Ann Meschery, Co-Chair

Terry Lamb, Co-Chair

This will be the 39^th year, and with five generations of leadership in, the show has only become more polished. One of the most important changes was the shift from being simply an art show to its status as a major fundraiser for the Carl Schurz Park. The introduction of a raffle provided a win win situation for everyone involved; the artists would benefit from the recognition, and the revenue would go toward park preservation. As the show evolved, the caliber of the artists has grown and proved to be most impressive thanks to the recruiting efforts of Ann, as well as David Williams, Executive Director of the Carl Schurz Park Conservancy. Word will surely continue to spread further as artist Jim Trippe releases a video intended to publicize and cover the ins and outs of the show. The judging process has also progressed in a sophisticated manner. It used to be that a committee would convene and view a series of slides. Now, a group of appointed artists and professionals can view the applications online and vote based on a point system. Each artist must supply three images of his or her work and one image of how the booth will appear. Thanks to Terry’s insistence and great efforts, a new website is now up and running. It has made the application process much easier for artists and judges, and visitors will find it very informative.

One hundred and one artists from as far as Canada, the Midwest, and all over the Eastern seaboard will be present at this year’s show to showcase works in a number of genres, including photography, painting, sculpture, and mixed media. Visitors can pleasantly browse among the booths and purchase pieces directly from the artists. The breakdown of funds is quite simple; artists pay a fee for their booths, which goes toward the preservation of the park. Whatever they earn directly for their work, they keep. Any one interested in attending the show can head to the Carl Schurz Park area (from 84^th st to 88^th st) on October 1^st and 2^ndfrom 10:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m. The show will feature pieces for all tastes and price ranges. You will rarely stumble upon such a fine opportunity to service your community, as well as to discover a rare gem of art that’s just waiting for you. On that note, I say save those dates and attend the Gracie Square Art Show. I can scarcely think of anything more perfect to explore on a crisp fall day.

For the next couple of weeks, the Walter Reade Theater is showing a plethora of Judy Garland’s films to celebrate the 75^th anniversary of her beginnings on the silver screen. Filmlinc.com has a list of all the films, times, and ticket pricing (which is the same as most NYC theaters, but also includes discounts for seniors and students).

As one of her biggest fans I ventured to Lincoln Center on Tuesday to watch Meet Me in St. Louis for the umpteenth time. If you appreciate the magic of Judy as much as I do, you really must make haste and go because you only have about a week and half or so left. The experience really is a treat indeed. I felt as if I walked into the 1940′s, seeing Judy on the big screen. The sound quality was also a pleasant surprise; although I’d seen the film so many times before, I picked up on a few certain details and dialogue that I hadn’t noticed before. It was also a delight to have a speaker, author John Fricke, provide an informative and humorous introduction. Being surrounded by people with a similar interest really created an inviting environment, which makes it all worth while. So to all of you cinephiles out there, head over to the Walter Reade to appreciate one of the greatest talents to grace the screen.

So for our food shoot this month, I decided to incorporate some tricks I learned in class.  Our studio is the front room of our restaurant and is a very simple setup.  Today the outside light was overcast as there was a rainstorm on the way.  The table covering was a white table-cloth which equates to a “high key” set-up one might use in a studio.  To bounce the natural light, I placed a white reflector on the chair opposite the daylight.

I decided to keep my speed-light on camera and bounce the light.  The first few images the flash head is pointed directly up at the ceiling.  You will notice the shadows and light is nice and soft.

I then changed the bounce direction towards the reflector on camera right.  The flash becomes a hard light; you can see a more defined line in the shadow area around the dish.

The final images for this month’s article are the result of the ceiling bounce, as I preferred the outcome of the softer light.

Equipment and Settings:  Canon 5D MarkII.  Lens 24-105.  Manual Mode at f/9.o and f/11.0.  ISO 400.  Speed 1/125.  White Balance Flash.  RAW.  Speed-light set to ETTL.

The images you see here are straight from the camera.  Having multiple shots from different angles gave us a nice choice for our final image.

The steps to complete our final image are to remove dust, enhance the color/contrast with Photoshop and then sharpen for output.

I was very pleased with the outcome of this shoot.  We chose a time in the afternoon when the restaurant wasn’t crowded.   I took the time to breathe and focus on what I wanted to achieve from this session and then just went for it.

I also made certain to try different camera and flash settings so that I had a nice assortment to work with post shoot.  And I made certain to read my histogram to correct issues right then and there.  So much better to get the shot right than spend hours in post production trying to correct.

If you have any questions or comments please send them my way.  And as always, have a great time shooting!

-teresa

The New York Times has an informative article about the history of this grape and how it became the most popular type of wine consumed today.

To compliment the flavors of our meal, we have a lovely wine for you to explore.

Grilled King Salmon – Over an Avocado, Cherry Tomato, and Peach Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped peeled peach

¾ cup quartered cherry tomatoes

¾ cup diced avocado

1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

¼ cup vertically sliced red onion

3 tablespoons small fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons small fresh basil leaves

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

1 jalapeño pepper (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

4 six-ounce wild Alaskan king salmon fillets

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

cooking spray

Preparation:

Pre-heat grill to high heat. Combine first ten ingredients in a bowl; add jalapeño pepper if desired. Sprinkle mixture with ¼ teaspoon salt; toss gently, sprinkle fillet evenly with remaining ¾ teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place the fillets on a grill rack coated with cooking spray, and grill for 10 minutes or until desired degree, turning after 5 minutes. Serve with salsa.

Let us know how you enjoy this dish!

Serves (4)

Serving size = 1 fillet and ½ cup salsa

SEE HOW WE DID THE PHOTO-SHOOT!

On this day, instead of going directly home, we walked around the back side of the park along the FDR.  A beautiful brick wall, topped with old iron fencing parallels the drive.

As we stepped closer to 78th street, along the back of the bath house, the iron fencing angles down to street level and surrounds a small patch of dirt.  There, in this spot are remnants of a garden long forgotten.

The grasses grow tall, and the roses work hard to thrive.  The winds from the passing cars keep these stems dancing all day long.

I was moved to find beauty in a less than beautiful spot.

After I brought Kodi home and served him breakfast, I went back out to the spot with my old Leica and photographed the rose buds reaching for the sun.

I attended one of the June dates with a few chums of mine and we got a kick out of it. There, you can enjoy the sweet music of Michael Arenella and His Dreamland orchestra, and dress in your 1920′s Sunday best. About half of the people present dressed the part, and I suggest doing so because it really adds to the atmosphere and brings it all to life. You would swear some people just popped out of a time machine. I found myself making declarations in my old school secretary voice, such as “I’m so happy the Great War is over,” and “I sure hope the stock market doesn’t crash.”(I think my friends were satisfied that I was amusing myself.) If you’re a dancin’ guy or gal, this is an excellent opportunity to show off your skills on the dance floor. I enjoyed watching the dancing, but I felt a little foolish joining in because it was more of an activity for the experienced dancer. There are a few stands to browse through, as well. They feature hats, vintage clothes, jewelery, and a few other trinkets. There aren’t many, but they are rather unique.

As for what is usually the most important part of anything,

Our Attempt to Dress Up

food, I would suggest bringing your own picnic. There isn’t a great deal of variety and part of the experience is sitting and relaxing with your friends, so you’ll want something you know you will enjoy. I would also suggest bringing drinks along. When I was there they ran out of beer by two o’ clock, so to play it safe you might as well have your own supply. This will also save you time from waiting in line for food tickets, and then again to actually pick up your lunch. Also, bring a blanket. The only place to sit is on the grass so make yourself comfortable and stay a while. If you’re looking fore more activities to do there, you could join in one of the rounds of tug o’ war, or rent a bike for a ride around the island. If you haven’t gone before, check it out one of the days in August. Hopefully my tips will be of some service. It’ll be the cat’s meow!

The photo-shoot for our Barbeque Tilapia was on location at Dresner’s Restaurant, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan.  For the studio setting, we used the front room of the main dining room for its beautiful natural light; the room faces east.  We did our shoot at 5:30pm on a warm May evening; the sun is lower in the sky and is soft and diffused.  A speed-light was used for fill.

Our chef arranged the entrée on a white dinner plate; our table top was covered in white linen.  The food styling/presentation allowed the tilapia and red cabbage to really pop from the background, making it our focal point.  The first few shots were done without flash using the natural light in the space.  As you can see, the fish looks very dark.  So I used the speedlight on camera with a diffuser, bouncing light off the white ceiling.

Equipment and Settings:  Canon 5D MarkII.  Lens 24-105.  Aperture Priority at f/4.o and f/5.6.  ISO 200.  AWB.  RAW.  Speed-light set to ETTL.  The images you see here are straight from the camera.  Having multiple shots from a variety of angles gave us a nice selection to choose our final image.

The steps to complete our final image are to remove dust, enhance the color/constrast with Photoshop and then sharpen for output.

What I would have done differently:  We had a very short amount of time to do the work.  The restaurant was open so I felt rushed. There wasn’t time or space to move around and set up reflectors to help bounce the light so I worked within the constraints of the location.  I did the shoot with a shallow depth of field; f/4.o and f/5.6 to get nice tight close-ups.  Reviewing images from the shoot, I realized there weren’t any where the total subject was in focus; next time I will also include aperture settings of f/8.0 or even f/11.0 for those options.

Keeping notes of assignments of what worked and what could have been done differently is very helpful.  It becomes a reference for future assignments which I find very helpful.  Every project builds knowledge and confidence for the next.

If you have any questions or comments please send them my way.  And as always, have a great time shooting!

-teresa

To round out the meal, a fine wine recommended by one of our experts makes this a delightful way to enjoy a hot summer evening. We hope you agree!

Barbeque Tilapia Served Over Cole Slaw Made with Red Cabbage, Raisins & Apples, with Chilled German Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:

Tilapia:
Four 6 – 8oz Filets of Tilapia
1/2 Cup of White Wine
Two Bay Leaves
Two Sticks of Celery
Two Cups of Water

Cole Slaw:
One Small Head of Red Cabbage
One Green Apple
One Carrot
One Medium Red Onion (Shared Between Potatoes & Cole Slaw)
1/2 Cup Raisins
One Table Spoon of Dijon Mustard
¼ Cup Tarragon Vinegar,
¼ Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil,
Two Table Spoons of White Sugar
One Tea Spoon of Horse Radish,
½ Tea Spoon of Salt ( Shared Between Cole Slaw & Potatoes)
¼ Tea Spoon of Black Pepper ( Shared Between Cole Slaw & Potatoes)

German Mashed Potatoes:
One Pound of Medium Size Red Bliss Potatoes
Two Table Spoons of Mustard Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Preparation:
TILAPIA – Marinate Filets in a Shallow Dish for Two Hours with White Wine, Bay Leaves, Chopped Celery Sticks and Water. Once Marinated, Grill Filets of Tilapia For Three Minutes on Each Side.
COLE SLAW – Shred Red Cabbage, Apple and Carrot. Thinly slice ½ an onion into the Same Mixing Bowl. Add the Raisins, Mustard, Tarragon Vinegar, Sugar, Salt, Black Pepper & Horse Radish. Mix Everything Together & Refrigerate for Two Hours.
MASHED POTATOES-Boil Red Bliss Potatoes with Skin for About 20 Minutes or Until Cooked. Mash Potatoes by Hand; Add Mustard Oil, Red Onion, Salt & Pepper.

Presentation:
-Place Cole Slaw on One Side of the Plate & Top with Grilled Tilapia
-Serve Chilled German Mashed Potatoes beside Cole Slaw.

Let us know how you enjoy this dish!

Serving Size: (4)

SEE HOW WE DID THE PHOTO-SHOOT!

The suggested wine this month is Pouilly Fume.  Our friend and wine expert Edison, pairs this delicious varietal with our Poached Salmon Dish.  It compliments the surprising flavors of Honey, Dijon and Lemon-the ingredients in the Cucumber Dressing.

Serve the wine chilled.  He suggests placing the bottle in a wine bucket with ice cubes and a bit of salt.  This makes the presentation more elegant and creates a sense of occasion.  No refrigerators please…..!

If you would like to meet Edison and learn more about this and other wines, visit him at 76 Liquors Ltd  located on First Avenue.   The average price for this wine is $20.00.

Since I myself never tried Pouilly Fume, I was curious and wanted to learn more.  Here is some great information.  Enjoy!

Pouil·ly [poo-yee]–noun     A village in central France: known for its wines.
Source:  http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Pouilly

The vineyards in the Pouilly Fumé appellation were originally established by Benedictine monks.
Source:  http://charlesnealselections.com/wine/loirevalley/coulbois-pouilly-fume/

Situated on the opposite side of the Loire River to Sancerre, Pouilly Fume is an Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC, which translates as “controlled designation of origin”) for dry white wine. Made purely from Sauvignon Blanc grapes it is characterized for its minerality and smoky flavours.
Source:  http://www.winesdirect.co.uk/wine-guide/country/loire-valley/pouilly-fume-sauvignon-blanc.aspx

source  http://www.riverloire.com/en/Loire-Valley-wine/wine-map-loire-valley.html

Pouilly Fumé wine information :

Source:  http://www.terroir-france.com/region/loire_pouilly.htm