District Info and reminders

We now have the information for the County and District Photography Contests.  Remember, District is NOT a qualifying event; all Juniors - Seniors may participate at District without having first competed at county.  However, having the feedback from the judges at county sure does help, and county is FREE to participate.  :-)

Everyone may participate at County and it, again, entry is FREE.   The deadline to enter County is January 7th at 5:00 pm.  All entries need to be emailed to Willie and in the format specified in the State guidelines, so please be sure to read those.  Judging will take place the following week and results will be posted here on the blog.

The District Office will be accepting entries until February 17, 2015. All contestant registration

information should be completed on 4-H Connect by this date. All pictures must be received by the

due date and in the specified format or the entry will be disqualified.

Entry fees for the District contest are $8.00 per person plus $.50 per photo. You will be notified as

soon as the contest registration becomes available on 4-H Connect.

Entries will be showcased in a running slide presentation during District Roundup on April 25,

2015. Selected photos will also be used on the District 5 website and may be used for marketing

and promotion efforts.

County and District will follow the same guidelines as the State contest, so please be sure to read those carefully.

***Remember; any photo taken as of January 2014- the contest deadline is eligible, so if you took some great photos last Easter, summer vacation, church  camp, etc. submit them.  :-)

We are right in the middle of the holidays, so be sure to keep those cameras handy.  Remember, some of the BEST photos are not staged; they just happen.  Be ready Christmas morning for the surprised/happy shots.  The "bed hair" from the little ones, etc.  Be creative and direct the family in some photos, or the pets.  Don't forget about New Years and the outdoor light displays, etc.  AND THE FOOD.  :-)  Practice the techniques and HAVE FUN.  :-)  Don't forget about weather changes; we have had some GORGEOUS sunsets and cloud patterns lately.  There are 15 categories you can enter; take advantage of them.

NEW Photography contest: Photo Judging

About a year ago a new project was added to the 4-H Program; Photography Judging.

This project teaches students HOW to judge a photo.  It teaches them what to look for such as composition, lighting, subject matter, etc.  The same things judges look for in the photography project when the kids submit the photos.

This could be a HUGE benefit for those who like to take photos, and who enter photos to the photography contest.  This will help you learn to better judge your own photos to help you improve.

The photo judging project is an individual as well as a team project.  For county and district we can have Jr., Int. and Sr. teams participate.  District will be held at District Roundup in April.

This is NOT an advancing project, much like the photography project itself.  It is an invitational event at State Roundup, which means if we can get  intermediate and senior teams together then we can plan to go to State Roundup.  ;-)  This would be a wonderful experience, especially for the intermediates.

There will be an informational meeting about this project on December 9th at 6:30 at the Extension Office.  If your child is interested please attend if at all possible to get more information. Otherwise you may contact Wendy Emprimo to get the information.

This will also be a project that will require several classes/workshops.  One of the things we will decide at the meeting is when we can meet to do this.  Tabitha Patterson will be doing the teaching.

We would LOVE to have at least one or two Intermediate and Senior teams to take to state to represent Cherokee County.  This would be the first year this project is being done in our county and we are very excited about it.

State Roundup is the week of June 8th - 12th with the photo judging contest being held on June 9th.  More info on that will be at the meeting.  

We look forward to seeing you all there!!  :-)

Workshop Cancelled!

Due to the impending storms/cold the weatherman is calling for this weekend we are going to reschedule the photography workshop.  As soon as I have a date from Tabitha I will let y'all know.

Photography Camp

***Deadline to register is November 28th.  Register at 4-H Connect****

PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP DESCRIPTIONS Photography Safari Patti Suler Northwest Houston Photo  Club Patti and the Safari Guides will take you on a field experience for a real life photography outing.  Youth will learn the basics of composition and what makes an interesting photo. They will work with the photographers on a scavenger hunt of interesting subject matter.  The safari review conducted at the end of the day will offer participants opportunities for feedback on their best shots.  Bring your cameras and a media card. Wanderlust for Travel Photography Wayne R. Wendel Bridgeland Photography Club Wayne will take you on his unique adventures and share the rules of thumb for travel photography.  His presentation will include basic elements of photography, equipment, and composition to telling the story of your trip through pictures.  This will be an adventure you will not want to miss.  Bring your camera and wanderlust for traveling. Wizard of Macro William Banik Houston Photographic Society  William plans to get participants so close to insects that the details will be awesome.  He shares all the techniques for adapting equipment to capture amazing creatures.  Participants will learn the secrets of getting close up and personal with the subject. "The Wizard" will pull the curtain on the technology that makes it all happen Wicked Photography! Paul Batchelder Northwest Houston Photo Club "Wicked Photography" challenges participants to capture sensational images using low light, night and other dark specialties.  Join Paul Batchelder to explore easy and creative ways to shoot stunning photos.  This interactive program includes: Low Light - Night Shooting, Black and White, Stop Action, Aerial Photography, Zoom Blur, and Fireworks. Bring your camera. Painting with Light George R. Phile Houston Photographic Society  George will create magic with light and guide participants to explore the techniques  for of painting with light.  Participants will need to know how to do a time exposure on their camera and bring a tripod.  This will be close up work in a dark room using flashlights, cameras, tripods and your imagination! Nature Seekers Cletus D. Lee Houston Camera Club Nature Seekers will explore the unique beginnings to a new perspective on nature photography and take you on a journey to perfect your hunting skills. This session will cover all the basics from equipment to shutter speed and seeking out the right subject.  Cletus will provide a short field experience filled with nature observation and still life set up. Bring your camera and adventurous spirit.

Reminder!!!

The Holidays are HERE!!!!

There will be many opportunities to get some great shots in the next few months.  Costumes; night photography of those Jack-O-Lanters; FOOD, presents, lights, family and friends....  the list is endless.  Keep your camera with you and take advantage of this time of year.  :-)

On Location Workshop

We had a great photography workshop tonight!  :-)  Our next workshop will be an "on location": workshop at Jim Hogg Park on November 22nd at 7:00 am.  Bring your cameras and come ready to learn and HAVE FUN.  :-)  Date may change if we have bad weather, so keep watching for information.  :-)

Tonight's Workshop is CANCELLED

Due to the impending weather the workshop scheduled for tonight has been rescheduled for next Thursday, October 9th, at 6:30 at the Extension Office. We just don't want to risk the little ones and parents possibly having to be out in the 60 mph wind, rain and possible hail.  But, it would make a cool  photo if you have the right settings and could do it SAFELY!  ;-)  See you next week!!  :-)