The 2nd Annual DHCC Gallery Show is now in progress in the Dixie Heights Art Gallery.  The gallery opening reception was held to spectacular reviews. 

Artists are:  Mallory Zeller (7th grade), Ashely Mason, Quentin Gaille, Emma Lawson, Marlie Rife, Miranda Brewer, Clare Collins, and Amber Sapp (club mentor).

Special thanks to Mrs Terri Schatzman (art teacher), Miranda Brewer, and Clare Collins, who curated the show this year.

The new year of DHCC has kicked off and is very awesome so far.  We met in September with a cookout and photo scavenger hunt.  After inhaling the burgers, brats, veggie burgers, cookies, and sodas, we went out in search of photos for the hunt.  The challenge?  Find the best image of concepts like:

Miranda Brewer poses to demonstrate the concept "A Bad Smell"

• A Bad Smell
• Uniform
• Spell it Out
• Bribe
• Rhythm
• Robot
• Battle
• Out of Place
• Indulgence

After the hunt, we piled in the Dixie Pit to review everyone’s photos.  Congrats to Miranda Hiles and Emma Lawson – the Club’s two newest members – who were voted by the Club members as most creative!  

You can see photos from the scavenger hunt at the DHCC Flickr Page.  

There’s also a Dixie Heights Flickr Group where you can post your images of DHCC activities.

The next camera club meeting will be on MONDAY, APRIL 28, 2008 at DHHS. Meet in the library at 2:30pm, right after school.

The meeting will be a special portrait shoot with a theme: MUSIC. You’ll each be playing the role of photographer, model, and assistant. You’ll have various props, backdrops, and lighting available to you. You’ll also have a few assignments to practice on that day.

Bring your own favorite music items: guitars, drums, rock concert tee-shirts, headphones, CDs, MP3 players, cellos, tambourines, cymbals, accordions, xylophones, West African kora, spoons, washboard, even your own VOICE!

Feel free to come dressed for the part, complete with punk rock hair, black eyeliner, gold teeth, wigs, etc.

We haven’t had an after school meeting for a while, so let’s make this a long one. We’ll shoot from 2:30 – 4:30pm. Then, if anyone is interested, we’ll walk to Starbucks for a photo review and critique.

The next DH Camera Club event will be a fun evening of star-gazing, astronomy mythology, and specialized photography. Meet in the DHHS football field on Saturday, April 5, from 8-10 P.M. for ASTROPHOTOGRAPHY!

The nighttime shoot was a lot of fun, but MAN was it cold! Thanks to everyone who braved the wind chill. We learned about how long exposures work and used some cool flash techniques. The highlight was when we all got to write our names in lights using a small LED keychain light, a 10-second exposure, and a tripod.After about an hour and a half, we all walked over to Starbucks to warm up. Everyone there got treated to the drink of his/her choice. We had such fun, I am sure we’ll do it again….when it is MUCH warmer!I don’t have a definite date or topic for our next club meeting. It will definitely be on a Friday afternoon mid-February. Keep your eyes peeled for an e-mail in the near future!

See more of our nighttime shenanigans at the Flickr Dixie Heights Group page.

In today’s meeting, we played with my new (well, new to me) studio lights. Though we had a light turnout, we had lots of fun, and shot some very creative images. We moved the lights and manipulated camera and light position to change the mood of the shots.

Thanks to Ashley M, Derek, Quintin, Brandan, and Eric for suggesting the topic and format of our next meeting! (Click on the image for info.)

On Jan 21, we’ll gather in front of DHHS at 5:30 P.M. (You don’t have school that day, as it is MLK day.) We’ll learn about night photography and long exposures, and shoot for about 1.5 hours. Then, we’ll all walk over to Starbucks for coffee and chill time. (You don’t have to purchase anything to stay and hang out!)

Things to bring if you have them: camera, tripod, flashlight.

Don’t forget: warm coat, gloves, comfortable shoes.

The gallery opening on December 10 was a huge success. Thanks you to all the students, teachers, and families that attended that evening! The food was delicious, the music was lovely, and the talent is spectacular!

Students with work displayed in the DHHS Gallery:

Jami Shay^ – Derek Gover^ – Brandan York-Upton^

Chelsea Crank^ – Ashley Mason^ – Ashley Retchko^

Whitney Chauvin^ – Jake Shinkle^ – Jonathan Bowery^

Miranda Brewer^ – Quinin Gaille^ – Rachael Nicholas^

Jasmine Akers* – Jennifer Brown* – Rebecca Hudgins*

Mitchel Leonard* – John McAfee* – Taylor Norton*

Travis Norton* – Luke Voirol* – Micki Witherall*

Jeff Spegal*

*Members of Mr Richards’ digital photography class
^Members of the Dixie Heights Camera Club

We all have preconceived notions about how much we can achieve. These limits are set by years of baggage heaped on by family, television, friends, coaches, and teachers. I’ve come to terms with the knowledge that I will never be able to dunk a ball Jordan-style. That’s the thing about basketball…people expect you to win a game or two now and then.

Composition is the key to every great image. Framing your photo in the right way can make the difference between a boring snapshot and a photograph with the WOW factor.

Look at the image above. (It was taken during the first-ever DHHC photo shoot on Sept 18.) There are several elements of this photo that make it such a cool image. First, the faces of the two subjects fill the frame. There is some background, some information about where these two are (a hammock), but it is slightly out of focus and does not distract from the real subjects. Second, the photo adheres to the rule of thirds. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board drawn on top of the photograph.

The subject(s) of an image should ideally be placed at the intersection of the lines. Notice how Becca’s eyes and Jake’s mouth (the two attention-grabbers of this photo) are roughly aligned with the intersections? This composition is visually appealing and leads the viewers’ eyes into the photograph.

As a bonus, the subjects’ faces are relaxed and playful. Looking at this picture, you can almost hear Becca and Jake, swinging in this hammock and laughing. Jake’s sunglasses and expression give this image a whimsical feel.

At the next meeting of DHHC, we’ll discuss other members’ photos. If you’d like to submit your photo for constructive critique, add it to the Dixie Heights Flickr group and tag it with DHCCCRIT. Then, send me an email with a link to your photo. Critique is a positive discussion of the elements that make an image work, and how it could be made even better.

Some other important links:

1. Dixie Heights Flickr Group
2. Amber’s Minneapolis photography workshop photos
3. Listen to Amber on the Tips from the Top Floor podcast