Points and star-grading after October 2011 meeting

Please click on the table below for a larger view.

Wanted: Suggestions for improving the Photo Club

It's been a great year so far for our club, and I think that we've all learned a great deal. To make it an even better experience next year, we would love some input from all the club members about the direction they would like to see the club take next year.

Feel free to comment on any aspect. Here's some questions to get you thinking:

Do you like the venue?
Should we meet more often/less often?
Does the time of the meeting suit you?
Should we have more workshops?
What would you like to learn more about?
What do you think of the judging process?
Should we do more photos in the set subject, or leave it as is?
Should we do more outings?
Do you like the format of the meetings (talk, coffee, judging)?
What do you like about our club?
What do you dislike about our club?
How can our club be improved?

You can leave a comment on this post so that others can follow the discussion, or you can mail your comments to me (cassi@icon.co.za) and I will circulate it to the other committee members.

Here's how to comment:

- click on "0 Comments" at the bottom of this post
- add your comments in the "Post a Comment" window that will appear
- when you've finished typing in your comment, click on the "Comment as" option box
- you can select "Anonymous" to leave an anonymous comment
- if you want to leave your name, select "Name/URL"and type in your name at the prompt (you can leave the URL line blank).

Please take a few moments to leave a comment. We would really appreciate your input!

Thanks.

--Cassi
 (Webmaster)

Chairman's Newsletter Oct 2011

Goeiedag, Klublede!

FVSA – kongres: 2012

Die FVSA (Fotografiese Vereniging van Suid Afrika), oftewel die PSSA (Photographic Society of South Africa) se Kongres vind aan die einde van Augustus 2012 hier aan die Weskus op Langebaan plaas. Die Weskus Fotografievereniging, met Nicky Bester as ons skakelpersoon, is gemoeid met die akkommodasie tydens die Kongres. Op hierdie stadium verloop alles volgens plan. Die Weskaap FVSA - kongreskomitee (bestaande uit die oorhoofse voorsitter van al die Fotografieklubs in die Weskaap, ander klubs se voorsitters en / of afgevaardigdes) vergader eersdaags weer (ná die FVSA – kongres 2011 by Hartebeespoortdam  ten einde gekom het) om verdere verwikkelinge te bespreek. Nicky sal ons op hoogte hou daarvan.

Kameras: sensor en kamera skoonmaak - R50,00 per kamera (“Clean it while you wait!”)

Chris Hart, ‘n baie deeglike en uiters ervare kamerategnikus is bereid om lede se kameras tydens ‘n Dinsdagaand se Klubaand skoon te maak vir slegs R50,00 per kamera. Chris sal die kameras skoonmaak terwyl ons ons foto’s laat beoordeel. Ek ken Chris al vir meer as twintig jaar en kan getuig van sy vaardigheid. Van ons klublede het al herstelwerk by hom laat doen en nog almal was baie tevrede met sy diens.

Indien enigeen sy of  haar  kamera wil laat skoonmaak, vra ek dat julle my asseblief vóór Saterdagaand , 8 Oktober 2011 kontak ( HYPERLINK "mailto:info@emilbosch.com" info@emilbosch.com of 082 776 8100) sodat ek kan reël dat Chris die skoonmaak Dinsdagaand, 11 Oktober kan doen.

Interklubaand: 28 Oktober 2011

Die Komitee versoek lede wat die Interklubaand in die Kaap gaan bywoon vriendelik om die koste (R50,00 per persoon) Dinsdagaand aan Susan Thiart te betaal, ten einde te verseker dat die kaartjies vanaf Vishoek Fotografieklub  aan ons gestuur kan word. Dit is baie belangrik dat hierdie kaartjies ons vóór die Interklubaand bereik!

Werkswinkel: Lig, Beligting en Komposisie – 18 Oktober 2011 om 18h30 by die Waenhuis

Hugo Germishuys gaan lede vaardiger maak as wat hulle reeds is en wel ten opsigte van bogenoemde. Die werkswinkel word vir klublede aangebied. Aangesien dit in die Klubgebou aangebied word, is dit ‘n goeie idee om benewens ‘n “flash” (kameraflits – hetsy ‘n aparte een of ingeboude een) ook ‘n driepoot saam te bring (indien ‘n lid wel een het). Ons beoog om teen 21h00 klaar te maak met die werkswinkel. Indien klublede wil, is hulle welkom om ook ‘n notaboek saam te bring ten einde aantekeninge te maak.

Werkswinkel: Modelle en veteraanmotors – 22 Oktober 2011 om 09h00

Tydens hierdie werkswinkel gaan lede “hersiening doen” van Hugo se werkswinkel oor Lig, Beligting en Komposisie. Ek sal hierdie werkswinkel lei.

‘n Aantal modelle van ‘n plaaslike modelskool (d.w.s. hulle wéét hoe om te poseer en dus kan die fotograaf op fotografie konsentreer en nie onwillige / beskroomde individue die heeltyd probeer oorreed om te poseer nie), asook twee of drie veteraanmotors gaan beskikbaar wees sodat fotograwe hulle  kan afneem. 

Indien belangstellende lede weerkaatsers (reflectors) het wat vir fotografie bedoel is, ‘n sonskerm vir ‘n motor (wit / silwer), ‘n “emergency blanket” (die foelie wat stappers op staptogte saamneem om hitteverlies te verhoed), of selfs ‘n groterige stuk polistireen, sal dit goed aangewend kan word tydens hierdie werkswinkel.

Bring asseblief ook jou kameraflits (flash) saam, asook jou kamera én flits se handleiding.

Ek hoop om Dinsdagaand die plek vir die werkswinkel (hopelik nie verder as 30 km vanaf Vredenburg nie) te kan aankondig. Ek is tans besig om die logistiek daarvan te bepaal.

Uitnodiging: Bloekom Boma  HYPERLINK "http://www.bloekombomavenue.co.za/index.html" http://www.bloekombomavenue.co.za/index.html

Carl Thom, eienaar van die Bloekom Boma, het die Weskus Fotografievereniging uitgenooi om te kom aansit vir ‘n heerlike potjie of twee op Saterdag, 15 Oktober 2011. Let wel! Hierdie is ‘n uitnodiging wat lede niks uit die sak gaan jaag nie, met ander woorde: Carl gaan ons gratis trakteer dié dag! 

Ons beoog om die potjies gereed te hê teen ongeveer 18h00, maar lede en hul gesinne is welkom om ‘n bietjie vroeër op te daag. Bring asseblief u eie alkoholiese verversings saam.

NB! Ten einde te verseker dat niemand honger ly nie, vra ek lede om so spoedig moontlik (sperdatum: 12 Oktober 2011) hulle getalle aan my deur te stuur, asseblief.

Kyk asseblief na die skakel (link) van Bloekom Boma (hierbo) vir meer inligting.

Klublede

Tydens ons onlangse Komiteevergadering is uitgewys dat ‘n aantal lede nie meer so dikwels ons Klubaande bywoon soos aan die begin van die jaar nie. Ek kan bespiegel dat van die redes daarvoor, onder andere die volgende mag wees: dat die Klubaande vervelig is; te tegnies is; die manier waarop foto’s beoordeel word, lede kwets; die Klub nie aan die behoefte van lede voldoen nie; ensovoorts.

Die één groot beweegrede waarom ons almal lede by die Weskus Fotografievereniging is, is omdat ons lief is vir fotografie. Juis daarom wil ek lede vra om die vraelys op die Klub se blog te voltooi. Hierdie vraelys is anoniem (‘n lid kan dus met die grootste vrymoedigheid sê wat haper – maar ook óf iets haper!) Die WKFV is nie die eiendom van die Komitee nie – dit behoort aan elke lid en juis daarom is dit belangrik dat almal voordeel trek uit die Klub. Ons hoor dus graag van julle, want ook óns wil die Klub (lees: fotograwe) sien groei in fotografievaardigheid en in die liefde vir ‘n wonderlike kunsvorm.

Vriendelike groete en alle voorspoed met die foto’s vir Dinsdagaand se kompetisie!

Emil

Scoresheet from Paart Interclub Competition

Gold awards & Points after September meeting

Please click on the table below for a larger version.

Judgement Day

by Cassi Goodman

Let me start by apologising sincerely to anyone whose feelings I hurt with my inept judging at last night's meeting. I am certainly not qualified to judge anyone else's photos by a long shot. It was a good learning experience and I now have even more respect for the guys who stand up there at each meeting to critique other photographers' work.  It's a big responsibility.

It's quite easy to "judge" a photo in your head -- to just look at it once and go: "Dude, what were you thinking?"  But there's a huge difference between judging and constructive criticism. When you are required to provide useful feedback, you need to look twice and then look some more. You have to see the photo with an open mind. You have to try to see through that photographer's eye, to try to understand his/her vision of what they were hoping to achieve. 

I must admit that I found it easier to point out the things that were "wrong" with the photos (in MY opinion), than to point out what was good/well-done/spot-on/perfect. Sorry about that. When I look at my own photos, I always look for ways to improve them -- maybe the crop is wrong, or the bright bits are just a bit too bright, or the horizon is not quite straight, whatever. The photos normally already have quite a lot going for them, otherwise I won't waste my time trying to make them better. That's kind of how I approached the judging exercise last night. But when I thought about it later, I realised I spent too much time finding fault and not enough time on the positive aspects of the photos, of which there were many!

To submit a photo for "judging" is a very brave thing to do.  Hugo always says "It's just one person's opinion", and while that's certainly true, criticism always stings a little. We are attached to our own photos -- we edit them to the best of our ability, crop them just so, turn up the contrast a little bit and when they are (close to) perfect, we still deliberate endlessly about whether or not they are good enough for scrutiny by the club members and the critical eyes of the judges.  (Or maybe that's just me, who knows?)

When my photos are up for judging, I defend them in my head. I argue that it looked better on my computer screen, or that it's not my fault the bl*nking mossie didn't turn its head so that the light could twinkle in its eye, or that I know very well I could have taken that photo from a better angle.  The judge doesn't realise that if I took two steps to the right as he suggested, I would have ended up ankle-deep in mud. And in my new shoes to boot! And so it goes on. 

But. Our art -- be it a photograph, a painting, a poem, a sculpture of a flying mermaid, whatever -- has to stand on its own two feet (except for the mermaid). When you send your work off to a salon or any other competition, you are not there to defend it. You cannot tell the judges what you were trying to do, what the hidden meaning is, how special the photo is to you, or that you intentionally overexposed it by two stops because you liked it that way. Not everyone will "get" it, not everyone will like your style, some judges might just have a pet hatred of the specific subject you photographed. But just how boring would it be if we all took the exact same photos, if no-one tried anything new, if we all followed the rules?

So, don't be afraid of what others think of your work. You're not trying to please the judges -- you're trying to become a better photographer.  If you can learn something from the criticism you receive, good stuff. If not, shrug it off!  Keep trying. Put yourself out there. Take chances. Try something new. Break all the rules. Step into the mud for a better angle. Just don't stop taking pictures! 

--Cassi Goodman

Western Cape Interclub details

WESTERN CAPE INTERCLUB 2011

To be held at THE CR LOUW AUDITORIUM,

at SANLAM HEAD OFFICE, 2 STRAND ROAD,

BELLVILLE

on

FRIDAY, 28TH OCTOBER 2011

at

6.00pm for 7.30pm

hosted by

FISH HOEK PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

(FHPS)

Please let Emil Bosch know by Fri 15 Sep if you would like to attend. The cost is R50 per person.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE EVENING:

1. Parking on the premises, with security guards, is available at

guests’ own risk.
2. Guests may arrive from 6.00pm onwards, and proceedings will

commence at 7.30pm, when the Competition begins. No late comers will

be admitted to the auditorium after 7:30pm.

3. Light snacks (crisps, etc), wine and fruit juice will be served, at no

charge.

4. Viewing of the prints will take place at a suitable venue on the

premises.

5. Guests must have taken their seats by 7.30pm promptly.

6. During the Intermission, tea, coffee and biscuits will be served, at no charge.

7. A program setting out the scheduling of the evening, will be

available upon guests’ arrival.

8. The evening should be concluded by 11pm.

Winners September 2011

Congratulations to the winners of this month's club competition:

Winner 1 Star - Zibbie Matthee with "Stargazer":

Winner 2 Star - Sarah Goodman with "Waterbabies":

Winner 3 Star - Koos Pieters with "Rubicon":

Winner Set Subject "Eggs" & Over-all - Amanda Brink with "Splashing Eggs":

All the other entries can be viewed on our WEBALBUM.

Boksburg Salon closes 10 Sep 2011

Boksburg Salon

When:

10.September.2011

Where:

Boksburg Fire Station - Boksburg

Category:

Salon

Description

Boksburg invites all members of the PSSA and all photographers residing in South Africa to participate in their 2nd National Digital Salon of Photography. The Salon will be in accordance with the requirements and practices of PSSA.

Categories


Nature  No Birds

Nature  Birds Only

Pictorial Open

Portraiture - Human Only

Sport

Open macro

Salon Director

Tony Stacey

(c) 084 837 0058

email: tony.momentsintime@gmail.com

Salon Calendar

Entries close 10 September 2011 at 23:59

More details here.

Photo inspiration: Doing a Project 365

There are many ways to improve your photography, but the best is probably... practice, practice, practice, as it is with most things in life.


One fun way to motivate yourself to take your camera everywhere, and to MAKE a photo even if there's no obvious photo to be found is to start a Project 365. At its most basic, it’s the simple act of taking a picture every day for a year. Many people will then post the photos on their blog, Flickr, Picasa Web Albums or just send them to friends. 


There are also many Project 365 websites where you can upload your daily photos, get some comments and share in the photo journeys of the other photographers. Have a look at http://365project.org/, for example.


Have fun!