The Grand Season Finale - Monday, June 15th

Photo by Chad Doherty

I can tell you this coming meeting has the best collection of images so far this year. The last meeting of the season is the greatest of times and at the same time a little sad for me. You all have made the club a pleasure and the level of artistry is amazing. Summer will spread us far and wide and we will have great chances for fine pictures. It will be sad for me because I will be turning over the club to new leadership. Many of the officers you know will be remaining in leadership positions. I will stay on the board as past president and will continue to support the club in any way I can. Please come to this last meeting.

We will spend a short time to elect our new officers. We will have a showcase of outstanding images as you can see from Chad's submission above. Matt will show pictures taken from the last field trip to a Blue Heron rookery and I will announce the president's Top 10 favorite pictures taken this year by members. Support your club by joining us and voting in our new officers. Thanks.

Colby

Grand Finale Showcase Deadline - June 8th

Photo by Chris Edwards

Our season finale showcase submission deadline is Monday, June 8th. The showcase will be at our last meeting of the season, June 15th. I know you have been saving your best for last. Also, if you haven't participated before...this is your chance. We want to see your pictures. The details on how to make submissions is repeated below. Hope to see everyone at the meeting. Check out Chris Edwards' early submission above.

Submission Procedures:

• Up to three JPEG image files (any size or resize to 1024pixels maximum on a side to keep the file size reasonable)
• Rename the files with your name and a sequence number (i.e., john-smith-1, john-smith-2, john-smith-3)
• Email files to showcase@digitalphotoclub.us by Monday, June 8th (Don't be late)
  - If you don't want your pictures in the club website gallery put the phrase "Don't publish my pictures on the club website" in your submission email.

How Showcases Work

The goal of the Showcase is to have members submit three pictures of any subject or subjects of their choice and have them projected in a slide show at a meeting. The pictures can have been taken at anytime. Each member's three images will be displayed in order and the photographer will be asked by the moderator if they would like to comment on their pictures. Each contributor will have up to one minute total to discuss their images. There is no requirement to speak but all of us would like to hear the background behind your pictures, why you selected them and what you might have learned in taking the pictures. Though your commentary is encouraged it is totally up to each contributor.

A Warning About Web Galleries

Images posted on web galleries are subject to being copied and used inappropriately by others and without the photographer's permission . After discussion we have taken some steps to ameliorate this problem by using an Adobe Flash gallery and downsizing the pictures to 800 pixels on a side before posting. These measures are only an inconvenience to pirates. The fact is anyone with the will can digitally scrape an image off a screen. I can say that I have personally decided to post my own images in the club gallery. To me it is worth the benefits from sharing. Everyone should make their own decision about the risk versus the reward and decide whether to post or not.

Double Check

We want to make sure that everyone's picture makes it into the show. Check the following when you email your pics.

• You should receive an automatic email reply:“Your email was received. If you attached images to the email they were also received. Thanks for participating! This is an automatically created response. Please don't reply to this message. We will contact you if there is any issue with your submission. Thanks.”
• You should Receive a second short personal email during the week before the showcase or challenge when I add the pictures to the slide show.
• Unless you requested to not post your pictures in a club website gallery your pictures will be included on the club website.
• If you have second thoughts about the web gallery or have other questions please email me at president@digitalphotoclub.us

I have been enjoying your pictures and stories during the showcase and look forward to seeing the new submissions.

Thanks.
Colby

Spring Challenge Entries Due - Monday, May 25th

Photo by Jim Miller

There is only a few more days to submit up to three entries for the "Spring" Challenge. The due date is Monday, May 25th. The quality of the submissions so far are outstanding. See Jim's image above. I look forward to seeing more. For submission details click Here!

Spring Dues Drive - Save $5

Photo by Charles Phillips

It's Spring and it's a time for savings and a great time to get out and shoot. The Spring Challenge is still open and I am seeing some great entries like Charle's picture above. The board also met and approved a $5 discount for dues for next season if paid by our June 15th meeting. For this short period dues for the coming year will be $20.

The spring collection of dues is important for three reasons:

• It provides a buffer in the treasury for early bills such as rent for our meeting room
• It gives the officers the flexibility to make timely infrastructure improvements if necessary
  - This year we bought a more powerful projector and a sound system
• For signing up early the member gets a $5 break and locks in dues for the next year

Dues Renewal Procedures

• Click Here for the Membership Form
• Print out the Membership Form and fill it out
  - Even if you have been a member for ever, fill it out. We want your latest information
• Make out a check for $20 to "Digital Photography Club of Annapolis"
• Mail the check and Membership Form to:
  
  Digital Photography Club of Annapolis
  307 Riverview Trail
  Annapolis, MD 21401
  
  
• Or, bring your check to one of the next three meetings
  - We will have forms and though we like checks, cash will work.
• Feel good about not procrastinating!

Our next meeting is tomorrow, May 18th and Skip Brown is talking about "Action Photography" followed by our own Bill Tongue speaking on "Painterly Effects." It promises to be good meeting.

So you haven't printed out your Membership Form yet.... Click Here and get started renewing those dues! Thanks.

Colby

Blue Heron Nesting Site Fieldtrip - Saturday, May 16th

Matt Korbelak will be leading a group to a blue heron nesting area in Odenton, Marland. There are about 60 Nests. Instructions below were provided by Matt.

When: Saturday, May 16, 2009. Meet at 8:00 am
Where: Piney Orchard Nature Preserve parking lot.

Driving Directions (from Annapolis):

• Take 50 to 97 West to 32 West to 170 South
• 170 crosses 175 and then turns into Piney Orchard Parkway
• After the circle, continue on P.O. Parkway past Bloom and past the ice rink (both on the left)
• Take the first left after the ice rink onto Sandy Walk Way and the first right into a small parking lot
• Look for Matt Korbelak there and call him at 41-903-5088 if you have any questions, delay, etc.

From the parking lot, we have a one mile walk (mostly dirt trail, some sidewalks) through the nature preserve to the Blue Heron nesting site. Wear appropriate footwear and clothing, bring bug spray, and any other gear you need for outdoor photography. There are NO facilities (toilets, water, etc) at this location. Dunkin Donuts, BP, and Bloom are available at the circle about a half mile from the parking lot.

Bring your long lens as the Herons are very skittish and the recommended distance is 200 meters.

After our photography, we'll go to Matt Korbelak's house (about a half mile from the parking lot) for breakfast.

Colby

Spring Challenge - Submissions Due May 25th

Photo by E Colby Munger

We are into the "Spring" Challenge and pictures are due by May 25th. If you haven't been to the last two general meetings and missed the announcement, the details are provided below. It's a little early for me to have entries so I had to use one of my keepers from last week. I know it's been raining but the overcast gives us great saturated colors. Shoot between the rain drops.

Please rank your submissions in the order of priority by number them 1 through 3 in the file name. The goal for the challenge will be to have about 60 images reviewed. So if we get over subscribed we will reduce the number for each submission from 3 to 2.

Challenge Subject – Spring

• Up to 3 Pictures to be taken between April 20, 2009 and May 25, 2009
• Three JPEG image files (any size or resize to 1024 pixels maximum on a side to keep the file size reasonable)
• Rename the files with your name and a sequence number in priority order (i.e., john-smith-1, john-smith-2, john-smith-3)
• Challenge Review Date – June 1, 2009
• Submission Due Date – May 25, 2009
• Email Images to: challenge@digitalphotoclub.us
• All images will be posted in a special challenge web gallery on the club website
  - If you don't want your pictures in the club website gallery put the phrase "Don't publish my pictures on the club website" in your submission email.

I am really looking forward to your great shots. Thanks.

Colby

Submit Now for the May 4th Showcase

Photo by Jim Miller

I am late reminding everyone to submit three pictures for our next Showcase! The deadline is usually Monday but here it is Sunday and I didn't get my usual reminder out due to a killer business trip to the West Coast last week. So.... everyone gets a one day break including me. The submission deadline for this showcase will be Tuesday, April 28.

Everything else remains the same. See the details below:

Submission Procedures:

• Up to three JPEG image files (any size or resize to 1024pixels maximum on a side to keep the file size reasonable)
• Rename the files with your name and a sequence number (i.e., john-smith-1, john-smith-2, john-smith-3)
• Email files to showcase@digitalphotoclub.us by Tuesday, April 28th (Don't be late)- If you don't want your pictures in the club website gallery put the phrase "Don't publish my pictures on the club website" in your submission email.

How Showcases Work

The goal of the Showcase is to have members submit three pictures of any subject or subjects of their choice and have them projected in a slide show at a meeting. The pictures can have been taken at anytime. Each member's three images will be displayed in order and the photographer will be asked by the moderator if they would like to comment on their pictures. Each contributor will have up to one minute total to discuss their images. There is no requirement to speak but all of us would like to hear the background behind your pictures, why you selected them and what you might have learned in taking the pictures. Though your commentary is encouraged it is totally up to each contributor.

A Warning About Web Galleries

Images posted on web galleries are subject to being copied and used inappropriately by others and without the photographer's permission . After discussion we have taken some steps to ameliorate this problem by using an Adobe Flash gallery and downsizing the pictures to 800 pixels on a side before posting. These measures are only an inconvenience to pirates. The fact is anyone with the will can digitally scrape an image off a screen. I can say that I have personally decided to post my own images in the club gallery. To me it is worth the benefits from sharing. Everyone should make their own decision about the risk versus the reward and decide whether to post or not.

Double Check

We want to make sure that everyone's picture makes it into the show. Check the following when you email your pics.

• You should receive an automatic email reply:“Your email was received. If you attached images to the email they were also received. Thanks for participating! This is an automatically created response. Please don't reply to this message. We will contact you if there is any issue with your submission. Thanks.”
• You should Receive a second short personal email during the week before the showcase or challenge when I add the pictures to the slide show.
• Unless you requested to not post your pictures in a club website gallery your pictures will be included on the club website.
• If you have second thoughts about the web gallery or have other questions please email me at president@digitalphotoclub.us

I have been enjoying everyone's pictures and your stories during the showcase and look forward to seeing the new submissions. Jim Miller's great picture above was an early submission. Thanks.

Colby