CHESTER COUNTY CAMERA CLUB
MEETING NOTES - SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
Rhoads Building ~ Chester County Hospital
Meeting - Bob Kelly introduced himself as the new Chester County Camera Club president for the 2016-2017 calendar year. He described the CCCC as a community of photographers who share a passion for photography. The club is all about helping its members reach their full photographic potential.
Pre-Meeting - Many thanks go to Dick Greenwood who presented “Why Compete” to the camera club members for monthly photo competitions. Bob Lott discussed how to upload and submit digital images to a competition and/or club outing. Jim Samisen explained how to submit print images to the competition. Members can find additional information on the website here: http://cccameraclub.org/Competitions/SubmitImageToCompetition.aspx#no-back-button
Introduction - Steering Committee
Vice President - Richard Donham
Treasurer - Helen Wagner
Secretary - Stephanie Vacek
Membership - Virginia Apostolacus
Members at Large - Jennifer Gidaro & Arvid Bloom
Past President - Betsy Wilson
WebMaster - Bob Lott
Competitions - Richard Greenwood
New members and guests ~ There were several new guests/members at tonight’s meeting. Bob reminded them to pick up a welcome packet before leaving or download the welcome packet from the website (under Club Information | Documents and Files to Download
Introduction - Committee Chairs and Coordinators - Bob thanked all of the members who have offered to volunteer on various camera club committees. He asked some of the committee coordinators to give a brief summary of current activities.
EDUCATION GROUP
* Anita Bower (on behalf of Nancy Cordaro) - Members Forum coordinator - Anita told the club what was scheduled for the pre-meeting agenda in the upcoming year. Some favorites from past years will be back, such as the members critique and Show us your Best Shot. They will be introducing a few new programs including:
- Inside the Photographer's Studio – where members will share stories about their photography and approaches.
- How Did You do That – Where a member will share secrets on how they produced a spectacular image
- Tips on how to shoot for some competition themes.
* Richard Donham - Monthly Program coordinator - Richard hopes that the club members enjoy the speakers and competition judges. If there are any complaints, he would appreciate it if the members would let him know directly.
* Wayne Dixon - Workshops coordinator - Club members will have a means of learning and increasing their knowledge of photography through hands-on workshops. Suggested workshop ideas are matting & framing, color calibration, technique potpourri, portrait techniques, lighting/flash photography, Photoshop or Lightroom. Jim Samanen, Jim Wilson, Dick Greenwood, Peter Guman and Steve William have volunteered to participate on the committee in the 2016-2017 year.
* Peter Guman - Peter has begun a photo book lending library. Members can go on the website to either borrow or lend a book. Login first, then go to: Club Information | Discussion Forums. Then look for the CCCC Book Lending Library forum.
* Ginia Apostolacus - Ginia is assembling a roster of mentors and mentees to match up members for learning purposes. This may be especially useful for new members as well as others who want to expand their knowledge of other areas of photography.
COMPETITION GROUP
* Dick Greenwood - Judge coordinator
* Erik Loken - Digital Projections coordinator - Erik needs another club member to assist him.
* Helen Wagner - Awards coordinator - Helen is currently the Awards coordinator; however, due to her busy schedule as Treasurer and Community Outreach coordinator, the club is searching for another member to serve as Awards coordinator.
PHOTOGRAPHER DEVELOPMENT
* Howard Sundwall - Outings Coordinator - see below
* Mary Brooks Brown & Pat Shorten - Summer Shoot coordinators - Mary & Pat have done an outstanding job with the summer challenges and they receive rave reviews every year. They are retiring from their years-long duties and are in search of new members to fill their shoes.
* Jim Samanen - Print Critique coordinator.
* Tom Pepe - Digital Critique Coordinator - FaceBook
OUTREACH GROUP
* Helen Wagner - Community Outreach coordinator - This committee will offer ways to share CCCC members passion for photography with the community, to increase knowledge and appreciation for all forms of photography, its history and its future.
The first significant event that the CCCC is planning to participate in is with the Penn State Great Valley Program. The topic is “Photography as Art… Through the Lenses of Chester County Photographers.” The CCCC will sponsor a photo exhibition and presentations to a captive audience in mid-February. All members who are interested in being a presenter, please let Helen know by October 15. The photo exhibition will run from early February through the beginning of May.
The club will also look to provide complimentary photography services to needy local community groups who cannot afford professional photographic services.
* Luis Morales - Club Exhibits - see below
* Betsy Wilson & Carol DeGuiseppi - Publicity
Club Outings ~ Howard Sundwall
* Sunday, 9/25 - Brandywine Polo Club - 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm. This is a great way to kick off the 2016-2017 calendar year with fellow photography friends! Polo is a unique, fast moving sport with the potential for dramatic stop-action photography. Additionally, the polo scene off the field is rich in visually appealing details and subjects. Join us for the Sunday Matches, the Brandywine Polo Club's weekly event in Kennett Square. Spectators can get right up to the sidelines so get a good spot and be ready to capture the action! Tailgating is also customary at the matches, so bring a picnic lunch, bring some wine or beer and some folding chairs and make a day of it! Matches start at 3:00 pm on Sunday and admission is $10 pp. Stay tuned for further details. http://cccameraclub.org/Club/Events_view.aspx?Eventid=faf1ac1c-c442-4e80-995a-913510d78d92
* Saturday, 12/3 - New York City - 7:30 am - 11:30 pm. Howard Sundwall has planned another outstanding bus trip to the Big Apple this December. The plan is to make this a walking trip in midtown Manhattan ~ Times Square, 42nd Street, Grand Central Station and the New York Public Library as well as anything else in-between! The grand finale will include a night shoot of Manhattan from Brooklyn. We will travel via Krapf’s Luxury Bus for this all-day trip. Seats will be limited, so please get your name and check for $69/person to Howard Sunwall ASAP. More details to follow. http://cccameraclub.org/Club/Events_view.aspx?Eventid=52256590-4642-4505-987b-c845fa4ff7ff
Club Exhibits ~ Luis Morales, Fiona Keyes & Helen Wagner ~ The next rotation at the Exton Library begins on Sunday, 10/2/16. If you are interested in exhibiting, please email either Luis Morales (lamoi812@yahoo.com) or Fiona Keyes (fkimages@comcast.net) by September 23rd.
The time to drop off photos at the library will be Sunday, October 2nd at 10:30am. This is a wonderful opportunity for members to learn the ins and outs of exhibiting, show off you work to the public, and perhaps even sell a few items.
Please see the Exhibit Guidelines for 2016 first, on our website (http://cccameraclub.org/d/fabfa8f0-49e3-40e5-9671-819a6440a9dd) (be sure to login). Some of the guidelines have changed in the past year or so, expanding the type of framing allowed.
Other Initiatives
Some other initiatives or programs under considerations include:
- Review of Competitions, Input from members will be sought
- Video training by members teaching members
- Video of presentations to post online
- Use discussion Forums more for club communications
Pitch for more print entries - Bob Kelly is trying to encourage more camera club members to enter prints in the CCCC photo competitions this year. He is asking all members to set a goal of entering at least 1 more image this year than they did last year.
Next Competition ~ Tuesday, September 27 - The assigned category is “Curves”. Guest judge is Bob Lyons.
Tonight’s Speaker is R. Andrew Hoff - Guest speaker, R. Andrew Hoff presented "Calculated Composition; from Basic to Advanced Concepts.”
For over thirty years, R. Andrew Hoff has been honing his photography skills; for the last ten he's been sharing what he has learned with fellow photography enthusiasts. The bulk of his color work features architecture, nature and landscapes with an analytical eye for abstraction within the design, color harmony, and the geometry of the image. Andrew's B&W work highlights the strong dynamics of positive and negative space in composition. Believing your knowledge base expands the more you share it, Andrew has presented a variety of educational programs for novice and experienced photographers. Andrew has a degree in Communications-Journalism and resides in York County, Pennsylvania. Most recently, he taught photography at the Mechanicsburg Art Center. He has been asked to critique and jury images for numerous competitions in Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and South Carolina. Mr. Hoff has showcased his work in solo and group exhibitions, regional, national and international juried shows, private collections, and published publications.
Minutes submitted by Stephanie Vacek, Secretary