Volume 52 – No. 7

Founded 1965 – our 52th Year

March 2018

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The Newsletter of the Northern Virginia Photographic Society

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

Table of Contents

President's Message
2017-2018 Board
Monthly Program
Education and Training
Competition
    February Competition Results
Forum
Members' Gallery
Field Trips
Membership
Announcements
   Members News
   Exhibition Opportunities
   Workshop Offerings

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Editor

Calendar

3/6 Monthly Program: Wildlife…Stories behind
          the shots
with Irene Sacilotto
3/13 Education & Training: Anonymous Critique
3/20 Competition: Judging by Denise Silva (Theme)
3/24 Field Trip: Huntley Meadows, Alexandria, Va.
3/27
Forum: Assorted Photos by Michael Aarons
3/27 Members Gallery: Digital by Bill Millhouser
         Prints by Stan Bysshe
   

Note: You can click on the above links to go directly to the article; or you can scroll through the entire newsletter. You can also print the entire newsletter. (The more that you read, the more things you will know - Dr. Seuss )

To protect our members from email spam, personal email addresses in this newsletter have "@" replaced with " at " Please remember to substitute the "@" when attempting to contact any of the people.

All meetings for the club year start at 7:30 p.m. at the Dunn Loring Fire Station. The doors open at 6:45 p.m. for a "meet and greet" with meetings on non-competition nights beginning at 7:30 p.m. Note for Competition Nights only (Third Tuesday): Competition begins at 7:15p.m. All prints must be checked in no later than 7:30 p.m. 

Although we have not had any problems for many years, do remember to lock your car and place valuables out of sight, as we should in any public parking area. Come early and visit, but when the meeting starts, PLEASE take seats immediately and silence your cell phone, pager or any other device that might make noise and distract listeners or interrupt speakers.

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

President's Message

The emergence of snow bells and crocus these last few days are harbingers of warmer weather still to come. The abrupt changes from cold weather to warm and back again, will no doubt take its toll on some flowers, as well as our plans to get out and take their pictures.  But in the end, spring will prevail and we will have many opportunities to photograph flowering trees and plants around the Tidal Basin, Green Spring Gardens, and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens.

Before you head out to photograph, I urge folks to read up on the focus stacking technique which will allow you get all of the elements of a flower in sharp focus, while blurring out the background. This can be done quite easily in Photoshop.  I suggest you experiment using black velvet or foam core sheets as backdrops to present sharp contrasty backgrounds.

On the few gloomy days still remaining, I suggest you take a look at your computer system to see if you need to upgrade some of your essential equipment.  As most of you know, the Club recently upgraded our projection laptop, which was really showing its age. Beyond old age, you may need a better CPU, more RAM, and improved graphics card to take advantage of new software.  For example, Adobe recommends 12 MB of RAM among other things for maximum performance for Lightroom Classic CC, (see: https://helpx.adobe.com/lightroom/system-requirements.html).

You should also review the capacity of the primary hard drive(s) where your images are stored as well as your back up drive (s).  Most experts suggest that you have copies of images on multiple hard drives, solid state drives, RAID systems, or the cloud. See: https://fstoppers.com/business/bulletproof-backup-strategies-digital-photographers-23906.  You have spent a lot of money on equipment and travel and your own personnel time capturing the images in your library; it would be a shame to lose them due to a power surge or a catastrophic hard drive failure.

Bill Millhouser
2017-2018 NVPS President

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Board of Directors


2017-2018 NVPS Board

Elected Board    
President Bill Millhouser president@nvps.org
VP Programs Willa Siegel programs@nvps.org
VP Operations Frank Napoli operations@nvps.org
Co-VP Competition Chuck Campbell competition@nvps.org
Co-VP Competition Stan Bysshe competition@nvps.org
Treasurer Tom Brett treasurer@nvps.org
Secretary/Historian Kathryn Mohrman secretary@nvps.org
Appointed Board    
Past President Kevin Egan pastpresident@nvps.org
Education & Training Coordinator Ron Taylor education@nvps.org
Exhibits Coordinator (Nature Visions) Roger Lancaster naturevisions@nvps.org
Field Trips Coordinator Jim McDermott field-trips@nvps.org
Member’s Gallery Coordinator Laurie Kuyk membersgallery@nvps.org
Forum Coordinator Kirk Johnson forum@nvps.org
Membership Coordinator Kacy Turner membership@nvps.org
Newsletter & NVACC Representative Alan Goldstein editor@nvps.org
Website Manager David Crooks webadmin@nvps.org
Meeting Facilities Dale Nelson facilities@nvps.org
Special Board Member Mike Whalen specialboardmember@nvps.org
Special Board Member Bob Friedman specialboardmember@nvps.org
Special Board Member Willa Friedman specialboardmember@nvps.org
Special Board Member Georgette Grossman specialboardmember@nvps.org
Special Board Member Jamie Kiechlin specialboardmember@nvps.org

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

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Monthly Program

March 6th: A Passion for Wildlife Photography: the Stories           Behind the Images with Irene Sacilotto

Based on  more than 30 years’ experience photographing birds and other animals, Irene will cover the knowledge, strategies, techniques, and equipment required to capture professional wildlife images. She will include information on locating, attracting, and approaching animals along with prime locations for wildlife photography, the use of photographic blinds, and stalking techniques. Additionally, she will share her motivation for photographing wildlife along with entertaining stories behind some of her images. 

Since 1979, Irene has shared her photographic experiences and love of nature with thousands of individuals through more than 200 photo classes, workshops, lectures, and tours in both the U.S. and abroad including the Brazilian Pantanal, Newfoundland, Falkland Islands, Iceland, Argentina, Chincoteague NWR, Assateague, the Florida Coast, South Texas, South Dakota Badlands, Bosque del Apache NWR, etc.  

Sponsors have included zoos, nature centers, camera clubs, and conservation organizations such as the National Wildlife Federation.  For more than 19 years, she has taught photography classes at Johns Hopkins University and other educational institutions and has written “How To” articles on nature photography for national publications such as Outdoor Photographer and Birding 

Her images have appeared in magazines, calendars, and books published by National Wildlife Federation, Natural History Society, National Geographic, Audubon, and Sierra Club.  Her book, “Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, an Ecological Treasure,” is sold in bookstores nationwide.

Examples of Irene’s work:

Monthly Programs for 2018

Date Speaker Subject
April 3, 2018 Kristi Odom and Darren Gustaveson Photo Adventures
May 1, 2018 John Barclay Raw Workflow and Plug-ins

The VP for Programs for 2017-2018 is Willa Siegel.

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Education & Training

March 13th: Anonymous Critique

Take this opportunity to get feedback on your images without needing to enter a competition. Send in images you are thinking of entering into competition, images you are experimenting on with new software, or images that may need just a little help.  Remain anonymous, or enter into the discussion if you want, this is all about your growth as a photographer.

You can submit up to three images. We will review as many as time allows. You will not be identified unless you choose to make comments or ask questions about your images. We will need your submissions by 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 9.  
Please submit your images to nvpsimagegallery@nvps.org, sized the same as for competition with a maximum of 1400 pixels wide and 1050 pixels high (vertical shots have the same 1050 pixel height requirement), sRGB workspace. We recommend your jpeg images be 127 pixels per inch (PPI sometimes called dots per inch or DPI) or less (e.g., 127, 96 or 72 PPI) for best results with the projection program.

Name your images #_title, where number is 1, 2, or 3 and anything you want for a title. For example, “1_Red House on Green Prairie”. Putting the number first will allow us to sort the images so that at least one image from every photographer is critiqued.

Education and Training Programs for 2018

Date Topic Presenter
10 April 2018 Portfolio Project Review Kieulan Nguyen
8 May 2018 Street Photography Bob Friedman
29 May 2018 Vendor Show and Swap Meet TBD

The Education and Training Coordinator for 2017-2018 is Ron Taylor.

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Competition

March 20th: Judging by Denise Silva

There is a theme for this month: 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!

Denise Silva was the featured photographer in the July/August 2015 Photoshop User Magazine,  “Who’s Who in the KelbyOne Community article.” Additionally, Denise was recognized as one of the Top 200 Women Photographers Who Inspire by Nature Photo Guides and has had multiple articles published in Extraordinary Vision (EV) Magazine.  Denise was our December judge.

Denise finds every aspect of photography rewarding. From in-camera composition to post-processing, photography is meditative, creative, and challenging. Her passion is to capture images, from landscapes to urban decay and to share her experiences and knowledge with fellow photographers. 

To this end, she and Don Rosenberger started Road Runner Photography Tours. James Norman has recently joined the team! 

They look forward to sharing their passion for photography with you and know that their tours will not only take you to great places, but also 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! 

Competition Themes for 2018-2019

  • Geometry:
    Images where the predominant elements are geometric shapes — circles, squares, rectangles, triangles, etc. The compositional elements may be specific [subject-based], such as a wall with a door and doorknob and windows, or implied [design-based], where the photographer searches for designs, such as rectangles, circles, etc. without concern for the names of the objects. For example, subject-based could consider a scene with land, ocean and sky, whereas, design-based could see the same scene as three rectangles of different tones and sizes.
  •  Reflections:
    Images which include reflections in water, buildings, mirrors, glass or any other reflective material.
  •  Trains, Planes, Automobiles, and Trucks:
    Images of these subjects can be of new or old ones—ones in mint condition or in a state of ruin. Photos can be of the entire vehicle or parts, such as hood ornaments. Subjects can be in motion or at rest.

Competition Judges for 2018

Date Judge Theme
April 17, 2018  Alan DeFelice none
May 15, 2018 Greg Holden Oldies
End-of-Year Banquet Corey Hilz none

February Competition Results

Digital - Class 1
1st Place – Julie Konzelman – Ballet Class
2nd Place – My-linh Tran – WV Falls
3rd Place- Gaetana Diberto Ebbole – Canal Crossing

Digital – Class 2
1st Place – Kieulan Nguyen – Posing for the Master
2nd Place – Lee Halverson – Sweeping Station
3rd Place – Kathryn Mohrman – Camel Shadows

Digital – Class 3
1st Place – Bill Millhouser – Sandhill Cranes
2nd Place – Fran Bastress – Morning Mist on String Lake
3rd Place – Lynn Cates – The Day DACA Died
HM – Barry Dunn – The Last Studebaker
HM – Kevin Egan – Busy Bee

Color Prints – Class 1
1st Place – John Olsen – Great Blue Heron Family
2nd Place – Paula Neumann – Looking Regal
3rd Place – John Murray – Reflections in Wonder Lake

Color Prints – Class 2
1st Place – Eva Lanyi – Milky Way / Frisco Pier
2nd Place – Laurie Kuyk – The Visitor
3rd Place – Lee Phan – Grandpa, I Love Your Hair

Color Prints – Class 3
1st Place - Stan Bysshe – Yellowstone Coyote
2nd Place – Bill Corbett – Great Horned Owl
3rd Place – Fran Bastress – Grand Canyon of Yellowstone

Monochrome Prints – Class 1
1st Place – Gary Perlow – Six Bridges
2nd Place – Paula Neumann – Sacred Ceiling

Monochrome Prints – Class 2

No Awards

Monochrome Prints – Class 3
1st Place – Stan Bysshe – Fox Prints
2nd Place – Clark Barker - Descent
3rd Place – Kevin Egan – Stingray

First Place Winners

Julie Konzelman
Ballet Class
Kieulan Nguyen
Posing for the Master
Bill Millhouser
Sandhill Cranes
John Olsen
Blue Heron Family
Eva Lanyi
Milky Way/Frisco Pier
Stan Bysshe
Yellowstone Coyote
Gary Perlow
Six Bridges
Stan Bysshe
Fox Prints

 

The Co-VPs Competition for 2017-2018 are Stan Bysshe and Chuck Campbell (competitions@nvps.org)

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Competition Image Use

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

To have your winning image included in the gallery, email editor "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 FotoFaxIf you have not provided permission before that deadline, another winning entry may be used.

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Forum

March 27th: Assorted Photos with Michael Aarons

Michael Aarons has been an NVPS member since the 2014-2015 season.  

Michael enjoys photographing concerts, his dog, and anything else that catches his attention at the moment.

Until 2015, Michael primarily used a Nikon D5000, but now uses a Nikon D750 as his “go to” body.   His lenses include the Nikkor 14-24mm ƒ2.8, Nikkor 35mm ƒ1.8, Nikkor 70-200mm ƒ2.8, Nikkor 18-200mm ƒ3.5-5.6, Nikkor 10.5mm ƒ2.8 fisheye and a few others.   Recently, Michael acquired some Yongnuo YN622 triggers and a Yongnuo YN568 speedlight to play with off camera flash.   Michael post-processes in Lightroom 5 and Photoshop Elements 12 with the Nik filter suite and a few Topaz filters as well.

Michael’s photographic aspirations are still to get images in focus and properly exposed.    It’s tougher than it looks.

Examples of Michael's work:

The Forum Coordinator for 2017-2018 is Kirk Johnson.

Upcoming Forum Presentations:

Date Presenter Title
24 April 2018 Alan Goldstein* Come Fly With Me
22 May 2018 Ginger Werz-Petricka North to Alaska - Shooting in Extreme Cold Conditions; from the Iditarod to the Aurora Borealis

      * This Forum will be structured as Education and Training due to the subject matter.

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Members Gallery

March 27th: Digital by Bill Millhouser;
                      Prints by Stan Bysshe

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 photographs, 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.

Soon after retiring in 2010, 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, 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 is currently shooting with several Canon digital SLRs and numerous lenses, from wide angle to super telephoto, and a bevy of flash gear, as well as a small Olympus OMD EM 1 MK II kit with several lenses that is easy to schlep around all day long, while providing excellent image quality.

Here are some examples of Bill's photos from his “African Safari” presentation.



Although Stan Bysshe has been taking pictures since the early seventies, it wasn’t until the take off of digital photography that he became passionate about the image making process. The learning curve has been somewhat slow and painful but retirement has allowed for the time to work at improving camera skills. Like many NVPS members he dabbled, during the film days, in the darkroom.

Today the digital darkroom has allowed for new ways to approach image processing. For Stan the ultimate endpoint for a photograph is the print. Yet there is still much to learn between seeing the image and reproducing it on paper.

For the past three years Stan has helped with guiding photo tours in the Pacific Northwest, Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and on the East Coast. It has challenged him to learn several camera systems but has also allowed for the enjoyment of helping others get that special image.

Stan shoots with Nikon, processes with Lightroom and prints with Epson (presently a SureColor P800). While he learned the art of mat cutting from Willa and Bob, he has simplified the process for himself, by using precut mats (and recycling them for various shows). One present project includes learning at least something about Photoshop.

The prints shown are from trips taken, over the past three years, to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Some were chosen to show a location at different times of the year while others because they represent part of the diversity that must be preserved in this amazing ecosystem.

The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) is the largest section of public wild lands in the lower forty eight states. It encompasses22.6 million acres and is made up of land governed by Federal, State and private jurisdictions. Controlling the natural resources over this vast area and maintaining a healthy bio-system remains a tremendous challenge for those who manage this diverse ecosystem.

Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks make up but a small part of the GYE. They are however what most photographers have access to. Over the past three years I have been lucky enough to make nine trips to the parks, but the next best image always seems to be just around the bend.

Examples of Stan’s work:


Member's Gallery presentations for 2018

Dates Digital Print
April 24, 2018 Kristine Tan David Crooks
May 22, 2018 Sam Schaen Kacy Turner

The Member's Gallery Coordinator for this 2016-2017 is Laurie Kuyk.

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Field Trips

March 24th: Huntley Meadows Park, Mason Neck State Park,
                     and/or the Elizabeth Hartwell National Wildlife Refuge

The March field trip will be March 24, going to Huntley Meadows Park, Mason Neck State Park, and/or the Elizabeth Hartwell National Wildlife Refuge. You can go to one or more of the locations – we plan to meet up for lunch (and possible libations) early in the afternoon.

Huntley Meadows combines a wooded and marsh area for spectacular opportunities for nature and wildlife photography.  The visitor center is located at 3701 Lockheed Blvd., Alexandria, just off Route 1; restrooms are here. From the visitor center, a path leads through the woods to a boardwalk over the wetlands. There is also a parking lot at 6901 South Kings Highway that allows access to the wetlands viewing area.

Further south on Route 1, Mason Neck offers the chance to see and photograph several bald eagle nests (it’s listed as the second-best place to spot eagles in Virginia), as well as other inhabitants of the wetlands and bay that define Mason Neck. The visitor center and park are located at 7301 High Point Road in Lorton, off Gunston Road. There is a $5 admission fee ($7 for nonresidents) on weekends. (If you decide to purchase an annual pass at the visitor center, the daily admission is refunded.)

Adjacent to Mason Neck State Park, the Elizabeth Hartwell Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge has the largest freshwater marsh in northern Virginia. It was the first National Wildlife Refuge established specifically for the protection of bald eagles, and is a major breeding ground for great blue herons. The Refuge’s parking area is on High Point Road in Lorton. (You’ll pass it on your left going to the State Park entrance.)

As noted, you can do one or more locations. Specifics (time and location) about gathering will be announced at the meeting before the trip when there’s a better sense of the weather, and your interest in the three sites. We’re tentatively planning to meet afterward at Fair Winds Brewing Company in Lorton (near Springfield Mall), depending on what food truck or trucks will be there.

Sign-up sheets will be at the meetings in March.

Please email us for questions and to let us know that you will be going: field-trips@nvps.org

Field Trip Coordinators for 2017-2018 are Jim and Jerri McDermott

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Membership

2018 Membership Dues

We now have NVPS business cards for you to hand out. Stop by the membership table and pick some up to keep in your camera bag! They are FREE for you to spread the word about our club.  Be sure to write your name on the back of the cards that you hand out; let’s see who brings in the most prospects!

Remember, in order to participate in the monthly competitions your membership dues must be current.

Membership dues are at half-price for the remainder of the 2018 Society year (until 1 May 2018):

Class of Membership: Dues:
Individual   $27.50
Family   $37.50
 Student         $10.00 (must be full-time student)

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

Questions, please email membership at membership@nvps.org.
We look forward to seeing you at upcoming club meetings and events!


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!

Kacy Turner
Membership Coordinator

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Announcements

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

Members' News:

Wayne Guenther

The Northern Virginia Review has selected Wayne Guenther’s image Swing It as the winner in the Art Category of its Volume 32 literary and visual arts printed publication.  The Volume 32 launch reception will be held March 22 between 7 to 9 p.m. at The Northern Virginia Community College’s Ernst Art Center on the Annandale Campus. Judy Guenther also had two images selected for publication.


Wayne Guenther
Swing It

Bob and Willa Friedman

Bob and Willa Friedman had photos accepted for printing in The Northern Virginia Review and District Lines.

The Northern Virginia Review presents outstanding original fiction, poetry, essays, fine art and photography from the Mid-Atlantic region and the faculty, staff, and alumni of Northern Virginia Community College. Now in its 31st year, TNVR was originally founded to showcase the talents of Northern Virginia Community College's faculty. In 2006, submissions were expanded and now include the best work of noted and emerging regional writers and artists.

District Lines is an anthology intended to capture a sense of people and place in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding metropolitan areas. 

The first three of Willa's images were in District Lines, the bottom two in the Northern Virginia Review:

Bob's two images in the left column were accepted in the District Lines and the image on the right was accepted into Northern Virginia Review:

 

Fred Siskind


Fred Siskind
had a fraction of a photo of a Rosy Maple Moth published in the National Geographic Kids Almanac 2018.  It's used in an article on pink in nature and kids are supposed to guess what the subject is. 

The image is a section of Fred's original photo of a Rosy Maple moth he shot at Huntley Meadows Park in Alexandria in July 2012.

Former NVPS President Gretchen Kolsrud

Gretchen Kolsrud, a past President of NVPS (1987-88), died  Wednesday, January 31, at her home in Medford, Ore., from esophageal cancer.  Gretchen was born in Schenectady, N.Y., and after receiving a Ph.D. in microbiology, came to the Washington area to work at the Office of Technology Assessment (OTA), the research arm of Congress.  

Gretchen was active in many NVPS programs and events and was known for her many arresting and eye-catching photos of people, landscapes, nature, architecture, as well macro and abstract images.  In addition to her photo workshops and critique sessions, Gretchen also hosted meetings at her home, where she was a gourmet cook, to share photographic knowledge and experiences.  She won numerous awards and recognition for her photography.   

After Congress eliminated the OTA in 1995, Gretchen retired and subsequently moved to Tucson, where she was active in her local photography club and developed an interest in astronomical photography, played pickle ball and golf, joined a flute circle, and hiked in the Catalina Mountains. 

Gretchen subsequently developed a neurological disorder, originally thought to be a form of Parkinson's disease, but later more correctly diagnosed as supranuclear palsy, a disorder which makes it difficult to walk.  As the disease progressed, Gretchen relocated to Oregon to be closer to her family.  Last year, doctors discovered a cancerous growth in her throat which eventually took her life.  Gretchen was always upbeat and fun to be around, lively and engaging, with a great sense of humor, an infectious curiosity about the world, a good travel companion (in spite of her tendency to misplace her passport), and a tireless hiker with an uncanny ability to identify a wide range of flora and fauna.   She could carry on a conversation about nearly any topic.  Her many friends will miss her a lot. 

 

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Expositions/Competitions

March 11th is Photo Essay Day!!

Mark your calendars: The North Bethesda Camera Club (NBCC) is holding its annual Photo Essay, one of their premier events of the year, and NVPS members are invited to attend.  This is NBCC’s 32nd year presenting slide shows of beautiful photographs set to music. Join us for an afternoon of entertainment and education for our members, their families and friends, and other camera clubs around the area. Past programs have been very well received, making this our most popular event of the year.

The presentation will be on Sunday afternoon, March 11th, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. in the auditorium of Rosborough Center, Asbury Methodist Village, Gaithersburg, Md. The auditorium seats 250 in a comfortable, theater-like setting.

An Overview of the Photo Essay 2018 Program

Photo essays are like mini-operas or mini-movies – they tell stories, using a combination of visual and musical media.
At the risk of losing the element of surprise, here is a preview of some of this year’s photo essays.

Travel to interesting places:

  • Exotic Morocco
  • The Dolomite Mountains of Northern Italy
  • The Canals of Venice
  • The Ice and Wildlife of the Antarctic
  • The Palaces of St. Petersburg
  • Wild Namibia
  • Babies of the African Bush

For nature and landscape lovers:

  • Sculptured Landscapes of the Southwest
  • The Farmlands of the Palouse
  • Farm Life of Western Maryland

For lovers of culture and art:

  • The Many Faces of Love (in Dance)
  • Cowboys in Art and Reality
  • A Brief History of Architecture
  • The Beauty and Sanctity of the World’s Churches

For fun and education, we have:

  • The Baltimore “Hon Fest” and Kinetic Sculpture Races

And for Springsteen fans, we bring you the “Out in the Streets” in black and white.
These essays will delight you, entertain you, and perhaps motivate you to develop your own photo essays for presentation to family, friends and colleagues, and maybe for posting on the internet.  Please make sure this once-a-year event is on your calendar and come early to ensure good seating!  Previous shows have nearly filled the auditorium.

Directions

Directions: Driving directions and maps can be found at: http://www.asburymethodistvillage.org/at-a-glance/area-map-directions/
From the Beltway (I-495) head north on I-270, taking Exit 11, Montgomery Village Avenue East. Proceed thru light at end of exit ramp onto Montgomery Village Avenue, heading northeast. Continue thru light at Route 355 (North Frederick Avenue). Take first right onto Russell Avenue. At 2nd traffic light, turn left onto Odendhal Avenue. At first traffic light, turn right into the Main Entrance gate for Asbury Methodist Village. Associates at the Gatehouse will direct you to the Rosborough Center auditorium. Plenty of free parking is available.
– Stu Mathison


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Exhibition Opportunities

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.

None this month.

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Workshop Offerings

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

John Barclay

John Barclay was our Program speaker in February 2017. John is an award wining freelance photographer based in Bucks County, Pa.  John’s work has been published in a number of books and magazines and is treasured by a number of private collectors.  Recently, John was the recipient of an excellence award from B&W Magazine and was chosen by Dewitt Jones to participate in his www.healingimages.org program. You can see his work and view his workshop schedule at www.barclayphoto.com

E. David Luria

A member of the Society of Photographic Education, E. David Luria is founder and director of the Washington Photo Safari, through which he and his team of eleven professional photographers have trained over 32,000 clients on 4,700 photo safaris since 1999 in the techniques of travel and architectural photography. Washington Photo Safari is offering more than 25 technical skills initiatives this year.  For more information on their various offerings, check their web site at www.WashingtonPhotoSafari.com 

Denise Silva

Denise Silva is our judge this month and has often judged and been a presenter at NVPS. She and Don Rosenberg operate Road Runner Photography Tours. For information on their latest tours and workshops, please visit their web site at http://roadrunnerphotographytours.com/

Nikhil Bahl Photography Workshops

Nikhil Bahl was our End-of-Year judge for 2016-2017 as well as Program Speaker in November 2015 and November 2016. He also will be the End-of-Year judge for this season. He offers a variety of workshops and coaching events. For more details with his latest workshop updates, visit: www.NikhilBahl.com

Alan DeFelice

Alan DeFelice was the January 2017 judge and was our 2016 End-of-the-Year judge. He is a professional photographer who has done raptor photo workshops at Nature Visions. For several years Alan has been a partner with Virginia Digital Photo Safaris. Learn more at: http://www.virginiaphotosafari.com

Corey Hilz

Corey Hilz was our February 2016 judge and was our October 2015 Education and Training speaker. He regularly offers software workshops as well as photo workshops and international tours. Spring/summer photo workshop locations include Longwood Gardens, the National Zoo, Maryland’s Eastern Shore, and Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. His international destinations include Cuba, Ireland, Czech Republic and Morocco. Full schedule of events is listed at: http://www.coreyhilz.com

Joshua Taylor, Jr.

Joshua Taylor is a past NVPS president and was our January 2018 judge. His goal in photography is to help you create, capture and refine your vision. Josh is offering fall photography workshops and classes, including Canon camera classes. For a complete listing and registration, visit his website: joshuataylorphotography.com

Roy Sewall

Roy Sewall is our Judge in February 2018 and was our Program speaker in May 2017. Roy offers both private and group instruction to novice and intermediate photographers, and in 2014 became an instructor for the Capital Photography Center. Find out more on Roy's website: http://www.roysewallphotography.com/iWeb/Home.html

David Blecman

David Blecman, a member of the Professional Photographers of America, is an internationally recognized photographer and instructor, having taught in over a dozen countries to photographers, models, and makeup artists. He was our judge in October 2015 and April 2017 and a Program speaker in April 2016. David's website: http://posneg.com/

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Want Ads

Spudz Microfiber in Flip Pouch

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

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Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs (NVACC)

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

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

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

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Editor's Notes

Please note that the deadline for each month's FotoFax is the Friday following Tuesday of Competition Night. Contributions from members are always welcomed. This especially includes news of the individual members. Photos should be submitted in the same format as they are for competition.

Alan Goldstein
FotoFax Editor

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Copyright 2018 by the Northern Virginia Photographic Society and its Contributors. The contents of this FotoFax are copyrighted. No material herein may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the Editor or the material's contributor. All photographs are copyrighted by the photographers who have granted permission for NVPS to use their image in FotoFax and/or on the NVPS website, but otherwise retain all rights to their image.