June 2025

From the President... 

As the summer temperatures start to approach us here in Arizona, one might wonder what can we do during the heat of the season. We know that we need to go out early in the morning and that by about 9:30 we should get ourselves inside. So now what to do? Well, we can drive up to Mt. Lemmon for some cooler weather. Gee…I think we have a field trip coming up for just that location. Something to think about.

Here is something to check out in Tucson. (Sorry, Tom Parker, if I’m stepping on your Photo Ops announcements). The Center for Creative Photography is celebrating its 50th birthday this year. Founded in 1975, it is located on the U of A’s campus. It holds more than 120,000 works by over 2,200 photographers. It is also the permanent home for archival collections of some 300 masters of the medium, including Ansel Adams. It has a new exhibition designed to showcase the depth and variety of what has become one of the world’s largest and most important research repositories for photography. The exhibit opened May 3 and runs through December 20. Admission is free. This exhibition features about 80 works of art and 20 so-called “archival objects”. It spans nearly the entire history of photography.

To our members who have gone to their summer homes, I am throwing down a challenge. I would love to see photos from your “other” home state. Send them to Sue Ready for the club’s Facebook page. The first state up will be Michigan., if you are close to these locations, I would love to see photos of Sleeping Bear Dunes, Fishtown in Leland, the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City, Mackinac Island, Mackinac Bridge, Tahquamenon Falls in the Upper Peninsula and Frankenmuth, along with other locations, lighthouses and sunsets. Lake Michigan sunsets almost rival those of Arizona. Can you tell where I grew up? Look for another state to be challenged in July.

We are slowly working on putting together a committee for the club’s 50th anniversary. If you are interested in being on the committee, please let us know. If you have any photos from past field trips and other events, we would love to have them.

Until next month,

Kim Holmes, President

Keep Our Facebook Page in Mind

Thanks to all those members who submitted their spring and field trip photos for the Facebook page. During the summer, don't forget to send in your vacation 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 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

Library News

The June display in the Library is some recently donated books. Check them out and enjoy for three weeks!

National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of North America 5th Edition

Start with a Digital Camera: To create high-quality graphics by John Odam

Digital Photographer’s Handbook by Tom Ang

Digital Photography Book; Volumes 1-3 by Scott Kelby

Photoshop Layers by Matt Kioskpwski

Photoshop Lightroom CC by Scott Kelby

Book donations are welcome! Please share with us only books that are relevant to photography and the creative process of the art. Books that are not suitable for our library, I donate to other sources — no book gets trashed.

Enjoy your summer,

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

Returning in November

Greetings to all.

However and wherever you enjoy your summer, keep Showtime in mind. Remember to take photos and make videos that we can feature in next season's presentations. For those of you who stay in Green Valley for the summer, come to our Multimedia SIG that continues on Monday mornings at 10 am through the summer and fall. We are willing to assist you in producing them.

And don’t forget the challenge I put out for you to create videos titled, “My Home Town”, a three to five minute video telling us a little something about where you grew up. It will be my focus for our February 2026 SHOWTIME!

Enjoy your summer.

Todd F Taylor, Showtime Host

Travelogue

Returning in November

We are looking forward to starting up again in the fall. Our hope is to create thematic adventures. Of course this will depend on the travel videos you send to us. What do you have for us?  Road Trips?  How about African Safaris?  Have you been on any recent cruises?  What other countries have you visited?  We are looking forward to receiving your travel videos and putting together GREAT evenings for us all! Videos will ideally be less than 20 minutes each with a little bit of wiggle room.

Please send your travel videos free via WeTransfer.com or Filemail.com to me at  sherrie.LCBG@gmail.com as soon as possible. Anne and I are eager to receive them and assemble them into spectacular shows.  

Our fall season will begin in November. We look forward to seeing you then, but please send your videos now.

Thank you so much!!

Sherrie Lee Lucia & Anne Karakatsoulis

Travelogue Co-Coordinators

Speaker Series

Returning in November

Kim Holmes, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

One of the ideas discussed at the monthly Field Trip Committee meeting was to start our Birding/Nature trips earlier. This would not only help us beat the heat but would also provide a better chance of having a good birding experience.

The second idea was to compile a list of members who would be willing to go on short notice “pop up” trips. For example, a trip to photograph thunderstorms, a meteor shower, or other unexpected event. If you would like to be included on this list, please contact me at mparker582@aol.com.

Along these lines, Denise LeCount-O’Brien is setting up a trip to Tumacácori in August for the Firefly display. On a certain day, if the environmental factors align, the fireflies will blink in unison. There are very few locations in the United State where this amazing display occurs, and we are very fortunate that Tumacácori is one of them! Denise has been in touch with the Park Rangers and will be kept apprised when this occurrence will happen. This means that it will be one of those short-notice announcements. Watch for the notification and announcement. You will have to register in the usual manner.

My knee replacement surgery and physical therapy are going well and I will resume field trips in mid-June. If you have any suggestions for places we should visit or if you’d like to volunteer to be a field trip leader this summer, please let me know.

Thank you for your continued support!

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

For Sale

Manfrotto MKC3-HO1 Compact Tripod

4 leg extensions

Price: $125 or best offer

Contact Nancy Martin at nancymartin@aol.com or 520-207-0406

Empire Samson ST-2 Tripod

2 leg extensions

Price: $75 or best offer

Contact Nancy Martin at nancymartin@aol.com or 520-207-0406

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:

• 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 Photography 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