Membership

• How do I join the Dallas Camera Club?
• How do I print a current DCC member directory?
• What are these field trips all about? When are they scheduled?
• What is Potpourri, anyway?
• What is "The Bird"?
• What is our association with Parker College?

Photography

• How do I get help with my photography?
• What are a few rules of composition that can help get me started?
• How do I convert a color image to a monochrome image to print?
• Do you have to use Photoshop to be competitive?

DCC Competitions

• I understand that some of the monthly competitions require images to have a specific subject. How do I find out what these are?
• How do I prepare images for the projected images competition?
• Why are DCC projected images limited to no more than 1024 pixels wide and 768 pixels high?
• Why is it recommended that DCC projected images use sRGB color space?
• Can a monochrome image have a color tint or spot color and be entered in competition?
• What is "The Bird"?
• How do judges evaluate our photographic images?
• Who are the judges of our DCC competitions?

Slideshows

• Are there some general guidelines for preparing a slideshow, such as, overall length or how long to show an image?
• How do I prepare my images for inclusion in a slide show?
• How is the best way to format a slideshow for presentation at a DCC meeting?
• What is the best software for preparing a slideshow?
• What is Potpourri, anyway?

How do I join the Dallas Camera Club?

Joining the Dallas Camera Club is easy. Click here for a membership application that you can print. You can either bring a check and your completed application to the next meeting or mail it to our membership chairperson at the address listed in the application form. Applications are also available at the meetings.
The clubs fiscal year is April 1 through March 31. Individual membership is $40 per year. Full-time students may join for $20. After October 1, dues are half-price.
The membership chairperson will be happy to answer any questions that you might have about the club.

How do I print a current DCC member directory?

A club member directory is available for members online, under password protection, that contains addresses, emails, phone numbers, etc. This directory may be printed directly from the website or exported to an Excel spreadsheet. You can print the roster using your normal browser print function or the print button.

What are these field trips all about? When are they scheduled?

Field trips are scheduled throughout the year to provide photo opportunities and allow club members to exchange photographic information and ideas. Field trips also allow club members to socialize and become more acquainted with each other. A schedule of the fieldtrips is maintained on the website. A special slideshow is prepared for each field trip and shown at a meeting following the trip. Here are some hints for producing and preparing a slideshow.

What is Potpourri, anyway?

Each year in the May meeting, members are encouraged to present their works in themed slideshow presentations. This is called the Potpourri show. These popular shows allow members to exhibit images that may not have been previously seen. Here are some hints for producing and preparing slideshows in general.

What is "The Bird"?

The BIRD is an annual competition between the Dallas Camera Club and Fort Worth Camera Club that has been held each year since 1964. The BIRD is actually the perpetual trophy that has each winner's name engraved on it. The competition is held in October and rotated between the clubs each year. It is a great opportunity to meet our neighbor photographers. See Interclub Competitions for more details.

What is our association with Parker College?

We have no association with Parker College other than renting the meeting room. The college provides an excellent venue at a competitive price.

How do I get help with my photography?

Guidance is available from experienced photographers upon request. Just ask any officer to link you up with an experienced member. Training sessions are also offered prior to the third Tuesday meetings on topics of general interest to newer photographers.

What are a few rules of composition that can help get me started?

Here is a website with some basic Guidelines to Composition that Kodak prepared some years ago. They still apply. The broader Photo Composition website has a treasure trove of articles on composition.

How do I convert a color image to a monochrome image to print?

The opinions are those of Frank Richards.
Conversion - The conversion from color to black and white is critical to creating a good monochrome print.
First, the new CS3 black and white conversion tool found in Image>Adjustments, or as an adjustment layer, is fantastic. There is little reason to look anywhere else if you are using CS3.
Most Photoshop conversions rely on one of these techniques

• Black fill/color blend layer simulation - Photoshop and Elements
• Channel Mixer - Photoshop
• L-Channel - Photoshop
• Hue/Saturation (Desaturate) - Photoshop and Elements
• And of course, do not do a simple mode change to grayscale - dull result!

Three of the best that I had found, prior to CS3, were:

• This was my favorite. Tom Niemann of epaperpress.com developed a technique that uses filter, contrast and black fill/color blend layers to create a black and white image. Easy and offers lots of control and creates superb results. This works with Elements 6. See Contents>Black & White>Black & White on their webpage for actions and explanation.
• Channel mixer - first choice in most books provides good results, but is hard to use and takes a lot of practice. I used this till I found the technique above. Here are some references: Ian Lyons and Glenn Mitchell (Lights Right Studio). You cannot do this in Elements.
• This L-channel based technique was developed for west coast photographer Greg Gorman by Rob Carr. It creates outstanding images and has lots of followers. Greg Gorman's website has a synopsis for the technique under "Learn". There is a good overview of this technique at Design By Fire. I think this technique creates stunning images. But, it is hard to understand and control. Google "rob carr bw conversion" for info in message boards, etc. You cannot do this in Elements.

Digital Outback Photo has a treasure trove of info on printing black and white.
Work in the RGB mode. Do not use gray scale conversion, as it throws all sorts of data away.
Printers - You can get good, but not truly neutral black and white image from a “color” photo inkjet printer using available profiles. Suggest you use a profile that matches the printer and paper that you plan to use. You should be able to get this from the paper manufacturer. Most good paper suppliers provide custom profiles for their papers for popular printers.
If you want to get true neutral black and white images using a color photo inkjet printer, you will need to use an RIP or create monochrome profiles. Several inexpensive and shareware RIPs are available. Also, there are several companies that make black and white ink sets, but you need to dedicated a printer to use them. I've never tried either, so someone else will need to jump in here. Many claim success on the internet.
Canon, Epson and HP all now make inkjet printers that are designed specifically for black and white.
Monochrome ICC Profiles - I discussed the problem of printing black and white with several people who provide paper specific profiles and was told that the profiles are optimized for color prints and will not necessarily provide neutral black and white prints. Colorvision has recently come out with a black and white profiling kit. One can create custom profiles with PrintFIX PRO™ 2.0 for any combination of printer, paper and ink. Print a test grayscale target for black and white, measure with the included Spectrocolorimeter, and PrintFIX PRO™ creates a custom ICC profile optimized for monochrome printing.

Do you have to use Photoshop to be competitive?

The simple answer is no. We have members who are very successful in the club and other competitions that use Elements, Picasa, etc. Photoshop is an expensive and complex program which takes a long time to learn. Its incremental benefits may not be worth your time, effort and money.

I understand that some of the monthly competitions require images to have a specific subject. How do I find out what these are?

Special topics are assigned for every other month at the beginning of each club year. A list of Contest Topics and a schedule of when they are to be submitted is maintained on the website.

How do I prepare images for the projected images competition?

General guidelines and rules for DCC competitions are presented on the Competitions page. Specific instructions for preparing projected images with screen shots are provided for Photoshop, Elements and Picasa users.

Why are DCC projected images limited to no more than 1024 pixels wide and 768 pixels high?

The projected image size limitation (1024 pixels wide X 768 pixels high) is consistent with an SVGA projector's capability, which is still the norm. It was also a good size for desktop monitors at one time. Older 17 and 19" monitors had a native image size of 1024 X 768. Today, most "normal" laptops have 1024 X 768 or 1280 X 768 displays. Desktop monitors are getting larger. Most photo competitions also use this size limit. It is the standard for PSA competitions and study groups. GSCCC and The Bird competitions also use this size constraint.
Yes, the projected image competition lends itself to horizontal images. You will always have more image area (pixels) with a horizontal image than a comparable vertical image. Projectors and most computer screens are horizontal devices, which you do not rotate (like a print), so when you show a vertical image so you will inherently have a smaller image.
If the image is taller than the display's native resolution, only part of the picture will be displayed or the image must be resized or scrolled to see the entire image. When you show something in portrait orientation and the software resizes the image to fit the screen, the larger image is interpolated down to be viewed. I am sure you have seen how Photoshop can butcher an image when displaying it at a non-standard reduced size. If the image is going to be resized anyway, you want to resize and sharpen the image yourself to control quality.
Even though the DCC size constraint was probably a result of wanting to show images on a 1024 X 768 projector at the DCC meetings, we should be trying to target the judges. 1024 X 768 images should fit comfortably on most displays without having to resize or scroll. Since we do not know what size display our judges will be using, it is probably best to use an image size that we know can be displayed on the judge's equipment.

Why is it recommended that DCC projected images use sRGB color space?

You probably work in either sRGB or Adobe RGB color space. The Adobe RGB color space is larger (contains more colors) than sRGB and is great for prints. sRGB was created to match the limited capability of the typical color monitor. As such, it is the default color space and assumed by non-color managed software. This includes the Internet, all Microsoft applications, ProShow Gold, SmoothShow, Picasa, etc.
Since we do not know what software our judges will use to view our Projected Images, it makes sense to revert to the sRGB default color space. That way, one is ensured that the judge is seeing the image colors as close as possible to what you intended. The software that DCC uses to show images and slide shows at the meetings also assumes sRGB color space.
If you leave the color space as Adobe RGB and the image is viewed with un-color managed software, the image will appear desaturated. See the example below - B is an Adobe RGB image viewed on an unmanaged platform as sRGB and A is the same image converted to sRGB.
See instructions on how to convert your image to sRGB using Photoshop, Elements and Picasa.

- Original image by Dan Meredith

Can a monochrome image have a color tint or spot color and be entered in competition?

The DCC definition for monochrome prints follows PSA rules. One color tinting of a print is permitted, i.e. sepia, or prints may be enhanced by adding a single color.
This interpretation may be found on the PSA website, www.psa-photo.org, as follows. Go to "Divisions" (index on left side of home page) and select "Pictorial Print". Click on "International Club Print Competition" in the middle of the page and see "Entry Rules - Item 7". In correspondence with PSA folks, it is obvious that this is an often discussed rule without unanimous support.
Its origin probably goes back to the 1930s or earlier when "color prints" were mostly hand tinted BWs - add one color, still mono - add more than one color, then color. One would sometimes hand color a single detail (lips, flower bud, etc.) in a mono print.

How do judges evaluate our photographic images?

Judges tend to look for certain features when they evaluate an image. Each judge may approach the process a little differently and with their own biases, but in general, they tend to look at impact, composition and technique in one way or another. In the real world, some judges will favor technique over impact and composition or vice versa. At a high level, these are defined as follows:

• Impact (or interest) has to do with originality, imagination, interpretation, subject, mood, action, humor, etc.
• Composition looks at the arrangement of all elements within the image area. Is the subject matter presented in a harmonious, balanced manner without distractions?
• Technique has to do with technical execution in capturing and preparing a print or projected image. Is the image well lit, sharp, properly exposed with good color, and properly presented.

If you would like to delve into each of these attributes in more detail, read on.

Impact (or interest) is all about first impressions and how a viewer reacts to the image. An image with great impact makes the judge think "wow" before analyzing the image in detail. This may result from the subject matter itself or from the colors, lighting or composition. It can be anything that distinguishes an image from others taken of the same subject. Some elements that may positively or negatively effect the impact of an image are:

• Creative seeing
• Unique subject or lighting
• Story-telling elements
• Strong mood
• Unusual camera angle, position or tilt
• Color used to add impact or tension to the image
• Depiction of motion
• Unusually high or low key subjects
• Weather conditions
• Wide angle, telephoto, close-up or macro lens perspective
• Clichéd subject matter

Composition is concerned with the major elements in the scene as well as their location, particularly the center-of-interest and its supporting elements and background. Some factors that may effect the image composition are:

• Recognizable center-of-interest balanced with the other elements
• Main subject is set off from supporting elements
• Distractions that compete with the main subject
• Image is not too busy
• Strong design elements such as (leading) lines, curves, circles and angles.
• Placement of elements in the scene
• Use of compositional techniques such as rule of thirds, odd numbers and level horizon
• Eye easily travels around the image
• There is room for the subjects to look or move into
• Use of foreground and background to provide spatial relationships
• Choice of format - horizontal, vertical, square or panorama

Technique is generally concerned with capture exposure, focus and depth-of-field. It also addresses how the image is finally presented as a print or projected image. A technically perfect image will not score well if it is not interesting and well composed. Some factors that may impact the judges perception of technique are:

• Image is sharp where it needs to be sharp
• Camera is steady with no unintended subject-motion blur
• Blurred subject or background to show motion
• Eyes are sharp with catch light
• Good exposure and contrast
• Detail maintained in both highlights and shadows
• Proper color or tonal balance throughout
• Depth-of-field and selective focus are appropriate for scene
• Image processing techniques can have a significant impact on the final image. Some of these include color balance, saturation, tonal range and contrast, sharpening, selection artifacts, banding, noise, resolution, and color space
• Choice of print paper and matting

Who are the judges of our DCC competitions?

Most of our judges are senior amateur photographs from other clubs. We also use professional photographers and teachers. We are always looking of new qualified judges. If you know anyone who you think would make a good judge, please let the print or projected images chairpersons know.

Are there some general guidelines for preparing a slideshow, such as, overall length or how long to show an image?

Ken Zapp put together a super guide for producing slideshows.

How do I prepare my images for inclusion in a slide show?

Images should be prepared in accordance with Projected Image guidelines to maximize the image quality and minimize the final show's file size.

How is the best way to format a slideshow for presentation at a DCC meeting?

Houston Brown put together a tutorial, complete with ProShow Gold screen shots, for preparing slideshows for presentation at a DCC meeting.

What is the best software for preparing a slideshow?

There are a number of software packages for preparing slideshows. Most DCC members are using ProShow Gold. It is easy to use and provides a lot of bang for the buck. DCC members can get a discount. SmoothShow is used by a few of our members. See ProShow Gold and SmoothShow websites for details. Most entry level photo editing software also provide some level of slideshow preparation.