Volume 71 Number 2

Fall 2009

CONTENTS: President’s Message…. 3 Contact Information…. 3 Cancellations…………… 3 Value To Expense……… 4 Exhibitions……………… 5 Community Events……. 5 Recyle…………………. 6 Assigned Subject……... 6 Website…………………. 6 Monthly Dig. Contest…. 6 Urban Spelunking…….. 7 Photo Scavenger Hunt.. 8 Website………………… 7 Program Schedule…… 10 Upcoming Events……. 10

BERKS PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY

CONFERENCE GROUP SET UP BY MICHELE CELENTANO PHOTO BY GARY MARZALEK

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Berks Photographic Society 2009 Officers: President Frank Lorah, Jr. Vice President Terry Mest Treasurer Donn Shires Recording Secretary Jen Shultz Corresponding Matt Vardjan Secretary Financial Secretary Cheryl Tumolo Directors: Bob Eck

Joe Ging Phil Magistro Gary Marszalak George Rhoads Jenn Seale Ken Silagy Dave Starke

Bob Sheldon Rod Small 2009 Chairmen: Budget Donn Shires

Conference Cheryl Tumolo

Programs Bob Gallo Cheryl Tumolo

Property/Building Matt Vardjan

Community Events Frank Lorah Phil Magistro Digital Image Contest Frank Lorah Slide Contest Bob Gallo Joe Ging Print Contest Rod Small

Special Contests Terry Mest

Newsletter Cheryl Tumolo

Refreshments Celeste Geschwindt

Berks Photographic Society 40 N. Noble St. Reading, PA 19611 610-373-7239 www.berkscamera.org

FLASH Fall, 2009 The Berks Photographic Society was established in 1938 as the Berks Camera Club. The Berks Camera Club changed its name in January, 2006 to the Berks Photographic Society. The Berks Photographic Society is one of a few photographic organizations that owns its own building, housing a 90-seat auditorium, a large studio, darkroom, finishing/matte room, lockers and a social room. All members, except Life Members must pay an-nual dues. The amount is determined by the Board of Directors. Failure to pay dues by April 1st will result in termination of membership. Dues are subject to annual review by the Board. Regular dues: $45 annually Darkroom, studio, finishing room key: $50 annually Student dues: $25 annually Application processing fee: $25 payable with application Late dues fee: $3 for dues not paid by January 1st ___________________________________________

PSA Rep John Tumolo, Jr.

FLASH Fall, 2009

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Dear Members. I hope that all of you had a great summer and took lots of excellent photographs. I look forward to seeing a lot more entries in all of our contests. I would like to apologize for the delay in the newsletter getting out. It is my fault that the newsletter has not been sent out before this. The editor has been waiting for me to prepare this President’s Message, which I was unable to do until now due to my busy schedule. I am very pleased to announce that we had another great Conference this year. We had a great lineup of speakers, starting out on Friday with Michele Celentano who started her afternoon session at 12:00 and ended the afternoon session with a how to in which all attendees took part. She showed how to set up a group photo so you see everybody, no matter how large the group. The group she set up had about 50 people,. The results of the set up were captured in a photograph taken by Gary Marzalek and is the photo on the front page of this newsletter. On Saturday morning the attendees could chose to attend the Lightroom 2.0 program or Photoshop Beginners which was followed by either Framing presented by Travis of B&S Frames or the lighting program presented by Dave Piazza of Westcott Lighting. The Saturday night Showcase program was presented by Joe & Maryann McDonald. Sunday morning programs were presented by Gary Marzalek, Frank Plucinsky and Marty Malgieri. Doorprizes were donated by Wacom who donated an Intuous tablet, Photodex who donated software, and B&S Frames who donated a frame. In spite of the recession, we had a good attendance at the Con-ference, in fact we only had 10 less attendees than last year!! We also saw more members attend this year. Thanks to all of the members who put together the 2009 Conference. The 51st Annual Conference will be held on June 11, 12 & 13, 2010. We have already had a meeting with members interested in helping with the 2010 conference and we are now in the planning stages for 2010, and hope to have our speaker and program lineup completed by early winter 2009. Please keep checking the website for upcoming events such as the Fall cleanup and the Senior High School Student print competition, as well as upcoming exhibits. Also the Basics of Digital Photography on January 17, 2010. I look forward to seeing all of you at our meeting on September 14, 2009. Frank Lorah, Jr.

FROM THE PRESIDENT Frank Lorah, Jr.

FLASH Fall, 2009

CONTACTS

PLEASE CONTACT THE OFFICERS AT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESSES: Frank Lorah— frank@berkscamera.org Terry Mest— terry@berkscamera.org Donn Shires— donnshires@berkscamera.org Matt Vardjan— matt@berkscamera.org Jen Shultz — jbshultz@berkscamera.org Cheryl Tumolo- cheryl@berkscamera.org

Look at that smile. Think he’s enjoying receiving a kiss from Michele?

PROGRAM CANCELLATIONS DUE TO WEATHER

IN THE EVENT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, PROGRAM AND MEETING CANCELLATIONS WILL BE POSTED ON THE WEBSITE BY 4:00 P.M.

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FLASH Fall, 2009

Value to Expense by Joe Ging The state of the economy has hit each and every one of us. Either directly through job loss, reduced hours, pay cuts or through fears of inflation, increased taxes, higher gas prices or other impacts that we can’t control. It is during these times that we look for areas that we can control and more importantly, where we can cut our personal expenses and still have a quality of life that we can enjoy. Every time we write a check, use a credit card or reach for that dollar in our pocket we do an evaluation of the value we receive for the expense. For those of us that are members of the Berks Photographic Society, quality of life includes the pursuit of photography. Whether at an entry level, a hobbyist or a professional, whether we pick up the camera to enjoy the creative outlet or for the documentation of our family and all that entails, photography has be-come more than a casual part of our lives. But, like everything else, we need to evaluate the expense and understand the value we receive for that expense. The most expensive level of annual member-ship is $95.00/yr. If you add the Annual Con-ference of $70.00 your total cost is $165.00/yr or $3.17/week (about 1.25 gallons of gas). Look at the value proposition for the $160.00 maximum annual expense: Photo Studio – The Society is one of a very, very, very limited number of National Camera Clubs that have its own Studio. With your membership you have access to a studio that provides portrait and still life photographic op-portunities without a personal investment in backdrops, light’s, soft boxes, etc. We have experienced portrait photographers that can help you hone your skills. Consider, this is your own personal studio to photograph your friends, family, pets or still life. And it’s in-cluded in your membership. Finishing Room – The Society has a room dedi-cated to those members that want to mount their work for either sale or personal use. The tools are here, the people to teach you how to use them are here, all you need are your photo’s and mounting material to produce a presentation that showcases your work. And it’s included in your membership.

Monthly Contests - Once a month we hold contests in Pictorial, Nature and Assigned subjects. The judging is pretty subjective but judging is really a side benefit. Contest night is an opportunity to see how other members photograph and when you enter, you get to see your work against other members. Self criticism is the best way to learn and when you see your work in context you will find areas that you know need improvement and will help you improve your skills. And it’s included in your membership. Yearly Contests – In addition to the Monthly Contests the Society also runs a Photo Essay and Scavenger Hunt contest. The Photo Es-say tests your ability to take images in context of a story you want to tell. You pick the story and tell it through your photographs. The Scavenger Hunt tests your ability to take 20 seemingly simple subjects and find creative ways to represent those subjects. Both of these Contests will expand your creative tools and, like the monthly contests, give you an op-portunity to compare your work with others to help improve your skill level. And it’s included in your membership. Education – The Society consists of members of all skill levels. We utilize our members to teach through several programs a month. Past subjects have included Studio Photography, Flash Photography, Black Light Photography, Basic Camera Operation, Wild-life Photography. We have traveled with our members on vacation via their images and have learned how they were created. We have had professional photographers demonstrat-ing their skills in advertising and marketing photography, image processing and other subjects that improve our skill levels. At the end of our weekly meetings you can find mem-bers discussing their passion, either in groups at the Society or at some other locations that serve wings and beverages. And it’s included in your membership (ok, you do have to pay for the wings and beverage). Continued on next page

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Value to Expense (continued) Display Your Work – The Society has opportunities to display your work in public forums. We have displayed at the Goggle Works, The Highlands, Reading Area Community College, Max Crema and other location. Mounted or framed, this provides you exposure and the opportunity to sell your work. And it’s included in your membership. Annual Conference – The three day Conference is open to the public and is our primary fund raiser. The Conference gives attendees a resource of Nationally known photographers providing instruction on subjects including fine art photography, portrait photography, software availability and others. Our more experienced members provide instruction on subjects that range for Photoshop to Flash. There is hands on work for studio photography using professional models. We have had small item photography, live animal photography and d i s c u s s i o n g r o u p s o n e v e r y t h i n g photographic. The Conference is an additional cost to the Society membership but, based on the $160.00 annual maximum membership and conference value, it’s included. The Berks Photographic Society, to each of us, is personal. Our hobby is photography and we all want to get better at what we do. We are fortunate to have the Society, and more fortunate to have the resources available locally to us. As you re-view your personal budget, prioritize your expen-ditures and evaluate your photographic expecta-tions consider the above. The value you receive from your membership will be difficult to obtain anywhere else. More importantly, your continued membership and your help and support in finding new members or increasing your participation will insure that the Society will continue for future generations. Thanks for your support. Joe Ging

Members please prepare your best work for the following exhibits. Muhlenberg Township Building Exhibition

During the month of October, 2009

Muhlenberg Township Building is located in Muhlenberg Township We will need approximately 20 pieces The pieces must be labeled and at the club (in the lounge) by September 25, 2009.. Sign up on the bulletin board in the coatroom or sign up by emailing Frank Lorah at Frank@berkscamera.org

Photography Exhibitions

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Our next community event will be September 10, 2009 for Goodwill’s Fashion Walk. We have been asked to photograph “The Magic Of Hollywood: The Gene London Costume Collection “ Red Carpet Opening on October 2, 2009 from 5:30 to 8:00. If you are interested in photographing this event as a Berks Photographic Society community events photographer, please contact Cheryl at Cheryl@berkscamera.org If you would like to broaden your photographic skills, meet new folks and just have fun working with other BPS members I encourage you to sign up as a volun-teer. There are no special skills needed and you can use any digital equipment from a point ‘n shoot camera to a sophisticated DSLR. To become a participant of this Committee, please send an email to communityevents@berkscamera.org and your name will be added to the list of members to be notified when a Community Event service is requested.

FLASH Fall, 2009

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FLASH Winter, 2007/2008 FLASH Fall, 2009

RECYCLE Cell Phones and Print Cartridges

The Berks Photographic Society is working with Enviro Smart™ to collect old cell phones and used print cartridges. Our Society will receive Cash Awards based on the number of Phones and Cartridges that we ship to Enviro Smart™. Discarding old cell phones and used print car-tridges is hazardous to our environment when they are dumped in landfills. Please support our eco-system and the Berks Photographic Society. Bring your old cell phones and used print car-tridges along to a Monday night meeting, and deposit them in the collection box located in the Coat Room. Thank you for supporting our Society! - Rod Small

Assigned Subjects for 2009

September Silhouette October Boat November Night Scene December Emotion

Monthly Digital Contest

The winners: June Digital Contest: Digital Pictorial 1st Place: Great Egret by Bob Sheldon 2nd Place Owl & June Moon by Wendy Koert 3rd Place Eastern Meadowlark by Bob Sheldon HM Swan & Lotus by Joanne Stamm HM Striking by Tim Youse Digital Nature 1st Place Color Burst by Dave Starke 2nd Place Redwinged Blackbird by Wendy Koert 3rd Place Close Up by Dave Starke HM White Poppy Center by Wendy Koert HM Greenbacked Heron by Joanne Stamm Digital Assigned Subject: 1st Place Heavenly Blue by Mike Seigafuse 2nd Place Mosque by Bob Eck 3rd Place Flooded Fern by Mike Seigafuse HM Old Cistern by Bob Eck HM Reflection in Glass by Dave Starke

Website

The website has been updated with the help of one of our members, Mike Seigafuse. Please check it out and let us know what you think about it.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION John Tumolo, Jr., Wendy Koert, & Beth Farmer

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FLASH Fall, 2009

Urban Spelunking? ur·ban (ʉr′bәn) adj ● of, in, constituting, or compris-

ing a city or town

spe·lunking (spi luŋ′king) n ● to explore caves as a hobby

Cave exploring in our cities and towns? Really?! No not really. Although there are probably some caves that have been long since buried beneath our homes, buildings and streets, this is not what these two words spo-ken together in this context mean. Urban spe-lunking, for those who are not aware of this un-derground activity, simply means to explore forgotten or abandoned buildings and places within our cities and towns. The above ground caves! Urban spelunking has been around for quite some time as a sub-culture activity but has gained popu-larity with the advent of digital cameras and the ease that urban spelunkers are able share their adventure photos on the internet to a vast audi-ence. The interest in these ‘new’ places to explore and photograph is growing. Derelict and aban-doned buildings become something totally new and different than what they once were. These places take on a whole new personality once the people have gone and activity has stopped. Over years of expansion and contraction with the season changes boring smooth painted walls become gold-mines of colors, textures and shapes as the paint peels and the plaster cracks. Decaying wood re-veals light accented ridges with valleys of shadows. Exposed, weathered steel all rough and rusty somehow is now more beautiful showing off land-scapes of reds, oranges, blues and browns. As with many of these places it is not only the build-ings that are abandoned. Much of what was inside is also left behind. Decades of dust blanketing desks, equipment and tools can bring life to other-wise inanimate objects somehow echoing what once was in a ghostly sort of way

Mostly seen as neighborhood eyesores from a dis-tance these seemingly lifeless places can be quite interesting and sometimes beautiful if you take the time to explore them and get up close. The photo-graphic possibilities are unique and endless aside from just being really intriguing and exciting places for adventures. As with any type of exploration there are certain guidelines to follow both for re-spect of the property owners as well as your own safety given the typical conditions of the structures. As mentioned above urban spelunking for the most part has been a sub-culture underground activity so

there are no official rules or stated guidelines, but among groups, web sites and blogs there is some-what of an urban spelunker’s code.

The first and most pressing issue is trespassing. The ideal situation is to acquire permission from the property owner to be on the site. The informa-tion can be found through city records. Usually if your intentions are disclosed sincerely and you of-fer to sign a waiver you will in most cases get the permission. Then there are no worries for anyone even if the property is posted. Written permission should be obtained and carried with you on posted properties because the local authorities will investi-gate and question someone they think does not belong there. Having the written permission from the owner will avoid a lot of embarrassing phone calls and time wasting hassles. Another option is to find places that are not posted with signs. In most of those cases nobody cares about the property or if anyone goes there. The worst thing that would happen is that you are just chased off. No signs… no fines. Respect the property is the main rule of thumb.

Secondly and most importantly is that your safety needs to be considered when entering abandoned and decaying buildings. Trust your instincts! If it looks dangerous it is. Do not take risks. Given the fact that these are empty properties means nobody checks them regularly and an injured person could be stranded in one of these places. That leads to another point. Use the buddy system and try not to go alone. Two is a good number. Any more will at-tract unwanted attention from neighbors who will then call the police. Once again have the written permission on hand for posted properties. If you do go alone let someone know where you will be, when you will be there and what time to expect your return. Take your cell phone! If something happens it is a way to call for help immediately and with most cell phones these days, can be GPS tracked and your exact location pinpointed for res-cue if needed. Another reason to buddy up with someone is that there is safety in numbers. Empty buildings attract vagrants and addicts. In most cases they do not want to be seen and will either hide or leave until you are no longer roaming around. But sometimes these folks can get nasty. If there are people using these places as shelter think about how you would react to people invading your home. Be wary and respectful.

Continued on next page

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Urban Spelunking? (continued) Also remember if you are taking photographs you are carrying expensive equipment that could attract un-desirable attention. A pocket pepper spray is a good thing to add to your camera bag not just for protec-tion from people but from animals as well. An angry or rabid raccoon is nothing to mess with! These rea-sons bring up another point.

The winter is the best time to explore these aban-doned buildings. For one the light is optimal most of the day coming in from the side to light up the dark spaces and the plant growth is down. Ticks, spiders and snakes are not present, but more importantly the cold weather drives the homeless and addicts to warmer places and the larger animals are less ac-tive.

Lastly but not unimportant, there is a similar code for urban spelunking that is present in most natural parks, caves and wilderness areas. That is “Leave only footprints and take only photographs”. Even though it may seem that no one might care about the properties and tempting as it might be, start breaking glass and taking things and you will find out how much someone cares! On a safety aspect this kind of activity can stir up all kinds of asbestos, unknown production dusts, chemicals and molds that are very unhealthy to breathe in. A dust mask or handkerchief is also a good thing to take along

Simple respect and common sense are all that need to be practiced while on your adventures. Leave it as you found it. Keeping your places for adventure dis-crete is also a good idea. Although you may honor the urban spelunker’s code others may not and see your place for exploring as a playground for destruc-tion, vandalism and theft. Then see how fast the boards and “No Trespassing” signs go up!

So when planning your next adventure, think about the less traveled paths to urban spelunking. Nature is wonderful, astounding and has fantastically beautiful places to explore and photograph and she shows her awesomeness to us every day. But do not overlook the beauty that is hidden within these forgotten and seemingly ugly abandonments. Taking the time to venture into the unknown can be quite rewarding full of uniquely beautiful sights and one-of-a-kind experi-ences that are not part of the every day.

By Kevin Brett

Subjects: 1 Fast Food 11 Summer 2 The Color Blue 12 Fruit 3 Window 13 Boat 4 Graffiti 14 Fence 5 People 15 Automobile 6 A Pet 16 Shopping 7 Beach Scene 17 Up or Down 8 Landmark 18 Building 9 Hobby 19 For Sale 10 Berks Photographic 20 On The Street Society Activity Slides are submitted in your own tray (80 capacity) Digital Images are to be submitted on a CD one week prior to the contest OR sent by email to: contest@comcast.net Terry Mest Special Contests Chairperson

Photo Scavenger Hunt November 30, 2009

FLASH Fall, 2009

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2009 CONFERENCE MODELS Photos by Gary Marzalek

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2009 Program Schedule (subject to change)

Berks Photographic Society 40 N. Noble St. Reading, PA 19611 September 14

Get More From Your External Flash By Phil Magistro September 21 All Contests (slides, digital images, prints, assigned subject: Silhouette) September 29 Costa Rica by Jeff Grabert October 5 Duryea Hillclimb by Chuck Runkle October 12 All Contests (slides, digital images, prints, assigned subject: Boat) October 19 Studio Part III: Shooting in the Studio (model) October 26 Photo Essay November 2 Morocco by Bob Eck November 9 All Contests (slides, digital images, prints, assigned subject: Night Scene) November 16 TBA November 23 TBA November 30 Scavenger Hunt December 7 TBA December 14 All Contests (slides, digital images, prints, assigned subject: Emotion) December 21 Program & Christmas Party

Upcoming Events

Goodwill Fashion Walk September 10, 2009 (Community event) The Magic Of Hollywood October 2, 2009 (Community event) Muhlenberg Township Building Exhibition Month of October, 2009 Senior High School Student Print Competition TBA Basics Of Digital Photography Seminar January 16, 2010 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.

FLASH Fall, 2009

Website: www.berkscamera.org Email: berkscamera@aol.com