Photo Checkout Schedule Adjustment

As a minor adjustment to Photo Checkout's operating hours next week, we'll be open from 8 am to 5 pm on Tuesday, December 14th, instead of until 10 pm. Tuesday, as you may know, is the evening of the Senior Photo show, so you should head on down to the Baxter to see what everyone has been working on this semester! Again, photo checkout's new hours for Tuesday, December 14th will be from 8 to 5 instead of until 10 o'clock.

DM22 "Driver Test" Requirements

Students-

If you want to use the Mamiya DM22, you need to show a faculty member that you can:

1. Properly insert a CF Card
2. Switch the camera on
3. Switch the digital back on
4. Set the digital back to correct camera setting
5. Set the digital back to 200 ISO
6. Make a correct exposure with a gray card in the image
7. Gray balance camera
8. Switch the camera off
9. Switch the digital back off
10. Remove the digital back from the camera correctly
11. Replace the digital back on the camera

As a reminder, the camera will only be available to be checked out for use in the studio at this time.

New Goods Recently Arrived in Photo Checkout

Students -

Photo checkout now has available several new items which may be of use to you. Those of you who have been frequently checking out light meters may already be aware that we've acquired another pair of Sekonic L758s (PDF of the manual is available here), but we've also picked up a couple more basic lightmeters: a pair of Gossen Digiflash meters. These are very small and simple meters, and as such I suspect that some of you will love them dearly for their portability and simplicity, and others among you will regard them with a frothing hatred for their lack of advanced features and basic interface. I would advise having a look at them before you have need for a light meter to determine if it's the sort of meter you'd like or not. The instruction manual is available here (PDF), and of course you can stop by photo checkout to give one a test drive.

On the color management side of things, there's a new Spyder3 Elite available for (in-building) checkout to address your laptop display calibration needs, and a trio of X-Rite Colorchecker Passports.

Checkout also has a couple new Vivitar 285HVs. These are non-dedicated flashes that can be used on just about any camera with a flash shoe or PC socket... except for that goofy Sony/Minolta "inside out" flash shoe design. These are essentially manual flashes, and though they have some Auto features, they won't give you any sort of TTL functionality, so you might want to study up on the manual, which is available in checkout. I couldn't find a Vivitar-provided online manual for the 285HV, but there is a manual for a prior version (though same model number) located here (PDF).

Minor Schedule Adjustment for Thanksgiving Week

All-

I've made an adjustment to the posted photo lab schedule for Fall 2010. The change applies only to one day: Wednesday, November 24th-- the day before Thanksgiving. The term calendar indicates that there will be no classes this day, so I've adjusted the checkout calendar to reflect that the photo labs will be closed on that date. If you are interested in obtaining a copy of the updated schedule, they are available at Photo Checkout, or can be downloaded from here (PDF).

One other caveat about the schedule relating to December... whichever evening the Senior Photo show is scheduled, photo checkout and the labs will be closing at 5pm. Details will be posted as the event solidifies.

Call for Entries for Campus Photo Contest

Students-

I've been asked to spread the word that the Exit Gallery, the Office of International Programs, and the Leadership Institute are holding a photo contest, and it looks like it will be of particular interest to those of you who have travelled internationally, or are in places of an international persuasion right now. Here is the call for entries that was forwarded to me:

International Photography Call for Entries – Convocation 2010

In conjunction with the 2010 Freshman Convocation, The Exit Gallery, MSU Leadership Institute and Office of International Programs are proud to present an international photography contest juried by convocation speaker Kevin Connolly.

Fifteen to twenty photos will be selected for a two week exhibition in the Exit Gallery from September 7th – 17th. The final photos selected must be printed 8”x10” or 8”x12” with a 2” white window mat.

Convocation speaker and international photographer Kevin Connolly will be announcing the winners at the exhibit reception on Friday September 10th in the gallery. There will be cash prizes for three winners: First – $125, Second – $75, Third – $25

All submissions must be by MSU students. Please submit two photos taken during international travel with title and location to asmsuexhibits@montana.edu by August 25th at noon. Files must not be larger than 8 MB.

For questions or further information please contact ASMSU Arts and Exhibits at 406.579.1724 or asmsuexhibits@montana.edu.

Photo Checkout Schedule Adjustment

Students -

As a reminder, photo checkout will be closed on the evening of the Senior Photo Show, which this semester will be on Monday, May 3rd. Photo checkout's revised hours for that day will be from 8 am to 5 pm, instead of 8 am to 10 pm. For those of you who may have a copy of the lab hours on your refrigerator for reference, please note the change. With exception for May 3rd, photo checkout's hours of operation will remain as posted for the remainder of the semester.

Also, if you have work remaining in the studio from the Personal Vision show, please remember to pick it up! The studio (as well as the finishing room) will be cleared of stray prints following the end of the semester!

- Charlie

Important Building Access Announcement

Current students-

A Cat Card reader has been installed on one of the entrances to the VCB building: the upper-level entrance facing Grant street, near the main entrance to the Black Box Theater. Because of this, the building will now be "locked" on weekends and after 5 pm. Fear not, however, you should retain access to the building during the hours in which photo checkout is open. Should you arrive at the building and find your usual entrance securely locked, try using the Cat Card entrance to see if it yields passage to you. I am told that it should allow any current photo student to access the building, but my recommendation is that you test it, ideally on an evening or day which is not the evening or day before an assignment is due. During the week from 8 am to 5 pm may not be the best time to test your card's usability, since the doors will be unlocked regardless of the whether your card works or not, and you may get a "false positive" from the test. If your card doesn't give you access, see Colette in Film Checkout, who is our in-building contact for managing the implementation of this new lock system.

In summary, if you can't get into the building on Tuesday evening for Senior, or Saturday afternoon, try the Grant street entrance. Photo checkout is not changing the operating hours of checkout or the labs, but the times during which the exterior doors of the building will be locked and unlocked will be changing a bit.

- Charlie

Alumni Photos for 50th Anniversary

Ian, what's your deadline for accepting alumni photos for the SFP 50th that you mentioned in your August 14th post?