Volume 52 – No. 9	Founded 1965 – our 52nd Year	May 2017
The Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society
Editor: Alan Goldstein – Email: editor" at "nvps.org
Table of Contents President's Message 2016-2017 Board Monthly Program Education and Training Competition     April Competition Results Forum Members' Gallery Field Trips NatureVisions Membership Announcements    Members News    Exhibitions/Competitions    Workshop Offerings Want Ads Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs Editor Calendar 5/2 Monthly Program: Self-Critique with Roy Sewall 5/9 Education & Training: Portfolio Project 5/16 Competition: Judging by Mary Ann Stetton 5/21 Field Trip: Around Waterford, Va. 5/23 Forum: Astrophotography with Dan Ward 5/23 Members Gallery:        Digital by Judy Graham        Prints by George “Butch” Karamarkovich 5/30 Fifth Tuesday
Note: You can click on the above links to go directly to the article; or you can scroll through the entire newsletter. You can also print the entire newsletter. (The more that you read, the more things you will know - Dr. Seuss ) To protect our members from email spam, personal email addresses in this newsletter have "@" replaced with " at " Please remember to substitute the "@" when attempting to contact any of the people. All meetings for the club year start at 7:30 p.m. at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. The doors open at 6:45 p.m. for a "meet and greet" with meetings on non-competition nights beginning at 7:30 p.m. Note for Competition Nights only (Third Tuesday): Competition begins at 7:15p.m. All prints must be checked in no later than 7:00 p.m.  Although we have not had any problems for many years, do remember to lock your car and place valuables out of sight, as we should in any public parking area. Come early and visit, but when the meeting starts, PLEASE take seats immediately and silence your cell phone, pager or any other device that might make noise and distract listeners or interrupt speakers. Please check the website and FotoFax for the club's policy on weather closings. Check WTOP www.wtop.com or Fairfax County School systems web site for closings. You can also sign up for emails or cell phone alerts: http://www.fcps.edu/news/emerg.shtml

Make your reservation now for the 2017 NVPS End of Year Banquet, to be held on June 2, 2017.

Join us to celebrate our club's 2017accomplishments. Come socialize and enjoy a meal with your fellow  members. Bring your family and friends! That evening we will:

* Present EOY competition awards and see beautiful images
* Learn who won the Photographers of the Year for each category
* Present the Distinguished Service Awards
* Present your new 2017–2018 Board

We will have a cocktail/social hour from 6 to 7 p.m. with dinner at 7:15 p.m. As was the case with last year, the banquet will be held at the Waterford at Fair Oaks (located at the Northwest corner of Fair Oaks Mall), 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway, Fairfax, VA 22033
<http://bit.ly/1G6VcA6>

Tickets are only $37.50 each..

There are three ways by which you can purchase your tickets:

* Pay with cash or check at any Tuesday meeting
* Mail payment to our Treasurer, Tom Brett (4216 Wynnwood Dr., Annandale, VA 22003)
* Pay through PayPal.

The Payment deadline for $37.50 tickets is at our last meeting of the season on May 30. Tickets will be$43 at the door.

Note: if any of your prints have won a first, second or third place, or honorable mention in any in 2016 - 2017 monthly competitions, please bring your print(s) to the Club meetings, so that they will be considered in the End of Year competition.

Monthly Program

May 2nd: Self-Critiquing with Roy Sewall

Roy Sewall will critique his own photos, picking them apart to identify ways that they could have been improved.

Roy spent most of his youth in India, Pakistan, Indonesia, and the Philippines; his State Department family’s home base was the Washington, D.C., area. Roy has a B.S. in Physics from Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland and a M.S. in Engineering Science from Penn State. He returned permanently to the Washington area in 1969 and worked for several major technology corporations for over 30 years.

Roy’s interest in photography evolved from extensive travel in six continents. In 2001, he started his transition to full-time photographer. He always found the Washington area to be one of the most photogenic locations in the world. Roy’s first photography book, Our Potomac, from Great Falls through Washington, D.C., was published in 2005; it was inspired by his affection for hiking and bicycling along the river and the adjacent Chesapeake and Ohio (C&O) Canal. The book has led to numerous lecture and slide show engagements with local organizations, and established him as one of the leading photographers of the Potomac River and C&O Canal.

In 2007, Roy became the first Chair of the Board of Directors for the C&O Canal Trust, a non-profit friends group for the National Park Service. In 2013 he joined the Board of Directors of the Potomac Riverkeeper. Roy has done extensive photography work for river- and C&O Canal-related government and non-profit organizations, as well as private and commercial clients.

Roy’s second book, Great Falls and Mather Gorge, was published in 2009. In addition, he was a guest on WETA’s TV program Great Views of Washington D.C., the lead photographer in the Best of D.C. 2009 publication, in the feature articles in the 2009/2010 D.C. and 2012/2013 Virginia Where Guestbooks, the lead still photographer in The Nature Conservancy’s 2011 video The Potomac Gorge, and a featured guest on Montgomery Community Media TV in 2012.

After completing Great Falls and Mather Gorge, Roy turned to the creation of large fine art prints.  He has developed diverse bodies of work for exhibitions that include unusual foreign and domestic landscapes, old European architecture, historical re-enactment, and abstracts. In addition, he offers both private and group instruction to novice and intermediate photographers, and in 2014 became an instructor for the Capital Photography Center.

But his foremost passion is his ongoing project called “Mysterra” that conveys mystery, illusion, fantasy, and sensuality.

Roy was a speaker at Nature Visions in 2016.

Find out more on Roy's website: http://www.roysewallphotography.com/iWeb/Home.html

Examples of Roy's work:

Education & Training

May 9th: Portfolio Project

This is to remind you that Corey Hilz will review all the completed Portfolio Projects at the May 9 meeting. 

In preparation for this final review, we ask all participants to please complete and upload their final images no later than May 2, 2017,  in order for Corey to have sufficient time to review them. 

You are encouraged to create a print or digital version of your portfolio for display at the back tables on May 9.  Some options are 

Digital presentation on a laptop 
Photo book (bound) 
Folio (loose leaf prints) 
Poster 
Matted prints 

For more concrete ideas, see the presentation by Scott Musson on photo books and calendars at http://nvps.org/home/?p=2577 

As always, feel free to contact us with questions at portfolioproject@nvps.org 


Bill Corbett and Dennis Govoni, Portfolio Project Coordinators.
The Education and Training Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Chuck Campbell.

Competition

May 16th: Judging by Mary Ann Setton

Note: 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. 

Mary Ann Setton graduated from the Washington School of Photography a few years before retiring from her human resources management profession, proving that it's never too late to follow your dream.  With a studio in her home, she worked as a part-time professional photographer concentrating on portrait and boudoir photography. After retirement, her energy shifted to fine art photography and she concentrated on learning Adobe Photoshop and Corel Painter quickly becoming known for her “digital magic.”

Mary Ann has won numerous awards within the Northern Virginia area including Best in Show in a Vienna Photographic Competition, Equal Award at Alexandria’s Art League at the Torpedo Factory, five Prints of the Year and two Photographer of the Year awards from the Northern Virginia Photographic Society, and First Place in the 2009 AAA Magazine Annual Photo Competition.  She was both guest and substitute host on the cable TV show “Photographers of Northern Virginia”, featured in the e’lan Art Magazine, juried into several fine art and abstract competitions, and in February was awarded an Honorable Mention in the Herndon ArtSpace Fine Art Photography Exhibit. In March she had a solo exhibit for the community and public in the Lodge of the Shenandoah Active Adult Community.  She has also served in various leadership roles including VP for Competitions, board member, and president at NVPS.

While photo art is her love, you will find her still providing photography and digital imaging services on occasion and is in her eighth year of judging photo competitions in the metropolitan D.C. area, but she is best known in her community as an eager photographer who, nearly ten years ago, originated and still leads the Shenandoah Photography Club.

Competition Schedule for the remainder of the 2017 season 

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 on June 2.

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.

April Competition Results

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

Digital - Class 1
1st Place - Willa Siegel - Dahlia Dance
2nd Place - Laurie Kuyk - Tulip
3rd Place- Kieulan Nguyen - Grand Central Terminal
HM – Joan E Barker - Painted Flower
HM - Kathryn Mohrman -Lower Antelope Canyon

Digital – Class 2
1st Place - Lynn Cates- Cowering Before the Storm
2nd Place - Karol Murray - Santa Fe Window
3rd Place - Clark L Barker – Gazebo
HM - Judy Graham - Skylight

Digital – Class 3
1st Place – Mark Chen- Looking Out
2nd Place - Wayne Guenther - Against the Wind
3rd Place – John L Telford - White Sands
HM – Fran Bastress - Canyon Mystery
HM - Stan Mercer Bysshe - Taking a Break

Color Prints – Class 1
1st Place - Kathryn Mohrman - Tucson Shadow
2nd Place - Jerri McDermott - Sedum
3rd Place - Joan E Barker - Lavender Hues
HM - Ron Taylor - Leaf Print

Color Prints – Class 2
1st Place – George Karamarkovich - Geese Flying into Sun
2nd Place - Karol Murray - San Juan Door

Color Prints – Class 3
1st Place - Kieu-hanh Vu - Explosion
2nd Place - Georgette Grossman - Dahlia Droplet
3rd Place - Judy Guenther - Alone
HM - Fran Bastress - Labyrinth of Hoodoos

Monochrome Prints
1st Place - Georgette Grossman - Wild Tulips
2nd Place - Clark L Barker - Stone Face
3rd Place - Roger Lancaster - Burnsides Bridge
HM - Bill Millhouser -Early Morning Catch
HM - Jim McDermott - Weather
HM - Judy Guenther - Turkish Man
HM - Kacy Elizabeth Turner - Snow Leopard
HM - Mary Paula Neumann - The Outer Banks
HM - Ron Taylor - Rest in Peace​

First Place images from April:

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

Class 1 Digital Willa Seigel Dahlia Dance	Class 3 Digital Mark Chen Looking Out
Class 2 Digital Lynn Cates Cowering Before the Storm
Class 1 Prints Kathryn Mohrman Tucson Shadow	Class 3 Prints Kieu-hanh Vu Explosion
Class 2 Prints George “Butch” Karamarkovich Geese Flying Into Sun
Monochrome Georgette Grossman Wild Tulips

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

2017-2018 Changes to the Rules of Competition

The NVPS Membership in attendance at the April 21, 2017, meeting approved changes to the rules regarding competition the monochrome print category, and the total number of images that each member can enter into a monthly competition.

Approved Competition Rule Change #1
The monochrome print category is into three classes in the same manner as digital images and color prints.

Approved Competition Rule Change #2
The total number of images each member may enter in any one monthly competition is limited to two (2).
Members competing in each Class (1, 2, and 3) can enter a maximum of two (2) images in any the three competition categories. However, members may not submit two images in the same competition category.

 These rule changes will take effect at beginning of the 2017-2018 NVPS year, that is, in September 2017.  If you have any questions regarding these changes please contact 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 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

May 23rd: Astrophotography with Dan Ward

As an 11-year old, Dan L. Ward first took “close-up” photos of the moon by holding the family’s Brownie Hawkeye camera to the eyepiece of his Gilbert 3” reflector telescope.  The results may have been less than spectacular, but were still sufficient to nurture a love of photography and astronomy that continues five decades later.

While living in Arizona in the 1980s, he refined his film astrophotography skills.  Several astronomy magazines published his comets, deep sky and planet photos.  Astronomy books also used his images, including David Levy’s best seller,The Sky: A Users Guide.

The demands of fatherhood for two daughters, plus career relocations away from Arizona prompted a 20-year hiatus from astronomical pursuits. Dan continued to refine his photographic techniques by pursuing nature and street photography and has been active in several Northern Virginia camera clubs.

In preparation for the Great American Eclipse on August 21, 2017, Dan dusted off his telescope and cracked the books on recent innovations in astro-imaging techniques. Now exploring the sky with camera lens, telescopes and binoculars, Dan primarily photographs the sun and moon.  Having researched a variety of safe filtering techniques, he encourages others to leverage his sometimes hard-learned lessons as they prepare for the solar eclipse event of a lifetime in August. 

A small sampling of Dan’s astro images can be viewed within his astronomy gallery at http://danlward.imagekind.com/store/

The Forum Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Kirk Johnson.

Members Gallery

23rd: Digital by Judy Graham;
          Prints by George “Butch” Karamarkovich

Armed with an $85 instamatic camera, in 1992 Judy made her first trip to the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley.  Judy was drawn to the region by the fascinating geology and was mesmerized looking out over these unworldly places.  She took a hundred pictures or more. As soon as she got home she had her film developed hoping she might have captured the sights as they appeared to her standing there.  But alas Judy had nothing more then what she now calls “calendar shots” or even worse. 

A few more trips, including two rafting trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, and hundreds more photos proved to Judy that photography was about more than spectacular scenery. 

In 2002 Judy enrolled in her first photography workshop through the Grand Canyon Field Institute. It was a chance to combine her love of the canyon with taking better photos. Since then she has been privileged to photograph some incredible places. She has hiked and hauled her camera gear to many locations which are unlike any place else on this planet and some few will ever see except in photos. And it has been well worth it.  Hopefully you will agree when you view Judy’s images from “Not From Around Here”.

About Judy … she has lived in Washington, D.C. area all but one year of her life and the summer of 2010 when Judy lived in Page, Arizona, working for Overland Canyon Tours.  She guided photographers from all over the world in slot canyons and to remote jewels of the southwest.  Several of her photos have been featured on the front and back covers and the pages in between of Gateway to Canyon Country, a magazine distributed in northern Arizona to tourists who pass through the region.

Judy joined NVPS in January 2011 with the goal of meeting local photographers, doing more local photography, and learning more about the art of photography. While she remains primarily drawn to stark dramatic landscapes, she’s learning to appreciate photographing what’s in her own backyard, especially if it’s a chance to do so with one of her many new friends.

Judy currently shoots with a Canon 5D MKIII and she never goes anywhere without her trusty tripod. As for future plans, a two week southwestern trip is in the planning stages for early October and she’s signed on for a trip to Greenland in August 2018.

Judy ’s presentation is entitled: “Not From Around Here.” Judy enjoys photography of stark and dramatic landscapes. Her presentation is of photos she’s taken of the American Southwest, Iceland and Patagonia.

Examples of Judy's work:

George “Butch” Karamarkovich. Although Butch had photography interests when he was a teenager, his first experience with a 35mm camera was assisting his college yearbook editor by photographing some of his fellow athletes.  After graduating from college and becoming a Marine Aviator, his first tactical assignment was as a helicopter pilot in the Republic of Vietnam, and it was during this assignment that he bought his first Nikon camera at China Beach. 

During subsequent tours in the Far East, Butch and his fellow helicopter pilots took their cameras with them to every port taking photographs on black and white negatives.  They developed their own negatives and used the dark room aboard the aircraft carrier to print their photographs.  The passion was there, but, as Butch became more senior in the military and his schedule less flexible, his photography was limited to his family gatherings. 

After retiring from the military, he worked for a decade in the civilian sector and is currently a consultant.  Eventually the allure of photography returned to the forefront.  He recognized the world of photography had changed and digital photography had become the new standard.  With research, Butch stepped through the door toward his former passion and purchased a Nikon digital camera and Photoshop CS5, and entered into today’s world of photography. 

The focus of attention of Butch’s photography still includes his family but a large measure of his effort is shooting wildlife, particularly things that fly.  He can be seen at athletic events in Grand Rapids, Michigan, area where his three grandsons participate in athletic events.  A proud grandfather, he suffers from Elephant Head because of the athletic excellence his grandsons have demonstrated, and he has digitally captured their performances. 

However, when the grandsons are not center stage, he takes advantage of the nature in Michigan with day trips to different locations.  Additionally, he has his photographic gear with him during all visits to National Parks, and the Northern Virginia area is his photographic landscape when he is not on the road.  He travels south several time a year and a number of the photographs that have made the ribbon list at the NVPS competitions have been taken in Florida.  Gatorland, near Orlando, is by far his favorite haunt but he has made many day trips in Florida in an attempt to capture that winning photograph. 
Although keenly interested in taking better photographs, it was Ceasar Sharper he met by coincidence at the Accotink Reservoir at Fort Belvoir who convinced Butch to attend an NVPS meeting. This consequential encounter was the occasion that opened the opportunity to elevate Butch’s photography. 

He has been a member of NVPS since 2012. The majority of the photographs on display are submissions during the nine months of the year that NVPS conducts competitions.  The camaraderie of the members of NVPS, the judges’ comments at competitions, and the weekly briefings have made a significant difference in the development of Butch’s photographic endeavors.  Butch’s future photographic goals are to remain an NVPS member and continue chasing creatures that fly.

Butch’s presentation is called “NVPS Experience.”

Examples of Butch's work:

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

Field Trips

May 21st: Touring Waterford, Va.

Waterford, located in northern Loudon County, is one of the most photogenic locations in our region. Founded in the early 1700s, it is today a National Historic Landmark District, with buildings dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries. These include the Waterford Mill (mid-1700s), the “Arch House Row” (also mid 18th Century), and the Presbyterian church (1882). Waterford, with a largely Quaker and abolitionist population, remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War, but was the scene of a battle.

Many of us know Waterford from its annual fair in early October. (It will be October 6, 7, and 8 this year.) Roger Lancaster knows it as home, and has offered to share some of his favorite photographic locations with us during a NVPS Field Trip on May 21. In addition to showing us the town, Roger will lead the group to several barns and other sites in the area.

You can get a preview of Waterford’s sites and articles on its history at http://www.waterfordhistory.org/visit.htm.

After touring the Waterford area, Roger will host a pot-luck at his house. To keep things moderately organized, please bring whatever you’d like to drink as well as a dish to share:

Last name beginning with A – J          Salad or hamburger fixings (ketchup, relish…)
Last name beginning with K –R          Side dishes (potato salad…)
Last name beginning with S – Z          Dessert

We will meet at Roger’s house at 9:00 a.m. on May 21. (Maps and directions will be provided separately.)

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

NatureVisions

Nature Visions 2017

The Nature Visions Board of Directors has decided to make the Student Photo Contest a permanent fixture in the Nature Visions menu. The first year, there were 62 entries; last year over 180. The contest is open to any high school (grades 9-12) student in Northern Virginia and in Montgomery County, Md. The submissions for the contest take place from May 15-31, and are done digitally. Photos do not have to be of nature; each student is allowed to submit two images.  The judging is done shortly after the deadline, with 10 top photos being honored at the Nature Visions expo in November. First prize is $500, with $100 cash prizes given to the remaining nine entries.

If you have a child, grandchild, nephew, niece, or know of someone who goes to one of the schools in the area, please try and arrange to get the flyers on the contest to whomever teaches photography in the school, or is a sponsor of a photo club. I have flyers that can be distributed.

In addition to the contest, Nature Visions is inviting photography classes and clubs from the schools to attend the all day workshop on Friday, November 3, at the George Mason University Hylton Center at no charge. The workshop is being conducted by Matt Kloskowski, a renowned photography educator and Lightroom/Photoshop instructor.

More detailed information about the contest can be found on the Nature Visions website at http://naturevisions.org/2017-nvpe-high-school-student-photo-contest/.

Roger Lancaster, NVPS Nature Visions representative

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:

Kirk Johnson

NVPS member Kirk Johnson received a Nominee Award from the Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA), out of London, UK.  FAPA conducts an annual competition for both Professional and Amateur photographers.  Their mission is to celebrate Fine Art photography and to discover emerging talent from around the world. 

He received a certificate for having his photos selected from among 6,335 submissions that were entered in  this annual contest from 89 countries.  

Winners were selected by highly acclaimed panel of international judges, including: Tim Franco, Nadia Dias, Liza Van der Stock, Matilde Gattoni, Amélie Labourdette, Valery Klamm and Pierre Abensur. 

Kirk  is a novice photographer who has been taking photos  seriously  for the past three  or four years. A Nikon shooter, Kirk is most interested in pictures of architecture, street and urban, floral and turning photos into abstract art. Most recently he has been fascinated with photos that he has converted to Mandalas using Photoshop.

A member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society, Kirk has won several local awards and has been recognized on two separate occasions with his photos displayed in Shutterbug.com (Shutterbug "Photo of the Day").  Kirk, a retired military officer, currently lives in Alexandria.

Bob Friedman

“Simplicity,” a photograph (left) by Bob Friedman, was selected as Best in Show by The Art League Gallery, Alexandria, for its April 2017, juried group exhibit. Bob is a long-time member of the Dunn Loring-based Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS).

He has received numerous awards including Photographer of the Year from NVPS. Bob’s photographic works are also part of the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. The Art League exhibition runs through May 7. The Art League exhibition is at The Torpedo Factory Art Center 105 N. Union St., Alexandria. Free admission. Call 703-683-2323 or visit www.theartleague.org/.

Exhibitions/Competitions

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

The opening reception of the  2017 Joseph Miller Exhibit will be Sunday, May 7, at the JM Center, 4811 Catharpin Road, Gainesville, Va.   The reception and presentation of awards will be from 2  p.m. to 5 p.m.

Once again the exhibit is displaying a dazzling variety of talent, skill, creativity and imagination in photographic artistry, and continues to stand as a testament to an ever increasing interest in and love of abstract photography due in large part to the efforts of its founder, Joseph Miller.

The National Gallery of Art
by Willa Friedman

The National Gallery of Art currently has a photography show of landscape photographs of the eastern half of the United States during the 19th century. East of the Mississippi has photographs of  the natural wonders as well as industrialization and the Civil War taken in all the historic  methods--daguerreotypes and stereographs to albumen prints and cyanotypes.
 This show will run until July 16.  While it is on,  there will be a series of free lectures. They are

• Picturing Landscape through Nineteenth-Century Photographic Processes.  – May 6  If you are into the history of Photography, don’t miss this.
• John Moran and Art Photography in America 1855-1875 - May 14.  He photographed with his brother who was a painter—interesting family!
• The Geography of Culture: Photographic Narratives in the Landscape of the American East.  May 21.

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.