On May 8th, 2010 Long Island Photo Gallery members and their guests will be taking a photography field trip to the Vanderbilt Estate Museum in Centerport, Long Island.

According to the VanderbiltMuseaum.org website, the mansion has 24 rooms and its original construction was designed by the same architectural firm that designed New York City’s Grand Central Station.  Later additions to the William K. Vanderbilt II mansion at his Eagle’s Nest estate were executed by architects that trained with the same architectural firm.  Feel free to take a tour of the mansion while we’re there.  Mansion tours last 50-60 minutes and are scheduled every twenty minutes.

The 43-acre museum complex counts among its collections not only the Gold Coast-era mansion [1910-1936], a marine museum, natural history habitats, curator’s cottage, seaplane hangar, boathouse and numerous other estate features [gardens, fountains, balustrades and pools], but also marine and natural history specimens, house furnishings and fine arts, photographs and archives, and an extensive collection of ethnographic objects that make up the former William K. Vanderbilt II estate. A portion of today’s museum – the Hall of Fish – was actually opened to the public during Vanderbilt’s lifetime. Then, as now, the museum seeks to preserve and interpret artifacts that represent his life, collecting interests and intellectual legacy.

The Vanderbilt Mansion is located at 180 Little Neck Road, Centerport, New York 11721-0605.  General admission is $7 per adult and $3 per child under 12.  The mansion tour is an additional $5.

Looking forward to seeing you on May 8th!

~ Joanne

What surprises await you at Fink’s Country Farm?  It is hard to say.  Every time I visit I have a unique experience and a whole lot of fun.  Fink’s Farm is family owned and operated for over 50 years and is a secluded country farm that offers fun for the whole family.  The staff is friendly and love to interact with their guests.

It’s easy to roam the grounds and find something unique to do.  Try your skills as a ‘calf’ roper in the cowboy corral, dress up and take some pictures at the ’saloon’, take a hay ride, shoot the corn cannon or sling a pumpkin in the giant sling shot.

Relax under the oak trees in the sprawling picnic area while enjoying some of the fine country comfort food, including roasted corn, pumpkin italian ices, refreshments and more all available on the premises.

Walk and talk to the animals, including Dud Dud the 450 pound hog.  Watch the mountain goats climb up, up, up above the farm guests. Pick your own pumpkins, get lost in the corn maze or shop in the country gift store.

Don’t forget to stop at the farm stand out front before you head home.  It is filled with fresh, local, seasonal vegetables, fruits, potatoes, corn stalks, holiday decorations and more!

SEE YOU SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24TH AT 3 PM AT FINK’S FARM.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

WE ARE MOVING FORWARD with many initiatives that were announce with our first blog post.

Here is one that is moving forward rapidly ……

We have hired a painter to come into our design office over Labor Day weekend.  The end result will be to have freshly painted walls so that our LIPG members can have a place to display their printed work. But wait, THERE’S MORE! I spoke with our landlord this week and he will be painting the entire upstairs hallway where our office is located and will allow LIPG Members to display their printed work along this space!  But wait, THERE’S EVEN MORE! He has also given us the opportunity to display our prints THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BUILDING! : ))

This is HUGE!!  Not only has Long Island Photo Gallery given its members the unique opportunity to have their work displayed digitally with a revenue option, but are also offering its members the opportunity to have their printed work displayed in a gallery type setting.  Your work.  Your name.  Your opportunity to be seen as an artist.

If you are not a member of Long Island Photo Gallery, don’t be shy.  Our annual dues are just $35.  Click here to learn more or to join our community.

Our members will be the first to see our gallery while attending our 1st Annual LIPG Member meeting on 9/30/09. If you would like to have your prints hanging in the gallery, please contact Joanne Henig at service@longislandphotogallery.com before August 31, 2009.

Long Island Photo Gallery – “A photography community offering its members opportunity.”

So, I was reading last months issue of one of my many photography magazine subscriptions and there was this whole review about the “latest and greatest” camera lenses that were new to the market.  This type of reading always catches my eye because I’m such a sucker for the “latest and greatest” anything.  And just days before that article landed on my desk I was commenting to myself about how my current lens just wasn’t cutting it.  The images are not as sharp as I would like them to be and I spend too much time in Photoshop adjusting “things”.  ”Things” that a “great piece of glass” should do.

What’s a photographer to do?  GO SHOPPING!  I shopped around for what I believed will be the next lens to take up residence in my camera bag.  I found the one I wanted.  I bookmarked it in my browser.  I was ready to buy it.  But when I went back the following day to my bookmark the lens had gone up in price by $350!  I guess I’ll stick with the lens I have for now.

But wait!  There is a way to have your lens and use it too.  A fellow photography friend of mine reminded me that there are companies that provide all types of camera lenses for rental use.  That’s right!  Rent not buy.  For a 90% cheaper price tag than purchasing, you can rent, use and test lenses for your camera in the convenience of your own home or studio.  When you’re done with it or the rental term has come to an end just send it back.  This trial and error process will save you thousands of dollars on NEW camera lenses.

A few of the better online companies are LensRentals.com, RentGlass.com, ZipLens.com, and BorrowLenses.com.

Do your research.  For example, if you are in a hurry it may be important to know where they ship from (East or West Coast).  But no matter where you rent from, read the rental agreements and damage and insurance policies carefully.

Happy shooting!

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Rain or Shine

9 am – 8 pm

Belmont Lake State Park Pavillion

625 Belmont Avenue, Babylon, NY 11702

Sponsored by the Parrot Fanciers Club

Admission $5 pp to help with rescued birds; additional fee for parking.

The Parrot Club will be providing hot dogs, plates, soda and will share donated food dishes.  If you plan on eating the Parrot Club’s food you should contribute a dish that will feed at least 10 people.

Photos: A variety of parrots – not in cages, but hanging out all day – will be available to photograph some will be placed in trees for a more natural photo opportunity!

Other park activities include boat rentals, fishing, biking, horseback riding, hiking, horseshoe & basketball courts, playgrounds and picnic tables.

Grab the family and have fun!

“Kodachrome
They give us those nice bright colors
They give us the greens of summers
Makes you think all the world’s a sunny day, Oh yeah
I got a Nikon camera
I love to take a photograph
So mama don’t take my Kodachrome away”

- Paul Simon

Yesterday, Kodak announced that after 74 years of production, it will no longer produce Kodachrome film.  I got my start in photography with Kodachrome film.  But I, like so many photographers, have moved into digital format photography and have never looked back.  The instant gratification of the digital image was just too much for Kodachrome to match.

I guess those old images printed from Kodachrome onto Kodak paper will be the stories we’ll have to tell our grandchildren.  Film.  The rolls came in bright yellow boxes.  We had to load the film into the back of the camera.  We then got between 24 and 36 exposures with our roll of film.  Then we had to take out the used roll and replace it with a new roll to continue shooting.  When we were finished we had to take the film into a darkroom and process the film into negatives so that we could create printed images.

I must admit, the days of Kodachrome must come to an end.  ”I can read the writing on the wall” – Paul Simon.  Heads up EBay-ers.  You may have the next great collector’s item to sell!

I know this has happened to you before.  You show up at work on Monday with a semi-ambitious ‘To-Do’ list for the week and before you know it it’s Thursday and you’ve managed to increase rather than decrease the items on the list.  No problem!  

This phenomenon is the result of personal or business growth.  Whenever I go through a period of growth my ‘To-Do’ list gets longer because I add two tasks or ideas for every one that I complete!

However, working off of this week’s ‘To-Do’ list I did manage, with a little help from my friends, to get this blog to look and behave a little bit nicer.  I expect to add a few fun areas to this blog, like a Professional Corner and Used Equipment For Sale.  Both will be coming soon.

I am making progress on getting our Gallery Location up and running.  We should have a painter here next month to begin readying the walls for our printed work.  

If you are interested in participating in displaying your work in the Long Island Photo Gallery, please contact us and we will provide you with the necessary parameters for display.

If the Sun ever comes out again, I am looking forward to seeing your latest and greatest images of Fire Island.  As I mentioned in last week’s Tuesday Tease, our site visitors LOVE images of Fire Island (not just the lighthouse).  So get your images in.

Follow LIPG!  Do you Tweet?  Do you Facebook-it?  How about the In Focus blog? We do it all!  Follow us and post with us so we can help you get noticed by more and more people.

Final reminder and looking ahead, August 5th is our Field Trip to Cedar Beach.  Bring your camera, your friends and your favorite beverage and we’ll be sure to have a memorable time.

Thanks for all your support!

Joanne Henig

“Live well.  Work hard.  But the most important thing is that you enjoy the journey.”