ReginaPhotoClub

Saturday was a wonderful day for 9 members of the Regina Photo Club (well 6 members and 3 guests).

Despite the forecasted threat of rain, we bundled into our cars and chugged our way south on highway 6 to Weyburn with a few stops.  We stopped by an yard filled with junk and abandoned buildings at the town of Milestone.  Here we spent a good 45 minutes wandering the yard looking at old equipment, grasshoppers (well, I was), old boats, buildings, tractors, fire hydrants (not abandoned), and other curios.

Our next stop was a stone house south of Yellowgrass.  We didn’t pull out the cameras but Larry showed us where to find this little gem.  I do strongly suggest going here on a drier day because Shawn almost didn’t make it onto the grid road.  Soft, wet topsoil and a small Ford Focus doesn’t do well in the mud.  I wonder if Shawn got all the mud out from his wheel well.  I can’t wait to wander back there and take some shots.

Getting out of the car at the stone house wasn’t exactly the cleanest thing to do and I ended up with nearly an inch of really sticky mud on the bottoms of my sandals. I had to stop in Yellowgrass to do the mud-wipe dance. I could have lived with it but my feet were sticking to the accelerator and brake pedals. Everyone smiled and waved as they passed me and Krista dragging our feet in the green grass in Yellowgrass.

Finally, we made it to Weyburn.  Shawn, who grew up in Weyburn showed a few choice party spots (from a slightly misspent youth) and we marveled at the care of the grounds surrounding this building.  Now even thought we couldn’t go in…. and yes, I did confer with the City of Weyburn, we still had lots to shoot in and around the building.  With 9 of us wandering around, rarely did I see another photograher, which attests to the sheer size of the building and surrounding grounds.   We hung around here for a good 2 hours and enjoyed the sun and humid air.

We made it back to Regina just before 5p.m. and survived the heavy rain that fell on us while we drove north on highway 6.

You never know what treasures you will discover on one of the RPC outings!

 Gil a.k.a. Fuji - RPC President.

Here is one of our newest members, Krista and (Dorothy in the background) wandering around in the long grass on this property in Milestone.

I just love grasshoppers  and I know a few people who are absolutely freaked out by these creatures!  HAR HAR (evil laugh) for Deb and Devona!

Later in the day, a quick wander through the Regina Cemetary, revealed one of these little 8 legged friends.

Yeah, I did say boat.  Not sure if this one is still water-worthy.

Larry, Henry and Dorothy laughing at me laying in the grass (just after looking at the grasshopper).

This hospital was erected in 1920 in Weyburn, SK.  Among its original uses was a psychiatric hospital for those with mental illnesses that were little understood.  When they opened in 1921 it was known for many antiquated methods of therapy:  Electro-Shock, Frontal Lobotomies, LSD Experiments, strait jackets, and “rubber rooms”.

Quoted from a CBC article: “The Weyburn Mental Hospital opened in 1921 and quickly became one of Canada’s most notorious psychiatric institutions. It was the site of lobotomies, electric shock therapy, and some of Canada’s controversial LSD experiments. It was here that Dr. Humphrey Osmond coined the word “psychedelic.” Virtually anywhere across Canada, if you mentioned you were from Weyburn, there would always be somebody who would know about the hospital and say, ‘Oh,’ and make some comment about either your own mental health or the mental health of the community, or just a joke about mental illness,” remembers Schultz. In 1971, the Weyburn Mental Hospital closed its doors and patients were transferred to other institutions.”

The building has some significance in the history of Saskatchewan. Soon we will will lose this building and there will be nothing left but a pile of rubble or an empty field. Surely, it was a dark and sad era, but it is history nonetheless.  The building was finally completely sealed up in 2006 and is currently awaiting its fate at the hands of the City of Weyburn.  Sometime in September this year (2008) this dilapidated building will be demolished.

You think that history is the past.  At least, I always used to think so.  I thought that history happened far away from me - across borders and oceans - not so anymore.  It happens around here and affects local communities. We fail to see the significance of things until it has passed and even then, sometimes it has to hit you on the nose to get your attention.  History continues on every day and every hour.  The trick is to recognize it.

However, to preserve memory and significance, someone has to record the details and images.  Throughout Saskatchewan and Canada, there are buildings like this and smaller abandoned homesteads.  It is useful to record images of these places.  However, as always, be certain of local trespasser laws.  Not only is the law to be considered, but safety as well.  Practise your art carefully.  Sites like these can pose a hazard to your well-being.

 Proper footwear (steel toes boots and shoes), headwear (hard hats or helmets), eye protection (for dust) and of course….respiratory protection from risks of Hanta-virus (carried dust borne fecal matter) and other various molds.

 This isn’t a definitive guide for entering old and abandoned structure, nor is it legal advice for these actions either.

First thing at any site:  Use your common sense.

Last thing at any site: Leave safely and uninjured.

Light has been studied for eons in laboratories, classrooms, and even by simply spending time observing it.

It has been described as radiation, waves, photons, energy, and the list goes on.  Scientists talk about visible light and invisible light.  Most of the time, we photographers hang on the spectrum of visible light and occasionally, using special films or modified sensors, look at the spectrum of the invisible (infra-red). Some photographers use special films and capture images of x-ray light as it passes through our bodies.

Everyday we marvel at the simple interactions of light and the world around us. We observe the phenomena of light as it passes through small openings and what happens when it passes through different media such as glass.  Scientists calculate the relationship of bent light as it enters and exits material such as glass. 

Light to a photographer is the medium of art. Like the painter with his pallet of oils, the photographer considers the way light falls and reflects from a subject.  The painter sees or imagines the subject and selectively interperts what he sees into an image on the canvas.

The photographer sees a scene or subject, and bends those reflected beams of light through a lens and aperture and captures a few fleeting photons of light energy onto a sensor or film. 

In comparison, the painter can add or remove detail to portray the image in his mind’s eye.  However, the photographer can include as much detail as he can capture.  The photographer can also use tools to bend light in ways that our eyes cannot. By bending, coercing and filtering the light the photographer records an image much different than the reality of original subject.

It takes some practice to use those tools in our camera bags, to create captures of light into a photograph.

I haven’t completely defined light, as I have suggested in the title of this blog, but alluded to a force of nature that mankind has barely begun to truly understand.

Sunday, June 22nd, 2008.

Some of the Regina Photo Club are also members of Nature Regina.  These naturalists planned an outing to the Nicolle Flats Conservation area located on the east side of Buffalo Pound Lake.  Don Mathieson and myself zoomed out with our gear to see what things were good to take pictures of.  Many of the Nature Regina group are avid bird watchers and can identify birds by their call alone.  Don and I had the mission to catch some of our feathered friends on our cameras.

Now, something else to keep in mind when “triapsing through the tulips”.  Ticks.   Little blood-sucking buggers that wait for passing victims.  Either you keep stopping to check for ticks….or wait before you get back to the car.  I prefer NOT having any so I paused many times to do the body check.  Wearing shorts make it easier to detact the ticklish crawl of a tick up my leg.  However, there is another problem associated with shorts.  I quikly discovered that Stinging Nettles aren’t something pleasant to brush up against.  It really depends which to dress for.

However, the cactii and many other flowers were blooming, so getting down close to the ground was another thing.

Dale Hjertaas, President of Nature Regina can be seen here checking the nest of these Barn Swallows. There are 3 eggs in there and the Swallows weren’t happy with Dale taking a look. 

 Here is one of the Swallows sitting there watching us….

and here is a wonderfully stopped flight of a (I think) female Red-Winged Blackbird.

Thank you Don for providing these images for the blog… 

I forgot to mention that another RPC member who went was Paule Hjertaas.  She is married to Dale (above) and is very knowledgable in the area of fauna and flora…

Saturday, June 21st, 2008.

 One of the biggest problems facing aspiring photographers - other than the usual coveting of new equipment - is finding interesting subjects and locations.

Take a short drive west from Regina and you reach Moose Jaw.  Now, Moose Jaw itself has a very photogenic downtown.  However, take an extra turn and a little extra drive south and you reach a small piece of land covered with small homestead buildings donated and moved here.  Many of the homesteads have been furnished with the trapping of yesteryear and you can see how many of the early pioneers survived out in the prairies.

Places like this are a treasure for the macro photographer, to get in close and capture the detail in the dim light of old buildings….

Even though the sun beat down on us, it is always worth it to pack the ever bulky tripod…. this shot was 1/2.5s at f4.2 using my macro lens (Nikkor AF 28-105mm 1:3.5-4.5D)

You can never predict what you will find on the various outings!

 More images added….

Thank you to all who supported my nomination to the position of President of the Regina Photo Club. 

I feel honoured to be at the helm of this fine organization. I hope that my next two years as president are as fulfilling as the last few years that I have been involved.

Passion for photography is the driving force behind my commitment to the club.  Photography is science and art.  Without passion, photography doesn’t become art.  So to drive the art, I want to inspire the passion.

Photography can be the simple manipulation of the laws of physics.  Talented people use the laws of physics to build lenses that bend and focus light in a myriad of ways.  Chemists work diligently creating films that correctly and accurately react with light to capture images.  Mechanical engineers design cameras that flash an instant of light on film or sensor.  Electronic engineers design components to measure light and capture images.  All these things we sometimes take for granted in the instant we aim, focus and press the shutter button.

To make art photography, a good knowledge of the technology - both past and present - needs to be firmly established.  The knowledge of technology can be taught.  Questions can be asked and answers shared.  No two images are completely alike.  Sets can be recreated, lighting duplicated, models posed, and camera set up exactly.  We all know that the original image is never duplicated perfectly.  To use technology to the utmost, the Regina Photo Club will continue to share knowledge in the forms of presentations, workshops, one-on-one instruction on outings, and a willingness to steer the inquisitive in the right direction.

Inspiring passion for photography is the challenge.  Some of the tools we use to inspire that passion are things like: the Transparency Battle, In-Club Competitions, People’s Choice, critiquing sessions, SaskAm, and hopefully the new Digital Image Challenge to all the Saskatchewan Photo clubs.  Inspiration comes from sharing, talking, and spending time with others (as muses).  Art is an expression of human nature.  It is a trait particularily unique to the human species.

 The motto of the Regina Photo Club is “Become Better Acquainted with the Art of Photography”.  Passion is what changes the science of photography into art. 

I want to spark that ember of passion in you…and all that I ask of you…is that you nurture that ember into a blaze of passion.

Take that camera and look at the light around you.  Use the science available to paint your passion onto a piece of film or sensor. With all that said…. grab your camera….let’s go shooting!

 Passionately yours in photography,

Gil Segovia, RPC President.

Time sure passes by quickly.  It seems such a short time ago when I was elected for the position of vice-president. All the events have passed so quickly that it seems a blur. 

There are only 2 meetings left in this year, the last regular meeting and the annual general meeting. Of course, we add to the count the vast number of field trip outings that we will hold as a group, not to mention the large number of workshops that occur in various places in and outside of the province that many will attend.

There is never an end to learning…never an end to expanding your visions, concepts, and exploration.  New techniques and tools come along to challenge our intellect and ways of thinking.  Other images bring new challenges and curiousities of “how did they do that?”

I wish to express some concern about the life of film.  It is a media that should not be left to disappear.  Within the realm of chemical media, I find more of a focus to the art of photography.  Skills that we have honed in the world of digital can be applied with more confidence to the world of film.  Once in a while, a person needs to slow down and think about the shot…digital tends to be ….shoot it.. and shoot lots… I will do post-processing later.

I still think there is time to pick up a roll of film, and carry the old camera around while we consider scenery, objects, people, places, and the abstract.  You just never know….

Gil.

It took a little bit of effort and time to complete this task.  The results flash movie for SaskAm 2008 is complete and on-line.  You can see it at http://saskam.reginaphotoclub.com !  Many thanks to our amazing sponsors without whom, this wouldn’t be possible.

We had another spectacular year of amateur photography as we saw 544 entries come through the door.   It isn’t nearly as large as last year’s competition but still as impressive.

Even though our Competitions Director heaved a sigh of relief at the conclusion of it, there is still that big inhale before we begin to tackle the event for 2009.  We will have new people occupying the executive and hopefully they draw upon the learned expertise of the past executive.

I am looking forward to another new year with the Regina Photo Club and I hope that some of you have seriously thought about getting involved with the intimate workings of the club.

See you tonight at the 2nd last 2007-08 season RPC meetings!

 Until then, keep those cameras clicking!

 Gil, RPC vice-president.

It was wonderful to meet representatives from the Saskatoon Camera club, Northern Image Photographers, among other clubs.   Some of the people who came to visit came as far as La Ronge, SK.

 We had some door prizes but, the true prize was meeting all these wonderful photograhers from around the province.

The Gleneath Camera Club took home the coveted Transparency Battle trophy with the Northern Image Photographers taking the Best of Show.

Regina Photo Club’s DeLee did so much work getting this event together with the assistance of veteran Larry Easton.  Hats off to DeLee!

The Regina Photo Club agreed to host the annual intra-club Transparency battle.  We will be serving a buffet lunch for the cost of $10 per person.  Please let DeLee know if you are attending so that the correct numbers are there for the caterers.  Contact DeLee at secretary@reginaphotoclub.com .  I think she needed confirmation by end of Monday April 28th, 2008…but it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

Personally, I enjoy the Transparency Battle mainly because it focuses on traditional film photography - slide film.

Shooting film has that added need for attention to detail.  In this day of high speed digital, where we can snap oodles of frames of the same subject, film brings back to mind the need to think about composition, lighting, exposure, depth of field, focus, and all the other details demanding of the chemistry of film.

For those days that you just want to slow down and take your time, pick up your film camera, load some slide film and spend a careful few minutes composing and making settings on the exposure.

There is something about film that seems to capture the essense of passion.  The tactile feel of film, and the emotion that it can capture.  Next time you look at a slide that has captured “that moment” you know…you really know….gives you shivers and all warm and fuzzy inside.

See you there…. there is never a bad reason for dusting off the film camera and shooting a roll or two of slides.

Gil, RPC vice-president.