Editor's Note: Our president Kevin Egan is dealing with a medical issue that takes him away from his duties. We wish him speedy recovery and to return soon.

Monthly Program

March 7th: Creative Vision Around the World with Corey Hilz

Photographers strive to capture dynamic, engaging images wherever they are. It’s important to look for fresh perspectives and utilize creative techniques whether you are at home or abroad. In this presentation Corey Hilz will share images from his travels to diverse destinations around the globe. He’ll offer insights into his photographic techniques for people, landscapes and architecture. Even when in unfamiliar environments and spontaneous shooting situations you can make powerful images that convey your photographic vision. This presentation will give you ideas for moving beyond photos that simply document your travels.

Corey is a professional photographer specializing in nature and travel photography. He finds the diversity in nature and cultures around the world offer boundless opportunities for new images. Corey approaches his subjects with an artistic eye, looking for a fresh perspective. He goes beyond the documentary image to show a unique perspective using color, shape and line. He strives to share the beauty of a destination you have never seen and provide a new perspective on a familiar subject. While Corey has collected diverse images from extensive travel, he also finds some of the most interesting subjects close to home.

Corey is a published author and his work is seen in magazines, books, calendars and catalogues. His photographs are also seen in exhibits and his prints are found in private collections. Corey has written six books, including two books on digital workflow and the first book dedicated to Lensbaby.

Corey has a passion for sharing his knowledge. He helps others improve their photography through group and private instruction. Corey's instruction enables photographers to improve their photographs technically and artistically. He leads workshops to locations in the United States and abroad, plus offers photography classes and software training.  Find out more on Corey's website: http://www.coreyhilz.com/

Education & Training

March 14th: Being A Professional Photographer

Please join us on March 14th as Chris Langford shares his insight and experiences as a versatile professional photographer. We mainly know Chris as an exceptional portrait photographer, but he also participates in a lot of weddings, mainly as a second shooter. Chris will speak about the flow, business, cost, gear and challenges to this type of photography. If you’ve ever been asked by friends and family to be the photographer at an event, or thought about becoming a professional wedding or event photographer, you’ll want to attend this month’s Education and Training session.

The Education and Training Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Chuck Campbell.

Competition

March 21st: Judging by Peter Manzelli

Note: The theme is Drag the Shutter. See below for details.

Peter Manzelli began his obsession with art at an early age. But before turning an eye toward the visual arts, he was proficient in the performing arts. Drafting in high school was for him an extension of coloring books and a natural talent that led to a study of architecture, and a source of income in the summer months. 

In college, he traded the drafting board for an easel. When money ran out, he enlisted in the Navy as an Illustrator/Draftsman. At the end of four years, that experience was enough to start a 31-year career with the federal government as a Visual Information Specialist. The transition from the analog to digital came at the perfect time. And the final six years of that career included work as a photographer and photojournalist. 

He has had several shows over the years and judges occasionally. When asked what he looks for in a photograph he says, “I look for thought and the truth. A camera can take a picture, an individual makes a picture.” 

For the past five years, he has shelved his camera after discovering the electric bass; an instrument he feels he was meant to play. Going full circle, he is currently starting two Rock bands (one for fun and one serious) and is literally “Waiting On the Stage.”

The theme is 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. Note: to further clarify March’s themed competition, we will allow any photo which shows any movement due to a slow shutter speed, with or without flash, including photos of moving objects taken without moving the camera or lens, such as waterfalls.  Please contact competitions@nvps.org if you have further questions.

Competition Schedule for the remainder of the 2017 season 

April 18, 2017 - "Oldies"- there is no two year time capture time constraint and there is no theme; knock yourself out on the old film images or some early digital images from the early 2000s. The judge will be David Blecman.

May 16, 2017- The theme is 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.  For the Monochrome Print category, instead of producing a black and white photo, show us a color other than black along with white, i.e., red and white, blue and white, etc. The judge will be Mary Ann Stetton.

At the end of May, a separate End of Year competition among all of the monthly winners will be judged by Nikhil Bahl; the winners will be announced at our annual End of Year Banquet in early June.

Competition Themes for 2017-2018

The themes for 2017-2018 are:

• Faceless Self Portrait:
  This is not your normal selfie. Be creative and express your identity by taking a photo of yourself without your face.
• The American Experience –Americans at Work:
  For this month's themed contest, show us your best photos of Americans at Work. This may be of a single person, or multiple people, at work. The person or persons and the work being performed must both be clearly evident in the photo. Let’s showcase Americans at Work by demonstrating their emotions, determination, strength and pride!
• Visible Emotions:
  Some of the most powerful photographs are those that have captured emotions. Photographs that have impact and tell a story, show individuals with visible emotions. For this theme, photograph a person that shows us clearly visible emotions. This could be happiness, surprise, anger, sadness, excitement, pride, fear or disgust.

February Competition Results

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

Digital - Class 1
1st Place- Kieulan Nguyen – Myanmar Fisherman
2nd Place- Willa Siegel - Three Sisters
3rd Place- Phyllis Kimmel - City Snow
HM- John Joseph Murray - Reflections of Cathedral Rock
HM- Kacy Turner - Cuddle-up!
HM- Tracy Sarang - Christmas Lights

Digital – Class 2
1st Place- Barry Dunn - Cleaning Crew
2nd Place- Lynn Cates – Travel Ban Protest
3rd Place- George Karamarkovich - Red Head
HM- Jeff Talbert - Congressional Cemetery Path

Digital – Class 3
1st Place- Wayne Guenther - On the Beach
2nd Place- John L Telford - Triceratops
3rd Place - Ginger Werz Petricka - Pick Me Next
HM- Ed Ruggiero - Up in Smoke
HM – Kieu-hanh Vu - Fall Colors

Color Prints – Class 1
1st Place- Kacy Turner - Baby O
2nd Place- Joan E Barker - Airplane Engine
3rd Place - Tracy Sarang - The Tutu
HM - Kathryn Mohrman - Cuban Dancer

Color Prints – Class 2
1st Place- Bill Millhouser - Irish Street Musician
2nd Place- Karol Murray - Aspen Grove
3rd Place- Clark L Barker - Boat

Color Prints – Class 3
1st Place- Ceasar Sharper - Red Racer
2nd Place- Bill Corbett - Merganser
3rd Place- Alan P Goldstein - Coat of Many Colors
HM - Stan Mercer Bysshe - Who Me?

Monochrome Prints
1st Place- Bill Millhouser - Silos
2nd Place- Fran Bastress - Badlands Prairie Meets the Wall
3rd Place- Len Johnson - Sea Captain
HM- Alan P Goldstein - Down the Up
HM- Bill Corbett - Feathers with Flourish
HM- Georgette Grossman - A Man and His Dog
HM- Karol Murray - Stairway National Cathedral
HM- Silvia H. Jorgensen - Ferris Wheel

First Place images from February:

Additional winning images are available for viewing at http://nvps.org/gallery/v/competitions/2016-2017_Competition_Winners/

Class 1 Digital Kieulan Nguyen Myanmar Fisherman	Class 2 Digital Barry Dunn Cleaning Crew
Class 3 Digital Wayne Guenther On the Beach
Class 1 Print Kacy Turner Baby O	Class 3 Print Ceasar Sharper Red Racer
Class 2 Print Bill Millhouser Irish Street Musician	Monochrome Bill Millhouser Silos

Competition Judges for 2016-2017

The Co-VPs Competition for 2016-2017 are Bill Millhouser and Judy Graham (competitions@nvps.org)

Rules of Competition Change

The Final 2016 Rules of Competition are now available on the NVPS website. The changes to the rules are summarized below:

• Members competing in each Class (1, 2, and 3) can enter a maximum of three images per competition. One image can be entered into each of the three competition categories:
• Color Prints
• Monochrome Prints
• Digital Images

• All prints must be mounted. 
• Mounting is to consist of a Polystyrene or Foam Core Backing Board either 1/8 or 3/16 inches in thickness (Please note that 3/16 is required for print submissions to Nature Visions), and a Mat Board of at least a 4 ply thickness (.05 to .06 inches). 
• The Mat Board must be white. 
• Mounted prints must not exceed 20 inches in height or 40 inches in width to accommodate the light box.

The complete Rules of Competition are at http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=500. You can also download a PDF file of the rules at the top of the page (http://nvps.org/home/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/RulesofComp_Sept-2016-final.pdf). The sections of rules that have been changed are: Section 1.B. Number of Competitions; Section 1.C Eligibility; and, Section 1.E Presentation of Prints.  If you have any questions, please contact Bill Millhouser or Judy Graham, the Co- VPs of Competition at competitions@nvps.org.

Details for preparing prints and digital images can be found at:
Prints: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=500 (Section I.E)
Digital images: http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=4239

Competition Pages on NVPS Website

We appreciate the constructive feedback we have been receiving on the competition pages of our website. We are in the process of working with the NVPS web team to make a number of changes so it is much easier to navigate, and find the requirements for competitions

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.

Forum

March 28th: Australia and New Zealand in 30 Days
                     with Sandi Croan

Sandi Croan is an independent photographer from Centreville who has been living in Northern Virginia since 1978. She specializes in landscape, nature, and travel photography with an eye for capturing the unique and creating fine art for homes and offices.

Sandi has won numerous competitions and awards for her fine art photographs including: Photographer of the Year and Print of the Year numerous times as well as Versatile Photographer of the Year at Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS); 1st Place at the 2016 Art Space Herndon Fine Art Photography Exhibit, 2nd Place at Reston Artists PhotoArt 2015, Best Landscape and People's Choice awards at Nature Visions Photography Expo; and Best in Show and 2nd Place at the juried Meadowlark Photo Expo in Vienna, Va. Her images have been selected to be put on permanent display at the Fair Oaks Hospital Cancer Center, Meadowlark Botanical Gardens and the Joseph Miller Center for the Photographic Arts.

She has been juried into numerous art shows including; the prestigious VisArts of Rockville Exhibitions, Fairfax County Council of the Arts Show (Unlocked), and The Fraser Gallery International Photography Exhibition, Art Space Herndon Fine Art Photography Exhibit as well as many others. Sandi was a featured artist in Elan Magazine, and her photograph “Blue Lagoon” was on the cover. She has also had photographs published in other local and national magazines.

Sandi has sold many of her photographs to private, corporate and government clients, and does shows for businesses and other local events. In addition, Sandi has recently/or currently is displaying her art at Broadway Gallery, The Blue Iguana restaurant in Fairfax, Meadowlark Gardens, Cub Run Recreation Center, Trummers on Main Street Restaurant, and the Fairfax County Government Center.

Sandi has been an active member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society (NVPS) since 2004 and has served in a variety of board positions since 2005. She served as president of NVPS for two terms from 2009-2011.  She also is a speaker and serves as a judge for area photographic clubs, competitions and exhibitions.

Examples of Sandi's work:

The Forum Coordinator for 2016-2017 is Kirk Johnson.

Upcoming Forum Presentations:

Members Gallery

March 28th: Digital by Judy Guenther;
                      Prints by Bill Millhouser

Judy Guenther joined NVPS in the fall of 2015. She has been an avid travel photographer for the past seven years since purchasing her first “serious” camera, a Nikon D7000 and a set of lenses. She has been strongly influenced by her photographer husband, Wayne, and his life-long passion for photography. Actually, Judy got tired of waiting for Wayne to work a scene and decided to start shooting herself.

Judy is an amateur photographer who has been a member of The Art League at The Torpedo Factory in Old Town Alexandria for the past five years. Besides being juried into several monthly shows at The Art League, her work has also been selected for national juried shows at the Hylton Performing Arts Center’s Buchanan Gallery, Black Box Gallery in Portland, Ore., and Multiple Exposures Gallery in Alexandria, Va.

Judy has received special training at Maine Media Workshops and with Alison Shaw in Martha’s Vineyard, and has traveled with Jim Zuckerman and National Geographic photographers Jay Dickman, Nevada Weir, and Susan Seubert. Judy shoots most of her photography while traveling domestically and abroad. She enjoys landscapes, abstracts, colors, nature, wildlife and cultural portraits. A former Nikon D7000/7100 user, Judy has switched entirely to Olympus OMD EM-1 mirrorless bodies with a variety of lenses.

She retired in 2009 as a Senior Executive in the Army Budget Office in the Pentagon where she directed the budget functions for the Army’s procurement, research and development, base realignment and closure, military construction and family housing funds. She worked for the Army for 26 years, 17 of them in the Pentagon. Although she was a cello performance major in college, after meeting Wayne (also a music major) when he was an Army officer, she switched her career plans from being a professional musician to being a government employee, although keeping up with musical activities. She is a paid singer at a Catholic church and a member of The Washington Chorus. Since her retirement, she and Wayne have traveled extensively to more than 36 countries and within the U.S.

Judy and Wayne have three children and six grandchildren and look forward to continued travel and photography.  The title of her presentation is “Travel With Judy’”

Examples of Judy's work:

Bill Millhouser became interested in photography in the early 1970s, starting with a used Yashica SLR and then a series of various Canon film SLRs. Bill enjoyed travel and nature photography, but the outputs were limited to color prints in scrapbooks and boxes of Kodak Carousel slide trays. Having flamed out, so to speak, in chemistry, he never set foot in a darkroom.

Things changed radically when digital cameras became available to amateurs. In 2001, Bill dove in and bought the Canon D30, which had a rather modest 3.25 megapixel sensor (!) and a blazing 3 FPS frame rate. Using Lightroom, Bill began to understand more about proper exposure and the how to “develop” digital images. Throughout the 2000s, Bill casually developed his camera skills photographing landscapes, birds and macro subjects.  Travel photography was, and remains, a keen interest.  Bill was lucky to have job at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration which entailed trips not only to all of the West Coast and Alaska, but also Hawaii and other Pacific islands.

Soon after retiring Bill attended his first photographic workshop in Costa Rica, which exposed him to the wonderful variety and color of tropical birds and the proper use of big telephoto lenses (both on a tripod and hand held), the use of fill flash, and the complexities of multi-flash setups to capture the beauty of the region’s many hummingbird species. His keen interest in wildlife and bird photography has since lead him to visit sites throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, the West Coast, New Mexico, Florida, Belize, South Africa, and back to Costa Rica on multiple occasions.

Bill’s photographic journey really took off when a new friend, Marilyn Gaizband, suggested that he join NVPS in November 2012.  Joining the Club has led to ever increasing interest and development in the art and craft of photography.  Within the last few years this included moving beyond just digital competitions and learning to print and mat prints for competition, both for club competitions and Nature Visions. Bill won “Best in Show” and “Best in Birds” in the 2015 Nature Visions competition for his image of a Black-necked Stilt, titled “Teeter Totter.”

Bill is currently shooting with several Canon digital SLRs and numerous lenses, from wide angle to super telephoto, and a bevy of flash gear. He also has a small Olympus OMD EM 1 kit with a few lenses that is easy to schlep around all day long, while providing excellent image quality.

Bill looks forward to increasing his knowledge of various software packages, including Photoshop, and the NIK suite. Bill hopes to visit new places to photograph, both locally and around the world and focusing on being in the right place at the right time to capture great images, while also being open to the unexpected images before him.

Examples of Bill's work:

The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this 2016-2017 is Ron Taylor.

Field Trips

March 11th: Longwood Gardens Orchid Extravaganza
                        Kennett Square, Pa.

Longwood Gardens, purchased by Pierre DuPont as a “small farm” and developed into one of the largest gardens in the United States, presents its “Orchid Extravaganza” as an antidote to a monochromatic winter. NVPS’s next field trip will be an opportunity to photograph some of the 4,500 orchids that will be on display. We’ll meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Gardens in Kennett Square, Pa., with plans for lunch in the cafeteria at noon.

We recommend getting tickets in advance at https://tickets.longwoodgardens.org/. Please note that the tickets are timed – you’ll select the time that you can enter the gardens. (Adult tickets are $23, seniors (62+) are $20; active and retired military, with DOD IDs, can get a 25% discount, though these can’t be purchased in advance.) Once you’re in the gardens, you can stay until the 5 p.m. closing time.

Tripods are generally allowed between 9 a.m. and noon, with a no-cost tripod tag. The tags are available at the Garden’s Guest Services Desk (down the hallway from the entrance and admission ticket sales counter). Save time by filling out the permission form in advance -- https://www.longwoodgardens.org/sites/default/files/wysiwyg/TripodPermissionForm.pdf.

Good walking shoes are a must – the Conservatory housing the orchids covers about 4½ acres. Depending on the weather, you may also want to explore the outside gardens (over 1,000 acres). Josh Taylor has posted several image of the orchids on the NVPS Facebook page, along with some advice on photography and using flash.

Travel time from the Dunn Loring Fire Department is about 2½ hours, so the trip can be a one-day outing. If you’d like avoid getting up for a 6:30 a.m. departure, Google or another search engine would be the best way to locate a local hotel. Dinner options in Kennett Square are good.

If you’d like to spend more time photographing flower displays in the Philadelphia region, the Philadelphia Flower Show opens the weekend of March 11-12. (https://theflowershow.com) This year’s theme is “Holland: Flowering the World.” The show is at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown (about 45 minutes from Kennett Square). Expect crowds if you go. Unfortunately, the show’s early morning admissions and early morning photo tours don’t begin until Tuesday, March 14. Across the street from the convention center is the Reading Terminal – a great place for food, food photography, and people photography. Again, expect crowds.

Field Trips 2016-2017

The schedule is subject to change.

Field Trip Coordinators for 2016-2017 are Stan Bysshe and Jim McDermott, field-trips@nvps.org

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

Membership

2016-2017 Membership Dues

Thanks to all who have spread the word about NVPS and the wonderful benefits of being a member.
In order to participate in the monthly competitions your membership dues must be current.
Membership dues for the 2016-2017 year are as follows:

Please note that the above fees cover for the remainder of the year – February 1, 2017 through May 1,, 2017.
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/2012/08/NVPS_application_2016-2017.pdf. Please either mail both to our Treasurer, Tom Brett, 4216 Wynnwood Dr, 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/2012/08/NVPS_application_2016-2017.pdf) with your current information and pay our Membership Coordinators (Patty Healy 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!

Questions, please email membership at membership@nvps.org.
We look forward to seeing you at future meetings!

Stay Connected with NVPS

EMAIL: If you are not already receiving NVPS emails, there are two ways you can sign up to join the list. Click on the following link and sign up by entering your name and email address. Click on join the list. http://nvps.org/home/?page_id=31. Or you may stop by the Membership desk at the next meeting and they will be happy to assist you. It's important to note, you will receive an "opt-in" email from nvps.org. If you do not receive it, check your spam folder. Please respond to this email within 72 hours or the verification link will expire.

FACEBOOK: If you are on Facebook, please join the NVPS private group. Search on Northern Virginia Photographic Society Social Group and request to join. Members post everything from their photos to interesting articles on photography to requests for recommendations. You will find the group informative and fun!

Patricia J. Healy
Membership Coordinator

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.

Former NVPS Member Dies

Lois Culver Long of Fairfax County died Jan. 8, 2017, at the age of 87, due to complications from a hemorrhagic stroke.

Lois was born on May 23, 1929, in Frankfort, Ind.,  and was raised in Manitowoc, Wisc., where she graduated from Lincoln High School in 1947. She received a BS in Applied Arts in Ceramics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 1951 and a Masters of Fine Arts from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1954.

She authored two books, Metal Enameling and Ceramic Decoration (5th printing) and was a founding member of the Indiana Artist/Craftsmen.  She married Robert M. Long, a public relations executive, in 1956 in Indiana.

After their move to Washington, D.C.,  Lois became an Adult Education art teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools and University of Maryland, and an avid photographer. She had two one-woman photo shows related to Brazilian culture and botanicals. She was a member of Brazilian American Cultural Institute, Partners of the Americas Chapters Indiana, Virginia & Washington, D.C.; a former board member of the Kiln Club of Washington, D.C.; a member of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society; a lifetime member of the Womens National Democratic Club; and lover of the National Symphony Orchestra.

She is remembered mostly for the agility of her mind and her professional participation in and dedication to the arts.   She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert M. "Bob" Long. She is survived by her son, Culver J. Long of Oakton; her daughter, Tanagra Long Cafferky (Chris) of Springfield,; two grandchildren and a myriad of relatives and good friends across the western hemisphere. A Celebration of Life was held on Sunday, February 19, at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 4444 Arlington Blvd., Arlington, Va.  In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to the any of the aforementioned organizations.  

Members' News:

NVPS Members Take Honors In Washington Gardner Magazine Photo Contest

Six members of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society took honors in the 11th Annual Washington Gardner Magazine Photo Contest this year. The NVPS members took six of the 17 awards.

Grand prize was awarded to Dee Ellison for her photo "A Lavender Afternoon,"  taken at the Seven Oaks Lavender Farm in Catlett, Va.  Her image (left) was also the cover photo for the magazine’s February issue. 

Other winners were Ron Taylor who won first place in the Garden Views Category for his photo of "Meadowlark Bridge Early Morning"; and Hung Vu who took second place in this category for her photo "Cherry Blossoms."

Willa Friedman was awarded first place in the Small Wonders Category for her photo "Shy Lotus Bud."  She also won second place in the category for her image "Blue Poppy Close-up."  Mike Whalen took second place in the Garden Vignettes Category for his photo "White Water Lily with Green Pods,"  and Judy McGuire was awarded an Honorable Mention for her image "Woodland Pond with Reflection."

All entries had to have been taken in calendar 2016 and within a 150-mile radius of the Capitol Building.

The four categories of the competition were:

• Garden Views:  Beautiful, dramatic or unusual perspectives of a garden landscape, including wide shots showing the setting.  The subject could be a private or public garden.

• Garden Vignettes:  Groupings of plants in beds or containers with unusual color or texture combinations, garden focal points, and still scenes. The subject could be photographed in a private or public garden.

• Small Wonders:  Tight close-up images of macro shots of single flowers, plant parts, fruits, vegetables, etc.  The subject could be a private or public garden.

• Garden Creatures:  Images of insects, birds, frogs, pets, etc. in a private or public garden setting.

The contest was judged by Elizabeth Olson and presented at Green Spring Gardens, Alexandria, Va., on 4 February 2017

Mike Whalen 2nd Place Garden Vignettes White Waterlily with Green Pods	Judy McGuire Honorable Mention Garden Views Woodland Pond with Reflection
Willa Friedman 1st Place Small Wonders Shy Lotus Bud	Willa Friedman 2nd Place Small Wonders Blue Poppy Close-up

Wayne Wolfersberger

Wayne Wolfersberger presented a ninety-minute program on bison to George Mason University's OLLI (Osher Life Long Learning Institute) in early February. The program titled Bison: Legends, Lore and Legacy was an expanded slide program that he presented multiple times for the U. S. National Park Service and included extensive use of his images made while living and working in Yellowstone over many years. Physical artifacts were also included along with the program.

Examples of Wayne's photos:

Exhibitions/Competitions

North Bethesda Camera Club Photo Essay Program

The North Bethesda Camera Club (NBCC) Photo Essay 2017 program will be held Sunday, March 12, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. in the Rosborough Center auditorium at Asbury Methodist Village, Gaithersburg, Md.

This continues the club's long-running annual tradition in which NBCC members produce slide shows of their beautiful photographs set to music. This year is the 31th anniversary of NBCC slide shows. Past programs have been very well received, and this is the most popular event of the year.

This will be the 10th year presenting the show in a large and comfortable theater-like setting. The auditorium seats 250 people very comfortably. (Nevertheless, they recommend arriving early to get a good seat.) Members of NBCC, residents of Asbury Village, and their respective guests, are invited to attend. Members of other local camera clubs and their guests are also invited. The event is free.

The Loudoun Arts Council presents a new artWorks exhibit

The Loudoun Arts Council is presenting a new artWorks exhibit of photography. The exhibit is Olden Times by Fine Art Photographer Dora Ramirez.

In Olden Times, Ms. Ramirez presents scenes of everyday life of bygone times and encourages viewer to contemplate the legacy of olden eras. “I love contemporary life but I’m intrigued by the olden world and the legacy it left us.”  says Ms. Ramirez. She encourages viewers to take a minute, take their time, and get lost in each of the scenes. “Think about how it must have been to live  during those bygone times so that we can  better understand where we are and where we are headed.” The photos will be on exhibit  March through May at the Old Ox Brewery, 44652 Guilford Drive #114,  in Ashburn.

Award winning  photographer Ms, Ramirez lives in Northern Virginia and founded GerDora Photography with her husband Gerry D’Onofrio .Her interests include the natural world as well as traditional and contemporary themes reflecting different points of view. Her photographs won first place in both ArtSpace Herndon’s Fine Art Photography Competition and the Reston Bike Club’s Century Ride T-Shirt Competition. She has been recognized by several articles in the Loudoun Mirror Times Monitor. Her web site is at www.gerdora.com 

The Loudoun Arts Council and artWorks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has supported Loudoun’s visual, literary, and performing artists since 1986 with the goal of elevating the lives of all community members. The council offers a wide range of programs for artists, businesses, and art enthusiasts, including artWorks. The LAC embraces the idea that spaces are energized by art and artWorks brings the artwork of the most talented regional artists into local businesses in Loudoun County. Visit LoudounArts.org for further information.

Raptor Photo Encounter

How would you like the opportunity to photograph eight magnificent raptors from just 10 feet away? Can you imagine being this close to owls, hawks, and falcons in a natural outdoor setting?

The Friends of Mason Neck State Park and the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia are offering a unique opportunity on Saturday, March 25, to get up close and personal with some beautiful birds. Participants will be able to photograph raptors from as close as 10 feet. away.

During each session eight different raptors including owls, hawks and falcons will be posing for you to photograph. You’ll hear from Raptor Conservancy staff about each one of them making this a learning experience too. Space is limited to 20 participants per session, so don’t wait to register!

The sessions will be rain or shine at Mason Neck State Park, Lorton, Va. The morning session will be from 10 a.m. to Noon; and the afternoon session will be from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Each session is $65.00 per participant. To register go to the website: masonneckstateparkfriends.org and look for “Events” The price covers entrance into the park and donations to the Raptor Conservancy of Virginia and the Friends of Mason Neck State Park, Inc. The Friends will be using their portion to fund activities and programs at the Mason Neck State Park Eagle Festival on May 20, 2017. The full $65.00 is tax deductible since both RCVA and the Friends are 501(c)(3) organizations.

Seventh Annual Joseph Miller Abstract Photography Exhibition
May 6 – May 29, 2017

The Joseph Miller Center for the Photographic Arts takes great pride in announcing its Seventh Annual juried abstract exhibit. All interested photographers are invited to submit entries for this much anticipated spring event.

Submissions to the First Annual JM Abstract Exhibit were limited to local NVACC-related clubs; however, over the years, because of the influence these exhibits have had in encouraging and promoting abstract photography and due to their reputation, recent JM Abstract Exhibits have been attracting entries from national as well as international photographic artists.

The Joseph Miller Center will begin accepting entries for the upcoming Seventh Annual Exhibit on Saturday, December 24, 2016. The deadline for submissions will be Friday, February 17, 2017. A detailed prospectus containing all relevant information regarding the exhibit will be posted on the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs website at www.NVACC.org

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