January 2025

Two Photography Exhibitions

by

Sandy Ostroff

Photography Club member and Fine Art Photography SIG leader, Sandy Ostroff, will be showing his work in two exhibitions this month.

As I See It...Nature

January 2nd  thru January 31st
Opening reception January 4th from 12:00-2:00pm

Agua Caliente Park Ranch House Art Gallery

12325 E Roger Road

Tucson, AZ

As I See It...Places

January 2nd  thru February 28th
Opening reception January 10th from 4:00-5:30pm

Desert Hills Lutheran Church
2150 S Camino del Sol
Green Valley, AZ

Sandy’s work embodies the concept that a photograph is an amazing thing, magically allowing the viewer to see through another’s eyes. A photograph can capture a moment in time, the image of a loved one or a sight of beauty, triumph, ugliness or pain. It can appeal to our emotions and allow us to experience what the photographer saw and how they interpreted it. These exhibitions of Sandy’s photographs will allow the viewer a glimpse of his work and what he sees when he looks through the lens.

Keep Our Facebook Page in Mind

Thanks to members who have been sending in photos from their recent field trips and winter adventures. Keep them coming. We want to see your field trip and cultural event photos..

Be sure to send me your favorite photos so I can post them in Facebook. Those photos are also where I get to choose the Photo of the Month featured  in the newsletter each month. Your photo could be chosen next!

Sue Ready, Facebook Coordinator

Photo of the Month

The January Photo of the Month is by Denise LeCount-O'Brien a great shot of a Costa Rican Red-eyed Tree Frog.

Denise recalls, “In early December, another photo club member, Susan Hershey, and I traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, to meet six other photographers led by Hector Astorga, an incredible wildlife photographer from Texas. We traveled from the lowlands of the Caribbean side to 9,000 feet of cloud forest. While we were in the lowlands, we stopped by a little family-run business, Frogs Heaven. It rained every day and this day it was so dark, it looked like dusk. You never know what frogs are around. The Red-eyed Tree Frog is common, so it was abundant. It is the iconic frog of Costa Rica.

I used my Canon R6 mirrorless camera with a Canon 100mm macro lens and a Westcott FJ80 speedlight with a diffuser. The shot was hand held. Such a tiny little subject of 1.5 to 2.75 inches in size; they loved to jump on my camera, me or elsewhere to escape my flash. Sorry, frogs, for disturbing your sleep.”

Congratulations, Denise !

The Photo of the Month is chosen from new and archived photos submitted to Sue Ready, the Club's Facebook Coordinator. Keep sending the best of your work to Sue at suready@yahoo.com so we may continue to showcase the refined capabilities of GVR Photography Club members. Photos should be submitted in .jpg format and please include its title and location. -ed

A new year is here, and new learning opportunities are available at the GVR Photography Club.

First and foremost, the On Assignment SIG is being reactivated. The SIG is scheduled to meet on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 1:00 PM in the small meeting room. The SIG will be finalizing details at the first couple of sessions.

Do you want to produce Hollywood-quality videos and slide shows? Do you want to make those productions for free? Sign up for Todd Taylor’s DaVinci class on Thursday, January 30th at 1:00 PM. DaVinci is a top-quality multi-media editing program used by professionals across the world. Join us and take a look at DaVinci.

Have you become a member of the GVR Photography Club or reactivated your membership recently? The Club is willing to share its’ Book of Secrets with you. Get an overview of equipment, Classes, Special Interest Groups, and more, including trips and special events. “The Photography Club’s Book of Secrets" will be offered on Wednesday, January 22nd at 1:00 PM in the Large Meeting Room. Join us.

Watch your email for E-Blasts from the Club, new activities may be added.

Gene Komaromi, Education Chair

Library News

Birding and Photography

Birding and photography go hand-in-hand — many birding enthusiasts carry a camera or IPhone instead of or in addition to binoculars. They are ready to capture and save the beauty of the many species in our Sky Islands of Southern Arizona. For a number of years, our Club members have been entertained at Speaker Series, Showtime, and Travelogue with the work of members who enjoy the popular hobby.

The Library has several books on photographing birds and other wildlife.

• A new donation, Mastering Bird Photography by Marie Read is a lovely book and I think it will be popular with readers.
• Birds of Prey in the American West by Tom Vezo and Richard Glinski includes several birds which have been brought back from the brink of extinction and celebrates their majesty and beauty.
• Wings in the Wild: Habits and Habitats of North American Birds by Tom Vezo and Paul Kerlinger illustrates a wide range of behaviors and adaptions of birds in a range of locations.

If you have suggestions for bird photography books, please email me and I will add them to the Library.

Becky McCreary, Librarian

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

Check the Club Calendar for the latest information on all club activities. Photography Club members are also welcome and encouraged to attend the Club’s monthly Board of Directors meetings. Check the Club Calendar for the date of the meeting and attend in-person at the Club, or remotely by registering using this link. The Board is always interested in comments and new ideas from the members.

Need help with your digital camera, smartphone camera, slide/print scanning, photo printing or a photo editing software application? Photography Club Volunteer Helpers are available to help. Log in to the Club’s website. Click on the three bars at the far right of the home page menu bar and select Volunteer Helpers. Once you've found a helper, scroll down to see their contact email listed. Help is just a few clicks away.

Showtime

Tuesday, 1/7 at 7:00 pm

I’m really excited to bring you the first SHOWTIME of the New Year. I’ll start the show with my continuing series on motion picture directors who served during WWII. John Huston is my featured director and he didn’t have an easy time of it. Even though the Army wanted him to produce the films, he met with a lot of resistance for his story telling. After all, he was a writer before he was a director. Please come to SHOWTIME to see what happened to his last film, it will surprise you!

Keeping with the patriotic theme, we explore life on an aircraft carrier along with some stars and stripes celebration. We see a little promotion for a great local band, then get a history lesson about the Lumiere Brothers. As we head back stateside, we visit a few interesting regional locations before heading to the Caribbean for a taste of the island life, at least one island. But one of the most exciting videos you will see is one of the first ventures into mixing video and AI. It’s absolutely amazing what we have at our finger tips these days.

So come check out these amazing videos produced by our own club members. Bring your beverage of choice and I’ll bring the popcorn.

Hope to see you there!!!

Todd F Taylor, Showtime Host

Travelogue

Tuesday, 1/14 at 7:00 pm

Morocco

Sherrie Lee Lucia

North To Alaska

Jackie Swenson

Viking Cruises

Michael O'Brien

Spain Road Trip

Danny Valenzuela

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Coordinator

Speaker Series

Monday, 1/20 at 2:00 pm

Meet Tucson Wildlife Center, Saving the Wildlife of Tucson and Southern Arizona for Over 25 Years!

Presented by: Hubert Parker, Development Director

"Tucson Wildlife Center’s Mission is summed up in three words: Rescue, Rehab, Release.

Tucson Wildlife Center is one of Tucson’s best kept secrets. Come hear our story, find out what we do, how we help wildlife, and if you feel wildlife should stay a part of Tucson, how you can help.

We have been helping the wildlife of Tucson and Southern Arizona for over 26 years. We are the ONLY wildlife rescue hospital in Tucson and Southern Arizona. We take in wildlife that is injured, orphaned, or sick . Our hospital is available 24/7/365, and free to residents of Tucson and Southern Arizona. I will share with you how we work, from intake to release, by following different patients. I will discuss how we work and some of our challenges. There is NO ONE else that does what we do. We are a 501c3 that is funded through donations and grants, we receive NO GOVERNMENT funding. We are fortunate to live where all types of wildlife are literally in our backyard, which makes Tucson unique. We give a voice to helpless wildlife, and we feel our work reflects the heart of this community."

Kim Holmes, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

I hope everyone had a happy, safe, and fun-filled Holiday Season! I know it’s going to take me awhile to get back in the swing of things and lose all those extra fat cells that always seem to accumulate throughout this season!

I want to reiterate our President’s message about the GVR Waiver requirements. If you have already signed a waiver to go on our field trips, you do not have to sign another one, even when you renew your yearly membership.

We have several field trips just waiting for someone to take the lead, especially on the birding trips. Due to the loss of several of our long-standing leaders, we desperately need members to step up.

Also, due to the high cost of procuring buses, we will not be able to have our annual bus trip to Whitewater Draw for the Sandhill Crane event. We were also looking at going to Wilcox to its wildlife area. To do this, we will set this up as a normal field trip (driving your own vehicle and/or carpooling) towards the end of January. Again, anyone who would be willing to lead this trip, please let me know.

As always, for questions or comments, email me at mparker582@aol.com or text (618) 304-1164.

 Monica E. Parker, Field Trip Facilitator

Photo Opportunities

We are always looking for recommendations for future photo opportunities. Please feel free to contact me If you have suggestions for upcoming events of interest.

Tom Parker, Photo Op Coordinator

Special Interest Groups are fun and educational. Any member of the Photography Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs.

Click on any of the links listed to get more information on each one.

Multimedia SIG
Black and White SIG

Studio and Fine Art SIG

On Assignment SIG

Photoshop/Lightroom SIG

Canon R Series SIG

Photoshop Elements SIG

Monitor Notes

Monitors typically welcome and check in club members, answer the phone, and inform those seeking information about the Club. We are all indebted to the dedicated team of monitors who volunteer to keep the Photography Club open. Many thanks to all of you.

We are always looking for additional monitors. Help us provide all the benefits the Club offers to its members. 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.  You are not expected to know how to use the equipment. Training takes about three hours.

Contact: gvrcameramonitors@gmail.com for more information.

Photography Items

Wanted

or

For Sale

There are no listings this month.

All items:

• May be placed only by current, past or families of past members.
  
• Must be for used photography related equipment.
  
• Must include your name, or the name of the past member, and contact information.
• Should be submitted to neilwicai@gmail.com.
• Must be placed by the 25th of the month prior to the month of listing.
• Will run for one month, but may be resubmitted up to three times to be listed again.

GVR Photography Club

The GVR Photography Club is one of the largest photography clubs in the U.S. with over 600 active members. Regardless of your skill level, you'll have fun honing your skills in taking, editing, and presenting photos and videos. Share your photographic passion with others. Take FREE courses and join our Special Interest Groups to get the most from your digital camera, smartphone, action camera, or drone. Learn the ins and outs of post-processing software. Use our state-of-the-art equipment to digitize and edit photos, slides, and videos. Go on Club Field Trips to practice your photographic skills. Exhibit your photos/videos at our Showtime and Travelogue events. Come make friends and photographs!

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  gvrphotographyclub@gmail.com. 

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