Monthly competition and show entries to be discussed

 By Rex Dolby

Thursday, Sept. 12, the Wassenberg Camera Club will be meeting at 7 p.m. at the Wassenberg Art Center. In addition to competition in prints and slides with “Farm Animals” being the theme, plans will be discussed for taking in the pictures for the October Show and donations to be made for the Quarter Auction Fundraiser on Oct. 8.

President Will Hawkins urges all members to check their calendars for availability from 1-5 p.m. on either Saturday, Sept. 14 or Sunday, Sept. 15, to take in photographers’ entries for the 36^th Annual Wassenberg Photography Exhibit and be prepared to sign up to work on one of those days.

Treasurer Karl Gribler asks that members having good items to donate to the auction be sure to bring those items to the meeting so they can be listed on auction night.

“Farm Animals” is the theme for Thursday’s competition, but it doesn’t say on whose farm these animals live.  Since these animals may be kept for their meat, fur, fleece, milk and all its by products, fertilizer, the work they perform and recreation they provide, the animal list on farms is sizable.  Farms in other parts of the world add more animals such a camels, alpacas, yaks and water buffaloes to our list. Do the animals that live in the woods and trees around the farm also qualify as farm animals?  Maybe not, but it’s not stated.  This could be a very interesting competition!

Here are some ideas and tips to consider when photographing animals:

• If outdoors, try to have something minor in the foreground out of focus, the animal in sharp focus, and the background slightly out of focus.  This highlights the subject. In a zoo it is good to fill the frame with the image, but in the wild also consider adding some of the surroundings to show something of the animal’s habitat.

• Focus on the eye of the animal. It should be absolutely sharp. Make a noise to get it to look your way just before you shoot. A clicker, squeak toy or crinkling some aluminum foil may evoke just the expression you want for a great shot.

• Try giving a small animal a treat to get it to relax, then show it another treat just before you shoot may also get its attention. Get down on the animal’s level to improve the angle of the shot and don’t use a flash so its eyes will look natural.

• Often it is difficult to get close to the animal, so a telephoto lens may be useful. It is wise to bring a tripod or other means of support when using a long lens to reduce the chances of camera motion.

• Remember that the attention span, particularly in young animals, is short. Possibly you can set up your shot using a stuffed animal for a stand-in to determine lighting and camera angle before the animal is brought in. This will speed up the process considerably. If the animal is restless, have its owner hold it in such a way that hands and arms are hidden, but the animal is responsive to the owner’s presence.

We’ll see you Thursday!

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.