In Focus: February 14 - 27
Photo Credit: Pat Warner, Mt. Rainier Morning
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 February 25.
MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER
This edition we continue to celebrate our newer members with the cover photo Mt. Rainier Morning by Pat Warner.
Pat joined OPCC in July 2021. She had just moved to Sequim and was looking for a group so that she could meet people and find out where to go to take photos. She found OPCC via an online search for camera clubs and was very happy to find that there was a group in Sequim. Although Pat has previously taken camera workshop, trips, and gone on outings with friends, OPCC is Pat’s first experience belonging to a camera club. She’s already become a familiar face on OPCC field trips and says that she’s really enjoyed them. With encouragement from OPCC Competition Chair Peggy McClure, she recently submitted her first photos to an OPCC Member Share Night.
Pat has been doing photography off and on for many years, starting with film (slides, which she has boxes and boxes of) and darkroom development. Now it’s all digital, she says, and she currently shoots with a Canon 6D. She credits her dad for getting her interested in photography earlier on.
Pat enjoys any photographic pursuit where you can be creative. She especially enjoys travel, landscape, and night sky photography. She would like to do macro photography in the future, and thinks that a macro lens will probably be her next lens purchase.
Pat mentions that Dave Morrow (visit his website) has influenced her photography. She’s taken a class from him and follows him on YouTube. As for her 2022 goals, like many of us she I really wants to learn much more about post processing in either Lightroom or Photoshop. “I really need help there” she says.
Pat Warner on Hurricane Ridge
Pat Warner: Joshua Trees at Morning
Pat Warner: Palouse Clouds
Pat Warner: Sharp Light
Pat Warner: Blue-Footed Mama and Baby
NEWS
IMPORTANT - OPCC Meeting Times to Change Effective March 1, 2022
Starting in March, all OPCC meetings will begin at 7:00 PM. This includes Share Night/Competition meetings, Education Night meetings, and Executive Committee meetings. The new starting time will make it easier for our members who are still working to participate. It will also help eliminate confusion by matching the starting times of Olympia Camera Club meetings. For questions or comments, please contact OPCC President Bruce Fryxell (opccpres@gmail.com).
Thanks for Renewing Your OPCC Membership
Thanks to everyone who’s renewed their membership for 2022 - the year is off to a great start. As of February 10, we have 44 members. The 2022 OPCC Welcome Letter, which contains lots of good information about club activities and resources, is now online. Visit the Meet Our Members webpage in the Members-Only section of the website to access the letter. If you still need help getting up to speed as an active OPCC member, start by reaching out to OPCC Membership Chair Mary Swartz (opcc4info@gmail.com).
Welcome to Our Newest Member
OPCC would like to extend a warm welcome to our newest member: Edward Hartman. We’re glad you’ve joined us and look forward to seeing you virtually or in person at future events.
We’d also like to welcome renewing members Linda Perkins and Christine Blondino, who attended their first OPCC Zoom meeting on February 10.
February Monthly Theme
Just a quick reminder that the February Monthly Theme for education and photography, in keeping with the topic of our February Education Night speaker Rinzi Ruiz, is “Unique Use of Light in Your Favorite Genre”. Now’s your chance to capture our ever-changing winter light in images to share in competition or at a future OPCC Member Share Night.
The February Edition of the PSA Washington State Member Newsletter is Now Available
The latest edition or the Photographic Society of America (PSA) Washington State Membership Newsletter is now available. Click HERE to view or print.
OPCC Monthly Board Meeting - Tuesday February 15 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.
EDUCATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES
February Speaker Trifecta Continues
Our February Speaker Trifecta kicked off on February 10 with a great presentation by Canadian photographer Viktoria Haack. A recording of her presentation will be posted to the OPCC website Recorded Presentations webpage later this week. Click HERE to visit the Recorded Presentations webpage.
Many thanks to OPCC Vice President Marian Bodart for sponsoring Viktoria’s presentation by a donation to cover her speaker’s fee.
Read on for a preview of our upcoming February speakers.
OPCC Education Night Speaker Rinzi Ruiz - Finding and Using Light. Thursday February 17 at 6:00 PM
Our second guest speaker of the month, Rinzi Ruiz, is a Fujifilm X-Photographer / Global Ambassador and freelance photographer based in Los Angeles, California. Rinzi will present his street photographs as examples to show how he’s used available light, to explain qualities of light, to show types of light to watch for, and to show you ways to use available light while out doing your own photography. For more information and Rinzi’s bio, click HERE.
Use the OPCC Education Night Zoom Code from the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage to access this meeting.
OCC Speaker Lisa Langell - Abstract Photography: The Techniques Behind the Best Images. Tuesday February 22 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
Our third and final guest speaker of the month is professional photographer and educator Lisa Langell. Excellent Abstract photography doesn’t happen by chance. Lisa will teach you the techniques behind creating the best images. This session is full of laughs, freedom, and creativity. It’s a great class for any level of photographer with any camera--even a mobile phone!
Those who’ve attended any of Lisa’s other presentations know that she does a great job of presenting her topic and engaging her audience. For more information on the presentation and Lisa’s bio, click HERE. This presentation is hosted by the Olympia Camera Club.
This presentation will be broadcast on Lisa Langell’s own social media platform. Registrants must sign up to receive the link to join the presentation. Click HERE to register.
MEMBER SHARING
Reminder - March 3 is a Competition Meeting
Our next first Thursday meeting on March 3 will feature image review and PSA judge’s feedback for images submitted by members for the OPCC Winter Competition. Open sharing of members’ images will resume at the April 7 Member Share Night meeting.
FIELD TRIPS & WORKSHOPS
February Field Trip: Still Life Vignettes, Barn Architecture, Stained Glass
Join fellow club members on Saturday February 19 from 10:00 to 12:00 PM at a local barn for a variety of opportunities to take intimate photos of still life arrangements, barn interior and exterior, a stained-glass studio, an artist at work, and some very lovely hens.
This outing could give you a chance to experiment with lighting ideas given by Rinzi Ruiz in his presentation the Thursday evening prior to the field trip.
An introduction to Focus Stacking and processing in Photoshop will be also demonstrated.
Please email Ellen Bogenschutz (fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com no later than February 16 if you will be attending field trip. You must pre-register to receive field trip details, including the location. Ellen will email field trip details on February 17 to everyone that RSVP’d for the field trip.
Ellen is looking forward to seeing you all there!
Ellen Bogenschutz
Field Trip Report - OCC Field Trip to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge
OPCC members Lori Moilanen, Bruce Fryxell, Stephen Shoff, and Dan McKenna made the trek to Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge (near Vancouver, WA) to join members of the Olympia Camera Club (OCC) on a field trip to photograph from the refuge’s “S” Auto Tour Loop. We received a very warm welcome from the OCC members and it was great to finally meet some of our Zoom colleagues in person.
Clear skies and the requirement to shoot from your vehicle while on the auto tour posed some photographic challenges, but we all had a great time exploring a new location. Trumpeter swans, female northern harriers, and bald eagles were plentiful, and the first yellow-rumped warblers of the season were actively hawking insects. We saw a variety of wildlife including deer, beaver, raccoon, coyote, and a passionate pair of garter snakes.
Bruce and Lori joined OCC member Bruce Livingston and OCC/OPCC member Ed Tromble to scout Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge near Olympia for a possible future OPCC field trip. Bruce Livingston also introduced us to the lovely McLane Creek Nature Trail, another possible field trip destination. We’re grateful for the time that OCC members have taken to share these locations with us!
Watch for the OCC Ridgefield NWR Field Trip Gallery - it should be up on the OPCC website later this week.
Ridgefield NWR Field Trip Photo Credits: Lori Moilanen
Time to Start Thinking About the Long Exposure Workshop in March
If you are interested in learning or perfecting your long exposure skills join Dan McKenna for a two part workshop along with a field trip to Seattle to practice the art of long exposures.
The first workshop will be held on March 18, 2022, 11:00 AM will focus on equipment and techniques
The field trip will be held on March 26, 2022, 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM to practice long exposure photography focus on Seattle's waterfront.
The second workshop focusing on post processing skills specifically for long exposures will be held via a Zoom video conference on March 30, 2022, 7:00- 8:30 PM.
For more information see the OPCC Field Trip page or email Dan by March 16, 2022 to RSVP. He will send you a packet of information with maps and relevant resource information.
COMPETITION
Deadline for Submitting Images for the OPCC Winter Competition - Monday February 14, 11:00 PM.
If you haven’t submitted your photos yet you still have a few hours. If you are hesitating because you don’t think your photos aren’t competition ready remember our primary goal is to provide you with a way to learn. Your photos are not being judged against the other photos in the competition but are being evaluated by the judge on the four elements we designated; Impact, Technical Excellence, Composition, and Originality/Creativity. The results of the competition, along with the Judges comments, will be announced at the March 3, Member Share Night which starts at 7:00 PM.
See the Competition webpage of the OPCC website for instructions on formatting, naming and submitting your images, plus a link for uploading to Dropbox. Click HERE to visit the Competition webpage.
OPCC Competition Update
PSA is still accepting submissions for the Small Print Exhibition for 2022. There is an entry fee based on the number of prints you enter. The closing date for submissions is April 1st.
If you are aware of any competitions you think members might be interested in please contact Competition Chair, Peggy McClure at opcc.competition@gmail.com. Peggy will gather the details and when appropriate we will publish information in the Newsletter and on the Website.
Information on any open competitions will be found on the OPCC Website in the Members Only Competition section.