I need some tips from new photographers

I'm president of my local photo club. We're celebrating 60 years this year. We're the oldest city in Western Canada, lots of history and a great legacy of historical pictures.

I'm looking to add some good content to our meetings this year. We have a very high average member age. Very few members are below 50. Many still shoot film.

I've tried to balance the film/digital presentations for the coming meeting season. I will do a 5 minute stint every meeting on seomthing simple, and when we have a spot in the program I want to do an expanded "tech" section.

Expanded ideas:

Explain parallax and panoramas (both)
Show how to shoot HDR and merge in software (digital)
...and others

Short 5 minute ideas:

10 tips for sharper pictures
How to use a lens pen
...and others

As a new photographer, what would you like to see in a hands on demo from your local club if you went? Sometimes SEEING what Photoshop can do is fun. Sometimes seeing stereo pictures makes you want to try them etc.

Think of topics balaced towards non-digital photogrpahy or topics that would suit both.

Your help is greatly appreciated. I'm sure there are others here that can use your ideas for their club.

With the "age" of your members, sounds like they are very seasoned photographers.

As for me, I need to learn flash and exposure thereof. I don't understand that little extra scale that appears when pressing the fec button.

me

Some are VERY seasoned, but time does not age some wines well either.

Many are 40+ years film shooters new to digital and have P&S cameras. Some shoot only red flowers. It's pretty nuts.

I did a 45 minute presentation on exposure at the end of last year with a full on powerpoint about the images I took in the caribbean etc. It went very well. but it was a low attendance night with only the techy types coming in due to a holiday.

I think it could be repackaged successfully with the extra bits I've learned myself since then.

Where does the film go?

wannasmaxx wrote in post #3731678
Where does the film go?

Usually to Wal-Mart.

cosworth wrote in post #3731683
Usually to Wal-Mart.

Touche'
Seriously, I f I were a beginner to digital, I'd want to know more about the "digital darkroom" side of it... that is if I'd been shooting film for eleventeen years.

Paralax? Wow, that's a real snoozer.

How about RAW workflow. That got me signed up for a four day workshop and it was very valuable.

How about this topic:
How to hook youself up on an island in the caribbean and shoot bikini clad women all day and all night and get paid for it. That'll be standing room only, in more ways than one.
me

I think I'm ready to do a Lightroom demo for them. Lightroom is far more affordable to the layman than CS3. Many have elements and I have no idea WTF that program is about. I don't think I've ever even seen Elements.

Good. See now you got me thinking to show them Lightroom. That also gets me thinking about showing people how to organize files with metadata or keywording. Stuff that uses regular verbs and nouns that isn't too scary for a 72 year old grandfather.

Yes, Lightroom is more affordable than PS. Problem is, there's many, many things you can't do in lightroom, as I'm sure you know.

You need not have seen elements to know exactly what it is. It is photoshop minus maybe 2 percent of the more difficult, technical features.

And I have to recommend a title change for Cosworth:

El Presidente.


me

MDJAK wrote in post #3731732
How about this topic:
How to hook youself up on an island in the caribbean and shoot bikini clad women all day and all night and get paid for it. That'll be standing room only, in more ways than one.
me

LOL, I already covered that one. The club was hungry for images.

Yeah prallax is snoozer but the old hold out your thumb and twist your head routine and telling them to use a 50mm isn't too hard.

MDJAK wrote in post #3731777
And I have to recommend a title change for Cosworth:

El Presidente.

Paint aint dry on the new one. Doubtful it's gettin' changed anytime soon.

How about depth of field and diffraction-limited aperture? It seems like lots of noobs shoot landscapes at f/22 because someone told them they should, even though the closest thing in their viewfinder is 1/4 mile away.

MDJAK wrote in post #3731732
How about this topic:
How to hook youself up on an island in the caribbean and shoot bikini clad women all day and all night and get paid for it.

cosworth wrote in post #3731964
LOL, I already covered that one.

Can you email me the PowerPoint file from that presentation?

Curtis N wrote in post #3732026
Can you email me the PowerPoint file from that presentation?

ditto

I'll dig that up for you guys.