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, except for the Field Trip. Look for announcements and invitations by e-mail, Meetup, and on the club’s Website.
- Nov 5 – Speaker Night (7:30 p.m.)
- Nov 8 – Field Trip – Dawn on the Potomac – Click here for details.
- Nov 12 – Competition — Open (7:30 p.m.) with a new “Beginners” category
- Nov 19 – Closer Focus (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: 2020-2021 Member Handbook
© 2020 Silver Spring Camera Club and its contributors. Copyright Notice & Disclaimer Policy
PLEASE CONSIDER PROVIDING MATERIALS FOR THE DECEMBER CABLE RELEASE:
E.G. ARTICLES, AWARDS, EXHIBITIONS, LINKS, REVIEWS, …
DEADLINE: BY NOVEMBER 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS
MEETING LOCATION
October meetings will be online by Zoom teleconference.
Speaker Night via Zoom Videoconference November 5th – Glenn Thompson — Images of Life on the Chesapeake Bay
Please join Glenn Thompson, Maryland-born and a life-long resident, for a program on Images of Life on the Chesapeake Bay. Glenn has a passion for the Chesapeake Bay and its waterways. Equipped with a kayak and a camera, Glenn captures images of the variety of birds and people who live and work on the Bay. Discussing the stories behind the images, Glenn will also share his selection of gear and camera settings he uses to create his photographs. (Read more)
COMPETITION COLUMN — NEW “BEGINNERS” CATEGORY!
The October Nature Photography competition kicked off an exciting addition to our competition nights. We appreciate that many of you (particularly if you’ve recently joined the club), may be a little intimidated about entering your images in competitions. So, to ease the glide path, we created a “Beginners” category that will give you the benefits of a competition without having to compete against more experienced photographers. To encourage participation, we repeat the following information about how the Beginners competitions will work:
- The Beginners category is open to any club member who has not yet received a ribbon in any club competition.
- You may enter 1 or 2 images per competition, using the same procedures for submitting electronic images for the Novice and Advanced categories. Please be sure to include “Beginner” where you would otherwise enter “Novice” or “Advanced” in the identifying information.
- Your images will be critiqued by the competition judge, just as if you had entered the Novice or Advanced competitions.
- The judge will select 2 Beginner images for Honorable Mention, but no club competition points will be awarded.
- If you enter an image in the Beginners category, you may join the Novice or Advanced categories at any subsequent competition. (And even if you choose not to participate in a Beginner’s competition, you may still join the other categories directly, as per current competition rules.)
- Our current competition rules govern the number of times you may enter the same image in Novice or Advanced competitions. Entering an image in the Beginner’s category will not count against the limit on the number of times you may submit an image in the other two categories.
So, please have at it in the Beginners competitions. Despite any trepidation you may feel, competitions are an extremely fun and valuable part of participation in the Club!
Larry Gold, Competition Chair
Our Novmber topic is Open:
In open competitions, free rein is given to the choices the photographer makes in the creation of the submitted image. Images of any and all subjects or themes, created using any photographic or post-processing methods or techniques, are acceptable. The images are evaluated based upon the judge’s general assessment of their creativity, emotional and/or intellectual impact, aesthetic beauty, uniqueness of subject, and technical skill. The judge need not assign any specific weight to any single attribute of the image.
Members may submit up to two images meeting this definition. The images should be emailed to: competition@ssccphotography.org by midnight on Thursday, November 5. (One important detail – In order to participate in the competition, you must have paid the club’s annual dues before the start of the competition.)
Here’s the schedule for the remainder of the year:
- December – Selective Focus
- January – Open
- February – Abstract
- March – Open
- April – Decay
- May – Monochrome Photography
- June – End of Year Competition (special rules apply)
Please refer to the website link for the definition of each topic.
R. ANDREW HOFF – JUDGE – NOVEMBER OPEN COMPETITION
Andrew Hoff started studying photography in college. His introduction to photography meant sharing a Konica Rangefinder 35mm camera with another student and processing film in the darkroom. He then received a Canon AE-1 from his parents as a graduation present. From that point on, photography became a fulfilling adventure. Andrew joined the Harrisburg Camera Club in 1986, and has been a member ever since. His interests have included photographing in infra-red, architectural and landscape photography, abstracts, and photographing people. He has built a documentary portfolio based on carnival workers at fairs and carnivals from Maine to Texas. Andrew currently presents a variety of educational programs for novice through experienced photographers. Andrew’s work is in the permanent collection of the Pennsylvania State Museum and the Susquehanna Art Museum as well as in numerous private collections. Read more.
A CLOSER FOCUS – November 19
– by David W. Powell
An opportunity to share ideas, images, questions, and inspirations. The November 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, which may include breakout sessions:
- Photoshop 21, overview and breakout sessions on new features.
- Picture assignment:
- Submit one or two images that you think would be considered “selective focus,” the topic for the December competition; see the definition here.
- If you are a relative Beginner (see “Competition Column” above), submit one or more images in any category for discussion. It’s a chance to get some gentle guidance from Club veterans on how to improve your photography.
- For either category, send your images to Dave Powell before the meeting (davidwesleypowell@gmail.com).
- Discussion Topics:
- Anything else you would like to bring up.
- Book/Gear Reviews: What book/gear/software have you experienced that you’d like to review?
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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@gmail.com
NOVEMBER FIELD TRIP — DAWN ON THE POTOMAC
Date & Time: Sunday November 8; be there about 6.00 AM; sunrise is 6.44.
Location: Gravelly Point Park, Arlington, off GW Parkway just north of National Airport. (Note change in location.)
No Carpool due to COVID
Directions to site: From Maryland – Take I-495 South to Exit 43-44 for VA-193 / the George Washington Memorial Pkwy toward Washington DC. Continue on the GW Parkway towards Ronald Reagan National Airport. You cannot access the park from this direction and will have to pass the entrance and exit at the Airport to turn around. Follow the signs to return to the GW Parkway North. Turn right into the parking lot.
Overview: Sunrise over Washington! Park is between airport and Potomac, so you can also turn around and photograph airplanes taking off.
Bring: Tripod, picnic blanket, mask & warm clothing!
Leader: Phil Boyer – 301-204-5549, philboyer60@gmail.comIdeas on food: bring a picnic breakfast
For SSCC’s rules for safe field tripping during the pandemic click here, and for the SSCC Waiver of Liability, which field trip participants must sign, click here.
CLUB NEWS
SSCC MEMBERS RECEIVE PSA HONORS
GREAT NEWS! Two of our SSCC members, My Phuong Nguyen and Henry Ng, were honored by the Photographic Society of America (PSA) for their outstanding photographic achievements and longtime service to PSA, the world photographic community, and their local photographic community. PSA Honors is one of the most important and sought-after honors for photographers all over the world. There are four levels of PSA Honors: Associate (APSA), Fellow (FPSA), Honorary Membership (HonPSA), and Honorary Fellow (HonFPSA).
My Phuong Nguyen was awarded the APSA and Henry Ng was awarded the highest level of HonFPSA by PSA. Images below are their Honor citations published in the 2020 September issue of the PSA Journal. Only a very small number of PSA members are awarded the PSA Honors each year. It is a great honor for SSCC to have two members receive these awards. It is especially noteworthy that Henry was awarded the highest level of the HonFPSA. In the PSA history, only 40 people have received this award since PSA started its Honors system in 1940. The total number of living Honorary Fellows is limited to twenty-five by PSA rule. Currently, only 6 living persons hold the HonFPSA.
Congratulations to My Phuong and Henry!
COMMUNITY SERVICE FUND
During the COVID-19 pandemic, community service projects have been particularly hard hit. That’s one area where we, as photographers, can help. Did you know our club has a fund specifically created to help support community service projects involving photography?
The George DeBuchananne Community Service Fund honors club member George DeBuchananne who was a passionate proponent of community service. The Fund awards grants that support projects that represent the best ideals of community service through photography. Funds may be used for consumables but not for capital goods. Items like paper, teaching supplies, printing and matting qualify but buying cameras, lenses and printers would not.
You can find all the details and the application form on the club’s website. Recipients of grants will be invited to brief the club at a future club meeting and submit an article for the Cable Release.
We all know the positive impact photography can have. If you’re involved in a community service project that includes a photography component, or know of a project that could use some photography assistance, fill out an application! Turn it in at any club meeting and the fund committee will get back to you within 30 days. Let’s make a difference in our community
Frank Gallagher
FIELD TRIP TO CUNNINGHAM FALLS
On Sunday, October 11, 7 intrepid Club members traveled to Cunningham Falls State Park in Thurmont MD, despite the forecast for rain. The Falls were a trickle, but there was good Fall color and no rain! Below are some photos from the field trip.
BOARD MEETINGS
The SSCC Board met on September 24, 2020. Minutes from this meeting may be found here.
The Board also met on October 22, 2020. Minutes from this meeting will appear in the December Cable Release.
FEATURES
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
MEMBER ARTICLES
MAKE A 2021 CUSTOM MONTH-PER-PAGE PHOTO CALENDAR THE EASY WAY
by John Krout
Editor’s note: While this author is not an SSCC member, we have accepted this unsolicited article that offers helpful tips on making a calendar with your photos, and does not contain any commercial content.
A photo calendar is a great platform for making your photos visible to family and friends on a constant yearlong basis. For most photographers, there are two major stumbling blocks on the road to producing a calendar: creating the actual layout of days, and the cost of physical copies. I have created two different page layouts for a 2021 calendar, with a page for each of the twelve calendar months. In this article you will find out how to obtain the layout files, so you can add your photos to create a complete custom calendar containing your photos. (Read more)
COMPETITION RESULTS
NATURE COMPETITION — OCTOBER 8, 2020
October’s competition was was for projected images only. Ron Ames was our judge that evening. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the competition was held remotely over Zoom.
There were three categories: Advanced Projected, Novice Projected, and, for the first time Beginner Projected. Print competitions are suspended until we start in-person meetings again. Awards for Advanced and Novice 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. For the Beginner category, only Honorable Mentions were awarded.
The Advanced and Novice first place winners, and the first Beginner honorable mention, were then judged for Best in Show, the Joyce Bayley Award. The winner was Lisa Aurbach for Froggie Went a-Courtin’.
ADVANCED PROJECTED
- 1st: Wendy Kates – Through the Arch
- 2nd: David Blass – Pink Lily
- 3rd: Beth Koller – Monkey Business
- HM: Michael Tran – Rays on Ice
- HM: Beth Koller – Clown Tree Frog
- HM: Karen Finkelman – Sunlit Serengeti
First Place ~ Wendy Kates ~ Through the Arch
This is an image of Mesa Arch at Canyonlands National Park. I was struck by not only the interesting shape of the arch but also the lovely, layered landscape of canon and mountains that were visible through the arch. Canon EOS 7D Mark II, 17-55mm f/2.8 lens, ISO 200, 33mm, f/8.0, 1/125s, tripod.
NOVICE PROJECTED
- 1st: Lisa Auerbach – Froggie Went a Courtin’
- 2nd: Michael Hickey – Houda Point
- 3rd: Bruce Schaefer – Lookin’ at You
- HM: Dan Gottlieb – Goldfinches at the Buffet
- HM: Bruce Schaefer – Impending Doom
Honorable Mention ~ Bruce Schaefer ~ Impending Doom
On the same roadtrip, we took a ride on a flatbottom airboat thru the swamps where we saw several alligators. The boat stopped to watch this one approach. Thru the miracles of zoom lens and reticulated viewfinder, I was able to hold the camera at water level and get this shot from probably 30 feet away. I was in no danger, believe me.
BEGINNER PROJECTED
- First HM: Larry Brauer – High in the Sky
- Second HM: Kimberly Keller – Mist
Honorable Mention ~ Larry Brauer ~ High in the Sky
This photo was taken at Lion Country Safari in Palm Beach County, Florida. At this animal park, the installation for the giraffes had a raised platform where visitors could view the animals and feed them. I took this photo from the platform, so I was closer to the giraffe's head than I would have been from the ground. It was early afternoon, so there was lots of light behind the giraffe, and the weather cooperated, with light and dark clouds and rays of sunlight coming through. I took this photo using a Nikon D3400 with an 18 – 55 mm lens set at 52 mm. The exposure settings were ISO 100, aperture f/5.6 and shutter speed 1/4000. I took this photo in color. When I selected it for the competition, I converted it to black and white. I thought this would create a much more effective silhouette, emphasizing the detail on the giraffe and the multiple tones of gray in the clouds.
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. Please let Catherine [ president@ssccphotography.org ] know if you might be interested. This is an opportunity to inspire the learning of club members. In the meantime, we will show some online sources.
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—
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.
CALLS FOR ENTRY
by Dennis Freeman
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 continued 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
