The Alliance is an informal organization started in the spring of 1997 by Joseph Miller with the assistance of Dave Carter and Ed Funk. It's purpose is to promote communication and cooperation among camera clubs. Joe Miller's workshops first showed us the value of the interaction that takes place between members of different clubs. We also realized that the work effort of club field trip leaders could be reduced, while opportunities for members increased through inter-club field trips. The original six member clubs are the International Photographic Society, the Manassas-Warrenton Camera Club, the McLean Camera Club, the North Bethesda Camera Club, the Northern Virginia Photographic Society, and the Vienna Photographic Society. They were joined subsequently by the Loudoun Photography Club and the Reston Photographic Society bringing the member club total to eight. The Alliance charges no dues.

The Alliance publishes a series of informational books on a variety of photographic subjects. Each year the Alliance publishes a "Directory of Speakers and Judges." The directory which identifies some 150 recommended speakers and/or judges by photographic speciality, is available only to member clubs.

For anyone who has seen reference to the set of 25 booklets on various photo topics  that are supposedly available for sale, and had trouble finding one to buy, please check out the following link: http://nvacc.org/Field%20trips%20Guidebook/NVACCPublications.html where they can all be downloaded in PDF format and printed.  

NOTE: the price is now free but subject to conditions described below.  

Currently these booklets are in addition to essays that appear in nvps f-stop or on other clubs web site tutorial pages. 

From the NVACC site:

During the period 1998-2008, as part of our effort to promote communication and cooperation among area camera clubs, NVACC founders developed a series of booklets to capture the considerable expertise of the many accomplished photographers in Northern Virginia and to share it with others. 

For years, printed copies of these booklets were made available through member clubs for a small fee that covered the cost of reproduction.   [But hard to find in recent years].

Now, however, the booklets are again available  --  here: 

http://nvacc.org/Field%20trips%20Guidebook/NVACCPublications.html

Individuals are invited to download one machine-readable copy and one print copy for personal, noncommercial use. Written permission from NVACC is required for any other use.

In recent years, photography has seen significant change as an art form and there has been an explosion of technical advances in both photographic media and tools for example, digital and film as well as cameras, lenses, computers, and software). For that reason, the detail of some of these booklets may seem "dated". However, the ideas and techniques presented transcend both "progress" and the digital-film divide. 

We remain committed to sharing artistic and technical know-how. Thus new booklets as well as revisions to the existing ones that incorporate new technology and ideas will appear here. If you have questions, suggestions, or comments concerning our booklets, please contact us at JoeMiller@NVACC.org.

• #1. Workshops Guide Book 1998, 10pages - Joseph Miller
• #2. Some Notes On Visual Design 1998, 16 pages - Joseph Miller
• #3. Some Important Principles of Composition 1998, 16 pages - Dave Carter
• #4. Getting the Most from your Camera Club1998, 16 pages - Dave Carter, Joseph Miller & Ed Funk
• #5. Selecting 35mm Camera Equipment 1998, 20pages - Joe Miller & Dave Carter
• #6. Some Thoughts On Portraiture 1998, 8 pages - James D. Steele
• #7. How to Stop Making Good Prints and Start Making Great Prints 1998, 12 pages - James D. Steele
• #8. Photographing Wildflowers and Other Small Subjects 1998, 16 pages - Dave Carter
• #9. Black Light Photography 1998, 16 pages - Gordie Corbin & Judy Switt
• #10. How To Judge Judging 1998, 8 pages - Joseph Miller
• #11. Surviving Photographic Competitions 1999, 16 pages - Mollie B. Isaacs & Pat A. Hansen
• #12. Night Photography 1999, 12 pages - Gary Silverstein & Dave Carter
• #13. Multiple Exposure Photography1999, 12 pages - Ed Funk
• #14. How to Improve Picture Sharpness1999, 20 pages - Andy Klein
• #15. Black and White Infrared Photography Revised 2005 Now includes film and digital capture 21 pages, Illustrated - Carla Steckley
• #16. Tips for Better Photography1999, 24 pages - Joseph Miller & Dave Carter
• #17. Breaking the Rules1999, 12 pages. - Joseph Miller & Dave Carter
• #18. Planning for Travel Photography1999, 8 pages. - Joseph Miller & Dave Carter
• #19. Special Effects Photography 1999, 24 pages - Dave Carter & Joseph Miller
• #20. Photographing Insects 1999, 16 pages - Fred Siskind
• #21. Composition and Visual Design 1999, 36 pages, Illustrated - Joseph Miller & Dave Carter
• #22. Polaroid Transfer Process 2000, 16 pages - Zanne Tillman
• #23. Macro Photography 2005, 15 pages - Joseph Miller & Amie Tannenbaum
• #24. Abstract Photography 2006, 8 pages - Joseph Miller