2009 - 2010 Tutorials

If you have ideas or suggestions, please let us know!

• September 21, 2009   7:00pm - Illustration Effects, Textures and Borders: How to Make a Blah Photo More Interesting in 15 (or so) Steps, presented by Holly Kuchera
  
  Got a photo you kinda like, but it just doesn’t pop enough for you? This tutorial will be all about the steps used to take make an image look like an artistic, drawn illustration and also how to add textures and/or borders to take the image to another level.
  
  “I started out life wanting to be an artist and worked throughout my childhood, high school, and college years to achieve that goal. It wasn’t until I married my photographer husband (Geoffrey) in 1995 that I picked up a camera as a means of artistic expression. Since then I’ve started my own Graphic Arts/Stock Photography business (Tortoise Productions, Inc.) and spend most of my time alternating between creating images for the world of advertising, and creating images just for me. Stock photography can be very straightforward depictions of objects, animals, people, situations, and places. In the photos I create just for me, I allow myself the freedom to play.
  
  I’m a lover of anything that enhances mood in a photograph and use a variety of computer software programs and camera techniques to achieve that mood. HDR, color alteration/saturation, applied textures and borders, in-camera motion effects and monochrome conversion are all favorite tools in my artistic playground.
  
  As a photographer, I try to work a little, play a lot, and enjoy the results as best I can. Hopefully you will as well.”
  
  -- Holly Kuchera
  
  Holly's Flickr Gallery
  

• October 19, 2009   7:00pm - Studio Style Portraiture, presented by Christopher Grey
  
  Those of you who do studio style portraiture will not want to miss Christopher Grey at our meeting on October 19. The author of numerous books and columns about lighting, Chris will demonstrate the proper placement of the key (main) light to get the best look from the subject (regardless of face shape) as well as how to place hair and background lights. Chris will also demonstrate how to use one light and a softbox or umbrella to get great, predictable, effects from whatever size modifier you might be working with. He'll also talk about some posing and composition basics that will improve your pictures.
  
  Chris is an accomplished speaker and noted photographer, and he's been with us before. If you missed his previous visits, you won't want to miss this one. Chris will demonstrate his techniques and answer your questions about how to create a portrait that will live forever.
  
  www.christophergrey.com

• November 16, 2009   7:00pm - Commercial Aerial and Architectural Photography, presented by Steven Bergerson
  
  I look forward to returning and speaking to MPS. I did so enjoy the opportunity to speak to you a few years ago. My presentation will be similar to what I did then, with an update of the aerial and architectural photography I have done since then. I have documented the construction of the 35W Bridge, as well both TCF Bank Stadium and Target Field, and the Green Roof on Target Center.
  
  As before, I will welcome questions from your group and let their interests lead the direction of the discussion. As you know, I love to tell "stories" from my nearly 30 years of photography, and I hope my stories will keep you interested. Last time I talked right through break; this time I will stop for the break, but will probably continue talking anyway.
  
  I can bring my stabilizer so people can feel how it works, and since I will have my camera and computer there, I could give a brief demonstration of Capture One Pro.
  
  www.bergphoto.com
  

• December 21, 2009   7:00pm - Christmas Social, Print Exchange & the PSA 75th Anniversary Book presented by Vijay Karai
  Time for our Christmas Social! Please bring a sweet food treat to share.
  
  A Print Exchange will be held for those who are interested, pick your best image, print, mount and matte ready for dropping in a 11 x 14 frame. Wrap the print in Christmas paper and bring it along for a fun gift exchange.
  
  Presentation: Slideshow of the 75th anniversary book for PSA presented by Vijay Karai.
  
  Many Minnesotans were lucky to get their photographs included in the PSA 75th anniversary book including John Olson, Cynthia Fleury and others. This presentation was built by Vijay and shown at the opening night of this year's PSA Conference in Yellowstone.
  

• January 18, 2010   7:00pm - Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
  What is Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep? [NILMDTS] is a not for profit 501(c)(3) organization consisting of photographers volunteering their time and services to families that are experiencing the death of an infant. At the parents request, an affiliated photographer will meet with the family at a hospital or hospice location to help parents create beautiful heirloom memories of their child. Our affiliated photographers are dedicated to making this photography session as loving, sensitive and private as possible. NILMDTS has provided thousands of families of babies who are stillborn or are at risk of dying as newborns with free professional portraits with their baby.
  
  www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org/

• February 15, 2010   7:00pm - Australia & New Zealand, presented by Dick Kain
  For the February 15th program meeting, Dick Kain will share images from his 1989 trip to Australia and New Zealand. The original slides (both 35mm and 6 x 6 cm) were recently scanned, color corrected, and integrated into a seamless show of the trip, which included an Aboriginal dance festival and visits to Kangaroo Island (which has not had rabbits) and a game preserve in South Australia. On the way home, Dick drove around the South Island of New Zealand for nine days photographing mountains and scenery. If time permits, after the break he will share images form his trip to Japan last summer, seeing a total solar eclipse, interesting temples and other places, including some infrared images.

• March 15, 2010   7:00pm - Hand Coloring, and Tinting your photos using Photoshop, presented by Sonny Taylor
  Hand Coloring is a technique of adding your own color onto your photographs after they have been converted to black and white. The method is simple, but interesting as it utilizes several steps: B&W conversion, non-destructive editing, selections (optional), Color Blending Mode, and Layer Masks (optional) to tweak at the end.
  
  Tinting involves coloring the whole B&W photo with color, illustrating how to place the color optimally. With duotones diffuse color will be added to most of the image, with a second color added to the deep shadows.
  
  Please bring your PS questions, as there should be time for discussions.