Minutes Sept 10 meeting...

[Margaret C. Benmore]

Don't forget to read the following messages for changes, corrections, omissions and general discussion... 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    SaltSpring Photography Club Minutes

Sept 10, 2013

 

 

Opening Remarks:  Curt Firestone (el Prez) welcomed a very full room of 25-30 club members; the atmosphere was abuzz… and commented on the work showing around town…  

 

 

New Members: a warm welcome to Larissa Sayer and returning Peter Paul Harnisch…   Jenna Aston a young photographer from the high school with a lovely new camera joined us for the evening to see if she would like to join our group…   I think she just might and I know that she would welcome all the support we can give her and we will welcome her fresh eye…

 

 

Club Business:

 

         Website:  there has been some discussion about changing the Club Website – a huge undertaking…  It has been decided to wait to see what the new updates to the existing platform will bring this Fall, to see if any of the improvements address our concerns.  If not then there will be further discussions.  Bob Rogers and Ernie Westlund will be steering this project… If you are interested in commenting on or contributing skills/talent to the effort, please feel free to contact either of them…

 

         Monthly Meeting Slideshow:  After much discussion between the Education Team and the Exec the following has been suggested:

1. the number for slides submitted by each participant be limited to 1, thereby leaving lots of time for discussion/analysis of each image…
2. all images shown should  receive time for discussion, including those of people who are not present at the meeting…
3. we will henceforth be having monthly “ Challenges “ – to help us stretch and grow --- instead of the more passive Theme...   This month the Challenge was “ Abstraction “ … Wow – did that produce some wonderful work…
4. If someone for some reason does NOT want their image to be posted on the website with the Monthly Club show posting – please let Doug know… he is very willing to pull it out for you…
5. Extra’s that are submitted will be posted on the website, even if we don’t get an opportunity to show/discuss them at the meeting…

 

 

         Wendy Rosier has finished the production and distribution of the  “ Amazing Fall ” the DVD for Harbour House.  Again it will also be showing at Lady Minto - right outside the blood takers room and in Extended Care…  I personally get lots of comments of appreciation from people; it gives them something lovely and relaxing to watch while they are waiting to have the blood or whatever sucked out of them…

Wendy was going to have the DVD ready for the Fall Fair too, but on being told that the Fall Fair was just days away instead of another week – she was surprised to say the least (“ CRAP !!!!! “ I think was the direct quote) … I think she actually made it though… bless her heart…   And don’t forget they are for sale at Harbour House as a fundraiser for the Club…  so get them for visual letters to send to your friends off island… show them how beautiful our island is in Fall… Thanks Wendy - you sure do make us look good and I know that it is very much appreciated by those that watch them…

 

         Forum Discussion:  “ Is Permission Required”  there has been a very lively discussion going on in our Forum, it is obviously a very hot topic, at last count there had been 279 viewings and much dialogue… always a healthy thing…  As a result we are looking into having someone come to the Club to talk about the ethics and legal questions involved in taking pictures of people…   We are hoping this will happen at our Nov. meeting… so bring your questions and concerns…

 

         Election of Executive:  It is time again to think about the slate of officers for the Club for the next election…  It is also time to think about the direction of the Club and what changes and improvements can be made and who can make them happen.   Bob Davidson will be looking for candidates to fill the position of President, Sec, PR, VP and Treasurer… Some of those in these positions have indicated possibly one more year if there is no one coming forward voluntarily… however I think all would welcome new blood on the Exec and would also welcome being released from the work/responsibility…  So now is a chance to jump in and get to know/work with the Club and help it grow some more… The election will be in Dec. 

 

         Monthly Meeting Night:  there has been a request from several members that we look for other nights to have the monthly meeting as the 2^nd Wed. conflicts with many other island activities…

Bob Rogers will be sending out a questionnaire to gather the preference of the days that we have the facility available… watch for it and please let us know your feeling, especially if you haven’t been able to attend because of schedule conflict… we really would like to make it as convenient as we can for the greatest number of the membership…  So let us know what you would like to see happening…

The Education Team are still making their arrangements with the library regarding the day of their presentation --- so we will also have to take that into consideration too --- as many of the club members will be attending that series I am sure…

 

 

 

Upcoming Events:

 

         Pat and Rosemarie Keough:   Sept. 25 7-9 pm,   Portlock portable…  These internationally known SaltSpring photographers will share with us their outstanding work, productions, images and stories…  The Keough’s have produced a number of extremely high end photography books of the unimaginable beauty in the world and more specifically our very own coast line… it promises to be a wonderful evening… see the website…

 

         January Lobby Show at ArtSpring:   Bob Rogers will be coordinating this show.  It is an opportunity for everyone in the Club to show their work to the community…  There is no fee involved and Bob will let us know how many pieces we can each submit.  He does suggest that you keep in mind that this is a very large space and larger images show best…   In the past people have usually submitted what they feel is their best work for the year… However there has been some suggestion that we have a theme…  stay tuned for details at the October meeting…

 

         Eclectic Visions 2014: June 26 – July 9^th, 2014 – This will be a 14 day run in the ArtSpring gallery.   We are also looking to lighten the load on the existing team by asking for more volunteers to come forward and help out… So come forward and get involved, the planning work will start in earnest in Jan…  Again there is discussion about whether it should be themed or not… stay tuned and put on your creativity cap….

 

Now Showing: 

 

         Bakery People – Sept 3-30  Avril and Doug are again showing there and I have a feeling that it is another insightful show --- go have a snack and enjoy their work… it always makes you think and maybe even smile…  

 

         Pemberton Homes Real Estate… til Sept 30 MCB and Avril have a show there in the two board rooms… Avril’s Fall Island shots are beautiful and MCB’s SaltSpring Godesses are displaying their curves about the island…

 

         Fernwood Café: til Oct 15, great setting, great coffee and beautiful show by Elehna de sousa

 

         Images of Africa:  ArtSpring Sept 20-22   Curt Firestone and Gwen McDonald share their wonderful images from last years trip to Eastern Africa – they will show us the culture, the landscape, the people and of course the creatures…  It promises to be inspiring… to both travellers and photographers… well done guys…

 

 

Evening Educational Presentation:  Greg Klassen presented a session on Astronomy and Photography and an upcoming Astronomical Event of the Century – “ Comet Ison “ …  Gregg did a wonderful presentation which encompassed the technical astro stuff – the difference between comets and meteors, exploding gases, snowballs hurtling around the sun – it was really interesting and his excitement of the subject was contagious...  He also shared with a viewing schedule for Ison --- Oct. it will be visible with optical assistance like major zooms, Telescope, etc., Nov. it will be visible with the naked eye and by Dec it will be as bright as a full moon… This certainly sounds exciting and hopefully we will have some clear nights during that period.  Greg also assured us that yes there is lots of very high end expensive equipment that can be used… but he also said that you can take advantage of the opportunity using you own everyday equipment and a tripod and possibly an bulb to enable you to hold the shutter open for a long, long, long time without moving the camera...  so get out there and practice – practice – practice…

The best time to shoot is sunrise and sunset, the latter being the preferred lighting… Greg also took us on a very short trip through the history of comets, their illustrations over time/cultures and their superstitions and myths… harbingers of DOOM…   It was a wonderfully informative and entertaining presentation full for useful information and tips…  He challenged us to PLAY with the comet and our photography; stretch our imagination, both in the shooting and the post-production…  What does it all mean, take an opportunity to put your interpretation on it, how does it fit with your history or your present… give the event a context…    Thanks Greg – it was great…

 

October Slideshow theme:  “ Negative Space “ negative space is defined on Wikipedia as  “   ‘Negative space, in art, is the space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, and not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and such space is occasionally used to artistic effect as the real subject of an image. The use of negative space is a key element of artistic composition “. 

While searching for a concise definition I stumbled across some wonderful artistic examples of negative space, not necessarily photographic but, good examples of what it means and how it is applied in an artistic sense… there was a sight for an Israeli illustrator Norm Bar at www.boredpanda.com/negative-space-illustrations ,  another site is a Vietnamese artist  Tang Yau Hoong at http://www.behance.net/gallery/The-Art-of-Negative-Space     “ The Art of Negative Space “… wonderful work..  

A very good though terribly “Cute” example of negative space at work in photography is at http://paintthemoon.net/blog/2012/01/white-negative-space-photograp...    the relationship of the subject to the whole composition and the use of the negative space to make part of the statement….

Who knew there were whole movements in Art celebrating Negative Space… enjoy the Challenge and stretch those imaginations…

 

Next Months Meeting:  October 9, 7 p.m.  Portlock Portable

We have no speaker at the moment, but are currently looking … stay tuned – watch the site…

 

 

September Evening Slideshow Theme: “  Abstraction ”  WoW !!!!!  what a show !!!!!… it was beautiful --- if you missed it or want to see it again go to the website, Doug has posted it there…  The theme of     “ Abstraction ”  took some people out of their comfort zone and stretched the imaginations…  The imagery was bold, brave and sooooo beautiful…  There was movement, there where bold colours and bolder shapes, some had reality mixed with abstraction. 
There were nature’s abstractions in rocks and onion skins, glasses and embroidery… there were abstractions by movement of the camera, defocusing and supersaturating…    The discussion and analysis during the show was informative and very lively…. It was such a wonderful display of photographic and artistic skill there has been discussion about making it the theme of the ArtSpring January show… so keep working on it all…   Well done all, you really rose to the challenge of “Abstraction” beautifully…

 

Editorial aside: If you have any comments, corrections or additions please feel free --- all help is welcome…

I would like to encourage all club members to take part in the conversations on the website --- they are interesting and endlessly informative… let’s talk…

 

Cheers… MCB

 

 

 

[Curt Firestone]

Thanks Margaret for enhancing the minutes with updates.

[Margaret C. Benmore]

Thanks Doug --- I thought I had it this time... good thing you are my backup...  exploring the Negative Space Art was really really interesting wasn't it...  cheers.... MCB 

[Avril Kirby]

Thanks Marg--great as usual!