Membership Director: 
Arabella Dane, arabella.dane@gmail.com
Assistant Directors: 
Bob Costanzo,  robert.costanzo101@gmail.com
December 2019
Welcome to the 2019 Winter issue of the PSA NH Membership Newsletter!
News from the Manchester Camera Club
Joe Drapeau of his image featured above, says “A couple of us were able to go to Nubble Point lighthouse (Cape Neddick, York, Maine ) to take pictures of the lighthouse with Christmas lights. I got lucky! We had tons of snow Dec 2 and 3 which gave us snow on the island and the holiday lights on too! Who could resist going there to take a picture? The lights will be on until Jan 1 2020.
On August 30th the Manchester Camera Club went to Nubble Point lighthouse to photograph the Milky Way. It was a great social event and everyone learned a lot from the experience. My picture of the Milky way is a vertical panorama to get more detail, the rock was lit with the red night light of my headlamp. Here is Rene Meuse’s image of the star trails over Nubble Point.
Rene Meuse , recently scored well at the NECCC interclub digital competition with her image of  Lake Chocorua ( Tamworth, NH) Northern Lights saying “ I took this image with my Nikon d500 as my d850 was in the shop at the time. I was lucky to get a few frames before my lens fogged up. The settings were ISO 1600 f 1.8 15 seconds 20 mm.
I started shooting about 5 years ago - mainly wildlife. This year I got my first full frame camera and wide angle lens and have started trying some more waterfalls, long exposures and astrophotography. I still have a lot to learn but I love going out with my camera every chance I get and trying new things.” 
Joe Drapeau continues “ We also had our yearly fall trip, and although there wasn’t a lot of water, we had great fun at Garwin Falls  (Wilton, NH). This shot of Garwin falls was taken with a neutral density filter to get long exposure and to get the swirling of the leaves.” About his photography, Joe says “ I have been doing photography for 47 years off and on, starting in Germany where I was stationed. I was mostly taking pictures for the service men and women to send to their families (that’s before Facebook and Instagram ). I also volunteered to do pictures for a newspaper for a climbing team in the Alps. My photography is a hobby, although I have done some contract work for a magazine and some architectural photography for real estate as well. I usually own half a dozen camera at any given time of different brands (usually used that I buy at Hunt’s on sale ) every one of them have a different purpose.”
Speaking of Hunt’s, do consider taking any one of their educational classes, courses, walks, or adventures. They are an amazing resource. I took the HDR walk this fall and learned that it is quite simple to use this technique in challenging light situations. Arabella

New NH Members of PSA!
We welcome our three newest PSA NH members
Mogens Kjoeller, of Franklin, NH
Norm Beaudette of Londonderry, NH
Dan Beaudet of Hooksett, NH
News from our members
Lydia Williams , of the Seacoast Camera Club , continues to have great success with her images. Her superb image taken at Alton Bay, NH, is featured in the Meredith Savings Bank 2020 Calendar for the month of August and won a second place award in the AAA Northeast magazine.

The North Country Camera Club 2019-2020 programs
Sept 12          Critiquing Images by Bill Brochu
Oct 10            New England Camera Club Council "Nature" competition with image critiquing
Nov 7             Night Sky & Mt Washington Observatory photography with Ryan Knapp,
Meteorologist
Dec 4             Holiday Party at Stonehurst Manor
Jan 9, 2020    Ten Ways to Improve Your Fast Action Photography with Dan Houde, VIBE
Magazine Publisher
Feb 13            Macro Photo Workshop with club members John Hoffman and July
Burgess
March 12        Education Program TBA
April 9             NECCC "Open" circuit competition
May 14            Photo Field Trip with Ed Bergeron
June 4            Year End Awards Competition
In October, president of NCCC, Judy Burgess led a Foliage Field Trip up through Crawford Notch, NH and over to Peacham, Vermont - the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Subjects this year for the NCCC monthly competitions are:

Three "Open" competitions, "Nature", "Stormy Weather Images", "People at Work", "Image that Needs No Title", and "Animals/Wild or Domestic"..
Judges were Arabella Dane , NH PSA; Ken Jordan, GLPA; Dan Houde, VIBE Magazine; Jay Philbrick ; Joe Klementovich ; Joe Viger ; Rick Cloran , MNEC & GLPA; Jane Kelley, Lakes Region Photo Club.
November's top winning images were:
Ox Bow Snowstorm by Joe Burgess (Class A) and Ice Berries by Tricia Moody (Class B) 
Karen Lord won 3rd Place in Photography at the August 2019 Mt Washington Valley Arts Assoc. Festival "Art in the Park"
The Astronomical clock was taken in Prague. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest clock still operating. It is located on the southern wall of The Old Hall in The Old Town in Prague. 
Judy Burgess, won a 1st Place with her Sports Action shot in the Greater Lynn Photographic Association's November competition in Lynn, Massachusetts (the shot was taken at the 2019 Mud Football Games

She says “You are welcomed to drop by & see one of the North Country CC programs or monthly competition at Kennett Middle School in Conway, NH, doors open at 6:30PM. The program starts promptly at 7PM. If you would like to compete in the monthly competitions, you do have to be a club member $35 individuals, $45 couples. Visitors are always welcomed anytime.”
Do visit the NCCC club's web and facebook pages 
Bob Costanzo – Assistant NH PSA Membership Chairman & Member of Merrimack Valley Camera Club
Attached are some images which he submitted in recent competitions.
 
The first image was taken on route 93 near Franconia Notch, NH .

The judge indicated it was dangerous to take a photo while driving and that the road should have been winding in the background (24 points)
The second image is of the famous puddle at Pemaquid Point light in Bristol, Maine The judge said he would have like the light house bigger (25 points)
Fred Orkin -  Assistant NH PSA Membership Chair
Five years ago I started a 'photography interest group' within the Eastman Community, located mostly within the town of Grantham. Although unaffiliated with PSA, the informal group shares and fosters enthusiasm for photography where there is no formal camera club within an hour's drive.
I nurture my photo interests by participating in workshops, such as Strabo Photo Tours' infrared workshop held on Vinalhaven Island , off the Maine coast, led by Ron Rosenstock of Holden MA, who manned the Strabo Booth at last year’s NECCC conference.
My images were captured with an infrared-converted Fujifilm X-T1 body: The permanent conversion entails replacing the anti-aliasing filter in front of the sensor with a filter that blocks ultra-violet and visible light, allowing only infrared wavelengths to reach the sensor.
Among IR-blocking filters, I chose one blocking wavelengths shorter than 720nm ('standard IR'), enabling handheld capture, with exposure guided almost solely by the histogram since our light meters are not calibrated for IR (typical exposure: 1/125 sec, f/8-11. ISO 400-800).
This IR conversion yields striking black-and-white images with off-white vegetation and dark or black skies. IR capture is especially good for landscape, architecture, and portraiture (complexion resembles blemish-free porcelain).
Carolyn Sharp – French Lingerie Daylily
”I have been interested in photography for as long as I can remember. Perhaps it is an inherited disorder from my dad who was an outstanding amateur photographer taking 16mm movies beginning around 1920+/-. He gave me my first camera when I was about 6. Although I have always had a camera, photography has only been a serious hobby in recent years. Macro photography, especially flowers and nature, is my particular interest at present. I continue to take assorted classes and workshops to improve both my camera and computer skills.” 
Dan Robusto – Zebra Love

This photo was taken on safari in Kenya during the great migration. The "Great Migration" that occurs once a year in Kenya involves approx. 3.5 million Wildebeest and 500 thousand Zebra. They cross the Mara River, from Tanzania in large herds, basically following the rains that provide for the growth of nutritious high grasses for grazing, while at the same time trying to avoid the hungry crocodiles waiting by the shoreline. Although many Zebra move with the Wildebeest, typically, the Zebra precede the Wildebeest across the Mara river to the plains of the Maasai region of the Mara. This shot was taken during the first wave of the Zebra crossing the river.
Now the shot... It was taken with a Nikon D810 using 600mm prime lens wide open at f4. Had to use +2/3 exposure compensation to get enough detail in the black stripes & yet avoid blowing out the whites.

Also, due to the rapid movement of the herd, a relatively fast shutter speed was necessary which of course, required a bit of an increase in ISO. (1/800th at ISO 320).In addition, this image was cropped in from a wider view. The Zebra were approximately 50 - 60 yds away .

Unfortunately, since I was in a safari Range Rover, using a tripod was out of the question. Yet that particular lens is such a behemoth that hand holding it wasn't an option either. So...the only thing to do was to stand up in the vehicle, stick my head up out of the open roof and use a bean bag resting on the edge of the vehicle. I enjoyed watching this kind of interaction between the Zebras. It was actually fairly common. Sometimes we observed more than two or three Zebras, in close encounters, exhibiting this type of behavior.

I love Nature photography. While I do spend some time at various other photo pursuits - I most enjoy shooting things that move.”
The NH SOCIETY OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTISTS are working on a NH Statewide photography project “to document the people, culture, architecture, industry, landscapes, and events of the Granite State. Photographers will travel across the state making photographs in the spirit of Farm Security Administration photographers like Dorothea Lang , Walker Evans and Carl Mydans who documented all aspects of life during the depression.” If you wish to join the group and participate in the project, Here is the link to the NH SPA web site
Arabella Dane – Traveling to Alaska with Nat Geo this summer to experience the majesty of the Tongass temperate rainforest, in Southeast Alaska, and to helicopter into the Herbert Glacier ,   opened up a whole new world to me. Two extraordinary environments at risk: the former to exploitation – by mining and deforestation , and the latter- shrinking under the effect of air pollution and climate change .
Click Here for a link to our very own NH state membership page on the PSA site: this is where you can tell us about yourself and submit examples of your work in the PSA members’ galleries for NH. We look forward to knowing more about you and about your work!
The NH camera clubs that currently belong to PSA, in addition to belonging to NECCC , which is our regional PSA council, are:
Merrimack Valley Camera Club   -  has members  who live   in both NH & MA
Former President of PSA, Charlie Burke, FPSA, EPSA 2009
 of Leominster MA, noted judge, and technology wizard, says - some of the many benefits of membership in PSA are:

  • Digital and print study groups - provide guidance, assistance and interaction with other members worldwide in a small group environment over a vast range of subject matter.
  • Individual digital contests - enables members to gain confidence and compare their work with others worldwide.
  • International competitions - make available opportunities to gain worldwide recognition as well as gain PSA recognition for competition successes on multi-levels; permits the use of images for more than just club competitions.  
  • Interclub competitions - enables both clubs and individual members to gain awards and recognition.
  • Club judging services - enables clubs to obtain judging services from a wide range of PSA members.
One of the most exceptional opportunities for members of PSA is the PSA Photo Festival. The dates for this year’s PSA festival in Colorado Springs, are September 29 th - October 3rd, 2020.

The workshops lectures and adventures are
extraordinary. Click Here for the sign-up link for the 2020 Festival.
 
Another great PSA membership benefit is their monthly publication , The PSA Journal which is now coming to us online as well as in hard copy, and extra copies can be ordered from HQ too!
New England Camera Club Council of PSA
Here is the list of the NH Camera Clubs that belong to the New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) of PSA:


In addition to the July conference in Amherst MA , NECCC holds inter-club print competitions and digital image competitions

So that is it for now! Please keep in touch and share your news with us. Our next issue will be in the spring. Arabella Dane, Bob Costanzo, and Fred Orkin, your NH PSA membership team
Would you like to participate on our PSA NH Newsletter committee? Please share your ideas about how our PSA NH membership team can be helpful to you. Ever gratefully, Arabella Dane, Fred Orkin, & Bob Costanzo
 Hillcrest Farm PO Box 711, 252 Dane Road
Center Harbor, NH 03226