The Van Wert County Courthouse

Thursday, Mar. 28, 2024

Club plans Fair activities

By Rex Dolby

Photo by Rex Dolby; taken near Amicalola Falls in northern Georgia.
Photo by Rex Dolby; taken near Amicalola Falls in northern Georgia.

The Wassenberg Camera Club met Thursday, April 24, at the Wassenberg Art Center to discuss a number of programming issues. President Chris Wilson said that the club would help take in pictures at the fair on Sunday, Aug. 24, from 1–5 p.m. and assist with the judging on Monday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. The suggested themes for the photography exhibit are: At the Fair, Flowers, Reflections, On the Farm and Special Effects. Rule 11 was revised to read: “Frames with inside dimensions no larger than 18 united inches (1 length + 1 width) may be used.”

Changes in the club’s competition rules include: 4 prints and/or slides for $1 per group, and slide resizing was set at 1024 pixels for the long side or a file size of 1MB or less. Members are reminded that their entries are to be renamed listing theme, slide title, and their name and to send their entries in the jpeg format to vwcameraclub@gmail.com by the Tuesday before the competition.

Makeup dates for competitions in prints and slides were set. The June 12 meeting was selected for the Winter Scenes competition. Any member my submit four prints and/or slides. The slide competition in Night Photography will be added to our July 10 meeting and open to any member wishing to submit four slides

Special presentations were scheduled for the May, June, July, and August meetings. A large number of photography destinations and events were suggested for possible day trips as well as consideration of a fund raiser and service project for the club.

The club’s next meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Thursday,  May 8, at the Wassenberg Art Center. “Moving Water” is the theme for competition in prints and slides that evening. A total of four 4 x 6 prints and four digital slides may be entered for a dollar per group. Digital slides need to be emailed to vwcameraclub@gmail.com by Tuesday, May 6. Following the competition and business portions of the meeting, Rex Dolby will make an illustrated presentation on composition and the elements that contribute to a good photograph.

Moving water is a broad term purposely chosen to provide a wide range of photographic possibilities. Supply any action verb that applies to water, and you have your subject. In addition to the list of verbs and adverbs, add the many nouns that could describe the water. Now you have a goal of not only what to shoot, but also how you want the water to be portrayed.

To make the water appear, silky, shimmering, more full, (add your own description) you’ll need a slow shutter speed and/or a long exposure. A sturdy tripod is a necessity and depending on the lighting conditions, a neutral density filter may be used to decrease the amount of light entering the camera during an extended exposure. A low ISO setting or slow film may be all you need in some cases however. To isolate the subject by a shallow depth of field, you’ll need use a larger lens opening.

To make the water appear churning, rushing, angry, (again supply your description) you’ll need a fast shutter speed and/or short exposure to freeze the action.  The tripod is still a good idea and a higher ISO setting will be needed for adequate light to reach the sensor. The water in this photo may require a smaller the lens opening to increase the area that will be in sharp focus.

When shooting fast-moving water, some personal safety issues need to be considered. Do you have a secure footing or could what you’re standing on give way or shift putting you in danger, do you have a nonslip tread on your shoes or boots, is there any chance something floating by could hit you or your equipment, and do you have an escape route in case of a flash flood are just a few questions that need to be addressed before or while selecting a place to set up.

Wassenberg Camera Club meetings are open to anyone who has an interest in photography. 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 214 South Washington Street in Van Wert.

POSTED: 04/30/14 at 1:57 pm. FILED UNDER: Camera Club News