Photography Club’s June Contest – Accent in Red

Third Place: Bob Johnson - Girl With The Flaming Red Hair

Third Place: Bob Johnson – Girl With The Flaming Red Hair

First Place (tie): Helen Phillips - Mime

First Place (tie): Helen Phillips – Mime

Robert Thoresen

Accent in Red was the topic for June’s PCQC contest. Close to thirty images were entered and again the independent judging returned with a tie for first place. Helen Phillips’ first place Mime was a picture taken on a Rhine River cruise in 2011. The mime was performing in the front of the historic Cologne Cathedral. He seemed rather unique because of the gray makeup rather than the typical white face. The red rose was a bonus. Helen quotes it as one of those lucky pictures you get, but you get luckier if you are in the habit of having your camera always handy. Camera: Canon Power Shot SX30 IS, f/5, 1/1000 sec, ISO 1600, fl 49mm, Aperture 4.65625, no flash.

First Place (tie): Bill Martone – Strawberry

First Place (tie): Bill Martone – Strawberry

While Bill Martone was enjoying strawberry shortcake one day, it dawned on him that the month’s photo contest was Accent on Red. The brilliant natural red of a ripe strawberry led Bill to grab his camera and macro lens. He wanted to submit a picture that “shouted red.” This particular strawberry seemed to fit the criterion. It’s a first place for Bill. Camera: Canon EOS 60D equipped with a Canon EFS 60mm f2.8 macro lens, f/22, 1/320 sec, ISO 6400, fl 60mm, Aperture 3.0, ambient light.

Jeff Kruger participated in a Scott Kelby Worldwide Photo Walk this year in Tucson. Kelby is a renowned photographer and Photoshop expert who organizes one day photo walks in cities and towns around the world. Professionals and amateurs meet for a day in a city or town chosen by a local participant. Tucson had two photo walks this year, one of which was the Barrio District south of the Tucson Convention Center. Jeff’s second place entry was taken of an old, repurposed barn door now used as an entry to a residential courtyard. Jeff particularly liked the texture of the wood and the hardware that helped to draw additional attention to the door’s color. Camera: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, f/7.1, 1/25 sec, ISO 400, fl 75mm, Aperture 4.625, no flash.

The Girl with the Flaming Red Hair was a sidewalk mural chalk drawing at the Broadway Boulevard entrance to Sears at Park Place Shopping Mall. The artist is unknown and was removed by the summer monsoon. What attracted Bob Johnson to the sidewalk art was the vivid color, particularly the red hair and blue eyes. Always with easy access to his smartphone, it was opportunity time. Bob isn’t one to buy into the latest cell phone gadgets, but did like the camera features of the Samsung Galaxy S6 which he had recently purchased. For a spur of a moment shot, looks like he made a good purchase. Camera: Samsung SCH-1545 I-phone, f/2.2, 1/23 sec, ISO 50, fl 4mm, Aperture 2.28, flash.

Second Place: Jeff Krueger - Barn Door

Second Place: Jeff Krueger – Barn Door

Want to improve your photography skills? Then join the PCQC. The club sponsors a monthly photo contest for its members and schedules field trips throughout the year. Providing instruction to improve one’s photography is a component of the monthly meetings. Currently meetings are held at the Madera Clubhouse on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Venue will be changing this fall to the media facility at the newly remodeled Quail Creek Meeting/Conference Center. Consult the club’s constantly updated website https://www/pcqc.org for additional information.