Hope you've had a great holiday. There is still time to post an image taken between Thanksgiving and January 10, 2013 that has to do with holiday or seasonal activities or vacation trips. If you've lost the directions, here they are again:
http://nvps.org/gallery/v/holiday2012/

Upload ONE image per person, additional photos will be removed. Name the Photo "Your Name.jpg" and enter the "What you did" in the caption field. You must be a registered user of the photo gallery. If you need additional help, please email nvpsimagegallery" at "nvps.org. You can also send your image to that email address, with the information listed above. For security reasons you will not be able to make corrections or delete images. Just email us if you would like to change something.

Some people great images taken in exotic places and some equally interesting images that were taken close to home. Don't forget to submit a photo.

Watch the schedule for January--it is different!

January 1, the first Tuesday, is New Year's Day--a legal holiday, so we have no meeting

January 8 will be our first meeting, Program, with speaker, Miriam Lomaskin.

January 15 is our second meeting. January 15 is technically the third Tuesday, and it will be competition which is always on the third Tuesday.

January 22, the next Tuesday, Education and Training will have a swap meet.

January 29, the last Tuesday, as always is Members Gallery and Forum. Education and training will present the Forum which will be the portfolio critique by Sherwin Kaplan.

I've been told that the calendar for the rest of 2013 is back to normal.

There are only a couple of weeks left to post your portfolio to the website in time for the January critiques.  It doesn't need to be complete to be critiqued.  The portfolio is one of the most educational and challenging projects that NVPS offers.  Yes, it is hard--you may not be able to complete it.  But the second time you participate you will be much more successful and it will be much easier.  You will be amazed at how you grow as a photographer by attempting to produce a body of work.

Also, I just read an interesting article in The New York Times. You might like to check it out at:

http://gadgetwise.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/how-to-use-the-rule-or-suggestion-of-thirds-in-photos/?ref=todayspaper

Have a happy new year.

Willa Friedman

Co – Vice Presidents of Competition Mike Kane and Mike Whalen are pleased to welcome judge Andrew Jezioro for the club’s January monthly club competition.

Andrew is a versatile photographer with many years of experience, producing quality images on a wide variety of subjects. He utilizes the latest in digital tools to capture his vision in photographic images. He has produced many award winning photographs and lectures on various aspects of photography. Andrew is a Past President of the Manassas Warrenton Camera Club and has held a number of positions on the board of directors.

Andrew has 30 years of experience in the wedding photography trade beginning with film and continuing into the digital era. He also spent a number of years on the arts and crafts show circuit. The combination of these activities gives Andrew a unique perspective on the business aspect of photography.

He has received Photographer of the Year awards in both color and black and white print categories from the Manassas Warrenton Camera club. His work has been published in Petersen’s Photographic Magazine. Andrew currently lectures on digital photography at the Northern Virginia Community College.

You are invited to join judge Andrew Jezioro for dinner at Chili’s in Tyson’s Corner at 5:30 PM on Tuesday January 15, 2013. If you would like to join us please RSVP to Mike Kane michaelaustinkanephoto" at "gmail.com by 5:30 PM on Monday, January 14th.

The theme for January’s competition is:

The Sun is Your Friend

·      The image must be taken at least two hours after Sunrise and at least two hours before Sunset
·      The image must portray that the sun is shining and not obscured.  e.g. there are shadows.
·      The intent of this theme is to take a photo in hard light.

Hard light is light that comes from a single, point source, such as the Sun, and falls directly on the subject from one direction, without being reflected off another surface, is known as hard light. It generally casts dark shadows and produces high contrast pictures with deep blacks and bright highlights. The shadows also generally have a very distinct or hard edge, so that the outline of the object closely reflects the shape of the shadow.

Some Competition Reminders:

If you are new to NVPS or new to entering photo competitions with NVPS and you are not sure of which class (Novice or Advanced) to enter please contact the Co – Vice Presidents of Competition Mike Kane or Mike Whalen to assist in selecting the correct class for competition. (Contact Info: Here)

All images (prints or digital) must have been captured within two years of the monthly competition date.

Only club members are permitted to enter monthly competitions.

Please upload your digital images by the deadline of 6:00 PM on Sunday January 13, 2013, as per the current instructions on the club website: NVPS Competition Upload. 

Prints must be signed in by 7:15 PM on Tuesday, January 15th so our judge has time to adequately preview each print.

For prints entries please be sure include the name of the maker, the title of the print and the Class/Category in which it is being entered on the back of the print or mount entered. Also, you must include an arrow indicating “this edge up”. Neither the name of the maker nor the title of the print may appear on the face of the print or mount.

Please review the NVPS Rules of Competition that can be found here: NVPS Rules of Competition

Thank You!

Editor's note: We like to share competition winning images on the website and include a representative winner from each category in the monthly newsletter, but we cannot do this unless the photographer specifically grants permission. When you win a ribbon in the competition, please remember to grant permission. See the note in the following section for details.

December Competition Results

The full December competition results can be found at: http://nvps.org/home/?p=2997

Some of the winning images from December

Clicking on any of the images above will display a larger version of the image.

Competition Image Use

The NVPS Website has a gallery of past Competition winning images at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/competitions/. If your image placed first, second, third or received an honorable mention in a club competition, it is eligible for this gallery.  This is not done automatically; you must specifically provide consent for your image to be included in the gallery.

To have your winning image included in the gallery, email competitionwinners@nvps.org and provide the following information:

Your name
Image Title
Image Category (digital, color print, monochrome print)
Award Received (1st, 2nd, 3rd, HM)
Image Class – for those categories with classes (Advanced or Novice)
Competition Date

Digital Winners: just provide consent for posting your image

Print Winners: send a digital version of your print, sized as if it were for digital competition (smaller is ok, but not too small).

The FotoFax newsletter is usually finalized during the weekend immediately following the monthly club competitions. If your image is a first place winner and you send it in before the Friday following competition, your image will be forwarded to the editor for inclusion in FotoFax.  If you have not provided permission before that deadline, another winning entry may be used.

January 22nd: Swap Meet

The January 22nd Education and Training Session will be used for a club swap meet.

Members are encouraged to bring unneeded and unwanted camera equipment and/or supplies to the meeting for sale, trade or give away.

If any non-members are interested in attending the swap meet, they are welcome to attend and may purchase items, but the club does not allow non-members to sale/trade/give away equipment or supplies at the meeting.

Everyone is expected to police their own equipment (even the stuff for give away) prior to leaving the firehouse for the evening, so please do not plan on dropping some things off and leaving. The people who stay until the end of the evening will appreciate your help when it comes time to clean up the firehouse for the night. (Also as a reminder, members are able to use the Want Ads in the newsletter to sell or trade items.)

Roger and Dennis

January 29th: Portfolio Review

Portfolio Participants

Remember to upload your images for the initial critique on January 29th with Sherwin Kaplan.  He will need a chance to look at everything ahead of time so try and have what you have collected so far in your folder by January 22nd.  This is a great opportunity to have some feedback on your work and direction for your portfolio outside of the usual format of competition, so don't miss out!

For more information, see details on the project and writing an artist's statement on the NVPS website: http://nvps.org/home/?cat=14

See you in January!  Ginger and Ken

January 29th: Prints — Andrew Fritz — Selections

Andrew Fritz started shooting with an underwater film camera during the early 2000s while technical and cave diving. He shot about 50 rolls of film. He didn't pick up a camera again seriously until Oct 2009 when he bought a "real" camera in preparation for his honey moon in Thailand.

He discovered a love for night and long exposure photography almost immediately on a trip to Quebec and again in Thailand. Andrew quit his software job in April of 2012 to become a full time photographer, shooting wedding, portraits, commercial and real estate jobs. He will share selections his entire body of work (underwater through now).

January 29th: Digital — Polly Terriberry — Pet Portraits

Polly Terriberry and her husband, Tim, have been members of NVPS since the year 2000. They have also been foster parents for cats and kittens for the SPCA of Northern Virginia.

Part of being a foster parent is taking pictures of the animals for the SPCA's adoption website. If a picture speaks 1,000 words, then think of what it can do for a homeless animal. It sounds harsh but one is selling a product and that product will move much faster if it is displayed in a pleasing manner.

Polly will be showing a few examples of how not to take pet portraits and will offer some suggestions on how to improve the quality of pet photos. She hopes to spark some interest in shelter photography among our many talented club members. It can make a big difference in the life of an animal.

A full list of all current Board members and their contact information can be found at http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=23

Our 2012 - 2013 program year board officers are:

Notice: Workshop and contest announcements of events not sponsored by or affiliated with NVPS are provided as a courtesy to Members. Members should review the detailed contest rules and conditions to determine what impact entering images has on rights and ownership of the submitted images. Review the descriptions of workshop to whether participation in a workshop would actually meet personal learning goals. NVPS attempts to screen events for legitimacy and quality; however NVPS does not recommend these events and cannot assume responsibility for their ultimate quality. We recommend due diligence and encourage you to share your experience with other club members.

Members' Resources:

Do you need help with a photography problem, but don’t know who to ask? The Members’ Resource Program is here for you. Have you ever been asked “How do you do that?” If so, then consider sharing your knowledge with other club members.

The Members’ Resource area of the club web site http://nvps.org/home/?cat=17 contains a growing set of presentations and ‘how to’ documents created by club members. It contains the Members’ Resource List, which provides the names and email addresses of club members who have volunteered to help club members looking for help on specific technology and technique topics.

Members News for Michael Kane

A collection of photographs titled “Hopeful Calm & Beginnings” by NVPS Co-VP of Competition Michael Kane will be on exhibit from January 23 through February 24, 2013. ArtSpace Herndon is located at 750 Center Street, Herndon, Virginia.

Club members are invited to attend the artist reception scheduled for Friday, February 1, 2013 from 7:00-9:00 PM. For more information please visit ArtSpace Herndon’s website: http://www.artspaceherndon.com/

Members News for Benita Mayo & Colena Turner

Benita Mayo and Colena Turner volunteered their photographic skills and time to make this year's Help-Portrait event a huge success at Alexandria’s Carpenter’s Shelter.  Read more about their event at:
http://www.carpentersshelter.org/help-portrait-comes-to-carpenters-shelter

Congratulations and a big “thank you” to Benita and Colena!

Members News for Luella Murri

Former member Luella Murri has moved from the area.  Luella was a long time member of NVPS who originated and hosted the television program Photographers of Northern Virginia, which aired on Fairfax Channel 10 from 2002 - 2007 and featured 136 local photographers, most from NVPS.

Luella has moved to Newport News, VA to be near her son and his family.  Her address is:

850 Denbigh Boulevard
Apartment #553
Newport News, VA, 23608

She would be very happy to hear from her friends in NVPS.

--Judy McGuire

Members News for Tuan Pham

A writer from Elan magazine interviewed Tuan Pham several months ago concerning his approach to photography. The result was the write-up entitled, “The Art of Seeing.” An extract is on the NVPS website at: http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Pham-Elan-doc.pdf

Congratulations to Tuan, who is currently on the local club speaking circuit.

Exhibition Opportunities

Entries will be accepted starting December 29, 2012. The deadline for submission of entries will be February 27, 2013. As in the two previous Annual Abstract Exhibits, the Third Annual Abstract Exhibit will be an outstanding example of photography as art and should not be missed by serious photographers.

Further information, including a definition of abstract as well as a calendar of important dates can be found on the NVACC.org website. Click on Abstract Exhibit. A calendar of events and prospectus are available on the NVACC website under the ABSTRACT EXHIBIT menu item: http://www.nvacc.org/Abstract_Exhibit.html

2013 George W. Glennie Nature Photography Competition

This is a notice seeking interest in members participating in the 2013 George W. Glennie Nature Photography Competition. This is a digital only competition, sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Camera Club in North Andover, MA.

The competition attracts entries worldwide and last year almost 100 clubs participated. The Glennie is a club competition and each club may submit no more than 10 images, with no more than two images by each maker. A complete description of the competition, competition rules and competition categories can be found on the Merrimack Valley Camera Club web site.
http://mvcameraclub.org/comp-interclub/comp-interclub-01-glennie.htm

In January, assuming there is sufficient interest, John Quigley will post guidelines for our club competition to select the 10 NVPS images for Glennie. A qualified, non NVPS member will judge the images and make the selection. The judge's decision is final. Please be aware the Glennie rules require strict adherence to the PSA definition of nature photography and the judge for the club competition will be instructed to apply this definition to his selections. The PSA definition is also on the Glennie website listed above.

If you are interested, please let John know by e-mail at jhquigley" at"msn.com. He will also have a signup sheet at our meetings in January.

John Quigley
NVPS Exhibit Coordinator

Workshop Offerings Speakers and competition judges for NVPS are offered the opportunity to have notices about up-coming tours and workshops in FotoFax for two years after the date of their NVPS program. (NVPS members are also welcomed to list their workshops.) Photoworks Photoworks in Glen Echo Park offers a variety of photography classes & workshops for adults and children, taught by many familiar names, including several former speakers at NVPS. The Fall/Winter schedule is out and can be seen at: http://www.glenechopark.org/node/1 Corey Hilz Corey was the workshop leader for our December 2012 session and is a regular judge and speaker in the Northern Virginia area. He regularly holds workshops on Lightroom, Photoshop and Aperture as well as hosting photo tours. See his website for the current schedule: http://www.coreyhilz.com/instruction/workshops.html James Steele Jim provided our 2012 Portfolio Critique and was our competition judge in May 2012. He does individual coaching and tutoring and can be reached at his gallery in the Torpedo Factory or via his blog at: http://jamesdsteele.blogspot.com/ Wayne Wolfersberger Wayne Wolfersberger (NVPS member and past President) teaches a number of classes with the Fairfax County Park Authority. The 2013 calendar has not yet been announced, but details will be posted on Wayne's website at: http://www.waynewolfersberger.com/ Steve Gottlieb Steve was our November 2012 judge. He is Director of Horizon Photography Workshops where he and other instructors offer workshops, mostly on weekends, all year around. See: http://www.horizonworkshops.com/ . Steve also offers one-day, $99 workshops for camera club members on "Flash Magic" and "Creative Vision." See: http://www.horizonworkshops.com/groups.html Two 2013 events of special note: 1. Horizon "Summit" Feb. 23-24 in Wilmington, DE. More than a dozen leading photographers and academics will present multiple classes. (You can register for either one or both days.) The Summit is held in conjunction with the Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography. See: http://www.horizonworkshops.com/summit/ 2. California Dreaming, a six day workshop led by Steve Gottlieb that explores wild areas of Southern California, Apr 29-May 5. See: http://www.horizonworkshops.com/workshops.html?cr=199 Tony Sweet Tony was our September 2011 speaker. Tony is a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens, a charter member of Team Nik, a Lensbaby Guru, and a Bogen mentor. He offers a wide variety of location and software training workshops, as well as individual coaching services. Tony also has an active blog and newsletter. See his website for more details and information: http://tonysweet.com/workshops/ Roy Sewall Roy was the November 2011 judge and presented a program in November 2010. He offers one-on-one coaching for novice and intermediate photographers, tailored to an individual's specific needs. Representative topics are: how to operate a digital SLR, equipment selection, photo critique in a private setting, on-computer demonstration of photo improvements, and field technique. See his recently updated website for more details and information about upcoming workshops or to sign up for his newsletter: http://www.roysewallphotography.com/iWeb/Home.html Nikhil Bahl Photography Workshops Nikhil was our December 2012 presenter and has spoken at the club numerous times in the past. He offers a variety of workshops and coaching events. For more details with his latest workshop updates, visit: www.NikhilBahl.com Awake the Light Photo Tours and Workshops Mollie Isaacs and Mary Lindhjem Mollie and Mary were our judges for January 2011. Join them on their exciting and educational photo tours. For 2013 they are offering trips to Birding sites in North Carolina and Florida, Alaska's Denali National Park and Katmai National Park, Yellowstone National Parks, the Great Smoky Mountains, and Acadia National Park in Maine. All tours include extensive photographic opportunities in the field, as well as personal one-on-one assistance and classroom instruction. They recently redesigned their website to make it more user friendly for smart phones. Mollie Isaacs and Mary Lindhjem http://www.awakethelight.com/ or http://awakethelight.blogspot.com/ 757-773-0194 awakethelight" at "cox.net Ian Plant Ian has been a regular speaker and judge for NVPS and was our April 2011 speaker. Ian Plant workshops and tours are listed at: http://www.ianplant.com/workshops.htm Also check Ian's website for his eBooks, including his new release, Visual Flow: Mastering the Art of Composition. http://www.ianplant.com Ian Plant and Joe Rossbach have a joint photo-bootcamp at Chincoteague on February 9-10. http://www.josephrossbach.com/chincoteague-photo-bootcamp/ Joshua Taylor, Jr. Josh Taylor is a past NVPS president and was our September 2012 Competition judge. His goal in photography is to help you create, capture and refine your vision. Josh is offering fall photography workshops and classes, including Canon camera classes. For a complete listing and registration, visit his website:  joshuataylorphotography.com Joseph Rossbach Joe was our speaker in February 2012. He has several tour events listed for the next few months, including the Grand Tetons and a Valley of Fire tour. Rossbach details are at: http://www.josephrossbach.com/photography-tours-workshops/ Ian Plant and Joe Rossbach have a joint photo-bootcamp at Chincoteague on February 9-10. http://www.josephrossbach.com/chincoteague-photo-bootcamp/ Alexander Vasiljev Costa Rica South: "Off the Beaten Path" February 16-24, 2013 Sasha is scheduled as the NVPS program speaker in March 2013. His company, NATURE & PHOTO TOURS would like to offer 15% OFF the total price (double occupancy) to the members of the NVPS and their partners. This discount covers approximately 80% of the international roundtrip airfare (DC to San Jose, Costa Rica) To be eligible for this offer, minimum 4 members of NVPS or their partners need to register. The closing date for registration is December  27, 2012 More information about the tour and the detailed itinerary is here http://naturephotographytours.com/costa-rica-south-photo-tour.html David Heagy Travel Photography Satisfaction David Heagy is a NVPS club member and was the Digital Gallery presenter in November 2012. The Travel Photography Satisfaction class will show novice and experienced photographers how to increase their satisfaction with their travel photos, handle a variety of situations, protect their images and equipment, and use photography to plan their trips. The schedule of classes and more information are at: http://imageryx.com/. The next class will be at the Vienna Community Center on March 16, 2013. Want Ads Film Shooters: If there is a member who is still shooting film cameras and has interest in setting up a home studio, please contact me. Erwin A. Siegel 5840 Cameron Run Terrace #903 Alexandria, VA 22303 email address: ErwinEAS" at "verizon.net home phone: 703-960-6726 cell phone: 703-407-0408 Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NVACC) The Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NVACC) is an informal entity started in 1997 by Joseph Miller with the assistance of Dave Carter and Ed Funk. Its purpose is to promote communication and cooperation among area camera clubs. NVACC is made up of Member Clubs and Associated Member Clubs. NVACC publishes a calendar of area member club events that can be found at http://www.nvacc.org/Calendars.html NVACC has a free, downloadable series of 25 guide books for photographers, which provide information about nearby areas that camera clubs might wish to visit. See their booklets at: http://www.nvacc.org/Booklets.html Editor's Note Happy Holidays to all. Are you starting the year with something special in mind? Our November speaker, Susan Bloom, recommended that we schedule specific time each week to study and improve some aspect of our technique. As an example, she mentioned practicing live model painting/photography techniques for several hours each week. She showed some of her examples during her presentation. The beginning of a new year might be a great time to borrow from Susan's recommendation. Just pick a topic and schedule some time to work on it each week. How often have you seen someone with a new camera or accessory, struggling to figure out how to use it? Even just one hour of practice at home would have saved some headaches in the field. If you have not yet fully explored the updated NVPS website, take a few minutes to explore it. In particular, look at the updated Members Resource area. It has a wealth of information provided by NVPS members, ranging from Georgette Grossman's November presentation materials on clever ways to use your images, to older items on interesting places to photograph or recommendations for portrait techniques. http://nvps.org/home/?cat=17 Comments, requests and submissions are solicited and welcomed. They should be sent to editor@nvps.org or given to me at a regular meeting. I test each issue of the newsletter using Internet Explorer, Safari and Google Chrome to ensure the layout and embedded links work correctly. If you encounter a problem reading FotoFax on your system, please let me know. Newsletter Editor, Dan Ward Copyright 2013 by the Northern Virginia Photographic Society and its Contributors. The contents of this FotoFax are copyrighted. No material herein may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the Editor or the material’s specific contributor. All photographs are copyrighted by the photographers who have granted permission for NVPS to use their image in FotoFax and/or on the NVPS website, but otherwise retain all rights to their image.