Volume 50 – No. 6

Founded 1965 – our 49th Year

February 2015

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The Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society

Editor: Alan Goldstein – Email: editor" at "nvps.org

 
Table of Contents

President's Message
Ask Me A Question
Monthly Program
Education and Training
Competition
January Competition Results
Forum
Members' Gallery
Field Trips
Board of Directors
Announcements
   Members News
   Exhibition Opportunities
   Workshop Offerings

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Editor

Calendar

2/3 Monthly Program: Steve Gottleib – 24 Things to Think About Before You Press the Shutter
2/10 Education & Training: Black Light       Photography – Scott Musson
2/14 Field Trip: Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Va.
2/17 Competition: Judging by Steve Gotteib
2/24 Members Gallery:
      Prints by Tami Steiger
      Digital Presentation by Alan Goldstein
2/24 Forum: David Heagy – Tips On Travel
      Photography , Ireland, Patagonia and ....
  

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 had any problems for many years, do remember to lock your car and place valuables out of sight, as we should in any public parking area. Come early and visit, but when the meeting starts, PLEASE take seats immediately and silence your cell phone, pager or any other device that might make noise and distract listeners or interrupt speakers.

Please check the website and FotoFax for the club's policy on weather closings. Check WTOP www.wtop.com or Fairfax County School systems web site for closings. You can also sign up for emails or cell phone alerts: http://www.fcps.edu/news/emerg.shtml

President's Message

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

Sometime in February there will be snow… you just know it! Are you prepared to get some great images? Do you have the right gear? How do you adjust your settings so your snow is white not gray? How can you post-process to make these images more compelling? Check out these sites for all the information you will need to get great show shots:

  1. Thirteen tips for photographing snow by Nick Kelsh.
    http://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2014/12/27/nicks-photography-tips-13-tips-for-photographing-snow
    If you have an hour to spend, his video shows some of his 13 tips including post-processing. The video is sprinkled with some “promos” but I found some of the visual tips interesting, especially his outdoor lantern lighting.
    http://vimeo.com/114700423
  2. Fifteen Beginner Tips for Winterand Snow Photography by Allen Mowery. This article covers gear, shooting techniques, and what to do when you are back home.
    http://www.diyphotography.net/15-beginner-tips-winter-and-snow-photography/
  3. Five Uncommon Snow Photography Tips That Can Transform Your Winter Scenes by James Maher. He illustrates some interesting post-processing ideas.
    http://digital-photography-school.com/5-uncommon-snow-photography-tips-that-can-transform-your-winter-scenes/
  4. Winter Photography: professional tips for working with seasonal light and textures by Jeff Meyer. Shows how to make the most of the light and textures that are prevalent in winter.
    http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/12/06/winter-photography-professional-ways-of-working-with-seasonal-light-and-textures/
  5. How to Photograph Winter Landscapes by Moose Peterson. He shares his great winter landscape photos and tips. Moose is a Nikon Ambassador.
    http://www.nikonusa.com/en/Learn-And-Explore/Article/ghsbd99p/moose-peterson-how-to-photograph-winter-landscapes.html
  6. Canon DLC: Article: Photographing Snow. The Canon Digital Learning Center editor talks about in-camera metering and Canon metering modes.
    http://www.learn.usa.canon.com/resources/articles/2011/qt_photograph_snow_article.shtml
  7. Changing the Look of Falling Snow, Corey Hilz. Corey gives visual examples for photographing falling snow..
    http://www.coreyhilz.com/blog/2014/01/changing-the-look-of-falling-snow/
Stay warm and have fun shooting the snow when it arrives,

Georgette Grossman

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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

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Monthly Program

February 3rd: Steve Gottlieb – 24 Things to Think About
       Before You Press the Shutter

Steve Gottlieb is the photographer / author of the widely acclaimed books, Abandoned AmericaAmerican Icons and Washington: Portrait of a City. Literally thousands of his photographs — from his books and assignments — have been published worldwide. Gottlieb’s commercial images have been recognized with such awards as "Advertising Photograph of the Year" in both NYC and Washington, D.C.

In 2005, Gottlieb founded Horizon Photography Workshops, which American Photo magazine selected as one of the “12 Awesome Travel Workshops in the United States.” (www.horizonworkshops.com) He is a frequent speaker on photography and creative/innovative thinking.

A graduate of Columbia University’s College and Law School, Gottlieb practiced law in private firms and the federal government for ten years before turning his photography hobby into a vocation. He is a competitive tennis player who has been ranked #1 in four different age divisions in the Mid-Atlantic region. Father of two grown sons, Gottlieb divides his time between Chesapeake City, Md., and Washington, D.C.

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

The line-up of speakers for the remainder of this Society year is as follows:

DATE SPEAKER
March 3 David Blechman
April 7 NVPS 50th Anniversary Celebration
May 5 Brian Zwit

 

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Education & Training

February 10th: Black Light Photography with Scott Musson

On Tuesday February 10th, Scott Musson will share his extensive experience with Black Light/Ultraviolet photography.  The evening will consist of a lecture describing the techniques and the tools required, followed by demonstration of one technique Scott uses in shooting Black Light Photography and an opportunity for you to try this technique with several setups.

The lecture will also describe several techniques that Scott has used to create award-winning photographs using Black Lights and ordinary items like a Slinky.  Black Lights make fluorescent colors “glow” and create an unusual affects that help you to look at things in a whole new way.

Black Light photography it particularly well suited to macro and abstract photography, so this is an opportunity to try something new and different with your camera. Bring your camera, tripod and a lens that allows close focus, such as a macro lens. If you don’t have macro, just bring what you have.

This session will include a demonstration of new setup using compact florescent lamps and a few new props. So even if you’ve seen this presentation before, there will be something new!

We look forward to a fun and educational evening that we hope will inspire you to try this unique lighting technique on your own.

About Scott:

Scott Musson is a photographer, glass artist, lecturer and frequently critiques, speaks and judges at photography organizations and clubs in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. A Photographer of the Year for the Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS), Scott has published a photo calendar with his wife, Emi for the past twelve years.

“Photography is a natural extension of my love for travel”, says Scott. “While I’ve taken pictures all my life, it wasn’t until I was older and could afford to travel that my passion for photography truly developed. I love the whole process of photography: planning a shoot, getting up early to catch the light, processing the images (nowadays digitally), and printing and matting.”

Scott has a passion for photography in and around water. He has been capturing images while snorkeling for a number of years. “I would snorkel everyday if I could,” Scott says, and tries to make several excursions a year to the tropics to enjoy this aspect of photography. Additionally Scott enjoys architectural, glass and black light photography.

Scott and his wife Emi have had a number of photographs used in the sets of major motion pictures. Scott’s photo Lightning Steve was a prominent backdrop in the motion picture Wonderful World starring Matthew Broderick.

Scott is a past president of NVPS and served on its board for several years. He has received the NVPS “Versatile Photographer of the Year” award and the “Advanced Photographer of the Year” award for Prints and Digital Projected Images.

Scott blogs about photography and posts images at his website at www.scottmusson.com. Please stop by for a visit any time!

“Every day we walk by beauty and wonder in this world, but often we fail to recognize it. My love of photography has brought me new vision and new appreciation for the common, ordinary and familiar objects in our world. As we commute to work, or go about our daily business we only need to use the lens of our imagination and appreciation of light to see beauty in the world.

Learning to see is a journey, not a destination.

Each day we can expand our vision by opening our mind and looking at our world in new an interesting ways.”

Examples of Scott's work:


Spiral-tini

21 Saturated Waves

The schedule of Education and Training presentations for the remainder of this season is as follows:

Date Subject Presenter
10 March “A Gift of Beauty and Peace” Tuan Pham
31 March Swap Meet E&T
14 April Nature Vision John Quigley/Roger Lancaster
12 May Portfolio Project - final Ginger Werz-Petricka/Caesar Sharper

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

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Competition

February 17th: Judging by Steve Gottlieb

The theme for February's Competition Night, February 17th, is Still Life. 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 or 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.


NVPS would like to welcome Steve Gottlieb as our judge for the February competition. The theme is “Still Life” and submitted images must be taken recently within the last two years.

Steve Gottlieb’s images — from architecture to people to landscapes — have been featured in Shutterbug, Popular Photography, American Photo, Rangefinder, and Photo District News, among many others. He has been recognized with such awards as "Advertising Photograph of the Year" in both NYC and Washington, DC. He is the photographer—as well as author and designer—of six books, including American Icons, Washington: Portrait of a City, FLUSH: Celebrating Bathrooms Past & Present, and Abandoned America; the latter book was selected by both People magazine and USA Today as "Gift Book of the Year." Shutterbug has proclaimed Steve "a gifted photographer and author." www.gottliebphoto.com

Through Horizon Photography Workshops, Steve leads travel photography workshops in the western U.S. and in Europe. American Photo magazine called Horizon “One of the 12 Awesome Travel Workshops in the United States.” http://www.horizonworkshops.com

Steve also leads workshops to promote innovation, change and teambuilding in businesses (www.visionmining.com) and an entertaining and insightful presentation/keynote talk entitled, “25 Pictures/25 Stories.” (http://www.25pictures25stories.com ). A graduate of Columbia University College and Law School, Steve practiced environmental law for a decade before turning his life-long hobby into his vocation. He divides his time between Washington, D.C., and Chesapeake City, Md.

Jamie Kiechlin
Beth Morris

Co-VPs Competition – competitions@nvps.org

Competition Themes for 2015

Here is the Competition Theme and the date for the remaining themed competition.

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.

January Competition Results

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

Digital

Class 1
1st Place: Willa Siegel, Tulip Play
2nd Place: Robert Granger Benson, Leesylvania Pier at Sunrise
3rd Place: Lester Miyaoka, Sweet Gum Pods
HM: Amy Dixon, Negative Tree
HM :Bill Millhouser, Just One Sip
HM: Bill Millhouser, World War II Memorial at Night
HM: Kirk Andrew Johnson, Father and Son Moment in La Jolla
HM: M. Paula Neumann, Protected Harbor

Class 2
1st Place: Karol Murray, Winter
2nd Place: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Forgotten Ledger
3rd Place: George Karamarkovich, Golden Eagle
HM: Georgette Grossman, Monterey Jellyfish

Class 3 
1st Place: Tami Steiger, Blossom Sunrise
2nd Place: Christopher Langford, Blue
3rd Place: Fran Bastress, Cassie with Deer
HM: Amie Tannenbaum, Feather under Glass
HM: Charles O. Cecil, Sylvie
HM: Mike Whalen, Fall Colors

Color Prints

Class 1 
1st Place: Geoffrey Parker, Amazigh Boy in Atlas Mountains
2nd Place: Yvonne Jarrett, Day is Done

Class 2 
1st Place: Lea Schlosser, Little Green Men
2nd Place: Carol Tharp, Cathedral Rock Sunset
3rd Place: Bill Von Holle, Baboon Family

Class 3 
1st Place: Mike Whalen, Paris Café at Night
2nd Place: Bill Corbett, Shelter from the Storm
3rd Place: Tami Steiger, Flags In
HM: Dennis Govoni, Indian Pipe

Monochrome 
1st Place: Ceasar Sharper, Gather Up, Boys
2nd Place: Kevin Egan, The Giant's Causeway
3rd Place: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Together
HM: Willa Siegel, Hawaiian Orchids
HM: Mike Whalen, Ghana Village Bread Making

First Place images from January:


Class 1 Digital - 1st Place
Willa Siegel
Tulip Play

Class 2 Digital - 1st Place
Karol Murray
Winter

Class 3 Digital –1st Place
Tami Steiger
Blossom Sunrise

Class 1 Print — 1st Place
Geoffrey Parker
Amazigh Boy in Atlas Mountains

Class 2 Print — 1st Place
Lea Schlosser
Little Green Men

Class 3 Print — 1st Place
Mike Whalen
Paris Café at Night

Class 3 Monochrome — 1st Place
Ceasar Sharper
Gather Up, Boys

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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 FotoFaxIf you have not provided permission before that deadline, another winning entry may be used.

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Forum

February 24th: Tips For Your Travel Photography            Satisfaction with David Heagy

David Heagy's presentation Tips for your Travel Photography Satisfaction includes telling the story of your trip in a photo book, increasing quality of enlargements for your wall, factors affecting your satisfaction, equipment to take,  photographs when you or the subject are moving, protecting images and equipment, editing shortcuts, and four important photographs before you leave. He will also include photographs of his favorite travel photography locations.

David is an award winning photographer who has photographed a wide variety of U.S. and foreign trips. He has presented his travel photography class for Calumet University, Vermont Bicycle Tours, Vienna Community Center, and AAA Midatlantic Travel.

David was selected as the Vienna Photographic Society's 2013-14 Photographer of the Year, and received their William S. Graybill Memorial Award.

 He has a degree from the School of Photographic Arts and Sciences at Rochester Institute of Technology. David was a photographer in the U.S. Marine Corps, was responsible for the image quality of National satellite imaging and display systems, and still helps government and commercial organizations design and use satellite imaging systems. He is Vice President for Judging in the Vienna Photographic Society. You can see examples and read his blog at www.imageryx.com

Examples of David's photography:


Forum Presentations for 2014-2015
Date Presenter Subject
March 24 Mike Whalen A Retrospective of His Work
April 28 Beth Morris Trip to Scotland
May 26 Dan Ward Astro Photography

The Forum Coordinator for this year is Susan Phillips.

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Members Gallery

February 24, 2015 - Prints from Tami Stieger and Digital Presentation from Alan Goldstein

On February 24, Tami Stieger will present her prints and Alan Goldstein will present a digital love story for February's Members Gallery.

Tami Stieger. Tami’s love for photography began in high school. The scents of the darkroom pulled her in. She started using her dad’s Pentax 35mm. For graduation her parents bought her first camera, a Nikon 2000. Tami studied commercial art and photography in college.  As a stay-at-home mom, Tami used her creativity and skills teaching others how to organize, design and preserve their memories.

Years later, Tami’s passion was reignited when her husband gave her the best present ever. Dave surprised her with a Canon T2i which opened up the new world of digital photography. Dave continues his support and encouragement by taking weekend trips, being a chauffeur, carrying her gear and providing feedback.

Tami has been a member of NVPS since September 2012. Since joining NVPS, she has served on the board as the Membership Coordinator and Co-VP of Programs. Tami received NVPS Versatile Photographer of the year awards in both 2012 and 2013. The friendships and knowledge Tami has gained means more to her than anything.

Through the lens Tami has made wonderful friendships and has created works of art. She enjoys volunteering and photographing veterans with the Honor Flight program. When Tami isn't photographing veterans, you can find her wandering around our national treasures or enjoying a weekend of fishing with her husband. 

She is a Canon photographer, her favorite piece of gear is her 7D Mark II and her go-to lens is the Tamron 24-70.  

 “I enjoy sharing my passion and love of photography with the hope for you to feel as though you are standing by my side while I capture these moments in time. In our busy world we tend not to see the beauty in everyday situations and in the simplest of objects.“

Examples of Tami's photos:





A member of NVPS since Septembr 2012,  Alan Goldstein has been involved in some way or other with photography for the past 54 years (not bad, considering he's only 29!)  It all began with a science teacher instructing him on the art of film developing.  At that time, he was using a Kodak Brownie.  Veering off during his teen-age years to using a movie camera, he returned to still photography during his college years and while working as a reporter for his hometown newspaper.

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

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

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

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

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

Retired from the Navy in 1994 and retired from Civil Service in 2011, Alan is happy to spend his time making images.  He loves photographing just about everything, but really likes night scenes and landscapes.

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

Examples of Alan's work:

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

Gallery Date Digital Presenter Print Presenter
March 24 Kip Holdridge Benita Mayo
April 28 Kieu-Hahn Vu Willa Siegel
May 26 Patricia Deege Roger Lancaster


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Field Trips

February 14th: Udvar-Hazy Center, Chantilly, Va.
Saturday morning 10 to Noon. 

General: The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Centeris part of the Smithsonian Institution and one-half of the National Air and Space Museum. It is located near Washington Dulles International Airport in Chantilly, Va., and is a massive structure with open, hangar-like settings that accommodate large aircraft and spacecraft, as well as entire collections of aviation and space artifacts.
The Museum's collection encompasses some 60,000 objects ranging in size from Saturn V rockets to jetliners to gliders to space helmets to microchips. Fully one-third of the Museum's aircraft and spacecraft are one-of-a-kind or associated with a major milestone.Three connecting hangars hold hundreds of aviation and space artifacts including the Space Shuttle Discovery; the B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay; a NASA android; Charles Lindbergh memorabilia; space science instruments; and pilot and astronaut equipment and gear.
Photography: Standard zooms and mid-sized telephoto lens would work best. Bring a camera bag or backpack but it will be searched at the security entrance.
Note: Sorry, tripods are not allowed in the museum so please leave it at home or in your car.
Meeting Time and Place: Members should plan to meet just inside the entrance near the welcome center shortly after 10 am.
Driving Directions: From Washington, D.C., and points south: Take I-66 West to Route 28 North (Exit 53B): Travel on Route 28 North for 5.3 miles. Exit at Air and Space Museum Parkway and follow the signs to the Udvar-Hazy Center.
From Washington, D.C., and points north: Take I-495 West (Capital Beltway) to the Dulles Toll Road West (Route 267). Exit the toll road at Route 28 South (Exit 9A) and travel south 3.5 miles. Exit at Air and Space Museum Parkway and follow the signs to the Udvar-Hazy Center.
From points west: Take I-66, Route 29, or Route 50 East to Route 28 North.
Cost:  Entranceto the museum is free butpublic parking is $15.

More information can be found at http://airandspace.si.edu/
Mike and Bob
Field Trip Coordinators

Date Location
March Return to the Antique Trucks, Columbia, Va.
April 15-19 (Tentative) Overnight to New York City
May Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave, Philadelphia, Pa. 

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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

Elected Board
President Georgette Grossman president" at "nvps.org
Co-VP Programs Tami Stieger programs" at "nvps.org
Co-VP Programs Willa Siegel programs" at "nvps.org
VP Operations Kevin Egan operations" at "nvps.org
Co-VP Competition Jamie Kiechlin competition" at "nvps.org
Co-VP Competition Beth Morris competition" at "nvps.org
Treasurer Tom Brett treasurer" at "nvps.org
Secretary/Historian Fran Bastress secretary" at "nvps.org

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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.

2015 George W. Glennie Nature Photography Competition

This is a notice seeking interest in members participating in the 2015 George W. Glennie Nature Photography Competition. This is a digital competition only.

The competition is sponsored by the Merrimack Valley Camera Club in North Andover, MA. The competition attracts entries worldwide and last year almost 100 clubs participated. The Glennie is a club competition and each club may submit no more than 10 images with no more than two images by each maker. A complete description of the competition, competition rules and competition categories can be found on the Merrimack Valley Camera Club web site at http://mvcameraclub.org/comp-interclub/comp-interclub-01-glennie.htm

Assuming there is sufficient interest, in January I will post guidelines for our club competition to select the 10 images for Glennie. A qualified, non NVPS member will judge the images and make the selection. The judge's decision is final. Please be aware the Glennie rules require strict adherence to the PSA definition of nature photography and the judge for the club competition will be instructed to apply this definition to his selections. The PSA definition is on the Glennie website.

Please note the club submission date to Glennie is February 4, therefore to allow time for judging I must have your images by January 26.

If you are interested please let me know by e-mail at jhquigley@msn.com. I will also have a signup sheet at our meetings beginning in January.

John Quigley 
NVPS Exhibit Coordinator
jhquigley@msn.com

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

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, swend an e-mail to Info@CreativePhotographySociety.com


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/

Kirk Johnson

Member Kirk Johnson had a photograph, Dragonfly Taking a Breather, selected as Photo of the Day on the Shutterbug.com website (I've attached the photo).   The article accompanying the photo says: “Today’s Shutterbug Photo of the Day is wonderful close-up of a dragonfly by Kirk Johnson.  Johnson captured the image with a Nikon D3100 and 55-300 mm lens at the 300 mm focal length, 1/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 400.” To enter Shutterbug Photo of the Day, post an image in the Shutterbug Photo of the Day Gallery and include your real name and some background on the image (how and where it was shot; the story behind the image; gear and settings used etc.) in the description field to qualify.

 

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 five photos published in the January/February 2015 issue of Bird Watcher's Digest 
illustrating an article on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Fred's images, from left, top to bottom: Female pintails, Snow geese, Royal terns, Greater black-backed gull, and Avocets.

 

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Exhibition Opportunities

The Hylton Center's Second Annual Juried Exhibition

The Hylton Center is hosting its Second Annual Juried Exhibition to celebrate the region's vibrant visual arts community. A distinguished panel of judges will jury submissions and choose the top entries to be exhibited in the Hylton Center's Buchanan Partners Art Gallery from May 17-June 28, 2015. Along with the honor of being chosen to exhibit, the following awards will be announced at a reception on Thursday, June 11. Award recipients will receive a certificate, a cash prize, and the winner of "Best of Show" will have an opportunity to exhibit their work in a solo show in the Buchanan Partners Art Gallery during the 2015-2016 season. Submissions are due between February 1, 2015 - April 1, 2015. For more information, see http://www.hyltoncenter.org/gallery/juried.html

NVPS Photography Exhibit, March 31 to May 31

Think about the exhibit to be held in the office of Mason District Supervisor Penny Gross from March 31 to May 31. The office 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.    There will be a sign up sheet at meetings until we have the number of images we need.  This show will not be juried – I will accept the first 25 to 30 images listed.  It will be necessary to have a limit of one framed photo per person.

The subject matter will be loosely limited to Fairfax County and may not have recognizable people.

There are additional opportunities to hang photos coming up; watch for announcements as we get closer to the dates.

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

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/

Fifth Annual Joseph Miller Juried Abstract Photography Exhibit

Entries for the Fifth Annual Joseph Miller Juried Abstract Photography Exhibit will be accepted until 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). 

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Workshop Offerings

Speakers and competition judges for NVPS are offered the opportunity to have notices about up-coming tours and workshops in FotoFax for two years after the date of their NVPS program.

Steve Gottlieb – Horizon Photography Summit

Steve Gottlieb will be presenting the Horizon Photography Summit in Wilmington, DE, the weekend of Feb. 28 and Mar. 1.  He has just added one last instructor to the Summit roster, Deb Sandidge, who will give two presentations: "Creative Techniques for the Nature Photographer" and "Long Exposure Creativity."   Vanelli (he skips the first name) has just written a thoughtful, informative article about the value of photography training...and various places to find it.  http://photofocus.com/2014/12/04/is-formal-photography-training-necessary/.  Vanelli will lead two Summit classes ("Shooting Portraits—Sports & More," and "Click to Print" on the art of digital workflow) on Feb 28, plus a half-day "Lightroom Crash Course" on Friday afternoon, Feb. 27.    Photoshop Plug-In Guru John Barclay, a big hit at last year's Summit, returns for two presentations. John has pointed to a great introductory deal on a cool new Topaz plug in called "Glow." Normally $69.99 but $49.99 as an introductory offer through the end of December. http://bit.ly/12K37kC And, for the first time, we're offering hands-on workshops and other training on Friday, Feb. 27.  More info about the instructors, their websites, our Friday workshops, etc. are at: www.horizonworkshops.com/summit

Location: Arsht Hall, University of Delaware, 2800 Pennsylvania Ave., Wilmington, Del.
Dates: February 27, 28 and March 1 (Friday, Saturday & Sunday)
Admission:

  • Register by 1/31/15: $160 (Sat or Sun); $280 (both days)
  • Register after 1/31/15: $180 (Sat or Sun) $320 (both days)
  • 10% Discount if four or more NVPS club members attend.

Free Parking. Check website for lodging information.
Website: http://horizonworkshops.com/summit/
Related Site: http://horizonworkshops.com/

Jim Steele

Jim Steele was our judge for the September 2014 Competition Night and provided the portfolio critique in our May 2014 meeting. He does individual coaching, tutoring and custom printing support. His work can be seen in Studio #343 in the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria or on his web site, http://www.photographybysteele.com/. He can be reached in his gallery in the Torpedo Factory or via his fascinating blog at: http://jamesdsteele.blogspot.com/

Mollie Isaacs

Mollie Isaacs was our Program Speaker in December 2014. She is offering seven tours/workshops for 2015. Details and descriptions are on her web site at www.awakethelight.com.

Sue Bloom

Sue Bloom was our April 2014 judge. She offers the following for 2015: April 11- Digital Painting, Glen Echo's PhotoWorks in Glen Echo, Md.; April 19 - Digital Collage, also at Glen Echo's PhotoWorks; June 29 - July 3 - Digital Painting mornings at Common Ground, Westminster, Md.; July 26 - August 1 - Digital Collage and Painting at the Maine Media Workshop. She is also offering a photo tour of Italy in January 2016. For details, she her web site at www.suebloom.com .

David Luria

David Luria was our speaker in May 2013. He reports that there are only two times of year when access to the inside of the Cathedral, the golden hour, the rise of a full moon, and civil twilight all coincide! One of those times is on Tuesday afternoon/evening, February 3, and so he has designed a photo safari around it!   He will be teaching a workshop on architectural photography at this special time. If you are interested,  come join him by registering at http://washingtonphotosafari.com/calendar/event/02/03/15/15084 

Sam D'Amico

Sam D'Amico was our judge for April 2013. He asked that we post this information: "Thank you to all who extended their hospitality and made me feel welcome. If you're interested here's a post on my website that was inspired by our meeting:" http://samdamico.com/different-point-view/

See Sam's website for more information about his services: Sam D'Amico Photography  Original Photography and Excellent Photography Instruction. Classes held in Washington DC and Online – Introduction To Photography classes start monthly

Alan DeFelice

Alan DeFelice was our October 2013 judge. He is a professional photographer who has done raptor photo workshops at Nature Visions. For several years Alan has been a partner with Virginia Digital Photo Safaris. Learn more at: http://www.virginiaphotosafari.com

Jennifer (JJ) Fearrington

Jennifer Fearrington conducted a sensor cleaning workshop in our 2nd E&T Meeting in April 2014. JJ was the sensor cleaning tech at Penn and Calumet Camera stores for a number of years and is also a professional photographer who does individual photographic instruction as well as providing professional sensor cleaning services. Learn more at: http://jenniferphoenixphoto.com

David Heagy

David Heagy is a NVPS club member and is the Forum presenter for this month. The Travel Photography Satisfaction class will show novice and experienced photographers how to increase their satisfaction with their travel photos, handle a variety of situations, protect their images and equipment, and use photography to plan their trips. His schedule of classes and more information are at: http://imageryx.com/.

Corey Hilz

Corey Hilz was our November 2014 judge and was our March 2014 Education and Training speaker. He regularly offers Lightroom workshops (February 7 and March 14), as well as photo workshops and international tours. He's giving a free photo critique webinar on February 4. Photo workshop locations include Charleston, S.C., and St. Michaels, Md. His international destinations include Cuba, Ireland, Czech Republic and Morocco. Full schedule of events is listed at: http://www.coreyhilz.com

Don Johnson

Don Johnson was our speaker for the October 2013 program. He specializes in zoo photography and does guest lecture at photo clubs throughout the area. He sells his zoo/animal photos on his website and has done workshops at Nature Visions. See his website for details: www.sunspotimages.com

Adam Jones

Adam Jones was our Program speaker in September 2013. He is a popular and respected workshop instructor and lecturer. Adam teaches photography workshops around the world helping students reach their full potential in the exciting world of digital photography. He has taught for Canon, Popular Photography & Imaging, and Maine Photographic Workshops.

Adam is noted for his enthusiastic down to earth approach and his ability to communicate effectively with all skill levels. A listing of his current workshops can be found here on his website:
http://www.adamjonesphoto.com/photo_tours_workshops.html

Missy Loewe

Missy Loewe was our judge in May 2013. She is the Director of the Washington School of Photography (WSP) and would like NVPS members to be aware of various upcoming workshops, which can be found by looking at: http://washingtonartworks.com/

Karen L. Messick

Karen L. Messick was our May 2014 speaker and talked about Impressionism in Photography. She conducts occasional workshops and offers personal tutoring and in the field training on a variety of subjects at an hourly rate of $40.00. More details are available on her website at: www.karenlmessickphotography.com Karen is also a regular instructor for the Capital Photography Center, where she hosts fieldtrips and workshops on iPhone photography. http://capitalphotographycenter.com

Victoria Restrepo

Victoria Restrepo was our judge in February 2013. She has an interesting blog and conducts a variety of workshops including a very cool summer photography workshop for kids in late July. Future workshops and learning events are listed on her website at: http://photography.victoriarestrepo.com/portfolio/photography-workshops/

Roy Sewall

Roy Sewell was our May 2013 Portfolio Critiquer and our judge for competition in June and December 2014. He offers one-on-one coaching for novice and intermediate photographers, tailored to an individual's specific needs. See more at: http://www.roysewallphotography.com/iWeb/Home.html

Joshua Taylor, Jr.

Joshua Taylor is a past NVPS president and was our October 2014 Competition judge. His goal in photography is to help you create, capture and refine your vision. Josh is offering fall photography workshops and classes, including Canon camera classes. For a complete listing and registration, visit his website: joshuataylorphotography.com

Alexander "Sasha" Vasiljev

Sasha Vasiljev was our March 2013 NVPS program speaker. His company, Nature and Photo Tours, offers a number of educational and travel tour opportunities:  http://naturephotographytours.com

Wayne Wolfersberger

Wayne Wolfersberger is a NVPS member, past President, and was our September 2014 Forum speaker. He teaches a number of Nature Photography Classes available through Fairfax County Parks and other locations. See his web site: http://www.waynewolfersberger.com/

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Want Ads

For Sale

Nikon D3s

NVPS Stan Bysshe has the following for sale: Nikon D3s, box with manual, charger, 2 batteries, body cap, eye cup, Kirk Arca Swiss type body plate, less than 30k actuations. Only small signs of wear.  $2,500  e-mail smbysshe@gmail.com (2)

Free camera accessories

Former NVPS member Erwin Siegel is offering the following items free: a monopod, a background cloth for portraits, a light stand, a small flashgun for film cameras, a large flashgun for film cameras (voltage is different), a camera strap, and a photo reflector with carrying bag. Contact Erwin A. Siegel, 5840 Cameron Run Terrace #903, Alexandria, VA 22303. home: 703-960-6726 cell: 703-407-0408, email: ErwinEAS@verizon.net (1)

Spudz Microfiber in Flip Pouch

The club has a supply of Spudz.  Great for cleaning your lens and camera. These are a large size, 10x10 inches, and are emblazoned with the club logo!  Don't be fooled by other cheaper models.  These are in the flip pouch. I will be selling them at club meetings for the amazing price of $10/each or $20 for two.
Bob Friedman

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Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NVACC)

The Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NVACC) is an informal entity started in 1997 by Joseph Miller with the assistance of Dave Carter and Ed Funk. Its purpose is to promote communication and cooperation among area camera clubs. NVACC is made up of Member Clubs and Associated Member Clubs.

NVACC publishes a calendar of area member club events that can be found at http://www.nvacc.org/Calendars.html

NVACC has a free, downloadable series of 25 guidebooks for photographers, which provide information about nearby areas that camera clubs might wish to visit. See their booklets at:
http://www.nvacc.org/Booklets.html

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Editor's Notes

Please note that the deadline for each month's FotoFax is the Friday following Tuesday of Competition Night.

Newsletter Editor Alan Goldstein

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Copyright 2015 by the Northern Virginia Photographic Society and its Contributors. The contents of this FotoFax are copyrighted. No material herein may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the Editor or the material's contributor. All photographs are copyrighted by the photographers who have granted permission for NVPS to use their image in FotoFax and/or on the NVPS website, but otherwise retain all rights to their image.