March 2021

Letter from the President...

Greetings, members. I continue to be impressed with the fantastic job that Phil Rock, Gene Komaromi, Paul McCreary, Holly Chorba and Chuck Hill, as well as all the SIG (special interest group) leaders are providing for your enjoyment. More field trips are opening up and those who are organizing and leading the trips should be lauded as well. Neil Wicai is doing a wonderful job of keeping the members informed with the monthly newsletter. Congratulations to all for a job very well done.

Board elections are right around the corner. The elections take place preceding the Speaker Series presentation on April 15.  Four of the current board members whose terms are up, Stephen Herron, Gene Komaromi, Danny Valenzuela and Phil Rock, have agreed to run for another term, and there will be two additional positions available.  Please contact me if you are interested in contributing to the smooth operation of our club.  I can assure you that all on the board work toward the enjoyment of our members.

Linda Gregory, President

Photo of the Month

The March Photo of the Month is by Fritz Crabb, titled Water Square Sculpture, taken at the Fred Meier Gardens in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Congratulations Fritz.

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.

You don’t need a telescope to see that attendance at educational activities at the GVR Camera Club has been stellar. We have more participants attending Zoom activities than we ever had in person. Best of all, there’s more to come.

Remember the old digital photo SIG, Hit Me With Your Best Shot? It was the Club’s shooting star and it flashed into oblivion with Covid. Well, it’s coming back. Pat Caniff has volunteered to be the facilitator. The SIG will meet on Thursday afternoons at 1:00 pm starting on March 4, 2021. (It will not meet on the Thursday of Speaker Series.) Register at the Club’s website to make sure you’re on the mailing list for this SIG.

Many of the Club’s Zoom activities are available for viewing anytime on the GVR Camera Club’s YouTube Channel. YouTube has given the Club another level of information sharing you can take advantage of on your own schedule, again and again.

More good news. Even though the Multimedia SIG wasn’t able to sponsor its’ annual Film Festival this year, due to the untiring efforts of Bryan and Susan Lavender, the Club has uploaded Part 1 of the 2020 Green Valley Film Festival on YouTube for all to enjoy. Check it out.

Let me know if you have the urge to share some information with fellow Club Members. We can always use a few more classes.

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.

March Travelogue

Tuesday, 3/9 at 7:00 pm

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

Jewels of Southern California

by Bob Allen

Rome in 2012

by Kirk Hively

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

March

03/12 - DeGrazia Gallery, Studio and Grounds (Only one spot left)

03/17 - Tucson Windows and Doors

03/18 - Pena Blanca Lake / Hawk Watch (Join the wait list)

03/25 - Equine Voices Horse Sanctuary and Rescue (Join the wait list)

03/30 - DeGrazia Gallery, Studio and Grounds (Not open yet)

April

04/20 - Tucson Windows and Doors

04/30 - Gammons Gulch Movie Set and Museum (Not open yet)

Find more information and register for a field trip on the Club website here or via your Field Trip E-Blast announcement. Not all trips are open for registrants yet. An E-Blast announcement will be sent for registration at a time designated by the guide. As more guides feel comfortable leading trips during Covid, they will be announced for sign-up.

Thank you for staying safe.

Sue Rock, Field Trip Facilitator

March Photo Opportunities

Here are two great events to take advantage of in March. Get out and enjoy some wonderful local art!

Santa Cruz Valley Open Studio Tour

• March 12 - 14, 10 am - 4 pm
• Tubac Center of the Arts, 9 Plaza Road
• More information here.

Sahuarita Creative Arts Market

• March 13 - 14, 10 am - 4 pm
• Sahuarita Town Hall Municipal Complex, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way
• More Information here.

Events that have been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic

• Rails in the Garden Tour
• Southeast AZ Wine Growers Festival
• Tucson Festival of the Books
• Wild, Wild West Steampunk Festival
• 4th Avenue Spring Street Fair

Patty Ferguson, Photo Op Coordinator

March Showtime

Monday, 3/1 at 7:00 pm

Camera Club Potluck is Back....at SHOWTIME

The Camera Club Potluck is back this year and will be even better because SHOWTIME is bringing it to you on the internet via Zoom for your enjoyment in the comfort of your own home!

Were you disappointed that last March we had to cancel the annual dinner/potluck?  Fret not - the potluck dinner is back and will be on Monday, March 1 and will be observed with SHOWTIME.  Like any potluck there are assignments for what you should bring.  Here they are (all virtual and last names beginning with).  You may be asked to show what you have brought.

A to B: Main Dish

C to D: Dessert

E to Z: Appetizers, wine, beer, champagne, hard liquor, mix, ice cubes

You will need to bring your own dishes, etc. and will not be allowed into the venue until 6:45 PM.  The time before that is reserved for the volunteers to do set-up.  Name tags will not be provided this time so please make your own name tag so that we all can know each other.  SHOWTIME will start at 7:00 PM.  There may be a ‘mixer’ type quiz at the beginning featuring camera club trivia.  This could include valuable prizes so study hard.

You can expect to enjoy these presentations.......

Hanging out on an ATV - Royce Jacobson

Pyramid Hills Sculpture Park - Barb Woollard

My Adolescence Years 1965-1969 - Sherrie Lee Lucia

Haunted M25 - Gene Komaromi

            Break for Dessert

Arches National Park - Kevin May

How to not ski - Anonymous

Adventures in Photoshop - Jerry Marrion

A selection from the Scavenger Archives

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

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

March Speaker Series

Thursday, 3/18 at 1:30

This month speaker Doris Evans presents the captivating story of the Gambel’s Quail and their journey through the seasons. Watch and listen to their calls, feeding, nesting, tiny chicks hatching and growing, and other quail business as the year goes by.

Doris taught elementary grades in Tucson and in a small school for park employees in Big Bend National Park, Texas. She also held environmental education positions as Curator of Education at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum and environmental education resource teacher in the Tucson Unified School District. She has written a few natural history books and her photographs have appeared in numerous publications including Arizona Highways. She is retired and enjoying photography, travel, and volunteering for Pima County Parks and Recreation education department.

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