Season 60, Issue 4 May 2015 60 KLIK YEARS OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE MISSISSAUGA CAMERA CLUB Read on to learn more about this important event in our club’s history! 60 Years of Fellowship Through Photography Editors’ Introduction This is the 4th and final KLIK for 2014/15. In this issue Hilary Callin outlines a brief history of the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs (GTCC), and highlights those Mississauga Camera Club members recognized during the 2015 Interclub Competition. Club Historian Audrey Cherevaty has again found nuggets of interest in the club archives – several photos and a letter to Canadian Photonews announcing the club’s first salon in 1955 to exhibit the works of club members. Marty Pinker provides us his unique perspective on ‘street photography’ and discusses some of his own work in this genre. Warren Davis passes along an article from the Nikonites website with a valuable tip for our summer travel photography endeavours. And, last but not least, you’ll find a summary of the 2014/15 competition results and award winners. We hope that you’ve enjoyed the publication this year, and found the content informative and interesting. The club has come a long way since its humble beginnings 60 years ago in Lorne Park. Over the four issues we’ve reminisced on club history, highlighted some of our memorable moments, and traced the changing technology of photography. For some this was a trip down memory lane, while for newer members hopefully it provided an opportunity to better understand club tradition. Thank you to our many contributors, and especially to club historian Audrey Cherevaty who spent many hours researching the archives looking for photos, announcements, and KLIK articles from a bygone era. Thanks also to those readers who took time to give us feedback and suggestions. Over the next few months we will meet to consider the directions for KLIK in 2015/16. It would be helpful to hear from as many of you as possible so as to gauge club interest in continuing with this publication, and to understand what content would have broadest appeal. You can reach us at [email protected]. Have a great summer! Co-Editors Pradipta Datta and Jim Evans Message from the President Dear Fellow Members of the MCC, This year we celebrated the 60 th Anniversary of the MCC. Audrey Cherevaty did a wonderful job of collecting together and publicizing the historical records at our meetings, culminating in a fine celebration at our Christmas Party. We could clearly see that this Club has been a source of enjoyment and sharing in photography for a very long time. Often we could observe faces of members who we know in those old photographs: we are sorry to realize that some are missing but it was also fun to see so many still active as ever. [Photography keeps us young!]. It seems that each year the Executive frets about obtaining sufficient volunteers to run the Club. This year was no exception. Some say that members need to be happy with a Club before they will sacrifice their valuable time in volunteering. However, this is an “all volunteer” club. The club is what the members make it. For those of us who love photography and appreciate the wonderful potential of the MCC, I believe that dissatisfaction is more of a motivator to volunteer than contentment. If you don’t like something: volunteer to change it! This year we certainly had some major sources of dissatisfaction: some major motivators for you to volunteer next year! The 47% increase in the number of registered members (150 to 220) in September, 2012 as a result of cancellation of our waitlist was a necessary change that is still being felt. The larger Club is more diverse in interests and experience. It makes for a more difficult audience to satisfy with a speaker program. Also, often, senior members long for the former “smaller club” environment. Furthermore, demands on volunteers have increased with new members being concerned about not having sufficient experience to volunteer and senior members feeling that they have already “done their bit”. In addition, this year, we went to on-line judging for our digital competitions. This was yet another necessary change: the old off-line judging method was too much work and stress for all concerned. Now the judges can relax at home and judge our images at their leisure. Thanks to software developed by Tess Francis, not only has running the competition become much easier to accomplish but also the Internet opens up a world of possibilities. Now we are discussing obtaining judges from across Ontario.....or maybe from across Canada…..or….from anywhere. Although that’s all fine to consider, competitions are a vital part of our Club. We learn from them and we obtain public recognition of our photography. We depend on the competition process being of high quality. However, now we conceivably have judges magnifying our images beyond reason on possibly un-calibrated monitors without any guidance from the two other judges participating. Judges are alone in their evaluation and each image is treated more independently of its order in the competition. However, scores are more variable as a result and were lower this year (maybe partly because we told the judges that the average score is six). Members are accustomed to a more forgiving, relaxed system that permitted last minute corrections to submissions. Some members had submissions rejected. There is even a call to return to the previous off-line judging format. I understand: we put so much into our photography…so much effort and so much of our feelings. Promotions to higher expertise level, awards and trophies become very important to some. Under these circumstances it’s very difficult to accept criticism other than unadulterated praise for our photographs. At the same time, we realize that we must accept negative comments if we are ever to improve our photography. That said, when a judge’s comment is totally irrelevant or just plain incorrect, it’s insult added to injury. When it’s said in public it’s even more difficult to accept with a smile. However, we’re all in this together. It’s all part of the entertainment and education. An alternative is to post anonymously on a website and privately see comments on our work. However, I’ve been there, done that. It’s not nearly as much fun as laughing together about all this! O.K., so our program does not please everyone. Our competition systems are not perfect. However, we can and will do much better: some solutions are in progress: Special Interest Groups allow small groups of members to pursue their main interests. The Show-Off photo essays at each meeting show our individuals and groups in action. More surveys are on the way to help define member preferences. Bob Mongrain came up with some elegant software to help members avoid mistakes in competition submissions. These solutions come from members. The success of this Club rests primarily with the membership. To reiterate: this is your Club. Volunteer. Have some fun. Laugh. Ask questions of your executive. Let them know what you want. Even better: join the executive. [It’s quite an education!] Participate. Enjoy the company of so many talented people who share a love of photography with you. Appreciate the diversity. Help us to come up with new ideas and to implement them. I invite you to help us make this Club what you want it to be! See you in September. Steve Balke President Mississauga Camera Club Mississauga Camera Club’s History with the Annual GTCCC Interclub Competition Where we’ve been, where we’re going ... the past, present and future By Hilary Callin The Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs (GTCCC) is an association of photographic clubs in the Greater Toronto area. At present, the member clubs range from Hamilton and Kitchener-Waterloo in the west, Newmarket in the north, and Oshawa in the east. A major event in the Council calendar is the annual Interclub Competition, in which member clubs (including MCC) compete against each other for a number of prizes and trophies in various categories. As we celebrate 60 years of wonderful photography, education and friendship at the Mississauga Camera Club, we thought it would be a good time to look at our club’s history with the GTCCC Interclub Competition. This is a competition amongst local camera clubs and has often been described as a premier competition, a great source of pride & success within the MCC. Sandra Hawkins, “At the Well”, Honourable Mention 2015 Contributions to this summary have been provided by a number of MCC members: Bob Bateman, Audrey Cherevaty, Warren Davis, Cecil Lindsay and Bruce Peters. Included in this summary, you will find the 4 topscoring images from the most recent 2015 Interclub Competition. I would love to include the winning images from all of the past competitions, but they are so numerous that it just wouldn’t be possible! I hope you enjoy these images and that they inspire you to join us in the competition in 2016. Ina Miglin, “Driving Through Mountains”, Honourable Mention 2015 Some background information … "As a result of informal meeting held in the summer of 1987, the GREATER TORONTO COUNCIL OF CAMERA CLUBS was officially formed at a meeting held on October 29, 1987, at North York Central Library. At that meeting, the following delegates were elected to the Executive, to hold office until December 31, 1988: Chairman - Stuart Freedman; Vice-Chairman - Karl Reeser; Treasurer - Robert Bateman; Secretary - Karin Adams; Executive Member - Vern Mossey." One of the main objectives of this new council was to pool and co-ordinate resources to promote activities which would otherwise be out of reach of individual clubs. Approximately 15 clubs participated. The first major activity was a one-day seminar with George Lepp as keynote speaker, a sold-out success. The first GTCCC Inter-Club Slide and Print Competition took place in 1989. The Kodak Company in Toronto allowed GTCCC to use their auditorium for that first show. GTCCC had to pay a rental fee (which included coffee and donuts). Kodak opened their staff store for all attendees and their sales reached about $20,000 for that one night. They were so impressed with the turnout (all 495 seats were sold out) that they offered the venue at no charge thereafter, and they included free coffee and donuts. The annual Interclub Competition has resulted in a number of awards and trophies for Mississauga. While we may not have records for every year of participation, we do have the following details: 1992, the 4th annual Interclub Photographic Competition - MCC won the DayMen Trophy; 1993 - MCC won the Freedman Trophy; 1999 - MCC won the Club Award for Pictorial Slides; 2005 - the Freedman Trophy; 2006 - MCC won the Colour Print, the Digital Nature and the Digital Pictorial Divisions and also captured the Freedman Trophy; 2007 & 2008 – the Colour Prints Division; 2009 - we succeeded in 3 of the 4 Divisions (Colour Prints, Nature Projected and Pictorial Projected) but narrowly missed bringing back the Freedman Trophy; 2010 – MCC was the top-ranking club and received the Freedman Trophy again. The Mississauga Camera Club has been a strong competitor, historically, thanks to our many talented members. We have consistently received first, second and third place awards, along with numerous Honourable Mentions. It is a valued and important opportunity for individual members to contribute to our club’s victory at a premier interclub competition. It is rewarding for individual members, and at the same time we would like to emphasize that the CUMULATIVE score of all the qualified images from each club establishes the final ranking and the resulting club recognition. Ina Miglin, “Autumn in Tombstone Territorial Park”, Honourable Mention Something that I found interesting in researching the history was to discover that a few issues and challenges developed in 2006, including heated debate about whether digital images would be accepted for the competition. Does this surprise you? The digital world seems so essential to photography now, but perhaps the transition to digital was not always a smooth process! Apparently, MCC had transitioned from slides and film to digital fairly quickly and painlessly during the period of 2002 to 2004. After down-tothe-wire discussions within GTCCC, the 2006 competition proceeded with new categories for Digital Pictorial and Digital Nature. Hilary Callin, “Lower Antelope Slot Canyon”, Honourable Mention 2015 And did you know … that the current GTCCC is not the first of its kind in the GTA? Back in the 1950's there was a similar organization, which ended sometime in the 1960's. We hope that you have enjoyed hearing about some of the GTCCC history … and perhaps at some point we can showcase some of our past winning images, to give sufficient credit to our amazing photographers. We’d like to encourage all members to contribute in 2015/16! Please send in any additional information or stories you’d like to share about your GTCCC experiences. And if anyone would like to volunteer a few times a year with the GTCCC activities, please let me know. I welcome your feedback and input at [email protected]. Below: Lorne Park Public School where the club held its meetings in the early years. The club’s first ‘salon’ was held in the school’s auditorium in 1955 ... read on! The First Exhibition Editor: In the course of her research, Audrey Cherevaty was able to find this 1955 letter to Canadian Photonews announcing MCC’s first salon ... an exhibition of black & white prints where viewers judged the images and selected the winners. Some photos of this exhibition follow in the next page. Mrs. G.A. Haley (centre), Mrs. Marg Moutrie (left) and Mrs. Naylor are shown serving tea (with fine china & silver no less!) View of print exhibit - four 8' panels were extended diagonally across the South wall of the auditorium Left: President G.A. Haley shows Reeve of Toronto Township, Mrs. Marie Fix, around the exhibition Right: Mrs. G.A. Haley, wife of President, is shown examining prints accompanied by the first visitor to the show A Perspective on Street Photography Interview with Marty Pinker Editor: How would you define ‘street photography’? Marty: Street photography captures unposed scenes in public places, and depicts snippets of what goes on in the real world. It's the art of capturing a Henri Cartier-Bresson "decisive moment" which, seconds later, will not exist. Editor: What interests you most about this genre? Marty: I find that street photography often results in more meaningful images than ones that are planned and orchestrated, like landscapes and portraiture. I enjoy its challenges. Editor: Are there any specific themes or ideas that you like to capture and convey in your photos? Marty: I like to seek unique and interesting off-beat individuals immersed in their everyday activities. I attempt to capture magic life moments which others might overlook. The behaviour of others in candid situations is fascinating! Editor: What makes a good street-photography photo? Marty: Street images should evoke a reaction, perhaps amuse, or tell a story which can be freely interpreted. Editor: How do you go about getting a good shot? Marty: You must plan for the unexpected, so that you're fully prepared when a split second photo opportunity unfolds in front of you. You always need to put yourself in the right place for it to happen. Editor: Some people don’t like having their photos taken by strangers, more so in some cultures than others ... How do you handle that controversial side of street photography? Marty: Ideally, the subjects will be unaware that you are shooting them. If I see a person I want to shoot, I will often pretend to shoot other scenes around them, and then very swiftly swing in to include them. I am discreet. I try not to intrude on peoples' lives. I am bold, but retreat quickly, and focus on another subject before they catch on. I respect private property, and cease photographing if requested. I rarely encounter negative reactions. More often than not, people apologize to me for getting in the way of my shot! Editor: What makes an attractive street-photography venue? Marty: Markets and street events attract an interesting cross section of society. People are generally too busy with their activities, (shopping, watching or participating) to notice me. Crowds enable you to disguise your focus of interest. Editor: Can you provide some examples in the GTA? Marty: My favourite locations are Kensington Market, the St. Lawrence Market, Queen Street West and Chinatown. Events in Mississauga's Celebration Square are often fruitful. I've had lots of luck at parades like Caribana in Toronto, Southside Shuffle in Port Credit and the Bread & Honey Festival in Streetsville. Editor: When are the best times to find good photo opportunities? Marty: Get to the location early, ahead of the crowds, if possible. This gives you time to scout out potential scenes. Lots of situations present themselves in the preparations before the event itself. Sometimes the spectators are more interesting than the actual event. Editor: What considerations do you give to choice of photography equipment when planning a street-photography outing? Do you rely on any one lens specifically and why? What are your primary camera settings? Marty: I use an 18-105mm zoom lens with my Nikon D90, which I find meets the large majority of my needs. Many street photographers use a 50mm prime lens, but I find it difficult to compose a scene quickly with mine. I never use a telephoto lens on the street. Having said that, the equipment you use is of low importance compared to your ability to see and respond to a "decisive moment." There's no time for manual settings on the street. Of course, you need a high ISO, 800 or higher, and I generally use a P setting. Editor: Getting started in street photography might be intimidating for novices ... What tips would you give them? Marty: As a starting point, it's a good idea to go out with a group. That will give you experience in shooting on the street. However, you may find that the company of many other photographers will distract you from your primary purpose. I am a member of, and highly recommend, the Toronto Photo Walks Group. I have been participating in their twice monthly outings for a number of years. But I generally get my best street images in the company of one other person. To join the Toronto Photo Walks Group, like their Facebook page, and you will be kept in the loop. They pick a different Toronto neighbourhood on bi-monthly Saturdays. The walks are particularly well organized, and follow a detailed Google maps route, starting at 10.00, and breaking at noon for a pub lunch, then on through the afternoon until 6.00 pm for further pub libations. Editor: Could you tell us a little bit about the Street Photography SIG such as when they meet, outing venues, etc? Marty: The MCC Street SIG is less active. We have had outings to Liberty Village, Port Credit, Graffiti Alley, the Distillery District, Niagara-on-the-lake, Ward's Island and the Ice Festival in Yorkville. At this time, we need a volunteer to organize more frequent activities. Please contact me, [email protected], if you would like to step forward! Editor: Which sources have you’ve found particularly helpful? Marty: http://erickimphotography.com/blog/start-here/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Street_photography http://digital-photography-school.com/?s=street+photography http://www.thomasleuthard.com/Book/GoingCandid.pdf http://thomas.leuthard.photography/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CollectingSouls.pdf http://www.vivianmaier.com/ Editor: Could you provide a few examples of your street photography images and explain what you captured and why you found it interesting? A Few Of My Favourites Busker, Montmartre This fiddler serenaded us as we wined and dined in an outdoor café. I took a number of shots, but this one stood apart from the others, with the alignment of the girl on her cell phone, and the beggar in the background. Queen Street Gentleman Taken on a Street SIG outing. I tried to appear as if I was shooting the street landscape, but he clearly realised he was key for inclusion. He passed us without incident, but why was he dressed like that, and where was he headed? Scott's Breakfast Stand This is one of my favourite places to shoot at Rochester’s public market. I always sit at the stand to have one of their breakfast sandwiches, and shoot the comings and goings. They know me now, and do not object. In this shot, I like the combination of silhouette, shadow and colour. Weirs Beach, New Hampshire Weirs Beach is a small resort town on Lake Winnipesaukee. The setting appealed to me: a truck, graffiti, the collection of signage and great shadows. I was rewarded when a girl entered the scene to look for someone or something, and placed herself perfectly in the shot. Yellow Parking Ticket A random parking lot on College Street during a street festival. A potentially boring shot until this character, dressed in yellow, stepped up to buy his ticket. CREATIVE TECHNIQUE: DELETE TOURISTS FROM TRAVEL PHOTOS THIS LITTLE TECHNIQUE MAKES IT EASY TO GET RID OF THE TOURISTS IN YOUR TRAVEL SHOTS! (PHOTO FROM STOCK) This is an awesome trick for travel photographers. Sometimes you’re at an amazing location, but there are people in the way of your shot. If you want to take a picture of a landmark and people are in your shot, you will likely spend the rest of your adult life cloning people out of the shot unless you try this technique. Step 1: Set your camera on a tripod. Step 2: Take a picture about every 10 seconds until you have about 15 shots, depending on how fast people are walking around. Step 3: Open all the images in Photoshop by going to File > Scripts > Statistics. Choose “median” and select the files you took. Step 4: Bam! Photoshop finds what is different in the photos and simply removes it! Since the people moved around, it fills the area where someone was standing with part of another photo where no one was there. UPDATE: The “statistics” script mentioned here is only available in Photoshop Extended or in the Creative Cloud version of Photoshop; however, as someone mentioned in the comments, you can get a somewhat similar effect in recent versions of Photoshop Elements by going to Enhance > Photomerge > Scene Cleaner. 4th Competition Results Season 2014 - 2015 Ribbon Winners Fourth Competition - May 2015 Digital Beginner Digital Advanced Pictorial 1ST 2ND 3RD HM HM David Stronghill Penny Albright Sue Adorjan Liz McNally Liz McNally Pictorial A Mothers Embrace Old Blue Eyes January Surprise The Ring Toss Game The Calm After The Storm 24 24 22 22 20 1ST 2ND 3RD HM HM HM Robert Bateman Tony Paine Warren Davis Bob Warren Marty Pinker Ina Miglin Five Sea Urchin Shells Sun Breaks On Zebra Mountain Girl On Carousel Flatiron Building Harbour Ice Having Fun 1ST 2ND 3RD HM HM HM Tony Paine Bob Hawkins Raymond Hsu Vincent Filteau Adela Tivadar Alan Gray Marmot Coopers Hawk Feeding Great Blue Heron Building Nest Grebe Feeding Chick Big Fish Brown Pelican Elephant Stripping Baobab Tree 25 23 22 22 22 21 Nature Nature 1ST 2ND 3RD HM John Bennett Ingrid Liem Lori Metcalfe Ingrid Liem Northern Saw Whet Owl Sea Lions Pair Bald Eagle Great Blue Heron Pair 24 21 21 20 Digital Intermediate Creative Pictorial 1ST Mark Fenton 2ND Efraim Perl 3RD Efraim Perl Ice Ship Grand Teton Autumn In The Rockies 23 23 22 HM HM Flaming Hair Figure Study Air Show 21 21 Craig Stirton Donna Miller Nature 1ST 2ND 3RD 3RD Linda Hilliard Sophie Matta Alan Munro Jennifer Fowler Black Bear Portrait Of Iguana Backlite Canyon The View From Mesa Arch Utah 25 25 24 24 23 22 21 20 20 20 1ST Tony Paine 2ND Marty Pinker 3RD Al Tilson The View From Here Flight Over Venice Thruogh A Frosted Window 24 24 23 Prints Level 1 Pictorial 1ST 2ND 3RD HM HM HM Vincent Filteau David Field John Moore Craig Stirton Sue Adorjan Sue Adorjan Monarch Butterfly Feeding Summer Palace-Jaipur Far from the Madding Crowd Mynarski Memorial Lancaster Kingfisher resting from hunt Rainbow Feathers 24 23 23 22 22 22 Prints Level 2 Pictorial Creative 1ST Donna Miller 2ND Craig Stirton 3RD Craig Stirton Venice Carnival You Must Have Tea Mybootswillwalkalloveryou 23 21 20 1ST 1ST 3RD HM HM Tony Paine Marty Pinker Tony Paine Ina Miglin Sandra Hawkins Marylin and the Big O Montmartre Paris San Miguel Bike Courier Spring in Rockies At the Well TROPHY WINNERS DIGITAL Creative Pictorial Nature Beginner Intermediate Advanced Photo Essay Favourite Annette Seip Ina Miglin Bob Hawkins Lori Metcalfe Efraim Perl Ina Miglin Ingrid Liam PRINTS Best Print Level One Level Two Tony Paine Vincent Filteau Tony Paine AWARDS James D Cranston Sandra Hawkins Maurice de Cunha Efraim Perl 24 24 23 23 23 Season 2014 - 2015 SEASON LEADERBOARD May 2015 DIGITAL Beginner Lori Metcalfe Ingrid Liem David Stronghill Sue Adorjan Misbah Ali Bashar Darghawth Liz McNally Tetyana Boronylo Pat Donaldson Raymond Eng MaryAnn Rowsome Jean Girard Chuck Hammill Tom Snow Maggie Knight Penny Albright Hani Anton Eleonora Roberts Judy Stuart Gwen Caudle Wendy Mullinder Vinod John Gerard Foraie Holly Lumley John Bennett Maureen Rodrigues Paul Lindo Evarist DSouza Intermediate 249 246 245 243 235 234 234 227 193 183 182 131 111 106 69 63 61 59 59 58 52 48 47 44 41 40 37 34 ADVANCEMENTS: Sue Adorjan Misbah Ali Liz McNally PRINTS Efraim Perl Jim Evans Craig Stirton Donna Miller Rick DaSilva Chantal Chapdelaine Doug Johnston Alan Munro Jennifer Fowler Janet Dixon Sophie Matta Juri Vosu Mark Fenton Myra Jones Linda Hilliard Rob Thorne Nigel Roberts Angela Murphy Advanced 267 252 252 247 245 244 243 242 232 228 226 147 123 111 110 82 53 44 Bob Hawkins Ina Miglin Tony Paine Vincent Filteau Raymond Hsu Adela Tivadar Stephen Balke Robert Bateman Al Tilson Warren Davis Kevin Chan Marty Pinker Jon Clarke Robert Mongrain David Penty Paul Ewington Fred Dixon Sandra Hawkins Linda Wiesner Bruce Peters Alan Gray Robbie Robinson Bob Warren Annette Seip Leonie Holmes Marcus Miller Laurie Fenos Kay Woollam Janet Brazier ADVANCEMENTS: Efraim Perl Jim Evans Craig Stirton Level One 276 276 276 268 266 261 258 258 257 256 255 249 248 244 242 239 235 235 229 226 184 181 157 137 123 87 64 61 59 Vincent Filteau Craig Stirton David Field Sue Adorjan Mark Fenton John Moore Annette Seip Chantal Chapdelaine Lori Metcalfe David Stronghill Fred Walker ADVANCEMENTS: Sue Adorjan Vincent Filteau Craig Stirton David Field Level Two Tony Paine Marty Pinker Al Tilson Sandra Hawkins Stephen Balke Ina Miglin Robbie Robinson Leonie Holmes Myra Jones Marcus Miller Rob Thorne Bob Hawkins Rainer Rothfuss CLUB CHAMPION Tony Paine Volunteers Of The Year 180 177 176 174 91 86 60 43 40 20 19 Audrey Cherevaty Uliana Yaworsky 191 184 181 179 178 174 170 130 120 91 90 85 85 KLIK SUBMISSIONS KLIK welcomes feedback, comments and suggestions; articles; tips, tricks and techniques; interesting web sites; images with comments. All submissions are usually published in the first available issue. Please send your submissions to: [email protected]. Please visit our Affiliated organisations for news about events, competitions and special offers. The Photographic Society of America http://psa-photo.org/ The Canadian Association for Photographic Art http://capacanada.ca/ THE MISSISSAUGA CAMERA CLUB Meetings: Cawthra Seniors’ Community Centre, 1389 Cawthra Road, Mississauga E-Mail: [email protected] Web: http://www.mississaugacameraclub.ca The Mississauga Camera Club is a member of the Greater Toronto Council of Camera Clubs (GTCCC), Canadian Association of Photographic Art (CAPA), the Photographic Society of America (PSA) and is affiliated with the Mississauga Recreation and Parks Department and the Mississauga Arts Council.
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