Lighting Workshop instead of Competition for April Meeting

Using On-Camera Flash for the Best Photograph

On April 8, 2008 at 7 P.M. the NIH Camera Club will meet for its regular monthly meeting. However, this month the whole meeting (except for a few minutes of business in the beginning) will be devoted to learning how to use on-camera flash to enhance the lighting of your images. Jim Guzel, who has spoken and judged for the club in the past, will be the presenter. Here is his information about the workshop.

“In today’s world, on-camera flash provides many opportunities to enhance lighting. There are numerous tools available to the photographer, and in many instances, many choices of how to use these tools. Some tools work better than others. And as always is the case with tools, you have to know which tool to use for which job. This presentation will provide some insight into the intricacies of on-camera and dedicated flash units, including what camera settings to use, and the advantages and usage of different types of flash units and flash modifiers. Information will be provided to help solve common exposure problems, including a basic explanation of TTL exposure systems. In addition, there will be basic information provided on the use of dedicated off-camera flash, and of multiple, dedicated flash units.”

This will be a lecture and demonstration workshop, not a hands-on experience. However, you may bring your own equipment so you can see your controls as Jim talks about them. Just do not expect to take any pictures. If you have an image that does not please you, bring a print with the camera, lens, settings, etc. used (EXIF data if available). He will look them over before he begins and will select some to talk about during his presentation. He will not have time to conduct a general critique session.

Jim Guzel is a professional portrait photographer and the owner of Aphrodite Photography. His work has been published in magazines such as Popular Photography and Ebony. He is on the faculty of the Washington School of Photography and is a member of the board of the Professional Photographers Society of Greater Washington. In addition, he conducts his own workshops on portraiture and has lectured before various professional and amateur photography associations. You can view some of this work at http://www.AphroditePhoto.com or http://www.AGreatPhotographer.com.

Volume 43 Number 3

The next meeting of the NIH Camera Club will be held on Tuesday, March 11, at 7:00 P.M. at the Classic Residence by Hyatt. “Images with Available Light” will be the topic of Duane Heaton’s presentation. Duane will be familiar to many of the club members since he has spoken and judged for the NIH Camera Club several times in the past.

The competition topic for March is “Experimental/Abstract” and Duane will also be judging the entries the night of the meeting. The following definitions will explain what types of images are eligible to be entered.

Experimental: Images that utilize camera, computer, and/or darkroom manipulations to achieve unreality. Examples of manipulations include (but are not limited to) solarizations, montages, double exposures, posterizations, and diazo transfers.

Abstract: Subjects such as lines, angles, colors, globs, shadows, reflections or designs of an original and non-specific nature that produce an exciting image that captures the viewer’s imagination without directly suggesting the subject. Blends of color, texture, shape, form, and light to create a patterned image.

Remember that digital entries will be allowed in addition to prints and slides. (See instructions.)

Duane Heaton is Next Speaker

You also may know our speaker if you shop in the Penn Camera store in Rockville where he is a sales associate specializing in digital cameras and digital photography. Duane has operated a photography studio for twenty-five years, photographing portraits, social events, and commercial assignments. He has studied with some of the great names in portrait photography and prides himself on creating portraits that are about the subject and not just a picture of them. He continues working on mastering the lighting and style of George Hurrell, famous photographer of the stars, and has created a style of portraiture called Hollywood Lights, based on the glamour photography of movie stars in the 1930s and 1940s.

Duane loves photography and working with people to expand their knowledge of it. He teaches and consults with both individuals and organizations about photographic issues and equipment. He shoots with Canon equipment, including the Canon 5D and Rebel Xti, 24-70mm, 135mm, and macro lenses, 580 and 550 ex flash, and an st-e2 transmitter. In spite of his concentration on photography, Duane still has time for his family, a wife of 22 years and three children.