A Great Start to the Season

All I can say is “Wow!” Last night was the first meeting of the 2014-15 season and boy, did we have a crowd on hand. Some folks had to stand (we apologize, and thank you for sticking it out) and I don’t recall that ever happening before.

First of all I’d like to say a big “Thank you” to all of those who were in attendance. We had most of last year’s membership body on hand as well as a host of new faces, some of whom are now new members. That is awesome! I’d like to see the membership grow more… because apparently, the numbers were quite a bit larger in the 70s, so the challenge has been accepted!

The theme for this meeting was “High Key – Low Key” and some folks found it a little challenging while others had a good grasp of the concept. But that’s what the club is all about – learning. I admit, it wasn’t the easiest of themes, but sometimes facing a challenge in photography is the best way to master the concept presented. The theme for October’s meeting is “Silhouettes” and shouldn’t be as difficult to master, but might challenge one’s creativity, mine included.

Something new that was introduced to the club was the idea of implementing mobile photography into the club’s curriculum. There are literally millions upon millions of people globally practicing this type of work, although most of them for more social reasons than for the art of the craft. We’ll see over time how, and if, mobile photography fits into the OSCC culture.

Well, that’s about it for now. This left-brained chap can’t recall every detail of the meeting but I’ve been able to jot down some of the highlights. If you’re reading this and are within a reasonable geographical distance of Owen Sound, by all means, you are welcome to attend our next meeting on Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm.

Oh, one last thing. Tom Jenks, a member for the past seven or so years and a Past President, announced last night that he will be relocating out of the area and will not be renewing his membership. Tom has graced us over the last couple of years with presentations from trips to Africa and Antarctica and the photos he shared with us were truly amazing. We wish Tom the best is his future endeavours and continued success in his photographic ventures. Thank you Tom for your company, your wit, your wisdom, and your wonderful imagery. We hope to see you someday down the road.

Greg McMillan,

President of the Owen Sound Camera Club

Our Four Best

The 2013-14 season is a wrap. The theme for our final meeting was Our Four Best Shots, four of our best, or favourites, since the end of last season. There were quite a few submissions which makes for a video of almost nine and a half minutes. The images could be from any photos we shot, not necessarily from any of the themes we did over the season.

The meeting was “all about the photographs”, as were the songs used in the video. Have a look, and listen.

June Social

Today the club got together for a photo scavenger hunt and a barbecue. We had a pretty good turn out with almost twenty members in attendance including Peter and Christine Finnie from Tottenham. Peter has become a good friend of the club since his speaking engagement with us in April.

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I’d like to thank Lynn Reket for organizing the scavenger hunt and a big thanks to Maureen Elliott for hosting the gathering and BBQ where we presented and discussed the images we took in the “hunt”. And finally, thanks to Randy O’hara for taking charge of cooking the burgers and hot dogs, and to all those who brought salads, snacks and desserts to make the feast a delicious one.

The scavenger hunt was comprised of five categories: Depth of Field/Visual Mass, Negative Space, Rule of Thirds, Door, and Dot in Space. Each member submitted five images, one for each subject, and it as very interesting to see the various interpretations of these subject matters. The following are my (unedited, straight from the camera) selections for each category to give you an idea of how I interpret them:

Depth of Field/Visual Mass

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Negative Space

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Rule of Thirds

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Door

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Dot in Space

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We have one meeting left for the 2013-2014 season where we’ll be sharing our four best photos from this season, plus there will be a “Swap Shop” where members can bring and photographic equipment we don’t want or need and maybe find that one piece of gear that we’ve been missing. That meeting is on June 10 and the public is certainly welcome.

Thanks,
Greg McMillan,
President, OSCC

Bob Dolphin’s Gallery Update

Have a peek at Bob Dolphin’s Gallery Page. With the look of the web evolving to a more flat, less cluttered look, I think as members send in photos to update their pages, I’ll leave the borders off the images to give things a simpler look. It’ll give more attention to the photos and less to the esthetics of the page itself. And of course, comments are always welcome on the Gallery Pages or anywhere on the site.

~Greg

OSCC President and Webmaster

Camera Meters and Histograms

Camera Meters and Histograms

Member Bob Farla sent me this link to an interesting YouTube video where camera metering and histograms are discussed. At recent meetings the members talked about how digital cameras meter everything to an 18% grey so I think you’ll find this video quite interesting, especially at about half way through when the gentleman demonstrates the histograms in an image of a black card, a grey card, and a white card. The results may surprise you.

~Greg

Fundraising Event

We have been asked to share the following so I thought I would oblige. ~Greg

The Marc Ekins Trio will be performing in the Bay Room at the Harry Lumley Bayshore Community Centre in Owen Sound on Friday January 24th, 2014. An eclectic mix of country, rock and celtic to bring your spirits high in the long month of January. Tickets are available at the Bayshore Box office for $20 each http://www.attackhockey.com/page/marcekinstrio, with proceeds going to Bruce Grey Child and Family Services. To listen to Marc’s music visit www.reverbnation.com/marcekins. The show will open with an acoustic guest performance from local recording artist Tommy Gilham www.tommygilham.com. The bar will be open and tabled seating. We look forward to seeing you there.

President’s Message

Hello everyone,

Another year has all but quickly passed us by and it’s during this time that we reflect on what once was and perhaps what will be. We will travel to see loved ones and participate in festive activities so whatever you do, and wherever you go, be safe and enjoy the time you spend with others this holiday season.

On behalf of the Owen Sound Camera Club I would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and nothing but the best in the New Year!

Greg McMillan,
President of the Owen Sound Camera Club

November Theme – City Lights

We are really enjoying the member participation with our monthly themes. At our meetings there are lots of submissions that we look at and certainly don’t mind seeing more. If you are not a member of the Club you can still share your version of the themes by posting them on our Facebook page or in our Flickr Group.

The theme we’re working on now is City Lights. It can be in an actual city or a small village but the images must contain lights of some sort. Some tips for successful images will include using a tripod and getting to know your camera settings for long exposures. Have fun with it and Good luck.

~Greg