Ennis Camera Club

Please vote for your preferred dates for the beginner / improver course

Ennis Camera Club — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 21:17:17 +0000

PS> If you are a rugby, GAA or any other type of fanatic, please take major upcoming events in your life into a/c before filling out the voting form.
This vote request is targetted at both the course participants AND course instructors/helper-outers. If you fall into either of these categories, please fill in so that we can pick the best date options.
Please note that the weekend of St. Patrick’s day (Sat 17th) has been left out deliberately.

[contact-form]

Good uptake on proposed beginner / improver photography course

Ennis Camera Club — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:54:19 +0000

(posted by PeterG) So far we have eight expressions of interest in the proposed two day course which probably means it WILL go ahead. The most popular course schedule is two consecutive Saturdays, so subject to it suiting the organising and helping teams, we would probably go with that too. Our eight expressions of interest consist of 6 members and 2 friends of members.
I suspect no matter what dates we pick, they won’t suit everyone involved. There are at least two free places on the course and possibly one or two more if whatever date is picked doesn’t suit everyone, so if you know of anyone else to whom it might be of interest, please let them know.
Some of you listed dates you can’t make which is quite helpful. I’ll contact you all via email to request the same from all of you (i.e. dates you know in advance you can’t make over the next two to six weeks to suggest a probable timeframe for the course). Obviously, while we will try to accommodate the maximum nr. of people in this regard, there is only so much we can do if lots of different dates are suggested as unsuitable.

(Free) Beginner / Improver Photography Course at the Club

Ennis Camera Club — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 01:09:01 +0000

(posted by PeterG) As mentioned at our last meeting, the club is hoping to organise a beginner / improver course over two days some time in the not too distant future. Day-1 mix of talks and practical. Day-2 is an outdoor day subject to weather conditions. Go to the bottom of the post for more detail on the course content.

Please note:

Max. nr of participants is approx. 8 to 10. We probably need a minimum of six to consider running it at all.
The course is free to existing club members. It is also open to potential new members for a cost of €20 if introduced by an existing club member or for €50 to potential new members with no connection to any existing club members. In either case, the €20 or €50 would be refundable against the annual membership of €50 so it is effectively free for non-members also.
The course is really intended for SLR cameras. However, a good deal of the material is equally relevant to bridge cameras which have many (but not all) of the controls available on SLR cameras. Compact camera owners are also welcome to attend but a lot of the coverage is not relevant to compact cameras so it probably only makes sense to attend if you think you might make the switch over at some time in the near future.

If you are interested in attending (whether an existing member or not) please fill out the following form:
[contact-form]

Proposed Course Content:
Nothing is cast in stone yet and anything described here is subject to change but this is the general jist of it.

09.30 Overview and Intros (Gerry Ryan and John Mangan)

09:45 – 10:45 Camera settings: Peter Gorman

11:00 – 12:00 Basic Composition: Gerald Dunne

12:00 – 13:00 Camera Familiarization (? -hope this name captures the intention) Split into Canon Group (led by Paul Cooley and David Keane) and Nikon Group (led by John Mangan and Gerald Dunne)

Lunch (buy your own )

14:00 – 14:30 Outdoor Equipment (talk by Gerry Ryan / Paul Cooley)

14:30 – 17:00 Practice sessions (various club members on hand to assist)

End of day 1 (2nd day is then an outdoor group day subject to weather conditions)
————————————————-

Distinctions for members

Ennis Camera Club — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:52:42 +0000

To all Members going for there distinctions.

Please take note that the closing date for the next distinctions sitting is April 1st. The next sitting will take place in Athlone on May 19th.

The number of applications is being limited for both licentiates and associates at each sitting – please see below for further details.

The IPF intends to roll out an additional distinctions sitting this year (provisionally scheduled for Sept 15th) in addition to the regular sittings in May and November.

Further information on distinctions sittings for 2012 are detailed below …

Please circulate this important update to your members.

All the best,

John Mangan L.I.P.F.

Distinction Sessions for 2012:

Saturday 19^th May, Athlone – closing date for applications 1^st April

Saturday 15^th September, venue TBA – closing date for applications 1^st August

Saturday 24^th November, Thurles – closing date for applications 1^st October

N.B.: Irrespective of the closing dates, applications will be limited as follows,

Licentiate: maximum 40 applicants; Associate: maximum 10 applicants; Fellowship: no limit

Places will be reserved on a first come – first allowed basis.

Outdoor Group Next Outing – 12th February

Ennis Camera Club — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:11:49 +0000

The Outdoor Group next outing will be in the grounds of Dromoland Castle on Sunday 12th February 2012 at 12 O’Clock (by kind permission of Dromoland Castle Management). The emphasis will be on Lanscape photography. All are encouraged to attend and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Flower Photography

Ennis Camera Club — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:51:18 +0000

Hi All. next Tues meeting will be about flower photography. the flower is one of the hardest subjects to get right. So Gerald will be doing a talk on that. you can also bring in any photos you have taken in the last two weeks. Dont forget to get in your photos for Feb which is Silhouette . please get out and take these photos and try not to use ones from last year. There will be a committee meeting on Tues at 7.30 before the clubs meeting. it is hoped to get the beginners training day sorted. Beginners can bring in there cameras. also anyone that is doing there lipf can bring in some work if they wish.

( Posted by John Mangan L.I.P.F. )

More on using Flash (manual flash and guide numbers)

Ennis Camera Club — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 00:59:18 +0000

(posted by PeterG) For anyone interested, I’ve just posted part-2 of my series on flash photography. Click here to read. This second article covers manual flash mode and guide numbers. Manual here refers to the ‘manual vs TTL’ mode choice on the flash unit itself which is unrelated to the manual shooting mode on the camera.

February Theme – Silhouette

Ennis Camera Club — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:25:13 +0000

(By David)

Hi Folks,

Normally we focus on ensuring we have sufficient light to capture the features of the subject but there are also times when making your subject featureless apart from their outline against a bright background can be very effective – welcome to the world of Silhouette photography.

Again, there is a huge amount of information on the web on his subject and it is definitely worth exploring in a bit of dept. The basic strategy you’ll need to employ in taking silhouette’s is to place your subject in front of some source of light (can be natural or artificial light) and to force your camera to expose for the brightest part of your picture (the background) and not the subject of your image.In doing this your subject will be under exposed and very dark or black.

Some basic steps to follow :-

1). Choose a strong subject – the shape should be strong and recognisable so that it will hold the viewers interest.

2). Get your exposure / light right. Normally we focus on ensuring the subject is well light, with silhouettes we need to think differently. You want to light the back of your subject rather than the front. The perfect light for this is placing your subject in front of a sunset or sunrise – but really any bright light will work.

3). Frame your image. Normally silhouette’s in front of a plain bright background work best, eg a bright cloudless sunset. It is best to position the brightest part of the background behind your subject.

4). Keep shapes distinct & uncluttered. If you have more than one silhouette in the frame, try to keep them separated – if there are touching it can merge the shape and leave the viewer a bit confused.

And some of the technical points on making a silhouette image -

1). Turn the flash off…. normally the job of the flash is to ensure there is enough light to properly expose for your subject. So we need to ensure that it is turned off. Basic but important

2). Metering. If in one of the Auto modes - most cameras work out their exposure levels / meter when you push down the shutter half way (same time as the focus). So point your camera at the brightest part of the scene, press the shutter half way, while keeping it pressed, recompose your image with your subject in it, and take your shot. Most SLR’s will have ‘spot’ or ‘centered’ metering which can also be used as it means you can accurately tell your camera what part of the scene you want to meter from. For Manual mode you have total control. A simple way to start is you look at what settings the camera will give you in an auto mode and work from there. So to darken you subject you might stop down you shutter speed a step or two and see how it looks. You can also adjust your aperture and/or ISO depending on the creative look you are after.

3). Focusing – In most cases you will want you subject that is in silhouette to be sharp. This can be a challenge if, as in the previous point, you are metering from the brightest part of the scene by pressing the shutter half way then recompose, as when you press the shutter halfway, you camera will also focus. To overcome this there are two main techniques. You can manually focus on your subject i.e.prefocus before you meter. Or you can use a small aperture (large number) to maximise your depth of field.

So that’s basically it. All that remains is to get out there and take your shots. Not sure if this is the best time of the year for silhouettes, but we can always come back to it again later in the year if needed.

Ps… John, as your were suggesting we have a romantic theme given the month we are in, we will all look forward to seeing your Romantic Silhouette.

Also, next club meeting happens to be on the 14th Feb…. so will be interesting to see what takes priority on the day… romance or camera club meeting…

Understanding Flash – that old chestnut!

Ennis Camera Club — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 22:00:44 +0000

(posted by PeterG) I’m giving a talk to one of the Limerick clubs this coming week on flash and in preparation, I was out photographing my complete-with-pigtails blond model today. Have just put an as-yet incomplete article about the misunderstood beast flash (not the model) on my own blog with some of these new photos. See here if interested.

IPF Print & Projected Images

Ennis Camera Club — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:36:41 +0000

FAO: All clubs and members

A brief reminder that the IPF Print & Projected Images event is less than 2 weeks away – the two-day event will take place in Athlone Institute of Technology on Sat. Feb 11th and Sun. Feb 12th.

SATURDAY
Don’t forget that early booking is advisable for the lecture and workshop on Saturday which will be delivered by acclaimed landscape photographer Tony Worobiec, FRPS – more details at http://irishphoto.ie/index.php/2011/12/tony-worobiec-frps-lecture/ . Places for the morning lecture and/or afternoon workshop can be reserved online on www.irishphoto.ie and those wishing to attend are advised to e-mail the competition co-ordinator Michael O’Sullivan at info@mosullivanphoto.com to check on the availability of places.

SUNDAY

The main competition event will take place on Sunday with judging of PPI entries expected to begin from 9.30am onwards. The judges in this years competition are Tony Worobiec, FRPS from the UK; Glyn Edmunds ARPS, EFIAP/s, EPSA from the UK and Richard Dister EPSA from Belgium.

This year Epson have once again kindly agreed to sponsor prizes for the PPI finals. As in previous years they are providing seven boxes of paper for the gold medal winners of the open categories at both non-advanced and advanced levels. There will also be a box of paper for the overall winner.
There will also be a raffle over the weekend with great prizes up for grabs! Among the fab prizes to be won is a weekend photography workshop with John Hooton valued at €295. John has kindly donated this fab prize, which includes two nights B&B on a self catering basis plus course tuition on either April 20th-22nd or May 11th-13th.

Please also note that the Creggan Court hotel is offering a special rate to IPF members for the weekend of €50 per single room per night or €40 per person sharing per night. On the Saturday night at 7pm, the IPF will host a dinner at the Creggan Court. Tickets are €20 each and can be booked through the hotel. Early booking for both the rooms and dinner is advised, as this is the weekend leading up to Valentine’s Day and is expected to be busy!

Posted by John Mangan LIPF