F/32 Photography Group

Here is a link to a description of a better computer for Photoshop.  Of course the numbers will

changes as new parts become available but the principals will remain the same. This may apply to

other software but this is designed for Photoshop CS. (And no, it doesn't matter whether you have

a PC or a MAC.)

Have you heard about Asheville's Only public darkroom?
They also ohave workshops, classes and other great things that cover many photography topics from film - digital and the merging of both worlds!
Phil Mechanic Studios Public Darkroom:
http://www.countingbirds.net/darkroom/about.html

The primary objective of the Public Darkroom is to provide the service and education of both traditional and digital photography to the individuals of the surrounding Asheville community who have had little experiences in these fields.  The secondary objective of the room is to provide open hours and work space for the use of experienced photography members in the community by paying a monthly fee of $20.

The Phil Mechanic Studios Public Darkroom is the initiative of local photographer Andrew Fedynak. Fedynak has been living in Asheville and abroad for the better part of the last six years. He is assisted by a number of community members with years of experience as professional photographers and educators.

To propose a workshop, class, or find out how you can assist in keeping the darkroom going, contact Andrew.  

I use jalbum.net for my personal web site - there are many different layout options, and it is easy to use. 
they give you 30MB free on their site, or you can load onto your own domain

I just received word from Werner that Gus will be doing a book signing at Highlands Books in Barvard on Friday July 23rd. He'll read for 20 minutes, beginning at 4:00, then 10 minutes for questions; then sign books.

Highlands Books:

277 N. Broad Street
Brevard, NC 28712
(828) 884-2424

Directions are on their web site: http://highlandbooksbrevard.com/default.asp

This is a collection of Gus's poems and photography.

The Nikon Photo Contest International has been held by Nikon Corporation since 1969 to provide an opportunity for photographers around the world to communicate and to enrich photographic culture for professionals and amateurs alike.
The term of the application for Nikon Photo Contest International 2010－2011 is from Wednesday, September 1st till Tuesday, November 30th, 2010.

details here:

http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/activity/npci/npci2010-2011/index.htm

At a recent Pixel Pushers meeting we discussed using flash drives and flash cards to speed up our Windows computers. InVista and 7 it is possible to enable ReadyBoost to do that. Vista is limited to using an extra 4gb of space but 7 doesn't have that limit.

Here is the Microsoft link: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/readyboost.aspx?tabid=1&catid=3

Also, here is a link to a blog where it was tried and lowered CPU usage. http://jasonkneen.blogspot.com/2009/01/windows-7-readyboost-andlow-cpu-usage.html

click! photography changes everything is a collection of essays and stories by invited contributors and visitors like you discussing how photography shapes our culture and our lives.

Explore how photography changes Who We Are, What We Do, What We See, Where We Go, What We Want and What We Remember.

[Worth exploring!]

For those who would like to see some of the new bells & whistles of the newest Photoshop here

are some links.

http://cs5launch.adobe.com/ (the lauch video for the entire suite)

http://www.adobe.com/products/photoshop/photoshop/whatsnew/index.html?segment=photography

We will be discussing some of these changes at the next Pixel Pushers meeting.

Enjoy!

Tim Lewis

National Deadline: June 4, 2010 - The Women's Caucus for Art, a leading supporter of women artists since 1972, is requesting art on the theme of "Men as Object: Reversing the Gaze". This proposal for an exhibition for Ceres Gallery is a collaboration between the Northern California, South Bay Area and Michigan WCA chapters and is open to all US women artists.

Ceres Gallery, 547 West 27th Street, New York, NY
May 24th through June 18th, 2011

Send the following to karengutfreund@yahoo.com

* Images that pertain to the theme
* Image list with number, title, media, size and date for each image
* Artist resume

The art we receive will be given to Ceres as a proposal for this exhibition.

Prospectus for "Reversing the Gaze"
Since the early years of Feminist Art, women artists have responded to their subjugation in art by male artists by using their own bodies as the subject matter in their work. We credit feminist art of the 1970's with giving artists today the "permission to be personal".

There is a difference in women's art from the work of male counterparts. We see the nude woman from different angles. The feminist artist chooses a personal vantage point, apart from that seen in men's portrayals of women. The thesis of woman as both surveyor and the surveyed continues.

"Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. This determines not only most relations between men and women but also the relation of women to themselves. The surveyor of women in herself is male: the surveyed female...thus she turns herself into an object- and most particularly an object of vision: a sight". Ways of Seeing, by John Berger

The goal of this exhibition "Man as Object: Reversing the Gaze" is to turn the tables and to exhibit works that put the male in the position of subject and spectacle. Not only will the male be taking on the female role, but the surveyor is now female, no longer a "masculine" part of the female, thus creating a truly Feminist stance. The male is the spectacle for a woman's enjoyment or mere viewing.

This is effective in two ways: as the male viewer encounters the male nude, he is forced like many women before him to turn the mirror on himself and secondly to feel the powerlessness of being owned or submissive. The individualism of the artist, the thinker, the patron, the owner, and the woman is transformed. The person who is the object of their activities, the man, is treated as a thing or an abstraction. By reversing the unequal relationship between men and women that is so deeply embedded in our culture, men will do to themselves what they have done to women for centuries. They observe themselves and their own masculinity as women observe their own femininity.

This exhibition will explore women's responses to a male dominated world in a different way than an exhibition of women's images of themselves. It will mark an important development in Feminist Art which has long concentrated on images of women meant to challenge stereotypical notions of womanhood.

A gallery filled with works depicting men, created by women, comments on the prevalence of the male gaze in art and of the continued domination of male artists exhibiting in galleries and museums.

Please email or call me with any questions at 408-823-9524.

About the Womens Caucus for Art:
The Women's Caucus for Art (WCA) is the leading national nonprofit organization for women in the visual arts professions. Founded in 1972, WCA is dedicated to the cultural, aesthetic and economic value of women's art. WCA has 27 chapters across the country (six in California) and is an affiliate of the College Art Association.

The mission of the Women's Caucus for Art is to create community through art, education, and social activism. We are committed to:

* recognizing the contributions of women in the arts
* providing women with leadership opportunities and professional development
* expanding networking and exhibition opportunities for women
* supporting local, national, and global art activism
* advocating for equity in the arts for all

About Ceres Gallery
Founded in 1983, as a program of the New York Feminist Art Institute, Ceres is a not-for-profit artist run organization dedicated to the promotion of contemporary women in the arts. The gallery exhibits a broad spectrum of high quality work each year within a community of women artists that includes national and international members.

Ceres serves as a supportive base for a diversity of artistic and political views. We have become a venue for female and male writers, musicians, dancers and storytellers to perform and take risks. We believe that the arts provide an important social service with their power to enhance and enrich the quality and depth of our lives.

HATCHfest is now accepting submissions from still photographers for various projected installations in several venues around HATCH. We are looking for series of related images, particularly relating to social issues, and would love to see presentations such as stop motion projects or other cohesive collections of stills. Since these images will not have to be printed and framed, there is still time to create something wonderful and inspiring! We are looking for a variety of styles and content, so please d email or fax your entry form to Lynne Harty at lynne@lynneharty.com/888-428-5328

There is no fee for submissions.

Name: ________________________Phone: ___________________________________

Email Address:__________________________________________________________

The Department of Cultural Resources is launching a new program this summer called 2nd Saturdays: History, Heritage, Arts & Fun. A project of Secretary Linda Carlisle, these 2nd Saturday events in June, July and August will be an opportunity for artists to showcase their work at 37 state historic sites and museums. Artists can use these opportunities to sell their work, broaden their audiences, and make connections to a larger cultural community.

There is no cost to participate; artists retain 100 percent of their sales; musicians who perform may sell CDs; and Our State magazine is the media sponsor.

If you have any questions or need additional information, do not hesitate to contact Rebecca Moore, senior program director for marketing, at rebecca.moore@ncdcr.gov or (919) 807-6530.

If you loved browsing the archives of National Geographic when they opened up their vaults last November and found yourself wanting to take your own impressive nature shots, you'll definitely want to check out the BBC Photo Masterclasses.

Published in the pages of the BBC's Wildlife magazine, the Photo Masterclasses are articles written by Wildlife photographers and specialists in their genre of nature photography. You'll find articles on macro photography, landscape photography, and photographing different creatures under all sorts of different conditions. If you love learning a new photography trick or two you'll definitely want to dive into the archives of the BBC.

Link: http://www.bbcwildlifemagazine.com/masterclasses.asp

WNC Nature Center presents
Wildlife Photography Opportunity
Friday April 16, 2010 and
Friday May 21, 2010
From 5:30 – 8:00 pm



Guests are invited to visit the WNC Nature Center for an after-hours walk through of the center with their cameras to photograph our wildlife ambassadors at their leisure. These two and a half hour experiences allow adult photographers a chance to get close to our animals with an added advantage of nature’s subdued evening lighting, a more quiet atmosphere with light snacks being served to keep your creativity flowing.
Fee is only $25 for Freinds of the Nature Center members and $35 for non-members. Check payable to WNC Nature Center. Advanced reservations required. Limited to 20, must be 18 years of age.  Call Keith at 828-298-5600 x305 for details.

Number of tickets requested: ________________

Name: ______________________________

The I-26 West Welcome Center is holding our

7^th Annual Tourism Day

Friday May 14^th

10:00 am-2:00 pm

Join us for beautiful mountain views, native spring plants in bloom, live music, art and craft demonstrations, and representatives from your favorite attractions, lodging, and resorts of Western

North Carolina.

Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the afternoon in the beautiful setting

of the North Carolina Welcome Center.

Please email or call with any questions.

828-689-4257 or sbeasley@nccommerce.com

I am selling my Epson 7800 printer, 24" wide, roll or sheet, in excellent condition and low usage. Included are 10 extra 110ml cartridges with both, photo and matte black ink (a $500 value), two partial rolls of printing paper and an extra maintenance tank. Asking price $ 1450.--

After I sell the 7800 I will also sell my Epson 2400 printer, 13" wide, roll or sheet, in excellent condition and low usage. It uses the same Ultra Chrome K3 inks as the 7800 but in different size cartridges. Included are 5 extra ink cartridges with both, photo and matte black ink. Asking price is $ 350.--

Also for sale:

Film back for Mamiya 645, virtually new. Asking $ 100.--

77mm filters: skylight, 81A, 81B, asking $ 10.-- each.

Contact Werner Bonitz: bonitzw@bellsouth.net or call 828-697-8460

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Public Art to Celebrate Great Smoky Mountains National ParkThe Waynesville Public Art Commission recently issued a Call for Artistsfor their fourth public art piece. The proposed art will celebrate theGreat Smoky Mountains National Park and its historic relationship toWaynesville.For many years an arched sign hung across Main Street declaringWaynesville as the "Eastern Entrance to the Smokies." Long-timeresidents will recall that the archway was near the intersection of Mainand Depot Streets, near the former First National Bank. This is also theintersection where Franklin D. Roosevelt made his entrance intoWaynesville while promoting the development of the Great Smoky MountainsNational Park in 1936.The former bank site is now the location of the "mini-park"which is scheduled for rehabilitation in 2010. Using funds that havebeen donated specifically for the improvement of the park, the Townplans to revitalize the area by improving access, landscaping, lighting,and encouraging more usage of the mini-park. The existing rock perimeterwalls will remain, but must be brought into proper code adherence by theinstallation of a railing along Depot Street. This provides anopportunity to meet functional needs in an aesthetic manner.The Public Art Commission has requested that interested artists submitdesigns for a 69-foot railing that will incorporate artistic elementsrelating to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and its historicalconnection to Waynesville. The artist must reside in either NorthCarolina or Tennessee, the two states contiguous with the Park, and mustsubmit a portfolio of past works for review. The Call for Artists andother public art information can be viewed on the Town's website atwww.townofwaynesville.org <http://www.townofwaynesville.org (http://www.townofwaynesville.org/)> .Three artists will be chosen from the applicants to make a presentationof their finalized plans to an advisory panel of 35-40 community andarts supporters. After reviewing comments of the panel, the Public ArtCommission will decide on a finalist to receive the commission of$20,000.00. The installation will coincide with the refurbishment of thepark and should be completed by fall 2010.The $20,000.00 commission will be raised from private sources, and thepublic is invited to make a donation to the Public Art Fund. Checksshould be made payable to the Town of Waynesville Public Art Fund, andshould be mailed to PO Box 1409, Waynesville, NC 28786 in care ofDowntown Waynesville Association. Donations may be tax deductible.Contact:Kaaren Stoner828-627-0928

Pentax Super Program - Manual focus - comes with original instruction booklets and two lens - one is Tokina AT-X, 28-85mm macro, 1:3.5-4.5 - the other is Tokina SD, 70-210mm, 1:4-5.6p  Anyone interested please call or e-mail with questions or offer.  Looks to be in excellent condition - have not tested it.   252-5932 or mjb@purplecat.net