Our annual holiday party will be held on Thursday December 14th. 7:00 PM at tRG studio. As always, we will be having a print show – please bring a print to hang and be prepared to talk briefly to everyone about your print. Please bring an appetizer, entree, dessert, or drinks to share. We have tableware, cups, ice, and decorations covered already. You may use the following form to let everyone know what you are bringing. This list can be looked at first so that you can see what others have already signed up to bring and avoid duplicates:

Responses

And this form can be used to enter your response:

2017 food and drink signup

 

January – Cell phone photos (Any subject is acceptable. You must include the metadata with your file to prove it was taken with a cell phone.)
February – Historic (Present photos of historically significant places, things, or reenactments of historic events.)
March – Night Photography (Present images of subjects that show them at night.)
April – Panorama/Vertorama (Present images in a narrow aspect ratio.)
May – Leading Lines (Present images that make use of leading lines within the composition.)
June – The shape of things (Present images of subjects that have photographically interesting shapes.)
July – Nautical (Present images of  subjects that relate to sailors, boating, maritime navigation, etc.)
August – Children (Present candid or posed images of children.)
September – Competitive events (Present images of activities that are of a competitive nature.)
October – Silhouette (Present images of subjects rendered as dark shapes without discernible detail against a lighter background.)
November – City life (Present images that evoke the lifestyle associated with people that reside in urban environments.)

2018 Technical Night Schedule:

January – No 4th Friday meeting due to our club field trip to St Augustine.
February – Techniques for photographing and processing panoramic images
May – Field trip to Ybor City for street photography
June – Leon Robinson will give a presentation on sports photography
July – Susan Anderson will give a presentation on street photography
August – Lynn Wiezycki will give a presentation and host a hands-on night of macro photography
September – Robert Rostick will give a demonstration on focus stacking techniques and software
October – Night photography field trip to downtown Tampa

For those that worked shot time lapse sequences at the club’s outing, or will be doing so at the field trip with the St. Petersburg Astronomy Club, or are simply interested in doing it on your own, here is a set of simple instructions for putting your project together using Lightroom and Photoshop.

Import your image files into Lightroom and make any necessary adjustments (exposure, contrast, noise reduction, etc) to the first file. Synchronize the adjustments to the rest of the files. Export the files in jpg format to a new folder. Rename the files before or during the export to ensure that they contain a proper numerical sequence within the file name. 001.jpg, 002.jpg, etc or timelapse-001, timelapse-002, etc for example.

In Photoshop go to the “File” menu and choose “Open”. Select the folder that contains the jpg files and highlight only the first file in the sequence. At the bottom of the window check the box for the option labeled “Image Sequence” and then click the “Open” button. At this point the images will be imported as a time lapse sequence into Photoshop and you will be prompted to select a frame rate. Choose 30 for a normal look or 24 for a cinematic look.

If you wish to customize the time lapse project go to the “Window” menu and choose the “Timeline” option. Whether you are leaving the time lapse as-is or customizing it you will need to render it to complete your project. Go to File>Export>Render Video. In the dialog box you will specify an output location, a file name, format, size, and frame rate. Typical format will be H.264, high quality. You can keep the same frame rate as you decided upon import or change it here if you wish. Click the “Render” button and wait for your project to be completed. Have fun!

Helga has arranged for us to be invited to meet with the Tampa Bay Strobists and the St. Petersburg Astronomy Club at their monthly Star Party in November at the Withlacoochee River Park. 12449 Withlacoochee Blvd, Dade City, FL 33525

THIS IS A FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT – SO IF YOU WANT TO BRING YOUR FAMILY/KIDS TO THIS –  THE ASTRONOMY CLUB WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO INTRODUCE THE STARS TO EVERYBODY YOUNG AND OLD.

As there are many stargazers you are only allowed to use ‘red light’ flashlights as to no to disturb others.

Tripod is a must!

YOU DON’T HAVE TO STAY OVERNIGHT. But until we are ready to shoot please bring any necessary supplies (food/drinks/chair).

If you do decide to camp there – you would need to make your own arrangements if you come in an RV or otherwise need your own camping space. If you only come with a tent or otherwise small equipment please read the following directions.

From Tampa take I-75 North to State Rd. 52. Take 52 East all the way through Dade City until it dead ends at the railroad station on the 301 Bypass. (Note: State Rd. 52 will make 2 right hand turns at traffic lights along the way, one after St. Leo and one when entering Dade City). Be sure to go all the way to the dead end at the old railroad station. Do not turn on 301, go all the way to the dead end. Turn left on 301 Bypass and go about ¾ mile until you see a Pizza Hut in the distance. Just before you get to the Pizza Hut, turn right on River Road, across the railroad tracks. You will see a sign saying “County Park 4.7 Miles”. It’s a very winding, paved road, take your time. When you get to the fork in the road, you will take the road to the right (Auton Rd.). (There’s a sign saying “County Park” directing you to the right) Go about 150 feet to the park entrance on the left (Withlacoochee Blvd.). Enter the park and go about ½ mile until you see a sign that says “Big Ma’s Way”, and turn right onto the field. If you are not camping overnight, be sure to stop at the “Pay Station”. Fees are $2.00 per vehicle. You will get a card that must be displayed on your rear view mirror at all times while in the park. Failure to do so could result in a citation.
You can also go North on 301 from Tampa and take the bypass when you get to Dade City. This park closes at dusk so you will have to arrive before that time. No registration is required as the first camper on site registers for the group and is responsible for the collection of the camping fees. Fees vary by season. There are restrooms in the park, but are a distance away (Approx. 300 yards). For more information and excellent directions please visit:
http://www.stpeteastronomyclub.org/viewing.php