More Macro Photo Ops at the Pinhey Dunes

Ghost Tiger Beetle 5
Ghost Tiger Beetle by Amy Lo

If you missed the July 16th event at Pinhey Dunes and would like a chance to take some spectacular macro images like Amy Lo shot, here is a list of the remaining 2017 public tours of the Pinhey Sand Dunes put on by Biodiversity Conservancy International:

  • August 06
    Sand Wasps & Macro Photography
    Watch the super sand diggers
  • August 20
    Giant Robber Fly & Macro Photography
    Observe the 4-5 cm voracious hunters catching prey in flight
  • September 03
    Antlions, Doodle Bugs & Macro Photography
    Observe sand swimmers leaving wiggly trails, building pitfall traps and capturing prey
  • September 10
    Antlions and Giant Robber Fly & Macro Photography
    Last glimpse of 2017 dune biodiversity
  • October (date to be determined)
    Ottawa-Gatineau Geo-Heritage
    Pinhey Sand Dunes System is one of Ottawa Gatineau Geoheritage sites
  • November 05
    Dune Walk (6 km) & Season End Dune Maintenance
    Meet the Pinhey Dunes Watch Group at work

All events start at 10:00. For more information email Biodiversity Conservancy International.

Ferocious Looking Bugs!

Amy Lo and Marg Jackman went on the guided tour and came back with some great pictures of Ghost Tiger Beetles and Dune Spiders

Amy said:

It was quite an experience to shoot these critters. First we could hardly see them unless they were pointed out to us by the entomologist, second you had to approach them with caution. We were on our knees most of the time as we couldn’t let the critters see our shadow.

Here are her pictures:

(click to enlarge).

Macro Photography Opportunity

On Saturday July 15th the camera club found out about this event:

Beetles

to be held on Sunday July 16th. Because of the short notice, an email was sent to all club members.

You can see google maps driving directions from the Seniors Centre here.

Digital Cameras Have Come a Long Way

From the IEEE Spectrum article 25 Microchips That Shook the World

Kodak KAF-1300 Image Sensor (1986)

Launched in 1991, the Kodak DCS 100 digital camera cost as much as US $13 000 and required a 5-kilogram external data storage unit that users had to carry on a shoulder strap. The sight of a person lugging the contraption? Not a Kodak moment. Still, the camera’s electronics—housed inside a Nikon F3 body—included one impressive piece of hardware: a thumbnail-size chip that could capture images at a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, enough for sharp 5-by-7-inch prints. “At the time, 1 megapixel was a magic number,” says Eric Stevens, the chip’s lead designer, who still works for Kodak. The chip—a true two-phase charge-coupled device—became the basis for future CCD sensors, helping to kick-start the digital photography revolution. What, by the way, was the very first photo made with the KAF-1300? “Uh,” says Stevens, “we just pointed the sensor at the wall of the laboratory.”

Canadian Camera Conference 2017 Field Trips

The Canadian Camera Conference has invited all Ottawa area camera club members to join CCC2017 by participating in some of the events open to the public and to which you can bring family and friends:

  1. CCC2017 Field Trips: There are still places available for the following Field Trips:
    1. CCCFT01:  Behind-the-Scenes Tour – Photography at Library and Archives Canada’s Gatineau Preservation Centre — June 27th, 2017, 12:30 to 4:30pm – Transportation by Chauffeured bus – $15 +HST.
    2. CCCFT13:  Natural Light Portrait Photography Workshop (with models) – Rideau Locks — June 29th, 2017, 5:30 to 9:00pm – Car-pooling – $60 +HST.
    3. CCCFT04:  Wild in the City – Central Experimental Farm, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Arboretum & Mud Lake — July 02, 2017, 9:00am to 4:30 pm – Transportation by van – $37.00 +HST.
    4. CCCFT05:  Urban Meets Nature – Canadian War Museum, Pumphouse, Royal Canadian Navy Museum, Canadian Museum of History, MosaiCanada150 & Outdoor Arts Exhibit (Gatineau) — July 02, 2017, 8:30am to 5:30pm – $13 + HST (Incl. transit pass)
    5. CCCFT06:  The Urban Heart of Ottawa – Parliament Hill, Rideau Locks, War Memorial, North of Wellington & Byward Market, Rideau Canal & South of Wellington — July 02, 2017, 8:30am to 6:00pm – $13 + HST (Incl. transit pass)
    6. CCCFT07:   Heron Rookery & Ospreys (Rideau River Valley), July 2nd, 2017, extended ½ day – Transportation by van $42 (+HST)
    7. CCCFT08:  Purdon Lady Slippers & Historic Perth, July 3rd, 2017 – 8:00am-5:15pm – Transportation by van $43 (+HST)
    8. CCCFT10:  Upper Canada Village, Cooper Marsh & Osprey Nest, July 3rd, 2017 – Full Day – Transportation by van $70 (+HST)
    9. CCCFT11:  Rideau Canal – Jones Falls, Merrickville, Nicholson Locks & Burritts Rapids – Led by renowned Historian & Photographer — July 3rd, 2017, 4:30am to 4:45pm – Transportation by van $45 (+HST)
    10. CCCFT12:  Algonquin Park Landscapes & Wildlife, July 2-4, 2017. Car-pooling $150 + HST (includes 2-night camping, water taxis, some food & other costs)

You have until June 20th to register.  Don’t wait until it’s too late! For more information and to register, please visit their website.

  1. Canada Wild, June 30th, 8pm @ Algonquin College’s Algonquin Commons Theatre

Canada Wild is the closing presentation of CCC2017 and features three outstanding new slide shows (Yukon, Algonquin Park, Arctic) by photographer Bill Pratt, complemented by original scores performed live by Ian Douglas and the Raintree Earth Ensemble.  The performance is open to the public and is an ideal way for families to kick off Canada’s 150th birthday celebration! Tickets are just $25 for adults and $15 for students or children under 18.

For on-line purchasing of tickets, a ‘Show Sampler’ and directions to the Theatre, please visit their website.

ISO and Noise Reduction

I encourage you to view these and many more videos on ISO and Noise Reduction:

Mike Browne from photographycourses.biz on ISO Speed Explained

Tom Greenwood from Sydney Portraits What is ISO? Photography for DSLR Beginners

Marlene Hielema from imagemaven.com Camera ISO: When to use AUTO ISO

Tony Northrup from Northrup Photography “ISO: The Ultimate Guide”

  • A VERY detailed and well done presentation which even explains where the term ISO comes from

Matt Golowczynski from Wex Photographic How to Master Noise Reduction in Your Camera

Lynda.com tutorials explains using software Lightroom 4: Reducing Digital Noise

Phil Tughan

Marg’s Tip For June

Nothing Has Impact Like A Print.

June hints - Nothing has an impact like a print.jpgIf you really want to make an impression on people, make a print.  I know it sounds simple, but a printed piece, especially today, is one of the most powerful, impact things you can do for your photography, and the bigger the print, the more powerful the impact.(Scott Kelby personally thinks the impact size starts at 13 x 9″, but if you can go bigger, like 17 x 22″, it really adds impact.  This is a case where bigger is better).
So why do prints have such an impact these days?
  1. Prints are real.  The rest of the time we are looking at images inside a glass screen on a computer.  We can’t hold them.  We can’t touch them.  They are “inside” a box of some sort.  When you make a print, your image is no longer a bunch of Is and Os and a bunch of digital code.  It’s real.
  2. When you make a print, watch the person’s hands right after you hand them the print.  They start feeling the paper.  Touch is one of our five senses, and when you add touch to your visual sense, your image connects with the viewer on a different level.
  3. There is a certain legitimacy to having prints of your work.  It says something about you, about how serious you take your work, and it’s an investment in your photographic journey.
  4. Prints open doors.  If you want to shoot in a particular location (let’s say it’s a restaurant interior), and you take a large print in to show the restaurant owner the type of work you do, my guess is they will welcome you to shoot in their restaurant. It tactically says, “I’m legit – it’s okay to let me do this”.  Believe me it works wonders.
  5. Prints make an amazing gift.  Think of it this way:How much impact does it have when you mail an image to a friend?  Now, make a nice print, sign it, roll it in a tube, and mail it to them the old fashioned way.  You’ll be amazed at the reaction you get.

There’s power in a print.  Try it once, and you’ll see.

Marg Jackman