Author: oscameraclub

A Canadian based community photography club located in Owen Sound, Ontario.

A Message rom the President

It’s that time of year again when we get together with friends, family and co-workers to celebrate this holiday season. It’s a time of rest, joy and reflection on the past year, a time of new beginnings and opportunities, and a time of peace.
On behalf of the Owen Sound Camera Club, I wish you all Happy Hanukkah, Feliz Navidad, Joyeux Noel and a Merry Christmas in whatever your native tongue may be. Stay safe for the holidays, and don’t forget to take some pictures to capture those precious moments.

Greg McMillan
President, OSCC

The December Theme – Coffee

We had another great showing for out December Theme. Coffee, the world’s most popular beverage. This month we explore the members’ interpretation of the word “coffee”, with a little extra technical instruction thrown into the assignment. The idea was to shoot the two different photos at two very different apertures to see what effect aperture has on an image. The two images did not have to be the same, although some were, but just utilize two different aperture settings to suit the image or scene.

Here’s the video showcasing the photos.

Lots To Be Thankful For

With our Canadian Thanksgiving more than a month in the past and our American friends’ Thanksgiving last week as I write this, it’s a reminder that there is plenty to be thankful for in our world. And in the Owen Sound Camera Club’s world, there is something special to be thankful for. Let me explain.

Over the past couple of years or so the OSCC has grown dramatically. That alone is something to be thankful for. Within the membership body we have found a number of new friends to learn from, to teach, and to just enjoy each other’s company. But there has been one special group of people who have been friends to the camera club that we are especially grateful to have a relationship with, and that’s the folks at Foto Art.

For the last 7 years Foto Art has been kind enough to open up their back room, previously occupied by portrait photographer Charles van den Ouden. When we were offered the back room of a camera store as a place to hold our meetings we couldn’t think of a better place.

However, with time comes change. As I mentioned above, the Owen Sound Camera Club has grown, and as happy as that makes us collectively, sadly we have outgrown the space at Foto Art. We have relocated to the New Life Centre, formerly known as Timothy Christian School. Our friendship with Foto Art will surely continue and on behalf of the OSCC, I would like to say a big Thank You to Peter Ciokan and all the staff who have been a great help to the club over the years. The use of the store for our meetings will certainly be remembered in our history and we are truly grateful for it.

Greg McMillan,

OSCC President

November Meeting

Pleased be advised that our November meeting will be at a different time and place. We will be gathering at the New Life Centre located at 201 4th Avenue West at 7 pm on Tuesday, November 4th (doors open at 6:30 pm). This is one week earlier than our regularly scheduled meeting.

At this point, this is a one time change but please keep an eye on the site or our Facebook Page for any further scheduling changes.

~ Greg, President, OSCC

We’ve Added a Swap Shop Page

Just wanted to point out that we’ve added a new page to the site. If you’re looking for used photography equipment keep an eye on the new Swap Shop page. You can find it on the navigation bar at the top of each page on the site. This space is reserved for members only to post items they wish to part with. If you see something there you like simply contact the club at osccinfo@gmail.com and we’ll put you in touch with the seller.

Greg

Photo Critiquing

Critiquing a photograph can be a tricky thing to do. You want to give an opinion on the image but how do you go about it? Sure, you can be blunt and just say what comes to mind, but sometimes that can backfire and what comes out might not be what was really on your mind.

Before you give a critique on a photo, first make sure it is welcome by the photographer. An unsolicited critique can tarnish the relationship, if any, between the photographer and the one with the opinion. There are many websites where photos are uploaded for the sole purpose of getting critiqued, and usually the photographer will ask for help with the image in the picture’s description. Your friends may post them to social media outlets just for the sake of sharing them. Should that be the case, and if you’d like to give them your thoughts on the image, simply ask them if it’s okay.

Further preparation for critiquing would include educating yourself on the subject matter of the photo. This may not be of the highest importance in some cases but, depending on the subject matter of the image, when trying to help someone improve their craft, a little more knowledge could go a long way. Honesty is another good characteristic of a quality critique. No artist wants to be misled by patronization or “feel good” comments. Go into a critique with the intent to be helpful.

When commenting on someone’s technique, be sure to ask “why” they made the photo look the way it’s presented. They may have taken an artistic approach that, to them, is exactly what they were after, but to anyone else, looks like a mistake. The photo could be out of focus or have a colour shift that just looks odd. Maybe it’s supposed to look that way, but then again, maybe it really is a mistake, a blunder caused by a mere erroneous camera setting. Asking “why” can sometimes help the photographer understand what went right or wrong with their photo.

Keep your critique neutral. Don’t give a biased opinion because that could confuse the artist. What you think the image should look like and what they were after in terms of a result could easily be two different things. This goes along with the “why” part of a good critique. When discussing a photo with its creator, the conversation should produce ways that could improve their work, maybe even motivate them to make another attempt at the same shot if its possible. The last thing you want to do when critiquing someone’s work is discourage them from continuing on or trying to improve.

Be aware of your statements. Short comments like ”that’s nice” may be complimentary but offer no direction to teach the photographer what makes a good photo. Put some thought into it and be thorough. Also, be constructive if you have to be critical. It’s easy to point out what you feel is wrong with a photo, but it’s much more helpful to end the discussion with a positive note. It makes the photographer feel better knowing he or she learned something about their image, yet at the same time, they still have done something right.

I’d like to encourage club members and non-members alike to be more open to giving and receiving critiques on their work. It’s an important part of the learning process, and I’ve always said the Owen Sound Camera Club is all about the learning.

Cheers,

Greg