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 Tuesday May 24.

NEWS

Update from OPCC President Bruce Fryxell Regarding In-Person Meetings

We are still working with St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Sequim to resume in-person meetings starting possibly as early as July. If we can work out the technical difficulties, these will be hybrid meetings, so that anyone not comfortable with meeting in person or driving at night can still attend via Zoom. The in-person meetings will apply only to the Member Share Nights for the foreseeable future. Education nights will still be held via Zoom, since the speakers we have scheduled for the remainder of the year are not local. We will send out an announcement to our membership when the plans are finalized. We will also continue to hold meet ups and field trips to facilitate interaction between members. Check the OPCC newsletter and website for information on these events. As always, please send any comments or suggestions you have to me at opccpres@gmail.com.

New! Lightroom Classic Basics Seminars

To assist our members who are just getting started in photography or who would like to brush up their Lightroom skills, OPCC will offer a series of Zoom seminars covering Lightroom Classic Basics, Tips & Tricks. The format for each seminar will include a talk or review of a particular topic such as organizing and Importing your photos. Part of the talk will be a live demonstration of how to complete the process designed, so that you can follow along completing the task on your computer. Questions will be welcomed during the during the demonstration so that if something is unclear you can get an answer immediately.

Prior to starting the Seminars we will be sending out a short questionnaire to all members asking for your input and the topics you would like covered, so we can tailor the seminars to meet the needs of the members. Please help us by completing the questionnaire in a timely fashion so we can start the seminars as soon as possible. Additionally, we will be asking our experienced members to let us know if they are willing to assist attendees beyond the seminar and which subjects they feel comfortable providing help. We are hoping to start the seminars in mid-June and thank you in advance for your input.

For more information contact OPCC Competition Chair Peggy McClure (opcc.competition@gmail.com).

New! OPCC Fine Art Printing and Exhibition Special Interest Group

The OPCC Executive Board approved a proposal for a new OPCC Special Interest Group on Fine Art Printing and Exhibition at the May board meeting. The purpose of this group is to bring together OPCC members who are interested in exhibiting their work in print format, for the purpose of education, sharing, and mentoring. We envision a series of classes and workshops over the next year that will help OPCC members in all aspects of print sharing, from creating a portfolio to the technical aspects of printing their work (or having it printed commercially) and designing a successful exhibit. Watch for more information and a sign-up survey in late June or early July. For more information contact Lori Moilanen (opcc4mail@gmail.com).

Preliminary Announcement - OPCC Portfolio Development Workshop

A new OPCC portfolio development workshop is under development. This eight-part workshop will be based on the upcoming new book The Photographers Portfolio Workshop: Learn to Think in Themes, Find Your Passion, Develop Depth, and Edit Tightly by renowned landscape photographer William Neill. For a preview of the book, visit the publisher’s website by clicking HERE. To view a webinar by William Neill that explores some of the themes in the portfolio workshop in the context of one of his earlier books, click HERE.

The workshop will be open to all OPCC members. The portfolios developed in the OPCC workshop will be displayed in a gallery on the OPCC website and shared in digital format at the OPCC End-Of-Year Meeting on December 1.

The dates for the OPCC workshop are pending the publication of the print version of the Photographers Portfolio Workshop, currently expected in late June. Watch the newsletter and website for updates. If you’d like to pre-order a copy of the book for the OPCC workshop, consider signing up for the publisher’s (Rocky Nook) or author’s (William Neill Photography) email list, as they often offer a 40% discount code for purchase. For more information contact Lori Moilanen (opcc4mail@gmail.com).

EDUCATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES

OPCC Education Night: Bonnie Block - Get Ready for Bird Action Photography. Thursday, May 19 - 7:00 PM via Zoom

In preparation for the field trip to photograph eagles at Seabeck, this talk will cover types of cameras and lenses and other gear that can be helpful in capturing the scenes there. Camera settings for flight photography and stills will be discussed..

Finally, we will visit some of the challenges the area presents in trying to photograph the eagles. There are many factors at work there—lighting, animal behavior and the tides all effect the quality of the images that can be made.

Use the OPCC Education Night Zoom Code to access this meeting. Click HERE to access the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage.

MEMBER SHARING

Reminder - The June 2 Meeting is a Competition/External Review Meeting

See the Competition section below for details. Member sharing resumes on July 7 with a Special Theme of Birds/Flight/Raptors.

For more information or questions about OPCC Member Share Night, contact Member Share Night Chair Dan McKenna (opccphotos@gmail.com).

FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS, & MEET-UPS

Ed hartman Joins Field Trip Team

Special thanks to OPCC member Ed Hartman who has volunteered to assist Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz - the support is much appreciated! Ellen will be traveling quite a bit this summer, so it’s great that Ed has volunteered to assist. Next time you see Ed (virtually or in person), be sure to say thanks.

Sequim Irrigation Festival Logging Show - Trip Report from Ellen Bogenschutz

At least 12 OPCC members attended the Logging Show on Saturday May 14, which once again is a nice turn out!

There was certainly plenty to observe and document with cameras. Pride of ownership was very apparent in the display of logging trucks. A step back to simpler times was evident with the steam engine exhibits and old tractors. Chainsaw carving demos and wood art was on display for all to enjoy and to consider picking up as some souvenirs.

The highlight of the afternoon was the physical competitions of hands-on logging skills, a very different genre of sport photography!

Be sure and check out all the photos in the Field Trip Gallery later this week.

OPCC May Field Trip - Eagle Action Photography at Seabeck

Our May field trip is a perfect match for our monthly theme of Birds/Flight/Raptors. Join award-winning photographer Bonnie Block and OPCC member Suzanne Anaya to photograph eagles and herons as they feast on spawning fish. For detailed information on meeting time and location visit the Field Trip webpage by clicking HERE. For questions contact OPCC Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz (fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com).

COMPETITION/IMAGE EVALUATION

OPCC Spring Competition/External Evaluation Meeting

When: June 2, 2022 at 7:00 PM via Zoom

Submission Deadline: May 19, 2022

This is a great way to learn and improve your images. If you are thinking about entering a photo(s) in any competition this is a good way to get objective feedback on your image before you submit them to any external competitions.

On June 2, 2022 our regular First Thursday meeting, a professionally trained Photographic Society of America (PSA) judge will present their comments and scores for the photos. The session will be recorded and the video will be available for viewing under the June Member Share Night entry on the website.

Members may submit a maximum of two (2) images for evaluation.

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).

Washington State Fair – Northwest International Exhibition of Photography

When: September 2 -25, 2022

Online Entry Registration: Monday, April 25, 2022 to Saturday, July 23, 2022

Last Day to Receive Entry Packages (Prints): Monday, July 25, 2022

This is a large and well respected Exhibition that was started in 1937 and is recognized by the Photographic Society of America (PSA) as one of the leading international exhibitions. The entries are on display for only 20 days, but they estimate more than a million people from the greater Puget Sound area come to see the latest and best in photographic art.

Entries are accepted for both prints and projected images. There are five print divisions and four projected image divisions. The entry fee is $2.00 per image and if you submit prints and wished them returned there is an additional $10.00 fee. There are nine best of show awards (one for each division) and additional Special Fair Medals and award ribbons. An exhibition catalog will be produced and will be available only online after Thursday, October 6, 2022)

The rules for this competition are too long and complex to be included in the newsletter. To view or download the instructions go to Enter a Competition at the Washington State Fair (thefair.com) and click on Northwest International Exhibition of Photography.

External Competition Updates

Check the OPCC Website for complete details on the following competitions:

The American Landscape competition held by Outdoor Photography magazine is accepting entries until May 31. Early entries submitted by May 17 earn you a discount on the entry fees.

The International Garden Photographer of the Year will accept entries through October 31 in a variety of categories.

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.

In Focus: May 16 - May 29