Tim Street teaches local artists

Two cameras, a projector, an umbrella, a photography light and a Tyrannosaurus Rex action figure were spread across the room as 16 people gathered in the John Waldron Arts Center on Tuesday for the Artists After Hours program.\nGraphic design artist Tim Street graduated from IU in 2003 and currently designs for the IU School of Journalism and teaches a graphic design course to juniors and seniors. Street has previously worked for The Indianapolis Star and Outside Magazine. He began the lecture “Digital Photography and Basic File Preparation” by discussing lighting techniques for pictures. Street explained that the best place to take pictures is outside. \n“Natural sunlight is your friend,” Street said.\nHe explained the best time to take a picture outside is during the “golden hour.” The golden hour is the time directly after sunrise and right before sunset.\nStreet set up a Tyrannosaurus Rex action figure on a round table. He explained that too much direct light on an object will cause a hot spot and a strong shadow in a picture. A photographer can use an umbrella to block out light or a filter to keep the light from hitting the object directly.\nThe next major point in the lecture was how to move photos from the digital camera to a computer. Street said there are two ways: USB cords that plug from the camera into the computer and a card reader.\nStreet ended his lecture by discussing how to edit photographs using Adobe Photoshop. He did not go in depth with the subject because of time constraints, but he was able to show the audience how to alter color balance and resize a photograph. \n“You can always resize a photo smaller but you can never resize it bigger,” Street said. “Remember that.”\nThe audience interacted with each other throughout the lecture, giving advice on different photography techniques. The director of arts development for the Bloomington Area Arts Council Jonna Risher said she believes the program is good for social networking and for artists to help each other brainstorm ideas.\nRetired IU professor Susan Klein considers herself an amateur photographer. She said she’s taken candid pictures of families, and she’s experimented with photographing objects significant to her.\n“I just want to learn to improve what I’m doing,” \nKlein said.\nKlein explained that, even though she’s not a professional photographer, she enjoyed Street’s lecture because he did go beyond some of the basics of photography but also related personally with the audience. \nCeramic artist and Director of the Prima Gallery Marcy Neiditz said she comes to Artists After Hours lectures when the topic interests her. She said she’s been taking photographs of her own work and wanted to start learning more about photography. \n“I said to Jonna if I learned one new thing it was worth it,” Neiditz said. “I learned three.”