Electronic imaging

Last month an important point was made by Nick Muskovac, APSA, PPSA, (Who's Who chair for the Division) about always using the same version of your name when entering International Exhibitions so that your acceptances in Who's Who records are accurate in the database with fewer errors. This becomes particularly important for when you apply for Star Ratings. Naturally it is important to get the name of the Exhibition also correct. This sounds obvious, but many of the clubs or organizations running Exhibitions use abbreviations of their names and therein confusion can easily creep in. However a comprehensive list of American photographic groups is to be found under the Events Calendar on the Electronic Imaging Division (EID) pages of the web: http:// www.psa-eid.org/calendar/As an example, you will see in the list that the Southern California Council of Camera Clubs is normally know as $4C. This is particularly useful for overseas members who would have no idea of such an abbreviation!

One would think that such a set of unrelated initials would be unique but it is interesting to note that actually several are duplicated on this list and yet stand for completely different organizations! Fortunately they are so different that no confusion should remain after closer examination.

Study Groups

If you have been perusing the Study Groups recently--and I hope you have, for there is much to learn from other members and their methods of producing that unique image--you will have noticed the increased use of plug-ins. There are hundreds now, as a visit to Google.com will testify. However if you go to the EID pages on the web and click on Resources, http://www.psa-eid.org/resource.html you can spend many a happy hour investigating some of the more popular ones, before buying. They not only save a lot of time but also achieve unbelievably stunning effects and are certainly worth having a look, as well as being a good way to while away a rainy Sunday afternoon.

With holidays coming and gifts to look for, this page of resources will also provide you with links to any new equipment you may be contemplating. Not just digital cameras--though they are also there: no, you can find lots of different peripherals both for PC and MAC. Viewers will also be guided on software--something often overlooked but also gratefully received by people using computers that may not knowing so much about it.

Holiday Cards

Time to remind you to think about holiday greeting cards and that digital images are ideal for making unique greeting cards for the holidays--not only photos of family and home but also one of those special images that did so well for you at the last competition. The recipient will be doubly pleased in that he will realize the time and trouble taken on his behalf.

Betty Billingham, Editor

74 Finch Road, Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire; BS37 6JE, ENGLAND;

betty@erbillingham.fsnet.co.uk

COPYRIGHT 2005 Photographic Society of America, Inc.
COPYRIGHT 2005 Gale Group