April 2021

Letter from the President...

Greetings, Camera Club members!  There are over 700 of you who have taken advantage of the free membership the board voted to offer this year. Although some of you seem to be inactive, many have participated during the Covid closures in the activities offered via Zoom and in-person. Thanks to all the members that made that happen.

The annual meeting is April 15, preceding the Speaker Series presentation.  At that meeting we will elect six members to the board.  Five members have indicated their interest in running, but there is still one open position that needs to be filled.  The club cannot function without its members contributing to the club’s operations, so we need members to step up to keep the club running smoothly.  Meetings are held from October through April on the second Monday of the month from 2:30-4 PM.  I hope to hear from members who want to contribute to the club’s many opportunities.  Contact me if you have interest in serving.

Again, I want to thank all that have contributed to keeping the club active throughout the last year.  We are all looking forward to the time when we can gather at the club face-to-face.

Linda Gregory, President

Photo of the Month

The April Photo of the Month is by Linda Gregory, a terrific portrait of a sharp eyed hombre taken at an event in Tombstone, AZ. Congratulations Linda.

The Photo of the Month is chosen from the Photo of the Day series published on the Club's Facebook page from the 26th of the previous month to the 25th of last month. Keep sending the best of your work to Judith Pollard at jmp7741@gmail.com.

I just read an interesting article about cognitive skills. Recent studies have found that learning new skills helps the maintenance of a person’s memory and thinking skills.  In other words, learning new skills can keep you sharp. The GVR Camera Club offers multiple ways to learn new skills that will help you stay sharp, for free.

• Some of the most powerful and popular offerings of the GVR Camera Club are Special Interest Groups (SIGs). The Digital Photo SIG, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” is meeting on ZOOM at 1:00 PM on Thursdays. Participants can submit a few photos for comments and critiques, or just watch.

• Want to make presentations like the ones shown on Showtime? Join the Multimedia SIG on Monday mornings at 10:00 AM.

• If you want to sharpen your editing and compositional skills, join the Elements SIG on Thursday at 9:30 AM.

• You can join the Photo Art and Studio SIG on Monday afternoons at 1:30 PM.

• Bird photography can be a challenge, the Club has a Bird Photography SIG that meets on Wednesday at 1:30 PM.

• The Club’s Speaker Series is another powerful way to learn. The April Speaker Series will feature Katherine Mumma, a talented Compositional Photographic Artist on April 15th at 1:30 PM. The Speaker Series will be featured both on ZOOM and on YouTube, as are all Club presentations.

• The GVR Camera Club’s YouTube Site serves multiple learning purposes as well. Many classes and SIGs have recordings on the YouTube site. For example, we’ve had many requests for a class on using Android phones as cameras. Go here to check it out.

• And for some online classes, most of the sessions of The Big Winter Class are also on the Club's YouTube site.

Register on the Club’s website to get the Zoom link information for any of the Club’s Special Interest Groups or presentations. Come on - One, Two, Learn Something New. Exercise that brain!

And for those of you new to Zoom, check out our Tips and Tricks for Camera Club Zoom Meetings below in the newsletter.

Stay safe and stay involved.

Gene Komaromi, Educational Chair

This Month's Club Activities

Jump to SIGs

Jump to Travelogue

Jump to Field Trips

Jump to Photo Ops

Jump to Showtime

Jump to Speaker Series

With the exception of the on-line Zoom meetings and some scheduled Field Trips, the Camera Club remains closed and in-person club activities remain suspended in accordance with the latest government and GVR guidelines regarding the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. We value the health and safety of all our members and encourage you to stay safe and sensible during these trying times.

Please check the club calendar here for the latest information on future club activities.

April Travelogue

Tuesday, 4/13 at 7:00 pm

This month's Travelogue again takes us around the world in these three fantastic trips.

Trip of a Lifetime - Part 2

by Linda Gregory

Some of My Portraits

by Ron Barry

Find more information and register to join this presentation on the Club website here or via your Travelogue e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

If you have a program to share, drop off your thumb drive with a .mov or .mpeg4 show in the Travelogue Drop Box located outside the Camera Club door, or email it to me at traveloguecc@gmail.com.

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Facilitator

Field Trips

04/20 - Tucson Windows and Doors (Join the wait list)

04/30 - Gammons Gulch Movie Set and Museum (4 spots still available)

Find more information and register for a field trip on the Club website here or via your Field Trip E-Blast announcement.

Many thanks to all those who made the few trips that we did have happen this season during the pandemic closures. We are all looking forward to next fall when the Club will be open and we can resume our offering of 50 field trips.

Thank you for staying safe.

Sue Rock, Field Trip Facilitator

April Photo Opportunities

Spring is here. Time to plan a day trip or two before it gets too hot to enjoy. Tombstone and Wilcox provide great opportunities, and car buffs can enjoy a great car show.

Tombstone Rose Festival and Parade

• April 9, 10 and 11 (Parade is on April 10) - Rose Tree Museum, Tombstone, AZ
• Celebrate the blooming of the largest rose tree.
• Find more information here.

43rd Annual Blessing of Sonoita Vineyards

• April 10, 2021 10am - 5pm. (Blessing at noon) - Sonoita Vineyards, Sonoita, AZ

• Find more information here.

Wilcox West Fest Ranch Rodeo and Wagon Cook Off

• April 23 - 25 - Willcox, AZ
• Find more information here.

Annual Rodders Day Car Show

• April 24 -  Pima Community College-Downtown Campus. 1255 N. Stone Ave.

• Find more information here.

Canceled Events

• Pima County Fair
• Agave Heritage Festival
• UA Spring Fling

Patty Ferguson, Photo Op Coordinator

Showtime

Closed for the Season

We hope you enjoyed our creative series of Showtime presentations this season. Look forward to another great Showtime series starting in December. We'll see you then, maybe even in person!

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

April Speaker Series

Thursday, 4/15 at 1:30

The Speaker Series time slot will do double duty this month. The presentation via Zoom will first open with the club's annual meeting and election of the Board of Directors, a great chance for members to meet the board.

Then directly following the meeting Katherine Mumma will be our speaker, showing some of her favorite fine art composites and discussing the inception and execution of these projects.

Katherine Mumma's world was thrown for a loop when she was let go from her job as a video producer when the pandemic hit in March 2020. Pregnant and uninsured, she needed an outlet for her creativity and stress. It came together in a place she never would've expected: Fine Art Photography.

After watching a presentation by fine art guru Brooke Shaden, Katherine was inspired to get some of her darkest and wildest thoughts out into the world using this medium. What resulted is an expanding portfolio that even surprises her every day and continues to fulfill her creative imagination.

Register to join this presentation on the Club website here or via your Speaker Series e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

Happy Trails,

Holly Chorba, Speaker Series Coordinator

Special Interest Groups are fun and informative. Any member of the Camera Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs. Many are meeting on-line during the pandemic closures. Details below.

• Multimedia SIG - Sherry Lucia, moderator.
• Learn what it’s all about. Bring your video project to share for comments & suggestions.
  
• Mondays @ 10:00 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

• Black and White SIG - Wendell Werner, moderator.
• Members bring their images to examine the special qualities of monochrome photography and share editing techniques in composition and lighting.
• Tuesdays @ 1:30 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

• Studio and Fine Art Photography SIG - Sandy Ostroff, moderator.
• Explore new techniques and broaden your skills.
  
• Monday's @ 1:30 pm - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

• Hit me with Your Best Shot SIG - Pat Caniff, moderator.
• Bring five examples of your best efforts to show.
  
• Thursdays at 1:00 pm - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

• Photoshop/Lightroom SIG - Al Crawford, Moderator.
• Study techniques found in Photoshop CS and Lightroom that are not found in other photo processing tools.
• Wednesdays @ 9:30 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

• Field Trip SIG - Sue Rock, moderator.
• Plan, arrange, guide and advertise field trips.
• Wednesdays @ 4:00 pm - Meetings suspended until further notice.

• Photoshop Elements SIG - Linda Gregory, moderator.
• Learn how to use the magic of Photoshop Elements post processing on your photos.
• Thursdays @ 9:30-11:00 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend. Participants have the option to send a few photos to Linda in an email for processing here. Submit at least one day prior to the SIG. Put "Elements SIG" in the subject line and describe what you want improved. 

• Bird Photography SIG - Mike McMinn, moderator.
• Improve your bird photography skills and share your best shots of our feathered friends.
• Wednesdays @ 1:30 pm - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

• Rebel Rousers SIG - Al Crawford, Moderator.
• Share your interest in Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) cameras.
• Fridays @ 9:30 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.

Tips and Tricks for Camera Club Zoom Meetings

In order to participate in a Zoom meeting you must first register for the meeting. You can use the link in the meeting announcement or go directly to the Club website to register. All registrants will then receive an email that provides a link to join the meeting, and if used, the meeting ID and password. If you are a first time Zoom user you may have to download Zoom software on your computer prior to the meeting or get the Zoom app for your tablet or smartphone. If you need help in getting ready for the meeting, contact the meeting moderator at least one day prior to the meeting. More information on joining a meeting can be found at the Zoom website Support Center here.

When participating in a Zoom meeting you can help it to go smoothly by:

If you are using a tablet or smartphone: Providing a secure method to hold the device in place and stay in that one place during the meeting, as though you were in the same room as the other participants. Don’t walk around with your tablet or phone.

If you are using a desktop PC or tablet:Turning off your phone during the meeting to avoid the chance that your ringtone will interrupt the meeting. If you want to have a personal conversation or use your phone, mute yourself first so not to interrupt the meeting.

Whatever device you use you always have the choice to turn on your camera or not, and to mute your microphone to avoid unwanted disturbances. Check out additional Tips and Settings at the Zoom website Support Center here.

Monitor Notes

Help us provide all the benefits the Club offers to its members by volunteering as a monitor. As you take advantage of the Club's activities and its extensive digital processing equipment, consider sharing the effort in providing these services by volunteering as a monitor.

Monitors typically check in club members, answer the phone, and welcome those seeking information about the Club. You are not expected to know how to use the equipment. Training takes about an hour.

Contact: gvrcameramonitors@gmail.com for more information.

Green Valley Recreation Camera Club

The GVR Camera Club was established in the early 1970’s as one of many Green Valley Recreation organizations to serve its members and our community. Our main interest is photography, both still and video imaging. The Club has grown into one of the largest camera clubs in the country with over 750 active members.

The Club is located on the 2nd floor of the west wing at the Santa Rita Springs GVR Recreation Center. You may contact us at:

PO Box 1423, Green Valley, AZ 85622 or GreenValleyCameraClub@wildapricot.org 

Neil Wicai, Newsletter Editor - neilwicai@gmail.com - 575-224-1238