Thursday, June 29, 2006

yippy i-o keeyay!

Man, thanks so much to all you die-hards who showed up despite the rain on Saturday night! Thanks also for putting up with me as I scratched my head and wondered what on earth to do next. Lesson Learned: having a Plan B is a wonderful thing. I'll try to always have a Photoshop lesson prepared in case we need to take it inside due to weather again. If anybody else has an idea for an alternate Plan B (say, somewhere to shoot indoors) gimme a holler.

Even though it didn't go according to plan, I'm still amazed at some of the pictures you all came away with! Angela, Amber, and Stuart took a couple photos that serve as terrific examples of the kind of effects you can produce with slow speed (i.e. night) photography. They might have been "mistakes" for all I know, but with some channeled creativity you can achieve some trippy effects (yes, I just said trippy.)

We will definitely do another night shoot together since Saturday fell apart. For now, let's tentatively plan on doing our night shoot on Friday, July 7th. Details to follow.

As for this Saturday (*Stephen checks the weather...) we will be doing our first Black and White shoot. Among the many things Rodney taught us a few weeks ago is the difference between shooting for B&W and shooting for color. Shape, texture, form, and contrast play a much bigger role in B&W photography. Learning to think in black and white plays a big part in taking good black and white photos. We'll talk about all this before we head out to shoot.

We're gonna be on the south/west side of the river this time and meet at the Clarendon metro stop. I'm guessing there is only one exit, so let's meet at the top of the escalators at 11:00. I would assume there is a coffee shop or something right around there where we talk for an hour-ish. (worst-case scenario we can meet at Starbucks a few blocks away.) Stuart is the star this week! He's gonna tell us a thing or two about his photography and maybe he will even tell us how to take amazing pictures from inside a Learjet 35s. We'll likely grab some lunch around noon before we head out to take pictures. As usual, feel free to come and go as you need. If you're comin' late, call me (703.303.3131) to figure out where we are.

And now let me proceed with the usual announcements. (That's your queue to skim the rest of this unless you see something in bold that grabs your attention. I know how it is.)

Someone mentioned going to a Nats game. I'm told they're playing the Cubs soon, and I'm told we should go to that game. If someone wants to organize it, that would be pretty kosher.

I stopped calling them "weekly" exercises a while ago, but we've got a new one this week! The exercises are optional (homework isn't too popular around these parts) but I strongly suggest them because they are (hopefully) helpful in stretching your creativity. Let's give it a shot this week and upload some pictures from your room by next Wednesday. ...I just realized how creepy that might sound; "Take a bunch of pictures in your bedroom." Whatever; I'm thinking more like pencil sharpeners and flip flops. =)

Leadership 101 is coming up on Saturday, July 8th at 2 o'clock (Ebenezers). They will be giving out free digital SLR's to the first 30 people to sign up. Okay not really, but hopefully that got your attention. =) If you have a desire to lead a group or simply learn more about how "discipleship" happens at NCC, I would encourage you to go. Attending does not automatically make you a small group leader, so there's no pressure to commit to anything at this point. It's a great way to get a handle on how things are run at NCC.

That is all. ...and now I go. Superman just called; said he's in a bit of trouble and needs my help.

Katherine

Name: Katherine
Birthday:
Random Fact: I studied abroad in Australia.

Portfolio: Flickr 1 and Flickr 2
What inspires me: the art and beauty of our world.

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Composition, Color, Abstract, Aperture / Depth of field, Shutter speed, Night Photography, Macro, Flash, Exposure, Lighting, Black and White, Filters, Developing film

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Landscapes, Portraits, Candid (people), Still life, Product shots, Sports, Wildlife, Abstract

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy photography and would like to improve my skills.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I would like to learn how to use my camera better and meet/network with other photographers.

My favorite places to take pictures around here:
Anywhere and everywhere!

My suggested activities and ideas:

Saturday, June 17, 2006

bubble gum cereal, it's all the rage

I'm gonna go out on a limb here (then again, when do I not go out on a limb??) and say that good times were had by all at the Arboretum today! It was a hot day, but we worked it out. Here's a shout out to Katherine, Allyn, and Dave for checkin' us out for the first time today (a non-metro accessible location, no less!)

For those of you who couldn't make it, we spent the first hour talking about some guidelines for composition and when to use certain drive modes on your camera (e.g. shooting in automatic, manual, or aperture priority, etc...) Special thanks to Marie Claire and Rodney for adding their valuable input to the discussion! ...and Lisa, well, I'm glad I didn't have to give you a hard time for not showing up =D

Next week (no, that's not a typo, you are in fact getting the details for next week's shoot a whole week in advance! ...just don't get used to it =) Next Saturday we're going to do a night shoot around the World War II Memorial (and anywhere else we feel like venturing to). We will meet at 8 o'clock PM at the DC War Memorial. NOTE: the DC War Memorial is NOT the same thing as the WWII Memorial. Click the above link for specific directions.

I'm fully aware that it is not dark yet at 8:00, but we will spend the first half hour or so discussing how to take photographs at night. I don't expect anybody to do this, but you might spare yourself some frustration by reading (just a part of) your camera's instruction manual. Specifically, try to learn how to adjust the shutter speed on your camera. Not mandatory, but suggested. Also, if you have a tripod you will need to bring it. I will bring three tripods for anyone to use. If you're feeling adventurous you can pick up an inexpensive tripod (or triopd, as I like to type it right now) for about $30 that will do the job just fine. Again, not mandatory, but it might help things run a little smoother.

Lastly, here's a few other things to put on your tracking device (bet you thought I was gonna say "radar").

Stage Left, an NCC small group headed by our very of Kacey McGowan, is looking for someone(s) to take headshots of the group members. They will be doing a production/performance at the end of the summer (correct me if I'm wrong) and they need photos of the performers. This is a perfect opportunity to practice portrait photography as well as get some experience using an external flash (uh, unless you guys have an external flash, I'm guessin that means you'll be using mine. Whatever, it's cool.) Kacey will let us know what dates they will need the headshots taken, and she might even give us all some Bagel Bites! ...okay so maybe I just put words in her mouth, but you have to admit, they do sound pretty good right about now.

Yet another small group is calling upon your expertise and is looking for some great photos. Juman I-don't-know-his-last-name leads the "Dance Party" small group on Thursday nights. They want photos that show everybody having a good time dancin' it up! Since people tend to get a little (okay, a lot) self-conscious when the camera is around, I'm looking for only two or three people to snag some pictures this Thursday. Let me know if you're available.

I met with the dude from Mocha Hut cafe today and he's excited about the possibility of having us display our photos at his shop! There are some logistics that we will need to figure out, but he's very easy-going about it. This would be an opportunity for us to not only display, but also sell some of our photos. Keep your eye out for more detailed info in regard to this.

Lastly, if you do not have a profile link on the right and you would like to be included, send me an email with all the information filled out (copy it from one of the other profiles) I'll even give you a Charlie Brown sticker if you include a photo! ...who can resist that?!

We all already know how awesome I am, so instead let me tell you guys (and gals) how awesome you are! I consider myself blessed to be taking photos and laughing and learning alongside you all! Keep making the group a happenin' place!

Thursday, June 15, 2006

♪ Arboretum is the life for me ♫

This is a little late in coming, but as you can see below I ended up adding a lot more than I initially planned. Below, you will find instructions for setting up a Flickr account and joining our Flickr group; note the nifty new link on the right. Also new are the member profiles for the new peeps! (See Member Links on the right.) Please please please let me know if you do not wish for your information to be available on this site. It is not my intent to intrude on anyone's privacy, so please let me know if you want anything to be modified. For many of you there are some blank spots; please leave a comment on your profile to "fill in" the information. I'll update it when I see it. Don't forget to send me a picture for your profile (unless that's not your thing, in which case I will publicly declare you as a BORING individual =)

Anyway, that's what's new; here's what's happening this weekend. Saturday we will take a walk on the nature side and shoot up the National Arboretum. We'll meet at the visitor center at 11:00 o'clock. Similar to last week, we'll spend the first hour talking about composition and various other techniques (there are rumors going around that Someone might even give us a peek inside their world and show us a thing or two... "Someone" = my first attempt fell through and now I've gotta ask someone else =)

We'll have lunch around noon. I don't know if/where there is any place to eat around there, so I highly recommend you pack a lunch. We'll find a pretty patch of grass and chow down some grub while David does a dramatic reading about the local flora and fauna.

Again, around 1:00 we'll bust out the cameras and see what awaits us at the arboretum!

The arboretum (man, I've never said "arboretum" so many times) is not metro accessible, so some people have suggested carpooling. If you are in need of a ride, or can offer a ride, leave a comment below and we'll figure it out.

Just to give you a heads up for the next two weeks --"What!? We're finding something out more than 36 hours in advance?!!" Wonder of wonders, I know... On the 24th we will do a Night Shoot, most likely around the World War II Memorial. It will be good times, no doubt! The following week (1st) we will do a Black and White photo shoot. I'm not sure where, but it should be a good challenge/learning experience for us all. May the free world keep on rocking because of you all!!

Flickr

All right everybody, as we talked about last week we will be sharing photos via Flickr from now on. Our resident Flickr expert, Marie Claire, already posted some instructions (below) for those of us new to this new-fangled photo contraption.

step one
1.create an account at Flickr.com
*use your *yahoo account* name or create a new one (you don't need yahoo, it
is just easier if you have it)
2step up load pictures
*remember what stephen said about uploading- if you have a big picture file
you end up using all of your free space given (Stephen encourages you to use Picasa for handling your photos. Email him if you have questions)
3when you are done uploading them you can create a *title and tags*
*tags are fun because this is one of many ways to link/ organize your photos
*I tag my pictures that I take with just shoot me "justshootme"
&"nccphotogroup" or "nccphotography"
*you do not have to tag your pictures but it is a great way for people to
find them in by describing aspects in the photos
4 next find the group "*just shoot me*" and become a member
5 then you can go back to a picture you took with the group and upload it to
the group page by clicking on the button "*send to group"
*6 you can add people in the group to be your *contacts* which means you
have an automatic link to their profile, favorites, and most important
pictures
7 when you want to organize your pictures and create a folder simply click
on *organize*- then *create new folder*- and *drag* the pictures into your
new folder- press save
*you can have one picture in a number of folders

now you have the basics
you can join other groups to put your pictures in many more places in the
flickr community or you can keep your photos private so only your friends
see you. make comments find favorites and most importantly have fun

I hope this email is clear- I wrote it after waking up- before going to
class
Marie Claire Andrea

A few things to note:
As MC already touched on, we'll develop a standard after each shoot for tagging our photos. This will greatly help organizing and viewing the pictures in a practical way. Since you can't create albums within a group, let's send only your favorite photos to the group, while keeping all of your photos in your own albums. For now, I don't see any reason to limit how many "favorites" you can share. If you only have one or two pictures you really like from a shoot, then only share those on the group. If you came away with 30 amazing photos, by all means, share them all! There are settings to control this, but for now we'll leave it open to your discrection.

Discussion forums! Under the group page, you will find the heading "Discuss." Much like our Google Group message board, this is where we can exchange thoughts about various photos or photo shoots. Talk it up, let's learn from and help each other --that's what this is all about!

Some of you have already been on the comment scene. I feel like Charlie Brown, "I love hearing some chatter in the outfield!" It's fantastic to see you guys commenting on what you do and don't like about each other's photographs. A simple suggestion from a friend can often be so much more valuable than listening to me drone on about ISO settings. Keep the comments a comin'!

Daniel Cahya

Name: Daniel Cahya
Birthday: April 5
Random Fact:

Portfolio: (include links here)
What inspires me: (links to photos, books, articles, whatever gets you goin')

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Whatever, I just want to take better pictures.

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Landscapes,

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy it as a hobby and want to get better.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I want to have a better understanding of what makes a good picture and how to capture that as well as learn how to use my camera better.

My favorite places to take pictures around here:
Park, National Zoo, scenic nature places.

My suggested activities and ideas:

David Price

Name: David Price
Birthday: July 28
Random Fact:

Portfolio: (include links here)
What inspires me: (links to photos, books, articles, whatever gets you goin')

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Night Photography, Lighting

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Landscapes, Candid (people)

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy it as a hobby and want to get better.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I want to have a better understanding of what makes a good picture and how to capture that.

My favorite places to take pictures around here:
National Mall

My suggested activities and ideas:

Nicole Paul

Name: Nicole Paul
Birthday: February 1
Random Fact: I'm in the Navy, but I don't like water.

Portfolio: Flickr
What inspires me: (links to photos, books, articles, whatever gets you goin')

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Night Photography, Digital photo editing (e.g. Photoshop)

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Portraits, Candid (people)

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy it as a hobby and want to get better.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I want to create a portfolio

My favorite places to take pictures around here:
WWII Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Downtown Georgetown (nightlife)

My suggested activities and ideas:
Night photography (so I don't get mugged)

Philberta Leung

Name: Philberta Leung
Birthday: October 19
Random Fact: I got deported from Spain once.

Portfolio: (include links here)
What inspires me: (links to photos, books, articles, whatever gets you goin')

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Macro (i.e. close-ups), Flash, Black and White, Digital photo editing (e.g. Photoshop)

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Landscapes, Candid (people), Sports

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy it as a hobby and want to get better.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I want to get better at candids, and expand my portfolio.

My favorite places to take pictures around here:
Anywhere

My suggested activities and ideas:
My frisbee games!

Rachelle Wilson

Name: Rachelle Wilson
Birthday: December 9
Random Fact: My goal in life is to get deported from a country --hopefully China.

Portfolio: Flickr
What inspires me: (links to photos, books, articles, whatever gets you goin')

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Color, Night Photography, Lighting, Black and White, Digital photo editing (e.g. Photoshop)

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Landscapes, Candid (people)

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy it as a hobby, and want to get better.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I want to have a better understanding of what makes a great picture and how to capture that.

My favorite places to take pictures around here:
Nature: Rock Creek, Mt. Vernon, Shenandoahs

My suggested activities and ideas:
Watch Napoleon Dynamite and Monty Python; volleyball, sports, Nats game.

Yanky Setiawah

Name: Yanky Setiawah
Birthday: 1- 19
Random Fact:

Portfolio: Flickr
What inspires me: (links to photos, books, articles, whatever gets you goin')

What I want to learn about or learn to do better:
Digital photo editing (e.g. Photoshop)

My favorite subject matter to shoot is:
Landscapes, Portraits

My experience as a photographer:
I enjoy it as a hobby and want to get better as well as learn how to use my camera better.

What I hope to learn/do this semester:
I want to have a better understanding of what makes a good picture and how to capture that.

My favorite places to take pictures around here:


My suggested activities and ideas:

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Looking back and looking forward

Wow! What a day! Rodney deserves some serious kudos for doing such a great job sharing his perspective and showing us all around Adams Morgan!! Did anybody NOT learn something from him today?! Thanks a million, man!

Here is what we talked about (administrative stuff really) prior to shooting:

If you haven't done so yet, create an account for our message board. By default, you will receive one email with all the activity on the message board for that day. You can change your mail settings if you wish. Everybody is free to post stuff on the message board, and I hope you do; that's what it's there for. Parties, announcements, ideas, inspiration, you name it.

Online Calendar: I'm not sure if this is something we would use much, but if you guys know of any good ones, let me know. I'll check out planzo.com. It might be more trouble than it's worth, but it's an idea.

We will be meeting as normal next week since it appears most of us will not be attending the Inward Bound retreat.

"Weekly" Exercises: we didn't talk about this much, but check the "Exercises" link on the right. I've got another idea or two up my sleeve, but please let me know if you have any suggested exercises.

Thanks to Rodney, I have decided that we will do a Black and White photo shoot in a couple weeks. It's good to force yourself to think about things in B&W and why/how it's different from color photography. It'll be good times!

Mocha Hut and Ebenezers: I am going to be meeting with the owner of Mocha Hut cafe on U Street this week (likely Monday). There is a possible opportunity for us to display/sell our photos at the coffee shop. I'm also going to talk to Christina Borja about the possibility of doing something like that at Ebenezers

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, Flickr: As you know, we will be using Flickr to share, review, critique, and discuss photos this semester. It's a bit more involved than the Yahoo group we used last time, but this affords much more control and I think we'll all be happier in the long run. It will take some time and knowledge of photo optimization before we find a workflow that suits us well, but that's part of the fun of it. Don't hesitate to ask me if you have any questions. I'm going to volunteer Marie Claire's Flickr expertise since she knows her way around there pretty well. =) If you don't already have a Flickr account, sign up for free. There are some limits that we'll need to work around, but I'm willing and able to show you how to optimize and organize your photos to help you get the most out of it. I think this will be yet another great opportunity for us! Check back here for more specific guidelines about our Flickr setup.

Thanks to all who came out today, especially the new peeps!! I hope you all had as much fun as I did! Peace.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

if a woodchuck could chuck wood...

Welcome friends, both new and old! We kicked off the semester last week with a photo shoot in Dupont Circle. In addition to the first-timers who joined us at Dupont, we've got another handful of new people interested in checking out the group! Hopefully we'll get to meet you all this coming Saturday.

Speaking of which, I'm already completely pumped about what we'll be doing. ....dude! I just noticed the sun coming through my window and making a cool shadow on my wall. Anyway, this Saturday we're going to be working our photography magic in Adams Morgan. We'll meet at Starbucks at 11AM. I'll ramble on about some things while you pretend to be interested. (In case I forget, remind me to mention Flickr, and Mocha Hut.) For those of you who joined us last semester, we're gonna shake things up again this time...

Each week, we're going to highlight a member to talk about their experience, how they like to shoot, what they've learned, what catches their eye, and basically anything else. This gives us the advantage of hearing another perspective and gleaming insight from each other. Please let me know if you would like to share your two cents, and we'll put you in the hot seat --I mean, the spotlight =) You can bring photos as examples, heck, you could set up a Power Point presentation, or you could use Stuart as a dummy --er, model, yes, a model!-- to explain a technique. It can be whatever you want it to be. The idea is that we can learn from each other and have a good time doing it.

Having said that, Rodney is going to be taking this experiment by the horns and be our first spotlight fella. If you have seen his photos, you know this guy has a mad eye for capturing amazing pictures! It'll be good stuff, fo' shizzle!

So that's all happening at Starbucks (whew!) then we'll grab some lunch (approx. noon). It looks like the weather might be way too awesome to eat inside, so we might find ourselves gathered 'round a couple park benches.

After lunch (say, 1:00), we'll put our cameras in motion and hit up Adams Morgan. Rodney, our Adams Morgan native, is gonna take the reins here too and show us how it's done! Here's a list from Rodney himself of ideas and things to look for:
  • Ethnic and Cultural Diversity
  • International Feel
  • Adams and Morgan Schools (--these 2 schools define the area known as Adams Morgan)
  • Neighborhood Buildings
  • "Funky" Shops, Coffee Shops, Cafes
  • Sidewalk Vendors
  • Parks (Kalorama Park, Walter C. Pierce Park)
  • Markets (Food Market at 18th and Columbia [across from McDonald's--Saturdays], "Western" Market [Arts & Crafts market in Marie Reed School Plaza--18th & Wyoming, NW--open noon til dark] )
  • Murals (Madams Organ Mural, Toulouse Lautrec, Laundromat Mural (1728 Columbia Road))
"As we're shooting, keep in mind what defines Adams Morgan: people, places, activities, and history. Think of how it's different from D.C. and try to capture that!" -Rodney

If you've got some time to kill or if you have a fascination with history, here's a good article about Adams Morgan.

Goodness! Do I really have that much to say?? Every time I sit down to write one of these I think, "Oh, this will just be a quick one," and then I proceed to tell you about pointless stuff for what feels like an eternity. Sheesh! ...oh well, you love it and we both know it! =D

So that's the plan for Saturday, nicely divided into three parts: Starbucks at 11:00, lunch at noon, photo shoot around 1:00. I hope you can make it for all three parts, but feel free to come and go as you need.

Call me if you need anything. 703.303.3131 -Stephen

Thursday, June 01, 2006

word to ya mother

Greetings friends!

We've got one semester behind us, and now we're ready for another fun one! I want to give a shoutout to the new peeps who will be joining us. You're in for a good time. Last semester there were some people who were interested but couldn't make it because of conflicting schedules; we'd love to have you join us this time around!

For our first meeting (this Saturday) we're going to do the picnic thing / get-to-know-you and then head out for a shorter photo shoot. We will meet at Dupont Circle metro stop (south exit) at noon. I'm just gonna pack a lunch, but there are plenty of places around there if you want to pick up something. *Stephen checks the weather. Well, wouldn't you know it, there are scattered thunderstorms predicted all weekend. Generally that doesn't mean anything, but if so, we'll meet inside somewhere.

For those of you who may be wondering what to expect, just bring your camera and come ready to have a great time! It doesn't matter if you don't have a "great" camera. Heck, even if you don't have a camera you're still welcome; just let me know and we'll work something out. If you think of it, bring a pen. I'll have a short questionnaire for you to fill out to help give me an idea of how to plan activities. As a way to help break the ice, Angela has offered to perform a 6 minute monologue about hibernating felines. ...go figure. =)

Just a couple other random things. If you haven't already, go ahead and create an account for our message board. Secondly, even though we don't normally rely on email to keep in touch, I do want to keep the list current. If you got an email telling you to check this blog, then you're on the list. If you want to be added or removed from the list, just let me know.

Can't wait to hang with you all again!
-Stephen 703.303.3131