Minutes for June meeting

[anna mccolm]

Pierre welcomed the Club's newest member, David Tabb, who lives in California and Salt Spring - 6 months in each.

Photofest: -  Wendy reported that all the venues and the photographers are on the Photofest website. Jana has worked on a map that is now up, showing the 35 participating venues. Pierre suggested that in coming years we could work on a passbook and a stamp. Everyone is encouraged to visit the sites.

Funding:  -  Judy, Jana, Avril, Anna, Derek and Pierre did a 4 hour shift bagging groceries on May 28th and earned $350 for the club. The club has the opportunity to do this 4 times a year and the next chance will be during the week of July 21st - 28th. Pierre asked for a co-ordinator (he will be away at that time) and Jana volunteered. Please contact her ([e-mail]) if you are interested so she can book our spot as soon as possible. We are hoping some different people will step up as some club members have done it twice already and would like to share the fun! 6 - 7 people are needed.

Photowalk:  - Kashia suggested a walk in Ruckle Park next Monday. Interested photographers can leave at 11am after 'coffee at Pennys' at the Golfclub. People not coffeeing can meet the group at Ruckle at the first parking lot (closest to the Barns and Grandma's Beach) around 11.15.

DITLOSS (Day In The Life Of Salt Spring) will be on Friday June 21st this year. Any interested photographers can contact Gail at the Driftwood to sign on: [e-mail]

Avril has some canon lenses to sell and Kashia has a Canon 100 - 400 telephoto lens to sell ($700)

Simon produced two photography books to share and Elehna took home the Victoria Photoclub book.

Next meeting:  -  The July speaker cancelled so Avril is going to look through Larry's photography videos and will select one (around 30 minutes) for the Club to watch.

Wendy asked that if anyone takes a good photo of anything related to Photofest - would they please send it to Wendy for future website purposes:  - [e-mail]

Eclectic Visions:  - Jana reassured the group that everything is on track and had nothing to ask or report.

Susan Huber gave a talk on Analogue photography which is photography that uses a chemical process to record film on sensitised paper or glass or metal.

Companies had stopped making film cameras and film but a movement, started in 1992, saved film from disappearing. In 2007 a company ( The Intrepid Camera Co.) started making the large format camera again.

People who like to use the old methods of processing film feel that is has an aesthetic quality and captures a nostalgic, grainy feel that is missing in this digital age. An interesting aspect of using the collodion process is that it is sensitive to blue light and warm colours appear dark. Lemons and tomatoes come out shiny black and a blue and white tablecloth will appear as plain white. The  Victorian people we see in portraits where everyone looks as if they're in mourning might actually be wearing bright yellow or pink!

Collodion, a flammable, transparent, syrupy solution of pyroxylin in ether and alcohol, is used for coating a glass or metal plate. This is then dunked in a silver nitrate solution for a few minutes, loaded into a 'dark slide' and inserted into the camera. the picture is taken and developed in a dark room. You have about 15 minutes to do all this before the collodion dries out.

When metal (called tintype) is used it produces a direct positive image (reversed though) on the plate. When glass is used it produces a negative image and can be easily reproduced on photographic paper.

Susan brought along a couple of books on the subject  - One was Jill Enfield's  ' Guide to Photographic Alternative Processes'.  She has another book coming out called 'Wet Plate Collodion'.

Slide show:  -  Derek showed the photographs of Club members who are showing their work at Eclectic Visions. Each photographer explained their photos - a very worthwhile exercise that will benefit everyone sitting the show. It's a truly eclectic collection of images; there is photography taken under water, photography using multiple images, photography combining pinhole images with digital, canvas prints enhanced with painting and lots of outstanding and interesting photos.  

 

[Avril Kirby]

Well done, Anna--very complete.