Category: Monthly Themes

Monthly Themes for the 2015/16 Season

We’ve had some great submissions for our monthly slideshow assignments so far!

To give members more time to build inspiration and get out with their cameras, the monthly themes were handed out at the start of the season. For convenience and electronic posterity, here they are again.

Month Assignment
October Unsuspecting Subject
November Odd Couples
December Panning
January Classic Still Life
February Up Close & Personal
March Winter Curves
April Wet
May Architecture
June Like a Painting

If you’re interested in seeing some of the club members past work, you can check out our Theme Videos (on YouTube), or visit our Flickr Pool, or stop by our Member’s Gallery.

Happy shooting!

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.

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

November Theme: Re-Creation

Our theme for November is a tricky one but should be fun and really stimulate your creativity. The idea here is to re-create a situation or event from some point in your past using a new photo that incorporates an old photo. It could be yesterday or yesteryear. How do you do it? Use your imagination.

We discussed two methods at out last meeting; one was to scan the old photo (or take a picture of it with your digital camera) and the other, most popular way amongst the members, was to take the “Dear Photograph” approach and hold up the old photo in the place it was originally taken and retake it. You can get a lot of ideas for this at the Dear Photograph site.

Here’s an example of what it may look like. Not a great example but just something I snapped in a hurry on Thanksgiving Day.

Re-Creation

Members, you can submit the usual five versions for the next meeting, but don’t be discouraged if you don’t get five. Have fun with this and enjoy you walk down memory lane.

February Meeting – Best Foot Forward

The theme for our February meeting is “Best Foot Forward”. This one is open to interpretation, but I suspect we’ll see a lot of, well, feet. Head on over to facebook.com/theoscc and browse our wall posts to see some examples.

We would also like to note that the next meeting is on Valentine’s Day, so if you can’t make it because of something Cupid did… we’ll understand. 😉

December Theme: Sentient Beings

The word “sentient” means having the capacity for feeling.  The word “beings” pertains to people and animals.  The theme for us this month means trying to capture people or animals in a moment of “feeling” or in a mood.  It allows you to use the Mik’sang approach to capturing live beings in a way that shows emotion, a mood or a personality trait.  It also means capturing that moment without the subject being aware of the camera pointed in their direction. Nor is the subject posed for the picture.  You may have to think about camera settings for indoors to avoid using a flash. Capture the mood with photographing only body parts like hands or feet.  Be prepared with your camera handy for that “unexpected” moment. Be patient and wait for that “moment” to happen.

The holiday season is a good time for photographing “Sentient Beings” at family gatherings or public events like parades. Go through your files to find past pictures that may fit in this category. Have fun over the holiday season!

You can see some examples of Sentient Beings at http://on.fb.me/vkzHky

November Theme: Light Trails

We all know that photography is, in its simplest terms, capturing light. What makes photography fun and interesting is the many ways in which we can go about capturing that light. This month’s theme is “Light Trails”. This type of subject matter can be interpreted in a few different ways.

The first thing one thinks of when they hear “light trails” is a slow exposure taken at night of cars driving down the street or perhaps a ride at the amusement park with lots of colourful lights swirling about to make nice patterns. Well, although these are great subjects that will produce light trails, you should also keep in mind that all photography is using light, day or night. So, with that in mind, a trail of light can be made anytime, depending on what type of subject you wish to shoot. A popular method used in photography is lens painting, which uses a slow shutter speed to create a blurred image where you may or may not be able to see what the subject actually is.

Try different techniques when getting light trails. Use your imagination, and “wow” us with your results. And keep in mind, even if you are not a member of the Owen Sound Camera Club, try this theme out and feel free to post some of your shots on the Club’s Facebook page at facebook.com/theoscc.