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.
- Sept 2 – Speaker Night (7:30 p.m.)
- Sept 6 – Field Trip! Maryland Renaissance Festival
- Sept 9 – Competition – Open (7:30 p.m.)
- Sept 16 – No meeting – Yom Kippur
- Sept 25 – Field Trip – Patuxent River Wildlife Refuge (10 am)
- Sept 30 – 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
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From our President
Welcome Back!
I hope everyone enjoyed their summer and is ready to participate in our 2021 – 2022 club year. The board and chair positions have been working hard this summer to ensure we have a well-planned and full agenda. Please look in the Cable Release and on our website for updated information. Our updated handbook will help guide you through the year as well. We will be hosting our Thursday Meetings via Zoom until further notice. Please contact membership if you need assistance in joining us on Zoom.
We are currently working on securing a new space to meet in person when it is safe to do so again.,
I would like to introduce our board members. Dennis Freeman is returning as our Vice President, Bruce Schaefer is returning as Treasurer, and I am returning as President. Our directors are Michael Koren, Bob Catlett, and Pete Morton. The position of Secretary is open.
Our current chair positions are as follows: Larry Gold as Competition Chair, Phil Boyer as Field Trip Chair, Norm Bernache is our Historian, Sherm Edwards as Newsletter Editor, Mark Paster is running our website, Renee Schaefer is the Program Chair and is finding our judges, Karen Finkelman is assisting Renee in finding the speakers, and Lisa Auerbach, Marc Auerbach and Andrew Rein are running Membership.
Dave Powell has stepped down administering the former Closer Focus. We will have a new format called Photo Forum and is being hosted on a revolving basis. David Blass, Pete Morton, Dennis Freeman, and Andrew Rein comprise the working group that plans the meeting. This new program has been introduced this summer and has a similar format with discussions, presentations, breakout rooms and photo critiques.
I want to thank all those who participate and volunteer to make this a successful group. We are looking for more help this year. Please consider volunteering some time to help the chair positions and Executive Council.
We added more new members at the end of last year and look forward to meeting new people with our gatherings posted on Meetup. If you are not a member of Meetup, please reach out and we can get you signed up to help let you know what we are doing each week. We are enjoying good turnouts for our various meetings. Karen Finkelman is running our Facebook, so please let her know if you have anything to post.
We have a list of field trips ready, speakers and judges lined up, and competition topics available. Get ready for another exciting year. I look forward to seeing everyone again over the next few weeks!
Catherine
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 via Zoom Videoconference September 2nd – Eddie Kang – Improve Your Photo Skills through Contests and Competitions
Silver Spring Camera Club is pleased to kick off our new season with professional photographer Eddie Kang as our guest speaker.
Tonight’s presentation will focus on several areas that will help demystify the judging process in order to gain insight on how you can improve your skills as a photographer. Some of the topics discussed will be:
- How do I choose which images to submit and how to process them to a competition quality?
- What are the judges looking for in a competition?
- Critical mistakes that can ruin a potentially great image in a competition.
(Read more and see some of Eddie’s images.)
COMPETITION COLUMN
Welcome to the 2021-2022 Silver Spring Camera Club Season. As we try to understand what the upcoming season will look like, the one thing that is certain is that we have a great lineup of speakers and judges. To open our first Zoom competition on September 9, we are proud to have Jeanine Cummins as our judge.
Our September 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, September 2. (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:
- October – Nature Photography
- November – Open
- 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.
JEANINE CUMMINS – JUDGE – SEPTEMBER 9 OPEN COMPETITION
Photography has always been a part of Jeanine’s life even without a camera. She grew up in New York City during the very turbulent period of the 60s and 70s. She was always intrigued by the stories of the black and white photographs of her family. Jeanine studied photographers’ works such as Gordon Parks, Moneta Sleet, Jr., James Van der Zee, as well as the photographers of Life, Ebony, LOOK, and National Geographic magazines. Their works told the stories of the cities, the nation, and the world.
Jeanine’s primary focus in photography is photojournalism and street photography, but she likes the challenge of photographing other genres. That is the beauty of belonging to a camera club because it exposes you to education, inspiration, and growth. Jeanine wants her photographs to reflect an emotion, a mood, and to make you think.
Jeanine is the current President of the Bowie-Crofton Camera Club.
PHOTO FORUM (formerly Closer Focus)
Thursday, Sept. 23, 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:
– What’s on your mind?
– “What makes for good photography? Why do we do this?”
Presentation: “Mirrorless Cameras” by Pete Morton.
Image Sharing: We will have member image sharing with an Open topic. Select your choice of one of two Zoom breakout rooms. Each room will be a bit different from the other.
– Image Evaluation with Dave Powell: Send up to 3 jpg images of up to 1 MB size. Or,
– Image Post Processing (Lightroom and Photoshop) with David Blass: Send 1 image only.
Identify which room you want to be in and send your images to Dennis Freeman before 5:00 p.m., WEDNESDAY, Sept. 22 (dennisfreeman4510@msn.com). We need them the day before the meeting for sorting and distribution.
FIELD TRIP — MARYLAND RENAISSANCE FESTIVAL
Date & Time: Monday, September 6th (Labor Day) at 10.00
Location: Address 1921 Crownsville Rd, Annapolis. Meet at Front Gate.
Leader’s phone number—301-204-5549
No Carpool due to COVID
COVID: Masks required; participants will be required to sign Waiver
Overview: Make believe 15th Century village fair, with King/Queen, hundreds of people in period costumes, games, entertainment, jousting, and general merriment.
Bring: Tripod, walking shoes, and appetite (lots of food and drink).
Leader: Phil Boyer –301-204-5549, philboyer60@gmail.com
Directions
Get on I-495 E in Silver Spring wherever you are
6 mi
US-50 E to Anne Arundel County.
20 m
Take exit 16 for MD-424/Davidsonville Rd toward Davidsonville/Crofton.
0.5 mi
Keep left at the fork, follow signs for MD-424 N
456 ft
Take Rossback Rd, Rutland Rd and MD-450 E to your destination
FIELD TRIP — PATUXENT RESEARCH REFUGE
Date & Time: Saturday, September 25th or Sunday, September 26th at 10.00
Location: South Tract, 10901 Scarlet Tanager LoopLaurel, MD 20708-4027. Meet at Visitor Center
Leader’s phone number—301-204-5549
No Carpool due to COVID
COVID: Masks required; participants will be required to sign Waiver.
Overview: Nature, Wildlife, Birds. The winner of the Nature Competition is just waiting there to be discovered.
Bring: Tripod, BUG SPRAY!! Telephoto, BUG SPRAY!! walking shoes, BUG SPRAY!!
Leader: Phil Boyer – 301-204-5549, philboyer60@gmail.com
Driving Directions
From Washington, D.C.: Take Baltimore/Washington Parkway (Route 295) North, Exit 22 to Powder Mill Road-Beltsville exit. Turn right (east) onto Powder Mill Road and go 2.0 miles. Turn right into Visitor Center entrance (Scarlet Tanager Loop). Go 1.4 miles to Visitor Center Parking area.
DID I MENTION BUG SPRAY??
CLUB NEWS
MEMBERSHIP
Summer is almost over, and we want to remind you about renewing your Silver Spring Camera Club membership.
Renee Schaefer and Karen Finkelman have been busy contacting speakers and judges for our meetings. The Photo Forum team will continue to educate and entertain us with a variety of topics on the third Thursday of each month. Phil Boyer and team have planned field trips that present photographic opportunities.
We welcome you to grow your photography skills and friendships by joining our Zoom meetings and committees. If interested in helping out, we are happy to connect you with the committee chairs who will explain a bit more about their responsibilities. That is an excellent way to feel part of the workings of our club.
As of now we will keep meeting virtually via Zoom. Our plans include a hybrid offering as soon as we feel it is safe to meet in person. Our first competition will be held in September, and your membership must be renewed in order to submit an image. Use the online application to renew. We realize that recent world events have put a financial strain on many of our friends and neighbors. If you are unable to join SSCC because of a financial reason, please contact the membership committee at membership@ssccphotography.org . Your continuing participation is important.
Hopefully, we’ll soon be together in person. Until then, keep shooting, as often as you can.
Lisa Auerbach
Marc Auerbach
Andrew Rein
Membership Chairs
PROGRAMS
Welcome to the start of our new, exciting, but again challenging camera club season. We start this season in pretty much the same way as we ended the last. The pandemic once again looms large, so our meetings including competition night will be brought into our homes via zoom. We do have an entire new list of competition themes and a new group of judges to critique our images. We are very excited by all that this season has to offer.
Renee Schaefer
Karen Finkelman
2021-2022 Camera Club Programs
| Month | Speaker | Topic | Judge | Topic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | Eddie Kang | Elevate your Skill through Competition | Jeanine Cummins | Open |
| October | Joe Newman | Focus on the Story | Lori Lankford | Nature |
| November | Hazel Meredith | Creativity with your Smart Phone | Ron Pfeiffer | Open |
| December | Lewis Katz | From Capture to Print:The Art of Black and White Photography | Roz Kleffman | Strong Emotion |
| January | Elizabeth Gray | Using Exposure Creatively | Wayne Wolfersberger | Open |
| February | Arik Gorban | Infrared Photography | Denise Silva | High or Low Key |
| March | Connie Imboden | Survey of her 35-Year Project | Ed Palaszynski | Open |
| April | Nik Stover | Technique, Vision and Processing Landscape | Mark Van Bergh | Geometric Shapes and Patterns |
| May | Ron Wyatt | Sports Photography | Jerry Taylor | Monochrome |
FIELD TRIPS
Each month, the Club typically organizes at least one field trip for members to shoot together. This is a great opportunity to learn from other members and shake yourself out of a photographic rut, a no-pressure opportunity to experiment with your photography and enjoy the company of fellow club members. When possible, field trips end with a group lunch.
The COVID pandemic put a crimp in our Field Trip style, but we were able to meet outdoors for much of the last Club season. For the 2021-2022 season, the Club is continuing its tradition while continuing to adjust for life under COVID. We have scheduled outdoor Field Trips for the Fall of 2021: the Maryland Renaissance Festival, Patuxent Research Refuge, the Rockville Antique and Classic Car Show, the Sultana Downrigging Festival in Chestertown MD, Summit Point Motorsports Park in West Virginia, and holiday lights in Annapolis and Frederick MD. For the remainder of the season (January-May) and into the summer, we have a number of proposed locations, both inside and outside. In order to consider the ongoing impact of COVID, no decision on additional trips will be made before November. In order to ensure the safety of members, the following COVID Rules have been implemented for all Field Trips:
- Club will not arrange car pools
- RSVP required to Leader
- MASK WEARING INDOORS AT ALL TIMES IS STRICTLY MANDATORY
- Appropriate social distancing is required
- Hand sanitizer will be provided; use is strongly encouraged.
- Participants must complete online COVID checklist prior to trip; any COVID symptoms precludes Attendance;
- Field Trip Leader has sole discretion over safety precautions
- PRACTICE SAFE BEHAVIOR
- Participants must sign COVID Waiver of Liability (if you get COVID, you won’t hold club liable)
Phil Boyer
BOARD MEETINGS
The SSCC Board met on April 29, May 27, and July 29. Minutes from these meetings are at the following links:
April 29 Board Meeting
May 27 Board Meeting
July 29 Board Meeting
FEATURES
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
MEMBER ARTICLES
HO-HUM FOR HUMMERS — MY SUMMER PROJECT PHOTOGRAPHING HUMMINGBIRDS
By Ilona Linnoila
In late July and early August I started enjoying my morning coffee next to the hummingbird feeder. My place is on a mountain in South Central Pennsylvania and this was the second summer that I had a feeder. Like many others, I was soon captivated by the regimented habits of these very lively creatures. The regularity of them flying to the feeder, drinking nectar intensely, pulling back, hovering in the air before drinking again was amazing. Even when taking off, they tended to head sitting on a very same perch time after time. All this encouraged me to pull out my camera and try to take pictures – albeit I also saw the lightning speed of their moves rushing around. I could only hear the soft fluttering sound of their wings, without visually distinguishing any details. In this report I will share my delight and some photography information.
COMPETITION RESULTS
MONOCHROME COMPETITION – MAY 14
May’s competition was was for Monochrome projected images only. Mary Louise Ravese was our judge that evening. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the competition was held remotely using the Zoom tool.
There were three categories: Advanced Projected (i.e. digital images), Novice Projected, and Beginner Projected. 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.
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1st Place: Kent Mason ~ Forest Light
2nd Place: Sherm Edwards ~ Final Rest
3rd Place: Kent Mason ~ River Fishing
HM: Bob Catlett ~ Air Force Memorial
HM: Kate Woodward ~ Shadow Drama NYC
HM: Frank Gallagher ~ Sea Stack
Kent Mason ~ Forest Light
On a cool misty morning on the side of Canaan Mountain, which is adjacent to Canaan Valley West Virginia, God beams appeared as the mist rose and the sun began to appear. This was a very difficult shot. Lighting was a real challenge because of the extreme contrast. Also wind was a factor. I took many shots. This one is one half second at F 16 with an ISO of 400. Was using a Canon 5D Mark II with a 24-105mm lens set at 65 mm.
NOVICE PROJECTED
1st Place: Diane Sanders ~ New River Bridge
2nd Place: Cheryle Galloway ~ Piano Keys
3rd Place: Maude Svensson ~ Wild Water
HM: Maude Svensson ~ Lars Hiking
HM: Ilona Linnolla ~ Tracks at Sunset
HM: Larry Brauer ~ Zebra Glass
Diane Sanders ~ New River Gorge Bridge
This photo of the New River Gorge Bridge was taken from the catwalk, a narrow steel plank that runs the length of the bridge, underneath the road's surface. You can look straight down through the steel beams at the gorge and the river, 850 feet below. It's a spectacular view. While walking across you are thankfully hooked into a harness. I used my Nikon D300, at 28mm, F5.6 at 1/30s, ISO 400. In addition to cropping and general editing, I used Nik control points to emphasize the dramatic structure, and the lines leading toward the light at the end of the walk.
BEGINNER PROJECTED
HM: Miriam Struck ~ Close to Home
HM: Cathy Faughnan ~ Stormy Beach
Miriam Struck ~ Close to Home
Shadow Play was taken in the early days of the pandemic with a Canon Rebel EOS T6 18-55 mm lens. I had observed over a few days, that just before sunset, the light cast a shadow of the lavender I placed in a vase. The shadow represented my mood during the uncertainty of the events of that time. There was a feeling of dread, of fear of the unknown. Isolating myself in my home was comforting and frightening at the same time. When I captured the image, I felt desolation but also hope. It occurred to me that perhaps others felt the same. We were all in this together and yet separated.
END OF THE YEAR COMPETITION FOR 2019-2020: JUNE 10, 2021
The End of the Year Competition winners represent the independent judging of member-selected projected from monthly club competitions in the 2020-2021 season, in two categories: Advanced Projected and Novice Projected. Awards are given for first, second, and third place, and multiple honorable mentions – the number of awards depends on the total number of entries in the category. Two special awards are usually given as well: the Len Tuchin Award for Best in Show, and the Joyce Bayley Award for Best in Show, Nature.
This year there were no Print competitions, and no prints were judged in the End of Year Competition, due to the pandemic.
We were privileged to have Doug Johnson return to the Silver Spring Camera Club as our end of season judge. Photographers of the Year are awarded in the categories of Advanced Prints, Novice Prints, Advanced Projected, and Novice Projected for the members that earn the most points during the year in those categories.
Star Awards for Photographic Excellence are given to members that earn multiples of 35 points.
For members that achieve 200, 400, or 800 points earned in competition, the designation of Master, Grand Master, and Hall of Fame is awarded, respectively.
A Service Award is given to the member receiving the most board votes recognizing service to the club during the year.
The End of the Year Competition winners represent the independent judging of member-selected projected from monthly club competitions in the 2020-2021 season, in two categories: Advanced Projected and Novice Projected. Awards are given for first, second, and third place, and multiple honorable mentions – the number of awards depends on the total number of entries in the category. Two special awards are usually given as well: the Len Tuchin Award for Best in Show, and the Joyce Bayley Award for Best in Show, Nature.
This year there were no Print competitions, and no prints were judged in the End of Year Competition, due to the pandemic.
We were privileged to have Doug Johnson return to the Silver Spring Camera Club as our end of season judge. Photographers of the Year are awarded in the categories of Advanced Prints, Novice Prints, Advanced Projected, and Novice Projected for the members that earn the most points during the year in those categories.
Star Awards for Photographic Excellence are given to members that earn multiples of 35 points.
For members that achieve 200, 400, or 800 points earned in competition, the designation of Master, Grand Master, and Hall of Fame is awarded, respectively.
A Service Award is given to the member receiving the most board votes recognizing service to the club during the year.
There is also a recognition to members with five or more years of club membership, the Milestone Award.
YEAR-END COMPETITION WINNERS
NOVICE PROJECTED
1st: Maude Svensson ~ Helmi
2nd: Larry Brauer ~ Paris Fountains
3rd: Diane Sanders ~ New River Bridge
HM: Andrew Rein ~ Swing Now
HM: Kim Keller ~ Pride of Baltimore
HM: Will Rabinovich ~ Highline View
HM: Ilona Linnoila ~ Social Distancing
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1st: Beth Koller ~ Love Thy Neighbor
2nd: Sherm Edwards ~ Yellowstone in Winter
3rd: Kate Woodward ~ Leaf Study
HM: Larry Gold ~ The Kiss
HM: Renee Schaefer ~ Isolation
HM: David Blass ~ Pink Lily
HM: Beth Koller ~ The Maestro
LEN TUCHIN AWARD: BEST IN SHOW
Maude Svensson for “Helmi”
JOYCE BAYLEY AWARD: BEST IN SHOW, NATURE
Lisa Auerbach for “Froggie Went a Courtin’ “
This award is given in October at the end of our annual nature competition. The winner is chosen by the judge among the four 1st place winners.
PHOTOGRAPHERS OF THE YEAR
Certificates for the most points earned in a given category this club year. Ties are broken by the most first place awards during the year.
- NOVICE PROJECTED: Kim Keller with 19 points
- ADVANCED PROJECTED: Wendy Kates with 21 points
PHOTOGRAPHIC EXCELLENCE AWARDS (STAR AWARDS)
These awards are based on the total number of points a member accumulates. For each 35 points earned:
- FIRST STAR AWARD: Doug Finstad
- FIRST STAR AWARD: Catherine Honigsberg
- FIRST STAR AWARD: James Ragucci
- FIRST STAR AWARD: Andrew Rein
- SECOND STAR AWARD: Wendy Kates
- SECOND STAR AWARD: Renee Schaefer
- FOURTH STAR AWARD: Kate Woodward
MASTER / GRAND MASTER / HALL OF FAME
Given for achieving 200/400/800 points earned in competition, respectively.
No winners this year.
MILESTONE AWARDS (YEARS OF CLUB MEMBERSHIP)
- 5 years: Doug Finstad
- 5 years: Pete Morton
- 5 years: Wendy Kates
- 5 years: Sherm Edwards
- 10 years: David Blass
- 10 years: Elise Shurie
- 10 years: Frank Gallagher
- 20 years: Bob Peters
- 25 years: Kent Mason
SERVICE AWARD 2020 – 2021
- David Powell for his excellent work on the A Closer Focus meetings.
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 armchair adventurer and gallery-hopper will return next month.
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
