The fall colors are in full swing in the DC area. I hope everyone has the chance to get out and shoot in the cool crisp autumn air and enjoy the kaleidoscope of seasonal colors. We are blessed to live in a wonderful area to enjoy nature.

We are still needing a Tech Team volunteer. We have two and need a third.  If we are fully staffed, you would not have to guarantee attendance at every meeting. The duties involve: setting up the projector and microphones and manning the lights. Please consider volunteering for the position. If you are a new member, it is a great way to get to know the other members of the club.

For the month of November, the Nature Visions Photo Exhibit will be the big event of the month. It is Nov. 13-15 at the Hylton Performing Arts Center, George Mason University, Manassas, Va. See their website at http://naturevisions.org/ for additional details.

Our Program speaker for November will be Nikhil Bahl. Nikhil will give a presentation titled “The Power of Simplicity and Expression”. The Education and Training meeting topic is “Exploring Software to Enhance your Creativity”. It will be a good opportunity to see live demos of software and plug-ins for creative effects.The competition judge for November will be Denise Silva from Road Runner Photography Tours. There is no theme for this competition. The Forum will feature a presentation by Susan Phillips titled “Short Ventures to the Pacific Northwest”. The Member’s Gallery will feature Prints by Granger Benson and Digital images by Dennis Govoni.

The November Field Trip will be on the 21st to Baltimore's Inner Harbor and environs.

Congratulations to all of our members who had their images juried into the Nature Visions Expo.

Thanks to all of the volunteers who make NVPS run so smoothly. The coordination by everyone to support the “Portraits” competition theme was awesome.

Jamie
“Taking pictures is like tiptoeing into the kitchen late at night and stealing Oreo cookies.” — Diane Arbus

Monthly Program

November 3rd: “The Power of Simplicity and Expression”                              with Nikhil Bahl

What are you trying to say with your photography? Since photography is a form of visual communication, all photographers should strive for simplicity in their photographs. With a complicated image, the message may not be obvious to the viewer. Simplicity and clarity in thought, process and technique can lead to expressive images that evoke emotion.

In his presentation, Nikhil will discuss inherent connection between simplicity expression, will share ideas on how photographers can make their images more meaningful and convey their message in a distinct style.

Nikhil Bahl is a full time professional photographer, author, educator, workshop instructor and environmentalist residing in the Washington, D.C., area. Drawing inspiration from nature, Nikhil adopts novel approaches and seeks meaningful interpretations: to create photographs that transcend the commonplace, reflect deeper insights, and convey an enchantment of the subject's beauty.

An offshoot of Nikhil's fine art photography and love of nature is his documentation of wildlife behaviors and habitats. As a volunteer with the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, his goal is to portray environmental stories with an artistic appeal, so his photographs educate and motivate about the imperative of conservation.

Each year Nikhil leads several photography tours and instructional workshops in the United States and abroad. His teaching encourages participants to advance beyond ordinary photos and develop their own style and vision. Nikhil is a regular speaker at photography clubs, expos and industry events. He authored the acclaimed eBook, Creative Interpretations and writes articles on the creative and technical aspects of photography.
 
Nikhil's work has been published in a number of print and electronic media and his fine art prints have been widely exhibited in the Washington metropolitan area, and are part of many private collections.

Examples of  Nikhil's work:

Monthly programs for 2015-2016:

The VP for Programs for this year Willa Siegel.

Education & Training

November 10th: Exploring Software to Enhance Your                              Creativity

For the next Education and Training try the NVPS version of speed dating.  We will have work stations setup around the room where you can see demonstrations and ask questions on several types of software.  Come visit one or visit all and learn about Photoshop Layers, HDR with Photomatrix Pro, Lightroom Split Toning, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Analog Pro and Nik Color Efex Pro, or explore the basics if you don't yet have developing software.  There will be something for everyone!

See you there!

Ginger and Chris

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

Competition

November 17th: Judging by Denise Silva

There is no theme for November's Competition.

Recently Denise Silva was a the featured photographer in the “Who's Who in the Kelbyone Community” article in the July/August 2015 Photoshop User Magazine!

As a founding contributor to the Flickr Marketplace, over 250 of Denise’s images have been curated for their gallery and for use and sale in the Marketplace and Getty Images.

For Denise, photography is an extension of who she is. She finds it meditative, creative, challenging, and rewarding from the associated travel through the visualization of a composition to the post processing and production of the final image. She says she can honestly say that her passion is to capture everything she sees. Denise enjoys the natural world, with endless landscapes, waterscapes, and animal wonders, but is just as likely to be found roaming the city shooting street scenes, people, and “urban-cityscapes.”

One aspect of photography that Denise enjoys the most is sharing the experience with friends. Traveling with, shooting with, comparing with friends keeps her motivated and excited about photography, as she am constantly learning new things. To her, these experiences are inspirational and she believes they can elevate each participant’s photography to the next level.

To this end, Denise and Don Rosenberger (NVPS’s judge for September), encouraged by friends; started a photography tour business, Road Runner Photography Tours (http://roadrunnerphotographytours.com/).

Denise says “I look forward to sharing my passion for photography with you and know that our tours will not only take you to great places, but give you an opportunity to build your network of photography friends while enhancing your photography skills through experience and knowledge sharing in a supportive environment. There is no better place to learn and develop your skills than in the field!”

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 the remaining 2015 – 2016 season are:

• Creativity - March 15, 2016
  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.
• Architecture - May 17, 2016
  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.

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.

October Competition Results

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

Digital - Class 1
1st – Melannie Egan – Smoke Break
2nd – Wendy Xu – Girl with Balloon
3rd – Kirk Andrew Johnson – Pretty Lady and Flowers
HM – Andrew Savino – Brown Pelican
HM – Jerri McDermott – Williamsburg Patriot
HM – Wendy Xu – Girl with Umbrella
HM - Colena Turner - My Lips are Sealed

Digital – Class 2
1st – Mark Chen – The Cat’s (not) Out of the Bag
2nd – Frank Napoli – The Announcer
3rd – Jim McDermott – Williamsburg

Digital – Class 3
1st – Curtis Gibbens – Tri-Colored Portrait
2nd – Kieu-hanh Vu – Just Innocent
3rd – Chuck Campbell – Thinking
HM – Kevin Egan – Pensive Soldier
HM – Scott Musson – Tyler
HM – Sam Schaen – Proud Kitty

Monochrome Prints
1st – Ginger Werz-Petricka – Crabby
2nd – Chuck Campbell – Jacob
3rd – Randy Ihara – Hidy
HM – Granger Benson – Sudanese Woman
HM – Wayne Guenther – Old Man, China
HM – Alan Goldstein – Determination

Color Prints – Class 1
No Awards

Color Prints – Class 2
1st – George (Butch) Karamarkovich – Elegant Bride
2nd – Alan Goldstein – Under the Spreading Chestnut Tree
3rd – Mark Chen – Lounge Cat

Color Prints – Class 3
1st – Bob Friedman – Berber Shepherd
2nd – James Norman – Kyle Frank
3rd – Tom Brett – Baboon Eyes
HM – Stan Bysshe – Tri-Colored

First Place images from October:

Additional winning images are available for viewing at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/competitions/2015-2016_Competition_Winners/

Class 1 Digital - 1st Place Melanie Egan Smoke Break	Class 2 Digital - 1st Place Mark Chen The Cat’s (not) Out of the Bag
	Class 3 Digital - 1st Place Curtis Gibbens Tri-Colored Portrait
Class 2 Prints - 1st Place George (Butch) Karamarkovich Elegant Bride
Class 3 Prints - 1st Place Bob Friedman Berber Shepherd	Monochrome Prints - 1st Place Ginger Werz-Petricka Crabby

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

A  portfolio is a collection of photographs  that are representative of  your skills and accomplishments. The Portfolio Project runs the entire club year and is a challenge and a learning experience. Everyone is  encouraged to participate.  It  will stretch your photographic skill to develop a body of related work that is more than a collection of your favorite images.  

To get started,  sign up at any meeting, then check out what other club members have achieved over the years in their portfolios  by visiting the club website at  http://nvps.org/gallery/v/Portfolio+Project/ .  Continue by reviewing your existing images while considering what you like to photograph or even what you wish you could photograph better.  Choosing a subject is not easy.
I feel very strongly that the Portfolio Project has been one of the most valuable programs that NVPS has offered me.  I was able  to produce a body of work that led to my first solo show. Here are a few observations that might be useful along the way to your first portfolio:

• While an interesting trip can make a great portfolio, I need to photograph in a place that I can return to repeatedly — Springfield, not Paris.
• I need to choose a subject that is always available so that I can revisit and re-photograph it.  For me it's more likely to be architecture than cherry blossoms, autumn leaves or snow.

A  portfolio needs an Artist's Statement. It  can be written before you start your project to guide your journey or after you complete it and know where you've gone .  I write an Artist's Statement and keep reviewing it as I take photos.   My Artist's Statement is a living document; it changes and evolves.   I write it in pencil, not ink!  Read Brook Jensen's column from LensWork Magazine  on Artist's Statements on our website at http://nvps.org/home/?p=3038  He provides an interesting perspective on what to include and what not to include.

Brian Zwit will  be our final critiquer in May. 

We will have sign-up sheets at the meetings, or you may sign-up by contacting  me or Ceasar Sharper at portfolioproject@nvps.org.

As you progress with the project, you will be able to post your images on the club website. There will be frequent announcements and updates as the year progresses.  When the website is set up for  portfolio project the detailed instructions will follow.  There will also be a critique along the way to help us all stay on track.

Willa Friedman 
                                               

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

Forum

November 24th: “Short Ventures To The Pacific Northwest”                  with Susan Phillips

Susan Phillips has been an active member of NVPS since 2009.  She served as Co-vp of Competitions 2013-14 and also Forum Co-ordinator 2014-15. 

Susan has won many ribbons for her work exhibiting in the Claude Moore Photo Expo, Joe Miller Center for Photographic Arts, Vienna Art Society Photo Exhibition and Washington Gardener Magazine.   Her work was selected for the Nature Visions Traveling show exhibiting  at the Washington School Of Photography, GW Virginia’s Science and Technology Campus,  The Workshouse Arts Center and George Mason University’s Hylton Performing Arts Center. 

She has been juried into Nature Visions Mid-Atlantic Photography Expo every year since 2009 winning “Best In Show” and ribbons from Lowepro, Olympic Camera, and Corey Hilz Photography.   Susan has a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania where photography was part of the curriculum. She used photography as Art Director and also in her Landscape Design careers.  Susan says digital photography was the game changer and continues to be inspired and learn through the many activities of the NVPS and its talented group of photographers.

Susan’s forum presentation will focus on her short travels to Alaska; Olympic National Park, Puget Sound, Palouse and Seattle, Washington, areas; and the southern Oregon coast.  She emphasizes a variety and amazing amount of photographs can be captured in a week long journey.  Her presentation will include landscapes,  oceans capes, architecture, flora, fauna and abstracts from these regions with a bit of storytelling and technical data  methods about each.

Examples of Susan's work:

Presenters for the remainder of the 2015-2016 Society year are:

The Forum Coordinator for 2015-2016 is Beth Morris.

Members Gallery

November 24th: Digital Images by Dennis Govoni; Prints                    by Robert Granger Benson

Dennis Govoni

Dennis began his photographic journey in 1964 while an undergraduate at Marietta College in Ohio. His motivation was, at first, his realization that the final exam in a course on plant identification would be the identification of 100 plants from Kodachrome slides projected during the exam. He felt he could gain an edge by following the professor around and photographing
behind him. So he bought a second-hand 35mm camera for $65.00 (a lot for an undergraduate back then) and has not put one down since.

After graduate school, he took a professorship at Virginia Wesleyan College and during a two-week period in January, known as the “January Term,” he often offered various courses in photography starting with black and white and eventually moving towards color photography using the then innovative technology known as the “Cibachrome Method”, a direct positive-to-positive color print approach.

Dennis began as a Nikon user, but moved to digital in 1999 with a Kodak DC265 (1.6MP) and finally to Canon in 2005 because they offered the first DSLR in the consumer price range (Rebel). He now has an insane amount of camera gear but shoots primarily with a Canon 1DX and 7D Mark II. Depending on subject, he uses macro lenses, super telephotos and wide angles.

Now retired for five years, Dennis continues to spend time perfecting his macro photography, but has also expanded into general landscape, wildlife and even non-nature subjects. Dennis’ approach is to try and look for interesting details in a subject (influenced by his biology and botany background). It is the role of light quality in revealing those details that interests him the most.

While not a professional by any means, his work has appeared in a children’s book series on nature and in publications such as Photography Week. He is also an active Getty Image contributor where his images have been used by the BBC, The Weather Channel, Bank of America and other enterprises. He has also taught in George Mason’s OLLI Program (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute) as the lead for their “The Art of Photography” Series.

Dennis has been a member of NVPS for about six years and was a co-coordinator of the Education and Training with Roger Lancaster for two years. He is now involved with Nature Visions as the Vendor Manager. His photos can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/dngovoni/ as well as at: http:// botanist.dyndns.org:8081/

Examples of Dennis’s work:

Robert Granger Benson

Granger is a retired physician and current small business owner who joined NVPS in 2013, soon after obtaining his first DSLR camera. Throughout his life he has enjoyed capturing family moments and travel scenes. However, he only recently began to think about the factors that distinguish a creative and compelling image from a pleasing snapshot. Whatever he has learned about photography he has acquired through self-study, the two Nature Visions events he has attended and NVPS meetings.  The impressive quality of images produced by NVPS members has been a major source of inspiration for him. He regards himself as an advanced beginner.

So far, Granger’s experience has mainly extended to landscapes, travel photography, close-up and macro, HDR, some street photography and occasional portraiture. He enjoys exploring different styles, techniques and subject matter and has yet to discover a favorite.  He has only grudgingly surrendered to photography’s less exhilarating aspects such as arising at unconscionably early hours, assuming awkward body postures and lugging around heavy equipment.

Granger most often shoots with his Canon 6D and almost exclusively uses the manual mode and the raw image format.In contrast to many photographers who prefer to spend time in shooting rather than post-processing, Granger enjoys the computer as much as the camera. Due to an early introduction to Photoshop, it remains his preferred graphics editor, supplemented by Adobe's Camera Raw plugin, Adobe Bridge and the Google Nik collection.

Examples of Granger’s work:

Presenters for the remainder of the 2015-2016 Society year are:

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

Field Trips

Baltimore’s picturesque Inner Harbor, located in the heart of Baltimore’s Downtown District, has served Maryland as a sea port since the sixteen hundreds. Just a few of the photographic opportunities are: the harbor with its boats and ships of all types, including the sailing warship USS Constellation and the submarine USS Torsk and two other historic ships ($11.00 admission for one ship, $18 for all four); views of downtown as seen from the “Top of the World Trade Center ($6.00 admission); lights and shops of Harborplace Mall; and skyline of downtown Baltimore. The national Aquarium is also a major attraction, but rather expensive, with an admission price of $39.95 for adults. For additional information just google “Baltimore Inner Harbor.”

We are planning on leaving for Baltimore at around 12 p.m. (noon), allowing about three hours of independent shooting. At 4:30 p.m., we are going to gather at the Visitor Center and then walk over to Federal Hill Park. At sunset (4:50 p.m.) the park affords a panoramic view of the Inner Harbor with the tall buildings of downtown Baltimore in the background. After the shoot, we’ll have dinner at a restaurant within the Inner Harbor area.

Note: To facilitate sign-ups, please download this fillable .PDF to your desktop, fill it out on your computer, save it using your name as the file name, and attach it to an e-mail and send it to field-trips@nvps.org

Field trips planned for the remainder of the program year (subject to change):

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

Bob and Willa Friedman are resurrecting, by popular demand, the Self Improvement Field trips for the 2015-2016 NVPS year.  Paul Simmons created this project for the 2006-2007 year and we did it in 2012-2013.  

Paul said:"The objective of these field trips is to improve our photographic vision by learning to recognize and use the building blocks of visual design in creating images.  If you're like me, you have favorite pictures, ones you have taken and those taken by others, but have difficulty articulating what it is that makes them good. Hopefully, these Self Improvement Field Trips will help us in consciously using the elements of visual design to create and understand compelling images."

Bob and Willa will be using Freeman Patterson's book, Photographing the World Around You (A Visual Design Workshop) as a study aid.  Each month, starting in September,  there will be an assignment, e.g. lines, triangles, circles, etc.  There will be a monthly field trip to Green Spring Gardens. The schedule is to be determined so that these do not conflict with other NVPS field trips.

The plan is to meet at  9 am on either a Saturday or a Sunday. There will be mentors at each field trip to assist and answer questions.  In addition, there will be a photo gallery where you can post images and have a guest critiquer comment on your image.

Bob and Willa encourage novices to participate.  Of course, even advanced photographers are invited to come and improve their photo eye.

Purchasing Freeman's book is not a requirement but it will be useful to understand the monthly assignment.  The book is not readily available, in fact it is out of print.   You can purchase the book on Amazon.com
This is the newest edition
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1552636127/ref=olp_tab_used?ie=UTF8&condition=used
The following is the previous edition and it is essentially the same
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/1550135902/ref=tmm_other_meta_binding_used_olp_sr?ie=UTF8&condition=used&sr=&qid=
 Please let Bob know it you want to participate.
self-improvement@nvps.org
To see photos from the last self-improvement trips go to http://nvps.org/gallery/v/2012self

Board of Directors

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

Forty-six members of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society had images juried into Nature Visions 2015.  There were 107 images submitted for nature and 56 for were submitted in photo arts … a great showing!  The names of the winners in each category are to be announced at a later date.  

Those with images juried in are Andrew Savino,  Benita Mayo,  Beth Morris,  Bill Corbett, Bill Millhouser,  Bryan Mangan, Ceasar Sharper,  Curtis Gibbens,  Dale Nelson,  Dan Ward,  Dennis Govoni,  Don Smith, Eva Lanyi,  Frances Bastress,  Georgette Grossman,  Ginger Werz-Petricka,  James Norman,  Jeanne Tifft,  Jim McDermott,  John Murray,  Judy McGuire,  Judy Corbett, and  Judy Gallagher.

Also,  Judy Graham,  Judy Guenther, Karol Murray,  Lea Schlosser, Len Johnson,  Lorraine Chickering,  Marilyn Gaizband,  Mark Chen, Mary Ann Setton,  Melanie Marts, Mike Whalen,  Bob Friedman, Roger Lancaster,  Sam Schaen,  Sandi Croan, Stanley Bysshe,  Susan Phillips, Thomas Brett,  Tuan Pham,  Wayne Guenther,  Willa Friedman,  Willa Siegel,  and  Bill Von Holle. 

Almost 1,000 images were submitted for judging in the nature section with approximately 325 accepted. For the photo arts section, almost 300 were submitted with approximately 150 accepted.

The next step is to now mat your images, following the instructions below closely:

Image/Mat Size
There is no minimum print size. Maximum outer dimensions are 16" x 20" (including matting). Exception: Panoramas may be up to 24 inches on the longest side. Other than pixel dimensions and sharpening, printed images shall be identical to the digital images submitted for judging. Photos must be two-dimensional. Three dimensional photo collages are not permitted.

Labels
A discreet label affixed to the back of each image is to include the photographer's name, club affiliation, category in which photograph is entered, and image title. Additional information may be provided (photo description, photo location, photographer bio, price if for sale, etc.) The label's text will serve to indicate the correct orientation of the photo. (NOTE: if you have not put in a title for your image on the attached pdf file with the results, or the title is not correct, please inform me asap with both the title that is on the attached and what the title should be. This will allow the cards that will be made up to be correct.)

Signature
At the photographer's discretion a signature may be added to the bottom edge of the mat.

Titles
Titles are NOT allowed on the cover window mat or the print (refer to Labels for use of titles).

Matting/Mounting

Framed photos are not allowed. All mats and backing material must be white. They must also have white cores.
Cover window mats are required. Single matting is preferred. Double matting is permitted. If an image is double matted, both mats must be the same white color and the same texture. Triple matting is NOT permitted. Floating photos (where a white or colored border appears between the print and the cover mat) are allowed.

Backing
The cover window mat must be securely affixed on all four sides to a firm backing of at least 3/16 inch foam core or similar material. Failure to comply may result in the disqualification of the image for consideration. Mat board is unacceptable backing.

Borders
A minimum 1.5 inch border (along all sides of the image) is required for photographs up to 8×10 inches. A minimum 2 inch border (along all sides of the image) is required for photographs larger than 8×10 inches. The border need not be the same on all sides.

The above instructions can also be found on the NV website at http://naturevisions.org/the-exhibits/expo-submissions/.

Past experience has indicated that the most common problem with prints is that they do not have a firm backing. Please make sure that the backing is firm enough so that they do not come apart during the display. If you need assistance, please don't hesitate to ask me. Additionally, make sure the printing of the image is the best that can be done and that the final print is as close as possible to the digital image you submitted for judging.

The last opportunity for Roger to pick up matted images will be at the meeting on November 3. No images will be accepted after that date. He will be reviewing images for conformity of matting and exhibit rules as they are received and will contact you if they do not meet requirements. If you submit your images at the Nov. 3 meeting, he may not be able to complete the review in time for the expo so the earlier you submit them the better. In addition, please submit your image in the clear envelopes that are used for protecting the image.

Since your image(s) have been juried in, you are required to volunteer to assist in the expo itself. John Quigley is in the process of drawing up a volunteering schedule and you will receive more information on this in the days ahead.
Roger Lancaster, NVPS Rep to Nature Visions - naturevisions@nvps.org.

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.

2015-2016 Membership Dues

We’ve had a number of new members join the club in recent weeks! Thanks to all who have spread the word about NVPS and the wonderful benefits of membership. Remember, in order to participate in the monthly competitions your membership dues must be current. The grace period has expired.

Membership dues for the 2015-2016 year are as follows:

• Individual            $45.00
• Family                 $65.00
• Student                $20.00

There are three forms of payment. Checks and cash are preferred by NVPS:

• Check: make out your check to NVPS. Complete and print out the Membership Application (http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/NVPS_application_2015-2016.pdf). Please either mail both to our Treasurer, Tom Brett, 4216WynnwoodDr, Annandale, VA 22003 or bring your membership application and check to a meeting.
• Cash:Complete and print out the Membership Application (http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/NVPS_application_2015-2016.pdf) with your current information and pay our Membership Coordinators (Judy Graham or Paula Neumann) or our Treasurer (Tom Brett) at any meeting.
• PayPal: use the link on our website: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=114. Please note that NVPS must pay a fee for this method of payment!

Membership looks forward to seeing you at coming meetings!

Welcome Committee – Calling For Volunteers

Have you ever walked into a room of a 100 people and didn’t recognize a soul? It can be very intimidating even to the most outgoing. As NVPS has grown in size, potential and new members may feel overwhelmed. In 2010 NVPS Membership established a program to help facilitate the integration of potential and new members into the club.

Membership is asking for volunteers to participate in the Welcome Committee. Your responsibilities will include:

• Committing to frequently attending meetings during the year and arriving by 7:00 p.m.
• Wearing a Welcome Committee name tag
• Standing by the Membership table during social time (7:00-7:30) and making yourself available to help greet potential and new members
• Answering questions about NVPS and membership
• Introducing potential and new members to other NVPS members
• Encouraging potential and new members to join and new members to keep attending meetings
• Inviting potential and new members to sit with you at meetings or ride with you on field trips

Volunteers are especially needed at the beginning of the club year. Ideally, we would like to have five volunteers on the committee, which will be rotated. So please raise your hand by e-mailing Judy Graham, the Membership Coordinator, at membership@nvps.org and letting her know you are willing to volunteer for this important role!

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:

Fran Bastress

Fran Bastress has 20 photographs in a solo exhibit through November 30 at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, 2709 Hunter Mill Road, Oakton, Va. (For hours of availability, call office at 703-281-4230.) Three examples of Fran's images:

Labyrinth of Hoodoos	Receding Tide on the Bay of Fundy
Maritime Scene at Blue Rocks

Roger Lancaster

Roger Lancaster had his image Fishing at the Beach featured as a two-page photo in the August issue of Grand Strand magazine, which serves the area around Myrtle Beach, S.C. This is the second time one of his images has been featured in the magazine.

In addition, Roger recently received first place in the Waterford Fair photo exhibit in the Best of Loudoun category with his image Farm on Loyalty Road. The category is sponsored by the Leesburg Today newspaper, and carries a substantial cash award! He also received a 3rd place finish for his photo in the Landscape category at the Waterford exhibit titled Mist on the Ocmulgee.

Fishing at the Beach	Farm on Loyalty Road
Mist on the Ocmulgee

Bob Dost

Bob Dost won the Best in Category color image at this year's Virginia State Fair. His wife, Doris Blommer Dost, won Best in Category black and white. (Images below)

Willa Friedman and Georgette Grossman

This image won Honorable Mention in the October exhibit at the Art League. It is actually the "door" to an office at a hotel in Morocco. This judge liked photographs; a majority of the HMs were photographs.

Georgette Grossman’s Guardian Gargoyle was also awarded an Honorable Mention in the October 2015 Art League of Alexandria, Va., exhibit entitled Superstition & Belief. This sculpture is one of the four guardian gargoyles that adorn the Pont del Regne, a bridge in Valencia, Spain. The image was given an “old” look with Nik’s Analog Efex Pro.

Exhibition Opportunities

Announcements of exhibitions or contests are provided for information purposes only. There is no actual or implied endorsement by the Northern Virginia Photographic Society.

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/