2009 Jan Handbook

Camera WILD
IN THE
CAROLINAS NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION WINTER 2009 HANDBOOK EDITION
David Frolich 2008 Members Choice Best of Show
2009 Handbook Edition

Camera in the Wild Winter 2009 1
CNPA DIRECTORY
Website: www.cnpa.org Post Office Box 245 Williston, SC 29853
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Doug Holstein, President 704-534-9100 dholstein@hotmail.com Robert Kemmerlin Vice President & Website Moderator 803-266-7761 rpk717@tds.net Pam Barbour, Secretary 800-851-1584 pam@pambarbour.com Susan Bailey 919-771-1555 sbailey4@nc.rr.com Donald Brown, Regions Chair debrown@msn.com 704-845-5341 Mark Buckler mark@markbucklerphotography.com 252-599-6275 Mark Hoyle tht96@aol.com 864-287-8280 Robert Smith rsmithent@msn.com 336-339-3597 Robert Williams Newsletter/Handbook Editor bobwilliams@sc.rr.com 803-786-7022 Don & Joanne Wuori Friends of the Board Stephanie Bell Treasurer steffibell@msn.com 803-546-5550
MEMBERS AT LARGE
Presidents Letter
Doug Holstein
It has been a busy planning year for CNPA in 2008, starting with our Annual Meeting in Charleston featuring Darrel Gulin and Art Morris followed by a mid-year event with Art Wolfe for a twoday creative session in October. In addition, plans have been made for a special event at the Outer Banks in January 2009. The 2009 Annual Meeting features Frans Lanting with a great supporting cast. We are in the process of selecting a site and speakers for 2010. As you can see, your all-volunteer board is reaching out to make each year more exciting than the previous. I know you cant always make all of the events, but if you could have, you would not have been disappointed. Its nice to watch the networking, friendship, and camaraderie at these events which makes it worth the price of entry. Looking back at previous letters, I stated that we had crossed the 500 mark in membership in 2006 and 650 in 2007. This year we have surpassed 950 members on our way to 1000 and beyond. This is phenomenal growth. Five years ago, not even in our fondest dreams did we ever think we would have an organization of this size. This is allowing CNPA to keep cost low for both dues and events while adding quality. It seems that word-of- mouth is the best way to market CNPA and you have done an excellent job. Thank you! The new website and the ten regions continue to be the focal point for interaction between members to share their passion for nature photography. We are an all-volunteer organization and we thank everyone for participating and contributing their time. Have a safe and successful 2009 and thank you for supporting CNPA.
Regional Coordinators
Asheville Linda Deaton linda@lindadeaton.com 706-249-6329 Everette Robinson erobinsonphoto@charter.net 828-251-5018 Charlotte Don Brown debrown@msn.com 704-845-5341 Debra Jean Dandro debra.dandro@earthlink.net 704-597-6101 Foothills Curt Hiller chillerphotos@yahoo.com 828-406-2662 Bob Phipps rphipps@bellsouth.net 828-759-1021 Outer Banks Mark Buckler mark@markbuckler photography.com 252-599-6275 Triad Ollie Treadway www.paxphotography.com 336-499-3080 Triangle Bruce & Mary Lou Dickson coordinator@cnpa-triangle.org 919-793-0095 Charleston Susan Brand scbrand@aol.com 843-881-4795 Kenny McKeithan palmettophoto @bellsouth.net 843-762-6452 Tom Tanner tom.tanner1@comcast.net 843-553-1563 Midlands Charlie Burn captaincharlie2@juno.com 803-318-3255 Cole McKinney cmckinney@sc.rr.com 803-782-7151 Don Wuori mrsisu@aol.com 803-788-6299 MyrtleBeach Kim Jones kimjonesphoto@aol.com 843-458-1621 Lori Grbich CraftySCLady@sc.rr.com 843-215-6280 UpstateSC Mark Hoyle tht96@aol.com 864-287-8280
See you at the annual meeting!
Doug Holstein
Links to Regional Websites at www.cnpa.org 2 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association
Frans Lanting/www.LifeThroughTime.com
Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

announces its 2009 Annual Meeting featuring
FRANS LANTING
Renowned Nature Photographer
Charlotte Hilton University Place Charlotte, North Carolina Download registration materials at www.cnpa.org or use the registration packet mailed to all members with the 2009 Handbook.
Reserve your accommodations by February 9th to receive CNPA rate. Use the following link to reserve online: http://www.hilton.com/en/hi/groups/personalized/CLTHUHF-CNPA-20090311/index.jhtml 8629 JM Keynes Drive Charlotte, North Carolina 28262 Tel: 1-704-547-7444 Fax: 1-704-549-9708
March 1215, 2009
OTHER SESSION PRESENTERS INCLUDE:
Pam Barbour
Richard Bernabe
Bill Fortney
2009 Annual Meeting Presenter
FRANS LANTING
Presentations to include:
Every Picture Tells a Story

A conceptual approach to nature photography
A workshop introducing how to look at the natural world and how to photograph it. Frans will share how he conceptualizes images to express unique editorial, ecological or esthetic ideas which can be applied to landscape, wildlife, close up and environmental photography at home and abroad.
Life: A Journey Through Time

Frans will lead us on a personal journey of the making of Life: A Journey Through Time, his most ambitious project to date, a discovery that parallels new scientific insights about the story of life on earth. The result is a glorious celebration of planet earth that inspires and informs through images and stories of the amazing biodiversity that surrounds us all.
FRANS LANTING has been hailed as one of the great nature photographers of our time. His influential work appears in books, magazines, and exhibitions around the world. For more than two decades he has documented wildlife and our relationship with nature in environments from the Amazon to Antarctica. He portrays wild creatures as ambassadors for the preservation of complete ecosystems, and his many publications have increased worldwide awareness of endangered ecological treasures in far corners of the earth. Lantings work has been commissioned frequently by National Geographic, where he served as a Photographer-in-Residence. His assignments have ranged from a first look at the fabled bonobos of the Congo Basin to a circumnavigation by sailboat of South Georgia Island in the subantarctic. Images from his year-long odyssey to assess global biodiversity at the turn of the millennium filled the February 1999 issue of National Geographic. Lantings work also includes profiles of ecological hot spots, stories on Hawaiis volcanoes, Zambias Luangwa Valley, and a series of photo essays on American landscapes. His global survey of albatrosses was published in the December 2007 National Geographic. A feature on groundbreaking research with chimpanzees in Senegal will appeared in the April 2008 issue of the magazine. In 2006, Lanting launched The LIFE Project, a lyrical interpretation of the history of life on Earth, as a book, an exhibition, an interactive website, and a multimedia orchestral performance with music by Philip Glass. Lantings books have received awards and acclaim: No one turns animals into art more completely than Frans Lanting, writes The New Yorker. His books include Life: A Journey Through Time (2006), Jungles (2000), Penguin (1999), Living Planet (1999), Eye to Eye (1997), Bonobo, The Forgotten Ape (1997), Okavango: Africas Last Eden (1993), Forgotten Edens (1993), and Madagascar, A World Out of Time (1990).
4 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association
PAM BARBOUR
from Ordinary to Extraordinary
Beginning with an inspiring presentation of beautiful images accompanied by whimsical music, Pam will introduce you to her creative world of imagery using Adobe Photoshop. With an array of filters and effects, she will turn a seemingly ordinary image into a creative extraordinary piece of artwork. She will also discuss techniques like image compositing, infrared conversions, panorama creation, and much more. In todays competitive world of nature photography, finding new ways to present natures bounty is more important than ever. To deviate from the standard is now encouraged and accepted. With digital photography, new techniques are readily available that once took weeks to produce. Come discover, enjoy, and become inspired to create your own unique vision of nature.
A photographer and instructor, Pam has traveled from the Arctic to the Antarctic to capture wondrous images. She teaches Photoshop, digital techniques, and conducts workshops. With over 20 years in the computer software industry, Pam has a level of experience that positions her well for the digital world of today. Having used film for many years, the transition from film to digital photography was a natural. Pam also knows about the frustrations associated with digital photography. Through her seminars and workshops, she simplifies the complexity and helps individuals establish workable solutions for their digital environment. Pams images have been published in magazines like Natures Best, Cowboys and Indians, JAKES (NWTF), , Nature Photographer, Our State of North Carolina, and also by companies like Teldon Calendars and LeaningTree. Her images have been exhibited in the Carolinas, Montana, and at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. Pam is a Photoshop ACE, certified through Adobes Certified Expert (ACE) program. She writes a quarterly column for CNPA on digital techniques entitled Digital...Naturally. She is a member of NANPA, NAPP, the Adobe Photographers Directory and serves on the Board for CNPA.
RICHARD BERNABE
How to Photograph the Southern Appalachian Landscape
Time and time again, I hear from local photographers that landscapes are the hardest form of nature photography to master. To make matters worse, the Southern Appalachians and the Blue Ridge Mountains are some of the most difficult terrain to photograph. This presentation will show how to best approach these landscapes and how to create meaningful images of these beautiful and most ancient mountains.
The Lonely Coast: Photographing Whats Left of the Wild Atlantic Seaboard
Rampant development has reduced the wild coastline of the Atlantic Ocean to only a handful of precious places. This Richard Bernabe is a professional outdoor photographer from presentation will introduce the best locations to see and South Carolina specializing in natural landscapes, wildlife, and outdoor adventure. photograph the pristine coastlines of the mighty Atlantic.
Since 1998, Richard has had over 7000 images published worldwide with regular clients like Patagonia, Orvis, and L.L. Bean, as well as hundreds of magazines, calendars, and books. Recently, Richard was awarded the contract for Canons Explorer Of Light 2009 corporate calendar exclusively featuring thirteen of his wilderness images from the Southeastern U.S. He is the author and photographer of the book, South Carolina Wonder and Light, published in 2006. Richard is an adventure outdoors writer and staff photographer for South Carolina Magazine and editor-in-chief for Nature Photographers Online Magazine. His website is www. richardbernabe.com.
BILL FORTNEY
The Re-Discovering America Project

Bill will share the photo project sequel to his original America from 500 Feet highly successful book & video production, notable for its unique approach to landscape documentation of our great land, America.
America From 500 Feet II
Bill Fortney is a professional photographer of 39 years experience. Bill has been a newspaper and magazine photojournalist and sports photographer, (He was the official photographer for the Washington Redskins in their strike-shortened Super Bowl Championship season). Bill has done medical photography, commercial, annual report work. For the last sixteen years Bill has been one of Americas leading nature photographers, founding the Great American Photography Workshop company. A much sought after speaker, Bill was once called in a newspaper article, the Will Rogers of Photography. His best selling books include; The Nature of America, America From 500 Feet, American Vision, and Bill Fortneys Great Photography Workshop, Getting Serious About Outdoor Photography. Bills book sales well exceed 100,000 copies, making him one of the top photographer/authors in America. America From 500 Feet was one of the largest selling aviation photography books of all time. Bills latest project is America From 500 Feet II which was published in October of 2008. Seven years ago Bill joined Nikon as a Nikon Professional Services technical representative. He covers the Southern U.S. and is Nikons liaison representative for the natural history market for all of America. In 2003 Bill was named a Fellow by the North American Nature Photographers Association. Bill lives in Corbin, Kentucky (when he is not on a Delta jet) with his wife Sherelene. He has three adult children and six grandchildren.
Camera in the Summer 2008 7 Camera in the WildWild Winter 2009 7
The Land of CNPA

Text & Photos by Dawnita Hall dawnitahall@gmail.com
arly January 2008, I was getting the winter blues. The gray skies seemed never ending even though they had only been there a week. The prospect of taking even one more picture of a leafless tree was sure to make me burst into tears of boredom. I was positive there was not a single interesting subject left in the Charlotte metro area and I was doomed to macros of fallen leaves and bark till spring. In my desperation, I decided to go to the one place that has the answer for everything--Google. Typing in Carolina nature photography, I was rewarded with the first link. CNPA.org came to my rescue as I enthusiastically completed the online membership application. I have learned that being a member of CNPA invites you into a land that only a nature photographer could understand. A land where people wear funny vests stuffed with photography paraphernalia, say strange things like aperture priority as if speaking of an old friend, and live in houses filled with pictures tweaked in Photoshop. It is into this world that I entered that gray, winter day in January. Allow me to show you around. First let me introduce you to the CNPA members themselves. Once you get past the fact that they wear odd clothes and have an extra appendage called a tripod, you will find that they are the best photography companions. Many of them joined because they wanted someone who actually understands what nature photography is about to go with them on photography outings. They too are tired of the friends or family members who want to go through the botanical garden in one hour, two minutes, and thirty-four seconds. These same people understand me when I say that my husband dreads joining me on my photography excursions because he knows ten feet into a location I will have found an interesting subject that I will spend an hour photographing. I love my husband, but a CNPA member definitely makes a better photography companion.
Most of the people in this land masquerade themselves as normal people with normal jobs. I quickly learned that many of them are actually human warehouses of photography knowledge. They have shown me the importance of shooting in RAW, using a histogram, and what workflow is. In moments of frustration, someone has always taken the time to show me how to capture the picture I was trying for but could not get. If you listen closely when two of these members meet on the street, it is amazing the things you can learn. They may have a discussion on which lens they are using and what kind of image was produced. Or they may talk about their experiences in submitting articles and pictures for publication. And if this is not enough knowledge for you, I have found that they have regular regional meetings where they bring in people with expertise on special topics. In CNPA, knowledge is abundant and freely shared among those who inhabit the land. CNPA residents enjoy traveling in groups to new and exciting places. At least, many of these places are new to me. I have had the pleasure of traveling with the Charlotte group to the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden, where I had a great time photographing the Hamadryas baboons and lorikeets. I have gone with them to Charleston to photograph alligators and to Raleigh to see butterflies. I have even gone on a impromptu trip to the Smokeys with a couple people to take in the beauty of the dogwoods in bloom. As I look over how my portfolio is growing and my skills are improving, I am learning the truth in Joe McNallys words that to take better photos one must stand in front of more interesting things. I am looking forward to all the future trips with the CNPA, because they are introducing me to lots of interesting things to stand in front of. Though I have not found where the seminars are, I am convinced that many of the photographers in CNPA are taking contortionist lessons. Often you will see a line of them circled around standing, sitting, and laying in all manner of positions trying to get a unique and dynamic picture of a subject. They are not afraid to embarrass themselves in order to get the perfect shot. Then again, from watching them, I think they do not realize what others see. They only see what is in the viewfinder and what the LCD screen says. I am often teased by the other CNPA members that I am likely to be found sprawled on the ground taking a picture. But that is okay, because I am just as likely to find them in a strange position that includes their derriere in the air and their head cocked at a strange angle as they look through a viewfinder. I think those who are in the Land of CNPA for long have something strange happen to their vision. They begin to see beyond the obvious. They see how a standard flower picture would look as an in-camera double exposure or how a group of flowers would look when blurred by camera movement. They also see beautiful pictures where others see nothing. I do not know how many times I have been amazed when I feel the car screech to a halt at what I thought was a ho-hum scene and was shown a great picture waiting to be taken. I have been shown twists, turns, and movements of my camera that bring about some fun special effects. I have been shown how to capture reflections in moving water. All this has convinced me that CNPA residents patronize an optometrist named Experience who allows them to see as their camera does. My understanding is that it takes several visits to the optometrist for this to happen so I have scheduled my appointments for the year under such headings as CNPA Roan Mountain Outing and CNPA NC Winery Outing. I am glad I found CNPA for it has introduced me to a bright, colorful, and exciting world I never knew existed that dreary winter day when I joined. Since joining, I have added an appendage I call my tripod, I have become good friends with aperture priority, and find my vision transforming with each trip I take. I am learning that I am just beginning to learn. Most importantly, I am making friends with an amazing group of people. Thank you for the opportunity and I look forward to meeting you on the next outing. I will be the one spending an hour five steps into the botanical garden and laying on the ground. See you there. Picture 1 and 2: Hamadryas baboons and a lorikeet from the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia. Picture 3: A spring landscape I would have overlooked if it had not been pointed out to me by Donna Eaton. Picture 4: Golden reflections on the water. Another skill taught to me by Donna Eaton. Picture 5: A in-camera double exposure of campfire embers. The first image was a regular slow exposure and on the second exposure I slowly zoomed in while the picture was being taken.
Regional Round-Ups
As you scan these regional reports, it is easy to observe that these CNPAers are having some serious and satisfying fun and fellowship in the great enterprise of nature photography! Regional activities make the larger association accessible to the individual in a significant way. Participating in regional outings is an opportunity for experience and gains in expertise!
The Asheville Region is thriving with over 165 members! We host monthly meetings featuring professional speakers, member presentations and image critiques. A sunset photo shoot is scheduled each month which provides a great opportunity for fellow photographers to network. We also organize numerous field trips throughout the year to explore and photograph this beautiful mountain region. Some of them feature Spring Wildflowers of the Smokies, Rhododendrons at Roan Mountain, Waterfalls of Pisgah National Forest and Autumn Colors along the Blue Ridge Parkway. We are fortunate to live and play in an area with so many wonderful nature photo opportunities. We have some very talented photographers in the Asheville Region and are proud to sponsor two exhibits showcasing their amazing images. We held an exhibit at the Cradle of Forestry and had our 4th Annual Exhibit at Pack Place downtown Asheville. Several workshops were held in 2008, one which featured our very own Les Saucier teaching about Macro Wildflower Photography.
Asheville
2008 was another great year for the Charlotte Region! We grew to over 130 active members and our monthly meetings average nearly 50 enthusiastic members. Our membership consists of both professional photographers as well as rank amateurs. Our Outings Chair, John Schornak, managed a rich and varied monthly program of outings which took us as far east as Magnolia Plantation and Francis Beidler Forest, as far west as Cades Cove and as far north as Chincoteague, VA. Our monthly meetings included some fantastic lecturers including Vinny Colucci who advised us on lens selection. Our quarterly image critique was always standing room only and this year we had great critiquers including Dennis Kiel, curator of the Light Factory. Our program for 2009 promises to be even more successful providing education and learning opportunities targeted for all levels of expertise while expanding our monthly photo op outings to include more weekend and multi-day outings to some great locations. We will continue to provide our members with the opportunity to have their work critiqued by qualified and professional experts and, in addition, we will strive to give our members the opportunity to show their work in at least 2 exhibits. As community outreach, we have partnered with Partners for Parks and the Mecklenburg Parks and Rec Department to sponsor a photo contest entitled The Nature of Mecklenburg. Images must be taken at one of the county parks, nature preserves or greenways and entries are due July 15, 2009.
Charlotte
We are looking forward to the upcoming year and have solicited valuable input from our members to insure we are providing the best possible opportunities for them to expand their photography skills. We have several programs and events planned that will be led by local professional photographers who are generous in sharing their knowledge with our members. And we will continue to plan an active calendar of field trips offering members a chance to explore our We currently meet in the Community Room of wonderful region and strengthen their photog- REI Charlotte (9755 Northlake Centre Parkway) the second Wednesday evening of each month raphy skills. Subscribe to our email list. from 7pm until 9pm. These are informative times of fellowship with an opportunity for members to share their work and learn more about our chosen craft. Check out our website for more information and join us for another exciting year with nature and photography!
Foothills is a rather misleading description for the region since we cover elevation from 700 to over 5900, from Hickory to Banner Elk to Jefferson to Newlan to Morganton to Lenoir to Wilkesboro, We come together to photograph a vast and varied environment. As a new region, we have enjoyed photo outings at Julian Price Lake, Moses Cone and Bass Lake, Thunder Ridge sunrise on the BRP, Hibron Rock Colony on the Boone Fork, and Rough Ridge for sunset. We are slowly getting to know each other, and having fun exchanging photo techniques and ideas. Our early meetings have been informative with survey of likes dislikes, needs, what to shoot where?, and Am I the only one who? We are discovering the educational needs of our members, and planning programs to meet those needs. Our outings are the 2nd weekend of the month. Monthly meetings are on the 4th Sunday from 2:30-4:30 PM at Studio 102 in Lenoir. This photographic studio is a great place to learn about photography. We can go online or use computer connections for any educational need. Come join us for outings or meetings. You are already an old friend.
Foothills
The Outer Banks is a new region looking to expand its membership and increase its activities. The Outer Banks has hosted the first two CNPA-wide mid-year outings. Last year over 80 participants attended a weekend photo shoot in September and in January of 2009 another weekend outing is planned for up to 100 people. The Outer Banks Region has also hosted a winter waterfowl photography weekend for the last two years for the Triangle Region. The region has boundless year-round photographic opportunities that extend beyond the beach, westward to inland areas abundant with wildlife and natural beauty. Currently, outings are scheduled monthly and other activities will be planned according to the desires of members in the region.
Outer Banks
The CNPA Triad Region was created in March, 2008 to better serve the 47 members in the greater Greensboro, High Point and WinstonSalem metropolitan area. There is a monthly meeting held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at various locations in the region in order to facilitate attendance for members residing in the eastern or western part of the region. The monthly meeting programs cover a range of topics such as "Color Management and Travel to Antarctica" by Chris Ogden, "How to Plan for Shooting in a New Location" by Robert Smith, and "An Overview of Lightroom 2.0" by Ollie Treadway and photo contests and critiques. Outings in 2008 included a multi-region shoot at Reynolda Gardens in Winston-Salem and a well attended outing to a local butterfly farm. The region also sponsored a "CNPA Triad Region Print Exposition and Sale" to showcase images from several of our members and to promote the association. The year 2009 promises to be an exciting year of growth with interesting and informative programs, enjoyable and productive outings and activities.
Triad
This has been a very active and successful year for the Triangle region. A spring weekend trip to the waterfalls in the west and an outstanding three day weekend at Bald Head Island were just two highlights of the year. On the education front Melissa Southern presented a very well attended Beyond Basics workshop which followed after her Basics of Photography workshop. An eight week advanced Photoshop CS3 workshop is currently under way. Monthly meetings throughout the year have been very well attended, and we have been entertained and educated by a variety of speakers.
Triangle
The Charleston Region of CNPA has recently undergone a rebirth of sorts. Due to the rigors and long hours of his day job, our longstanding Regional Coordinator, Doug Delong, found it necessary to step aside for a time. The new coordinators for the Charleston Region are: Tom Tanner, Kenny McKeithan, and Suzan Chiacchio Brand. We are certainly looking forward to a lot of good times and great photography here in the Charleston Region. True to our designation as one of the countrys friendliest cities, we always welcome visitors from all of the CNPA regions. There is a lot to photograph here, so much to learn, and we are excited about the future of the Charleston Region.
Charleston
Recently, Region members filled out detailed questionnaires, the answers to which will help shape our future direction. We have many exciting topics lined up for our monthly meetings, and some new offerings, including quarterly image critiques for members, and a new outing committee that will help us make the most of our beautiful South Carolina Lowcountry location. We are also looking at incorporating weekend workshops for all CNPA members to attend, including field trips and classes in Lightroom and other workflow programs. At present, the Charleston Region holds its monthly meetings on the third Thursday of each month at the Olde North Charleston Meeting Place on the main street in the quaint historic area of North Charleston. As our member offerings increase, we will soon outgrow this space and are actively looking for an alternate meeting place.
The Midlands region has had an exciting year and there is a lot on tap for next year. We have met every other month and had at least one monthly outing scheduled. While most of our outings in the last year have been in South Carolina we have also visited Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Floridas Merritt Island and the Bosque Del Apache National Wildlife Preserve in San Antonio, New Mexico the later a CNPA-wide trip. We also photographed at the Audubon Beidler Forest in Harleyville SC on several occasionsa truly wonderful location with lots of surprises. Our most exciting new and now very popular site is the Riverfront Park in Columbia. Here within minutes of the city's ing a return to Floridas Merritt Island. We center is an area with an abundance of wildlife, may visit the St. Augustine Alligator Farm in especially birds. Every year in the late winter the Spring. We will not meet or have trips in July or August but will have a training session in August which will be open to all of CNPA. We all look forward to the spring again with the River and Beidler again to be hot photographic spots. We welcome CNPA members from other regions to join us in any of our activities. Just sign up to get our emails and follow the events on the Midlands Forum.
Midlands
and early spring several varieties of birds congregate to feed on small fish such as shad that swim up to the Riverfront Park dam from the lakes below. When the feeding frenzy begins the photography, with much of it flight photography, is absolutely wild. Many species were photographed feeding in this location including: a variety of gulls, great blue herons, great egrets, cormorants, caspian terns and other birds. The park includes a walking path along the Broad river which allows those with patience and, of course, luck to photograph songbirds on location." CNPA Midlands was also honored to display our work at the Riverfront Parks First Annual Spider Lily Festival in late May. Our group is also fortunate to have the Riverbanks Zoo and Botanical Garden in Columbia, offering great opportunities to photograph a variety of animals and plants. We also have the Congaree National Park within our region with additional opportunities to photograph a wide variety of subjects. We are planning an exciting 2009. We will continue with our regular meeting schedule and have already scheduled some great trips includ-
The year 2008 was an exciting one for us; our membership grew to over 80 members. With so much to do, we set up committees to help with outings, education and events. We had such a great time working with Brookgreen Gardens last year where we assisted in setting up a Certified Habitat for Birds and Butterflies that we have decided to continue this fulfilling work! We also helped prepare the bird houses on the Brookgreen property for nesting season. We took an overnight trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina and we are planning more great outings for 2009! Our goal is to do 2-3 overnight trips to help broaden our horizons in the next year along with our local outings. Our region has been expanded to now include part of southeastern North Carolina. What an honor it is to span two states. In trying to keep up with change, we had another workshop (assisted by Coastal Carolina College and Mark Hilliard) on Adobe Photoshop and are planning more workshops for next year.
Myrtle Beach
The upstate region of CNPA includes the northwestern counties of South Carolina offering this region a multitude of photographic opportunities ranging from waterfalls to mountain landscapes and wildflowers. We have seen our membership continue to grow over the past year even after losing our meeting room. We are now meeting at a member's home as we continue to look for another location.
Upstate
Regional Round-Ups
All of the regions' activities are available to each CNPA member. Members are enrolled in their geographic region's emailing list when they join and they may enroll in other regions by going to the website and after logging in and being directed to the Member's Landing may there choose to receive email notices from other regions describing meetings, outings and various workshops. Make 2009 the year you expand your CNPA participation!
Our region meets monthly on Sunday evening and we are presently working on our 2009 schedule. Our outings have included wildflower shoots at Oconee Station State Park, fall and spring at Jones Gap State Park, Sunrise at Caesars Head State Park and fall foliage at Dupont State Park in Cedar Mountain NC. We are planning more overnight trips during the next year to include Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountain NP, Gary Carter's yard for songbird photography, Beidler Forest and Elk photography in the Cataloochee Valley.
Our monthly outings are always on the Saturday of the 3rd full weekend of each month and the meeting is the following Sunday of that same weekend. Since our group has grown so much we needed to change our meeting place and now we are meeting at the Waccamaw Nature Photography Centre in Litchfield. You can find directions on our website. This year we have decided to have more education and fun during our monthly meetings so we have brought back the image critique which will enable us to share our knowledge with our members. It promises to be an exciting year; we hope you can join us!
Kinship
Poems and photographs are kin Sharing the task of memory, Holding down an experience for unhurried scrutiny before it flutters away. Either may be memorized by the heart. Articulate poems, particulate photographs Variety in verisimilitude. Visualization. Imagination. Inspiration. Taken together, truth tethered and tied.
Photopoetics
Fledglings are a feisty lot
We fledglings are a feisty lot Since we dont know what weve got of innocence and pride. One day we will up and glide But now, regurgitated food Is all that suits our nesty mood. Its very hard to wait. By only foot to ambulate. To know youre just not ready, To be winged but leady. Its not that you can learn by drilling, Nor is it a matter of being willing. Most days theres just a lot of napping Amidst a bunch of noisy flapping. But then, Maturity comes as a gracious gift, undeserved, unearned, unlearned. Suddenly, a moment of clarity: Yes, it has come. We know we have grown up, And others know it, too. Blind optimism prevails. A foot on the edge, A leap forward, A weightlessness, On our own!
Bob Williams bobwilliams@sc.rr.com
1st Place Birds Chris Ogden
3rd Place Birds Mark Buckler 2nd Place Birds Bonnie Jones Members Choice 2008
3rd Place Captive Bruce Dickson 1st Place Captive Lisel Powell 2nd Place Captive Don Brown
Members Choice 2008

2nd Place Landscape Jennifer Rosemond
1st Place Landscape & Best of Show David Frolich 3rd Place Landscape Joe Hancock Members Choice 2008
1st Place Macro Warren Williamson
2nd Place Macro Robert Kemmerlin 3rd Place Macro John Schornak Members Choice 2008
1st Place Wildlife Forrest Roberts
2nd Place Wildlife Jeff Miller
3rd Place Wildlife Monica Hunter Members Choice 2008

DigitalNaturally
Question: How do you use a layer mask to extract a tough selection like a flower with lots of petals from an image? Answer: There are numerous ways to do this extraction but since using a layer mask was requested, thats what well do.
An Every Issue Presentation by Pam Barbour pam@pambarbour.com

Have a question about Photoshop or digital processing? Send me an email with your question and well get it answered in a CNPA newsletter. Identity of those asking the questions will be kept anonymous and questions are handled on a first-come, first-served basis.
First and foremost - Make a BACKUP COPY of your image file. Now, double click on the background layer to make it editable by making it into a layer. Next, we must select our flower object. We could use channels to help us do this, but thanks to a new tool in Photoshop CS3, making this type of selection isnt as difficult as it used to be; that tool being the Quick Selection tool (its paired with the Magic Wand in the tool palette). Using the Quick Selection tool and a small brush size to get to those tiny ends of the petals, hold down the mouse button and move over the flower image and watch the magic happen. In just a few seconds your flower object is selected. To tweak the selection, use the add or subtract options in the Options bar to add or remove parts of the flower object to finalize the selection. Now, to create our layer mask, in the Layers palette, select the icon at the bottom of the palette that has a circle within a square. Viola! You have extracted the flower from the background! With your new flower image, you can place the flower in another file, create another background or just save it for use later.
exploring the cnpa website

Finding your way around www.cnpa.org with Robert Kemmerlin membership@cnpa.org
The Website Map
An important and useful page for members to use on the website is the Website Map (Site Map). This page (reproduced below) has Website Map. pages that are(reproduced below) has a sections. The pages in the Members Only a link to all of the This page available arranged in convenient link to all of the pages section require you to use your password and arrangedaccess them. Click sections. Map on the Home Page. that are available and are user ID to in convenient on the Site The pages in the Many of the sites expand to include a large amount of information and are interactive with other members. When a site Members Only section require you to use your password and user ID to requires a procedure Clickfully Site Map on the Home Page at www.cnpa.org. access. to be on implemented (such as uploading a digital image), those procedures are explained in detail. For example, the Discussion Forum has twenty different forums in which members may participate. And while you need to be a member to have a Member Gallery, those galleries are available to non-members to browse and enjoy. You may be justifiably proud of your high quality, interactive website and promise yourself to participate more fully!
An important and useful page for members to use on the website is the
Website Map -
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Camera in the Wild Summer 2008 Camera in the Wild Winter 2009 21
A Photo Documentary:
Greenish Rat Snake Eating Prothonotary Warbler Chicks

Text & Photos by Ron Wright rwright14@sc.rr.com
oping to get one or two photos to possibly enter in the CNPA/Audubon SC photo contest, I had gone back to Beidler Forest the Sunday before Memorial Day. Arriving just before 8:30 a.m., I was waiting at the gate when Ann Shahid showed up to open the Audubon Center for the day. Soon I was inside signing in, when Randy Hargett, a CNPA member from Charlotte, arrived. Because this was Randys first visit to Beidler, Ann and I told him about some locations where he would have a good chance to get some worthwhile photos. One place was the so-called meeting tree, a large bald cypress with the boardwalk built around it. About 25 feet from this spot was a cypress knee that was home for a nest of prothonotary warblers. The nest had become popular with photographers and bird watchers, and we were regularly checking on the birds. But that morning we had no idea what we would be witnessing in just a few hours. I left the Audubon Center while Randy was still inside talking with Ann. Arriving at the fork in the boardwalk, instead of proceeding to the left to go to the nearby prothonotary nest, I took a right turn, hoping to encounter again the owl I had photographed the previous Friday. The barred owl was indeed out and about, feasting on crayfish he was nabbing from the murky swamp waters. After several shots (none of which were satisfactory), I continued my unhurried walk around the boardwalk loop. The day was becoming sunny, and I was seeing and hearing many prothonotary warblers, their distinctive tweet, tweet, tweet ringing through the cool, springtime Beidler Forest air. By mid-morning I had met several other bird-watchers and photographers. But except for a few mediocre prothonotary shots, I was getting very little to show for a morning in the swamp. Around 11:00 a.m. I approached the spur of the boardwalk leading to the meeting tree. Randy was there, and although his tripod was set up he was handholding his camera while shooting a nearby prothonotary. I walked up and asked him how the day was going, and he told me he had been at that one place all morning, watching the pair of prothonotary warblers as they were flying in and out of their nest in the cypress knee, bringing food to their babies inside. He said the mother and father birds had not been in the nest for about the last half hour, but were nearby in some trees. Before long another gentleman joined us. He was from Knoxville and also had his camera. The three of us were enjoying the pleasant spring weather and our conversation when we saw a greenish rat snake just a few feet away. It had spotted the prothonotary nest. Greenish rat snakes are very good swimmers and climbers, but these skills are not so good for the prothonotary warblers. The four-foot-long snake we were watching was stretching its long body out from a clump of roots towards another cypress knee. It then entered the water and quickly made its way towards the knee with the prothonotary warbler chicks inside. It hurriedly began to climb up the knee to the cavity, and its head went in. The mother and father birds were watching everything, and they were frantically calling out. The father bird swooped down towards the knee a few times, but to no avail. The snake was devouring his babies. Its head was going in and out of the cavity. One time we saw feathers sticking out of the snakes mouth, another time the little legs of one of the warbler chicks. This continued for several minutes, all the while being accompanied by the loud and very distressed tweet, tweet, tweet calls of the distraught parents. We, too, watched helplessly as the greenish rat snake consumed the small yellow birds in their nest. All we could do was photograph the disturbing event unfolding before us. In a short time the rat snake had finished its meal, and was writhing up the knee towards the top. It held its head up and opened its mouth wide, resetting its jaw after having disarticulated it in order to swallow its prey. We could see the lumps in its body, which only minutes before had been baby birds waiting in their home for their parents to bring them more food. The predator then slid down the knee and returned to the dark swamp water. It swam away. The three of us were stunned. None of us had ever witnessed an incident like this. But our consternation was nothing compared to the terror felt by the mother and father prothonotary warblers. They could do nothing but watch with alarm as the rat snake ate their babies, whom they had been feeding and nurturing for days while hoping to soon see them fledge. They were still hysterically flying from tree to tree, calling out for their chicks. But it was over. The mother landed on the top of a knee just below us. We continued shooting. Later, when examining my photos, I realized that although I have dozens of shots of prothonotary warblers, this was the first time I had seen one with its eyes tightly closed. She really appeared to be profoundly sad. I wonder if this is how she cried.
ell, what a surprise when we went to visit some old friends that live in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains near Denver! After visiting for a while, I was getting itchy to photograph as these dear friends live overlooking a large gully where we have seen elk and deer in the past. It was late afternoon and soon we were photographing a mule deer with her twin fawns! We asked if there were any other interesting animals around and soon we were photographing Red Foxes and their kits just a few blocks from their house. This year was the third year that the foxes had denned in a small culvert beneath the road. What an experience! Red Foxes are not always red with some being black or silver/black, but they always have a white tip on their tail. They den only to have their babies, and generally have about five kits. The parents start to deliver mice etc. at about three months so that the kits can learn how to eat and hunt. The family of foxes we observed included a red mom (vixen), a black/silver father and three black and two red kits. These foxes seemed very healthy, but we did not approach them (or them us) directly which is important as these animals can carry rabies and, in addition, we didnt want to disturb them. We have photographed at this site in the early summer for two years and have seen the mother, and especially the kits, as rambunctious, playful, very curious and seemingly unafraid of much larger animals like a mule deer buck in velvet that two of the kits circled and ran at before the buck put his head down and charged leaving the kits scurrying for their den. On another occasion the vixen walked in the high grass adjacent to a lady walking two very large and leashed dogs. Soon the mother was circling the dogs and moving along with them as they walked down the road. I am not sure if the mother was playing, just tormenting them or trying to get the dogs away from one of the two entrances to the den/culvert in which the kits had taken cover. Most of our photography was done just prior to and after sunrise and sunset in relatively optimal light. One evening we were sitting in our car (our blind), adjacent to and within 30 feet of the culverts opening, with Joanne and I at the windows and our friends on the passenger side relaxing and drinking coffee. We had spent a lot of time observing the behaviors of the kits and their parents and hoped to capture an image of a kit or parent coming out of the culvert/pipe. After only a few minutes we began to hear whimpers, grunts and low growling coming from the culvert, and it wasnt long until out popped one of the kits. What a neat experience that was! Out came two more with these kits beginning to play just above the culvert. This year we were so thankful for being able to shoot at ISO 1600 and even 3200 as the light was getting very poor after sunset. Regardless of what we did, flash resulted in very unnatural steely eye, even with the power cut back and the flash off the cameras hot shoe. We were also able to watch the parents bring food to the kits, with the mother most active in that regard. She would disappear for a short while and then reappear with a small rabbit or mouse. The kits saw her coming and quickly ran to her, readily accepting the food and promptly running to the den to eat. The father came on one occasion with what looked like a small mouse that was still making sounds and handed it off to one of two kits who promptly dropped it, with the mouse scurrying into the tall grass. You could tell that dad was not happy with the two kits, quickly dropping into a submissive mode and slinking off to the den with the father looking on in apparent disapproval. The mother provided much of the childcare, training, and the food, with the father surfacing only occasionally with food. The kits seemed to enjoy play fighting each other and their mother and she with them. At times however the fighting stopped suddenly and the mother began to groom her youngsters. The kits were fascinating to watch as they ran and chased each other. The adults and their kits were so much like dogs. The time we spent going to the den site, at various times of the day, allowed us to observe and get to know the kits and their parents. Soon they seemed rather comfortable with us either sitting in the car (our blind) or standing next to the car. Learning the behavior of the foxes, the times they were most active, when to try and move (a little) and when to not move became apparent. It was also very helpful to use relatively fast autofocus zoom lenses with Vibration Reduction, as was the ability to shoot at high ISOs. The action changed from minute to minute and you just never knew what they would do or where they would pop up next. It was so nice to see how the residents of the housing development took these very beautiful animals in stride and did not feel threatened by them or their behavior. Our friends did mention that when new families moved into the mountain community their pet cats didnt generally last for over three months! In fact, there were a few lost cat signs on the bulletin board at the entrance to the development. The only question now is if the foxes will den again in that same culvert next spring so that Joanne and I can return to observe, laugh, appreciate and, of course, photograph these magnificent animals and their behaviors.
Foxy in Suburbia
Text & Photos by
Don & Joanne Wuori

MrSisu@aol.com
hotographing flying subjects can be a real challenge for most photographers. It doesnt matter if it is ducks, songbirds, shore birds or insects, they are all extremely hard to capture in flight. It sometimes takes days or weeks of practice to be able to follow a flying bird, much less something as small as a bee. They are as fast as greased lightning! One of the ways I capture flying subjects such as hummingbirds and songbirds is by using what is known as a photo trap. A good friend of mine, who lives in Arizona, Bill Forbes, makes a black box known as the The Photo Trap. You may have heard of the Photo Trap (www.phototrap.com) or another product known as the Dale Beam. In simple terms, once set up these devices will trip your camera when the subject enters or crosses the emitted beam. They work similarly to a hunting camera that is set up on game trails to document what is visiting the area and the time of day or night of those visitations. They are not a camera, but rather a device that hooks to your camera and allows you to capture subjects in ways that are not possible with your trying to trip the shutter on the camera yourself. Joe and Mary Ann McDonald (www.hoothollow.com) have been using these devices for years. You may have read some of their articles about them or you may have attended one of their workshops. They have used both the Dale Beam and the Photo Trap and like the ease of setting up the Photo Trap. The Dale Beam seems to be more directional and not as versatile as the Photo Trap. Setting up the Photo Trap and trying to figure out exactly where you want the subject in the photo when the unit trips your camera is the biggest challenge. I dont know of any set formula other than practice, practice and more practice. Unless you have beginner's luck or a fancy well-oiled horseshoe, you may wonder whatever possessed you to try this type of photography. Ive been disappointed with my results more times than I want to remember. Robert Smith, a fellow photographer, recently visited Bill Forbes and I asked Robert to learn all he could from Bill about setting up the Photo Trap and then teach me the tricks of the trade. We got together after his visit with Bill and some of the tips he learned from Bill helped with setting up the unit. From two to six flash units are normally used when doing this type of photography. I typically use five or more flash units. Digital cameras and wireless flash units have made the use of devices like the Photo Trap far easier to use than in days gone by. I can remember burning a lot of film only to realize I didnt have any usable images. With the use of higher ISO settings of 1000 to 3200 (with low noise or grain) in the newer digital cameras and being able to see instantly on the LCD screen what Ive got makes it much simpler, especially when Im setting up the unit. I can tell if my flash units are lighting the area correctly, what my background looks like in the photo, and the point where my subject will trip the device. This is a big help toward capturing the photo Ive got in mind. It also helps reduce the amount of time spent in photo shop and sure beats waiting for film to come back from the processor, not to mention trying to remember how I took the photo when I see it on film. If you decide to try this type of photography, you wont use all of those bells and whistles on your digital SLR or the TTL functions of your flash units for the most part. Set the camera on manual, pick the ISO you want to use, set the shutter speed to 1/1000th of a second or higher to stop some of the action, take the lens off of auto focus, and set the flash units to manual (not TTL). Next, set up your equipment, hook up the Photo Trap, and do your test shots. Then move away and watch to make sure the unit is tripping when it should and check to make sure youve got enough depth of field (usually set the lens on f8-f16) to cover your subject. If it looks good, youre ready to do something else while the Photo Trap trips the camera. One of the nice things about using the Photo Trap is that it lets you photograph birds coming into feeders while you work on something else or photograph somewhere else. In fact, Im taking hummingbird photos while Im writing this story! The Photo Trap is a great tool to use and allows you to take photos that otherwise would be hard to capture. Im always surprised and delighted with the images. Thanks to Bill Forbes for coming up with another great tool to help us capture these faster than greased lightning subjects.
Fast As Greased Lightning
Text & Photos by
Gary & Janice Carter
gary@garycarterphotos.com
Do we see what we reflect or do we reflect what we see?

Text & Photos by
Bill Jordan
billjordan@darkness-to-light.com
ust off the Ice Fields Parkway twenty-five miles north of Lake Louise in Banff National Park sits Bow Summit. Look north from Bow Summit to see 1,000 feet below the aqua-colored Peyto Lake setting in the u-shaped high alpine Mistaya Valley carved by glaciers over millions of years and softened by its perennial green carpet of pine, spruce, hemlock, Douglas-fir, and white red-cedar. In Peyto Lake we see what we reflect. Its bluegreen hue depends as much upon the function of the human eye as upon the physical nature of the lake. Peyto Lakes unique color is the result of the surrounding glacier's continual grinding the bedrock on which they rest. This perpetual motion produces a fine silt, know as glacial flour, that is carried into the lake via the main tributary system at the west end. This glacial flour suspended in the water absorbs the entire spectrum of light from the sun except blue and green. Our eyes, in turn, meld the reflected blue and green into aqua. So, in one sense, our eyes define the waters turquoise color; we see only what our eyes reflect. Along with mirroring the Valley of the Ten Peaks, Moraine Lake nourishes our innate human desire for rugged, natural beauty, coloring forever our perception of the penultimate alpine setting. This rustic vista not only long echoes in the minds of all who visit, but also for many years graced the Canadian $20 bill. As I captured this image some 45 years since my last visit, I realized nothing had changed. Even though these mountains are blurred by the slight movement of the lakes surface, this scene remained crystal clear in my mind for almost half a century. Did the forbidding cliffs of the Wenkchemna Mountains rest totally unchanged for all those years, or did my perception allow me to see only what I remembered? Do we age in concert with nature? With both the mountains and the glacier named for the longest reigning Queen of England and the lake for her fourth daughter, this regal setting is one of the most familiar mountain vistas in the world. As the first golden rays of sunlight touch glacier-capped Mount Victoria, Lake Louise perfectly records the event on her mirrored surface. Wedged between Fairview Mountain on the left and the Big Beehive on the right, this massive icepack sits upon the Plain of Six Glaciers frequently spreading thunder throughout the valley with its periodic avalanches. Is there a hint of our innate human majesty reflected here? Remnants of a much larger lake that occupied this section of the Bow Valley 10,000 years ago, today Vermilion Lake barely survives with the little water it receives from both a few dwindling springs and the annual flood from the Bow River. Eventually, the lake with its surroundings will revert back into the forest from whence it came millions of years ago. It is almost as if Mt. Ruddle to the left and Sanson Peak are peering into the Vermilion mirror watching the transformation themselves. Do we stand as witnesses to our own transformations? Moraine Lake Road, built in 1899 shortly after the areas first thorough exploration, links the lakes Moraine and Louise. Rushing beneath Moraine Lake Road on its swift journey to join the Bow River, Paradise Creek prohibits any reflection of the pristine forest through which it flows. Does our speed inhibit any reflection on the world through which we pass? From the blue-green splendor of Peyto lake to the rugged beauty of Moraine Lake to the breath-taking majesty of Lake Louise to the pervasive serenity of Vermilion Lakes to the enduring energy of Paradise Creek, we return to our initial query: Do we mirror nature or does nature mirror us?
The Eagles of Homer, Alaska
Bruce & Mary Lou Dickson

Regional Coordinators, CNPA Triangle Region bruce@brucedicksonphotography.com
Homer, Alaska advertises itself as the Halibut Capital of the World. It is located on Kachemak Bay, which is on the southwest side of Kenai Peninsula, about 130 miles southwest of Anchorage. Homer is known for its great fishing, and many people travel to Homer during the summer for the fishing each year. Homer is also known as one of the worlds premier locations to get up close and personal with American Bald Eagles. This claim to fame is largely due to one of Homers more famous residents, Jean Keene, the Eagle Lady, and involves one of the most distinguishing features of Homer, the Homer Spit. The Homer Spit is a long narrow strip of land that extends out into the bay. The Spit is large enough to support permanent structures, fishing docks and a paved road. More than half of the spit was lost in the Good Friday Earthquake and resulting tsunami in March 1964. Besides losing actual land, the spit also lost most of its vegetation. However, the resourceful natives saved most of the big trees that once grew on the spit and have re-seated them as eagle perches. They may look a little strange, though, since it was easier to reset them upside down. Jean Keene is known as the Eagle Lady because she has been feeding hundreds of wild bald eagles during the winter and early spring months on Homers Spit for the last 30 years. Jean was born in Minnesota, where she was a trick rider in traveling rodeos, until an accident permanently ended her rodeo career. Eventually, Jean decided to move to Alaska and drove her RV from Minnesota, parking at the Homer Spit Campground, where it remains to this day. At some point, she started feeding eagles outside her RV with scraps from the fish processing plant where she worked, much like she fed song birds in Minnesota. So what started out as a simple, personal act of feeding the wild birds outside her door has grown into a yearly ritual which involves crowds of people and hundreds of pounds of fish. Unfortunately, it has not remained personal, as it has drawn criticism from various groups concerned with the changing of the eagles behavior, possible spread of disease and the general feeling that the eagles are becoming a nuisance. As a result of the criticism, the Homer City Council passed an ordinance in 2006 that prohibits feeding of eagles inside city limits. However, the city council granted Jean an exemption, giving her
permission to feed eagles inside the city limits until April 2010. The eagles around Jeans compound can be photographed from two principal locations. The parking lot to the right has opportunities for both flight shots and portraits of perching eagles. This is where an SUV is required. The vehicles are backed in to the parking spaces (the prime spots are quietly taken by 7am) and the photographers sit in the back with tripods on the ground, and the tailgate acting as a safety shield. A popular anecdote tells of a careless photographer moving between vehicles who was felled by a five pound halibut head dropped by a passing eagle. Jean has a good view of the parking lot and strictly enforces the stay in your vehicle rule. The other good shooting location is from the beach. Photographers must be careful to avoid Jeans wrath by staying behind an invisible line in the sand. This vantage point offers good action shots of eagles heading out over the water to eat their fish on the wing. Frequent mid air skirmishes occur as opportunistic birds attempt to hijack each others catch. Jean may occasionally invite a small group into her compound during the feeding. While this is not a particularly good location in the morning as the eagles are back lit, our group leader was able to set up an afternoon feeding session which gave us a great setup for close ups of perching eagles sidelit by the late afternoon sun. Each feeding session lasts about an hour. When the food supply is gone, or the eagles are full, they perch on upturned trees, power poles, building roofs and on the beach itself. A few take off across the water, but generally they sit around with an I ate too much expression. While it is feasible to go it alone, there are significant benefits in going to Homer with an organized group, especially one where the group leader is familiar with the best shooting locations and conditions. Our leader, Charles Glatzer, has been going to Homer for several years and supports Jeans efforts with regular donations of fish.. Jean receives extensive support from the photographic community who over the years have provided her with a cabin to replace her aging RV, and a new truck to haul fish from the processing plant. Getting to Homer from the Carolinas is not particularly difficult, just a long day's travel. Northwest Airlines has flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul from both Raleigh/ Durham and Asheville, connecting with nonstop flights to Anchorage. On arrival in Anchorage, a long walk takes you to the commuter terminal for the 30 minute flight to Homer on an Era Airlines turboprop aircraft. Photographers should note that Era will request that you gate check all rolling camera cases. However, at the front door of the aircraft is a closet which will hold three typical roller bags. First come first served, and talk nicely to the copilot who doubles as the cabin attendant. Car rental is available from Hertz, National and a couple of local companies. As mentioned above, an SUV is recommended. The outbound trip to Homer can be done in one day, however on the return an overnight layover is necessary. We took an evening flight from Homer to Anchorage and then an early flight to Minneapolis the next morning. Accommodation is available at several small hotels. The aptly named Lands End Resort sits at the very end of Homer Spit and is a short walk from the eagle feeding area. The views of snow capped mountains across the bay are breathtaking, and several species of waterfowl can be photographed from the beach. Cruising for moose is another popular pastime between eagle shoots. Homer is a destination that should excite any serious nature photographer. However, the clock is ticking, and unless the city fathers of Homer have second thoughts, time runs out in less than two years.
Pixels to priNT Bring your photos to life!

An every-issue column by Chris Ogden Email Chris at CNPAnews@InTheMomentImages.com
Preparing Your Photos Print File to Create Beautiful Gallery Wrapped Canvas Art!
allery wrapped canvas prints are a terrific way to bring many of your photos to life. They are best made by using inkjets to print directly on archival canvas (some call them gicles). The canvas is then wrapped around an internal frame of stretcher bars and affixed to the back. When hung on a wall, the boxs sides protrude from the wall, showing its printed edges. The resulting artwork has depth and shows the viewers art from all angles. Also, with no glass barrier, the canvas provides a more direct, experiential connection between viewer and art. The result can be stunning and considered ready to hang. This newsletters issue excerpts the Preparing Your Gallery Wrapped Print File portion of our comprehensive eBook (available from our website, listed at the end of this article). Gallery wraps need edges to wrap. Start with a dedicated, flattened Print File and determine how wide the edges need to be for the particular stretcher bars being used (see the eBook for details). Then, create the edges using one of the following methods
1. Crop from Image this is by far the best option, because it uses parts of the original photo for the wrapped edges, making the edges seamless extensions of the visible image on the front. This makes a terrific viewing experience. HOWEVER, the net effect is to crop the main image. Thus, it only works if the image has been composed in camera with enough play to crop (ie, leaving enough to wrap), without negatively impacting the main images integrity. Currently though, since many photographers strive hard to fill their cameras frame with their subject, net-new borders usually have to be added to account for the wrapped edges. Thus, lets IP: As a general rule, even the very best 35mm explore some of the many options that abound for creating the borders lenses lose sharpness/resolving power as one goes content. They range from the compelling, to the distracting, to the to the lens edges. With the ever-lowering price point downright tawdry... of todays high megapixel, full frame SLRs, one might
2. Solid Color this is the easiest/fastest method of adding new pixels for borders. Simply increase your canvas size to add 2 (or whatever edge width you need) all around, select the new space, and fill with the color of your choice. Many use the eyedropper to pick a relatively dark, complimentary color from within the image. If you want to go bolder, then fill with a complementary color instead (check out color theory resources for color pairing ideas).
consider purposely composing shots more loosely, with the intention to crop the desired photo from the middle of the captured image (ie, from the optimal part of the lens). This approach would both maximize the printable sweet spot (ie, from the lens center) and would leave the rest of the photos content for you to use as seamless canvas gallery wrap borders.
3. Filled Pattern/Texture similar to the solid color method, fill the border with a pattern or use a noise or other filter to create your own. Textures are also used sometimes, but we advise using them only when they are in context and harmony with the photo type and subject matter. For example, adding pebble texture edges to a fine art piece would most likely send mixed messages and diminish the arts perceived worth; however, adding balloon edges to a kids birthday party shot might be just the ticket. 4. Stretching Image Edges an unfortunate number of canvas print vendors use this method where they simply select parts of the image and then stretch them to create wrappable edges. Most of the time, it just creates unbelievable, distracting distortions as normal proportions are mutated (and the human eye is quite good at spotting such anomalies).
IP: If you use Photoshop, the new CS4 version has some really whiz-bang techno-magic in its content-aware scaling. Depending on your photos content, it can allow constrained upsizing from non-critical image data to create seamless borders, sans cropping!
5. Borders Extending into the Photos Front were not sure we like this option as a rule, but the best weve seen in this genre extended a solid color edge to the front, creating a border around the image that framed it visually. I suppose its just a matter of time before people start to try and use photo-realistic mat and frame molding looks (remembering back to the early days of Macintosh and the overuses of ransom note fonts, or the early days of the Web and the blink tag, do we sigh or laugh?). Unless youre a trompe loeil expert 6. Cloning Edges where the edge of the visible image has abstract, repetitive, or general color-fields, simply cloning more content can work well. Its often readily applicable to blue skies, water, sand, etc. However, it can be tricky to create a seamless, non-artificially manipulated look for significantly large areas. 7. Mirroring Image Edges overall, if cropping is not an option, weve found this option provides the best combination of visual effectiveness and ease of implementation. One simply selects the 2 inches from a given side (using a constrained selection tool), duplicates the layer, flips the edge, moves the mirrored edge to the images outside edge, increases the canvas size to include the additional image, flattens, and repeats for the other three edges. The result is an enlarged photo, with mirrored edges, ready for printing and wrapping. You might benefit from the Photoshop Action we wrote to automate many of these steps (a free download from our website).
CAUTION: Be sure to check any resulting mirrored edges for obviously duplicated elements that would disproportionately draw the viewers eye (eg, the upside repeating of the top of a portraits head, the resumption of the horizon in the midst of sky, etc.). To remove the distracting items, well usually clone them out, use the gradient tool to fill (watching out for any resulting unnatural hard lines), or use the border stretching method (above) on just the offending portion. We do any such changes on a non-destructive, separate layer (just like you, right?).
Adding Crop Marks (for edge alignment to stretcher bars) Once youve created your edges, you may want to add crop marks to help correctly align the canvas to the stretcher bars. Drawing on my prepress/desktop publishing days of Aldus PageMaker 1.0, we wrote another Photoshop Action (a free website download) which will automatically create four pairs of crop marks in the corners The marks show where to fold and are visible on about any printed image (ie, white rectangles with black hairlines). Getting Creative with Panels Lastly, another canvas processing trend is to break a single image into a mosaic of canvases. A take-off on the 17th century diptychs and 18th century triptychs is to split a single photo into pieces to create multiple, gallery wrapped panels that work together as one. Your imagination (and taste) is the only limit. Weve seen images sliced into vertical strips, horizontal strips, and even into 4 panel grids (quads). Fortunately, we havent seen any octs (not yet anyway)! Thats it youre ready to print your canvas! For questions, head over to: CNPA user forums: http://www.cnpa.org/cnpabb/showthread.php?t=1636 To download supplemental materials (and the full eBook), check out: http://InTheMomentImages.com/cnpa/
Until next time, get out, shoot, and bring some of your photos to life!
[Chris Ogden is a professional fine art photographer and educator offering print sales, digital darkroom technique workshops, and photo safaris both near and far (North Carolina, Death Valley, Guatemala, Iceland, Antarctica, etc.). Chris is a principal of In the Moment Images, Inc. based in Durham, North Carolina. 2008 www.InTheMomentImages.com]
C N P A P R 0 S E R V I C E S
Jennifer Weinburg Graver Jennifer Weinburg Photography www.jenniferweinberg.com jennifer@jenniferweinberg.com 919.609.1040 Teaching private and group workshops currently at Duke Gardens and NCSU Crafts Center. Emphasis on nature, floral macro and landscape photography from beginner to advanced, including Photoshop. Studio in downtown Raleigh offering prints & art. Susan Stanton, Photographer www.SusanStanton.com Sales@SusanStanton.com 828.808.1414 Full-time nature photographer in WNC available for commissioned works, printing large format pieces in both traditional and canvas formats, waterfall field trips, and matting and framing workshops. Offering prints from her website. Melissa Southern Melissa Southern Photography Naturescapes Photography Workshops www.melissasouthern.com www.naturescapesphotoworkshops.com melissa@melissasouthern.com 919.291.0111 Award-winning photographer teaching photography skills independently and through Naturescapes Photography Workshops with Vinny Colucci. Member of Nikon Professional Services, Wimberly Professional Services and a sponsored Lowepro photographer.s Margaret Van Bulck Smith Van Bulck Photography www.vanbulckphotography.com margaretvb@sc.rr.com 803.491.7791 Nature and wildlife photographer conducting instructional workshops in nature photography and Photoshop for small groups or one-on-one. Field trip leader and gallery exhibitions and print sales located at Pawleys Island and Bishopville, S.C. Chris Ogden In The Moment Images www.InTheMomentImages.com cnpadir@ChrisOgden.com 919.949.6037 Fine art photographer and educator offering large format photograph printing (typically 2x3 to 4x5) in order to provide the viewer with an immersive experience. Offering classroom workshops and photo safaris; also authors regular CNPA articles on printing. Don O'Connor Don O'Connor Nature Photography bwanadon@earthlink.net 843.869.2629 Offering photographic safaris for adventurous trekkersNamibia, South Africa and Botswanasome of the most out-of-the-way places as well as the best of the great parksnot for the faint-hearted! Charles Needle Charles Needle Photography www.charlesneedlephoto.com charles@charlesneedlephoto.com 770.752.8566 Specializing in "The Art of Nature: Creative Macro Photography" workshops in his backyard garden studio north of Atlanta and in other domestic and international venues. Fuji Talent Team member and widely sought after camera club presenter. Kenny and Sue McKeithan Palmetto Photographic Workshops www.palmettophotographicworkshops.net palmettophoto@bellsouth.net 843.324.6787 Providing on-location photography workshops, private and classroom instruction in basic photography, outdoor photography, Photoshop, Lightroom and other topics. On-location instruction at some of the Southeast's most picturesque locations. Don McGowan EarthSong Photography Photography with Heart Workshops www.EarthSongPhotography.com www.PhotographywithHeartWorkshops.com don@earthsongphotography.com 828.235.8850 Offers weekend and week-long workshops across the U.S. and especially the Great Smoky Mountains (and the national park) and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Instruction through multimedia presentations and one-on-one coaching and tours. Fine art and stock prints. Sol Levine Nature's Images by Sol www.naturesimagesbysol.com naturpix@mindspring.com 919.453.2653 Offering outdoor photography workshops in various venues especially for beginners-to-intermediates. Nature and wildlife photos and photo notecards available at wildlife shows and galleries. Bill Lea Bill Lea Nature Photography www.BillLea.com bears@dnet.net 828.369.6044 Teaching workshops and guiding nature photography tours with a special emphasis on the Great Smoky Mountains, Blue Ridge Parkway and Cades Cove, North Carolina, emphasizing bears and deer. Publisher of several nature photography books. Dave Kelly DEK Photography www.dekphotography.com info@dekphotography.com 704.996.2709 Conducts classes on digital SLR photography and Photoshop and Lightroom. Leads photographic safaris to Africa and Yellowstone National Park. Also teaches classes at Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden in Belmont, N.C. (near Charlotte). Bill Jordan Darkness-to-Light www.darkness-to-light.com billjordan@darkness-to-light.com 803.932.9540 Offering individual and group hands-on instruction indoors and in the field in all phases of digital photography covering the whole workflow spectrum from capture, editing, archiving and printing. Also color management synchronization of your total workplace. Robert Hunter Guale Coastal Excursions www.guale.net info@guale.net 706.533.6552 Providing boat tours to undeveloped barrier islands of Georgia and South Carolina to enable photographic exploration of ocean beach and dunes, climax maritime forest and other seldom-matched opportunities for nature photography.
C N P A P R 0 S E R V I C E S
Bob Grytten Bob Grytten Photography bobgry@aol.com 828.627.0245 Provides hands-on workshops for small groups and programs and guided activities throughout the Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Authors photo/text packages and images for magazines and newspapers. Charles Glatzer Shoot the Light, Inc. www.shootthelight.com info@shootthelight.com 828.891.4082 Conducts comprehensive series of nature photography workshops designed to enhance visionary skills and technical execution. Special emphasis on creating dynamic images and the use of light. Author of many instructional magazine articles and texts. Doug Gardner Doug Gardner Wildlife Photography, Inc. www.douggardner.com www.wildphotoadventures.com doug@totallyoutdoorsimaging.com 803.473.3414 Guides Wild Wings Photo Adventures field trips and is host/producer for Wild Photo Adventure TV series (various viewing times on Public Television networks). Publisher of several nature and wildlife photography books. Bruce Dickson Dickson Images www.dicksonimages.com bruce@dicksonimages.com 919.656.7560 A professional underwater photographer and scuba instructor conducting a variety of workshops and seminars in individual and group settings. Travel services include group and personal trips to worldwide destinations. Equipment sales and service available. Jamie Konarski Davidson New Life Photos www.newlifephotos.com jamie@newlifephotos.com 252.327.4567 Offering one-day and weekend photography workshops, individual instruction, seminars and programs that explore the natural treasures of central and eastern North Carolina. Special emphasis on macro and close-up digital SLR imagery. Vinny Colucci Photography by Vinny Colucci Naturescapes Photography Workshops www.vinnycolucci.com www.naturescapesphotoworkshops.com vcolucci@vinnycolucci.com 252.349.1121 Conducting photography workshops through Naturescapes Photography Workshops (a joint venture with Melissa Southern). Member of Nikon Professional Service Team, Wimberly Professional Services and a sponsored Lowepro photographer. Don Cohen DLC Photography www.dlcphoto.com dlc@dlcphoto.com 704.664.6077 Photography workshops to Costa Rica, Brazil, the Amazon and other locations, covering basic and advanced skills (with a particular emphasis on birds), digital workflow including Photoshop. Small groups optimize individual experience with personal tutorials. Gary & Janice Carter "For Everything There Is A Season" Photo Weekends www.garycarterphotos.com gary@garycarterphotos.com 336.621.1049 Individual and small group show-and-tell instruction with down-home hospitality at a unique 3 1/2 acre backyard especially designed for photographing naturebirds, butterflies, flowers, insects and other critters. On-site loans of some equipment available. James F. Caldwell The Elusive Image www.elusiveimage.net jamesfc@tampabay.rr.com 727.771.9686 Offering reasonably priced instructional photography workshops to various locations, including Central America, Ecuador, Peru, Turkey and soon a trip to western Canada to photograph bears. Mark Buckler Mark Buckler Photography www.markbucklerphotography.com mark@markbucklerphotography.com 252.599.6275 Specializing in wildlife, nature and landscape photography of coastal N.C. Provides instructional photo tours, workshops and presentations. Background as a teacher and wildlife biologist gives him an edge in the field. Richard Bernabe Richard Bernabe Photography www.richardbernabe.com bernabephoto@gmail.com 864.270.0919 Conducts dozens of in-the-field workshops with a strong emphasis on landscape images, learning how to use the digital technology in the camera to best express personal vision. Author of several books and calendars, including Canon's corporate desk calendar. Dilip Barman Vibrant Memories Photography www.vibrant-memories.com dilip@vibrant-memories.com 919.943.8784 Teaches a formal Adobe Lightroom 2.0 curriculum at the Carboro (N.C.) Arts Center in addition to shooting workshops, multimedia classes and photography seminars. Commercial portrait and event photographer. Pam Barbour www.pambarbour.com pam@pambarbour.com 800.851.1584 Teaching Photoshop and digital techniques in groups and one-on-one. Conducts photography workshops on dude ranches in Montana and other nature and wildlife workshops. Author of the regular CNPA newsletter article on digital photography. Kevin Adams Kevin Adams Photo www.kadamsphoto.com kevin@kevinadamsphoto.com 336.841.8308 Author of many nature and wildlife photography field guides and books for photographers and naturalists, offering workshops, seminars and talks on shooting techniques, especially in the field. An accomplished camera club event organizer.
Carolinas Nature Photographers Association
2009 Annual Meeting featuring
FRANS LANTING
Renowned Nature Photographer
Charlotte Hilton University Place Charlotte, North Carolina
March 1215, 2009

2009 Jan Handbook

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Camera WILD

CAROLINAS NATURE PHOTOGRAPHERS ASSOCIATION WINTER 2009 HANDBOOK EDITION

David Frolich 2008 Members Choice Best of Show

2009 Handbook Edition

See you at the annual meeting!

Links to Regional Websites at www.cnpa.org 2 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

March 1215, 2009

OTHER SESSION PRESENTERS INCLUDE:

2009 Annual Meeting Presenter

Every Picture Tells a Story

Life: A Journey Through Time

4 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

2009 Annual Meeting Presenter

Camera in the Wild Winter 2009 5

2009 Annual Meeting Presenter

6 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

2009 Annual Meeting Presenter

The Re-Discovering America Project

America From 500 Feet II

Camera in the Summer 2008 7 Camera in the WildWild Winter 2009 7

The Land of CNPA

8 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

10 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

Camera in the Wild Winter 2009 11

12 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

Camera in the Wild Winter 2009 13

Bob Williams bobwilliams@sc.rr.com

1st Place Birds Chris Ogden

Members Choice 2008

2nd Place Landscape Jennifer Rosemond

1st Place Macro Warren Williamson

1st Place Wildlife Forrest Roberts

2nd Place Wildlife Jeff Miller

3rd Place Wildlife Monica Hunter Members Choice 2008

An Every Issue Presentation by Pam Barbour pam@pambarbour.com

20 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

exploring the cnpa website

The Website Map

Greenish Rat Snake Eating Prothonotary Warbler Chicks

Don & Joanne Wuori

Camera in the Wild Winter 2009 23

Fast As Greased Lightning

Text & Photos by

Gary & Janice Carter

Do we see what we reflect or do we reflect what we see?

The Eagles of Homer, Alaska

Bruce & Mary Lou Dickson

Pixels to priNT Bring your photos to life!

28 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

30 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

2009 Annual Meeting featuring

Charlotte Hilton University Place Charlotte, North Carolina

March 1215, 2009

32 Carolinas Nature Photographers Association

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