...I am an "unabashed nature photographer - birds, landscape, water, macro, animals."
...I enjoy seeing others work, sharing my own work with them, learning about the techniques/software/etc others use, having the opportunity to teach others about what I do.
I am an abashed nature photographer
- birds, landscape, water, macro, animals.
Digital photography has opened up vistas, I can take MANY pictures and weed out the failures, Photoshop has allowed me to make them as much or as little as what I saw. Embellishment is wonderful (in some cases)!!!
..."The magic, if it exists, is between the photographer's brain and eyes."
...By belonging to our club, I can learn from good photographers and get feedback on my photos.
I have many (photographic interests), and have tried a number of innovative things. I do "tabletops," but not in the usual sense. I have enjoyed macro photography. Among my special interests have for years been "making" photos, using backlighting, patterned glass, and gels.
What excites me about photography now is the entire digital revolution.
“What photo equipment do you use and recommend?” - I don't think this is the question to ask. Any equipment that fits your purpose and budget is OK. The magic, if it exists, is between the photographer's brain and eyes.
..."I am intrigued with black and white photography..."
...Photography is enjoyable because of the challenge of managing the many variables of camera settings, lighting, composition, and subject. I am intrigued with black and white photography because of the challenge of finding scenes that work well in black and white.
The reason I am a member of Portland Photographic is that is helps me improve my work through seeing the work of other amateurs and getting their input and ideas on photography.
..“What excites me…is composition which is the sum of the parts of an image and how it interacts to convey a feeling.”
...Benefits of belonging to a camera club - I think that being able to exhibit your work is important in any art form and photography is an art form. It is important to have other people show interest in your work and indicate how great it is and also how it might be improved. You will learn from others who have years of experience with film and digital photography. Also, field trips and seminars are an additional enjoyment for those belonging to the Portland Photographic Society.
Many years ago I was doing 35mm black and white film photography and after years of not doing photography I became interested in digital photography because of the excellent control you have over the image with computer programs such as Photoshop.
What excites me about Photography is composition which is the sum
of the parts of an image and how they interact to convey a feeling. Images are composed of line, edge, shapes, value, color, and texture which need to be controlled in order to present the kind of image that
is meaningful to you. Photoshop goes a long way in accomplishing
this objective.
As far as digital cameras are concerned I think that it is very useful to show how they fall into three categories:
1. Point and Shoot (small compact camera)
....Sensor approximately 8x7mm
2. Through the Lens (interchangeable lens and 1.6 cropping
factor)
....Sensor 16x24mm
3. Through the Lens (interchangeable lens, full frame sensor,
.....same as 35mm film) Sensor 36x24mm
Point and shoot cameras can give excellent results but need to be used at low ISO values or noise will be a problem. In my experience through the lens cameras with 1.6 cropping factors may be used at high ISO values including 800 and 1600 and enlargements may be made up to 11x17in or even 13x19in with excellent results. Although through the lens cameras with full frame sensors would appear to be the ultimate, there are some problems associated with this type of camera. Larger lenses are needed to fill the larger image sensor and vignetting can be a problem. Also, expensive high quality lenses are necessary to take advantage of the large sensor size.
...“…creating a journey within the picture…is what I greatly care about."
...When I moved to Portland from a comparatively rural area in the Northeast five years ago, it was a thrill for me to find a photographic resource such as the Portland Photographic Society so close to where I live.
Having been a keen black-and-white darkroom enthusiast since my early teens, I turned to digital photography after a robbery left me with no photographic equipment at all! I was two weeks into digital technology and struggling when I found the Portland Photographic Society. What a stroke of luck that was! Besides the benefit of meeting a great bunch of people that I would not otherwise have met, the group became a source of expertise, inspiration, and knowledge. Regular meetings provide a chance to view the varied and exciting work of others so much more expert than myself and give me a reason and impetus to aspire to new levels.
For me the fun and challenge of composing the abstract qualities of a picture and creating a journey within the picture for the eye of the viewer to follow, are what I greatly care about, whatever the subject matter. Presently I have been fascinated by the ability of the camera to reveal details of insect anatomy not otherwise visible to the naked eye by shooting with a close-up setting and cropping as much as possible.
I use two cameras - my original digital camera which is an excellent advanced-compact camera-FinePix E550 and my more recent purchase, which is a Canon Rebel XTi. I have only the lenses that came with those cameras but the variety the world presents is endless!
....“...because digital allows so much control and creativity, I have fallen in love with photography again.”
....At PPS, the quality of the photographs is very high. The club keeps me on my toes and exposes me to new ways of seeing.
I usually photograph parts of nature rather than grand landscapes, and I’m going back to photographing people much more.
Digital has reopened photography to me. I’ve been taking pictures all of my adult life, but because digital allows so much control and creativity, I have “fallen in love” with photography again.
I recently bought a Canon digital SLR after using Nikon film cameras for years. I use PhotoShop and make ink jet prints.
....I prefer to photograph “the natural environment, from bugs and flowers to mountains.”
....The club meeting is a great place to learn photographic techniques and to share ideas. I come away from each meeting knowing my time was well spent and I don't feel intimidated when my work is critiqued. And, the members have so much knowledge to share!
My photographic interests are mostly landscapes and macro. I prefer to photograph the natural environment, from bugs and flowers to mountains.
What excites me about photography now is digital, with its almost endless versatility and challenges. I have converted almost entirely to digital, using a Pentax K10D but I still play with my old Rolleicord with its larger black and white format.