Field Trip: NYC Holiday LIghts (Evening Trip)
Details to be announced.
Shooting close to home
By Ellen Bedrosian
I’m sure I’m not unique among photographers when I see images from far away places and wish I had the time and resources to go there and shoot them myself. The aurora borealis in Iceland, Chinese fishermen on rafts in the early morning mist, snow-covered bison in Yellowstone National Park … they’re all images calling out to me to capture them.
Sometimes, though, we have no choice but to listen to the whispers of the images that surround us everyday, close to home, that may be worthy of our attention as well. I like to walk around my neighborhood on warm, summer evenings with my camera, always on the lookout for something new to shoot. It was on one such walk that I captured this image, which after some manipulation, won Image of the Year in Beginner class in 2008.
The After-competition Whine and Cheese Party
By Ellen Bedrosian
It happens after almost every competition. Members gather in small groups and complain about how the judge scored their images. Sure, there are times when it seems as if the judge completely misses the point of your image. I remember one image submitted by another member that I thought was pretty cool. It was a selective focus shot of one mug out of rows and rows of “I Love NY” mugs,
and the judge’s critique was that the entire image of out-of-focus. I remember thinking: We gotta get some new judges. But more often than not, judges have legitimate criticism of our images, and if we listen to what they have to say and try not to get defensive, we can learn from their comments and in the process, become better photographers.
Tips for Cold Weather Photography
By Ellen Bedrosian
We’ve had a few snowfalls already, and I hope some of you have ventured outside and braved the lower temperatures to capture some images. Is there anything more peaceful than a white blanket covering pine trees, open fields or mountains? Unfortunately for me, I’ve been sick with bronchitis and missed taking advantage of the last snowfall. But I hope to be fully recovered soon, conquer my dislike of cold weather, and try my hand at capturing some winter scenes.
Some of our members are taking a trip out to Yellowstone this month (see inside for photo of them), but you don’t have to venture far from home to get some nice winter photos. This photo was taken at a park near my home last year, and even though it didn’t do very well in competition, I learned that I have to underexpose the image so that the whites don’t get blown out.