The next Whidbey Island Camera Club meeting is October 16^th    2018!
 Theme: Wooden Objects

Nathan Whalen Speaks…To Whidbey Island Camera Club

Nathan, a staff reporter for the Whidbey News Times, spoke of the who, what, when and where requirements of today’s fast-paced newspaper world. He mentioned the need for brevity, fresh ideas, meeting deadlines and the technology needed to remain competitive in our media saturated community. Our animated storyteller placed us in the driver’s seat as he reenacted crime scenes, auto accidents, and human interest stories. Not to leave followers hanging, he answered questions on practical matters; such as, dealing with copyright issues and obtaining public releases, digital files size and contact info. Even the subjective details of how to select an appropriate image for publication were discussed.

What goes into the makings of today’s newspaperman? Our man Nathan Whalen is the Whidbey News standard.

Nathan accepts thank you gift basket of persimmons from WICC member Edna Henderson.

Thank you Nathan for supporting WICC. You will always be our honored guest.

WICC’s Display in Oak Hall at SVCC

Come visit WICC’s display in Oak Hall at SVCC. We should be there for at least two months. Please thank Brian Shelly for coordinating this wonderful display opportunity. More info and images to follow…

Lavender Wind Farm’s 4th Annual Festival

Five members of the Whidbey Island Camera Club supported the Lavender Wind Farm’s 4^th Annual Festival last weekend. The winds were slight and the rain just enough to send us shivering for cover. The music was exceptional and food deliciosa. We learned how to make lemonade in a fragile economy... Admittedly, we didn’t make much money but we shared the comradery of canopy pitching and general company keeping. We caught a glimpse of what it means to be a working artist and why so many artists keep the day job.

Display at Whidbey Island’s SNO-ISLE Library

Plan to visit the Whidbey Island Camera Club’s photo display at Whidbey Island’s branch of SNO-ISLE Library May 1st to 15th.

We’ve received many wonderful compliments as well as a request for membership info.

Special thanks to our displayers.
Joan Nienhuis, Brian Shelly, Elaine Torres, John McDonald, John Pendleton, Andy Nielson, Charles (Chuck) Beaudoin, Elysia Wiesen, Joy Pralle

Composition

Composition

One thing that makes a photo attractive to a viewer is finding new or unexpected elements as the eyes wander over the image. Paying attention to composition is a way to make your photo attractive.
Photos communicate a message. Ask yourself, what do I want to communicate? Paying attention to composition assures that your message will be clear.

Composition is the arrangement of the photo’s elements and includes many aspects.

1) As you look through your view finder (or LCD screen), what elements of the photo are essential to communicate your message? Are there some elements that confuse the message? Could they be removed if you moved a few feet, bent down, etc.?

2) Are you close enough to your subject or using a telephoto lens so that your subject is prominent? Zooming in without eliminating essential elements strengthens your photo.

3) Is your message better communicated by turning your camera 90 degrees (vertical photo)? Since most photos are taken with a horizontal frame, presenting a vertical composition may make your photo unique and interesting.

4) Are there lines you can include in your photo to draw the viewers’ eyes to your subject? While horizontal and vertical lines are seen as “static,” diagonal or curved lines are viewed as “dynamic,” leading the viewer along and suggesting depth or distance. Would moving your location include a curved path or a fence line to your scene? Is there a repetitive pattern of lines you can include that would give strength to your message? Triangles and squares can also move eyes while circles go nowhere. Our eyes naturally seek to find pattern in what we see and your composition can help that be an important part of your photo.

5) Can you place your subject off-center? Viewers find a scene more pleasing if the subject is not at the center of the composition. Impose on your scene the lines of a tic tac toe game and try to put the subject of your scene at one of the four line intersections. (This is called the “rule of thirds” by those who know.) The combination of an off-center subject with lines leading to it makes a powerful composition.

6) Is the photo balanced? With an off-center subject, is there something in the rest of the photo that creates a sense of balance? This “something” should not compete with the importance of the subject. Its purpose is to present a pleasing scene to the eye.

The aspects of good composition are a lot to remember. You may want to make a written checklist to use until looking for these elements becomes habit. With digital cameras, you can experiment. Take a variety of photos varying the angle or viewpoint. Try the same scene different times of the day (shadows cause lines).

Below is a photo of Mt. Rainier at sunrise from Freund’s Hill (Barrington Dr.). How would you judge the composition? What would you have done differently?

Submitted By Joan Nienhuis

The Infrared Effect

Martin Evening, in The Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 Book, gives a suggestion for an infrared effect. Choose a photo with lots of foliage. You begin by making the green as green as possible by adjusting white balance and tint. Then click grayscale. In the grayscale panel, set the yellow and green sliders to maximum and aqua to 50 or more. Set the recovery slider to maximum. Adjusting the clarity to a negative value will help the image appear more diffuse. You can experiment with the split tone panel, adding a slight blue cast. Note my sample of Lake Pondilla in the Fort Ebey State Park.

Joan Nienhuis