December 2021
Bonita Palma – Creative Perspectives
Composites. Abstracts. Impressions. Anything that bubbles up from the unlimited well of your imagination. Bonita will share some of her creative visions, motivations and processes to help inspire your own creative artistry.
This and so much more! Bonita gave examples of the many ways to become creative including moving camera, double exposure, infrared, add and subtract objects, high key and many others. Everyone enjoyed her excellent and well prepared presentation. Great job and thank you Bonita! Below are just a few examples of her excellent work. Click on an image to enlarge.
Creative Perspectives (200 MB)
November 2021
Mike Lake – Turn Your Images into Paintings
Turn your image into a painting. Learn the secrets of the impressionists with Mike Lake. It’s all about the brush strokes and how you use them. The technique, software and step by step process was revealed.
Our own member Mike gave a great presentation demonstrating the use of modern software (TOPAZ) to convert ordinary photos into dramatic paintings. Some procedures were straightforward, some required layering and some were subtly enhanced by the use of “micro brushes” to add detail to specific needed areas without affecting the entire canvas. Beautiful images and well spoken… Thanks Mike! Click on any sample image below to expand:
Turn Your Images into Paintings Video (530 MB)
October 2021
Roger Mattingly – Exploring the Urban Scene with Open Chicago
Literally one of the coolest things to do in Chicago! A must in my book! One weekend a year, the Chicago Architectural Center partners with over 300+ locations around the city and they open up their doors to the public to view and experience their space which you might otherwise never get into. This year it’s October 16th and 17th, and all FREE. Although last year was curtailed to mostly outdoor venues this year should be more robust. Some of my favorite places included the Fine Arts Building, Auditorium Theater, Cliff Dwellers, Rookery, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and Money Museum, London House, 360 Degree Observation Floor of the Kemper Building. If you live in Chicago you owe to yourself to take advantage of this. I have been shooting it for 8 years and have yet to exhaust the possibilities. I can share suggestions about how to make up your list of sites to visit and what equipment to take. See the Chicago Architectural Center site at for details.
Everyone enjoyed Roger’s presentation. Roger’s expert photography combined with all of the architecture Chicago has to offer made for a great show! Thanks Roger! Click on an image below to expand–
Exploring the Urban Scene with Open Chicago Video (310MB)
September 2021
Ken Thompson – Getting Closer-A Look at the World Within
Inside the landscape is a very interesting world, full of details and even abstractions. The world within offers many creative opportunities, and does not require specialized equipment. We looked at “small scale scenes”, with subjects including water drops, flowers, vegetables, minerals, shells and other ideas. The photographer is limited only by his/her creativity and Ken’s presentation covered creative ideas for taking images at small scale.
Although Ken is retiring, as a MAPS member he will hopefully attend future meetings both live and virtual. Thanks Ken! Below are just a sample of screen shots from his excellent presentation. Click on an image to expand…..
August 2021
Robert Erving Potter, III – Monarchs in Mexico
Come on an adventure with Robert Erving Potter. He will take you into the mountains of Mexico to see the winter home of the Monarch butterfly migration. You will learn what photo gear to take with you and what to expect in the way of weather and physical endurance. Also learn where you might want to stay and what kinds of delicious foods you may find on your journey.
Thanks Robert for your “travelog” presentation. You really gave your audience an idea of what your adventure involved especially through your great images, some screen shots of which are shown below. Click on any image to expand:
Monarchs in Mexico Video (415 MB)
Robert has provided additional information for us:
- The images made on 02-19-2020 where in the Santuario del la Mariposa Monarch Macheran, in the State of Mexico, we hired a guide from https://jmbutterflybnb.com/, that’s South East of the city of Zitacuro, Michoacan, Mexico.
This was the hardest trail ride I’ve been in in a long time – straight up the mountain on a Mexican Mustang. Very powerful, sure foot, but small horse. With a western saddle. I learned to ride english at Culver Military Academy. Big difference.
- The images made on 02-26-2020 where in the El Rosarito (Santuario del la Mariposa Monarch El Rosario) in the mountains just SE of the town of Angangueo in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. We hired a guide at the El Rosarito sanitary and paid admission fee.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_Butterfly_Biosphere_Reserve
This was a long but do-able hike up the mountain.
- https://jmbutterflybnb.com/
- https://jmbutterflybnb.com/help-monarchs/
- https://butterfliesandtheirpeople.org/
July 2021
John Mariana – Ansel Adams
Ansel Adams was the master of artistic black & white prints. He developed the rules and requirements of quality prints. We joined John Mariana as he explained Ansel’s technique and requirements using many of his fine art images. John presented The Man, His Darkroom Techniques (Photoshop Today) and The Fine Art B&W print requirements.
Thanks John for such an excellent presentation! We all have a better knowledge of what Ansel Adams was trying to accomplish and what motivated him to achieve his greatness. Please click on a slide below to enlarge:
June 2021
Jerry Hug – Infrared Cell Phone Photography
Who knew you could do it with a phone? An eye opener from the most knowledgeable cellphone guy we know. Setting up your cell phones to capture Black and White Infrared images including what the cellphone requirements are, what Infrared filters are needed, how to attach the filters to the cellphones and what options are available. Then how to edit these Infrared (IR) images in the cellphone for the best results. Samples were displayed, questions were answered. Speakers Notes available from Jerry’s web site after the program.
Here is a sample of Jerry’s work. Please click on a slide to expand. Thanks, Jerry!
Infrared Cell Phone Photography Video (525 MB)
May 2021
Harold Ross – Principles of Light
Harold’s presentation covered his Still Life photography images and some other projects such as his Night images, the Biltmore House, Shopcraft, etc. He also discussed the lighting tools he uses for his work, and throughout the talk he discussed technical information on his “Six Principles of Light”. See his work at his website.
General consensus was that the images, especially the BEFORE and AFTER were nothing short of spectacular! Thanks for a great presentation Harold. Images kindly provided by Mr. Ross. Click on an image below to enlarge:
April 2021
Steve Zigler – Basic Astrophotography
We explored landscape photography after dark including the sky. Required a dark site, a camera, fast wide-angle lens and tripod. We covered some basic post processing to enhance your images. Learned how to expand your landscape photography after dark with the equipment you already own. Check out Steve’s work at his website.
Always a great topic… Thanks Steve! See sample screenshots below:
Basic Astrophotography Video (400 MB)
March 2021
Rad Drew – Topaz and Other Software Tools
Having heard a lot about Topaz, we had recruited noted landscape photographer Rad Drew to profile Topaz Studio 2 and the additional Gigapixel, DeNoise AI and Sharpen AI. We learned to stylize, enhance, and customize our pictures with these popular software programs. See Rad’s website.
What we learned…
- the tools available in the Topaz Studio 2 photo editor
- how to process RAW files in TS2
- how to create painterly effects with Impression
- how to access DeNoise AI and Mask AI from within Topaz Studio 2
- how to use DeNoise AI to eliminate noise from almost any image for a cleaner, sharper photo
- how to create a mask in Mask AI, eliminate the background, and replace it with a texture, image, or color.
Thanks Rad! Excellent presentation!
Some examples below:
February 2021
Steve Gettle – Bird Photography – Beyond the Basics
Creating photographs of the birds of our world is a fun and challenging pursuit. In this course, we will go beyond the basics, learning tips and tricks to take your bird photography to the next level. Attendees will learn how to effectively use fill-flash, how to use many different types of blinds, as well as how to build a backyard bird photography studio. Participants will learn why you don’t need a $12,000 lens to make a picture of a bird.
Steve Gettle: I am a nature photographer. I photograph the natural world because I love it. I have been passionate about nature since I was a small child, and I am fortunate to have been able to build my life around nature and my photography. My cameras have taken me around the world and shown me wondrous things that I could hardly have even dreamt of. It is truly my privilege to share my work and experiences with you.
Nicole Sudduth: Nicole is an avid nature photographer who specializes in photographing wildflowers, insects, amphibians, and birds. She has been photographing wildlife for over 15 years and enjoys sharing the wonders of nature and inspiring others in exploring that passion. Through her images she connects the story of wildlife and habitat, showing interactions and inter-dependencies that are sometimes missed. Her images and stories have been featured in publications of the National Wildlife Federation, Audubon and other nonprofit organizations.
Great presentation using virtual Zoom technology. Here are a few images we are able to share. Click to enlarge.
January 2021
Adam Schallau – Photographing the Grand Canyon, from Rim to River
Adam Schallau is a full-time professional photographer & workshop instructor based in the American Southwest. In his presentation, Adam shared his experiences, the challenges he had faced in making his photographs and the lessons he had learned in photographing the Grand Canyon from rim to river. See Adam’s website.
Many MAPS members have visited and photographed the Grand Canyon at one time or another but few could have approached the depth and stark beauty of Mr. Schallau’s images, some of which are posted below. From the rim looking downward to the river looking up, the true majesty of the Canyon was revealed. Thank you Adam Schallau!
MAPS would like to take this time to thank Hart Kannegiesser for his years of dedication to the Program Committee to which he is now leaving. Hart and his team have provided our members with so many excellent programs over the years… Thanks Hart!
The virtual (Zoom) presentation allowed for members who are away for the winter to participate. Click on a slide below to enlarge it:
Photographing the Grand Canyon, from Rim to River (600 MB)