Photo by Bob Baikauskas
Lincoln Hills
Photography Club
Photography SIG
What it's all about
Kate McCarthy
(Click on Kate's photo above to contact her by email.)
We are a group of Photography Club members who share an interest in making a good photo better or rescuing failures that are worthy of saving. We also talk about taking a good photo and turning it into a work of art. You don't need to be an expert in Photoshop to attend the Photography SIG. You don't even need to own photo editing software. If you are considering purchasing photo editing software we can help you make that decision. If you already own photo editing software but are not getting the results you want we can help you with that also.
We discuss software tools such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, On1 Photo RAW, Affinity Photo as well as other tools such as Photomatix Pro for creating HDR photos and NIK and Topaz as well as other plugins for Photoshop and Lightroom. We also discuss some of the better free photo editing software programs. We can even show you how you can take a tattered old cherished print photo and bring it back to life.
Need help with a photo? Bring it on a flashdrive and our resident experts will help you turn it into what you envisioned when you took the photo.
If you have an interest in making the photos that come out of your camera look better then you should join us.
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The Photography SIG meets the first Wednesday of every month at 9:00am in the Multi-Purpose room at Orchard Creek Lodge.So come and join us. I guarantee you will learn something.
Something you would like to see presented at a future meeting?
I am always looking for ideas on what members would like to see discussed at our Photography SIG meetings. If there is a specific topic you would like to have discussed or a particular photo editing program you would like to learn more about then send me an EMAIL
A Look At Some Of Our Previous Photography SIG Meetings
April Photography SIG Meeting
"Part 2 - Mastering Flower Photography – With Your Smartphone"
Emphasis on Composition and Editing
A follow-on to the March 6 SIG on "Wildflowers with Your Smartphone"
April 3, 2024 - SIG (Special Interest Group) Learning Session - OC Multipurpose Room - 9:00AM
Why: In our March 6 SIG, Mastering Flower Photography with Your Smartphone, we presented 12 tips for great flower photography. We discussed that the real key to learning is to practice and experiment by taking photos with your Smartphone.
Follow up to the SIG: We found we just "scratched the surface" in mastering flower photography with our smartphones. Each participant was encouraged to be active in taking flower photos with their Smartphone and to consider the 12 tips included in the March 6th SIG handout and other tips shared. This SIG will focus on the importance of composition and in-smartphone editing or computer editing.
Standing Room Only - Not enough space - Solution. The March 6 SIG was the largest number of members ever to attend a SIG. Unfortunately, we ran out of room for everyone. Five people left and others had to stand along the sides and back of the room. For the April 3 SIG, we have requested the room to be set with 36 chairs in a theater-style setup. How does this impact you?
Media From WIX
Seats will be reserved for members who submit a flower photo taken with their smartphone.
We are going to try something new. That usually means that people who like challenges and some fun will like it, and people who don’t like change will not.
Guarantee your spot in this SIG = Submit one or two flower photos taken with your smartphone. Not more than 2 photos, just submit 1 or 2 (two) photos.
Lessons Learned. This will be a Show & Tell of photos where certain participants can discuss their approach to taking photos on their smartphones and how any of the 12 Tips from the handout in the March 6 class were helpful. We learn from each other by sharing. We may also show a Flower Photography Video from the iPhone Photo Academy.
Attendance at this SIG will initially be reserved for participants when they submit their one or two photos. Until the room capacity is full. Once the limit of chairs the Association will allow to be set up is reached, no additional participants will be allowed. Yep, the classic “You Snooze, You Lose” concept.
Submit your 1 or 2 flower photos in jpg format (large) by email to Les Thomas: 7thomas33@gmail.com.
The sooner you submit your photos, the better your chance of getting a secured place in the room. Once we reach the maximum number allowed, we will announce that the room is full and no further participants will be included.
This SIG is open to all photo club members, just submit 1 or 2 photos to reserve your space.
Handouts will be available at the SIG including the 12 Tips noted below.
If you want to start the journey of mastering your iPhone or Android-based (Samsung, Moto, Pixel, etc.) smartphone for photography, this is the opportunity. We found in the first class that we are all beginners!
Best to you, Les Thomas 7thomas33@gmail.com
Click [HERE] to view the presentation handout "How to Photograph Flowers with Your Smartphone (12 Tips)"
March Photography SIG Meeting
"Mastering Flower Photography – With Your Smartphone"
A special class on flower photography using your smartphone.
For iPhones and Androids including Samsung, Moto, Pixil, and more.
March 6, 2024, Wednesday from 9:00AM to 10:30AM, OC Multipurpose Room
Why: Flowers are budding! The Photo Club is planning on four field trips where flowers will be a big part of the experience. Enjoying the beauty of flowers is part of a rich, full life.
Wise Choice: Use the camera you have with you. Take great photos without having to carry heavy large cameras, bags and equipment. Be ready to take photos when the opportunity presents itself. Learn to use your smartphone to master flower photography.
Style of class: A presentation plus a lively round-table discussion. This is a SIG - Special Interest Group class.
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Handouts will be available and examples of equipment and apps for your phone will be displayed.
Media From WIX
We will cover smartphone camera modes, composition, macro, lighting, water droplets, selfie sticks, remote shutter releases, getting down and dirty, backgrounds, outdoor and indoor flowers, editing and other apps.
We will not be able to cover the detailed controls of individual phone models.
Click [HERE] to view the presentation handout "How to Photograph Flowers with Your Smartphone (12 Tips)"
February Photography SIG Meeting
"Coastal Photography"
Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 9:00 A.M., OC Multipurpose Room
This is on coastal photography in general, and specific preparation for our trip to Asilomar in April. Les, Kate, and Truman will review photographic tips for what you will see in the area. This includes photographing seascapes, landscapes, architecture, lighthouses, birds and sea mammals, tide pools, macro, whales, the Monterey Aquarium, and people on the beach. It looks like it will be a fantastic trip, so come early as seats may fill up fast.
-- Kate
California Central Coast
Photo Club kicks off New Year with
Photo SIG Round Table Meeting on Jan 3, 2024
What’s New In Your House - was the topic of the Wednesday meeting. Pictured above are just a few of the more than 25 Club members who attended the January 3rd SIG.
The first Club meeting of the year was very well attended… the result of everyone being anxious to re-join with fellow Club members and friends, or was it just a great topic to start the year off?
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The meeting utilized a Round Table format that was free-form and non-structured. The SIG was facilitated by Bob Baikauskas. It resurrected one of the Club’s historic SIG formats, that in the past, proved to be highly successful in engaging attendees in the exchange of information and advice. The format facilitated the free flow of information and offered Club members many opportunities to ask questions and get answers.
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Greg Ferguson kicked off the meeting by sharing some of his beautiful panorama photos and brought along his tripod-mounted Panoramic Head complete with Nodal Slide, used to control image parallax when using a wide angle lens.
Alabama Hills Panorama - was one of three panorama photos shared by Greg Ferguson to illustrate the use of a tripod mounted Pano Head. Final print size is 50"x17" at 300ppi
Wheeler Crest Panorama - another panorama shared by Greg Ferguson to illustrate the use of a tripod mounted Pano Head. Final print size is 41"x15" at 300 ppi.
Previous Club President, Jim Moon showcased his Fuji Camera with newly acquired long-range Zoom that can be zoomed to the equivalent of 900mm.
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Current Club President, Ron Nabity demonstrated a unique, lens-mounted, lightweight, and highly flexible, multi-head flash system that is perfect for micro-photography as well as general use. The detachable flash heads are connected wirelessly which allows for re-positioning to control the angle of light.
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Dale Petersen presented information describing how he uses a flat-bed scanner to convert large format 8x10-inch film negatives into digital files for printing. This led to a discussion of third-party services to do fine-art quality printing of photos.
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Brad Senn, another previous Club President, suggested a local, high-quality service provider Skyline One that offers a complete range of services involving printing, framing and hanging. Here’s their website link:
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https://www.skylineoneframing.com/
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Other offerings included those from Rick Mannis who highlighted Adobe Lightroom’s new HDR feature, and Gary Sloan who shared information on Sony’s new FX3 Full-Frame Cinema camera.
Kate McCarthy did a straw vote of the attendees to see if the format should be continued and got a resounding yes response.
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October Photography SIG
Wednesday, October 4, 2023, 9:00 A.M., Orchard Creek Multipurpose Room
What's New in Cell Phone Photography?
Last month we sent out a survey to determine what members wanted to learn about cell phone photography. 103 opened the survey and we received 24 responses. When asked what phone was being used, our members indicated 88% use an Apple iPhone, 4% use Samsung, and 8% use other brands such as a TMobile Android and Google Pixel. The areas of interest are: telephoto lens, macro lens, wide-angle lens, filters, use of blue tooth with the cell phone, flash drives, stands and external microphone. This is what I would to cover so I'm searching out good videos on these issues. However as we know the expertise is in the interchange among the participants. The slideshow presentation will attempt to address the wide range of expertise in the club from beginner to advanced. Please bring your cell phones and any gadgets you use to help in the discussion. --Kate
Kate McCarthy
SIG Moderator
You may view Kate's presentation [HERE].
September Photography SIG
Wednesday, September 6, 2023, 9:00 A.M., Orchard Creek Multipurpose Room
What's New In Photoshop ?
Kate McCarthy
SIG Moderator
In July we took a look at what's new in Lightroom and now we are turning our attention to Photoshop and AI Photography. I'm not an expert in the field so please bring your own explorations, experiences, and photos to the session. --Kate
Presentation Files (Click to Open) :
o What's New in Lightroom
o Photoshop AI Update
August 2nd Photography SIG Explored Photo Planning Tools
The SIG showcased PhotoPills App and its use in planning the Supermoonrise on July 31.
One of the main takeaways from Arik Gorban’s recent General Meeting presentation was the need to create a plan for your photo projects. This same approach can also be applied to improving your chances of getting successful results in your landscape photography. The August 2nd Photography SIG explored the various websites and desktop/mobile apps to help you:
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• research and explore locations
• track moon, sun and/or galaxy position and phases
• determine the best dates and times to photograph and
• where to place your camera to get the shot you want.
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Bob Baikauskas presented examples of how the PhotoPills App can help you plan, scout and then capture the moonrise. This included screenshots of on-location Augmented Reality Photos of the Lincoln and Spenceville Wildlife Areas.
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Bob also provided a live demonstration of the PhotoPills App showing moon positional information as well as camera positioning information along with lens focal length and aperture and f/stop settings.
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Also during the SIG the group shared information about the various web-based service providers offering book production services.
A PhotoPills Augmented Reality Screenshot showing position of the moon at 8:37pm on 7/31/23. The camera position was shifted to the right several yards to bring the moon closer to the tree as shown in the image below.
Moonrise photo taken from Waldo Road in the Spenceville Wildlife Area which is situated about 30 miles north of Lincoln East of Wheatland off of Highway 65 and north of Camp Far West Lake. The photo was taken at 8:57pm on 7/31/23. Exposure was with Sony a7rii Focal length was 62mm at f/11 at 4S.
Presented below in downloadable pdf file format are the Slide presentations and prep notes. The prep notes contain dozens of web links to the various apps and service providers covered in the meeting. Also included below is a link to the PhotoPills 440-page Planning Guide and a pdf file with links to a total of 35 other PhotoPill Guides covering virtually every aspect of landscape/astro photography.
July 5, 2023 - Updates in Lightroom Editing
Lightroom has been updated so many times, it is difficult to keep up. This SIG will present a Lightroom Process using current tools by a professional photographer The photo used is a Milky Way shot of a rock arch in Joshua Tree National Park. There will be time to share your own photographs and processing ideas at the beginning of the SIG so please bring your photos on a thumb drive or laptop computer. --Kate
Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
June 7, 2023 - Night Photography
Opportunities for Night Photography abound during the summer. This includes galaxy, moon, star trails, and light painting are all possibilities. Join the discussion with your questions and insights. Please bring your own photography to share on a thumb drive at the beginning of the session.
Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
May 3, 2023 - Travel Photography
Kate McCarthy
Spring is in full bloom with summer coming quickly. Travel plans are being drawn for visits to friends and family, and bucket lists are being checked off. On Wednesday we will go over some of the professional tips and best practices for memorable photography using all kinds of cameras including cellphones. I have several handouts that would be helpful for beginners and a reminder to the rest of us.
Bring the photography you want to talk about on thumb drives and feel free to use the Photoshop and Topaz programs I have on my computer to show how you developed your photo. --Kate
Click HERE to view the presentation.
April 5, 2023 - Flower Photography
Kate McCarthy
April showers do bring May flowers, but in California they start to come out much earlier. It looks like a super bloom year so I am sending this out ahead of time with links to some of the wildflower alert sites. Constant updates are being posted to our Facebook Page. You don't have to drive too far to get some beautiful shots. The photos below are taken at the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve near Oroville, Folsom Lake, and the California desert area. The orchards are bursting into bloom and our own area is filled with the glory of spring.
Please bring thumb drives with your own work to share with the group including formats that show how you do what you do. We can also hook up your laptop if you wish. I would love it if members could show us their process for development by bringing in their laptops or use a thumb drive to load up to the software on my laptop. I have Lightroom, Photoshop, Topaz, Nik, etc. Let's have fun!
Click HERE to view the presentation.
February 1, 2023 - Beyond Lightroom & Photoshop
Most of us use Lightroom and/or Photoshop to process our pictures; however, there are many other programs that can be used as linked filtering programs to Lightroom and Photoshop or stand alone programs. The programs I am most familiar with are from Topaz, Nik, or Apple Photos. There are more so we will be taking a look at the variety of processing programs available to add artistic techniques to photos.
Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
January 4, 2023 - Architectural Photography
Kate McCarthy
This month's SIG is on the Architectural Photography Genre which covers bridges, structures, and cityscapes. The professional photographers who dominate this field are usually in the commercial advertising and real estate fields; however it also has a place in artistic, travel, and street photography areas. The presentation will include the areas of equipment, composition, lighting, using smart phones, and drones.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
December 7, 2022 - Pet & People Portraits
This month's SIG will focus on pet and people portraits. During the holiday season there are many opportunities to take individual and group photos to preserve memories of family gatherings. This is more of an introduction to some easy to remember techniques photographing and some processing tips. The emphasis is on informal photos with a few ideas for those who want more advanced knowledge using lights and such. Please bring your questions, comments, and expertise. This is a learning community so we all learn from each other.
Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
November 2, 2022 - The Photography of Birds
Kate McCarthy
This is the season of the great bird migration through the Pacific Flyway which includes many wildlife preserves near Lincoln that are good for bird photography. Even our relatively small ponds are alive with migrating birds as well as our resident egrets, herons, and geese. Bird photography is its own genre because it takes a good understanding of your camera and its settings to capture good photographs, especially of birds in flight. This SIG will cover some of the basic camera settings and processing of bird photography. Please come prepared to participate. The power of the SIGs are the variety of photography backgrounds of the participants. A list will be circulated for those who want a copy of the slideshow and handouts.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
September 7, 2022 - What Does This Button Do?
Kate McCarthy
Members have been asking for a refresher on cameras as they get more and more complex. Beginners want to know more about the basics, but even advanced users might need a refresher and more information on things like back button focus. This session cannot answer all the questions for every model of camera, but will provide information on the basics and where to find information for your specific camera.
Bring your camera. We will be dividing the seating into Nikon, Cannon, Sony, and other users so that you can benefit from the expertise of your peers in the club. The professional video will focus on a Sony A7iv, but is applicable to other cameras. The slideshow that is being created will cover Nikon, Cannon, Panasonic, and Sony; however if you want me to research your specific camera ahead of time, send me an email at starkayak@icloud.com with your specific camera information and I will included it.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
August 3, 2022 - Introduction to Restoring Old Photographs
Kate McCarthy
We all have family photos stored around the house in binders, bins, and shoeboxes. In this SIG we will explore the ways you can scan and digitally repair photos for reprinting, posting on the web, or putting into a family history that all can enjoy. Members of the SCLH Genealogy Club are invited to attend. The first part of the meeting will be looking into the basics and equipment needed restoring old photos. A slideshow of this presentation with links will be available on request. The second part of the process will be a professional lesson on restoration. If we have time, we will work with member photos to see how to best repair them.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
June 2, 2022 - Black & White Photography
Kate McCarthy
In the early days of film cameras, masters of photography like Ansel Adams, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Richard Avedon, and Edward Weston used composition, camera settings, and processing techniques to create brilliant masterpieces that have stood the test of time. Although some think that just turning a color photography into black and white makes it more artistic, nothing is further from the truth. It takes a profound knowledge of composition, knowledge of the camera, and processing techniques. Black and white photography removes any distraction of color and helps the viewer focus on other aspects of the photo, such as subject, textures, shapes, patterns, mood, and the composition.
In this session, we are going to explore what compositions make the best black and white photos, how to shoot them with digital cameras, and how to process them for print or the web. I will try again to open the meeting to online attendance. (Those who want to attend online, use the link below.) The slideshow will be posted to the club website. Bring in photos on thumb drives so we can work with them in black and white in class or share what you have been working on this month.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
May 4, 2022 - The Art of the Smart Phone Camera and Editing Programs
Kate McCarthy
Smart phone cameras have taken over the photography world, especially in the mid-size and compact point and shoot varieties. Most photographers use a smart phone because the best camera you have is the one you always have with you. When I sat at our table at the Club Expo, many people that came by expressed an interest in photography, but then said apologetically that they mostly used their smart phones as if these pictures was not "real photography" which is nonsense.
You can use principles of composition, crop and edit, use interesting portrait modes, and take panoramic shots. Some shoot in RAW just like our DLSR and mirrorless cameras, and they keep getting better and better. They will not replace these high end cameras for artistic purposes, but they are great for printing smaller photos and sharing on social media. This meeting will explore how to best use the smart phone you have and the editing software available to you. Note that I use an iPhone; however, if you email me the type of smart phone you have, I will try to put in some information specifically useful to your phone. (Starkayak@icloud.com)
Click HERE to view the presentation.
March 2, 2022 - Spring Landscape & Macro Photography
It's wildflower season! This month we will look at landscape and macro photography. Since the Learning SIG has disbanded, we are covering camera settings to processing with the help of landscape photographer Dave Morrow which includes the use of aperture priority, best field practices, composition tips, and efficient Photoshop processing. We will also look at the basics of Macro photography and the best places to shoot wildflowers in California. There is something for everyone from the beginner to the more experienced photographer.
Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
February 2, 2022 - How to Take & Process Sharp Photos
Kate McCarthy
Why aren't my photos sharp? This month we will look into what goes into taking a sharp photo and how to help sharpen a photo in Lightroom and Photoshop. Areas of exploration include Lens Focal Length, Hyperfocal Distance, Post Production Sharpening in Lightroom and Photoshop, and Focus Stacking. There is something for everyone from the beginner to the more experienced photographer.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
January 5, 2022 - What's New in Adobe Lightroom & Photoshop
January Enhancement SIG Back Online Wednesday 1/5/22 at 9:00AM Due to Covid Concerns.
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​Our subject of discussion is new updates to Lightroom and Photoshop. This will be a review and I am asking those who have tried out some of these techniques to bring their experience to the discussion. Please feel free to share what you have been working on. We are a community of learners.
Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
November 3, 2021 - Blending in Photoshop
Vicki White
Vicki White presented Photoshop techniques that will help you add that “wow” factor to your photographs.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
October 6, 2021 -Basic Photographic Corrections
Corrections. While most of what we do in Photoshop is enhancement, sometimes we need to remove or replace objects in the photograph to make it work. This will be an introductory overview of the tools of correction that are most often used in Photoshop: the healing brush, cloning tool, etc.
Please bring your current work on a thumb drive for the later portion of the meeting for a "show and tell" conversation. Looking forward to seeing you there.
---Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
September 1, 2021 - LAYERS
I will have a presentation on the basics of layers in Photoshop. We will then move on to member discussion and share. I encourage people to bring thumb drives of their work, and will be sending out a survey to help with planning future meetings. If you wish to demonstrate how you created a photo via Photoshop, Lightroom, or Topaz--I have these programs on my laptop and can activate with your thumb drive.
---Kate McCarthy
Click HERE to view the presentation.
January 6, 2021
Apple just released a new “RAW” capability for all its iPhone 12 models. The new “ProRAW” image format option is selected in the Camera App and the Settings App if you want it to be the default. This new collaboration between Apple and Adobe has implications throughout the industry.
SCLH Photography Club Member Jerry Hall has compared images from a 12 mp IPhone 12 Max with images from a 20mp Lumix G9 using Adobe Camera RAW and will present his findings. Join in the discussion of this possible game changing innovation. Show and Tell submissions also welcome.
Click HERE to view the presentation.
