May 21st Eastman Camera Club Meeting

Come join us at 6:30 on Thursday 5/21 in the Eastman Employee Center for our monthly program.  This month's program will be on the Basics of Portrait Photography presented by Belinda Bridwell.  She will cover:

• Equipment
• Lighting
• Posing
• Expression
• Post Processing

This will provide you with a good foundation for the Portrait Photography Workshop on Saturday May 30th.

Be sure to go online and sign up for the workshop on the 30th.

The photo theme for the May 21 meeting is Macros.  Bring 2 - 3 of your favorite macro or close up shots or some you want help with on a USB thumb drive.

Basic Photography Class June 2, 4, 9, 11, 13 and 16

Want to learn how to take better pictures with a

35mm film or Digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera?

The Eastman Recreation Camera Club is offering a camera class to help you learn more about the art of picture taking. The class will be held in the

Toy F. Reid Eastman Employee Center

The Dates & Times of classes will be:

June 2, 4, 9, 11 and 16 – 6:00pm-9:00pm

A field trip will be taken on June 13

The cost for the class is $25 for ERC Camera Club members. Limited to the first 15 people that sign-up.

Please sign-up at the Toy F. Reid Eastman Employee Center (229-3771)

The instructor is CLAUDE KELLY

Contact him at 247-3010 for more information

Eastman Camera Club Sponsored Portrait Workshop

If you want to learn more about taking portraits, posing, lighting, etc. this is the workshop for you!   Jim Rigsby will be leading a 3-hour workshop on Saturday May 30th from 11:00 - 2:00.   We will have 3 professional models from Knoxville and Chattanooga to work with us.  Two gorgeous ladies and a good looking guy for the lady photographers.  They’re comfortable in front of the camera and can pose and work the angles.   You’re going to feel like you just walked into a NY photo shoot!!!

Jim will cover and provide instruction for studio lighting, natural lighting, and photographing women and men.   There will be three different stations set up with the three models.

The workshop will be in the former Hibbert Davis Coffee shop at 240 E Main Street in Kingsport.   It’s across the street from the Train station and beside the old bus depot.   We have a lot to cover in 3 hours so please come ready to start at 11:00.

The cost is only $15 per person for members of the Eastman Camera Club.  Non-member price is $25.   The class is limited to 30.

We are asking people to sign up online via this link - http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0a48adaa29aafb6-portrait

We need you to go by the Eastman Employee Center Recreation Office to pay the fee in advance.  This will hold your spot in the class and allow the club to rent the facility and commit to the models.

IMPORTANT - Porter's Creek Outing Rained Out

Over the last few days, I’ve been watching the forecast for Saturday.  Rain has been consistently forecast for Saturday and Sunday.  The latest is for 100% chance of rain and thunderstorms, with a few severe storms possible.  Rain is predicted to start about the time we would get there and last the rest of the weekend.  Rain totals are predicted to be about ½ inch in Saturday morning and another ½ inch in the afternoon.  Not good.

I know I said this is a rain or shine event, but we’re going to have to call it off.  If it was only rain showers I would go, but with 100% chance of thunderstorms I don’t think we’re going to have fun or get many great shots.  

If you know of someone who was also planning to take the trip, please let them know.

April 25 Photo Outing - Porter's Creek in Smoky Mountains

Want to photograph wildflowers, creeks, cascades, old cabins, old graveyards, and a waterfall?  You can find all of these on the Porter's Creek trail in the Smokies.  The Eastman Camera Club is sponsoring an outing to Porter's Creek Saturday April 25.  Here are some specifics

We have two meeting places to car pool from:

1. Ingles parking lot in Colonial Heights between McDonalds and the Bank at 7:00 AM.  Plan to arrive early as we will leave at seven to meet others at
2. McDonalds on Highway 11E at I-81 at 7:30 AM

We will carpool to the trailhead.  Parking will be limited so we want to have as few cars as possible. We will be driving about 3.5 miles on a dirt road to get to the trail.  Be aware the spring rains may have made this road unsuitable for low clearance cars. We will arrive at the trailhead around 9:00 AM.

There are two sections to the Porter's Creek Trail

1. First mile is on an old gravel road and is an easy walk along the creek.   There are wildflowers and an old graveyard along the way.  This takes us to an old home site with barns and cabins.
2. Second mile is on a dirt footpath through an area that has been carpeted with wildflowers in the past.  This takes us to Fern Branch Falls.  The falls are not very photogenic but the hike is.

You are welcome to hike as little or as much as you want.  When we finish our hike we will stop for lunch at a picnic area on the dirt road.  Bring your own lunch and drinks.

I suggest you bring some water and maybe some snacks for the hike.  No need to go thirsty or hungry.  

You will want to bring a tripod, and a camera/lens capable of taking close-up shots of the flowers.   A moderate zoom (24-105mm range) and maybe something wider will be good for landscapes.   If you have a pop-out diffuser/shade you may want to bring it.

This is a rain or shine event.  A little rain and fog will make for nice photos.  Come appropriately prepared for the weather.

If you plan on going, please send your name, email address, cell phone number and where you plan on meeting us to Richard Siggins at r.siggins@charter.net.  That way I can let you know if there are any last minute changes of plans.  Richard's cell phone is 423-416-1258.

It's a Small Photographic World

Spring is here!   We are blessed to live in an area where there is wide variety of wildflowers that bloom in April.   This month the Eastman Camera Club is focused on macro photography and photographing wildflowers and small critters.

The April meeting is Thursday, April 16 at 6:30 in the Eastman Employee Center.  The program for this month is Macro Photography.   

We will follow up the meeting with a trip to the Smoky Mountains on Saturday, April 25 where we can practice taking macro photos of wildflowers in the Porters Creek area of the park.

April 25 Camera Club Trip to Porters Creek in Smoky Mountains

Did you guess where the April photo outing is?   On Saturday April 25 we will be taking a day trip to one of the best places in East Tennessee for wildflowers, water, and beautiful scenery - Porters Creek in the Smoky Mountains.

Lady Slippers

Here's some info on the hike -  http://www.hikinginthesmokys.com/porters.htm

It is listed as a 4 mile round trip hike, but you can enjoy the creek, wildflowers, and old buildings in an easy two mile round trip. Anyone who wants to can continue on another mile to Fern Branch Falls.  The falls are not the most photogenic but the trail leading to them should be covered with wildflowers.

The trail is a gradual incline.   The first mile is a wide gravel road making the hike more of a stroll.   The second mile is on a dirt footpath, but there are few steep sections.  It is nothing like the White Oak Sinks hike.

All of these photos were taken on the Porter Creek Trail around the 25th of April in the past.

Porters Creek

Painted Trillium

Showy Orchis

Trail to Fern Branch Falls

Some History

If you're interested in taking this day trip or have questions send an email to Richard Siggins at r.siggins@charter.net  More details will be available closer to the trip.