Categories: Pictorial, Journalism, Creative, and Critique/Feedback
The Zoom portal opens at 6 pm and the meeting starts at 6:30.
About Len Cook…
Biography:
Welcoming studio and location assignments since 1973 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Len Cook has 47 years of professional experience (more than a QUARTER-MILLION frames of film exposed and personally developed!) as a photojournalist, chief photographer, and director of photography with a staff of 13 full-time photojournalists. He subsequently turned to commercial photography as a studio owner/operator.
Added to his extensive film-based experience is 10 years of experience supporting computer applications like Adobe Photoshop. Len knows software! He has earned the Adobe Certified Photoshop Instructor credential.
Len is now noted primarily for his willingness to share his experience and knowledge through private mentoring, 7+ years college lecturing as well as 10+ years of City of Fremont community education classes. Before closing his studio recently, Len taught more than 200 sessions for his 2,000-member Meetup group.
Philosophy:
Decades ago, presented with work I didn’t understand by a staff photographer I trusted, I learned to observe rather than judge, to learn rather than decide, to open my mind to discomfort rather than leave it smugly closed. In looking at work offered in competitions I bring that same approach. With it I also understand that participants expect feedback. I offer my personal view, the view through my eyes of the work: “Here’s what I see.” I find its strengths to praise. In many cases I see opportunities for improvement, and offer a bit of coaching. Finally, I am almost always silently ambivalent about the results hierarchy I must provide. I see much good work.
The February 23rd program meeting begins with a Member Moment by Mike Funk. Mike will also tell about creating a slide show. Thank you Mike!
We will then share images of WATER submitted by our members.
Please submit up to 5 water images to the WATER Gallery. You may include camera settings in your title. Title should include your last name, number 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 followed by the image title and camera settings if you wish – not to exceed 200 characters.
Goat Rock at low tide
https://www.sonomacounty.com/outdoor-activities/goat-rock-beach
This trip is scheduled for 10 am on 2/13. Low tide is about 11. Low tide gives us a great deal more real estate to shoot to the north and south. Targets of opportunity include tidal pools, jagged rocks, driftwood and pinnipeds. After shooting, we can meet at 1 pm at Koalas in Guerneville for lunch. If the weather is really cruddy, I will notify you and the trip will be postponed until the next day.
Armstrong Woods
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=450
The date is 10 am on 3/8. The area is recovering from the fires and we should see new growth after all the rain. This is truly a great area to go wide or macro. There are vistas to cover as well as small critters and flowers under foot. After shooting, we can all go up to Guerneville for lunch at El Barrio at 1pm.
Categories: Pictorial, Nature, Travel, Monochrome, and Critique/Feedback
The Zoom portal opens at 6 pm and the meeting starts at 6:30.
About Lisa Rigge…
Biography:
Lisa began taking photography courses at the MIT Photography Lab in Cambridge, MA. Once in CA, she continued her photography studies at Chabot College, UC Extension Santa Cruz, and PhotoCentral. Her photographs have appeared in LensWork, The Sun Magazine, and Burningword Literary Magazine.
Philosophy:
Lisa’s background is in Adult Education. She’s taught photography, along with many other subjects, to adults for decades. Thus, she approaches judging as a teacher, believing that first and foremost, everyone needs to be encouraged in their photographic journey. She tries to use a different approach when judging the beginners’ and the more advanced members’ work. She feels beginners absolutely need to know what they are doing well, and the more advanced photographers may need to find ways to further refine their work. It’s important to her that she be able to
recognize what the makers were trying to capture when they clicked the shutter button in order to make the best judgements on their photographs. Lisa also believes that photographers view their photographs as a means of selfexpression first, and any need to impress the judge, second. The photographers always have the last word on their work. Hers is just one of many opinions.