Hi Everyone,

I trust you are all having a wonderful summer and taking advantage of our beautiful weather, to get out and enjoy yourselves.  I have seen a few images on Facebook that appear to have been taken on our clubs recent field trip to the coast.  Always a great place to visit and take photographs.  

I want to congratulate Adrian Mendoza for his Best in Show image from our last competition. His view of a meeting between then Sheriff Giordano and a fire survivor on a Day of Remembrance was truly a strong and compelling view of a very sad time.  

I want to also congratulate our members who entered images in the Four Seasons of Sonoma County Photography contest.  Timothy Allen, Lucy Aron, Guy Miller, Steve Muench and Ronnie Rosenbach.  If I missed someone’s name I truly apologize.  The images selected will be displayed on screens during the playing of Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, performed by the Santa Rosa Symphony at the Green Music Center.  Congratulations to all of you.  

Please don’t forget, Phil Hann and Dick Weston will begin presenting an Introduction to Photoshop Layers at our next program night on July 25th.  The presentation will take place from 5-6 PM just prior to our regular program night.  No laptop is required, just bring yourself.  The program night is Jak Wonderly presenting on Developing Portfolios. If you are not familiar with Mr. Wonderly’s work please visit his website www.jakwonderly.com  and you will see what an amazing photographer he is.  

On Monday evening I had the opportunity to attend the Marin Photo Club’s print competition with Marv Siegel.  I hadn’t been to a print competition before, so as a member of a club who doesn’t do print competition, I was eager to see how it went.  The following is from the Marin Photo Club website:

“Creating a print image presents a new and more complex challenge to the photographer. The digital image now needs to be translated onto a photographic paper, where small flaws which may escape the eye on a projected image are now noticeable.  Choice of paper, calibration between monitor and printer, and the maker’s choice of mounting and presentation are all factors in the success of the print.  Winning prints from this competition move on to the monthly competition of the Northern California Council of Camera Clubs (N4C).”

I was amazed at the excellent quality of the prints submitted by all levels of photographer. The prints are submitted on mats with a minimum size mat being 11×14 and the maximum size 16×20.  The prints can also be presented mounted directly on to foam core.  The images are placed on an easel with a light directed on the image to enable proper viewing.  The same categories we have are in place for the print competition.  I noticed immediately the judge went right up to each image and got a very close look.  Not something we do with projected images.  During a break I went and looked at some of the images and I can see why the close look is necessary.  The amount of detail in most of the images was incredible.  I truly enjoyed my visit and time at this print competition.  

One other item about the Marin Club and something that perhaps we can discuss for our club. In addition to each of the competition categories we submit, they have an alternate subject.  This night it was “Wheels.”  The images don’t get forwarded to N4C but they are good for club points.  There is a different alternate topic each month.  For more information on Print or Alternate image presentation please contact Marv Siegel when you see him at our meetings. He is a member of both clubs. Thank you Marv for bringing me along.

During my tenure as a member of SRPS I have seen many judges both good and not so good.  With this in mind I want to tell you about the judge for this print competition.  Her name is Ouliana Panova Ph. D.  She is a new judge for N4C and just finished the judges’ course.  What impressed me with this judge was the enthusiasm she brought to each and every image she judged.  I can only describe her comments by comparing her remarks about an image to the manner in which Chef Gordan Ramsey describes each food item as a thing of beauty as he uses them in a dish he prepares.  Her comments were on point, she took her time, and when there was a flaw or problem, she felt detracted from the image, she addressed it in such a way so everyone could learn and not feel slighted in anyway.  If we ever have the opportunity to have her judge our competition, I am certain you will be amazed at what she brings to the table.  

OK, I know I was a bit wordy today, but I am off to the Midwest and the East coast for a couple of weeks and won’t be at the next meeting.  

Be well and keep shooting,

Mike