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 4 – Speaker Night (7:30 p.m.)
- Nov 11 – Competition – Open (7:30 p.m.)
- Nov 18 – Photo Forum (7:30 p.m.)
- Nov 20 – Field Trip! – Summit Point Raceway, WV (10:00 a.m.)
- Nov 25 – Board Meeting- (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 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, and NEW NEXT MONTH! LETTERS TO THE CR EDITOR: appreciation of other members’ articles, photos, contributions to the Club. Let’s reach out to each other as we remain physically separated by the pandemic.
DEADLINE: BY NOVEMBER 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS
MEETING LOCATION
All meetings will be online by Zoom teleconference until further notice. We are hopeful of being able to meet in person again before this Club year is over.
SPEAKER NIGHT WITH HAZEL MEREDITH – CREATIVITY WITH YOUR SMART PHONE
Our November speaker is Hazel Meredith, who will discuss some of her favorite apps for creative smart phone processing for both iPhone and Android platforms. Learn how you can use these apps to take your creative post processing to the next level. Hazel Meredith is an award-winning photographer and a sought-after teacher, speaker, and competition judge. She began teaching in 2007, and now does seminars at camera clubs and conferences across the U.S. – both in-person and virtual. She offers her own workshops and webinars and has also done webinars for several software companies.
(Read more and see some of Hazel’s images.)
COMPETITION COLUMN
Our November 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, 4. (One important detail – In order to participate in the competition, you must pay the club’s annual dues before the start of the competition.)
Here’s the schedule for the remainder of the year:
- December – Strong Emotion
- January – Open
- February – High or Low Key
- March – Open
- April – Patterns or Geometric Forms
- May – Monochrome Photography
- June – End of Year Competition (special rules apply)
Please refer to the website link for the definition of each topic.
RON PEIFFER – JUDGE – NOVEMBER 11 OPEN COMPETITION
Ron Peiffer is a Maryland photographer based in Severna Park. He retired from the Maryland State Department of Education as a Deputy State Superintendent in 2011 and has been involved in several Maryland photography organizations since then. He is the Vice President for Contests for Arundel Camera Club, Vice President of the Creative Photography Society of Baltimore, and Member-at-Large for the Maryland Photography Alliance (MPA). Ron’s work can be viewed at his website, www.ronpfeiffer.com. If you wish to reach him, his email is Ron@ronpeiffer.com. (Read more)
PHOTO FORUM
Thursday, November 18, 2021 from 7:30 p.m. – after 9:00 p.m.
“Photo Forum” is our monthly opportunity to share ideas, images, questions, and inspirations on a wide variety of photographic topics.
This is an online event. We will meet using Zoom – look for the meeting link in an email and via Meetup.
Open Forum Discussions:
Half an hour will be an open forum discussing your photography thoughts:
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- What’s on your mind?
- What do you think about our competition types? i.e. the balance of Opens vs Themes? Other comments?
Presentation:
Pete Morton and David Blass will discuss and demonstrate the big new changes in Lightroom and Photoshop. They will select a few of the images you send in this month. If you want yours to be considered, send them in by Thursday, November 11th (one week early)
Image Sharing:
We will have member image sharing. You can send anything you want!
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- Image Evaluation: Send up to 3 jpg images of up to 1 MB size.
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Send your images to Dennis Freeman before 5:00 p.m., WEDNESDAY, Nov. 17 (dennisfreeman4510@msn.com). If you send them by Nov 11 they will be considered for inclusion in the Presentation, above.
This is expected to be a great evening of sharing and learning. What topics would you like to explore? Topics can be wide ranging, such as photo book reviews, an aspect of your own photography that you’d like to share, reviews or discussion of shows, photo gear, software, etc.
Please join us for a fun and educational evening!
P. S. We are moving the topic previously announced for Image Sharing “3 Images that Relate to each other in Some Way and Make each other More Meaningful” to December, so keep working on those!
FIELD TRIP – SUMMIT POINT RACEWAY
Date & Time: Saturday November 20
Location/Address/Link: Summit Point Motorsports Park, 201 Motorsports Park Circle, Summit Point W VA 25446
Location/time: 10.00 a.m. at track entrance; say you are with the Sliver Spring Camera Club (they will be expecting us)
Directions to site:
- Take 270 to 70 West. Use the right 2 lanes to take exit 32 to merge onto I-70 W toward Hagerstown
- Take exit 52 to merge onto US-15 S/US-340 W Continue to follow US-340 W Passing through Virginia Entering West Virginia
- Turn right to merge onto US-340 S/WV-9 E toward Berryville VA/Leesburg VA
- Follow US-340 S, Huyett Rd and Summit Point Rd to Motorsports Park Cir in Summit Point
Overview: Vintage Racing Group Annual Turkey Bowl –a series of car races with vintage (60s—70s) race cars on a hot rod track.
Safety: Masks mandatory. Drive safely over mountain roads! Reflector Jackets recommended for shooting near track.
Leader: Phil Boyer – 301-204-5549
Ideas on lunch: Food at Track
Lodging Info provided by Track:
Hampton Inn & Suites
157 Pimlico Drive
Charles Town, WV 25414
304-725-2200
Hillbrook Inn
4490 Summit Point Rd.
Charles Town, WV 25414
304-725-4223
CLUB NEWS
The SSCC Board met on September 30 and October 28, 2021. Minutes from the September meeting may be found here. October’s minutes will appear in the December Cable Release.
FIELD TRIP TO FELLS POINT, BALTIMORE
There was a good turnout for the field trip to Fells Point on October 16. Attendees enjoyed a beautiful day and a variety of urban photographic subjects.
CLUB MEMBERS ATTEND PSA PHOTO FESTIVAL
Club members Ilona Linnoila and Sherm Edwards bumped into each other at the Fort Hays Old West Town and Dinner Show in the Black Hills of South Dakota in early October. It wasn’t as much of a coincidence as it might seem, as the occasion was the first field trip of PSA’s annual Photo Festival, held in Rapid City. Several other Club members had planned to attend, but were deterred by COVID. Both Ilona and Sherm enjoyed several other field trips during the week; Ilona even went to some sessions. See some of their photo memories below.
PHOTOGRAPHERS’ WORDS OF WISDOM
Larry Brauer suggested including in the CR a quote or two from this site: https://photographylife.com. Here’s one the editor likes:
“To consult the rules of composition before making a picture is a little like consulting the law of gravitation before going for a walk.” ~ Edward Weston
FEATURES
IT FELT LIKE OLD TIMES!
By Bruce Schaefer
It was chilly till the sun came out. Then it was chilly again. Then the sun came out again. But under the shelter it was all sunshine, as 31 Clubbers came out of hiding and renewed acquaintance, several for the first time.
The occasion was a picnic held in a local park in Bel Pre that carried on the tradition of our indoor fall socials in pre-covid days. People exchanged food, hugs, pictures, laughs, and stories, and for several hours put the pandemic behind.
Photography was in the air. New member John Diehl showed some amazing pics of his light-painting experiments; he promises to show them on a 3rd Thursday. Sheryl Adams showed some of her pictures of the street art and mural scene in DC, Wheaton, and Kensington – which surprised some of us from Wheaton and Kensington. Ilona Linnoila regaled folks with her initiation to the program Lightroom. The program asked her if she wanted it to catalog her images. She clicked Yes, and her computer started humming. Then it became very hot. It got so hot, in fact, she gathered a fire extinguisher to put by her bed when she retired that nite. In the morning, LR had cataloged 33,000 images.
And Anne Golfer’s captures of local flora and fauna have earned her a star in the sidewalk of Facebook; she is talking with them about a byline and residuals.
Dave Powell brought some fotos from his archives of State Dept. assignments in the 70s. Valerie Brisset, newcomer to DMV and SSCC, was impressed by the images of homeless children in various countries, and Afghanistan before it descended into hell.
Members have been on the move. Karen Finkelman had just returned from a sortie into NYC and was next off on a photography tour of Mystic CT and New England. Will Rabinovich reported that fall colors are now coming into peak in Gettysburg. Dave and Karen Blass returned from a family visit to Ithaca; en route they explored a major animal preserve, long lenses ready. But apparently, “No one told the animals.” The Schaefers made a sweep thru the beach towns of DE and MD, ending in a drive thru Black Water Wildlife Area where they saw 2 bald eagles. Renee reports, “My life is now complete.” The birds were less cooperative; the pictures show mostly the backs of their heads.
Lisa and Marc Auerbach had just returned from a jaunt to Pittsburgh and reported amazing things to photograph there. Turns out, Miriam Struck and spouse Scott are from P’burgh and maybe there’s a field trip opportunity here. So that just maaaay happen next spring.
Coping with downtime under covid was covered too. Discussing what to watch on tv these days. Phil Boyer, Scott Casavant, and Catherine Honigsberg agreed some of the best series come from UK: Vera and Midsommer Murders were among their nominees. Grandchildren were a common distraction: Andy Rein blamed his late arrival on protracted negotiations with his 2-year old grandgirl. Bruce Schaefer noted that we get more babysitting opportunities with runny-nose grandkids now because you can’t send them off to school that way anymore.
About 3 pm, people started to wrap up and go home. But the energy level was high and there were many departing requests that we do this again soon. Weather-willing, there’s a good chance that it will happen.
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
AWARD CEREMONY FOR THE MPA 5TH ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
The Maryland Photography Alliance (MPA) cordially invites you to attend a “live” virtual event. On Sunday, November 14, 2021, at 7:00 PM EST, the award winners from the MPA 5th Annual Photography Contest will be announced. Not only will you see phenomenal images from the 514 submissions, but you will also hear commentary on the award winners from the three nationally known judges – Eileen Rafferty, Charles Needle and Mollie Isaacs. All three judges were speakers on MPA’s “Artist Spotlight” series and are acclaimed photographers.This event is FREE; however, you must register to attend.
Register today at: www.mdphotoalliance.org/artistspotlight (scroll down).
If you have any questions contact MPA at mpa@mdphotoalliance.org.
MEMBER ARTICLES
Editor’s note: It takes considerable effort (and maybe some courage) to put together an article for the Cable Release. If you find something in an article that inspires, intrigues, or informs you, let the author know if you can. You can also send your reactions in a “Letter to the (CR) Editor.” Starting with December’s issue, we will add this feature (if we get any) to the CR. Send to cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
INSPIRED BY ROBERT HEINECKEN
by Charlie Farmer
Even with the ubiquity of Photoshop and other manipulative products, I have generally clung to the idea that the photograph should accurately represent reality—document an event, tell a story, catch the decisive moment, etc. Perhaps I am still stuck in the sixties. But taking a cue from Heinecken, I am trying to explore a broader concept of photography. I embarked on several photographic experiments that attempt to synthesize and to create objects with “intrinsic worlds of their own.” So, in order to recognize the impact of this pioneering photographer I have titled my exhibit “Inspired by Robert Heinecken.”
Read the whole article and check out the links here.
COMPETITION RESULTS
NATURE COMPETITION – OCTOBER 14, 2021
October’s competition was Nature, for projected images only. Lori Lankford was our judge. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the competition was held remotely over Zoom.
There were two categories judged: Advanced Projected (i.e. digital images) and Novice Projected. No Beginner Projected images were submitted. The 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.
See an image that speaks to you? Let the photographer know next chance you have!
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1st Place and Joyce Bailey Award winner: Wendy Kates ~ Savoring Nectar
2nd Place: David Blass ~ Green Stripes
3rd Place: David Terao ~ Jumping Spider in a Dahlia
HM: Michael Tran ~ Hungry Hummingbird
HM: Michael Tran ~ Sandhill Crane Feeding
HM: Renee Schaefer ~ Sunlit Leaf
Renee Schaefer ~ Sunlit Leaf
This image was taken with my Sony A6300 at Kenilworth Gardens this summer. I used my new 70-350 Sony G lens. We were there in late morning. It was a bit past prime time for catching the lotus blossoms, but we did see many birds including a green heron. Although the lotus blossoms looked a bit tired, the leaves were amazing. I was intrigued by the intricacies of the leaves and as the sun shone through them, they became even more interesting. At home I converted it to black & white and worked on emphasizing the sunlight as it came through the leaf and darkening the edges of the leaf a bit. The leaf was surrounded by other greenery, so I just converted everything but this leaf into a black background.
NOVICE PROJECTED
1st Place: Kim Keller ~ Barn Swallows
2nd Place: Larry Brauer ~ Awaiting the Storm
3rd Place: Will Rabinovich ~ Dogwood in Spring
HM: Anne Golfer ~ Red Leaves
HM: Kim Keller ~ Foxes
Kim Keller ~ Foxes
COURSES, CALLS FOR ENTRY, AND EXHIBITS
PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES AND WORKSHOPS
Needed: Someone to author the Classes and Workshop List for the 2021-2022 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.
Check out Roy Sewall’s (past Club speaker and judge) newsletter here.
Thanks to Joe Willmore from the Shutterbug Excursions Meetup group for this list:
- CreativeLive: (not local but very popular and when I reached out for resources, several of our previous presenters mentioned this). https://www.creativelive.com
- Capital Photography Center: With both virtual and in-person classes, this is a popular resource locally. https://capitalphotographycenter.com
- Art League (located in the Torpedo Factory): Both in-person and virtual classes. https://www.theartleague.org/classes/
- Arts of Great Falls (I’m a photography instructor here): Both in-person and virtual classes. https://greatfallsart.org/school-of-art/
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
Ansel Adams exhibit in Richmond VA September 25, 2021 – January 2, 2022
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond invites you to behold the drama and splendor of the American landscape as seen through the lens of photographer Ansel Adams. In Ansel Adams: Compositions in Nature, more than 70 photographs spanning over five decades showcase the breathtaking vistas, beguiling details, and inimitable style that define this most beloved and influential photographer. Considering Adams as artist, environmentalist, and musician, the exhibition includes iconic images, rarely seen early photographs, and musical recordings that also take you behind the camera.
https://www.vmfa.museum/exhibitions/exhibitions/ansel-adams-compositions-nature/
Man Ray exhibit in Richmond VA October 30, 2021 – February 21, 2022
Organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and curated by Michael Taylor, VMFA’s Chief Curator and Deputy Director for Art and Education, Man Ray: The Paris Years is timed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Man Ray’s arrival in the French capital. The exhibition includes more than 100 portraits of such cultural luminaries as Kay Boyle, André Breton, Jean Cocteau, Marcel Duchamp, Ernest Hemingway, Miriam Hopkins, Aldous Huxley, James Joyce, Méret Oppenheim, Pablo Picasso, Alice Prin (Kiki de Montparnasse), Elsa Schiaparelli, Erik Satie, and Gertrude Stein. Man Ray’s portraits went beyond merely recording outward appearances and instead captured the essence of his sitters as creative individuals and documented the collective nature and character of Les Années folles (the crazy years) of Paris between the two world wars. https://www.vmfa.museum/exhibitions/exhibitions/man-ray-paris-years/
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
