PHILLIP ISLAND CAMERA CLUB: FEBRUARY 2018

Member Group of the Artists’ Society of Phillip Island Inc

Meetings: 1st Monday of the month 1.30 - 4pm (Easter & Cup weekend exceptions)

Heritage Centre, Thompson Ave, Cowes

Website: http://www.phillipislandcameraclub.com.au Club FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/382689165127848

Enquiries: Susan 0408136717 – phillipislandccaspi@gmail.com

NEXT MEETING

Our next Meeting is on Monday, 5TH March, 2018, 1:30 pm at the

Heritage Centre. We look forward to seeing you there.

LAST CALL

If you have any images that you

would like considered for entry into the VAPS

Exhibition please forward them to Susan ASAP

as final selection will be decided very shortly.

(All images that have received Highly

Commended or Commended will be reviewed

together with the Facebook Group Images,

Challenges and December’s portfolios)

CALENDAR FOR THE YEAR

The following is a list of the proposed dates for

Camera Club functions so that you can pencil them into your diary.

Date Function Date Function

Mar 3-4 Rhyll Boat Festival July 2nd PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

Mar 4th Parks Open Day Aug 6th PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

Mar 5th PICC Meeting 1:30 pm Aug? Mini Planet (Circular Panorama) Workshop Barry Meyer

Apr 2nd PICC Meeting 1:30 pm Sept 3rd PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

Apr 4th Warragul Nationals Entries Close Sept ? Portrait Lighting Workshop Bob Sloan

Apr 6-9 ASPI Easter Exhibition Oct 1st PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

Apr ? Bimbadeen (Proposed) Excursion Oct ? Overnight Excursion to Marysville

May 7th PICC Meeting 1:30 pm Nov 3-6 ASPI Cup Weekend Exhibition

May 14th Glass Workshop Adrian Smith Nov 12th PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

May 18-21 Warragul Nationals Nov 21st Cook’s Tour

May 22-24 VAPS Conference Warnambool Dec 3rd PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

June 4th PICC Meeting 1:30 pm

June 9-11 PICC Exhibition 150 years (proposed)

Enjoying Winter's Sun by Dianne Davy was last year's highest scoring image for Phillip Island scoring 14 out of a possible 15.

By popular demand, another excursion to Jenny and Paul Sierakowski’s Protea garden is to be organised

date yet to be decided on.

2018 International Women’s Day Photographic Exhibition

Kim Wormald, member of

our Club and Knox Club has been invited to

exhibit at this exhibition along with forty-

nine other women. This exhibition is hosted

by Melbourne Camera Club.

Congratulations Kim.

This exhibition might well be worth a visit!

Warragul National Exhibition 2018

Entries for Warragul National Exhibition for 2018 are now open and close on 4th April.

Question Time

We shall trial having a question time at the conclusion of our meetings. If you have any

camera, post production, mounting or photography questions bring them along to ask. If they

can’t be answered there and then perhaps it can be addressed at the following meeting.

The Photographing of Orchids (or other flowers) Indoors.

Seven Tips from Peter Manchester (Australian Photography) February 2018, for taking

photographs of indoor orchids (or other flowers).

1. Carry a small piece of mattboard (black on one side, white of the other) and slip it behind an orchid

to isolate it and provide a clean background. Orchids are very fragile flowers so only do this if it

does not disturb the orchid or surrounding plants.

2. Experiment with aperture. Narrow apertures are necessary if you are trying to capture details. If

possible move in close using a macro lens and shoot at apertures as high as f32. If using a telephoto

zoom lens for a cluster of flowers, go for an aperture in the range of f8 tof11. Softer focus images

shot at wider apertures are beautiful with orchids. Using a lower aperture will give a dreamy, soft

background that can draw the eye to a soft ruffle on an orchid.

3. If Av mode is used, I mostly use exposure compensation of 2/3rds, with white balance set to auto.

4. If you can, use a tripod as it will help you shoot at those narrower apertures.

5. Move around to get your best back-ground. Even if it is only a centimetre or so, it could eliminate a

hotspot or distraction from your background.

6. A macro ring light mounted on a macro lens, powered down and held off-camera, will help

illuminate the flower and provide light in some areas with limited light. A ring light allows shooting

handheld at higher apertures in less than ideal lighting conditions. It does provide nice even lighting

that appears natural. I have found that with white and pink orchids the macro flash works very well.

7. A diffuser will help soften the bright sunlight coming through a window and the reflector can also

help provide fill light to illuminate the deep inner structure of orchids.”

MONTHLY CHALLENGE – February

This month’s challenge is “Big Skies”

Your sky image should show some ground to anchor it.

Bring your images along on a USB stick to the March meeting or send them by email Friday before the

meeting to phillipislandccaspi@gmail.com.

Please include your ASPI number in your image title for your challenges or on any other images that are

sent in so that they can be identified if needs be.

ANOTHER CHALLENGE

Susan has issued us with another Challenge for Four different images, taken from the same

area with the same focal point so that it will show the different seasons, weather, light etc.

FACEBOOK CHALLENGES

February 19th Cityscape

26th Landscape

March 5th Yellow

12th Fur

19th Kitchenware

26th Monochrome

April 2nd Sport

9th Water

LAST MONTH’S CHALLENGE – “Black and White”

EVALUATION RESULTS – OPEN:

This Image received a lot of comment.

Vanessa SantVoort from Casey Camera Club (Cranbourne) was the judge for this

evaluation. Congratulations to everyone on great images. Those receiving Highly

Commended and Commended are listed while the Judge’s comments follow at

the end of the newsletter which allows you to review the comments and

perhaps make the adjustments to your image.

PRINTS TITLE PHOTOGRAPHER

Highly Commended Sabre Eve in Poppy’s Hat Rhonda Buitenhuis

Highly Commended Pomegranate Colleen Johnston

Commended Morning Reflections Rhonda Buitenhuis

Commended Dew Drops of Protea Kathryn Shadbolt

EDPIs TITLE PHOTOGRAPHER

Highly Commended Amelia the Fairy Rhonda Buitenhuis

Highly Commended Feathers Away Joanne Linton

Highly Commended Opening to the Sun Kathryn Shadbolt

Highly Commended The Winner Brenda Berry

Commended Afternoon Reflection Rhonda Buitenhuis

Commended Australian Waratah Colleen Johnston

Commended Early Morning Susan Brereton

Commended Fishermen Brenda Berry Commended Fishing in the Weir Jenny Skewes

Commended Jenny Wren Brenda Berry

Commended Misty Moon Susan Brereton

Commended Phalenopsis Colleen Johnston

Commended Vibrant Cactus Lynne Cook

Highly Commended Print Sabre Eve in Poppy’s Hat Rhonda Buitenhuis

Highly Commended Print Pomegranate Colleen Johnston

Commended Print Morning Reflections Rhonda Buitenhuis

Commended Print Dew Drops on Protea Kathryn Shadbolt

Highly Commended EDPI Amelia the Fairy Rhonda Buitenhuis

Highly Commended EDPI Feathers Away Joanne Linton

Highly Commended EDPI Opening to the Sun Kathryn Shadbolt

Highly Commended EDPI The Winner Brenda Berry

Commended EDPI Afternoon Reflections Rhonda Buitenhuis

Commended EDPI Australian Waratah Colleen Johnston

Commended EDPI Early Morning Susan Brereton

Commended EDPI Fishermen Brenda Berry

Commended EDPI Fishing in the Weir Jenny Skewes

Commended EDPI Jenny Wren Brenda Berry

Commended EDPI Misty Moon Susan Brereton

Commended EDPI Phalenopsis Colleen Johnston

Commended EDPI Vibrant Cactus Lynne Cook

Serenity Phyllis Brereton

2018 TOPICS FOR EVALUATION:

TOPICS , DEFINITIONS and REFERENCE MATERIAL 2018

OPEN (March, May, July, September)

This familiar topic allows members to continue developing their skills and extend the range of photographic

styles they attempt. Members may consider revisiting previous topics; re-working an earlier image,

implementing acquired knowledge; trying new photographic genres; using topics of their choice; or

experimenting with aspect ratios, colour or monochrome or HDR treatments. The variety produced under

this topic will assist the choice of images for VAPS.

INTIMATE LANDSCAPES (April)

This topic needs a focus on a small piece of the landscape and trying to eliminate clutter in complex scenes.

Either a wide-angle lens or telephoto lens can be used effectively to capture these image. Telephoto lenses

are great for compressing space and emphasizing patterns – typically key components of intimate

landscapes; while, the wider field of view helps create a stronger sense of depth, making the viewer feel

immersed in the scene, and that immersion can lead to a stronger emotional connection with the

photograph. Members are advised to research the work of Eliot Porter (link below) and try focusing on one

object in the landscape. It must stand out against the rest of the image's content. It should simultaneously

offer a close view of the key subject, but also offer a sense of what the wider view contains.

References

https://www.outdoorphotographer.com/on-location/featured-stories/the-forgotten-intimate-landscape

https://landscapephotographymagazine.com/2014/capturing-intimate-landscapes/

http://annemckinnell.com/2016/04/06/intimate-landscapes/

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/intimate_landscapes_photographs

SILVER, LEATHER, METAL (June)

Key subjects for this topics should be made from leather or metals, in particular, silver. Other materials may

be included in the image but should not dominate. Members should work to ensure their images are

engaging for their viewers.

References

http://learnmyshot.com/how-to-photograph-shiny-reflective-objects-silver-chrome-metal/

http://styleshoots.com/product-photography-tutorial/2016/5/how-to-photograph-shiny-shoes-and-

footwear-for-your-ecommerce

https://www.photigy.com/photography-tutorial-leather-handbag/

https://digital-photography-school.com/how-to-photograph-reflective-surfaces/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XG2VY2vxFhc

GLASS (August)

Clearly glass, glasses or object consisting mainly of glass would be required for these images. The workshop

led by Adrian Smith will be beneficial when preparing for this topic. Imagination, interesting composition

and knowing how to deal with the qualities of glass will be crucial in creating excellent, engaging images.

Consider all aspects and uses of glass to ensure a variety of photographs.

References

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlQwt7_ZXKg

https://digital-photography-school.com/3-easy-steps-to-photograph-glassware-with-minimal-gear/

https://www.digitalphotomentor.com/tips-for-photographing-glassware-on-both-black-and-white-

backgrounds/

https://www.diyphotography.net/glass-technique/

FOG / MIST (October)

The presence of fog or mist contributes to evocative images, adding beauty, mystery and a sense of depth in

a scene or landscape. Tonal range is critical, so a flat image is not produced.

References

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/fog-photography.htm

http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/4328/capture-photos-foggy-misty-conditions/

https://loadedlandscapes.com/photographing-mist-fog/

FOLIO (November)

References

https://luminous-landscape.com/how-to-create-a-portfolio-of-your-work/

https://www.expertise.com/design-and-photography/essential-steps-to-an-art-or-photography-portfolio

Feedback from Adrian Smith - evaluator 2017

ELECTRONIC DIGITAL IMAGES – NAMING PROTOCOL & SIZE

1. Title first (so entries sort by alphabet)

2. Your A.S.P.I. Number, Topic/Month, & Year This also helps Print Steward to read your sticks

3. Use an underscore between each of these sections (e.g. Title_216_Seasons_Aug16).

4. 1920 x 1200 pixels (width x height)

5. Max data 2 MB (megabyte) (In accordance with VAPS stipulations)

6. Please use your ASPI Number on all of your entries ….. …… both EDPI & Prints!

PRINTS:

The mount size for PRINT entries is 20” x 16” or 50.8 x 40.6 cms. For use in newsletters and other purposes it would be appreciated if an EDPI of your print could be sent in also, but please label it as follows for Mark’s ease of sorting:- PRINT_Title_216_Still Life_Oct16

NEWSLETTER ITEMS

If you have anything to contribute to the Newsletter please send them to Lynne Cook at

chinook@waterfront.net.au. Thanks to everyone who contributed

so promptly. Help make this informative for everyone.

LUNCH ANYONE?

Extend your social time sharing with other members having

lunch before the monthly meeting. ***12pm at the ‘Mad Cowes’, The

Esplanade, Cowes.

***Hope to see you there – usually down the back.

A Quote from Kathryn

“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

Australian Photography Magazine Peter Kewley February 2018

“…..As photographers, we travel to take photos in other places,

and people travel to our place to take photos that they can’t in

their homeland, so any time I get into a creative rut, I try to look

around, look behind and look ahead. There are places, sights and

vistas all around us, and it’s just a matter of taking the time to

focus with a vision of what can be achieved.”

Judge’s comments follow on next page.

Phillip Island Monthly Club Competition – Judge Feedback for January 2018 –

(OPEN) (Vanessa)

Please refer to Judge Instruction Letter for ratings: Judge’s Pick - HC (Highly

Commended) - C (Commended)

Sequence

by Title

Member

No Title Judge

Rating Prints

1

431

Sabre Eve in

Poppy’s Hat HC

Beautiful portrait of a young child, eyes

sharp with catchlights, and engaged with

the camera, colour tones work well. I

found the book a little distracting so if you

wanted you could consider cropping the

image just a little. Beautiful work,

2

399

Leo

Lovely sharp image of Leo, I like how the

maker has captured Leo looking directly

into the camera, good choice of f-stop to

get the sharpness and blur out the

background. If I wanted to take this

image up a notch I would try and lighten

up the eyes just a little. Well done

3

601

Where’s my Mamma

Poor lost little duck, he/she has been

nicely captured showing the water

beading, sharp around the eyes and you

have managed to capture a catchlight

too. Another example of choosing the

correct f-stop to get a sharp image of the

eye and blur out the background. The

background is a little hi key but works well

with the duck. I would prefer a little more

space behind his/her tail but it doesn’t

really affect the overall image.

4

431

Morning Reflections

Paynesville C

Gorgeous restful pano shot capturing the

reflections of the marina and sky, beautiful

complimentary colour with a touch of

orange/red to add a highlight. Well

cropped, would look good on the wall.

5

399

Scarlet Honeyeater

The vibrant colour on the Honeyeater

stands out well against the background,

image has lost a little sharpness on the

chest but you have captured nice detail in

the white feathers.

6

601

Dew Drops on Protea C

Well thought out image placing the protea

this way in the frame, I like how the leaves

are framing the protea and the detail in

the tips of some of the petals, background

has nice dark tones which helps the

protea stand out.

7

361

Pomegranates HC

Wow, this looks good enough to eat, well

placed fruit framed by the leaves, I really

like the odd few seeds placed in front. We

are usually told to work in odd numbers but I

actually think this works very well with the

four pieces of fruit shown, perhaps because

3 show seeds and one is whole?

8

361

Poppy Time

Another image which was well though out

for placement in the frame, the poppies

stand out well against the dark background

and the colours compliment each other

well.

Phillip Island Monthly Club Competition – Judge Feedback for (month) 2017 –

(OPEN) (Vanessa)

Please refer to Judge Instruction Letter for ratings: Judge’s Pick - HC (Highly

Commended) - C (Commended)

Sequence

by Title

Member

No Title Judge

Rating EDPI

1

431

Afternoon Reflection C

A well framed reflection shot, good details

in the house and reflection, a nice touch is

the canoe moored out front (a bonus for

the maker) subtle colours make this a very

relaxing image

2

431

Amelia the Fairy HC

An angelic portrait of this young girl, I

really like the coy pose and the connection

with the maker, good sharp eyes and

catchlights

3

361

Australian Waratah C

A dramatic shot of this Australian native,

vibrant red against a dark background and

green leaves, square crop is a good

choice for an image such as this,

4

315

Early Morning C

Lovely mist in the background of this

image. It has what you need in a

landscape shot, foreground midground

and background, interesting light in the

foreground and dramatic clouds add extra

interest to the image. I would consider

cropping the foreground just a touch

(where the earth is exposed) and see if

you prefer it that way

5

325

Enjoying the

Summer

Nicely framed shot of the jetty/pier with the

photographer looking like he’s finished his

shot and he’s moving onto the next

challenge. When shooting down the

length of a jetty/pier I try to get as low as

possible, this can sometimes (if the photo

gods are with us) give the effect that the

pier/jetty ends on the horizon. You’ve

captured some lovely shadows giving the

image more interest. I would have liked to

see a little more space at the top to

capture the whole of the uprights, you may

also want to consider a portrait mode for

similar images, a good effort.

6

487

Enjoying the Sun

The lizard here is nicely posed and has

some eye contact towards the camera,

generally the school of thought is to give

the subject room to move into the frame

however it’s not always possible to do that

and I like what you have done with this

image, there is a lovely curve from the

bottom left leading up to the face and then

my eye moves around the rock back to the

tail, maker has used f6.3 maybe try

around f8/9 which may give more detail in

the rock

7

601

Ethereal Beauty

Nicely placed in the frame with the natural

curve leading from the bottom left to the tip of

the flower, the f stop used blurs the

background nicely but has softened up the

flower slightly, however the tip of the flower is

well defined, try lowering the brightness a

touch and this will make the flower colour

more vibrant

8

487

Feathers Away HC

A delicate image, I really like how the maker

has captured the dandelion seeds with

sharpness and detail, and especially the few

that have escaped, a bonus is that the

escaped seeds lead from the left of the frame

up to the main seed head, good choice of f-

stop to capture the detail but blur the

background. well spotted and captured.

9

641

Fisherman C

This image of fishermen works well in BW

and I really like how the waves are coming up

over the rocks just beside the two men with

rods. Some minor reflections in the

foreground provide foreground interest, I

always save my images at 300 ppi, (this has

been saved at 72ppi). Well done,

10

399

Fishing in the Weir C

Well seen and captured, the fish is nicely

placed between the beak – you have

managed to get a triangle with the beak and

a curve with the fish (I’m impressed) the

rocks give the image leading lines and add

interest but do not detract from the hero, the

bird, the image is quite

11

447

Fishing Boats

A nice line leading from the bow of the fishing

boat towards the stern and boat behind, the

rope leads me to the boat and then around

the image, the maker has also managed to

capture some wave action yet keep the

image reasonably sharp. I would have liked

to see the maker zoom out more if it was

possible, to capture the top of the mast,

showing the full mast would have given the

maker a better mark.

12 314

Glass Trio A quirky image which I think works well in the

square crop, I would like to see this image

zoomed back a little to capture fully the

object at the rear and straighten the shelf,

good tones in this image, a good effort and

different

13

331

Happy in the Sun

Lovely fly away hair and pose looking over the

shoulder, one of the points to look for when

doing portraits is to get sharp eyes

unfortunately with the sunglasses we can’t see

the eyes clearly but we get a hint of

them. However, this is a good effort,

14

315

Hen’s Party

The maker has gotten low down for this shot,

which adds interest to the shot, however the

shot is a little dark (try bringing up the shadows

if you post process) it looks a little soft on the

EDPI but I notice from meta data that you have

lowered the resolution to 72PPI, I keep mine to

300 PPI as a general rule

15

331

Hold on Tight

I really like the pose and the colours, again I

would like to see the subject without the

sunnies, try finding some shade for your model

so that the sun is not in her eyes, or use the

sun hat to put some shadows over her face,

maybe an umbrella/parasol. I like how the

model is slightly off centre, this works well in

portrait photography, a good effort, keep

practicing

16 641 Jenny Wren C It’s always good to see a bird doing something,

and in this case the bird obviously has been

out searching for food, the maker has gotten

down low and has managed to blur the

background nicely but has lost a little detail in

the bird particularly around the beak and the

eye, try lifting the shutter speed when shooting

birds. Good effort (use shadow slider)

17 487 Let’s Go A cute image, the maker has separated the

subject from the background well, I think this

has been cropped in very tightly, the image

size is quite small and this makes it not as

sharp as it should be, this would work well as a

square crop, good effort

18 325 Low Tide Here we have the bones of a good image, a

dramatic sky and colourful cliff face, it’s a little

busy with the people, don’t be afraid to remove

them in post processing, I would accentuate

the detail in the cliff face and enhance the

clouds in the sky, a good effort and worth going

back to practice some more

19 326 Low Tide Another ‘Low Tide’, this has been given an

interesting post processing effect, we have a

diagonal line with the wave leading to the

walkers on the beach, I find the foreground a

little busy with the seaweed, but an interesting

image

20 315 Misty Morn C Lovely capture of a misty morning, I especially

like the light on the fence posts, they are very

effective, the pano crop works well here, you

could try to lighten the shadows a little more

and see which way you prefer the image to be

21 325 Not Again Interesting image, some lovely curves and

leading lines, works well as a square crop, I

do find the bottom of the image a little

distracting and would suggest maybe a closer

crop, well spotted

22 601 Opening to the Sun HC A beautiful image, the blurred background

makes the flower stand out and I especially

like the petals coming out on the right, very

effective. Never be afraid to try and use the

saturation slider, I think it would really look

good on this image

23 314 Outing Well positioned Kayak in this image and I like

the position of the paddle when the shot was

taken, some reflection in the water adds to the

image and the dog looks very relaxed. Try are

reduce the blown highlights on the dog and

maybe lift the shadows on the paddlers face

24 326 Pier in Pen and Ink The maker is commended for trying

something different with this image, and it

works well, it’s fairly hi key but could be made

more so if the maker wishes to try it. It’s an

artistic image, If this were my image I would

crop some of the bottom off making it more of

a pano shot

25 361 Phalenopsis C A striking flower, the veins on the petals

stand out well, the flowers are well positioned

in the image and it’s a pity the one on the left

is cut off slightly. Consider using the black

slider (if you post process) and darken the

background down which will make the image

pop more

26 341 Pine Plains Track A gently curving road making us wonder

what is at the end, the sky has lovely clouds,

and they actually make me want to walk

through the image. A simple image but it

works well. I think this image would work

equally well as a BW. Sometimes adding

someone/something in the foreground can

also work well in this type of image.

27 325 Reflections A view of part of Melbourne from the

Melbourne Star, I like how the maker has

used the arm of the wheel to lead the viewer

to the Cabin, and another leading line of the

bridge. When taking photos through

glass/Perspex I try to put my lens against it

so cut down on reflections

28 447 Reflections Quite a busy shot but the subject is sharp

and the red tones stand out against the blues

in the other boats and water. Sometimes

when a scene is busy, consider doing a close

up and isolate a feature (perhaps in this case

the life buoy) a good effort

29 487 Rocket Lights An image that is often taken but a different

post processing really makes it stand out, my

eye starts at the left corner and works around

the pier posts back to the start, I feel the

image needs something in the background to

pull it all together

30 314 Serenity A very peaceful scene, the maker has

captured the curves well, on the far side we

can see a track/road and we wonder where

this will lead us, and we have some

foreground interest, I would consider cropping

the image a little closer to remove the small

area of bush as I find it a little

distracting. When I shoot a landscape like

this I usually opt for around f8 – f9, ideal spot

to revisit, take some shots early morning, late

afternoon or even evening

31 399 Sharing One of those moments that just has to be

captured, an engaging image of young

children sharing (makes you feel good)

colourful image well spotted

32 641 The Winner HC Excellent shot of the swimmer, everything

about this image works for me, the action is

easily seen, colours work well and you have

frozen the action

33 326 Vibrant Cactus Flower C We see the flowers here go from closed to

open creating a story, a graceful curve from

the base to the top, image shows great detail

(even to a spider web) and beautiful colours,

try increasing the colour (ie using the black

slider, curves etc) to make the image pop

more. The sharpness falls off a little lower

down the image but I don’t think that impacts

on the image at all

34 315 Woolamai Coast A good seascape subject, we have detail in

the cliff/rocks, wave action and background. I

think more could be done with this image to

make it stand out more, I would add some

sharpening (clarity slider works well as does

the dehaze slider if you have them) lower the

highlights and open up the shadows and the

image would be brilliant.

325 Portarlington

Photographer

A well done mini planet, interesting lines

giving the image structure. I found I kept

tilting my head to the side to place the land at

the top of the image, but this is a minor detail

and not relevant to the image itself. The

maker has three lines radiating from the

centre which I found a little distracting and

they may be able to be removed, the image

is not quite sharp enough but a great effort to

make the mini planet