Next Meeting

Our next meeting will be at the Pin & Cue Bowling Alley in Whitefish, MT. at 6:30PM Thursday, July 8th, 2010. This meeting I will not be able to attend. If someone else wants to volunteer running the project that will be nice. Also if a copy of the pics is made to CD, DVD or download, then I can do the minutes for next months newsletter.

Wow wow wow. I know it is a bit repetitive, but I just viewed another showing of last month's camera club presentation and am still in awe at all the beautiful photos that were shown. Members of this club continue to impress me with the imagery that is created.

Betty Jo started off with some really nice images. She showed the club some pictures that started off with the Locsha River. This river which borders Montana and Idaho has some of the best whitewater in our region. With easy road access it makes for great photos. From the Locsha they traveled to Tetons, Saw tooth mountains, and beyond. Betty Jo also showed pics of flowers, birds, butterflies, my favorite were her shots of a baby Moose. For years I have tried to get a nice shot of the white pelicans that live on the East side, Betty Jo's pictures of the baby moose, not only have the moose swimming and getting out of the water, but they also have a bunch of pelicans and other birds in the shot. I really liked this shot as seen on the right.
Bob Howard then showed the club a picture of a mounted black wolf, some neat flower shots and some things he has found from metal detecthing. Showing us an up close shot of one of his treasures, a pretty horse ring. I enjoyed his flower shots, my favorite to the right is of a small yellow blossom.
Bruce followed up the meeting with an aerial shot of Somers Bay, and some images from the Bison Range. I still can not believe that I have never been to the Bison Range. I feel like I have after viewing all the great pictures that the club shows. My favorite show was his pic of the bison lounging. Just shows what a tough life it is to be a bison.
Dave Carlson traveled to China, and Boulder, Colorado. Opposite ends of the worlds in many respects. He encountered quite a bit of rainy humid weather in China. Making for some very dramtic images. My favorite shot of his China series was the one seen to the right, of the wall fogged in. As Whitefish residences we can all relate to that, and even can relate a little to humidity around here lately. But nothing compares to the heat of Asia. In Boulder, he took a class from Rocky Mountain School of Photography on HDR Imagery. He has some great shots from a field trip they took. The HDR effect almost looks surreal. I am excited to play around with this enhanced filter to Photoshop CS5. I have not broken down and purchased it yet. Soon.
Doug Dye brought in some really nice flower shots. I thought it was uncanny how Doug and D both photographed the same flowers. I always am intreged to see how two photographers see similar locations, flowers, scenes. They both did a very nice job. With all the spring rain, Doug has a nice effect of water drops on the leaves. I think we all can relate to that being real. I have never seen so much rain after such a mild winter. My favoritte shot of Doug's was hard to pick. I really enjoyed his close of the Fuzzy tongue Penstemon, but for some reason his shot of the multi colored leave, caught my eye.
D followed Doug's images with really nice shots. I know that certain flowers bloom, at certain times of the year, so maybe it is not that uncanny of their common subjects. I loved D's shots of the Calypso Orchids. It always blows my mind that such a delicate flower can grow in Montana. My favorite, hard to pick, was her shot of the Laurel. I grew up in the woods in Virginia and there was a ton of Mountain Laurel. Where I grew up my parents named it Laurel Hill.
Gary traveled with Rex to Southern Utah. I used to go to Canyonlands, when I lived in Colorado, quite often. Since I have been in Montana, I have not returned there. I was glad to see some pictures from the White Rim travel. One close to my heart. Had a lot of fun down there. Gary started off his presentation with images from Antelope Canyon. Very impressive! He told the club how the indians that run the tours, shovel sand, and dump water down the canyon to make for a better photo. I have to say his photos were out standing. I had to choose two for my favorite. His panoramic of Canyonlands and one from Antelope Canyon.
Jerry showed the club some of his first photos that he still really enjoys. I think that is part of making an incredible photo, that you still enjoy looking at it years after making it. I once heard Ed say that Marion Lacy always said a great image is one that you do not get tired of look at as a print. Jerry also showed some of his neighbors, a couple of grouse, bobcat, elk, bunny and more. My favorite shot of his is of the male grouse, in full feather fan. Once someone pointed out to me, the noise the grouse makes, beating their chest, it is amazing how often you hear it in the woods. I have never seen one in person. Now I have.
Jesse presented his view of the Tetons, Lochsa, and craters of the moon. I enjoyed his shot of the river. I am still trying to decide if it is the Locsha or a river in the Saw tooth's. I believe it is the Lochsa. It has been years since I have floated the Lochsa, the last time I did it was quite the adventure. Our raft did not flip, but it was a boat load of river guides. Which does not work out as well as you would think. Everyone has their own idea of how to run the rapids and has a hard time working together. I was flung out and under the boat for quite a while. Once I was pulled back in, it appeared that no one even knew I was missing@!(* The next mishap I ended up with someone else's paddle jammed into my lower back. I know I need to go again. Maybe just one or two river guides on the boat will be a more enjoyable run.
Joe Beck also attended the HDR clinic in Boulder, Colorado. He showed some of the images that he created, using the new CS5. I enjoyed the shotsm my favorite was of the colorful ghost town.
Kathy Nash, a new comer to camera club, brought in some very nice photos. She had a melange of work that included, banboo, whales, court house building. She had a wide variety in what she showed, each one very different but compelling. My favorite was her canoe shot in Banff. A place that is so close, yet so far away. Some how we do not make it up there enough.
Kevin showed the club some of his band shots, friends in the park, moon shots, and some abstract flower shots. I was really captured by his black and white band shot as seen to the right. Almost like he looking into the eyes of Jimmy Hendrix. I love this photo, the focus on his face behind the mic. Really interesting.
Steven Mitchell closed down the show with a bang, starting with bear prints that were smeared all over his car. He also showed some images of his dog, humming birds, opening day in Many Glacier. A lot of really nice pictures. Again I had a hard time picking just one. I love the Many Glacier black and white and this image as seen to the right from the Bison Range.
Jeff and I showed a collection of time lapse that he put together. You can view that and some of our other videos on Vimeo. http://www.vimeo.com/videos/search:jeff%20scholl/93a45286