September 2021

From the Board...

Greetings, fellow Camera Club members.

Activity is starting to pick up at your camera club. For the month of July, we were open for 13 days in which 69 signs-ins were recorded. During August we were only open three days a week, but I am confident the August report will show an increase. Thanks to all the Monitors for all you are doing to keep our club relevant and active. And thank you to those who are currently training to become Monitors.

I also want to give a special thanks to Bryan and Susan Lavender. They have been busy getting us ready to go hybrid with the club's presentation events and SIGs.. They have tested out equipment and systems, and the Board has given approval to upgrade our equipment so that our hybrid events will work seamlessly.

Soon you will be able to decide whether you want to attend our events and SIGs in-person or participate from the comfort of your home, or even from your local pub, if that’s the case. Of course, we would like to see you in person and get reacquainted again, but if you’re not ready you will not miss out. Looks like this is the new “us” moving forward.

The club functions smoothly because of the skills and talents of our members. Show your support and renew your membership for the 2021-2022 season. Our members are why we can keep bringing you what you need to become a better photographer while you enjoy the experience.

Stay safe and enjoy our changing weather.

Danny Valenzuela, Interim President

Club Monitors Are Making It Happen

Beginning mid-July and continuing through August, we have been able to open the club 3 days per week thanks to our dedicated monitoring staff.  Beginning in September, we plan to open the Camera Club five days a week, as we have volunteers for all but a few days this month. But we still need additional volunteers to come forward to fill them. Join John Bookheart who signed up to volunteer 5 times in September. Thanks for your dedication, John. And thanks, also, to all the other monitors who have volunteered.

In July, four new volunteers were trained, but we're still looking for additional members to volunteer and become monitors to help us spread the task. As I've said before, monitoring is a fun activity and helps the Club provide all the benefits that we offer to our members.

Typically, monitors welcome and check in club members, answer the phone and inform those seeking information about the Club. You are not expected to know how to use the equipment. Volunteers are trained and paired with experienced monitors while on duty, and instructions and a training video are always available on-line for review.

Whether you're here year around or a snowbird, if you have interest and want to get more involved in the Club, I’d love to hear from you. Contact me here or by phone at 520-207-4364.

Sam Schaen, Monitor Coordinator

Photo of the Month

The September Photo of the Month is by Carl Sparfeld, a scene from the ghost town of Ruby, Arizona. Great colors. Congratulations, Carl.

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.

Check Out the Club Library for Tips when Making a Movie 

Is your computer filled with photos that you took over the summer and now you need to find a creative home for them? Have you considered sharing them with Camera Club members at Showtime or a Travelogue? If so, now is a good time to begin making your movie.

The Club Library has many books that might help you perfect the images to put into a movie.

Some titles are:

•     How To Do Almost Anything with Your Digital Photos

•     20th Century Photography - Travel Photography 

•     The Art of Photography  - Documentary Photography

•     Photographing the World Around You

•     Photography and the Art of Seeing

Oh, you say you don't know how to make a movie? Check out the Multimedia SIG here.

Stop by the Club and browse the titles that might inspire you! Find more on the Club's Library here.

Becky McCreary, Librarian

I dusted off my Hungarian grandmother’s crystal ball and peered into it yesterday, hoping to see some future events for the GVR Camera Club. Now, I must admit, things were a bit fuzzy, which is usual for a crystal ball, but I did see some interesting visions.

I saw some new equipment that would allow Camera Club Instructors to present classes in the Club, as well as online at the same time. This hybrid process opens great educational opportunities for Club members to be able to participate from anywhere.

I saw growth on  the Club’s You Tube site, providing Club members access to educational events at anytime from anywhere.

I saw that the dates have been booked for “The Big Winter Class” for early next year. The exact topics and instructors for that class were still a bit fuzzy, but I expect some clarity in the near future.

Then I saw visions of Special Interest Group's meetings that danced through the crystal ball. The groups flourished and grew with the opportunity to meet anywhere at anytime. And I saw new people facilitating new groups. Let me know if you’d like to join them and start a new Special Interest Group for the club.

These activities at the GVR Camera Club may a bit slow starting early this fall, but I see them happening. Next, I’ll pull out my old Magic Wand and see when these educational opportunities might appear.

Stay active and stay safe.

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

On Summer Break

Although we are in fact on summer break, It's never too early to ask members to keep the next season of Travelogue in mind. Presentations can be comprised of stills and/or video in any combination with a length of between 10 and 20 minutes. We all would like to see what you want to share.

If you have a Travelogue to present for the season starting in November, please contact me here, or call me at (970) 596-1505.

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Moderator

Field Trips

Planning for Next Season

September Photo Opportunities

Tucson Fall Gem Shows

• September 2-12
• Tucson
• Find more information here.

Showdown in Tombstone

• September 4-5 - 10:00 am-4:00 pm - Free.
• Tombstone, Arizona
• Find more information here.

Labor Day Rodeo

• September 4-6 - Gate opens at 10:00 am - Adults $15.00
• Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds - Sonoita, Arizona
• Find more information here.

Santa Cruz County Fair

• September 17-19 - Gates open at 9:00 am - Adults $5:00
• Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds - Sonoita, Arizona
• Find more information here.

Tucson Greek Festival - Eat Like A Greek

• September 24 - 4:00 pm-8:00 pm - Order on line - Pickup at the church
• September 25 - 11:00 am-8:00 pm - Order on line - Pickup at the church
• St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church - 1145 East Fort Lowell Road
• Find more information here.

Southern Arizona's Monsoon

• Now thru the end of Monsoon Season
• As Becky McCreary, our club librarian, wrote, "Find special shots of our Arizona landscape; clouds banking, lightning behind the Santa Rita’s, a rainbow, reflections in a water puddle, and best of all, the splendor of the desert greening and blooming."

Patty Ferguson, Photo Op Coordinator

Showtime

Starting in December

Camera Club SHOWTIME will be coming soon to a theater near you starting in December. Unlike last season when it was all virtual, this season it will actually be real at the Desert Hills auditorium . And possibly, they might be hybrid presentations, also streamed live, as many of us have gotten used to enjoying SHOWTIME from afar.

There will be a one-time schedule change for the month of December.  We will be meeting on the second Monday, December 13th, instead of the first Monday as we usually do.

And remember, in order to have a successful SHOWTIME this season, or any SHOWTIME at all, we 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. Show us how you spent your summer, anything at all will do. We need about eight or so programs. I know you can do it. Contact me here if you have a program for SHOWTIME.

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

Speaker Series

Starting in November

Speaker Series will start in November this year, the third Thursday, on 11/18/21. We are planning hybrid presentations, both in person and on line via Zoom. We welcome all to join us, but if you can't, you will still be able to enjoy the presentation remotely. Kevin May will be our speaker in November. More on his presentation next month.

Happy Trails till then,

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. Not all are meeting during the summer break. Details below.

• Multimedia SIG - Grace Pitzer, 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 pm - Meetings are online via Zoom every other Tuesday for the summer. 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 suspended until further notice.

• 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 - Not meeting during the summer break.

• Field Trip SIG - Sue Rock, moderator.
• Plan, arrange, guide and advertise field trips.
• Wednesdays @ 4:00 pm - Not meeting during the summer break.

• Photoshop Elements SIG - Linda Gregory, moderator.
• Learn how to use 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.
• 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 - Not meeting during the summer break.

Camera Club Library

The Camera Club library shelves are full of photography related books for members to borrow. Subjects include tips and techniques, software, photographers, black & white photos, lighting, studio photography, IPhone techniques, landscape and wildlife shots, and many, many more.

Books may be checked out for three (3) weeks and renewed another three weeks if no one is waiting for the book.  We also have older magazines to enjoy. Stop by and browse the shelves!

Also, if you have books that were checked out before we closed for Covid-19, please return them to the library. Please contact me if you have questions.

Becky McCreary, Librarian

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 welcome and check in club members, answer the phone, and inform those seeking information about the Club. You are not expected to know how to use the equipment. Training takes about an hour. Review our Monitor training video here.

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 gvrcameraclub@gmail.com. 

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