November 2022

From the President...

Most of our members were unable to join the membership meeting that took place prior to the Speaker Series presentation on October 20th, so for those that missed it, I will just briefly say that the project to update the club design is moving forward. We are awaiting final estimates on construction which will give us a better understanding of what additional funds may be needed to complete our plans. I’ll keep you updated via the newsletter or email blasts.

I also plan to conduct a membership meeting prior to the Speaker Series on an ongoing basis in the future. Please check the club calendar to sign up for future Speaker Series and membership meetings.

Our club is only as strong as its membership and it takes volunteers to offer the services you expect. Please consider volunteering for the three activities below to help keep the Club vibrant and meaningful for all our members.

Beginning in November we hope to open the club for extended hours, but one of the critical tasks we face today is having sufficient monitors to open for a full day. You can give back to our club by getting trained as a monitor. Contact Sam Schaen to discuss monitoring and schedule training to become a monitor.

Field trips are already in full swing and we are trying to find more trip leaders to schedule still more trips. If you have a favorite venue and can lead a field trip, contact Monica Parker to learn more about helping to plan and lead field trips.

Increasing Club membership is at the top of our priorities. Thanks to Todd Taylor’s efforts we will be setting up a booth at the Farmers Markets on November 16th, December 14th, January 11th and February 8th to show and discuss all the benefits our club has to offer to GVR members. Thanks to many of you we have three volunteers to help at the booth for each of those days except on February 8th. We need one more volunteer for that day. If you can help on February 8th, please contact Todd Taylor and join in on the fun.

We are glad that many of our members are returning to Green Valley. They and all our year-around members can help us with our activities and events. Please seriously consider getting involved to make our club stronger.

I was recently asked by a member if we would be doing anything with film photography. It just may be that film photography is making a comeback. Kodak has hired over 250 people, with more positions still open for film technicians to support the demand for film. Their film finishing area has grown from operating a single shift five days a week to a 24/7 operation. And they are looking to hire more across the film and chemical floor. Also, three of the seven cameras that Leica currently has in their production line are film cameras. They recently announced the return of their iconic M6. It was first launched in 1984 and stayed in production until about 2000 when the emergence of electronic cameras became popular. Apparently they see a growing market in film photography. We may consider starting a Special Interest Group (SIG) for those of you interested in film photography. Please let me know if you have interest in a film SIG and we’ll see if this moves forward.

One last note, you may find some bargains in a new newsletter feature, Camera Equipment Wanted or For Sale. Check out the article that follows below. We will also be establishing guidelines for members that want to post items for sale on the club bulletin board.

Stay healthy, stay safe and stay involved.

Danny Valenzuela, President

Join in the Scavenger Hunt

It's been awhile since I've done a scavenger hunt, so for the new members, this is how it works.  I select a theme and members can send me up to five photos depicting the theme that I put into a slideshow (with music), which will be shown at Showtime. The current theme is Red.  Any photos featuring red are appropriate. I'm excited to see some new members who have already submitted photos for this event.

Photos should be at least 1 Meg in size, as they will be shown on a very large screen. Please rename the image files to show your name and the title of the photo, i.e. Linda Gregory-Fire Engine. Then email them to me at lsgregaz@gmail.com (that's a small L).  Due date is November 15.

Linda Gregory, Scavenger Hunt Coordinator

Club Closed November 8 for Election Day

The Anza Room at Santa Rita Springs will once again be one of the Pima County voting centers on November 8th. Arizona law prescribes a 75-foot perimeter around each voting location to create a safe place to vote. The only people allowed inside the 75 foot limit are voters who are voting and their children and/or someone to assist the voter, election officials, credentialed political party observers and authorized U.S. Department of Justice observers.

Unfortunately the camera club falls within that 75 foot limit. So use Election Day to get out and vote, if you haven't early voted already.

New Newsletter Feature

Photography Items Wanted or For Sale

Active members and families of former members have often contacted the Club to offer used photography items for sale. And members may also be looking to purchase an item that other members may have. So this month we are creating a Photography Items Wanted or For Sale feature, located near the end of the newsletter after Monitor Notes. Just a few simple rules apply.

Items Wanted or For Sale:

• 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.
• 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.

Submit your used for sale or wanted items to neilwicai@gmail.com. We look forward to hearing from you. -ed

Photo of the Month

The November Photo of the Month is from the archives by former member Shari Murray, titled Lots of Pots.

The Photo of the Month is chosen from new and archived photos submitted by current and former members. Keep sending the best of your work to Judith Pollard at jmp7741@gmail.com so we may continue to showcase the refined capabilities of GVR Camera Club members.

Library Temporarily Closed

Hopefully the Library reopens soon!

As part of the Camera Club’s remodel, the shelves will be raised a little for easier accessibility. I have sorted and donated many outdated books to White Elephant. Improvements will also include books shelved in subject clusters and later, a simpler check out process.

If you have books to donate, consider their purpose. Were they published earlier than 2000? Are they focused on outdated processes? Are they damaged, soiled or have broken spines? If so, please take them to White Elephant. Also, we do not need Ansel Adams, Time-Life Photography, or National Geographic sets.

If anyone has a suggestion for new photography books for the Library, please contact me and I will consider buying it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Becky McCreary, Librarian

We’re cleaning the old Black Board this November. We hoped to have some classes to announce in this issue, but the physical reorganization in our GVR Club space has slowed the process of scheduling classes. The GVR Camera Club will have some new educational activities to announce later this month, watch for our E-Blasts later in November.

While waiting, you can you review some of the Club’s activities on YouTube and stimulate interest in Club's special activities.

• Watch our recent Speaker Series presentation here.
• Drop by for a meeting with the Multimedia SIG here.
• Take a free vacation from home with a past presentation of Travelogue here.
• Try another Travelogue visit here.
• And try a little humor with Showtime here.

Also, the Club is in the process of organizing a Big Winter Class again this year which we hope to present in January of 2023. More on that soon.

Gene Komaromi, Education 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

Check the club calendar here for the latest information on all club activities.

Travelogue

Monday, 11/21 at 7:00 pm

The November Travelogue hasn't been put together yet. Look for a Travelogue Eblast soon.

If you have a program to share, drop off your thumb drive with a .mov or .mpeg4 show of your adventure at the camera club. Leave them in the travelogue folder with brief information about your work.

If you have questions, please contact Paul McCreary at 970-596-1505 or email me here. 

Thank you,

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Coordinator

Showtime Coming Back

Monday, December 5

Camera Club SHOWTIME will be coming soon to a theater near you. Will it be REAL and held at the Desert Hills auditorium? Will it be Zoom only - or a little of both? Not sure – but stay tuned to find out.

And remember, in order to have a successful Showtime, or any Showtime at all, we of course need your programs to show. As of right now there are zero programs in the queue for the December event. Yes, the well is dry. So get to work…..take your photos from your favorite field trip and make them into a slide show, or show us how you have spent your summer. Anything at all will do. We need about eight or so programs from you. I know you can do it. Please contact me if you need help or have questions?

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

Speaker Series

Thursday, 11/17 at 2 pm

Dawn Hawkins

The Mescal Movie Set

Mark your calendar so you don't miss the opportunity to attend the November Speaker Series in-person presentation that will be held in the new classroom at the Camera Club. Dawn Hawkins, the lead historian for the Mescal Movie Set, will be our speaker.

The Mescal Movie Set is one of the most recognizable western cinematic towns on the big screen. Located 3 miles north of I-10 exit 297, it has been the filming location for over 100 productions, including big screen movies such as Tombstone and The Quick and The Dead, TV movies such as The Sacketts and Buffalo Soldiers, and TV programs such as Bonanza and The Young Rider. Notable actors filmed walking its dusty boardwalks have been Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, Sharon Stone and Clint Eastwood, just to name a few.

The set is under new ownership and is currently being revitalized and rebuilt. Plans are in place to expand the original 27 buildings with a church, blacksmith shop, boothill cemetery, and more. Dawn's presentation will tell us the story of this iconic film set and bring us up to date.

If you're unable to join us for the presentation at the Club, you can also view the presentation on-line via Zoom. Just make sure to register for the event on the Club's website before the 17th to get the link to join the meeting.

I should also mention that a field trip is scheduled to the Mescal Movie Set on December 9th. Dawn's presentation will be a great preview for that trip.

Enjoy the present.

Holly Chorba, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

Off To A Great Start

What a great start to our Field Trip season!

Mike McMinn led 11 Birders to Santa Rita Lodge at Madera Canyon. Sandy McMahon, as usual, provided expert tips and guidance to help identify not only the usual birds seen at the Lodge, but also the Black-chinned Grosbeak, a male Hepatic Tanager, a White-breasted Nuthatch, and a White-nosed Coati (coatimundi), who gave us a spectacular demonstration of his tree climbing abilities! A few of us were able to spot a beautiful male Painted Redstart, but no pictures, though. We then went to the GV Waste Treatment ponds by Quail Creek. We saw lots of waterfowl including American Wigeons, Northern Shovelers, as well as Lesser and White-rumped Sandpipers and a White-fronted Goose.

Field trips in November include visits to Tumacacori/Santa Gertrudis Lane, Gammons Gulch Movie Set and Museum, and Sweetwater Wetlands/Columbus Park. Hope to see you there!

Three additional trips have just been announced, two to HF Coors (Dec 7th and Jan 11th) and one to Mescal Movie Set (Dec 9th). These trips fill quickly, so make sure you register! Also, watch for the release of two trips to DeGrazia Gallery and Museum (Feb 22nd & Mar 29th) in the coming week.

Please contact me if you're interested in arranging trips or if you have other photo opportunities in mind. I’ll be happy to step you through the process of arranging and guiding a field trip. We welcome all members who wish to help plan, lead, or participate in one or more of our many planned trips. Your help in reaching this goal will be greatly appreciated!

 Monica E. Parker, Field Trip Facilitator

Photo Opportunities

Tom Parker, Photo Op Coordinator

Special Interest Groups are fun and informative. Any member of the Camera Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs. Most all are meeting only via Zoom.

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

Hit Me with Your Best Shot SIG

Photoshop/Lightroom SIG

Field Trip SIG

Photoshop Elements SIG

Bird Photography 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 Camera 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

Items for Sale

Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80 Digital Camera

Lowepro Adventura 40 shoulder case, 2 Lumix Panasonic batteries, battery charger, car plug in charger, connect to camera charger, 16GB Kodak memory card, camera strap, Optically stabilized 20-1200mm (60X Optical Zoom) Lumix DC Vario lens. Price: $275.

Contact Danny Valenzuela at 602-568-5759 or dvsundevil@gmail.com.

Canon Powershot N Black Camera

16.1 MP High Sensitivity CMOS sensor combined with Canon's powerful DIGIC 6 Image Processor, 8x Optical Zoom and 28mm Wide Angle lens, Optical Image Stabilizer for excellent image quality, Selfie ready multi angle capacitive 2.8" touch panel LCD, Built in Wi Fi and NFC. Battery Pack NB-9L, Battery Charger CB-2LB, USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU, Camera Case, 8GB Mini SD card. Price: $150.

Contact Danny Valenzuela at 602-568-5759 or dvsundevil@gmail.com.

Canon PowerShot SX210IS Camera

Powerful 14x optical zoom with Optical Image Stabilizer; improved Dynamic mode for enhanced image stabilization, 28mm wide-angle lens; 3.0-inch wide PureColor System LCD. HD shooting capability at 720p w/ stereo sound plus HDMI output, DIGIC 4 Image Processor with evolved Face Detection Technology, Battery Pack NB-9L, Battery Charger CB-2LB. USB Interface Cable IFC-400PCU. Price: $60.

Contact Danny Valenzuela at 602-568-5759 or dvsundevil@gmail.com.

Tamron SP150-600 F/5-6.3 Di VC USD Model AO11 Lens

For Canon Digital SLR Cameras, W/hood, lens cap, case, and polarizer filter.

Price: $700.

Contact Danny Valenzuela at 602-568-5759 or dvsundevil@gmail.com.

Canon EOS Rebel T3 1100D

Including manual and CD, Canon Zoom EF-S 18:55,  1:3-5-5.6 15 II with image stabilizer, Canon Zoom lens EF 75-300mm 1:4-5.6III, UV filter, Price: $200.

Contact Holly Chorba at 520-665-9771 or hollychorba@gmail.com.

Canon EOS T7 DSLR Camera

Sold separately - Price: $375. ($479. on Amazon)

Sold with the lens below: Price $650. for both. ($868. on Amazon)

Contact Linda Gregory at lsgregaz@gmail.com (that's a small L)

Tamron 16-300 mm zoom F/3.5-6.3 Di II Lens

A great all-around lens for Canon

Sold separately - Price: $275. ($389. on Amazon)

Sold with the camera above - Price: $650. for both. ($868. on Amazon)

Contact Linda Gregory at lsgregaz@gmail.com (that's a small L)

Do you have any used photography equipment that you want to sell or are looking for to buy? List those items in the newsletter.

All items:

• Should be submitted to neilwicai@gmail.com.
• 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.
• 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 Camera Club

The GVR Camera Club is one of the largest camera 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  gvrcameraclub@gmail.com. 

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