8th August 2020

Annual Exhibition.

We received confirmation during the week that Deansgrange Library will not be able to accommodate our exhibition for the foreseeable future.  The space is now used to cater for social distancing and related protocols. We will defer the exhibition for the moment, but will re-activate as soon as we get an opportunity.

Monday Night Meetings.

On a similar note, we are planning our Monday nights between now and the end of the year on the basis that we will not have meetings in the school.  We will continue to arrange our Monday evening meetings  using Zoom and will put lots of energy into arranging a varied series of activities and presentations.  We just do not know at this stage when we may be able to return to the school but will continue to monitor the situation and be in a position to re-act when a return to traditional meetings becomes viable.

This Monday night we will have a presentation from Olive on her travels and images from Vietnam.  Unfortunately Liam Haines is unable to make his presentation, but we are delighted that Phil Tung will provide the second presentation of her trip to Istanbul and Cappadocia.

Shoot With Me.

On the 24th of August, we will have our Shoot With Me Showcase.  Many of the groups finished their projects to varying degrees, so we can look forward to sharing the fruit of their labours.  A number of groups were unable to finish due to travel restrictions and social protocols. Hopefully these groups will be able to complete their activity soon.  We will circulate further details in advance of the showcase.

IPF Shield Competition.

We have received details from the IPF of their intention to run the Shield Competition later this year.  Some details have yet to be finalised.  We will circulate how to enter as soon as we can.

Weekly Flickr Theme: Woods

Woods offer a broad range of subject matter and approach, from landscape to wildlife to macro. 

It's important to choose your focal point - is it a flower, or a particular tree, a squirrel or bird on a branch, or someone walking along a path through the woods?  Think about how to frame, or compose, your image so that the viewer is led to the subject.

Different lenses can give very different results, so if you've got more than one, why not try them all out on a scene. A wide-angle lens will often include too much in the scene.  A long lens will compress the view, making distant trees seem closer together.  

A shallow depth of field (eg f4/ f2.8) will blur the background if your subject is a single flower or animal.  Alternatively, if you would like to get a starburst effect from the sun through the trees, f11 or above is necessary. 

The light falling into the woods can be used to striking effect.  Try spot metering on the lit subject so that it is correctly exposed with the rest of the image in relative darkness.

So, where is your nearest wood?

See more about how the OffShoot Weekly Flickr Theme works at: https://tinyurl.com/flickrthem.

Speakers and Outings

The main Committee and Outings Sub-Committee has been working very hard behind the scenes, constantly adapting their plans to try and keep pace with the changing rules associated with social distancing. It is especially satisfying to announce this schedule of events for July and August.

Members will be able to attend our outings by registering for specific outings. Keep up to date with the latest events at https://www.offshoot.ie/whats-on/.

Just a note for new members – if you want any of your pictures considered for the photo of the week, you just have to post them to the OffShoot Flickr group at:

https://www.flickr.com/groups/offshoot_society.

There’s also the latest images published on Flickr that are displayed on the OffShoot home page.

[Note. To join the Offshoot Flickr group, you must first be a Flickr member. Then send the email address used to join Flickr to webmaster@offshoot.ie. You will get an email when you have been added to the group. Please be patient as this is a manual process.]

Theme: People by Wendy Hannan

Non Theme:   Dave Whitaker - Evening on the Pier

If you come across one you want to share let us know at newsletter@offshoot.ie.

Greg Benz Photography: How to use Content-Aware Scale

PiXimperfect: 5 Advanced Techniques to Make Eyes Sparkle! - Photoshop Tutorial

For this one, there is no theme for Levels 1, 2 and 3; please enter up to three of your favourite images.

There is also an Open section for everybody to enter. The Open section has the theme of Journeys and calls for members to enter a themed set of 3, 4 or 5 images. While feedback will be given on individual images, the competition judging will be of the set as a whole.

Feel free interpret the theme Journeys as broadly as you wish. These last few months have certainly seen some of us undertake journeys in how we view and interact with the world around us; some have become philosophical, some whimsical, some completely discombobulated. Some have embarked on journeys of discovery of new techniques or subject matters, some revisit memories of distant lands..... Let us see what journey you have been on.

Please upload your entries to

https://www.dropbox.com/request/gZl99Up3dp0kmSvk3bHU

How to name your entries:

either Level-Member Number-Image Title.jpg  (for example L1-999-TopTrumps.jpg)

or

Open-Member Number-Set Title- Image Title.jpg (for example Open-999-Home thoughts from abroad-My Old man.jpg)

Jpg quality is good enough for this competition, no need for Tifs.

Closing date is midnight Sunday 6th September so you have plenty of time to prepare a last-minute entry!

Remember, competitions are a great way to get constructive feedback and positive advice on your photography.

And maybe, just maybe, there will be a unique prize for some of our lucky (not to mention talented) winners! More on this later.

Quote from the IPF Web Site

"Please be advised, In light of COVID-19 and the National Guidelines on the gathering of large crowds and most importantly in the interest of the Health & Safety of all our affiliated clubs and their members the Irish Photographic Federation have postponed the upcoming National Club Championships, Annual General Meeting and May Distinction Sitting that were all scheduled to take place on the weekend of May 16th & 17th 2020.  We will be hopefully re-scheduling these events later in the year and will keep you all informed through the IPF Website and Social Media Platforms."

Irish Photographic Federation Web Site:

https://irishphoto.ie/

IPF Shield to take place in November. Details to follow.

Most recent news and articles posted:

https://irishphoto.ie/news/

Distinction Sittings and Availability:

https://irishphoto.ie/distinctions/assessment-dates/