Shari Rodgers took first place with Eye See You Birdie.
Monte’s Rippled Water
Denny Huber’s second place winner Knotty Peach
Larry’s Boardwalk
Deb Nesbitt
The Photo Club of Quail Creek (PCQC) finished our first quarterly challenge of 2021. Photos were taken within the quarter and post processing was unlimited. Textures & patterns was the theme, which lent itself to creativity and interpretation.
Shari Rodgers took first place with Eye See You Birdie. Shari loves photographing dogs, and she thought about the fur. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but what would that look like from a dog’s perspective? She came up with a bird since her pup is a Labrador, and birds are her thing. Shari used a head shot with a close crop. With the light-yellow and white coloring, it was easy to bring out the different shades of her fur, which made it interesting and brought out the texture. She also sharpened it to enhance the texture. After lots of bird photos, she had one she thought would work, and she layered it in the eye. She used a dodge and burn technique to shade the eye properly with the bird and light. Shari says, “I am happy others found it interesting and enjoyed the shot!” Parameters: Nikon D500. The photo was shot using f/6, exposure 1/160 sec, focal length 200mm, and ISO 100.
Denny Huber’s second place winner, Knotty Peach, was a nice combination of a peach tree blossom and wood texture. Denny shared that every spring they get beautiful blossoms on their peach tree but no peaches thanks to the birds and ground squirrels! On a photo expedition to Tubac, looking for textures, he found an old wooden fence and got a nice close-up of a knot. Using YouTube videos, he learned how to combine textures in Photoshop, being careful to apply the knotty texture only to the flower petals. For photo parameters, he used a Canon EOS 90D, f/8.0, 1/250 sec, 135 mm focal length, and ISO 3200.
Larry and Monte Hudson tied for third. Larry’s Boardwalk, taken at Buenos Aires Wildlife Refuge in Arivaca, Ariz., was shot using a Canon EOS 77D, f/8.0, 1/200 sec, focal length 42 mm, and ISO 100. He reported the undulating boardwalk was so interesting that he laid down on the boardwalk to take the photo, which accentuated the ups and downs of the boards.
Monte’s Rippled Water was also taken with a Canon EOS 77D, f/7.1, 1/500 sec, 400 focal length, and ISO 200. Monte explained, “The criteria of this quarter’s contest was texture and pattern, and I thought this shot, taken at Sahuarita Lake, satisfied both. The coloration happened as the brightly colored equipment in the playground reflected on the surface of the water.”
The Photography Club of Quail Creek sponsors several opportunities for club members, including monthly and quarterly photo contests, field trips, photography resources, and monthly presentations. Please consult our website, www.pcqc.org, and the HOA What’s Happening for additional information and photo viewing on Flickr.