In Focus: July 18 - July 31
Photo Credit: Mike Montgomery - Moth
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 submissions for the next newsletter is Friday July 29.
NEWS
Message From The OPCC President: In-Person First Thursday Meetings Resume
We resumed our in-person meetings for our most recent Member Share Night on July 7. This was a hybrid meeting, with 16 members attending at St Luke's Episcopal Church and another 11 members participating via Zoom. This is the highest attendance we have had for any Member Share Night since the start of the pandemic. We had more than 40 images submitted for discussion, also a record for recent Member Share Nights. The meeting appeared to be a great success, with good interaction between all participants. All feedback received so far has been very favorable. We’ve received some suggestions on how to improve the experience for those participating from home and will implement those at the next hybrid meeting. It was great to interact with some of our members we have not seen for a long time, including our oldest member Dick Hazleton. Thanks again to Mary Swartz and Suzanne Anaya for providing the refreshments. If all goes according to plan, we will continue to meet using this hybrid format for our future Share Nights. Since most of our speakers are not local, we will continue holding our Education Night meetings only via Zoom.As always, please send any comments or suggestions you have to me at opccpres@gmail.com.
A Friendly Request From the Punctuality Police
We’ve typically been starting our Zoom meetings five to ten minutes after the announced starting times, since many members have been joining a bit late. We would like to change this and have our meetings start on time, especially when we have external speakers. Please try to join five to ten minutes before the scheduled meeting time to allow for any technical difficulties on your end.
New OPCC Zoom Coordinator
We’re pleased to announce that new member Matt Mahowald has volunteered to join the OPCC Board and take over the OPCC Zoom Management position from Peggy McClure. Peggy has been doing double duty as the Zoom Manager and the Competition Chair since last year, so Matt’s willingness to take on Zoom duties is greatly appreciated.
OPCC is run by volunteers and there are both short-term (host a field trip or meet-up, write a newsletter article, help with an event, provide Member Share Night meeting refreshments) and longer-term (serve on the board, teach a class, mentor other members) opportunities to get involved. Hats off to Matt, Ed Hartman, Kevin Talbot, Mary Swartz, and Sally Harris who’ve recently stepped up to help out in various ways. If you’d like to help out, please contact OPCC President Bruce Fryxell (opccpres@gmail.com).
Slideshow Posted for July 7 Member Share Night Meeting
A link to the slideshow of the July 7 Member Share Night images is now available. Click HERE to visit the slideshow archive. There were more than 40 images submitted across several genres - a great showing by our members!
Help Wanted - Back-Up needed for Website, Newsletter, and Mailchimp Email Communications
We currently do not have a back-up person to be on hand for basic website maintenance and sending out blast emails via the club MailChimp account. We are looking for one or more members to learn the basics to ensure continuity when Lori Moilanen is out of town or off the grid for an extended period (approximately one month). Please contact Lori if you’d be willing to be a back-up person (opcc4mail@gmail.com).
FYI - New Policy for Photographer Access at Purple Haze Lavender Farm
Many OPCC members have been accustomed to informally visiting Purple Haze Lavender Farm after business hours for golden hour photography. We learned last week that the current owners of the farm have developed a new policy for after-hours photography. Non-commercial photography (i.e., photos for personal use only) is allowed free of charge after hours, but you must call the farm office during business hours to pre-register with your name and vehicle information. There will be a $100/hour fee for any commercial photography.
EDUCATIONAL SPEAKER SERIES
OPCC Education Night: Marina Shipova - My Digital Post-Processing Workflow. Thursday, July 21 - 7:00 PM via Zoom
Marina Shipova, a local graphic designer & fine-art photographer, will show us the professional techniques and tricks she uses to seamlessly mesh different elements in a photomontage and create highly realistic works of art. Her presentation last year got rave reviews. Click HERE to view Marina’s biography. Visit her website at marinashipova.myportfolio.com.
Use the OPCC Education Night Zoom Code to access this meeting. Click HERE to access the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage.
Marina Shipova
MEMBER SHARING
June Meeting Recap
We had a great response for our July meeting, with over 40 member photos submitted for sharing and discussion. Thanks to everyone for their patience as the club navigated its first “hybrid” meeting with both in-person and Zoom options for participation.. Many of the submitted photos represented the special theme of nature/wildlife, with subjects including insects, birds, reptiles, and mammals. We were especially glad to see several of our newer members submitting photos. It was a very enjoyable evening of sharing and discussion. Thanks to all for their positive comments and photo feedback.
Next Member Share Night Meeting is August 4 at 7:00 PM.
This will be our second “hybrid” Member Share Night meeting with options to attend either in person or via Zoom. The in-person meeting will be at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Sequim. Anyone not wanting to attend the in-person meeting at the church will still be able to participate via Zoom as usual. Watch the website and next newsletter for details.
The monthly Special Theme for sharing is Wildflowers/Macro. The deadline for submitting photos to share at the August 4 meeting is Sunday July 31 at 11:00 PM.
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
Woodcock Demonstration Garden - Trip Report
We had another fine turnout for this field trip. The conditions ranged from surprisingly foggy and cool when we arrived to bright and sunny later in the morning, so there were plenty of opportunities to explore strategies for shooting under different light conditions. There was a bit of wind (the bane of macro photography), so conditions were a bit challenging for certain techniques like focus stacking. Nevertheless, there was a wide variety of flowers in bloom (some with insect visitors) that offered plenty of opportunity for creative close-up photography. A bonus was that many of us had an opportunity to meet brand new member Jennifer Santillano, who stopped by to say hello and share some photos on her way to a class at Heronswood Garden near Kingston. Jennifer is another flower/garden photography enthusiast and we look forward to getting to know her better.
Field trip participants - if you haven’t done so already, please upload your photos using the Field Trip Dropbox link.
Field Trips Update
Field Trip Chair Ellen Bogenschutz is hard at work lining up outings for the remainder of the year. Several members have come forward with some interesting ideas for July and August outings at locations from the alpine to sea level. See a summary of currently scheduled trips below. Visit the OPCC Field Trip webpage (click HERE) for more information on all of these outings.
For those willing to travel, our friends in the Olympia Camera Club have also scheduled an astrophotography/night photography outing at Mount St. Helens on August 27 (the same date as our Hurricane Ridge trip) and OPCC members are invited.
Meanwhile, Ellen is urging folks to plan ahead for an opportunity to photograph Olympic rainforest waterfalls with fall colors this Autumn with OPCC VP Marian Bodart. Marian took a trip to the Quinault Lodge area last Fall and was so taken with the beautiful colors that she thought it would be a wonderful excursion for the Club. See the field trip description and beautiful photos from Marian below.
July 20 - Jardin du Soliel Lavender Farm Meet-Up
Join fellow club members for a casual get-together to photograph our iconic Sequim symbol and delight your senses. Thanks to Sally Harris for the suggestion to photograph lavender and research to find a welcoming farm.
When: Wednesday July 20, 2022
Time: 4:00 PM
Where: Jardin du Soliel, 3932 Sequim-Dungeness Way, Sequim
August 13 - Salt Creek Campground/Tongue Point Field Trip
This field trip trip, hosted by new member Kevin Talbot, will provide opportunities to explore the Tongue Point tide pools at low tide, learn about the unique geological forces that shaped the area, and walk along the beach and explore Salt Creek. Expect to see eagles, pigeon guillemots, otters and other sea life. Explore the wooded trails and peek into the bunkers. This will be a several-hour field trip as there is so much to see and do at this diverse location. Bring a brown bag lunch to enjoy with fellow members.
Kevin has created a great field trip guide with maps, instructions for parking, attraction locations, and geology information. Please click HERE to view or download the guide. To visit the field trip webpage click HERE.
August 27 - Hurricane Ridge Astrophotography Workshop
This field trip, organized by Ellen Bogenschutz and Ed Hartman, will be a late evening jaunt up to Hurricane Ridge to apply the information our August speaker, Niko Carver, will be sharing with us about Astrophotography. August 27th will be a practically moonless night and the conditions for photographing the Milky Way will be very favorable. We are scouting out viewing options now to get us out of the parking lot of the Lodge. On August 27th, sunset will be at 8:00 PM and the Milky Way will be visible starting at 9:45 PM. it will last for 2 ½ hours. It’s best to get settled into the location where the photos will be taken before dark, so this Field Trip will start between 7 PM and 8 PM and last until midnight. The week after the field trip we will also be offering a Zoom meeting for post processing techniques for your images. Please watch the newsletter and website for updates on the field trip and post-processing Zoom meeting. To visit the field trip webpage click HERE.
August 27 - Olympia Camera Club Photographing the Night Sky Field Trip
This is an Olympia Camera Club (OCC) field trip. OPCC members are welcome to attend. Please contact field trip leader Pam Hoaglund (pamhoag46@gmail.com) if you are planning to attend. The following information was provided by OCC:
Weather permitting, this field trip will provide opportunities to photograph blue hour, golden hour and the night sky. The meeting site is Loowit Point, which is the last view point before you reach the Johnston Ridge Visitor Center. You can arrive whenever you want. Golden hour is from 7:22 to 8:00 PM. Blue hour is from 8:23 to 8:36 PM. Sunset is at 8:00 PM. It will not be dark enough to really photograph the Milky Way until around 10:00 PM. You can go as early as you want and stay as long as you wish. This field trip will be weather dependent as we will need clear skies to photograph the stars and Milky Way. Pam will be watching the weather conditions and several apps that give information on the night sky visibility. If you have never photographed the night sky this field trip is for you. There will be plenty of seasoned OCC members present to help you get set up and answer questions.
Click HERE to view the Mount St. Helens field trip webpage.
October 15 Quinault Rainforest Waterfall Field Trip - Information for Advance Planning
Marian Bodart, the host/leader for this field trip, scouted Quinalt rainforest waterfalls in October 2021. A selection of photos from that trip are shown below. Because of the driving distance to the site, members may wish to stay overnight. Marian has shared some detailed information on this October 2022 event for advance planning:
When: October 15, 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM (times approximate)
Where: Lake Quinault Rainforest
Travel time: Lake Quinault is approximately 3 hours from Sequim/Port Angeles. The hosted field trip will take place on Saturday October 15, starting around 8:30 in the morning and lasting until about 1:00PM.
Lodging: If you don’t want to make the early morning drive, lodging options are available in several locations. Visit the Quinault field trip webpage for a short list of options by clicking HERE. For questions about this field trip contact Marian Bodart (vp4opcc@gmail.com) or Ellen Bogenschutz (fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com) .
A Selection of October Quinault Area Waterfall Photos from Marian Bodart
COMPETITION/IMAGE EVALUATION
OPCC Summer Competition/External Evaluation is Open for Submissions
Deadline for submissions: September 19
This is an open competition, so while the theme is Summer, the submissions maybe on any subject, color or monochrome. Your imagination is your only limitation! We have limited the number of submissions to two images per member so that we have ample time to discuss the image and comment on the judge’s scores. We look forward to viewing your submissions and seeing you at the October 6 meeting. 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).
Reminder - Washington State Fair Registration and Submission Deadlines Coming Up Soon
The Washington State Fair – Northwest International Exhibition of Photography is accepting registration for entering through Saturday, July 23, 2022 and the last day to submit your entries is July 25, 2022. 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.
Photographic Society of America (PSA) Interclub Competition
OPCC is a member of PSA. Each year PSA conducts an Interclub Competition that is open to all member clubs. Last year, due to all the changes the club was going through, the Board decided to forgo entry, but this year we are all in.
The Interclub Competition is a projected image (PI) competition and the subject is OPEN so an image can be presented in color, monochrome, or black and white and there no rules regarding the subject. There are 3 rounds and each participating club may submit 6 images in each round for a club total of 18 images. The submissions dates for the rounds are November 15, 2022, February 15, 2023 and April 15, 2023. The six images in each round must be from six different makers. A maker may a have a single image or up to three images submitted by the club.
If you would like to represent the club in this competition we would love to see your strongest images. You may submit one, two or three images for consideration. We will be sending the images to an experienced independent judge who will select the top images and who will include comments on how an image might be improved. The details for submitting your images will be posted on the OPCC website in the near future. Images must be submitted no later than September 1, 2022.
The top eighteen (18) images will comprise OPCC’s entries into the competition. If the judge’s comments indicate an image may be improved the maker will be provided an opportunity to apply those improvements to the selected image. All improvements must be applied and returned to OPCC no later than September 30. OPCC competition committee members will then evaluate the images and decide which images will be submitted in each round. Each maker of an image that will be submitted must be willing to sign a release so the PSA may publish your photo(s) in their journal and/or on their website. If your image is a poised portrait a model release will also be required.
International Garden Photographer of the Year Competition
The International Garden Photographer of the Year competition will accept entries through October 31 in a variety of categories. Detailed information is available on the OPCC website External Competition List. Click HERE to access.
Outdoor Photographer has opened their 2022 Wildlife Photo Contest.
The early entry deadline is July 26 and there are some great prizes. Final deadline for submission is August 9. Certainly saw some competition worthy wildlife photos during the last Member Share night. If you are not a member of Outdoor Photographer there is an entry fee, but it is free to members. Go to Wildlife 2022 - Outdoor Photographer to get all the details. To our bird photographers - if you enter you will receive free admission to the Size and Shape Identification course from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology Bird Academy (value $29.99).
Looking for Inspiration?
Viewing work by top photographers is a great way to get inspiration for your on photo shoots. My Modern Met is a website founded in 2008 that provides a platform for artists of all types. They have a newsletter that is free and you may become a member. Take a look you - may find something that will spark your next photography project. Discover Today's Top Photographers with My Modern Met.