Nature programs this July at the NECCC conference

The NECCC conference has a great line up of speakers this July! Find out more and Register Here.

Here are descriptions of the Nature programs. 

Mary Lindhjem and Mollie Isaacs (VA) M & M's (Mary & Mollie's) Mighty Macro

Macro photography opens new visual doors, and allows you to view the world in a very different way. But it is all too easy to get caught up in the mechanics and techniques of the process, and lose sight of the creative and artistic possibilities that attracted you to macro in the first place. This fast-paced and exciting program will help you find or rediscover your passion, and will provide unique, easy approaches to creating truly artistic macro images. The M&M Twins will weave their humor and experience into an entertaining presentation designed to instruct as well as to delight, and will reveal their secrets for finding and creating beautiful macro images. So leave your pre-conceived notions at home, and come with an open mind. You will leave fired up and well-prepared to elevate your photography to a higher level. (B, I, A)

Roman Kurywczak (NJ) Photographing Wildlife – from Animals to Birds

This exciting educational program will cover everything you will need to know about photographing wildlife in the field. The photographic journey will cover exotic locations such as Tanzania but also include many tips for photographing wildlife closer to home in some unexpected places.  Minimum gear requirements will be discussed for both the safety of the wildlife and the photographer.  Camera settings will be covered for wildlife portrait work as well as action photography and the impact those settings will have on your images.  The program concludes with an in depth segment on photographing birds in flight. (Sponsored by Sigma) (B, I, A)

Jerry Monkman  (NH) Light and the Winter Landscape

This lecture discusses the nuances of winter light and how to make great photos in the snow and ice. Jerry also explains how to keep your gear (and you!) safe in winter conditions. (B, I)

Cynthia Perdigao (MA) Macro Flower Photography:  Seeing Inspiration and Creating Intent in Your Photography 

When viewing a scene a series of events come together, and within that series of events are judgments, opinions, and frames of reference that determine how the image will resonate with the viewer.  Most of all, there is an emotion that is felt; this is the true photographic conversation between the photographer and viewer.  Setting an intention for your image BEFORE you press the shutter is the most effective way to guide the viewer to that emotional response. The goal of this “intentional photography” is to convey an emotion and not just to capture a nicely exposed flower or macro scene, but rather to cause the viewer to be drawn in and actually feel the story and emotion which the photographer is attempting to convey.

Photographers will learn how to be intentional in their photography and how to resonate with the viewer; not simply press the shutter again and again and pick the “best shot”.  By learning to “see” the essence of a scene (the thing that drew them to photograph it) before pressing the shutter, photographers will create a better image. Cinde will show inexpensive set ups that attendees can use at home for flower and other types of macro photography. She will also demonstrate how, as a disabled photographer, she has learned simple setups which she uses in her “kitchen studio” that allows her to create emotional images; setups and methods which will lend themselves to any photographer working in their own home studio.   She will show examples of how she finds the “stories” of her subjects and will demonstrate how to go beyond just properly composing and exposing a flower. Cinde will also discuss how to take these skills and apply them in the field and to larger scenes, going beyond conventional photographic rules and encompassing true intent. In addition, the use of textures or textured backgrounds can create a mood which leads the viewer of an image to connect with the story within the image.  (Sponsored by Nikon) (B, I, A)

The New England Camera Club Council (NECCC) is a non-profit umbrella group for camera clubs in the New England states (Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont).  The Council was established in 1937 and incorporated in 1963. The Council sponsors a variety of events and services for the photographers of New England including an annual three-day photography conference each July at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA, which is one of the largest in the United States.  Over 1000 photographers from the U.S. and other countries attend our conference.  Attendees range from beginner to professional photographer. Find out more and Register Here.