Hunt Club Photo Field Trip

Hello everyone!  If you are planning on coming on the VBPC Photo Field Trip this Saturday, then this email will give you all the information you will need.  If you aren't coming, "Why Not???"  I have received MANY emails from members that are planning on attending.  I am expecting at least 20 or 30 members to show up.  You won't want to be the only one that doesn't go because it will surely be a lot of fun.  That being said, I will not be able to make it (my daughter's violin graduation was moved, and I can't miss that).  So Mark Huber (cell: 717-4120) and Joan Grippo will be leading the charge. And so far the weather looks like it will be perfect! http://www.wavy.com/subindex/weather

The cost is anywhere from free to $10.  The petting zoo is $3, but there are a lot of other places that you go on the farm for free.  There are a few other things that have costs associated (pony rides, hay rides, etc).

We are not bringing any models, but feel free to bring your own (children and grandchildren would be PERFECT).  You may bring your tripods and portable lights if you wish.  There are usually a lot of kids there, playing in the petting zoo and water sprinklers.  If you want to shoot any of them, do the right thing and ask their parents first, and offer them some of your images.  Generally parents are OK with that.

The Hunt Club has farm buildings, ponds, gardens, and lots of animals.  I think everyone will find something that interests them.

We will be meeting at 10:30 on Saturday morning (That's this Saturday, the 31st).  We will meet in the gravel parking lot in front of the Barn Office.

Here is the farm's website:

http://huntclubfarm.com/index.htm

Here are the directions that are posted on the website:

http://huntclubfarm.com/2007directions.htm

And here is a google map;

http://goo.gl/maps/pc9v

We are also planning a meetup at the IHOP at the intersection of General Booth Blvd and Dam Neck Rd after the field trip. This will give everyone a chance to chimp thier shots and show them off. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimping and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBVCiqEHv7w

If you aren't getting at least two or three emails a month from the Virginia Beach Photography Club, usually entitled "VBPC Compact Flash", then we don't have your correct email address.  Please email the VBPC president (skip@pelorus.org) with an updated email address and we will be sure to add you to our lists.  VBPC active members only.

UPDATE:

The link to sign up for the Norfolk Photo Walk is here, and the flickr group is located here.

See ya there!!

July 12, 2010 - The Virginia Beach PhotoWalk, a part of the World Wide PhotoWalk is now at capacity - 50 people have signed up and are ready for the walk!  It is going to be a lot of fun!  Just think, 50 terrorists photographers (depending on your point of view,  ) will be decending on Towne Center for a morning full of image making, fun and fellowship with other photographers.

What?  You want to attend, but haven't signed up yet?  Well, all is not lost!  You can STILL attend the walk, but you will not be eligible for the prizes.  But this will give you a great opportunity to hone up your visualization skills, and still hook up with other photographers in the area!

Oh?  You want prizes too?  Well, in THAT case, you are in luck, because FLO WOMACKS was just selected to lead the PhotoWalk in NORFOLK, that evening!  Yep, you can attend the Va Beach walk in the morning, rest up, grab a bite, and then attend the Norfolk PhotoWalk, which will be at Town Point Park and surrounding areas.

So, check the World Wide Photo Walk website, and drill down to the NORFOLK VA USA photowalk.  As soon as the link is available, I will post it here for you!  Thanks to everyone for your interest, and remember, you don't have to actually join the photowalk for any reason other than to win prizes - but what the heck, come on out and have some fun!!!!

 -- Tom

VIRGINIA BEACH , VA – June 1, 2010 – On Saturday, July 24, 2010, Hampton Roads photographers will join the whole world and will be walking again with Scott Kelby, president of the National Association of Photoshop Professionals (NAPP) and #1 bestselling computer and technology book author, in the Third Annual Worldwide Photo Walk™.

Scott Kelby’s Worldwide Photo Walk is the world’s largest global social photography event in the history of photography itself. It takes place on the same day around the world where photographers of all walks of life and skill levels gather together, usually in downtown areas to socialize, learn new tips from each other, and explore their corner of the world through photography.

Tom McElvy, a regional photographer and Vice President/former President of the Virginia Beach Photography Club (http://vbpc.org<) will again lead the Virginia Beach Photo Walk. “This year we will be placing an emphasis on ‘urban Virginia Beach,’ with the walk taking place in Town Center. The area is a great place for photography, and many incredible images have been shot there” said McElvy. "The walk last year, along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront, was a huge success, and everyone who attended had a wonderful time. Many new friends were made, and we all learned new tricks and got new ideas. It was a very rewarding event."

“In 2008, we had 241 walks,” said Scott Kelby, founder of NAPP, editor-in-chief of Photoshop User magazine, and president of Kelby Media Group. “Last year, we had over 900 walks with over 32,000 photographers participating. We did the math… your average photographer will take upwards of 300 photos during a photo walk. That means that nearly 10 million pictures were taken in that one single day that may never had happened otherwise. I think that’s pretty cool and we all can’t wait to see what happens this year.”

There is no fee to participate but pre-registration is required. Just go to the Worldwide Photo Walk site, find a walk near you, and join in on the fun.

Anyone can participate too. All you need is a camera. It doesn’t even matter what kind of camera either. People have showed up with disposables in the past, had a blast, and left with a new appreciation for photography.

Kelby credits the success and popularity of the event to the social aspect of photography the world over. “Photography is usually viewed as a solitary activity, but the truth of the matter is that people love to shoot together, compare notes and just have fun with photography,” said Kelby. “The Worldwide Photo Walk is a social phenomenon. I’ve had group leaders contact me to tell me that they’ve turned their walk into a monthly event. Other people tell me that they’ve made friends at the very first Photo Walk that they’ve kept to this day. It’s the joy of shooting with friends, new and old that makes this event so special.”

The social aspect of this event has also transcended into the online world of social networks as well. Participants in the Worldwide Photo Walk post updates to Twitter before, during and after the event under the #WWPW hash tag, they share their pictures on Flickr (view pictures from last year’s Flickr group), and get updates from NAPP via its Facebook page.

In addition to enjoying a day of photography with other like-minded individuals, participants may also be eligible to win prizes from the Worldwide Photo Walk’s sponsors if their photo is chosen as the best photo of the day by their walk leader. Each winning walk photo is then entered into a global competition where Scott Kelby picks the single “best photo” of the event along with 10 runners-up. Full details are available at: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/The direct link to sign up for the Virginia Beach walk is at http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/virginia-beach-va-usa/ Should other local walks appear, I will post a message about them.

Scott Kelby’s Third Annual Worldwide Photo Walk is sponsored by NAPP, Adobe, Adorama, Peachpit, Mpix, Wacom, and Kelby Training.

One of the biggest difficulties in photography is making your work stand out... making it different from everyone else's work.  If is difficult at best, but, with a few tricks, you can do it, and make your work stand out from the pack!

FIVE TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR PHOTOS DIFFERENT…

1.   Shoot your subject from various angles. Walk around it.  Get down on your knees or up on a bench and shoot from a different perspective.  A good trick is to carry a small, collapasable step stool in your vehicle.  I have found it VERY handy many times!

2.   Play around with your focus.  By playing around with depth of field to make neighboring objects appear closer or farther away than they might actually be, we create new relationships between these objects.  Similarly, by using selective focus (whereby one part of the photo is in sharp focus while we purposely blur, say, the background), we can create dramatic effects.  Also, try shooting with manual focus instead of auto focus!

3.   Look for patterns.  Nature, as well as man-made structures, is full of repeating lines, curves, circles, etc, if we keep our eyes open to them.  Finding these patterns can provide us with ways to take artistically pleasing shots. Spend an afternoon specifically looking for these, and you will really open your eyes, and your photography to new things.

4.   Look for patterns interrupted. A fence is more interesting if one of the points is broken: ducks in a row instantly become more compelling if one duck is facing the wrong way.  Look for something that is a little out of whack.

5.   Tell a story.  Put people in your photos.  The human element arouses our curiosity about who these people are and what they’re doing, as well as giving the bridge, skyscraper, etc, a scale that we can relate to.  Find a way to create compelling images through the use of other elements, such as animals in conjunction with people.  The list of things to try is limitless.

Hope that helps someone out!  See everyone at the meeting!

-- Tom