July 19 Camera Club Meeting

The next meeting is July 19 at the Eastman Lodge on Bays Mountain.   The program will be a review of the Nik Software suite.   I will take a few images from right out of the camera and use Lightroom and Nik to reduce digital noise, spot adjust tonality, apply various filters, convert to B&W, and run through a sharpener.  Depending on the time I may demo the HDR package.

The challenge for this month is Panoramas.  Your panorama can be created by cropping a single photo or stitching several photos together.  The subject does not matter as long as the long side is at least 3 times as long as the short side.  It can he a traditional horizontal panorama or a vertical vertorama.

- Richard Siggins


Here's a guide to get you started on panorama photography.  Go out and have fun!

Long Exposure Photography

Here's a good article on shooting at night with really long exposures.   Some of the details are Canon specific but most of the article applies to any camera brand.

http://learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2012/long_exposure_landscapes.shtml

June 21 Meeting - HDR by Kent Ervin

Due to some scheduling issues there's been a change to this month's meeting program.  Kent Ervin will be doing a short program on High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography.  The Nik Software review has been rescheduled for July 19.

The monthly challenge theme for June is Depth of Field (DOF).  Bring in your photos that show creative use of the DOF - small, large or anything in between.


Flame Azalea on Roan Mountain June 9



Miss shooting the supermoon? Here's another chance plus a partial lunar eclipse

Did you miss it last time?   Here's another chance.  While not as big as the May 2012 Supermoon, tonight's moon will be almost a large.  Plus, this time you can get the beginning of a partial lunar eclipse.

The moon will be largest just before it sets at 6:16 AM Monday morning, which is during the first of the lunar eclipse. 

• Penumbral eclipse starts – 04:48 AM
• Partial eclipse starts – 06:00 AM 
• Sunrise - 6:12 AM
• Moon set - 6:16 AM

If you live in the Tri-Cities area you won't see much of the eclipse because it starts just before the moon sets.  The moon light will be dimmer after 4:48 when it passes into the penumbral shadow of the earth, which will give it more of an orange tint and may make it easier to photograph because it won't be as bright.   Plus the it will be in the hour before sunrise, which will make the sky twilight blue and also give some details to objects near the horizon.  The photo below was taken during a similar time last month.

Here's a website that will give you some more info
http://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar-eclipse-june-2012.html

If you want to know where to go to get the best view of the moon set, check out The Photographers Emphemeris, which is free for Macs and PCs and has inexpensive versions for iPhones and Android phones.  I use it all the time.

Club Outing to Roan Mountain June 9

Saturday June 9 should be just about peak for the Rhododendrons and Flame Azaleas on the balds of Roan Mountain.  

June 11, 2011

The best time to shoot on the balds is early morning after sunrise.   At this time of year the chances of getting a great sunrise are not good due to all the haze.  That plus the fact that we would have to leave Kingsport around 4:00 AM to be on the balds for sunrise means we won't plan on being there when the sun comes up.

We will meet at the Colonial Heights Ingles parking lot and plan to head out at 6:00 AM.  We will pass through Johnson City on the way so if anyone would like to meet there, let me know and we'll make arrangements.

We'll get to Carver's Gap about 7:30 AM and hike up the Applachian Trail across the balds.   This is a moderate hike but does involve some elevation gain as you go up and down the balds (see picture on the right).   After hiking the balds for a while we will drive up the mountain the the Rhododendron Gardens.

I plan on bringing the widest lens I have (17-40), plus a mid-range zoom and a macro.   A pop-out diffuser / reflector will be handy for shading flowers from bright sun.

Wear sturdy shoes and comfortable clothes.  It will be cooler up on the balds but the sun can get intense on clear days.  A hat is always a good idea. 

We'll go even if it looks rainy.  A cloudy day can make for some of the best photos.   Foggy conditions could be great for shooting in the gardens and along the Cloudland Trail.

We will want to car pool as much as possible.  The parking at Carver's Gap may be full when we get there.

Let me know if you plan on going.  rsiggins@eastman.com  (423)416-1258