Upcoming Speakers
2024-2025 Season
" The Four Seasons of Macro" Presented by Mike Moats. December 4, 2024 6;30-8:00PM
Description:
Mike will cover each season of the year and show the life cycles of the plants and open the macro photographers' eyes to the amazing variety of subject matter. This will inspire you to get out and shoot more.
Bio:
Mike Moats is an international award-winning full time pro macro photographer from Michigan. He is a Tamron Image Master, Vanguard Pro, and his articles and images have been published in many photo magazines for over 17 years. He has a Macro Photo Club online with over 2,800 members, from 28 countries. Mike teaches workshops and speaks at photo conferences throughout the US.
Web site: https://www.tinylandscapes.com/
"How to Take Amazing Wide-Angle Photos" Presented by Ian Plant. January 8, 2025 6:30-8:00PM
Description:
Pro photographer Ian Plant will teach you how to use your wide-angle lens to create compelling and unique landscape, wildlife, and travel photos. You'll learn both the technical and artistic considerations unique to wide-angle photography, including composition, dealing with the distortion inherent to wide-angle lens designs, and the importance of carefully selecting your position.
Bio:
Whether hanging over the rim of an active volcano, braving the elements to photograph critically-endangered species, or trekking deep into the wilderness to places most people will never see, world-renowned professional photographer Ian Plant travels the globe seeking out amazing places and subjects in his never-ending quest to capture the beauty of our world with his camera. Known for his inspiring images and single-minded dedication to creating the perfect photo, Ian has reached hundreds of thousands of people around the world in his mission to inspire and educate others in the art of photography. Ian's work has appeared in numerous photo magazines including Outdoor Photographer, Popular Photography, and Landscape Photography, among many others. Ian has spoken at leading photo conferences including KelbyOne, Out of Chicago, and many others. Ian is also the author of dozens of books and instructional videos and founder of Photo Masters
Web site: https://www.photomasters.com/
" Still Life Photography " Presented by Mark Battista. January 29, 2025 6:30-8:00PM
Description:
Mark Battista, a nationally recognized Fine Art Photographer and Painter, will discuss the “Art of Still Life Photography” and share his approach for creating images that tell a story, communicate an idea, and express a mood. Through this workshop you will be inspired to create impactful still life imagery through the use of simple tools such as natural light, single light flashes and constant light. Emphasis will be placed on how to modify light and use directional light to create drama.
Bio:
Mark Battista is a painter and fine art photographer specializing in portrait and still life photography. He graduated from Paier College of with a B.F.A. After working for several years as a fine artist and illustrator, Mark received a M.S. in Art Education degree from S.C.S.U and has recently retired from teaching art after 35 years.
He is a sought-after speaker who has presented across the US bringing insight and inspiration to painters and photographers.
Mark's artwork and photography has been internationally recognized and has won awards from organizations such as the Salmagundi Art Club in NYC, the New York Center For Photographic Arts, the American Artists Professional League and the CT Watercolor Society. He recently won the Grand Prize and Second Place in an international exhibit through nyc4pa.
Mark is an elected member of the Salmagundi Club, as well as the American Artist Professional League, and the American Watercolor Society. He is represented by the Salmagundi Club in NYC.
Mark recently published two ebooks on Still Life Photography and composition which helps others create images with impact and meaning.
Feel free to visit his website at www.markbattista.com for more information.
Web site: http://www.markbattista.com
"Expressing Mood and Capturing the Essence" Presented by Franka Gabler. February 11, 2025 6:30-8:00PM
Description:
It is not enough to just correctly expose and compose. To resonate with the viewer, a successful photograph needs to tell a story. Also, to connect with a viewer, a photograph needs to evoke emotions – by telling a little bit more about the place than just being a mere record of the place.
It is important to be able to recognize the essence and the potential of the scene and find out what speaks to us before we decide how to interpret it and which aspects to emphasize. Some scenes would best tell the story if we emphasize the dark side. Other scenes might better tell the story if we emphasize vibrancy and lightness. The emotional impact of a landscape photograph is usually achieved by capturing the essence of the scene, often by depicting and conveying a mood – and there are many ways to convey a mood. The presentation will analyze several essential components that contribute to expressing and conveying mood such as choice of light, color, contrast, weather, and/or shutter speed exposure.
Bio:
Franka Gabler is a native of Croatia, Franka moved to California in the late 1990s and fell in love with the Sierra Nevada, after her first backpacking trip. The magnificence of Yosemite and California landscapes inspired her to become a landscape photographer.
For many years, she has been drawing her inspiration from subtle, moody, often intimate landscapes - compositions somewhere between abstract and the wider view, beyond mere documentation of a particular location. Her approach is to capture the essence of the place – often by isolating a smaller scene from a larger vista or an iconic view. Expressing mood and capturing the essence is what she strives for in her photography. The light and atmosphere portrayed in her photographs often result in sentimental impact and ethereal feeling. She often photographs in misty and foggy conditions which helps with simplifying her compositions by concealing distracting elements and leaving only the essence.
Franka’s photographs have been recognized internationally. In 2022 she was the overall winner of the Landscape Photography World Awards. In 2021, her photograph received a 1st place award for the “Intimate and Abstract” category of the Natural Landscape Photography Awards, and in 2023, she was recognized as a highly commended Photographer of the Year. Her black & white portfolio “Expressive Yosemite” is published in Issue No. 159 of the LensWork Photography Magazine.
Franka lives in the Sierra foothills, in the small mountain town of Coarsegold, not far from Yosemite National Park. You can learn more at www.frankagabler.com.
Website: http://www.frankagabler.com
" Personal Expressive Black and White Landscape Photography " Presented by Huibo Hou. March 12, 2025 6:30-8:00PM
Description:
Black and white photography has a timeless appeal, often can touch viewers in a more profound level. Some landscape photographers may find it difficult to work without color. In the first half of this talk, Huibo will delve into the development of one’s personal vision, drawing from her own evolution in B&W landscape photography. In the second half, she will explore various compositional and tonal control techniques, including her postprocessing flow, with the aim of improving one’s vision of seeing and editing in black and white.
Bio:
Huibo Hou, is a landscape photographer based in San Diego, California. She fell in love with photography about 25 years ago as a hobbyist while working in the wireless communication industry. Then life got in the way, and she had to set aside her photography pursuit for quite some time. In early 2015 she rekindled her love for photography and gradually became more serious about the craft. Her work has been recognized internationally in recent years with multiple awards and publications. Landscape photography, especially in black and white, is the art medium that she is passionate about. It serves as her creative outlet to express how she observes, interprets, and connects with nature.
Web site: https://www.huibohou.com
"Creating Colorful, Abstract Works of Art from a Single Photograph " Presented by Phil Atiyeh. April 9, 2025 6:30-8:00PM
Description:
Explore your artistic side by creating dozens of colorful, abstract images from a single photograph. The presentation will take you step-by-step through the process where a select array of Photoshop tools are used to create a large, colorful master file – or tapestry – where images are ultimately extracted. A number of other examples are presented showing variations of the process and the boundless image styles that can be created.
Bio:
Phil’s past life in helping companies develop and launch new products has offered a natural path into photography where similar technical and aesthetic elements must work together. While he’s always had an interest in photography, it wasn’t until he left the workforce in 2019 (and joined the ‘playforce’), where he accelerated and expanded his photography with greater passion.
Phil has received numerous awards as a member of the New Haven Camera Club as well as merit awards from various photography associations. His work has been displayed at the Small Stones Festival of the Arts in Grafton, MA as well as the Milford Arts Council in CT. Perhaps most notable, he was awarded the cover photo of the Alpaca Owners Guide (yes, believe it or not, there’s a magazine for this!) for his image.
An avid woodworker, all of Phil’s framed images from the photographic print to the matting or a hand-made frame, is all created and assembled by him as a finished work of art.
Web site: PhilAtiyeh.com