Did you know that the first camera to be manufactured was the Giroux Daguerreotype? It was manufactured in 1839 by Alphonse Giroux, an art restorer, who purchased the license
to manufacture the camera from Louis Daguerre and Isidore Niepce. Giroux was related to Daguerre by marriage. It featured a 380-mm focal length lens of between f/4 and f/5 aperture. The front flap of the lens opened to make the exposure.
A branding patch was attached to every camera to assure the buyers that the
camera was made under the direction of its designer. It was the size of an office document archive box and with all its accessories, weighed 110 lbs. Try lugging that around for a while.
It started selling in August 1839 and demand was high. The price for obtaining the whole kit (iodine box, mercury box, burner, and plate holders) was 400 francs, which by some accounts at the time was equivalent to an average annual income.
What is amazing is that all aspects of succeeding cameras, even the format sizes of modern photography, are essentially elaborations of his basic design.
This is also true of the Photography Club. Things have changed at the club. Our name has changed, the design, layout of the club, and wall colors have changed. The club logo and carpeting will be changed soon as well.
Yet some things won’t change, and that is the basic services the club provides to help you enjoy and improve your photography. The club’s strength continues to be its volunteers and the many events and support the club provides to its members. Special Interest Groups (SIGs) participation is expanding, and new SIGs have been added. Field trips are as popular as ever and new field trips are being planned and scheduled. Events, such as Speaker Series, Travelogue and Showtime continue to bring you exciting presentations that our members have been willing to share.
As we slowly, yes, still slowly, begin to see the final phases of the redesign completed, it is my hope that we can have an open house in April so you can see the new Photography Club and enjoy the updates to make your activities in the club more aesthetically pleasing and convenient.
Some change is inevitable, it always will be, but what should never change is the fulfillment of the purposes for which the club was established.
Focus on the subject and enjoy the photography experience.
Danny Valenzuela, President
Photo of the Month
We have a special Photo of the Month this month. Judith Pollard, who has served as the Club’s Facebook Coordinator for the past twelve years has decided to retire from those duties. She expertly managed the club’s Facebook page and this Photo of the Month feature, providing members a fantastic avenue to exhibit their work. Judith noted, “It’s always been a pleasure to do the work because it gave me a chance to enjoy the talent our members have in capturing the world through their camera lens! It’s literally been ‘a trip’ that I've enjoyed.”
So, our March Photo of the Month is Judith Pollard. Judith, thanks for all you’ve done in support of the Photography Club and our members.
Sue Ready has agreed to become our new Facebook and Photo of the Month Coordinator and she needs your submissions. Keep sending the best of your work, now 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 a title and short description. -ed
Library Work Continues
With the luck of the Irish, the Library will soon be open for checking out books and there will be some new books displayed. In the meantime, if you have suggestions for photography books please email me. I want to go book shopping.
Thanks and Happy St. Patricks Day!
Becky McCreary, Librarian
With an upgraded Club Room, exciting new classes, well-attended Special Interest Groups, and a name change, the GVR Photography Club has undergone big changes. The Club’s educational offerings have also undergone some changes.
The Astro-Photography Special Interest Group has ended for the current time due to a drop in attendance. Sandy Ostroff has facilitated the resurgence of the Club’s Studio SIG into an exciting, informative, and well-attended activity. Over 30 members attended the Club's Drone Photography Workshop facilitated by Royce Jacob. And the Club’s Bird Photography SIG has changed its name to Wildlife Photography.
Pop-Up Workshops are a new addition to the Club’s educational activities this winter. In addition to the Drone Photography Workshop mentioned above, we've had a workshop on Apple's iMovie video editing software recently with more workshops in the planning stages. Watch the Club’s website and EBlasts for more on Pop-Up workshops.
Also, remember that non-club educational opportunities are available online. Take a look at Udemy, Domestika, or Creative Live for inexpensive or even free educational opportunities.
Most of all, you are encouraged to share the knowledge gained through all your educational opportunities. Share your prints by dropping them off with the monitor at the Club for display at various locations in Green Valley. Stop by the Multimedia SIG on Mondays at 10:00 am to share multimedia presentations. Visit the Photoshop Elements SIG on Thursdays at 9:30 am to sharpen your editing skills. Take advantage of what the Club has to offer.
Check the Club Calendar for the latest information on all club activities. Camera 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.
Travelogue
Tuesday, 3/14 at 7:00 pm
We have five great features for the March Travelogue presentation this month in the Anza room. Norma Zarlow takes us on an adventure to Argentina and Patagonia showing the people, places and topography. Kirk Hively will present Part 3 of his Grand European riverboat cruise, this portion ending at Prague. Pat Lindemann presents a program about a golf trip she and her husband took to Prairie Dunes Golf Club in Hutchinson, Kansas. Kathryn Engle will present A Little Tour of Norway. And Sherrie Lee Lucia will present her film about Cappadocia, Turkey that we had scheduled for last month.
Argentina and Patagonia Adventure
Norma Zarlow
A Little Tour of Norway
Kathryn Engle
Grand European River Cruise - Part 3
Kirk Hively
Cappadocia, Turkey
Sherrie Lee Lucia
Prairie Dunes Golf Club
Pat Lindemann
If you have a program to share, drop off your thumb drive with a .mov or .mpeg4 show of your adventure at the photography club. Leave them in the travelogue folder with brief information about your work. And if you have questions, please contact me at 970-596-1505 or email me here.
Paul McCreary, Travelogue Coordinator
Showtime
Monday, 3/6 at 7:00 pm
The next SHOWTIME event is coming up and we have an excellent program that you are sure to enjoy. Please join us on Monday, March 6 at 7:00 PM in the ANZAROOM at the GVR Santa Rita Springs Center, just two doors past the Photography Club entrance. Do not go to the Desert Hills Center! We found it to be already reserved for another function, not the one that you are looking for and would enjoy as much as SHOWTIME.
In February we had 59 participants who enjoyed the live presentation at Desert Hills and another 20 Zoomers. So I will say that we had 80 total in the audience which meets our pre-pandemic participation.
But this month's SHOWTIME in the Anza Room will be even better! The room will be set up for a real movie type experience with movie popcorn available and seating at card tables instead of the normal seating arrangement. Please feel free to bring your favorite beverage if you want.
We hope to see you there, but it not, please Zoom in. Just remember to register here and you'll get the Zoom link to view the show from wherever you are.
Here's the program lineup for your movie enjoyment experience:
Telephone Museum – Kirk Hively
Highway to Hell – Doug Stenerson
Laos - Sherrie Lee Lucia
Humor in Asia – Grace Pitzer
Mono Lake – Arlene Meteyer
Old Town - Kevin May
Cow in the Room
Sanilac County Museum – Gene Komaromi
Old Photos – Jerry Marrion
Owls – Darrell Rude
Journey on the Elbe - Mike O’Brien
Thank you all for the great programs you have sent in for SHOWTIME. Keep up the good work. Take photos from your favorite field trip and make them into a slide show, or show us how you have spent your summer. Use Windows Photos or iMovie to assemble the photos and add music of your choice. Pleasecontact meif you need help or have questions.
Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator
Speaker Series
Thursday, 3/16 at 2:00 pm
Mario Louis Gandolfo
Geronimo’s Revenge
I am really excited about the March Speaker Series presentation. Mario Louis Gandolfo will present his latest work on his movie, Geronimo’s Revenge.
Mario describes himself as “a wandering soul, stopping just long enough to experience all that life has to offer.” He started a little screenplay project in June of 2021 and it has now turned into a full-length feature. It’s his first endeavor into the world of movie making. He is writer, producer and director, and is basically funding this film on his own.
The screenplay has currently won 14 Awards for best full length screenplay, most recently with the Wild Bunch Film Festival out of Tucson. You can access more information and even see a teaser video by looking up Geronimo’s Revenge on YouTube.
The story is of a blood feud between Geronimo and an Arizona territory rancher named Quincy. Quincy lives outside Tombstone in the desert and killed Geronimo's son, Runs Swiftly, by mistake. This takes place in 1881 just after Geronimo and a small band of Apache warriors have escaped from the San Carlos Reservation yet again. They are now pillaging and killing across the Southwest while making their way back to the safety of old Mexico. Will Geronimo escape the US Army and slip into old Mexico unmolested, or will he seek out the man who killed his son and exact the ultimate revenge, DEATH?
Join us in the Anza room for this live presentation. But if you can’t make it, register here to get the Zoom link to attend remotely.
Happy Trails,
Holly Chorba, Speaker Series Coordinator
Field Trips
Spring In Full Swing!
March is coming in like a lion! We have a number of field trips lined up for you this month and I’m sure you will be able to find one or more to your liking! We will tour the Mescal Movie Set on the 3rd and visit the Paton Center for Hummingbirds in Patagonia on the 7th. If you’re a fan of model railroading, the Gadsden-Pacific Toy Train Operating Museum on the 9th is an exclusive behind-the-scenes photo opportunity. The beautiful Tohono Chul Botanical Gardens is on the 13th, and the trip to Gammon’s Gulch on the 14th includes the Forever Home Donkey Rescue & Sanctuary. Then another first-ever exclusive behind-the-scenes tour at the Rodeo Parade Museum is on the 15th.
We're very excited about our new Milky Way Astrophotography trip scheduled for the 20th. Even if you can’t make this trip, please be sure to sign up on the wait list. That will enable us to plan future trips of this nature. FYI, the schedule of the trips will depend on the best Milky Way viewing times, so not all will be at 4:00 am!
Our ever-popular Tubac Anza Trail Hawk Watch trip is on the 21st, followed by our last Windows & Doors of the season on the 23rd. Also on the 23rd is our trip to Equine Voices Horse Sanctuary and Rescue. Then March closes out with a tour to the DeGrazia Gallery and Studio on the 29th.
Get more information and register for any of these trips on the Club's website here. We look forward to seeing many of our new members joining in the fun and adventure.
Just a reminder, if you sign up for a trip and cannot attend, please cancel as soon as you know you will not be able to participate. To receive a refund, you must cancel by the date given in each trip description. If you have an emergency on the day of the trip, be sure to call the trip leader, even if it is a free trip! Trips have been delayed waiting for no-shows, and for this reason, on free trips only, if you fail to notify the trip leader, you will be charged one dollar and will not be able to sign up for another trip until you have paid.
Remember, if you have suggestions on locations for future trips, and/or would like to lead a trip, be sure to contact me. Keep those great ideas coming for next season.
Patty, Sue, Lynn, and I thank you for your support!
Monica E. Parker, Field Trip Facilitator
Photo Opportunities
The weather is starting to warm up, cabin fever has peaked, and folks are ready to get out and enjoy the outdoors and each another’s company. This month’s photo opportunities run the gamut, from the Arizona Renaissance Festival to the largest Western-themed steampunk convention in the nation, a bicycle road race through Green Valley and Sahuarita, street fairs, book festivals and artists markets galore, a bird walk, a garden rail tour, and a car show. Don’t miss the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds at this year’s Air Show at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. And don’t forget to get smart on the video feature of your favorite picture taking device – there’s lots of action to catch this month.
Raptor Free Flight
Ongoing daily (except Wednesday) at 10:00 am – Free with museum admission
Arizona Sonora Desert Museum, 2021 North Kinney Road, Tucson, AZ
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.
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.
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.
Green Valley Recreation 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:
The GVR Photography Club is located in the Recreation Village of Santa Rita Springs.
921 West Via Rio Fuerte, Green Valley, AZ 85622
Phone 520-648-1315
If you have any questions or concerns please call the above number during business hours or email us at: gvrphotographyclub@gmail.com