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1 Sept 2018
FOCUS
Newsletter of the Mayslake Nature Study and Photography Club
Hosted by the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County www.naturecameraclub.com
Up Coming Programs
September 17th
– Competition
Oct 1st– Witness Trees and Natural History
By Chris Gingrich
Nov 5th
– My 40 Year Passion for the
Dancing Light by Will Clay
September 17, 2018
First Competition of the Year
Even if you are not submitting images, please attend as this is a great opportunity to view images of your fellow members. Also, the image critiques include discussion of photo techniques. The three judges will rotate giving comments, with only one judge commenting on each image and every image receiving a critique. Digital entries must be submitted to the competition mailbox [email protected] by Sunday, September 9th. Please see the articles in this newsletter about the sizing of digital images for competition and on sizing digital images for the CACCA Interclub competition. Print entries can be submitted the night of the competition or left at the Mayslake business office any time before the competition date. Mounting boards for print images are on sale at our regular club meetings. Competition forms are necessary for every image submitted. If you cannot attend the competition, please send them with a friend on that night. Normally, forms cannot be emailed ahead of time. But, for digital images, if you cannot make the meeting, you may email your forms to Ron before the meeting. Please hand in prints and paperwork in by 6:45 pm so that committee members can get everything organized and ready to go at 7 pm. If you can help with check-in on competition night and are available to come about 6:30
p.m., please contact Ron.
By Sheila Newenham
2 Sept 2018
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (FPDDC) Happenings
FPDDC has requested MNSPC’s assistance in photographing the following events:
Forest Preserve Events at Mayslake Peabody Estates Volunteers Sunday, Sept. 9, 11:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.: Where’s Django – an outdoor Gypsy Jazz Concert
Diane Marton
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 1:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Fireside Chats – a senior storytelling program
Barbara Dunn, Lee Balgemann
Thursday, Sept. 20, 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.: WDCB Jazz Salon – an indoor concert
Need volunteer(s)
Saturday, Sept. 21, 9:30 a.m. – Noon: Museum Day Live! – an open-house style free event
Need volunteer(s)
Tuesday, Oct. 30, 7 – 8:30 p.m.: Moonlight Mansion Tour – evening house tour
Beverly Bartos
Dec. 8 (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.) and Dec. 9 (10 a.m. – 4 p.m.): Holiday Market
Need volunteer(s)
Mayslake Peabody Estates Virtual Tour Fred, Mitch, Bill, Steve O.
Club members who are able to volunteer at the above events please contact Noriko or Steve O.
• September 20th - A Night for Nature silent auction at Danada House. On Thursday, September 20th from 5- 9pm FPDDC will hold a silent auction at Danada House. Proceeds will go to the Friends of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County‟s Willowbrook Wildlife Center and natural resource initiatives.
FPDDC Co-Chair - Due to the increased interaction with FPDDC we asked for a club member to volunteer to assist Noriko as co-chair of the FPDDC Liaison committee since Noriko is also the Vice President of Programs. We are glad to announce that Cheryl Rausch has volunteered for this position. Cheryl will work with Noriko to facilitate our activities with the Forest Preserve.
Welcome to the photo club Frank Norton,
Rosemarie Thomas, Rebecca Rose, Tim
Jensen and Mariah Peterson!
3 Sept 2018
Recent Outing
Diane Marton
Up Coming Outings
Two outings are available for September that offer a range of subject matters from the natural world to the man made world. The first outing will be at the Moraine Hills State Park in McHenry on September 8th. Meet me there to explore and take pictures of the natural world of bogs, marshes, woods, and prairie. The second outing will be on September 29 in Joliet to explore the man made ruins of the Old Joliet Prison and the Joliet Iron and Steel Works. Contact Beverly at [email protected] for further information.
Mayslake Photo Walk – August 6th Over 20 people attended the Mayslake Eco-System Photo Walk that was led by FPDDC‟s Shannon Burns. Shannon explored the 5 eco-systems surrounding Mayslake and pointed out many nature features, plants, marshes, ponds and prairie. It was very informative. You can find additional photos from the walk at www.mlnpc.com/outings .
4 Sept 2018
Tech Tidbit: LOONEY 11 RULE
The “looney 11 rule” states that for astronomical photos of the Moon‟s surface, set aperture to f/11 and shutter speed to the (reciprocal of the) ISO film speed (or ISO setting).”
With ISO 100, one sets the aperture to f/11 and the shutter speed to 1/100 or 1/125 second.
With ISO 200, aperture at f/11, set shutter speed to 1/200 or 1/250. With ISO 400, aperture at f/11, set shutter speed to 1/400 or 1/500.
Once you‟ve taken your moon photograph, you may have to sharpen it a bit. Not for the reason that your photo will come out blurry, but remember, it‟s over 300,000 kilometers away. A little increase in the sharpening will help enhance some of detail in the craters. Try improving the darks and lights a little too by using your contrast tool in Photoshop or your favorite editing program. That naturally helps to give the surface more of a three-dimensional look and detail, rather than having a large flat white surface. Increasing contrast, clarity, and sharpness makes the craters look deeper and more interesting. We are looking for contributions for tech tidbits. If you have an item you love in your software or came across a good tool, share it with us. Send tidbits to Sheila ([email protected])
Our next meeting will be a Club competition.
There are no changes to the any of the forms for the 2018 - 2019 competition year. The Competition Guidelines were updated and the latest version is dated 8-22-17. The forms and guidelines are on the Club website http://www.mlnpc.com/competition-rules/. If you have a question about whether an image meets the guidelines, it is best to ask before you submit. You can send a copy of the image to Ron Szymczak ([email protected]) for guidance. If you have not submitted images in competition before, you should submit your images in Class B. Class standings are the same as last year unless you have been already notified of a class change. If you have a question about your class standing, please email Ron. On competition night, we will be asking one judge to comment on each image in the competition. Submitting either prints or digital images in competition is a way to determine how your photography is viewed by others - in this case a panel composed of one member and two outside judges. During the critiques, you will learn what the judges saw as strong points in an image and also hear their suggestions on techniques to enhance the image. Remember, the best ways to improve your photographic skills are:
- Take classes from experts
- Shoot - shoot - shoot
- Take advantage of opportunities to get feedback on your technique, such as participating in Club competition. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to email Ron Szymczak at
5 Sept 2018
Sizing Digital Images for Competition For our competitions we use special software that displays the images and records scoring. This software has limitations on image size. For this reason, the Club has provided guidelines for sizing which are included as part of the overall Competition Guidelines. For competition the software limit on image height is 768 pixels. The limit on image width is 1024 pixels. Your image cannot exceed either of these sizes. If it does exceed either the height or width limits, the display on the projection screen will cut off either the top and bottom or the sides of the image. Should this happen, the image will be removed from the competition and not judged. The image can be resized and submitted in a later competition. To avoid this situation, please be sure to check sizing before your image is submitted. Both Windows and Apple have applications that show image sizing. Most photo editing software has methods to resize images. Our Competition Guidelines, posted on the website, provide information on how to do sizing in Photoshop and Lightroom as these are the two most common photo editing applications. Both of these applications provide sizing in pixels. Other applications may provide sizing as “small,” “medium” or “large.” This sizing may not be accurate enough to meet the competition sizing guidelines. If you use this method, check the overall image size in pixels and determine if it will meet the guidelines. You can post a question on the Mayslake Yahoo group to see if any members have experience with the editing software you are using. One common mistake is using the option to size an image based on the “longest side” or “shortest side.” This sizing option may not work as it only adjusts the size of one parameter to the display guideline limit (height or width). This is especially problematic if your image is close to square or if it is panoramic. For example, you have cropped an image to 2300 pixels high by 2800 pixels wide. If you size the image to1024 pixels on the longest side, the width will meet the 1024 pixels display guideline for width but the height will be become 840 pixels which exceeds the display limit of 768 pixels. When displayed, the top and bottom of the image would be cut off. Don‟t be discouraged if this seems complicated at first. Once you have your competition workflow in place, it will be much easier. If you are using Photoshop or Lightroom, the guidelines on the website will help you. If you don‟t have Photoshop or Lightroom, check with the Mayslake Yahoo group for help.
Coming Up
October 1st Chris Gingrich of the St. Charles Park District will bring cultural and natural history together with a discussion of how notes from the Federal Land Survey of the early 1800s provide modern land managers with data on the pre-settlement landscape of the Chicago region. In particular, he will cover the topic of witness trees chosen by surveyors as landmarks and a project to map remaining trees still living on the landscape today. Chris has identified some of those trees at the Hickory Knolls natural area located in St. Charles.
6 Sept 2018
Nature Corner
Nature Corner aims to educate about animals,
flowers, plants and trees. Each month we will
include a plant or animal photo and a few
paragraphs about the subject so you may be
able to identify it when you see it.
Anyone can submit a photo to Sheila
Newenham via the club e-mail for inclusion in
an upcoming newsletter. Include the name,
location and date if relevant, and a little
information about the subject.
Fen, Marsh and Bog
A fen is a type of wetland that has water supplied by a water table at or close to the ground surface. This water is rich in minerals and sediments. Fens have been made by retreating glaciers. Fens can be found near bogs and over time can develop into a bog. The water in a fen is usually more alkaline. Grasses and sedges grow in fens. A bog is a type of mossy wetland that has water supplied from snow and rain. Water in bogs has a low oxygen concentration because there is very little movement of water. Dead plants decompose slowly in this acidic environment. The spongy, mossy bog floors create peat. Specially adapted plants, such as the insect eating pitcher plants, call bogs their home.
Barn Owl
The most distinctive feature of this medium sized (16 in.) owl is its heart- shaped face which frames its dark eyes. The white face is edged in tan, and its plumage is streaked gray and tan above and white to cinnamon below. Darker birds are female; males are lighter. They roost in barns, caves, attics, or trees. They do not build nests, but lay 5-11 eggs on a bare surface in a cavity or corner. They are widespread over much of North America, but are rare, with a declining population. Barbara Dunn
A marsh is a type of wetland that is frequently or continuously filled with water. Marshes can be on coasts or inland and can be tidal or non-tidal. Non-tidal freshwater marshes are found along streams, ponds, and lakes. Freshwater marshes have plants that must be able to survive in mud with low levels of oxygen. Reeds, sawgrasses, and cattails do well. Fish, frogs, and crayfish call marshes their home. Bev Bartos
Volo Bog by Sheila Newenham
7 Sept 2018
Exhibits by Fred Drury
Our final show for the year is ‘Fall Colors’ which will run from September until year end. Currently I‟ve received 12 submissions for this show and would like a few more. I‟m hanging this show on September 8, so there‟s still time to make a submission! I‟ll need 1) Your name, 2) Price or NFS, and 3) Maker‟s Info (max 250 words). Please check your word count does not exceed this 250 word limit. You can check your word count in „Word‟ by selecting your Maker‟s Info then choosing „Review/Word Count‟. I‟m going to add an informational posting which explains the theme of the show. As photographers we probably think our show themes are obvious, but this is not necessarily so for those viewing our exhibits.
NOTE: For those who don‟t want to take on the additional cost of matting and framing, we have 4 metal frames with mats in the club „inventory‟. These frames are 14x18” so will handle any 11x14” print board. This means we can exhibit any image which has been submitted to a Print competition. If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, just let me know when you provide your „image information‟ (see above) and I‟ll take care of putting your images into one of the club frames and including it in the show.
We‟ve been offered a show in the Mayslake „Living Room‟ which would run from September 26 – November 4. Currently I‟ve received 12 submissions. The Living Room can handle 30-40 images, so we‟ve room for many more. The theme of the show is „Nature‟ but we‟ll accept the hand-of-man for this show. For each submission, I‟ll ([email protected]) need Title, Price (or NFS) and Maker‟s Info. Images for this show should be dropped off at the Mayslake office on Monday, September 24, 6-8 PM, and picked up on November 5, 6-9 PM.
Finally, I’m looking for themes for next year’s Exhibits. I’m planning four ‘quarterly’ exhibits: Jan-Mar, Apr-June, July-Sep, and Oct-Dec. Over the past year’s we’ve stuck too many of the common themes and I’m looking for some that are new and different! Put on your thinking cap and let me ask each of you to come up with at least one suggestion. Send to me at: [email protected]. Thanks in advance for your help.
Special Member Exhibit at Tall Grass Artist's Association Gallery
soundwaves - colorcodes - natureforms
Four artists interpret objects and ideas through abstract imagery paintings, prints, photographs and sculptures by artists who have created a large body of work that is primarily abstract; who explore concepts related to music, sound, natural forms and pure geometric design. Works represent a clearly identifiable and personal language of form, shape, color, texture, imagery and mark-making or process. Artists include James Bowden, Bill Dixon, Linda Haynes, Patricia Moore.
Location/Hours: 367 Artists Walk, Park Forest in the Downtown Park Forest Cultural Center September 28 – November 3, Tuesdays-Saturdays 11:00am - 4:00pm The exhibit opening reception to meet the artists is September 29th 1-3 pm. https://www.tallgrassarts.org/Future-Exhibitions.html
8 Sept 2018
MNSPC Member
Adventures
This column highlights the
nature photo trips from our
intrepid members. You can
see where members have
been and what they have been
doing to maybe pique your
interest in visiting some of
these areas. We encourage
everyone to contribute a
nature-related story for this
column. Please email Sheila
Newenham at
with a few of paragraphs and a
couple of images about your
trip.
International Dark Sky Park by Steve Ornberg
But it was dark! After a while our eyes adjusted to the darkness but it was hard to see the ground. We were on the sand, which was uneven, overlooking Lake Michigan. On the other side of the lake were the lights from Traverse City and some other Michigan cities. Even though it is a dark sky location, you cannot get away from eastern light pollution which is somewhat unfortunate since the Milky Way rose at about 130 degrees and moved south east to 180 degrees. The galactic core was between two light polluted areas. We experimented with some new techniques on this trip. Steve and I took 12 exposures of 15 seconds at ISO-bracketing from ISO 100 to 5000. We were trying to see the effect on noise at various ISOs using star stacking software during post processing. Meanwhile, Karl broke out his star tracking hardware and a long lens to try to get long exposure images of Jupiter and its moons. We were amazed at seeing the moons circling Jupiter on his LCD! On the second night Josh Merrill showed up after seeing our images from a previous night on Facebook. He was anxious to get some star trails and Milky Way photos. This is when the night turned expensive for me. Josh was setting up by a small spring-fed stream running into the lake to get Milky Way reflections in the stream. I moved my position to join him. I put my camera by him and then turned to get my camera bag when he said, “Was that your camera that just plopped into the stream?” I said, “Oh, fudge (or something
Karl, myself and Steve Bush, a fellow astrophotography enthusiast from MAPS, traveled to Door County, Wisconsin to shoot the Milky Way during a New Moon in May. Recently, the Newport State Park near Ellison Bay qualified as an International Dark Sky Park. An International Dark Sky Park (IDSP) is “a land possessing an exceptional or distinguished quality of starry nights and a nocturnal environment that is specifically protected for its scientific, natural, educational, cultural heritage, and/or public enjoyment.” The park is supposedly closed after 11 pm but we were not bothered during the two nights we were there. There were a few other people at the park (there is tent camping allowed), but except for a couple of people with bright flash lights it was not too overrun with star gazers.
9 Sept 2018
"Did You Know?"
Last May, 8 MNSPC members attended a raptor photo shoot at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center outside Milwaukee. It was a great outing yielding many excellent photos. Schlitz Audubon publishes a calendar with 17 photos selected from submitted photos from the shoot. MNSPC was very well represented with Steve Ornberg’s Harris Hawk in flight selected for April and Fran Piepenbrink’s Barred Owl selected for May. Pretty good, 2 out of 17 photos from our club! In addition to the magazine, Schlitz Audubon also displayed all 20x16 photos at the Nature Center from August – November. An artists’ reception was held on August 23rd.
similar).” The stream was shallow and my Canon 5Diii camera just fell into the very side of it for a minute or two. But it was long enough to cause a $700 repair bill for the camera and $280 in repairs to the focus cam for my new 14mm Sigma. Actually, the cost was much more since I decided to upgrade to the Canon 5d Mark IV. After all, my camera was almost 5 years old and the IV is much better for night photography. Steve Bush wanted to know how much I paid Josh to throw my camera into the water so I could get a new one! Still in all it was a great trip, lots of memories and good intel on more advanced star point photography.
10 Sept 2018
PSA News
Mayslake took first place in Group B
in the fourth and final round of PSA
DPI competitions.
We will be moving up to Group A
next year!
Change In Year-End Awards
The Mayslake Board has decided to no longer give gift certificates to the top finishers in each of the four competition categories (Class A & B Prints, Class A & B DPIs), Image of the Year, and the Post Card Competition. The Board felt that the money used for the gift certificates would be better spent by allocating it for purchase of a new projector and laptop. In lieu of the gift certificate, a certificate of achievement will be given to the Image of the Year winner and year-end first and second place finishers in each competition category.
Change in DPI Sizing for CACCA Interclub Competitions
CACCA has changed the DPI sizing used for Interclub Competitions to 1400 pixels wide by 1050 pixels high. For the Mayslake competitions, continue to use the 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high sizing because the Mayslake laptop and projector cannot handle the 1400x1050 sizing. If you want your DPI to be considered for use in the CACCA Interclub competition, you will need to resize the DPI to 1400 x 1050 and email it to Marcia Nye ([email protected]).
Change In How DPI Ribbons Are Distributed
The Board has decided to change how DPI ribbons are distributed. The ribbons will now be distributed by attaching them to your name tag since DPIs and print honors are already announced at the competition meeting and published in the Focus. The new procedure eliminates announcing them a third time. CACCA ribbons will still be announced and distributed at club meetings.
11 Sept 2018
Balmoral Park Equestrian Show
On August 26th, 6 club members (Fran, Gail, Steve B., Diane, Sandy, and Steve O.)
visited the Balmoral Park in Crete to photograph the $500,00 purse Equestrian
Competition. We had close access to the show ring and used focal lengths of 200-
400mm. It was a unique experience and we got a chance to see world class horses
up close. Because of the large purse there were horses and riders from all over the
world, including Olympic level and world ranked riders and horses.
While waiting for the action to start we had fun taking photos of the interesting hats
(and sneaker in one case). When the action started the six of us were in a small
spectator stand and we all started and stopped our high speed, continuous shots at
the same exact time – sounding like a machine gun. All the people in front of us
looked around to see who the heck was making all that noise – “oh it must be the
pro-photographers.”. We ultimately spread out to get more varied shots. We
definitely should return next year. For more photos visit www.mlnpc.com/outings
