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Layers & Masks – A Camera Raw/Lightroom To Photoshop Two-Part Presentation
    By Tim Clifton

Have you been wanting to learn about using layers and masks in Photoshop, and felt it is a bit intimidating?  If you have a Creative Cloud Subscription you should have access to both Lightroom and Photoshop. Upon occasion, you may find yourself needing to do something that Lightroom may not have the capability of doing.  Maybe you want to try compositing, or using other tools to help make your photos look the very best they can be.

Take your photos to a whole new level.  Join us for an introduction to Layers and Masks using Camera Raw/Light Room and then using some layers and masks in Photoshop.  This is not meant to change you from a Lightroom user to a Photoshop user, it's simply an additional set of tools or different methods of editing that may supplement your Lightroom workflow.

The introduction will show the basic use of layers and masks and hopefully remove your apprehension about using these tools in Photoshop, while still allowing you to work in Lightroom.  This introduction will assume you have Photoshop and are familiar with exporting an image into Photoshop and then back to Lightroom if you use Lightroom.  If you use Photoshop and are a little uncomfortable using layers and masks, hopefully, this will supplement your Photoshop tools.

Layers and masks are very helpful for a wide variety of photo editing techniques:  They help control what you want to do in certain areas while leaving other areas unaltered.  Limiting exposure adjustments to specific areas is also a common editing necessity. For example:

• A very common situation is to darken your background so it does not distract from the subject and/or lighten the subject to make it more eye-catching.
• Limit what areas of the photo you want sharpened and/or blurred. 
• Apply more or less Topaz DeNoise to some areas and not others (to remove ISO noise). 
• White balance a photo that has a mix of both warm sun and blue shade. 
• Easily create a vignette, feather the edges, and lower the opacity to control how light or dark the edges are with a layer adjustment mask. 

Unlike using the dodge and burn tools, making changes with Layer masks allows you to perform what is called "non-destructive editing", meaning you can always make further adjustments and undo some or all of the editing changes you make to your photo.  You are not stuck with them, especially if you made a mistake--oops!  We've all been there--done that!

If you have been wanting to learn all about layers and masks in Photoshop, I hope you will take this opportunity to join us for this two-part presentation.

Part 1 - January 24 at 7 pm on Zoom
Part 2 - February 21 at 7 pm on Zoom

Hope to see you on Zoom!

A Zoom link will be sent to all TPS members through the website email system prior to the presentation date.  Just watch your email inbox.  

If you are not a member and want to attend this Zoom meeting, please join the Tacoma Photographic Society by clicking here.

2022 Annual Conference And Awards Ceremony

On Saturday, November 12, The Northwest Council of Camera Clubs held its Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony in Woodinville, WA. The NWCCC is a non-profit association comprised of 18 clubs located in Western Washington and is also a member of the Photographic Society of America.  TPS is a NWCCC member club.  We are pleased to announce that nine TPS members received honors for one or more of their images (16 TPS member images received awards).

Below is a list of awards received by our members:

Open Print Salon:
Bruce Severeid - 3rd Place - Fleeing the Chaos
Richard Price - HM - Almost Awake, Kissed by the Sun, Light on the Rock

Open Projection Salon:
Judi Kubes - 1st Place - Maui Sunset
Bruce Benson - HM - Baby Porcupine, Fox Love, Three Amigos
Dorinda Wills - HM - Lunch Alone
Judi Kubes - HM - Cosmos
Maggie Tieger - HM - Watchful          

Traveling Image Salon:
Tim Clifton - 1st Place - The Dancer
Judi Kubes - HM - Tapestry of Tulips
Kristina Allums - HM - Winter Dream
Steve Russell - HM - Dewdrop Reflections

Large Mono:
Richard Price - HM - Leaves B-W

Slideshow:
Bruce Benson - 3rd Place - Faces of Uganda  (available on the NWCCC website)

Congratulations to All!

To see all of the NWCCC competition-winning images and Bruce Benson's slideshow, go to https://nwcameraclubs.org/2022-nwccc-competition-awards/

December 7 Projection Competition - December's Theme is "Fine Details"

Meetings are open to the public; however, you must be a club member to compete in monthly print and projection competitions.

In an effort to accommodate everyone's individual needs, the TPS Projection Team has put considerable effort into creating new Hybrid meeting options. We are pleased to offer two ways to attend the December 7^th Projection Competition meeting--either in person or via zoom! The Zoom link will be emailed to everyone prior to the meeting date.  We are looking forward to seeing all of you in person!

Submit Images - Sunday, November 20 - Monday, November 28 at 11:30 pm

Judging & Voting - Tuesday, November 29 - Saturday, December 3 at 11:59 pm

Review Meeting - Wednesday, December 7 - Social time at 6:30 pm with the review meeting at 7-9 pm

Location - Curtis High School - 8425 40th Street, University Place, WA 98466   Google Map

Places to Eat - If you want to grab a bite, there are several restaurants and grocery stores on 40^th and Bridgeport Way including McDonald's, Burger King, Applebee's, Gyros, a Mexican restaurant, Safeway, and Trader Joe’s.    

Submission Requirements:

• Export/Save your images in JPEG, sRGB, 80% quality, no larger than 1920 px wide x 1080 px high, & a 1.5 MB file size limit
• Submit your mages on this website at: Competitions > Submit Images For Print or Projection  OR  click here
• Please capitalize your image titles
  
• DO NOT include your name or numbers in the image titles.  The automated features of this new website will automatically insert your name into the proper place.
• DO NOT include "For Comment" or "Not For Comment" in the title of your images. The website will keep track of which image you select "For Comment" and "Not for Comment" when you select one of those options.
• Your images will automatically be placed into your private Image Library for future reference and use! You will also be able to read all of the critiques from our members.
  

We love this new website's automated features!  For more projection information and competition rules, click here

If you are not a member of the TPS and would like to start competing in Print & Projection Competitions, join the TPS by clicking here

December 15 Print Competition - December's Theme is "Fine Details"

Meetings are open to the public; however, you must be a club member to compete in monthly print and projection competitions.

Submit Images - TBA

Judge & Vote - Judging and Voting are done in person at the meeting on December 15

Review Meeting - Thursday, December 15 - The meeting is from 7-9 pm with judging, voting, and an image review with optional critiques.

Location - Waller Road Grange, 2708 East 64th Street, Tacoma      Google map

Submission Requirements:

• Export/Save your images in JPEG, sRGB, 80% quality, no larger than 1920 px wide x 1080 px high, & a 1.5 MB file size limit
• Submit your images on this website at:  Competitions > Submit Images For Print or Projection  OR  click here 
• Please capitalize your image titles. 
• DO NOT include your name or file numbers in the image titles.  The automated features of this new website will automatically insert your name into the proper place.
• DO NOT include "For Comment" or "Not For Comment" in the title of your images. The website will keep track of which image you select "For Comment" and "Not for Comment" when you select one of those options.
• Your images will automatically be placed into your private Image Library for future reference and use! You will also be able to read all of the critiques from our members.

We love this new website's automated features!  For more print information and competition rules, click here 

If you are not a member of the TPS and would like to start competing in Print & Projection Competitions, join the TPS by clicking here

Seattle Japanese Garden Field Trip

Judi Kubes organized a field trip to the University of Washington Arboretum Seattle Japanese Garden on November 1.  Five TPS members attended:  Kathy Admire, Diana Warren, Richard Thomas, Dorinda Wills, and Judi Kubes. The weather was perfect for photography and the garden was bursting with beautiful fall colors.  There are a number of Japanese Gardens in the region; however, this is one of the most famous. Please note that tripods and monopods are not allowed and parking is difficult to find, especially on weekends.

It’s easy to set up an outing like this.  Just pick a time and place, and email all TPS members through the club's email system at:  Membership > Send Email to Members with the details regarding where and when to meet and what to expect. Let Judi know so she can post the outing on the TPS Calendar along with any special requirements, such as a fee, special times for photography groups, if tripods or monopods are not allowed, or other information that should be shared in the announcement. 

Schedule a group outing and enjoy the company of others!

Bird Photography: Photos, Gear, Tips, and Shared Experiences

Steve Russell, one of our most distinguished members, gave a presentation on bird photography on November 3 at the Waller Road Grange.

The Olympia and Rainier Hills photo clubs were invited to attend this special presentation.  Thank you to everyone who attended!

See Steve's art at Russell Photography

To see Steve's slideshow presentation, go to the Education Info tab and select "Camera Settings, Tutorials & Classes" or click here

Please share your passion for photography by signing up today to present your photos and knowledge to the Tacoma Photographic Society members.  Contact Kathy Admire through the club's email system at:  Membership > Send Email to Members.

Field Trips Earn Service Points
   By Judi Kubes

Are you interested in more field trips??  Do you know a great place to shoot but would like some company?  Do you have a place you always wanted to visit but feel it is not safe to go alone? Get outdoors at night before the weather turns too cold and rainy.  Is there a business that doesn't normally allow photographers to take pictures or won't allow you to bring a tripod?  Maybe the TPS can arrange special admission for our members and allow you to bring your tripod!

The Field Trip Committee needs YOUR help to get TPS out shooting together!  You do not have to teach or be an expert in anything.  Just pick a place, make a plan, invite all members, and have fun!  We all need to help make our club a fun, exciting, educational, and photo buddy-building place.  TPS is what we all decide to put into it, or not.  So yes, if you want the best darn photo club anywhere, then we need YOUR help!!  This is an easy way to earn a service point so you can progress in rank from the points you earned in competitions. Did you know that you can't progress in rank from competition points unless you have also earned a Service Point during that calendar year?  You must earn a minimum of 1 Service Point each year in order to progress in rank.  Volunteering is the best and easiest way to do that. Field trips, presentations, workshops, tutorials, etc. are fun ways to accomplish that and get to know the members.

Copyright © 2022 Tacoma Photographic Society

All photos on this website are the property of club members and are copy-protected. By law, they can NOT be copied, saved, reproduced, distributed, or shared in any form or for any reason without written permission from the photographer who created the image.  Photography is protected under the same copyright laws as fine art, books, poetry, and music.

The Tacoma Photography Society is a proud member of these two exceptional photography organizations.

The TPS extends our sincere thanks to these local companies for helping us make our TPS Anual Spring Print Competition (displayed at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup each April) a great success for us, and especially for all of the PNW photographer entrants!