Wow, What a Year!

Serving as your President for 2014–2015 has been a rewarding experience. I envisioned a year of educational growth for our organization. Indeed, it happened! We had fun playing with and learning about a variety of photographic topics including

• Flash photography
• Making movies with our DSLRs
• Capturing the world around us on our phones
• Learning new close-up techniques and photographing water droplets
• Printing our photos at home
• Experimenting with black-light photography
• Setting up a photo websites
• Using Lightroom and Photoshop plugins to change our images.

Many members responded to the programs presented this year by expanding their personal comfort zones and trying new types of photography such as street photography, macros, and abstracts. The excellent images we saw at all year in competition and celebratedat our EOY banquet were reflections these efforts.

None of this educational growth could have happened without the hard work of all my fellow Board members. Each contributed in their own way. To them I extend my heartfelt thanks. Please do the same the next time you see them!

Thanks to Jamie Kiechlin for accepting the position of President next year. And thanks to all those who have agreed to serve on his new Board. Support them as they lead NVPS into our next 50 years!

We are on summer break until September 2015. I urge you to take the opportunity to practice the techniques you have learned this year. Awake your inner child and PLAY! Nothing beats hands-on experimentation.

If you are a Facebook person, join the Northern Virginia Photographic Society Social Group and connect with other NVPS members to shoot. On those really hot summer days, Google a topic you want to explore—read an article, watch a video. Create images to share with others digitally and in print.

Have a safe, enjoyable summer. Share your photography passion with others. Who knows, you may find some new members along the way!

See you in September…

Georgette Grossman

Fifty Years of NVPS!

Grayce Wheeler – A Retrospective on the Life of a Photographer
by Matthew G. Schmidt

As photographers we leave behind a legacy of photographs which many times simply end up in an attic somewhere and are eventually thrown in the trash. Some of those photographs are cherished by our children, but often those are snapshots of family members that don't really stand up to the critical eye of a museum curator. As I contemplate my own collection of prints and digital images, I hope that some day one of my kids will honor me like Grayce Wheeler's son has done.

In the 1950s and 1960s Grayce Wheeler was a member of two of our local camera clubs, the Northern Virginia Camera Club and the Old Dominion Camera Club. Sadly the Old Dominion Camera Club is now defunct, but the Northern Virginia Camera Club lives on as the Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS), having changed its name in 1975.

Grayce's son, Dan Wheeler, was inspired by the October 2009 publishing of Vivian Maier'swork and decided he should publish Grayce's photographs from Germany in the 1950s through the Washington, D.C., metro area in the 1970s. Grayce's work paralleled Vivian's in a number of ways: they were both street photographers; both used a Rolleiflex; and, photography was an avocation and creative outlet for both, who supported themselves and their families through unrelated jobs. Grayce was a black and white photographer, shooting primarily Tri-X and Plus-X, who enjoyed the control that black and white printing offered. Dan started being Grayce's photographic assistant at an early age, learning the craft of photography as a byproduct. His first job with Grayce was to hold a blanket over a closet door so that she could load film into the tank. Later, when Dan had moved out of the house, Grayce would take her daughter Emily to meetings of the Old Dominion Camera Club. Emily, as a senior in high school went on to win the Eastman Kodak — Scholastic Magazine photography contest.

Later Grayce would print their work in a wet darkroom and experimented with different techniques, such as printing on Kodalith film. This experimentation has rubbed off on Dan, who now experiments with techniques in the digital darkroom.

Although Grayce once owned a 35mm camera, her true love was the medium format film, having a Mamiya TLR and Pentax 6×7 SLR. Most all of the images that Dan presented in his exhibit of Grayce's work are medium format prints. Dan reshot the prints in digital to show them on his website. Bringing us back around to the question, what will happen with your library of prints, negatives and digital images when you are gone?

Monthly Program

September 1st: To be announced

NVPS is on hiatus until 1 September 2015.

The VP for Programs for this year Willa Siegel.

Education & Training

September 8th: To be announced

NVPS is on hiatus until 1 September 2015.

The Education and Training Coordinator for this year is Ginger Werz-Petricka.

Competition

September 15th: To be announced

The Co-VPs Competition for 2015-2016 are Tami Stieger and Kevin Egan
 competitions@nvps.org

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.

Competition Themes for 2016-2017

The themes for 2016–2017 are:

• Love
  We turn our attention to one of the most valuable virtues; an international language and possibly the strongest of all feelings…Love! It is an invitation to explore the path of love as an emotion, an attraction, an attachment… in all its forms! Some sample images might include: a lovers’ embrace, a passion you love, an X drawn in vapor trails, a goodbye, a friendship, etc.
• Drag the shutter
  Show us your best shutter drag. Whether capturing motion in waves or panning cars zooming by, we want to see you get creative with this topic. Slow down your shutter speed to show a sense of motion or action.
• Colors
  Life is a stream of color. Red, blue, yellow, and a billion pigments in between… For this theme we ask you to show us color-inspired photographs. Scenes, details, narratives or moods. Subtle tones or Technicolor daydreams, color must be a primary component of your image.

May Competition Results

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

Digital - Class 1 
1st Place: Kirk Andrew Johnson, Street Musician
2nd Place: Alan Goldstein, Lady in Red
3rd Place: Kirk Andrew Johnson, Chess Players in Dupont Circle
HM: Alan Goldstein, Waiting for Mickey
HM: John Leonhard, What Were They Thinking

Digital - Class 2 
1st Place: Don Smith, Smoke Break
2nd Place: Steve Wilcox, Charleston
3rd Place: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Times Square Duet
HM: Kevin Egan, Dirt Market Bead Vendor

Digital - Class 3 
1st Place: Kieu-Hanh Vu, Bao Bao Frenzy
2nd Place: Jeanne Drapeau Tifft, Close Shave
3rd Place: Thomas Hayes Brett, Hula Girls
HM: John Edward Singley, Family Peeking

Color Prints - Class1 
1st Place: Geoffrey Parker, Blue House Afternoon

Color Prints - Class 2 
1st Place: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Please?
2nd Place: Georgette Grossman, Young Photographer

Color Prints - Class 3 
1st Place: Mike Whalen, Funeral Guards
2nd Place: Jay Heiser, Street Fountain

Monochrome 
1st Place: Kevin Egan, On the Ferry
2nd Place: Tami Steiger, Paying Respect
3rd Place: Jay Heiser, Mud Larking

First Place images from May:

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

Class 1 - Prints Geoffrey Parker Blue House Afternoon	Class 2 - Prints Ginger Werz-Petricka Please?
Class 3 - Prints Mike Whalen Funeral Guards	Monochrome Kevin Egan On the Ferry

End of Year Awards

We wanted to offer our congratulations to all of our End of Year competition winners and all of the winners from all of our monthly competitions!  Every year there are between 900 and 1000 images submitted for competition and NVPS certainly has very talented photographers as we could see by the images chosen by our end of year judge, Alan DeFelice.

Thank you to Alan DeFelice for a fun night of end of year judging.   This was a big time commitment out of his daily schedule and we appreciate the time and feedback he gave us on all of the images.

We would like to thank a few volunteers for their help throughout the year and at the end of year banquet.  First, we would like to thank our print passers and runners who help us every month: Ginger Werz-Petricka, Melanie Marts, Bob Friedman, Dale Nelson and anyone else who was always willing to pitch in when we needed it.   Second, a big thank you to our tech team and digital support for the competition submission, galleries, set up of our light box and running the digital show each competition night:  Jeff Hancock, Scott Musson, Sam Schaen, and Kevin Egan.  Thank you to the Friedmans, and Judy McGuire for helping with print set up. Another big thank you to Georgette Grossman for all of her hard work on the programs, certificates and print cards (as well as everything else throughout the year!!).   Thank you to Ed Funk for having all of the trophies and plaques done for us.  Thank you to Mike Whalen for the sound system.   A big thank you again to all of these volunteers and if I have forgotten anyone, I apologize! 

Lastly, we wanted to thank Dale Nelson for finding such a great venue to hold our end of year banquet and all of the work he did to have it set up for us when we got there!!  We heard nothing but great things about the room, the food, and the staff at the Waterford.   Thank you Dale for all of your work on this!!

We hope you all have a great summer.  Get out there and shoot and we look forward to seeing your images in competition next year!

Beth and Jamie
Jamie Kiechlin, Co-VP Competition for 2014-15
Beth Morris, Co-VP Competition for 2014-15

End of Year Results

Photographers of the Year

Class 1 Digital Projection …………………………...……… Alan Goldstein
Class 1 Color Prints …………………………………………Geoffrey Parker
Class 2 Digital Projection ………………………………...… Karol Murray
Class 2 Color Prints ..... ……………………………………. Ginger Werz-Petrica
Class 3 Digital Projection ………………………………...… Mike Whalen
Class 3 Color Prints ………………………………...……… Mike Whalen
Monochrome Prints ………………………………………… Kevin Egan

Versatile Photographers of the Year

Class 1 ……………………………………………………. Geoffrey Parker
Class 2 ………………………...………………………….. Ginger Werz-Petrica
Class 3 ……………………………...…………………….. Mike Whalen

Images of the Year

Digital Images of the Year
Class 1 – In Honor - Joy Brathwaite
Class 2 – Golden Eagle - George Karamarkovich
Class 3 – Slippery Slope - Amie Tannenbaum

Prints of The Year
Class 1 – Amazigh Boy in Atlas Mountains - Geoffrey Parker
Class 2 – Jockey's Move - George Karamarkovich
Class 3 – Morning Glory - Tami Stieger
Monochrome – Tools of the Trade - Kevin Egan

Digital Image of the Year - Class 1 Joy Brathwaite In Honor	Digital Image of the Year - Class 2 George Karamarkovich Golden Eagle
	Digital Image of the Year - Class 3 Aimie Tannenbaum Slippery Slope
Color Print of the Year - Class 1 Geoffrey Parker Amazigh Boy in Atlas Mountains	Color Print of the Year - Class 3 Tami Stieger Morning Glory
Color Print of the Year - Class 2 George Karamarkovich Jockey's Move	Monochrome Print of the Year Kevin Egan Tools of the Trade

"Butch" Karamarkovich, winner of the Ollie Fife Award

George ("Butch") Karamarkovich was awarded the 2015 Ollie Fife award at the End-of-the-Year Banquet June 5 for his print Jockey's Move.

Oliver E. "Ollie Fife" Pfeiffer, FPSA, was born April 2, 1912, in Middleton, Massachusetts.  He died June 14, 1996, in Alexandria, Virginia. 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. For more information on Ollie, see the May 2015 issue of FotoFax.

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. The 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. Winners of the award have been:

Ollie Fife Image of the Year

Ollie Fife Image of the Year
George Karamarkovich
Jockey's Move.

Sam Schaen presented with Joe Atchison Award for Outstanding Service to NVPS

The Joe Atchison Award for Outstanding Service was presented to Sam Schaen at the NVPS End-of-Year Banquet held June 5 at the Waterford at Fair Oaks, 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax.

The Joe Atchison Award is a service award presented to an individual who has performed outstanding service to the club over a period of many years. It is not given every year. In the 50-year history of NVPS, it has been given to only eight individuals (Erwin Siegel, Greg Gregory, Ed Funk, Joe Miller, Andy Klein, Sherwin Kaplan, Bill Prosser, and Tom Brett).

Sam became a member of NVPS in 2003. He has held a variety of positions including president, FotoFax editor, NVACC Contact, VP of Operations, Database Manager, Web Manager, and Special Advisor to the President. He has done workshops, galleries, and forums. As the nominating committee pointed out, when something needs to be done, Sam comes through!

• He converted our membership system from a stand-alone software program to a multi-user web-based system.
• He created the electronic version of our newsletter, FotoFax.
• And, as special advisor to subsequent presidents, he has been described as the “Voice of Reason” when dealing with delicate personnel issues and by-law questions.

Whatever job he undertakes, Sam leads by example, convincing others of the need to give back to our organization.Sam always has the best interest of NVPS at heart.

The full listing of award winners is available at: http://nvps.org/home/?p=7331

Six members were promoted to the next higher class due to the number of points they gained during competitions. These are: From Class 1 to Class 2 - Robert Granger Benson, Alan Goldstein, and Geoffrey Parker. From Class 2 to Class 3 - Kevin Egan, Georgette Grossman, and Ginger Werz-Petricka. Congratulations.

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

Co-chairs for the Portfolio Project for 2015-2016 are Willa Friedman and Ceasar Sharper.

Forum

September 22nd: To be announced

The Forum Coordinator for 2015-2016 is Beth Morris.

Members Gallery

September 22, 2015: Prints by Curtis Gibbens and
            Digital Images by Judy McGuire

Presenters for the 2015-2016 Society year are:

The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this 2015-2016 is Ron Taylor.

Field Trips

Saturday July 18, 2015: Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens

The NVPS summer field trip to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens (KAG) will be held on Saturday, July 18. Plan to meet at KAG parking lot near the garden entrance at 6:30 a.m., or inside the park if you come later. This garden offers one of the largest display of lotus flowers and water-lilies in the Washington, D.C., area. It is run by the National Park Service, is free to the public, and bathrooms are available. Directions and other information can be found on the KAG website:  http://www.nps.gov/keaq/planyourvisit/directions.htm

Telephoto and macro lenses are most popular in the park to capture close-ups of the plants, bugs, birds, amphibians and other park inhabitants. A tripod and a circular polarizer may also be helpful. Also, the grounds could be muddy so wear appropriate footwear. In the event of rain, the field trip will be postponed by one day to Sunday, July 19, at the same time. We hope you can make it, but if not, the lotus flowers should be in bloom through July. This is a great opportunity for some unique nature photography close to home.

Note: Remember to lock your car and remove all valuables from plain sight.

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

September 12, 2015: Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, just north of Richmond, offers year-round beauty on an historic property with more than 50 acres of spectacular gardens, dining and shopping. More than a dozen themed gardens include a Children’s Garden, Rose Garden, Asian Valley and Cherry Tree Walk.  An 11,000 square-foot classical domed Conservatory houses exotic and unusual plants from around the world in its permanent collection and features beautiful seasonal displays. There will also be opportunities to photograph many species of butterflies at the Butterflies Live exhibit.  Tripods are allowed as long as you do not block main paths, set up within garden beds, or disturb the plant collections. Let’s meet in parking lot  A at 9:30 a.m. Please see the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens web site

Admission price: Adults, $12; Seniors, $11; Military with ID, $10

Directions: Take I-95 south to Exit 83B, Parnam Rd West (Rt. 73). Exit and go about a quarter miles and turn left on Brook Road (US 1). Go about 9/10 mile and turn right on Lakeside Avenue. Continue about 2/3 mile to the garden which will be on your right.

Ginter Gardens
1800 Lakeside Avenue
Richmond, Va.  23228
GPS coordinates for Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden 37°37’11.9″N 77°28’14.7″W

Field Trip Coordinators for 2015-2016 are Bill Millhouser and Alan Goldstein

Board of Directors

The members of the Board were elected at the first club meeting in May by acclamation.

The nominating committee members were 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.

A full list of all current NVPS Board members and their club contact information also can be found at: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=23

NatureVisions

Nature Visions 2015 features Muench, McNally & Grey

Nature Visions Photo Expo 2015 takes place Friday-Saturday-Sunday November 13-15 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center in Manassas, Virginia 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 nature and photo art photography exhibits will be accepted beginning August 25 and end Sept. 23.  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!

Roger Lancaster

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  Photography Exhibit Opens at Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston

An exhibit of fine art photography by members of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society opened with a reception Sunday, June 14, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Reston.  The church is at 1625 Wiehle Avenue, and all members of NVPS are invited to view the exhibit. The exhibit includes landscapes, still life, local monuments, and an occasional touch of whimsy, and will run through July 19.

The exhibiting artists are: Fran Bastress, Joy Brathwaite, Sandi Croan, Bob Friedman, Willa Friedman, Alan Goldstein, Georgette Grossman, Jeff Hancock, David Heagy, Melanie Marts, James Norman, Andrew Savino, Willa Siegel, John St. Hillaire, Dan Ward, and Ginger Werz-Petricka.

NVPS holds their annual End-of-the-Year Banquet at new venue

More than 90 members of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society held their annual End-of-the-Year Banquet at the Waterford at Fair Oaks, 12025 Lee Jackson Memorial Highway in Fairfax on Friday, June 5. In addition to dinner, the banquet is also the time when the best of the best are recognized and presented with awards. The list of awards recipients is found above and is on the Society's web site at http://nvps.org/home/?p=7331

NVPS members socialize prior to the dinner.	NVPS members socialize prior to the dinner.
Outgoing NVPS president Georgette Grossman chats with incoming president Jamie Kiechlin before dinner.	Incoming VP Operations Alan Tolk chats with former president and Special Board Member Mike Whalen.
Incoming Co-VP Competition Kevin Egan does yeoman work capturing events at the banquet.	Member Eric Ottinger enjoys the conversation at his table.
Former president and Special Board Member Bob Friedman makes a point to incoming VP Operations Alan Tolk and incoming Field Trips Coorinator Bill Millhouser.	Website manager Sam Schaen listens as Fran Millhouser (right) chats with him and his wife Marilyn Gaizband prior to dinner.
Outgoing Forum coordinator Susan Phillips chats with incoming coordinator Beth Morris and her spouse Robert prior to dinner.	Outgoing Membership coordinator Joy Brathwaite chats with members at her table prior to the dinner.
Outgoing president Georgette Grossman begins her remarks to start the program following the dinner.
Incoming president Jamie Kiechlin and incoming Forum coordinator Beth Morris perform their last function as co-Vice Presidents of Competition as they announce the various recipients of photographic awards.	Outgoing president Georgette Grossman presents Web Site Manager Sam Schaen with the Joe Atchison Award for Distinguished Service. Sam has served the Society in many ways over the many years he has been a member.
Incoming president Jamie Kiechlin presents the Sil Horwitz award to outgoing Society president Georgette Grossman. Sil Horwitz founded the Northern Virginia Camera Club on April 7, 1965, and was president for the 1965-1966 season. The Northern Virginia Camera Club became the Northern Virginia Photographic Society in 1975.

NVPS Members close out the club season by going to prison

About 30 members of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society closed out the Society's 2014-2015 season with a photographic field trip to the Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia on 31 May. Designed by John Haviland and opened on October 25, 1829, Eastern State is considered to be the world's first true penitentiary. Eastern State's revolutionary system of incarceration, dubbed the "Pennsylvania system" or separate system, encouraged separate confinement (the warden was legally required to visit every inmate every day, and the overseers were mandated to see each inmate three times a day) as a form of rehabilitation. The penitentiary was operational from 1829 until 1971. Notorious criminals such as bank robber Willie Sutton and Al Capone were held inside its innovative wagon wheel design. At its completion, the building was the largest and most expensive public structure ever erected, and quickly became a model for more than 300 prisons worldwide. The prison is currently a U.S. National Historic Landmark, and offered Society members a wealth of great photographic opportunities.

NVPS members get a briefing on the penitentiary from one of the guides.	Marilyn Gaizband and Judy McGuire await their turn as Polly Terriberry photographs one of the cells.
Polly Terriberry photographs murals in the chaplain's office that were painted in the mid-1950s by inmate Lester Smith as Andrew Savino watches.	Members of NVPS break for lunch at Luigi's Pizza Fresca following the photo field trip to the Eastern State Penitentiary. From left around the table, Marilyn Gaizband, Bob Friedman, Mike Whalen, Kevin Egan, Sam Schaen and Willa Friedman.

Willa Siegel and Sandi Croan

Willa Siegel and Sandi Croan had images juried in to the Buchanan Partners Art Gallery Second Annual Exhibition. A reception will be held June 11th as the Hylton Performing Arts Center announces the winners of the Hylton Center's Second Annual Juried Show. This show features artists from across the Commonwealth of Virginia and celebrates the vibrant artistic community in the region. 

Exhibition Opportunities

League of Reston Artists' July Photography Exhibit

You are invited to exhibit in the League of Reston Artists' July Photography Exhibit sponsored by Reston Photographic Society at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), National Gallery, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, in Reston. There is no theme, however, USGS staff has expressed a desire for works that reflect their mission, which is: “USGS scientists study the environment, natural hazards, natural resources, geology, geography, biology, chemistry, climate, landscapes, flora, fauna, and create maps. Images that depict the natural world, its biota, geology, maps landscapes, water and hazards would be appropriate for this space.” Please consider this when choosing your pieces. The deadlines are as follows:
Saturday, June 28th: Entry form via website*
Wednesday, July 1st: Drop Off 9:00 am
Friday, July 31st: Pick Up 9:00 am

*The Exhibit Chair needs time to print labels and prepare for hanging. If you are unable to submit your information prior to the deadline, you must email ellisrosenberg2@gmail.com to make special arrangements. THINK about your info when entering online; it is recommended you print off the entry page for your records. NO alterations will be made to titles or prices after the deadline. If you are unable to meet these requirements, contact your exhibit chair immediately to make special arrangements. LRA will charge a $15.00 additional fee for art that is delivered and is not registered by due date.

For detailed information, please see http://www.leagueofrestonartists.org/shows/2015-jul-rps-clicks-usgs

2015 Claude Moore Park Photo Expo - Call for Entries

The Friends of Claude Moore Park (FCMP) invite you to participate in the 8thAnnual FCMP Photography Expo “Natural Spaces and Old Places” to be held on September 26, 2015. Photographers of all levels and ages are encouraged to enter their favorite photos into the juried competition in five categories: Roots and Buds, Wild Creatures, Winged Wonders, Natural Landscapes, and History and Heritage. The Paul Glascock Memorial People’s Choice Award will be voted by the Photo Expo visitors. Ribbons and cash awards will be presented to winners in the various categories. Time flies so make sure that you submit your entries by September 18, 2015. For 2015 rules and entry form, visit www.loudoun.gov/claudemoorepark (go to “Quick Links”) after June 2015 and visit our new facebook site at https://www.facebook.com/FofCMP.  

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

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

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens offers special photographic opportunities

Meadowlark Boatanical Gardens, 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court, Vienna, Va., are planning to open the facilities at 6 a.m. on the following three dates this summer: Saturday, June 20; Saturday, July 25, and Sunday, August 23. There will be the normal charge for entrance ranging from $2.50 to $5. Members of Meadowlark are free.

Hidden District: Photo Essays by Steven Marks
Sight Partially Restored, Photographer Exhibits Work at Photoworks Gallery

An exhibition of photo essays by Steven Marks will be presented at Photoworks Gallery & Photography Arts Center
Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard, Glen Echo, Md., June 5 - July 12, 2015. The Center is open Saturdays 1-4 p.m. and Sundays 1-8 p.m.

Hidden District is an unbounded essay in metaphor that is a lyrical and gritty vision of the District of Columbia and surrounding locales. These are places and people we pass every day, yet fail to notice in any meaningful or imaginative way. The pictures are not meant to answer any questions; rather they show that beauty exists and stories can be found, even in the most quotidian of quarters.

This show marks the Potomac-based photographer’s artistic comeback since a promising career was cut short in the mid-1980s by serious visual problems, which made it impossible for Marks to work. New surgical techniques restored sight in his left eye in 2011, and he began to photograph again.

“The interesting thing is that my normal visual field is distorted, sharp on the left side and center, and very blurred on the right,” he said. “However, when I’m photographing and place my left eye in the viewfinder, the world is crystal clear.”

Steven Marks received his MFA from the University of Illinois in Chicago in 1982. His infrared and black-and-white images of rural and urban life were featured in solo and two-person shows at the Darkroom Gallery and Circle Center Gallery in Chicago, in group shows at museums around the world, and in the book Second Sight: An Aesthetic, Technical, and Historical Exploration of Infrared Photography.