http://www.flickr.com/groups/hrpc-assignment/

Everyone on the mailing list should have received an invitation to join the Flickr Photo Group. If you did not, or would like to join and are not on the mailing list, please let us know and we’ll send out your invitation.

For anyone who participated in August’s “Silhouette” assignment, you are welcome to post your photo to the group.

Subject matter can be literal or abstract, as long as there is a sense of movement and energy.

Tips for capturing and conveying movement:

• Object that moves  (without involvement from the photographer is easiest!)
• Longer exposure (1/10 second to anything longer is a great start)
• Objects with strong lighting contrasts (vehicle lights at night, fire in dark surroundings, etc.)

Some starting ideas for the concept:

• Vehicles on a road. Long exposures in low light yield exceptional results.
• Painting with light. For example, still-life settings lit with a flashlight (or two) on a moving object.
• Foliage/plants blowing in the wind. Grasses and wheat-like plants work great.

The Web site has been updated. Anyone not already receiving club e-mail can sign up at the home page. The new e-mail is feedback@hrphotoclub.com.

Jordan announced that August 10 would be a full moon. August 11 would be a good time to observe the Perseids meteor shower and for some great low light photography attempts.

Club member Jim Bennett will be the featured artist at the Highlands Ranch Library for the month of September. Everyone is encouraged to view his photographs while they are on display.

Five Quick Tricks for Better Pics Presented by Jordan McCullough

Jordan McCullough presented five tricks for better photographs. These tips used Photoshop or its baby brother Photoshop Elements. He illustrated the adjustments needed to accomplish these adjustments and showed photographs before and after adjustments were made.

1. Quick Trick Tonality used levels adjustment to make blacks look black and whites look white.

2. Quick Trick Instant Contrast used unsharp mask to achieve a smooth, sharper image. He recommended using a bigger radius for a smoother look – up to 45 percent maximum. When making adjustments for people or portraits, the radius needs to be kept big in order to avoid harsh lines and sharply defined wrinkles. Jordan explained that using the curves tool changes the tonality, while unsharp mask increases contrast.

3. Quick Trick Color Contrast Boost does contrast and saturation all at once. Using an overlay increases vividness (saturation). He suggested trying 25 to 30 percent opacity for the top layer.

4. Quick Trick High Pass Contrast works especially well with athletes or masculine portraits. As with previous tricks, this uses an overlay. Select Filter, then High Pass. A bigger number makes crisper detail and reduces problems with ISO noise.

5. Quick Trick Digital Facial uses layers to lighten facial wrinkles and unflattering shadows. He used a clone tool at 10 percent for this trick.

Show and Tell Event

August’s photo assignment of silhouettes proved to be a great deal of fun for club members, and challenged everyone to view objects and subject matter in an entirely different way.

Special Thanks

A special thanks to Nancy C. for note taking, meeting minutes, and the write up. Nancy, we appreciate everything you’ve done for the club and wish you the very best of luck whereever your photography, travels, and new home might be. Best of luck!

Meeting minutes and notes will be posted in the next few days, so be sure to check back here on HRPhotoClub.com.

Getting a gallery setup and the upload process is still being formalized, however, keep a lookout here on the web site. Once the gallery is setup and the process for getting the images is added, information will be posted right here.

If you have ideas for galleries or monthly photo assignments, suggestions are welcome via the comments on this post or via our contact page.

Details on the meeting agenda are available here.

Quick Tricks for Better Pics
7:00PM – 7:45PM
Jordan McCullough will be providing a presentation on quick tricks to improving images across a range of subjects. From enhancing a landscape photo’s contrast to portrait softening, and much more.

Questions & Answers
7:45PM – 8:00PM
Bring your photographic questions and discuss with speaker Jordan McCullough and the photo club. All members are encouraged to lend their insight and experience.

Show and Tell
8:00PM – 8:50PM
Bring your best images to share with the club.

As the August photo assignment was made a bit later in the month of July, any show-and-tell images are welcome for the meeting. If you have completed or worked on images for the silhouette assignment, please bring them!

Please note the new show-and-tell guidelines available via this link.

Please bring your best shots, per the new show-and-tell guidelines, to the August meeting and share with everyone what you’ve learned from the assignment.

August’s Photo Assignment: Silhouettes

Venture beyond the ordinary exposure and discover the beauty of silhouettes. Any subject is fair game, as long as the focus point of the image is silhouetted against the background.

Here’s an example to get the creative juices flowing:

• Limit of 5 photographs
• Each image portrays a unique subject
• Discuss technique or reason behind each image

It is with much anticipation and excitement that I have accepted the role of leading the Highlands Ranch Photo Club from July 2010 onward. I am grateful for this opportunity and anxious to share the many new avenues the club and its members will be taking in coming months as a settle into this new role.

Those of us who attend the club know the significant contributions Debbie Miller has made for the club, from guest speakers to room scheduling, and so much more, and for that, I personally say, “thank you Debbie!”

Keep a browser bookmark on the HRPhotoClub.com web site, as this will be a significant source of communication for upcoming event announcements, club meeting notes, and member photo galleries.

Until next time, best of luck with your photography and see you at the next club meeting.

Jordan McCullough