Tag: Program

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August 20 Program: Photo Tips for the Nature Photography Enthusiast

Professional photographer, instructor, guide and consultant Ruth Hoyt presents her original program, “Photo Tips for the Nature Photography Enthusiast,” for the Kingwood Photo Club on Tuesday, August 20, 2019.

Ruth believes that part of what helps her students improve quickly is taking the time up-front to perfect their shots before releasing the shutter. This program reveals her favorite four basic aspects of a photograph, plus a bonus fifth, to achieve this. She also plans to share tips for the physical act of making a photograph.

According to Ruth, a person cannot analyze too many photographs or spend too much time in the field practicing the craft of photography. She thinks both rank higher than reading books, watching videos and “fixing photos in Photoshop.” Over-processing photographs is one of the biggest downfalls of aspiring photographers so she teaches people how to make their photos stand out with minimal processing.

Ruth Hoyt is not only a professional photographer and guide, but a photography teacher (nearly 30 years), Texas Master Naturalist (10+ years) and Certified Interpretive Guide (10 years). She writes for publication and serves on the board for the Outdoors Writers’ Association of America. 

Her work appears in books, magazines, calendars, catalogs and numerous other publications.  Ruth’s passion is sharing her love of nature and photography with everyone she meets, especially youth.

She has many years of experience as a professional photo contest director, youth photo workshop leader, professional coach for contest photographers and consultant for farm and ranch owners.

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July 16 Program: Contemporary Photography

This presentation will illustrate how American and international photographic artists are pushing the boundaries of photography. The discussion investigates current trends and themes showcasing an unusual range of silver gelatin, digital and sculptural photography-based art.

Geoffrey Koslov, our speaker, founded Foto Relevance Gallery, located in the historic Audubon Place District of Montrose in Houston, Texas, for contemporary photography-based art.

He is on the Board of Directors of the Houston Center for Photography (HCP), a nonprofit organization offering exhibitions, workshops, classes and outreach programs.  He is a former member of its Exhibitions Committee and former co-chair of the Print Auction. 

Geoffrey is an experienced reviewer, participating in The Medium Festival of Photography, Photolucida’s Critical Mass, Photolucida’s Portfolio Review, PhotoVisa(Russia) and FotoFest. In addition to serving on the Advisory Council of Photolucida. He is a member of Photo Forum (affiliated with the MFAH), and several photography critique groups: Pixels & Silver, the Houston Inner Loop Photography Organization and formerly the Houston Photographic Society.

Geoffrey had also served on the Photography Subcommittee of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) for many years.  His passion extends to his own collection of fine art and books covering the history of photography. Geoffrey is also a photographer, himself, who has been exhibited and collected.

Please join us for this wonderful evening of the ever-evolving world of photography.

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Next Week’s Program: Everyday Life of Houston’s Fourth Ward – the traditions, the families, the architecture

ARTIST STATEMENT

During the early 1970’s as a student studying art at Texas Southern University and while working as a photographer for the Model Cities Program, I began to explore and photograph the Third, Fourth, and Fifth Ward communities of Houston. On many occasions while traveling the Interstate 45 freeway which served as the dividing line between the west and east of the downtown area of the city, I could look down on what was known as the Fourth Ward or Freedmen’s Town, an African-American community of shotguns and duplex clapboard houses with reflective tin roofs situated on narrow streets paved with red bricks dating back to the Reconstruction Era.

As I began to wonder why the freeway came so close to the houses, I soon learned that several blocks of Fourth Ward / Freedmen’s Town had been sacrificed in the name of progress. The city was growing and wanted to expand toward the west and Fourth Ward was in the way. Sensing that time was running out even then, I began to document the community–the traditions, the families, the architecture, the everyday life of Fourth Ward. A lot had been already lost and was gone forever. The skyline of downtown Houston created a stark contrast of old and new, past and present, all interwoven together to create a unique visual environment.

When I started this project and began taking pictures of Fourth Ward, I was reminded frequently of my own community in Hattiesburg, Mississippi as well as the importance of remembering who we are and what we do and how we live and how changes affect our communities. Settled by free slaves in Houston, Freedmen’s Town has become the center of one of the strongest areas of gentrification in the city. Its close proximity to downtown businesses has led developers to secure large tracts of land to create housing for young professionals. Because most of the African-American residents in the area are not property owners, but renters, many of them remain defenseless to the purchase of blocks of their community. (At the time of the Fourth Ward / Freedmen’s Town National Historic Register designation in 1986, over 530 of the historic structures built by its founders still existed. Now, less than 30 of those structures remain.)

Over the past two and a half decades, I have continuously documented the changes in Fourth Ward as well as the enduring traditions. I have photographed architecture that no longer exists, families that have now relocated, and rites of passage that still remain in the community. I continue to capture this continuity of tradition, the remaining familiar faces, and the influx on new faces and new traditions as the profile of Fourth Ward / Freedmen’s Town redefines itself in the twenty-first century.

Earlie Hudnall, Jr.

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PROGRAM: May 21

Everyday Life of Houston’s Fourth Ward – the traditions, the families, the architecture

Earlie Hudnall, Jr.

Our speaker Earlie Hudnall, Jr. will present his photos of the transition of Houston’s Fourth Ward over the past two and half decades. 

The photographic story of the community — the traditions, the families, the architecture, the everyday life of Fourth Ward.  It is a glimpse of one of Houston’s older neighborhoods, remembering who they were and what they did and how they lived and how changes affect our communities.

Mr. Hudnall has been a University Photographer at Texas Southern University since 1990.  He is a former board member for the Houston Center for Photography and served as an Executive Board member in the Texas Photographic Society.  His photographs are in many notable public and private collections across America, including the Smithsonian, Art Institute of Chicago and Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

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APRIL PROGRAM: Drone Photography

The use of UAVs, unmanned aerial vehicles or drones, as they are more commonly referred to, is rapidly growing in many industries.  The first drones were used for military purposes. Today, even though there are over 20,000 drones used by various armed forces worldwide, most drones are used for civilian purposes. In a recent report, the estimated number of Enterprise or Commercial-use drone shipments in 2016 was 110,000. This number will reach over 800,000 by 2021. Consumer drone shipments are expected to be around 29 million by 2021.

Our program for the evening will briefly cover different types of drones and sensors; how drones work; and how they are being utilized to solve business problems in a more efficient, safer manner, and at a lower cost than traditional methods.  FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, requirements, and regulations will also be covered. The balance of the presentation will focus on drone photography and how the drone gives the photographer an entirely new perspective on their subject.

Mike Allison

Our speaker will be Mike Allison, Raptor Aerial Services LLC.  Mike holds a BS and MS in Geology. He has 34 years of experience in the upstream oil & gas industry. After leaving the oil & gas industry, he founded a drone services company named Raptor Aerial Services LLC (RAS). His company provides drone photography, aerial mapping surveys, stockpile volumetric calculations, inspections, data collection and marketing to a variety of industries.

Mike is an active member of several oil & gas industry-related organizations and has shared his expertise, speaking with several additional associated oil & gas groups.

Mike and his wife, Mary, have lived in the Kingwood/New Caney area since 2003.

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MARCH PROGRAM

Photographing Birds at High Island Settings, Techniques and Processing

Joe Smith

Our speaker this month, Joe Smith, an advanced amateur photographer for over 50 years, will give an overview on the remarkable photographic opportunities and how to capture the amazing nature at High Island and surrounding areas, with emphasis on Smith Oaks Rookery. The presentation will include suggested equipment, techniques, settings, composition, examples of good photos, and also examples of poor photos and why they are poor and to avoid.

Joe began nature photography in 2000 and learned through experience by participating in six wildlife photo contests in Texas.  He finished in the top 25% of all photographers in the 2002 Valley Land Fund Photo Contest with three prize winning class pictures.  Was a winning photographer in the 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009 Coastal Bend Wildlife Photo Contests in Texas.  He has images published in Houston Wilderness’ Atlas of Biodiversity, Progressive Farmer and Thomson Safari Catalogue, 2011 and 2012.

He has had over 85 slide acceptances in International Salon Exhibitions sponsored by the Photographic Society of America; won Color Slide of the year in 2000 and Nature Slide of the year in 2001 at the Houston Photochrome Club. He is also the past President of the Houston Photochrome Club in 2004-2005 and 2009-2010. 

Joe is a member of the Houston Audubon Nature Photographers Association, Houston Photochrome Club, Houston Center for Photography, and the Photographic Society of America.

  • Smith Oaks Rookery Roseate Spoonbill
  • Smith Oaks Rookery Roseate Spoonbill
  • Smith Oaks Rookery Great White Egret feeding chicks
  • Smith Oaks Rookery Great White Egret
  • Smith Oaks Rookery Great White Egret with chicks
  • Smith Oaks Rookery Great White Egret with chicks

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February Program: Infrared Photography

On February 19, Jimmy Hemphill and Ken Frederick will make a presentation on Infrared Photography.

The presentation will provide a broad technical background and highlight techniques for using infrared cameras and editing infrared images.  The talk will include sections on components of the Light Spectrum, Kodak Infrared Films, Converting Digital Cameras for Infrared Photography, IR filters, Editing “Red” filter Images, and Jimmy and Ken’s observations and learnings.

Ken Frederick
Jimmy Hemphill

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January 15 Program: Blending Natural and Artificial Light in Night Images

Jay Mangum will talk about light painting to enhance and highlight landscapes, with the added element of light from stars, the moon, pre-dawn or post-sunset glow, and in some cases artificial light sources over which we have little or no control such as street lights, car lights and city lights.

Jay Mangum

In the 1950’s, Jay’s father was an enthusiastic amateur photographer, developing and enlarging his own black and white work at home. Jay’s photo journey began at age 6, using a Brownie box camera to take photos of active steam locomotives alongside his Dad during the twilight years of steam.

Jay has carefully preserved his library of large format color slides taken of professional dragsters from 1965 to 1973 – a collection that is referenced today by racing historians. Magazines, books, calendars and websites have featured his work. Today, Jay’s primary photo interests are landscapes, travel and birds.

A resident of Kingwood since 1991 and a member of our club, he retired as an Account Manager for Otis Elevator Company in 2009. Career moves with Otis took him to several landscape photo opportunity regions including Denver, Tulsa, Savannah and Chattanooga.  Jay and his wife, Jan, have 3 children and seven grand kids.

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November 13 Program: Photographic Composition

Ken Frederick

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Speaker Ken Frederick will present “Photographic Composition”.

He will discuss compositional guidelines to enhance the visual appeal of photographs.

Topics include:
• Importance of foreground, mid-ground, and background
• Keeping the horizon level
• Use of lines, diagonals, and curves
• Impact of cropping
• Unique angles and perspectives
• Subject framing
• Reducing background clutter
• Use of repetition
• Use of geometric shapes
• Complementary 2nd subject
• Rule of motion
• Simplicity
• Learnings from fine art paintings
• “Breaking the Rules” for artistic effect

Ken grew-up in a Kodak family in Rochester, New York. He is currently a member Board of Trustees of George Eastman Museum in Rochester & a member of Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). His photographs have been published in numerous print and online media. He has exhibited and sold his photographs, as well as donated his time & photos to non-profits, nursing homes & Alzheimer facility patients.

We hope you will join us as Ken covers one of the key elements of photography.   Once you learn these rules and strategies you will be more prepared to find great photography spots and opportunities.  

 

 

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