June

201

0 HPCMONTHLY

© James and BeverlyRubio

EXPO Opening

Wedding

Photography by the

Rubio's

Table of Contents

President’s Corner....................................................................................................................................... 3

Notes from the Second Banana...................................................................................................................4

Editor’s Corner............................................................................................................................................. 5

What's Coming Up aka the Calendar...........................................................................................................6

June 16th Club meeting............................................................................................................................... 6

Review of the May 19th Club meeting......................................................................................................... 8

Announcements...................................................................................................................................8

The SURVEY........................................................................................................................................8

PHOTO EXPO......................................................................................................................................8

Senior Portrait Project ...................................................................................................................... 9

Outing.................................................................................................................................................... 9

Photoshop Class.................................................................................................................................9

Program.................................................................................................................................................9

Member’s Choice................................................................................................................................ 9

Hospital Photographs. Time to refresh.... ................................................................................. 10

Other News................................................................................................................................................ 10

Notes from Brian Taylor's portfol io review................................................................................10

Faces of Hawaii ...............................................................................................................................12

Abstract Only Contest .....................................................................................................................13

July Meeting.......................................................................................................................................13

All content copyrighted by either HPC or the original photographer.

The Hilo Photography Club

is a photography club

based on the Big Island of

Hawai’i, and has been

meeting monthly since

1978. Our members all

have a common interest in

photography and in sharing

their craft/profession/hobby

with others. Skills range

from novice to professional.

We currently have around

50 members from all parts

of the Big Island.

The club holds a meeting

every month in Hilo. In

addition to a business

meeting, we often have

demonstrations, slide

shows from members or

invited photographers,

invited lectures, in-club

photo contests and

exhibits, discussions about

upcoming contests,

photographic technique,

technology, equipment,

digital manipulation,

darkroom, etc. This

monthly meeting is usually

the 3rd Wednesday of the

month, at 7 p.m, at the

Kamana Senior Center on

Kamana St. in Hilo Google

Map .

Hilo Photo Club

Website

Editor

Bob Douglas

333-0402

© Charlene Asato

© Steve Godszak

“Character, like a photograph, develops in darkness.”

- Yousef Karsh

Notes from the Second BananaSteve Godszak

Summer is here once again, Memorial Day has been celebrated, and it's vacation time for many. That means picture taking will be in full swing. So if you're one of these lucky travelers going to far off (exotic perhaps?) places, be sure to come home with plenty of images to share. Travel photos are always welcome and, based on attendance, is the favorite topic at our monthly meetings.

It's EXPO time once again and it looks like there's plenty of great photos to view and enjoy. The process of entering and getting them to Wailoa went very well as did the judging. As a volunteer for take-in, I was happy to hear several of the entrants remark how easy the process had been. Hope to see lots of club members at the reception!

The outing to Green Lake began with a story about its past followed by a walk to the top of a hill overlooking the farms and distant coastline. Our weather began with a few sprinkles, then came a cloudy midday, but ended with late afternoon sun. Talk about diverse lighting conditions! The lake's limited shoreline became a wee bit tight when all of us arrived at its shore. But I don't think anyone went without photographing the area as we exchanged spots. Although there were rope swings and a paddle boat, no one ventured into the water which appeared very shallow. And did I mention mosquitoes? No need! The landscape of blossoming trees and rolling green hills brightened in the late afternoon sunlight. If only I could remember the name of the blue fruit. Amazing!

The word from RoAnn (Kamana Center) is that the seniors "love" their pictures. Apparently many have brought them in to show their friends. Wonderful news.

Mahalo! Steve

© Gene Udwin © Steve Godszak

Aloha All,

The board is still interested in hearing from the members so if you haven't already done so take 5 minutes to fill out the survey at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/H9KBWVR. Thanks to all of you who have provided feedback!

This month I ran into an embarrassing situation. I had asked Steve to send a larger version of an image for the front page and lo and behold I totally spaced out that there was another image that was more appropriate for the front cover based upon the subject of thenext meeting. Hence the birth of “The Back Page”. It's reserved for full page displays of our member's images. Check it out, I hope you like it.

Out there in the far reaches of the World Wide Wasteland there is a true gem run by TED. This week I chanced upon an absolutely eloquent presentation given by Elizabeth Gilbert on the creative process, on being creative. Click here to view the video.

Aloha - Bob

Editor’s Corner Bob Douglas © Charlene Asato

What's Coming Up aka the Calendar...

06/04/10 Opening reception Photo Expo. 5-7 PM Wailoa Center.

06/16/10 Club Meeting - Images due, Open Category club contest

07/15/10 Deadline, Faces of Hawai'i

07/21/10 Results and Judges Comments of the Open Category Competition

07/31/10 Intake Wailoa Center, Abstract Only

08/18/10 Photography by Christian James

09/15/10 Photography by Rick Decker

June 16th Club meetingThe Hilo Photography Club welcomes professional wedding photographers James and Beverly Rubio to present their work at the Wednesday, June 16th membership meeting.

© James and Beverly Rubio

© James and Beverly Rubio

© James and Beverly Rubio

© James and Beverly Rubio

© James and Beverly Rubio

James Rubio, former web developer for UH Hilo of nearly 10 years, discovered his passion for photography in 2007 and began his wedding photography business in 2008 on the Big Island of Hawaii. With no formal training, he quickly became one of the most sought-after destination wedding photographers in Hawaii. Known for his unique and simple off-camera lighting, his work has been featured in publications such as Strobist and Popular Photography.

Born and raised in Hawaii, James shoots alongside his wife Bev and is continuously inspired by the beauty of the Islands, showcasing the natural environment whenever possible. They love creating honest, passionate portraits of couples in love. Together, their work has taken them across the Neighbor Islands and to California with a style many describe as dramatic, natural and intimate. View their portfolio at http://www.jamesrubiophotography.com <http://www.jamesrubiophotography.com> /.

Images are due for the in club Open Category contest so get them ready to bring in to the meeting.

Any subject is okay, any time, as long as you took the picture. Bring 2 images to the June 16 meeting on a disc or flash drive. No entry fees. At the July meeting, the images will be viewed and the judges will make their comments. Bragging rights and ribbons will be awarded to the lucky winners.

To share 15 minutes of your work or to do a demo for Member’s Choice, contact Steve Godzsak, patnsteve@hawaiiantel.net.

Review of the May 19th Club meetingAnnouncements

The SURVEY

In response to member suggestions on our recent survey, we will be sending out most announcements about upcoming exhibition opportunities and other information via yahoo email so that it will not take up meeting time. Also, read your newsletter to stay informed and up to date with HPC activities! The Board appreciates your feedback and we will be working on ideas to give HPC members what they want. Our thanks go to Bob Douglas for organizing the survey.

About 1/3 of the membership responded to the HPC survey and we hope to hear from more of you. Your comments are anonymous. The site address is listed in the Newsletter.

Here are a few of the survey responses:• Would like more competitions.• 87% of the membership enjoyed the meeting presentations.• Some people thought 20 images was enough.• Some people just “want to see more photography”.

• Some members would like to have “how to” techniques taught on outings.• 80% want more educational workshops. Lighting, composition and close-up

photography were mentioned. • Presentations are sometimes too long. We are cutting down to 45 minutes.• Not enough time to socialize.

PHOTO EXPOAndrew says there are still some places left in the workshop with Brian Taylor. If you are interested, please contact Trudee Sieman.

The membership voted in favor of purchasing cordless microphones for meetings.

Senior Portrait ProjectJim Kelly reports that we are finished with what we think will be the first group of portraits. The discs with their pictures will be delivered soon, and we think that when the Seniors share the images with their friends, others will want to do it too. The portraits came out very well; however, the Seniors have requested that we do not show their images to anyone.

OutingLinda Halsted is working on arrangements for us to tour Kukaio Ranch, Saturday, June 26. More information about where to meet and time will be forthcoming via HPC Yahoo email.

Photoshop ClassThe next PS class will be June 29. Bring some of your own images to work on. The classes are offered by Steve Godzsak and Ken Goodrich and there is no charge for HPC members. The classes are held at 6pm in our regular meeting room at Kamana. If you would like to come, bring a laptop with Elements, CS3 or CS4.

Program

Tonight’s program

Steve Godzsak presented the techniques and application of panoramas. Using his own photos as examples, Steve took us through the process he uses to create images in this unusual format.

Stationary objects work best as subjects. Water can appear unnatural due to movement.Steve recommended using a wide angle or standard focal length lens for clarity and sharpness. He prefers a 3:1 aspect ratio. Steve uses a tripod and pano head. He presets his white balance and locks in the aperture and shutter speed, then manually focuses about 1/3 into the scene. He overlaps each vertical image about 30% or more. It isn’t necessary to shoot in RAW.

Using a pano head places the camera at the nodal point that will enable parallax compensation. (This is the point inside the camera where the light rays converge and flip

over.)

It is also possible to do a panoramic close up, and Steve showed us some close ups that he did using his 85mm lens plus 6T closeup lens attached, thus allowingsmall subjects to be photographed at full size or slightly magnified. You can also use a point and shoot camera to make panoramas. On his computer, Steve uses Photoshop Elements 8 and Panorama Maker 4. There are several other kinds of stitching software available including: autopan.net, hugin.sourceforge.net, panorama maker, adobe photoshop, PTGui, www.panoguide.com,www.philohome.com/panotutorial/tutlinks.htm.

Member’s Choice

Following the break for unusually magnificent pupus and socializing, we were treated to Charlene Asato’s slideshow titled “Up Close in the Garden”, photos of flowers and plants. Charlene was not able to be present, but her husband delivered the disc with her images and music by Riley Lee. The effect of images and music was incredible. Charlene took us into the heart of nature with her unique vision and unerring sense of beauty. Many thanks, Charlene, your work was enjoyed by all!

Hospital Photographs. Time to refresh....

OK, it's time to refresh the photos. We have, in total, 20 places for medium to large framed photos - 4 in the ICU waiting area, 2 in nursing administration and the rest in the administration hallway. I was thinking there are 3 large pieces of trees and leaves and 1 large piece by Dr. Pollard those 4 could go up stairs in the ICU waiting area. So really, I'm asking for 16 pieces. Is it ok if we continue to display those 4 pieces in ICU?

Also, the smaller photos that were in the display case in the lobby are now in my office. They can be picked up any time. Just come to HR and tell the receptionist that I said it was ok and they'll show you where to get them. Drop off can also be any time.

Thanks,Elena

Elena CabatuCommunity Relations ManagerHilo Medical Center - Hale Ho'ola Hamakua - Ka'u Hospital1190 Waianuenue AvenueHilo, Hawaii 96720Office: (808) 974-4738Fax: (808) 974-6831

Other NewsNotes from Brian Taylor's portfolio review.

Article by Mary Goodrich, photography by Doug Halsted

Brian Taylor has been teaching photography since 1979. He has always had respect for the “straight” hand-made B&W print and was fortunate to have personal time with Ansel Adams. Although Taylor started out with traditional methods, he soon decided to tamper with his silver prints. He has ripped portions of images out and put other things in; bleached, toned and painted on top of his black and white images. He also uses some 19 th Century processes such as Cyanotype and Gum Bichromate on watercolor paper coated with light sensitive emulsion.

He says he is not a book artist, but he has made some books of his poetry and photographs. When he has exhibited the books, it is not important that the opened page tell the whole story. There is the freedom of an open book showing 2 facing images, to create a bigger story. Taylor tears edges of pages to reveal what is underneath. Sometimes the underlying pages are related, sometimes not. Small bits of dialogue appear like haiku along the margins. Odd juxtapositions of images and words pose questions, but these remain unanswered. The idea for the book is alive before he takes the pictures – the poem comes first and triggers a thought that becomes the image.

Taylor has always been attracted to “places of magic” – the desert, the Pyramids, Stonehenge. The artist Gustav Courbet has said that artists should be of their own time. We should look around to what is happening today.

Brian’s goal is to claim a place (photographically) in his own way. How can we contribute something new to the image that has never been done before? There were 12 of us showing our portfolios and 9 in the Peanut Gallery. Each of the portfolio

photographers talked a little about themselves and their work. Brian then gave about 15 minutes of gentle critique and comment for each body of work. There were some portfolios of related images while others brought work showing a range of ideas. Everyone present was invited to share views on the work being shown.

Brian recommended researching photographers whose work resembled our own. “Keep looking at your heroes.” Some photographers who were mentioned: Keith Carter (gets great shots of NoWhere), RR Jones, Roman Loranc, Linda Connor, Arno Minniken.

A few snippets of Brian wisdom: We all have permission to do whatever we want to do. About that tilted horizon, do what looks good to you. What would you like to do? Go where it takes you…Be truthful.All is fair in the art world. When is telling a lie a problem? Only in photojournalism.

Presentation is so important. The print looks 100% better matted and framed, behind glass. Scale, making the print an appropriate size, is another factor.

It is good to try something you don’t think you want to do. One teacher said, “I want you to fail at a higher level”.

Looking for my own voice, I came to the conclusion of authenticity. Read Rilke’s “Letters to a Young Poet”. Sit with yourself in the dark of night and ask Self, “what must I say?”

Tell women (models) to find their way…and they will. (Thanks, P.)

To BW: You have an eye for quirky moments. Looking for idiosyncrasies of place. You pick out little jewels, unnoticed by others. A great sense of controlled chaos and complexity. Almost a language.

What is it about titles? How important are they? A title steers us to interpretation. This can be helpful as a clue but also may stop us from our own interpretation. Can be limiting. A title should be exactly right or it doesn’t work. “Untitled #2” takes away from the image – not creative. (Don’t you know your own work?) A descriptive title that states the obvious can be cool/neutral, better than untitled.

Photoshop manipulations should be subtle.

We are all conscious of misfires that came out “okay”. (Is this idea good enough that I could do 20 more like it?) Take chances. Throw stuff out.

Questions to ponder:Is there a discernible difference between photographs taken by men and those taken by women? Will young people growing up now know about traditional photography, f stops, etc.?

Are we better off with digital? Or worse? It seems that digital defines the death of the darkroom – but for those who still wish to use alternative and traditional methods, contact Freestyle Photo. Oddly enough, there is a resurgence in 19th century processes.

Brian welcomes questions and communications from Workshop participants and gave his personal email address. He is currently working on a book of poems and images to be published by Modernbook.

Faces of Hawaii Hi Art Magazine and ID Space announced the 3rd annual Faces of Hawaii Portrait Competition that will have an exhibition and also a book of selected entries. Juror for this competition is Kapulani Landgraf, Instructor of Photography and Hawaiian Visual Art at Kapiolani Community College. The deadline is July 15. For more details and a prospectus, go online to www.hiartmagazine.com

Abstract Only ContestWailoa Center announced the “Abstract Only” show which takes place every other year. Intake of work is 7/31 from 10am to 3 pm. Entry fee is $15 per photo, 3 maximum. The show will be up from August 7 – 26.

July Meetingby George JensenFor our July program at the club meeting, we are going to show the results of an in club photo competition. The comments made by the judges will be read and discussed. If everyone likes this type of format, we intend to do this on a quarterly basis so let the board know what you think. The rules for the competition are as follows.

1. Each member can enter up to two images. Bring your images on either a flash drive or a cd to the June meeting.2. The category is Open meaning any subject is ok. The images don't have to be recently taken. Put in your best shots. Even scanned slides are ok.3. June club meeting is the entry deadline.4. Images must have been taken by the person entering.

Pretty simple so let's have a good turnout and have some fun with this.

HPCMONTHLY The Back Page

© Steve Godzak