Please View This Site in Firefox

By Gerlach [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Due to technical difficulties, this site does not display properly in Internet Explorer. It does display properly in Firefox. Other browsers may render it properly but I haven't investigated. In Internet Explorer, you will only see a single post with none of the informational sidebar content. If you have expertise in Blogger and could suggest how to fix the problem, please contact me at: sigleader@digitalphotosig.org

I am in the process of transferring to another blogging platform. The address that points to this site, digitalphotosig.com, will point to the new platform. Please check back for updates.

Charles Burkett to Participate in Booksigning

I will be participating in a book signing this Saturday (12/5) along with 34 other photographers whose work has been included in David Busch's Digital Photography Bucket List: 100 Great Digital Photos You Must Take Before You Die. The book features the work of members of the Cleveland Photographic Society.

The schedule is below. We will attempt to set a Guinness record for the “Most Contributors... to a Single Book, Each Signing Copies of That Book in One Location” at the Barnes & Noble Fairlawn store at noon. This is my first book signing. Stop by if you can. If you can't make the signing, you can see the book here on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/bucketlis

• 10 - 11:30 am - Borders Strongsville - 17200 Royalton Road (Route 82 - Just west of I-71)
• Noon - 1:30 pm - Barnes & Noble Fairlawn - 4015 Medina Road (Route 18 - just east of I-77)
• 3 - 4:30 pm Barnes and Noble Eton Collection - 28801 Chagrin Boulevard, Woodmere (just east of I-271)

Photography Quotes

10 Photography Quotes that You Should Know

View more presentations from Ryan Coleman Design & Consulting | Freelance Information Designer & Facilitator.

If you like those quotes, check out this article for twelve more.

Photography Weekend at Cleveland Metroparks

John Isaac
Photo & Bio Courtesy of: Society of Wedding and Portrait Photographers

The Cleveland Metroparks is organizing a Nature Photography weekend this weekend. The highlight of the event will be several presentations by world renowned photographer John Isaac.

John Isaac’s photography is known around the world as he has captured some of history’s most remarkable moments. Born in Madras, India, Isaac came to the United States as a young man in 1968 and began work at the United Nations. Over his career he has traveled to more than 100 countries as a photojournalist, capturing the struggles and triumphs of our changing world.

Isaac’s numerous awards include winner of Photokina International Photo Contest, Best Photograph of the Year from Graphis Magazine, Professional Photographer of the Year from Photo Imaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA) and Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Photographic Council. Isaac has authored many books, including a series called Children in Crisis. He co-authored Endangered Peoples for Sierra Club and Coorg, Land of the Kodavas with his wife Jeannette.

When:
On Saturday and Sunday, October 17 & 18, 2009

Where:
North Chagrin Nature Center
North Chagrin Reservation • Mayfield Village
North Chagrin Nature Center is located off Buttermilk Falls Parkway, south of the Sunset Lane entrance of North Chagrin Reservation, off SOM Center Road/Route 91 in Mayfield Village. Map

Cost:
FREE!

Schedule of Events:

Saturday, October 17
8 – 11 a.m. Photography Field Trips – Registration Required
Joe Brilla, Dodd Camera – Landscape & Nature Photography
Casey Batule, Cleveland Metroparks – Park photography
12:30 p.m. Karen Beck, Cleveland Metroparks Photography Club – Composition for Amateurs
2 p.m. Erik Sipols, Dodd Camera – Wildlife Photography
3:30 p.m. John Isaac, Olympus Visionary photographer – The Art of Seeing: An Eye for Nature Photography

Sunday, October 18
8 – 11 a.m. Photography Field Trips – Registration Required
Joe Brilla, Dodd Camera – Landscape & Nature Photography
Dave Dvorak, Cleveland Metroparks – Landscape
12:30 p.m. John Isaac, Olympus Visionary photographer – The Art of Seeing: An Eye for Nature Photography
2 p.m. Mark Leonard, Dodd Camera – Digital Image Photo Shop
3:30 p.m. Bruce Mack, Cleveland Metroparks Photography Club – Macro Nature Photography

For More Information:
Visit the Cleveland Metroparks website or call 440-473-3370. Sponsored by Dodd Camera and Olympus.

"Friends—Rio de Janeiro, Brazil”
© John Isaac

Charles Burkett's Photo Featured in David Busch's Digital Photography Bucket List

One of my photos was included in David Busch's Digital Photography Bucket List: 100 Great Digital Photos You Must Take Before You Die. The book provides examples of memorable photographs taken by members of the Cleveland Photographic Society.

This book is unique in providing not only the photographs but details of how they were taken and modified. A biography on each photographer is listed in the back of the book.

"David D. Busch is a best-selling author of books on digital photography and imaging technology, and the originator of popular series like "David Busch's Pro Secrets" and "David Busch's Quick Snap Guides." He has written eight hugely successful guidebooks for Nikon digital SLR models, and the most comprehensive manuals for dSLRs from Canon, Sony, and other vendors." He has sold over a million books

You can buy the book on Amazon.com now, or in bookstores once the books have shipped. (Amazon is selling them for $10 off the list price of 29.99 and if you spend over $25, the shipping is free.)

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

DIY Camera Bag

Ok, I admit that I'm a sucker for any kind of briefcase or camera bag. This article from Lifehacker caught my attention because I'm in the market for a new camera bag and I wanted function over fancy.

The original article was written in the Wired Hot To Wiki and gives detailed instructions for converting a non-descript army surplus bag into a functional camera bag.

Sony Camera will even tell you when to take the picture!

For a long time I've joked that that camera technology has gotten so sophisticated that it will do eveything but tell you when to take the picture. That boundary has been crossed.Meet the Sony Cybershot DSC T70!

THe T70 has a facial recognition mode that only allows the camera to fire when you subject is smiling. Here's a video demonstration from Yahoo. It also features a 3 inch touch screen display, a Carl Zeiss lens, and 8.1 megapixels of resolution.

October Meeting of Digital Photo SIG: Flickr University

How would you like to study photography at university that features teachers and students from all over the world, in your free time, at no cost to you? The online photosharing site Flickr.com offers these benefits. It occurred to me that through my participation in Flickr, I've gotten my questions answered, met talented photographers, and learned about cool techniques like bokeh, high dynamic range photography, and the Orton effect.

At the October meeting of the Digital Photography Special Interest Group, the topic will be Flickr University: Using Flickr to Improve Your Photography. You will learn how to use Flickr to:

• Take better pictures with your camera
• Get answers to your photographic questions
• Do special effects like the Orton Effect (I will demonstrate how to create this effect using Adobe Photoshop Elements)

Speaker:
Charles Burkett, SIG Leader

When:
Thursday, October 16th, 6:30 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

Cost:
Free and open to the public

Charles Burkett to Exhibit Photographs

I will be exhibiting my photographs with a number of very talented artists as part of the Neighborhoods of Shaker Square HOME TOUR


When:
Saturday, September 27, 2008
12:00pm - 6:00pm

Where:
Building formerly known as American Crafts Gallery (across from Larchmere Tavern)
13010 Larchmere Boulevard
Cleveland, OH 44120

Cost:
The Exhibit is free. No tickets are needed.
(The home tour is $15. Advance tickets are needed.)

Artists Include:

Anna Arnold, paintings, educator, graduate student in Art Education at Case Western Reserve University & www.annathebrave.bravejournal.com/

Charles Burkett Jr., photography, teaches photography for Ideastream and leads a Digital Photography Special Interest Group for the Greater Cleveland PC Users Group

Rodney Carpenter, paintings, drawings and graphics, art educator with the Bureau of Cultural Arts, Cleveland.

Shirley Clark, clay and mixed media

Dr. Bruce Cline, photography, Chair of the Photo Department at Lakeland Community College

Bill Faust, drawings, instructor at Lakeland Community College

Nancy Weymouth Halbrooks, watercolors, teaches and coordinates the art program at Lorain County Community College.

Richard Howell, mixed media and functional artist, Studio 126 on Buckeye.

Chloe Hopson, photography, Director of Passport Project, neighborhood non-profit arts organization; world traveler; photographer; dancer.

Charles J. Pinkney, paintings, photography, educator, Director of Fine ARTS Society

Gloria Plevin, paintings, owner of the Gloria Plevin Gallery

Mary Urbas, fiber and clay, Gallery Coordinator and Exhibition Curator, Lakeland Community College.

For more information on the event visit S.H.A.D. (Shaker Sq. Area Development Corp.).
or call 216-991-4991 for tickets and additional information

Charles Burkett to Speak to Chagrin Valley Camera Club

www.flickr.com

The Chagrin Valley Camera Club has invited me to speak to their group about Flickr, the Online Photosharing Site. I'll be talking about how to use Flickr as well as why photographers would want to join this site.

When:
Tuesday, September 9, 2008, at 7 p.m.

Where:
Beachwood Library,
25501 Shaker Boulevard
Beachwood, Ohio 44122-2398
Corner of Richmond & Shaker Boulevard

Cost:
Free and open to the public