Killarney Camera Club

10th June, 2010 - Julien Behal

Posted by Marie Lyne Kelly

On Thursday the 10th of June, we had the privilege of hosting a presentation by award winning Press Association photojournalist Julien Behal . This being the highlight of the clubs year, we invited our fellow Kerry & Mallow Camera Club members. With a good turn out we gathered in the Malton Hotel for an evening that would reveal what the life of a photojournalist was like.

Julien, though born in Belgium, grew up in our home town of Killarney. Having graduated with a journalism degree, he worked as a freelance journalist in Dublin. From there he joined the Maxwell Photographic Agency and went on to work nationally with The Irish Times and Irish Independent . After moving to the US, work followed with USA Today, New York Times, Haaretz and Getty Images allowing this truly talented photojournalist to display his work on an International scale. His crowning glory was getting the cover of Time magazine, which is, I would think, any photojournalists career ambition. He is currently based in Dublin and is one of two photojournalists working in Ireland with the Press Association.

During his career Julien also took on many projects of his own and it was with a mixture of his professional work and his own personal work that he commenced with his presentation. He began with one of the first photographs he took with a purpose. It was of his grandfather, a popular Killarney character. He was shaving in his own home. No modern conveniences. He was a man who you could see by the picture led a simple but interesting life. It was with this photograph you could see how a story could be told with a single image.

The images that followed were to take us on a journey. Some informative, with a range of current affairs including politicians and court cases. Some gave a glimpse into places we wouldn't get to see normally, Bono being awarded his KBE for instance. Others inspirational like his coverage of the Paralympics in China. More were hilarious. My favourite being of Willie O'Dea standing amongst officers for the National Anthem.

Then there were some which were hard to look at, but told a story and left an image with you that no amount of text could get across. These were images of Julien's projects that he worked on with charities in Belarus , Sierra Leone, Africa and India. Images that people would prefer not to see but need to see to find out what is really happening in these places. There is a vast portfolio of Julien's work on his website

As a photojournalist, you are always aware that there is a line between what you should and shouldn't photograph. If I can't sleep after taking a photo, then I know I've crossed that line.

- Julien Behal

Julien has also directed an insightful documentary called "Zorro of the Liffey " . It follows Dublin artist Gerard Dowling gathering material for his sculptures from the bed of the Liffey at low tide. Well worth a look.

We were also lucky enough to get hands on with the vast range of equipment that a modern photojournalist has to work with.

He finished the evening with a question and answer session and dealt with a wide variety of topics. The evening passed so fast, we didn't notice that we had run well over time. But he was so obliging and interesting, I think we could have stayed another few hours. On behalf of the Killarney Camera Club, I would like to thank Julien once again for giving us an in-depth look into the life of a photojournalist and wish him much success in the future.

23rd May, 2010 - Killarney Lions Club 10k Mini Marathon

Posted by Seamus Long

With encouragement from Janette, I recently decided to participate in the Killarney Lions Club Annual 10k Mini Marathon . After years of training I knew I was ready for the big day on Sunday 23rd May. I donned my shorts, tee-shirt, runners and baseball cap and grabbed a bottle of water....... it would be a very warm day to be taking photographs. Members of the Camera Club were invited to photograph the event. The sun was splitting the stones, which was great unless you had to run or even walk 10 kilometres or take photographs in such harsh sunlight. I headed to the shade of Ross Island around the 5k mark. I found a spot where I could shoot the runners coming over a slight hill with a background of leaf-borne trees. My friend Nora, an athlete running in the race, told me that every runner wants a photo which captures them in full flight with both feet off the ground. So that was my quest for the day. Janette was near the Plaza, ideally located to get photos of both the start and finish of the race. Hopefully, between us we would end up with a good mix of shots to give to the Killarney lions Club for their website.

I arrived early at my chosen spot and like an animal lying in wait for its prey I waited for the runners to arrive.

I put the 70mm - 300mm lens on my camera and being in the shade I set a high ISO to ensure fast shutter speeds to freeze the action.

- Seamus Long

I set the focus to servo (continuous) so I could keep a runner in constant focus while running towards me. The first two runners came over the hill and I fired off a few shots. A quick review on the LCD screen - a bit blurry - so I increased the ISO a couple of stops. Within seconds more runners came and then there was no let-up. They came in singles, in pairs and in groups. I usually took a burst of shots each time. Every 5 minutes or so I checked my screen to ensure I was getting sharp pictures. Some runners came bounding over the hill while others struggled. There were smiles on many faces and pain visible in many more. I even got an occasional wave but, no doubt, a lot of runners were concentrating so much on their running that they didn't even notice me. They came in all shapes and all ages, dressed in the full gamut of colour. In less than 2o minutes all the runners had gone by. It seemed more like 10 minutes as I was so pre-occupied with taking the photographs. The runners were followed by a far greater number of walkers. While some might be termed serious walkers, all seemed to be enjoying themselves and were chatting with their fellow walkers. However, for me they weren't suitable subjects for the kind of action I was trying to capture. So after an action-packed 30 minutes I retired from the race!

In total, some 300 runners, joggers and walkers participated in the event which was for a very worthy cause. First over the finish line was Ed Murphy (No 216) from Gneeveguilla Athletic Club with a time of 36mins 42secs. So you're wondering if I got that elusive shot of Nora (No 207) in full flight. Well judge for yourself.

Meanwhile, rumour has it that Donal has been training for the upcoming Lions Club Triathlon!

13th May, 2010 - Impromptu Q & A Session

Posted by Marie Lyne Kelly

On Thursday night due to a change of schedule we availed of the expertise and experiences of our own members, who at short notice put together a Q & A evening, as well as a general discussion of various facets of photography.

Tadhg led an in-depth talk with the input of the more experienced members of the club on the basics of digital camera settings, covering everything from shutter speeds, aperture, depth of field, ISO , exposure to composition , white balance and colour temperatures.

Then Seamus took centre stage and gave us a talk on Macro photography: what to photograph, the type of equipment needed, the importance of a tripod and how to set up a shot. (He asked me to remind him about something for the next meeting !!!!! )

Finally Donal, with the aid of his website www.donallyne.com, did a superb talk on the need to understand how the camera interprets the light and compensating to achieve good exposures. Using his work projected on the screen and equipment that he had brought along for the evening to show us exactly how he reacted to the lighting in each shot. He also covered Inverse Square Law, in relation to flash photography, which brought me back to my schooldays and Physics classes.

As soon as you see a bright light source behind your subject, you know that your camera will be fooled into underexposing your subject. Counter this by dialing in some exposure compensation.

- Donal Lyne

It astounded me the broad spectrum of knowledge that we have within the club and as I'm sure that I speak for myself and the other members of the club. We are very grateful that they are willing to share it with us. Thank you guys!

29th April, 2010 - Club Outing

Posted by Marie Lyne Kelly

On the evening of Thursday the 29th of April the Camera Club Outing looked doubtful as we gathered in the Killarney Heights Hotel car-park after a rainy day. But mother nature was kind to us and as if to tease us, the sun peeped through the clouds. Cherry blossoms that surround the hotel fluttered in the evening light that we had all craved during the previous cloudy week.

So, where better to go for an evening of photography than the beautiful Muckross House & Gardens in Killarney's National Park?

We had a large number of members from the club attend and as soon as we reached our destination each individuals eyes wandered in search of the perfect picture. So off in our own directions we went to make the most of the last of the evening sun.

As a new member of the club I found the evening very informative. While we were taking pictures, members with much more photography experience were sharing tips and we had discussions about all types of equipment and techniques.

Of course being the sociable group we are, we finally retreated to a nearby watering hole and it was there I could see why the camera club is so successful. It's the passion of the members for photography. The conversations being 95% photography and 5% football. After all we are in Kerry, so it is a necessity!

18th April, 2010 - Photo Fest 2010

Posted by Seamus Long

On Sunday 18th April I headed to the Crowne Plaza, Santry, home to Photo Fest 2010. With 13 different seminars and a long list of exhibitors I was looking forward to a photographic feast. I arrived just before 11 a.m. and as arranged met my friend Mark, a Dublin native. He was interested in acquiring a Digital SLR and wanted to avail of the opportunity to check out a few particular models (cameras, that is!) at the show.

We arrived a little too late for the Canon Software seminar so we headed into the exhibition area. First stop was the Canon stand and straightaway Mark got his hands on the 1000D. He had it pretty well researched on the web in advance and it lived up to his expectations. It was easy to navigate, light, compact with sizeable LCD monitor. The user friendly Picture Styles option would also appeal to other family members. Canon had the full range of cameras and accessories on display; in fact they had one of the biggest stands at the show but weren't selling directly to visitors. Nikon were also present with their full range. I was impressed by their 400mm telephoto lens. I'm convinced I could see my house through it! Sony also had a significant presence as did Bowens and Panasonic. Many of the other well known photographic brands such as Sigma, Mamiya, Cokin and Adobe were represented by resellers. DLK Photo Supplies had little by way of cameras at the show but had a full price list of a cameras (in Euro) while Barker Photographic were mainly selling accessories. Bermingham Cameras were very busy with a good range of cameras (in particular, Canon, Nikon and Panasonic Lumix) and accessories at competitive prices.

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18th April, 2010 - Club Outing

Posted by Marie Lyne Kelly

On Sunday the 18th we availed of the fine weather and set off on an outing. We left Killarney early and headed for "the city". Not Cork City but on "Cathair Crobh Dearg" an ancient stone fort near Shrone at the Northern foot of the Paps. There is a holy well with a statue of the Virgin Mary where rosaries are traditionally said around the fort on May Day. It's a beautiful rural setting with old derelict farm buildings nearby, every photographers dream!

From there we crossed the border and continued on into Millstreet. Where we went to "Drishane Castle" with its beautiful Medieval Tower House and grounds. But its real treasure is hidden indoors. The newly restored "Chapel of The Little Flower". A church dedicated to St Therese of Lisieux by the order of nuns who up until a number of years ago called the estate home. The chapels beautiful stained glass windows depict the life of St Therese and light the entire chapel, well worth a visit.

Finally our chairman Tadgh had one last surprise for us. After an interesting drive from Millstreet we ended up on a farm and while walking down a path he promised us it would be worth checking out. He wasn't wrong. From the distance we could see a waterfall and small lake. It was a piece of Ireland that not many people would have seen or known about, apart from a brief moment in the limelight in the early 90's when an ancient dugout boat was discovered in the bog. Cumeenatrush is special and it feels like you're standing in history. Even though the lighting at that stage of the day was not suitable it will definitely be a place I will visit again.

1st April, 2010 - Seamus Long and Donal Lyne

Posted by Donal Lyne

Due to last minute cancellation of our scheduled guest speaker, Seamus Long provided a critique of the photos from the previous competition.

Donal Lyne then provided an Introduction to Lighting Equipment, briefly explaining what the different equipment and light modifiers can be used for.

Items covered included

• Speedlights
• reflectors
• diffusers
• light modifiers including the snoot and umbrella
• light stand
• gels
• flags AKA GoBos

Donal chose to focus on how light manipulation can be achieved on a shoe string, showing examples of home made light modifiers/gobos which were inspired by DIY Photography and Strobist.

Achieving high control of light is intimately tied to the consumption of Sugar Puffs

- Donal Lyne

A snoot light modifier, and a number of flags were shown which had been constructed quickly from an empty cereal box. Using the available resources on the internet, you can achieve superb results without hitting your wallet.

18th March, 2010 - Peter Cox

Posted by Donal Lyne

Peter Cox gave an excellent talk on improving your photography. In a very graphical manner, Peter provides hints and tips, which in turn applied to beginners, intermediate level and right through to the proficient photographer.

Peter is a professional photographer who

• makes and sells fine art prints, specialising in Landscape photography.
• sells image licensing for publication of his images in calendars, books, magazines, post cards, etc
• teaches workshops and presents seminars

Peter maintains that the creative process is 50% taking the photo, concentrating on getting a strong composition and technically good image. The rest is post processing to take what the camera has recorded, and transform it into the scene you actually saw. What the camera captures is limited by the technology of the camera which suffers from a smaller dynamic range than the human eye, amongst other things. But it's important to know when to stop post processing. Generally, if the viewer can see that an image is post processed, then you have gone too far.

Peter commented that the tripod is the one piece of equipment you can buy which will actually improve your photography. It does this in a couple of ways:

• It holds the camera perfectly steady, completely removing any evidence of camera shake.
• It allows you to compose your images much more carefully. You can figure out the composition first, and set up the camera on the tripod. Then concentrate on getting the technical stuff right. After some button pressing, and dial turning you have the settings you want, and the camera is still set up with the composition you chose earlier.

A comparison was made between the painter, who includes, and the photographer, who excludes.

Painters start with an empty canvas and a scene in front of them, whereas photographers start with the world in front of them and are constrained by reality.

- Peter Cox

In capturing a beautiful landscape, a painter can simply not paint the incongruous electricity pole, whereas the photographer must come up with a practical solution to the existance of the electricity pole. He can either physically move, which may result in a weaker composition, or remove the electricity pole in post processing.

Using excellent images, Peter explained how choice of focal length affects perspective in a very illustrative and straightforward manner.

Other tips Peter provided on the night include

• Learning how to crop effectively will yield better compositions, but cropping should be used judicially, and one should strive to get the composition you want when taking the photo.
• Use of leading lines. A leading line is any line which the eye will follow. Straight lines tend to act as dividers, whereas the eye likes to follow a curved line through an image.
• In low volume landscape photography, one should always shoot in colour and in RAW. Black and white conversions can be done with much more control in post processing than in camera.

Peter's workshops are designed to teach you to see. Visit Peter Cox's website for more details, and free tutorials.