Family photos – are yours snapshots or great shots?

The holidays are times for families and friends to celebrate together. As a photographer, chances are you will be asked to take some photos at these occasions. Make the images more than just records of time; try to make them memorable.

• You will probably be shooting indoors. It’s time to dust off your flash-photography skills. Read a little — see links below for starters, then brush up on using your own equipment. Finally, practice before the event under the same lighting conditions, if possible.
• Effective Use of Speed Lights for Better Photography, Jim Jenkins
  http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/NOVA-Photographic-Society-Flash-Workshop.pdf
• Balancing flash and natural light, Darlene Hildebrandt, Digital Photo Mentor
  http://www.digitalphotomentor.com/balancing-flash-and-natural-light/
• Off Camera Flash Techniques For Dramatic Portrait Lighting, Ron Clifford and Darlene Hildebrandt
  http://www.digitalphotomentor.com/off-camera-flash-techniques-portrait-lighting/
• Manual Flash Exposure Basics, Bryan Peterson
  http://www.adorama.com/alc/0013025/article/Manual-Flash-Exposure-Basics

• Start a tradition: photograph the group in the same place each year. Set up a tripod and use a remote so YOU can be in the picture too.

Have fun with your holiday photography! It may take you out of your comfort zone and challenge your skills, but the rewards will be great. You will have made images that will become family memories.

Georgette Grossman

The Ask Me a Question Table!

The Ask Me a Question Table continues in operation each Tuesday from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm before the meeting. Two of our more experienced photographers will be manning the table.

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

Joy Brathwaite and Amy Dixon
Membership Co-Chairs

Monthly Program

December 2nd: Mollie Isaacs – Abstract Photography

Our Speaker for December is Mollie Isaacs of “Awake the Light.” Her presentation will focus on Abstract Photography.  

Mollie has been a professional photographer and experienced teacher for over thirty years.  Her specialties include nature and macro, as well as portraits of children and families.  She has studied with Ansel Adams and Joyce Tenneson, as well as others.  

Mollie's photography career has taken her to many different places and allowed her to meet many notables and dignitaries.  She has photographed many famous faces, including those of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, jazz musician Wynton Marsalis, actress Meryl Streep, actor Gary Busey and former Virginia Governor L. Douglas Wilder.  

Molly is a 15 time winner of the prestigious Kodak Gallery Award, considered by many to be the "Oscar" of photography.  Her work is displayed as part of the Permanent Collection of the International Photography Hall of Fame.

Mollie enjoys traveling and teaching, and has led workshops to many interesting places.   Her web site is at www.awakethelight.com

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:

Education & Training

December 9th: Drops & Drips Photography –
   Tami Stieger, Ginger Werz-Petricka, and Kevin Egan

How do you get a shot like that?

Come join us for a fun interactive workshop. Learn how to capture splashing water drops and water drop refractions. Ginger, Tami and Kevin will share their setups and techniques with you.

Bring your camera, macro lens if you have one, a tripod, an extra memory card if you want to ‘borrow’ a camera, and your imagination.  Be prepared to have some fun!

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

Important Notice

Hello NVPS!!!    We have had a few minor issues over the first three months of competition that we would like to address.

1.  For those of you competing in any of the print categories, please mat your images well.  The firehouse can get warm at times, especially in the winter months, and if your image is not matted properly, the mats will start to pop off as we saw during November's competition.  I know you want to use those mats and backs again but please make sure there is enough tape to keep this from happening on the night of competition.  The Co-VPs always have a box of emergency items and that's what its there for but we went through all three rolls of our emergency fix–it tape Tuesday night, 18 November.

2.  For those of you competing in digital categories...if your image won't upload, please double check the following: make sure the upload ID and password are correct.  These are case sensitive so being just one letter off will prevent you from uploading.  Also, please make sure your image is the correct size.   An incorrectly sized image will also prevent you from uploading.   Make sure you are also submitting before the Sunday 6 pm deadline.  Images cannot be accepted after that time.   The guidelines for these are on the NVPS website under the competition link.   The Co-VPs are always here to answer any questions you may have regarding images but cannot always help you with tech support.  If your ID/password are correct, the image size is also correct, and it is before 6 pm but your image is still not uploading, you can also contact competitionsupport@nvps.org for help.   We are lucky to have a really great, responsive tech team but please remember that they are volunteers as well and they will respond to you as soon as they possibly can.

3.  Lastly, and again for those of you competing in the digital categories, please make sure you do not watermark your image in any way for competition.  I know that watermarking with your name is a preset on export that many of us use, but please make sure that you do not do this for your competition images.  Images should  and need to be anonymous to the judge.   For those of you who include your name on export, I would suggest making a NVPS competition export  preset that would leave the watermark off and resize your image for competition at the same time.

As always, if you have any questions regarding these or any other items you can email us at competition@nvps.org or competitions@nvps.org

Thanks,
Beth and Jamie

December 16th: Judging by Roy Sewall

There is no theme for December's Competition Night, December 16th.

Roy Sewall 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 BS in Physics from Case Institute of Technology in Cleveland and a MS 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.

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.

No theme, Time limtation is waived - January 20, 2015

Still-Life - February 17, 2015

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, 2015 

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.

November Competition Results

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

Digital

Class 1
1st Place – Kirk Andrew Johnson, Next Stop…Capitol South
2nd Place – Joy Brathwaite, In Honor
3rd Place – M.Paula Newman, Soft Petals
HM – Betty Jean (BJ) France, Natural Patriotism
HM – Bill Millhouser, Autumn Waterfall
HM – Eric Brent Ottinger, Hedge
HM – Robert Granger Benson, Pensive Clown

Class 2
1st Place – David Heagy, Easter Island Sunset
2nd Place – John R Eppler, Hummingbird with Trumpet Flower
3rd Place – Claire Louise Carroll, Silversword
HM – Michael Steven (Steve) Wilcox, Monarch on Goldenrod
HM – Thomas Pratuch, Colors

Class 3
1st Place – Mike Whalen, Dewdrops
2nd Place – Amie Tannenbaum, Golden Loop
3rd Place – Emi Wallace, Fence At Appomatox
HM – Kieu-Hanh Vu, Trees and Harvest Moon
HM – Vivian Luu, Having Breakfast

Prints

Class 1

1st Place – Geoffrey Parker, Pot Man
2nd Place – Granger Benson, Acadian Sunrise
3rd Place – Eric Ottinger, Early Morning Scull
HM – Andrew Savino, Agave Cactus

Class 2

1st Place – Ginger Werz-Petricka Crossing, The Grand Canal
2nd Place – Jim McDermott, Acadian Reflections
3rd Place – George Karamarkovitch, Jockey's Move

Class 3

1st Place – Bob Friedman, Ahmed and Two Camels
2nd Place – Caesar Sharper, Heron Reflection
3rd Place – Dennis Govoni, The Light at the End
HM – Sandy Croan, Cheetah Stalking
HM – Bill Corbett, Wet Kit

Monochrome

1st Place – Jay Heiser, Patio Furniture
2nd Place – Tami Steiger, Let's Go Fishing
3rd Place – Tom Brett, Sand Fence
HM – Kip Holdridge, We'll Walk Together
HM – Ginger Werz-Petricka, St. Maria Della Salute
HM – Kevin Egan, Domes of the Grand Mosque

Some winning images from November:

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 Update

Hopefully the cold snap hasn't frozen everyone's fingers and you can still to take pictures for your portfolio. 

I have gotten a couple of questions recently, such as, do you need an Artist Statement by the review in January?  Yes, you do.  The Artist Statement lays out your purpose and intent.  Go back to our posting from January 2013 and read the excellent article on creating a statement.  Also, look through the gallery of past portfolios and see what other people have said about their pictures.  You can always change the statement later as you develop your concept further, but the statement is the outline of your concept, it not only tells the reviewers what you had in mind, but it can act as a guide in choosing the best images for the final portfolio.

To answer another question that has been asked, the first review will be a projected presentation only, You don't need books or prints for now. 

And lastly, if you aren't ready to join the project now, no worries, You can join the project up to the beginning of April, but I hope you don't wait that long. We would like to have you join our group and hear your input.

Happy Shooting!  Ginger

Ginger and Ceasar
The following is from a presentation on the portfolio project. You can also download this presentation by clicking on this link: Portfolio Handout 9-30-14

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

Field Trips

December 13: D.C. at Night

D.C. at Night,  Saturday, December 13th, 2014

"Have you ever wanted to create beautiful night photos but it was completely dark when you found the right spot and subject? Well the bluehoursite.com web site will help you by calculating the best time frame for taking stunning blue hour pictures. If you don't know what is "blue hour" then you're in the right place. It refers to the time after the sun goes below the horizon and the sky goes into deep blue for a while. This is the best timing to take photos"*

Let's meet at 4:00 PM at the parking lots near the Jefferson Memorial, directions below.

Sunset is 4:47PM. The blue hour is from 5:04 to 5:42 pm

What to bring?  Besides a camera, a tripod is a must. A cable realease is helpful for long exposures.

Mike and Bob

Directions:  Take I-395 North.  As you cross the 14th Street bridge get in the right lane and exit to Southwest Freeway at the end of the bridge.  Stay in the right lane and take the first exit to Potomac Park (Park Headquarters), exit 2.  Turn right at the first stop sign (Buckeye Drive).  Then turn right at next stop sign, Ohio Drive.  Go to the second parking lot on the right.

* http://www.bluehoursite.com/

Board of Directors

The following is the 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

NatureVisions

2014 NatureVisions Nature and Fine Arts Exhibits 
 
Members of the NVPS fared very well at this year's NatureVisions. Sandi Croan's image Sossusviei 427 was selected by the judge's panel as Best in Category for Landscapes and winner by popular vote of the People's Choice Award for the Nature exhibit. Terry Luettinger's image Aspen Glow- Fall Colors in Colorado was selected by the judges as Best in Category for the Flora category. Kevin Egan's image The Corner of Headlight and Vine was voted the People's Choice Award for the Fine Arts exhibit.

Here is the list of images by NVPS members selected for the Nature People's Choice and traveling exhibit.

Here is the list of images by NVPS members selected the Fine Arts People's Choice award and the traveling exhibit.

Twenty-nine, NVPS members had 99 images juried for the thirteenth annual NatureVisions Nature Photo Expo exhibit. In addition, twenty-eight members had 36 images juried for the Fine Arts exhibit.
 
In the Nature exhibit Stanley Bysshe led with eight images juried followed by Sandi Croan with seven, Marilyn Gaizband with six and Susan Phillips, Sam Schaen Ceasar Sharper, Dennis Govoni and Claire Carroll with five; and Fran Bastress, Kevin Eagan, Curtis Gibbens, Jim Norman, Tuan Pham, Willa Siegel, and Ginger Werz-Petricka with four. Members could submit up to ten images for the Nature exhibit. More than 1,100 images were submitted
 
In the Fine Arts exhibit Claudia Copeland, Georgette Grossman, Kip Holdridge, Mike Whalen, Robert Skerman, Susan Phillips, and Tom Brett had two images each juried. Members could submit two images for the Fine Arts exhibit. over 250 images were submitted for judging

For the first time images were submitted digitally and judged on line by a three-panel judge for the Nature exhibit and a single judge for the Fine Arts exhibit. Mollie Isaacs, Mary Louise Revese, and Alan Defelice were the Nature judges and Jim Steele judged the Fine Arts.

NatureVisions 2014 was held at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, George Mason University, Prince William Campus, 10960 George Mason Circle in Manassas November 14 -16.  Award winning nature photographer and author, Rick Sammon was this year's Expo keynote speaker.
 
Submitted by:
John Quigley
NatureVisions Rep

Sandi Croan Sossusviei 427 Best in Category for Landscapes	Terry Luettinger Aspen Glow – Fall Colors in Colorado Best in the Flora category
Kevin Egan The Corner of Headlight and Vine People's Choice Award for the Fine Arts exhibit

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.

New NANPA National Capital Area Meet-up started

The North America Nature Photography Association (NANPA) is sponsoring a Washington Area focused on wildlife, landscape and macro photography. NVPS member John Eppler is one of the four co-organizers for the meetups. The meetup is expected to have a minimum on one event each month focused on nature, that may include tours to natural areas or lectures to increase exposure and learning of nature photography. Photographers interested in nature photography are encouraged to  join the meetup (membership in NANPA is not required). The first meetup has been scheduled for Friday, November 28, 2014 called “Breakfast Bell for the Eagles” at Conowingo Dam in Maryland. For more information, please go to: http://www.meetup.com/NANPA-Nature-Photography-Group-of-the-National-Capital-Area/

North America Nature Photography Assn. (NANPA) Summit

February 19 – 22, 2015, in San Diego, Calif. - The North American Nature Photography Association holds summits that focus on learning and networking for amateur and professional photographers. Several seminars are offered with professional photographers, such as, Frans Lanting, Dewitt Jones, Nevada Wier, Flip Nicklin, Steve Winter and many more. You will have to opportunity to meet legendary photographers, learn new techniques, improve your business practices and support nature conservancy all at the same time. There are schedule photo walks in the chaparral and the San Diego Zoo. For more information go to: http://www.naturephotographysummit.com

ArtSpace Herndon 2015 Fine Art Photography Competition

ArtSpace Herndon invites  photographers from Virginia, DC, Maryland, and West Virginia to  participate in the /2015 Fine Art Photography Competition. The competition is open to fine art photographers aged 18 or older working  in any medium (digital or analog, color or monochrome), and using any printing technique. Fine Art Photography of any subject is welcome; 
there is no required theme for entries.

Finalists for the Competition  will make up the 2015 Fine Art Photography Exhibition at ArtSpace  Herndon in the Nelson J. and Katherine Friant Post Gallery. The exhibit  will run from February 24 through March 22, 2015. Finalists will be
notified via email. $800 in cash prizes will be awarded at the judge’s discretion.

Entry deadline is January 20, 2015, at 2 p.m.Visit The ArtSpace Herdon web site for details.The competition’s judge is Carla Steckley.

Bryan Peterson is coming to Baltimore!

A popular speaker at NatureVisions this year, award winning photographer, contributing magazine editor, and book author Bryan Peterson will be giving an all-day seminar on the Art of Seeing on Sunday, February 8, 2015, at the Doubletree Hotel  Baltimore BWI Airport. This seminar, presented by the Creative Photography Society, will be the only seminar given by Bryan in Maryland, Pennsylvania, D.C., or Delaware during 2015.  For more information or to register: http://CreativePhotographySociety.com. The registration fee is $99. For further information, see Info@CreativePhotographySociety.com

Register before January 1, 2015 and your name will be automatically entered into a drawing for a 100% refund of the seminar admissions fee!

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/

John Eppler

John Eppler has an image of a blue poppy taken at Longwood Gardens has been selected for publication in the North American Nature Photography Association’s Currents Magazine 2015 Showcase Edition.

Fred Siskind

Fred Siskind  had a photo of a parasitized tobacco hornworm in the 2014 GRIT Guide to Homestead DIY Projects.  GRIT publishes magazines focused on rural America.

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.

Exhibition Opportunities

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/

Mason District Supervisor's Office Photography Exhibit

The office of Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross has offered NVPS their walls to show our work.  The supervisor likes to have art on the walls in the center which is on Columbia Pike in Annandale.  It isn't a very large space, and we can hang about three dozen pictures.  We have the area from approximately March 1 through May 31, 2015.  Supervisor Gross likes images of the local area.  So, there is still time to photographic some great places in  Fairfax County.  More information will follow as we work out the details. — Willa Friedman, Coordinator of Exhibits Other than Nature Visions

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).