[photo-3d] OSPS- Closing thoughts

["Dr. George A. Themelis" <drt-3d@xxxxxxx>]

I forgot to mention in my first posting the wonderful 
cake that Gail Motley made for our club.  A large cake 
with "OHIO STEREO PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY" written in it 
and decorated with our 4 slide competition assignments: 
Bubbles & Balloons, Toys, Nature, Bridges!  Very clever!  

In case you are hearing the name Motley too many times, 
founding member Jim Motley is attending every meeting 
with his 3 children and daughter in law.  So the Motleys 
make up 1/4 of our club's attendance!  Son Mark helps 
with the scoring and other club chores while daughter 
Debbie won the "Best Beginner" award last season.

Anyway, back to the competition.  So I got one second 
and two third places.  Who got the first place?  That 
was Ron Fross with a nice close-up of a cactus plant.  
Ouch!  That darn prickery thing was too close to my eyes! :)

Interestingly, the people's choice (we let the entire 
audience vote for their most favorite slide) went to 
an entry that did not get an award (it is the first 
time that this happens).  Debbie Motley had a most 
humorous entry of her father Jim with two stereo cameras 
around his neck.  The title was "Double Your Pleasure, 
Double Your Fun!"

After all was said and done, I felt a bit guilty because, 
thanks to Mark's absence, I had the only 7p (wider) 
slides in the competition.  Sometimes I wonder if my 
stereo camera (RBT S1) is giving me an unfair advantage 
in these competitions.  I am sure a few people feel this 
way. 

However, almost everyone has a full frame camera in 
addition to their Realist-format stereo camera.  With a 
little planning, creativity and luck you can do great 
with a single camera (example: my no. 2 entry).  When 
I joined Detroit in 1994 and captured first place and 
slide of the year, and for the next few years (until 
Dennis Hanser showed up!) I was doing great with only 
a Realist and my SLR cameras.  

It is only because of laziness that I am using my RBT S1 
almost exclusively now and this might have hurt my 
photographic performance.  Dennis Hanser shoots with SLR 
cameras and he has taken Detroit by a storm.  When lack 
of film made me use my SLR and my brain, I did very well.  

So get your Realist and SLR or P&S out of the closet, 
put your brain to work and the sky is the limit!!!

George Themelis