Newsletter October 22

Date of Next Meeting

As there were few replies in support of a meeting next week I think it is best to postpone this month's gathering and reconvene on the next scheduled date, the 4th Thursday in October 27 Oct 22.   As planned for this month, I propose holding 2 sessions just to rebalance away from mobiles devices for once and allow the traditional camera users "a play with their toys":

• 1030 - 1200 Mobile device image editing
• 1300 - 1430 Traditional cameras, off camera flash and 3 point lighting.

Anyone can come to one or both of the sessions which I aim to make as practical as possible.  I will ask for availability nearer the time.

September Assignment - Fruit

The September assignment, fruit, is now closed.  Thank you for all those who participated, this was probably the most popular assignment to date based on the number of images posted to our shared Google album.  I will archive the shots on next Fri (30 Sep) to make room for the next assignment but feel free to start uploading October images right away.

The fruit assignment: 

• Brought several different interpretations, as I hope any assignment will
• Generated some debate, with leaves or without,
• Demonstrated elements of colour theory, complementary colours and the impact of contrasting colours
• Had some colourful images and some monochrome images.

The library images will be there for another week, can I encourage you to revisit them and add some comments.  Which ones are your favourite images, and why.  Which ones do you not like, and why.  Think about composition, colour, technical accuracy and interest, for example.

The library can be visited by following this link.

You can also view, but not comment on, the images here.  To go to Google photos and add comments follow the link in the top right of the image box.

October Assignment -Trees and Sky

I think we all need a break from close up studio style photography and need to do a bit of landscape work before winter forces us back indoors.

This time of year brings opportunity to photograph interesting trees and skies as the days shorten, and as autumn takes grip.  So that is your assignment for this month, trees and sky.

Sky colour, tree silhouette

You can interpret the brief as you wish but your photographs must contain both of these elements:

• There must be a tree (or trees) as a significant element of the picture
• The sky must also be significant in the image

Think about panoramas, easy on iPhone

Hints

• As the days shorten look for more accessible "golden hours" around sunrise and sunset adding interesting colours to the sky.  Still look for blue skies as fine weather continues.
• The approach of autumn will change the colours of the trees.
• The broad dynamic range of dark trees in front of a bright sky brings multiple opportunities from the same shot depending where you focus and where your camera meters from.  You can either put the tree on silhouette, as above, or make it stand out as the subject.  Work the subject, do not just take the first shot that jumps out.  Vary focal length, point of focus, time of day/light.
• Try taking a series of shots of the same tree over time as light conditions vary or as transition into autumn continues. We can look at them as a series or as a triptych, for example.

Specimen tree on its own against a blue sky, ?crop in tighter to avoid fence line