Update

The 2010 Photowalk is history. Thank you Carri Capanile for making our group welcome. There was also a supplemental photo shoot at St. Rose Convent as you know. Turnout was sparse, but for those of us there it was a rewarding opportunity.

Remember submission of prints for the WWIG display at the La Crosse Public Library must be done by Aug 1st. The prints should be taken to John Zoerb's home and placed in the special box he has in his garage or on the adjacent table. If you need help with this, call John or me.

I am going to do a bit of housekeeping with this blog. Although we still love Roger Grant, the picture of him in the header is getting a bit stale and I am going to change it. I plan to change to a new one every  month. If you have an impage that you would like to see heading up this blog, please send it to me.

There will not be a WWIG meeting in August.  I am over planned and over committed and do not have the time or energy to do what needs to be done for a successful meeting. However, unless there are unforeseen circumstances we will have one in September. Jennifer Bucheit has requested that we resume having a "topic of the month" and I agree that when we did it in the past it was fun and instructive. I'll let you know the topic soon. I also would like to start another activity at our meetings. I am going to ask members who attend to bring in a photograph (not there own) that they think is of particular interest for discussion by the group. We  can discuss what I have in mind in September and if others agree we will start doing so in October.

I am hoping to attract more new members. Please let me know if you have potentially interested friends and colleagues who might like to be part of our group.

Byron

Workshop

Jim Terman sent a message about a nature photography workshop to be given in Northern Minnesota in September. Jim Brandenburg will be the lead instructor. Click here to go to the website and get further details: http://jimbrandenburg.blogspot.com/2010/07/workshop-with-jim-brandenburg.html

Byron

Message from Carri Campanile, the La Crosse, WI United States Photo Walk Leader

Good morning, La Crosse Walkers!
I\'m really looking forward to tomorrow, and hope that you are excited as well. I just wanted to go over a couple of things before our walk.

While they\'ve predicted rain for tomorrow, it looks like it will most likely be in the morning with clear skies starting mid-day and lasting through the afternoon. I\'ll keep an eye on this and let you know if that changes.

I\'ve created a Flickr group where we can share all of our photos. The group is located here:http://www.flickr.com/groups_members.gne?id=1486835@N23 . There is also a Flickr group for the entire worldwide event located here: http://www.flickr.com/groups/wwpw3/. You\'ll need a Flickr account (which are free) to participate. Let me know if you have any questions about joining the groups.

To submit a picture for the post-walk contest, you will need to upload your selected image via the La Crosse PhotoWalk page. I will send you more information on how to do that after the walk is complete.

Several members of the Western Wisconsin Imaging Group are participating in the walk and have also arranged for permission to photograph at St. Rose Convent from 2:30 to 3:30 before the walk and have invited other walkers to participate. If you\'d like more information, visit their blog at http://westernwisconsinimaginggroup.blogspot.com or email me.

Please let me know if you have any questions about tomorrow! I look forward to seeing you there!

Carri

Photography Guidelines for St. Rose Convent

It has been suggested that I post the guidelines for photographing the Mary of the Angels Chapel of St. Rose Convent which we will be visiting on July 24th in case anyone joining our group didn't get the e-mail. Here they are:

Please enter St. Rose Convent through the 701 Franciscan Way entrance. A receptionist will let you in and someone will meet you to escort you to the chapel. We ask that you respect the time allotted to you when permission to photograph was granted.


Photos taken inside the chapel are for your personal use only. Personal use means non-commercial use of the image for display on personal websites, including social networking sites, and computers. Sharing the image via email is acceptable. The image may not be used in any commercial way (for which you charge money, collect fees, or receive any form of remuneration.) The image may not be used in advertising, resold, re-licensed or sub-licensed.


We welcome a disk of your photos or a link to your personal website, Flickr or other social networking site. If we use your photo in print or online materials you will receive photo credit. Disks can be mailed to FSPA Communications Office, 912 Market Street, La Crosse, WI, 54601 and links can be e-mailed to communications@fspa.org.


Special permission is required to shoot from the balcony and inside the Adoration Chapel. If you have not received special permission in advance please honor this guideline. If you’re unsure of your permissions, please contact the Director of Communications, Jane Comeau, at jcomeau@fspa.org or 608-791-5289.

Byron

Major Photography Convention in La Crosse

This message was forwarded by Jim Terman and will especially be of  interest to WWIG members who are not also members of the LCCC:

Photographers, Families & Friends
We would like to personally invite you to come to LaCrosse (or stay here) this fall for the 2010 N4C Photography Convention. We will be hosting this event at the Radisson Hotel on the shore of the Mississippi River from September 16th through the 19th.

The first night will feature a Mississippi Cruise with food, beverages and music. Friday’s events will include a photo tour on the Mississippi Explorer and a coach tour to Norskedalen and the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Raptors will be visiting the convention to have their pictures taken with Riverside Park and the Mississippi River in the background. The Clown Club will provide photo opportunities inside the Radisson. Speakers and presenters will include Darrell Gulin from Canon’s Explorer of Light Program , Steve Apps of the Wisconsin State Journal and local professional photographers Bob Hurt, Theresa Smerud and Al Stankevitz.


Of course there will be great food and other activities going on throughout the 4 day event.


Visit out website at www.n4clacrosse2010.com for convention activities and schedule. Early Bird Registration is $45 – Register by August 16. See our website for registration details.

Several members of the WWIG are members of the La Crosse Camera Club and, I'm sure, will be glad to answer your questions and help you with registration if needed.
Byron

Member's good work recognized

WWIG member Erik Thomsen's timely and thoughtful actions in recognizing an eaglet in distress and vulnerable to further calamity and helping with the bird's rescue were recently recognized by the local media. Here are excerpts from the story on the WKBT website:

        As Wisconsin's eagle population grows, so does the number of eagles found injured.One woman is working to make sure those injuries don't mean the end of life in the wild.A few nights ago, raptor rehabilitator and veterinarian Dr. Laura Johnson got a special delivery from the Wisconsin DNR. It was a 12 week old eaglet in desperate need of her help. I examined her the night Mike had dropped her off, and she was very very thin, emaciated, kind of weak, really really hungry and constantly vocalizing for food," says Johnson.

Erik Thomsen found the bird standing in the middle of the road near Ferryville.

"Thought the thing would get hit because it was on a pretty fast corner, so I put out some orange cones, and flagged down traffic," says Thomsen. He also contacted authorities who were able to get the bird to safety. "I walked up to it and just laid the blanket over the bird and collected it and secured the wings and the head. Of course the final concern would be the talons," say Mike Cross, a warden for the Wisconsin DNR.


Thanks to Thomsen, the bird has a second chance at life in the wild.

Byron

Is Photography a Crime?

For quite a while stories of photographers being accosted, threatened and even arrested by law enforcement or being hassled by security guards have appeared with depressing regularity on the Internet. The problems, if anything, seem to be getting worse. There is an excellent article by Glenn Reynolds, who blogs at InstaPundit, and is Professor at the University of Tennessee Law School in the current issue of Popular Mechanics (http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/how-to/computer-security/taking-photos-in-public-places-is-not-a-crime?click=main_sr). Here are a few salient points he makes:

• Legally, it's pretty much always okay to take photos in a public place as long as you're not physically interfering with traffic or police operations. As Bert Krages, an attorney who specializes in photography-related legal problems and wrote Legal Handbook for Photographers, says, "The general rule is that if something is in a public place, you're entitled to photograph it." What's more, though national-security laws are often invoked when quashing photographers, Krages explains that "the Patriot Act does not restrict photography; neither does the Homeland Security Act."
• As the examples above demonstrate, it's a problem that stems as much from cluelessness at the bottom of the chain of command as from heavy-handedness at the top. The officers who crack down on photographers no doubt believe they are protecting public safety. But evidence that photography might be useful to terrorists is slim. According to security expert Bruce Schneier, head of security technology for British Telecom, terrorists don't typically photograph targets in advance. "Look at the 9/11 attacks, the Moscow and London subway bombings, the Fort Hood shooting--no photos," he says. "I'm not seeing a whole lot of plots that hinge on photography." On his blog, Schneier advises: "If you're harassed, it's almost certainly a law enforcement official, public or private, acting way beyond his authority."
• So what should you do if you're taking photos and a security guard or police officer approaches you and tells you to stop? First, be polite. Security people have tough jobs and probably mean well. Ask them what legal authority they have to make you stop. (If you're in a public place, like a street, a park, etc., they have none; if you're in a private place, such as a shopping mall, they may have a basis for banning pictures.) Krages advises those hassled by security guards to threaten to call law enforcement. If it's an actual police officer who's telling you to stop shooting, ask to speak to a superior. And remember--you never have a legal duty to delete pictures you've taken.

Byron

Worldwide Photowalk 2010 La Crosse

You all should have received an e-mail from me today about our opportunity to photography the Mary of the Angels Chapel at St. Rose Convent on Saturday July 24th from 2:30 to 3:30pm preceding the downtown Photowalk which will begin at 4:00pm in Riverside Park.

Jim Taylor and I met with PR Director Jane Comeau on Monday at the Convent and while there I took a couple  of snapshots which I hope will whet your appetite for this event. I didn't use a tripod for this photo but the ISO was set at 6200. When viewed at 100% in Photoshop there is a good deal of noise so I do recommend that you bring your tripod along. I took some photos with only natural light coming in through the windows and some (including this one) when the ceiling lights were turned on. I like the warmer color but was surprised that there wasn't all that much improvement in illumination. John Zoerb, Jim Taylor and Roger Grant have all had extensive experience shooting here and I think that any of these gentlemen would be amenable to giving you advice about what equipment you might want to have available.

This, of course is exterior of the Convent. What an architectural gem! There is a nicely landscaped  and maintained courtyard but not much of a garden to see. We will be entering the Convent at 2:30pm. You may wish to get started earlier with exterior shots.

If you plan to participate in the Photowalk please do come back to this blog for updates and if you haven't already registered please do so. I think that it would be helpful for Carri to know the number of attendees.

Byron

NEWS FLASH 2 Re: WORLDWIDE PHOTOWALK IN LA CROSSE

Jim Taylor and I have been in contact with Carri Campanile by e-mail and I have spoken with her by phone. We have been welcomed to join the official version of the Worldwide Photowalk 2010 here in La Crosse on Saturday July 24th. Please go to this website to sign up: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/la-crosse-wi-united-states/

We hope to add an opportunity to shoot at St. Rose's Convent as well. I'll let you know if this is going to be possible as soon as I can. Finally, does anyone know if the members of the La Crosse Camera Club are aware of this opportunity to spend part of a summer afternoon with a very nice group of photographers taking pictures of some very photogenic parts of our city.

Please return here frequently duing the next week for updates.
Byron

NEWS FLASH Re: WORLDWIDE PHOTOWALK IN LA CROSSE

I received this message from the Kelby organization today:
So it looks like we are good to go for Saturday July 24th. Any suggestions for our route? I will make arrangements for a place to meet and review the pics to follow the walk. I really would like to include St. Roses Convent in our shoot. Please check back here for more detailed information over the next couple of days.

Hi Byron,

I've approved you as a leader, but if you're able, I would try to avoid the same location of the other photo walk that's set up so there's no conflict.
Thanks,

Brad Moore

Byron

Vienna Student Photographs

Below is a link to a web site created to showcase some of the photographs done by Webster University- Vienna students.  The four week course was was comprised of mostly beginning students from several European and two African countries.  I taught the class for Webster / Vienna, my third summer course for the St Louis based university with several international campuses.  Here is the link:  Webster-Vienna Student Photographs 

Roger Grant

Worldwide Phot Walk-La Crosse

Information on the La Crosse walk can be found at:
La Crosse, WI United States | Worldwide Photo Walk
I see that Larry Lindesmith has signed on, and perhaps that's the way to get involved in this one.
Jim Taylor

World Wide Photo Walk

I, too, have e-mailed Carrie Campanile to request information about the Photo Walk. I see that there are only two applicants to her group. I have not received a reply, so it is my suggestion that we 'do the walk', even if we don't 'get the talk'. I'll be watching the BLOG for other comments and instructions. The Walk is only 8 days from today!
Jim Taylor

How to Post Messages and Comments

At our recent meeting I was asked by several members of the group to describe how to post messages and comments to this blog (again). Although it seems awkward it is really quite easy. I am sorry that you have to go through this rigmarole, but when I established the blog I couldn't figure out any work around. Larry Lindesmith has recommends a better alternative, Google Wave, which I will investigate in the near future. In the meantime:

1. To access the WWIG blog (read only-- no posting or comments) use this URL http://westernwisconsinimaginggroup.blogspot.com/. I suggest that you bookmark the address so that  you can get on the site with only one click.
2. To post messages and/or comments you must SIGN IN. To do so go to the upper right corner of the page and click "Sign In". Use this User Name wwig01@gmail.com and this Password wwig1234. At this point you should be signed in.
3. Select the tab New Post and you will see the appropriate dialog. You are now good to go.

If you are having difficulties please feel free to call me for further help.
Regards,
Byron

It's a New Era!

We're in the 1st week of the new era for the WWIG blog-- the era of frequent posting which will make visiting this site worthwhile. How long will it last? Well, if history is any guide, we won't be making this measurement in centuries, or even decades. On the other hand it will probably be somewhat longer than, let's say, the duration of the shutter speed you would select when shooting an F1 auto racing event. Enough of that. So let's get started.

Here is an e-mail that I got from the Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2010 organization yesterday:

You're getting this email because, well...we haven't decided if your walk is approved or not yet. Here's why...
There's already a Photo Walk happening in your area that isn't quite full yet. Since the Worldwide Photo Walk is a social event, it works best when a walk has a lot of people, so if that walk starts to fill up, we'll approve the next walk request on the list, and that could well be you (well, it's probably you, but ya never know).
When will that be? We don't know. It could be tomorrow. It could be in a couple of weeks. It may not happen at all, but either way, at least it's not a "no!".
But we wanted to let you know what was up so you wouldn't be wondering why you hadn't gotten a response.
Good Luck! We're rootin' for ya!
The Photo Walk Team

Monday I am going to try to contact the above captioned "Photo Walk Team" and/ or the designated La Crosse group leader (who has not, as far as I can tell, done the required website and who hasn't answered the message I sent) Ms. Carri Campanile. However, if all else fails I do plan on going ahead with the July 24th Photowalk with or without official sanction.

Remember, the cutoff date for submission of prints for the WWIG display at the La Crosse Public Library is August 1st! Don't know how or where to submit your prints? Please review prior postings or call me or John Zoerb.

Here is a great  photograph taken by Dr. Steve Shpall of Palo Alto CA, one of the members of the Jos. Von Os Photo Tour of the Oregon Coast I attended in  May. Steve is an all around good guy as well as an accomplished photographer and Photoshopper-- who, incidentally,  makes very interesting images using various Photoshop filters. I'm calling this photo Virtue Rewarded. For a variety of reasons-- prodigious rain mostly, but not entirely-- it was only on the last day of the tour that we had a reasonable opportunity to shoot a sunrise on the Pacific coast. It wasn't until the 4th day that the sky cleared enough to see the moon -- a glorious full moon in fact. I set my clock for 4am and did get up when it rang, but I crapped around in my room fiddling with my gear for way too long and arrived on the beach about 10 minutes after the 3 other participants who got up to shoot. While I was setting up Steve took this wonderful photo. By the time I got my first shot the clouds had moved enough to almost completely obscure the moon and the resulting image is very pedestrian. What's the lesson? I had planned to get my gear ready the evening before but because I was exhausted I decided to collapse into bed rather than prepare-- a bad choice.

Off to Iola WI for the annual car show. Perhaps I'll have some images to post here next week.
Byron

News from Jamie Heiden

I received this e-mail today from Jamie and thought that  members of the WWIG would like to know where she will be displaying her work over the next several weeks.
Hi All!

I wanted to invite you to come visit sometime over the next three weekends. I will be in Madison at Art Fair Off the Square this weekend the 10th and 11th. Stockholm Art Fair is Saturday the 17th, and the 24th and 25th is our local Art Fair on the Green at UWL. It is a busy July but I am looking forward to it all!

Jamie

Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2010

I still have not had a response from the Kelby organization about my request to lead a Photowalk here in La Crosse. However, in rummaging around their website I learned that a walk has been assigned here. Click on the link and you will learn everything I currently know about the walk: http://worldwidephotowalk.com/walk/la-crosse-wi-united-states/ . I did send an e-mail to the leader, Carri Campanile,  and will let all of you know more when I do.
Byron

Update and Invitation

John Zoerb, his friend Sue Retzleff, and Mike Earley visited my garden this afternoon and did some serious garden photography. The conditions were about as good as it gets. While overcast it was not dark and because of the rain, everything was covered with water droplets. On the other hand I didn't see any light reflecting off  of the foliage or water drops. The garden is exceptionally lush this year and both the foliage and bloom are exuberant. The daylilies are blooming unusually early and many available to photography, but we are probably 5-7 days away from peak bloom.

You are all cordially invited to visit the garden at any time. No need to call ahead. I'll be gone more than here this coming week so show yourself around. If you will be attending the meeting on Wednesday, why not come early and bring your camera (and consider a tripod as well).

Here are a couple of fantastic images I found cruising around the Internet: They were winners of the 1st Epson International Pano Awards contest (http://www.thepanoawards.com/) Click on the link to see the top 50 in all of the categories. It is daunting yet very exciting to see the quality of images being posted on the Internet every day. I have no doubt that the general level of photography has improved exponentially during the digital imaging revolution. It is an wonderful time to be a participant in this rewarding enterprise.
Byron

WWIG Continuing Update- July 2010

There will be a Western Wisconsin Imaging Group  meeting on July 7th at our home (N2207 Pammel Pass W.) at 6:30pm. The format will be somewhat different this time. We will be viewing the video documentary video documentary Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye. As mentioned in my e-mail, "I have seen this film and it gave me more insight into a very important aspect of the historical development of photography than anything I have read or seen. I hope that those who choose to attend will be inclined to participate in discussion afterward."

Above right: Portrait Alfred Stieglitz. Above left: Alfred Stieglitz, Winter 5th Avenue, 1892














The Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk has been tentatively scheduled for July 24th. However, its status remains somewhat uncertain. Although I submitted an application on June 21st, I've had no reply so far. My inclination is to go ahead with an event on our own  if we don't get official designation. I am going to make tentative arrangements with a restaurant for an after walk get together and will keep you posted as things develop. Unfortunately, if we don't get approval from the Photowalk organization you won't get a tee shirt. On the other hand, maybe we could do our own. Stay tuned.

Finally, the exhibition of our work at the La Crosse Public Library is on! The submitted images will be hung for public display on August 5 for one month. They have requested 18 pieces. The prints can be any size, B&W or color; framed or unframed but should be matted (the stiffer the better). Everything will be returned. You may submit as many prints as you like for consideration. The  selections will be made by John Zoerb. This is NOT a contest and in the selection process our goal is to show the diversity of  approaches and the considerable photographic talent of our group. Please drop off your prints at  John Zoerb's home. You can place them in his garage where he has both a special box and a table for this purpose. As an alternative you can bring them to my house as well. The cut-off date is August 1st.

WWIG Upcoming Activities

Greetings everyone--
The Western Wisconsin Imaging Group is back online (for now). To get up-to-date I am posting a copy of the e-mail I sent to the members recently:

I have several announcements but not much time to send a comprehensive e-mail this evening. I'll be posting on the WWIG blog (http://westernwisconsinimaginggroup.blogspot.com ) with further details over the next several days. However, let me briefly tell you what is in the works:


We will have a meeting in July! I have arbitrarily selected Wednesday July 7th. We will, however, not follow the usual format. I would like to show the video documentary Alfred Stieglitz: The Eloquent Eye. I have seen this film and it gave me more insight into a very important aspect of the historical development of photography than anything I have read or seen. I hope that those who choose to attend will be inclined to participate in discussion afterward. Because the video is 90 minutes, we will not do anything else at this meeting except for an intermission during which we can have the refreshments (Susann Annis is back from her travels, so they'll be good).


I am in the process of applying for our group and guests to participate in the Scott Kelby Worldwide Photowalk 2010 which will take place on Saturday, July 24th. Go to this website http://worldwidephotowalk.com/ for more information. John Zoerb and I will be laying out a route for the walk as soon as I get confirmation that our application has be accepted.


Finally, our group has been invited to display 18 prints at the La Crosse Public Library. I hope that all members will submit prints for consideration. If, we receive more than 18 printed images I will ask John to make the final selections. I feel that this should NOT be considered a competition but the images selected should reflect the varying photographic interests and considerable talent of our members. If any of you don't have access to a decent printer, do not hesitate to ask me to make my photo printers available.


I'll keep you all posted as plans finalize. If, in the meantime, you have questions, please feel free to e-mail or call me at any time.

BByro