BCA news Spring 2012

The Spring 2012 edition of the BCA news is now on-line.

Fine Art Landscape Photographer John Paul Caponigro to Present Photography Lecture at College of the Atlantic June 22

Internationally renowned fine arts photographer, author, digital pioneer and educator John Paul Caponigro will present the Ann Shiras Pioneer Lecture at the BioCommunications Association’s annual meeting, BIOCOMM2012, on Friday, June 22 from 3:30-5pm at the College of the Atlantic’s Gates Center in Bar Harbor, Maine. This special event is a rare opportunity to learn from one of the finest digital artists in the profession. Admission is free and open to the public. The lecture is sponsored by Canon.

Caponigro’s lecture, “Illuminating Creativity”, is a journey to creativity. He will show you how to turbo-charge your creative life by learning to see and make discoveries in new ways. Learn how to identify and expand your comfort zone; find and strengthen your authentic voice; find inspiration in the work of others; sort your ideas with a variety of strategies that will quickly help find the gold and identify next steps; and much more.

Space is limited. Pre-registration is required. To register, email office@bca.org

Each year, the Ann Shiras Pioneer Lecture features an innovator in the field of photography. Caponigro, a member of the Photoshop Hall of Fame, is the author of Adobe Photoshop Master Class and the DVD series R/Evolution. He combines his background in painting with traditional and alternative photographic processes using the digital platform. Exhibited internationally, his work has been purchased by numerous private and public universities, the Estèe Lauder collection, and the Smithsonian.

Caponigro is a leader in the field of training photographic artists using digital technology. Photographers and digital artists have studied with him in workshops across the globe. Thousands more benefit from his seminars, writings, and audio/visual products. He has been a contributing editor and columnist for several magazines including Digital PhotoPro, Photoshop User, CameraArts, ViewCamera, PhotoTechniques, and AfterCaptureApple.com, and websites such as Apple.com and the Canon Digital Learning Center. His monthly e-newsletter helps thousands of members. He lectures frequently at national events including Photo Plus, Photoshop World, the Epson Print Academy and at educational institutions such as Brooks, Hallmark, and MIT. Learn more about Caponigro by visiting johnpaulcaponigro.com

BIOCOMM2012, A Journey in Inspiration, will be held June 19-22 at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. The meeting will feature more than two dozen seminars and workshops, a juried media salon, and commercial exhibits that will provide attendees with inspiration and the latest information on visual media in the life sciences. Learn more about BIOCOMM2012 at bca.org/annual_meeting/biocomm2012/

Registration is open!

BIOCOMM 2012 information is now online! Learn more about the great Program and the Workshops & Special Events.

BioImages 2012 Extended Deadline

The deadline for submissions to BioImages 2012 has been extended to Friday, March 30, 2012. This will help people who have had some issues with file uploads.

JBC Volume 37, Issues 2 & 3

The Journal of Biocommunication Volume 37, Issues 2 & 3 combined is now available online through the Members Only web page.

RIT Students Produce Photography Tutorials for the BioCommunications Association

Rochester Institute of Technology's fall 2011 Advanced Digital Media Class was hired by the BCA to develop and produce video tutorials for amateur medical and biological photographers.

The 14 students in Biomedical Photographic Communication Assistant Professor Tom Zigon’s class worked in four teams to produce video tutorials on photographing reflective subjects, exposure control, and a topic of their choice including:

• Digital file formats and compression
• Techniques for maintaining consistency in medical imaging
• Sample preparation for photographing slides on wide field microscopes
• Transillumination techniques

Each group also developed an assessment module for one of the videos that could be used by the viewer to test their knowledge of the topic.

"This is the first time we've had a real client," said Zigon. "It has offered these students a great opportunity not only to get something published, but also to get exposed to people who do this type of work professionally."

The students will be presenting their projects to the BCA next week. The chosen tutorials will be posted in the resource section of the BCA website.

"Tom's class was ideal for this project," said BCA President Susanne Loomis. "RIT is the only university with a four-year degree in biomedical photographic communications and many BCA members are graduates of its program. The students are very knowledgeable, most having not only taken classes toward their degree, but also interned in the field at least once. With this project, the BCA gains some additional resources for its website and the students gain experience and a great piece for their resume. It's a win-win for both the students and the BCA."

BIOCOMM 2012 Preliminary Information

Preliminary meeting information is now available for BIOCOMM 2012 which will be held June 19-22 at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.

BCA news Fall 2011

The Fall 2011 edition of the BCA news is now on-line.

JBC Volume 37, Issue 1

Volume 37, Issue 1 of the Journal of Biocommunication is now available online through the Members Only web page.

Save the Date

BIOCOMM 2012 will be held June 19-22 at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. A post-meeting workshop will be June 23-25. Adam Cooper will be the program chair. More details coming soon.

The 2011 Louis Schmidt Laureate

Gale Spring received a Bachelor of Arts from Austin College in Sherman, Texas and a Masters of Fine Arts in Graphic Design/Photography from North Texas State University (University of North Texas) in Denton, Texas. He began his professional career in 1976 as Director of Photographic Services, Department of Pathology, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, serving in this position until 1987.

In 1988, Gale accepted an academic appointment to the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia, as Senior Lecturer. He became Acting Head of the Department of Photography in June 1989. He was Associate Professor of Scientific Photography and Program Leader of Applied Science Photography, RMIT University from 1988-2008. He then was Associate Professor and Program Leader, Applied Multi-Major, School of Applied Science, Engineering and Health at RMIT University. Gale Spring was appointed Associate Dean of School of Applied Science at RMIT University in March 2011.

Among his many association activities and contributions, Gale was a member of the BPA Board of Governors in 1977-78 and General Chair and Program Chair of the BPA annual meeting in Dallas in 1983. On the local level, he served as Texas Chapter Chairman. In 1990, he received the honor of Fellow of the Biological Photographic Association.

His commitment and dedication to biomedical imaging continued in Australia through the Australian Institute of Medical and Biological Illustration (AIMBI) and the Institute of Photographic Technology (IPT). He began his longstanding affiliation and leadership role to promote scientific photography through The Australian Photography Council (later to become Photo Imaging Education Association). Gale remains instrumental in developing conferences to bring together these three organizations.

He presented his initiative to promote the scientific aspect of alternative and historic processes in his presentation at the 2009 BCA Annual Meeting.

He has supported his educational commitment by continuously organizing scientific meetings and workshops. He presented numerous scientific papers, wrote articles of distinction for scientific journals and was frequently engaged by legal counsel as an expert in forensic photography.

Gale Spring has made significant contributions to our field on an international scale and has done so with style, grace, and a work ethic that can be admired by all.

We are proud to add to his achievements and recognize Gale Edward Spring as the 2011 Louis Schmidt Laureate.

See photos from the Louis Schmidt award ceremony.
 

Emeritus Membership Awarded to Joseph Ogrodnick and Robert Turner

Emeritus Membership recognizes distinguished craftsmanship, professional achievements and meritorious contributions in the visual communications media in life sciences and medicine.

Joseph Ogrodnick

The BCA awarded Emeritus Membership to Joseph Ogrodnick, FBPA. Ogrodnick retired as a photographer, writer and editor from Cornell University’s New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in April 2009. Prior to his position at Cornell, he worked in the University of Nebraska School of Medicine’s Biomedical Communications Division as a medical photographer, and as an instructor in the School of Allied Health Professions’ Biomedical Communications Graduate Program. Ogrodnick earned an A.A.S. in biomedical photography from Rochester Institute of Technology in 1971 and a B.S. in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1976.

He has published several articles in the Journal of Biological Photography, Biomedical Communications, Technical Photography, Functional Photography, and the Journal of Audiovisual Media in Medicine, and was a contributing author for the 4th edition of Focal Encyclopedia of Photography, published by Elsevier, Inc. in 2007.

Ogrodnick has been a speaker at many BCA chapter, regional and annual meetings. He was the editor of the Journal of Biological Photography from 1988 till 2003 at which time that it merged with the Journal of Biocommunication.and is currently managing editor of the Journal of Biocommunication. He has served as vice chair and chair of the BCA’s Western New York Chapter. He has received several awards in BCA’s BioImages competitions, including Best of Show, The Loersch Science Award, and First Place and Citation of Merit in the Natural Science category. He was elected a Fellow of the BCA in 1983, received The Ralph Creer Service Award in 2000, and received the Louis Schmidt Award, BCA’s highest honor, in March 2003 for outstanding contributions to the progress of biological communications.

Robert Turner

The BCA awarded Emeritus Membership to Robert C. Turner, RBP, FBPA. Bob has been a member of the BCA for more than 40 years. He has presented more than 35 papers at local, national and international meetings and conducted five workshops on digital photography. He has served as director of conferences, scientific program chair, and session moderator at several annual meetings, and was general chair of BCA’s 52nd annual meeting. He has served as BCA’s president and on BCA’s Board of Registry, Board of Governors, and on numerous association committees. He currently represents the BCA as a member of the Journal of Biocommunication (JBC) Management Board, and serves on the JBC Editorial Review Board.

Bob is a Registered Biological Photographer (RBP), a certification he earned from the BCA in 1974. He was named a BCA Schmidt Laureate in 2004 for outstanding contributions to the progress of biological communications. His photograph, “Snowy Egret Landing,” won Best of Show in BCA’s 2011 BioImages competition.

Turner graduated from the U.S. Naval Medical Photography School in 1969. Following his military service, Bob worked for the Forsythe Dental Center in Boston before accepting a position as a medical photographer with the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in La Jolla, California in 1975. He earned a B.B.A in health care administration in 1978 and an M.B.A. in health care administration in 1980 from National University. He retired from his position as director of The Scripps Research Institute’s BioMedical Graphics department in March 2011 after 31 years of service to the institute.

See photos from the Emeritus award ceremony.
 

BIOCOMM 2011 Group Photo

View and download the group photo from BIOCOMM 2011 held in Phoenix, AZ.

BioImages 2011 Award Winners

The award winners from BioImages 2011 were announced at the opening reception for BIOCOMM 2011.

BCA news Spring 2011

The Spring 2011 edition of the BCA news is now on-line.

Grants Available for Photographers, Visual Communicators in Medicine & Science

BCA is accepting grant applications to fund projects that promote study and research in the field of biological communications. Grant applications will be accepted through April 23, 2011. Grants of up to $1,200 are available. Learn more about BCA Grants.

Scholarships Available for Photographers, Media Specialist in Medicine & Science

BCA is accepting applications for two $500 scholarships for full-time undergraduate or graduate students pursuing a career in medical or life science photography, or other fields in visual biocommunications. Scholarship applications will be accepted through April 30, 2011. Learn more about BCA Scholarships.

JBC Volume 36, Issue 3

Volume 36, Issue 3 of the Journal of Biocommunication is now available online through the Members Only web page.

BioImages Deadline Extended to March 22

There's still time to give BioImages your best shot! The deadline for submitting your entry has been extended to March 22. BioImages is an annual visual media competition that showcases the finest photography, graphic design, and videography in the life sciences and medicine. Winners will be announced at the BioImages Opening and Awards presentation on June 1, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ, held in conjunction with "Brilliance in Biocommunications," (www.bioconf.org) the joint annual meeting of BCA, HeSCA, and ABCD (June 1-4). View the official rules of entry and submit your entry.

BioImages Goes Digital

No more mats, no more shipping boxes, no more costly prints – BioImages, the annual visual media competition that showcases the finest still, graphics and motion media work in the life sciences and medicine – is going digital! Give us your best shot! Submissions will be accepted online March 1-15, 2011. Winners will be announced at the BioImages Opening and Awards presentation on June 1, 2011 in Phoenix, AZ, held in conjunction with "Brilliance in Biocommunications," (www.bioconf.org) the joint annual meeting of BCA, HeSCA, and ABCD (June 1-4). View the official rules of entry and submit your entry.

BCA's New Project Manager/Writer

The BCA has hired Kim Pawlak to lead its efforts to build a virtual community for biomedical communicators, rich with resources such as articles, whitepapers, podcasts, webinars, and video tutorials, using all forms of new media.

"The BCA is pleased to bring Kim Pawlak on board," said Richard Frederickson, BCA President. "We are confident that she will play a vital role in our efforts to strengthen the association's outreach to producers and users of biocommunications techniques and strategies within the entire scientific and biomedical community."

Pawlak has 16 years of experience in association communications. She currently serves as associate executive director for membership and communications for the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA), where she has developed a successful audio conference series, revived the association's member listserv, and increased overall membership by more than 20 percent in less than three years. She worked for 12 years as a freelance and contract writer for Stevenson Publishing, Inc., which publishes several newsletters on nonprofit management and fundraising.

The Southwest Tour, June 5-8, 2011

After the Annual meeting join Scott Diussa and Bill Fortney of Nikon Professional Services (NPS) in Page, Arizona for a whirlwind photographic tour and workshop of the Golden Circle. Learn more about The Southwest Tour.

New JBC Representative

I am pleased to announce that Norm Barker, RBP, FBPA, has agreed to serve on the JBC Board as one of our two representatives. His term will be for three years. Our other representative is Bob Turner. Please join me in supporting Norm in his new role with the BCA. With his publishing experience, expertise in the field, and long standing support of the BCA, Norm will be a great asset to the Journal.

Sincerely,
Richard Frederickson, FBCA, MBA
President, BioCommunications Association, Inc.

BCA news Fall 2010

The Fall 2010 edition of the BCA news is now on-line.

JBC Volume 36, Issue 2

Volume 36, Issue 2 of the Journal of Biocommunication is now available online through the Members Only web page.

Save the Date! – June 1-4, 2011

The Joint Annual Meeting with ABCD and HeSCA will be in Phoenix, Arizona, June 1-4, 2011. The host location will be The University of Arizona College of Medicine - Phoenix, with hotel accommodations at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel. A post-meeting photographic workshop to Northern Arizona and Southern Utah with Nikon's Bill Fortney will follow the meeting.

For additional meeting information please visit www.bioconf.org.

Stretching Your Frame of Mind

Video of Houston photographer Joe Baraban's lecture to the Texas BCA Chapter.

BIOCOMM 2010 Group Photo and Slideshow

View the Group Photo and Slideshow from BIOCOMM 2010 which was held in Boston, MA.

JBC in the Blogs and Website Hits

The Journal of Biocommunication Special Issue 36-1 launched recently to much acclaim within the creative community.

Because of the special issue's universal subject of author's rights (relevant to artists, illustrators, photographers, musicians, writers, producers, and media specialists), the JBC Board voted unanimously to open this issue to the general public without a password. This issue has already received an unprecedented spike in hits with 5,027 page views this month alone.

Additionally, a piece about the JBC appeared on Print Magazine's daily web blog.

Video Producer/Director Position at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN

There is currently an open position for a Video Producer/Director in the Video Production Unit, Section of Video, Audiovisual, and Photography, Division of Media Support Services at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. This posting can be found on the web by following the steps below:

• Go to: http://www.mayoclinic.org/jobs-rst/index.html
• In the main body of the web page under "For the Public", click on the blue "Find a Job" button.
• Click on the "Not Registered Yet" button.
• In the Keyword box, enter 28065 and then click the Continue button.

Stimulus Package for Chapter Meetings

The BCA Executive Committee has created a stimulus package for chapter meetings. Seed money of up to $100 is available to host a chapter meeting. Submit a written request along with the Expense Voucher form and send it in to the Central Office.

The Executive Committee will need to know the amount and purpose of the funds needed, a description of the chapter project, and/or purpose for meeting. The committee will review your request and a response will be sent within a short period of time.

After the chapter meeting submit a brief summary and some photos for the BCA newsletter and website.

Take the initiative to look up your chapter members and a make plans to take advantage of this opportunity. Email the Central Office if you have specific questions.