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OLLI Photo Club – Technical Q&A

May 10, 2018 by George Bradshaw

Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects


 

 

Subject

Q&A

iPhone Photo Size Q: For iPhones, how can one export a full-sized image suitable for uploading to the OPC photo repository for competitions, field trips, etc.?
A: See "Exporting iPhone photos in maximum (actual) resolution" courtesy of Bob Baker.
Apple PC File Rename Q: For Apple PCs, how does one rename image files to reflect OPC file naming conventions?
A: TBD
Cropped Prints Q: Why are there cut-off or missing pixels in my print?
A: Crops of a photo that were made in a free form manner, instead of using a standard crop ratio that more closely approximates the chosen photo paper size, may cause loss of parts of the image when printed.  Also, because camera sensors have different fixed aspect ratios, an image which appears well proportioned while taking a photo may become smaller when printed by a lab or on a home printer.

Reference: Check the "Aspect Ratio Print Chart" (reproduced with permission from Anthony Morganti) before cropping in Lightroom, Photoshop, or other photo editor.

Here is a link to an instructional video: https://onlinephotographytraining.com/2019/10/19/top-3-things-people-do-wrong-in-lightroom/

Article courtesy Ed Marion.

Photoshop Snow and Starbursts
Q: Can Photoshop insert snow and starbursts into my images?
A: Photoshop has two tools, actions and brushes, that can be customized to simplify image editing and to provide many specific functions.  This article describes the insertion of snow and starbursts into images using these tools.

Snow.  Gavin Hoey describes how to download and install into PhotoShop free action files to generate snow in any image.  See his web page,  "Instant Snow V2."  There are four action scripts to add varying amounts of  falling snow.

Starburst.  John Adams offers a video detailing how to create a starburst effect in PhotoShop using brushes.  The video demonstrates how to load and  position starbursts,  and how to adjust both the size and opacity of the starburst layers.

To make the process easier,  the downloadable PhotoShop starburst brush file contains a variation of a 8, 16, and 32 point starburst brush presets, created following steps shown in the video.  The brush contains a few improvements: some arms were shortened and others lengthened for a more natural appearing starburst.

Article courtesy Ed Marion.

Change Image's Filename on iPad Q: How does one change an image's filename on an iPad?
A: See step-by-step instructions in the pdf titled "Changing Filename on an iPad."

Context: This instruction relies upon the app called "Files." Prior to the release of "Files," changing file names on an iPad required the iCloud Drive app which was "hidden" by default; use of the iCloud Drive app required "enabling" it through the setup menu.  The Files app, with stable release 1.3.3, is not hidden and has been available since September 2019 on the operating systems iOS 11 and later, and iPadOS (Files (Apple)).

 Next Subject Q:
A:

 

 

 

 


Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects

 

 

Filed Under: Photography Club

OLLI Photo Club - Administrator's Guide

January 15, 2018 by George Bradshaw

Purpose: The Administrator's Guide has two purposes: 1) to ensure a consistent look and feel across the OLLI Photo Club's web pages within the OLLI GMU WordPress system and 2) to ensure that the look and feel supports the Club's policies as described in the Overview.

Contents: At this time, January 2018, this guide contains a list of items describing web site layout, use of the menu bar, page titling, etc.


 

Item Description
Page Title All page titles shall be of the form "OLLI Photo Club - Title"
Menu Bar Definitions The following definitions apply to Menu Bar Policy:

Types of activities: routine functions and exhibitions.

Routine functions identified in the club’s Overview include monthly themes, speakers, field trips, and peer reviews.

Exhibitions have included themed exhibitions in the OLLI annex, community documentaries such as the 275th Fairfax County Anniversary’s “Then and Now” exhibit, drama shoots for the GMU School of Theater, and other special event coverage.

Methods of communication: periodic emails, gallery comments, photography blog, Facebook group and (TBD) club news.

Collective category: User Interface (UI) design uses the terms menu and sub-menu for navigating through human-machine interactions.  For the purposes of these definitions, a collective category is a Club-specific set of similar activities specified in a sub-menu.

Menu Bar Policy The number of links on the menu bar shall be kept to a minimum.

Links on the menu bar shall lead to pages for either 1) routine functions of the Club or 2) collective categories with further links to pages of the Club's exhibitions or other activities.  A link on the menu bar shall also exist for the Club’s digital galleries, given their significance in supporting these activities.

Should the club decide to formalize its communications through the OLLI GMU WordPress system (for example, a “news” page), a new item shall be added to the menu bar as a collective category; this will be a collective category rather than a "routine function" since the club already has several methods of communication: the Critique galleries, the Photography blog and the Facebook group.

Menu Bar Position All pages shall have a menu bar at the top and bottom of the page.
Menu Bar Format Menu bar links shall be separated from each other by five characters: two spaces, one bullet and two spaces.  The top menu bar shall have a horizontal line beneath it (<hr/>) followed by two blank lines.  The bottom menu shall have a horizontal line above it preceded by two blank lines.
Menu Bar: Link Format Definition: an active link is one which will initiate calling a new page, an inactive link initiates no function.

Each link associated with a "routine function" (see Menu Bar Definitions above) shall be inactive on its own page and active on other pages.  The rationale is that an inactive link provides the user a navigational aid that provides an additional clue as to his current page.

Each link associated with a "collective category" (see Menu Bar Definitions above) shall similarly be inactive on its own page and active on other pages.  Note, however, that on pages for Club activities which have been reached through a collective category, the link will always be active.  The rationale is that such a page, even though acting as an extension of the sub-menu (the collective category page) in a navigation scheme, it is still a standalone page but without a first level menu link; thus the page has no ability to aid in navigation.  Of course this is a limitation, so the collective category page must be clearly structured so the user can always properly navigate from it to other pages.  The user must become accustomed to returning to the collective category page when other navigational references are not available.

Note on collective category links.  Currently only one collective category link exists: Projects.  The policy shall be that the OLLI Photo Club's web pages shall have more than one collective category link if and only if all such links are clearly distinguishable by all members without need for explanation, such as an Admin collective, Project collective or a Communications collective.

Menu Bar: Link Operation Links shall open in the same browser window (or tab) as the calling page except if the link is to a page outside the OLLI GMU WordPress system, in which case the link shall open in a new browser window (or tab).
Table Usage In addition to typical uses of tables, the table function supports paragraph outdenting.
Colored Text The OLLI GMU WordPress system has been configured with pages containing white backgrounds.  Blue on white is one of the most effective combinations for attracting attention, more so than bold black on white.  Avoid red text, especially on a black background, because the colorblind will see it as black on white (losing the emphasis) or black on black.  Never use red on blue or blue on red - the greatly different wave lengths of these colors in combination will cause humans to perceive blurring on the edge of letters.
Link to Location within Page Enter an id into an empty div HTML element.  The id, in this case, "link-target," becomes the hash portion of the base url.  Note that some browsers don't position precisely, I've added a period after the div element as shown here:

<div id="link-target"></div>
.

Call the link-target position in page1 from an external page as follows:

https://site.com/page1#link-target

Images in a Row Normal caption insertion doesn't work in WordPress: there is no way (perhaps without extensive CSS) to place a carriage return (<p>, <br>, etc.) after the inserted images because WordPress deletes these codes in the visual editor.  A solution of placing the images into a 1x1 table doesn't work because the images are not aligned horizontally.  One solution is to place the captions into separate columns of a single table row (nx1 where n>1).  However, word wrap around the table must be considered; to avoid wrap, enter width=100%.  A template follows.

<table style="width: 100%;">
<tbody>
<tr>

<td style="width: 208.567px;">

</td>

<td style="width: 208.567px;">

</td>

<td style="width: 208.567px;">

</td>

</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

To then place blank lines below the table, use the "visual" editor because the visual editor strips blank lines that are inserted via the "text" editor.

 

 

Filed Under: Photography Club

OLLI Photo Club - Facebook Group

January 14, 2018 by George Bradshaw

Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects


 

This private Facebook group is specifically for members of the OLLI Photo Club (OPC) -- associated with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute affiliated with George Mason University. The OPC welcomes all OLLI members, whether they use a basic camera or specialized equipment, whether they are new to photography or have had many years of experience. This Facebook group is intended to serve as a resource for OPC members to share useful photography information with other members who are "on Facebook" -- or who wish to learn about the value of Facebook as an easy-to-use resource for posting and viewing videos, photo tips, photographs, upcoming events, questions (and answers), and links to useful photography websites.  If interested, please request being added to this Facebook group at any OPC meeting, and the group administrator will invite you to join. Or you may send an email request to the administrator Bob Baker at [email protected].

Access the OPC Facebook Group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/OLLIPhotoClub/ .

Note: The above link will work once you have been added to the Group membership roster.

 

 

 


Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects

 

Filed Under: Photography Club

OLLI Photo Club - Photography Blog Index

January 13, 2018 by George Bradshaw

Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects


 

 

Reverse Chronological Order

23 E&T - Photoshop Elements Layers and Masks
22 Solar Eclipse, 20170821
21 Solar Funnel Imager
20 International Space Station
19 Critiquing Photographs
18 Antares Launch from Wallops, Photo Op (Revised)
17 Photo Management: A Million Memories
16 Want to Capture a Blazing, Flaming Sunset Photo?
15 Stage Photography, Post-Processing Trick
14 Perseids, Anyone?
13 Moonrise over Hernandez, Ansel Adams
12 Depth of Field Graphs
11 The Passing of Time, Caught in a Single Photo
10 Focus Stacking with Photoshop
9 Metalenses: Photo Revolution
8 Course Books in Photography
7 How to Give and Take a Critique
6 Lucid Dreaming
5 Nik Collection Free
4 Emmanuel Lubezki
3 Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day
2 Cube Box Solargraphy
1 Monochromatic Images

 

 

 


Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects

 

Filed Under: Photography Club

OLLI Photo Club - Fairfax County's 275th Commemoration

January 13, 2018 by George Bradshaw

Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects


 

A Photographic Look at Fairfax County: Then and Now

Ms. Gretchen Bulova, the Fairfax County 275th Commemoration Committee Chairwoman, asked the OLLI Photo Club to participate in the celebration of Fairfax County's 275th anniversary.  We enthusiastically agreed and established a project to photograph the current appearance of historical structures.  The photos were exhibited at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton as "A Photographic Look at Fairfax County: Then and Now."

20170407 - OPC's 275th Gallery ("Then" Photos next to "Now" Photos).

20170530 - OPC's Slideshow of the 30 Historic Sites (YouTube).

20170603 - Muse Gallery Photos

20170607 - Muse Gallery Reception (Photos taken from Fairfax County's 275th Facebook feed)

20170617 - Celebration

20180110 - Closing Ceremony

L to r: Chris Barbuschak (Librarian who provided “Then” photos), Dan Feighery, George Bradshaw, Angie Talaber, Dave Talaber, Bob Baker, Ed Marion, Gretchen Bulova (275th Committee Chairwoman). Photo Credit: Ed Marion.

 

 

Timeline with key OLLI activities.

20170203 275th Birthday The official celebration of Fairfax County's historic 275th anniversary was held on June 17, 2017 from 10 am to 4 pm on the grounds of the Historic Fairfax Courthouse!

https://goo.gl/NNwqfH

 -
20170412 OLLI Lecture Join lecturer Jenee Lindner as she details the background of the Fairfax family, from California to Maryland, and back to England. Also learn about researching records in Fairfax County through the Fairfax County Circuit Court historic records.Program is in conjunction with the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University.
https://www.facebook.com/events/406187846391069/?active_tab=about
 -
20170606 Then & Now Join the Fairfax County 275th Steering Committee and the volunteer photographers from the Olli Mason program (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at George Mason University) TONIGHT as we open the "Fairfax, Then and Now" Photography Exhibit at Workhouse Arts Center, Building 16!

This exhibit will showcase historic photographs of sites around Fairfax County, with their modern equivalent! The exhibit will be open through Labor Day.

Exhibit opening and reception from 6 pm - 8 pm!

Reservation for this FREE event is encouraged.

https: //www.eventbrite.com/e/fairfax-county-275th-then-and-…

https://www.facebook.com/Fairfax275/posts/319063451863498

 -
20170607 T&N Reception Last night, the "Fairfax: Then and Now" photography exhibit opened at Workhouse Arts Center, Building 16! We had a fantastic turnout. Special thanks to the volunteer photographers from Olli Mason who put in the hard work to make this exhibit a success, as well as Workhouse Arts for hosting!

https://www.facebook.com/Fairfax275/posts/324442457992264

 -
20170628 T&N Publicity The "Fairfax: Then and Now" exhibit is still going strong at Workhouse Arts Center!

You can view the exhibit in building W-16 through Labor Day! Check out the photos to see how Fairfax County has changed in so many ways -- but how in others, it has stayed the same!

Volunteer photographers from Olli Mason traveled throughout the county, capturing fantastic "Then and Now" photos!

Can't make it to Workhouse Arts Center but want to see the slideshow? Check it out on YouTube!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9YwC22yVQ8

https://www.facebook.com/Fairfax275/posts/344524735984036

-
20171231 275th Thanks On this last day of 2017, we'd like to thank everyone who participated in this milestone 275th celebratory year for Fairfax County. Although our 275th year has come to an end, we encourage everyone to go out and continue to embrace the county’s magnificent history – either by visiting an historic site, attending a local history lecture, or even reading one of the county’s many history books. Here’s to a very prosperous 276th year – Happy New Year!

https://www.facebook.com/Fairfax275/photos/a.209373002832544.1073741828.171673453269166/409740336129142/?type=3&theater

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Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects

 

Filed Under: Photography Club

OLLI Photo Club - GMU School of Theater

January 11, 2018 by George Bradshaw

Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects


 

A Note from the Coordinator

To all members, and potential members, of the OPC --

In 2016 the GMU School of Theater (ranked 8th in the nation) asked OLLI if we could provide photographers for head-shots, publicity photos, final dress rehearsals and photo calls.  Several members of the OLLI Photography Club (OPC) volunteered for eight of these events in 2016 and 13 in 2017.  The OPC is continuing its support for the current theater season (see schedule below).

The School has been very appreciative of our work and impressed by the quality of our images.  The School’s production staff and students have used our work for evaluation of the productions and for publicity brochures.  As you wander the halls of the GMU Arts buildings you may even see our work displaying in slideshows on the monitors and hanging on walls in print form.

Those photographers who have participated have been treated as professionals, valued for their work and have received complimentary tickets to their productions.  In addition to having the opportunity to observe productions in ways no theater subscriber would, each of us has learned a great deal about photography, technically and artistically, as we coped with challenging lighting conditions and unfamiliar subject matter.

I appreciate the dedication of those who have participated and encourage others in our club to join us in the remaining shoots.

Tom Simpson
OPC GMU School of Theater Coordinator

 

School of Theater Galleries

Current Season

Archived Seasons

 

GMU School of Theater, 2022-2023 Season

GMU-Drama-Performance-Schedule-2022-2023-for-OPC-Info-Portal-20230117-long-pages"]

 

GMU School of Theater, 2022-2023 Season, Shooting Schedule

GMU Drama - Photo Schedule, 2022-2023, 20230117

.

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GMU School of Theater, 2021-2022 Season, Shooting Schedule

GMU School of Theater, Photo Shoot Dates, 2021-22.ry, Rev 20220409

 

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GMU School of Theater, 2019-2020 Season, Shooting Schedule

 

Play and Type of Shoot
DATE TIME  PLACE
Student's Head Shots (~40) Aug 23rd TBD Black Box
Mason Originals Final Dress/Photo Call Sept 12th 8-10pm TheaterSpace
Rags Publicity Shoot
NOT SUPPORTING
Oct 12th 10am or TBD MTB 1014

 

Rags Final Dress
NOT SUPPORTING
Oct 29rd 7-10:30pm CFA Concert Hall
Twelfth Night Publicity Shoot Nov 2nd 2-4pm MTB 1014
Twelfth Night Final Dress Nov 19th 7-10:30pm TheaterSpace
Women of Lockerbie Publicity Shoot Feb 15th 10am or TBD MTB 1014
Women of Lockerbie
Final Dress/ Photo Call  *
Feb 25th 7-10:30pm TheaterSpace
Men on Boats Publicity Shoot Mar 7th   10 am or TBD MTB 1014
Men on Boats
Final Dress and Photo Call  *
Mar 24th 7-10:30pm Harris Theatre
Fringe (2 shows) Publicity Shoot Apr 11th 10am or TBD MTB 1014
Fringe 1 (Last Days of Judas Iscariot)
Dress Rehearsal and Photo Call
Apr 20th 7-10:30PM TheaterSpace
Fringe 2 (Servant of Two Masters)
Dress Rehearsal and Photo Call
Apr 21st 7-10:30pm TheaterSpace

* May be split into two depending on length of show.  Also, I think we're missing a show... (RY?)

 

 


Overview • Galleries (See Galleries) • Monthly Themes • Field Trips • Speakers • Projects

 

Filed Under: Photography Club

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