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 this  is very informative  and   very useful

Why not consider a creative summer camp for you kids. OCAD has introduced some new, creative art camps that will surely keep any young prodigy happy.

New this year!
AGO/OCAD design camp.

June 29 - August 21
9 am to 4 pm
Pre- and after-care available

Summer camp on Toronto's ultimate art campus! OCAD, in partnership with the AGO, is offering an entirely new camp experience for children ages 8 to 13 years. OCAD faculty will lead 2-week long design camps, in OCAD studios, exploring architecture, environmental design, textiles, graphic design and much more. This full day program includes daily activities at the AGO, sketching trips around the neighbourhood, sports and recreational activities in Grange Park, swim days, pizza lunches and a culminating exhibition for parents. A great opportunity to give your child a head start on their university experience.

Choose your design camp!

Design Matters: Inventing Space and Place (Ages 11-13)
Design Matters: Say What? Tell the World (Ages 8-10)
Design Matters: Materials Rediscovered (Ages 11-13)
Design Matters: The Power of Design (Ages 8-10)

The AGO will continue to offer ART camps this summer. In addition to innovative programming young artists will enjoy pizza days, swimming, camp-wide games and activities in Grange Park.
Two week sessions for ages 6-13
June 29 - August 21 (9 am to 4 pm)
Pre- and after-care available

Choose your art camp!

Around the World (Ages 6-7)
Cartooning and the Graphic Novel (Ages 8-13)
Gallery Explorers (Ages 8-10)
From Miniature to Monumental (Ages 8-13)

Random Acts of Art (Ages 11-13)

Surreal Things (Ages 8-13)

Space is limited - register today!
Call 416 979 6608 or visit www.ago.net/artcamps for more information

CONTACT Opening Weekend Events

FESTIVAL LAUNCH & EXHIBITION OPENING CELEBRATION
MAY 1, 7 - 10PM
Free
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
952 Queen St W

Join us for the launch of the 2009 festival and the opening of our primary exhibition Still Revolution: Suspended in Time at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. Come celebrate the start of an exciting photo-packed month of exhibitions and events during an evening of reveling with festival artists, photographers and special guests.

Official Exhibition Sponsor: Scotiabank

ARTIST TALK & SCREENING - LOUIE PALU
APR 29, 9PM
Free
The Bovine
542 Queen St W

Louie Palu will present short videos taken in Afghanistan’s Southern Provinces of Kandahar and Helmand while he was embedded with Canadian, British and American troops in 2008. He will also discuss his public installation, War Zone Graffiti, located in Ace Lane - the alleyway behind the Shanghai Cowgirl and throughout the Queen West neighbourhood.

ARTIST TALK - GWENAËL BÉLANGER
MAY 2, 12PM
Free
Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art
952 Queen St W

In this bilingual discussion Gwenaël Bélanger will speak about his public installation in the courtyard of MOCCA. Belanger will detail his image creation process of manipulating forms and transforming objects to reveal a fictitious point of view.

ARTIST TALK - LYNNE COHEN
MAY 2, 2PM
Free
Olga Korper Gallery
17 Morrow Ave

Lynne Cohen is known for her photographs of domestic and institutional interior spaces: living rooms, public halls, retirement homes, laboratories, offices, showrooms, shooting ranges, factories, spas, and military installations. Cohen will speak about her current exhibition that includes images from her first trip to Cuba.

ARTIST TALK - ANDREW WRIGHT
MAY 2, 3PM
Free
Peak Gallery
23 Morrow Ave

Andrew Wright, multimedia and photographic artist, will speak about his new series Still Water. With these photo-sculptural works he continues his interest in probing the way in which imaging technologies mediate meaning.

HEINEKEN BEHIND THE LENS TOUR
MAY 2, 3 - 5PM
Free

Join us each Saturday afternoon in May aboard the Heineken Behind the Lens Tour, an exclusive interactive tour of CONTACT. Go behind the scenes with top photographers and other culture mavens as they share curated insights on fascinating photography from an insider’s vantage point. Each tour, located in unique neighborhoods, will end at a local watering hole for discussion, snacks and the opportunity to enjoy a cold Heineken.

FILM - ANNIE LEIBOVITZ: LIFE THROUGH A LENS
Tune in on TVO
MAY 3, 9PM

This documentary traces the arc of Leibovitz’s photographic life, her aspirations to artistry and the trajectory of her career. It depicts the relationships and phases that shaped her life, from childhood, the tumultuous sixties, her transition from Rolling Stone to Vanity Fair, to motherhood. Directed by Barbara Leibovitz US, 2007, 81 MIN

KODAK LECTURE - JORGE RIBALTA: WHY PHOTOGRAPHY MATTERS AS DOCUMENT AS NEVER BEFORE
MAY 4, 7PM
Ryerson University, Jorgenson Hall
350 Victoria St., room LIB72, Toronto

Jorge Ribalta, curator of the internationally acclaimed exhibition Universal Archive: The Condition of the Document and the Modern Photographic Utopia, at the Museu D’Art Contemporani de Barcelona, walks us through this exhibition, which is nothing short of revolutionary in its scope and reflections on the major movements and micro-histories of photography. Through montage and dialectical juxtaposition of images, Ribalta raises some of the most burning questions facing documentary media today

Landscape Photography In field Mentoring Session

BPC Spring Camping Trip
Landscape Photography In field Mentoring Session

The 1st of a series of workshops that will be held by more experienced club members, called Photography Mentorships. Just as the name implies, it’s an extended mentorship between student and professional photographer, that will range from an entire year, six months, to three in-depth 60-minute sessions.

When: Friday May 15 – Monday May 18
Where: Kilbear Provincial Park

Limited space: 8 tents (aprox 8 people unless folks double up in a tent)

What to Bring: Tent, Sleeping bags, additional cook stove, pots and pans, utensils, flashlight / headlamp, food. Appropriate spring weather gear for camping, towel and toiletries. Water container and of course camera gear.

Note: Domestic animals (pets) are NOT permitted in the facility or on site and smoking is prohibited in all facilities. Cooking in yurts is not permitted.

RSVP: Toni Wallachy Wallachy@rogers.com 416-892-4721

Mother's Day Photography Workshop

Looking for a creative way to celebrate Mother's Day?

Join Lisa Binnie, Nevada Roy Truchan and Sharon Lawrence for a day of nature photography in the beautiful Minden area. We'll start off with an introduction to different ways of looking at nature and how to get the most out of your camera. Then we'll hit the trails with our cameras for an afternoon of photography.

What better way can you spend Mother's Day than celebrating with Mother Nature!

For more information and to register, please go to http://www.photohunthaliburton.com/mothersday.html

The Queen East Photography Collective

The Queen East Photography Collective (QEPC) welcomes everyone to its first annual Photography Show celebrating the season of spring, on now until the end of April, at the Beaches Library, upper level, Queen Street East just west of Lee.

The QEPC is an offshoot of the Beach Photo Club and is made up of nine photographers:

• Rosemary Beach
• Fraser Shein
• John Deweerd
• Felicity Somerset
• Doug Davidson
• Rod Trider
• David Frame
• Margit Koivisto
• Janet Sadel

The main objective of the group is building strong photographic portfolios. The group’s mandate is to collaborate in helping to develop each other’s work and personal goals. This show will focus in glimpses of the Beach in this most wonderful season.The Queen East Photography Collective is already planning a new show for May in conjunction with CONTACT, the Toronto-wide photography festival.

Great Art links to Familiarize Yourself With

Here is a list of some great art links - check here often as there are always new comers to the wide world of web.

Get Akimbo-ized
www.akimbo.ca
Akimbo is a Toronto-based company that promotes contemporary visual art, video, new media and film locally, nationally and internationally via the internet. Established in November, 1999, Akimbo has built a subscriber base of more than 7,400 Canadian and international media and visual arts professionals and a client base of some of the country's most important galleries, museums, art institutions and film and video festivals.

MAG: Mass Art Guide
www.massartguide.com

A fresh perspective, a progressive view, your arts and culture channel in print, online and broadcast to the masses. Mass Art Guide (MAG) is your source for a comprehensive showcase of the best gallery and museum exhibitions in Canada, and around the world, informing and educating with a polished design that puts art above all

Slate Art Guide

www.slateartguide.com

On line and print Art Listings for Toronto & Environs | Ottawa | Ontario Regions | Montreal

Adobe Educataional Sessions

Adobe® user groups provide a forum of support and technology to creative professionals of all levels and professions. Whether you're a seasoned designer, photographer, developer, or just starting out—Adobe user groups strengthen community, increase networking, unveil the latest technology innovations, and reveal the techniques that turn novices into experts, and experts into gurus.

Start building your connections within the Adobe community today. <<>>

Here is a great free web-nar from Adobe on Lightroom 2 - check it out!!

Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 for Advanced Amateur Photographers

Discover why Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 2 is the professional photographer's essential toolbox, providing one easy application for importing, processing, managing, and showcasing large volumes of digital photographs.
Watch now

Shooting Etiquette In The Wild

BE PREPARED:
No matter how much you know about your camera, it means nothing if you don't know your subject
Learn as much as you can about the species, habitat, and family groups of the wildlife you wish to observe or photograph.
Learn the behaviour of your subject, and be aware that some species and some individual animals are more accustomed to humans than others.
Information is available through many sources, including libraries, state wildlife agencies, classes, public television, and publications.

Understand what you and your equipment can safely and realistically do.
Learn the limitations of your equipment and how to use it, whether it's a camera and lens, binoculars, or spotting scope.

Specialized camera lenses may be necessary for some photographs. Many professional images are made with long and fast telephoto lenses, and it may not be safe or sensible to try for some photos with less equipment.
Learn from the experts how to get the photos you want. Experienced photographers who are capable teachers can help you avoid mistakes and brief you on tools of their trade.
Plan ahead and anticipate your needs.

Inquire in advance about opportunities and restrictions of areas to visit. State and national parks, for instance, often have regulations about interacting with wildlife. Practice using specialized equipment or techniques. Zoos are excellent places to see what your equipment can do.

BE RESPONSIBLE:

• Know the rules and regulations of the public areas you visi
• Take the initiative to set a good example.
• Report any violations you see to the proper authorities.
• Respect the rights and wishes of landowners.
• Always ask permission before entering private property.
• Respect property, fences, and buildings as if they were your own.
• It's your environment - protect it!
• Be aware of the cumulative effect of human presence. One person observing an animal may be tolerated, but four might be too many.
• Avoid drawing undue attention to animals and plants. Others may not be as aware as you.
• Be responsible for your pets, children, and companions. It is best to leave your dog at home, regardless of how well-mannered it is. Wildlife will feel threatened, regardless.
• Don't litter - carry a small bag for your trash and pick up litter you find.
• Never manipulate wildlife or its environment for the sake of a photograph or for viewing.
• Avoid removal or destruction of vegetation.
• Don't handle animals.
• Don't use calls, lures, or bait to the detriment or danger of your subject. Bait and lures may be controlled by legal statute.
• Wildlife has natural food which meet their nutritional needs; you should not feed them. Bird feeders can be used in an urban environment, but if feeding in winter, make sure to continue through spring.
• Be unobtrusive. Making wildlife react to you can cause it stress.

TAKE ACTION:

• Nature is fragile, so be aware of your impact
• Allow animals to carry on their lives without disruption.
• Stress in animals is not easily recognized. Learn the warning signs.
• Respect an animal's "comfort zone".
• Gauge the length of time spent near an animal and leave if you are causing stress.
• Never chase or harass even the most common wildlife.
• Don't disturb nests or dens.
• Keep groups small and reduce excess noise. Take care not to endanger yourself, your companions or the wildlife you see. Wild animals are wild, even if they have lost their fear of humans. They are not predictable.

SHARE:

• Your knowledge, concern, and example can benefit others.
• When you share freely and openly, it costs you nothing,
• but can be of great value.
• Share the outdoors with others, respect their right to enjoy the things you enjoy.

Updating your cameras firmware.

Normally I don’t bother much with PhotoLife, give it a quick scan & toss it. But in this month's there is an article that we all should read. It’s in the Q & A section. It’s about updating your camera’s firmware. It’s something I’ve never thought too much about. Anyway, cut a long story short I updated both my cameras in less than an hour. The Canon XSi had a small up date, probably would never affect me but the Canon 5D had major ones.

To save you the trouble of digging it out of the trash here's the relevant bit, & if your a Canon user here's there web page.

http://www.canon.ca/english/index-customersupport.asp

Enter .... Support Firmware......in the...Search By Keyword...field. Then the type of camera etc.



All the best

Mike Maclaverty



Here’s the Q & A.



Question 1:
What is your view of firmware updates for digital cameras? While reading dpreview.com and robgalbraith.com, I often see that some manufacturer has posted yet another firmware update. Why do the companies release cameras before they are ready and then fix problems with new firmware?
Javier Castillo

Answer 1:
As you indicate, new firmware—the operating system for an electronic camera—is often issued. An update is simply a new binary file that will change the processing parameters or add certain functions. Modifications of this type could be made to high-tech 35-mm autofocus SLR cameras as well, but the installation process required a trained technician. While some firmware is designed to fix a technical problem, others actually enhance a camera with even better speed, accuracy, versatility, or image quality. (It's easy to find firmware updates with a Google search: use the keywords Support Firmware and the name of the manufacturer and the camera model.)

In any event, I decided to pose your question to one of the camera companies, and here's their reply. “Designing and building any highly sophisticated computer-controlled device always involves an ongoing process of fine tuning and testing of every possible combination of its features and capabilities. As demand for more features and better performance grows, we diligently test and re-test new designs in a constant quest to deliver the best product possible without glitches or bugs. Because firmware can be updated as necessary by the user, it's a great way to correct quirks that occasionally come up or to add a new feature that becomes available after a camera is introduced.”

It's worth checking for firmware updates once a month. (Save the pertinent Web page as a Favourite in your browser for easy access at any time.) Owners of Olympus, Panasonic, and Sigma Four Thirds lenses and flash units, as well as owners of Metz flashes and the Nikon SB-900, may also find updates for those accessories. While installing any new firmware, be sure to follow the instructions to the letter to avoid damaging the equipment. The updates from all manufacturers are available free of charge and they're not difficult to install. That combination makes this an ideal method for keeping your equipment up to date and delivering the best possible performance.

a. A digital camera is similar to a computer in some aspects, so its operating software (or firmware) can be updated. The process no longer requires a trip to a service centre as it did in the past, making it easy and quick to improve functionality.

b. In both the Olympus and Lumix systems, lenses and flash units (as well as the cameras) can be updated with new firmware. Sigma's Four-Thirds mount lenses can also accept new firmware, as can certain Metz and Nikon flash units.

Members in The Spot Light

We have quite a few members who host art shows on their own or with our groups and organizations. We will try to list all of them. In the case were we may miss a show here or there - just let us know, and we will gladly post.

Felicity Somerset

April 3 to 26, 2009

Distillations II

COBALT GALLERY

870A KINGSTON RD. AT BEECH AV.
Toronto, ON 416 694-0156
www.cobaltgallery.ca

Distillations II is an intimate and close-up photographic exploration of the essence of floral beauty, distilled into abstract images of vibrant colour, intricate texture and intriguing patterns. Inspired by perennial flowerbeds in some of the most famous gardens in England, this exhibit presents new work in a cool but intense palette of colours, building on earlier work in a warmer colour palette, presented in Distillations I.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Toni Wallachy

Dream Scapes - Part Deux
April 7 - April 30

The Lens Factory
1040 Queen Street West , Toronto
Phone: 416.988.0929

"…. You can trudge wearily along the well-worn path, or become gloriously lost in the woods that lie on either side …"

~

Le Reve
May 1 - 31, 2009 - Contact 2009
Suspending moments in time that are always in flux
Trusz Gallery
349 Carlaw Ave, Ste 305, Toronto M4M 2T1
416-452-1976

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, both Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung identified dreams as an interaction between the unconscious and the conscious, suspending moments in time that are always in flux. Le Rève is a visionary daydream of abstract fantasy as interpreted by the artist.

BPC photo's in April's SNAP.

Make sure to pick up this months SNAP (Beaches / Danforth) edition. On page 19, you will see a small sampling of winning images from the clubs 1st contest of the season - held November 2008.

Most enjoyable are the winning entries from new members Paul Gorbould and Penelope Hughs - Way to go!!!

About SNAP:

SNAP Beaches/Danforth is a FREE monthly print publication specializing in a "non-political" friendly and entertaining photographic view of living in our community. We cover everything including: home, business, birthday and surprise parties; sporting events; business openings, sales and events; festivals & concerts; people on the street; parades; carnivals; and general daily life. We also include an upcoming events calendar, cartoons, jokes & quotes, recipes and horoscopes.The paper is printed monthly and distributed through "exit news racks" at all key Retail Stores and strategically by our Current Advertisers in the area.We are proud to support our local businesses.

BPC 2nd Annual Club contest - April 2009

BPC 2nd Annual Club contest - April 2009 On Monday, March 30 - our club had our 2nd annual photo competition. This was the 1st time we had used a different format where the membership would submit digital images and the judges would use the accepted GTCCC judging criteria.

The judging went very well. We had four (4) judges in total and three club exec to assist with the calculation of scores and comment capturing. All were very encouraging and highly talented in their artistic fields. They were open and positive with comments. All found the overall quality of our members to be exceptional and forward thinking.

Additional HMs, a Best Contemporary and Judges Choice awards were awarded on top of our club standard award practices.

Thank you - to all that help pull this together - Toni Wallachy, Maureen Littlewood, Michael MacLaverty, Anthony George, John Wallace Rod Tridder.

The Judges:

• Philip Sun - Toronto Guild



• Simone Koffman - Toronto Guild



• George Campbell - Don Mills



• Ray Anderson