May 16, 2016 Meeting Minutes

Contributed by Pamela Brandt

Twenty people attended the May 16, 2016 meeting. Our club judged the Travel category of the N4C competition. Thank you to our volunteer judges: Bob Felderman, Rich Bugalski, and Lois Pancratz.

Photos were judged for Technique, Composition, and Interest, with a maximum of 45 points awarded (5/5/5 from each judge).

What is Travel Photography?

Travel implies going to some place other than one’s customary environment, and travel photography suggests the photographic depiction of that new environment or the means used to get there. Be sure to state the name of the locale where the picture was made in the title of the digital image, slide, or print. If the location is in the United States, list the state in the title; if foreign, list the country in the title.

There is no definition of how far away that environment must be to qualify as “travel” or how different that new environment must be. However, the judges will generally award prizes to those photographs that depict more exotic and unfamiliar places, even though such places are “home” to someone.

Good photographic technique and particularly the ability to convey the feeling and flavor of the place visited will help you be a winner. Try to emphasize the character that makes the place unique from other places. Source: N4C rules

There were 89 photos to judge, and the meeting lasted until about 8:20 p.m., or about 1 hour and 50 minutes. That is just over one minute per photo,  including the opening chitchat and our preliminary look through the submissions.  (At the prior meeting we judged 132 photos, and the meeting lasted two hours and 15 minutes).

Comments from the judges about the judging process:

“I’ve done it before – I enjoy it,” said Bob.

“It’s always a good learning experience,” said Rich.

“Men don’t like flowers and they don’t like fluff,” said Lois. “It’s good to have a mix of genders.”

“Some of the photos looked so similar,” added Bob. “Everybody shoots that. For Travel, you should look for something unique.”


Other News and Updates

Photo book. There has been some discussion of creating a photo book in connection with the Dubuque Museum of Art exhibition. By now, everybody should have submitted their photos for consideration.

July 3rd fireworks. Some Camera Club members will be gathering at the big airshow and fireworks in Dubuque on Sunday, July 3. This is a good opportunity to take high speed photos of airplanes, or timed exposures of the fireworks. If you are interested in joining this group, John Leicht is the contact person.

Summer meeting ideas:

  • A night photography sessions led by Ron Tigges.
  • Bellevue butterfly gardens.
  • Dubuque Arboretum (Music in the Gardens on Sunday evenings).

If you are interested in any of these events – or if you would like to host others — send an email to Ron or add a post to our Facebook group.

Important: If you have not yet submitted an RSVP for the picnic, do it now! Let Jennifer know how many people you’ll be bringing and/or log in to Volunteer Spot to sign up for a dish to bring. The picnic is on Monday, June 6. The club will provide brats and burgers — you bring the rest!

picnicreminder02

May 2, 2016 Meeting Minutes

Contributed by Pamela Brandt

Note: All club members should be receiving these minutes by email. If you are NOT, please contact Jennifer during a meeting.

The first order of business at the May 2 meeting of the Dubuque Camera Club was to go through submissions and returns for the monthly N4C photo competition. The meeting was attended by 16 people.

Several photographers from our club won recognition in the April N4C competition:

Creative

“Slow Down” by Cara Pusateri, Honorable Mention

Journalism

“Creation” by Lori Burrows, First Place
“White Belt Throw for a Full Point Win” by Ron Tigges, Third Place
“Feeling the Burn” by Rich Bugalski, Honorable Mention

Travel

“Capitol Rotunda, Madison, Wisconsin” by Ron Tigges, Honorable Mention

Black and White

“Field of Foregone Memories”  by Ron Tigges, Honorable Mention

Congratulations to these awesome photographers!


We also looked at the Pictorial photos that our club judged during the last meeting.  “I got three notes back from three different clubs,” said Cara. “They liked our comments.”

Interestingly, out of the 14 photos rated highest by our judges, there were five landscapes, three human figures, and three hummingbirds.

Upcoming Competitions

We briefly went through the submissions received by the time of the meeting. This was our  final chance to submit until the N4C year starts up again next fall. There is no N4C competition during the summer months.

In future competitions, always use .JPG filename extension (not .JPEG).  In the Journalism category, it’s very important to use a descriptive file name. “Make sure you say something in the title that leads to the photo,” said club president Ron Tigges. There is a 256 character limit, which could be an entire sentence.

One of the most interesting submissions was a trio of young foxes by Ken Kiss. He took the photo in the company of a renowned wildlife photographer from our area, Herb Lange, now retired. Mr. Lange has been featured in many news stories, so Google him if you want to see his photos or read about his long career.

N4C Convention

The 2016 60th Annual N4C Photography Convention will be held in Fargo, North Dakota, September 29 to October 1. It is hosted by the Fargo-Moorhead Camera Club. Here is the convention webpage

According to the N4C rules, “At the end of the contest season all photographs awarded First, Second, Third, or Honorable Mention will be eligible for the Council annual competition.”  Merit winners are not eligible.

Dubuque Museum of Art Show

Email your 2:3 black and white photos for the Dubuque Museum of Art show to Ron Tigges before the next meeting (May 16). You can submit four, and the museum curator will pick up to two from each member. Be prepared to pay $60 per print unless a financial sponsor comes forward. Opening night for the exhibit is scheduled for Friday, August 5.

  • Here’s more details about submitting images to the show.
May 2 meeting | Photo by Bob Felderman

May 2 meeting | Photo by Bob Felderman

Upcoming Meetings

Monday, May 16 at 6:30 p.m. We will judge the Travel category.

Monday, June 6. Club picnicGrilling will start at 6:00 p.m. with dinner at 6:30. Jennifer sent out an RSVP, so please look for it in your email and respond. Officers will be (re-)elected.

The club will provide brats and burgers. The rest of the food is up to you! Bring kids and family! (Be sure to put the number of people you’re bringing on the RSVP so they know how much food to grill).

Summer meetings. Over the summer, the club will probably meet 2-3 times. Ron would like to organize a night photography session.  More details forthcoming. Attend the next meeting to contribute ideas!

Other Opportunities

Dubuque County Fair, July 26-31. Deadline: July 12.
Iowa State Fair,  August 11-21, 2016. Photography Theme class “Fog.”