Volume 50 – No. 8.1	Founded 1965 – our 50th Year	May 2015
The Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society
Editor: Alan Goldstein – Email: editor" at "nvps.org
Table of Contents President's Message 50 Years of NVPS - More history Monthly Program Education and Training Competition     April Competition Results Portfolio Forum Members' Gallery Field Trips Board of Directors Announcements    Members News    Other Local News    Exhibition Opportunities    Workshop Offerings Want Ads Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs Editor Calendar 5/5 Monthly Program: Brian Zwit 5/12 Education & Training: Final Portfolio       Review 5/19 Competition: Judging by Steve Gottlieb 5/26 Forum: Astro Photography by Dan Ward 5/26 Members Gallery:      Prints by Roger Lancaster      Digital Images by Patricia Deege 5/31 Field Trip: Eastern State Penitentiary
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

A year in review, plus EOY Banquet…

NVPS has had a wonderful year. We grew in fellowship and learning and had fun doing it.

• We added an Ask Me a Question table during the half hour before each meeting to answer your equipment, shooting, and photography software “gotcha” questions
• Members participated in Field Trips near and far:

Waterside Woolen Mill, Waterside, Pa.	Georgetown
National Zoo	D.C. Night Photography
Udvar-Hazy Air and Space Museum	Truck Graveyard, Columbia, Va.
Luray Caverns	New York City

• We learned new techniques at workshops:

Black Light

David Piazza Flash

Drips & Drops

• On April 7, 2015 we celebrated our 50th Anniversary: (see section below)

• We listened to members present excellent Forums on a wide variety of topics including
• how to take movies with your DSLR
• how to set up a website
• the 24 things to think about before pressing the shutter
• the 10 photo techniques worth learning
• what you will see if you travel to Africa, Alaska, and Iceland; in May we explore Scotland.
• Members Gallery participants shared their work digitally and in print and answered questions on their shooting and post-processing techniques.
• And we participated in monthly competitions that provided a learning opportunity for all members and yielded fantastic images.

✰✰✰✰✰ Annual NVPS End of Year Banquet ✰✰✰✰✰

Join us to celebrate our club’s 2014–2015 accomplishments before the summer break begins. Enjoy a wonderful meal together. Invite your family and friends to come! That evening we will:

• Honor fellow members who have won competition awards and see their beautiful images
• Find out who the Photographers of the Year are
• Learn the winners of the Joe Atchison and Distinguished Service Awards
• Present your new 2015–2016 Board

Come celebrate photography with others who share your passion!
Buy your tickets TODAY!

Fifty Years of NVPS!

Society Celebrates Its 50 Years of Education, Education and Entertainment

Members of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society celebrated the Society's 50th anniversary Tuesday, April 7, with food, photographs and a panel discussion by past presidents of the Society. The event was held at the Society's regular meeting place, the Dunn Loring Volunteer Fire Department,  2148 Gallows Road in Dunn Loring, Va. Beth Morris was the coordinator of the event.

In addition to plenty of food, there were two slide shows. The first was of members' favorite photos and the second was members themselves from the decades past.

Pictures from the Anniversary Celebration:
Photos by Alan Goldstein

The cake to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society	Members of the Northern Virginia Photograhic Society gather to celebrate the Society's 50th Anniversary.
President Georgette Grossman opens the meeting of the Northern Virginia Photograhic Society to celebrate the Society's 50th Anniversary	Beth Morris, Anniversary Chair, introduces the program celebrating the 50th Anniversary of NVPS.
Members of the panel of past Society presidents offer their insights and comments about NVPS during the anniversary celebration. From left, with years they served, Tom Brett (2008-2009), Josh Taylor (2008-2009), Ed Funk (1991-1992), Sandi Croan (2009-2010 and 2010-2011), and Joe Miller (2001-2002).	Members of the panel of past Society presidents speak about NVPS during the anniversary celebration. From left, with years they served, Wayne Wolfersberger (1999-2000), Joe Miller (2001-2002), Fred Siskind (1988-1989), Kathy Steele (1979-1980), and Jim Steele (1976-1977).
Fiftieth Anniversary chair Beth Morris thanks members of the panel of past Society presidents for their insights and comments about NVPS during the anniversary celebration. From left, Tom Brett, Josh Taylor, Ed Funk, Sandi Croan, Joe Miller, Fred Siskind, Kathy Steele, and Jim Steele. Behind Sandi Croan is Wayne Wolfersberger.
Long-time member Joe Miller, NVPS president during the 2001-2002 season, discusses some of the history of the Society and provides some insides during a panel discussion during the 50th Anniversary celebration.	Chris Langford checks his photograph of a group of members during the 50th Anniversary celebration. His are the photos below.

Members attending the Anniversary Celebration:
Photos by Chris Langford

Those who have been members for one or two years

Those who have been members for three to five years

Those who have been members for six to 10 years

Those who have been members for 11 to 15 years

Those who have been members for 16 to 50 years

Letter from Mary Ann Setton, Past President, NVPS

                                                                                                                                                    April 2, 2015

Hello, NVPS:

I am writing to congratulate NVPS on its 50th anniversary and to express my gratitude for the major contribution it has made to my life.  

The first meeting I attended was in 1998 when the Club met in the auditorium of the Washington Gas Building. I had graduated from Washington School of Photography but was new to photography clubs and the opportunities they provided.  Wow, something each Tuesday night of the month!  Every program and competition inspired me, motivated me, and excited me so that not long after joining the Club, I garnered enough courage to participate in those scary competitions.  And what encouragement I received!  So many experienced members to learn from!  So many professional mentors!  So many judges’ comments worth listening to!

As I became active in the Club, the more I learned, the more motivated I became and the more I began to “see” as a photo artist, the more I succeeded.  Over the eight years of active NVPS membership, I enjoyed everything it had to offer, won awards in competitions, and embraced (even defended) digital photography, especially the creativity of Adobe Photoshop.  I participated in members’ gallery, gave workshops, served as competitions chair and later as President, and was a member of a competitions rules committee when the need to update them became apparent.  And, perhaps most importantly, I learned to give encouragement to those who then sat where I once had been. Not only was I growing personally, but the Club grew literally.  I believe that we hit the 200-member mark while I was President. 

Among the many workshops I have attended over the years, including the fabulous experience of the Freeman Patterson workshop in Canada, one of the most influential was taking the ”Seminar on Judging” given by the revered mentor-to-all and NVPS patriarch, Joe Miller.  Judging has led me to broaden my horizons and keep me on my toes.  Combined with the memory of my own novice experience, it has helped me to be better at motivating photographers by giving both positive and negative critique honestly and gently. 

All of my NVPS-instilled experiences have allowed me to grow as a photographer and help others to do the same. As a major example, I organized and am leading a photography club in my active adult community, providing both a mini-lesson and challenging folks with a self-assignment at each meeting.  While we are small, we, too, have grown in our seven years to over 30 with a cadre of a dozen or so fully active members.  Who knows where it will be in 50 years!

So it is now seventeen years since I nervously attended that first NVPS meeting – hard to believe.  I wouldn’t have done any of these things if it hadn’t been for NVPS.  I wouldn’t have been motivated to keep learning and honing my skills had it not been instilled by the NVPS experience.  Nor would I have met so many fine people who are also fine photographers willing to learn as well as to mentor.

Congratulations on your first 50 years and may the Club continue to successfully create a fellowship of excited photographers who encourage newcomers and keep the NVPS wheel turning.  You can be proud!

Sincerely

Mary Ann Setton
Past President, 2003-2004

Past Presidents of NVPS

Who was Ollie Fife

Oliver E. "Ollie Fife" Pfeiffer, FPSA, was born April 2, 1912, in Middleton, Massachusetts.  He died June 14, 1996, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Ollie Fife worked in the Lawrence, Mass., textile mills while studying advertising in night school.  He moved to New York City after the 1929 Stock Market crash and worked for a Madison Avenue ad agency before finding his niche in freelance photography.

In WWII he became a Navy Chief Photographer's Mate and designed and supervised the construction of a photo laboratory on board the escort aircraft carrier USS Sargent Bay (CVE 83) from which he flew aerial photo missions.

His career included being a newspaper photographer for the New York Times, Sunday Times & Travel Section; US Camera, Camera, Camera Craft, Ladies Home Journal, and the Illustrated London News.

After the war he moved to Washington, D.C., where he worked for the State Department, and, as a writer/photographer covered the White House, Capitol Hill, and the embassies. He also worked for the USIA International Press Service as a staff photographer. He documented state visits of the Queen of England; the King of Belgium; the Crown Prince of Japan; Soviet Premier Krushchev; Prime Minister Nehru; French President DeGaulle; the Grand Duchess of Luxembourg; the Emir of Kuwait; and scores of other foreign presidents, vice-presidents, and prime ministers as well as cultural and artistic groups.

He retired from the USIA in 1976 after more than 25 years of service. In retirement he traveled extensively in the U.S. and abroad pursuing his lifelong interest in photography.

Ollie was a Fellow of the Photographic Society of America and active in many of its activities, among which he was Photojournalism Division News Editor for many years, wrote numerous articles and lectured and presented programs at PSA meetings and conventions.

He was a member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society and other area camera clubs in and for which he conducted programs and judged photographic competitions.

The Ollie Fife Award was instituted by NVPS in September 1996. At that time it was awarded for the Best Slide Image of the year. Beginning in 2010-2011 it was renamed the Ollie Fife Image of the Year. Our End of Year Banquet judge selects the winner from all images that qualify for that year’s end-of-year competition.The award is a trophy once owned by Ollie Fife and donated in his name by his daughter Pat Salamone.

Monthly Program

May 5th: Plug-Ins for Lightroom and Photoshop with
                Brian Zwit

While Brian generally lightly edits his images, he uses many Lightroom and Photoshop plugins to speed his workflow and polish his images. During the evening, Brian will demonstrate some of the popular as well as some of the lesser known plugins for Lightroom and Photoshop and discuss when and how to incorporate them into your workflow. 

About 40 years ago, Brian discovered that photography provided a powerful means for expressing his vision of the world. Over the years, his love of the outdoors and photography as well as an aptitude for computer technology have morphed into a passion (some would say obsession) for capturing the elegance and majesty of the unique landscapes, wildlife, and flora of the United States.

While the pursuit of nature takes him all over the country, he favors the west, northwest, northeast, and mid-Atlantic and, wherever he is, his love of hiking and backpacking takes him far beyond populated areas into settings which few people visit. Brian's images are in private residences and corporate offices and have appeared in regional magazines such as Wonderful West Virginia. Corporate clients have also used his images for promotional and internal publications.

Brian has been teaching workshops, field trips, and classes and speaking to camera clubs, schools, and other non-profits for over seven years. He recently reached a milestone: Brian taught Lightroom to his 500th student. Brian is well-known for his ability to distill complex topics to their essence and explain them in simple, easy to understand ways and he just completed his opus presentation on digital technology, Digital Tech: Concepts to Know if You are a Digital Photographer.

Brian uses whatever camera and equipment will allow him to capture his vision for the subject in front of him. He generally uses Nikon cameras, Nikon and Sigma lenses, Induro tripods and ballheads, and all sorts of accessories. His favorite camera is the full-frame Nikon D800E and favorite lens is the Nikkor 85mm ƒ/1.4. The D800, with its 36 megapixel sensor, makes printing BIG images easy and the 85mm, with its ƒ/1.4 minimum ƒ-stop, makes creamy backgrounds a foregone conclusion. However, when headed downtown or just around town, you are likely to see him with his Fujifilm XE-1, which is lighter to carry and easier to conceal in his jacket. The occasional use of Zero Image pinhole, Holga, and Lomographic cameras provides him with an expanded array of ways to express himself and a respite from complicated cameras, heavy lenses, and the need for batteries.

He manages his digital workflow using a MacBook Pro, with most of his images being lightly edited using Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, and various plug-ins. He also uses Photomatix Pro and Nik Software's HDR Efex Pro for HDR imaging, various stitching applications for creating panoramas, and Apple Keynote and Boinx FotoMagico to create multimedia presentations.

Brian has degrees in chemical engineering, law, and photography and extensive training in HTML, PHP, JavaScript, and other computer technologies and applications

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

Education & Training

May 12th: Final Portfolio Review

For the final Portfolio Review on May 12 we welcome Brian Zwit who will be giving his commentary on the completed Portfolios.  There will be a lot of great images to view and feedback is always educational. You will find Brian's biography above.   See you there.

The Final Portfolio Review is presented by Ginger Werz-Petricka and Caesar Sharper.

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

Competition

May 19th: Judging by Steve Gottlieb

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

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.

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 team building 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

Submissions for the End-of-Year Competition

The Competition VPs have begun collecting collecting eligible prints since last competition night, Tuesday, April 21. They will collect them at each meeting through the final competition night of May 19. Permission for Digital EOY competition will be inferred by the Competition VPs. So unless you sent an email to competition@nvps.org expressly asking to exclude a digital image(s), the image will be included in the EOY competition. The End-of-Year judge will be Alan DeFelice.

Competition Themes for 2015-2016

Note: The Board reaffirmed that there will be three themed competitions per program year, but there will be no theme competitions in the months of December, January, and February.  

The themes for 2015 – 2016 are:

• Architecture
  Images of man- made structures including bridges, buildings, alone or collectively; parts of buildings such as arches, columns, ceilings, cupolas, stairways etc. Architectural structures within a landscape environment also accepted, such as a pergola or gazebo.
• Creativity
  This theme is meant to push the boundaries of your creativity through use of in-camera and or computer processing techniques. Examples being, multiple exposures, zooming and camera manipulation, panning, layering with textures, lighting techniques, digital painting, anything goes! A time to show off your processing techniques.
• Portraiture
  The subjects for this theme can be people or other animals, primarily capturing the face; but full figure is acceptable, for example, a wedding portrait also shows the dress. Both formal and informal (candid) captures allowed but keeping the main subject as an individual.

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.

April Competition Results

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

Digital – Class 1 
1st Place: Paula Neumann, Room With A View
2nd Place: Colena Turner, Well Worn
3rd Place: Alan Goldstein, Mama San
HM: Alan Goldstein, Shattered View
HM: Kirk Andrew Johnson, La Concha Hotel
HM: Robert Granger Benson, Old Town Street

Digital - Class 2 
1st Place: Jeff Hancock, You Can Sit On My Eye If You Want To
2nd Place: Claire Carroll, Going Underground
3rd Place: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Gondola At Dusk
HM: Jamie Kiechlin, Lotus Glow

Digital - Class 3 
1st Place: Mike Whalen, MLK Memorial
2nd Place: Scott Musson, The Cheap Seats
3rd Place: Ed Ruggiero, Lock and Key
HM: Amie Tannenbaum, Around the Bend
HM: Emi Wallace, Kauai Coast From Above

Color Prints - Class 1 
1st Place: Art Orton, Night Visitors
2nd Place: Geoffrey Parker, Blue Mountain Church

Color Prints - Class 2 
1st Place: Kevin Egan, Lemon and a Half a Lime
2nd Place: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Ricketts Glen Falls

Color Prints - Class 3 
1st Place: Tami Steiger, Water Sticks
2nd Place: Tom Brett, Chaplain's Award
3rd Place: Mike Whalen, Downtown Reykjavík

Monochrome 
1st Place: Geoffrey Parker, Act Normal
2nd Place: Bob Friedman, The Black List
3rd Place: Tom Brett, Pepper Holds Egg 
HM: Kevin Egan, Entrance to the Overlook

First Place images from April:

All winning images are available for viewing at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/competitions/2014-2015_Competition_Winners/

Class 1 Digital - 1st Place Paula Neumann Room with a View	Class 2 Digital - 1st Place Jeff Hancock You Can Sit On My Eye If You Want To
	Class 1 Print - 1st Place Art Orton Night Visitors
Class 3 Digital –1st Place Mike Whalen MLK Memorial	Class 2 Print — 1st Place Kevin Eagan Lemon and a Half a Lime
	Class 3 Prints — 1st Place Tami Steiger Water Sticks
Monochrome — 1st Place Geoffrey Parker Act Normal

Competition Image Use

The NVPS Website has a gallery of past Competition winning images at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/competitions/. If your image placed first, second, third or received an honorable mention in a club competition, it is eligible for this gallery.  Images are not posted automatically, you must specifically provide consent for your image to be included in the gallery.

To have your winning image included in the gallery, email competitionwinners" at "nvps.org and provide the following information:

Your name
Image Category (digital, color print, monochrome print)
Image Class (1, 2, or 3)
Competition Date

Digital Winners: When you upload your image for the competition, you can check the box to grant permission for it to be posted if it wins.  

Print Winners: send a digital version of your print, sized as if it were for digital competition.

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

Portfolio Project Update

Hi Everyone!  We are finally in the home stretch for this year's portfolio project.  You have until April 30 to finish tweaking the images in your gallery that will be part of the review with Brian Zwit on May 12th.  In the interest of time we will be able to include 12 images from each of you for the review, so if you have more than that in your gallery we will take the first 12 for the review.  But remember, that doesn't mean your portfolio can only include 12 images.  Your final presentation can have as many images as you want.  Just remember, part of creating a portfolio is learning to edit, so make these the best images you can present to support your artist statement.

The next question is how are you going to present your images to the club?  You could do prints, either matted or in a folio.  There are several companies that you could use to put together a book, among others Shutterfly, Blurb, Mpix and My Publisher will all do a credible job with your images.  You could have a poster made or bring the images on your laptop as a slide presentation.  Personally, we think it's a good idea to do something in print.  For all the work you have put into the project why not have something tangible to show for it, and even to use in future competitions, or to present to a gallery to sell your skills for your own show.  Check out Scott Musson's presentation on the club website at    http://nvps.org/main/f_stop/docs/PhotoBooksCalendars.pdf.

We are so excited with the wonderful variety of subject matter in this year's portfolios.  The final review is going to be beautiful to see.  All of you should be proud of the terrific work you have done.

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

Forum

May 26th: Dan Ward, Astrophotographer

Dan Ward has been a member of NVPS for 8 years and was our newsletter editor for three years.  Cultivating his passion for photography since high school, he first began exploring the night sky and astrophotography in the mid-80s while living in Arizona. 

As active deep sky amateur astronomer, Dan was one of the first dozen deep sky observers to receive a Messier Award for observing all 110 Messier Objects in one evening.  He averaged three or four night observing sessions in remote desert locations, typically miles away from any white light and usually with rattlesnakes, coyotes and a few other crazy astronomy buddies for company, using telescopes and mounts that weighed up to 300 pounds.

In those days, astrophotography meant carefully guiding a telescope with specially treated film for hours at a time.  Some of Dan’s film astrophotos were published in Sky & Telescope and Astronomy magazines, as well as several books, such as David Levy’s best seller – The Sky: A User’s Guide. 

After adopting his two daughters, Dan abandoned his nocturnal desert lifestyle and moved back East, focusing his camera on family, nature and urban exploration.  After his daughters’ graduations, he has drifted back into occasional astrophoto efforts.  The field has undergone revolutionary changes with amateurs routinely doing what only the most sophisticated professional observatories could do 25 years ago.

Dan primarily uses his Nikon D7000 and D610, but has astro-buddies who use a full range of sophisticated gear.  For tonight’s forum, Dan will share some of what he has learned about what is possible using a variety of tools and techniques.

The Forum Coordinator for this year is Susan Phillips.

Members Gallery

May 26, 2015: Prints by Roger Lancaster and
            Digital Images by Patricia Deege

Roger Lancaster

Roger Lancaster has been a member of NVPS since 2009. His first foray into photography came at the age of 5 when his grandfather, a photojournalist, let him use his old Kodak fold-up camera to take pictures of trees! He took a sabbatical right after that and didn’t pick up a camera again until his kids were born and like most parents took a multitude of photos of his first-born, son Scott. As was the case with many parents, his second-born, daughter Susan, ended up with just a fraction of photos of her. And if there had been more kids, it is doubtful that any photographic record would be available. Bunny, his wife, bought him a Pentax 35 mm camera for one of his birthdays in the ‘70’s, but as the kids got involved in sports, music, etc. his interest in photography waned.

During the latter years of his career as an association executive, Roger had the fortune to use a Sony Mavica digital camera, and he was hooked. The idea that you didn’t have to wait to have film processed to view an image was fantastic!  After retiring in 2008, he purchased a series of Canon point-and-shoot cameras, ending up by trading sides and getting a Nikon D70. That was replaced a few years later by his Nikon D300, which he currently uses.

He considers himself an advanced amateur, and tells people who ask him that it was a hobby that got out of control. Most of his training has come through programs offered by NVPS, his fellow members in the club, especially Dennis Govani, and through tutorials he found on the CDs that came with subscriptions to some British photo magazines.

Roger favors landscapes, and has a philosophy of bringing the outdoors inside through his images. In recent months he has developed a keen interest in historical objects found in museums and the like. He has won numerous awards through NVPS, including Photographer of the Year for Novice Monochrome Prints in his first year in the club; and most recently Photographer of the Year for Class 3 Color Prints for 2013-14. He has also had numerous awards and exhibitions in juried competitions and has had his images featured in several magazines. He was co-chair for Education and Training for NVPS for two years, and currently serves as the NVPS representative on the Nature Visions Board of Directors.

Roger is a native of British Columbia in Canada and has resided in the D.C. area since 1974. He and his wife recently built and moved into a new home on twelve forested acres near Waterford, Virginia.

Examples of his work:

Patricia Deege

A native of England, Patricia’s artistic journey began in childhood with watercolor painting and a box camera.

She worked as administration assistant for the Asian Department of the International Monetary Fund for nine years before marrying and creating a family of three boys. She returned to photography in 1995, having spent several years in Egypt and Germany on assignment with her husband for USAID.  A wealth of incredible photo opportunities, but lack of knowledge, led her to finally attend a photography seminar and the pure poetry of the images presented inspired her to once again delve into the mysteries of the camera and the fascinating art of creating images that “speak” to the heart.

Now retired from the working world and a serious amateur photographer, she is a member of Vienna Photographic Society (1997), Northern Virginia Photographic Society (since 1999), League of Reston Artists and the Vienna Arts Society. Although mostly self-taught, she has gained much knowledge and inspiration from attending workshops, lectures, reading and looking at the images of others.  She participates regularly in exhibits and competitions, winning many awards, among them “Best in Show” at the Claude Moore Photography Exhibit in Herndon, the prestigious Nature Visions Expo in Manassas, and the Vienna Town Photography Show. She was awarded “Photographer of the Year for Vienna Photographic Society in 1998 and 2008. She has been published in the International Library of Photography, several magazines such as Shutterbug and Outdoor Photographer, and in camera club newsletters and websites. She rarely leaves home without a camera and often finds opportunities to photograph in unexpected places; she enjoys creating slide shows and videos which illustrate her travels.

Although her first love has always been nature, Patricia is interested in all aspects of photography, and the digital age and extensive new processing software have added a new dimension to her craft.  From her place behind the lens, she has learned the art of seeing what is often unnoticed and unexpected.  The camera has opened up a fascinating new arena of sights and experiences and her life has thus been greatly enriched.  Imparting that fascination to even just a few other people, when they look at her photographs and feel their hearts gladden and their spirits uplifted, makes all the efforts worthwhile.

Examples of her work:

Meadowlark Lakeshore	Meadowlark Bridge
Mountains in the Mist	Pushing Contest
Lotus with Visitors

The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this year is Colena Turner.

Field Trips

May 31, Sunday: Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

DO NOT BE LATE

Eastern State Penitentiary was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world, but stands today in ruin, a haunting world of crumbling cell blocks and empty guard towers.

Known for its grand architecture and strict discipline, this was the world’s first true “penitentiary,” a prison designed to inspire penitence, or true regret, in the hearts of convicts.

Its vaulted, sky-lit cells once held many of America’s most notorious criminals, including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton and Al Capone.

We will have an early admission, 9:30 a.m.  We will be given a highlight tour from 9:30-10:00.  We will be far enough inside the prison so other visitors shouldn't bother us for a while.

We are getting a discount price of $11 per adult, $10 per senior.  The tripod fee is $5 instead of $10.  You must come with exact change as we have to pay in one lump sum upon arrival.

Drive time from Virginia is two hours, 22 minutes, according to Google maps without traffic.

Directions from the South or East:

• Take I-95 to Exit 22 (Old Exit 17) and follow Interstate 676 West.
• Get off at "Art Museum/Benjamin Franklin Parkway" Exit.
• At the top of the ramp, turn right onto 22nd street.
• Pass the Philadelphia Museum of Art (on your left) and continue five blocks north, to Fairmount Avenue.

Note: Rain or shine, sign up at NVPS meeting or send name and cell # to field-trips@nvps.org.

Mike and Bob
Field Trip Coordinators

Board of Directors

The NVPS By-Laws require the appointment of a Nominating Committee to prepare a roster of proposed officers, in support of the required annual election. Nominees must agree to serve, if elected. The list of nominees is below and was announced, as required, at the second club meeting in March. 

NVPS members may submit additional nominations on or before the second club meeting in April, in writing, to the Chairperson of the nominating committee. Nominations from members must be seconded by any club member, other than the candidate. The candidate must confirm in writing his/ her willingness to accept the nomination and serve, if elected.

The NVPS election will be at the first club meeting in May. It will be by voice vote, if there are no additional nominations, or, by written vote, if added nominations have been made. 

The nominating committee members are Mike Whalen (Chairperson), Bob Friedman, Willa Friedman and Georgette Grossman.

Article II. Elections

Election of officers shall be held annually. The President shall appoint a nominating committee. The committee will prepare a single roster of proposed officers by mid-March and obtain the agreement of the nominees to serve if elected. The list of nominees will be announced at the second regular club meeting in March. Any additional nominations must be made by the second regular club meeting in April, in writing, to the Chairperson of the nominating committee. Such nominations may be made and seconded by any club members other than the candidate. The candidate must notify the chairperson of the nominating committee, in writing, of his/her willingness to accept the nomination and serve if elected. The nominating committee shall then notify all members, in the newsletter and by posting the names on the web site, of the nominees for each office. The chairperson of the nominating committee shall present the roster of candidates at the first regular club meeting in May. Election will be by voice vote when there are no additional nominations or by written ballot when additional nominations have been made. Vacancies in the elected club offices shall be filled by the President subject to approval by the Board. Vacancy of the President’s office shall be filled on a temporary basis by the Vice President for Programs, or if the Vice President for Programs is unable or unwilling to serve, shall be filled by the Vice-President for Competitions. The Acting President shall convene a special meeting of the Board within 30 days for the purpose of electing a successor President to complete the term. Selection of a successor President shall be by majority vote of the Board.

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

Announcements

Notice: The information about workshops and events not sponsored by or affiliated with NVPS are provided as an informational courtesy to Members. Individuals should review the detailed rules and conditions for contests and gallery shows to determine what impact entering an image has on the photographer's rights and ownership of the submitted images. Review the descriptions of workshops to see whether participation in a particular workshop would actually meet your personal learning goals. NVPS attempts to screen events for legitimacy and quality; however NVPS does not recommend these events and cannot assume responsibility for their ultimate quality. We recommend due diligence and encourage you to share your experience with other club members.

Members' 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 e-mail addresses of club members who have volunteered to help club members looking for help on specific technology and technique topics.

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

Members' News:

NVPS Exhibit at the Mason District Supervisor's Office

The NVPS exhibit in the office of Mason District Supervisor, Penny Gross, has been very well received.  It will remain up until the end of May.  I hope we will be able to remove the pictures on May 26 -- the day of our last meeting so that we can distribute them at the meeting. 

Our next show will be at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston.  Their sanctuary is quite large and has a good hanging system.  We can hang about 50 matted and framed pictures.  There will be a sign up sheet at meetings in May and we will be able to submit more than one image per person.  We will have a reception at noon on a Sunday, date still to be determined.  Members of the church will be invited to join us at the reception and to make  purchases.  

Willa Friedman

Ginger Werz-Petricka

Ginger Werz-Petricka had two images from her trip to Venice last January in the “Mirror to the World 2015” exhibition of documentary photography that opened at Glen Echo Photoworks Gallery April 17 and runs through June 1st.  The address is 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, Md., and the web site is  www.glenechophotoworks.org.  Please check out the link below and come see the show!

Link to Mirror to the World Invitation: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs195/1101905082432/archive/1120698385996.html698385996.html

Ginger's images in the exhibition:

At Work

Colors

Fred Siskind

Member Fred Siskind's image, Frog Face, was published in the 2015 edition of the Northern Virginia Review. The Northern Virginia Review is an annual publication of essays, fine art, photography, poetry, and short stories produced by the faculty, staff, and alumni of Northern Virginia Community College and by residents of the Northern Virginia and greater Washington metropolitan areas.

Kirk Johnson

Member Kirk Johnson recently learned that one of his photographs was selected as a regional finalist in the Hunt for Americana Photo Contest , sponsored by the Great American Country TV.com website and Popular Photography magazine. Following submission of the photograph (during a promotion period advertised in Popular Photography magazine) between October and November 2014, a panel of judges evaluated several hundred photo submissions and ended up selecting 40 photographs nationwide, with 10 finalists being selected from each of the following U.S. regions - Northeast, Midwest, South (which includes Virginia, D.C, and Maryland), and West. Finalists were selected in February 2015 based on the following criteria: (1) skill, (2) adherence to the theme, (3) composition, (4) color, and (5) nostalgia. Although he was not a Grand Prize winner or runner-up in the contest, to be selected as a regional finalist he felt was a great honor! 

The photograph, seen below, was taken of an old abandoned barn outside Sevierville, Tennessee. 

ArtSpace Herndon juries in NVPS Members

Six NVPS members were juried in to the Fine Art Photography Competition at the ArtSpace Herndon. They are Fran Bastress, Patricia Deege, Bob Friedman, Georgette Grossman, David Heagy, and Benita Mayo. Also juried in was judge Roy Sewall. Georgette’s image, Dahlia Drop (below) was awarded an Honorable Mention at this competition.

Each year, ArtSpace Herndon invites photographers from Virginia, D.C., Maryland, and West Virginia to participate in a 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. ArtSpace Herndon is operated by the Herndon Foundation for the Cultural Arts.

Members Images Submitted to George W. Glennie Nature Exhibit

The NVPS images selected for the George W. Glennie Nature Exhibit are now available for viewing on the club website, both as a slide show on the main page of the website and in the gallery at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/exhibits/Glennie2015. This is a digital competition. Clubs are invited to submit up to 10 images in numerous categories. Annually more than 100 clubs worldwide participate in this exhibit.  Additional information about this completion can be found at the Merrimack Valley Camera Club website  http://mvcameraclub.org/comp-interclub/comp-interclub-01-glennie.htm. This year's submission includes images from Ceasar Sharper (2), Sandi Croan (2), Fred Siskind (2) and one each from Yue Xu, Stan Bysshe, Barry Sperling and Bill Corbett.  Please take a look at your fellow club members' work.
 
John Quigley
Coordinator

Vienna Photography Show

Patricia Deege won Best in Show as well as 1st place in the Animal category; 3rd place in Photojournalism; and 2nd place in Scenic. David Heagy took Honorable Mention in Pictorial as well as Scenic.

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.

Exhibition Opportunities

Nature Visions 2015

Nature Visions 2015 features Muench, McNally and Grey – Your Digital Entries Are Due 9/1/15
Nature Visions Photo Expo (NVPE) 2015 takes place Friday-Saturday-Sunday November 13-15 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas with over two dozen instructional sessions, great local and national vendors, and two stupendous exhibits of YOUR work.  Registration and sales for paid classes begin on August 1 at NatureVisions.org.  Online registration is required for admission.

Digital entries for the NVPE nature and fine art photography exhibits will be accepted about September 1.  Club members will be limited to a total of six (not ten) nature entries this year, in order to include more photographers in the exhibit.  As before, club members may submit up to two entries for the fine art exhibit.

This year’s All-day Friday Seminar Speaker is the noted landscape photographer Marc Muench.  Marc’s images have appeared on covers and inside National Geographic, Sierra and Arizona Highways; Marc is the photo editor of the National Parks guides and a fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers.  Marc’s father is David Muench, the legendary landscape master.

The Saturday Keynote address will be given by a genius of imagery and lighting, Joe McNally, author of The Hot Shoe Diaries: Big Light from Small Flashes and other outstanding books of photography and instruction.  Joe has been a contract photographer for Sports Illustrated, a staff photographer at LIFE, and currently, an ongoing 23-year contributor to National Geographic, shooting numerous cover stories. American Photo magazine has called him "perhaps the most versatile photojournalist working today."

The Sunday FREE Featured Speaker is Tim Grey, the digital photography educator and co-author with Art Wolfe of The New Art of Photographing Nature.  Tim will give two educational presentations on Lightroom and his work on Sunday morning and afternoon.  Tim is well-known for his FREE daily e-mail digest on digital photography and post-processing, Ask Tim Grey.  Sign up for it now at http://asktimgrey.com/enewsletter/

Discount classes for beginning photographers will be offered again this year for only $2 per session. And there will be additional seats for two popular hands-on workshops that sold out in 2014:  Bird Photography and Curious Critters.  Join the rest of the club at Nature Visions Photo Expo 2015!

Photo ’15 - National Photography Competition

Members are invited to submit to Photo ’15, a national juried fine art photography exhibit at Multiple Exposures Gallery at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, Va. The Juror will be Sarah Greenough, Senior Curator and Head, Department of Photographs, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

The Exhibit dates are October 20 through November 29, 2015 with awards and opening reception, Sunday, November 1. All artists 18 years of age or older who work in traditional, digital, or alternative photographic processes are invited to submit. The submission deadline is July 1, 2015 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

Email notification of jury results will be made August 1, 2015. Framed work must be delivered to gallery October 14- 17, 2015. The artist reception and award presentation will be November 1.

For complete information, rules and instructions, please go to http://www.multipleexposuresgallery.com/photo15

Photo Contest Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act

The Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, located in Rockville, Md., is sponsoring a photo contest designed to help raise awareness of the 25th Anniversary Signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). They are looking for photos of people with disabilities participating in every-day work situations. The deadline for submissions is June 5. For additional information regarding the rules of this contest, visit their website at http://www.adainfo.org/photo_contest

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/

Other Local News

Arsenal of Democracy: World War II Victory Capitol Flyover

To honor the heroes who fought in the War and those on the home front who produced the tanks, ships, and aircraft that enabled the United States and its Allies to achieve victory, one of the most diverse arrays of World War II aircraft ever assembled will fly above the skies of Washington, D.C,. on Friday, May 8, 2015, the 70th anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, as part of the Arsenal of Democracy World War II Victory Capitol Flyover. The flyover will include dozens of World War II aircraft flying in 15 historically sequenced warbird formations overhead. The formations will represent the war’s major battles, from Pearl Harbor through the final air assault on Japan, and concluding with a missing man formation to “Taps.” Never before has such a collection of WWII aircraft been assembled at one location, to honor the large assemblage of veterans gathered at the WWII Memorial for a ceremony.

On Saturday, May 9, 2015, a selection of the planes will be featured at the National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center at Washington Dulles International Airport for a one day exhibition. The display will be open to the public 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. No advance tickets are required.

see http://ww2flyover.org for details.

Fairfax County Park Authority Board Reaches Compromise With Local Professional Photographers

The Fairfax County Park Authority Board voted to suspend existing fees for photography permits until July 1, 2015, when new rules and a more affordable fee schedule go into effect. Permits are still required. The compromise is the outcome of several months of work by members of the professional photography community and Park Authority staff which addresses concerns about the costs and permitting process raised by commercial photographers who regularly conduct business in parks.  The permits and fees, established in 2011, help the Park Authority manage large wedding parties and family portrait shoots that often occur without adequate notice and may interrupt or interfere with programming or events at park sites. 

As of July 1 all photographers conducting business in county parks must purchase the basic Commercial Photography Permit. This $25 permit will be available online and is valid for one year from the date of purchase.  For small group photo sessions (total of 11 people or less, including photography staff) no additional fee or site Photo Session Reservations are required.

For groups of 12 to 19 people (including photography staff), a Photo Session Reservation (with additional fees) is required only at the following sites: Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Sully Historic Site, Green Spring Gardens and Colvin Run Mill.  The fees are $25 per hour with a two-hour minimum.  The two-hour minimum ensures photographers have sufficient time to prepare, conduct and clean up after the session.  Photo Session Reservations and fees are processed by the individual sites, on a space-available basis.

For large groups of 20 to 74 the fees are $100 for each two-hour photo session and an additional $50 per hour thereafter.  A Photo Session Reservation is required only at the following sites: Ellanor C. Lawrence Park, Sully Historic Site, Green Spring Gardens and Colvin Run Mill.  These sites are utilized most often by photographers and have the greatest potential for conflict with programming or events.  If an FCPA venue is rented for an event, then photography fees are waived. 

A photography ambassadors program will be initiated as well.

The commercial photography fees are an example of the Business Activity License fee practice, which the Park Authority Board established to charge for commercial activities in parks.  This practice is premised on the notion that public parkland exists for the benefit of the residents of Fairfax County, not to enable commercial business to profit.  Fees are developed which support this precept as well as to manage activity at FCPA parks.  

For more information please contact the Public Information Office at 703-324-8662 or go online at Commercial Photography Permit.