Club Newsletter: March 2021

From the Club President…

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I hope you are all doing well and staying healthy. Piya and I are fortunate that we have received both of our vaccinations without significant side effects. We are also feeling a great sense of freedom with the realization that it is unlikely that we will experience COVID-19. We celebrated with our first trip in over a year to Bisbee where we explored the area and photographed the Sandhill Cranes at Whitewater Draw. We also had our first CDC-approved meeting indoors with some vaccinated friends. At first, it was really hard to overcome our fears of infection after social distancing for all these months. I hope you all get to experience this very soon if you have not already done so.

I also hope you have taken some time to explore the newly implemented forums on our website. If not, the best way to access them is to use the link on our homepage to log in to our new website and then simply click the Forums tab. Eventually, I think we will be able to access the forums from automatic notifications of posts on forums to which we subscribe. We can look forward to Bob Kenney’s Phase II updates of the website but go ahead and subscribe for notifications even if you have to login as described above to access them.

What I like about the forums is that I can see what others have posted over a period of time and reply whenever I want. I just replied to some SIG posts from two weeks ago, and it felt like my comment was just as relevant as if I replied immediately after the original post. I also like the fact that many members have the opportunity to respond to comments or questions, so there can be a diversity of responses – not just that of a single member. Remember that in addition to the Special Interest Groups (SIGs), we also have forums for Learning Assignments, which are for theme-based sharing of your photos.

We also have some forums that are more general in nature. There is the Club Café where we can discuss any thing we want as long as it is relevant to our club or photography. The first question we received there was about how to get started in photography. Some of us posted already, but maybe you have a better suggestion, so please check it out. I hope that everyone will feel free to ask any questions about the club and to help us by responding to any questions we have for you.

The Gear Stop is a forum for discussion of cameras and other photographic equipment. It would be a great place to ask how I should get started with my new camera (does anybody have experience with the Nikon Z cameras?). We also have the Marketplace, which is the place to ask if anyone has a use for my old camera? You can also try to find a new home for any other photographic equipment. 

There is also a forum called the Photo Scouts that I am moderating. This forum was conceived as a place for those of us who like to hike the Sedona backcountry and to combine our hiking with our photography. Eventually, this group might include some small group hikes, but for now we have just been discussing some of our recent experiences. We might also discuss how to find some new locations in Sedona and how to get there when the light and weather can enhance our photos. Even if you do not wish to participate, you may enjoy reading about some of our experiences.

Finally, I would like to make a plea for more members to become engaged in our club. Now, I am coming to the end of my term as president of the camera club and reflecting on the long list of presidents who have served since 1952. The club has come a long way especially as we conclude this full year without the ability to meet face to face. I am really impressed by what the club is doing from our regular meetings online and new communication tools to our photo critiques and our learning activities. I like that we aspire to do great things for our members.

I will no longer be president of the club but, as Past President, I will continue to work for the club. There is lots of work yet to be done. If more people do not get engaged, we might not be able to achieve our aspirations. So I encourage you all to find someway to become more engaged with the club. Over the next few weeks, we will be looking for some new leaders to join the board. Please consider stepping up to the challenge. If you would like to find out more about how you can help the club as a leader or working with other leaders, please contact the Nominating Committee members: Tom Wardrup, Diann Bustamante, or Steve Wells. We will send out a slate of candidates for our April board election as soon as we can.

Please see below for information regarding our next meeting, a nice discount for the Sedona Photo Symposium, deadlines for our last photo critique of the year, other updates from our board members and the COVID-19 guidelines approved by the board.

Best wishes for good health and great photos, 

Brad

mailto:president.sedonacameraclub@gmail.com

Next Club Meeting

Art, Adventure and Advocacy:  A Photographic Journey

Adventure and conservation photographer Dawn Kish will present to the Sedona Camera Club starting at 6 p.m. on Monday, March 29th.  Kish will chronicle her 25+ year career from adventure photographer to her current passion as a conservation photographer.  “If it is outside,” says Dawn, “I’ve probably photographed it.” 

Using places such as Grand Canyon, which artists’ work played a key role in protecting, and her current work documenting the protection the endangered California Condor in Vermilion Cliffs region of AZ, Kish will demonstrate how conservation, science, art and storytelling combine to preserve public lands and save endangered species.

As a “fun hog adventurer” – including snowboarding, rock climbing, backpacking and whitewater rafting – she would document these sports and then eventually work for publications like National Geographic Adventure, Climbing Magazine and Patagonia.  Dawn realizes the reason she can enjoy recreating on public lands is because other people advocate for them, working hard to tell their stories.  Without artisans to document their beauty, helping people understand the value of public lands would be a much bigger challenge.

She creates photos of her journeys, whether they are stories of Native Americans in her Arizona homeland or hanging off a cliff wall in Yosemite. For Dawn, photography is all about people and their stories, their emotions, and the honor of the photographic moment.  Direct and honest, this playful self-taught photographer has a way of bringing out the genuine and expressive ways of the people she works with. “My subjects give me so much, that I get charged up,” says Kish. “That is why I keep traveling, learning, and telling stories.” Kish has won many awards and is a featured photographer in the National Geographic Field Guide to Adventure Photography.  Her images were included in National Geographic Traveler’s top 30 photographs in 30 years and Arizona Highways Magazine’s top 50 photos ever.  Dawn is one of 33 photographers chosen to promote the Centennial of Grand Canyon National Park.  She received the Red Bull Illume award for her photo “Climbers Hand”.   Kish loves to direct and tell stories and turns her photo projects into film. “I feel so honored. I love being a photographer,” says Kish. “It’s the best job ever.” You can see her work at www.dawnkish.com.

Club Events, Photo Ops, and Board Updates

From John Gafford – Sedona Photo Symposium Co-Director

The Sedona Photography Symposium is offering a discount code worth $100 off of the price of admission to the 2021 Sedona Photography Symposium (current admission price is $399). The discount code (SCC2021) can be used by any Sedona Camera Club member when registering for the main symposium. You can purchase tickets to the symposium by clicking on the tickets page at www.sedonaphotosym.org. Be sure to enter the promo code by clicking on the blue ‘Enter Promo code” link before proceeding to checkout. The promo code, SCC2021, is good for Sedona Camera Club members only! The discount code expires on midnight April 16, 2021. 

From Sally Nelson – Membership Co-Chair & SIG Organizer

The Animal SIG will have its second online meeting via GoToMeeting on Wednesday, March 24th, at 7 PM.  Topics include the recent wild horse shoot at the Salt River (including some pictures), CDC guidelines for group activities, and plans for future small group trips.   If you are interested in photographing animals, join us at this link: https://www.gotomeet.me/sedonacameraclub

From Diann Bustamante – Mentoring Director 

Read on for exciting news from Mentoring this month. First, Charles Ruscher will conduct his Photo Development/Post-Processing Lightroom Live Workshop again, back due to popular demand on 25th March 6 PM to 8:30 PM. Limit 6 participants and room only for one more participant, sign up now! Register by email – mentoring.sedonacameraclub@gmail.com. You will be sent a link to submit your photos for the workshop with instructions. 

Next, with the launch of our new member’s website, the Learning Assignments are becoming popular with several people posting their genre-based photos following the lessons on Reflection Photography and Environmental Portrait Photography (written by Larry Kane and loaded with excellent portrait tips). Log on to the member’s website to take a look at all the new options and opportunities.  The Learning Assignments will be updated twice a month to include new genres of photography.  Each assignment contains an informational introduction, example photos, and the opportunity for you to post your genre-appropriate images.  There is no scoring, no critiquing, merely learning and sharing.

From Tim See – Digital Chair – April Photo Critiques

You can submit images for the April Digital Critiques until March 31 at 9pm by going to the Submit Critique Images page under the Members tab on our website. This page has links to all the information that you need to submit images. At our upcoming meeting, photos from our February Digital Critiques will be presented by Digital Chair Tim See, and detailed scores and comments will be available online.

Update from Wayne Christenson – Exhibitions Chair

Mark your calendars for the Verde Valley Fair April 28th to May 2nd. After speaking to the director of the fair she ensured me that there will be an arts and crafts exhibit this year, but it may not fall on the same dates as the fair is listed in order to keep crowds limited. You can bring your entry form (form only) to the Fair Office by 4pm on Friday April 2. Early entries will receive express processing during receiving. The web site for the fair is http://www.vvfair.com/2021-verde-valley-fair.html. You will find the necessary forms to be filled out there along with the different categories that you can enter. If you have questions or need help you can call the fair office at 928-634-3290.

From the Sedona Camera Club Board

The Board has approved guidelines for small group activities following the CDC guidelines.

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