Follow up WWIG June Meeting

I want to thank everyone who helped to make last evening's meeting of the WWIG such a rousing sucess. I think that we all thoroughly enjoyed Roger Grant's very informative presentation and his practicle recommendations about portrait photography. The number of Topic of the Month and Digital Challenge submissions was substantially greater than in the past and the  images show great imagination and photographic skill. The discussion throughout the evening was lively.

The new header photo of this blog was Jim Terman's response to the Digital Challenge. It was enthusiastically received by the group. Someone remarked how it resembles the Sydney Opera House and I agree. John Zoerb submitted several barn images and I will be posting in the header a lovely winter barn photo in a couple of weeks.

The next digital challenge will be distributed soon. It will be a portrait, preferably of someone whose face shows the ravages of time and the challenge will be an exercise in retouching.

The next Topic of the Month will be a difficult one-- at least for me. Members are being asked to photograph a stranger. The goal is not so much to obtain a great photograph-- although there would be nothing wrong with that-- but to encourage members to approach and photograph strangers. Someone asked if we are requiring that permission be obtained. This is up to the photographer. I realize that meeting and greeting strangers and asking them for a photo-op can be excruciating (I use this word because this is how the process feels to me) and if a member just can't do it then they can and should do an alternative like an old photograph in their portfolio or a picture of a friend or family member.

John Zoerb would like to have the prints for the La Crosse Public Library display by the end of the 3rd week of July. Remember there is no limit to size and the prints have to be either matted or framed. We hope to have work from most of not all of our members to demonstrate to the community the creative diversity of our group as well as the rather high level of accomplishment of the members. If anyone needs a good printer to use or help making prints I am most happy to help out.
Byron