P H O T O N E W S
April 2008

Special Events You Won't Want to Miss...

IN THIS ISSUE:
March Activities....Special Article...What's Ahead....Member Notices.... About Our Club....Parting Shot

Visit our club web site — www.WoodlandsPhoto.org for the latest in activity, images, galleries, and other things of interest to those who love photography.

Photo at the top: Don Rueter won the mini contest this month with this awesome "Reflection" photograph, was taken at Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge in Titusville, Florida using a Nikon D2H with a 70-200mm f2.8 VR lens and 1.4X teleconverter. Congratulations Don, you did an excellent job!

March Activities
At our regular meeting in March, Ted Washington, former official photographer for The Woodlands, presented "Night Photography". We learned from the master how to take beautiful night shots.

We also had a success, with our WPC T-shirts, if you have not ordered yours, please contact us at info@woodlandsphoto.org

NEW MEMBERS CORNER: We welcome Chuck Albores, María Beck, Preston & Dorothy Dodson, Dennis Freeman, Robert Holler, Chris & Margaret Herbert, Carmen López, David Meine, John Nieves, Zulkermain Saleh and Karen Vantronk as new members to Woodlands Photography Club.

Special thanks go to Brenda Driscoll, Jamie Werner and, Bill Smith for supplying snacks, cookies and drinks for our March meeting.

Field Trips -
Saturday, March 1st, from 9 AM to 1 PM -- The Lone Star Flight Museum brought a selection of vintage World War II planes for a special display. We had the opportunity to take some great pictures at this exhibit.

Saturday, March 29, from 2-6 PM --The Museum of the American G.I. sponsored a WWII Battle Reenactment. The site is on Hwy 6 just before getting into Bryan College Station; we had a great time taking pictures there.

PHOTO TIPS: TIPS ON MEMORY CARDS
1. If Disaster Strikes - Stop Shooting --If you have a disaster and accidentally delete your images or see an card error message - stop using the memory card. All is not always lost when you have one of these problems and it may be that you can still recover your images - the key is to stop using the card or else you might overwrite your other images. Data recovery services or tools may be able to restore your images for you.

2. Delete Images on your Computer not In Camera -- Deleting images from your computer while the card is on your camera can actually prolong the life of your memory card. The rule is that the fewer times you add or remove data on your card the better. Erasing all your images at once after uploading them to your computer means one erase cycle rather than lots of them if you delete them one at a time on your camera.

MONTHLY MEETING

Monday, April 14-- 6:30 - 9 P.M.

SPEAKER: Matthew White, Sports Photography, please, join us to learn how to take action pictures. He will address some of the issues faced by professional sports photographers and relate them to those faced by day to day photographers forced to shoot outside their comfort zone in high action / low light action photography. Guests are welcome. Take a look at Matthew's photography here

MINI CONTEST: PETS Bring any two PET photos for the mini-contest.

SLIDE SHOW: Bring couple of your recent best images, if you want to share for the slide show or email Jim Kelly 5-8 of your favorite photos that you would like to share at the meeting

SPRING 2008 PHOTO CONTEST is almost here, be ready with your photos. Check the rules and categories. Keep working!

FIELD TRIPS

April 15 -- FotoFest Exhibit, Please join us for a guided tour of the exhibitions Zhuang Xueben, The Border Regions and Wu Jialin, The People of Yunnan Province with exhibition curator, Ms. Wendy Watriss. Ms. Watriss is the Artistic Director & Co-founder of FotoFest, an international non-profit photographic arts and education organization based in Houston, TX. Sign in & more info

Saturday, April 12 from 8 AM - 1 PM -- Zoo Field trip, just for WPC members. Exceptional photo opportunity to photograph the animals in a special guided tour. More info and sign in

Saturday, April 19 from 9 AM - 4 PM --WPC is pleased to announce our special event Turning Point Photo Shoot at Shadowbend Park on Saturday April 19 from 9 AM to 4 PM. Participation in this photo shoot will be a "Turning Point" in your photo career.
We will have 4-5 photo stations, with models of all ages available, sports and action sets, children and playground set, period costume sets, natural and studio lighting sets. We have limited room to 25 photographers, donation fee of $50/WPC members and $70/non-WPC members. Sign in

Sunday, April 27 from 8 AM-2 PM -- Exotic game ranches and wolves refuge, JUST for WPC Members. More info and sign in

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

April 4-5 -- Featherfest in Galveston with Kathy Adams Clark. That’s April 4th and 5th in the morning. She has a program first and then we go out to shoot birds until noon. Featherfest provides transportation from the Strand to the shooting location.

April 5 -- The Pine Hill Farm Spring Horse Trials. It is the closest USEA event to Houston and spectators with cameras are welcome. There will be about 100 horses entered and it includes dressage, stadium jumping, and cross-country in a very pretty wooded environment at 1720 HWY 159 East, Bellville, TX 77418-5534 more info at www.pinehilltexas.com

April 5-6 -- Annual Japan Festival This annual event in Hermann Park’s beautiful Japanese Garden draws more than 20,000 people. The Japan Festival celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Japan with two stages showcasing music, traditional and folk dance and martial arts, as well as demonstrations of Ikebana flower arrangement, tea ceremony, origami and bonsai. More info

April 23-27 -- Acadien International Festival of Louisiana in Lafayette LA. 3 hrs from The Woodlands, celebrating the French cultural heritage of southern Louisiana – primarily a combination of French, African, Caribbean and Hispanic influences. The largest outdoor, FREE Francophone event in the U.S., the Festival places special emphasis on highlighting the connections between Acadiana and the Francophone world. More info
http://www.festivalinternational.com/site47.php

April 25-27 -- The Grand Prix of Houston will roar back to JAGFlo Speedway at Reliant Park on April 25 - 27th, 2008, and will once again feature a thrilling double-header weekend with the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) on Saturday and Champ Car World Series on Sunday more info

Saturday, May 10 -- 1-3 PM SPRING 2008 PHOTO SHOW & COMPETITION Submission and Set up Time to submit your pictures for the Spring Contest at the South Branch Library in The Woodlands. Please notice the time 1 PM until 3 PM. Late entries cannot be accepted. Please review the rules and have your entry fees and forms available when you arrive. We need volunteers, please sign in for helping to set up exhibit

MONTHLY MEETING

Monday, May 12-- 6:30 - 9 P.M.

PROGRAM: Spring 2008 Photo Show and Competition Award Ceremony and Photographic Critique with Wendy Watriss, FotoFest Curator and Co-founder, and Marty Carden, HCP's Exhibitions Committee Chair and well known photographer.

MINI CONTEST: NO Mini Contest

FIELD TRIPS

Sunday, May 4, from 8 AM-2 PM -- Exotic game ranches and wolves refuge, JUST for WPC Members. More info and sign in

Saturday, May 17, from 9 AM-2PM -- Heritage Village is a living museum of pioneer history, with a main street that is right out of the mid 1800's to early 1900's. Walk through an old-time blacksmith shop. Check out a railroad depot. Visit a livery stable or any one of the community's log cabins. Or just stroll through the East Texas forest. See demonstrations of the old ways from people who have either studied the art or lived it. Heritage Village is an outstanding insight into what pioneer life in East Texas was like. More info and
Sign in

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

May 3rd --Houston Dragon Boat Festival. Becoming an internationally popular sport, dragon boat racing has hit the waters of downtown Houston! more info http://www.buffalobayou.org/dragonboat.html

May 10 -- Houston Art Car Parade at Orange Show More info at http://www.orangeshow.org Click this link for Volunteer photographers needed

May 17 -- Pasadena Strawberry Festival more info http://www.strawberryfest.org/

May 17-18 -- Annual Houston Highland Games & Celtic Festival
Enjoy the sights & sounds of Scotland. Events include men's athletic competitions, highland dancing competitions, solo bagpipe & drumming, pipe band competitions & children's games. Enjoy shopping with Celtic vendors, sampling Scottish foods and exploring genealogy, Gaelic and Robert Burns through workshops. Houston Farm & Ranch Club, Bear Creek Park, Houston, TX
more info meldouglass@yahoo.com

JUNE

MONTHLY MEETING

Monday, June 9 -- 6:30 - 9 P.M.

PROGRAM: TBA
SPRING 2008 PHOTO SHOW AND COMPETITION TAKE DOWN,

MINI CONTEST: SHADOWS, bring any two SHADOWS images for the mini contest.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES

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PHOTO INFO

Visit WPC resources to ask our Consulting Photographers
Basic Photography · Digital Photography · Matting & Framing · Nikon Capture · PC Questions · Photoshop · Underwater Photography · Website Design

LOCAL EXHIBITS: Seeing the work of other artists and photographers can give new insights and ideas for our own work. Check out the following local exhibits:

Through August 17 -- Holocaust Museum of Houston presents eight photographers who have witnessed the atrocities firsthand as a backdrop of a new world premiere exhibit "Darfur: Photojournalists Respond" at 5401 Caroline St., 713 942 8000

March through April 10 -- "A New World Becoming", Edwards and Johnson's photographic essay, documentary changing cultural landscape along Texas/Mexico border at The Art Alliance Center at Clear Lake, 2000 NASA Parkway, ph. 281 335 7777

March through April 12 -- De Santos Gallery presenting Cheng Changfen & Fernando Castro, B&W Photography at 1724 A Richmond Ave, Houston, TX 77098, 713 520 1200 or visit

March 7 through April 22 -- FotoFest Exhibit, The Border Regions, China 1934-1939 Zhuang Xueben at 24 Waterway Ave, The Woodlands 77380, in the lobby, more info www.fotofest.org

March 8 through April 20 -- FOTOFEST EXHIBITS:

• Habitat 7 - Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao at HCP. Four of the earliest major civilizations were formed in river valleys. The fertile lands provided surpluses of food that allowed for the growth of populations more info www.hcponline.org
• Houston Chinese Photographic Society. An exhibition of landscapes by the members of the Houston Chinese Photographic more info at www.hcponline.org
• Portrait of China FotoFest Exhibit at Elder Street Gallery on 1101 Elder Street a view of China, socially, historically and culturally through 90 photographs. Elderstreetartist.com 281 250 4889
• Tibet, Holy People, Holy Land and Holy Architecture, featuring the work of Liu, Zhi Chao, chairman of China Photography Association at Laura Rathe Fine Art, 1107 E Freeway 713 824 3575
• "Breaking Down the Walls" and is part of the Transformation theme. at Archway Gallery, 2013C West Gray near the River Oaks Theatre. 

April 17 - June 21 -- Photographs by Frazier King at Museum of Printing History, 1324 W Clay St.

CLASSES, CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS:

March 1-3 -- American Color Imaging Seminar in IOWA. More details 800-728-2722 www.acilab.com

March 15 -- National Geographic Traveler Photo Seminar from Sta. Fe Workshops; one full day seminar. More information or call (505) 983-1400

March 26 --SEMINAR Photoshop® CS3 for Photographers Tour, Coming to Austin Convention Center, 500 East Cesar Chavez Street, Austin, TX 78701. Experience the excitement of the Adobe® Photoshop® Seminar Tour and learning Photoshop® CS3 from one of the World's most respected Photoshop® experts and best-selling author, Ben Willmore. More info

April 2-4 -- Photoshop World Conference & Expo, Orange County Convention Center. Orlando, Florida More info 800-738-8513 or visit their website

April 12-13 -- Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival, crafts & photography more info www.woodlandsartsfestival.com

March 28-30 -- Bayou City Art Festival, Award-winning juried arts and entertainment festival that transforms Memorial Park into a festival outdoor art gallery. More info http://www.bayoucityartfestival.com/

HCP and LLU are offering photo classes on regular basis, take a look at our calendar

SPECIAL REQUEST
Joe Cusack, a member of The Woodlands Photography Club, teaches middle school students about photography and is requesting the donation of non-functioning cameras and camera lens. He would like to use these broken cameras to show the students different parts of a camera during his lecture. Email Joe Cusack if you can help.

CLASSIFIED ADS

BOOKS
1) Unused, new work book for $10.00:The Artist's Marketing and Action Plan Workbook (Paperback) by Jonathan Talbot, Geoffrey Howard ( $16.95 on Amazon.com) If you are interested please email Barbara at pix-shooter@att.net

CAMERA EQUIPMENT

1) For Sale  Arax 60 MLU kit including sport viewfinder; metered prism viewfinder;  80mm 2.8 Arax lens, 120mm MC Vega lens; 65mm 3.5 MC Mir lens; various Bronica, Hoya, Tiffen filters; Underwater Kinetics hard case. Camera and lenses were brought back from Ukraine.  All equipment (except filters) has never been used.  Incredible inexpensive way to get into 120 6x6 photography. Arax is a small Ukrainian company that buys hand-picked parts from Arsenal (the manufacturers of the infamous Kiev cameras) modifies them and hand assembles what the Kiev 60 should have been. For more information on the company and the camera, see:  www.araxphoto.com Asking $600 for everything. Contact Bob at robertholler@sbcglobal.net

2) Bogen 3021 tripod with a 3D head  anyone interested? Price it at $110. Contact Jim Stoner 936-273-4388

3) Nikon N80 with NB-16 Battery Pack Grip, includes Nikon 28-80 mm kit lens and Tamrac case   $125.00, Tokina 24-200mm  1:3.5-5.6 includes lens hood $200.00,  and Tokina 19-35mm  1:3.5-4.5  includes lens hood    $200.00. Please contact Doug Wilson at 281 216-3929 cell or Douglas_Wilson@Praxair.com 

4) Nikon D70 with the D70S software upgrades, the battery charger with two batteries, excellent condition for $350. And, a Sigma 20-40 2.8 wide angle Lens, Nikon compatible for $250, with Lens hood and lens case   also excellent condition. Inquiries Bobby Green at (832)651-0091
or email address eliteimages@msn.com

5) EPSON 1280 printer $200.00. The 1280 prints up to 13x19 paper which you probably already know comes with an extra ink cartridge for it. Contact  Jim Kelly

6) CANON EOS 1N RS - professional 35mm film camera. This is the rare one built with a pellicle mirror which means that there is no blackout during exposure since light travels through the mirror to the film and the mirror does not need to flip up during the exposure. This allows the camera to have an incredibly fast shooting rate of 10 frames per second when set on continuous high, great for sports and action shots. This camera is no lightweight since the body and motor drive are built as one unit. Camera body is in great shape but is missing the rubber eyecup. This camera sold new for $2700.00. It has been a great camera but I don't use it now that I have my digital bodies. Best offer gets it but I would like to get $250. Contact Jim Stoner 936-273-4388

7) CANON EOS 1D-Mark 2, professional Digital SLR. This camera is a great one for sports shooting, portraits, weddings, nature etc. and is in excellent shape. It's 1.3 crop factor will allow wider angle shooting with your lenses than most DSLR's. A fast shooting speed of 8.5 fps made it the fastest DSLR for the past 3 years. With 8 megapixels I have made 30x40" prints with no problem. Will sell for $2300. Contact Jim Stoner at 936-273-4388.

STUDIO FOR RENT Clark Lara has a full studio with Norman Lights, High Key white wall, as well as 3 different muslins. No props you would have to supply your own. SPECIAL PRICE $50 an hour. The high key is great for everything from product shots to high fashion.

PHOTO WORKSHOP Ecuador, Ireland, Costa Rica, North Carolina or Big Bend Photo Workshop Adventure with Kathy Adams Clark. She is a professional nature photographer. More info at Strabo Tours 607-756-8676 www.phototc.com

CAMERA CLUBS:

The Woodlands United Methodist Church Camera Club TWUMC for all skill levels gathers the first Monday of every month, except holidays from 7 PM to 8:30 PM at 2200 Lake Woodlands Dr. More info

The 1960 Digital Photography Special Interest Group meets the first Thursday every month at the Cypress Creek Christian Church on 6823 Cypresswood Drive, a diverse group of photographers seeking to improve photography skills with a motto of “members helping members” More info

The Kingwood Photo Club gathers photographers, who share a love for the capture, preservation and sharing of God's creations through
photography. Meetings are held on the 2nd Monday of every month at the Kingwood United Methodist Church, 6:30 pm. More information

HELP US SHOOT OUR ACTIVITIES

We need club members who have digital cameras to volunteer to document our field trips and special events. Our friends Nolan Braud, Susan Long and Cesar Vargas have been providing digital images of our meeting presenters and other activities but could use some help.  If you are willing to help, please e-mail to our newsletter editor.

YOUR GALLERY AWAITS YOU

Each member of our club gets a free online gallery of your favorite images. For details on how to get yours set up, contact Nolan Braud (njbraud@hotmail.com) or read the procedures

WE WANT YOUR IDEAS!

Help us continue to have the most interesting and informative activities by sharing your ideas for the best experiences you've had. E-mail your ideas for each activity below to the club officer in charge of that activity:

Presentations - Autumn Teesdale
Other Activities - Pam Moore
Web Site, Newsletter - editor