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

Cleveland Photographic Society Falll Course Lineup Starts Soon

I've written in the past about the courses offered by the Cleveland Photographic Society. I took the introduction to Digital Editing Course outlined below and found it immensely helpful. I now teach Photoshop Elements for Ideastream. The CPS course I took allowed Photoshop Elements to make sense for the first time. I had owned the program for two years prior to taking the course and had not scraped the surface of what it can do on my own.

If you are interested in photography and want to learn more from experienced instructors, in a supportive environment, with detailed handouts, this course is for you. The information below is from the website of the Cleveland photographic Society.

Fall Photo School Enrollment Open! For over 90 years, CPS has been promoting photographic education through its School of Photography programs. Sessions this Fall will continue this long-standing tradition. Click here for the complete brochure in Adobe PDF format.

Full details have also been updated on the School page of this website, or click the course titles below for course-specific information:

Fundamentals of Good Photography - 10 consecutive Wednesday evenings, beginning September 10 at 7:30 pm. Cost: $160

Introduction to Digital Editing - 3 consecutive Saturday afternoons, beginning September 13 at 10:00 am - lunch included. Cost: $160

Get a jump on fall foliage and Holiday photography - enroll now!

Adobe Announces Photoshop Elements 7

Today, Adobe announced the release of Photoshop Elements 7. Although the software is not available now, you can sign up to buy it when it is available in October, 2008.

The release of the newest version of Photoshop Elements will have ties to Adobes new Photoshop.com platform which will be similar to the existing Photoshop Express website.

Detail on features is sketchy, since the software hasn't actually been released but you can read more from the Washington Post and Market Watch.

Stay tuned for more details. . .

Join in Scott Kelby's Worlwide Photo Walk on August 23

Author Scott Kelby is organizing a photo walk on August 23rd to celebrate the publication of his new book "The Lightroom 2 Book for Digital Photographers." A photo walk is a social event in which photographers meet at a location, take pictures, and view those pictures afterwards at a restaurant or cafe. Photographers will meet at locations in cities all over the world on the 23rd. After the pictures from each city are taken, they will be posted to groups on the online photosharing site Flickr. The best photos are eligible for prizes and recognition.

In Cleveland the photo walk will happen in the Little Italy neighborhood. Visit the website for a map where they will walk and contact information for the local organizer, Tony Salonia.

The National Association of Photoshop Professionals is organizing the event. Thanks to Howard Kass for bringing this information to our attention.

Where:
Cleveland: Public Parking Lot on corner of E. 119 St. and Mayfield Rd.
Other cities: visit the website.

When:
Saturday, August 23rd, starting at 11 a.m.

Cost:
Free, but participation at each location is limited to 50 people. Register here for Cleveland or any other city.

More Information:
Visit www.photoshopuser.com/photowalk

Parade the Circle: June 14, 2008

Parade the Circle 2006
Photo Credit: Charles Burkett

I've been going to this event for years. This celebration of arts, culture and a sense of whimsy brings out an eclectic mix of people.

Come see The Cleveland Museum of Art's award-winning Parade that integrates visual arts, dance, and music. More than 20 museums, churches, and organizations will sponsor fun, family-friendly activities at Circle Village, presented by UCI. Enjoy a parde through Univerity Circle, live entertainment from some of Cleveland's most talented music and dance groups and delicious treats from local vendors and restaurants.

Time:
06/14/08
Exhibits & Food: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Parade begins at noon

Location
University Circle's Wade Oval
Cleveland, OH 0
Wade Oval, off East Boulevard

Cost:
Free

For More Information:
Including a map and detailed description, visit
http://www.clevelandart.org/educef/parade/html/index.html
Source: the Plain Dealer

Avon's Duct Tape Festival 6/13-6/15

Photo Credit: avonducttapefestival.com

Looking for an interesting photographic opportunity? Attend the Avon Duct Tape Festival. There's a parade on Saturday, June 14 at 10:00 am. It begins at Avon Village School and ends at Avon Middle School.

This information is from the Plain Dealer

What's the most creative thing you ever did with duct tape? Go to the Duct Tape Festival this weekend and get inspired. Pirates are the theme this year at Veteran's Memorial Park, 38975 Detroit Road, Avon, and that means you're likely to see buccaneers, galleons and parrots made of the sticky stuff.

In addition to the art, there will be games, rides and refreshments. Hours are 4 to 11 p.m. today, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Call 1-866-818-1116 or go to www.avonducttapefestival.com.

The Festival Hours are:
Friday, June 13: 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Saturday, June 14: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm
Sunday, June 15: 11:00 am to 5:00 pm

Thanks to Simplyjake in the Flickr group Photowalk Cleveland for bringing this to my attention.

Metroparks Seeks Photos for Emerald Necklace Photography Show

Photo Credit: jsmuscatello

Snap a photo of your favorite spot in the Cleveland Metroparks and submit the photo as a candidate for the Emerald Necklace Photography Show.

The exhibit is May and June 2009 at Cleveland Metroparks CanalWay Center and May, Jun and July 2009 at the Rock River Nature Center. Photos must be taken in the Cleveland Metroparks and may include landscapes, wildlife, wildflowers, people or historical structures. Photos must be taken in 2008. Submit up to three 8-by-10 photos, color or black and white. Photographs may be submitted in person at the Outdoor Education Administration offices at Garfield Park Nature Center through January 31, 2009, or mailed to:

Emerald Necklace Photography Show
11350 Broadway
Garfield Heights, OH 44125

Do not email photos. Professional Photographers are not eligible. Call (216) 341-9225 extension 222 for additional information.

The information above was taken from the Plain Dealer print edition, 6/7/08 p. B2. I could find no reference to this contest on the internet. If any readers find additional information, please post a link to it in a comment.

June Digital Photo SIG Meeting: Advanced Amateur & Professional Lighting

Professional photographer Marc Golub of Marc Golub Photography and Digital Services Inc. will speak about lighting at the June 2008 Digital Photography Special Interest Group. He will cover topics in advanced amateur and professional lighting, including natural lighting, soft box lighting, and a tennis ball sized light you've never heard of that costs $40 and produces beautiful light. The interior above was photographed with this light.

This talk grew out of my admiration for Marc's control of lighting in his photographs. You can see his other examples of his work from his website and from his Flickr photostream.

Marc literally grew up in the photography business. He has been taking pictures since his father put a camera in his hands at the age of two. He shot for his high school yearbook and college newspaper before joining the family business — Laurel Camera Shops — upon graduating from college.

He left the family business in 1984 and went to work for Jerome Schmelzer & Associates, doing advertising and public relations account and creative work. Wanting "to do his own thing," Golub started his own photography company in 1988.

Marc specializes in editorial photography. Current editorial clients include Crain’s Cleveland Business, The Cleveland Jewish News, Shaker Life Magazine, Cleveland Magazine and Associated Press. He has also created imagery for USA Today, Newsweek and The Plain Dealer as well as a number of other corporations and nonprofit organizations.

A self-described computer guru, Marc uses seven computers — three laptops and four desktops in both Mac and Windows platforms.

When: Thursday, June 19, 2008, at 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

Gallery Opening for In Plain View: 18 Plain Dealer Photojournalists

On Friday, June 6th the Heights Arts Gallery will have an opening for an exhibit by 18 photojournalists from the Plain Dealer. Workshops will be presented by photographers Helen Liggett and Greg Donley on the last 4 Wednesday evenings in July.

The artists include:

David I. Andersen
Tracy Boulian
Gus Chan
Chuck Crow
Lisa DeJong
Marvin Fong
Joshua Gunter
Roadell Hickman
Lynn Ischay
John Kuntz
Dale Omori
Thomas Ondrey
Brynne Shaw
Scott Shaw
Chris Stephens
Lonnie Timmons III
Chris Stephens
Peggy Turbett

More information about the artists and their work in the gallery guide.

When:
Gallery Opening: Friday, June 6, 6-9 pm
A Workshop with Helen Liggett and Greg Donley will be presented from 6:30-8:45 on the following days: July, 9th, 16th, 23rd, and 30. The cost is $60 ($54 for non-members)

Where:
The Heights Arts Gallery is located at 2173 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights, Ohio (phone: 216-371-3457)(just south of Cedar Road a few doors down from the Cedar Lee Theatre)

Photography Opening Reception for RockeT (aka McKinley Wiley)

Join photographer McKinley Wiley, who goes by the name RockeT, for a reception that opens a display of his work photographing spoken word artists on Tuesday, July 1st.

Those of you who frequent the downtown location of Dodd Camera my recognize McKinley as one of the salespeople. When he is not there, he does freelance photography under the name Improvised Inspirations. His photography and contact information can be found at his website: insidemyself.photoreflect.com

When:
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
opening reception at 7 p.m.

Where:
B-Side Lounge
2785 Euclid Heights Blvd
Cleveland Hts., OH 44106

Cost:
$5 admission after 9 p.m.

20th Annual Blossom Time Balloon Festival is This Weekend

Photo by Charles Burkett

The Chagrin Valley Jaycees are once again presenting the Chagrin Blossom Time Balloon Festival as part of its Memorial Day activities. The hot air balloon festival will started today with the "Blossom Glow" where almost a dozen balloons were inflated. Activities will continue over the Memorial Day holiday weekend with balloons being launched and/or landing each day.

This is another great opportunity to take pictures.

When: May 22nd - May 26th, 2008
Here is a schedule of events

Where: All events take place at Chagrin Falls High School (map)

400 E Washington St, Chagrin Falls, OH, (440) 247-2072

For More Information: visit the website for the event.

Summer Photography Classes Begin May 28, 2008

The Cleveland Photographic Society is accepting enrollments for its
Summer schedule of Photography programs. Reserve your seats now for:

• Intro to Digital Photo Editing - beginning May 28, 2008
• Fundamentals of Good Photography - beginning June 7, 2008
• Basic Digital Photography - beginning June 9, 2008

I took the Digital Photo Editing class over a year ago and found it to be very worthwhile. In that class you learn how to use Adobe Photoshop Elements.

Click here for the Summer 2008 School brochure in Adobe PDF format.
Click here for an application for enrollment for any or all courses.

For more information, visit clevelandphoto.org

Veterans Memorial Bridge Tour Saturday, May 24th

The Veterans Memorial Bridge, formerly known as the Detroit Superior Bridge, is open for tours four times a year. On Saturday, May 24th you can tour the lower deck of the bridge. This area is normally closed to the public. If you miss this date, there will be two more this year, Saturday, July 5, 2008 and Saturday, August 30, 2008.

This picture was taken from the lower deck of the bridge
(Photo from Cuyahoga County Engineers Office)

During the tour, you can walk the lower deck of the bridge, take pictures, and learn more about the history of the bridge. The bridge's lower deck was where the street cars ran. It has been closed to the public since 1954 when the street car service was discontinued.

Thanks to the Cleveland Photographic Society for bringing this to my attention.

Time: Saturday, May 24th, 9-3 p.m.

Location: Northeast Corner of W. 25th Street & Detroit Avenue, at the west end of the bridge.
FREE parking is available at the County Engineer’s Bridge Garage, which is located at the tour’s entrance.

For More Information:

• The Cuyahoga County Engineers office has a site devoted to the bridge: http://www.cuyctyengineers.org/subway_tour.htm There you will find details on the tour, pictures of the bridge and from the bridge, and links to past media coverage about the tour.
  
• For questions, please call the Public Information Department of the Cuyaqhoga County Engineers office at (216) 348-3824
• The Cleveland Memory Project has a site devoted to the Veterans Memorial Bridge.
  
• To see pictures taken from of the bridge, there is a group on Flickr.
  

SIG Meeting 5/15/08

See the Light! Join Flickr.com
Photo Credit: Charles Burkett

This Thursday's meeting will focus on Flickr.com, the online photosharing site. We'll discuss why you would want to use Flickr to share your photos and what you can do on the site. You'll learn how to get visibility for your work and how to learn from the vast network of photographers who put their work on Flickr. Bring your questions. Charles Burkett will do the presentation.

WHEN: Thursday, May 15th at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cuyahoga County Library, Maple Heights Branch
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, Ohio 44137-1291
Map: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Branch.aspx?id=616

Adobe Releases Online Version of Photoshop

Recently Adobe has officially released its online photo editor offering called Photoshop Express. It is free and powerful. It doesn't have all the features of Photoshop, or even Photoshop Elements. It does offer a great deal of functionality if you need the convenience of being able to edit your photos from any computer with internet access.

Demonstration of Photoshop Elements 6 on 3/20/08

Photoshop Elements 6 screen, Pictures by Charles Burkett

The March meeting of the Digital Photography Special Interest Group will feature a discussion of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6. We'll pay special attention to the new features that were added in the upgrade from version 5. Charles Burkett will do the presentation.

WHEN: Thursday, March 20th at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cuyahoga County Library, Maple Heights Branch
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, Ohio 44137-1291
Map: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Branch.aspx?id=616

3/12: Photographer Chris Jordan to Give Oberlin Gallery Talk

Plastic Bottles, 2007
Depicts two million plastic beverage bottles,
the number used in the US every five minutes

Detail at Actual Size
(photos courtesy of chrisjordan.com)

Running the Numbers: Photographs by Chris Jordan

Chris Jordan's photographs are often massive in size and impressive in detail. In the past he has gained access to industrial waste facilities and photographed material and juxtaposed images in a way that gives new insight on our consumption of resources. He will be in Oberlin to talk about the work being exhibited at the Allen Memorial Art Museum. Here's what the museum said about the photographer and his work:

Chris Jordan's photographs investigate contemporary American culture through the austere lens of statistics. The themes of environmental stewardship, mass consumption, waste, public health and social justice are explored through haunting, large-scale images, which cause the viewer to directly confront numbers through a visual medium. Each work portrays a specific quantity of a particular item: 15 million sheets of office paper (five minutes of paper use), 426,000 cell phones (the number retired every day), 106,000 aluminum cans (30 second of consumption). As Jordan plays with size and scale in these vast photographs, assembled from thousands of smaller ones, he also causes us to examine our role, responses, opinions and actions as members of a consumer society and as inhabitants of both a man-made and natural world. Images representing the quantities involved have a different and more powerful lasting effect than the raw numbers alone, which can often be mind-numbing and feel remote from daily life. As Jordan has stated, "Statistics can feel abstract and anesthetizing...this project visually examines these vast and bizarre measures of our society. My underlying desire is to emphasize the role of the individual in a society that is increasingly enormous, incomprehensible and overwhelming."Chris Jordan will discuss his career and works on display in his show at the Allen Memorial Art Museum of Oberlin College. A reception will follow his talk.

Date: Wednesday, Mar. 12, 2008, 5:00 pm
The work will be on display from March 11 - June 8, 2008

Location: Allen Memorial Art Museum,
Oberlin College

87 N Main St, Oberlin, OH

(440) 775-8665
Google Map

Cost: Free

For more information on the exhibit, visit http://www.oberlin.edu/amam/chrisjordan.htm
See more of his work here: http://chrisjordan.com/

Picnik, the Free Online Photo Editor

Need a way to resize photos, adjust contrast/brightness in a computer lab, library or other environment where you can't install your own software? Modifying your pictures is a picnic with Picnik, the free, online photo editing site.

No membership is needed to use the site. You can read and save photos in a variety of formats: jpg, png, and tiff, just name a few. Recently Picnik has recently entered into a partnership with Flickr.com which allows users to edit their Flickr photos just by clicking a button on the same page with their pictures.

Currently the site is free. There are some premium features, such as levels and using histograms, that become accessible if you pay a membership fee. Most of what you want to do you can get done for free.

Is this site the same as having Photoshop or Photoshop Elements? No, but it does give you tremendous functionality for free, from any computer that has an internet connection. The Wall Street Journal's Personal Technology columnist Walter Mossberg likes it. Picnik.com has also been written up in a number of other publications:

PC World: Picnik.com-Outstanding online photo editing for casual photographers who live online.

Benedict Herold's Tech Corner Blog: Picnik, the Best Online Photo Editor

CNET's Webware site: Flickr gets Picnik's online photo editing

Accroding to CNET News, Adobe is currently working on an online photo editing program called Photoshop Express that is slated to launch later this year. For a reviews of other free online photo editors (such as of Fauxto, Picnik, Picture2Life, Pixenate, and Snipshot) visit this link.

Editing your photos online no matter where they are stored is the trend of the future as photography moves from editing, sharing and storage being done on the computer desktop to more of those functions being done on the Internet.

Focus the Camera After You've Taken the Picture?

According to CNet, a start-up company called Refocus Imaging has technology that will allow camera users to focus their images after taking the picture. The technology uses a special lens and software to capture information that is adjusted after the picture is taken. According to founder Ren Ng, "One way to think of it is just a raw image, except to the nth degree." The company is formed from Ng's research at Stanford University and has received funding from Greylock Partners. The company intends to license this technology to camera companies.

Visit the company's website and photo gallery to see photographs that allow the viewer to adjust the focus by dragging a slider on the right side of the image.

100 Photography Tips in 100 days-Part One

Adorama Camera did a blog posting where they compiled 100 Photography Tips in 100 Days . They shared these topics over the course of 100 days in their blog. Featured topics include How to Read a Histogram and Coping With Shutter Lag.

Thanks to Diane of the Cleveland Photographic Society for bringing this to my attention.

2/28: CDPUG Presents Google Applications

Want to know more about the wide world of Google applications? Attend the next meeting of the CDPUG (Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group) on Thursday, February 28th. The title of the presentation is "Rockin’ in the “G” World? What’s It Really Like in the Googleverse?" Topics include Picasa, Google spreadsheets, maps, calendar, alerts, Youtube and Google analytics. You will pick up a googol of useful insights from this presentation.

When: Thursday, February 28, 2008
Reception starts at 6:00 p.m.,
Meeting starts at 6:30 p.m.

Speakers: The Cleveland G-7. Spike Radway, Howard Kass, Erin O'Brien, Henry Lee, Anita Orenick, Al Wasco, Penny Stetz

Where: Dodd Camera & Video (Downtown)Map & Driving Directions

Cost: Free for members, $10 for non-members.

Win a Trip to Cancun, Mexico in Plain Dealer Travel Contest

Want a trip to Cancun, Mexico? Enter the Plain Dealer Travel Photo Contest.

Photos must be received by Friday, March 14. Photos must have been taken after Jan. 1, 2006.

Four winners will be announced in the Travel section on Sunday, April 13. Three Ohioans with a background in the visual arts will serve as judges.

The grand-prize winner will receive a four-day, three-night stay at an all-inclusive resort for two in Cancun, Mexico, airfare included, courtesy of Encompass the World Travel. Second prize is a four-day, three-night Carnival Cruise for two from Miami (airfare not included), courtesy of Carlson Wagonlit Travel. Third prize is an Olympus Stylus 770 SW digital camera from Dodd Camera and Imaging.

For more information, visit: http://www.cleveland.com/travel/

Photo Credit: j.lee43

Rocky Mountain School of Photography In Cleveland April 12-13

The Rock Mountain School of Photography will be offering a weekend course in Cleveland on two days this spring: April 12th and 13th at the Sheraton Cleveland Airport hotel.

The course content is extremely flexible. There are three courses offered each day and there is a a choice of three topics within each session. Topics include:

• Photography Basics
• Photography Basics II
• Understanding Your Digital Camera
• Image Management and Organization using Adobe Lightroom™
• Processing Your Images: The First Steps
• Processing Your Images: Fine Tuning with Layers and Masks
• Understanding Exposure – Zone System for Color
• Low Light and Night Photography
• Macro Photography
• Understanding Light
• Composition
• Photographing People
• Sunrises, Sunsets and Flowing Water
• Sports and Motion
• Photographic Techniques in Photoshop
• Critique

For a description of the topics, visit their courses section of the website.

When:
Saturday and Sunday, April 12-13, 2008
8 a.m. -4 p.m. each day
see schedule here

Cost:
Two days $169
One day $109
Save $5 when you register online.
Save $5 for Early Bird registration (30 days in advance).
Groups of 5 or more, save $20 per person for two days or $10 per person for one day. This may not be combined with online registration or early registration savings.
Add $10 if you are registering the day of the event.

For more information:
Visit the Weekend Course section of the RMSP website:
http://www.rmsp.com/Weekends/Default.aspx
800-394-7677

March 6th: Photography Lecture at the Akron Art Museum

Lecture:Photobiography with Martin Parr
March 6, 2008, 6:30 pm

British documentary photographer and photojournalist Martin Parr will lecture about his distinguished work and career. Parr’s photographic projects take a critical look at modern society, specifically consumerism, foreign travel and tourism, motoring, family and relationships and food. This lecture is sponsored by The University of Akron Myers School of Art, Fred and Laura Ruth Bidwell Lecture Series.

Location: Charles and Jane Lehner Auditorium, Akron Art Museum Admission: This program is free and open to the public.

Thanks to the Friends of Photography of the Cleveland Museum of Art for making me aware of this event. Additional information about Martin Parr and the Bidwell's support of the Lecture series was referenced in Brewed Fresh Daily.

Feb. 29th: Artist's Reception for "Let All God's People Say Amen"

I thought this exhibit might be of interest to the readers of this blog.

Let All God's People Say Amen is a community photography project created by photographer Helen Liggett in collaboration with Morning Star Baptist Church, Cleveland. Liggett was welcomed by the church as an observer over a period of five years. This show presents the worship experience of Morning Star as a whole, showing images of the many activities that bring members of the church together. The show is also a testimony to the welcome and warm affection offered by Pastor Earl Preston and the members of Morning Star.

When:
Artists Reception: Friday, October 29th 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Exhibit: February 15 - April 5

Where:
Heights Arts Studio
2340 Lee Road across the bridge from the Heights Library through April 5
Studio hours: Sunday-Wednesday 1-5, closed Thurs-Saturday
216.371.3457

About the Photographer:
Helen Liggett is professor of urban studies at Cleveland State University. She is coeditor (with David C. Perry) of Spatial Practices: Critical Explorations in Social/Spatial Theory (1995). She authored Urban Encounters in 2003.

Learn to take better portraits with Jack Ulman

Wedding photographer Jack Ulman will share the techniques of
portrait photography that he has developed from taking 40 years of
wedding photographs at the February meeting of the Digital Photography Special Interest Group. He will do a demonstration of portrait photography and share photographs from his extensive portfolio.

Jack has attended a number of our meetings in the past and is a good
example of the wealth of experience that exists in our Digital Photo
SIG group. Jack is a member of the Cleveland Photographic Society and
is responsible for telling me about the group and encouraging me to join.

WHEN: Thursday, February 21st at 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: Cuyahoga County Library, Maple Heights Branch
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, Ohio 44137-1291
Map: http://www.cuyahogalibrary.org/Branch.aspx?id=616

January 17th Digital Photo SIG Meeting: Learn to Create Photo Ecards

Make a free ecard - it's easy!

The holidays are over. You intended to get your cards sent earlier. Maybe you got them done on time. Maybe you didn't get to them at all. You think, there must be a better way to send personalized greetings to your friends and family.

At this month's Digital Photo Special Interest Group meeting we'll cover how to create free photo ecards using 4 websites:

Phreetings
Webshots.com
JibJab.com
Smilebox

These sites allow you to put your photographs in greeting cards that can be emailed to your friends and family. All four sites are free or have free offerings.

When: Thursday, January 17th, 2008
6:30 - 8:30

Where: Maple Heights Branch of the Cuyahoga County Library
5225 Library Lane
Maple Heights, OH 44137-1242
MAP

Speaker: Charles Burkett, SIG Leader

----------------------------------------------------------
Post Script: The Powerpoint presentation that I did, complete with links, can be found here.

Meet The Artist: David Bergholz January 29th at 7 p.m.

Fine Arts photographer David Bergholz will appear at a reception for his Play and Learn Photos exhibit currently on display at the Shaker Heights Main Library. He has been a long time photographer and was responsible for commissioning the work of nationally known photographers for 12 years of annual reports while executive director of the George Gund Foundation.

Artist Statement
“I have been a volunteer reader at the Play and Learn Center for the past few years. Since I started this assignment I have also been taking photos of the children. Some of these images on display are mounted in the Center and others are gathered in an album on display in the center. I am very busy in my "retirement" but my time at Play and Learn is the most rewarding fun I have all week. I hope you get some sense of that from viewing these photographs.”

About the Artist
David Bergholz is a fine arts photographer who has exhibited his images and conceptual work at SPACES, Heights Arts, Murray Hill Galleries LLC, the Cleveland Botanical Garden, Firelands Association for the Visual Arts in Oberlin and the Mattress Factory in Pittsburgh. His work is represented by Bonfoey Gallery.

Meet the Artist: January 29, 2008, 7 - 8 p.m.

Exhibit on Display: Monday January 07, 2008 - Friday February 08, 2008, 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM

Where: Main Library, 16500 Van Aken Boulevard | Shaker Heights, Ohio 44120 | 216.991.2030

For more on the exhibit and David Bergholz, visit the Shaker Heights Public Library website.

Herb Ascherman January 25th Gallery Talk: Bodies: 1967 - 2007

Please join Herb Ascherman at the Corcoran Fine Arts Gallery, Shaker Square at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 25th, 2008 for an informal gallery talk about his exhibit Bodies: 1967-2007. The work represents 40 years of Black and White and Platinum photographs that explore human form and sexuality. Admission is limited to those 18 years of age and older.

The photographs include this quotation from Alfred Hitchcock: "I have a feeling that inside you somewhere there's somebody nobody knows about."

What: "Bodies: 1967-2007 -- Photographs by Herbert Ascherman.
When: Through Friday, Feb. 15. (Gallery Talk January 25th, 2008, 7 p.m.)
Where: 13210 Shaker Square, Cleveland.
Admission: Free.
Info: Call 216-767-0770 or go to www.CorcoranFineArts.com.

About Herb Ascherman:

Herbert Ascherman Jr. has been creating fine art portraiture for over 30 years, specializing in stunning black and white and the resurgent art of platinum photography.

Internationally recognized for his photographs of people in creative, commercial, and social settings, Herb’s work has been exhibited and commercially published throughout the US and in Europe, Japan and India.

Plain Dealer art critic Steven Litt had this to say about the exhibit:

Cleveland photographer Herbert Ascherman Jr. is not one to turn down a dare. In a review of a 2006 exhibition in which he displayed borderline risque photographs, I wrote that he should "give free rein to his inner Robert Mapplethorpe."

Mapplethorpe was the gifted photographer whose notorious "X Portfolio" portraying gay sadomasochism helped launch the culture wars against public funding of the arts in the late 1980s.

Little did I know that the phenomenally productive Ascherman was more than ready to meet my challenge. It turns out while making a career locally as a busy portrait photographer he has been photographing nudes and various kinds of sexual encounters, gay and straight, since the late 1960s.

Apply for the JCC Photo Exhibit

Malvern Sunset by Caydie Heller, 2007 Best in Show

Applications are now being accepted for the 2008 Mandel JCC Annual Photo Show. Rules and the entry form are available on the JCC website. Cash prizes will be awarded to winners. The deadline for submissions is February 29 by 4:00 PM.

The Mandel JCC Photography Show is open to photographers from the entire community. Each entry submitted must be the original work of the photographer, and have been photographed within the past 2 years.

The show has been held annually for a number of years. For a list of the winners of the 2007 Annual Photo Show, visit this link.

Prizewinners will be announced at the opening reception held Monday evening, May 5, 2008, 7:30 p.m. at The Mandel JCC.

For more information, contact:

Deborah L. Bobrow
Special Projects Coordinator
Jewish Community Center of Cleveland
phone: 216.593.6278
dbobrow@clevejcc.org

Panoramic Photography Class Offered At Lakeland Community College

Epcot Panorama by d4rr3ll *

Would you like to know how to create panoramic images including Quick Time Virtual Reality Images? Would you like access to specially designed tripod heads, and software that facilitate stitching together still images? If so, you may be interested in taking a course in Panoramic Photography at Lakeland Community College this spring.

Course Description:
PHOT 2600 - Panoramic Photography Introduction to theory and methods of production of Quick Time (TM) Virtual Reality images. Students study and produce both QTVR Panorama and QTVR Object Movies. Course is appropriate for photographers, graphic designers, and others interested in panoramic images. Although not a prerequisite for this course, students will benefit from having taken PHOT 1100 Basic Photography prior to taking this course. (4 contact hours: 2 lecture, 2 lab)

Instructor:
Frank Gwirtz
I have worked in the visual arts for over 30 years. I have a varied background that has included work in painting, printmaking, graphic design, photography, film, video, digital imaging, and interactive communications. I have produced a variety of commercial work for corporations, large and small, including brochures, television commercials and multimedia presentations. I have also produced a substantial body of personal work including paintings, serigraphs, photographs and documentary films.

Cost:
$330 for non Lake County residents + $64 Lab fees

Meeting Dates:
Every Tuesday evening, January 14th through May 5, 2008
6 p.m.

Location:
Lakeland Community College
7700 Clocktower Drive
Kirtland, OH 44094-5198
Building H, Room 32
map and directions

For More information:
Photography Department: Dr. Bruce W. Cline, 440-525-7218.
Instructor: Frank Gwirtz, frankgwirtz@windstream.net
Registrar's Office: 440.525.7101

*This image is not associated with the class but is shown here to illustrate the type of images that can be created with the software and techniques taught in the class. For an example of a Quicktime Virtual Reality image, visit here.

Put Your Pictures in Video Greeting Cards With JibJab.com

Click here if the video does not work

You can now create animated movies with your own photographs using the site JibJab.com. The card above is free and allows you to import five different photos into the animated snowball fight. You can upload your own faces, or pick from the list of famous faces that Jibjab supplies. Other cards have a small charge based on credits you purchase. The results are hilarious.

I inserted my face along with the famous people above. The faces of Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey came from the photos provided by Jibjab. I uploaded the Albert Einstein and Halle Berry images and cut out their faces.

The website is easy to use, allowing users to upload photographs and isolate faces using a services of movable dots. Once uploaded, the faces can be inserted into the card of your choice. You may recall Jibjab is the site that creates those funny political animated videos are all over the media. Here's a review of the e-cards that appeared in the Seattle Times.

You can feel comfortable uploading your photos to Jibjab. Jibjab is a licensee of the the TRUSTe program, an organization that reviews the privacy policy of companies to make sure it is consistent with government and industry guidelines concerning the use of your personal information.

Happy New Year!

CPS Photo Classes Start January 9 & 12

The Cleveland Photographic Society will be offering a new round of classes in Fundamentals of Good Photography, beginning January 9. Also, NEW for 2008 is a course designed for those just beginning to explore photography Basic Digital Photography, with classes starting January 12. And for those who found Photoshop Elements or a similar software package under the tree, new classes in Introduction to Digital Photo Editing will begin February 9. Click here for all the details.

As a part of their enrollment, all students in the Fundamentals and Editing classes receive a FREE four month membership in CPS, commencing with the first week of classes. Students in the Basic class receive a FREE two month membership in CPS.

I took the Digital Photo Editing class last year and found it very helpful. For the first time, Photoshop Elements (and Photoshop) made sense. The class also provides a CD with the step by step instructions and the projects demonstrated.

January 30th Exhibition of Work By Alternative Process Photographers

The Cleveland Society of Alternative Process Photographers presents the opening of an exhibit entitled "The 21st Century with a 19th Century Vision".

The Cleveland Society of Alternative Printers seeks to encourage, enhance and preserve the 19th Century photographic techniques known as The Alternative Processes. These processes include, but are not limited to: Daguerreotypy, Platinum, Albumen, Collodian, Cyanotype, and Gum Bichromate printing methods among others.

The work of the following photographers will be featured:

Herbert Ascherman
Jeannette Palsa
Charles Caito
Roy Woda
Richard Wolf
Ryan Durdella
Bruce Gates
Greg Martin

Where:
The Plain Dealer Gallery
1801 Superior Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio

When:
January 30th, 2008
5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

Please note that the gallery is not a public space and anyone wishing to see the exhibition other than the opening must make arrangements.