October 2026

From the President...

Well, here we are, fall is finally starting to arrive. In Arizona we can look forward to temperatures in the 80’s and 90’s. For those of you in other parts of the country, you get to start looking forward to the fall colors. I will admit that I do miss those colors. Having grown up in Northern Michigan we used to refer to it as “leaf peeping season.” It's that time of the year when everyone was heading north for the colors, not the cooler weather.

As with the change of the month on the calendar, we will start seeing a change in the number of members coming into the club. People will slowly start making their way back here and we will get busier. That is always a good thing. I enjoy seeing an active club. FYI, club hours extend to 9 am to 3 pm beginning in October.

Events: The Film Festival and Photo Contest that the club is conducting has had an amazing response. Submissions have ended for both events. The Film Festival committee is busy putting all of the submitted videos together for your viewing pleasure. You will be able to see them on November 5, in the afternoon, at Desert Hills. The Photo Contest committee has received more the 350 photo submissions. They now have the unenviable task of selecting the best ones to highlight. Those photos will be on display at Las Companas the week of November 9-15.

Field Trips: As I am sure you have noticed, our field trip committee has been quite busy. We have had a lot of trips this summer and fall is already getting more events added, both to familiar locations and new places. Keep the field trips in mind for something to do when you are down here. We are also always looking for people to lead these trips and for new suggestions of places to visit.

Education: If you are interested in “stepping back in time” we have a club member that is wanting to start a SIG on film photography. There is a store in Tucson that works with film photographers. We are also looking for members who would be willing to act as backup SIG leaders for a couple of our SIGs, particularly Elements and Lightroom/Photoshop. If you are interested in helping please reach out to Jim Gardner our Education Coordinator.

Displays: The photos we have on display at the Del Sol Cafe came down at the end of September. The next time we will have that location is January-March of 2027. The theme for the display has to be desert related, whether it is flora, fauna or landscapes. Keep that in mind and bring in some photos that we will be able to showcase. Showtime and Travelogue will be returning in November. Get your videos together to share with one of those two programs.

Help: I’m also looking for one more person who would be willing to help out at our club table for the GVR Golf Tournament on Saturday, November 7. It would be from 7:45 am until approximately 12 noon. Lunch will be provided. You just have to represent our club, by handing out pamphlets and answering any questions. This is a GVR event, not something that the club has organized.

Fun Fact: This ties in with our bat field trips. Arizona has more species of bat than any other state - except Texas.

That is all the news there is for now. We look forward to seeing some familiar faces by the end of October.

“The earth is art, the photographer is only a witness.” – Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Kim Holmes, President

GVR Centers' Photo Exhibits 

We are still looking for your photos to exhibit!  We have three main display areas including: our club lobby, Café del Sol and Desert Hill’s auditorium.   GVR may open up other centers for us during the year.  So…. Go print, Mat and Frame your photos for display!

For your photos we request this information: Your name, Phone #, Email, Photo Title, Medium (photo, metal print, canvas or….), Frame size and if you wish to sell your asking price.

Click here for the exhibit website.

If you have questions please contact Kirk Hively, kehively@yahoo.com (520-349-5593) or Julie Howard (402-202-4423).

Kirk Hively, Exhibits Coordinator

Keep Our Facebook Page in Mind

Don't forget to share to Facebook page your vacation photos and fall photos. Submit your photos to suready@yahoo.com.

Sue Ready, Facebook Coordinator

Photo of the Month

This month's photo is by Denise LeCount-O'Brien.  She said, "Three of us brave scouts for the GVR Photography Club did a dry run for two upcoming downtown Tucson field trips. Patty Ferguson and Monica Parker have been part of the club's mural tour before, but practice makes perfect. Saturday and Sunday are the best days to view of the murals because there are fewer autos blocking the views. Many have been repainted to freshen the colors for Tucson's 250th anniversary." 

Watch for the mural field trip announcements in the near future.

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

Our winter schedule kicks off October 1—welcome back, snowbirds! We ’ve been busy getting everything ready for the fun ahead. 

Linda Gregory is feeling great and back to teaching her Photoshop Elements class; we ’ll share details soon about her upcoming basic camera class. On Assignment starts in October with Therese McClain leading the way—we ’ll email more info. Gene Komaromi has kindly agreed to host his Android camera class, and Andy Glavac returns to teach the iPhone camera class. We ’ll send an email with dates, times, and locations. 

We ’re also exploring a deep space telescope class and astrophotography sessions to help everyone prepare for nighttime shots. Our first chance is the Chiricahua Monument Milky Way shoot on October 10 (we ’ll announce a prep session soon). Hopefully, this will spark even more astrophotography classes! 

This summer we joined a GVR-sponsored photo and video contest. The response was wonderful and the quality was impressive. We ’ve been chatting about more contests for our members to encourage everyone to keep capturing photos and videos.

If there’s something you are interested in that is not currently offered, please reach out to me (Jim Gardner, jgardner65@comcast.net) and we ’ll do our best to make it happen!

Jim Gardner, Education Chair

Library News

October is Photographer Appreciation Month

Our first thought is to be appreciative of the well-known photographers like Ansel Adams, Annie Leibovitz, Edward S. Curtis, Richard Avedon, Dorothea Lange, and many others who have given us both art and a recording of history through their lenses.

I appreciate the photographers who are documenting world events, both joyous and tragic, telling a story of the time in which we live. It too will be history.

Thank you to my grandma, who with her Kodak box camera, took hundreds of family and travel photographs which reside with me, the matriarch and family historian. Her photography tells me more about her.

The next time you are in the GVR Photography Club, check out the framed photos on the walls — lovely works of art, seen through the eyes of fellow members. Thank you.

We appreciate the Club SIG facilitators, workshop leaders, monthly program hosts, the Board, and every member of the Photography Club. All photographers. All appreciated.

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 Board of Directors meetings. The next Board meeting will be held October 12, 2026.  Check the Club Calendar for meeting specifics 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

Fall Is in the Air -- and SHOWTIME Is Almost Back!

Fall is finally drifting into Green Valley, giving us a break from those 100-plus-degree days. And with cooler weather comes the return of our friends from the North — refreshed from a summer of family, adventures, and plenty of photo-worthy moments.

Which means one thing: you’ve got material. Lots of it. Photos, clips, travel moments, family gatherings — all perfect for creating videos for SHOWTIME. We start back up next month, and I want (and need!) your videos to share with our audience all the way through April.

I also want to say how grateful I am for the great turnout at our weekly MultiMedia SIG this summer. Your energy, curiosity, and willingness to learn kept the room buzzing, and we’re excited to welcome everyone back as the season begins.

Whether you’re working with simple editors like iMovie and Clipchamp, or diving into more advanced tools like Adobe Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve, we’re ready, willing, and able to help you shape your footage into something special.

See you at the Club,

Todd F Taylor, Showtime Host

Travelogue

Wow! It’s officially Fall. We’ve got such a Great Travelogue season coming your way! In addition to our opening show at Desert Hills 2pm on Tuesday Nov 10 there will also be a GVR Film Festival on Thursday Nov 5 - more details to come.

Please keep your travel videos coming for this season – put your flashdrives in the Travelogue folder at the Photography club or send (via WeTransfer) to Anne Karakatsoulis at daveandanne@msn.com and Sherrie Lee Lucia at sherrie.LCBG@gmail.com.

Gratefully,

Sherrie Lee Lucia & Anne Karakatsoulis

Travelogue Co-Coordinators

Speaker Series

Field Trips

The following field trips have been announced as of press time:

• Saturday 09/26 - Odaiko Sonora Taiko Drums Behind-the-Scenes
• Wednesday 10/07 - Center for Creative Photography (CCP)
• Saturday 10/10 - Chiricahua National Monument Sunset & Night Sky
• Thursday 10/15 - Bird/Nature Photography: The Paton Center for Hummingbirds
• Monday 10/19 - Bird/Nature Photography: Peña Blanca Lake
• Tuesday 10/20 - Skydive Arizona – World Skydiving Championships
• Saturday 10/24 - Tucson Celtic Festival and Highland Games
• Tuesday 10/27 - Santa Theresa Tile Works
• Wednesday 10/28 - Rolling Thru Time Auto Museum
  
• Tuesday 11/03 - Bird/Nature Photography: Rancho Santa Cruz & Santa Gertrudis Lane
• Wednesday 11/04 - White Stallion Ranch
• Saturday 11/07 - Native American Arts Fair at Mission Garden
• Saturday 11/07 - Tubac Dia de los Muertos
• Saturday 11/07 - Cowboy Festival at Empire Ranch
• Tuesday 11/17 - Sonoran Glass School
• Thursday 11/19 - Gammons Gulch & Forever Home Donkey Rescue
• Saturday 12/12 - Winterhaven Festival by Party Bike

As always, we’ve got other field trips in the works, so be watching for announcements throughout the month. We’ll be rescheduling our trip to the UofA’s Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum to give members more time to sign up. We’ll also be announcing LightsUp! at Tucson Botanical Gardens in early October and asking members to sign up by November 1st even though the trip is slated for December 3rd – this event fills up quickly, so we must act fast. We’re on target to break all previous records thanks to our relatively small but enthusiastic group of field trip leaders, all of whom are unpaid volunteers.

Why Do We Have to Show Up at The Club?

I recently had a member tell me that since they live on the north end of Green Valley, they felt driving 10 miles down to the club only to turn around and drive right past their residence on the way to a northbound field trip was a waste of time and fuel. Instead, their plan was to skip showing up at the club and meet us at the field trip site.

Sorry, but that's not the way it works. Everyone needs to show up at the club for several reasons.

• As a GVR-sanctioned event, we must comply with GVR’s requirements. Failure to do so puts future field trips and other club activities at risk.

• Having each participant scan their GVR card at the club helps us justify and hold on to the dedicated space we enjoy as a GVR club.

• If there are any last-minute changes, we get the word to everyone at the same time. We’ve had to cancel trips on the day of a trip more than once, often within minutes of our “go” time.

• If someone's a no show, we call and check on them -- maybe they just forgot about the trip, but our call to them also serves as a wellness check. At our age, that could make a world of difference to someone.

Finding club members to volunteer as trip leaders and to work behind the scenes for the 60+ field trips we do each year is tough as it is. If we try to cater to everyone – and we have over 500 members -- we make it unnecessarily tough on the trip leaders. Having a standardized process where everyone plays by the same set of rules is the only way to keep these trips manageable.

Monica and I live about as far north and west as you can get and still be in GVR territory, so I feel people’s pain. But just think about it for a second -- If you go on a commercial tour, you show up when and where the tour operator says to show up. We're no different in that respect.

The main difference is they’re in it for the money. We do it to provide opportunities to practice your picture-taking skills, learn about local and regional places of interest, give you an opportunity to experience new things (including novel dining options), share those experiences with like-minded photographers, and make new friends. Because we’ve already made the arrangements, you just show up and go. And we often go to places where members wouldn’t feel comfortable going on their own (indeed, there is safety in numbers). At the end of the day, going on a field trip is a whole lot of fun!

All that said, most of the places we visit are open to the public, so there’s nothing to keep you from doing your own research and visiting on your own. And most of the event-driven field trips we do are announced as Photo Opportunities in the newsletter (think the Tucson Celtic Festival or the Native American Arts Fair). We’d love to have you participate in our field trips, but we won’t be offended if you opt out and decide to venture out on your own instead. Frankly, I’m happy to see members who’re capable and confident about going where they want and when they want.

Please let me know if you are interested in becoming a field trip leader or helping to take care of the many behind-the-scenes tasks that enable us to make field trip administration look effortless. We’re always on the lookout for volunteers.

You’re also welcome to become a member of the Field Trip Committee. We meet on the first Wednesday of each month; just sign up on the club’s website so I’ll know to include you on the invitations.

Wishing everyone safe travels wherever your journeys may take you!

Tom Parker, Field Trip Chair

Photo Opportunities

The weather is pleasant, so treat yourself to the Fall Festival in Patagonia, find yourself at the aptly named Meet Yourself Folklore Festival in Tucson, check out car shows in Tucson and Sierra Vista, a rodeo in Benson, or the fall festival in Marana. Take in several Western-themed events in Tombstone, art in the park in Sierra Vista, or the Celtic Festival & Highland Games. Butterfly Magic at the Tucson Botanical Gardens resumes this month. There’s Rex Allen Days and a wine festival in Willcox. We’ve even tossed in some reptiles, evening events and spooky stuff in keeping with the Halloween season.

Be sure to grab your favorite digital device and take some great shots.

Tombstone Terrors: Ghosts and Gunslingers of the Wild West

• Ongoing, nightly at 8:00 pm – prices vary, reservations required
• 311 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ
• Find more information here.

Butterfly Magic

• Oct 1 thru May 31, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm – Free with garden admission, Registration required
• Tucson Botanical Gardens, 2150 North Alvernon Way, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Historic Canoa Ranch

• Dates, times, events and costs vary – registration may be required
• Historic Canoa Ranch, 5375 South I-19 Frontage Road, Green Valley, AZ
• Find more information here. 

75th Annual Rex Allen Days

• Oct 1-4, (parade Oct 3 at 10:00 am) - Times, events, and fees vary
• Multiple venues and numerous events in Willcox, AZ
• Find more information here. 

54th Annual Art in the Park

• Oct 3-4, Sat 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sun 9:00 am to 4:00 pm - Free
• Veterans Memorial Park, 3101 East Fry Boulevard, Sierra Vista, AZ
• Find more information here. 

24th Annual Tucson Reptile and Amphibian Show

• Oct 3-4, Sat 9:30 am to 5:00 pm, Sun 10:00 am to 4:00 pm – $15
• Pima County Fairgrounds, Old Pueblo Hall, 11300 South Houghton Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

38th Annual Cars in the Park

• Oct 10, 7:00 am to 3:00 pm - Free
• Veterans Memorial Park, 3101 East Fry Boulevard, Sierra Vista, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Benson Butterfield Rodeo

• Oct 10-11, Sat starts at 8:00 am, Sun starts at 12:00 pm - $15
• Benson Arena Bar & Rodeo Grounds, 250 North Prickly Pear, Benson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Patagonia Fall Festival

• Oct 10-11, Sat 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Sun 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - Free
• Patagonia Town Park, 325 McKeown Avenue, Patagonia, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Vigilante Sunday

• Oct 11 and 25, 12:30 pm to 3:00 pm - Free
• 311 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Southern Arizona Home Show

• Oct 16-18, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm - $8 (free for seniors 65+ on Fri, Oct 16)
• Tucson Convention Center, 260 South Church Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Tombstone Helldorado Days

• Oct 16-18, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, parade Sunday at 11:00 am - Free
• 311 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Tucson Meet Yourself Folklore Festival

• Oct 16-18, Fri and Sat 11:00 am to 10:00 pm, Sun 11:00 am to 6:00 pm - Free
• Jacomé Plaza, Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 North Stone Avenue, Tucson AZ
• Find more information here. 

Annual Bisbee 1000 The Great Stair Climb

• Oct 17, event starts at 9:00 am – Free (for spectators)
• 201 Tombstone Canyon Road, Bisbee, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Marana Fall Festival

• Oct 17, 2:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Free
• Marana Heritage River Park, 12375 North Heritage Park Drive, Marana, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Barrio Viejo Walking Tour

• Oct 18, 9:30 am to 11:30 am – $35, Registration required
• Rosendo Perez Park, 424 South Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

20th Annual Tucson Classics Car Show

• Oct 24, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - $10
• The Gregory School, 3231 North Craycroft Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Wilcox Wine Festival

• Oct 17-18, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm – Prices vary
• Railroad Park - 157 North Railroad Avenue, Wilcox, Arizona
• Find more information here. 

Bull Riding in Tombstone

• Oct 17, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, pre-show at 6:00 pm - $15
• Shoot-Out Arena, 365 South 3rd Street, Tombstone, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Boo at the Zoo 2025

• Oct 22-25, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm – $16, timed entry, registration required
• Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Spooktacular Hot Air Balloon Festival

• Oct 23-25, 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm – ticket prices vary
• Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 North Pima Road, Scottsdale, AZ
• Find more information here. 

40th Annual Tucson Celtic Festival and Highland Games

• Oct 24-25, Sat 8:00 am to 9:30 pm, Sun 8:00 am to 5:00 pm – Prices vary
• Rillito Raceway Park, 4502 North First Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Dia de los Muertos Ofrendas Exhibition

• Oct 24-Nov 8, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm – Included with admission
• Presidio San Agustin Museum, 196 North Court Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Glow – A Nighttime Art Experience

• Oct 24 and 31, 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm - $65 per carload
• Triangle L Ranch, 2805 North Triangle L Ranch Road, Oracle, AZ
• Find more information here. 

Murals & More of the 4th Avenue District

• Oct 25, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm – $35, Registration required
• Corbett’s, 340 North 6th Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here. 

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

Wildlife 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 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:

I would like to list some very nice equipment for sale. I have started switching to mirrorless equipment.

Nikon D750 camera body LN-  Asking $650.

Nikon 14-24 2.8 lens  EXC. Asking $500.

Nikon 24-70 2.8 E lens takes 82mm filter LN- Asking $1200.

Nikon 24-120 f4 EXC Asking $500

Nikon 200-500 f5.6 lens takes 95mm filter, will include. LN- Asking $900.

Nikon 70-200 2.8E  FL VR lens LN- Asking $1300.

All items are in like new or excellent condition and priced below similar items on B&H, KEH, or Robert's camera.

Thank you,

Michael Edgeton

michaeledgeton1@gmail.com

520-240-3955

EOS Rebel SL1/100D, 18.0 megapixels

Excellent condition

I would be glad to meet with you and provide accessories.

I loved this camera but am traveling less and no longer using it.

Make offer.

Nancy Martin

nancytmartin@aol.com 520-207-0406

-------------------------------------------

Do you have any used photography equipment that you want to sell or are looking 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 mparker582@aol.com.
• Must be placed by the 20th 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 500 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. 

Monica Parker, Newsletter Editor 

mparker582@aol.com, 618-304-1164