2021-12-22 Fine Art Photography SIG meeting notes

We met online using ZOOM 6:00pm-8:00pm

The goal of our Fine Art Photography SIG is to help each other to create fine art from our photography.

ATTENDEES
Mike Barry
Judy Cannon
Rich Ernst
Michael Hohol
Jim Limburg
Ed Ogle
Richard Roberts
Chuck Rutenberg
Albert Wang

OUR MAIN DISCUSSION TOPICS WERE "Water Splashes" also "Light Painting"
We spent 2 days 11/20-21 shooting water splashes. We discussed our techniques for photographing the splashes and processing them into library elements and then how we used them to make artistic images. We also discussed our outing to the Benson Sculpture Garden at night for light painting, and some of the equipment and techniques used.

Ed demonstrated "Puppet Warp" in Photoshop and how to create shadows by warping an object.

OUR MAIN DISCUSSION TOPIC FOR DECEMBER WILL BE "Orbs"

HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT - RESEARCH "Orbs"
I have added Jim's Photoshop technique for making orbs to the end of this document. Everyone has the homework assignment to research "Orbs", how to create them in Photoshop, and how to create them by photographing through a crystal ball or water drop. If you find any good resources, bring back some information for the group to discuss at our next Fine Art Photography SIG meeting. If you find some good "Orb" information online, tell me where it is and I will put a link to the information on our website.

RESOURCES
1. Practical Water Effects by Kirk Nelson (Photoshop Virtual Summit 2021)
2. Ed's flashlight
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01KH2JP5G/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3. If you want to make paint splash images, you can get FREE paint at the L.C. Household Hazardous Waste site. The paint swap site is Larimer County’s Household Hazardous Waste site at the entrance to the landfill. There is a recycling center there also. Comments about picking up paint there are under Drop N’ Swap.
https://www.larimer.org/solidwaste/haz/household
Address is: 5887 S. Taft Hill Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526

SIG Project - FINISH-IT-PHOTO
Several members worked on Ann Yang's "Old House with Arches" picture, and we discussed what we did.

The FINISH-IT-PHOTO for January will be "Sculpture" by Dave Fahrney.
You can find it on our club website at:
https://fcdcc.com/images/finish-it-photos/2022-01-dave-fahrney-sculpture-d302174.nef

If you haven't already sent in a FINISH-IT-PHOTO, please do send Mike Barry an image in RAW format. Mike will choose one of the images, send it out to the SIG members, and everyone will create their own interpretation of the image to show at future meetings. The idea is to show how all the members would process the same image in different styles.

Constructive Critiques/What Project Are You Working On?
We looked at member pictures from the Water Splash outing and Light Painting at Benson Sculpture Garden.

AGENDA FOR OUR NEXT FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY SIG MEETING - Tue 01/18/2022 @6:00pm
1. The main topic will be "Orbs" Please research on your own so we can all discuss it at the meeting (optional)
2. We will discuss our interpretations of the FINISH-IT-PHOTO Please, everyone send Mike Barry a RAW image file that we can use for this Project.
3. We will hold constructive critiques (optional) Pick as many as 3 images that you would like critiqued, and be prepared to show them by sharing your screen during the ZOOM meeting.
4. We will pick a topic for the next meeting

If you don't have time to research the topic, or you don't have any images that you want to have critiqued, that is OK, you can just attend the meeting and participate when you want.

I would like to see more pictures from our Fine Art SIG in the regular club meeting slideshows.

Jim Limburg will send out the Meeting ID, passcode, and meeting link when we have scheduled the meeting, which will be about a week before the meeting date.

We have put video of previous Fine Art SIG meetings online and you can link to them from the Fine Art SIG page of the club website.

Please email Mike, info@fcdcc.com, when you find mistakes, missing information or if you have suggestions for the Fine Art Photography SIG and I will try to address the issues.

========== Notes on Orb Photoshop Technique from Jim ============
1. Process image as normal
2. Crop to Square 1:1 for a circular result
3. Convert Mode to 8 bit (Image | Mode | 8 bit)
4. Filter | Distort | Polar Coordinates | Polar to Rectangular
5. Image | Rotation | Flip Canvas Vertically
6. Filter | Distort | Polar Coordinates | Rectangular to Polar
7. Select Border (tolerance 1 or 2)
8. Change color of border

========== Notes on Water Splash Photography ============
WATER SPLASH PHOTOGRAPHY FINE ART

CAMERA SETTINGS
===============
These are a typical starting settings, adjust them as needed
ISO 400 (higher ISO enables faster shutter speed, but low enough to limit the noise)
shutter speed ~1s/3200 (fast enough to freeze the action)
aperature ~ f/8 or higher (small enough to give the widest depth of field possible, but large enough to enable a faster shutter speed)

LIGHTING SETUP
==============
bright sunlight continuous lighting (simplifies complications of flash synch and recycle time, and you don't get your strobelights wet)
black backdrop (high contrast with the water splash, and doesn't cause a color tint in the splash)
sunlight should not shine on the front of the backdrop (keep it as black as possible)
water splashes should be in the sunshine (light the splashes as much as possible)

SPLASH TECHNIQUE
================
put a black target on a stand in front of the backdrop
- (this gives the water thrower a target, and the camera something to focus on)
put camera on a tripod
focus on the target (half press or use manual focus)
toss the water at the target (parallel to the backdrop surface and perpendicular to the backdrop surface)
- a glass will create a long narrow stream
- a bowl can create a wider wing-like shape (swirl water before the toss)
take pictures of the water in continuous mode (easier than trying to shoot when the splash is just right)

PROCESS SPLASH IMAGES
=====================
Create a library of various splash shapes that you can use an any subjects
remove the target
clean up the edges or anywhere the image goes beyond the background
use levels adjustment layer to make the image Black & White
save the image to your splash image library
or create a brush from the splash image

ADD SPLASH EFFECT TO SUBJECT
============================
open the subject image
add splash image as a new layer
place, rotate, scale or warp the splash layer to create the effect you want (wings, dress, general splash...)
use one of the "lighten" modes to blend the splash layer into the subject so only the splash is visible, the black bgnd is hidden (screen or linear dodge work)
use curves to darken subject under the splash to make it stand out more
use color blend mode to add color to the splash
add water droplets, and water surface effects