Monthly Meeting Notes – January 2012

 Meeting Notes of January 12, 2012

To all DPI-SIG members and other interested parties:

A sincere welcome to our eight new members!

Don Fischer, Harry Hanbury, Dottie Lloyd, Mike Magden,
Shelley Magden, Jacke McCurdy, Joseph Parisi, and Louis Rana.

Our slideshow producer, Jeff Bilyeau, presented our monthly theme photos based on
“M O N O C H R O M E M A G I C”. to an audience of approximately 105 photographers! The MAGIC music was toe-tapping and entertaining. Jeff reported that 24 members submitted 136 photos. Let’s keep Jeff busy! He uses Pro Show Producer for his slideshows. Your photos are shown at the meeting and will also appear on the web-site’s page of slideshows. http://www.dpi-sig.org.

Harold Kurzman awarded ribbons & plaques for the 2011 DPI-SIG Year-End Competition. Winners were announced in the December Meeting Notes. Reminder: If you missed some Meeting Notes, they are on our website.

A big thank you to the volunteers who offer their photography services for the Non-Profit Organizations. Art David and Orlando Vargas have volunteered for Rookery Bay’s ongoing events this season. Glenn Christopher, Marcel Seamples and Art David have volunteered for the January 28th Avow Hospice Regatta. Currently, these organizations are looking for photographers: Feb. 11 – Retired Military Officer’s Ball at Pelican Bay; March 3 – Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Hope Gala at the Ritz. Remember, you don’t have to be a professional photographer to offer your services. The organizations just need someone to photograph their event. Please respond to the emails from the various organizations and let Laura DePamphilis know when you have volunteered your services: dpi-npphoto@naples.net.

In the news: Marilyn Nagy’s “Glowing Oats” photo was published in the Naples Daily News. Karin Smith’s “Ibis in Trees” and Dennis Goodman’s photos were chosen for Rookery Bay’s Annual Photography Exhibit. Art David had his photo “Approaching Storm Naples Bay” chosen to hang in the Members’ Gallery exhibit at the Von Liebig Art Center which is located on the northwest corner of Cambier Park in downtown Naples, just behind the new construction site of the Inn on Fifth. It is open to the public daily.

Eric Hansen reminded the audience of the FCCC Conference scheduled for March 23, 24 & 25, 2012, to be held at the Naples Hilton Hotel. This three-day event, sponsored by DPI-SIG, will host world-class speakers such as Connie Bransilver, Bill Fortney, George Lepp, and Artie Morris, etc., plus some of our local experts in photography. There will be members attending from the 53 camera clubs throughout the State of Florida. Check the website for a complete lineup of the Conference features, PLUS you can register online for the various workshops: http://www.f3c.org. Remember, the workshops fill quickly. You need to register early.

Les Schwartz, Outing Director, announced a DPI-SIG Virtual Outing #2 in an email to members: The new task is to find the letters of your own name in images. First, last, middle or all – your choice. You can use capital letters or lower case. You may, of course, photograph other letters of the alphabet, as you see them. Regardless….have fun with this one! He’d like your images by February 7, 2012, and he will put all images in a slide show for viewing at the February meeting. If you have any questions, please contact Les Schwartz at dpi-outing@naples.net.

Les has finalized plans for our visit to the Naples Daily News on Thursday, January 19, 2012 at 2:00 p.m. We will have a tour of the entire NDN plant plus visit the photo department. However, this outing is full and has a waiting list.

January 21 – Outing with Larry Richardson at the Naples Zoo. Requirements: must be a member of DPI-SIG PLUS be a member of the Naples Zoo. This outing is full, but will be repeated at a later date.

February 11 – Les is finalizing the plans for our visit to Fakahatchee Strand State Park. This will be guided, dry walking tour/hike, not through the swamp.

April 13-14 at the Immokalee Airport: Hot Air Balloon event. More information to follow.

Reminder: All information on DPI-SIG outings is posted on our website at: dpi-sig.org.

Deanna and Laura DePamphilis have coordinated efforts and chosen many of the fund-raiser calendar photos, taken at Shy Wolf Sanctuary by DPI-SIG members, to be on display at the Collier County Government Center, Sheriff’s Office, 3319 Tamiami Trail East, Building J, Administrative Offices, 2nd-floor lobby, in January, February and March of 2012, during regular business hours. If you missed the opening reception last Thursday, make sure you take time to see this exhibit/sale of our members’ work. Ribbons for the exhibit were awarded in the following categories to:

Portraits: Sundrish Sharma (1st Place) “The Importance of Being Ernest”; Jennifer Semro (HM) “Bashful”

Animal Action: Sonny Saunders (1st Place) “My Apple”; Bob Melin (HM) “Pups”

Human Interaction: Jennifer Brinkman (1st Place) “Furever Friends”; Christine Cook (HM) “Foxy Treat”

Sanctuary: JoAn Carter (1st Place) “For the Least of These”

Benjamin Carp presented “Color Changes, Waterfalls & Reflections”, his images from an excursion to Brevard, North Carolina, where he spent 4 days with the peak fall colors at the foot of the Smoky Mountains, surrounded by National Forest and waterfalls. Ben used a Canon G11 camera.

Nic Provenzo, Art Show Director and Harold Kurzman, Club Competition Director, are preparing for our next art show to be held at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre, 1380 Colonial Blvd., Ft. Myers FL 33907. If you didn’t turn in your pieces at the meeting, your work needs to be delivered to the DPI-SIG Roundtable meeting this Thursday, January 19 @ 6 p.m. Location: Village Falls, 5029 Tamiami Trial East, Naples. Nic will be on hand to make sure photos are exhibition-ready and wrapped for transport.

This exhibit/sale at the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre will be from Monday, February 13 through Saturday, March 31, 2012. Size is limited to 56″ in any direction. Nic suggests a size no less than 16″ x 20″ for your images. All work will be hung professionally by the Broadway Palm Dinner Theatre employees. Pieces must be exhibition ready – no exceptions…framed with wire, etc.. A 3 x 5″ information card for each piece is needed, listing maker’s name, address, email address, the title, and price. Also include a business card size with name of maker, title of piece and price. This smaller card will actually be the “sign” used with your photo. Make sure you include a list of the pieces you are submitting – name of maker, title of photos and price.

Broadway Palm receives 20% commission on works sold. Remember, 10,000-15,000 people attend the shows each season. Your photography will be well viewed. As Nic advised, ask yourself if you would buy the photo and put it on your wall at home! If you want to participate in the art show and haven’t registered with Nic, please contact him: dpi-artshow@naples.net.

When was the last time you tried “Panning”? Never? Well, Larry Richardson gave us a Panning-101 presentation that should encourage all of us to try it. Panning creates a sense of movement. The motion should be blurred, but the subject should be sharp. He asks that we try it on a street corner where cars pass by. Hold down the shutter, focus on your subject and follow the motion as it moves. In addition, he displayed a blanket, made by Snapfish out of one of his big-cat photos from his African trip.

Did you see our new DPI-SIG brochure? We have Chuck McKinney to thank for putting together a first-class information brochure about our camera club. We will have them available at the meetings. The brochures are a great way to introduce someone to our club’s activities.

The next DPI-SIG Photography Round Table discussion for members will be held on Thursday, January 19, 2012, at 6 p.m. Location is upstairs at 5029 Tamiami Trail East in the Village Falls complex. You must make a reservation because space is limited.

Lightroom User’s Group will meet on Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. at Peggy Farren’s studio, 2383 Linwood Ave., #302. You will be receiving an email of the meeting. This discussion group is for members only and, due to limited space, is on a first-come basis. Please do not respond until after you receive your email invitation. Bill Coakley mentioned that the Beta 4 version is available until March 12. If anyone downloads this Beta version, please report your opinion of the new version at the meeting.

This month’s Glossary term: “Aspect Ratio”

Aspect Ratio: The aspect ratio of a camera is the ratio of the length of the sides of the image produced. A traditional 35mm film frame is approximately 36mm wide by 24mm high. This is an aspect ratio of 36:24, which is expressed as a 3:2 ratio. Most non D-SLR digital cameras have an aspect ratio of 4:3 while most D-SLR’s have a 3:2 ratio. 16:9 (generally named as “Sixteen-Nine”, “Sixteen-by-Nine” and “Sixteen-to-Nine”) is the international standard format of High Definition. Typically video monitors have a 4:3 aspect ratio. Many new digital cameras are offering a variable aspect ratio feature, with selections such as: 4:3, 16:9, 3:2, 1:1 and 4:5.

Last month’s Glossary term:  “Vignetting”

Vignetting: The barrel or sides of the lens become visible, resulting in dark corners in a image. Most lenses are brighter in the center than at the edges, especially when wide open. This is especially pronounced with wide-angles and some long telephoto lenses, or when stacking filters. Although lens vignetting is usually unwanted, vignetting can also be used intentionally to create a sort of “spotlight” effect that, if done subtly, draws the viewers eye to the subject of the photograph. It is particularly well suited to portraits.

Please check the glossary on our web site for more digital photography terms!

Next month’s theme is: “M A D E W I T H L O V E Members are eligible to submit 6 pictures or a 2 minute video to: dpi-theme@naples.net. Please follow the procedure for renaming and resizing photos. Refer to: dpi-sig.org and click on “Topic of the Month”. Please follow these guidelines: Use your name only and the order number you want the images shown. Title is NOT needed! E.g., John Doe_01, John Doe_02, etc. Theme topics for the entire year are listed on our web site.

COMPETITIONS, EXHIBITIONS & PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

The Collier County Branch of the NAACP presents the 15th Annual Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Parade, Monday, January 16, 2012, starting at 11:00 a.m. on Broad Avenue & Third Street, travels across Fifth Avenue, south on Eighth Street and ends at Cambier Park.

Piccadilly Circus on January 20, 21 & 22: Free petting zoo and circus fun with elephant, camel and pony rides before the show. Collier County Fair Grounds, 751 39th Ave., NE, Naples 34120. Adults $30 (BYGO); kids under 13 free. www.thefuncircus.com.

Naples Pelican Bay Rotary Club presents “Chalk Art 2012 – Street Painting Extravaganza” on Saturday, January 28, 2012, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. on 5th Avenue South, Naples. Artists (children, students & professionals) use chalk only to create original art directly in the individual spaces. Join over 5,000 spectators and watch 5th Avenue South turn into a huge, color splashed canvas. The public will vote for their favorite “street painting” with tickets purchased from The Pelican Bay Rotary Club members at the event. Voting boxes will be provided at each participating artist’s station. All proceeds provide scholarships for local students.

Christine Cook has her photography on Exhibit at the Literacy Volunteers of Collier County at 8833 Tamiami Trail East, Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Stop in and see Christine’s photography which portrays indigenous people from Central and South America, agricultural life in India and present-day Vietnam. Her work ties in with the multi-cultural nature of the agency which serves people from 30 different countries with their Literacy program.

The Friends of the Six Mile Slough Preserve are having a 2011 Friends Photography Contest. Photos must have been taken at the Slough. Categories are: Animals, Plants, Open and Altered photographs. Photos may be submitted from November 1, 2011 through February 1, 2012. Contest rules and complete details are available on their website: www.sloughpreserve.org.

The 8th Annual Asia Fest will be held on February 4, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Mercato Shopping Center, across from the AZN Restaurant, 9118 Strada Place, Naples. The festival features a variety of Asian cuisine, as well as a full line-up of Asian professional and local cultural performances with the Chinese lion dance and dragon show, martial arts demonstrations and the Fushu Daiko Taiko drum group. Proceeds benefit the Naples Asian Professionals Association College Scholarship Program, the Education Foundation, and the Naples YMCA Child Development Center. Admission $5.00; kids under 12 free.

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOPS & CLASSES

Don’t forget to check Peggy Farren’s classes, guided tours and events: http://www.understandphotography.com/. Her classes range from the beginner to the advanced photographer’s needs. Classes sell out quickly – don’t procrastinate! Sign up now! There are discounts on class prices for early registration. (239) 263-7001. Check her web site for directions, prices, and class descriptions.

January 16 – Free Photowalk – Street Photography at MLK parade, downtown Naples

January 17 – Makeup Techniques for Photographers & Models

January 18 – Studio Model Shoot

January 21 – Sensor Cleaning & Photographer’s Flea Market

Gordon Campbell, Photography Instructor, has seminars scheduled at these locations:

North Regional Library on Wednesday, January 18 @ 2:00 – 4:00 p.m.

South Regional Library on Thursday, February 2, from 10 a.m. – Noon.

Orange Blossom Library on Tuesday, March 6 @ 6:00 – 7:45 p.m.

Each is a two-hour digital photo seminar and slide show for both DSLR and Point & Shot camera photographers. Bring your camera and learn to set your menu and shooting modes. Plenty of Q & A, plus easy tips the pros use for their best shots. Reserve your spot now: (239) 776-4743.

Birds of SW Florida: Workshop Tour with Master Nature Photographers, Len Messineo & Lou Neggelhorst, Wednesday – Sunday, January 25-29, 2012. This five-day workshop tour will help you photograph bird life and the natural areas of SW Florida. Daily excursions to prime photography and viewing sites like Everglades ecosystem, Shark Valley, Corkscrew Sanctuary, Ding Darling, Little Estero Lagoon, Fakahatchee Boardwalk, Big Cypress Preserve, plus a variety of unusual plant life., etc. The experience is designed to be active, productive and enjoyable. Contact Len for details: lenmess25@gmail.com or (847) 707-1758.

Christine Cook is teaching “Basics of Nature Photography” February 4, 11, 18 & 25 @ 9:00 – 11:30 a.m. at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Rd., Naples 34120. To register, call (239) 348-9151, ext 113. Besides being a photographer, Christine is a Florida Master Naturalist at the Sanctuary. She also teaches Yoga at the Sanctuary to help you limber up for your photographic experiences…like getting up and down on your knees to capture a certain image!

Bob Kenedi will be teaching “Creative Use of Photoshop Tools” on February 14 & 17, 2012, at the Renaissance Academy of FGCU, 1010 Fifth Avenue South, across from the Naples Depot. For more information, contact Bob at: ibobk@me.com.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

THE NEXT DPI-SIG MEETING WILL BE THURSDAY, February 9, 2012, AT 7 P.M.

at Edison State College in Building J, at the Conference Center.

NOTICE: Our membership dues have been raised to $30.00 per year. You will be notified by email when your dues need to be paid. We request that you also continue to make a donation, at each meeting, in the receptacle provided at the entry table to help offset the rental cost. Many thanks to all who contribute each month.

Do you know of any family, friends, co-workers, or anyone with an interest in photography? Please feel free to bring them to our meeting and encourage them to join us! Most of our new members are referrals. Remember to use our DPI-SIG business cards to invite potential members to our meetings. AND, don’t forget to welcome new people at our meetings. Those of you who attend regularly know familiar faces, but don’t forget the people who are at our meetings for the first time. We all like to feel welcome! Extend your hand and start talking photography!

Reminder: All Meeting Previews and Meeting Notes are posted on the website: http://www.dpi-sig.org/breaking-news.

Reminder: If you want information posted on these Meeting Notes, please give the information in writing, either at the meeting, or by email before or immediately after the meeting, to Betty Saunders , saunders@naples.net.

A RECAP OF IMPORTANT DATES…MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

January 19 – DPI-SIG Outing, Naples Daily News tour @ 2 p.m., FULL/waiting list

January 19 – Round Table discussion @ 6 p.m., by reservation only

January 21 – DPI-SIG Outing, Naples Zoo, FULL/another one soon

January 26 – Lightroom Users Group @ 6 p.m., by reservation only

February 7 – Deadline to submit Monthly Theme photos MADE WITH LOVE”

February 9 – DPI-SIG Meeting @ 7 p.m., Building J, Conference Center

February 11 – DPI-SIG Outing, Fakahatchee Strand, reservation required

Betty Saunders (For Sonny Saunders & Bill Coakley)

A special thanks to all our volunteers:

Jeff Bilyeau: Monthly Theme Slide Show Producer

Gordon Campbell – Meeting Photographer

Christine Cook: DPI-SIG Representative to FCCC

Pam Costa: Public Relations Director

Art David: Liaison, Naples Art Association

Laura DePamphilis: Coordinator, Volunteer Photographers for Non-Profit Organizations

Peggy Farren: DPI-SIG Print Facilitator to FCCC

Nancy Garrison – Liaison, Art League of Marco Island

Tim Gibbons – Meeting Photographer

Damaris Gonzalez – Monthly Theme Slide Show Producer/Assistant

Eric Hansen: 2010, 2012 FCCC Convention Chairman

Mark Helfgott – Sound Consultant

Harold Kurzman: Club Competition Director

Nic Provenzo – Art Show Director

Betty Saunders: Membership Registrar

Les Schwartz: Outing Director

Bill Coakley – Co-Founder; Webmaster

Sonny Saunders – Co-Founder

Remember, our camera club functions because of our volunteers. Please let us know what you are willing to do to help keep this a very active, thriving, energetic and fun group of photographers!

And, very special thanks to Edison State College for the use of their great facility.

The following email addresses are for use by club members:

dpi-compete@naples.net   For members to email entries for DPI-SIG competitions

dpi-theme@naples.net       For members to email images for Monthly Theme shows

dpi-outing@naples.net       For members to email pictures from Outings 

dpi-pr@naples.net            For members to send Publicity/Promotion items to the dpi publicity director

dpi-npphoto@naples.net  For members to photograph Non-Profit Organization events

dpi-sig@naples.net           For members (or anyone) to send anything to the Club Founders 

dpi-artshow@naples.net For members to contact the Art Show Director

dpi-askexpert@naples.net For members to ask questions online

Web sites:

http://www.f3c.org FCCC Web site

https://dpi-sig.org DPI-SIG Web site

DPI-SIG is a special interest group of the Naples Free-Net, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization providing education and internet services to over 4,000 registered members and the public at-large. The Naples Free-Net is entirely run by volunteers and the only remaining Free-Net in the country.

DPI-SIG meetings are held, unless published otherwise, at 7 p.m. each second Thursday of the month at the Conference Center, Building J, of Edison State College, Lely Campus. Turn west onto Lely Cultural Drive, at the first traffic light south of Rattlesnake Hammock Road on Route 951 (Collier Blvd.).