Important Meeting Informtion – Please Read

Due to COVID-19, live meetings (at the Dunn Loring Fire Station) will be suspended from September 2022 thru May 2023. During this time, meetings will continue to be held virtual over Zoom.

Also, please note: Meetings on November 29, January 31, and May 30 will be live at the Dunn-Loring Fire Station. However, virtual meetings will not be provided for these three meetings.

About – Overview

The Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS) is the largest camera club in the Washington DC metropolitan area. NVPS exists to share knowledge and skills, to enhance creativity, and to build a community of enthusiastic photographers. Meetings are held weekly from September thru May in the Vienna/Tyson’s Corner, Virginia area. (Due to COVID-19 most regularly scheduled meetings will continue to be virtual (via Zoom) through May 2023.)

Are you a novice photographer?  NVPS offers monthly education and training sessions to help you develop your skills.  In addition, a new mentoring program matches you with an experienced photographer who can help you with everything from your equipment to your images.

Are you an intermediate photographer?  You can learn from guest speakers on topics ranging from advice on composition to inspirational talks on creativity.  Monthly competition nights provide feedback on your images from experienced judges; field trips bring you together with friends who share your interests.

Are you an advanced photographer?  We provide challenging learning opportunities through club programs and travel to photogenic locations where you can practice and perfect your craft.  You may be invited to display your work in both print and digital forms to share with the entire membership.  Plus we want to learn from you!

We meet every Tuesday evening with a range of programs that meet the needs of all levels of photographers. Visitors are invited to join us at any of the weekly meetings. Pick an activity or subject of interest to you and just show up. We like having guests and there is no pressure to join.

NVPS is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization.

Meetings

• Location: Dunn Loring Fire Station, 2148 Gallows Road, Dunn Loring, VA 22027-1023. Meeting location and driving directions can be found here on Google Maps. The parking lot and meeting hall entrance are at the rear of the building.
• Time: Meetings start at 7:30PM (arrive by 7:00PM to meet and socialize). Note: On competition night, meetings start at 7:15 PM.
• Date: Every Tuesday evening from September through May with no meeting on the last Tuesday in December.
• Covid Update: During the pandemic, most meetings will be held virtually thru the end of May 2023 (same time and date).

Activities

Here is a brief description of the club’s major activities and when they occur. Note that the first four Tuesday’s in each month have a different agenda. This agenda repeats every month with different speakers. For months that have a fifth Tuesday, meeting are held featuring a variety of topics.
To see details of current and past club posts, hover over Activities (on the left) and select a sub-menu item to filter posts for a specific activity. Or, click on one of the activity headings below.

• Programs (1st Tuesday): Presentations are given by talented and respected photographers on a range of topics. 
• Education & Training (2nd Tuesday):  Experienced club members share practical advice on a range of photographic subjects. 
• Competitions (3rd Tuesday): Monthly competitions among club members (you must be a member to enter) are conducted on the third Tuesday evening each month for color and monochrome prints as well as projected digital images. Competitions are divided into three skill categories (class 1 = novice, class 2 = intermediate, and class 3 = advanced). Judging is performed by an outside professional photographer or educator. Click here to see the gallery of winning monthly competition images.
• Members Gallery and Forum (4th Tuesday): In Members Gallery, two club members share their prints and a digital slide show with the attendees. During the Forum, a third member offers an in-depth narrative of a photographic  experience or subject.
• Field Trips: Travel to nearby photogenic locations provides opportunities for members to sharpen their skills and network with other photographers. Monthly “Field Trips can happen on any day or time selected by the coordinator.  Click here to see the field-trip gallery.
• Portfolio Project: Members volunteer to spend several months developing a themed body of work that is reviewed at the end of the year. Click here to see the portfolio project gallery.
• Mentor Program: Members have an opportunity to receive individual or small group personalized training on a variety of subjects, including camera controls, composition, post-processing, lighting, printing and more.
• Mid-Atlantic Photo Visions: An annual event,  MAPV (formerly Nature Visions) is the premier photography expo in the Mid-Atlantic region. It includes lectures and workshops by noted photographers, and a juried exhibit of nature and fine art photography by NVPS and other photo club members in the area.  Typically, Nature Visions is held in early November. Click here to see the NVPS image gallery juried into MAPV.
• End-Of-Year Banquet: This special event celebrates member achievements at the close of the club year in early June. More details and the awards presented can be found here.

Fotofax

See what’s happening in the coming weeks in Fotofax, the society’s informative newsletter. FOTOFAX is published monthly, September through June and has received several awards for its excellence.

Benefits to Speakers and Judges

Speakers and judges who offer educational opportunities  outside of NVPS (photo tours, workshops, etc.) can advertise in the FOTOFAX newsletter for a period of two years.  

Galleries

The galleries display the best work of NVPS members from competitions, field-trips, portfolio projects, and other activities. Current and past gallery images can be seen here.

History

Founded in 1965, NVPS now has more than 200 active members each year, and is the largest camera club in the Washington metropolitan area. For more historical details, and special awards, click here. 

Privacy Policy

We collect personal information about members to inform them for NVPS activities. We do not share individual’s information with outside parties.  The complete privacy policy is available here.

Weather Policy

NVPS follows the Fairfax County  Public Schools with regard to closure.  If the live club meeting is cancelled, the home page of the NVPS website will list the decision in red letters.  For more information, click here.

Cancellation policy update: If possible, starting in September 2023, if a meeting is cancelled due to weather, NVPS will attempt to hold a virtual meeting instead when appropriate.