Member, Photographic Society of America
Winner of the 2008, 2011, and 2012 PSA Henricks Award for best newsletter!
Sherm Edwards, Editor, Cable Release, at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
Contents
KEY EVENTS
The following scheduled events will be conducted online as Zoom teleconferences. Look for announcements and invitations by e-mail, Meetup, and on the club’s Website.
- May 7 – Speaker Night (7:30 p.m.)
- May 14 – Competition Night: Monochrome (7:30 p.m.)
- May 15 – List of Projected Entries for Year End Due (midnight)
- May 21 – A Closer Focus Meeting (7:30 p.m.)
- May 28 – Board Meeting (7:30 p.m.)
- June 11 – End of Year Competition Results (7:30 p.m.)
- Sept 3 – Speaker Night (7:30 p.m.)
If Montgomery County Schools close due to inclement weather, Silver Spring Camera Club meetings and outings will be cancelled. See montgomeryschoolsmd.org for closure information during the work week. For Mon-Fri AFTER 5:00 pm & on the weekends, call 240-777-2710 or 311 from within Montgomery County. Sign up for text alerts: AlertMontgomery and choose both a local MCPS school and ‘Community Use of Public Facilities Alerts’. Note that this policy does not apply to online meetings!
For general information about the club, contact us at: info@ssccphotography.org
A list of the club officers and committee chairs, and their emails, is located here: Officers and Committee Chairs
More information is available in the Silver Spring Camera Club (SSCC) Member Handbook: 2019-2020 Member Handbook
SSCC member submissions for the Cable Release should be directed to cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
© 2020 Silver Spring Camera Club and its contributors. Copyright Notice & Disclaimer Policy
PLEASE CONSIDER PROVIDING MATERIALS FOR THE SEPTEMBER CABLE RELEASE:
E.G. ARTICLES, AWARDS, EXHIBITIONS, LINKS, REVIEWS, …
DEADLINE: BY AUGUST 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS
MEETING LOCATION
May meetings will be online by Zoom teleconference.Silver Spring United Methodist Church
8900 Georgia Ave.
Silver Spring, MD
Click for details
Speaker Night via Zoom Videoconference May 7th – The Real Treasures of the Andes with Victoria Restrepo
Victoria Restrepo is an accomplished photographer and artist with more than 30 years’ experience. She specializes in fine art, nature and travel photography. Victoria was born in Colombia, South America, where she studied fine arts; later she studied photography at The New England School of Photography in Boston. She has worked as a commercial photographer and as a photography and Photoshop teacher. Victoria’s work has been exhibited in more than 36 galleries in Colombia, Maryland, and Washington DC. (Read more)
COMPETITION COLUMN
For the competitions season, please refer to the website link for the definition of each topic.
Here’s the schedule for the remainder of the season.
- May – Monochrome Photography
- June – End of Year Competition (special rules apply)
Our May topic is Monochrome:
The term “Monochrome Photography” contemplates images that use only a single color, including the full array of shades of that color. So, for example, black and white photos, with black as the single color and its multiple shades of gray, are monochrome. Other single colors and their shades are equally acceptable. Under this definition, a sepia tone photo is acceptable, but a sepia tone photo containing a red umbrella would not qualify as a monochrome. Any subject matter is acceptable. In addition, a photo is acceptable if was originally taken as a color image, as long as the image presented for the competition has been rendered into monochrome.
Members may submit up to two images meeting this definition. The images should be emailed to: competition@ssccphotography.org by midnight on Thursday, May 7. (One important detail – In order to participate in the competition, you must pay the club’s annual dues before the start of the competition.)
To learn the nitty gritty about the competitions, please refer to the Competition Rules and the Members Handbook, both of which are accessible from the SSCC website. Of course, if you have any questions about the competitions, please feel free to contact me at competition@ssccphotography.org
MERRY PLOCKI – JUDGE – MAY 14 MONOCHROME COMPETITION
Merry has always loved nature, and she discovered that photography is the best way for her to share how she feels about the world around and within us. She was born and raised in Michigan. From an early age she was brought up to appreciate and respect people and the outdoors. Merry moved to the Washington DC area to pursue an MBA and a career in finance while continuing to explore and make photos whenever she could.
Photography is now her full-time avocation and vocation. She is currently working to earn her Master Photographers Certification through Montgomery College in Rockville, Maryland. In 2017, Merry completed a lifelong dream. She and her dog Leif hiked the length of the Appalachian Trail. In 2019, Merry and her teenage daughter walked the Camino Francis. People walk for various reasons. Even for those who cannot verbalize why they walk, there is a story. In listening to why people walk, Merry fell in love with the concept of helping others discover and share their stories through photography. Whether your story is a walk in the wild, a change in life circumstances, a personal belief, or selling products or services, Merry can help you build and share your story. Merry is an MPA certified judge.
YEAR-END COMPETITION
by Larry Gold
Here is what you need to know about the upcoming Year-End Competition Results on June 11. Remember, this competition is not about selecting the best entries for a single month, but rather selecting the best entries from the monthly competitions for the entire club year (September 2019 through May 2020).
Send an email to SSCC Historian, Norm Bernache, at normbernache at comcast.net if you would like a list of all of your projected images submitted from September 2019 to April 2020.
Due to the current health emergency, we have had to change our usual protocols and procedures for the competition so, particularly for those of you who have participated in prior competitions, please pay close attention to the modifications for this year.
The competition will be conducted as follows:
- The Year-End Competition Results for Novice and Advanced Projected images will occur via Zoom on June 11 — each club member may identify up to 5 images that s/he previously entered in a Projected competition during the season. See below for detailed procedures and requirements.
- The competition for Novice and Advanced Print images is suspended until such time, as determined by the SSCC board, that health officials decide it is reasonably safe for folks to re-engage socially for non-essential tasks, such as meeting to deliver photographic prints and conducting an at-home judging event in the presence of three unrelated individuals (a judge and two club members). If the suspension extends into our next club year, the Year-End print competition will be held as soon as possible after the resumption of limited social engagement and before the first competition of the new season. Detailed instructions and requirements will be announced as soon as a date for the competition is set.
- Judging for the Len Tuchin Best-in-Show award for the Year-End Competition is suspended until the print competition is held. The judge of the Print competition will be furnished electronic copies of the winners of the Novice and Advanced Projected competition, so s/he can judge the Best-in-Show competition at the same time. If, for whatever reason, the print competition does not take place, the winner of the Projected competition will receive the Len Tuchin award.
Requirements for the Novice and Advanced Projected Competition:
- Each member may identify up to 5 projected images from
those that s/he entered in monthly club competitions this 2019-2020 season. - Eligible submissions need not have won an award in the monthly competition(s) in which they were submitted.
- If a member has moved from the Novice to Advanced Projected category during the season, s/he may submit images for the Year-End Competition in either the Novice or Projected categories, but not both – And, if you choose to enter the Novice Year-End competition, you may only submit those images you entered in the Novice category during the season; if, on the other hand, you choose to enter the Advanced category in the Year-End competition, you may enter both the Novice and Advanced images you entered in both categories during the season.
- Please email your list of up to 5 projected entries to
competition@ssccphotography.org. To identify them, please furnish in the body of the email your name, the title of each image and the month of the competition for which the image was submitted. Please do not resend any Projected electronic files; the electronic files that you previously submitted will be used. - The list of Projected entries must be submitted by midnight May 15th.
- As in other competitions, the judge will select first, second, and third place winners, and as many honorable mentions as the number of entries requires. The winners will be announced at the end-of-year celebration or, if such celebration can’t be held, at the first general meeting held once social engagements are again permitted. The judging is “closed”; it is not held at a regular club meeting, nor are ribbons or points awarded.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact Larry Gold, the Competition Chair, at competition@ssccphotography.org.
A CLOSER FOCUS – MAY 21
– by David W. Powell
An opportunity to share ideas, images, questions, and inspirations. The May meeting will be by Zoom videoconference. Look for an invitation in an e-mail from the Club or a Meetup announcement.
Half an hour will be an open forum discussing issues at hand. A half hour is devoted to presentations by members. And a half hour is set aside for member image reviews.
This is always a great evening of sharing and learning. What topics would you like to explore? Topics are very wide ranging, such as photo book reviews, an aspect of your own photography that you’d like to share, reviews or discussion of gallery shows, photo gear, software, etc. Or bring a gadget to share.
- Presentations:
- “Using Key Words” – Dave Powell will discuss the value of key words in archiving your photographs.
- “Up in Smoke” – David Terao will show abstract photographs of smoke and describe his process for creating them.
- Picture assignment subject: Physical distancing – Since this will be an online meeting, we will share, discuss, and critique digital images that portray how our lives have changed during the pandemic. Send your images to Dave Powell before the meeting (davidwesleypowell at gmail.com). This topic is echoed in a call for submissions from the Montgomery County Historical Society, pointed out by James Ragucci: https://www.montgomeryhistory.org/mhconnected/takepart/.
- Discussion: Any topics that you’d like to explore.
- Book/Gear Reviews: What book/gear/software have you experienced that you’d like to review?
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦
Future topics of A Closer Focus might include: compositional strength, HDR, or anything else photographic you want to bring to the table. This is an opportunity for you to provide input to the SSCC experience.
If you would like to be on the agenda, please email me at:
davidwesleypowell at gmail.com
MAY FIELD TRIPS
There will be no Club field trips in May because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
But, if you are out and about on your own taking photographs, you may be interested in this piece from Lens Rentals on how to disinfect your camera. Wishing you not only sharp pictures but also healthy and safe outings.
Lisa Auerbach
CLUB NEWS
EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ELECTIONS ON MAY 7
We will vote to fill the open Executive Council positions at our Speaker Night meeting on May 7. Each of these positions is vital to the functioning of the Club and provides the opportunity to guide the club in the activities we enjoy. These key positions are as follows:
- President: leads club meeting and guides club activities through the chair leaders.
- Vice President: leads meetings in the absence of the President and takes on other duties as the President directs.
- Secretary: takes notes at monthly board meetings and publishes the minutes.
- Treasurer: maintains the financial records of the club, chairs the Finance Committee, and maintains the roster of members.
- Directors (3): advise on club activities, coordinate committees, and approve expenditures.
Going into May’s publication of the Cable Release we have the following slate of candidates interested in filling three of the four open Executive Council positions plus three Directors:
- President – Catherine Honigsberg
- Vice President – Dennis Freeman
- Secretary – Open
- Treasurer – Bruce Schaefer
- Directors – Bob Catlett, Michael Koren, Pete Morton
We do not yet have a candidate for Secretary as of May 1. According to the Constitution and By-Laws, “[the] Secretary shall record minutes of Board meetings and process Club correspondence as required by the President and/or Vice President.” The person filling this role will have training/help from the President and other board members.
If you are interested in filling any role, or especially the role as Secretary, please contact any member of the board before the election to be added to the slate for the May 7th election. Face-to-face, phone, or email [ president@ssccphotography.org ] are all good. A set of SSCC email addresses for the various officers and committee chairs can be found in the following link: SSCC Officers and Chairs.
SSCC GOES VIRTUAL
by David Terao
With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the entire world, quarantine measures have been taken in many areas – globally, nationally and locally. Here, in Maryland, all non-essential businesses and group activities including camera club meetings were cancelled in mid-March for the unforeseeable future. But, such a little thing as a pandemic didn’t stop the Silver Spring Camera Club from continuing to hold photo competitions, host guest speakers and provide learning opportunities for its members. Those activities just had to be done differently – using virtual meetings through the Zoom application. (Read more)
And here are some details regarding using Zoom:
BOARD MEETINGS
The SSCC Board met on March 28 and April 30. The minutes of the March meeting are at the following link:
The April minutes will be included in the September Cable Release.
FEATURES
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
2020 PSA ANNUAL CONFERENCE – CANCELED
The Photographic Society of America’s annual conference previously scheduled between Sept. 29 – Oct. 3, 2020 in Colorado Springs has been CANCELED due to the pandemic.
MEMBER ARTICLES
KERNELS OF KOREN
Bruce Baille passed away in early April of this year. Until I read his obituary published in the Washington Post, (thanks to Dennis Freeman for forwarding the WaPo article), I was not aware he was a 1960’s avant-garde film maker with several films that are now in the National Film Registry. Many of his films are only several minutes long and are usually abstract in nature. He considered the film editing process as “composing.” He often worked by hand-layering multiple images together. The obituary said that “Mr. Baille honed a style that combined a documentary approach with a deeply personal vision…” After reading the article I felt Baille’s way of making a film and the connection to still photography was unmistakable. I was intrigued and viewed two of his films mentioned in the obit, “Castro Street” and “All My Life.” (Read more)
INTRODUCTION TO INFRARED PHOTOGRAPHY
by Dennis Freeman
The following presentation was given to SSCC via Zoom on April 24, 2020. The technical portion was very rushed, and I am providing the following for further reading. Please contact me with any questions, comments, or further discussion!
Introduction-to-Infrared-PhotographyDownload
MY METHOD FOR CHANGING THE SKY IN PHOTOSHOP
by David Blass
David presented his method for this transformation at the April Closer Focus meeting. (Read more)
COMPETITION RESULTS
OPEN COMPETITION – APRIL 16
April’s competition was in the Open theme. Joel Hoffman was our judge that evening. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the competition was held remotely using the Zoom tool.
There were only two main categories: Advanced Projected (i.e. digital images), and Novice Projected. The two Print categories are suspended until we start in-person meetings again. Awards are given for first, second, and third place, and multiple honorable mentions (HM) – the number of awards depends on the total number of entries in the category.
ADVANCED PROJECTED
- 1st: Sherm Edwards – Lost Dinner
- 2nd: Larry Gold – Walters Staircase
- 3rd: David Terao – Maleficent
- HM: Beth Koller – Mesa in a Fog
- HM: Wendy Kates – Peeking
- HM: Doug Finstad – Faded Glory
Advanced Projected~Sherm Edwards~Lost Dinner
Taken in Grand Tetons NP from the sun roof of a van. We were returning from a snow coach tour of Yellowstone when we saw this coyote and three eagles near the road. I think the eagles had just stolen a fish from the coyote. Canon 7D Mark II, 100-400 lens @ 400mm with 1.4 extender, 1/400 @ f/6.3, ISO 500 (auto ISO).
NOVICE PROJECTED
- 1st: Lisa Auerbach – Hillwood Estate Orchid
- 2nd: Scott Shoreman – Contemplation
- 3rd: Dan Gottlieb – Falling under Hypnosis
- HM: John Burdick – San Miniato
- HM: Marc Auerbach – Cold Day Outer Banks
- HM: Jennifer Anglin – Clean
Novice Projected~John Burdick~San Miniato, Florence
Construction began in 1013 on the Romanesque church of San Miniato al Monte on a hill above Florence. Much of the interior decoration was created in the 14th and 15th centuries. The large mosaic dates from 1297. I was particularly pleased to capture many of the arches that appear throughout the building. The photo was taken in raw with a handheld Canon G15 and processed in Lightroom. An SSCC member whose name I forget provided extremely helpful advice for adjusting the lighting.
COURSES, CALLS FOR ENTRY, AND EXHIBITS
PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
Needed: Someone to author the Classes and Workshop List for the 2020-2021 Cable Release club year, beginning in September. Please let Catherine [ president@ssccphotography.org ] know if you might be interested. This is an opportunity to inspire the learning of club members.
The number of classes listed and the formatting are up to you. To see a recent example of a Class/Workshop List, before social distancing began, see the March edition of the Cable Release.
Dear Members,
This month, as in April, we are not providing a list of in-person Photography Courses and Workshops, given the need for social distancing during the current Coronavirus crisis. Please stay safe.
One vendor typically included in the Photography Courses/Class List has announced a few online classes: See Capital Photography Center: https://online.capitalphotographycenter.com/collections?category=courses . The rest either have suspended courses or are communicating to registrants by email.
The online course providers typically listed in The Cable Release are obviously still operating—
I have a personal recommendation of two sources for photographic enrichment. These are solely my own recommendations.
- Essdras Suarez, the Pulitzer Prize Winning Photographer who twice was a guest speaker at SSCC is offering online portfolio reviews ($89.00): Please email him at emsphotoadventures@gmail.com or essdrasmsuarez@gmail.com if you are interested. Also on his Facebook page, he is creating a challenge a week for photographers. He will invite photographers to submit photographs on a specified topic, and he will comment each Tuesday on the five best photos via Facebook Live. Essdras Suarez’ Facebook address for this Challenge is https://www.facebook.com/groups/2613663502237722/ Future topics include at-home shadows, shoes at home, closet paraphernalia, flowers and plants, sunrise and sunsets as seen from home, and home family moments.
- Matt Kloskowski, a Lightroom/Photoshop guru, who has created many courses for purchase and who has a robust YouTube Channel, is offering many weekly free online webinars (also recorded for later view) as a response to so many of us staying at home. See https://mattk.com/stuck-inside/
Also offering free webinars—on photography printing—is Moab Paper. See: https://www.moabpaper.com/moab-tv?rq=tv I have never taken one of Moab’s webinars, but Moab is a main producer of artistic photo papers. Other vendors are offering free webinars, but they tend not to give advance notice, so the ones I have located are offered only in April.
Please let us know of other online opportunities you discover by emailing us at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
Kate Woodward
And an addendum from Andrew Rein:
The Verge: Leica and Olympus are offering free virtual courses and talks for photographers.
https://www.theverge.com/2020/4/10/21216983/leica-olympus-free-virtual-courses-photography-coronavirus-covid
CALLS FOR ENTRY
The following offers a number of competitions for your consideration this month. Some of these sources having standing calls for entry, and others are one-time calls. Some offer cash and prizes, and others don’t.
See the full Calls for Entry article here. (Read More)
EXHIBITS AND EVENTS
by Bruce Schaefer
The following link is a column that lists a number of photography-related exhibits and events occurring now, or soon, in the extended Washington D.C. area. These include gallery exhibits, museum exhibits, college exhibits, special events, and sometimes exhibits or events to photograph yourself! This month, given restrictions on gatherings, it features some selected sites for the armchair adventurer!
See the full column here: (Read More)
Take a look at what our sister camera club, the NIH Camera Club, has going on. Here is a link to their site. There you can find their newsletter, the Cameraderie: nihcameraclub.com
