SILVER SPRING CAMERA CLUB
KEY INFORMATION
The Silver Spring Camera Club (SSCC) comprises a diverse group of individuals passionately dedicated to the pursuit of photographic excellence. We believe the best method of
understanding the art of photography is through education and the sharing of ideas. For over 60
years SSCC has maintained a high standard of integrity and quality. Our reputation as the
friendliest club in the metropolitan area is the basis of our success. We welcome new members
of all ages and skill levels who share our interest in photography.
Meetings
The club meets on the first four Thursday nights of each month from September through May of
each year. All regular meetings are held at Silver Spring United Methodist Church, 8900
Georgia Ave., Silver Spring. We meet in the Fellowship Hall. An annual banquet is held at a
local venue in mid-June.
Speaker Meetings
Guest Speaker Meetings are held on the first Thursday of each month from 7:30-9:30 p.m. A
speaker, usually a professional photographer, will deliver an illustrated talk on some aspect of
photography.
Competitions
Competitions are held on the second Thursday of each month from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Depending on the number of images to be judged, competitions may end later. Images may be
entered in Advanced or Novice classes, in categories of print or projected digital images.
Seminar Night
The third Thursday meetings will be a mixture of “hands on” workshops in photo techniques
conducted by visiting experts or advanced SSCC members and an open discussion among
members about photographic topics. Meetings are held from 7:30-9:30 p.m.
Board Meeting
The fourth Thursday of each month will be a Board Meeting. The agenda will be circulated
before the meeting, and all members are welcome to come and contribute. As with the other
meetings, we begin at 7:30 p.m.
Field Trips
One field trip is held every month on a Saturday during the club year. Most trips are to sites in
and around the Washington, DC, area, although we occasionally visit locations in Baltimore,
West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Please check the Cable Release or the SSCC
website (http://www.ssccphotography.org/) or contact the Field Trip chairperson for more
information.
History
The Silver Spring Camera Club began in the fall of 1950 when about 50 people attended an
open meeting for anyone interested in forming a Camera Club. The stated purpose of the Club
was “to provide an opportunity for people with a mutual interest in photography to share their
experiences and common knowledge.” The charter membership was about 60. Twenty-one
years later in 1971 the membership stood at 150, and new applicants were placed on a waiting
list.
Over the years the Club had held its regular meetings in a camera store, various community
center clubrooms, a recreation center, a high school, and several libraries. It usually had two
meetings a month. Up until 1975, there were only two categories for the competitions: color
slides and monochrome prints. In 1976, four print meetings included a color print competition.
By 1983, every print competition included color prints for both novice and advanced classes.
The slide competitions have remained basically the same, except that the number of allowed
slide entries was reduced from three to two in 1982 due to the large number of entries. In 2008
the slide category was changed to digital projected. The Club recently reviewed its competition
rules, and beginning in 2014-15, there are two categories for each competition: digital projected
image and prints. Members can enter up to two images (monochrome or color) in each
category.
The original “workshops” consisted of short 15-minute presentations given by members at the
beginning of each main meeting “to provide an exchange of information and first-hand
experience on photographic techniques and materials.” (The name was changed to “short-shorts” in 1970; and then to “mini-workshops.”) In the mid-1960s “study groups” met monthly,
first for color slides and later for monochrome prints. These were joined by the New Directions
Workshop in 1981, and a few years later by the Composition and Presentation Workshop. Also
in the 1980s, there was a View Camera Group, a Creative Workshop, and two one-year
workshops on the Fine Print and Retouching. In the 1990s, we added a workshop on Computer
Imaging.
From the very beginning, SSCC was a member of the Photographic Society of America (PSA).
This provided an opportunity for members to exhibit their work in the Print and Slide Circuits in
the U.S. and around the world. Through the years, SSCC has arranged exhibits of members’
work in a variety of locations throughout the Washington, DC area. Club members have also
participated in the competitions sponsored by Greater Washington Council of Camera Clubs
and the Council of Maryland Camera Clubs.
The Club’s newsletter, the Cable Release, began publication in October 1961 as a
mimeographed newsletter with hand-drawn illustrations, which was mailed to members for 4¢.
Later issues contained black-and-white photographs, and two 1979 issues feature front-page
color Xerox reproductions from slides. The Cable Release has earned several awards from the
Photographic Society of America for its quality and service to members. The first mention of the
use of a computer was by editor Art Drucker, who used his trusty Commodore from 1984 to
1987. Over the years, the Cable Release has provided club news, photo-related articles, and
members’ opinions on a variety of topics. The archive of past newsletters, which is in the care of
our club historian, chronicles the history of a dynamic organization that, with the active input of
its members, has been constantly evolving for more than half a century. There is an index of
articles from the past several years as part of the Member Handbook.
PSA
The Photographic Society of America (PSA) is a worldwide organization for anyone interested in
photography. The society includes casual shutterbugs, serious amateurs, and professional
photographers.
Founded in 1934, PSA has members in over 70 countries. Individual, Club, and Council
memberships offer a wide variety of services and activities: a monthly magazine; online photo
galleries, image evaluation, study groups, and courses; competitions; an annual conference;
recognition; and discounts on photography related products and services.
The Silver Spring Camera Club has been a member Club of the PSA since the club was
founded in 1950. For information regarding the benefits of a PSA individual membership and for
PSA sponsored activities, please contact our Club PSA Representative, Loretta Argrett, or visit
www.psa-photo.org.