Once again this month's report comes to you courtesy of Kim Lewandowski, who graciously filed in as secretary at the March meeting. This month I was not only out-of-town but out-of-the-country.

SHRUG's March program was one of those that you cancel a foreign trip for. Alan Taylor presented a program on digital cameras that by all accounts I heard was fascinating. He discussed how digital cameras work; the benefits and limitations of digital cameras; who uses digital cameras; how to shop for a digital camera; alternatives to digital cameras, such as scanners; how to produce a digital image from regular film; what to do with digital images--correcting defects, making collages, re-rendering a photograph as a painting; and Web resources on digital photography.

One exhibit that Alan brought with him was a framed "oil painting" of a light house, a painting that was originally a digital image re-rendered to look as though it had been painted. SHRUG members I talked to said it looked like an original oil painting. They would not have suspected that it was really an altered digital image. Alan also brought with him a handout entitled "A Digital Photography Primer". If you would like a copy or would like more information on digital cameras, you can contact Alan at alandds@ddaccess.com or visit his home page: .

The addresses of the Web resources on digital photography that Alan discussed are:

• PC PHOTOFORUM
• Kodak digital learning center
• PC Photography

From what I have heard, Alan will be back again to share more information on digital cameras. But Alan's talk on digital cameras is just one of the many informative programs we have here at SHRUG, thanks to the efforts of our program chairman, Peter Coggeshall. So come join us and expand your computer horizons.

Upcoming programs at SHRUG:

• April -- voice recognition
• May -- Internet Explorer
• June -- Bob Zabot on the future of phone systems

SHRUG meets on the second Saturday of the month in room 404 at the Portsmouth campus of Tidewater Community College, on College Drive in Suffolk. We meet from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, with a Steering Committee meeting from 9 to 9:50 a.m. Members are welcome to attend the Steering Committee meeting.

SHRUG sponsers a Windows 95 Beginners Special Interest Group from noon to 1 p.m., following the regular meeting. The SIG uses the book "Using Windows 95" published by QUE.

Each member of SHRUG who attends the monthly meeting receives a free Goodie Disk, thanks to the efforts of our Librarian, Kim Lewandowski. March's Goodie Disk included flower graphics, Celtic drop cap font, and a screen saver that rotates your photos.

SHRUG had two guests this month, Don Brox and Travis Collier. We hope they come back and join us again soon!

See you in April!

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