Oct. 1999


(Photo by Bob Coffey)

President's Message

DCC Photo Course

Portrait of ...

Article: Variable Contrast Papers

President's Message

Dr. Ernst Tomic

Eight of our club members attended the 61st PSA Conference in Toronto. Besides making new friends and furthering our photographic knowledge, we had the noble mission to promote the Wilmington International. Our Lynn Troy Maniscalco is a PSA Division VP and therefore had sufficient clout to arrange for a period in the limelight for us which gave us the opportunity to promote the Wilmington Salon. At the opening ceremonies on Wednesday, September 1, Lynn made a brief and eloquent speech to honor Fred Greene of Halifax while repeatedly mentioning our WIEP. Fred was the second person to achieve the exalted status of Senior Fellow of the Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography. He, like Wellington Lee, had one hundred of his photographs accepted in our salon. I, in turn, presented Fred with an engraved silver bowl, similar to the one we had given to Wellington Lee in New York earlier in the year. We hope that the PSA Journal will cover the presentation to Greene as it did the presentation to Lee, thus giving the WIEP further exposure and publicity.

Prior to the official opening of the conference we took two pre-arranged tours. A round trip to Niagara Falls and on the following day, a sightseeing trip through architecturally impressive and very clean city of Toronto. From Wednesday through Sunday interesting lectures and outstanding slide presentations comprised the gamut of photographic topics. Programs started at 8:30 a.m. and lasted until about 9 p.m. For example, the following simultaneous presentations were scheduled on Thursday for 3 p.m.:

1. Once Upon A Time In The West by Al Consoli,
2. Night Photography In Color And B&W .by Bob Gorrill
3. Imagination In The Computer Darkroom by Nick Muskovac.
4. Photojournalism For Fun by Lynn Maniscalco.

Since a fundamental law of physics stipulates that the same body cannot be in two places at the same time, all of us had to pick and choose. I for one, concentrated heavily on electronic imaging and image manipulation in selecting the lectures I attended.

There were more presentations on digital imaging than in past meetings. This clearly reflected an increasing interest in the subject and of the opportunities these novel techniques offer us. I was amazed that in the past year there were several times as many digital cameras introduced as conventional ones, and that high resolution digital cameras now sell for a fraction of the price of just one year ago. Digital cameras that are capable of producing sharp, vivid 4 x 6 inch color prints now sell for less than $500.

Most serious photographers still use their Nikons and Canons, but many of us now use computers to improve and to enhance our images. More and more folks are joining our ranks. The Electronic Imaging Division of PSA has a lot to offer for the novice as well as for the expert. Just visit their website http://www.psa-eid.org/ and form your own opinion. Several of us, who have embraced digital manipulation, will be happy to counsel you, should you decide to propel yourself into the 20th century before it is over.