Camera Club News

By: Rex Dolby

Big birds prevail at club competition

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club met Thursday, May 9, for competition in prints and slides and to conduct club business. “Wildlife” was the competition theme, and as predicted, a large number of photos were presented for consideration. Joe Schramm swept the print category with a first place picture of an eagle and followed it up with a second place photo of an owl. Both pictures were taken near Holland, Mich. while Schramm was attending a photography conference.

First Place prints, “Juvenile Bald Eagle” by Joe Schramm.

Second Place prints, “Owl” by Joe Schramm.

Koty Brewer took first place in slides with his picture of an owl in Magee Marsh, while his grandfather, L.V. Hollis, won the second place run-off with his photo of an eagle on the west bank in St. Marys.

First Place, slides, “Owl in Magee Marsh” by Koty Brewer.

Second Place, slides, “Eagle -- West Bank of St. Mary’s” by L.V. Hollis.

In other business, Karl Gribler, treasurer described the quarter auction and what all would be needed to make it work. A potential date of August 13 was set for the auction.

Rex Dolby, secretary proposed the club donate $50 to the Van Wert Area Inpatient Hospice Center as a memorial to long-time camera club member Gale Compton who was laid to rest this past weekend. Dolby also announced that Jeff Collins had a Keystone K-500 deluxe slide projector available to the club. William Hawkins, president, agreed to accept the gift.

Hawkins reported that there was a desire from the Wassenberg staff to publish the names of October Show judges in the prospectus. This prompted much discussion in opposition to the idea because people could research the judges’ interests and enter pictures that played to those interests. Waiting till the show was judged to tell about the judges has been a long-standing club policy.

Hawkins also set Thursday, June 27 at 6 p.m. to start preparing the studio for the move to the new Wassenberg Center located at the Van Wert Armory. The club’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be Thursday, June 13, at 7 p.m. at the current Wassenberg Art Center. “Flowers” will be the competition theme that evening.

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are Tuesday through Sunday 1-5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St.

Camera Club plans “Wildlife” competition

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club’s first regular meeting of the month will take place this Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center.

A major activity that evening will be the competition in prints and slides with a “Wildlife” theme. Pictures will show creatures living in their own environment without human influences, and should produce a lot of interest. We hope to see you this Thursday, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center.

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes, membership or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

Get your wildlife photos ready!

The Wassenberg Camera Club will meet next week on Thursday, May 9, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. “Wildlife” will be the competition theme in prints and slides that evening.

Although college kids on spring break may be your first thought, we are talking here about animals, birds, reptiles, and insects that are living in their own natural habitat. We concede that probably some place on this earth someone has made one of these creatures a pet, and/or trained it to do something on command, but they are not the subjects we are talking about. We want those that carry on day-to-day activities in their own environment in spite of human intervention.

Probably the biggest key to your success is patience and being willing to wait until all of right elements in the picture come together. Use that time to observe your subject and see what, when and how it behaves. The more you observe, the more you will be able to anticipate when that special set of circumstances may develop for an exceptional picture. Consider taking not only the dramatic close-ups of your subject, but also backing off to include the environment of the subject, thus providing even more information about the subject, and/or what it’s doing.

How large a telephoto lens you will need, depends on how close you can get to your subject and its size. Subject size however, may call instead for a macro lens to get up close to the subject. In the former case, and to lesser degree in the latter, you will need a good support for the lens and camera. This might range from a tripod to a stump, camera bag, or car door.

Use the fastest shutter speed you can to minimize camera shake and the smallest lens opening that still provides both the proper exposure and the greatest depth of field. Remember, equipment is important, but patience is key, and May 9 at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center is the place to be.

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

“Churches” is competition theme

Photographing area churches

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club’s next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. “Churches” will be the competition theme in prints and slides that evening.

Van Wert has a large number of church buildings in and near town that will provide a wide range of architectural and interior details. On Washington Street alone, there are three impressive structures in the First Presbyterian Church, St. Marks Lutheran and Emmanuel Lutheran churches. First United Methodist Church is located just a block west of Washington Street and contains outstanding examples of traditional and contemporary stained glass windows. This is not a large list of potential locations, but they do offer a good place to start.

You need to visit the churches you plan to photograph and determine the best location to shoot the picture. Then note what time of the day the sun will illuminate the sides you plan to shoot. If the side faces north, shoot in the summer when the sun rises in the north east or sets in the north west. Using these notes will help in determining when the best time of the day will be to photograph the interior of the church.

You may want sun streaming in the windows to help illuminate the interior of the church, but if you plan to shoot the windows themselves, avoid direct sun on the windows. The contrast in the light and dark colors will be too great. Pick a time after or before the sun hits the windows, or shoot on a cloudy-bright day. High contrast areas may require two exposures, one for the bright areas and another for the dark areas. These two exposures then could be merged in a photo-editing program.

If you do plan to take interior shots, there are some preliminary things you should do before leaving home. First, contact the church to obtain permission to shoot and ask about their photography policy and best times to photograph. You need to explain to the church how you plan to use the pictures, that they are not for your profit, and that you will not photograph anything that might prompt a thief to steal. If possible, go to the church ahead of time and introduce yourself. Make notes of potential shots and the best time of day to shoot. There may be a Wassenberg Camera Club member that attends that church and can help you with attaining access and give ideas on possible shots.

Library books and web pictures of churches may provide ideas for potential shots. Why not give it a try?

If you have any questions regarding our camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are: Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

It really is easy being green

First Place, prints. Palm Frond by Jan Sorenson.

Second Place, prints. Lily Pads at Magee Marsh by Koty Brewer.

By Rex Dolby

Good attendance at the Wassenberg Camera Club’s meeting on Thursday, March 14, produced a large number of pictures for competition. “The Color Green” was the theme and Jan Sorensen’s print of a palm frond growing in Florida was the clear winner. There was a tie for second place, however, that required a revote. Koty Brewer’s photo of lily pads in Magee Marsh was awarded second place and Will Hawkins’s picture of a Canada goose on the pond at Camp Clay placed third.

Chris Wilson’s colorful gecko, photographed near the pool while he was on vacation in Hawaii, placed first in the slides category.  Douglas Heckler’s creative picture of money going down the drain was picked for second.

In other business, the club voted not to hold a meeting on March 29, but would hold work sessions on April 26 and May 24 to prepare the studio and darkroom for the move to the new site at the Van Wert Armory.

Possible themes for this year’s photography exhibit at the Van Wert County Fair were selected for presentation to fair board president, Dave Evans. The board will select five from the list of eight, the club submitted.

The club’s next regularly scheduled meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 11, at the Wassenberg Art Center. “Churches” will be the competition theme that evening and Chris Wilson will be showing pictures of his recent trip to Hawaii.

If you have any questions regarding the camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are: Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

First Place, slides. Hawaiian Gecko by Chris Wilson.

Second Place, slides. Money Down the Drain by Douglas Heckler.

“The Color Green” is competition theme

By Rex Dolby

“The Color Green” is the competition theme for the Wassenberg Camera Club meeting Thursday, March 14 at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. The meeting will have a double draw, because you will be able to see the current watercolor exhibit as well as compete in our monthly photo contest. In addition, members will determine the categories from the suggestions they bring that will be submitted to the fair board for their photography competition this year.

With the weather what it is, photographing green outside may be a little difficult. As a result, check what can be photographed indoors. Such things as house-plants, green fruits and vegetables, fabrics, and money for that matter, would all be possible subjects. Plants in an arboretum, such as the one in Fort Wayne, would be another choice.

Green can vary from very dark to very light and from near yellow to near blue. These ranges provide a lot of greens to consider. This is particularly true if you remember how the Gulf looks around the Destin, Florida area.

Since green is considered more of a natural color than what you might call a dynamic color, you’ll want to look for details, shadows, and blends that will add interest to the picture. Because red is a contrasting color to green, some shade of red in the picture may make the greens stand out more. Just be careful not to include so much red that it draws the eye away from the greens.

Including details in the greens will probably be more successful if the camera is on a tripod. Using a smaller lens opening (f stop) to increase the depth of field so more will be in sharp focus means that a slower shutter speed will need to be used to allow sufficient light to strike the camera’s sensor. That perfect balance may require several tries before you see the exposure that really pleases you.

Taking a good picture requires some tenacity and luck to find that special image and know-how to capture it. May you experience all three as you plan for your next shot.

If you have any questions regarding the camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are: Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

Vintage cameras added to WCC collection

Keith Mongold make a point to Stuart Jewett and Beth Marcheck as Will Hawkins checks a camera setting. (Photo submitted.)

By Rex Dolby

The Wassenberg Camera Club held an open meeting Thursday, February 28, at the Wassenberg Art Center to answer questions guests might have about photography or their equipment. With a ratio of almost two members to each guest, a number of issues were resolved.

In other news, Will Hawkins brought in eight more cameras, which were gifts from the William Soldner family. Included in the collection were: a Pentax IQZoom 920 which was built in the 1980′s, a Fuji A 310 digital made made from 2003, a Vivitar 600 built in the 1970′s, and an Ansco No. 1, a folding camera which dates from 1915-26.

Also included were four Kodak cameras. A Pocket Instamatic 20 sold in 1972 as well as a Pocket Instamatic 40, Instamatic 800 built in 1964 and an Instamatic 104 made in 1965 The club is very appreciative of the Soldner’s gifts and will add them to the collection to be exhibited when the art center moves to its new location.

The club will meet next at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 8, at the Wassenberg Art Center. The Color Green will be the competition theme in prints and slides that evening.

Members are asked to bring their fair suggestions to the meeting as well as their competition entries. Dave Evans of the Fair Board writes, ”I am in the process of updating the fair book for the 2013 fair. I need your suggested categories as soon as you can get them to me. Last year you gave me 8 to chose from. I picked five from those suggestions for our exhibit. I appreciate your help each year in making this a beautiful exhibit. Thanks, Dave Evans.”

If you have any questions regarding the camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are: Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

Public invited to Camera Club meeting

By Rex Dolby

President Will Hawkins has extended an invitation to the public to attend an open meeting of the Wassenberg Camera Club on Thursday, February 28, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. The meeting is intended to provide answers to questions concerning photography equipment or photography in general. Those seeking information about their specific equipment are asked to bring both the piece and the owner’s manual.

Club members will be on hand to be paired with people with similar equipment and questions. If no answer can be obtained from anyone present, it will be searched on the net with our laptop, but the odds are, however, that someone in the room will be able to answer the question.

There is no charge to attend or obligation to join the club, so why not take advantage of this opportunity to be more informed?

For more information call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or visit wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are: Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

Still Life theme brings out good pictures

Photo by Will Hawkins of Van Wert.

By Rex Dolby

An enthusiastic group of Wassenberg Camera Club members met Thursday, Feb. 14, at the Wassenberg Art Center to compete in prints and slides. Still Life was the theme and a large number of worthy pictures were submitted, which was evident by the high number of tie-breaker votes that were required to select the winners.

Will Hawkins of Van Wert again swept the print category with two creative pictures of pencils. First place was of a recently sharpened pencil and second place was of a pencil in a glass of water.

First place honors in slides went to Doug Heckler of Van Wert for his picture of a twin lens reflex camera and boxes of film. Rex Dolby of Van Wert took second in slides with picture of old coins on green velvet.

Photo by Douglas Heckler of Van Wert.

President Will Hawkins reported that the possible lunch with Joel Sartore, National Geographic photographer at the Niswonger Performing Arts Center has not been finalized and if 10 or more members could attend, there would be some reduction in cost.

The Wassenberg Camera Club has received calls to have another open Question and Answer meeting concerning photography and equipment. This meeting would be held on Thursday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. The meeting would be free, open to the public, and there would be no obligation to join the club. Those having questions are asked to bring their equipment and owner’s manuals.

If you have any questions regarding the camera club, classes or programs or would like to sign up please call the Wassenberg Art Center at 419.238.6837, email info@wassenbergartcenter.org or register for classes online at wassenbergartcenter.org. Hours during exhibits are Tuesday through Sunday 1–5 p.m. The Wassenberg Art Center is located at 643 S. Washington St. in Van Wert.

Photo by Rex Dolby of Van Wert.