This weekly 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 weekly on Sunday evenings. The deadline for new submissions for the following week is Friday at midnight.

MEET THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Our cover photo this week is “Opening Day” taken by new OPCC Member Anna Richmond. What a great photo for a gray and snowy stretch of weather - a welcome reminder of the warmer and brighter days to come.

Anna joined OPCC in late 2020 and rejoined for 2021. She’s really excited to be a part of the club. She learned about OPCC through her neighbor, Colleen Bittner (Thanks, Colleen!).

Anna became interested in photography as a four-year-old following her father, who was a naturalist/photo journalist for the National Park Service, around such places as Kings Canyon and the Grand Canyon. Today, she shoots mainly with a Nikon D80, and also dabbles in mobile phone and drone photography. Her passions are abstract, fine art, and architectural photography. She also likes being a boating events photographer for the Sequim Bay Yacht Club – there’s nothing quite like the splash of the waves on the camera lens, she says!

Currently, Anna’s focus is on real estate photography and virtual 3-D modeling. She enjoys learning everything she can about ALL types of photography, and looks forward to participating in workshops and field trips. She’s eagerly awaiting the day we can meet in person, as we all are, so she can get to know everyone better.

NEWS

Quote of the Week

“To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.” - Edward Weston.

Let’s Take a Road Trip to Oregon…Virtually

Don’t forget - OPCC Field Trip Chair Sandy Woods invites you to submit up to ten photos from Oregon as part of our next virtual field trip. Please submit photos to Sandy, AKA the field trip chair, on or before March 15th using the OPCC photo submission guidelines (see “How to Submit Photos” on the Member Share Night webpage for instructions).

Monthly OPCC Board Meeting

The monthly OPCC Board meeting (via Zoom) is scheduled for 6:30 PM on Tuesday, February 16. All OPCC members are invited to attend as observers. The Zoom code for this meeting can be found on the OPCC Zoom Codes webpage.

New Members

OPCC extends a warm welcome to our newest member, Natalie Hyde. Natalie is OPCC member Suzanne Anaya’s granddaughter. Welcome Natalie - we’re glad to have you with us!

OPCC Facebook Page

OPCC Vice President and Olympic Peaks Camera Club Facebook Page administrator Jonas Benjamins would like to remind all OPCC members who are active on Facebook that the club has a private, members-only Facebook page. Use this link to go directly to the page or search for “Olympic Peaks Camera Club” on Facebook. For more information contact Jonas Benjamins (opccvp@gmail.com).

From OPCC President Peggy Hanson - A Preview of Club Logo Gear

Fellow members, I recently ordered the following sweatshirt and tee shirt samples. If you’re at all interested in ordering one or more for yourselves, simply contact me at opccpres@gmail.com - and if you’re interested in another style, color, or another item completely, I can help with that too. Pricing hasn’t been established yet since it needs to be discussed in our upcoming board meeting on the 16th.

Aside from apparel, I also ordered window clings (removable stickers for your car windows) of our logo. We’ll be offering these for less than $5 a piece. Just email me at opccpres@gmail.com if you’re interested in purchasing and thanks so much for your support!

COMING UP THIS WEEK

Education Night - February 18, 6:00 PM via Zoom. Tim O’Neill: Introduction to Luminar AI

Luminar AI is an all-new Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered image editing application and plug-in for Mac and Windows, by Skylum. OPCC member Tim O’Neill, a Luminar user since the original program version became available for PC, will share his first-hand experience in using this innovative software.

Many, many thanks to Tim for volunteering to introduce us all to Luminar AI. Please read his full bio below.

See the OPCC Website Zoom Codes webpage to find the access code for this Third Thursday Education Night meeting.

Tim’s Bio

Tim has been serious about photography since 2002. He bought his first prosumer bridge camera, a Canon Powershot G2 with 4 Megapixels, and quickly left for Page, AZ on his first photography-specific field trip. He had done a few Lake Powell houseboat trips previously, shooting film while there. He and his companions hired a guide and shot in the local slot canyons. It was his first exposure to Antelope Canyons, both Lower and Upper, and also Canyon X. He’s been shooting continuously ever since.

Tim gradually worked his way up to DSLRs, and most recently mirrorless cameras. He managed to correspond with and eventually meet other like-minded photographers through various online camera forums. They would often meet at various destinations starting in the Southwest. He found the online community a great way to expand his horizons, learn one’s hobby, and make good friends.

Tim retired and moved to Sequim around December of 2006. He met a fellow photographer out shooting shortly thereafter and joined OPCC at his invitation.

His interests photographically are based originally in landscapes, but he also enjoys people photography, especially performance shooting (like concerts, sporting events, and themed shoots). He added infrared photography to his interests about 15 years ago, and almost always carries an IR camera in his kit.

Tim is a self-admitted software junky and has been using Photoshop since the beginning. He’s spent hundreds of dollars on the latest filters and plug ins. He currently and actively uses Nik Filters, On One, Topaz, and most recently, Luminar. He’s a PC user, and acquired the first version of the Skylum software as soon as it became available for his platform. He Has never taken the time to learn Lightroom.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Member Share Night - Monthly Themes and More

CLICK ON THE IMAGE OR THEME TITLE BELOW FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. For questions, contact Share Night/Projection Chair Susan White at opccphotos@gmail.com.

Virtual Field Trips

There are currently two Virtual Field Trips in progress. CLICK ON AN IMAGE OR FIELD TRIP TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. For questions or to suggest a new Virtual Field Trip idea contact Sandra Woods (fieldtrips4opcc@gmail.com).

External Competition Opportunities

CLICK ON AN IMAGE OR EVENT TITLE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. For questions or to suggest a new competition or juried exhibition opportunity contact Competition Chair Suzanne Anaya (OPCC.competition@gmail.com).

In Focus February 15-21