Fort Collins Digital Camera Club

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Meetings/Outings 2026
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Quick recap

The meeting focused on members sharing and discussing their photography and digital painting techniques. Participants presented various images including drone footage, intentional camera movement photos, and Photoshop paintings using mixer brushes and filters. Edogl shared new photos taken with a Canon 7-14mm lens, while Rich Ernst presented his experience with Corel Painter for creating painted effects. Mike encouraged members to experiment with adding texture to their images, sharing examples of how texture overlays can enhance photographs. Several members, including Heather and Jack, demonstrated their attempts at digital painting using Photoshop's mixer brush tool, with varying levels of success and complexity in their approaches. The discussion included technical tips about camera settings, post-processing techniques, and creative decisions in composition and color grading.

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Summary

Bald Eagle Nest Drone Discussion

Jim shared information about a bald eagle nest located near 16th Street and discussed Edogl's drone footage, which Edogl had deleted after being disappointed with the quality. Edogl explained his drone operates at the legal 400-foot height and shared his challenges with drone photography, including issues with music selection and drone control. The conversation then shifted to weather conditions, with Rich Roberts mentioning recent rain in Texas and a discussion about water rights and pipelines in Colorado.

Digital Painting Club Demo

The group discussed recent club activities and events, including coffee mornings and an orchid shoot. Heather shared her experience with digital painting using an app called Prism on her tablet, demonstrating several filtered images she created, including photos of autumn leaves and a lion. While Heather admitted to using filters rather than traditional painting techniques, the group praised the results of her work, with Rich Roberts noting they looked better than other approaches mentioned previously.

Photoshop Mixer Brush Techniques

Jack and Jim shared their experiences creating paintings using Photoshop's mixer brush. Jack worked on a travel photo and a CSU field garden photo over several days, aiming for a painterly effect rather than a photorealistic one. Jim initially struggled with maintaining detail using the mixer brush on a flower photo from Denver Botanical Gardens, so he switched to using Waterlogue Pro for a watercolor effect and then blended it with some detail. The group discussed different approaches to painting, with Rich preferring the watercolor-style image Jim created, while Jim noted that the detailed approach wasn't relaxing for him compared to Jack's experience. Mike suggested using pixelated images as a technique to create a "crunchy" effect that can be smoothed out with the mixer brush.

Corel Painter Art Demonstration

Rich Ernst demonstrated various artwork created using Corel Painter, explaining how the software allows for image cloning and brush-based painting effects. He shared examples including landscapes from Pawnee Grasslands, flowers, and a waterfall in Yellowstone, showcasing different brush techniques and styles. Rich explained his motivation for using digital painting instead of traditional media, noting that while he had dabbled in oils, watercolor, and drawing, he found digital painting to be a quicker alternative that still allowed for artistic expression through brush strokes and filters.

Photography Workflow and Painting Techniques

Rich Ernst discussed his photography workflow, explaining how he uses Photoshop plugins and filters to create painted effects, including an Impressionist filter and oil painting plugins. He described his preference for treating photographs as works in progress, sometimes spending up to 14 days on a single painting, and explained that he values the painted versions more than the original photographs because of the time investment involved. The group discussed how this approach aligns with historical artistic practices, including da Vinci's modifications to the Mona Lisa and Picasso's prolific output of thousands of paintings.

Digital Painting Techniques Discussion

Mike presented several digital paintings he created using different brush sizes in Photoshop, including a Green Tree Python from Denver Zoo and a gorilla. The group discussed Mike's technique of using larger brushes (20 pixels) for most areas and smaller brushes (7 pixels) for details like eyes and whiskers. Rich Roberts and Jim provided feedback on the paintings, with Jim suggesting alternative techniques to enhance detail in the eyes. Edogl shared examples of his own work using Photoshop's oil paint filter and Orton blurs, demonstrating a different approach to creating painted effects from photographs.

Photo Editing Techniques Discussion

The group discussed photo editing techniques, with Edogl sharing examples of images modified using oil painting filters and sky masking. Rich Roberts presented a series of photos taken with an iPhone during a trip to London, demonstrating intentional camera movement techniques to create painterly effects. The images showed various London scenes including a statue of William Hogarth, the National Gallery, a protest march, and tube station stairs. The conversation ended with Paul indicating he had some photos to share, though the transcript ended before he presented them.

Photography Submission Review Meeting

The group reviewed photography submissions, with Paul sharing several nature images including bird photos, drought impacts in Colorado, and floral macros. Rich suggested Paul contact Adobe technical support regarding JPEG artifacts he was experiencing in his photos. Chris presented four images he intended to transform into paintings using Photoshop's mixer brush technique, though he encountered difficulties with the process. Ed shared multiple images taken with his new Canon 7-14mm fisheye lens, demonstrating improved quality and reduced distortion compared to his previous lens, and discussed his plans to experiment with painting techniques on some of the images.

Photo Project Feedback Discussion

The group discussed two photo projects. Edogl shared photos of a Colorado corridor, with Mike suggesting adjustments to remove snowflakes appearing as dust. Mike then presented a pirate-themed photo shoot for Jennifer, which he created using AI-generated backgrounds and composite photography. The group provided feedback on the pirate photo, suggesting color temperature adjustments to make the subject appear warmer and more seamless with the background, and noting that the subject appeared too large for the room. Mike estimated spending about 30 minutes on each composite image after the initial photography session.

Photography Texture Techniques Demonstration

Mike demonstrated techniques for adding texture to photographs, showing examples of applying textures to backgrounds while preserving the subject's appearance. He explained different methods for creating and applying textures, including using Pexels.com for free textures and various blending modes. The group discussed the potential for using natural textures like tree bark or brick walls as sources for creating custom textures to layer onto photographs. Rich Roberts indicated he needed to review the demonstration videos to better understand the technique before attempting it himself.

Image Textures and AI Discussion (We got a little off topic here)

The group discussed adding textures to images, with Jim suggesting grunge textures work well for black and white photos. Rich shared insights about local photographer groups in Texas who prefer traditional editing techniques over generative AI tools. The conversation then shifted to broader AI topics, including discussions about AI-generated content in robotics and the debate over AI reliability in various applications, with participants expressing concerns about safety and reliability thresholds.

AI and Robotics Challenges Discussion

The group discussed the current state and limitations of AI and robotics, particularly in consumer applications and self-driving cars. Albert shared his experiences with Tesla's Autopilot feature, noting instances of unexpected braking and the need for human supervision. Rich Roberts emphasized the importance of early adopters in technology development but questioned the broader market potential. The conversation also touched on the practical challenges of AI in vehicles, including sensor malfunctions due to weather conditions and the car's reliance on lane markings. Chris highlighted the positive impact of AI in photography, specifically in subject selection tools, while cautioning against overreliance on such technologies without human verification.

AI Tools and Astronomy Updates

The group discussed various topics including AI tools in design, news sources and subscriptions, and a recent astronomy presentation. Rich Roberts shared his perspective on BBC news and VPN usage, while the group also talked about Anthropic's new Claude tool optimized for software. Albert provided an update on a recent astronomy presentation by Stan Honda, noting some communication challenges with the coordination process. The conversation ended with a brief discussion about a new product called "Len's baby" and plans to share texture information in the meeting notes.