First Place: Jim Burkstrand, Tucson Celtic Festival
Second Place: Steve Piepsmeier, The Beat Goes On
Hot Summer Day-resized: Third Place: Jeff Krueger, Hot Summer Day
September’s theme, Street Photography, found the winners on the streets of Tucson, San Diego and Chicago, at horse tracks, interstate overpasses and municipal parks. Jim Burkstrand’s, Tucson Celtic Festival, gets the honor of the first place finish and the revered wall location outside the Madera Clubhouse’s Crystal Ballroom entrance for a two month mounting. Jim took the picture last November when he attended the Tucson Celtic Festival on a PCQC field trip. The event is held in early November at the Rillito Raceway Park, located on North 1st Street south of River Road. This picture is one that demonstrates that perseverance and a bit of luck have to be factored into a good photo. It was a long day for Jim on which he took over 700 pictures. As he was leaving the festival grounds he spotted the trio sitting on a bench, taking in some shade for a late lunch. He was lucky to have them right in front, in decent light and with no other people interfering with the shot. It was one of the last photos of the day and it was the best. Camera: Cannon 60 with a Tamron 28-300mm lens, f/5.0, 1/1250 sec, ISO-1250, fl 100mm. The raw file was post processed in Lightroom and converted to B&W using Topaz.
Steve Piepmeier’s, And the Beat Goes On, was taken in San Diego a year ago while getting a refill of gas before heading back to Green Valley on Interstate 8. The leather-tanned drummer was across from the gas station on an overpass of Interstate 8. With roaring tractor trailers passing by, he soulfully beats tunes on his trap set. His close-by bicycle and its trailer is proof that, the beat goes on. Camera: Canon Powershot SX260-HS, f/5.6, 1/500 sec, ISO-100, fl 63.3mm.
While in Chicago over Labor Day (2015), Jeff Krueger made a visit to Crown Fountain at Millennium Park which is downtown at the iconic corner of Michigan Avenue and Monroe Street. Record crowds were out enjoying the internationally famous reflecting pool. The fifty foot high video sculpture, designed by Spanish artist Jaume Plensa, is considered one of the most significant additions to the city’s world renowned public art collections. There are two towers at the end of the shallow reflecting pool. Instead of the use of traditional gargoyles in fountains, Plensa has faces of Chicago citizens projected on LED screens and has water flowing through an outlet on the screens to give the illusion of water spouting from their mouths. Jeff places third place for his Hot Summer Day. Camera Canon EOS 40D, f/13, 1/160 sec, ISO-200, fl 28mm.
The Photography Club of Quail Creek has a monthly photo contest for its members and also schedules numerous photo field trips throughout the year. Meetings are held the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at the Kino Conference Center after the first of the year. All Quail Creek residents are invited to attend.
Announcements of meetings are made in the What’s Happening five days prior to a meeting or presentation. Also, consult the club’s constantly updated website http://www.pcqc.org for additional information.