developments July 2016
Volume 05 Issue 07
PHOTOGRAPHING LIGHTNING
By Lisa Mandelkern
Every year starting around July, the summer thunderstorms
roll in, bringing welcome rain and a chance to photograph
lightning. The desert around Las Cruces provides a big sky
that translates into a big canvas. There are virtually no trees
obstructing the sky. Needless to say there are risks - above
all lightning’s potential for destruction. However, it is hard
not to be fascinated by the beauty of lightning, and as such it
begs to be photographed.
With the frequent thunderstorms in the Las Cruces area
during the summer of 2015, I embarked on creating a
photo series of lightning. I photographed lightning after
dark on about 14 different occasions. First and foremost, I
learned that lightning storms are often local, random and
fairly unpredictable. Some storms did not net any usable
photographs because of intense rain and gusty winds or
the briefness of the storm. On one occasion a storm was so
intense and frightening that I did not get out of the car to
photograph. Better safe than sorry!
In This Issue
Lightning......................................................Page 1
Flashes..........................................................Page 2
Retrospective................................................Page 2
Favorites.......................................................Page 3
July Theme....................................................Page 4
June Theme Highlights.................................Page 4
DAPC Contacts.............................................Page 4
DAPC on Facebook......................................Page 4
Booher Exhibit..............................................Page 5
Suggs Exhibit................................................Page 5
Dense, ISO 200, 7 stacked exposures, each about 20-60 sec
at f/8 by Lisa Mandelkern
For starters in the presentation on July 5th, the audience will look at some
stunning lightning photo examples, both historic and contemporary from
around the world. Lightning photos by DAPC members Anne Chase,
Debbie Hands, Catherine Lucas, Dave Brown, Emmitt Booher, Jim
Rodgers, Wayne Suggs and Arlee Green will follow this. They all went
out on a limb to catch some lightning. The prevailing consensus among
Mark Your Calendar
Tuesday, 07-05-2016 -DAPC 1st Tuesday
Meeting - “Lightning and Flashes” - 7:00pm,
Southwest Environmental Center. See page
1 and 2.
Saturday, 07-16-2016 - Deadline for Photo
Theme. See page 4.
Tuesday, 07-19-2016 - July DAPC Meeting Tuesday, 08-02-2016 - DAPC 1st Tuesday
- “Retrospective and July Themes” - 7:00pm, Meeting - 7:00pm, Southwest Environmental
Southwest Environmental Center. See page Center.
2 and 4.
Tuesday, 08-16-2016 - DAPC August
Sunday, 07-24-2016 - Deadline for Photos
Meeting - 7:00pm, Southwest Environmental
for Favorites Presentation. See page 3.
Center.
6. Select manual shooting mode: M
7. Shutter speed: …depends. Bulb, to 1 to 2 minutes, maybe
shorter
8. Aperture: …depends. Anywhere from f/5.6 to f/8, at the
most f/11
9. Exposure compensation: NONE
10. Steady shot/Vibration reduction: OFF (Camera is on
tripod)
11. Long exposure noise reduction: OFF
Lightning Collection, ISO 400, 10 stacked exposures, each
about 60 sec at f/7.1.by Lisa Mandelkern
the photographers was twofold. There was relief that nobody
got hurt and triumph, “Got it!”
While the audience looks at my resulting lightning series, the
requirements and gear for successful lightning photography
will be explained. Cable releases, interval meters, and even
lightning triggers enhance the quality of such images.
I’ll describe my preferred method for photographing
lightning after dark. Beginning night photographers will
appreciate a recap of techniques suitable for any type of
night photography, such as how to focus in the dark and how
to frame in the dark. There will be a brief mention of post
processing.
Since there might be long intervals between lightning
photography opportunities, I might forget a crucial camera
setting. Consequently, I always carry the following checklist
in my camera bag.
Check list of camera settings for lightning photography after
dark.
1. RAW mode
2. Manual focus to infinity. If your lens has a marked
“infinity stop” on the focus ring, use that (check the exact
spot, preferably ahead in the daytime)
3. ISO often 400, if ambient light is present: ISO 100-200
4. WB: Auto
5. Drive Mode: Continuous shooting
One last thing:
Let’s assume that
you photographed a
sequence of photos
where the lightning
bolts traveled across
the frame along a
predictable path.
Why not combine
this sequence into
one image? Often
lightning photos
just beg to be
stacked. The goal
is to have many
lightning bolts,
nicely distributed in
one final image.
As far as lightning
is concerned,
Impermanent and Everlasting, ISO 200,
stacking multiple
30 sec at f/5.6 by Lisa Mandelkern
exposures yields
identical results
to that of a single long exposure, a technique that has been
used throughout the history of photography. The process is
fairly easy and straightforward. The talk will conclude by
explaining how to combine digital images with either “Adobe
Photoshop” or “StarStaX”.
Lightning is a wonderful natural phenomenon. Get ready for
monsoon season and the gifts from the clouds!
FLASHES
Following Lisa’s Presentation on July 5th, Erik Winter and
Rob Peinert will present a 30 minutes program about the use
of flashes.
RETROSPECTIVE
By David Shaw
In this presentation, David will look back over his development as a photographer, sharing photos from a variety of
themes including La Charreada (Mexican horse game); skulls
of buffalo, Oryx, and steers, portraits, and the female form.
Farewell Lightning, ISO 50, 13 sec at f/10 by Lisa Mandelkern
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As a photographer for 30 years, David Shaw has been most
influenced by Edward Weston and his Day Books. After
years of being self-taught, David sought more professional
training through Ansel Adams Workshops and the Large
Format Workshops at Carmel, California. His work is found
in private collections and a permanent collection in the U.S.
District Court of New Mexico. For examples of David’s work
go to his Website: http://borderartists.org/border-artist-DavidShaw.html
Place: NM Vietnam Veterans Memorial-Milky Way by Will
Keener
•
•
•
Event: balloon rally - Hot!Hot!Hot! by Arlee Green
“FAVORITES...”
by Lisa Mandelkern
On Tuesday, August 2nd we will be presenting a program
from you, the members. This is the Feature presentation for
the meeting and this is your opportunity to showcase the kind
of photography you enjoy. We know every one of you has
something special to share. The entire evening of August 2nd
will be member photos. Start thinking about what you can
share – see ideas below.
General: DAPC paid members are eligible to submit photos.
We would like to
see a series of 5
photographs that
share a common
theme. Photos can be
from any time period.
Some ideas are (just
to name a few):
• Photos that
illustrate a
trip (travel/
holiday/vacation
photography).
• Photos that cover
an event; such as
a balloon rally,
Subject: zoo animals – Baby Elephant
fiesta, rodeo,
Nandi by Dave Brown
wedding.
•
•
•
•
Photos that are limited to a specific subject matter
(portraits, pets, zoos, insects, flowers, landscapes, sports,
abstracts, still life).
Photos that illustrate an idea: Time, color, space,
movement, or feelings.
Photos that
show a specific
and technical
photographic
technique
that you have
explored, for
example: HDR
photography,
night
photography,
experimental
photography
(collage/
filters/plugins), stacked
Technique: vertical panning: The Path by
photography,
Kristi Dixon
B/W
photography, macro photography.
Include a brief statement about you images (optional).
The audience should be able to read your statement in
approximately 20 seconds or less.
Limit the file size of your images to 2MB per image,
same guidelines as themes submissions. Any questions,
email Kristi.
Send all photos to Kristi Dixon and clearly state photos
are for Favorites program: [email protected]
Photos DUE BY JULY 24 midnight.
We expect to see a great variety of subjects and look
forward to getting to know our members better through their
photography. Here are some examples from 2015 Favorites
program.
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JULY THEME “HISTORY”
By Eileen Vanwie
“History is a story as told by the victor.” I agree in part
with this definition of “history” attributed to Napoleon in a
historical fiction book about Josephine Bonaparte (Gulland,
Sandra. 2000. The last dance on earth.) Some history
textbooks are written from the victor’s perspective, but that
seems to assume a theme of conflict. History may describe
many other themes as well. The idea of history as a story
suggests that we think of ourselves as photojournalists with
this project. The first definition of “history” in the online
Oxford Dictionaries is, “The study of past events, particularly
in human affairs.” Photojournalism shapes our memory and
history through candid or posed visual records of events.
(History defined. Oxford Dictionaries. Retrieved June 11,
2016 from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/
english/history)
With the technical aspect of photojournalism, consider
both full frame and cropped photos. Full frame will show
the environment of the story. Cropped photos will focus on
the subject. Composition can be tricky because timing is
everything. Have fun trying to anticipate what will happen
next in the event/story you want to illustrate.
You may want to review photos by various photojournalists
to get ideas for your own history photos. Here’s a list of a
few: Vivian Maier, Marion Carpenter, Dorothea Lange,
Frances Benjamin Johnston, Lisette Model, Margaret BourkeWhite, Sara Naomi Lewkowicz, Daniel Berehulak, Joseph
McKeown, André Kertész, Moneta Sleet Jr., David Gilkey,
John Tlumacki, and Joseph Costa. Another place to look at
photojournalism is at the National Geographic Website:
http://photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/
photo-of-the-day/history/
Send up to three history photos (high-quality JPEG image
files and try to keep their size below 2 MB; additionally,
maximum size should be 1920 x 1080 pixels) to themes@
daphotoclub.org by Saturday, July 16th. A slideshow with the
theme of history photos will be shown at the DA Photography
Club meeting on July 19, 2016.
JUNE THEME “STILL LIFE”
by Julie Schmitt
Lighting, setup and composition were three points most
evident in the June Theme submissions by 14 photographers.
Some lighting was quite complex with very good results. It
was difficult picking just one of Dale’s because they were
all like still life paintings in their perfect compositions. This
Whether your history photos are intended for a family memoir
or are to record a public event, keep in mind the Code of
Ethics of the National Press Photographers Association
(https://nppa.org/code_of_ethics). Images can reveal
important truths and understanding, but can also cause great
harm if they are callously intrusive or manipulated. Some of
the key points in the Code of Ethics include:
Be complete and provide context; avoid stereotyping;
recognize and avoid presenting one’s own biases.
If editing, maintain the integrity of the images’ content and
context.
DAPC Contacts
President, Erik Winter – [email protected]
Vice-President, Rob Peinert – [email protected]
Secretary, Catherine Lucas – [email protected]
Treasurer, Debbie Hands – [email protected]
PR, Julie Schmitt – [email protected]
Programs Chair, Lisa Mandelkern – [email protected]
Member Services, Fred Moore – [email protected]
Photo Theme, Kristi Dixon – [email protected]
Newsletter, Eileen K. VanWie - [email protected]
Newsletter, Robert Williams - [email protected]
Exhibits, Open- [email protected]
Website, Arlee Green - [email protected]
Member-at-Large, Dave Brown - [email protected]
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“Blown Glass Pig in a Pig” by John Adamek
DAPC is on Facebook
DACC has also set up a Facebook page and we
are encouraging everyone to “like” the page and to
submit your photos for quick review and comments
from other members. Go to www.facebook.com/
groups/145859948813165/ to sign up or visit our
website (daphotoclub.org) and connect from there.
DAPC is a proud member of the PSA and
we encourage you to consider becoming
an individual member of PSA for more
information please visit their website at www.
psa-photo.org and see what they have to offer.
month Marcia Corl, Dale Taylor, Erik and Rob gave
input on some of their favorites.
uniquely different, American
landscapes, Yellowstone National
Park and Big Bend National Park,
stylistically represented in his
gritty, hyper-real and sometimes
oddly romantic landscapes.
“Bydy” by Jim Rodgers
“High Desert, Low Country” by Dale Taylor
JULY 1ST OPENING EXHIBIT
DAPC member Emmitt Booher
During July, the El Paso Electric Gallery in the historic Rio
Grande Theatre will feature Centennial Celebration 19162016; The 100th Anniversary of the National Park Service.
The exhibit will feature Mesilla photographer Emmitt
Booher’s black and white photographs of two iconic, yet
The exhibit opens with a
reception from 5-7pm on
Friday, July 1 during the
First Friday Art Ramble
and runs through the end
of July. Regular hours
are Monday-Friday 9am5pm. For details call the
Dona Ana Arts Council
at 523-6403. Artist
details available at www.
ZoneVIII.com.
“Santa Elena Canyon” by Emmitt
Booher
WAYNE SUGGS’ PHOTO EXHIBIT
The Light Never Lies: Landscape & Astrophotography of
Wayne Suggs is on display at the Farm & Ranch Heritage
Museum, 4100 Dripping Springs Road. The exhibit, which
features 30 of his photographs, will be on display
through July 2016.
“El Capitan through the Window” by Emmitt Booher
“Lodge Pole Reflections” by Emmitt Booher
Living in the Southwest
is a paradise for a landscape photographer like
Las Crucen Wayne Suggs.
He was introduced to the
wonders of nature at an
early age by parents who
knew the importance of
having a relationship with
the great outdoors. Wayne
has been an inspiration to
DAPC members through
his night photography and
his generosity in sharing
his techniques. Be sure to
catch his exhibit.
“Hedgehog at Sunset in Spring”
by Wayne Suggs
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