Tech Spot

Submitting Photographs for DPCA Exhibits, Showcases and Challenges - 2011

2011-09-12T02:16:00.003-04:00

ATTENTION PLEASE! Read carefully, some URLs have changed.

Beginning with the September 12, 2011 meeting of the DPCA, the following is the procedure for submitting photographs for Club events.

You must be a DPCA member in good standing to submit photographs for Club events.
All work must be your, original work. If restoring or otherwise altering a photograph that you did not take, state your permissions to use the photograph(s) clearly in your submission email. The Club officers will disqualify any submission that violates or seems to violate copyright regulations.
Themes, file sizes, shooting periods, and submission deadlines must be followed or your photographs will be disqualified. Please don't exceed the number of photographs permitted for the showcase, challenge, exhibit, etc.
Unless otherwise stated, the submission deadline is 7 days before the next meeting for both Challenges and Showcases. For example that means the Monday, one week before a Monday meeting. For Exhibits, submission deadlines are different for each exhibit. Refer to the Club's website http://www.digitalphotoclub.net for instructions.
Prepare each photograph by converting it to a .JPG file no larger than 1024 pixels on the longest side. Larger images will be accepted but may be blocked by email servers. If you submit an image smaller than 1024 on the longest side, it will not show well when displayed.
Rename each photograph with your name and a sequential number something like this:
- John-Smith-01.jpg
- John-Smith-02.jpg
- John-Smith-03.jpg
We suggest you name the files you most want to display with the lowest numbers. When we have too many photographs to display in the time allotted, we may need to limit each photographer to one or two photographs.
Attach the files to a new email message addressed to:
showcase@digitalphotoclub.net for showcases OR
challenge@digitalphotoclub.net for challenges.
If you would NOT like to have your photographs on the club website, include the following statement in your email submission:

DO NOT include my photographs on the DPCA website.

The request to block website display must appear in the same email with your submission files. If you don’t include this specific request with your submission we will assume that your pictures may be posted on the club website. Pictures displayed will show the creator’s name.
Send the email. You will receive a return email confirming receipt of your message.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Extending Deadlines

Q: I'm on vacation. My bird died. I'm moving. The dog ate my camera, etc... May I have an extension on the file submission deadline?

A: Ummmm... No.
Sorry, save your terrific photographs and submit them when you can make the deadline. This is the only way we can promise that all photographs, legally submitted can be processed in time for the meeting. Photographs received after the submission period will be used for the next Showcase unless you tell us otherwise.

Challenge Windows

Q: I have this fabulous photograph I took 1, 2, or 32 minutes before the challenge period began or after it ended. Can’t I submit that photograph?

A: Nope… “Rules is rules.”

File Format and Size

Q: Why can't I just send files the way they come out of my camera?

A: You can, if they are .JPGs. We can't accept RAW files. We don't have conversion files for all cameras. Besides, this is part of the fun of digital photography. We will happily help you learn to manage and resize your files. Most cameras come with at least rudimentary conversion software. Go find that disk! (You can usually download a replacement copy from your camera manufacturer's website.)

Q: File Sizes, resolution, RAW, .JPG, attachments -- Yikes, where can I get help!

A: That's why you joined the Club, right?
Email techdir@digitalphotoclub.net or president@digitalphotoclub.net . Tell us:

Did you use a PC or MAC computer?
What camera did you use to take the photograph(s)?
What software did you used to process photographs?
Did you shoot in RAW or .JPG or something else?

Please, ask for help at least a week before the submission due date. Even with help, the rules still apply.

Rules?!

Q: Whoa, What's with all the rules? -- They Seem Strict

A: Well yes, they are. We put them in place to insure that every photograph will be received, acknowledged and processed in time for presentation. Your Board will apply the rules equally to each member and to each board member.

Let's give it a try. We think it will work to everyone's advantage.

Cheers!

Laurie Brice

Club Officer Email Addresses

2011-09-12T02:03:00.002-04:00

Please address all club email to the .net addresses rather than to the .us addresses we used several years ago. All website links have been updated and I've included a complete list here. You can see the current officers pictures and their email addresses on the Club website at http://digitalphotoclub.net/organization.html. Click the title of this post to jump there quickly.

challenge@digitalphotoclub.net
showcase@digitalphotoclub.net

director-exhibits@digitalphotoclub.net
exhibitsubmissions@digitalphotoclub.net

president@digitalphotoclub.net
secretary@digitalphotoclub.net
treasurer@digitalphotoclub.net
vpfieldtrips@digitalphotoclub.net
vpprograms@digitalphotoclub.net

membership@digitalphotoclub.net
techdir@digitalphotoclub.net
webmeister@digitalphotoclub.net

Cheers!
Laurie Brice

Planning Your Trip

2011-04-26T18:53:00.003-04:00

Several members asked me last night about the website I use to track sun and moon rise and set. It is The Photographer's Ephemeris at this link http://photoephemeris.com/.

Click the title above to jump there directly.

The PC copy is free for download. There is a nominal fee for the iPhone version.

Enjoy,
Laurie

Attaching Photos to Email

2011-04-18T20:23:00.004-04:00

I stumbled across an article I thought the group would enjoy.

Here's a super simple post from Damien Franco about sizing and attaching photos to email. He's done a great job keeping it to basics.

Click on the title to see the article.

Take a look!

Laurie

Help with Basic Windows Tasks

2010-11-28T23:45:00.010-05:00

Sometimes the biggest obstacle to success for new digital photographers is their computer skills. It is easy to take photographs but it can seem daunting to manage those new files if your basic Windows skills aren't quite there.

At minimum, you should feel comfortable:

- Viewing files
- Finding files
- Naming and Renaming files
- Copying files from one drive or folder to another
- Organizing files

But what if you can’t do these things?

YouTube to the Rescue!

Launch your browser and go to http://www.youtube.com. Search for "expertvillage computer skills”. This search will lead you to a collection of instructor-lead tutorials on Windows basics. Here are two direct links but there are many more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHs8xqvK6Y4)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hdfv7SvQeXs)

This isn't the only group posting instructional videos. Try other searches. These are just the tip of the iceberg.

Attention Nikon Fans

2010-10-21T15:33:00.001-04:00

B&H is shipping the D7000 kits beginning today.

Read about it at Nikon Rumors

http://nikonrumors.com/2010/10/20/bh-started-shipping-nikon-d7000-kits-today.aspx?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NikonRumors+%28NikonRumors.com%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

Enjoy.

Blogs I Follow

2009-10-18T01:30:00.006-04:00

I tripped over a new photography blog yesterday. It's one of the most interesting and diverse I've found in a long time. Scroll down on this page and look to the right under Photography Blogs for Black Star Rising. Give it a click and see what you think.

Cheers!
Laurie

Tagging! A Suggestion for Flickr Members

2009-10-08T19:01:00.008-04:00

Do you "tag" your Flickr photographs?

Tagging is a great way to increase traffic to your images. A tag is a word or two that describe your image. For example, tags for a flower photograph might include it's location, camera and lens used, color, common and scientific names. Your images might also include the tags "DPCA" and "Digital Photography Club of Annapolis".

Many programs permit you to add meta-data to your photographs as you process them. When you upload to Flickr, for some programs like Photoshop, the meta-data are imported as tags. You get twice the organization for the same amount of work. That's a bargain I really like.

Look to the right side of this page at the images scrolling by. Each is tagged "DPCA" in Flickr. Tag your images. They will show up here too.

10/18/2009 Update - From the learn something new every day department.

Our President, Don Dement, reminded me that in Photoshop Elements and Photoshop itself (I'm guessing Lightroom is the same), use of the Save for Web & Devices option from the File menu, strips images of their tags. I usually re-size my images from the Image menu and save them with Save As which preserves tags and all other meta data as well. So I experimented. Sure enough, the Save for Web & Devices option stripped tags and all other meta data except my copyright notice from the photographs. Thanks, Don.

I hadn't used the Save for Web... option for many years and had forgotten all about it. This exercise reminded me of it's power, especially when resizing many images simultaneously for use on a website. However, it's not my tool-of-choice when saving images for sites like Flickr or for my own library where I want the meta data (tags, EXIF, and other information) preserved with every image. Most of the time, I'll stick with Save As.

What will you use? The good new is... you have choices. Whether you tag in your photo editor and carry the tags to the web or tag your photographs only when you place them on the web, remember that tagging results in increased traffic to your photostream & website.

Enjoy!
Laurie Brice

It's Official -- The ".net" Addresses Are Here

2009-10-08T18:53:00.006-04:00

Please address all club email to the .net addresses rather than to the .us addresses we used last year. All website links have been updated and I've included a complete list here.

challenge@digitalphotoclub.net
director-exhibits@digitalphotoclub.net
exhibitsubmissions@digitalphotoclub.net
membership@digitalphotoclub.net
president@digitalphotoclub.net
secretary@digitalphotoclub.net
showcase@digitalphotoclub.net
techdir@digitalphotoclub.net
treasurer@digitalphotoclub.net
vpfieldtrips@digitalphotoclub.net
vpprograms@digitalphotoclub.net
webmeister@digitalphotoclub.net

Cheers!
Laurie Brice

Changes Are Coming -- Watch This Space

2009-09-06T01:54:00.006-04:00

Hi Everyone!

Hope you had a terrific summer.

Just a quick note to let you know that while our Club emails have been coming from the ...@digitalphotoclub.us addresses, in the near future, they will change to ...@digitalphotoclub.net just like the URL for our website. We hope to make email distribution to all paid members easier with this change. You won't need to do anything special except maybe adjust your SPAM filter to allow (it's called whitelist in some email systems) the new addresses into your inbox. Club messages will arrive at the same email address you gave when you joined or renewed.

Speaking of joining and renewing... this is a great time to remind everyone that dues are collected at the beginning of the summer. Don't miss out on an exciting year of programs, field trips, and exhibits. Make sure your membership is current. The form for joining and renewing is right here => http://www.digitalphotoclub.net/membership.html. Why not fill it out and bring it to the meeting on the 21st?

See you on there!

Laurie

Submitting Photographs to the DPCA - 2009

2009-09-06T01:45:00.013-04:00

ATTENTION PLEASE! Read carefully, some URLs have changed.

Beginning with the September 21, 2009 meeting of the DPCA, the following is the procedure for submitting photographs for Club events.

You must be a DPCA member in good standing to submit photographs for Club events.
All work must be your, original work. If restoring or otherwise altering a photograph that you did not take, state your permissions to use the photograph(s) clearly in your submission email. The Club officers will disqualify any submission that violates or seems to violate copyright regulations.
Carefully follow the submission criteria explained for each event in the President's Corner. Themes, file sizes, shooting periods, and submission deadlines must be followed or your photographs will be disqualified. Please don't exceed the number of photographs permitted for the showcase, challenge, exhibit, etc. (see the President's Corner for the details of each submission http://dpcapresident.blogspot.com/)
Unless otherwise stated, the submission deadline is 7 days before the next meeting. For example that means the Monday, one week before a Monday meeting.
Prepare each photograph by converting it to a .JPG file no larger than 1024 pixels on the longest side. Larger images will be accepted but may be blocked by email servers. If you submit an image smaller than 1024 on the longest side, it will not show well when displayed.
Rename each photograph with your name and a sequential number something like this:
- John-Smith-01.jpg
- John-Smith-02.jpg
- John-Smith-03.jpg
We suggest you name the files you most want to display with the lowest numbers. When we have too many photographs to display in the time allotted, we may need to limit each photographer to one or two photographs.
Attach the files to a new email message addressed to:
showcase@digitalphotoclub.net for showcases OR
challenge@digitalphotoclub.net for challenges.
If you would NOT like to have your photographs on the club website, include the following statement in your email submission:

DO NOT include my photographs on the DPCA website.

If you don’t opt out we will assume that your pictures may be posted on the club website. Pictures displayed will show the creator’s name.
Send the email. You will receive a return email confirming receipt of your message.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Extending Deadlines

Q: I'm on vacation. My bird died. I'm moving. The dog ate my camera, etc... May I have an extension on the file submission deadline?

Challenge Windows

Q: I have this fabulous photograph I took 1, 2, or 32 minutes before the challenge period began or after it ended. Can’t I submit that photograph?

A: Nope… “Rules is rules.”

File Format and Size

Q: Why can't I just send files the way they come out of my camera?

Q: File Sizes, resolution, RAW, .JPG, attachments -- Yikes, where can I get help!

A: That's why you joined the Club, right?
Email techdir@digitalphotoclub.net or president@digitalphotoclub.net . Tell us:

Did you use a PC or MAC computer?
What camera did you use to take the photograph(s)?
What software did you used to process photographs?
Did you shoot in RAW or .JPG or something else?

Please, ask for help at least a week before the submission due date. Even with help, the rules still apply.

Rules?!

Q: Whoa, What's with all the rules? -- They Seem Strict

Cheers!

Laurie Brice

Summer Break

2009-08-02T23:23:00.002-04:00

Here we are in August already and your Board's thoughts are turning to September and the Club's first meeting. Enjoy the next month. Take lots of pictures and don't forget to visit the Club's website for news of meetings and upcoming events.

Submitting Photographs to the DPCA - 2008

2008-08-27T20:03:00.024-04:00

Beginning with the September 8, 2008 meeting of the DPCA, the following is the procedure for submitting photographs for Club events.

You must be a DPCA member in good standing to submit photographs for Club events.
All work must be your, original work. If restoring or otherwise altering a photograph that you did not take, state your permissions to use the photograph(s) clearly in your submission email. The Club officers will disqualify any submission that violates or seems to violate copyright regulations.
Carefully follow the submission criteria explained for each event in the President's Corner. Themes, file sizes, shooting periods, and submission deadlines must be followed or your photographs will be disqualified. Please don't exceed the number of photographs permitted for the showcase, challenge, exhibit, etc. (see the President's Corner for the details of each submission http://dpcapresidentscorner.blogspot.com/)
Unless otherwise stated, the submission deadline is 7 days before the next meeting. For example that means the Monday, one week before a Monday meeting.
Prepare each photograph by converting it to a .JPG file no larger than 1024 pixels on the longest side. Larger images will be accepted but may be blocked by email servers. If you submit an image smaller than 1024 on the longest side, they will not show well when displayed.
Rename each photograph with your name and a sequential number something like this:
- John-Smith-01.jpg
- John-Smith-02.jpg
- John-Smith-03.jpg
Attach the files to a new email message addressed to:
showcase@digitalphotoclub.us for showcases OR
challenge@digitalphotoclub.us for challenges.
If you would NOT like to have your photographs on the club website include the following statement in your email submission:

DO NOT include my photographs on the DPCA website.

If you don’t opt out we will assume that your pictures can be posted on the club website. Pictures displayed will show the creator’s name.
Send the email. You will receive a return email confirming receipt of your message.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Extending Deadlines

Q: I'm on vacation. My bird died. I'm moving. The dog ate my camera, etc... May I have an extension on the file submission deadline?

Challenge Windows

Q: I have this fabulous photograph I took 1, 2, or 32 minutes before the challenge period began or after it ended. Can’t I submit that photograph?

A: Nope… “Rules is rules.”

File Format and Size

Q: Why can't I just send files the way they come out of my camera?

Q: File Sizes, resolution, RAW, .JPG, attachments -- Yikes, where can I get help!

A: That's why you joined the Club, right?
Email techdir@digitalphotoclub.us or president@digitalphotoclub.us . Tell us:

Did you use a PC or MAC computer?
What camera did you use to take the photograph(s)?
What software did you used to process photographs?
Did you shoot in RAW or .JPG or something else?

Please, ask for help at least a week before the submission due date. Even with help, the rules still apply.

Rules?!

Q: Whoa, What's with all the rules? -- They Seem Strict

Cheers!

Laurie Brice

All About DPCA Blogs

2008-08-27T09:58:00.031-04:00

Blog is short for "web log".
A blog is an online journal. Topics are posted over time to the website and can serve any purpose the poster desires from arguing politics to self revelation. We'll just keep this one simple and concentrate on growing our digital photography skills.

How does a blog work?
A website must be configured to host the blog. Once this is done, one or more moderators post topics -- short articles. The blog entries are cataloged by date. Usually, the most recent post is shown at the top of the page with several additional topics below it. To read topics, use the archive index, for this blog it is found in the right sidebar, to navigate to any post at any time.

How many blogs does DPCA maintain?
Well, the number is growing but here's what we have so far:

President's Corner (http://dpcapresidentscorner.blogspot.com/) Notes from the President, visit to find out what's coming up at DPCA.
VP Programs (http://dpcaprograms.blogspot.com/) Notes from the Programs VP, visit for a review of future and past presentations.
Tech Spot (http://www.dpca-techspot.blogspot.com/) This blog, visit to explore technical issues.

Each of the blogs is available from the LINKS menu option at the DPCA website http://www.digitalphotoclub.net/.

Why a Blog instead of Email?
We could distribute information by email and for breaking news we will. However, blog entries can be updated as information changes yet the link to them remains the same. This makes them an excellent repository for reference material. Members, new and old, will be able to rely on these blogs to get a history of the DPCA, to understand how our Club works, and to resolve technical difficulties.

How will I know if new topics or comments are posted to a blog?
The least technical way is to return to the blog and scan for information. On the more techy side, there is something called a 'Feed'. If the blog moderator has turned the feature on, at the bottom of the blog you will see a link to Subscribe. Once you subscribe, use the 'Feeds' feature of your browser to check for new posts without visiting the blog website first. Don't know how to use the Feed feature of your browser? Look in the HELP for your software.

Can I comment on a topic?
Yes, you bet. Look for the comments link under each topic. Remember, your comments are visible to the big, wide, web world. Be friendly.

Can I email a topic to a friend?
Sure! Click on the little envelope graphic at the bottom of a topic and follow the screen directions. (...and thanks for sharing!)

Have more questions about DPCA blogs?
Great! Post them in comments to this topic. We'll update the topic to include the answers or sharpen up our text.

Enjoy!
Laurie Brice

Welcome to the DPCA Tech Spot!

2008-08-26T23:29:00.003-04:00

Hello DPCA Members and Friends and welcome!

In this blog, we will field, explain and discuss issues regarding all things "computer" at the Digital Photography Club of Annapolis and its website. We'll post "How To's" here and cross reference them under the FAQ section of our website www.digitalphotoclub.net .

Submit your questions by sending email to techdir@digitalphotoclub.net. We'll post an answer here and you'll be able to comment on each topic. Remember, your comments will be viewable to all who visit the blog so please be your usual, polite self in print, too.

Enjoy!

Laurie Brice
Technical Director
Digital Photography Club of Annapolis