Recently I constructed a portfolio of images of cenotaphs and Canadian War Cemeteries for my uncle Ken Collett in Regina. Some of those images are on exhibit at the Second Cup cafe on Phillip St and University in Waterloo.

It's a real challenge to create a portfolio. What does one include? Does it have a theme? If so, what is it (or should be)? How many images should be in it? A couple of years ago I had the privilege of having my photographs reviewed at the Elevator Gallery in Toronto by two well-known photographers of today, Michael Smith and Les MacLean. Both reviews were good feedback - but as one might anticipate, somewhat contradictory!

Congratulations to whoever engaged Ethan Meleg to speak to the club. He was informative, entertaining, personable and motivational. I thoroughly enjoyed the evening.
Thanks

There's a quote I found on a web page last week, attributed to the famous French photographer Robert Doisneau. I don't know whether the quotation is accurate, but here it is nonetheless:

If I knew how to make a good photograph, I'd do it every time.

It's probably better in French; there is all too often an information loss in translation, whether the original be in French, Ukrainian, or any other language. Sometimes English doesn't cut the mustard.

In the PBS Ansel Adams documentary, there was one section that really struck me... remember that Ansel was an accomplished pianist...

As a very new member of HGCC, I came away from my first critique session somewhat disillusioned, after constant references to sharpness, focal points, balance, etc. While these technical elements can add greatly to producing a satisfying image, they are not the heart.
Prior to the second session, Glenn asked us to consider the question, “How does this image make you feel?” In other words, we were asked to think about the emotional pull of the images. The result, I felt, was a much more rewarding exchange of ideas and thoughts.