Houston Photographic Study Group

[wburychka]

Houston Photographic Study Group (http://hpsgroup.org/default.aspx) is opening for ten additional members. If you are someone who has popped in to some of the local photo clubs and found that they gave you less of what you wanted but more of what was not of interest, then our group may be for you.

We have three respected local professionals who alternate as Facilitators. They give assignments and then critique and discuss prints produced by the group. We have no competitions, no field trips, no programs, no snacks, no club offices. It's like a school but better, because you can't fail, only learn.

After a year of meetings, we have developed a core group of enthusiasts who are learning to be better photographers and enjoying every bit of the challenging assignments, seeing others' interpretations of the assignments, and getting professional critiques of their work. We've also had a few who decided that our group is not for them, hence the openings.

We meet the first Thursday each month at Tracy Gee Community Center at 7pm. For more information and directions to Tracy Gee, see the website referenced above. Please feel free to come to a couple meetings as our guest to see what it is all about. Next meeting is tomorrow, Thursday, November 6.

[Steelsun]

Neat concept. May check out a meeting or two.

[keen99]

Very interesting. I will come by and check it out. Since I just missed the last one, guess I'll wait till the one in December. Thanks for the info.

[venchka]

I'm curious about the make up of the group. What is the division between folks working in film and folks working in digital?

Thanks!

[wburychka]

I would guess it is 99% digital. One guy I know who uses film just does so as a novelty. The three facilitators are all film background but are pretty much all digital now. One of them, Laszlo Perlaky, shoots Nikon digital but also does landscapes with a 4x5 film camera.

Even the die hards have mostly made the transition. I started with film and had my own darkroom setup (aka the bathroom) for years. I much prefer sitting in front of a computer screen with a glass of pinot to the acetic acid fumes of the darkroom.

[janetg]

looks like fun - too far for me though...

[wburychka]

Originally Posted by janetg

looks like fun - too far for me though...

We have members ranging from far southeast Houston to Navasota. Also several women who come alone, including one from Cypress. Tracy Gee Community Center has a very well lighted parking lot, and it's a moderately busy place. I'll grant you that there is no place that's easy to get to in Houston, but Tracy Gee is about two blocks from BW8 at Richmond.

As to the fun part, some members comment about how difficult some of the assignments are--not to shoot but to interpret. Others appreciate being forced to get out of their comfort zones. This is especially helpful for people who typically take only landscapes, wildlife, birds (I've seen enough great egrets to last a lifetime, but there is a guy in one club who brings egret photos to that club's competition nearly every month.)

If you have the time, you might try visiting one meeting. A person who brings two prints to half the meetings of HPSG, gets the benefit of critiques and comments that would cost hundreds of dollars at Fotofest, plus gets to see the work of others critiqued--some members come just for that.

[DPetito]

Originally Posted by wburychka

We have members ranging from far southeast Houston to Navasota. Also several women who come alone, including one from Cypress. Tracy Gee Community Center has a very well lighted parking lot, and it's a moderately busy place. I'll grant you that there is no place that's easy to get to in Houston, but Tracy Gee is about two blocks from BW8 at Richmond.

As to the fun part, some members comment about how difficult some of the assignments are--not to shoot but to interpret. Others appreciate being forced to get out of their comfort zones. This is especially helpful for people who typically take only landscapes, wildlife, birds (I've seen enough great egrets to last a lifetime, but there is a guy in one club who brings egret photos to that club's competition nearly every month.)

If you have the time, you might try visiting one meeting. A person who brings two prints to half the meetings of HPSG, gets the benefit of critiques and comments that would cost hundreds of dollars at Fotofest, plus gets to see the work of others critiqued--some members come just for that.

Will there be a December meeting? Any alternative photography officionados in the group?

[wburychka]

Alternative photography afficionados? That depends on what you mean. If that is infrared, cyanotypes, pinholes... then yes, we do have one member who had her Nikon D70 converted to infrared. Most of the alternative procedure people, though, are in Houston Photographic Society, where I'm president for 43 more days. We have a pinhole enthusiast, a couple of cyanotype printers, and one guy who seems to only photograph black boxers in the gym.

I have to be honest, though, and tell you that in both HPSG and HPS, it is the end product that is evaluated for what it is more than how it was produced. The pinhole guy in HPS does well in monthly competitions--because his photographs are excellent without regard to the process that made them. The member (of both organizations) with the infrared converted camera earns kudos on the merit of her photos (the infrared shots are rare) not the process.

Bottom line. The study group welcomes all. Many members will be fascinated by the process, but the facilitators will critique the result, not the process, no matter how much they might admire and respect the process.

[DPetito]

Originally Posted by wburychka

Alternative photography afficionados? That depends on what you mean. If that is infrared, cyanotypes, pinholes... then yes, we do have one member who had her Nikon D70 converted to infrared. Most of the alternative procedure people, though, are in Houston Photographic Society, where I'm president for 43 more days. We have a pinhole enthusiast, a couple of cyanotype printers, and one guy who seems to only photograph black boxers in the gym.

I have to be honest, though, and tell you that in both HPSG and HPS, it is the end product that is evaluated for what it is more than how it was produced. The pinhole guy in HPS does well in monthly competitions--because his photographs are excellent without regard to the process that made them. The member (of both organizations) with the infrared converted camera earns kudos on the merit of her photos (the infrared shots are rare) not the process.

Bottom line. The study group welcomes all. Many members will be fascinated by the process, but the facilitators will critique the result, not the process, no matter how much they might admire and respect the process.

And so....will there be a December meeting?

[venchka]

Originally Posted by DPetito

Will there be a December meeting? Any alternative photography officionados in the group?

Dennis,

What are you thinking when you say, "alternative photography"? I'm giving serious thought to exploring some of the old processes. It would be good to meet similar minded folks in Houston.