Feb
14

Tabletop Workshop

Tabletop Workshop

What to bring

  • Small objects you want to photograph: jewelry, watches, coins, toys, glassware, food, flowers, tools, vintage cameras, textured fabrics, or anything with interesting detail.

  • Tripod: essential for sharp images and precise composition, especially at slow shutter speeds or when using focus stacking.

  • Lens capable of close focus: a macro lens is ideal; otherwise, use a lens with a short minimum focus distance or extension tubes.

  • Use a remote shutter release or the camera’s self-timer to avoid camera shake.

  • Extra batteries and memory cards.

Basic setup tips

  • Backgrounds: bring several background options—plain paper, fabric, wood, slate, or printed textures. Neutral and non-distracting backgrounds help the subject stand out.

  • Surfaces: use small risers, blocks, or books to vary heights and angles. A sweep (curved background) creates a seamless look.

  • Lighting: experiment with both natural window light and continuous or flash lighting. Small LED panels, desk lamps, or speedlights with softboxes/diffusers work well. Avoid harsh direct light unless you want strong shadows.

  • Diffusion and reflectors: soften light with diffusion panels, tracing paper, or white fabric. Use white cards or reflectors to fill shadows and add catchlights.

  • Control reflections: for shiny or glassy objects, use a polarizing filter, adjust angles, add black cards to shape highlights, or shoot through a light tent.

Composition and camera settings

  • Get close and fill the frame with your subject to emphasize detail.

  • Use a narrow aperture (higher f-number) for greater depth of field with macro work, but balance against diffraction and low light. Focus stacking can extend depth of field while keeping apertures moderate.

  • Keep ISO low for best image quality; increase ISO only when necessary.

  • Use manual focus or focus peaking for precise focusing, especially at shallow depths of field.

  • Mind the background separation—use distance between subject and background to create blur and isolate the subject.

  • Try multiple angles: top-down, 45-degree, eye-level, and low-angle macro shots for visual variety.

Creative approaches

  • Storytelling: arrange objects to tell a story or suggest a theme—tools with a project, ingredients for a recipe, or nostalgic items.

  • Texture and detail: emphasize textures with side lighting to bring out surface detail.

  • Color: use complementary or monochrome palettes; control colored backgrounds and props to avoid clashes.

  • Motion and life: add water droplets, spilled powders, smoke (incense), or small movement to add interest.

  • Scale: include a familiar object for scale (a coin, ruler, or finger) when photographing tiny items.

Practical workflow

  • Start with a simple setup to dial-in exposure and white balance, then add complexity.

  • Keep a notepad or phone notes of settings and lighting positions for shots you want to repeat.

  • Clean your subjects and background from dust and fingerprints—use a blower, microfiber cloths, or tweezers for precise cleaning.

  • Review images on a larger screen if possible for focus and dust checks.

Safety and care

  • Handle fragile items carefully and at your own risk. Bring protective cases and mats.

  • Be mindful of power cords, tripods in walkways, and shared space etiquette with fellow members.

Join us to practice these techniques, get feedback, and share ideas with other members. Whether you’re aiming for product shots, still life, or creative macros, this workshop is a great place to learn and experiment.

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Nov
4

November Meeting (Virtual)

Show & Tell
Patty Grindley & Jane Hirst

Presidents Challenge

Main Program
Image Processing - Different ways to process the same image and make it look natural
Six to eight volunteers will take a single raw image and process it to look natural.

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Sep
2

September Meeting (Virtual)

Start to a New Season

Dues are now due, $30/person, $40 for a family

Main Program
Hazel Meredith
Refreshing your Basic Editing Skills

Call for Images for PSA Club Showcase

Show and Tell
Ken Warning & Jeff Klug

Presidents Challenge
Patriotic – Red, White, and Blue

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Jul
8

July Meeting (in-person)

July Meeting

Ice Cream Sunday Party at Old Falls Village Park
Join us for a delightful Ice Cream Sunday Party at the charming Old Falls Village Park. Enjoy delicious ice cream while exploring the historic buildings that give the park its unique character. This meeting will be held in person, rain or shine, so come prepared for any weather. It promises to be a wonderful evening spent in the company of friends and fellow photography enthusiasts from the club. Don't miss this fantastic opportunity to connect and enjoy a relaxing night in the park!

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Jun
7

June field trip to the Zoo

Field Trip to the Zoo
Join us for an exciting trip to the Milwaukee County Zoo where we will have the wonderful opportunity to photograph a variety of animals in their natural outdoor habitats on a beautiful June day. We will gather for a delightful lunch at the zoo, with the exact location of our meeting to be determined at a later time. This outing promises to be a fantastic experience for photographers looking to capture the beauty of wildlife!

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May
10

Field Trip to Shady Lane Nursery

Field trip to Shady Lane Nursery
Join us for an exciting opportunity to photograph the beautiful spring flowers at the nursery. Please remember to park in the back lot, ensuring that we do not disturb their customers or interrupt their shopping experience.

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Feb
15

February Field Trip

Field Trip - Workshop

Tabletop Photography

The windows along the top ends of the walls provide ample ambient light, enhancing the overall atmosphere of our space. Participants will be encouraged to bring along suitable items to photograph that they find interesting. We will arrange four tables, with various items displayed on each one (the tables are round, which should not pose any problem for our setup). This venue is also quite spacious, allowing for the use of tripods without causing any crowding among the participants. Additionally, some members may wish to incorporate supplemental lighting to enhance their photography further. Initially, about 6 to 8 members expressed interest in attending, but we are prepared to set up additional tables if more members decide to join in on the fun. We can confirm a more accurate number of participants later in January.

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Feb
4

February Meeting

February Meeting is Virtual by Zoom

Show and Tell
Roger Crill and Brian Lauttamus

President Challenge

Program
Post-processing Technics
7-8 people will take a supplied raw image and process it their way.
It is a unique way to see how everyone processes an image.

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Jan
7

January Meeting

January Meeting is Virtual by Zoom

Show and Tell
Ian Dickmann and Brian Jensen

Presidents Challenge for November and December

Judge the PSA Club Showcase

Program
Favorite Images
Member’s favorite image put together by Jane Hirst

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Jun
1

Zoo Field Trip

The Zoo opens at 9:30 a.m. that day. If the weather is good, expect a large crowd, in which case you might want to get in line at least half an hour early, knowing the animals are most active early, or wait an hour or so to avoid long lines. If the weather is not great, the lines shouldn’t be too bad. We’ll plan to meet beginning around 9:40 a.m. in the U.S. Bank Welcoming area.
Please consider carpooling. Here is a link for more info: http://www.milwaukeezoo.org/. Hope to see you there.

Brian Lauttamus 414-379-6402

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May
7

May Meeting(Zoom)

May Club meeting via Zoom

Main Program

Lewis Katz – Image Critque of member images.

Show and Tell

Nancy Meier & Jim Kurovsky

President’s Photo Challenge

Smartphone

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Mar
5

March Virtual Meeting

Program

Image Critique with Lewis Katz

Each member can submit two images at 2100 pixels on the long side. Lewis Katz will critique the images. Please send your images to Jeffrey Klug at kpw1255@gmail.com by February 15, 2024.

Show and Tell

Nancy Meier and Dominic Keogh

President Challenge

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Dec
5

December Pizza Party

There will be pizza and soda. If you desire, holiday treats will be gladly accepted.

The room where we will meet has 8 round tables with six chairs each, giving us seating for 48. The room also has a big screen TV, which I understand we can access to play photos (more info later).

Group photo will be in the gym after everyone has arrived since the gym is down some hallways...it isn't connected to our meeting room.

Judge Print Circuit Images using the round tables before we eat pizza.

Park in the south parking lot, and enter through the southeast door. We'll mark the appropriate doors.

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