2010 May Competition Winners: Projected Images

Here are the projected image winners from the May competition for which the set subject was Go Graphic.

Set Subject

1

Desert Graphic

Paddy Howes

Misty Morn

2

New Life

Emma Finnemore

Misty Morn

3

Go Graphic

Frank Reuvers

Misty Morn

Open

1

Can You Hear?

Marthinus Retief

Misty Morn

2

Grass 

Neels Beyers 

Misty Morn

3

Misty Morn

Maritjie Kumst 

Misty Morn

The full list of projected image scores can be found in this PDF document

2010 April Competition Winners: Projected Images

Here are the projected image winners from the April competition for which the set subject was Carnival.

Set Subject

  1. Tuba Player 
    Marietjie Kumst 
  2. Stage of Light 
    Marthinus Retief 
  3. Fair Ladies 
    Marthinus Retief 
Tuba Player
Stage of Light
Fair Ladies

Open

  1. Red & Blue Drops 
    Marius Swart 
  2. My Upside Down Garden 
    Elsa van Zyl 
  3. In the Clouds 
    Irmel Dunaiski 
Red & Blue Drops
My Upside Down Garden
In the Clouds

   

Monitor Calibration – do we really need it?

OutdoorPhoto have an article on monitor calibration on their site. It begins thus,

I have been wanting to tackle this question for some time now and have been pondering the answer and from which angle to handle it.

A recent conversation brought it to a head, though. so here goes:

If: Colour is perceived differently by different people, and
If: Photography for the sake of Art can have some lenience as to colour accuracy,
then: Why do we need to calibrate our monitors?

Well the answer is actually quite simple.

Click here to read the article

Photo masterclasses

BBC Wildlife have made their twelve-part Photo Masterclass tutorial series available for download. They say;

Welcome to the complete collection of our Photo Masterclasses. Just click on the images below to download a PDF of each masterclass and your photography skills will soon improve with our experts’ advice.

Click here to visit their page and start downloading.

2010 March Winners

Here are the winners of the March competition for which the set subject was Urban Decay.

Please note that only digital images are available for display.

Prints

Set Subject

  1. Décor by Eskom 
    Paddy Howes 
  2. Stone Town Decay 
    Paddy Howes
  3. Old Chain in the Harbour
    Neels Beyers

Open

  1. Na die Oes in die Overberg 
    Neels Beyers 
  2. Tree Trunk in Cecilia Forest 
    Neels Beyers 
  3. Looking Through the Window  
    Brenda Botha 

Projected Images

Set Subject

  1. Decomposition 
    Marthinus Retief 
  2. Sea Bench 
    Roger Lee 
  3. Levi’s 
    Gavin Whiteford 

1. Decomposition2. Sea Bench3. Levi's

Open

  1. Splash 
    Roger Lee 
  2. A Surreal Beach Walk 
    Deon Kuhn 
  3. Standing Up 
    Birgit Hoffmeyer 

1. Splash2. A Surreal Beach Walk3. Standing Up

REPORT: CLUB MEETING Wed. 10th March 2010

At least 40 members and guests arrived for the competition meeting – the Set Subject being ‘Urban Decay’.  As Bernard previously said – it is not so easy to find ‘urban decay’ in this lovely city of ours … while he was out shooting he met a graffiti artist who has promised to take him and members of our club to various graffiti sites … we will apparently be ‘protected’ :-).

Steve will put up the winners in the various digital categories.

After tea we watched four educational videos on various aspects of Photoshop … always of interest, as much information covers questions we are too afraid to ask!

Our Audio Visual Meeting on 31st March will be hosting members of Hermanus Photograpic Society’s av section.  Even though you might not make audio-visuals, you are most welcome to attend these meetings, and I’m sure this one will prove to be most enjoyable.

An e-mail has been sent to everyone concerning our two outings in March, as well as other snippets regarding subs and the Cape Photographers Congress.  Please contact Nettie at nettie28@iafrica.com should you need more information.

Helpful Photography Cheat Sheets to Make Your Life Easier

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned professional, sometimes we all need our memory jogged. It’s never a bad idea to have some convenient references handy just in case. I have listed what I think are some helpful cheat sheets to keep in your camera bag.

Helpful Photography Cheat Sheets to Make Your Life Easier

Spyder 3 Express Review

Spyder3Express At the club meeting on Wednesday there was some question about calibration of the projector and members’ monitors. It was asked how much the hardware calibration devices cost and I answered that they start in the vicinity of R2,000 for the entry level ones. It seems that I was incorrect; the entry level Spyder 3 Express that is suitable for calibrating CRT monitors and LCD/laptop monitors, but not projectors, is available from Orms for R1,399.

You can read a review of this device that should help you decide if it meets your needs or whether you might need one of the more expensive, more fully-featured models.

UPDATE: Please take note that JJ van Heerden, our technical advisor who runs Picture Works in Stellenbosch has notified me that he can match or better prices from Orms and other vendors. So if you’re thinking of buying a Spyder or any other equipment, it’s a good idea to contact JJ first. You’ll find his contact details under Sponsors in the right hand sidebar.

Three Ways to Control Depth of Field

2448222402_2b9e968dff_mDepth of field (DOF) refers to the amount of a scene in the “sharp” range. Shallow DOF is typically characterized by heavily blurred backgrounds that you might see in outdoor portraits. Deep focus (opposite of shallow DOF) is typically characterized by tack sharp landscapes with no visible blur.

The most widely accepted method for controlling DOF is aperture, or f-number. This is certainly a feasible and convenient way to control DOF, but there are other factors at play. Just like exposure is controlled by three factors (ISO, shutter speed, and aperture), DOF is controlled by three main factors. Let’s take a look at these three factors and how you can use them to your advantage.

Three Ways to Control Depth of Field