In Focus: April 4 - 17
Photo Credit: Ellen Bogenschutz, Pier 70
Taken During the OPCC Long Exposure Workshop
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 April 15.
NEWS
Monthly OPCC Executive Board Meeting on Tuesday April 5.
The monthly OPCC Executive Board has been moved to 7:00 PM on the first Tuesday of each month to avoid conflicts with Olympia Camera Club meetings. The next meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday April 5. All OPCC members are welcome to attend as observers. The agenda for the April Board meeting is available by clicking HERE. To add an agenda item, provide feedback, or ask a question, contact OPCC President Bruce Fryxell (opccpres@gmail.com).
Use the OPCC Board Meeting Zoom code to access this meeting. Click HERE to access the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage.
PSA Washington State Newsletters for March and April
The Photographic Society of America (PSA) Washington State Member Newsletters for March and April are now available. these newsletters feature information on regional events, gear reviews, interesting articles on various aspects of photography, and more. Click HERE for the March edition and HERE for the April edition.
New Month - New Monthly Theme
The April Monthly Theme for photography is Spring/Blooms/Botanicals. Shoot your Spring- and botanically-themed photos now to share next month at the May 5 Member Share Night meeting. Be sure to take advantage of the OPCC field trip/meet-up at a PNW garden on April 23 to capture early-blooming flowers and shrubs.
Special Thanks to…
Kudos to OPCC Member Share Night and Print Chair Dan McKenna for creating and presenting his three-part Long Exposure Workshop in March. Great job Dan!
Thanks to all of the past and present OPCC members who turned out to support OPCC member print exhibitions in March at Sequim Museum & Arts and Studio Bob. Very special thanks to OPCC members Jim Hanson, Bruce Fryxell, and Michel Bodart, plus local photographer Ken Kennedy, for assisting with hanging and/or take-down of the Six Points of View exhibit at Studio Bob.
EDUCATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES
March Speaker Recording Now Available
A recording of the March presentation by Nick Palmieri has been posted to the OPCC website. Click HERE to visit the Recorded Presentations webpage. This page may also be accessed using the “Recorded Presentations” button on the Education Nights webpage of the OPCC website.
To view the video, use the 2022 OPCC member password when prompted to enter a password.
MEMBER SHARING
Member Share Night - Thursday April 7 at 7:00 PM via Zoom
The next Member Share Night is scheduled For Thursday April 7 at 7:00 PM via Zoom. The Special Topic is Street Photography/Slow Shutter. Use the Member Share Night Zoom Code to access this meeting (click HERE to access the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage).
For more information or questions about OPCC Member Share Night, contact Member Share Night Chair Dan McKenna (opccphotos@gmail.com).
NOTICE on Photo Submissions for Member Share Night and Competitions
Just a reminder - if you have a personal Dropbox account please be sure to logout of it before you upload your photos. When you click on “Upload” for your photos you should be prompted to enter your Name and Email address. If you do not see those prompts you are still logged into your personal Dropbox account. Cancel the upload, logout of your account and repeat the upload process. For questions or more information contact Peggy McClure (opcc.competition@gmail.com).
FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS, & MEET-UPS
March Field Trip and Workshop Report From Ellen Bogenschutz: Fun With Long Exposures
The March Field Trip to Seattle was Part 2 of Dan McKenna’s three-part Long Exposure Workshop.
Dan was so intrigued by Sharon Tennenbaum’s presentation to our club in 2021, that he took her course on long exposure. That in turn inspired him to share his knowledge and working experience with the club by developing his own workshop. He broke the workshop into three manageable meets: 1) an equipment over view at 3 Crabs Beach, 2) an “apply it in the field” trip to the Seattle waterfront, and 3) an editing Zoom meeting for final touches.
Neutral Density filters, exposure times, and calculation charts were discussed at 3 Crabs, as the tools required for implementing this photographic genre.
In Seattle at Pier 62, Dan diligently guided all students in the multi-tiered techniques of this specialized photography. As with all new learned tasks, there was victory and frustration. No one was sorry that they were exposed (excuse the pun….) to this very artsy category of photography and all vowed they would keep practicing and applying the learned techniques.
As with most digital photography now, the artist’s work extends to the editing phase of getting that image to express their vision.The workshop was concluded with a live Zoom meeting hosted by Dan to shareediting tips in Photoshop to achieve that Fine Art Image of long exposure that so uniquely transfers our vision of the natural world.
Please visit the Field Trip Gallery to peruse and enjoy Seattle Field Trip photos submitted by the participants.
Remember, if you have an idea or can host a Field Trip or even a casual “Meet Up”, let OPCC Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz know via email (fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com) to keep learning and expanding our photographic talents.
Ellen Bogenschutz - Workshop Action on the Waterfront
Peg Hanson - Workshop Participants in Sculpture Garden
OPCC April Field Trip - Visit a PNW Garden!
The promise of warmer weather is just over the horizon and humans and nature both are anticipating it’s arrival. Buds and blossoms are popping out everywhere and what could be a better subject for photography?
Join your fellow Club Members for a meet-up at a PNW garden to explore the multi-acre wooded location for wonderful botanical photography. The location is approximately a 50 minute drive from downtown Sequim. For detailed location information visit the Field Trip webpage by clicking HERE.
Ellen Bogenschutz - Pink Bud
Advance Planning Notice - Olympia Camera Club Field Trip to Bottle Beach on April 29
Bruce Livingston of the Olympia Camera Club (OCC) is planning a day trip from Olympia to Bottle Beach State Park to view the annual shorebird migration along the Washington coast. Bottle Beach is an approximately 3 -4 hour trip from downtown Sequim depending on the route chosen. OPCC members who wish to join the OCC field trip may want to reserve overnight lodging in advance.
Here is the description provided to the Olympia Camera Club by Bruce Livingston:
Each spring, hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop to rest and feed along Washington’s coast and the Grays Harbor estuary during their northward migration. This year, the Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival is not going to be held on a specific weekend, but rather they have suggested the peak dates for optimal viewing between April 24th and May 6th 2022. On Friday, April 29th I will lead a Field Trip to Bottle Beach to photograph shorebirds. The trick to photographing shorebirds is to be there and ready to photograph on an incoming tide. The high tide for April 29th is 1:27 PM, so if we are there by 2 - 2 1/2 hours before high tide, we will be in prime-time for photography. Bottle Beach is a Washington State Park, and a Discover Pass is required to park there. There is a pit-style toilet near the parking lot, and the walk to the beach is less than 1/4 mile.
In order to insure that we arrive 2 - 2 1/2 hours before the high tide, we will leave at 10:00 am from the Mud Bay Park and Ride on Madrona Beach Drive just past the Shipwreck Cafe. The drive to Bottle Beach is approximately an hour and 15 minutes.
Equipment to bring to this field trip is a camera with a telephoto lens (100-400 mm zoom or longer is ideal), a tripod, monopod or low-mount system (like a Platypod) and be prepared for variable weather. Dress in layers and be prepared for rain - however if you check the weather before we leave, you will be better prepared. Also, boots that are suitable for shallow water are preferable.
Photo Credit: Lori Moilanen
COMPETITION/IMAGE EVALUATION
Plan Ahead for the OPCC Spring Competition/External Image Evaluation
When: June 2, 2022
Time: Zoom Meeting 7:00 PM (Use the Member Share Night Zoom Code)
Submission Deadline: May 19, 2022
The primary purpose of the OPCC Competition is to provide our members with feedback from unprejudiced judging. It is important to note that the judging is done on each individual image and not comparing one image to another. The Photographic Society of America (PSA) is providing us with judges that have been trained to provide thoughtful and unbiased evaluations of the photos we submit to them. The images are sent to the judges without the photographer’s name or whether the photographer is advanced or a beginner.
At the meeting on June 2, the judge will provide commentary on how they scored the image and what you might do to improve the image. Whether or not you intend to submit photos to competitions, this is a great way to learn how to raise your photography to a new level whether you’re a beginner or an advanced photographer.
It is certainly scary the first time you submit your photos either for a member share night or one of the competitions. But most every photograph has good points and bad points and sometimes it takes someone else to identify those points. Photos are generally not taken just for the our own viewing, but to show others how we see the world. So the evaluations can help you learn how to better protray your view of the world.
To see how this goes, you can view the recording of the March 3 Winter Competition Evaluations in the Member Share Night Archive on the OPCC website by clicking HERE. View the judges’ Scoresheet for that night by clicking HERE.
Information and tools for OPCC competitions are located on the “Competition” webpage in the Members Only section of the website (click HERE to visit the Competition webpage). For more information contact OPCC Competition Chair Peggy McClure (opcc.competition@gmail.com).
External Competition Updates
Wild Art Photographer of the Year 2022 Now Open for Entries
This is an international photography competition created by wildlife photographers for wildlife photographers and judged by wildlife photographers. It is open to anyone who wants to enter and the prizes are substantial. The contest goes on for a year with a different theme each month. The Power of Water was the theme and you can view the winning photos on their website Even if you don’t intend to enter, viewing the photos can be inspiring.
WildArt Photographer of the Year (wildartpoty.com)
Incredible Winners of WildArt Photographer of the Year WET Contest (mymodernmet.com)
If You’re Aware of Competitions That Might Interest OPCC Members…
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 a select list of external competitions (curated by Peggy McClure) can be found on the Competition webpage of the OPCC Website in the Members Only section.