and New York images, This Austrian photographer’s landscapes are especially those of children, are exquisitely pho- large format, silver gelatin, strongly graphic, tographed and printed with humor, gentleness, well composed with details omitted. Images de- and poignancy—reminiscent of Kertesz and rive from Miami, Vietnam, Peru, and other Cartier-Bresson. Among my favorites: a man places. One gets the impression that Hoflehner reading his newspaper in a pushcart, observed (born 1955) left by a child; a girl ‘driving’ a home-made cart with his small in- a real license plate, and a fat woman sitting on a land country, bench with a Yiddish newspaper on her head to traveled and shield her from rain or sun. If the prints look fa- fell in love miliar to you, it may be that you saw Fred Stein’s with other guest exhibition at Soho Photo Gallery a few countries’ ex- years ago. pansive beach, high- Arno Rafael Minkkinen at Friedman Gallery, 515 way, and ocean West 26th Street, through June 29th—by Ruth landscapes. As a result, per- Arno Rafael Minkkinen’s very large exhibit (on Hideaway - Vietnam haps of his ear- two floors) is entitled ‘Performing for the Cam- ©2012 by Josef Hoflehner lier isolation in era: Forty Years of Self-portraits.’ A book of his Austria, a few photos is available at the gallery with an essay photos seem to veer dangerously close to clichés, by A.D. Coleman. Born in Finland in 1945, he has yet their composition is beautiful. lived in the U.S. since 1951. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design with Harry Cal- Fred Stein at Robert Mann Gallery, 210 11th Ave- lahan and Arnold Siskind. Minkkinen has pub- nue near 25th Street, through June 30th —by lished several books and is currently Professor of Ruth Art at the University of Massachusetts.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 17 Minkkinen’s combination of very large body/ In the coming weeks, a retrospective of Del- landscape prints shows him, among other places, pire’s career will be exhibited across four buried in snowdrifts, hanging over precipices; New York venues: Aperture Gallery, The Gal- seemingly walking on a lake, and performing a lery at Hermès, Cultural Services of the headstand (but head is missing) on the hull of an French Embassy, and La Maison Française. upturned boat. In contrast to most self-portraits, Parallel to the retrospective, Pace/MacGill and Howard Greenberg will be showcasing work in honor of Delpire.
parkwestcameraclub.org Bird of Väisälänsaari © 2007 by Arno Rafael Minkkinen Have you checked out the Club’s website re- cently? It has all sorts of new features for you the emphasis is not on the person but rather in to explore. Check out the newly designed the way the body or body parts fit into the land- Field Trips pages. The current issue of Photo scape. Size distortions also play down the em- Notes and all past issues of the Club’s news- phasis of the portrait. Cindy Sherman’s use of letters are available for you to download and her portrait differs from Minkkinen in that she read. The gallery section has winners from expresses a view or an attitude whereas Minkki- our competitions and members’ images. nen’s use of the body is purely graphic. Minkki- nen shoots only one negative, that is, his compo- sitions are staged to be photographed on film and are not constructed in Photoshop. In order to photograph the ‘headstand’ on an upturned boat, for example, he needed to build a contrap- tion to suspend himself upside down. More naturalistic than Photoshop, of course, but also taking much longer. You might want to compare a staged photo with one constructed in Pho- toshop and speculate on the influence of each in Why not assemble a small portfolio of your regard to esthetic value. My take is that they’re work for posting on our site? It’ll give you an equal. Let us know what you think. ego boost the size of Alaska, and it’ll improve the Club’s image as well.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 18 Club Photos
Right—May’s guest speaker, Arlene Gottfried, with some of her published books. Photo ©2012 by George Hansen.
Below—The Archives Committee hard at work. Left to right: Ed Lee; George Hansen, and Bill Apple. Photo ©2012 by committee chairperson, Myrnar Harrison-Changar.
Below—Marilyn Fish-Glynn, Program Committee chair, introducing our three year-end competition judges. Left to right: Rifka Katvan; Don Burmeister, and Moshe Kat- van. Photo ©2012 by George Grubb.
Left—Club member Marvin Fink displaying his Print-of-the-Year winning, Two Girls Walking into Fog. Photo ©2012 by George Grubb.
All PWCC members are urged to submit images for this page.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 19 Otto Litzel Memorial Dinner The all-inclusive cost (complete meal, taxes, and tip) is a mere $40—a bargain these days. This year’s annual Otto Litzel Memorial Year- End Dinner, celebrating Park West’s 75th anni- The Social Committee will be accepting reserva- versary, will be held at the historic Salmagundi tions and collecting payments at all Club meet- Club, which is located at 47 Fifth Avenue, be- ings. You may also send a check to our treasurer, tween 11th and 12th Streets. The date is Monday, Myron Galef, at 345 East 73rd Street, Apt. #8L, June 11th. NY, NY 10021. Please make the check out to Park West Camera Club (or just PWCC, if you’re in a For those of hurry); and please, do not send cash through the us who need mail. Please note: reservations will not be ac- a place to cepted without full payment!!! hang out after work and be- Presentations of awards and other surprises will fore the fes- immediately follow the meal. tivities begin, the club will The Salmagundi Club, in Greenwich Village, is open to us for convenient to public transportation. The down- cocktails (cash town M 1, M2, M3, and M5 buses run right in bar) at 6 p.m. front of the door. The crosstown M8 and M14 Dinner will be (any letter) buses stop at Fifth Avenue and leave served begin- you a short walk to Salmagundi. The 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ning at 7 p.m. and 6 trains, as well as the B, D, F, L, N, Q, R, (more or less). and V lines, all have 14th Street stops that are within two blocks of Fifth Avenue. The dinner will be served buffet style. You may eat as much as you like. On-street parking in the area is difficult, but not impossible (if you’re the lucky type). Parking ga- From past experience, the meal starts out with a rages are available and expensive—after all, it is choice of salads and dressings. This is followed Manhattan! However you get there, subway, by a selection of main courses,(usually there are bus, car, or cab, this is the Club social event of beef, fish, chicken, and vegetarian choices), side the year. dishes (including vegetables ,potatoes and/or other starchy dishes, etc.), and breads and Don’t miss it! spreads. This will be followed, of course, by a selection of desserts and coffee, decaf, and teas.
Soft drinks are available from the bar at no cost. Wine may be included as well—we’re working on it. Other alcoholic beverages, if you like, are on a pay-as-you-sip basis.
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 20 Schedule of Activities ers, echoing through the halls, we’re bound to have a great time. Dinner will be served buffet All Club Monday night meetings take place at style with choices for everyone. The cost is $40 the Soho Photo Gallery located at 15 White per person (cash bar is extra). The Salmagundi Street, between West Broadway and the Avenue Club is located at 47 Fifth Avenue, between 11th of the Americas (6th Avenue) unless indicated and 12th Streets. Buses and subways galore pass otherwise in the listings below. Meeting sites for right in front of the club or are within a walk of a other Club activities are included within the list- few short blocks. See page 20 of this issue of ing. Following the schedule of activities are de- Photo Notes for more details. tailed directions to each of our meeting sites. Tuesday, June 12 Check the Park West Camera Club Website Photo Op—Museum Mile Celebration
An asterisk (*) preceding the date indicates an official Park West Camera Club activity. Other listings included below are Photo Events, which may be of interest to photographers, and Photo Ops, which offer opportunities to take pictures. Thursday, June 14 Photo Op—Flag Day Parade
* Monday, June 11 The 234th anniversary of the adoption of the Otto Litzel Memorial Year-End Dinner American Flag by the Continental Congress in 1777 will be observed in New York City with a This year’s OLMYED celebrates more than just parade. Enthusiastic school children, bands, his- another successful year. It celebrates more than toric and patriotic groups will participate with just the winners and the best of our photogra- American flags of every shape and size. The Pa- phy. It celebrates Park West’s 75th year! The rade will start at 12 noon at City Hall, Broadway venue for this year’s festivities is the historic and and Park Place, proceed south on Broadway, east and beautiful Salmagundi Club. With the names on Fulton Street, turn south on Water Street, then of Chase, Tiffany, and Wyeth, among many oth- north onto Broad Street passing the Flag Day
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 21 Ceremony Stand in Grand Central which includes round-trip train- front of Fraunces fare and admission to Dia for only $31.50/$24.50 Tavern Museum at —you do the math (but just in case, seniors save the corner of Broad a buck, youngsters save $6.50). We’ll meet at and Pearl Streets. 10:30 a.m. (no later) and take the 10:45 a.m. train There will then be to the Beacon station, visit Dia, have lunch, and ceremonies with wander around town, shooting all the time. Our songs, proclama- leader for this excursion is Barbara Berg, 917-972 tions and recitations honoring "Old Glory." -0255 or
* Thursday, June 14 Friday, June 15 Expanding Visions 18 Photo Event/Op—Nature Photography Day Tonight is the fourth field trip/assignment of The seventh annual Nature Photography Day Expanding Visions 18. Tonight’s assignment has will be observed nationally today. This day was to do with radiaTION. This session will take designated by NANPA (the North American Na- place at Coney Island. We’ll meet at the Nathan’s ture Photographers Association) to promote the Famous—at the picnic tables just to the right of enjoyment of nature photography, and to explain the serving counters on Surf Avenue at 6:30 p.m.. how images have been used to advance the Come a little earlier if you wish to sample some cause of conservation and protect plants, wild- of Nathan’s delicacies. life, and landscapes locally and worldwide. In 2006, NANPA celebrated the first Nature Pho- * Friday, June 15 tography Day and placed it in McGraw-Hill's Field Trip—Beacon, NY reference work, Chases's Calendar of Events. Many Beacon is a quaint little town along the Hudson media and websites took notice. Since then, peo- River in southwestern Dutchess County sur- ple throughout the North American continent— rounded by rolling hills and lush greenery. It is from overseas, too—have discovered numerous the home to some 15,000 inhabitants, dozens of ways to observe and enjoy the day. NANPA en- streets filled with hundreds of stores, and Dia, courages people everywhere to start the week- with its renowned collection of art from the end by using a camera to explore the natural 1960s to the pre- world. A backyard, park, or other place close by sent. The mu- can be just right. Walking, hiking, and riding a seum features bike to take photos are activities that don't lead installations of to a carbon footprint. PWCC agrees! works by some of the most sig- Friday, June 15 nificant artists of Photo Op—Fireworks the last half cen- Tonight is the first night of the Coney Island Fri- tury. Admission day night fireworks displays. This free weekly to Dia: Beacon is $10/$7 (seniors 65 and up) and event continues through August 31. The pyrotechnic the MetroNorth fare is $14/$9.25 {seniors). Or, extravaganza starts at 9:30 pm. Best viewing is on the you may purchase a One-Day Getaway deal at Boardwalk from West 10th to West 12th Streets, on the Wonder Wheel, or from Steeplechase Pier. As
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 22 usual, all may be delayed your choice. You may arrive one-half hour early or canceled due to the to load your images in the computer of slide weather conditions (rain, tray—but no earlier, please. These sessions will heavy fog, and/or strong take place at the home of our instructor, Chuck winds) or if a scheduled Pine. [See below for directions.] Brooklyn Cyclones base- ball game runs late. A tri- Saturday, June 23 pod and cable release is a Photo Op—Mermaid Parade good idea but is not Outrageous! That’s the word that comes to mind mandatory (especially if when anyone mentions the Mermaid Parade. you like those wiggly- This annual Coney Island event is celebrating its lined fireworks. Try to ar- 27th Anniversary. Although the parade through rive early to grab a hot dog or two at Nathan’s the streets and on the boardwalk begins at 2 p.m. Famous, to shoot in the amusement parks, and you’ll find better photo chances by getting there to pick out a good spot to do your fireworks around 11:30 a.m., purchasing a press pass for shooting.
Saturday, June 16 & Sunday, June 17 Photo Op—Crafts Festival The 36th annual American Crafts Festival at Lin- coln Center for the Performing Arts will be held again this weekend. See last weekend’s entry for more information.
* Monday, June 18 Executive Committee Meeting The Club’s elected officers (plus the President Emeritus) will meet to discuss the future of the Club including next year’s program. The time $10, and shooting in the staging area. You’ll be and place of the meeting are yet to be deter- able to mingle with the participants as they pre- mined. pare their floats, don their scanty and/or intri- cate costumes, and drench each other with full * Thursday, June 21 body paints of every color and description. Expanding Visions 18 You’ll also be able to shoot the parade of antique cars among many other oddities of the area. Take Tonight is the second review session/critique of the ‘D’ or ‘N’ train to the Coney Island/Stillwell Expanding Visions 18. Please follow the instruc- Avenue station or the ‘F’ or ‘Q’ train to the West tion in preparing your digital images for projec- 8th Street/NY Aquarium station. If you thought tion. Due to the large number of class partici- the Village Halloween Parade was great, you pants, we will have to split into two groups, an ain’t seen nothin’ yet—and this is all in the day- early group at 4:30 p.m. and late group at 7 p.m. light! You must sign up in advance for the group of
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 23 Saturday, June 23 Sunday, June 24 Photo Op—Horseshoe Crabs and Terrapins Photo Op—Pride March Not interested in mermaids? Want to shoot The first Gay Pride March was held in 1970, and something more natural than half-naked (some- has since become an annual civil rights demon- times way more than half) people and lobster stration. Over the years its purpose has broad- costumes? Want to shoot the real thing? Then ened to include recognition of the fight against this one’s for you! The Jamaica Bay National AIDS and to remember those we have lost to the Wildlife Refuge, in conjunction with New York illness, violence, and neglect. This event is free City Audubon, will take a hike around the West and open to the public. The parade begins at 5th Pond in search of mating horseshoe crabs, dia- Avenue and 36th Street, walks south to 8th mondback terrapins coming ashore to lay their Street; then west to Christoper Street and ends at eggs, and shorebirds Christopher and Greenwich Streets. No tickets looking for an easy are necessary. (Special needs seating will be meal. Meet at the the Ja- available near the intersection of 23rd Street and maica Bay NWR Visitor 5th Avenue.) The gathering commences at 11 Center at 10:45 a.m. To a.m. and the march kicks off at 12 noon. register, contact Don Riepe at 718-318-9344 Sunday, June 24 or
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 24 sevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to * Saturday, June 30 West 30th Street (eventually to 34th Street). We Field Trip—River to River will meet, weather permitting, at the intersection The Club is in the shooting stage of a new group of 9th Avenue and 14th Street, in the triangular show entitled, River to River. Today, we’ll be con- park space there, at 7 p.m. After gathering, we’ll tinuing our walk eastward, more or less, along walk west on 9th Avenue a half block to the Harlem’s 125th Street. We’ll meet our trip leader, High Line entrance—there are both stairs and an Rita Russo,
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 25 Sunday, July 8 Photo Op—Obon Dance Festival The Bon Odori dance, a Buddhist ceremony to entertain ancestors as well as show respect and gratitude to them, will be performed as part of the Obon Dance Festival in Bryant Park (6th Avenue and 42nd Street). The exact location is at the Bryant Park Fountain Terrace. The festivities Wednesday, July 4 will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Free. More info? Go to Photo Op—Fireworks
The 36th Annual Macy’s fireworks show will * Monday, July 9 feature more than 40,000 shells exploding at a Field Trip Reunions rate of more than 1,500 per minute and fireworks reaching heights of 1,000 feet in the air. At ap- The Club had two extended field trips this proximately 9:20 pm on July 4th, the 26-minute year—the one-week Alaskan Cruise (plus an ex- display will be set off from six barges positioned tra week in Seattle due to Hurricane Irene’s ef- between 24th and 50th Streets on the Hudson fect on air traffic) and the 10-day driving trip to River. Of course, if you can’t make it into the The Great Smoky Mountains National Park (in- City, or don’t like the crowds, there are fireworks cluding Shenandoah National Park and the Blue displays across the metropolitan area in most Ridge Parkway). Tonight will be a celebration of small towns and municipalities. Many of the both of these excursions. Each trip participant City’s ferry and boat companies will take you to will be showing up to five minutes of their im- be up close and personal with the explosions— ages. Reservations are required to attend this be prepared to get a second mortgage! (;-o) meeting. E-mail
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 26 the Salisbury Plain of England. For Stonehenge, * Monday, July 23 the special day is the summer solstice, when the Club’s Night Out—Model Shoot Sun rose in perfect alignment with several of the Join Ed Lee and Park West at Bethesda Fountain stones, signaling the change of season. For Man- in Central Park on this (hopefully) pleasant hattan, a place where evening matters more than summer evening. Shoot a colorfully costumed morning, that special day comes today, when the model posing with the fountain, terrace, and Sun sets in exact alignment with the Manhattan stairways as background. We'll begin at our grid, fully illuminating every single cross-street usual meeting time, 7 p.m. Sunset is around 8:15 for the last fifteen minutes of daylight. You will p.m. tonight, so we will have plenty of time to see the entire ball of the sun on the horizon—on shoot. You the grid. For best effect, position yourself as far might want east in Manhattan as possible. But ensure that to bring when you look west across the avenues you can along a flash still see New Jersey. Clear cross streets include unit (or use 14th, 23rd, 34th. 42nd, 57th, and several streets your cam- adjacent to them. The Empire State building and era’s built-in the Chrysler building render 34th street and flash) for 42nd streets especially striking vistas. On when it starts Wednesday, the 11th, you will see the entire ball to darken (or of the sun as it sets; on Thursday, the 12th, you if we are will see only the top half of the sun’s circle sit- forced under cover due to wet weather). Tripods ting on top of the horizon. Sunset is at 8:28 p.m. are okay, too. on both days. Be prepared, get to a spot early, and wait for the moment. * Monday, August 6 Club’s Night Out—Sunset Over Manhattan Saturday, July 14 Photo Op—City of Water Join us for our meeting on the East River, the Queens side, in Gantry Plaza State Park. This The Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance presents park is a 12-acre riverside oasis that boasts spec- The City of Water Day Festival. This is a day of tacular views of the midtown Manhattan sky- entertainment, education, and adventure cele- line, including the Empire State Building and the brating our waterfront and its potential. Enjoy United Nations. Enjoy a relaxing stroll along the free boat tours, children's activities, fishing, the park's four piers or through the park's mani- Waterfront Activity Fair, and more! It all takes cured gardens and unique mist fountain. Along place on Governor’s Island. To get to Governors the way take a moment to admire the rugged Island, take the #1 train to South Ferry, the #4 or beauty of the park's centerpieces—restored gan- #5 to Bowling Green, or the ‘R’ or ‘W’ train to tries. These industrial monuments were once Whitehall Street and walk to the Battery Mari- used to load and unload rail car floats and time Building, located at 10 South Street, next to barges; today they are striking reminders of our the Staten Island Ferry terminal, and take the waterfront's past. To get to Gantry Plaza State Governors Island Ferry. Food and rest rooms are Park, take the #7 train into Queens and get off at available on the island. For more info go to the first station, Vernon Boulevard & Jackson
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 27 a.m. to 5 p.m. This event requires tickets; they are $15 in advance. Children under 12 are free. More info?
* Monday, August 20 Club’s Night Out—Figure Study Shoot Tonight we’ll have a figure study workshop. We will have one or more models to shoot. This will Avenue. Exit near the intersection of Vernon take place in the studio of one of our fellow Boulevard and 50th Avenue. Start out going west photo groups— on 50th Avenue (towards 5th Street) and then the Camera Club of New York. Due to the popu- make a right turn onto Center Boulevard to the larity of this workshop the last few years, we park’s entrance. The trip from Times Square will have to not should take less than a half-hour. only set up two shooting sessions Saturday & Sunday, August 11 & 12 (the first at 6:30 Photo Op—Civil War Weekend p.m., the second at 8:15 p.m.), but we Honor the 151th anniversary of the beginning of will also limit the the Civil War by joining the National Park Serv- number of partici- ice and living historians who will provide family pants in each ses- friendly activities, historic weapons demonstra- sion to 12. To re- tions, music, and other programs. Meet the Civil serve your spot, War soldiers and women of Governors Island contact Ed Lee at from the summer of 1863. For more info, visit 212-242-8714 or
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 28 together in a pleasant setting and participating have an evening picnic in one of the city’s many in our second most cherished pastime—eating. parks, or whatever strikes your fancy.
Monday, September 3 * Monday, September 10 Photo Ops—Parades Galore Show & Tell—Summer Photos Today is Labor Day. That means parades. Every This is the first meeting of the new Club season. borough of the City, and many of the surround- It is also your chance to show us what you did ing towns, have Labor Day parades (check your over the summer—Club activities, shots around local listings). But, the big event of the day is the the City, your personal vacation, etc. Slides, West Indian (Caribbean) Day Parade and Carni- PDIs, or prints are fine. Competition rules are val in Brooklyn. Many of the city's roughly 1 mil- not in effect (although PDIs must be sized cor- lion citizens of Caribbean ancestry—along with rectly). Please limit your presentation to no more thousands of neighbors, day-trippers, and tour- than five (5) minutes per person. Don’t miss this ists—observe this raucous celebration of over- opportunity to share and catch up with the rest the-top costumes, fiery food, and pulsating mu- of us at PWCC. sic. If you’d like to get in on the fun, take the #4 Directions to Soho Photo Gallery train to the Utica Avenue at 15 White Street, between Avenue of the Americas/ Station—the parade stag- Sixth Avenue and West Broadway. Take the #1 train ing area radiates from to the Franklin Street station (one stop below Canal Utica and Eastern Park- Street). Walk one block north on West Broadway to way. You should be able White street, make a right turn, and walk half a block to shoot in the staging to the gallery. Take the A, C, or E train to the Canal area for over an hour Street station. Walk south on Sixth Avenue /Church and then continue shoot- Street 3 blocks to White Street, make a right turn, and ing as the parade kicks walk half a block to the gallery. Although a little bit off at noon (all parade longer walk, take any other train to Canal Street, activities end at 6:00 p.m. walk west to Church Street, and follow the directions due to City ordinance, immediately above. Free evening parking is limited, whether or not they reach the final viewing area) but available. and then marches on Eastern Parkway over to Grand Army Plaza. Bring plenty of extra media Directions to the Pine Apartment cards (or color film if you’re still shooting that at 680 West End Avenue at 93rd Street, Apartment way), but go light on the equipment (no tripods, 5D: Take the #1, 2, or 3, trains to 96th Street (exit at etc.). There’s plenty to eat on the sidewalks and the south end of the station) or the M7, M11, or in the restaurants. Enjoy! M104 bus to 93rd/94th Streets. From the train or bus, walk the few steps to 93rd Street, make a right * Monday, September 3 turn and head west to the apartment entrance on the No Meeting—Labor Day corner of West End Avenue and West 93rd Street. Enjoy the Labor Day parades (see the above en- try), go to the beach for that last dip in the ocean,
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 29 Field Trip Reunion The doors will open at 6 p.m. so we can load the images into the computer and the slides into a This past year, the Club had two extended field carousel. We’ll get started with the show around trips—an Alaskan Cruise and an excursion to the 6:30 p.m. Great Smoky Mountains. Now it’s time to share our images from these two trips with the world. This is a Park West event, so do you have to ask if food will be part of the evening?
Each trip participant will be able to share up to Mt. Rainier Pano There is no cost to five minutes worth of images from each trip— ©2011 by Chuck Pine those who attend, but PDIs or film slides. You may show 60 images space is limited and (that’s one every 5 seconds), or just one image reservations will be required. Please email (and talk about it for your entire five minutes),
Summer 2012 www.parkwestcameraclub.org Page 30 In the Mailbag The Soho Gallery for Digital Art is a funky gallery that displays digital images on The Aesthetica Art Prize is hosted by Aes- monitors. One can participate in their group thetica Magazine, an internationally recognised shows or curate your own. One of the current art and culture publication. Aesthetica’s editori- shows is being done thru a meet-up group. You al combines dynamic content with compelling are welcome to attend and see if this is some- critical debate, attracting a highprofile, culturally thing for you. The gallery is located at 138 Sulli- aware audience. Distinguished by its beautiful van Street between Houston and Prince Streets. design and stunning images, the magazine en- The gallery is 2000 square feet on two floors with gages with the arts sixteen 40” digital canvases (that can be custom- both in the UK, ized for any event), as well as aprojector and Europe, and further screen in the 75-seat theater downstairs. a field.
The Aesthetica Art Prize is a celebration of excellence in art from across the world and has de- veloped from the Aesthetica Creative Works Competition. In its new incarnation, the prize offers an even greater opportunity for artists to showcase their work and further their involve- ment in the international art world.
The Aesthetica Art Prize is committed to innova- tion in the arts and we welcome entries from art- Creative Asia is a photographic membership ists working in all mediums. Artists may submit organization focused on nurturing and educat- their work into any one of the four categories: ing photographers and showcasing Asian pho- Photographic & Digital Art; Three Dimensional tography to the rest of the world. Their goal is to Design & Sculpture; Painting & Drawing; and nurture and educate photographers in all parts Installation & Performance. of Asia. Upcoming events are the Annual Crea- tive Asia Confernece and Photography Awards Work submitted must have been produced which will be hosted in Hong Kong. within the last three years. Entries should be an image of the work and should be sent as a high- Anyone interested? Details are available at res JPG, TIF or PDF file. Work submitted must be
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