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Featured Photographer: Rick Wiley
Winterglow
This is probably my very favorite landscape image. And I owe a lot of thanks to Stan Bell for this image, as it needed some Photoshop adjusting; as I was totally new to Photoshopping anything.
One early December morning, I was walking along a pathway behind Kumeyaay Lake in Mission Trails and saw this stunning image happen right before my eyes. I flashed back to a warm childhood memory of a movie I saw called the “Ten Commandments.” In that movie, you may recall was the moment when Moses ascended Mt. Sinai and spoke to God in the form of a glowing bush that wasn’t burning. Call it an epiphany if you will, but this special effect had such an impact on me that I tried to recreate it with this image. I put them side by side and it looks pretty close! I’ve always been fascinated by things that glow.
Washer Derby
Sometimes I like to use ordinary objects and create still life photos with them. I used the shadows of the washers created by the lights to simulate motion for the washer race. I painted one blue to be a focal point. The judge that day took one look at my image and laughed and said, “get a life.” Then said “6” Well, it didn’t get a good score, but who cares. I LIKE IT!
Proposing
The amazing thing about this shot was it worked! I have never composed a still life before that, from the initial idea to the finished product.
It all came together so quickly. I didn’t have to do several nights worth of takes like in most other stills. It was accomplished within 30 minutes of the initial set up. I ordered a metal doll house bench instead of a more attractive wood bench because of the risk of fire.
I was trying to convey passion between two matches, so I submerged both match sticks in water to make the torsos bendable but not breakable and that idea worked. I bent them in positions facing each other, and positioned the female match on the bench leaning toward her beau. They held their positions. I double sided taped them to their bases. As you can see in the initial set up, all I needed was the passion of the fire. And VOILA!
Cathedral Rock
My most unforgettable image was this shot I took many years ago in Sedona. Gail and I were on vacation in Northern Az. and pulled into Sedona late on a hot summer afternoon.
As we were arriving at the hotel, I noticed some ominous clouds building toward Cathedral Rock. I’ve always enjoyed the drama created by storm clouds, so I got pretty excited about this. Wow, of all places, a thunderstorm over Cathedral Rock? What a unique shot to bring back to the club! A shot to die for, right? ( I almost did. ) I didn’t dare tell Gail what I was up to. I told her I was going to drive around a bit. She stayed at the hotel.
Deciding I wanted to be Byron Aughenbaugh for one afternoon, I headed out for the “Rock.” Honestly, I’ve never photographed lightning before, and let me tell you it’s SCARY!!! Cathedral Rock was getting darker and more ominous by the minute. This storm was parked directly overhead, and wasn’t about to move. Then, there was an explosion and instant flash. I pressed the trigger and got this shot. Then all hell broke loose, one bolt after another. I decided I’d had enough and ran back to my car as fast as I could go, with tripod in hand. To this day I don’t know how Byron gets his shots! After this experience with my tripod as a lightning rod, it’s all yours Byron!
Website Improvements for April 2013
PolyPhotoClub.com is getting better. Today’s upgrades correct a few problems and add some new features. Read on.
New Images Galleries
The Winning Images galleries now work better on the web and on your mobile devices. To view them, hover your mouse over the “Competition” link near the top of the page. Then hover over “Winning Images” on the sub-menu that pops up. Finally, click on either “2013 Winners” or “2012 Winners” from the next pop-up sub-menu.
Here are the highlights:
- Watermarks. A simple text watermark has been added to all winning images. Thumbnails are not affected, but larger sizes now have the text, “polyphotoclub.com,” as an overlay in the lower center. This image protection feature has been requested by several Poly members since the new site went online. There’s a premium version of the watermarking software that allows better quality watermarks, but for now we’re using a free, limited version.
- Full Size Images. Click on any of the thumbnails and you can view the gallery full-screen. Click on the left or right arrows to move from one full-sized image to the next. Or use the left and right arrow keys on your keyboard. To exit full-screen mode and see the thumbnails again, click on the small X in the upper left corner.
- Mobile Device Compatibility. Viewing the site on your iPhone, iPad or other mobile device is now easier. Menus are reformatted to be easier to use on these devices. And the full-sized images in the gallery accept gestures, so just swipe your finger across your screen to move from one full-sized image to another.
- Administration. Gallery creation and management is simpler now. So, I’ll soon be able to recruit Poly members to help with this function. I already have one volunteer.
More Work Needed
There are some features, such as the competition score sheets that aren’t readable on mobile devices. The Poly Speaks page doesn’t work on mobile devices either. These issues will be fixed eventually.
If you find any other issues with the site or if you have suggestions or questions, please email your webmaster, Alan Haynes.
In Praise of Printing
“The negative is comparable to the composer’s score and the print to its performance. Each performance differs in subtle ways.” – Ansel Adams.
Nowadays we no longer refer to the “negative” but to the “digital file”- something that when viewed on a suitable display is actually a positive. Change the word and Ansel Adams’ quotation is as true now as it was then. Still, there is nothing else that better epitomizes a photographer’s work than the photographic print. Continue reading
February Score Sheet Updated
A new, revised version of the February monthly competition score sheet is online now. View it here: February 2013 Score Sheet Revised.
The previous score sheet had a few errors. Due to a miscommunication between our projectionist and our scorekeeper, the only scores recorded on the previous version were those that received seven points or more. The new version includes the six-pointers, too.
New Poly Website
Poly Photo Club has a new website!
After months of work, the new PolyPhotoClub.com is online. 
Why change? The main goal is to allow more members to contribute to the site rather than the two we have now, me running the site and Bob Howe maintaining the score sheet.
For now, I’ll be the only one working on the new site. In the near future, though, more members will have access.
For example, our workshop coordinator (Shelly) will be able to add events to the site’s calendar and our news editor (Jim) will be able to add news articles as often as he wishes rather than on a monthly or bi-monthly schedule,
Under the hood, our new, “dynamic” site now runs on the very popular and full-featured content-management software (CMS) called WordPress. WordPress allows us to do a lot more than we could with our old, static site:
- Articles can be added by any approved member (one who has been given an admin login) using an interface a lot like Word or other word-processing software,
- Photo galleries are more sophisticated than on our old site and easier to update,
- The events calendar is more full featured. Continue reading
President’s Column: The Missed Image
Memory cards have no emotions. Our brain’s memory does. We are fortunate. There is something valuable in missing an image occasionally, for not having a camera at that special moment when the light was supreme, the colors astounding, and the subject captivating. It’s an opportunity to dream and to periodically resurrect in one’s memory the emotions of that missed arresting moment.
As it happens, I have more vivid, clear remembrances of a few, missed images than of those I committed to a memory card. My most memorable “missed” image goes back more than twenty years. I can still easily retrieve it from my brain. Over five hundred megapixels, human eye HDR rendition. It was at night. Yacht racing in the Pacific, several miles off the Mexican coast. A clear crisp night. A good breeze filling the sails. Gliding over smooth waters of low rolling waves.
On the eastern sky, a few degrees above the horizon, a full moon. Bright enough to fully illuminate the boat and rigging. Then the memorable moment unfolded. The breeze picked up. With it, a bank of low fog rolled in from northwest. As the fog started closing in, the moonlight projected the shadow of our boat on the wall of the approaching fog. An eerie, awe-inspiring image. Continue reading
From the Poly Speaks Editor
Since the January/February 2013 issue is the first edition of the new year after the world was supposed to end last December, we decided to temporarily depart from our usual format. (I also think it’s better not to be too predictable.) This month, since we have all been spared from certain death, we are going to focus on new ideas and opportunities for new beginnings.
In fulfillment of one of my New Year’s resolutions, I am continuing to “nag” Poly folks about expanding their photo horizons. A key part of Poly’s charter is to help us all improve our photographic skills. The first pillar of that effort is the (mostly) objective feedback of our work that our monthly competitions provide. The second is the free sharing of knowledge about art, technology, technique, standards, and opportunities to help each of us grow. The expansion and updating of the photographic milieu in San Diego and the ever-growing capabilities provided by the internet offer many new prospects. Continue reading
2013 is Here
Poly takes another step forward. 2013 is here. What challenges await us? What does the future hold?
To get some kind of an idea, I thought it would be interesting to look at a few clues:
- In 2013, we are testing a change in our competition rules by dropping the reading of the titles for January and the next three months.
- Judging from the soft response to the high points competition, I would guess its importance is faltering and in time may be dropped.
- As time goes by more and more members are beginning to question the reasoning for allowing only 11 entries for year-end competition. I would expect a discussion of this rule to come up either this year or maybe in 2014. The grumbling has already started, and so it’s just a matter of time.
- As more Poly members take positions on the SCACC board, we are having an effect on how the organization operates, and how the display walls are shared with the other SCACC clubs. In time, we may gain access to the wall space in the main entrance room and also have access to the projection room walls. Continue reading
SCACC Report
Highlights from the January 5th meeting of the Southern California Association of Camera Clubs (SCACC)
InterClub Competition
Dar
ci Hook asked to schedule the dates for the end of year SCACC Interclub judging and the Interclub banquet. After discussion, everyone approved March 23rd as the date for judging. The year-end awards ceremony is scheduled for April 27th.
Snacks will be brought by the clubs: Salty snacks by Photo Naturalists, sweet snacks by Poly Photo, hot drinks by Darkroomers and cold drinks by Tuesday Morning club. All club members are welcome to witness judging by the team of 3 judges on March 23rd starting at 9:30 AM and are also welcome at the year-end awards ceremony on April 27th running from 9:30AM to around Noon. Both meetings will be at the Photo Arts Building (PAB). Continue reading
