Publisher's Corner

Well, here we are at the beginning of another month already.  Flowers are beginning to bloom, and we are seeing the beginnings of spring.  I don't think we're completely done with winter yet, but we're at least getting spring teasers now! I, for one, couldn't be happier about the upcoming change of seasons.  Winter is not my favorite season here in Georgia, and I look forward to spring every year!  

While this newsletter is actually being published on our blog in the beginning of March, it is, in fact, our February newsletter.  I was running just a little bit late on my self-imposed two-weeks-before-the-next-meeting deadline!   It is now Monday, March 5, and it just dawned on me that I'm even worse off than I thought I was.  For some reason, I was thinking that we had a week and a half until our March meeting -- but we don't.  We have three days.  I sincerely apologize for this.  In an effort to get this newsletter out, the "Tips and Tricks" section will be absent from this newsletter.  I am requesting that members contact me to give me any neat tips and tricks they find (or have saved on their computers or wherever) that can be included in future newsletters as well.

  Reminder -- Club Dues 

For anyone who hasn't yet paid their club dues for 2007, this is a friendly reminder that they are due in March.  Please see Jim Gardner at our March 8 meeting to get those paid.

March Meeting Information

Our meeting will be held on March 8 at 7:30 p.m. at St. Julian's Episcopal Church in Douglasville, Georgia.  A map is posted at here for anybody who might need it.  This meeting will have a bit of a different format than what we are used to, and it sounds as though it will be a lot of fun.  A member panel has been put together to critique one image from each member participant at the meeting.  The image has no age limit and no subject.  So, bring an image that you have taken of SOME thing at SOME time and let our panel give their thoughts on it.  There is no winner to this critique session. 

We also have our monthly contest, the topic of which for the March meeting is "Elderly People."  The rules of our contest images (which may be viewed off the main page of our website) apply, as this is our regular monthly contest.  Bring those shots of the "wise, mature folks" and enter our contest.  We've been receiving some really great entries into these contests, and they're fun.  Join in the fun and hear critiques of all the images submitted.

    Available Opportunity for Club Members

I wanted to take this opportunity to briefly mention an opportunity that has been presented to the members of the Sweetwater Camera Club.  Richard and Norma Nichols attended a "Producers Challenge" meeting in the council chambers at the Douglasville City Hall with Kellie Hunter, the Communications Director for the City of Douglasville.  It is their intent to begin telecasting on June 1 on a new Comcast Channel for a total of 15 hours per month.  Approximately eight hours will probably be city government meeting related content, and seven hours is planned to be content provided by videographers in Douglasville.  What Kellie is hoping to find from the members of Sweetwater Camera Club is one or more creative and interesting montages of images by our members that are somehow related to Douglasville and/or Douglas County. 

Our club contest photos that are published in the Chapel Hill News & Views caught the attention of the folks over at City Hall, and it was also felt that the name "Sweetwater Camera Club" would tie in very nicely with the down-home Douglas County feel they are looking for in the montages to open their telecasts.  It's a wonderful opportunity for us to get our images and names out there even more -- not to mention the publicity that will be generated for our club. 

We need to discuss this as soon as possible and determine the amount of real interest in participation we have with the SCC members.  As this will be a reflection of the Sweetwater Camera Club, we need to ensure that, if we get involved, we maintain the utmost dedication and devotion to this entire project.  So, please be thinking about this and be ready to let us know if you are ready to commit to such an endeavor.  This is a project that also ties in very nicely with our bylaws and mission.

    2007 Contest Topics

We now have a link off the main page of the camera club website which lists the 2007 contest topics, as well as a brief description of what your entries each month should reflect in keeping with that month's theme, so I won't be repeating that information here in the newsletter.  Be sure to check this listing out for each of the remaining contests in 2007.

      Birthday Celebrations

It appears that, while the February birthday section was included in the February newsletter, the actual birthday people's names were omitted.  I apologize for this oversight.

Below are our members who celebrated birthdays in February:    

I hope your day was great, Maria!  Happy Belated Birthday. 

Below (with the celebratee's names included) are our members who will celebrate birthdays in March.  Happy Birthday, one and all:

        Website of the Month

       http://www.studiolighting.net

StudioLighting.net is a 100% free online resource for people that are interested in studio lighting for photography. Whether you are a brand new photographer, or a seasoned professional, into film or digital photography, there is useful information on this website.  The site is packed with information on studio lighting equipment, tips, setup, technique and tutorials for portrait photography.  They also produce podcasts called "Light Source" that are very informational.  I download this podcast and other photography-related podcasts and listen to them on my commute to and from Atlanta everyday.  As far as I'm concerned, it's a great way to take a waste of time that is often frustrating and turn it into something productive and interesting!

Tips and Tricks

If anybody runs into a great "tips and tricks" item from a website that you think would be good to include in this section of the newsletter, please contact me and let me know.  I will try to obtain permission to re-publish the information in an upcoming SCC newsletter.

   Winning Photos for February

Below is the linked thumbnail image that leads to the page of winning images from our February contest entitled, "Children" as they will appear in the Chapel Hill News & Views.  If I do say so myself, there are some great images here.  Congratulations, one and all!

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Photography Quote:

"Maybe the judgment of whether something is art or not
should come from the viewer and not from the doer." 

-Alan Babbitt

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That's it for this edition of Sweetwater Camera Club.  Happy shooting.  Until the next time...

Judy Bruner