First Place Jon Williams – October Full Moon
Second Place: Jeff Krueger – Reach for the Sky
Third Place: Jim Burkstrand – Luminaries
Robert Thoresen
December’s contest theme was After Dark. There were 21 entries from which the three outside judges could select.
A bright, full moon on a dark, crisp October evening in Quail Creek is a beautiful experience. Jon Williams placed first with his photograph October Full Moon. Jon wanted to photograph in a manner that would show surface details. Using a Nikon D7100 on an Astro-Physics 105mm f5.8 Traveler refractor telescope (focal length 610mm), he took five bracketed images one stop apart which were post-processed with Photomatix and Photoshop CS6. Unique in this process was first using video liveview to achieve focus and initial median shutter speed (what you see is what you get) then returning to still liveview to complete the shot. Camera: Nikon D7100, f/4, 1/100 sec, fl 500 mm, ISO 100.
Originally from Chicago, Jeff Krueger takes every opportunity to enjoy the city at night. His last visit was over Labor Day. Jeff stated, “During a night stroll, I saw one of the newer buildings, The Trump International Hotel and Tower, located in the 400 block of North Wabash. The city night glow really made the 98 story building unique from his vantage point.” What is also unique is the $375 charge that Mr. Trump asks one to pluck down for a basic room for a night. This writer’s preference is the trusty Best Western River North (125 West Ohio Street), with a $140 basic for the night. Jeff used his old Canon 40D that is his “suitcase” camera. Camera: Canon EOS 40D, f/3.5, 1/6 sec, fl 28mm, ISO 6400.
The photo of the Luminaries was taken December 5, 2015. Jim Burkstrand was walking around Tubac, Arizona with his wife and admiring the many shops that had placed luminaries outside to celebrate the Christmas holidays. About 45 minutes after sunset they came upon the Country Store which had lots of pots and vases outside. The owners had placed a few luminaries near them that provide nice lighting to the cowboy boot shaped pots. Jim wanted a low shot, so he bent down and braced the camera against his thigh and body for a hand held shot. Camera: Canon EOS 60D, using a Tamron 24-70mm lens with vibration control, f/4, 1/10 sec, fl 27mm, ISO 6400. The image was shot in RAW and processed in Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.
The PCQC Photo of the Month Contest is a club activity offered to club members. One month a year there is an open contest for all Quail Creek residents. The first place winner’s photo is displayed at the Madera Clubhouse for one month and then displayed for one month in the Creative Arts and Tech Center. The first place winner also receives this 16” x 20” print of their photo. The judges are non-residents. The Photography Club of Quail Creek has a general program/meeting open to all residents on the second Wednesday of the month. The venue is usually the Ocotillo Room at the Kino Conference Room at 7:00 p.m. There is also an active photography education program held the first and third Thursdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. in the Ocotillo Room and periodic photo field trips available to members only.