A Notch Above Photography Club
Minutes
July 13, 2019

The July 13th meeting of the Notch Above Camera Club convened at 1:05 with Tim, Mary, Bill, Mike and Scott present.  Soon arriving were Bob and daughter, Jennifer.  We were very pleased to welcome Chris who happens to be our first member who actually resides in Bethlehem.

As is our usual practice when a new member is present each person provided a self introduction and Chris then provided basic background info and we got to know a little more about him.

The Treasurer’s report indicated a balance of $325.21.  Thanks, Bob.

Scott was prepared to discuss use of On1 and Topaz Studio in order to create Photo Art.  It was soon determined that internet connectivity issues were involved with access to Topaz Studio being severely degraded.  Scott will attempt to provide a work around solution for a later meeting to better demonstrate the use of Topaz Studio and in particular AI Clear.

The subject of this cycle’s Photo Contest was Open.  Scott emerged as the winner with his macro lens image of 2 Geraniums.  Bill, thanks for your involvement with the voting process.

The subject for the July – August Photo contest is “Old & Abandoned.”  This can include abandoned barns, cars, buildings or anything that has been abandoned.

Next, Bill provided an image of his favorite photo, a mountain scene captured near Colorado Springs, CO.  Bill cited details of this composition to include camera settings and post processing steps.  Members had numerous questions which Bill was pleased to address.

Next discussed were topics and activities for our August and September meetings.

August:  Astral Photography – Bill                                                                                                                                                                                                           B&W Capture and Processing – Tim                                                                                                                                                                                                     Quick Share (15 min) Custom White Balance – Mike

September:  Helpful Camera Techniques (e.g. back button focusing)                                                                                                                                      Mini Field Trip to Coffin’s Pond

July 19th was agreed upon for our field trip to St Gauden’s National Historical Park in Cornish, NH.  Members will meet in the main parking lot (rain or shine) at 3:00 PM and tour the grounds.  Admission is $10 for those without a pass.  Those planning to attend (Scott, Bob, Bill, Mary and Tim) indicated interest in supper together afterwards.

According to our agenda we next broke into small groups where experienced members could instruct those less familiar regarding the power and versatility of On1.  As a first time activity this proved to be a very successful endeavor.  Small group “over the shoulder” mentoring is a great way to introduce post processing techniques and will be evaluated for inclusion in future meetings.

We are always eager to identify future topics of interest.  Scott suggested for consideration

Tone Curve, Masking, Organizing On1 ( Catalogs, albums, filters, keywords, etc.), Printing, Resizing        Establishing contact with other local photo clubs for activity suggestions and possible social interaction.

The meeting adjourned at 3:40 . Thanks to Tim, Mary, Bill, Bob, Jennifer, Mike, Scott, and new member Chris for their contributions.