January 2021

Cover Image : Michael Mastronardi Railway Tracks to Gold

2nd place Novice DG OC 83.3 points

Inside This Issue

1 Cover image: Michael Mastronardi

2 Inside This Issue & Meeting Schedule

3 Editorial / Assignments

4-6 Program with Nic Stover

7-17 Dec. Competition Results

18 Save the Date

19 Preparing Images for Competition

20 WCC Executive

21 List of Mentors

22 Christmas Humour

Meeting Schedule

Jan. 5 Program Night

Jan. 12 Executive meeting

Jan. 19 Competition Night

All meetings are being held virtually via Zoom at this time

During this second wave of lockdowns and isolation, there is nothing better than finding a way to keep yourself sane than photography. Jenn Pereira has listed the ten benefits of photography that can help our mental health. So I thought I would share them, hoping that we all can maintain some sense of normalcy. Here goes: • Photography improves self care because it keeps the brain busy. We can create new habits that are therapeutic and refreshing. • It encourages community interaction. We take pictures and we share them creating common ground with like minded folk. Isn’t that why we love the camera club? • It helps us to remember the joys of life. Looking at old photos can lift our spirits and our mood. • It provides a vision of the world when we freeze beauty that we can see again and again. • It keeps our brain in great shape because it is a highly cognitive activity. This enhances and improves our memory and reasoning skills. • It helps to keep our bodies moving. • It provides enjoyment because we are doing what we love which provides reward for our good feelings. • It is a positive mood stimulant. Art therapy reduces stress hormones. • It improves creativity and promotes curiosity. • It provides a sense of direction, especially during this pandemic. It gets us up and maybe out, gives us something to look forward to and provides enjoyment of the different moments in our creativity.

And you may find that there are other reasons to love photography. Seeing so many members sign in to the virtual meetings keeps us as member together so we can share our mutual love of creativity. Just remember that we are all in the same boat as far as handling the day to day of this pandemic life. Here’s hoping that 2021 proves to be a much better year for caring and sharing.

On behalf of the executive of the WCC, we wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. Keep well and keep shooting.

Darlene Beaudet Editor

“To me, photography is an art of observation. It’s about finding something interesting in an ordinary place… I’ve found it has little to do with the things you see and everything to do with the way you see them.” – Elliott Erwitt

Assignments for 2021

January Through a Window / Solitary in Mono April Curves or Curvy / Need for Speed in Mono February Orange / Cloudy Day in Mono May Wet / Modern Architecture in Mono March Love / Silhouettes in Mono June Funny / Patterns or Textures in Nature, Mono

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Join professional landscape photographer Nic Stover as he leads attendees on a journey to talk about the Technique, Vision and Processing of Landscape Scenes. There are 5 types of scenes that are most commonly encountered by nature and landscape photographers. This presentation focuses on the techniques used to capture these images, what the vision was for the scene, and processing these images taking into account the variables that make each scene a little different than another. We will review best practices for these 5 distinct types of scenes. 1. Exploring Arid Lands (Desert Photography) 2. Discovering the Wispy & Magical (Seascapes Photography) 3. Empowered by Grandeur (Grand Landscapes Photography) 4. The beauty of the small (Intimate Landscapes / Small Scenes photography) 5. Things that go Click in the Night (Night Photography) For each of these different scenes we will review some best practices of in field capture, talk about processing methods, review special considerations for scene specific captures, review the challenges in fainter light and higher detail scenes, and so much more! The last portion will include a demonstration of processing techniques that help to bring out the 5 most important elements and areas of focus in our landscape scenes. Depth Texture Luminosity Sharpness Focus

About Nic Stover Nic Stover was raised in the high mountains of Western Colorado on a single magazine subscription to National Geographic and only 5 television channels, where the only shows his family regularly watched were Nature (PBS) and the Tour De France. It was here that his love for adventure, the outdoors, and photography took shape.

Stover is based in San Luis Obispo, California and focuses on landscape photography classes and workshops encouraging his class participants to Develop their skills, Explore their capabilities, and to Create meaningful work.

Nic Stover Photography exists to help photographers understand the unique perspectives that assist in the discovery of their capabilities, while enabling a deeper connection with themselves and others through creative expression. Through his classes, webinars, tutorials, and presentations Nic works with people of all ages, backgrounds, experiences, and desires focused around a dialog on how we can thrive in our own unique creative and artistic process.

His landscape photography work has taken him across the globe — from the backcountry of Greenland, to the windswept mountains of Patagonia, and the frigid extremes of Alaska. His portfolio of work encompasses desert, ocean, night, and mountain photography. Nic also enjoys showcasing the amazing places that are unique to the Central Coast, from sea caves to sand dunes, and its dramatic coastal landscapes.

Additional information can be found at www.stoverphoto.com

Altered Reality - Digital

Doug Myers Painted Falls 1st place Advanced 83.3 points

Maria Guadalupe Amaya Sea Scape - Natalie

1ST place Novice 85 points

Katherine Beaumont Belle River Dock 1st place Novice 85 points

Shooting the Light / Transportation in Mono December Assignment Digital

Maria Guadalupe Amaya Reflective Moments 1st place Novice 86 points

Brent Groh Bridge Light Trails

1st place Advanced 84.3 points

December Assignment Digital Shooting the Light / Transportation in Mono

Arlene Kochaniec St. Clair V 2nd place

Novice 84.3 points

Lillian Dajas Chaos in the City 2nd place Advanced 83.7 points

Digital – Nature

Laura Strilchuck Amherstburg Eagle! 1st place Novice 84.7 points

Sarah Taylor Bull Moose Winter

1st place Advanced 88.3 points

Digital – Nature

Doug Myers Female Cardinal 2

2nd place Advanced 88 points

Sarah Taylor Elk 2nd place Advanced 88 points

Digital – Nature

Stephen Biro Osprey and Kingbird

2nd place Advanced 88 points

Palmer Johnson Snow Owl 3rd place Advanced 87.5 points

Digital – Open

Lillian Dajas Transition

1st place Advanced 86.3 points

Laurens Van’t Zelfde BlackLivesMatter

1st place Novice 85.7 points

Digital – Open

Charles Wilson West Point Lighthouse

2nd place Advanced 86 points

Darlene Beaudet My Little Pink Orchid 2nd place Advanced 86 points

Digital – Open

Alan Defoe Grand Canyon Last Light 3rd place Advanced 84.3 points

Charles Wilson

Lake Louise 3rd place

Advanced 85.5 points

Digital – Open

Brent Groh Hollywood Glamour

3rd place Advanced 85.3 points

Claude Gauthier Mystic Alanah 3rd place Advanced 85 points

Digital – Open

Darlene Beaudet The Hallway 3rd place Advanced 85 points

David Brown Her Pearls – His Violin

3rd place Advanced 84.3 points

Greater Detroit CCC Annual Awards Event - JAN 23, 2021

Alan Defoe GDCCC Rep

Dear members:

SAVE THE DATE - Jan 23, 2021, 4:00PM

If you have had any of your images win a ribbon ( HM, 1st, 2nd ) from January - December, 2020 in the GDCCC competitions, they will be automatically entered into the Detroit Annual Year-End Awards Event.

If you haven't won a ribbon in Detroit, it is still a very enjoyable experience to view some great images and to see what other members of Windsor Camera Club have done in this event.

Ask some family or friends to watch with you.

More details will be provided when known.

Alan

Save the Date

Preparing and Submitting Images for Competition

1. Make sure that horizontal images are 2160 pixels wide and vertical images are 2160 pixels tall. The resolution doesn’t matter; it’s the pixel dimensions that are important.

2. Make sure that your titles have 25 characters or less (including spaces but not including the “jpg” suffix).

3. Photos in the assignment category must be taken after the newest list of assignments was given out. (New assignment topics are announced in May of each year.)

4. To submit images, go to our Visual Pursuits website, log in, and select “Submit Images to a Competition” from the “Competitions” menu. You can watch the video “How to Submit Images to a Competltion” to assist you.

5. The maximum number of entries allowed for each monthly competition is 3 (any combination of prints and digital images).

6. For help with submitting images, contact Neil St. Clair at nstclair@mnsi.net.

WCC Executive & Directors for 2020 - 2021

Officers Claude Gauthier President Palmer Johnson Past President Dan Eberwein 1st Vice President Alan Defoe 2nd Vice President Theresa Tessier Secretary Charles Wilson Statistician Bonnie Rilett Treasurer

Directors Neil St. Clair Publicity Darlene Beaudet Contact Editor Dan Eberwein Webmaster Alan Defoe GDCCC rep Gary Baillargeon Digital and GDCCC Director Doug Myers Print & GDCCC Director Palmer Johnson Program Director Janet Sokol Outings Director Norm Rheaume House Director Charles Wilson Director at Large Graham Brown Director at Large

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Windsor Camera Club List of Mentors The following experienced members have volunteered to help advise other members of the club in specific areas of work. Please feel free to contact any of them in person or by phone or email so that they can arrange some time to assist you. Please share this contact information only with other camera club members.

Name Contact Areas of Expertise Neil St.Clair 519-256-2025 Photoshop, Mac computers nstclair@mnsi.net preparing entries for competition Wally Zawadski zawadski@mnsi.net Photoshop Palmer Johnson 519-800 7024 Nikon, Lightroom beginner, Windows palmerjohnson01@gmail.com

Dan Eberwein daneber@mnsi.net Canon, computer work Graham Brown 519-562 4259 Lightroom gbrown110@cogeco.ca

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