Creating Art with Smoke

Here is a great posting from the folks at the Digital Photography School on creating photographs of smoke. They highlight the work of Stoffel De Roover, a photographer who has created some amazing images with smoke. The DPS article links to images on Stoffel’s site, lumendipity.com, as well as providing some insights into how to create photos like his. You can learn more about this photographer by visiting his blog: http://www.lumendipity.com/blog/

Here are instructions from Photocritic.orgon how to photograph smoke.

Photoshop Phun with Joe Polevoi

Fireworks in Neon at the Riviera by Joe Polevoi

The next meeting of the Digital Photography Special Interest Group will be April 16th. Joe Polevoi will speak on the topic of Photoshop Phun: Using Your Imagination to Take a Fresh Look at Your World. Joe's objective for this presentation is to offer images not seen before to possibly inspire folks to play visual games with the magic tools of Photoshop. Through visualization and the creative use of Photoshop you can create much more than just photos. In addition to Photoshop, Joe uses a custom kaleidoscope attachment (one of a kind four mirrored ) on his cameras for "unlimited visual impressions." Combined with computer graphics, the effects are quite unique. Prepare to be inspired with ideas for your own creative projects.

Joe's career consisted of creating graphics and photography mostly normal visual statements. He worked as an art director before calling it quits in 1986. He is currently having a ball combining photos with Photoshop (and other filters) plus a little imagination.

When:
Thursday, April 16, 2009
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.

Where:
Maple Heights Branch of the Cuyahoga County Library
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, Ohio 44137-1291
Off Libby Road between Broadway & Lee

Comparison of 15 Online Photo Editors

Haven't had time to explore the latest crop of online photo editors? Would you like to do photo editing on workstations that don't have your favorite software installed (like at work or the library)?

Check out this article for a comparison of photo editing sites like Photoshop, Picnik and Fotoflexer. There is even a site that allows you to edit photos taken in RAW format (Snipshot is the site. RAW editing is available in their paid pro service.)

Visit CNET for more information.

How to Fix Pictures Taken From the Window Seat of An Airplane

Here are some useful techniques in Photoshop or Elements for fixing picture taken from an airplane.

McKinley Wiley to Exhibit at Notre Dame College, 3/12/09

Photographer McKinley Wiley will do an opening reception for his exhibit Black & White: What Is Your Perspective at theClara Fritzsche Library of Notre Dame college.

So what is your perspective? McKinley Wiley (a.k.a. RockeT) asks his audience to gain a perspective of an artist's life in Cleveland. These diverse portraits were designed to invigorate pure thoughts, feelings, and dialogue. Remember that there are no boundaries in black and white.

Photographers in Cleveland will recognize McKinley as one of the staff at Dodds Camera and Video Downtown.

Date:	Thursday, March 12, 2009
Time:	7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location:	Notre Dame College - The Clara Fritzsche Library
Street:	4545 College Road (Near Green & Cedar)
	South Euclid, OH McKinley Wiley, a.k.a RockeT

Herb Ascherman to Exhibit and Do Gallery Talk

World renowned Cleveland Artist Herb Ascherman has a show opening this Friday. The Artists Archives of the Western Reserve announces the opening of its exhibition, Faces and Places: The Photographic Art of Herbert Ascherman, Jr. on Friday, February 27, 2009. The show runs through April 3, 2009. The opening reception, free and open to the public, will be on Friday, February 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Mr. Ascherman, a well known Cleveland photographer, will give an artist’s talk at 6:30 pm at the reception during which complimentary refreshments will be served.

When: Friday, February 27th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Where: Artists Archives of the Western Reserve
1834 East 123rd Street, Cleveland, OH 44106
P. (216) 721-9020
E. info@artistsarchives.org
For more information visit http://www.artistsarchives.org/currentex.aspx

SEEN IN CHINA: AN EXHIBITION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

Thank you Garie Waltzer for bringing this Gallery Talk and opening to my attention. The text below is from the announcement she sent.

Seen in China will present historical photographic images and work by some of the most interesting photographers working in China today who address the profound social, political and environmental changes that have accelerated during the last twenty years.

Featured in the exhibition will be work by Linda Butler, Peikwen Cheng, Daniel Traub, Joseph Vitone and Garie Waltzer.

The exhibition is a multi-media event with artists’ photographic prints displayed in conjunction with digital projections of historical photographs by Chinese photographers. The Historical images on DVDs were organized in cooperation with FotoFest and FOTOFEST2008 - CHINA and its curators, Wendy Watriss and Frederick Baldwin. FotoFest is providing the DVD of Chinese photographers Zhuang Xueben, Sha Fei, Wang Shilong, Weng Naiqiang, and Xiao Zhuang whose work from the 1930's through 1970’s formed the historical section of Photography from China, 1934-2008 curated for FOTOFEST2008 - CHINA in Houston, Texas.

Curated by Professors Mark Soppeland, Penny Rakoff, and Rod Bengston, Director of University Galleries with special consultation and assistance by Dr. Barbara Tannenbaum, Director of Public Programs at the Akron Art Museum.

When: An opening reception will be held on Monday, March 2nd, from 6-8 PM.
Lecture by Garie Waltzer, March 11, 2009, 6 p.m. in Folk Hall Auditorium

Where: Emily Davis Gallery, Folk Hall
150 E. Exchange Street
Mary Schiller Myers School of Art
University of Akron

Make your passion your business

The Community Partnership for Arts and Culture is sponsoring an educational program that teaches artists the basics of businesses through a 3-session, 24 hour course. Here is information from the CPAC website:

Title: The Artist as an Entrepreneur Institute (AEI)

Time: Friday, March 13, 2009 9:00 PM

Location: The Gallery at Trinity Commons; 2230 Euclid Avenue; Cleveland 44115

Description: During this workshop, artists of all disciplines will be introduced to a variety of topics to help them understand the business of art. Local artists, lawyers, community and business leaders will present the topics you need to know. All career levels are welcome - we know you all have questions! Please join us for this three-day workshop!

Friday, March 13th: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 14th: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, March 15th: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Any AEI participant who is a member of an arts and culture organization or artist service group in Northeast Ohio is eligible to receive a $50 discount for this year's program.

For any questions, call CPAC at 216.575.0331 (x128) or email info@cpacbiz.org

Lincoln and Obama Display Created From Cupcakes

DSCF0554
Originally uploaded by Smithsonian Institution

At the Smithsonian museum a larger than life mosaic of Presidents Lincoln and Obama was created out of cupcakes. You can read about the creation here and here.

How to take good pictures with a digital camera

Perhaps you or someone you know got a new camera this holiday season and wants to know how to take full advantage of its features. Perhaps you have had a camera for a while and you've just not gotten the results you want. This month's meeting will address the basics of taking good pictures with any digital camera by better understanding proper focus, exposure, and composition.

This Thursday Charles Burkett will lead the first Digital Photo Special Interest Group meeting of the new year.

When: Thursday, February 19, 2009
6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Where: Maple Heights Branch of the Cuyahoga County Library
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, Ohio 44137-1291
Off Libby Road between Broadway & Lee