In Focus: August 2023
Suzanne Anaya - “Outside Looking In”
This e-newsletter contains OPCC events, reminders, and news and will be published on the first Sunday of each month. Please contact opcc4news@gmail.com to make contributions to the Newsletter. Except in unusual situations, contributions are due at noon on the Friday before publication.
The operation of The Olympic Peaks Camera Club is totally reliant upon volunteers. Due to recent resignations, many of our current volunteers are performing multiple duties and are overworked. In order for us to continue to provide the services and events you have come to expect, WE NEED YOUR HELP. Any sort of assistance is most welcome.
Our most pressing current need is finding people to help with field trips. To help support field trips and planning, we need more volunteers and a permanent Field Trip Chair. Please consider helping us. To find out our most pressing current needs and to volunteer to help, check out the new Volunteer Page on our website by clicking HERE.
Welcome to New OPCC Members
Please extend a warm welcome to our newest members, Allan Byrd and Kevin Roth of Sequim. Both are past members, who have decided to join us again. Welcome back to OPCC!
NEWS
PSA Inter-club Competition
From Peggy McClure:
It is time to start preparing for the 2023-2024 PSA Inter-club competition. Along with the Color and Monochrome Divisions for PSA this year we will also be accepting entries for the Nature Division. Be sure to go to the Sponsored Competition web page by clicking HERE and review the definitions and judging rules for the PSA Inter-club entries. You will note that we are requesting entries for the First and Second rounds to be submitted by Sept 17. If you wish to enter all three divisions, you may submit a maximum of 18 images (6 for each of the three divisions). Round 3 images will be needed in 2024 for the Apr 15 entry deadline. You may submit a maximum of 9 images for Round 3 (3 for each division). The website will be updated soon to accept image submissions. We will enter the Nature Division only if we receive enough images from members to have a viable entry for the club. For questions, contact OPCC competition chair Peggy McClure at opcc.competiton@gmail.com.
WOW Competition
From Peggy McClure:
WOW Competition entries are not due until November so you have lots of time to get your photo(s) ready. This year we will be accepting up to three images from each member. We will be using a ranking system allowing you to pick your three favorite images and ranking them as first, second and third choice. The winners will be announced at the December 7 meeting and will be featured on the website. Good luck to everyone and can’t wait to see your entries. More details can be found on the website by clicking HERE. For questions, contact OPCC competition chair Peggy McClure at opcc.competiton@gmail.com.
Clallam County Fair
The Clallam County Fair is coming up very soon, so it is time to get your images ready to submit for the photo competition. OPCC will once again run the Photography Barn . Lewis Bennett, a long time club member, has stepped up and is coordinating the Club’s efforts. Bruce Fryxell has volunteered to be his assistant. The Fair runs from Thursday, Aug 17 through Sunday, Aug 20. Photo intake will be on Sunday, Aug 13, between noon and 6 p.m., and Monday, Aug 14, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. Photo hanging and judging will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug 15 - 16.
For those wishing to submit photos to the fair, information rules, competition categories, etc. can be obtained HERE. Let’s have a good showing from our club!
For more information or to volunteer to help at the fair, contact Lewis directly by email at lewiswbennett1@gmail.com, or call or text him at (832) 830-2958.
NWCCC Annual Conference - Saturday November 11, 2023
From Stephen Shoff:
Save the date! The Northwest Council of Camera Clubs (NWCCC) annual conference will be a 5-day event starting on Veteran's Day, Nov 11, 2023 with in-person print exhibitions and key-note addresses by Jack Graham. The conference will continue with 5 (est) Zoom-based webinars held on the following Sunday-Wednesday. Webinar specifics have not yet been announced.
NWCCC holds numerous image competitions during the convention:
Open Digital Salon
Open Print Salon
Digital Slideshow Competition
The specifics of this year's competitions have not yet been published but the Rules and Entry Forms from the 2022 competitions are still available and could be used as a guideline. Last year, the Print Salon included Large/Small and Color/Monochrome divisions. You can expect that image submission deadlines, both print and digital, will occur by mid-October. For details of last year’s competitions, go to https://nwcameraclubs.org/2022-print-competition/
Last year, OPCC did pretty well in both the print and digital competitions. I think our members that participated in the portfolio development education over the winter might have good candidates for slideshow entries.
So, start digging into your image catalogs and let's demonstrate OPCC's amazingly talented pool of excellent and creative photographers.
Executive Committee Meeting
The next meeting of our Executive Committee will be held on Thursday, Aug 24 via Zoom. All members are encouraged to attend to learn what is going on behind the scenes or to express your concerns. The OPCC Zoom code webpage can be found HERE.
SPEAKER SERIES
Eddie Soloway - Memories, Moons and Imagination - August 17, 2023 7:00 PM
Do you ever feel stuck in your photography when the images you make seem like everyone else's images?
Are there times when you are looking for a new way of seeing things?
Or, do you want to spend an hour with an award-winning speaker and photographer who will inspire you to create better images?
If the answer is 'yes' to any of these questions, join photographer and storyteller Eddie Soloway on Aug 17 for an entertaining and informative presentation designed to open up creative and personal photographs right in front of our noses
Eddie Soloway is a photographer, teacher, and storyteller committed to opening our eyes to the natural world. He has taught photography and creativity for leading photographic institutions and schools around the world, and was a popular speaker in National Geographic Traveler’s photography seminars. The Santa Fe Center for Photographic Arts (now CENTER) awarded Eddie the Excellence in Photographic Teaching Award, and Photo District News named Eddie one of America’s best photography workshop teachers. His focus on seeing brings a breath of fresh air to the photography world.
Use the OPCC Education Night Zoom Code to access this meeting. Click HERE for the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage.
MEMBER SHARING / EXTERNAL EVALUATION NIGHTS
September Share Night
From Peggy McClure:
Thursday Sep 7 is our last External Evaluation Night of the year, and the timing is perfect. If you are thinking of submitting images for any of the PSA Inter-club Divisions and would like feedback before you submit them, then upload them to Member Share Night by Sunday night Aug 20 at 11:59 PM. Because we are entering 3 divisions (Color, Monochrome and Nature), this year you may submit a maximum of 3 images for this Member Share - External Evaluation Night. To upload photos, use the Member Share Night upload button on the website, located HERE. For questions, contact OPCC competition chair Peggy McClure at opcc.competiton@gmail.com.
FIELD TRIPS, WORKSHOPS, & MEET-UPS
Sanger Sterling Gardens
We had another very fun outing on July 27 to Sanger Sterling Gardens in Sequim. Many thanks to Peg Hanson for organizing and hosting the event. We had approximately 10 club members in attendance. Be sure to check out the field trip gallery, located HERE.
Annual Club Picnic
From Marian Bodart:
Mark your calendar - August 26th is just a few weeks away for our annual club picnic!
This year it will be held at the picnic area at Salt Creek day-use picnic shelter. It's a great facility - just perfect for our group to get together and enjoy a beautiful summer day and have a great picnic meal. There are tables, a sink, hot water, electric outlets, electric cook top, counters, BBQ grills and a fireplace. If we are unable to use the grill due to the county burn ban, we will come up with another plan.
Watch for an email with more information that will be coming out in the middle of the month. The board will provide the entrees and beverages, and we ask members to RSVP and sign up for either desserts or side dishes by clicking HERE.
Of course, if you have an extra lawn chair, or ice chest, those will also be welcome.
See you there!
COMPETITION/IMAGE EVALUATION
NWCCC Travelling Image Salon
This month, we will be evaluating images from the Bainbridge Island Photo Club. Please vote for you favorite images before the deadline of Aug 25 by clicking HERE.