CAPTURE. your passion with Maroondah Photographic Society. Cover image by Vanessa Bluett Forest for fairies. October 2017 Issue No 167.

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1 CAPTURE your passion with Maroondah Photographic Society October 2017 Issue No 167 Cover image by Vanessa Bluett Forest for fairies Page 1

2 We ve got a busy couple of months coming up. Here s a rundown of what you need to be thinking about. November tasks Wednesday 1 November Club meeting at NRCH. Bring with you: 1 Your audio-visual entry on a USB Please give it to Helen, or her on compsteward@mpsociety.org.au to make other arrangements. The rules regarding the AV comp are on the website. All entries will be judged at out Club meeting on Wednesday 15 November. The rules are on page 25 of this newsletter and also in the members area of the web page. 2 Prints for the Maroondah Festival See page 4 for more details. 3 Your end-of-year competition images Open and task images Members may submit up to two prints and/or EDIs that have been accepted in any of the respective nine monthly print and/or EDI competitions for this calendar year. Note that they do not have to be winning entries, but they must be entries that you have submitted in the open or task competitions during B&W images For the B&W comp, members may submit one B&W print and one B&W EDI that have been accepted in any of the respective nine monthly competitions for this calendar year. Again, they do not have to be winning entries, but they must be entries that you have submitted in the B&W comp during Jack Milton Memorial landscape or seascape (EDI only) Each member may submit up to two images. Full details are at clause 9 of the MPS Competition Rules. Folio set of three prints This year s task is At Ringwood Lake. Each member must submit a set of three prints (not EDIs) that feature Ringwood Lake. All EDIs must be submitted by midnight on Wednesday 1 November. Sunday 12 November Maroondah Festival. This is one of our big chances to show the public how good we are. See page 4 for more details. Wednesday 15 November This Club meeting is our annual audio-visual competition. The AV comp is judged by the members present on the night. Each person will be asked to award up to five points each for the quality of the production, the images and the sound. It s a light-hearted night at the movies. Get dressed up. Walk the red carpet. Page 2

3 Upcoming calendar see also Newsletters Capture If you have any suggestions for articles, for this newsletter, please Click here to access past editions. VAPS Newsbrief Click here to read the latest VAPS Newsbrief. APS Free Expressions Click here for the latest edition of the APS Free Expressions magazine. Page 3

4 End of year breakup Our Christmas breakup will be held on Wednesday 6 December at The Canterbury Room, Kilsyth Club Corner Canterbury and Colchester Roads, Kilsyth This evening is more about socialising with your fellow club members than anything else. Although the competition images will be judged, they will not all be critiqued by the judge on the evening. They will, however, be on display. The cost is $42 each for a three-course meal. Please either pay Shane directly at a Club meeting, or pay into the Club bank account (putting your surname in the deposit details). The bank account details are: BSB: (Bendigo Bank) Account: This year s Maroondah Festival is on Sunday 12 November at Town Park in Croydon (behind Arndale Shopping Centre). Please bring your matted prints to the club meetings on 18 October or 1 November. Your prints do not have to have been entered in any competitions just bring along any of your prints that you think people might enjoy looking at. One of the highlights of the Maroondah Festival is that we ask visitors to vote for their favourite image, and the person whose name is drawn out of the hat is allowed to keep the image. Therefore, if you put an image in, there is a chance that you might not get it back. Tips and tricks Episode 2 introduces you to Lightroom tools and lens correction. And if you are feeling extra adventurous, go to episode 3, which covers processing a black and white image. If anything is not clear, please make a note of it, and bring it along to the next Club meeting. Someone there WILL be able to help you. Page 4

5 Special Interest Groups reports Urban Landscapes Twelve keen and enthusiastic urban landscapers met at Montsalvat on Sunday 14 October. After meeting at 10:00 am we set off around the Artists Colony. Fantastic opportunities with stained glass windows, ages buildings, spiral staircase and beautiful antique furniture. A special guest, the Montsalvat lyrebird, arrived and paraded beautifully for the cameras. With memory cards full, with such ease, we headed for the outside coffee lounge for a delightful morning tea. A very worthwhile photo excursion. To all the members who rang or replied by before the excursion, it was much appreciated. A special thanks to all those who have uploaded images to the website or sent to Ross. Great work! Our next meeting will be in November in Dromana. Trevor Smithson The door Montsalvat Dual HDR walkway Page 5

6 October comp winners Congratulations to the following members, who achieved first place in the October open task and black and white competitions. See these and our other competition images at A-grade prints Seagull by Barry Kearney B-grade prints Swanny River by Mon Gan Page 6

7 October comp winners... A-grade EDIs Boy in blue shirt at NGV by Barry Kearney B-grade EDIs Spiny-cheeked Honeyeater on Desert Grevillea by Mark Smith Page 7

8 October comp winners... A-grade B&W prints Beauty by Barry Kearney B-grade B&W prints Bath birds by Mon Gan Page 8

9 October comp winners... A-grade B&W EDIs Homeless 1 by Nalini Scarfe B-grade B&W EDIs Pied Kingfisher by Mark Smith Page 9

10 Dear Abby Question Answer How do I shoot light trails? Light trails are what we call the appearance of lights streaking through an image, such as the lights from a moving car or the stars in the sky. The effect happens when some kind of light source moves across your cameras field of view while the shutter is open. Click on the link at the bottom of the page to read how to capture light trails, the best exposure settings, rules of thumb, and some tips. : Page 10

11 First Friends of Dandenong Creek Here are some images taken at various outings with the FFODC. Their Facebook page is at: Community outreach You can see some of the photos we have taken at: The events planned by the First Friends are on our web calendar. Tyr to come along to some of them if you can. They are adding enormously to the benefit of our community. Page 11

12 Digital Photography by Barry Kearney In this extract from Barry s book on digital photography, we cover five of the elements of composition light, point of focus, blur, position of objects in the photo and the rule of thirds. The next extract will cover the remaining three elements of composition leading lines, camera position and distractions. Composition When you want to take a photo, you decide on the subject, think about how you want it to look, think about the available light, decide the Camera Mode to use, choose the appropriate settings, then you compose the image. Look through the viewfinder or screen and find the image that tells the story you want. There are a number of guidelines to consider when composing a shot. Light As mentioned, photography is all about painting an image using light. So you must have a good think about the available light every time you take a photo. Light comes in many forms. Sunlight is a major source, but it can vary greatly e.g. on a cloudless sunny day the light is much different to a dark cloudy day, or even a day of moderate cloud. The sunlight at dawn or dusk is very different to the middle of the day. Even before and after dawn can give very different light. The period before and after sunset is called the golden hour. It probably lasts about 2 hours. During this time the light is much softer than any other time, and it can also have wonderful red, gold blue and yellow hues. The sunset below was taken at 8pm in late October f/16, ¼ sec, ISO 100. There is an old theory that you should always have the sun behind you taking photos, and never have the sun facing you. Of course when taking outdoor portrait or family shots, having bright sunlight shining directly into the subject s eyes is not helpful. Sometimes having low sunlight backlighting a person s hair can give a very attractive effect. This can be balanced by using fillflash on the front of the subject. Back light shining on and through flowers, grass and trees can also make a great photo. Point of Focus When taking a photo, you always identify the main subject matter, and usually you make sure that you focus on that area. If taking photos of people or animals, even insects, the best result is usually attained by focusing on the eyes. Depth of field is relevant to point of focus. Landscapes usually involve maximum depth of field. So a small aperture is normally used to get maximum DOF. Wide Angle Lenses are most Page 12

13 Digital Photography by Barry Kearney... commonly used for landscape shots. Focussing about 1/3rd of the way into the shot usually gives the best DOF for landscapes. Blur Deliberate background blur or bokeh is achieved by using a large aperture i.e. smaller f/number. Blur is normally used for portraits or macro photography. It means that all attention is on the image, which otherwise may be lost. All the shots below were taken with a macro lens, and show blurred background but very sharp focus on the insect. Position of objects in the photo You can place a subject anywhere in a photo. But sometimes where you place a subject can improve or damage the final image, e.g. some photos of buildings are best taken with the building or subject exactly in the middle. The following two architectural shots have the image exactly centred. Page 13

14 Digital Photography by Barry Kearney... Old Melbourne Gaol Melbourne Arts Centre spire Portraits may sometimes be taken with the subject centrally placed. When objects are moving it is usually be best to have space in front of them to give the impression that they have somewhere to go. The horses on the left look as though they are about to collide with the frame. The motocross rider on the left looks much better than the same photo cropped with him almost leaving the frame. Page 14

15 Digital Photography by Barry Kearney... Rule of Thirds This brings us to the famous Rule of Thirds (ROT). There are no rules binding composition, but this is the rule most mentioned. It involves imaging a grid setup on your final image. There are 2 lines crossing vertically and also horizontally. Following this rule means putting the most interesting point of interest at the intersection of any of the lines or along the lines. In the photo on left below, the centre of the old truck is right on the bottom left intersection. On the right, the face of the drover is near the upper left intersection. Some cameras offer a grid view when taking photos so this can be implemented. Software programs also have a grid view for cropping. The theory is that following this rule gives a photo a more balanced look. It is supposed to be a natural way of viewing a photo e.g. the viewer s eyes goes to the 4 intersection points and along the lines. The face of the little boy on the beach is right in the centre of the left image. That attracts all of the attention. But the photo on the right has his face on the top left intersection. The viewer looks at that first but then the eyes are led down his body to his hands, along his shadow and then back around the photo through the splashing water to his face. This second image of St Kilda Pier has the viewer looking along the pier, which follows the top ROT grid line. All the action is around the right hand top intersection i.e. the sunlight and a strange apparition that appeared (looks like a woman wearing a blue dress). Then the eye is led along the pier across to the end, and finally down to the rocks at the bottom, with their edge running straight along the lower horizontal line. Page 15

16 Digital Photography by Barry Kearney... Some say that the great painting masters often used this rule. But every photo and painting is unique, and rules should only be taken as a guide. In the end it comes down to what the artist or photographer is trying to say. The most famous painting in the world is the Mona Lisa, by Leonardo de Vinci. While her body is almost centred vertically, her face is centred on the first horizontal line. Her hands are carefully placed near the lower horizontal line. Would the photo have been as famous if it had been cropped to have her face right in the centre? We will never know. In the end, this rule is simply saying that you should not put any important subject matter right in the centre or near any of the edges, unless you have a very good reason. Page 16

17 Focus on Adrian Smith How old were you when you got your first camera? years old. What was it? It was a plastic camera that took a roll of film and cost my parents 2/6d at Coles. Now, I use a Nikon D610, Nikon P510, Nikon P7700, Nikon A300, Nikon Coolpix 4500 and have a Leica M6. My favourite lens (and why) is a Nikkor as it is the ideal travel lens for me and the only lens I carry on trips. My favourite type of photography is Anything I can point a camera at. If I had to choose it would be people. What is your favourite piece of photographic equipment, and why? My D610 is my only DSLR and it produces images I am proud of no matter what anyone else thinks of them, and it feels like a camera when in use. What piece of equipment do you wish you had never bought, and why? I can t think of any. If money was no object, what would you do regarding your photography? Travel a lot more. What software do you use? I have Adobe s Photoshop and Lightroom and use them sparingly. Must be as I don t know how to. If you could give a complete novice one piece of photographic advice, what would it be? Don t rush in and buy too much equipment. Learn to use what you have by asking questions, reading the instruction book thoroughly and Google if you have to. My three (alive or dead) dinner party guests would be Neil Diamond, John Wayne and Joe Montana. My favourite movie is Empire Strikes Back and original Bladerunner. My favourite piece of music is Beautiful Noise by Neil Diamond. My favourite quote is Take care of that Droid. We ve been through a lot together - Luke Skywalker referring to R2D2. Closely followed by Take care of that Nikon. We ve been through a lot together - me referring to D610. If I could be an animal, I would be a dog without doubt. I d be loved, get plenty of walkies and well fed. What more would I need? When I was young, I wanted to be a doctor. Not smart enough. Nothing new. My hero is my dad and my son. The one thing that makes me angry above all else is people using their mobile while driving, walking, sitting on public transport, during meetings (no respect) etc. The one thing that makes me happy above all else is living in the world s greatest city. The sport capital of the world. My final dinner request would be roast lamb with all the trimmings. If I could be anybody in history, I would choose a sportsman representing my country. (yeah a bit lame). What advice would you give your ten-year-old self? Listen to your parents. You will realise they were right all along. I certainly did. At school, teachers would have described me as that noisy chatterbox and disruptive in class. So what s changed? Nuffink has... Page 17

18 EUROPE 2017 Yvonne Menegol My husband and I recently returned from a fabulous overseas trip of five weeks. It basically consisted of a short stay in Dubai, followed by a nine-day tour of north west France, a short side trip to England, a fortnight river cruising starting in Amsterdam and ending in Arles, south of France and finally ending with three nights in Nice. But for the sake of the potential length of this blog, I would just like to focus on the first two adventures, that of Dubai and northwest France. Having never been to Dubai before we felt that it would be cool to check out and so arranged for a three-night stay. Being someone who is not a fan of really hot weather, I was concerned about what the temperatures would be. A few locals told us that there are only two seasons in Dubai hot and bloody hot. Guess which one we got? It was mid 40s every day but also with high humidity. Still, we had to put that aside and we were there to see and do as much as possible in a short time. Our accommodation was at the Atlantis Palm Hotel, a great spot from the point of view that if you should choose, you wouldn t really need to leave. It is huge and even has its own aquarium and water theme park. It is a bit out of town although this did not seem to be a problem in anyway for us with regards tour pick-ups etc. We did a half day tour checking out the most iconic sites of Dubai and seeing the old town, experiencing what Dubai used to be like in a time really not that long ago. Another tour we did, which really was the highlight of Dubai and a must do activity was travelling out into the desert. We were first given a falconry demonstration and talk before taking down the tyre pressure and heading out to go dune bashing and experience a desert sunset. After my husband decided that he just had to go for a camel ride, we settled into an evening under the stars of feasting and belly dancing entertainment. We then flew from Dubai to Paris where we began a nineday Backroads Touring trip of north west France. There were only 10 of us plus our French tour guide/driver and we drove around in a comfortable mini bus the entire time, which gave us the ability to go places that the large coaches are unwilling or unable to go. We had never travelled with Backroads before but what soon became evident was the relaxed and flexible attitude taken in order to keep us all happy. Also because of our small group size and French-speaking guide it felt that we were more like locals on holiday rather than overseas tourists. The tour began with Giverny and to see Monet s house and famous garden. Page 18

19 EUROPE Then onto Honfleur where we based ourselves for the next two nights. A stunning location which I was loathe to leave. Being in the Normandy region, they are famous for their apple cider and calvados. This was sampled on many an occasion and happily accepted as part of our many dining experiences. Normandy of course is also famous for the D-Day landings and while the trip was certainly not promoted as having much to do with World War II, we did spend a day checking out various sites linked to the region and the war, hearing many interesting stories. I found the day surprisingly emotional and amazing to actually see the sights of what our history books simply only tell us about. Normandy is also home to the town of Bayeux and that amazing tapestry, which as it turns out is not a tapestry at all, but rather an embroidery. This visit was fabulous, to see such an old relic with so much beauty and history. A definite highlight of the trip (and there were many) was our visit to Mont St Michel. This place had been on my bucket list for a long time, and it did not disappoint. We got to the island early and this was certainly a smart thing to do because as the day progressed, the crowds on the main street in particular became ridiculous. We travelled from Normandy to the Brittany region of France where again we were based for a couple of nights, this time in Dinan. This historic walled town, like many of the small towns we discovered had an amazing amount of charm and photographic opportunities. But Dinan is also quite unique in that it almost feels like two separate towns. The original is down by the river, and the newer (it is still medieval) is up high where it could more easily be defended. As we literally drove along the back roads, I noticed the fields were filled with two crops in particular corn and sunflowers. I had never seen so many sunflowers before and they were just stunning. As an example of the flexibility of our tour guide, on one occasion I mentioned that we had just passed a stunning sunflower field that would have been great to photograph. Sure enough, we stopped, turned around and allowed off the bus to take photos for the next 10 minutes. On another occasion, we randomly stopped so our tour guide could show us a particular breed of cow that he had been talking about that is seen specifically in the area. He had been talking about the cows that wear sunglasses and it was good to finally be able to see what he was talking about. Page 19

20 EUROPE From Brittany, we then travelled into the Loire Valley, what would surely have to be the best place to see chateaux and castles. One of the features of this trip was our accommodation. We always stayed in smaller boutique style hotels but each place was chosen for a particular reason that we always appreciated. The hotels were generally quaint with loads of atmosphere and yet also comfortable. The highlight places were an old converted farmhouse and on the last night, a beautiful chateau (below) famous for its tomatoes, with currently over 700 different types being grown in its kitchen garden. We had a fabulous time on the first half of our trip (well the second half was excellent too), and I can highly recommend Backroads Touring to anyone interested in a smallgroup experience. The pace was just about right, our tour guide more than we could possibly have asked for,and the amount of things we saw and did was varied and interesting. What a great start to our holiday! Page 20

21 Committee update Meeting held on Monday 9 October Next three meetings We made final arrangements for the next three meetings, which include the audio-visual competition on 15 November. Competition stats Although we do not have an extremely high participation rate in the monthly competitions, we have a fairly high participation rate overall as far as attendance at club meetings and outings go. AV rules After the November competition we will review the AV rules to bring them more into line with the VAPS AV rules. All members will be advised of the changes syllabus We finalised the 2018 syllabus, which will be available in the next few weeks. The first task for the year, which must be submitted on 7 February 2018 to be judged on 7 March 2018 is Bridges and arches. The subject of the Christmas folio set of three prints is Eyes. Maroondah Festival The Maroondah Festival is on Sunday 12 November. We will ask all members to submit prints to showcase our work 60th birthday celebrations We continue to plan the 60th birthday celebrations. Neil Roberts is compiling our history, and Mike Scully and accomplices will make a video of some of our long-serving members to show on the night. Gary will prepare a display of memorabilia. Christmas breakup 2017 Our 2017 Christmas breakup will be held at Club Kilsyth on Wednesday 6 December. The cost will be $42 a head for three courses. The next committee meeting is on Wednesday 8 November. President Joy Rollason president@mpsociety.org.au Vice-president Barend van den Hoek vice-president@mpsociety.org.au Secretary Judy Mullan secretary@mpsociety.org.au Treasurer Shane Montaperto treasurer@mpsociety.org.au Comp Steward Helen Loucas compsteward@mpsociety.org.au Committee members: Max Brooks max.brooks@mpsociety.org.au Gary Leete gary.leete@mpsociety.org.au Nalini Scarfe nalini.scarfe@mpsociety.org.au The entire committee can be ed on committee@mpsociety.org.au Page 21

22 Invitations to events in the photographic world Canon Awards Live Following the success of Canon Light Awards LIVE Adelaide, Sydney and Brisbane, Canon Australia is excited to announce that the Canon Light Awards LIVE is heading to Melbourne on October, Participants will push creativity, skill and technique to the limit under Australia s top professional photographers choosing one of four inspiring three-hour Masterclasses, followed by an exciting 24-hour photography challenge that culminates in a live feedback session with the judges and a chance to win some amazing prizes with the grand prize being a trip to Africa! Register here: And more details here: Maitland International Salon of Photography The 2018 Maitland Salon is now open for entries. There are three Print sections and three Digital sections. This year there are some changes you should note. First there is no return of prints, due to commitments at our second exhibition which will be later in the year. Second, many people asked last time for group discounts. We have now introduced this for all groups of 10 or more with further discounts for groups above 20 entrants. If you may be entering in a group, then don't enter as an individual as once done it cannot be altered. The website has been updated and improved to make entering easier. There are fewer salons now offering print sections and for those seeking Honours, this is a great opportunity to get into one of the earliest salons in the calendar year. Entries close 15 January Page 22

23 Invitations to events in the photographic world Canon Collective My name is Neal Walters, and I m one of the consumer experience managers for Canon Collective in Victoria. As you may know already, we run 6 photography events weekly throughout Victoria, which range from beginner to experienced level workshops. On October 21st this year the Melbourne leg of the Light Awards Live comes to town. We have 4 world class photographers [Richard I Anson, Ben Clement, Sarah Fountain & Tony Hewitt] each putting on a specialised workshop. Each attendee will then be given a brief and then 24 hours to take their individual photo challenge. The next day, feedback will be given by each judge to all submitted images in their workshop. I m reaching out today as we d like to offer your photography club something special. For each member that books a spot for Melbourne s Light Awards, they will then be able to come to a tailored workshop that we will work with your photography club to achieve. We have every piece of camera equipment on the Canon roster, from 5DIV s to 7D II s, and also a full range of Haida filters and Broncolor studio lights to utilise. If there s a technique that your club shoots more, or even something that you have wanted to tackle but haven t had the right gear or knowhow, we will be able to set a class for it. All they ll need to do is book a spot, let you know and then once you forward the details of their booking and to myself, we will set aside time in the month or so post Light Awards to make this happen. Mobile : neal.walters@canon.com.au IG IG FB : Canon Collective Web : canon.com.au/collective Australian Human Rights Commission Photo Competition 2017 The 2017 Human Rights Photography competition is open to children and adults around the country, with a $800 camera prize up for grabs for the most outstanding image! Our focus for this year s competition will be the experiences of people at home. The theme for the 2017 competition is Home, inspired by Eleanor Roosevelt s famous quote Where, after all, do universal human rights begin? In small places, close to home..." The shortlisted and winning photos will be displayed at the 2017 Human Rights Awards on 8 December in Sydney. More details at Page 23

24 Invitations to events in the photographic world 4th International Landscape Photographer of the Year comp Entries are now OPEN, and the closing date is November 12th, Late entries will be accepted until November 19th. Our mission is to contribute to the health and vibrancy of the Maroondah community by providing an outlet for the people of Maroondah to enhance and develop their photographic skills, and to participate in the advancement of photography as both an art and a science. MPS fosters a culture of inclusivity and embraces individual uniqueness in all its forms. Our aims are to encourage meeting of members and to facilitate the exchange of ideas for the mutual improvement of our photography and allied processes encourage the advancement of photography as an art and a science hold exhibitions, conduct competitions and award trophies arrange photographic and social functions Page 24

25 MPS audio-visual comp rules Our annual audio-visual competition will be held on the second Wednesday of each November. It is open to all members and is combined A and B grade. Entries are to be brought to the first meeting in November on a flash drive, unless you make other arrangements with Helen. The members present on the night will judge the entries. Some guidelines are: Definition An audio-visual is a sequence of still images where the storyline or theme, sound, transitions and images are interdependent. An effective sequence will have unity of its three parts - concept, visuals and the sound. Generally, these three elements should reinforce each other such that any one without the other two would be less satisfactory. Adequate conception involves an idea with a suitable introduction, an interesting development of the idea, and an appropriate conclusion. Narration or text titles may be employed. Duration Entries in the MPS annual competition must be a maximum of four minutes duration, measured from the first image or sound to the last image or sound. Subject Open Images All images must be the original work of the entrant. Still images only to be included, video images are not permitted. Audio The use of audio (music or effects) by third parties is permissible. Technical format All entries must be standalone digital productions and able to run without the need of the application software that produced it. The sequence should be programmed to run immediately, with no run box, opening menu, chapters or stationary opening title, and is to exit the program at the end of the sequence, without intervention. File formats.exe files and Fotomagico files must be able to be launched with the click of a mouse, without menus etc. Files in.mov (Quicktime),.mp2 or.mp4 formats will show the player for a few seconds. It is suggested that two seconds of black screen be inserted to precede the opening of the sequence (this will not count towards the duration limit of the sequence). Judging The entries will be judged by the members present at the meeting on 16 November. A maximum of five points can be given for the quality of production, image and sound, with the following criteria: Maximum score Criteria Production 5 Ability to entertain, concept, story or theme, presentation, impact, timing, titles, fades, transitions Images 5 Quality, content to illustrate, sequencing, colour and continuity Sound 5 Music, appropriateness, sound effects, narration, recording levels With many thanks to Mike Scully for his input into these guidelines. mpsociety.org.au 1