Category: Inspiration

Danielle Barabé-Bussières

The featured speaker at our meeting on April 5th will be Danielle Barabé-Bussières

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Danielle Barabé-Bussières learns photography every day by watching tutorials, researching photography projects and gets some of her inspiration from great photographers. Danielle likes to explore nature, flowers, wildlife and is very passionate about macro photography.
In the recent years, her images have earned several awards in Provincial and National competitions with the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC). Recently, Danielle has participated in the National Image competition and is a “finalist” for the prestigious title of Photographic artist of the year with the PPOC. She is very devoted to photography and she worked hard to achieve a professional level.   She is also very involved with artists’ associations and takes every opportunity offered to her to display her art in the Ottawa area and surroundings. 

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To learn more about Danielle and to see more of her beautiful images, visit her website. To see the slides she showed describing her equipment, settings, software, tips, and contact information, click here.

Creativity

In a recent discussion about creativity, club member Sue Carey said:

It is not only, or always, the most exotic trip, or the most Photoshopped photo that has the greatest impact. One does not have to risk life and limb in the winter, or go on exotic trips, to ‘get the shot’. It may encourage all members to look and play with their camera, within a meter of where they are.

Sue recommended this exercise from Freeman Patterson to stimulate creativity:

The best place in the world to SEE is wherever you are.


Time and again I’ve had somebody ask me the question “Where’s a good place to make pictures?” The translation is: “Where can I photograph my preconceptions?” Answering this question is one of the best ways I know to stand still creatively. It’s rather like taking a bus tour to Washington, D.C. to see the cherry blossoms without ever having noticed the beauty of the wild flowers (weeds) in your back yard.


Long ago I came to realize that a good, simple exercise for improving a person’s ability to see is to ask a friend to pick a number, let’s say between 20 and 50 (perhaps 36) and a direction “left,” “right,” or “straight ahead,” then to take 36 steps in the given direction and stop. Using your camera or your smartphone make a minimum of 30 thoughtful compositions in that place (staying within a circle no wider than a metre.) Beginning is easy, as you’ll photograph things you always notice in ways you always see them. However, if you feel like tearing out your hair after struggling to “see” more than 15 or 18 good pictures, you can be almost certain that persisting will reward you with a visual breakthrough.


You have to get on the other side of your normal ways of seeing, to challenge your perfectly natural need to label everything in order to see what’s there, to see in ways you’ve never seen before.


The challenge is often hard, but the achievement is always exhilarating. Give this exercise a serious try at least once a month – especially right around home where everything is so familiar you don’t see it. This is a great exercise, not just for photographers, but for everybody who wants to be more observant.


I made the photograph on page one and the three that follow at spots I move through so often that, every now and then, I make a conscious effort to observe them carefully in order to “see” what normally doesn’t register at all.

Freeman Patterson

Thanks to Freeman Patterson for permission to use the above quote from his IMAGES, IDEAS, and REFLECTIONS Periodical Letter #6 March 2019. For more ideas and images from him, check out his website.

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A “Sneak Peek”

Until March 17, the West Carleton Arts Society has taken over the Kanata Civic Art Gallery for their Spring Fling group exhibition and sale. The gallery is just down the hall from where we hold our camera club meetings and the show is well worth seeing.

When you check out the show, be sure not to miss the three beautiful photographs by Danielle Barabé-Bussières who will be the featured speaker at our April meeting.

William Notman

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Five Men Curling by William Notman

The Canadian Museum of History is presenting an exhibition on William Notman from November 23, 2018 – April 14, 2019. Quoting from their website:

Experience 19th century Canada through the lens of a pioneer of photography. See the iconic images produced by William Notman (1826–1891), the first Canadian photographer to gain an international reputation.

Introducing a modern approach to photography, Notman created some of our most stunning windows onto the past. Through 300 vintage prints and objects from the McCord Museum, this exhibition presents a comprehensive portrait of Victorian Canada and celebrates the innovation and artistry of the man who captured it.

Details on how to register for a tour of the exhibition, lead by Notman experts, can be found here.

For more information on William Notman, start with this Wikipedia article and this 2 part documentary produced by CBC Ideas: Part 1 and Part 2.

 

 

Anthropocene

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Lithium Mines #1 Salt Flats, Atacama Desert, Chile, 2017 by Edward Burtynsky

If you are a fan of Edward Burtynsky‘s beautiful large format images be sure to see Anthropocene at the National Gallery Of Canada before it closes February 24, 2019. The show includes over 30 large prints and several photo murals. It also features film installations by Jennifer Baichwal and Nicholas de Pencier.

Admission to the gallery is free on Thursday evenings from 5 to 8 pm.

The show catalogue, published by the Art Gallery of Ontario, can be borrowed from the Ottawa Public Library. There is also a Studio book ANTHROPOCENE, featuring reproductions of photographs by Edward Burtynsky which will be released later this month.

The documentary film Anthropocene: The Human Epoch is currently being shown at the ByTowne theatre.

Burtynsky talks about his technique in this interview from 2017.

 

 

Tips For Photographers To Best Capture Fall Colours

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAAs the leaves and plants change in Fall, we are brought a panorama of colours and beauty to the delight of us all. For photographers who love to capture nature at its best, we try and judge when this foliage change is at the peak of beauty.  We then scan weather reports and try and match good weather reports and sun lighting dates with this foliage change.  Once complete we then have a date to go to a favourite location for our photo shoot.

While weather reports are easily come by, finding the peak colour period is not as easy.  Fortunately for us some kind folks have created an online app which will help.  This app tracks and reports colour changes in various locations.  According to the maker “This guide will help you plan your Fall foliage viewing, and you can also check out this guide to the top 10 fall colour destinations in Canada.”  You can find this app here.

In addition to being at the right place at the right time the challenge then is to use your artistic and technical skills to capture great photos.  The Internet offers many good articles on tips photographers can use to help them get those “Wow” shots.  I use Olympus equipment and follow their — most often generic — photography tips.  The following link, from the Olympus Learning Centre – tips, to their Fall foliage tips, I rather like, and you may find useful.

Hope you have a great Fall and some successful shoots.

Frank Knor

Barbara Adams Presenting in May

The feature speaker at our meeting on May 4th is Barbara Adams, a long-time nature photographer who captures dynamic landscapes and intimate interactions with animals.

She is a Master Class Photographer in the Camera Club of Ottawa, an honour she received for her outstanding photography in both film and digital media. She was on the Executive for many years including serving as President. She also served as Chair of the Environment Committee for the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA), the first organization ever established for nature photographers. Her photographs have been published in NANPA’s Expressions and Current magazines.

In addition to many local awards Barbara’s photographs have won awards in competitions in the New England Camera Club Council and the Niagara Frontier Regional Camera Club Council. She had participated in many group exhibits around the Ottawa area.

Courses at the School of Photographic Arts, Algonquin College, Rocky Mountain School of Photography and the Maine Media Workshop plus various photographer lead travel tours have helped round out her photography skills.

In addition to her photographic work and extensive travel Barbara is on the Board of Directors for the Ottawa Valley Bird Care Centre. She does must of their photography.
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Barbara says that “Most of the presentation will be nature and I could talk a little bit about HDR and multiple exposures if we have time.”

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You can see more of her work on her flickr page, and on her Facebook page.

Richard Martin at RA Photo Club

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At our April 6th meeting,  David Haggarty mentioned that Richard Martin will be giving a presentation titled:

The Photographer’s Eye: Inspiration by Colour, Texture and Light

at Clark Hall in the RA Centre 2451 Riverside Drive, Ottawa.

  • Thursday, May 24, 6:30 – 9:30 pm
  • Club Members: $25    non-Members: $30
  • Registration
    • By Phone: (613) 733-5100
    • In Person: RA Centre Member Services Desk
    • Online: www.racentre.com/playra
    • Tickets also available at the door