The Cornwell Learning Center offers a connection between technology and learning - where you can learn with the help of technology, and you can learn how to use technology to expand your world. We offer activities from the most basic to the latest developments, and there are a variety of ways to get involved. If you just want to come in to check your eMail or search the web, Cornwell members are welcome anytime.

SCROLL DOWN for more info about the range of activities we offer through GROUPS, COURSES, TRAINING, TUTORIALS and SERVICES.

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WHAT HAPPENS in the LEARNING CENTER?

GROUPS such as our Special Interest Groups (SIG's) are FREE and open to all. Easy going, learning gatherings. We currently have them in these areas.

• VIDEO and AUDIO (typically, 2nd Wednesdays, 7-9pm)
  For people interested in video and audio projects. Copy your vinyl records to CD, try video editing, record and edit audio with a free program, etc. We plan to be project-focused. Join the fun.
• PHOTOGRAPHY (typically, 3rd Wednesdays, 7-9pm)
  Beginner thru experienced. Learn more about composition, lighting, portraits, landscapes, journalism, and how to improve your work. See news of that group by clicking HERE.

COURSES in the Learning Center are typically short and targeted, concentrating on a few selected aspects of a program or subject - less confusing, more enjoyable, more useful. Many of our courses are FREE to Cornwell members.

The Learning Center has couses of several types and levels of interest, such as:

• NEW USERS is a series helping you into take your first steps with a computer, offereing short courses in Windows, beginning E-mail, introduction to the Internet, and basic Word processing. Click HERE for Course Descriptions and schedules.
  
  
• SHORT SUBJECTS are one-hour sessions on topics useful for all programs and aspects of working with your computer. These include topics such as Organizing Files, Cutting and Pasting, Hot Tips for Windows, etc. Click HERE for Course Descriptions and schedules.
  
  
• ADULT ENRICHMENT series includes eBay, Genealogy, Building a Website and similar interest areas. This also includes courses from our CREATIVITY series including courses in digital photography, audio editing, video and the like. Click HERE for Course Descriptions and schedules.
  
  
• Our PRODUCTIVITY series teaches Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and similar office applications and are offered as demand suggests.

TRAINING tailored to the specific needs of your business -- as you need it. Look at these examples of how we work:
          VIDEO - Corporate Training
          BROCHURE - Tailored Training

TUTORIALS may be your best bet If your needs are more individualized, or if the course you need isn't scheduled when you need it. We do this for individuals and groups up to three. Call for an appointment.

SERVICES using the technology are also available, from H-323 video teleconferencing to video production to consultation. Call for info.

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PHOTO Special Interest Group - Open to all.
          NEXT MEETING - Wednesday, August 18, 7-9pm
          Assignment: "Creatures of Flight"
          Program: "Three of a Kind"

          IN THIS EDITION (in addition to the usual mistakes):
          Assignment notes for the coming meeting
          Program notes for the coming meeting
          Announcements
          Favorites from the last meeting
          Notes on Monitor Calibration
          Info about Monthly Photo Submissions

ASSIGNMENT for this month
     "Creatures of Flight" implies... what? Birds? Aircraft? Escapeees? Interpret as you will -- be creative -- and submit the results by noon, Tuesday, August 17, so I can get them all online for your viewing.

PROGRAM for next meeting
"Three of a Kind" is a suspicous sounding name for a Baptist Church, suggesting a card game. Well, Sandara Scherrman stopped by yesterday with the DVD on Everyday Creativity with Dewitt Jones. It's a twenty minute treatise on finding she mentioned in our last sesson. The first two points made are

• creativity is a matter of perspective
• there's always more than one right answer

For the September meeting we thought that it would be great to encourage us all to seek new perspectives, and find more than one right answer to framing your subject... maybe three.
     Accordingly, our August Program will be an entree to September's assignment, which will be to submit three photos of the same subject, "Three of a Kind" if you will, each taken a different way, each a good photo in some way.
     Each photographer will only submit three shots, and they'll all be posted online before the meeting. For that meeting in September, we will also NOT be judging anything. Instead, we will revel in the different ways people have chosen to present their own differing perspectives... on a single subject.

ANNOUNCING our 2010 Annual Photo Show
     Tue., Sept.28th – Sun., Oct.10th
     It's time for you to start putting together your work. We'd love to see up to three framed photos from any of you who care to submit. Think between 4" x 6" and 16" x 20." Submit a few of your current favorites or shoot something fresh for the event.
     This year we hope to be able to again display photos in the lobby of Heaton Hall for two weeks, followed by two more weeks in the new gallery space being created in The Cornwell Center.
     We need frames to be lightweight and can recommend the MCS Format brand of frames, which are easy to use, with glass installed from the front without tools. You can get these locally at Michael's, Wal-Mart, Walgreens and other outlets. Google for online sources (such as Amazon).
     Each of your photos should have the following information on the back:
               Your name
               Title of photo (or "untitled")
               Your preferred phone number
               Your eMail address
     We make it a priority to include something from everyone, so it's important that you rank your submissions in order of priority in case we can't hang all.

FAVORITES from last month
Our assignment last month was Night Shots and we were, again, treated to a full slate of entries (normally 25 in months where we do our usual photo assessments). Click on the titles below to see your favorites from July:

1. Fireworks3, by Jo Starnes
2. Moon over Queens Road, by Roberta Hayes
3. Counting Down from 16, by David Norman
4. Vienna Canal, by Morgan Speir
5. colorFULL, by Sandara Scherrman
5. Venice at Night, by David Norman

Congratulations to recently-new particpant, Jo Starnes. Also good to see again the photography of ths group's co-founder, David Norman. This was a particularly fine and well received body of work. Keep at it.

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NOTES on Montor Calibration from our October 2009 program
It's something that nags at all of us, where we see one thing on the monitor and another on paper, or different results on different monitors. Which is right?

While there are complex standards for these things, basic adjustments that will get you well into the ballpark aren't too difficult.

Click HERE to go to a site you can use to get your monitor calibrated for a full range of grey tones. This is especially important when we're working in black and white, and is a prerequisite to good color on your screen. It's a single chart you can use for reference. Read it carefully and follow instructions.

Click HERE for a site that will appeal to engineers, explaining the parts that most the rest of us don't even want to know but that engineers will find essential. You know who you are.

If you liked that last one, you'll really want to click HERE for a step-by-step on everything from gamma to white-point. Egad. (BTW, this page is offered by Adorama, who sells stuff, including monitor calibration systems.)

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Monthly Photo Submissions
We encourage up to two entries from each photographer each month, asking that you indicate a first and second choice in case we have more entries than we can manage as a group (we need to limit total entries to 25 on a given month). If you'd like to send one or two additional photos for viewing and posting online, but not judging, we're glad to include them.
          Send your photos to jbambach@mpbconline.org by noon the day before the meeting (please?). If you don't get an eMail confirmation that we've received your submission, within 24 hours, please call John Bambach (704-927-0774 x602).

See our galleries from previous months (in the left column) for an idea of what we do. For more on the group, what we do and what we're about, download the following documents. Then come join us!

PHOTO SIG - Description (PDF) »
PHOTO SIG - 10 Questions (PDF) »

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For more information about all our courses and activities at the Learning Center, contact:
          John Bambach
          704-927-0774
          jbambach@mpbconline.org