Share Moments - Share Photography November 2011 Volume 4, Issue 3 A great start to the 2011 - 2012 club year! A Message From President Ron Meyers Lake County Camera Club (LCCC) membership continues to grow. We are at an all time high for the start of a new club year. I wish to extend a hardy "Welcome" to the new members and look forward to the value that their talents and participation bring to our club. The October 2011 internal club competition was a good example of how we have grown in both talent and participation. With a number of members competing for the first time, both the quantity and quality of competition images was very impressive with 163 images entered by 55 makers. That's a 19% increase in image quantity and a 17% increase in makers from the October 2010 competition. LCCC also continues to do well in the Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association (CACCA) competitions since being promoted to an "A" class club. In the October 6th CACCA competition LCCC earned 3 Honorable Mentions, 2 Awards, and a "Best in Show". In CACCA's recent DPI Special Category "Artist Escape" competition, LCCC accounted for nearly half of the images and awards. LCCC had 20 members participating with 8 members earning recognition. Overall LCCC claimed 3 of the 7 Awards and 6 of the 12 Honorable Mentions. The 2011-2012 agenda for program nights and excursions looks to be very promising. I anxiously anticipate these events and expect that they will be heavily attended. The LCCC Long Term Planning Committee was also kicked off on October 12th. The Long Term Planning Committee has already developed a very aggressive agenda for both future events and club improvements. I was extremely impressed by the attendance to the kick off meeting and look forward to the additional member participation to generate and implement ideas. The continued increase of membership, talents and member participation is exactly what our club needs moving forward. It provides the Lake County Camera Club firm footing to provide a platform of learning, networking, events and activities to area photographers. Dates To Remember Inside This Issue October 29 CACCA Individual Creative DPI Due October 29 CACCA Individual “Video Clips” Due Mick’s Picks 3 October 31 LCCC Leaves Challenge Due 4 Rules of Composition 4 November 3 Program Night - Mounting and Matting It’s OK to Break the Rules 6 November 5 Photo Excursion: Sunrise Shoot Visual Balance in Composition 7 November 5 PSA Photojournalism and PSA Travel DPI Due Competition Winners and HM 9 November 19 Shutter Café Please joint us! Who Was Up To The Challenge 14 November 20 CAPS (Chicago Area School of Photography) Accolades and Achievements 15 November 22 Club DPI Due Life is a Puzzle With No End Pieces 16 November 22 CACCA Individual “Striking” DPI Due CACCA Competition Results 16 © Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor. Exposures - November 2011 Volume 4, Issue 3 Page 2 Composition 2011—2012 The theme of this issue is composition; the proper framing and structure of a photograph. A beautiful Board and Committee image will fill the frame, eliminate distractions, and have a pleasing geometric flow within the frame. For right-brained photographers this may seem like an Board Members easy task. Left-brained, techno-detailed photographers may not be able to “picture” a beautiful President Ron Meyers image quite as easily. President Elect John Williams This issue is filled with beautiful images and provides many wonderful Secretary and Vice President , Margie Hurwich examples of proper composition. The winning images in this issue are Communications from our very own club members whom shared their vision during the Vice President, External Operations Jim Ross October competition night. Pay careful attention to the way each of Vice President, Internal Operations Bill Sullivan these photographers filled the frame, reduced unwanted distractions and created a pleasing flow which leads your eye deep into the photograph. A Plug for a Prime Lens Committee Chairperson Most of us realize that a better lens doesn’t always mean a better CACCA Representatives Jim Ross photograph, but there may be some truth to this. A prime lens is a Bob Kruzic Linda Kruzic fixed focal length lens, like 24mm, 50mm, or 85mm. When you attach Ron Meyers a prime lens to your camera, you really have to think about your Bill Sullivan composition. Not being able to zoom in and out really makes you Competition Chair Bob Kruzic concentrate on the elements in your image. If you don't like what you Continuing Education Coordinator Jim Ross see, you need to relocate and recompose. The act of physically DPI Competition Coordinator John Williams moving your body connects you more with your environment, the elements and the image you are trying to capture. You will read that Facilities Coordinator Bill Sullivan every photographer needs at least one prime lens, depending on what Hospitality Desk Margie Hurwich he or she gravitates to in terms of subject matter or aesthetics. Judge Procurement Mike Jordan There are other reasons why you should use a prime lens. Jim Ross Pat Turner A primary lens can also be used to create a wonderful ‘bokeh’ effect, Long Term Planning John Williams thanks to their great optical construction and to the choice of using Membership Coordinator Terry Ferguson very wide apertures. Prime lenses are very sharp. If sharpness is what Newsletter Editor Ken Johnson you are seeking, then primes will be great for you. The quality of their optics will provide you with some very clear pictures and they will be Photo Excursion Coordinator Margie Hurwich great for composing portraits. Many professional photographers use Program Coordinator Paul Kurek only prime lenses because of the superior image quality. PSA Representative Michelle Cox As with every other photography tool, and aspect of a simply beautiful Treasurer Jim Ross photograph, you must never stop experimenting, learning the rules, Webmaster Don Chen bending the rules and most importantly, having fun along the way. John Rouse Yahoo Group Moderator Margie Hurwich We are proud members of the Visit our website Photographic Society of America and the www.lakecountycameraclub.org Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association. We meet the first Thursday of every month at: 418 N. Prairie Avenue, Mundelein, IL 60060 Our mission is to promote, teach and share the ideals, skills, techniques and Questions or comments about this newsletter? good practices of the art of photography and the use of cameras and Please contact Ken Johnson, Newsletter Editor at photographic equipment. [email protected]. © Lake County Camera Club. No material may be reproduced in any manner without written permission of the Newsletter Editor or the material’s specific contributor. Exposures - November 2011 Volume 4, Issue 3 Page 3 Mick’s Picks 2011 - 2012 CACCA Schedule By Michelle Cox Special Category Glorious November is here and with it comes many photography opportunities. Besides the stunning and at times dramatic fall Individual DPI Competition sky, family gatherings, football games and harvest festivals provide opportunities for family and photography. Many communities have November Video Clips their tree lighting ceremony on the weekend after Thanksgiving. Grab (Total length less than 3 min.) your camera and capture lasting memories to share with your loved December Striking ones. The family photos you shoot this month will help preserve your January Black and White + one color family memories of special times spent together. Who knows in 60 February High Key Photo March Fabulous Flakes years when someone is exploring their genealogy, your photo could April Structures of Life be a tool they use to research their history! I hope to see many May Clouds family filled photos this month! CACCA conducts seven Special Category Head over to the Wade House, Greenbrush, WI (located about 60 competitions during the year as an individual Class of competition. Subject matter of entries in each miles from Milwaukee, WI) for fall foliage as well as historical monthly competition is restricted to the pre- photography opportunities. This historic site has the Wade House (a announced category for that competition. Images stagecoach inn), the Herlling Sawmill and Welsey Jung Carriage may not have been previously entered in a CACCA Museum. If you plan on going on November 12, you can sign up for a competition. hearthside dinner. Be sure to call about getting on the grounds the All entries must follow the standard DPI naming day you wish to go. More information is available at: and sizing requirements. Submit your entries to: [email protected] http://wadehouse.wisconsinhistory.org/Explore/ExploreMap.aspx Looking for something unique to take photos of? Combine a Sunday drive with your desire to capture interesting images. Take time to find the barns of Racine or Walworth County, WI decorated with quilts and shoot away! Barn quilting is a fun way to instill pride in our rural area. According to the articles I've see, the barn owners are happy to share their barns with you. More information is available at: http://www.quiltsonbarns.com/ or http:// walworth.uwex.edu/agriculture/barn-quilts Interested in a faster paced activity with lots of challenge? Get your thinking cap on to capture photos of high jumping, fast running dogs in action at Wisconsin/Illinois Agility Club's AKC Trials on November 19th and 20th at the Libertyville Sports Complex, 1950 N Highway 45, Libertyville, IL. Trials run from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. This activity will challenge all photographers. I've provided a link to the club's photographer so you can take a look at their photos .