The Pagosa Springs Photography Club will meet on Feb 10, 2021, at 6:30 pm, via Zoom videoconference. Our topic this month is “Lens Filters in the Digital Age”.
Like wearing sunglasses, putting filters on your camera’s lens can be crucial for taking landscape photos under challenging light conditions. Filters can enhance colors and reduce distracting reflections. They can also protect your lens. For some photographers and videographers, filters may be an essential accessory. For others, they may be of little use, with many of their functions subsumed by the digital darkroom. For many stalwart landscape photographers, using filters to get the best possible image in the field is part of the process and enjoyment of photography. For others, filters may be more of a complication.
So just why would you use lens filters? And when? Which filters are important to have, and which might you skip? How do you choose a good filter? At the February Photography Club meeting, we will address these questions in the presentation “Lens Filters in the Digital Age”.
Club members are encouraged to submit up to five images to share and discuss following the program.
The Photography Club sponsors monthly programs on photographic topics, and field trips to various areas of photographic interest. Longtime photographers and those just starting out are welcome in the Club. Non-members are invited to attend a meeting, and may receive the Zoom link by email to abutler@mac.com. For information on joining the Club, visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .
The Pagosa Springs Photography Club held its Third Annual Digital Photography Awards presentation on October 14, by videoconference. Winners of the competition were announced during the presentation. The contest received entries from 21 Photography Club members in four categories: Landscape, People, Creative, and Nature. In total, 112 photos were entered. The images in each category were judged by two professional photographers on the basis of composition, impact and technical quality. In addition, this year the images were also voted on by Club members to determine “People’s Choice” images.
In the Nature category, winners were Chris Roebuck, for his photo “Cougar”.Dave Anderson received 2nd place for “Migration”, and Andy Butler’s photo “Sphinx Moth” was third. With many outstanding photos in this category, there were a number of Honorable Mention’s; images that scored very close to the top three. These included Lion, by Dean Dussell; Alpha Pair, by Doug Coombs, Full House, and Grasshopper, by Kathie Disner; The Stalker, by Linda Pampinella; Lewis Woodpecker, by Liz Jamison; Colorado Columbine and Size Matters, by Darryl Saffer; and Bittern Showing of His Socks and Hummingbird’s Break Time, by Diane Cirksena. People’s Choice awards for the Nature category were Dave Anderson, 1st for Migration, Darryl Saffer, 2nd for “Colorado Columbine”, and 3rd to Linda Pampinella for “the Stalker”.
The winning image in the People category was Fred Guthrie’s “Working Cowboy.” Guthrie also received 2nd place for “Native Portrait”. Third place was awarded to Lorie Butts, for “Gym Brat”. Honorable Mention went to Dean Dussell for Masai #1 and to Linda Pampinella for Shades of Peterhoff. Guthrie’s two images tied for first in the People’s Choice voting as well. The third place People’s Choice image was Dean Dussell’s “Masai #1”.
Among the images in the Creative category, the judges’ selections were “Medusa on the Ridge”, by Andy Butler, in 1st place, “Stonehead” by Fred Guthrie, 2nd, and “Spring”, by Dean Dussell in third. Honorable Mention was awarded to Dave Anderson, “Aspen Grove”; Doug Coombs, “Grand Prismatic”, and Gregg Heid, “Bavaria”. This category’s People’s Choice awards went to Bill Milner, 1st for “Crater Lake”, Fred Guthrie, 2nd for “Stonehead” and Dave Anderson, 3rd for “Cold Dinner”.
In the Landscape category, the number one image was Doug Coombs’ “Horseshoe Bend.” Second place went to Fred Guthrie for “Escape from Alcatraz” and 3rd place was “Tombstone Sunset” by Lorie Butts. The top People’s Choice vote also went to “Horseshoe Bend”, with Dave Anderson in 2nd place for “Photographing the Milky Way”. Honorable Mention images were “Silent Roar of the Ocean”, Linda Pampinella; “Photographing the Milky Way”, Dave Anderson; “Sunset at Morel Hoodoos” and “Red Rock Twilight”, Andy Butler. The People’s Choice voting resulted in a three way tie for 3rd place, between Dave Minkel for “Fire River”, Dean Dussell for “Thermal Pools” and Andy Butler for “Sunset at Morel Hoodoos”. Congratulations to all the winners, and thanks to everyone who took part in this year’s contest!
The Pagosa Springs Photography Club will meet virtually, via Zoom videoconferencing, on September 9 at 6:15 PM, Mountain Daylight Time. This month’s presentation will be by Andy Butler, and the topic will be “Using Digital Apps to plan and visualize landscape photos”.
In landscape photography, the photographer often wants to create an image of a photogenic subject under dramatic light, such as sunrise or sunset; moonrise or moonset. While there are many websites and programs that can provide the times and compass bearing for sunrises and sunsets, there are a few that go beyond this in ways that are very helpful to photographers when planning.In this presentation, three apps will be discussed and demonstrated: The Photographer’s Ephemeris, PhotoPills, and Sun Surveyor.
These apps are useful in multiple ways. At home, you can place a pin on a map anywhere in the world, on any desired date, to view how the sun, moon and Milky Way will move throughout the day. You can search for specific events, such as when during the year the sun will rise over Square Top, as observed from a specific point.In the field, the apps have Augmented Reality features, which allow you to visualize the path of the sun, moon and Milky Way as they move through the sky, against an image of the landscape through your smart phone’s camera.
Following the program, we will have our usual image share. Club members may submit up to five photos to share. Please email your images for sharing, by September 8, to abutler@mac.com . For Zooming, a larger image size is desirable, 2000 tall by 3000 pixels wide or more.
Club members will receive the link for joining the Zoom session by email. If you are new to Zoom and have not yet downloaded it to your computer/tablet/phone, visit the Zoom download page, https://zoom.us/download , to do so. It’s really easy to use. For most of you, all you will need to do is click the “Link to join Zoom meeting”.
The May program of the Pagosa Springs Photography Club will be held on Wednesday the 13th at 6:15 p.m, Mountain Daylight Time. This will be a virtual meeting, live on-line, using Zoom video-conferencing, consistent with Colorado’s current “safer at home” rules. You will be able to participate in the program from the comfort and safety of your own home. Our speaker will be Frank Comisar, whose topic is Expedition to Antarctica. Frank will show photos and videos of the wildlife and amazing scenery of Antarctica, taken on a recent cruise to the ice continent. Further, he will explain the logistics and daily routines of his trip, and considerations involved in planning for a cruise to Antarctica. Photography Club members will receive a Club email containing a Zoom weblink to participate in Frank’s presentation. Others who are interested in taking part may contact Club president Andy Butler for information, at abutler@mac.com.
Frank Comisar is the founder of Scenic Aperture Gallery in Durango, and is a well-known wildlife and nature photographer. Frank travels throughout North America making beautiful photographs for his Durango gallery and leading small group photography workshops emphasizing landscape and nature photography.
Influenced by a previous career in Architecture, Frank’s images are well known for artistically depicting our three-dimensional world in a two dimensional medium. Frank learned early in his architecture career that “. . . the creative process is not a destination but a journey. It is a journey that includes research, planning, timing, technical skills, creative judgment, and a bit of good luck.” Frank’s success as a photographer is founded on these principles.
The Pagosa Springs Photography Club promotes educational, social and fun interactions between any and all who enjoy making and viewing great photography.The club sponsors educational programs and outings to help photographers hone their skills, whether novices or enthusiasts. Non-members are invited to attend a meeting to learn more about the club. For membership information visit our website at https://pagosaspringsphotoclub.org/about/ .
The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. –Harriet Ann Jacobs
I was surprised to note that the vernal equinox, the official start of spring in the northern hemisphere, comes on March 19 this year (In the USA). That’s early. Typically the first day of spring is the 20th or 21st of March. Indeed, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, this is the earliest spring equinox since 1896!It turns out that this is due to quirks in our calendar system related to leap year (and leap century). And as a result of these quirks, spring will begin on March 19 every leap year this century.
Given how early the vernal equinox is this year, perhaps I should not have been surprised (but was, at least a little) to have 7 inches of new snow on the first day of spring. That’s the heaviest single snow fall we’ve had, at our house, during this somewhat dry winter! It was just a little reminder that here in the Rocky Mountains,spring doesn’t always pay strict attention to the calendar. Still, this is a good time for a post about spring photography.
Although we have many great opportunities for landscape and nature photography in the winter here in the southern Rockies, there is no question that the new life associated with Spring makes it a joy to photograph this time of year. The grass is green, one of the most evocative colors for humans. Birds and mammals are migrating. Flowers are beginning to bloom. And, given our altered way of life in the era of COVID-19, it is fortunate that there is still a lot of photography that we can do locally, often in our own backyards, this time of year
In a recent video, Photo Tom explores 9 tips and ideas for spring landscape photography. It’s worth watching to revisit some ideas for the season. One that I think is big, is to look for the transition time between seasons. The snow this week may present opportunities for photographing the contrast of flowers, for example, in snow. Other ideas include taking advantage of the bright green of spring foliage, weather patterns, and foggy mornings. Check the forecasts for the day after storms move through. Cool mornings after a storm will likely produce fog in the valleys, especially around our hot springs. Fog creates opportunities for interesting, moody photos. If you are on a ridge above valley fog, you may have a dramatic sunrise. Later in spring, as the snow melts from the high country, waterfalls and streams will be flowing strongly, making for excellent photographic opportunities. For more ideas about spring subjects, as well as composition and lighting tips to take advantage of them, check out this post by Larry Price.
Of course, one of the highlights of spring are the blooming flowers.Anne Belmont is a creative flower photographer, and shares a number of good ideas for unique, artistic flower photos in a two part series. These articles are full of ideas, including seeing flowers uniquely, and suggestions for creative aperture and composition. When thinking about flowers, as well as other spring subjects such as butterflies, you’ll want to think Macro. Macro photography is easily done in your own back yard (or even inside) and can be very rewarding in terms of training your eye to see textures and patterns Lee Hoy has some good suggestions for getting started .
There are plenty of subjects worthy of a photographer’s attention in the spring. So take advantage of the season to practice your photography, but be safe about it!
In mid-February, fourteen Photography Club members spent a few days in the Moab area, enjoying the magnificent red rock landscape. The group photographed in Arches National Park and other nearby sites. We were lucky to have fair weather (though chilly mornings) and good light for most of our photo shoots. The trip was a really fun four days in a fantastically photogenic area. Here is a gallery of images from several Club members who were on the trip. (Click on any image to view the photos full screen.)
Pagosa Springs Photography Club 