Editor's Note: Our president Kevin Egan is dealing with a medical issue that takes him away from his duties. We wish him speedy recovery and to return soon.

Monthly Program

April 4th: The Power of Voice and Photography with
                  Kristi Odom

Multiple award-winning photographer Kristi Odom will illustrate how her own love of nature and conservation has driven multiple personal photography projects that have raised tens of thousands of dollars for conservation and taken her to crazy, remote places all around the world.   This presentation will show the power of voice and photography and how that can help you follow your passions while shooting work that deeply inspires you. 

Kristi Odom is a wedding and nature photographer who is based in Washington, D.C., and most at home while exploring the world. From destination weddings in Thailand to conservation projects in the jungles of Borneo, she is dedicated to documenting the vast beauty in the world around us. Kristi has built her career by melding her personal passions with wedding photography, which in turn has created a business that is both profitable and rewarding. She loves to give back by sharing this approach with fellow photographers and encouraging them to do the same.

Kristi’s wedding work has been highly awarded by Fearless Photographers, June Bug Weddings and WPPI. Her photojournalism and nature photography has been on exhibit at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, has been featured on rollingstone.com, at the offices of the National Geographic and on the billboards of New York City's Times Square. Her public speaking credits include the Nikon Theater, WPPI, Fearless Conference, Adventure Always, REI, and the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Examples of Kristi's work:

Education & Training

April 11th: Being A Professional Photographer

Please join us on March 14th as Chris Langford shares his insight and experiences as a versatile professional photographer. We mainly know Chris as an exceptional portrait photographer, but he also participates in a lot of weddings, mainly as a second shooter. Chris will speak about the flow, business, cost, gear and challenges to this type of photography. If you’ve ever been asked by friends and family to be the photographer at an event, or thought about becoming a professional wedding or event photographer, you’ll want to attend this month’s Education and Training session.

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

Competition

April 18th: Judging by David Blecman

Note: No theme and there is no two-year time capture time constraint; knock yourself out on the old film images or some early digital images from the early 2000s.

David Blecman, a member of the Professional Photographers of America, started his photographic career fresh out of high school in 1978, and before turning twenty, he was named Photo Editor of the county newspaper. After many years of shooting weddings and such, he started Positive Negatives in 1997, and concentrated more into the commercial photography arena. He is now an internationally recognized photographer and instructor, having taught in over a dozen countries to photographers, models, and makeup artists.

He has photographed projects for such clientele as Sears, Color Me Beautiful, JC Penney, Bath & Body Works, Foot Action, Kaybee Toys, Littman Jewelers, Seagrams Americas, Holiday Inn, Wyndham Hotels, Days Inn, Hilton Hotels, The White House, Black Market, Water Water Everywhere, Cornell University, etc.

David has also been hired to photograph such celebrities as President George W. Bush, Christina Aguilera, Jimmy Buffett, Steely Dan, Moody Blues, Beyonce and Destiny’s Child, Celine Dion, Gene Simmons and KISS, and numerous others.

He currently shoots for magazines, clothiers, fashion designers, and numerous other print and commercial accounts, as well as for models, actors, and their agencies. He has been published hundreds of times, and his specialties include, but is not limited to; child and adult models, architectural, food, fashion, swimwear, location and studio work, products, headshots, etc.

The Photographer’s Market, an international publication which advises photographers on how to market their photography as well as business practices, did a feature write-up on David and Positive Negatives in the 2001 edition.

David continues to speak at modeling and photography venues, judge at pageants, teach at modeling agencies, and continues to teach and mentor photographers, models, and makeup artists internationally. His 2010 training course in the Caribbean was filmed to become a 13-episode television series.

He also organizes exotic training events in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Europe aboard luxury cruise liners with on-board and location shooting and training, and is an advocate of helping artists grow and protect their business and careers world-wide. David also helped in the planning and teaching of a photography training course for cancer patients at The St. Agnes Cancer Institute in Baltimore, Md., and had a dozen camera systems donated by his friends and clients.

More recently, David is mentoring a group of over 650 amateur photographers, and is getting them exposure and recognition by having their work displayed and sold at local venues.

Competition Schedule for the remainder of the 2017 season 

April 18, 2017 - "Oldies"- there is no two year time capture time constraint and there is no theme; knock yourself out on the old film images or some early digital images from the early 2000s. The judge will be David Blecman.

May 16, 2017- The theme is Colors - 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. The judge will be Mary Ann Stetton.

At the end of May, a separate End of Year competition among all of the monthly winners will be judged by Nikhil Bahl; the winners will be announced at our annual End of Year Banquet in early June.

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.

March Competition Results

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

Digital - Class 1
1st Place - Jerri McDermott - Evening Waves
2nd Place - Kacy Elizabeth Turner - Flag
3rd Place- Joan E Barker - Vertical Stripes
HM - Ron Taylor - Have a Seat

Digital – Class 2
1st Place - Lynn Cates - Snow Geese
2nd Place - Bill Millhouser - Freefall
3rd Place - David L. Crooks - Boy on Big Wheel Bike

Digital – Class 3
1st Place - Wayne Guenther - Prague Metro
2nd Place - Stan Mercer Bysshe - Scotts Parade
3rd Place - Ceasar Sharper - Bulls Beach
HM - Mark Chen - Falling in a Dream

Color Prints – Class 1
1st Place - Kathryn Mohrman - Baltimore Carousel
2nd Place - John Joseph Murray - Big Wheel National Harbor
3rd Place - Jerri McDermott - Waves at Sunset

Color Prints – Class 2
1st Place - Lynn Cates - Wraiths at Twilight

Color Prints – Class 3
1st Place - Jim Williams - Up
2nd Place - Judy McGuire - Rivers of Steel Graffiti
3rd Place - Wayne Guenther - Peace on Acid
HM - Ceasar Sharper - Riding the Falls 2

Monochrome Prints
1st Place - Stan Mercer Bysshe - Big Wheel
2nd Place - Bill Corbett - Seen at Great Falls
3rd Place - Ron Taylor - Piano Hands
HM - Alan P Goldstein - Outta Gas
HM - Ceasar Sharper - Motala Racer
HM - Georgette Grossman - Great Falls Water

First Place images from March:

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

Class 1 Digital Jerri McDermott Evening Waves	Class 3 Digital Wayne Guenther Prague Metro
Class 2 Digital Lynn Cates Snow Geese
Class 1 Print Kathryn Mohrman Baltimore Carousel	Class 2 Print Lynn Cates Wraiths at Twilight
	Class 3 Print Jim Williams Up
Monochrome Stan Bysshe Big Wheel

Competition Judges for 2016-2017

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

2016-2017 Rules of Competition

The 2016-2017 Rules of Competition are now available on the NVPS website. The membership has voted in new Rules for Competition for the 2017-2018 Society year (September 2017 to May 2018) which will be published in next month's (May 2017) edition of FotoFax. The 2016-2017 (current) rules are summarized below:

• Members competing in each Class (1, 2, and 3) can enter a maximum of three images per competition. One image can be entered into each of the three 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

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

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.

Forum

April 25th: A National Park Celebration with Judy McGuire

Judy's  presentation will celebrate the National Parks, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service in 2016. She has visited 190 of the 417 total properties in the system. Her images will showcase the variety and splendor that you can find in these treasures, both near and far, big and small.

Judy McGuire became interested in photography and travel when she was 10 and took her first road trip to the western states with her family and her Kodak Brownie camera. She took snapshots documenting family, friends, pets and travels for many years before getting a Nikon SLR for slide photography, and currently shoots with a Nikon D7200.

Since she joined NVPS in 2001, the club's activities and members have been a constant inspiration for learning and improving her photography. Judy believes regular practice is critical to developing skills - as she tried to impress on young students during her many years of teaching piano. But in photography - as well in music - another part of the experience is enjoying the results!

Judy is most interested in travel and nature photography and loves to photograph anywhere, searching out back roads as well as obvious sites. She enjoys giving slide shows for various groups, and makes calendars and note cards using her photographs. Her work has been juried into Nature Visions and the Joseph Miller Abstract Exhibits, and published in Virginia Wildlife Magazine. She has won a number of awards in NVPS competitions, including Slide of the Year, Advanced Digital Image of the Year and Advanced Digital Photographer of the year three times.

Examples of Judy's work:

The Forum Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Kirk Johnson.

Upcoming Forum Presentations:

Members Gallery

April 25th: Digital by Alan Goldstein;
                    Prints by Willa Siegel

Alan Goldstein's digital presentation will be a departure from the normal.... an experiment in time.

A member of NVPS since 2012, Alan has been involved in some way or other with photography for the past 56 years.  It all began with a science teacher instructing him on the art of film developing.  At that time, he was using a Kodak Brownie.  Veering off during his teen-age years to using an 8mm movie camera, he returned to still photography during his college years and while working as a reporter for his hometown newspaper.

Alan was supposed to call in a newspaper photographer for photos, but she lived nearly 30 miles away, so he opted to take photos himself.  At first, he used a Polaroid Type 103 for photos since it made instant, crisp pictures.  But encouraged by a classmate and photographer, Alan got access to the college's darkroom, and processed Tri-X each time he had a news event or other photo request.  This plus being a radio disc jockey probably contributed to his less-than-stellar GPA!

After graduating from college, Alan enlisted in the Navy, becoming a Navy Journalist and later a Public Affairs Officer. 

His high school girlfriend had a Nikon SLR, and that became Alan's Holy Grail.  As a low-ranking Navy man, Alan scraped up the money and bought his first true SLR — a Minolta SRT-101.  As he progressed up the Navy ranks, he upgraded to a Minolta X700.

Fast forward to 2003.  Alan's brother-in-law was getting married and Alan was the photographer.  An acquaintance who was a Nikon rep loaned Alan a D100.   It was love at first click!  Since then, Alan has had a D100, D200, D300, and now a D800 and a D810.

Alan considers himself an advanced amateur, even though he has made more than five figures making pictures.   His biggest job was making progress photos of the deconstruction and reconstruction of the D.C. public library in Georgetown.

Retired from the Navy in 1994 and retired from Civil Service in 2011, Alan is happy to spend his time making images.  He loves photographing just about everything, but really likes night scenes and landscapes. His photos have been used for greeting cards by non-profits, used for proposals by environmental entities, have been used by sports web sites, have appeared in newspapers, and even hang in a gas station. Alan was awarded the Monochrome Print of the Year for 2015-2016 at the End of Year Banquet in May 2016.

Alan says he loves being a member of NVPS.  He has gained some great friends, enjoys the camaraderie, and has learned something new nearly every meeting.

Alan’s presentation is entitled: “Home Sweet Home”

Examples of Alan's work:

Willa Siegel has been a member of NVPS since 2011.  She has been taking photos since the 1970s, but became involved in and serious about photography since her retirement and joining NVPS in 2011. She likes to shoot flowers, macro and abstracts… and then landscapes.  She uses Fuji x pro 2, a Velbon tripod, and an Acratech ball head.  

Retired, her previous career was with the National Head Start Program (DHHS)where she was an Education and Literacy Specialist. Her husband is David Siegel, a local theater critic and arts writer.   Her future photography goals/plans are to become better in both the technical aspects of photography and her ability to convey her visions.

Many of Willa’s photos are not true representations of the actual subjects. Instead, she reduces objects to their essential elements of color, contrast, texture, and light to avoid the distraction of reality. Some of her images are captured in camera and others are created during post processing, where she can twist, turn, and flip the world around her to create images of simple beauty.

Willa’s work has been juried into shows and exhibited throughout northern Virginia, including The Art League of Alexandria at the Torpedo Factory, Joe Miller Abstract Photography Exhibits, Nature Visions, Broadway Galleries and Buchanan Partners Art Gallery at the Hylton Center (GMU). In June 2016, her photo “Busy Bee” won the prestigious Ollie Fife Image of the Year Award from the Northern Virginia Photographic Society. Prints of many images are in offices and private collections throughout the country.

Her photography allows her to express her vision of the subject, and many of her images are impressionistic and painterly. When she can get the viewer to emotionally connect with the image and see the subject in a new way, she is delighted.

Examples of Willa's work:

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

Field Trips

April 15th: The National Zoo, Washington, D.C.

Paul Simon had it right -- “It’s all happening… At the zoo.”

The NVPS April field trip will be April 15 to the National Zoo – photographic opportunities there certainly include the pandas, but are far more extensive.

Most exhibits should be open. The exceptions, according to the Zoo’s web site, are the cheetah viewing area at the Cheetah Conservation Station is temporarily closed for renovation, and, the Bird House is closed to prepare a new exhibit, “Experience Migration.” The plateau and outdoor exhibits will remain open until sometime mid- to late-spring.

Most of us have been to the Zoo before, and know that photography is encouraged. Tripods are generally allowed, except in some areas and buildings such as the Giant Panda House.

We’ll meet at the Visitors’ Center at 9:00 a.m. The Zoo opens at 8:00 and the buildings at 9:00, so there are photo opportunities for early arrivals.

From April 5 to 23, the Zoo plans to increase security screening, including bags and backpacks, at all entrances. This may lead to some waiting in line. If you leave, you’ll have to be rescreened before returning. The Zoo explains that the screening is a response to expected increased traffic while schools are on spring break.

Parking can always be a problem and costs $22, so the sign-up sheets will indicate if you can take additional passengers. (Remember, Friends of the National Zoo members can park free.) Metro may also be an option, depending on track work schedules.

We’ll plan on a group lunch at one of the many restaurants near the Zoo – suggestions welcome if you have a favorite in that neighborhood that could accommodate a group of hungry photographers.

Field Trips 2016-2017

The schedule is subject to change.

Field Trip Coordinators for 2016-2017 are Stan Bysshe and Jim McDermott, field-trips@nvps.org

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

Membership

2016-2017 Membership Dues

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.
Membership dues for the 2016-2017 year are as follows:

Please note that the above fees cover for the remainder of the year – February 1, 2017 through May 1,, 2017.
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.
We look 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:

(See first article below)

Exhibitions/Competitions

Mirror to the World – Documentary Photography 2017
April 7th-May 14th, 2017

Photoworks is proud to announce that Mirror to the World, the acclaimed annual exhibition of documentary photography from around the world, will open this year on Friday, April 7th at the Photoworks Gallery at Glen Echo Park, Glen Echo, Md.

This will be the ninth—and final—incarnation of this popular showcase of emerging photographic talent, that was created in 2009 by photographer, author and longtime Photoworks instructor Frank Van Riper.

“It has been a spectacular run,” said Van Riper, who joined the Photoworks faculty more than a dozen years ago, “but it’s time to move on to new things and new projects.” Author of several best selling books, Van Riper said he looks forward to even more teaching at Photoworks, and also to beginning work on his sixth book. Five photo essays will comprise the show — each accompanied by written text.

“As before, I am proud to have curated an excellent array of documentary work,” Van Riper said. “I wanted this final show to be a blockbuster, and I believe it will be.”

In addition to returning photographers Fred Zafran and Christine Pearl — who last showed in ‘Mirror to the World 2013’— two superb shooters will exhibit in Mirror for the first time:

Photographer Darrow Montgomery, known to Washingtonians over the past 20 years for his work in the City Paper, will present a series of iPhone street photographs —“DC Street”— which mixes a deft eye for urban detail with superb composition in both color and black and white.

Veteran D.C.-area shooter Valerie Makepeace will debut “American Roadside Retro,” an evocative look at the American southwest. Her square format images depict derelict motels, gas stations and desert scenes in vibrant, almost surreal, color.

In the show’s only black and white essay, Christine Pearl offers “Four in Hand,” a 20-image picture story documenting life and landscapes along more than a thousand miles of rural roads from Maine to the Mississippi River. The title refers to the rigging on stagecoaches that moved goods and passengers along these roads more than a century ago.

Fred Zafran’s photo essay, “A Stranger in My Home,” may be the show’s most cerebral offering: a multi-photo essay of seemingly unrelated images that nevertheless hang together for the feelings they evoke. “What is it that imbues a photograph with the power to point beyond itself,” Zafran asks the viewer, “…to illuminate that which is deeply felt by the artist, but which can’t be photographed directly?”

Finally, “The Dying City” offers a fascinating glimpse at Civita di Bagnoregio, an isolated Italian hill town whose ancient—and ecologicially threatened — structures are reachable only by a pedestrian footbridge. The essay is by seven photographers who joined Frank Van Riper and his wife and professional partner Judith Goodman during their annual photography workshop in Umbria last fall. The photographers are: Gana Browning, Penny Frates, Diana and Steve Hoppin, Ginger Werz-Petricka, Ron Petricka and Cherry Wyman.

The show runs through May 14, 2017.

Christine Pearl Four In Hand	Darrow Montgomery DC Street
Fred Zafran Stranger In My Room

Vienna Photographic Society April Programs

The Vienna Photographic Society is hosting speaker Irene Sacilotto, who will show photographs of a Brazil’s Pantanal wetlands, ten times the size of the Everglades. This visual journey into this extraordinary eco-system features its wildlife, photographic opportunities, and challenges encountered along the way.  This program will be held on at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, April 5, at the Thoreau Middle School, room B114 (Eagle Hall), in Vienna.

And on Wednesday, April 19, at 7:30 p.m., the Vienna Photographic Society is hosting a critique of member submitted photographs. The themes are images of gardens and autumn scenes using apps, filters, other editing software. Photographer and teacher John Hoover will comment on the composition of the images. The program will be held at the Thoreau Middle School, room B114 (Eagle Hall), in Vienna.

Details of both programs, meeting location, and newsletter are at vpsva.org . These programs are free and open to anyone.

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.