Calendar

Are you getting better pictures with your cheap point-n-shoot than with your expensive DSLR? Did you get a new camera for Christmas but are overwhelmed by all those dials, buttons, and menu options? Are you confused by Av, Tv, and ISO? Are your pictures frequently too dark, too light, or blurry. If you answered yes to any of these questions, the Fontenelle Forest Photography Club’s Exposure 101 workshop is for you.

Exposure 101 is a half-day workshop designed to teach the basics of digital photography exposure to the novice photographer. At this hands-on workshop you will learn about the relationship between shutter speed, aperture, and sensor sensitivity. You will learn how to read a histogram and how to use it to achieve optimum exposure. We will discuss exposure modes such as aperture priority and shutter priority and teach you when each should be used. And finally, we will set up hands-on case studies where you will use your own camera to put to use what you have learned.

The workshop will take place on February 2, 2013 at the Fontenelle Forest Nature Center in Bellevue, NE from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The cost of the workshop is $15 per person. Proceeds  go to support the club. Advance registration is necessary with payment due at the door. To register, contact Kent Brede no later than January 25, 2013.

What to bring to the workshop:

To take advantage of the hands-on portion of the workshop, you will need to bring some basic gear:

• Digital DSLR and at least one lens, preferably a zoom lens (wide angle to medium telephoto).
• Tripod
• Cable or wireless shutter release
• Camera manual
• Willingness to learn and try new techniques
• Notepad and pen

To maximize learning opportunities, each participant should be reasonably familiar with their camera and should come to the workshop knowing how to change from Program mode (P) to aperture priority (Av) and shutter priority (Tv). In addition you should know how to view the  histogram on your camera’s LCD and turn on blinkies. If this sounds foreign to you, then you have some homework to do.

Exposure 101 – Itinerary (subject to change)

1. Introduction
2. Exposure Triangle
   1. Shutter Speed
   2. Aperture
   3. ISO
3. Histograms
4. Exposure Modes
   1. Program
   2. Aperture Priority
   3. Shutter Priority
5. Case Studies
   1. Freezing Motion
   2. Blurring Motion
   3. Shallow Depth of Field
   4. Maximum Depth of Field
   5. ISO
6. Wrap Up

Program: Lightroom for beginners

Treats: Andrea and Jim Kuhn, Judy and Frank Dye

Program: YOU GOTTA LOVE BUGS

Our March speaker will be Tony Palmer, zoo entomologist.  Tony grew up in Eastern Ohio and attended Dana College where he attained a bachelors degree in biology.  His focus on entomology led to his being hired at Henry Doorly Zoo where he is a keeper at the Aquarium’s Butterfly and Insect Pavilion. Tony is getting ready to launch a statewide, citizen-science based butterfly monitoring program for Nebraska.

When not working, Tony is an avid photographer and can often be found in the field documenting insects and their behavior. Expect to learn some interesting facts about insects and how to photograph them.

Treats: Todd and Tracy Utter, Alan Kurth

Program: News photography and black and white conversion

Treats: Eric Scholar, Jason Keel

Program: Combining multiple images in PhotoShop

Treats: Lou Ann Beister, Chris Kastrick, Mary Clapp

Sandhills Weekend Photo Shoot

May 17-19, 2013

Valentine, NE

Members of the Fontenelle Forest Photography Club (FFPC) are invited to attend an exciting weekend photo shoot in the beautiful sandhills of Nebraska.  Participants will have unique and exciting opportunities to photograph some of Nebraska’s most beautiful areas. Photographers of of every skill level are welcome. Your creative juices and your passion for photography will soar as you experience the best of what the sandhills have to offer while shooting with your fellow club members. Our focus will be friendship, fun and  photography. Food and sleep will be secondary priorities. Our weekend should be both exhausting and exhilarating. Our days will likely be long as we will work hard to take advantage of our time together.

Contact Frank Comisar to reserve your spot and confirm your participation no later than April 26, 2013.

A block of 10 rooms has been reserved at a special rate of $89/night at Valentine’s Niobrara Lodge in Valentine, NE. After confirming your spot with Frank, participants must contact the hotel to make their own reservations. Unreserved rooms will be released back to the public on May 3, 2013.

Itinerary (subject to change)

Friday, May 17, 2013:

4:00 PM – Check into hotel

5:00 PM – Orientation in Hotel Lobby

6:00 PM – Depart for Valentine NWR for sunset shoot

Saturday, May 18, 2013:

3:30 AM – Depart for Valentine NWR for star trails and sunrise shoot

9:00 AM – Breakfast at hotel

4:30 PM –  Dinner hosted by Club

6:00 PM – Depart for Snake River Falls for sunset shoot

Sunday, May 19, 2013:

5:00 AM – Depart for Fort Niobrara NWR for sunrise shoot

9:00 AM – Breakfast at Hotel

10:30 AM – Check out of hotel and adjourn

Contact Frank Comisar no later than April 26, 2013 to reserve your spot for the weekend.

Members of the club are encouraged to submit up to  four of their best photographs to our annual show and contest. Entries will be judged  in four categories (Scenic, Animals, Flora, and Anything Goes) and two classes (Novice and Advanced). Winners will be displayed on our club website and at the Bellevue Library.

Important dates and times:

• Saturday, June 1, 2013 – 10:00 to 12:00:Drop off photos at Bellevue University
• Thursday, June 20, 2013 – 7:00 PM: Award presentation and judge’s critique (guests welcome)
• Saturday, June 29, 2013 – 10:00 to 12:00: Pick up photos

The contest will be judged by award winning photographer Derrald Farnsworth-Livingston. Derrald has won numerous awards and exhibited in several solo and group shows regionally. His work has also appeared in several regional and national magazines, calendars, websites, and postcards. He lives and work in Omaha with his family. Check out his work at Journey of Light Photography.

Download official rules.

During this workshop we will shoot bracketed photos for use during our High Dynamic Range (HDR) demonstration on September 19.