November 11, 2019
Presentation by Nenad Spasojevich – “Photographing the City of Chicago: Creating Images with Impact”
Nenad does not like to flaunt his accomplishments. He is an experienced Chicago based photographer who has built a large collection of outstanding images of the city. Many of these are unique in photographic approach, selection of vantage point, and environmental conditions at the time.
Nenad’s approach to photography is best summarized by his mission statement: As far back as I can remember, there was always that creative spark that kept me going. That creative obsession was shaping itself through a few different outlets over time and it has never stopped evolving. Photography has enhanced the way I look at things, it has made me more finely attuned to the ever-changing interaction of patterns and shapes, light and shadows, drama and subtlety – therefore I’m always looking for new ways to capture the environment around me. I strongly believe that a great photograph is not merely documenting the scene at hand, rather it is about fusing the essential vision of the artist with the subject.
He has been a teacher for Out of Chicago and offers his own photography workshops. His website is https://www.nenografia.com Stunning images… Thanks Nenad! (Photos courtesy of Tim Rex) Click below to enlarge:
October 14, 2019
Joe and Marie Rakoczy – “Winter Up North”
Beautiful winter photographs from the Great Lakes and Iceland.
Joe and Marie Rakoczy have been involved with the Chicago Area Camera Clubs Association since joining Green Briar Camera Club in 1988. They are now also members of the Des Plaines Camera Club, where they serve as leaders of study groups.
Professionally, Marie has worked as a high school teacher and as a business analyst for Coca Cola. Joe is a Professional Engineer. He retired from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District where he worked for his entire career as a Civil Engineer with roles including managing the Chicagoland Deep Tunnel project and the Cook County stormwater management program.
Joe and Marie are avid photographers and especially enjoy cold weather photography. They’ve produced a number of travelogues as well as several educational programs. Both are winners of the Wanda Crystal Award for photographic and artistic excellence and are recipients of the PSA Portfolio of Distinction Award. Their articles and photos have appeared in several publications, including an award-winning article in the PSA Journal on photographing Great Lakes ice formations.
September 9, 2019
Presentation – Vic Berardi – “Photographing Raptors” – Vic is the founder of the Illinois Beach State Park Hawk Watch and every weekend of the year you’ll find him searching for hawks and photographing them. Several of his photographs have been published in a leading raptor journal and in articles he has written. During the year he gives presentations teaching others about hawks and hawk migration. Vic also photographs dragonflies and wild flowers and is always respectful of nature and its creatures. Vic’s program was beautiful, to the point and mixed with humor. It was very well received… thanks Vic! Click on image to enlarge:
August 12, 2019
Presentation by David Schooley – “Antarctica”
“Antarctica is one of the most beautiful and least disturbed places on
the planet.It is also showing some of the impacts of climate change.
During this presentation I will talk about my recent trip to Antarctica,
how I got there, who I went with, and what I saw while I was there.
The continent has a history that many people don’t know about, so I will
talk about that too.”
David’s presentation demonstrated the stark beauty of Antarctica. His slides were preceded by an explanation of his voyage including the equipment and the accommodations. David also answered so many questions that the members had showing how high the interest was in his topic. Thanks David for a great MAPS evening! Click on slides to enlarge.
July 8, 2019
Presentation by Jeri Love – “The Astonishing World of Trees”
As a photographer, Jeri shared with us how trees offer visual metaphors and chromatic cues for communication, meditation and self-reflection. She showed us how to use the camera as a decoder, finding and sharing the messages and stories in patterns, shapes, textures, structures, hues and colors that trees present. An interesting and spiritual presentation… thanks, Jeri! Click on image below to enlarge:
June 10, 2019
Tony Sweet: “Infrared Artistry” Re-interpreting your world. Infrared is quickly gaining in popularity. The inherent surreal properties of B&W infrared are always surprising and redefines the visual world. We will also touch on the world of Faux color Infrared. Through ample illustrations, we breached the curtain between the world we can see and the one we can imagine in B&W and in Color Infrared photography. Also illustrated through image examples were the effects of angle and quality of light, times of day, and weather conditions. Questions were encouraged throughout the presentation.”
Tony has been an industry pro for several decades and is a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens. He and Susan Milestone conduct Visual Artistry photography location workshops in the United States, Canada, and Iceland, as well as an being an in-demand presenter at photography organizations. Tony’s photography is published worldwide in every medium and is used by Nikon, CLiR, Alien Skin, Topaz, and others for national ad campaigns. An interview with Tony on macro photography was published in The New York Times.
Tony has authored five books on the art of photography, his latest being “Iceland, A visual tour” by Amherst Media. He and Master Photo Workshops have co-produced four photography DVDs as well as an iPhone instructional video series. The first book in his Fine Art Nature Photography eBook series, “Creative Techniques and the Art of Self Expression,” was recently released.
This meeting was conducted electronically using ZOOM, a teleconferencing program. Tony’s slides were clear and visible and demonstrated the special image quality of infrared photography. Thanks Tony! Please click on an image below to enlarge:
May 13, 2019
Willard Clay is recognized as one of our nations leading landscape photographers. He was chosen to contribute to the Daybreak 2000 Project and to The Nature of North America: Images by North America’s Premier Nature Photographers. He is the sole photographer of eleven books and a contributor to scores of books and such magazines as Time, Arizona Highways, Audubon, Readers Digest , Outdoor Photographer, and Sierra Club.
Before embarking on a photographic career a quarter of a century ago, Clay was a Professor of Botany at the University of Arizona for eleven years. He now teaches photography at the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Illinois. He also teaches annual photography workshops at the Great Smoky Mountains Institute, along with many other workshops and photo tours throughout the year.
Program Title: “My 40 Year Passion For The Dancing Light” — A discussion of the images chosen for the Retrospective with an anecdote for each image what was happening when the photo was taken.
April 8,2019
Fred Drury – “Tides and Islands: The Magic of Nusa Tenggara” Capturing the beauty of this Indonesian archipelago above and below water.
Fred Drury has been making images of the natural world for over 50 years. His interest in nature photography extends both above and below water. He has received numerous local, national and international awards. Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium has more than thirty of his images in their Wild Reef Exhibit. Fred was the 2011 recipient of the Kohout Award, which is given by the Chicago Area Photographic Society for ‘outstanding work both as a nature photographer and nature photography educator’. Fred taught ‘Nature Photography’ at the College of DuPage, as well as classes in Lightroom and Photoshop at both The Morton Arboretum and at the DuPage Forest Preserve (Mayslake Peabody Estate). For several years, he authored a column entitled ‘Drury’s Digital Diary’ for the Photographic Society of America. Fred’s presentation tonight included background for his stunning underwater photos, some taken very close up. He opened a world most of us will never see directly. Thanks Fred for a really great program!
March 11, 2019
Al Alvis‘ interest in photography began at the age of 14 as a freshman in high school, learning how to develop film, and make prints in the school’s darkroom. He discovered camera clubs in the late 70’s. Besides M.A.P.S. he belongs to three additional clubs within the Chicago Camera Clubs Association and is now the current President of the Chicago Area Camea Clubs Association, otherwise known as CACCA.
He is a recipient of the Len Gordon Creativity award, and the Wanda Christl award for artistic achievementand photographic excellence. Al’s images have received numerous awards locally, and in international competition, through The Photographic Society of America, where he competes in Nature and Photojournalism divisions.
Al has been presenting photography themed programs for over thirty years, with topics that included Black and White Photography, Portraits, Landscapes, and Macro Photography. His current favorite subjects are Nature ( primarily birds) and Professional Tennis Photography.
Tonight Al presented The Mechanics and Art of Bird Photography. Al discussed How to find your bird subjects, and how to photograph them in a stylish, artistic manner. Here is a copy of the presentation notes that the speaker provided.
Al suggested 5 things to keep in mind and his many example of bird images were outstanding! Everyone loved them. Equipment, light and other issues were discussed. Thanks Al! Click on images below to expand them:
February 11, 2019
Presentation Description: Ken Thompson: Telling a Story With Multiple Images – Diptychs, Triptychs and Some Photoshop Magic
A creative way to tell a story is to use two or more images on a single sheet. The classical presentation is a diptych (2 separate images shown together) or triptych (3 images), but montages are also possible. In putting together a multiple image story you are limited only by your creativity. The images selected for a multi-image presentation can be related in some way, showing similarity, but opposites can attract. Creative analogies also work, for example two sides of the same coin. There are many ways to approach multi-image presentations, and Ken discussed several of them, including dividing one image into parts, combining two versions of the same image, and adding space between images. Ken also explained the “magic” of using Photoshop and Lightroom to create montages, again limited only by your imagination. Sadly, the weather (ice) greatly curtailed attendance but Ken’s presentation was greatly enjoyed by those who could make it. Photos below. Click to expand:
January 14, 2019
“Creating Animal Portraits” Jim Schulz. Jim is the staff photographer of Brookfield Zoo. He shared with us what he has learned in 3 decades of animal photography.
Since his high-school days Jim has had a dual interest in animals and photography. He started out as a darkroom technician at a local photo laboratory. His interest in animals soon led him to take a job in animal care at the Oak Park Animal Hospital. Subsequently he worked for several years at Trailside Nature Museum nursing baby animals to return them to the wild.
He has been on the staff of Brookfield Zoo for 30 years, and has been the Zoo’s full time photographer for the last 23 years. He is intrigued by the behavior of the animals he photographs, and strives to understand them. He deeply respects animals’ dignity and their need for space. He strives to show not just pretty pictures, but to capture an animal’s individuality and complexities and to create images with emotional impact.
Jim holds a Bachelors degree in Fine Arts and Photography. His photographic work is on display throughout the Brookfield Zoo. His photographs have also been published by news organizations such as Associated Press, and in major magazines including Newsweek and Time Magazine.
A very well attended and received program! Stunning images! Many questions followed Jim’s presentation. Thanks, Jim! Click on any image below to expand:
