In Focus: January 17 - 30
Photo Credit: Ed Tromble, Summer Lights
This twice monthly list of OPCC events, reminders, and news is compiled by Lori Moilanen. Please send information on upcoming events, news items, and corrections to opcc4mail@gmail.com. This newsletter is currently published twice monthly on Sunday evenings in advance of our first and third Thursday meetings. The deadline for new submissions for the next newsletter is Friday January 28.
MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER
This week’s cover photo is by Ed Tromble, one of our newest members. Here’s Ed’s story, in his own words.
The title of my cover photo s Summer Lights. It was taken on July 10th of last year from the picnic area at Sunrise lodge in Mt Rainier National Park. It is a composite of forty (40) 15-second exposures at 14mm, f2.8, ISO 3200. It was stacked and aligned in Sequator. This is one of my favorite spots for the Milky Way with Mt Rainier in the foreground. There are even picnic tables to spread your stuff out on!
I am currently the President of the Olympia Camera Club and although I knew of the Olympic Peaks Camera Club for some time, I didn’t take a good look until I was searching for another club to partner with. Olympic Peaks was the right size, has similar interests, is nearby, and has fine photographers. So I joined to meet new people, learn, and be inspired.
I purchased my first good SLR in the early 1970’s and shot film using Canon until 2013 when I made the leap to digital with a Sony a7. I went with Sony so I could use all my old glass with no issues and currently use a Sony a7iii.
Although I enjoy nearly all branches of photography, I am particularly drawn to landscape astrophotography and macro. Macro is an old favorite and since Astro was nearly impossible with film, I was drawn to it with digital.
There are a few photographers I follow. Three of my favorites are Helgi Sigurdsson who is based in Iceland and does first rate landscapes, Max Gor out of London for street photography, and Trevor Dobson does amazing Astro in Australia.
This year I am looking forward to spring so I can practice shooting macro wide open through other flowers and foliage. It is a technique I was only exposed to in late fall but was fascinated by. It produces a very dreamy almost abstract image and in all my years of shooting macro I never thought of doing it. (I have included one of the few pics I was able to get before everything froze out)
As far as competition results go. I rarely enter my work in anything outside of the club. I shoot for the joy of it. If I can please myself and share with a few friends and club members. I am happy.
Ed Tromble
Ed Tromble: Abstract Begonia
Ed Tromble: Iguana
Ed Tromble: A Sandy Kiss
NEWS
Member Share Night Chair Needed
The position of Member Share Night Chair is currently open. Please see the description below.
Member Share Chair Job Description
The Member Share Chair participates in the following activities:
Works with the Programs Committee to develop and publicize monthly themes/topics
Helps to provide content for OPCC Member Share Night Webpage
On a monthly basis, collects members’ images from Drop Box and creates a PowerPoint slide show of the images (now mostly automated); presents slideshow at monthly Member Share Night meeting.
Much of the work associated with this position has been automated for 2022, and training is available for anyone willing to volunteer. Please contact Bruce Fryxell at opccpres@gmail.com if you’re willing to help.
It’s Time to Renew Your OPCC Membership
Thanks to everyone who’s already renewed their membership for 2022 - it’s going to be a great year.
If you haven’t renewed yet, please click HERE to access the webpage for joining or renewing. Be sure to read the instructions carefully!
Please note that the “Confirm Your Email Subscription” message sent from OPCC when you join or renew online may go into your spam/junk folder. You must respond to this email to be included in the 2022 mailing list for OPCC communications. Please check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive the “Confirm Your Email Subscription” message email soon after renewing.
Alternatively, you can access the instructions for joining or renewing online or by mail by either clicking on the Join/Renew button in the “Who We Are” section or clicking on “Join” in the menu ribbon at the top of the page.
The deadline for membership renewal is January 31. The OPCC Member password for accessing member-only content on the website will change on February 1.
January Monthly Theme
Just a reminder that the January Monthly Theme for education and photography is “Winter/Snow”. Now’s your chance to capture wintery scenes to share at the next OPCC Member Share Night on February 3 (Deadline for submission is Thursday, January 27).
OPCC Competition Update - The Latest Information From OPCC Competition Chair Peggy McClure
The OPCC Winter Competition was announced at the January Member Share Night and is now open for submissions. Although this is the “Winter” Competition you are not limited to submitting winter photos. We are encouraging everyone to submit recent photos putting to use the skills you are learning from the Field Trip (Holiday Lights) and Education Night (Winter Photography). However, it is acceptable to use your photo library and if you’re unable to get out for whatever reason, submitting older photos is allowed. Ideally, you’ll be applying new post processing techniques you have acquired to your older photos for a new take.
As always you may submit up to three images. See the website for instructions on naming and submitting your images. Click HERE to visit the Competition webpage.
Judging of the competition photos will be done by a PSA judge through the PSA Club Judging Services. The judges are PSA qualified judges who volunteer their judging services. The judge will be both scoring and critiquing our images, and we requested that judges provide their feedback live if possible. Awards will be designated by the judge and the number awards and honorable mentions will be based on the number of entries we receive. Although there are A and B groups the judges will not be aware of those categories when they do the judging.
So get out there and do some shooting for our first competition of 2022!
Welcome to Our Newest Members
OPCC would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest members: Ed Tromble and Judy Larimore. We’re glad you’ve joined us and look forward to seeing you virtually or in person at future events.
January Field Trip
OPCC Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz is still working on plans for a guided January 29 (tentative) field trip to Hurricane Ridge. Contact Ellen at fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com if you’re interested in participating. Reservations required.
PSA Small Print Exhibition for 2022 - Open to All
OPCC Competition Chair Peggy McClure has shared the following information on the Photographic Society of America (PSA) Small Print Exhibition.
PSA is organizing an exhibition for small prints – maximum size 12” by 8 ” or A4. The exhibition is open to all, whether or not you are a member of PSA. Judging with be conducted by PSA judges from two UK PSA Member Clubs. The exhibition acceptance target is between 28%-34%. The closing date for submissions is April 1st. Entry fees are minimal and based on the number of images you submit. Click HERE to view and print the rules if you want to enter.
Good Luck to anyone who enters!
COMING UP THIS WEEK AND NEXT
OPCC Education Night Speaker: Henry Doyle - The Challenges and Benefits of Winter Photography. Thursday, January 20 at 6:00 PM via Zoom
This year many of our speakers were recommended by Hunt’s Camera which offers a large selection of online education programs and photo tours. Henry Doyle is our first speaker from Hunt’s. He’s a college-age photographer who identified his passion for photography early in life. Henry decided to offer educational talks as he truly likes helping people with photography. He’s benefited and been inspired in this pursuit from mentoring by experienced photo-educators. Henry is currently based in Kentucky and recently won a first-place ribbon and best of show award at the Kentucky State Fair. His home state is Michigan, so he has lots of personal experience with cold and wintery conditions.
Henry’s talk will cover how to effectively make use of snowy conditions to create unique images. He’ll also address how to properly expose your images in wintery conditions and provide some tips for how to deal with cold conditions - for both yourself and your camera. Join us in attending this meeting and supporting the next generation of great photographers!
OPCC Monthly Board Meeting - Tuesday January 18 at 6:30 PM
OPCC officers and committee chairs meet monthly to discuss club business. All OPCC members are welcome to attend as observers. Contact OPCC President Bruce Fryxell (opccpres@gmail.com) for questions, comments, or to add an item to the agenda. Use the OPCC Board Meeting Zoom Code from the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage to access this meeting.
Olympia Camera Club Virtual Field Trip: It’s All About That Noise. Saturday January 22 from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM via Zoom
Just in time for gloomy PNW winter weather and high-ISO shooting, Olympia Camera Club members Bruce Livingston and Rosalind Phillips will present a Zoom webinar on how to remove noise in photographic images using Lightroom, On1, Topaz Denoise, DxO Pure RAW, and Capture One. They will also talk about how to limit noise in the camera, so that the need to use de-noising software is reduced.
Use the Olympia Camera Club Zoom Code from the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage to access this meeting.
Olympia Camera Club Speaker: Pam Hoaglund - A Visit to Midway Atoll. Tuesday January 25 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
Pam Hoaglund, a member of the Olympia Camera Club, will present a program on Midway Atoll. We all know of Midway from “the Battle of Midway” during WWII but do you know it is also an important wildlife refuge? Pam had the unique opportunity to spend a week on Midway in the spring of 2012. Her presentation will include the varied wildlife on the atoll, some of the historical buildings and video clips that will give you a real sense of the sights and sounds encountered.
Use the Olympia Camera Club Zoom Code from the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage to access this meeting.
Deadline for Submitting Images for the OPCC February Member Share Night Meeting - Thursday January 27, 11:00 PM.
February Special Topic: Snow/Winter. Visit the OPCC Member Share Night Webpage (click HERE) for information on naming, formatting and submitting your photos.
OPCC January Field Trip - Guided Hurricane Ridge Visit. January 29 (Tentative)
Reservations required. Contact OPCC Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz (fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com) for details if interested.
Reminder - Ongoing Print Exhibit by OPCC Members Through January 31
The OPCC presence at the Blackbird Coffeehouse in Port Angeles continues in the month of January. Our new Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz and OPCC Print Chair Dan McKenna will be sharing the space and showing their unique works with a variety of themes. Installation day will be the morning of Monday, January 3, 2022. The show will run the whole month of January and all images will be for sale. Stop by at your leisure to view their work and enjoy a cup of coffee. Blackbird Coffeehouse address: 336 East 8th Street, Port Angeles.