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Editor: Sam Schaen - Email: Editor@NVPS.org
Thanksgiving is the most important holiday to me and my family. It is a time to give thanks for the many blessings that we have. One of my many blessings has been NVPS. In the fall of 2003 I took a Photography 101 class through Fairfax County with Wayne Wolfersberger. Gerry Abbot was in that class as well. I will never forget Wayne saying that one of the best ways to become a better photographer was to join a photography club. In March of 2004, I joined NVPS as a novice who had just learned what an F stop was. I remember walking into the fire hall and being scared and overwhelmed by all these strangers and wondering if I could ever feel a sense of “belonging”. To this day I am forever grateful to Wayne Wolfersberger, Mary Ann Setton, Fred Chitty, Ed Funk, Carl Zellman, Ralph Edwards, Erwin Siegal, Andy Klein, Luella Murri, Bill Prosser, Joe Miller and so many others for going out of their way to me feel welcomed, encouraged, and mentored. They and many others in the club have helped me grow as a photographer and a person. I also want to thank Gerry Abbot who as a fellow “newbie” made me less scared to walk in the room that day; Susan Breen, new friend and competition buddy (we would hold hands and root for each other) helped me through my ups and downs. Our first “Community Dinner” was held at On The Border on November 10th and was attended by a dozen folks. It was fun getting to know each other in a social setting. We will have our next dinner on Tuesday, December 8th at 5:30pm. I will send out an announcement before the 10th. I apologize for the early hour and understand that many can’t make it due to working hours. If someone wants to organize a dinner another night, that would be super. Please email me with suggestions or ideas at pashli@aol.com. Tidbits:
I wish you all happy and healthy holidays. Happy shooting. Sandi Croan
Tony Sweet
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Please join us for an evening of inspiration! Tony will present a gallery of his extraordinary images from 2009, including a discussion on compositional, creative, and software techniques to use as tools in creating the “wow” factor in your final images. Tony’s images can be found at: www.tonysweet.com Please join Tony and Sue for dinner at Chili’s at 5:45 pm prior to the presentation—if you’re interested in attending dinner, please rsvp to: mary.m.o’neill@gsk.com |
After 20 years as a professional jazz artist, Tony changed careers and directed his creative juices towards nature photography. The improvisational, spontaneous, and abstract nature of jazz are also integral elements of nature photography.
Tony's work is published on calendars, post cards, posters, annual reports, greeting cards, catalogs, and electronic mediums. His fine art prints are exhibited in private and corporate collections throughout the United States, and he is represented by The Getty Picture Agency. His images are also used by Nikon, NikSoftware, Singh Ray, Microtek, and others for national ad campaigns.
Tony conducts Visual Artistry photography location workshops, and speaks to photography organizations and PPA schools throughout the continental United States and Canada. Tony's articles and images are featured in Shutterbug and Rangefinder magazines, and is a contributor to Nikonnet.com. He is a staff writer for Nikon World magazine.
He has authored three books on the art of photography: Fine Art Nature Photography ('02), Fine Art Flower Photography ('05), and Fine Art Nature Photography: Water, Ice, Fog ('07). A fourth book in the Fine Art Photography series is due to be released in February of 2009.
Tony maintains an active speaking schedule, addressing professional photography organizations, universities, seminars, and teaching workshops, is an instructor on betterphoto.com, and a member of the Baltimore chapter of ASMP.
He is staff instructor on betterphoto.com, and a member of the Baltimore chapter of ASMP.
Tony was honored as a Nikon Legend Behind the Lens in 2006, member of Team Nik (NikSoftware) in 2007, and a Lensbaby Guru in 2008.
Mary O'Neill
VP for Programs
mary.m.o'neill@gsk.com
703-548-8669 (H)
Workshops,
Education, and Training |
On December 8th, 2009, the Workshop, Education and Training co-chairs will be hosting Flash Night with Corey Hilz, presenter.
Corey Hilz is a professional photographer, who has built his stock of photographs from travel, and extensive exploration of local areas. He believes some of the most interesting subjects can be found close to home. Corey is a published author, and his photos have been used in magazines, books, newspapers, calendars, brochures and catalogues. His work is also seen in exhibits throughout the Washington, DC area, in addition to private collections.
For this presentation, Mr. Hilz will cover basic to intermediate use of on and off-camera speedlights. This will include how to use the flash menus on your camera and on your speedlight, and how to use them to the best advantage, to get the images you want. To reinforce this, after the presentation, there will be flash stations available for practice. Anyone whose camera has a hotshoe will be able to participate. So bring your camera, a tripod if you have one, and a speedlight if you have one. We encourage you to bring a model, or an object of some sort, to practice on. Mr. Hilz will be available for advice and encouragement during the practice session.
If there are questions, please contact us..Melanie Marts
jasmarts@cox.net
Ed Ruggiero
eruggiero@cox.net
Competitions |
On Tuesday December 15th, we will hold our fourth competition for the 2009/10 club year with Frank Van Riper as our judge. There is no specific theme for this competition.
Frank Van Riper (www.GVRphoto.com) is an award-winning documentary and fine art photographer, journalist, and author whose work has been published internationally. His work is in the permanent collections of the National Museum of American Art and the National Portrait Gallery (Washington, DC), as well as the Portland Museum of Art (Portland, Maine). His 1998 book of photography and essays, Down East Maine/A World Apart, was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and won the silver medal for photography from the Art Director’s Club of Metropolitan Washington.
His latest book, Serenissima: Venice in Winter, done in collaboration with his wife and professional partner, Judith Goodman, is a coffee table collection of black and white photographs and essays published both in the US and Italy to rave reviews. His first book of photography, Faces of the Eastern Shore, was published in 1992. At the December 15th competition, Frank will be selling Serenissima: Venice in Winter at a special camera club price of $40 (20% off the list price of $50). This is the perfect holiday gift for any photo enthusiast. www.veniceinwinter.com
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Since 1992, Van Riper has been the photography columnist of the Washington Post, where his column, “Talking Photography”, now appears in the Camera Works section of Washingtonpost.com. His book, Talking Photography, a ten-year collection of his columns and other photography writing, was published in 2002 ( www.TalkingPhotography.com ).Before that he was a political writer and editor in the Washington Bureau of the New York Daily News, serving as White House correspondent, national political correspondent, and Washington bureau news editor. He was a 1979 Nieman Fellow at Harvard and holds the 1980 Merriman Smith award from the White House Correspondents Association.
Van Riper’s gallery exhibitions include the Kathleen Ewing Gallery and the Touchstone Gallery in Washington, DC, the Hudson Museum of Anthropology at the University of Maine at Orono, and the Albin Kuhn Gallery at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Please join our judge, Frank Van Riper for our pre-competition dinner at Chili's at 5:45 on Tuesday, December 15th. Please RSVP to Gerry at gerry.abbott@cox.net . Hope to see you there..
Please join our judge, Chuck Veatch for our pre-competition dinner at Chili's at 5:45 on Tuesday, December 15th. Please RSVP to Gerry at gerry.abbott@cox.net.
Chili's Bar and Grille
8051 Leesburg Pike
Vienna, VA
703-734-9512
From I-495/CAPITAL BELTWAY
1: Take the VA-7 W/LEESBURG PIKE exit number 47B-A toward TYSONS CORNER
2: Merge onto LEESBURG PIKE/VA-7 W toward TYSONS CORNER and move to left lane
You will see Chili's almost immediately on the left.
3: Take a left at the first light "Fashion Square" (Tiffany's will be on the left and Tyson's
Corner Shopping Center will be on the right) and an immediate left onto service road in
front of Tiffany's, take your first right into Chili's parking lot.
The NVPS competition rules committee of Sam Schaen, Scott Musson, Bill Prosser, Fred Chitty, Gerry Abbott and Sandi Croan was formed last summer “to review and make recommendations” for change to NVPS competition rules, as necessary to better serve the current membership. Any changes adopted by membership vote in April or May 2010 will become effective starting in September 2010.
The committee has met 3 times and is still in the “review” part of the process. This review has included the data from last year’s competition entries (e.g. # of entries by class/category, # of members competing, etc), survey of other camera clubs’ rules and the trend of changes, the results of the NVPS member survey conducted on October 20th, and comments from members by email, in face to face discussions with individual committee members and comments during a short Q&A during the October 13th meeting.
The table below summarizes the data from competition entries September 2008 through May 2009.
Class & Category |
Average # of members Each month |
Average # of entries Each month |
Monochrome prints - Novice |
5.6 |
6 |
Monochrome prints - Advanced |
5.8 |
7 |
Color prints – Novice |
15.7 |
23 |
Color prints – Advanced |
13.9 |
21 |
Digital projection – Novice |
14.7 |
26 |
Digital projection – Advanced |
13.4 |
23 |
Enhanced prints |
12.6 |
14 |
Slides |
3.7 |
6 |
There were a total of 95 members who entered images in competition, with about half submitting images 4 or fewer months and half submitting images in 5 or more months. On average, each month had 52 members competing with an average of 126 images.
The table below summarizes the data from the member survey of “that choice associated with the classes/categories you expect to participate”. There were 68 members submitting surveys, very close to 50/50, novice & advanced.
Category |
TOTAL |
Novice |
Advanced |
One class |
Master |
Unrestricted prints |
45 |
12 |
14 |
17 |
2 |
Restricted prints |
24 |
12 |
9 |
3 |
n/a |
Monochrome prints |
27 |
7 |
5 |
15 |
n/a |
Unrestricted digital projection |
41 |
22 |
17 |
n/a |
2 |
Restricted digital projection |
19 |
7 |
12 |
n/a |
n/a |
Slides |
8 |
n/a |
n/a |
8 |
n/a |
In the member survey, there were 27 members that selected choice “E” (i.e. no change in current class/categories), but with 5 of these advocating some type of change in their comments. There were 41 members that selected “A”, “B” or “C” (i.e. for change in class/categories), with a fairly even split between the 3 choices. (At the meeting, we discovered that choice D was a duplicate of Choice B and instructed members to ignore Choice D.)
The rules committee will continue its work and plans to have recommendations ready for the full NVPS Board to review by late January. If the Board approves the recommended changes, we expect a membership vote in April or May, in accordance with the NVPS by-laws. In the meantime, the committee welcomes input / comments from the membership.
Below are some images that received a first place award in the November competition. Clicking on one of the pictures will display a larger version.
Novice Monochrome Novice Digital
Advanced Color Enhanced |
Novice Color Advanced Monochrome
Advanced Digital
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First place winners in future competitions may be submitted to editor@nvps.org. Submitted photos should have maximum width and height of 1024 pixels and 768 pixels respectively. Images should be sent to editor@nvps.org by the Friday following the competition.
Stephen Gawarecki's October competition award was reported incorrectly in the November FotoFax. His winning image was Avian Timewarp.
Award | Photographer | Title |
Novice Monochrome Prints | ||
1st | Georgette Grossman | That's My Great Grandma |
Advanced Monochrome Prints | ||
1st | Minnie Gallman | Hatteras |
2nd | Seiji Kuniyoshi | Riverbend |
Novice Color Prints | ||
1st | Maricruz Fugon | Daisies |
2nd | Jim Carlson | Two Aspens |
3rd | John Moore | Daisies |
Advanced Color Prints | ||
1st | Melanie Marts | Vacant Mirror |
2nd | Jorja Feldman | Wood Duck Reflection |
3rd | Chuck Bress | Telephones, Old and New |
HM | Jorja Feldman | Great Egret Conflict |
HM | Melanie Marts | Wall Reflection With Leaves |
HM | Tom Brett | Patterns Of Threes |
Enhanced Prints | ||
1st | Susan Breen | Sebastian |
2nd | Pat Lonergan | Against The Current |
Advanced Slides | ||
1st | Tom Brett | Saran Circle |
Novice Digital Images | ||
1st | Kieu-Hanh Vu | Just The Two Of Us |
2nd | John W. Wiles II | Geometry in LA |
3rd | Susan Phillips | The Lime Train |
HM | John Moore | Running Girl and Plane |
HM | Kieu-Hanh Vu | I Have My Way |
HM | Susan Phillips | This Way Tom |
Advanced Digital Images | ||
1st | Judy McGuire | Sunflower Field |
2nd | Tuan Pham | Duality |
3rd | Emi Wallace | Tri color black and white |
HM | Bill Von Holle | Geo-reversal |
HM | Bill Von Holle | Inverted Trees |
HM | Timber Gooding | Abandoned Spools |
HM | William Haubert | Black to the Left, White to the Right |
Gerry Abbott
Co-VP Competition
gerry.abbott@cox.net
Brian Payne
Co-VP Competition
BPayne45@yahoo.com
Field
Trips |
Every year Brookside Gardens in Wheaton, MD, has imaginative displays of light throughout their gardens during the holiday season. This year 940,000 twinkling colorful lights representing the four seasons illuminated as giant sunflowers, autumn leaves, winter snowflakes, spring flowers and more will be available for viewing pleasure as you walk along the easily accessible paths. Hours: 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. |
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Admission: $20 (cash only) per car or van at the gate.
Pedestrians are not admitted due to safety regulations. After paying at the gate, visitors drive into the parking lot, park their vehicle, and walk through the light show display.
NOTE: For those wanting to photograph at sunset, it is important to go to the Visitor’s Desk, pay the $20 for the car, and then take the ticket back to the car and put it on the dashboard. The car can stay there throughout the evening. If there is no paid entrance ticket on the car, at 5:00 the car will be towed.
Directions:
From I-270 and points west, take exit 4A, Montrose Road east, which turns into Randolph Road. Go approximately 7 miles and turn right onto Glenallan Avenue.
From I-495, the Capital Beltway, take Exit 31A (north on Georgia Ave./Rt. 97) toward Wheaton. Drive three miles north on Georgia Avenue to Randolph Road and turn right. At the second traffic light turn right onto Glenallan Avenue.
Bosque del Apache
Locations: Bosque del Apache, White Sands and Albuquerque,
New Mexico
Dates: January 9-20, 2010
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Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge means thousands of sandhill cranes and snow geese this time of year. White Sands means 275 square miles of great wave-like dunes of white gypsum sand. And we have reservations to spend days photographing this visually dramatic part of our country. There are still a few rooms left, so if you are interested, please contact Marilyn Gaizband, field-trips@nvps.org. |
Marilyn Gaizband
Field-Trips@nvps.org
703-560-8365 (H)
703-402-6214 (C)
Tuan Pham
Field-Trips@nvps.org
703-354-3322 (H)
Tuan Pham |
Patricia Deege John St. Hilaire |
Additional images can be found in the Photo Gallery on the NVPS web site at: http://nvps.org/gallery/v/fieldtrips/2009_2010/NationalArboretum/
Forum |
Due to the holiday, there will be no meeting on December 22.
Anna Gomez
anna_gomez@verizon.net
Members'
Gallery |
Due to the holiday, there will be no meeting on December 22.
Georgette Grossman
ggrossman@cox.net
Tech Talk |
Cold Weather Photography
When it is cold out, remember to have batteries charged fully and keep an extra in your pocket to keep it warm. Flashlights too. Cold weakens batteries.
When going from cold outdoors to warm, moist indoors, put a plastic bag or towel around the camera and lens BEFORE entering the house or car. Have the bag in your pocket before you go out into the cold. Cold cameras will condense moisture and become wet, inside and out. Not good. A good bag is a grocery store veggie bag. After 15 minutes or so, the camera should be warm enough to take out. If the bag is wet on the outside, let it warm up a while longer.
If you forget the bag and your camera starts "sweating", take it back outside fast and go back in and find a bag. Bag it and then come back in and let it warm up.
John Naman
Equipment Manager
photos@jnaman.com
Member
News |
Laura Howell had 4 images juried into the "Small Wonders" show - a juried exhibition of fine art, photography and sculpture with the League of Reston Artists. This show is located at the Herndon Art Space Gallery, 750 Center Street, Herndon, VA and runs from November 3 - December 6.
Laura Howell
lhowellphotos@yahoo.com
Wayne Wolfersberger
During November Wayne Wolfersberger presented a program on Nature Photography for the Washington School of Photography, a program on Photographing Wildlife for the Chantilly High School Photographic Club, a program on Photographing Yellowstone in the Summer to the Reston Photographic Society and also served as photographic competition judge for the McLean Photographic Club.
Wayne will also have approximately eight exhibition prints on display at the Herndon Art Space's Sapphire Gallery (located next to the Herndon Library) during the month of December.
From now until February, three exhibition prints are hanging in the Plum Center for Community and Adult Education in Springfield.
Wayne Wolfersberge
NVPS Executive Board 2008-2009 The elected and appointed board members for the 2008-2009 club year can be found at http://nvps.org/main/about/board-members/. |
Announcements |
Explore the City. Urban Surface. Urban Space. A Study in Black & White Photography. Through Sunday, January 3rd; Photoworks Gallery, Glen Echo Park, MD
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 5th @ 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Nov. 15, 2009 |
Photo Critique Workshop - Participants provide 10 favorite and/or most representative photographs ( prints or electronic files). I critique the photos in depth, using the same criteria I use as a photography judge, and encourage each of you to participate in the assessment of the other people’s photos as well. $75/person. Max 5 persons. 6:00 PM. |
Dec. 13, 2009 |
Photo Critique Workshop – same as above |
Roy Sewall
301-530-6720
roy@sewallinc.com
www.roysewallphotography.com
Jan25-29 |
Photograhic Creativity Explored – Bill Campbell - $899 |
Feb 22-24 |
Fine Art Creations – Bill Campbell - $599 |
March 6 |
Make Lightroom work for you- Rob Sheppard - $99 |
March 8-10 |
Lightroom hands on- Rob Sheppard & Bill Campbell - $599 |
All events held in Oak Ridge, TN, just outside of Knoxville, TN; approximately 1 hourr away from Great Smoky Mountains NP
Bill M Campbell
865-805-9142
bcphoto3@mac.com
Dec 4 -6, 2009 |
Workshop on the beautiful Eastern Shore of Maryland. Focus on shooting the historic towns of St. Micheal’s and Oxford including a chance to get out at night and shoot long exposures of reflections on the water and city lights on the charming main street of St. Micheal’s. Cost: 295.00 with a 10% discount for NVPS members. |
Joseph Rossbach Photography
www.josephrossbach.com
Office: 410-919-8001
Mobile: 443-942-2717
April 6-27, 2010 |
Master Class with Dr. Flash ($300) Four-week hands-on studio class at Glen Echo PhotoWorks helps you master small flash units and studio strobes. Students will learn still life, tabletop and portraiture techniques in step-by-step demonstrations and individual exercises with professional flash gear. Level: Intermediate. 7-10:30pm. |
Thurs. eve., April 22-May 20, 2010 |
Tasting Menu: Photography from A to Z ($325) Spend an enjoyable five weeks learning all aspects of photography from an acclaimed photographer/author. Frank will cover a different subject each week, including basics, portraiture, flash, still life and landscape, in a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Film or Digital. All levels 7-10:30pm |
Thursday, May 27th or Thursday, June 3rd, 2010 |
Flash Photography Demystified ($95) Intimidated by your flash? One-evening short course will help you beat it into submission. Practical tips, creative ideas from lighting master Frank Van Riper. All levels. 7-10pm |
Sunday, March 7th or Sunday March 21st, 2010 |
Field Trip: National Gallery of Art, East Wing ($150) Rain or shine, endless opportunities for shooting--people, architecture, abstracts--all in wonderful light. Lunch at gallery cafe for ongoing critique and discussion. A brief organization meeting a week before; final critique during potluck dinner at Frank's home. A very popular event. All levels. 11a-4p |
Contact: GVR@GVRphoto.com or www.glenechopark.org
Summer, 2010 Starting Mondays: July 12th, 26th |
New Summer Photo Workshops in Down East Maine Nationally acclaimed husband and wife photographers Frank Van Riper and Judith Goodman have inaugurated a series of week-long summer photography workshops in the picturesque town of Lubec, Maine, the easternmost point in the United States, featured prominently in Frank’s Pulitzer-nominated book Down East Maine/ A World Apart. Limited to only six participants a week, will cover all aspects of photography: landscape, portraiture, documentary, product, flash, etc. Tuition is $550. Program administered through the SummerKeys Music Workshops. www.summerkeys.com |
http://talkingphotography.com/archive/2009/photowork.htm
3/31 - 4/7/2010 | Paris. Spend a glorious week in Paris next spring with Chan Chao, an exhibited and published photographer. Participants will take photographs and participate in critiques on a daily basis to gain knowledge and experience. $2,800 w/o airfare. |
Angela Iovino
202-669-1562
chantchao@verizon.net
info@culturalstudyabroad.com
http://culturalstudyabroad.com/europe/paris/
1/11 – 1/17 | Photo tour to Bosque del Apache and White Sands, New Mexico - Visit Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, the world-famous winter home for tens of thousands of migrating Sandhill Cranes and Snow Geese. Next travel to White Sands, famous for its undulating white gypsum dunes, dotted with solitary yucca plants for beautiful landscape photographs. Fee includes all instruction in the field, lodging and all meals $2295 |
1/18 – 1/24 | Photo tour to Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Antelope
Canyon Arizona - Photograph in the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon at first
light, the towering buttes of Monument Valley with its spiritual Indian
feel, and inside Antelope Canyon, the most beautiful slot canyon in
the southwest. Unique rock formations, gnarled trees, and fiery orange
rocks make these locations exciting and moving at all times of day.
Fee includes all all instruction in the field, lodging and all meals $2495 |
4/18 – 4/24 | Photo Tour Great Smoky Mountains, Tenn. - Waterfalls and Wildflowers - With one of the greatest varieties of wildflowers in the world, this mountainous park bursts forth in an unrivaled display of blossoming color. Also see some of its most beautiful and accessible waterfalls, and enjoy the many streams that tumble over smooth rocks on their journey down the mountainsides. Fee includes all instruction in the field, lodging in a luxurious private lodge overlooking the Smokies, and all meals $1895 |
10/9 – 10/17 | Photo Tour and Photoshop / Lightroom workshop, Outer Banks of NC - Two separate workshops, take one or both. The photo tour segment is a blend of photographic instruction and a pristine location. The Photoshop segment will improve your knowledge of Adobe Bridge, Camera Raw, Lightroom and Photoshop and increase your workflow efficiency. Fee includes all instruction, lodging at a luxurious beachfront house, and all meals. $1175 per segment |
Mollie Isaacs
757-773-0194
awakethelight@cox.net
www.awakethelight.com
Josh Taylor’s fall workshops/classes/lectures are posted on his web site at archiphotoworkshops.com. There are classes for Canon camera owners, field trips, and photography opportunities for all skill levels and camera models. Also, check out Josh’s blog for tips on how to shoot dramatic images, creative post-processing techniques, and where to find and access the some of the best places to shoot.
Josh Taylor
archiphotoworkshops.com
The NVACC web page can be found at: www.nvacc.org. The combined calendar for the NVACC can be found at: http://www.nvacc.org/Calendar.html.
During the period 1998-2008, as part of an effort to promote communication and cooperation among area camera clubs, NVACC founders developed a series of booklets to capture the considerable expertise of the many accomplished photographers in Northern Virginia and to share it with others.
For years, printed copies of these booklets were made available through member clubs for a small fee that covered the cost of reproduction. [But hard to find in recent years].
Now, however, the booklets are again available: http://nvacc.org/Field%20trips%20Guidebook/NVACCPublications.html
Individuals are invited to download one machine-readable copy and one print copy for personal, noncommercial use. Written permission from NVACC is required for any other use.
In recent years, photography has seen significant change as an art form and there has been an explosion of technical advances in both photographic media and tools for example, digital and film as well as cameras, lenses, computers, and software). For that reason, the detail of some of these booklets may seem dated. However, the ideas and techniques presented transcend both progress and the digital-film divide.
We remain committed to sharing artistic and technical know-how. Thus new booklets as well as revisions to the existing ones that incorporate new technology and ideas will appear here.
If you have questions, suggestions, or comments concerning our booklets, please contact us at JoeMiller@NVACC.org.