Competitions, Challenges and Excursions · challenge for March and submit your images to the club website. This dare, this challenge, just might keep you shooting long enough for

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Share Moments - Share Photography

March 2013 Volume 5, Issue 7

Competitions, Challenges and Excursions A Message From The Editor

The February meeting of LCCC included our third round of competitions for the 2012-2013 season.

This competition created a bit of a challenge when the meeting and all of the logistics had to be

rescheduled because of hazardous driving conditions on the evening of the regularly scheduled

competition night. Competition night is over and the bulk of the images were received in time to

place into this edition. I am sure you will enjoy the sights. Thanks to everyone whom took part in

this challenging competition. A very special congratulations goes to Sandy Gordon whom received

an award or an HM for every one of her four possible entries.

For those of you new to the club and for those of you waiting in the wings or on the verge, I remind

you that these three items - Competitions, Challenges and Excursions - are all important club

events which also can be very good for you.

Competitions are essentially photo contests where your entries compete with all other entries in the

same class and division (digitally projected images, small monochrome, small color, large

monochrome and large color). Challenges are less formal but intended to provide you with ideas

and incentive to keep shooting. Do any of you recall being challenged like this? I double dog dare you. Now, some of you

are smiling and the younger ones out there might be puzzled. " I double dog

dare you" was an escalation of taunt used by generations of young people, in

the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. And finally the ultimate challenge - impossible to pass

up without appearing totally chicken, I double black dog dare you. I offer a

simple dare. I double dog dare you to shoot five images of sunlight, the club

challenge for March and submit your images to the club website. This dare,

this challenge, just might keep you shooting long enough for you to capture an

image or two worthy of competition.

Excursions are organized and carefully selected outings. Excursions offer a

formal place where you can practice your skills, learn new concepts and quite

often, teach and share. Kudos to those brave souls whom met the challenges

of the most recent sunrise excursion at Simmons Island. Michelle Cox and

Tony Roma have provided great articles about Excursions. Margie Hurwich

shares her love for the opportunities and challenges this club has to offer.

When I saw that Bob Kruzic had received the “Image of the Year” award in the

Individual Photojournalism competitions at CACCA, I asked him to share his

thoughts. Be sure and read, “A Modest Degree of Success.”

In Egon’s World, Egon demonstrates the power of a single editing tool -

Liquify and the images he presents could certainly be called worldly.

Club competitions, challenges and excursions are intended to help you

become a better, more confident photographer and perhaps a better person.

Now for another challenge. I double black dog dare each of you to grab your

camera and get out there in order to share moments and share photography.

Inside This Issue

A Message From The President 2

Web Corner 2

Love 4

Dates To Remember 4

How Excursions Are Selected,

Developed and Organized

5

Enjoying The Excursions 6

Accolades 7

Can an Excursion Fail? 8

Make Notes 9

February Competition - DPI 10

February Competition - Small Mono 11

February Competition - Small Color 12

February Competition - Large Mono 13

February Competition - Large Color 14

A Modest Degree of Success 15

Egon’s World 17

Assignments 18

“Yellowstone Alpha”

© Ron Meyers


Exposures - March 2013 Volume 5, Issue 7 Page 2

A Message From President - John Williams

Competitions, challenges and excursions are a great aspect to membership in our club. It’s a great way to learn and

make friends in our photographic community. I know many of our newer members may think this photography interest

of yours is just a fun hobby, so why get so serious to enter a competition or monthly challenge? To those I say, if

photography is for fun and enjoyment, then don’t just observe, get involved, take action and have some real fun with it!

Choose to participate; it is richly rewarding, very helpful in honing your skills and in aid great a making some new awesome

friendships!

So we have already completed three of the four annual competitions for the club year successfully. We may have lost

out on some entries last month due to the rescheduled competition night. If that’s the case, you can follow our makeup

rules and perhaps catch up by the next one. We had an impressive number who got up early on a very cold morning in

February for our Simmons Island excursion! While it posed difficult conditions for our photography, it turned out great

anyway. Our club continues to do very well in photo competitions at CACCA and PSA. I do believe we’re getting better,

so let’s keep the course; steady as she goes, mates!

Questions or comments about this newsletter?

Please contact Ken Johnson, Newsletter Editor at

[email protected].

We are proud members of the

Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association

and the Photographic Society of America.

Our mission is to promote, teach and share the ideals, skills, techniques and

good practices of the art of photography and the use of cameras and

photographic equipment.

Visit our website www.lakecountycameraclub.org.

We meet the first Thursday of every month at:

University Center. 1200 University Drive,

Grayslake IL

Web Corner By John Rouse

PHOTO SUBMISSIONS NOTICE

We have experienced a few problems when a member tried to upload ten images.

The images appear to be uploading, then the screen refreshes, but no images were

saved. I believe this happens when the combined file size of all the images exceed

a certain limit. I have been unable to resolve the problem.

So, I decided to limit the number of images that can be uploaded per submission to

five. If you have six or more images you want to upload, just upload the additional

images after the first five uploads have been completed. The Honors, Excursions,

Challenges, Activities and Members submissions screens have been modified to

reduce the number of input fields to five. If I can fix the problem, I will put the pages back to ten fields.

SIDEBAR REMINDER

In May, I am creating a new side bar gallery. This gallery is the one that is displayed on the upper left-hand corner of

many of the pages. I need a minimum of 80 images to create that gallery. I am limiting it to four images per member. I

am asking members to submit some images that have not been displayed in any other gallery. You might have some images

that you submitted for competition which didn't win an Award or Honorable Mention. Only five images have been

submitted to date.

mailto:[email protected]

http://caccaweb.com/

http://psa-photo.org/

http://caccaweb.com/

http://psa-photo.org/

http://www.lakecountycameraclub.org/



2012 - 2013

Board Members President John Williams

President Elect Mike Trahan

Past President Ron Meyers

Secretary Terry Ferguson

Treasurer Jim Ross

Vice President, External Operations Michelle Cox

Vice President, Internal Operations Bill Sullivan

2012 - 2013

Committee Chairpersons

October, December and February Nature Prints

October, December and February Photojournalism Prints

November, January, and March Portrait Prints

November, January, and March Creative DPI

February Special Category DPI Motion

March Special Category DPI Get Up Close

April Special Category DPI Street Shots

May Special Category DPI

A or B

A. Tell a Story in 30 sec.

Video and Sound

B. Cell Phone Image

March Postcard Competition

CACCA Individual Competitions

The healthiest competition occurs

when average people win by

putting above average effort.

Collin Powel

CACCA Representative Bob Kruzic

Competition Chair Bob Kruzic

Community Involvement Coordinator Open

Company Contact Coordinator Mike Styrna

Continuing Education Coordinator Jim Ross

DPI Competition Coordinator Steve Cullen

Facilities Coordinator Bill Sullivan

Historian Jerry Donahue

Hospitality Desk Margie Hurwich

Judge Procurement Tony Roma

Long Term Planning Mike Trahan

Mentoring Program Coordinator Tracy Castro

Membership Coordinator Terry Ferguson

Newsletter Editor Ken Johnson

Photo Excursion Coordinator Debra Olson

Program Coordinator Stevan Tontich

PSA Representative Michelle Cox

PSA Photo Travel Coordinator Birgit Tyrrell

PSA Photojournalism Coordinator Linda Kruzic

PSA Projected Image Coordinator Bob Marx

PSA Nature Coordinator Mike Trahan

Webmaster John Rouse



Love By Margie Hurwich

Recently a photo friend asked me why I loved this camera club so much. After thinking about that

question, I couldn't give him just one simple answer. I love this camera club for so many different

reasons.

When I first joined the camera club back in January 2006, much of our membership consisted of older

couples. We met on a Friday evening which wasn't very conducive for a younger membership. We only

met a few months out of the year. Although we did offer four club competitions, our programs on the

remaining months were at times lack-luster. Over the next couple of years our membership dwindled.

Our year end party for the 2007-2008 season had 9 people in attendance, and yes, that was with

spouses.

The following season we put an emphasis on growing the club and ensuring our goals and mission were followed. According to

our club's Description and Rules, one of the goals of the LCCC is to have fun at doing what is enjoyable in the spirit of friendly

competition and sharing of knowledge. To this end, the club meetings are friendly and open, conducted in a casual atmosphere

where everyone is welcome to participate as fully as they like. Our mission; to promote, teach and share the ideas, skills,

techniques and good practices of the art of photography and the use of cameras and photographic equipment.

It is because of this that our membership started blossoming. Over the past short few years, our club has grown to the largest in

the Chicago land area and we are the envy of CACCA.

But it isn't just the size of our membership that makes us the envy. With the larger membership, more people are willing to

volunteer and we are able to offer more to our members.

We now meet year round. And as I had mentioned, we always offered competitions not only at the club level and regionally

through CACCA, but now at an international level through PSA. Our programs are amazing and can teach even the seasoned

photographer new tricks. Each month we have an excursion which offers something for everyone. Additionally we offer our

monthly Shutter Cafe. If you haven't been to one, make sure to check out Don Chen's video at http://vimeo.com/59823113.

You will never want to miss another one! Our new Mentoring program allows for members to learn one-on-one or in small

groups about specific elements of photography. We also offer a great website and newsletter which are unparalleled from any

others I've seen.

It is for all of the above mentioned things, as well as our members, that I love our club.

April year the of competition final The Night. Competition Club 4 Due Challenge “Sunlight” 31

Due Images DPI Club 28 Gardens Botanical Olbrich the at Conservatory Bolz Excursion: 23

8:00AM Restaurant Hillside at Café Shutter 16 welcome! are All Meeting. Board 14

Meeting CACCA 9 Creativity Enhancing and Motion Capturing Nigh: Program 7

Due (PJ) Photojournalism PSA: 1February

Due Challenge "Hearts" 28

MarchMarchMarchMarchMarchMarchMarchMarch

Dates To Remember

http://vimeo.com/59823113



How Excursions Are Selected, Developed and Organized By Michelle Cox

Have you ever wondered how our club selects the monthly excursion? The excursions are the result of quite a bit of

work by the Excursion Committee. I thought you may like to know what goes into selecting the location and date!

Step one is to get a list of possible locations. Planning excursions starts between six month to a year before the actual

excursion takes place. This presents plenty of problems for the Committee. Quite often the date for an event hasn't

even been set yet. We receive comments from the club survey and then collect ideas from other club members,

newspapers, friends, family - actually from anywhere we can.

In step two, the Committee meets and starts discussing the locations. We try to find twelve totally terrific spots. We

usually get it down to about 15. Then the list is divided between the Members. Now the work really begins.

In step three, the Committee Members will contact the event coordinator, location owner, festival organizer, etc. to find

out more about the event. Some things we need to make sure about are: Are photographers allowed? Can we bring

our tripods? Is it possible to get in before the event opens to the public? Can we shoot commercially? Have you set

the date for next year? As you can imagine, this can seem a bit overwhelming to the event coordinator, so it's the

Committee Member's job to fully explain about our club and goals.

Step four requires the Excursion Committee to meet again. We go thru everything we've learned and pick the twelve

totally terrific spots. Now we assign dates for each event, being careful not to schedule during a CACCA Meeting/

Event or The Shutter Cafe. The list is presented to the Board for approval.

Step five is oh so important! The Excursion Committee will contact other club members to fill in at events. At the Table

Top and Model Shoot, we need volunteers to teach and model. Tips need to be written to be published prior to the

excursion. A column needs to be put in the newsletter. This is where our club shines! We have so many wonderful

people who are willing to teach, model or write.

In step six, the names of folks who would like to attend the excursion are collected. This can be done by signing up at

the Hospitality Desk at a club meeting or via email. The next excursion is highlighted at the end of this article.

Finally, we have step seven. Members meet at the carpool location to make sure everyone shows up and has a ride.

Next we regroup at the excursion location, find anyone meeting there and get the group shot for the web and

newsletter. Now it's time to shoot!

Are you ready for Spring?

Then join us for our March excursion to get a sneak preview of Spring. We are heading to Olbrich Botanical Gardens

in Madison, WI for their annual flower show Saturday, March 23. This excursion will give you plenty of opportunity to

practice your macro skills as well as learning about capturing colorful subjects. The Flower Show is only one of the

exhibits at Olbrich. They currently have an exhibit on the Flora of Thailand as well as the Bolz Wildlife Conservatory.

Be sure to check out their web page at http://www.olbrich.org/events/

If you will be attending, a carpool has been set up. We will meet at the Fifth/Third Bank on the corner of Grand and 21

at 7:15 a.m. and leaving no later than 7:30 a.m. If you plan on meeting us up there, we will be meeting at the entrance

at 10:00 a.m. The Olbrich Botanic Gardens is located at 3330 Atwood Avenue, Madison. There is no parking fee, or a

fee to enter however there is a $2.00 admission to the conservatory if you enter after 12:00 p.m. and also an additional

$2.00 if you attend the Flower Show. Tripods are allowed outside but only monopods are allowed in the

conservatory. Commercial photography is allowed for a fee. You must contact the gardens directly to arrange. All

attending are responsible for liability and travel arrangements. The photo excursion is subject to weather, no rain

date. If you will be attending, please email [email protected]. Include in your email if you will be

carpooling or meeting at the location as well as your cell phone number.

Any ideas for a future excursion? If you would like to help with excursions, please contact us at:

[email protected]. We'd love to have you work with the Committee to find those Twelve Totally

Terrific Spots!

http://www.olbrich.org/events/





Enjoying The Excursions By Tony Roma

One of the great things about the Lake County Camera club is the monthly excursions that we have the opportunities to attend.

Excursions to the zoo, old pioneer villages, botanical gardens, sunrises, or famous landmarks and cityscapes offer us many

varieties of subjects to capture. Excursions also offer a wide variety of expertise shared between photographers. From a personal

standpoint, I have learned a great deal of information on these excursions. They are truly an important feature that the club has

to offer.

This past January, the club’s excursion was not at a special event, a zoo, or even a famous landmark. Our excursion this month

was the Table Top, Food and Model Shoot. This is an opportunity for attendees to explore many different ways to photograph

small table top still life and food items, macro photography of flowers, and model shooting using many different varieties of

lighting setups. Various areas throughout the building were set up to provide attendees a chance to expand their knowledge, try

something new or different, or even offer insight to others. One section was dedicated to the use of light boxes both store

bought or home-made. Another room was set up to explore photographing food and beverages using filtered lighting or other

types of lights. And there was a table set up with a flower in a vase to allow attendees to explore the art of macro photography.

There was even a room set up to help people grasp a better understanding of the use of post-processing programs such as

Lightroom and Photoshop.

The one thing that I personally enjoyed was the availability of the many human models provided for the excursion. Being

someone that really hasn’t explored into the field of model and portrait photography, I took this advantage and opportunity to try

a few things that I wouldn’t normally do. Many of our club members specialize in model and portrait photography and were very

kind to provide us with expert knowledge and tips in their respected fields. Available for use were several different set ups from

green screen shooting to backdrop studio type settings to use of light stands and strobes. We were also allowed to explore

different areas of the building such as the front lobby, stairwells, and in the church itself. Photographers were allowed to use the

models to pose them as they wished and were allowed to use the lighting that was set up or make use of their own lighting.

With this being my first time attending this type of excursion, you probably imagine how overwhelmed I felt in the beginning.

There just seemed to be so much to do in a short period of time. After taking a walk through and seeing the many different

opportunities available, I had decided that I would dedicate my day to the models. Since I do not really explore the field of

model and portrait shooting, I figured this would be the time to explore and see what I can do.

I started off at the Green Screen section of the program. This was where a

model can be photographed in front of a large green backdrop and then in

the post-processing period, an artificial or alternate background could be

provided for the model. I didn’t spend a lot of time in this area but I did find it

interesting .

Next I moved onto the studio style backdrop where a model would sit or

stand in front of and provide the photographer with a studio style setup.

Several light stands and strobes were also provided as well as a remote

flash unit. Instructors were also on hand to help guide the photographer with

“ideal” camera settings. I found this section to be very interesting and quite

fun to explore. It was a real pleasure to see what I had captured during the

post-processing phase later that evening. At first I was a little nervous in

telling the models how to pose because I had never done anything like this.

But once I got into it, I was actually able to ask the models to sit a certain

way or look in a certain direction. Once I loosened up and got a little more

comfortable, I really started to enjoy photographing the models and using

the various “studio style” equipment.

(continued on next page) © Anthony Roma



(continued from previous page)

After exploring the studio setups, I decided to check out the rest of the

facility. One of my personal preferences in photography is the use of

“natural” lighting. While walking around, I found a perfect little corner that

had a couple of nice chairs and a small table. The way the daylight was

coming in through the window at that particular time of day was perfect.

One by one, I asked the models if they would sit in my own little makeshift

studio.

The highlight of my day was when a few of the other members walking by

had the setup that I had created. It was very soon after that I had noticed

that I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed the natural lighting.

As with all of the excursions that I have attended in the past, I had a lot of

fun exploring new uncharted waters of photography that I might not

normally have tried. All of the instructors, models, and volunteers were

extremely helpful. If you haven’t had the opportunity to attend a Table Top,

Food and Model Shoot Excursion, I highly recommend it. With so much to

explore, learn, and to experiment, the only disappointment you’ll have is

that you didn’t have time to do it all in just one day.

Maybe next time I will do what my mother has told me time and time again

NOT to do while growing up…

I will play with the food! © Anthony Roma

Accolades Ron Meyers Gets a New Lens!

Last summer I found myself wanting a new lens so badly I felt like Ralphie in

the "Christmas Story". With one important exception... Ralphie wanted a $20 Red

Ryder B.B. gun and I was looking at a $2,000 Canon "L” lens. Unfortunately at the

time I was unemployed, my photography equipment was on a beer budget and

Christmas was four months away.

I had just finished reading an article about pinhole photography and making

pinhole lenses. I was mulling over the possibility of making a pinhole lens and

thinking Bah! Humbug! Ralphie's pink rabbit pajamas... I went into the kitchen to

grab an MGD from the refrigerator. As I touched the cold metal of that beer can

an idea hit me like a shot in the eye from Ralphie’s B.B. gun. I could make a beer

can "L" lens!!!

The picture to the top and right is of the beer can (telephoto) pinhole lens that

I made. I used a Dremel tool to remove the top and bottom of the can. With the

ends removed I spray painted the inside of the beer can with flat black

paint. Next, I took a Canon body cap, removed the center with the Dremel tool

(replacing it with clear acrylic) and super-glued it to the back end of the beer

can. Then, I took some black poly-cover stock and laser cut a 2" disc with a .008"

hole in the center. I put this on the end of the beer can and covered it with clear

acrylic. Finally I took some red paint and added the red "L" ring to front of the

lens.

Check out the image to the right that I took with this new lens.



Can an Excursion Fail? By Michelle Cox

Did you ask yourself what could the Excursion Committee have been thinking as

they arranged a sunrise shoot in February on Lake Michigan? Sunrise - wow

that means I have to get up early. February - yikes it's cold in Wisconsin in

February. Lake Michigan - it's wide open and the words "colder by the lake" are

true!

Planning an outside winter excursion for the club is always a risky venture.

There are so many variables that you can't control. Will the weather cooperate?

Will folks want to go out in the cold? Is it worth it? Will cub members learn a

new skill? We had to plan it close to a year in advance. Yes all these questions

and more were considered before putting a February visit to Lake Michigan on

our list of excursions.

This excursion was designed to challenge you as a photographer. I am happy to say that 19

photographers from our club took the challenge. The Committee intended to have this excursion

teach 1) how to use your equipment in cold weather; 2) how a photographer should prepare and

dress for cold weather photography; 3) how to shoot a sunrise; and 4) what can a photographer

do with the geometric shapes created by the freezing waves. However I realized that we learned

more!

When we take a job to shoot for someone, we have to deal with the environment as we get it. It

causes us to quickly think of how we can control the environment to get the images we want.

This may mean using flash, changing our shutter speed, or just planning on doing a lot of post

processing! This excursion gave us the same challenge. We showed up and I was asked what

do we shoot? Good question. There was no sunrise (cloudy and snowing). The Lake was not

frozen so there were no geometric shapes. We basically were on a wide open white beach with a

gray sky on a very cold day! Our photographers were up to the challenge and took some good

images.

So was this excursion a failure? I think not. We learned how to use our

equipment in the cold, learned to dress for cold weather, and learned to react

quickly to shoot in a new environment. We also learned to shoot with lots of

white in the image, relook a scene to see what is available to shoot and honed

our skill for shooting in a dreary scene. AND we learned where a good

restaurant was near the lakefront! I hope you learned more than to not get up

early and go to the Lake in February :) Hope you enjoy these images.

HAPPY SHOOTING ALL!

© Sue Matsunaga © John Williams

© Linda O’Rourke

© Michelle Cox

© John Williams

© Ralph Durham



Make Notes by Mark Theroit

When you go back and look at your awesome image, make sure you can remember what you did!

One of the things that really drives me nuts is when I go back and look at an older

image of mine and just can't remember all the tweaks and pokes I did to make it

pop. Now this doesn't really apply to the standard raw editing elements (exposure,

highlights, shadows, contrast, etc.) but it certainly applies to creative edits,

especially filters and plug-ins. Now, when I run across this image two years from

now, I can look in the notes field and see that I added a couple special items - first

was a recipe I built in Nik Color Efex Pro followed by a Topaz colored sepia filter.

I created a custom field in my image editing program (Aperture) but you can use

standard fields if you'd prefer. "Caption" is probably the easiest, and you can over

write your notes when you do a digital export to an online photo gallery. Here are a

couple other things to keep in mind:

Label your special effects/filters in the order they are applied, separated by the "+" sign.

Don't wait to do it "later", make the note as you apply each unique item.

Use a similar schema in Photoshop layers, title the layer with a descriptive of what you did.

Make sure you remember to plan those "memorable" images to come

How often do you pass by an object or a certain location and say to yourself "wow, this would be a great picture if only “——”!

Fill in the blank with "good light", "cloudy day", "it was wet", "it was dry", and so on. Well, here's an opportunity to make some

of your own luck. Create a "shooters to do list" and add your new found opportunity. When you find that special something,

follow these steps.

Snap a cell phone shot of the scene or object. If you're using a relatively new phone, not only will you

have a reference image (like the opening shot in this post) but you'll have the GPS info embedded,

enabling you to find the location in the future.

Use a voice recorder app on your phone (or make paper or mental notes) to note the best shooting direction, lens you'll want

to use and what unique elements you'd like to have for the image. In the above tractor image, it was already late fall with

some snow on the ground. I visualized an overcast day just after a fresh snowfall so that's the conditions I figured would look

the best for this shot. Here are a few examples of elements you may be thinking about for your

memorable image:

A certain time of the year, like fall - or maybe the dead of winter when everything is barren?

Would the shot be better in early morning or late evening?

Could it be a nice "rainy day" shot?

Should you wait for a foggy morning?

Are you looking for a bright day with shadows just so - or would a totally overcast day be

better?

When you return home, build a quick record of your planned "shoot". It

doesn't have to be fancy, simply placing the info on a single sheet in a word

processor will do. Save it electronically along with a calendar reminder or

just print it out and keep your planning file the old fashioned way.

With a little bit of advance planning when you find something of interest,

you'll be able to return at the right time and capture a great photo. The

tractor shot to the right is what I ended up with about four weeks after I took

the original cell phone picture and envisioned the "perfect" shot. I also had

a ball in the process! So the next time you see potential - make your own

luck. Stay in focus. © Mark Theriot



February Competition - Digitally Projected Image (DPI) There was a total of 37 DPI entries --24 Class A and 13 Class B. These are the images that received an Award or Honorable

Mention (HM) in each class. All of the Award winners competed ‘head-to-head’ for DPI of the Month. The DPI of the Month

was awarded to Ron Meyers for “Yellowstone Alpha” designated by the blue ribbon. (score)

AWARD Class A (23)

“Yellowstone Alpha”

© Ron Meyers

Award Class B (22) “Lockheed Reflections”

© Mike Kukulski

Award Class B (22) “Winter Path”

© Mike Kululski

HM Class B (22) “Catching Diamonds”

© John Crow

HM Class A (23) “Shot!”

© Egon Schein

HM Class A (23)“American Kestrel

© Jack Pawlowski

HM Class B (23) “Cats Eyes”

© Tracy Castro

HM Class B (22) “Punta Pitt”

© Patricia Solano



February Competition - Small Monochrome There was a total of 22 Small Monochrome entries --16 Class A and 6 Class B. These are the images that received an

Award or an Honorable Mention (HM) in each class. All of the Award winners competed ‘head-to-head’ for Print of the

Month. The Small Monochrome Print of the Month was awarded to Ron Meyers for “Black Sedan” designated by the

blue ribbon. (score)

Award Class A (24) “Black Sedan”

© Ron Meyers © Egon Schein

Award Class A (22) “Summer Idyll”

© Sandy Gordon

Award Class B (21) “Thoughts of Spring”

© Jeff Bott

HM Class A (22) “Desert Storm”

© Margie Hurwich

HM Class A (22)

“Ceiling Chandelier”

© Jon Radtke

HM Class B (21) “Old Chicago Library“



February Competition - Small Color There was a total of 38 Small Color entries --24 Class A and 14 Class B. These are the images that received an Award or

Honorable Mention (HM) in each class. All of the Award winners competed ‘head-to-head’ for Print of the Month. The Small

Color Print of the Month was awarded to Gary Watanabe for “Jellyfish” designated by the blue ribbon. (score)

Class B Award (24) “Jellyfish”

© Gary Watanabe © Ken Johnson

Class A Award (23) “First Light In Valley of Fire”

Class A Award (23)

“The Eyes Have It”

© John Williams

Class A HM (22) “Lunch Time”

© Sandy Gordon

Class B Award (22) “Ferris Wheel”

© Michael Burgquist

Class A HM (23)

“Oriental Theater Staircase”

Class A HM (23)

“Begging For Food” Class B HM (23) “Wings” Class B HM (22) “Who’s Next?”

© Jeff Bott

© John Williams

© Ron Han © Chuck Roberts



February Competition - Large Monochrome There was a total of 17 Large Monochrome entries --10 Class A and 7 Class B. These are the images that received an Award

or an Honorable Mention (HM) in each class. All of the Award winners competed ‘head-to-head’ for Print of the Month. The

Large Monochrome Print of the Month was awarded to Roberta Smith for “Window Shopping the Magnificent Mile” designated

by the blue ribbon. (score)

© Roberta Smith

Award Class B (22) “Window Shopping the Magnificent Mile”

© Bob Kruzic

Award Class A (24) “Street Corner Blues”

© Jeff Bark

HM Class A (23) “Bluegrass” HM Class A (23) “RIck” HM Class A (23) “Mackinac Island Church”

© Michelle Cox

© Gary Watanabe



February Competition - Large Color There was a total of 34 Large Color entries -- 19 Class A and 15 Class B. These are the images that received an Award or an

Honorable Mention (HM) in each class. All of the Award winners competed ‘head-to-head’ for Print of the Month. The Large

Color Print of the Month was awarded to Jeff Bark for “Splish Splash” designated by the blue ribbon. (score)

© Jeff Bark

Class A Award (23) “Splish Splash”

Class A Award (23) “Nirvana Sunset”

© Bob Kruzic

Class B Award (22) “Precarious Perch”

© Sandy Gordon

Class B Award (23) “Nya! Nya!”

© Anthony Roma

HM Class A (24)

“Velvet Chairs”

HM Class A (23)

“Dominican Church”

HM Class B (23)

“Leader of the Pack”

HM Class B (23) “Foraging Fawn”

© Jim Ross © Krzysztof Hanusiak © Rick Myslinski

© Sandy Gordon



A Modest Degree of Success By Bob Kruzic

This competition year at CACCA, I have been honored in receiving two “Images of the Month” and the “Image of the

Year” in the Individual Photojournalism competitions. After being asked to comment about these images for the

newsletter, I sat down to the task of trying to explain not only what is happening in each of these images, but what they

mean to me.

In each of my images, I have tried to capture a moment that engaged the viewer emotionally. In many of the images I

was shooting the subjects at difficult times, sometimes when great personal loss or distress was the focus of the image.

This is not only tricky, but can be uncomfortable for the photographer and the subject. In order to get a good shot, I

needed to be reasonably close to the subject during a deeply personal moment, when using a long telephoto lens was

not an option. Many other people were usually in the area, walking between the subject and my camera. I had to

position myself within 6-8 feet of the subject and shoot with an 18-105mm lens. At times like these, shooting can

sometimes feel like an invasion of the subject’s privacy, even though all of the shots were taken in public places.

During these times the question of to shoot or not to shoot flashes through one’s mind. Do you capture the moment, or

do you walk away? The answer to this question is an individual one for each photographer. In each situation, however,

when I think of some of the most famous photojournalism images I’ve seen featuring war, natural disasters, the results

of terrorism, crime, and even sports, the question that echoes in my mind is, “What if no photographer had been there

to capture this moment? How would our perception of that event be changed or diminished?” I think it is important for

photojournalists, whether amateur or professional, to document a moment in time for others to experience, whether that

experience is a joyful one or one of great sadness.

Getting back to my images, I went to events or places that I

thought would yield some revealing pictures of people. In

some instances, situations that I expected to be powerful

ones weren’t, but in others I was affected deeply. In my

image, “Desperation”, the Image of the Month for February, I

saw a woman sitting on a dirty sidewalk in a busy part of

Venice, Italy. Tourists were passing within feet of her. Many

didn’t see her on the crowded sidewalk and others looked

away quickly after a quick glance. This could have been in

any city in the world – we have all seen homeless people in

Chicago and elsewhere. But, this picture was at one time, in

one place, depicting one face of poverty while people of

means circled all around her. To me, it felt like an important

image and statement of our society.

(continued on next page)

“Desperation”

February CACCA Individual Photojournalism Image of the Month

© Bob Kruzic



(continued from previous page)

My Image of the Month for December, “Inconsolable Grief”,

was actually the picture I felt was my strongest of the three.

It was taken at a memorial service for Iraq and Afghanistan

veterans. The subject in the image had obviously lost a

loved one in the war. When he came upon the inscription of

that person on the granite wall, he began to weep

uncontrollably. He cried openly for what seemed like 15

minutes. The girl in the image was not his friend, nor was

she a family member, she was a stranger who wanted to be

there for another person in need. She did her best to comfort

him yet respect his need to grieve. This was the picture I

was tempted not to shoot. He was so devastated and his

emotions were so raw that I felt like an intruder. But this

image said so much about the effects of war on the people

who wait for the soldiers’ return. It was so powerful to me

that I had to keep shooting, despite my empathy for the

young man.

Finally, the Image of the Year, “Tears and Consolation” shows a

picture of two ex-soldiers, home from the war, but still fighting

the effects of those experiences. I think the interesting aspect of

this image is the contrast between the rough exterior of the

subject on the left and his tender compassion for his friend.

Motorcycle riders are supposed to be tough; we don’t picture

them shedding tears or offering a shoulder to cry on. For me, this

was a special photographic moment where stereotyping breaks

down.

I didn’t want this contribution to the newsletter to seem like I am

bragging, or that I know all the ins and outs of photojournalism –

I don’t. We all like to consider ourselves “artists” of a sort when

we create our images. I certainly enjoy working on all categories

of pictures and competing in our club’s contests. But, for me,

trying my hand at Photojournalism has been both eye opening

and rewarding, offering an extra layer of complexity beyond just

capturing the beauty of an image. I think this is a challenge

where I have been lucky enough to achieve a modest degree of

success.

© Bob Kruzic

“Inconsolable Grief”

December 2012 CACCA Individual Photojournalism Image of the Month

“Tears and Consolation”

CACCA Individual Photojournalism Image of the Year

© Bob Kruzic



Egon’s World

These images are merely to show what can be done with just

one filter, Liquify — my favorite in Photoshop. The beautiful

large lady in the images to the right was a storyteller at the

Improv Playhouse in Libertyville (plug, plug). I slimmified her in

Photoshop (the larger one is un-retouched). Drastic, to be sure,

but it shows to what extremes this can be carried with very little

apparent distortion. Sure, you can see it (Liquify), but I had a

deadline for the Newsletter, and I did this in only five (5)

minutes. The other images were done just for fun, and I urge

you all to try this. Be warned - if you mess up - you will have

to start over because it is very hard to correct an inadvertent

squiggle.

Can you find the REAL me in the images below??? (Clue- it's the very handsome one.) You can even grow a little hair with

it! This self portrait was made in a bathroom mirror under a single light source (fl tube). I believe the mirror provided a

second, reflected light source. I would like to see what others might do with a like source for portraits. (I am too cheap to buy

accessory reflectors and/or lights.)



Assignments By Ken Johnson

I could not be more proud of this edition of Exposures. Every article, every column and every image was submitted by a

member of this fabulous club. It was truly a pleasure to share moments and share photography in this manner. I will go so

far to state that this is my favorite edition since I became editor of Exposures. You have often heard that our club has

become the envy of CACCA because of the participation and imagery of our members. With this pleasant thought in mind, I

hope to encourage many of you to accept an assignment. With your help, I would like to make Exposures a newsletter also

worthy of envy.

As you may know, I try to establish a theme for every edition. These themes have ranged from contemplation to exposure to

printing and other photography related topics. I am continuously investigating themes which can be used in future editions of

Exposures and quite often, I select a theme based upon a flash of inspiration, as was the case for this most recent edition.

While this has worked in the past, I have decided to assign myself the task of planning future themes. At the same time I ask

— or should I say, I double black dog dare — you to accept a future assignment.

I begin by offering some possible future themes.

My Favorite Lens

This theme could be about your “go to” lens. It could be about the lens that you are most comfortable with or the one that

consistently allows you to capture good images. Perhaps you have a favorite “walk around” lens and a different lens for

special purpose shoots. You might tell a story about the difference between your favorite prime lens and your favorite

telephoto lens. You might have a favorite macro lens. Each could be a story.

Reward for Risk

Investors define this as the ratio used to compare the expected returns of an investment to the amount of risk undertaken to

capture these returns. You might have a great story about taking a risk to get a rewarding photograph. Photojournalism and

street photography may have certain risks. A risk might be as simple as braving inclement weather to get “that” shot.

My Best Photograph

This would NOT have to be an award winning image of any kind. I am sure you have a photograph or two where the process

of capturing the image filled you the greatest sense of pride.

Plan B

This might be stories about a great recovery. Perhaps you were on a shoot and your primary camera or lens failed. Perhaps

you planned for days to shoot an event and the weather did not cooperate.

Water - F rozen S olid to S ilky S mooth

Leading L ines

The Priceless Value of a Photograph

Why/How I B ecame interested in Photography

Lighting and Flash

Photo Editing Techniques

Imagination Rules

I present these in no special order; however the planned theme for the April edition is My Favorite Lens. The submission

deadline for these articles will be March 22. The remainder of the themes will be published in future months. Each story or

article should be about a page long including a few images but do not worry too much about length. Also, if you have an idea

about a theme, please send it along especially if you already have an article of interest.

Again, for those of you waiting in the wings or on the verge, accept my dare. Put on your creative thinking cap or socks and

share your work of art. The very best editions of Exposures should be written and directed by you. Editing comes after the

fact just like editing comes after you have taken an image. Send your creative piece directly to me at [email protected].

Thank you in advance for your interest and participation.


Documents

Competitions, Challenges and Excursions · challenge for March and submit your images to the club website. This dare, this challenge, just might keep you shooting long enough for