Volume 50 – No. 2.4	Founded 1965 – our 49th Year	October 2014
The Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society
Editor: Alan Goldstein – Email: editor" at "nvps.org
Table of Contents President's Message New Service Provided Monthly Program Education and Training Competition September Competition Results Portfolio Forum Members' Gallery Fifth Tuesday Field Trips Board of Directors Announcements    Members News    Exhibition Opportunities    Workshop Offerings Want Ads Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs Editor Calendar 10/7 Monthly Program: Cindy Hobgood 10/14 Education & Training: Software Suites 10/21 Competition: Judging by Josh Taylor 10/25 Field Trip: Georgetown, Washington, D.C. 10/28 Members Gallery: Gallery Prints: Sandi Croan Gallery Digital: Bill Von Holle 10/28 Forum: Trip to South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia - Sandi Croan
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 PM at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. The doors open at 6:45 PM for a "meet and greet." Although we have not have 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

ROI (return on your investment)…

OK, you have paid your dues. Whether you are a new member or an old member to the Northern Virginia Photographic Society you may not know all the benefits of club membership and how NVPS can help improve your photography.

Websites

• http://nvps.org/home/ = the NVPS main website that contains detailed information about the club
• https://www.facebook.com/nvpsphoto/timeline = the official Northern Virginia Photographic Society Facebook page. It provides a quick way to check on current NVPS meetings, etc.
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/NVPSPhoto/ = the Northern Virginia Photographic Society Social Group Facebook page. Membership is restricted to club members. This group was formed to facilitate club member's social activities outside of club meetings. If you are looking for friends to join you on photo safaris, this is where to look.

Our main website has a few ways to find information. Explore the topics under the tabs at the top:

Or you can type a topic into the white Search box.

Monthly Club Activities

1. Programs given by outside speakers. These are both educational and entertaining. On October 7, 2014 Cindi Hobgood will present a program on iPhoneography
2. Education and Training nights offer presentations and, sometimes, hands-on experiences on a wide range of topics. On October 14, 2014 we will learn about Image Processing Software.
3. Competition is a great way to learn. If you listen carefully to the judge's critique of your images and images from other members, it is amazing what you can pick up! The sub-menu of Competition includes links relevant to the
• monthly competition announcements (who is judging)
• rules of competition (consult to determine the correct Class and Category for your submissions)
• competition results (images of winners from previous competitions)
• competition themes (for the current year and next year so you can plan ahead)
• competition upload (the place to submit your images; contact our VPs of Competition, Jamie Kiechlin or Beth Morris for this year’s upload passwords or with other questions.)
4. Members Gallery and Forum showcase NVPS members. These are another place to pick up tips. Members present their own prints and digital images and are available to answer questions on How did you do that? Forum speakers often transport us to the far corners of our world with their images and discuss the special techniques necessary to capture these images.

Other Activities

1. Get your "gotcha" questions answered at the Ask Me a Question table running between 7-7:30 PM before Tuesday meetings. Our Membership Coordinators, Amy Lybarger and Joy Brathwaite, began this new initiative in September.
2. Attend meetings that offer critiques by our own members; oftentimes these are more detailed than the competition critiques.
3. Participate in the Portfolio Project. This is a disciplined, year-long project where you create a portfolio of your photographs covering a subject of your choosing under the guidance of club members . Type Portfolio Project into the white Search box for details.
4. Go on a Field Trip with club members. An October 25th a trip to Georgetown to photograph local fall leaves has been planned. Contact this year's Field Trip Coordinators Bob Friedman and Mike Whalen for details.
5. Search Members Resource List for NVPS members who have volunteered their expertise to help you with your photography questions.
6. Under All Things NVPS, click on NVPS Photo Gallery to get inspired by winning images from competition, field trip photos, portfolio projects, and more.

General Interest

1. Within the NVACC Alliance sub-menu you will find a history of the alliance plus links to a series of free PDF booklets that capture the considerable expertise of many accomplished Northern Virginia photographers. Booklet topics include night photography, multiple exposure, infrared photography, etc. http://nvacc.org/Booklets.html
2. f stop provides summaries and links to a variety of past Forum presentations including one by yours truly: Getting your photos out of your computer!  Must reading before the holiday gift-giving season!
3. Local Photo Destinations provides a wealth of information for planning photographic getaways in the Washington DC area.
4. Find out which NVPS members are having photographic success in Member News. Who’s exhibiting where? Who’s being published?

Enjoy the benefits of your NVPS membership in this, our 50th year!

Georgette Grossman

New Ask Me a Question Table!

How do I do that? Why does that happen?

Our Membership Coordinators launched the inaugural operation of the Ask Me a Question Table on September 16th (competition night). The table will be open from 7:00pm to 7:30pm before the meeting. Two of our more experienced photographers will be manning the table.

The Ask Me a Question Table will provide an easy way to get answers to your “gotcha” photography questions — simple or complex. If Mike and Willa are unable to answer your question, they will point you in the direction of someone who can.

Monthly Program

October 7th: Cindy Hobgood: iPhoneography

For more than 25 years, Cindi Hobgood traveled the world scouting film and television locations for major Hollywood studios… thus the name of her Washington based photo tour company, SCOUT Photo Expeditions!

Location scouting for the entertainment industry sent Cindi and her camera to more than 20 states and 10 countries where she found the perfect stage for the boy to kiss the girl, the battle to be waged, or the child to romp in the jungle. During the scouting process Cindi would photograph hundreds of locations in countless ways in order to translate a “sense of place” to the directors, production designers, and cinematographers on a given project.

Cindi scouted locations for more than 160 projects, including Separate But Equal, The Patriot, Jungle Book, The Notebook, Dear John, The Amazing Race and Wheel of Fortune; working for Paramount, Columbia Pictures, Disney, New Line Cinema, HBO, United Artists, Republic Pictures, and Sony among others.  Cindi worked for some of the most highly recognized and established producers and directors in the industry.
An award-winning photographer, Cindi studied photography at UNC Chapel Hill in the Radio, Television, Motion Picture department. She went on to study at Savannah College of Art and Designand after Hurricane Hugo, headed to California to attend Brooks Institute of Photography.

In recent years she is known for using the iPhone as a creative tool and has been recognized internationally for her distinctive style of art. She has exhibited her work at various galleries across the United States, garnering numerous awards, most notably The Mobile Photo Awards, winner of the “Perfect Photo” Category, The Best Mobile Photography and Art Images of 2013 and has given workshops and presentations at numerous events as wide ranging as corporation functions to the National Conservation Lands Foundation. She currently leads workshops across the country, an upcoming workshop in Italy and teaches at Montgomery College.

Cindi Hobgood is a member of Destination DC (the Washington, DC Convention and Tourism corporation) and Women Photojournalists of Washington.

The Co-VPs for Programs for this year are Tami Stieger and Willa Siegel.

The line-up of speakers for this Society year is as follows: (Stay tuned for the details)

Education & Training

October 14th: Using Various Software

E&T will present a short talk on software options available for photographers — what options are available, what to look for in selecting software, and how to maximize what you probably already have.  After the talk, club members with knowledge of Photoshop CS, Lightroom, Photoshop Elements, and various plug-ins will be available at clearly marked tables to answer questions.

The schedule of Education and Training presentations for this season are as follows:

The Education and Training Coordinator for this year is Tom Pratuch.

Competition

The theme for October's Competition Night, October 21 is "Water"

Josh has presented photography workshops at the Smithsonian National Orchid Show, U.S. National Arboretum, U.S. Botanic Garden, Brookside Gardens, Sarah P. Duke Gardens, American Horticultural Society Garden School, Adkins Arboretum, and Longwood Gardens. In addition to being a Canon Camera instructor, Josh speaks at camera and garden clubs, judges photographic competitions, and exhibits his photographs in gallery shows. He is a member of Garden Writers Association, National Association of Photoshop Professionals, and member and past president of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society. Josh was voted best garden club speaker in 2005 and was a judge for the 2009 Garden Writers Association National Media Awards and the 2010 Mid-Atlantic Nature Photography Expo. Longwood Gardens selected Josh as its Instructor of the Month (October 2010) and was a selected photographer to assist the public in photographing Bruce Munro’s Light: Installations (2012). His web site is at Joshuataylorphotography.com

Josh’s passion for the craft of photography is the inspiration for his photographic images. His compelling images of architecture, garden and outdoor subjects convey his passion.  He hopes that his images will inspire, captivate, and teach others to experience his joy and love of photography. Through his insight and visual perception, common sights in the man-made and natural environment become more meaningful and take on greater significance. In other words, the ordinary becomes the extraordinary through Josh’s photographic vision and personal style. In his work, he wants the viewer to see that a “good” photograph doesn’t just happen; rather, it is made by the photographer.

The Co-VPs for Competition for this year are Jamie Kiechlin and Beth Morris.

Competition Themes for 2014 – 2015

Here are the Competition Themes and the dates for the remaining themed competitions.

Water – October 21

From a single drop to a mighty ocean, and anything in between, water is the theme of this monthly competition. It can be still or moving but liquid water must be a key subject of the image.

Oldies - January 20

Still-Life - February 17

For this theme, a still-life is defined as an artistic arrangement or collection of non-moving inanimate objects, either natural or man-made. The arrangement can be arranged by the photographer or someone else such as in a store-front window of flower bouquet. Please, no architectural subjects such as buildings or bridges, people, landscapes or moving objects for this theme. The still-life must be the main subject of the image.

Street Photography - May 19 

For this theme “street photography” is defined as a photograph featuring 1) the human condition or 2) the relationship or interaction between people and their surroundings. A street photo example could be a candid, semi-candid or spontaneous (but not staged) photo of a person (or persons) in a public, private or open place doing something other than posing for you to take their picture.

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.

September Competition Results

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

Digital

Class 1
1st-Robert Granger Benson, "Detail Korean War Memorial"
2nd-Ron W. Tharp, "Blue Ridge Rays"
3rd-Alan Goldstein, "Snatching A Snack"
HM-Colena Turner, "Bend In The Road"
HM-Lester Miyaoka, "Protea"
HM-Willa Siegel, "Kilauea Rocks!"

Class 2
1st-Chris Todd Langford, "Journey"
2nd-George Karamarkovich, "Flare On Short Final"
3rd-David E. Stossel, "Haunted House"
HM-Jamie Kiechlin, "Clown Down"
HM -Susan Lynn McPherson, "Monarch"
HM -Thomas Pratuch, "2 Puffins Looking"

Class 3
1st-Susan Phillips, "White Wing"
2nd-Ken Lanfear,  "Storms"
3rd-Mike Whalen, "Under the Pier"
HM-Bill Corbett, "Assawoman Great Egret"
HM-Fran Bastress, "Antelope Anatomy"
HM-Tuan Q. Pham, "Fog On Severn River"

Prints

Class 1
1st-Randy Ihara, "Serengeti Sunset"
2nd-Joy Brathwaite, "Utah Mountain"

Class 2
1st-Jamie Kiechlin, "Crabtree Falls"
2nd-Ginger Werz-Petricka, "Water Lily"
3rd-Kevin Egan, "Poulnabrone Dolmen"
HM-Carol Tharp, "Meeting Room – Mission San Jose"

Class 3
1st-Mike Whalen, "Ghana Village Wall"
2nd-Dennis Gavoni, "Here’s Another Stick Honey"
3rd -Ken Lanfear, "Sunset Clouds Off Rehoboth Beach"
HM-Fran Bastress, "Desert Razzle-Dazzle"

Monochrome

1st- Tami Stieger, "Peace Be With You"
2nd-Tom Brett, "Snow Tracks"
3rd-George Lafko, "Eyes In Times Square"
HM-Ginger Werz-Petricka - "Dupont Circle Metro"
HM-Dennis Govoni, "I Think I Can"
HM-Bill Corbett, "Mallard in Mud Flat"

Some winning images from September:

Clicking on any of the images above will display a larger version of the image. These were the highest-level winners in each category who provided permission to use their image this month.

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 (smaller is ok, but not too small).

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

Portfolio Project 2014-2015

As the club year begins it is time once again to announce the Portfolio Project, a nine month exploration of a photographic theme starting in September 2014 and running to mid May 2015.  All club members of all skill levels are encouraged to participate.

As a learning experience doing a portfolio is invaluable.  You will choose a theme, craft an artist statement, capture the images and then present them to the club as a finished portfolio. Your portfolio may include some images already taken, but it's a good idea to enhance the learning experience by including primarily new images taken over the program year. 

This project presents an excellent opportunity to create a collection of your best images that exemplify the objectives of the theme you choose and your Artist's Statement. These should be images you would be proud to share with others for years to come. 

To see what other club members have achieved over the years in their portfolios visit the club website at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/Portfolio+Project/ .

This year’s co-chairs for the project are Ginger Werz-Petricka and Ceasar Sharper.

Forum

October 28th: "Sandi Croan Goes to Africa"

On October 28 join Sandi Croan on her one-month photographic journey through South Africa, Zambia and Namibia.

Sandi traveled to Africa from May 11 to June 7, 2014. She was actually at 30,000+ feet above during the End Of Year Banquet. Sandi and her husband, Jerry, went to Johannesburg; Livingstone, Zambia; Mala Mala (a private game reserve that shares borders with Kruger National Park); Capetown and wine country in South Africa.

Sandi kissed Jerry goodbye in South Africa and then flew to Namibia to start a 12 day workshop with Ian Plant and Richard Bernabe. All through Namibia, Sandi couldn't help thinking of her idol, Freeman Patterson. Freeman's images of Kolmanskoppe (the old german mining town that has been taken over by desert) and the dunes at Soussesvlei were the inspiration for taking this journey.

Armed with two micro 4/3 Olympus cameras (OMD E5 and M1) on either shoulder and three lenses (one on each camera and the other in a waist pack) and a tripod, Sandi traveled light compared with the other participants of the workshop. See what you think of the results!

Sandi's biography:

Sandi Croan is an independent photographer from Centreville who has been living in Northern Virginia since 1978. She specializes in landscape, nature, and travel photography with an eye for capturing the unique and creating fine art for homes and offices.

Sandi has won numerous competitions and awards for her fine art photographs. She has been awarded Photographer of the Year and Print of the Year numerous times as well as Versatile Photographer of the Year by Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS) and won both Best in Show and 2nd Place at the juried Meadowlark Photo Expo in Vienna, VA. Her images have been selected to be put on permanent display at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the Joseph Miller Center for the Photographic Arts. She has been juried into numerous art shows including; the prestigious VisArts of Rockville Exhibitions, Fairfax County Council of the Arts Show (Unlocked), and The Fraser Gallery International Photography Exhibition as well as many others. Sandi was a featured artist in Elan Magazine, and her photograph “Blue Lagoon” was on the cover. She has also had photographs published in other local and national magazines.

Sandi has sold many of her photographs to private, corporate and government clients, and does shows for businesses and other local events. In addition, Sandi has recently/or currently is displaying her art at Broadway Gallery, The Blue Iguana restaurant in Fairfax, Meadowlark Gardens, Cub Run Recreation Center, Trummers on Main Street Restaurant, and the Fairfax County Government Center.

Sandi has been an active member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS) since 2004 and has served in a variety of board positions. She served as President of NVPS for two terms from 2009-2011.  She also is a speaker and serves as a judge for area photographic clubs, competitions and exhibitions. Sandi will also be presenting some of her prints during the Member's Gallery on October 28. (See below)

You can see a sample of Sandi’s work on www.sandicroanphotography.com.

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The Forum Coordinator for this year is Susan Phillips.

Members Gallery

October 28, 2014 - Prints from Sandi Croan and Digital Presentation from Bill Von Holle

On October 28, Sandi Croan will present her prints and Bill Von Holle will present his digital images for October's Members Gallery.

Bill Von Holle has been an active member of NVPS for 15 years. He is an avid amateur photographer, specializing in wildlife and travel photography. His interest in photography began as a teen when he used his dad's Brownie to take black-and-white negatives and set up a dark room in the basement to develop and print. Since then he made numerous color slides and prints of his growing family as they lived in various parts of the country.

He and Beth have four children, each born in a different state! More recently, Bill renewed his interest in photography when he joined the NVPS. Through help from the NVPS competitions, expert lectures, and hands-on demonstrations, he has continuously improved of his photography skills. Bill has won numerous awards in the monthly and the end-of-year competitions, as well as having had several prints juried into the Nature's Visions and previously Meadowlark Photography shows.

He currently shoots with a Pentax K-5 II  and an underwater point and shoot with several lenses to cover the range of 10 to 300 mm, including a macro and a 50 mm portrait lens. He is retired from government service after 20 years as a scientist with the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board staff and at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. He volunteers part time at the Smithsonian Natural History Museum shooting macrophotography of small specimens in the Invertebrate Zoology Department. Here are two examples of Bill's photography:

	Spring Reflections
Washington Monument at Dusk

Sandi Croan is an independent artist from Centreville who has been living in Northern Virginia since 1978. Professionally, she has been a registered Physical Therapist, Director of Personnel and Administration at a Social Science Consulting Firm, and President and Co-founder of a personnel staffing agency.

Sandi has always looked at the world through the lens of a camera. She has been taking photographs for family, friends, and her own gallery since her first "Brownie" camera. Over the past 15 years, she has gotten much more serious about portrait, landscape, nature, and travel photography. Now, she is devoting herself full-time to her photographic passion, and constantly striving to capture that special moment in time.

Sandi has been juried into the prestigious ArtSpace Herndon Fine Art Photography Competition, George W. Glennie International Digital Competition, Nature Visions Photography Expo, VisArts of Rockville, Fairfax County Council of the Arts Show (Unlocked), The Fraser Gallery International Photography Exhibition, Art At The Mill, Oatlands Plantation Art Show, Aldie Mill Art Show, and the Meadowlark Photography Expo. Sandi has sold many of her photographs to private, corporate and government clients, and does shows for businesses and other local events.

The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this year is Colena Turner. Presentations schedued for this season are:

Fifth Tuesday

September 30th: Education and Training Night

Small Group Discussions

Small group discussions between members on “how-to” and “what about…” of various photographic subjects – architecture, macro, etc… NVPS did something similar two years ago on cameras to give most people a reference point for the style of the night. Look forward to seeing you there! Your club “level” is not what’s important here. It’s the willingness to share information and help others.

Field Trips

October 25: Field trip to Georgetown, Washington, D.C.

The October field trip will be held in the Georgetown area of Washington, DC. Fall leaves should be at or near peak at this time and offer a colorful accent to other interesting sights such as the waterfront, Key Bridge, the C&O Canal, and historic homes and buildings around Georgetown University.

We will plan to meet at Georgetown Waterfront Park on the benches near the intersection of Wisconsin Ave and Water Streets at 7:15AM. Sunrise occurs at 7:27AM and this should give us time to capture Key Bridge being lit up by the morning sun. There are many interesting photo-ops in and around the waterfront including the beginning of the C&O Canal and a few remaining large smokestacks from long ago. Later we will relocate around the GU campus and see the medieval style of the main buildings including the famous clock tower. Then we will walk the residential areas and see historic and colorful homes with fall decorations.

As Georgetown “wakes up” on Saturday morning, opportunities for street photography should also be available.

There should also be plenty of parking along Water Street. Remember to bring many quarters since the meters are checked on Saturdays in this area. Also note that in most residential areas a special DC permit is needed to avoid ticketing.

This will be a walking tour, so please wear comfortable footwear.

Note: Please check the NVPS website for more specific details of this field trip as the date approaches.

Please email Bob and Mike at field-trips@nvps.org if you are interested in attending this field trip or have any questions. Important: Please provide your name and cell phone number (before Oct. 25) where we can contact you in case of changes or postponement due to weather.

If you are interested in meeting up with other NVPS members to do a less formal photo shoot, check out the club's Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/NVPSPhoto/

If you are looking for other interesting photo destinations in the DC area, the club has descriptions of a number of lesser known photo destinations in the DC area at: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=140

There is also a club site on Flickr and although it has been relatively inactive over the past few years, it is still up and available for Flickr users who are willing to share: https://www.flickr.com/groups/thenvps/pool/

Board of Directors

Chuck Campbell has had to resign from the Board as Co-VP of Competition. Jamie Kiechlin  has accepted the position. The following is an updated list of our elected officers for program year 2014-2015. A full list of all current NVPS Board members and their club contact information can be found at: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=23

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.

Photoworks Master Lecture Series

October 25 - November 15, 2014, 1-2 PM
Join four master photographers as they talk about their work and their passion for the telling image:

Saturday, Oct. 25, 1-2 pm:  Frank Van Riper: Photographing in a Foreign Country
Saturday, Nov 1, 1-2 pm:    James Steele: The Eloquent Black and White Landscape
Saturday, Nov 8, 1-2 pm:    Frank Herrera: The West Virginia Crosses: My Guggenheim Adventure
Saturday, Nov 15, 1-2 pm:  Karen Keating: Snapshots of Photo History--Process & Personalities

$15 advance ticket purchase
$20 @ the door
$50 for the full four-lecture series -- a savings of $10

Four veteran photographers—all of them award-winning, internationally acclaimed and brimming with experience and great stories—will inaugurate the Photoworks Master Lecture series next month at Glen Echo Park in partnership with 2014 FOTOWEEK DC, a celebration of photography in the Metropolitan Region.  The four photographers are long-time instructors at Photoworks, who among them have decades of teaching and real world experience to share.

Tickets to the events are $15 in advance, $20 at the door, or save $10 and RSVP for the full series -- all 4 lectures for $50.  Space is limited and first-come, first-served.  The four lectures will be held on four consecutive Saturdays, from 1-2 PM, in the newly-restored Annex building next to Glen Echo’s historic Spanish Ballroom. RSVP for the Photoworks Masters Lecture Series by sending an email to photoworks.gallery@gmail.com.  We'll send you a confirmation email, with instructions for payment.

Frank Van Riper
Internationally acclaimed photographer, journalist and author Frank Van Riper will kick off the Master Lecture series on Saturday, Oct. 25th with a lavishly illustrated talk entitled “Photographing in a Foreign Country.” Frank, who leads photography workshops in Maine, Umbria and Venice with his wife and professional partner Judith Goodman, is the author of five books, including the international bestseller Serenissima: Venice in Winter. In his talk Frank will combine gorgeous landscape and documentary photography with practical hints on how these photographs were made. This lecture follows Frank’s first Photoworks lecture last Spring, entitled ‘See the Light’ that drew back-to-back sold out audiences.

James Steele
Acclaimed landscape photographer James Steele’s arresting black and white landscapes have been compared to those of the late masters Ansel Adams and Edward Weston. Working primarily in medium and large format, Steele's "scapes" of land, sea--and the human body--represent the finest in traditional and digital photographic imagery. Jim, who will lecture on November 1, has studied with Cole Weston, George Tice, Joyce Tenneson <http://www.tenneson.com/> , Christopher James <http://www.christopherjames-studio.com/index.html> , Carson Graves, and Martha Casanave <http://www.marthacasanave.com/> . Besides teaching at Photoworks, Jim has taught at the Art League School in Alexandria, Va., at the Smithsonian, as well as at VISARTS. His work can be seen in studio #343 at the Torpedo Factory Arts Center in Old Town.

Frank "Tico" Herrera
The most senior of the speakers in the Photoworks Master Lecture Series, Frank ‘Tico’ Herrera has been teaching at Glen Echo since Photoworks began more than 40 years ago.  An unsurpassed black and white darkroom printer, in 1985 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to document clusters of Roman crosses that were being erected all over West Virginia by a millionaire businessman as part of a religious mission called “Cast Thy Bread.” This effort, as well as Tico’s large format, black and white photos, generated both news and controversy. Besides showing “lots of pictures” and telling "lots of stories" during his appearance on November 8, Tico will discuss “the effect(s) on the vernacular landscape by the introduction of dogma-laden symbols and vice-versa.”

Karen Keating
Rounding out the Master Lecture Series on November 15th will be Karen Keating, an acclaimed documentary photographer and author.  Keating, who also is the Director of Photoworks, as well an award-winning 25-year darkroom photography teacher at Washington’s Field School, will present “Snapshots of Photo History--Process & Personalities.”  The lecture will cover the highlights of photography’s 175 years:  from early processes, to important personalities like 'Father of Photography' Alfred Stieglitz, to Farm Security  Administration (FSA) photographers of the Great Depression, to war photographers from the Civil War to the present. Karen also will discuss the digital revolution in photography as well as the fascinating cross-fertilization that occurs when old and new technologies mix.

Photoworks Photography School and Gallery is a true community of artists and students -- devoted to the art of both film and digital photography.  Celebrating over 40 years of photography in the arts enclave of Glen Echo Park, MD, Photoworks is a creative force for visual arts in Montgomery County, and was recently honored as an Outstanding Partner in the Arts at Glen Echo's 2014 Gala In the Park.

For more information about Photoworks, please visit www.glenechophotoworks.org or follow us on facebook at glenechophotoworks.

National Geographic Society Seminar

Unearth the mysteries of nature and outdoor photography. Photographers Michael Melford and Eddie Soloway will teach you to approach the unique challenges of good nature photography and how to convert a multi-sensory world into a small, two-dimensional representation. Capture spaciousness, dynamic energy, quietude, and the simplicity of natural phenomena, as our pros show you how to photograph natural settings and awe-inspiring landscapes. This seminar will be held October 12 from 9 am to 4 pm at the National Georgraphic Society's headquarters. For more information, please see http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

Also from the National Geographic Society

Travel provides transformative experiences; it can even change your life. But how do you capture that kind of emotion with your camera? How do you go beyond showing what a place looks like to convey how it felt to be there?

Find out how to up your photography game when you're exploring the world by joining Nat Geo Travel Director of Photography Dan Westergren for a live photo walk on Thursday, October 2, in Washington, D.C., at 1 p.m. EDT. Monica Corcoran, the managing editor of Your Shot, Nat Geo's tight-knit photo-sharing community, will be joining Dan from our headquarters, along with standout Your Shot photographers from around the world.

Use hashtag #PhotoWalkDC to ask questions to our panel of experts about travel photography, photo editing, and capturing an authentic sense of place. Don't have a Google+ account? Click here on Thursday, October 2, at 1 p.m. EDT to join us for the Hangout.

2nd annual Southwest Astro-Photography (SWAP) Seminar

The 2nd annual Southwest Astro-Photography (SWAP) Seminar will be held October 29-31 at the Tucson Convention Center- Tucson, Ariz.  Registration is now open!  The primary hotel is the Hotel Tucson Inn Suites . Informal 'Comrades in Arms' roundtable sessions will be held at the hotel on Wednesday, with formal sessions at the Tucson Convention Center the following two days. Be sure to choose your preferred topic on the registration form.
Get REGISTERED now!   Full details are at http://www.scienceandastronomy.com/swap-2014/

Members' Resources:

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

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

Members' News:

Our members routinely receive photo awards and recognition and have images in shows. As FotoFax only comes out monthly, the best place to look for current events is on the website at:
http://nvps.org/main/member_news/

Willa and Bob Friedman

Members Willa and Bob Friedman had a total of five images juried into the City of Alexandria, Art in City Hall exhibit.   The Art League and the City of Alexandria, in conjunction with the mayor’s initiative to promote the arts citywide in Alexandria, continue to support Art In City Hall. This juried exhibit enhances the environment of Alexandria’s City Hall and promotes the talents of local artists.

	Willa's "Chinese Calligraphy"   (below) Bob's "How Many Zebra"

 

Jan Ponder, Karen Saunders, and Willa Siegel

Three NVPS members won awards for their photographs in the “Picture This” winners – Photography Show at the Vienna Arts Society.   115 Pleasant Street NW, Vienna, Va. Nikhil Bahl was the judge. The members and their awards are:

2nd Place: Jan Ponder; Morning Dew
3rd Place: Karen Saunders; Moon Hill Village, Yangshuo, China
Honorable Mention: Willa Siegel; Mysterious Calla

Jan Ponder

Member Jan Ponder's photo encaustics are being displayed at the Fairfax County Government Center, 6507 Columbia Pike. The display is by the supervisors offices and will be shown September through November 30. Photo encaustic is the process of combining a photograph with encaustic medium and paint. More importantly, though, is the manner in which the encaustic medium actually transforms a photograph, the paper it’s printed on and the interaction with backlight.

David Heagy

Member David Heagy was selected by American Automobile Association Travel to lead a 10-day eastern Caribbean Photography Cruise from March 3 to 13, 2015, aboard the Grandeur of the Seas leaving from Baltimore, Md. If you are interested, contact David at: 703-790-2600.

Ellis Rosenberg

Member Ellis Rosenberg's image (below) was selected for publication in the June issue of Florida Currents magazine. The image was published in the section of the magazine called "Parting Shot" and he was awarded $25. "Not enough to retire on but fun anyway," Ellis says. He reports that he "plopped" his three-year-old granddaughter, Elise Rose Badgley, on an oversized couch and took the shot.

Susan Phillips, Karen Saunders, and Mike Whalen

Three NVPS members—Susan Phillips, Karen Saunders, and Mike Whalen—had winning images in the 8th annual Washington Gardener Photo Contest (http://washingtongardener.blogspot.com/2014/08/you-are-invited-to-garden-photo-show.html). A reception for all winners was held Sunday, August 31, at the Meadowlark Visitor Center's lobby.

Judy McGuire

Judy McGuire has two photos published in the Virginia Wildlife Magazine's Annual Photography Contest Showcase. Shenandoah National Park Black Bear won Honorable Mention in the Furry Critters category and River Farm Fritillary won Honorable Mention in A Bug's Life.

Exhibition Opportunities

Fifth Annual Joseph Miller Juried Abstract Photography Exhibit

Entries for the Fifth Annual Joseph Miller Juried Abstract Photography Exhibit will be accepted starting December 27, 2014, and the deadline for submission of entries is February 25, 2015. If the four previous Joseph Miller Annual Juried Abstract Photograhy Exhibits are any gauge, this fifth exhibit will show examples of outstanding abstract photographs and should not be missed by serious photographers and anyone interested in art.

Further information, including a definition of abstract photography and a calendar of important dates can be found on the www.NVACC.org website. Click on Abstract Exhibit. 

Last year there were 421 entries received from 101 photographers in four states and South Africa and 116 were in the exhibit. Several hundred folks visited the exhibit. All the comments were positive and praised the quality and variety of the images in the exhibit. Sales exceeded expectations and one image was sold twice (two different buyers). 

Nature Visions 2014 Update

The 2014 Nature Visions Expo will be Friday, November 14 - Sunday, November 16 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center on the Prince William Campus, George Mason University Rick Sammon will present the Friday all day seminar and be the keynote speaker.

The Nature Visions website opened for Expo registration on August 1. Members who registered their e-mail with NatureVisions are eligible for a $30 discount off their registration fee. A link for the discount was sent to each member on August 1. Members should register for workshops as soon as possible because the more popular ones will fill up fast.

There will be a substantially smaller requirement for volunteers this year than in past years because an Event Planner has been hired to fill most of the positions. The primary need will be for set up on Friday night and take down on Sunday evening. Only individuals with juried images will be required to volunteer.

To be eligible to enter images you must be a club member in good standing, i.e., be current in dues. Each member may enter up to 6 images in the Nature exhibit at no cost and up to an additional 4 for a fee of $20. Each member may enter up to 2 images in the Fine Art exhibit. Judging for the nature exhibit will be in the following categories: birds, wildlife other than birds, macro/closeup/other (all images to include insects, spiders, flowers, etc.),water, landscapes and flora.

There are no categories in the Fine Arts exhibit. Abstracts hall be submitted in the Fine Arts exhibit.

Images will be submitted digitally for judging and only juried images will have to be printed.

Digital submissions for the Nature and Fine Arts Exhibits ended September 24. Judges will conduct their review and make selection of juried images from September 25 - October 14. Announcement of juried images will be made on October 15. Prints of the juried images will be collected until Tuesday, November 4.

John Quigley
Nature Visions Rep

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/index.php/events