In Focus: August 2024
Peg Hanson - “Lavender in the Round”
This e-newsletter contains OPCC events, reminders, and news and will be published on the first Sunday of each month. Please send contributions to the newsletter to opcc4news@gmail.com. Contributions are due at noon on the Friday before publication, but if time permits, we will attempt to accommodate late contributions.
NEWS
OPCC Final Curtain Call Scheduled for Dec 2024
After much soul searching, many discussions, and considering a variety of alternatives, the board is planning to close down OPCC at the end of December. This difficult and sad decision has become inevitable due to dwindling membership, participation and volunteers.
Over the last few years, finding volunteers for key club positions has become increasingly difficult. COVID affected many things, including our club. Without volunteers, the Club cannot exist, let alone thrive.
The Board spent long hours exploring and discussing options. You may remember, earlier this year we held an open meeting with club members where we discussed alternatives and approaches. The best approach we found was to merge with our partner club, Olympia Camera Club (OCC). For a few years now, we have been sharing programs and costs with OCC for outside speakers, as well as holding a few joint field trips.
Merger talks are underway, with details being worked out. We anticipate speaker night and share nights will continue via Zoom. We could also organize local field trips, occasional social events, small gatherings for group image shares, and other activities.
Any OPCC members who wish to participate in the merged club next year will receive a free one-year membership for 2025.
September Share Night
From Peggy McClure
Our next share night will be on Thursday, September 5. This is an external evaluation, so the submission deadline is earlier than usual to allow the judge to review the images. Please submit all images by Sunday, August 23 at midnight.
This will be our last External Evaluation Night. The judge will be a PSA judge who will evaluate, score and comment on the images you submit. For this evaluation, PSA has asked us to limit the number of submissions to 30. Because I do not know how many people will submit images, here are the guidelines for preparing your entries. Each person may submit a maximum of 3 images to make sure we have enough images. There is no theme for the External Evaluation, and it is an OPEN format. Please use the standard guidelines for sizing and naming your images and assign your first, second and third choice for submission, which is explained in the next paragraph. For guidelines and to upload your photos, click HERE.
Images will be selected based on when they are uploaded to the website. When you name your image, please include the order in which you would like the images selected. For Example: Bird in flight - 1, Bird on a stick - 2, Waterfall - 3. All of the photos that are identified as first choice ( - 1) will be sent to the judge. If that is less than 30 images, then (-2) will be selected in the order in which they were uploaded until we have 30 images. If we still don't have 30 images, then (-3) will be selected.
Clallam County Fair Photo Competition
The Clallam County Fair will be held from August 15 thru August 18. A judge has been selected for the photo competition, although the judge’s identity will not be known until the time of the fair. As usual, we need volunteers to operate the photo barn from August 11 to August 19 for intake, hanging, judging, hosting, and photo return. The website form for volunteering can be accessed by clicking HERE.
For those wishing to compete, photos will be accepted on Sunday, August 11 and Monday, August 12. Submission rules can be found by clicking HERE, and a complete exhibitor’s guide has be found HERE.
SPEAKER SERIES
Donna Bourdon - Wildlife - August 15, 2024, 7:00 PM
Donna Bourdon is an award-winning nature and wildlife photographer. She will be presenting concepts and techniques that can improve the impact of natural world images. Donna’s discussion topics will include a short discussion of exposure including the concept of ETTR (expose to the right), shutter speed considerations for wildlife, depth of field, composition and background. She will include discussion about head angle, subject behavior, action, personality, and color, backlighting and silhouettes. Throughout the presentation, she will include images from around the world to demonstrate each concept.
Videos of Past Speakers Presentations
From Witta Priester:
For the last few years, Marian Bodart has researched and hired many amazing speakers to make live presentations to the OPCC. These presentations were recorded and are available on the OPCC website - go to Speakers and scroll down to Past Speakers.
If you missed any of these talks, including the wonderful one this month by Jennifer King on The Fine Art of Black and White Photography, this is a good time to check them out. These presentations are a great benefit of Club membership. These videos will no longer be available after the end of the year.
Field Trips and Workshops
Port Angeles Underground
We are booked for Thursday, August 8 at 2PM. The address is 121 E Railroad Ave in PA at the small information center building in front of the Port Angeles "Wharf" building. You may want to bring a tripod due to low light. You can also bring a flash. Please note that video recording is NOT allowed, only stills. There are some stairs to navigate on the tour. There will be a short presentation at the visitor's center on the history of the underground before we take the tour. The total duration is about 2.5 hours. Please arrive about 1:45 if possible.
The entrance fee is $20 per person, $15 for seniors. A link to the tour website is at the bottom of this message.
If you plan to go, please email Daniel Mulkey, who is the organizer.
Annual Picnic
Save the date. Our Annual Picnic will be held at Salt Creek on August 24 from 11:00 to 2:00. The club will provide hot dogs and hamburgers. The rest will be potluck. Watch for more information and a sign up sheet to let us know what you will bring.
NWCCC News
From Stephen Shoff:
2024 NWCCC Conference in Anacortes
Save the Date! Saturday, November 9, 1:00 – 5:00 PM
The Northwest Council of Camera Clubs (NWCCC) annual conference is returning to an in-person format emphasizing networking with other photographers from around the region. Notably, it won't include the post-event webinars that have been a characteristic of the conference for the last several years.
The speaker will be Skagit Valley Camera Club member Audrey Garbacik, a local photographer that specializes in scuba diving and underwater photography. Check out her website HERE. This will be an interesting adjunct to our own October Education night presentation, Adventure/Underwater Photography by Joe Lementovich.
The 3 image competitions included in the conference will continue to be main attractions:
Open Digital Salon
Open Print Salon
Digital Slideshow Competition
Full details about the conference along with the competition rules and deadlines have been posted on the NWCCC website HERE.
Our own OPCC website Competitions page will be updated soon with a summary description of the image submission rules and guidelines. These are individual competitions open to all members of NWCCC-affiliated clubs. Entry submissions, including the entry forms are the responsibility of the submitter. All forms and digital images are submitted on-line on the NWCCC website. Submission deadlines are Oct 1.
Like last year, I will be happy to collect and deliver print entries to the NWCCC Print Directors. However, the deadline for my ability to assist will be Sept. 21, earlier than the competition's Oct. 1 deadline. I'll also collect the prints and arrange to return them to their owners after the conference.
This year's conference is being billed as an afternoon event. This provides an opportunity and excuse to plan a morning or an overnight photo excursion to Deception Pass for landscape or the Samish Flats for bird photography, subjects that span the interests of our OPCC membership. Sorry, no tulips, but La Conner is a great place any time of year. I hope to see you there.
Other News
Summer WOW Competition
From Witta Priester:
Although our Club is NOT sponsoring a Summer WOW competition this year, there’s no reason not to post YOUR Summer WOW photos on the OPCC Facebook page. Photos should be taken between July 1 and Sept 30, 2024. You are welcome to post a maximum of 1 photo a week. (No make-ups.)
Everyone is welcome to join in!
Sequim Prairie Nights Car Show
From Witta Priester:
The 7th Annual Sequim Prairie Nights Car Show will be held in downtown Sequim at West Washington Street, on August 10 starting at 9 AM. Bring your camera, and your creativity!
Unity of Effort Event
From Witta Priester:
Starting at about 11 AM on August 10, a gathering of motorcyclists are expected to converge at the Rally to Unity of Effort Event, downtown, off East Washington Street. Showcase your patriotic spirit by wearing red, white, and blue.
Join us and meet up with OPCC members at 11:45, stage right.
“This event is not only a celebration of our first responders and military but also a testament to the unity and resilience of our community and Nation. It’s a day filled with appreciation for those who tirelessly protect our way of life.
Upon arrival in Sequim, participants will be greeted with live music and static displays, including an impressive lineup of at least seven helicopters from various branches of the military and public service.
Highlights of the day include: A national anthem performance and fly-over scheduled for noon. A range of family-friendly activities including K-9 demonstrations (note: please leave pets at home).”
Upcoming Events & Workshops
From Peg Hanson:
Glazer’s is offering a series of events and workshops. Many are free, but there is a charge for some. A list of all the current and coming events can be found HERE.