Workshops at Callaway Gardens

Instructor: Jim Henderson, award winning “serious amateur” photographer of LaGrange, GA.

A Fun and Easy Introduction to Digital Photography: How to Take Great Pictures
Saturday, January 26, 2008
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $70.00; includes lunch and course syllabus.

Taking Your Photography to the Next Level: Creative Photography Beyond the Auto Mode
Saturday, February 23, 2008
9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Fee: $70.00; includes lunch and course syllabus.

Mastering Exposure: Intermediate Topics in Digital Photography
Saturday, March 8, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Fee: $70.00; includes lunch and course syllabus.

More information on the Calloway Gardens Workshop Website.

United Bank Recognizes Local Photographers

United Bank extended a special thanks to local photographers for submitting pictures for the bank’s 2008 community calendar. The public was invited to participate in the calendar design by emailing their photos of local landscapes, historical architecture, nature and wildlife photographed within Pike, Spalding, Lamar, Upson, Morgan and Newton Counties. The contest began in July, and United Bank received over three hundred photographs. Thirteen photos were selected and are featured in the bank’s 2008 edition of their annual community calendar. The bank has received such favorable comments about the calendar that it hopes to make this an annual project. Calendars are a free publication courtesy of United Bank. Pick up a copy of the calendar at any of United Bank’s fifteen banking locations.

Calendar Photographers (l to r): Ellen Tew, Marcia Fisher, Johnnie Gaskill, Melissa Mathews, Lindsey York, Yvette Tolson, Dee DeLoatch, Melba Brown and Pricilla Bostwick. Other photographers selected but not pictured are Katy Kennedy, Deanna York, Trinity Walker and Alan Mars.

From: The Thomaston Times

Shutterbugs attend a reception in Zebulon

On November 16th, several members of the West Central Georgia Shutterbugs attended a reception honoring Brenda Fayard, who is a charter member of the club. Brenda is a highly skilled photographer who does far more than simply take pictures. She also teaches photography classes, curates shows, and hangs exhibits—among many other things. Some of her favorite photographs are on exhibit during November at A Novel Experience, located on the courthouse square in Zebulon. To inquire about upcoming events at the bookstore, hours of operation, or directions, please call 770.567.1103. Shown with Brenda (center) are (left to right): Johnnie Ann Gaskill, Harolyn Castleberry, Melba Brown, Fawne DeRosia, Suzie Axtell, and Malgorzata Florkowska. Photo by Gordon Brown.

West Central Georgia Shutterbugs to meet on Tuesday, Nov. 13

The West Central Georgia Shutterbugs will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, November 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the Thomaston-Upson Arts Council (TUAC) Gallery in downtown Thomaston. Although much of this meeting will be devoted to business matters such as the election of officers, visitors are invited to attend and have input regarding future programs and activities and to enjoy learning about “How to Compose a Good Photograph.” Members and guests who have “Fall” photos are invited to bring two or three to show to the entire group.

The meeting will be an ideal time to drop off items for the Mistletoe Market, which TUAC is hosting again this year. Any artist or photographer who is a TUAC member is invited to bring items (no more than 25) to sell during the Mistletoe Market, which opens on Tuesday, November 20th, just in time for holiday shopping. The Mistletoe Market/Gift Shop will be open during TUAC’s regular business hours (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Wednesdays 10 a.m. to Noon), as well as during the third annual Victorian Christmas Celebration that will be held on the square the evening of Thursday, Nov. 29.

The photography of Brenda Fayard, one of the charter members of Shutterbugs, is being featured this month in an exhibit at A Novel Experience, a bookstore located beside The Country Moose Restaurant on the courthouse square in Zebulon. The reception honoring Brenda will be held on Friday, November 16th from 6:30-8:00 p.m. Shutterbugs are planning to attend not only to enjoy seeing the photographs but also to celebrate with Brenda over having a solo show, an honor afforded to only a few photographers.

Shutterbugs extend get well wishes to their current president, Dee DeLoatch, who is recovering from recent surgery at Duke University Hospital.

Shutterbugs Marcia Fisher (right) and Johnnie Ann Gaskill stand near their photographs that were among those chosen to be exhibited at the 2007 Arts Clayton Annual Juried Show and Competition, which was held during October at the Arts Clayton Gallery in Jonesboro. An independent jury panel, led by professional photographer, Jim Lewchuk, took special and detailed care in reviewing more than 125 entries submitted by 31 photographers. According to Karen Powers, Gallery Manager at Arts Clayton, “The jury was impressed by all of the entries and conveyed that it was very difficult to decide which works to include in the show.” Photo by Peggy Brooks.

Article by Johnnie Ann Gaskill.

Invitation to Paul Conlan

The Centre for Performing and Visual Arts
1523 Lower Fayetteville Road Newnan, Georgia

cordially invites you to
Images in Time
featuring the photography of

Paul Conlan

a compelling look at un-posed urban and rural life
November 5 through December 5, 2007
www.thecentreonline.net
770-254-ARTS

Congratulations!

This year's WCG Shutterbug "People's Favorite" is

Neda

By Harolyn Castleberry

Congratulations!

Shutterbugs to meet on October 9th

The West Central Georgia Shutterbugs will hold their regular monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 9th, 6:30 p.m., at the Thomaston-Upson Arts Council (TUAC) Gallery, located on the square. An exciting program, “Tips and Techniques for Taking Better Photos,” is planned, as well as the announcement of which photo earned the “People’s Choice Award” during the group’s recent exhibit at TUAC. Visitors are always invited to attend the meetings and learn alongside members.
Shutterbugs have been busy. Several entered the photography contest at The Rock Ranch on September 29th, and Harolyn Castleberry received a third place award there. Marcia Fisher and Johnnie Ann Gaskill each had one photo that was juried into an exhibit at Arts Clayton in Jonesboro and are eagerly waiting to hear how their photos fared during the judging process. That exhibit, which is held annually in conjunction with “Atlanta Celebrates Photography,” will be open during October. Several Shutterbugs submitted entries to the Georgia National Fair, which will be held October 4-14th. Shutterbugs hope to bring home many awards, as they’ve done in the past.
Fawne DeRosia and Malgorzata Florkowska were juried into the 2007 SlowExposures, held in Concord during the last two weekends in September. Malgorzata’s photo received a first place award, and Fawne’s photo was purchased. Several of Johnnie Ann Gaskill’s photos have been posted on http://www.pikecountytimes.com/, and the editor has graciously posted this link to the Shutterbugs’ blogspot: http://www.wcgshutterbugs.blogspot.com/. Nine members have photo galleries posted on the web. Their names are listed on the blogspot so that visitors to the site can click on their names and see some of the beautiful photos taken by Shutterbugs.

Photo Events Coming Up

This Weekend: The last weekend of SlowExposures! Check out the Schedule on the SlowExposures site. Congratulations Malgorzata Florkowska! She won First Place in the West Central Georgia Category for her photo titled, "Ties That Bind".

October 4th, 2007: 2007 Juried Photography Show & Competition at Arts Clayton opens! The opening reception & awards presentation is Thursday, October 4, 2007 - 5:30-7:30pm - Free! The exhibit will be on display October 1-October 26, 2007. Two of our very own Shutterbugs will be on display: Johnnie Ann Gaskill & Marcia Fisher.

October 19th, 2007: The opening reception for About Face, an exhibit of portraits by 17 photographers depicting the diversity of human relationships, at A Novel Experience in Zebulon. 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Informative Links!

Here's a list of links I jotted down during tonight's Shutterbug meeting.
Photo printing websites:

• winkflash.com
• shutterfly.com
• mpix.com

Upcoming events for interesting photography:

• Fall Family Fun Days at the Rock Ranch
• Buggy Days in Barnesville
• Wildflower Hikes at Panola State Park
• The Cotton Pickin' Fair in Gay, Georgia
• Stone Mountain Park's 5th Annual Pumpkin Festival

Check out the Top 20 Events by the Southeast Tourism Society!

And a list of most of the Georgia Festivals and Events.

And don't forget! Photography classes with Jim Henderson at Callaway Gardens.

Some Pictures of the TUAC Exhibit

Is everyone excited for the reception? I know I am! I also can't wait to see the article in the newspaper.

P.S. You can click on the images to make them bigger.

Shutterbugs Exhibit Postcard

To be mailed to the TUAC membership before the end of the month.

(Click on the image for a bigger view)

Clockwise from left: Johnnie, Hazel, Shakeira, Anna Mary, King, Ellen, Melba, Harolyn, Dee, Fawne

A Question!

Hazel asks:
Where does everyone develop their pictures---the ones for contests, shows? I have bought frames, mattes, and bags. I just want to get the best print quality.

Any ideas?

Photo Links & September's Exhibit

• Twelve Ways to Improve Your Digital Landscapes - written by Steve Paxton. There are more tutorials on this site: Digital Image Processing Tutorials
• The Secret Keys to Taking Original and Unique Photos on Goldengod: a Digital Photography Blog.

It's August 1st! That means two things: SlowExposures Jurors' selections should be announced soon & it's almost time for the TUAC gallery show. I'd like to get the announcement postcard designed in the next week so I need a list of folks who will definitely be exhibiting their work. Also, I would like ideas on what image to put on the front of the postcard. Should it be a group photo or a photo that one of the Shutterbugs took? If money were no object we could get several different versions printed but sadly, TUAC visual arts has a small budget.

BP Members: Editor's Picks Label Now

BetterPhoto Members:

They have now added "Editor's Picks" seals to any photos that have been chosen. Evidently they even backdated to all they have ever chosen because I have some that were chosen when I first joined in 2005.

Until Johnnie told me, I didn't even know there were Editor's Picks. Thanks Johnnie.

Check out your gallery to see which of yours were chosen.

(I hope I did this posting correctly. I have never "blogged" before).

Good to have a place for us

Thanks Fawne for starting this Blog for WCGS. I look forward to seeing it grow with information about photograhpy.

My Latest Photo To-Do List.

Maybe you're interested too?

- Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer's Life, 1990 – 2005 at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. One of the most celebrated photographers of our time, Annie Leibovitz has made witty, powerful images documenting American popular culture since the early 1970s. Born in Westport, Connecticut, in 1947, Leibovitz had her first photographs published by Rolling Stone in 1970. She became the magazine's chief photographer in 1973, and ten years later began working for Vanity Fair, and then Vogue, creating a legendary body of work. In addition to her magazine work, Leibovitz has created influential advertising campaigns for American Express, Gap, Givenchy, The Sopranos and the Milk Board. A retrospective of her work from the years 1970 to 1990 was presented at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and at the International Center of Photography in New York. Through September 9, 2007.

- Frida y Diego: photographs of their life together This exhibition is a rare collection of art photographs by several of the most significant photographers of the time, such as Edward Weston, Ansel Adams, Nikolas Muray, Manuel Alvarez Bravo and Guillermo Kahlo. Exhibition labels and text are in English and Spanish. Through August 28, 2007.

- About Face is a juried exhibition of photographs depicting the diversity of human relationships. The theme focuses on and emphasizes the non- traditional pairing of people who develop relationships such as mixed race, mixed gender, old and young, mentor and student, mixed faith,and person and pet. Images will be judged for adherence to the theme, originality, impact, and technical quality. The exhibition will take place October 6-27, 2007 at A Novel Experience, a unique bookstore in Zebulon, GA. For more information, please email aboutfaceentry@yahoo.com. Deadline: August 29, 2007 Fee: $15 for three images

- 2007 Juried Photography, in conjunction with Atlanta Celebrates Photography Festival(Link to a .pdf!) Applications are now available for the 2007 Juried Photography Show. Best of Show winner receives purchase award and a solo feature show opportunity in the Arts Clayton Gallery in 2008. Other cash awards are available. The deadline for entries is August 18, 2007.

- JPG Magazine Has anyone seen this magazine? It's crazy great. From the website: JPG Magazine is for people who love imagemaking without attitude. It's about the kind of photography you get when you love the moment more than the camera. It's for photographers who, like us, have found themselves online, sharing their work, and would like to see that work in print.