Locks, Dams, and Eagles, Oh My!!!

A trip to the Mighty Mississippi on Saturday, February 7, 2015.

Please join us for our annual Eagle outing. This will include seeing and photographing eagles and eating lunch.

8am departure
10am - 12pm eagle watching Lock and Dam 14
12:30 - Lunch
After lunch - Lock and Dam 13
Sunset - homeward bound

Bring layers of clothing, boots, hats, gloves, hand warmers, snow pants if you get cold easily. Money for lunch and snacks. For photography gear, camera with the longest lens that you have, plus a short lens for wandering around the dams. You may want to bring a monopod or tripod (always good to have along).

We usually ride in groups, if you would like to ride along, let us know. If you want to be a driver and have room in your car for additional passengers, let us know. If you are going, let us know. Send a message to (sarahatobias@gmail.com).

We will choose one of the following places for lunch:

Bier Stube
http://www.bier-stube.com/
Middle of the road price and yummy beer.

Crane and Pelican
http://www.craneandpelican.com/ 
The most $$$ but so worth it. Delightful, yummy, make you feel special food. Owned and run by Sarah's cousins.

Happy Joe's Pizza. 
http://www.happyjoes.com/index.php
No other explaining needed.

If you have a preference, let us know.

Hope to see you on the upcoming outing.

Last year's outing lead to a long discussion (aka civil argument) about shutter and aperture priority shooting and which one to use for shooting wildlife. here's a link back to the blog post that was written after that discussion. To Shutter or Aperture, that is the Question. I hope it provides some information that will help you develop your photography skills.

Happy Holidays and the First Outing of 2015

May you find wonderful things to photograph and may your images be perfect every time. 

If you need a little photo assignment may I suggest a little holiday Bokeh or look at the world from a different perspective such as through glass ball, from a bird's eye view or a worm's eye (worms don't have eyes) view.

Saturday, January 3rd we are heading to Chicago via the 12:25 Metra from Elburn and walking to our destinations of The Sears (Willis) Tower, Marshall Fields (Macy's), lunch/dinner/meal, the bean.

It is $19 to go to the skydeck and that is the plan unless the sky is unfavorable for seeing, then we will not go up.

Please wear layers, bring cash for train, $$ for the skydeck and food.

Also bring your camera gear.

We will decide on where we are eating on the train (I will bring options) or while in route to the next destination and we are hungry. 

If you are joining us, please come with us on the train or meet us at the train station at 1:50pm when we get off the train, I do not want to have to "meet" you somewhere later. You are welcome to leave and go home at any time. Sarah and I want to stay until we have some dark and city lights. Please RSVP if you plan to come! THANKS (Tracy)

Going to Chi-Town

Saturday, January 3rd. Heading to Chicago via the 12:25 Metra from Elburn and walking to our destinations of The Sears (Willis) Tower, Marshall Fields (Macy's), lunch/dinner/meal, the bean.

It is $19 to go to the skydeck and that is the plan unless the sky is unfavorable for seeing, then we will not go up.

Please wear layers, bring cash for train, $$ for the skydeck and food.

Also bring your camera gear.

We will decide on where we are eating on the train (I will bring options) or while in route to the next destination and we are hungry. 

If you are joining us, please come with us on the train or meet us at the train station at 1:50pm when we get off the train, We

do not want to have to "meet" you somewhere later. You are welcome to leave and go home at any time. Sarah and Tracy want to stay until they have some dark and city lights. Please RSVP if you plan to come! THANKS

Photo Club Show-and-Tell November 5

It's time to share are work. We meet at the library in the Meeting Room at 7:00 pm. Bring your flash drive with 5-7 photos to share. What have you done lately? Did you get some good shots in the Cemetery? Have you worked on the assignment? Have you tried something new that you can't wait to sow-and-tell about?

A question regarding upcoming meetings was posted on our Facebook page. I did not respond as I have been struggling with this for quite some time. I do not have the desire or energy to continue planning meetings to which only 5 people attend. I get that people are busy. I am busy too, but because this was my baby, I have it on my calendar to make it to the meetings twice a month. I know that at least two of the other people who come, are coming to be supportive more than out of a real desire to meet as a club.

Me personal feeling is that a formal photo club has run it's course for the time being. I love our little outings and would prefer to get together when we can for some fun photographic explorations rather than try to plan meetings that are poorly attended.

I am recommending that the group disband after our December 6th Holiday Party at Tracy's.

We can spend the next month figuring out how to keep in touch and plan excursions and even occasional show-and-tell dates.

Photo Club Outing -- October 29th at 6:00 pm

We will be meeting up at Elmwood Cemetery for a little night photography. This is a fun opportunity to play with long exposure photography. Be sure to bring your camera, tripod, remote shutter releases, warm clothes and anything else you may need to be outside for a while.

The Elmwood Cemetery is an incredible place filled with history. Remember that this is a sacred place and many families have family members buried here.

Flora Jeanette Dow (Nettie Dow), the first librarian of the Sycamore Public Library is buried here. I enjoy visiting her grave where she rests between her mother and her father. Nettie passed away in June, 1905, the same year that the Carnegie Library was being built. She visited the library on May 24, 1905 while very ill to lay a trowel of mortar on the cornerstone of the building just one month before she passed away. There are some who believe that her spirit comes to visit the library.

Plans, Plans, Plans

This is the short version for upcoming meetings. More Details coming Soon.

October 1, 2014: We will play with photographing tiny things. (Macro) You should bring your camera, tripod, flash, and/or some lights and tiny things to photograph.

October 15th: Meeting cancelled

October 29th: We will meet in the Elmwood Cemetery for an evening of Halloween Fun. Meeting time will be 6:00 pm.

November 5th: Show-and-Tell. Boy, we should have lots to share.

Mid November meeting not yet planned or cancelled:)

December 6th will be our annual Christmas Party at Tracy's House. More Details to come.

Meeting Wednesday and September Assignment

At our September 3rd meeting, we had a little outing and photo challenge. In downtown Sycamore, everyone was challenged to take photographs with the theme bokeh. This Wednesday, we will start the meeting with a little contest. Everyone who participated can bring in their favorite two images (no watermarks or identifying information) and we will all vote on our favorite photo from the bunch. The winner will win a $5 Subway gift card.

After the contest, we will have a show-and-tell of group work. If you have some images you want to share and discuss, please bring them on a flash drive (Put all the images for the show-and-tell into a folder you all  something like sarah photos sept.)

We need to make a plan for our October meetings on Wednesday as well.

The theme for the month is macro. Get close up and personal with the world.

We could have a macro party at our October 1st meeting. Maybe  a few people would like to set up the room for shooting tiny things. I have a box of little stuff that was donated by Cathi Ruen before she moved.

Playing with water drops

Water drops on a Snapdragon

One inch tall flamingos