The 2016-2017 season of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society has begun!  We have had 3 wonderful meetings with a record attendance at our first meeting in September.  We’ve had many new members join us and we have a wonderful cadre of board members who are off to a very good start.  This will prove to be a great season for our group.  We thank all new and returning members for joining us for this new season. 

Now that summer is winding down and we are coming up on the fall season, we should have plenty of reasons to “get out there” and capture the beauty around us.  While the fall season will bring wonderful colors and provide great landscape opportunities, we should all be aware that this fall color season will most likely prove to be a short one, due in great part to the dry summer.  So make it a priority to get out and capture the feelings of fall.  It’s a great time for landscapes of all kinds, waterfalls, and other outdoor scenes.  You may also want to bring some of that color indoors and work with your macro lens and either natural or artificial light.  Explore, experiment, and then exhibit your findings! 

Also be aware that our October competition has a theme of “Love”.  I encourage each of you to spend some quality time with your cameras working to capture scenes that shout out “Love!”  This theme should give us all the opportunity to get out of our comfort zones and try something new.  I love the challenges that our themed competitions present, and can’t wait to see what everyone comes up with for this competition.

Thanks again for being a part of our group, and let’s make this the best year ever for NVPS!

Kevin Egan
NVPS President 2016-17

Monthly Program

October 4th: Digital Black and White Photography with
        Mary Louise Ravese

Mary Louise Ravese is founder and owner of Bella Vista Photography in Waterford, Va. She specializes in nature and travel photography from locations across the world. Her favorite subject matter includes country landscapes, nature close-ups, architectural details and abstracts. She draws inspiration from a variety of visual arts to produce photographs often described as "painterly".  

Mary Louise’s fine art photography is in private, university and corporate collections in over 40 states and is exhibited nationally through art shows, galleries and shops. Her images have been used in calendars, magazines, books and websites including various projects with National Geographic maps. 

The VP for Programs for 2016-2017 is Willa Siegel.

Education & Training

October 11th: Matting 101

At this month’s Education and Training session, we will present a how-to/hands-on matting seminar to help members prepare their images for print competition or for personal use.  We will set up several workstations around the room where presenters will demonstrate how they cut mat using their equipment.

This is a hands-on session, so bring a photo, not larger then 8½ x11 to mat.  We will have mat board, backing and other materials required to practice on. 

If you have a mat cutter, bring it to learn.

The Education and Training Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Chuck Campbell.

Competition

October 18th: Judging by Denise Silva

This month's Competition has a theme. The theme is Love.

Denise Silva, our judge for October’s competition, was the featured photographer in the July/August 2015 Photoshop User Magazine “Who's Who in the Kelbyone Community” article.

She finds every aspect of photography rewarding. From in-camera composition to post-processing, photography is meditative, creative, and challenging. Denise’s passion is to capture images, from landscapes to urban decay, and to share her experiences and knowledge with fellow photographers. To this end, she and Don Rosenberger started Road Runner Photography Tours.

Through Road Runners, Denise and Don look forward to sharing their passion for photography with you, knowing that their tours will not only take you to great places, but also give you an opportunity to build your network of photography friends, all while enhancing your photography skills through experience and knowledge sharing in a supportive environment.

Denise believes that there is no better place to learn and develop your skills than in the field!

Denise’s Criteria for Judging the October competition: Love comes in all shapes and sizes.

From Bill Millhouser, Co-VP, Competition: In many respects, this is an open theme. That said, here are some definitions of Love. (Oxford Dictionary)

1. An intense feeling of deep affection.
2. A person or thing that one loves.
3. Feel a deep romantic or sexual attachment to someone.

Love is a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection (“I love my mother”) to pleasure (“I loved that meal”). It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment. It can also be a virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection — “the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another.” It may also describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals. (Wikipedia)

I am hoping folks will explore this theme beyond simply submitting an image of their significant other, child or pet. I think we witness Love expressed by others all the time... what does that random act of Love look like? 

P.S. Watch out for those pesky dust spots from your lens or sensor. Denise will find them if you haven’t!

Competition Themes for 2016-2017

Note: The Board reaffirmed that there will be three themed competitions per program year, but there will be no theme competitions in the months of December, January, and February. 

The themes for 2017 are:

• Drag the shutter - March 21, 2017
  Show us your best shutter drag. Whether capturing motion in waves or panning cars zooming by, we want to see you get creative with this topic. Slow down your shutter speed to show a sense of motion or action.
• Colors - May 31, 2017
  Life is a stream of color. Red, blue, yellow, and a billion pigments in between… For this theme we ask you to show us color-inspired photographs. Scenes, details, narratives or moods. Subtle tones or Technicolor daydreams, color must be a primary component of your image.  For the Monochrome Print category, instead of producing a black and white photo, show us a color other than black along with white, i.e., red and white, blue and white, etc.

Competition Themes for 2017-2018

The themes for 2017-2018 are:

• Faceless Self Portrait:
  This is not your normal selfie. Be creative and express your identity by taking a photo of yourself without your face.
• The American Experience –Americans at Work:
  For this month's themed contest, show us your best photos of Americans at Work. This may be of a single person, or multiple people, at work. The person or persons and the work being performed must both be clearly evident in the photo. Let’s showcase Americans at Work by demonstrating their emotions, determination, strength and pride!
• Visible Emotions:
  Some of the most powerful photographs are those that have captured emotions. Photographs that have impact and tell a story, show individuals with visible emotions. For this theme, photograph a person that shows us clearly visible emotions. This could be happiness, surprise, anger, sadness, excitement, pride, fear or disgust.

September Competition Results

The full list of competition results is available on the NVPS web site at http://nvps.org

Digital - Class 1
1st –Wendy Xu –Tianzi Mountain
2nd – Ron Petricka – Balloon Over Namibia
3rd – Anna V. Aslund – Balancing Act
HM – John Joseph Murray – Two Mittens and a Hat
HM – Kathryn Mohrman – Chapel of the Holy Cross Sedona
HM – Willa Siegel – Purple Passion

Digital – Class 2
1st – David Heagy – Tidal Basin Blossoms
2nd – George Karamarkovich – Green Heron
3rd – Bill Millhouser – Here I Come!
HM – Frank B. Napoli – The Hit
HM – Philip Winters – Frozen Dogwood
HM – Thomas Pratuch – 3 Train Night

Digital – Class 3
1st – Mark Chen – Flags of Our Fathers
2nd – Thomas Hayes Brett – Dune Closeup 7297
3rd – Gayle Elizabeth Dennis – Bubble Planets and Moons
HM – Chuck Campbell – Church Light
HM – Kevin Egan – Vette
HM – Sam Schaen – Polar Bear Nursing
HM – Stan Mercer Bysshe – Late Bloomer

Monochrome Prints
1st – Judy Guenther – In the Grid
2nd – Mark Chen – Among the Madding Crowd
3rd – Ceasar Sharper – Cycling In the Park
HM – Alan Goldstein – High Ballin’
HM – Bill Corbett – Decisive Moments
HM – John Joseph Murray  – Bricks
HM – Lynn Cates – Sunrise Before the Storm
HM – Thomas Hayes Brett – Salt Pan Forest

Color Prints – Class 1
1st – Kathryn Mohrman – Versailles Palace
2nd – Jerri McDermott – Just Hanging Out

Color Prints – Class 2
1st – Karol Murray – Turnagain Flats
2nd –Jim McDermott – Egret

Color Prints – Class 3
1st – Chuck Campbell – Vatican City Symmetry
2nd – Dennis Govoni – Fog Bound Meadow
3rd – Judy Guenther - Dawn Reflected
HM – Judt McGuire – Liftoff at Middle Creek
HM – Stan Mercer Bysshe – Harlequin Pair
HM – Tami Stieger – A Beautiful Morning

First Place images from September:

Additional winning images are available for viewing at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/competitions/2016-2017_Competition_Winners/

Class 1 Digital Wendy Xu Tianzi Mountain
Class 2 Digital David Heagy Tidal Basin Blossoms	Class 3 Digital Mark Chen Flags of Our Fathers
Class 1 Print Kathryn Mohrman Versailles Palace	Monochrome Judy Guenther In the Grid
Class 2 Print Karol Murray Turnagain Flats
Class 3 Print Chuck Campbell Vatican City Symmetry

Competition Judges for 2016-2017

The Co-VPs Competition for 2016-2017 are Bill Millhouser and Judy Graham (competitions@nvps.org)

Rules of Competition Change

The Final 2016 Rules of Competition are now available on the NVPS website. The changes to the rules are summarized below:

• Members competing in each Class (1, 2, and 3) can enter a maximum of 3 images per competition. One image can be entered into each of the 3 competition categories:
• Color Prints
• Monochrome Prints
• Digital Images

• All prints must be mounted. 
• Mounting is to consist of a Polystyrene or Foam Core Backing Board either 1/8 or 3/16 inches in thickness (Please note that 3/16 is required for print submissions to Nature Visions), and a Mat Board of at least a 4 ply thickness (.05 to .06 inches). 
• The Mat Board must be white. 
• Mounted prints must not exceed 20 inches in height or 40 inches in width to accommodate the light box.

The complete Rules of Competition are at http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=500. You can also download a PDF file of the rules at the top of the page (http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/RulesofComp_Sept-2016-final.pdf). The sections of rules that have been changed are: Section 1.B. Number of Competitions; Section 1.C Eligibility; and, Section 1.E Presentation of Prints.  If you have any questions, please contact Bill Millhouser or Judy Graham, the Co- VPs of Competition at competitions@nvps.org.

Details for preparing prints and digital images can be found at:
Prints: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=500 (Section I.E)
Digital images: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=4239

While it’s not a new rule, in order to compete in the October competition, members must be current with their club dues.. Please make certain you have done so prior to the night of the meeting to avoid any confusion (Refer to the Membership section of FotoFax for further details on joining NVPS or renewing for another year). The revised rule regarding matting will be applied at the October competition.

Competition Pages on NVPS Website

We appreciate the constructive feedback we have been receiving on the competition pages of our website. We are in the process of working with the NVPS web team to make a number of changes so it is much easier to navigate, and find the requirements for competitions

This change to Section B will be presented to the general membership at the September meeting for a vote.   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.

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.  Images are not posted 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" at "nvps.org and provide the following information:

Your name
Image Category (digital, color print, monochrome print)
Image Class (1, 2, or 3)
Competition Date

Digital Winners: When you upload your image for the competition, you can check the box to grant permission for it to be posted if it wins.  

Print Winners: send a digital version of your print, sized as if it were for digital competition.

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.

Portfolio Project

We are extremely pleased to announce that Corey Hilz is our Portfolio Project reviewer in 2016-17.  Corey will review initial portfolios at our January 31 meeting and final portfolios on May 9. 

Well-known to NVPS members, Corey is an outstanding photographer and educator.  More about Corey is here: http://www.coreyhilz.com/

Sign up now for the Portfolio Project by emailing PortfolioProject@NVPS.org.

Need to know more about the Portfolio Project for 2016-17?  The details are here: http://nvps.org/home/?p=8926

Need ideas for your project?  Get started by taking a look at our three Past Portfolios of the Month, from the 2015-16 season.

Willa Friedman: Reflections at 13th & I
http://nvps.org/gallery/v/Portfolio+Project/2015-16/Willa+Friedman/

Ginger Werz-Petricka: Through the Seasons at Scotts Run
http://nvps.org/gallery/v/Portfolio+Project/2015-16/gingerwerzpetricka/

Mike Whalen: Window Seat
http://nvps.org/gallery/v/Portfolio+Project/2015-16/mikewhalen/

We hope these portfolios, and the many others on the NVPS website, inspire you to assign yourself a project and get started shooting right away!

The Co-chairs for the Portfolio Project for 2016-2017 are Bill Corbett and Dennis Govoni.

Forum

October 25th: Rice terraces – and the people – of
         Yunnan Province in China with Kathryn Mohrman

About a decade ago, Kathryn had a chance to go to Botswana on safari.  She bought an intermediate camera with the longest optical zoom then available. Although she didn’t see all of the Big Five, the photos of the animals are great memories of that trip.

The camera also had manual controls, so she decided she should learn how to use them.  After reading Photography for Dummies and taking a workshop with Arizona Highways magazine, she was hooked.  Now in her retirement after a career in higher education, photography is her full-time passion.

In this presentation, Kathryn will share some of her images from her May 2016 trip to Yunnan Province in China.  Most people who visit this area in southwestern China go to Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang, all wonderful places.  But for some years now she has been eager to photograph the extensive rice terraces of the Honghe region with the sky reflecting in the water of the rice paddies that extend down the mountainsides. On this photo tour in May with William Yu, she visited this UNESCO World Heritage site at planting time, so there were people working in the fields which added interest to the abstract patterns of the terraces themselves. Many of the people from the Yi and Hani minority groups still wear their traditional clothing, even when working. 

She also visited another terraced agricultural area called the Dongchuan Red Land.  In this case the fields are dry farming of barley, buckwheat, and various oil-producing seed flowers.  Less well known than the rice terraces, this area is also very photogenic with the contrasts of red soil, newly planted green shoots, and mature grain ready for harvest.  Many of the people here still live in traditional villages so we experienced a way of life that is rapidly disappearing.

Kathryn looks forward to sharing my images with the members of NVPS.

Examples of Kathryn's work:

Yunnan Old Guy #3	Yunnan Rice Terraces
	Old Man #1
Yunnan Red Land

The Forum Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Kirk Johnson.

Upcoming Forum Presentations:

Members Gallery

October 25th: Digital Images by Kieulan Nguyen and
                   Prints by Tami Steiger

Kieulan Nguyen

A native of Vietnam, Kieulan came to America a week before the end of Vietnam War in 1975.  She has spent two-thirds of her life in Fairfax, and has considered this place as her second homeland. Married with three grown children and her lovable dog named Chewy.  Her husband retired in April of this year and though she has not thought about retirement yet, she is looking forward to retiring in five years.

Kieulan has loved photography for many years.  She bought her very first camera right after she finished college but only got serious about 10 years ago.  Kieulan considers herself as a self-taught novice photographer and believes she only knows 10% about photography. 

Kieulan has been a member of NVPS since 2014 and is also a member of the Vietnamese Photography Society for a few years.  Her fulltime job with the Department of Homeland Security does not give her much free time to travel and explore new aspects of photography or even participate in any competitions.  Perhaps when she retires she hopes that she is still healthy enough to continue to pursue her love for photography. 

Her first love for photography has always been macro photography. Her love for photographing flowers starts from studying the works of Tony Sweet, Denise Ippolito, Sandra Bartocha just to name a few. Kieulan is also interested in abstract, architecture and landscape photography and hopes to spread her wings in these areas. 

Digital photography has given Kieulan new ways to see and capture things surrounding her and that comes with a lot of trial and error.   Doing photography has taught her to be patient, persistent, and attentive to detail, appreciating what Mother Nature has been giving and grateful for how beautiful the world is. Taking photographs is her meditation when she is out with nature.  Her passion for capturing surrounding things not only has grown stronger but making beautiful images is what she strives for.

Kieulan has been a Canon shooter for the last 20 years.  She upgraded from a Rebel T1i to a 5D Mark III two years ago and it was the best decision ever.   For post processing, she uses Photoshop 2015 CC, Nik Collections and few Topaz plug-ins.

Kieulan has kept her life busy with so many things.   Besides photography, she loves to cook for family and friends, bake cookies, host parties with friends, go shopping and now she also takes Chinese brush painting.

Kieulan’s presentation: “My Vision Through the Lens” represents a small sample of her work from the last five years.  Digital photography has continued to evolve for the better, and, as a novice photographer, she knows she still has so much to learn to be able to create images that interpret a scene in an artistic and aesthetic way to evoke emotions rather than just documenting a scene.

Examples of Kieulan’s work:

Chicago City at Night
The Hallway	Pretty In Pink
	Waterlily
Empty Sky Museum

Tami Steiger

Tami’s love for photography began in high school. The scents of the darkroom pulled her in. She started using her dad’s Pentax 35mm. For graduation her parents bought her first camera, a Nikon 2000. Tami studied commercial art and photography in college. As a stay at home mom, Tami used her creativity and skills teaching others how to organize, design and preserve their memories.

Years later, Tami’s passion was reignited when her husband gave her the best present ever. Dave surprised her with a Canon T2i, which opened up the new world of digital photography. Dave continues his support and encouragement by taking weekend trips, being a chauffeur, carrying her gear and providing feedback.

Tami has been a member of NVPS since September of 2012. Since joining NVPS, she has served on the board as the Membership Coordinator, Co-VP of Programs and Co-VP of Competition. Tami received NVPS Versatile Photographer of the year awards in both 2012 and 2013. The friendships and knowledge Tami has gained means more to her than anything.

Through the lens Tami has made wonderful friendships and has created works of art. She enjoys volunteering and photographing veterans with the Honor Flight and Heroes on the Water organizations. When Tami isn’t photographing veterans, you can find her wandering around our national treasures or enjoying a weekend of fishing with her husband.
Tami has always been creative and has incorporated her artistic talents into her photography. When taking photos, Tami envisions a work of art. In the gallery she will be showing, you will see just that.

She enjoys sharing her passion and love of photography with the hope for you to feel as though you are standing by her side while she captures these moments in time. In our busy world we tend not to see the beauty in everyday situations and in the simplest of objects.

Examples of Tami’s work:

The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this 2016-2017 is Ron Taylor.

Field Trips

October 8th: Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary

Photography of marsh flowers and birds.

This month’s NVPS Field Trip will be a boat trip on Jug Bay on the Patuxent River. The Jug Bay Natural Area is the headquarters for the Patuxent River Park properties. This 2,000-acre tract of land is comprised of various natural habitats that buffer the Patuxent River and provide a critical link in conserving the area's natural resources. Jug Bay is one of the most important freshwater tidal estuaries in the Chesapeake Bay region.

The trip is timed to present the opportunity to photograph marsh flowers, Virginia rails, ducks, and, maybe, eagles. The boat trip will run from 3:30 p.m. to sunset. It will be open to the first ten people to sign up. (Stan will keep a waiting list.) The charge is $10 per person if we get ten people. This is a 30-person boat but more than ten people makes photography difficult.

You can arrive earlier and drive down the road to the park (see http://www.jugbay.org/) but please be at The Center no later
than 3 p.m. .

Jug Bay Wetlands Sanctuary  
1361 Wrighton Road, Lothian, MD 20711
410-741-9330

Stan Bysshe, Field Trips Coordinator 2016-2017, field-trips@nvps.org

Field Trips 2016-2017

The schedule is subject to change.

Field Trip Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Stan Bysshe

Board of Directors

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

NatureVisions

Nature Visions 2016

The Nature Visions Photo Expo 2016 takes place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, November 18-20, 2016, at the Hylton Center for the Performing Arts in Manassas. Online registration at NatureVisions.org is required for FREE general admission and for passes to FREE and paid presentations.  Please share this message with friends who might want to know about the best value in photography education.  Online sales and registration are open now at NatureVisions.org.

Five things (and a few more) you need to know for NVPE 2016

First, Bob Krist is a freelance photographer whose work has taken him to over 140 countries on all seven continents and has won awards in the Pictures of the Year, Communication Arts, and World Press Photo competitions.  He is a contributing photographer and editor at National Geographic Traveler Magazine and was the travel columnist for Outdoor Photographer for over 10 years. Bob will be sharing his wealth of information gathered across his 35 year career in his full-day seminar, Mastering Travel Photography, on Friday, November 18.

Second,  Tom Till is one of America’s most published landscape and nature photographers. Till received the North American Nature Photography Association (NANPA) award for landscape photography in 1994, was named Photographer of the Year by Arizona Highways Magazine in 1996, and has been designated one of the ten greatest landscape photographers by Nature’s Best Magazine. Most recently, Till received the Utah Governor’s Mansion Art Award, the only landscape photographer ever to do so.  He will provide the Keynote address, Photographing the American Southwest, on Saturday, November 19

Third, Adobe Systems' Julianne Kost will be joining us once again with her inspirational and informative presentations for Photoshop CC and Lightroom CC.  As a highly sought-after speaker for the industry-standard Digital Imaging franchise, she devises and presents motivating and educational training sessions, sharing original techniques and tutorials worldwide — via live events, Adobe.com, her own website (jkost.com) and blog (blogs.adobe.com/jkost).  Julianne will give the Featured Speaker presentation, Photoshop CC: Extending Your Creativity, on Saturday, November 19.  And don't miss her two FREE Sunday Featured Presentations on Lightroom:  Lightroom CC:  The Complete Workflow from Import to Outputand Lightroom CC: Take It, Then Make It.  Online registration is required to attend.

Fourth, we've added two new workshop rooms to offer more Hands On Workshops.  Mike Moats will be returning with more of his popular Macro Photography Workshops.  Denise Ippolito will provide four Bird Photography Workshops which will feature owls.  And Lisa and Tom Cuchara will join us to present several Frog Photography Workshops and Macro Flower Photography Workshops.

Fifth, a three-day Merchant Hall Theater pass covers admission for the three featured presentations (Krist seminar, Till keynote address and Kost) and seven more for $160 (a $65 discount); and a Saturday/Sunday Merchant Hall Theater pass (i.e., it omits the Friday seminar) is $90 (a $45 discount).  To learn more about what you can learn at NVPE and what it costs, take a look at the NVPE schedule page.  NVPE 2016 offers 35 different educational presentations, at varying prices, including hands-on workshops and FREE beginner classes.

Online registration to attend Julianne Kost's two Sunday presentations is FREE, and includes FREE ENTRY to the NVPE Nature and Photo Art exhibits, and to view the finalist images in NVPE's high school student photography contest, co-sponsored by Road Runner Photography Tours. 

All attendees also have free access to the Vendor Hall, which will feature more than two dozen local and national vendors of photography goods, workshops and more.  In October we'll announce the schedule for FREE vendor demos and VENDOR SPECIAL DISCOUNTS for all attendees. 

Last but not least, BRING YOUR CAMERA to NVPE 2016 – perhaps to purchase a sensor cleaning or to have your lenses micro-adjusted to your camera body.  Not happy with your present gear?  Bring it and sell it to one of our used equipment buyers!

Membership

2016-2017 Membership Dues

We’ve had a number of new members join the club in recent weeks! Thanks to all who have spread the word about NVPS and the wonderful benefits of being a member.

In order to participate in the monthly competitions your membership dues must be current. The grace period for competition and paying dues ends October 18, 2016. Membership dues for the 2016-2017 year are as follows:

There are three forms of payment. Checks and cash are preferred by NVPS:

• Check: Make out your check to NVPS. Complete and print out the Membership Application (http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/NVPS_application_2016-2017.pdf. Please either mail both to our Treasurer, Tom Brett, 4216 Wynnwood Dr, Annandale, VA 22003 or bring your membership application and check to a meeting.
• Cash: Complete and print out the Membership Application (http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/NVPS_application_2016-2017.pdf) with your current information and pay our Membership Coordinators (Patty Healy or Paula Neumann) or our Treasurer (Tom Brett) at any meeting.
• PayPal: Use the link on our website: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=114. Please note that NVPS must pay a fee for this method of payment!

Questions, please email membership at membership@nvps.org.
Membership looks forward to seeing you at future meetings!

Stay Connected with NVPS

EMAIL: If you are not already receiving NVPS emails, there are two ways you can sign up to join the list. Click on the following link and sign up by entering your name and email address. Click on join the list. http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=31. Or you may stop by the Membership desk at the next meeting and they will be happy to assist you. It's important to note, you will receive an "opt-in" email from nvps.org. If you do not receive it, check your spam folder. Please respond to this email within 72 hours or the verification link will expire.

FACEBOOK: If you are on Facebook, please join the NVPS private group. Search on Northern Virginia Photographic Society Social Group and request to join. Members post everything from their photos to interesting articles on photography to requests for recommendations. You will find the group informative and fun!

Patricia J. Healy
Membership Coordinator

Announcements

Notice: The information about workshops and events not sponsored by or affiliated with NVPS are provided as an informational courtesy to Members. Individuals should review the detailed rules and conditions for contests and gallery shows to determine what impact entering an image has on the photographer's rights and ownership of the submitted images. Review the descriptions of workshops to see whether participation in a particular workshop would actually meet your 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' News:

Dennis Govoni

Dennis Govoni's image, Skimmers at Work, won the Wildlife category at the 2016 Nature Conservancy Photo Contest which is run annually. It was captured at the Viera Wetlands, Viera, Fla., on February 29, 2016, near sunset in one of the quiet pools of water that make up the Wetlands. The Viera Wetlands, a water reclamation site run by Brevard County, has become a popular birding site in the “Space Coast Area” of Florida with a diversity of birds and other wildlife. The camera used was a Canon 1DX  with a 500mm ƒ4 using a 1.4x teleconverter. Image captured at F7.1,  1/1600s, ISO 3200.

Dennis’ work can also be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dngovoni/ and http://botanist.dyndns.org:8081

David Crooks

The “Lion Yawning”, which won best in class at the End-of-Year Banquet was published in the Autumn 2016 issue of Zoogoer magazine.  It is a magazine that is part of the FONZ membership.

Bob and Willa Friedman

Bob Friedman, Willa Friedman and their friend Meryl Silver will have a show from October 8 to November 13 at the Stone Tower Gallery at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Blvd., Glen Echo, Md. Since Meryl, Bob and Willa are all originally from New York City, they've called the show From the Big Apple to the Capital. There will be about thirty images, approximately half from New York and half taken in Washington, D.C. The gallery is open Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm.

You are invited to join us for a reception on Sunday, October 9 from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

NVPS Members' Images Juried In

Three members of NVPS had their images juried into the September 2016 All Media exhibit at the Art League Gallery, 105 North Union St., Alexandria.  Those with juried images were Willa Friedman, Wayne Guenther and Judy Guenther. The images were selected by juror Amy Klainer, studio artist, designer, and art jeweler based in Towson, Md.

The Art League Gallery holds monthly juried exhibits and special exhibits including solo artists, student shows, and the Patrons' Show. Exhibits are free and open to the public. All artists can become members and submit work to our monthly exhibits, juried by noted fine art professionals from throughout the Washington area and beyond.

Wayne Guenther Dress-up Day, Myanmar	Judy Guenther In the Grid
Willa Friedman In the Shadow

In Other News:

Meadowlark Gardens Opens early for Photographers

Meadowlark Gardens in Vienna, part of the Northern Virginia Parks, will open their gates to all interested photographers and others at 6 a.m. on Saturday, October 15. Cost is $2.50 to $5.00, depending on age.

Normally the grounds do not open until 10 a.m. which is a little late for photographers. Link below. You can then open up events: https://www.novaparks.com/parks/meadowlark-botanical-gardens

Exhibitions/Competitions

Seventh Annual Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Exhibition
May 6 – May 29, 2017

The Joseph Miller Center for the Photographic Arts takes great pride in announcing its Seventh Annual juried abstract exhibit. All interested photographers are invited to submit entries for this much anticipated spring event.

Submissions to the First Annual JM Abstract Exhibit were limited to local NVACC-related clubs; however, over the years, because of the influence these exhibits have had in encouraging and promoting abstract photography and due to their reputation, recent JM Abstract Exhibits have been attracting entries from national as well as international photographic artists.

The Joseph Miller Center will begin accepting entries for the upcoming Seventh Annual Exhibit on Saturday, December 24, 2016. The deadline for submissions will be Friday, February 17, 2017. A detailed prospectus containing all relevant information regarding the exhibit will be posted on the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs website at www.NVACC.org

Call for Entries

The Northern Virginia Review (TNVR) has proudly published the work of NVPS members, most recently Georgette Grossman and Bob and Willa Friedman (Willa was our 2015 visual arts award winner). We are presently accepting submissions for Volume 31 through October 17. TNVR accepts  literary and visual arts submissions from writers and artists throughout  the Mid-Atlantic region. Detailed submission guidelines are on their website at  http://blogs.nvcc.edu/tnvr/submissions/ 

Also on the site is a selection of works from  previously published issues. All published work is eligible 
for best-in-genre cash awards.

Contact:

Ruth Stewart, editor
Professor of English
CT & SS Division
Manassas Campus, Northern Virginia Community College
703-257-6691

Events at the Vienna Photographic Society

Photographic Portrait Composition Speaker

On Wednesday, October 5 at 7:30 p.m.,  the Vienna Photographic Society is hosting a speaker about family portrait techniques. Photographers and artists are invited to learn about composition and lighting. Free and open to everyone. A Q&A session about the club starts at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakton Elementary School Auditorium, Room 123, 3000 Chain Bridge Road, Oakton, Va. 22124 

Irene Abdou, who has 15 years of experience in the developing world from Asia to Africa.  Before joining the Peace Corps in 1995 after college, she had visions of playing the hand drums and walking barefoot in African soil, while helping those in need.  During her 3½ years living in a mud hut without electricity, what she learned instead was that the ground was too hot to walk barefoot on and that Africa is a big, diverse place.  She also realized that she had gained more from her Peace Corps service than she had given.  Most importantly, she learned that people all over the world share the same hope ... the hope for a better tomorrow.  She saw a common spirit of humanity.

After the Peace Corps, Irene worked in international development and humanitarian aid, designing and managing public health and food security programs in Asia and Africa for a number of NGOs.  For two years, Irene lived in a tent in Southern Sudan, where she managed malaria prevention programs for Population Services International (PSI).  Most recently in her NGO career, Irene served as PSI's Deputy Regional Director for West and Central Africa.

In 2007, Irene began a three-year transition into a second career as a professional photographer, leaving PSI to focus full-time on photography in 2010.  Today, Irene Abdou Photography, LLC, helps NGOs and other organizations around the globe to make a difference by telling visual stories of extraordinary people in extraordinary places, who are simply hoping for a better tomorrow. Please see  http://www.ireneabdouphotography.com/

Photographic Composition Speaker for animals in zoos

On Wednesday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m.,  the Vienna Photographic Society is hosting a speaker about photographing animals in zoos. Photographers and artists are invited to learn about composition techniques. Free and open to everyone. A Q&A session about the club starts at 6:45 p.m. at the Oakton Elementary School Auditorium, Room 123, 3000 Chain Bridge Road, Oakton, Va. 22124 

Don Johnson is a highly experienced photographer who has had his photographs displayed in the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, Popular Photography magazine, and Nature’s Best magazine.  You can see his portfolios at   http://www.sunspotimages.com/-/sunspotimages/

Workshops and Exhibition Opportunities

Announcements of workshops, exhibitions or contests are provided for information purposes only. There is no actual or implied endorsement by the Northern Virginia Photographic Society.

Exhibit and Sell Your Photos at the Waterford Fair (October 7-9, 2016)

The annual Waterford Fair — one of the mid-Atlantic region's best events — will be held October 7-9. This year, the Waterford Fair Photography Exhibit has a significantly-expanded focus and presence and offers you a great opportunity to exhibit and sell your photos. The Waterford Photography Exhibit is a judged exhibit of framed photographs, with nine categories, each with a cash prize for best photo (up to $500 for the Best Loudoun Photo). You can enter two photos into the exhibit for $30, or three photos — one of which must be in the Best Loudoun Photograph category — for $35. If you exhibit a photo, you may also provide additional photos to be offered for sale during the Fair (there is a 25% commission on all sales). If you just want to sell some of your images, without competing in the Exhibit, you can do so for a fee of $30. See the link below for full information.

Categories — 
* Abstract
* Architecture
* Best Loudoun Photograph
* Landscape
* Nature Studies / Animals
* Photojournalism
* Portrait
* Still Life
* Waterford Fair / Waterford Scene

Important Dates — 
* Drop off: Friday, September 30, or Saturday, October 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Directions are in the Prospectus.
* Preview all works the evening of Thursday, October 6 at the Waterford Fair Preview Party!
* Volunteer opportunities available. See the Prospectus for details and sign up when you drop off your photos.
* Pick up: Photographs must be removed from the Barn on Sunday, October 9 between 5 and 6 pm or, on Monday, October 10 between 9 and 10 a.m.

2016 Judges —
Jack Nevitt is a professional photographer with more than 25 years of experience. His work ranges from nature and wildlife to landscapes, travel, macro and portraiture. His photo of a Cormorant Wing was on the cover of the National Wildlife Magazine in December 2012. He has also been published in Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, Time Life Magazine, Loudoun Magazine and other publications.

Alan DeFelice has won numerous regional and international awards. His pictures have been published in Serenity Magazine and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s monthly publication. He has photographed album covers for local recording artist Michael Joanes. Alan has also been a speaker at the Mid-Atlantic Nature Vision Photography Expo and conducted the Raptor Photography workshop.

How to Participate — Full information is available at —
http://www.waterfordfoundation.org/fair/2016-applications/photography-exhibit/

Washington School of Photography (WSP)

Located within WSP, the Washington Gallery of Photography hosts monthly gallery shows, open to the public, and consisting of work from mid-Atlantic Photographers. They hold regular gallery receptions, hosted on the first Friday of each month. See details on their calendar at: http://www.washingtonschoolofphotography.com/