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Maurice Belanger and Sherm Edwards, Editors, Cable Release, at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.

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KEY EVENTS

The following scheduled events will be conducted online as Zoom teleconferences, except for the Competition and Field Trip. Look for announcements and invitations by e-mail, Meetup, and on the club’s Website.

• April 2 – No Meeting (Passover)
• April 9 – Speaker Night (7:30 p.m. on Zoom)
• April 16 – Competition: ‘Open’SSCC Field Trip Images’ (7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Presbyterian Church)
• April 23 – Photo Forum (7:30 p.m. on Zoom)
• April 21 – Board Meeting
• April 26 – Field Trip: Great Falls Park (Virginia side)
• **April 30 – Feedback Session** (7:30 p.m. on Zoom)

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2025-2026 Calendar

See here for this season’s calendar, which will be updated as information becomes available. It includes Speaker Night, Competition Night, Photo Forum, Board Meetings, and Field Trips.

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If Montgomery County Schools close due to inclement weather, Silver Spring Camera Club meetings and outings will be canceled.  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!

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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:  SSCC-Member-Handbook.

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PLEASE CONSIDER PROVIDING MATERIALS FOR THE NEXT CABLE RELEASE:

If you’d like to share an article, announcement, or Letter to the Editor about anything photographic please email them by April 24. Email items or questions to Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at  cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.    

DEADLINE: BY April 24th TO  cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.

 

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MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS

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MEETING LOCATION

For the 2025-2026 club year, the second Thursday meeting of each month will be in person, at Christ the King Presbyterian Church, formerly Northwood Presbyterian Church. The address is 1200 University Blvd. West, Silver Spring. Other meetings will be on Zoom, except for Feedback sessions on the fifth Thursdays of October and April. The second Thursday in-person meeting will be Competition Night if the judge agrees, otherwise it will be Photo Forum and Competition Night will move to the third Thursday on Zoom.

FIELD TRIPS

The Silver Spring Camera Club offers free field trips for our members and their guests. Field trips are typically scheduled on a Saturday, Sunday or a Monday holiday during the club season, and sometimes during the summer as well. Most trips are to locations in and around the DMV. For further details about specific field trips, consult the current Cable Release newsletter, the SSCC website at https://www.ssccphotography.org, or the SSCC Facebook Group Page.

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SPEAKER NIGHT – Anthony Marill – The Art of Black and White Photography

Thursday, April 9, 2026, at 7:30 p.m.

Anthony’s love of photography started while in high school. He realized that photographing things that he enjoyed doing was extremely rewarding. He then discovered that others liked his images as much as he did.

Anthony grew up in Boston, MA, and relocated to the Washington DC area in the late 1980s. In 1990, he started Anthony Marill Photography.

In 2003, after years of hard work, studying and perfecting his craft, Anthony became a Certified Professional Photographer.

In 2008, Anthony earned his Certified Master Craftsman credential.

Anthony continues to perfect his photography by furthering both his teaching and learning in the field.

Visit his website at: https://anthonymarillphoto.com/

Please note: For the month of April, our regularly-scheduled meetings are pushed back one week, because the first Thursday is a religious holiday. Speaker night this month is the 9th (the second Thursday), not the 2nd.

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COMPETITION COLUMN

Our April topic is Images from SSCC Field Trips

This month’s competition is open for any picture that was taken while on an SSCC field trip. There are no time restrictions on when submitted images were taken.

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Projected Portion of Competition

Members may submit up to two images meeting this definition for the Projected competition. Look here for details on Projected submissions. Projected images should be emailed to: competition@ssccphotography.org by midnight (11:59 p.m.) on the day of the month’s Speaker Night.

Remember:

• Send projected image submissions to competition@ssccphotography.org
• Format:  JPEG, 1000 KB (max)
• File Name: Level~Maker’s Name~Image Title.jpg Example:  Advanced~Tom Jones~Washington Landscape.jpg . The tilde “~” character separates the 3 subfields of the file name
• Level: Novice, Intermediate, or Advanced (see Competition Rules and Awards for information on the three levels); capitalization not required. 
• Maker’s Name: spaces allowed. Please use the same name throughout the year to aid record keeping.

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Print Portion of Competition

Members may also submit up to two images meeting the definition for the Print competition. Look here (Section IV) for details on submissions. A label template for Print submissions may be found here.

One important detail – In order to participate in either competition, you must pay the club’s annual dues before the start of the competition.

The Club changed the competition levels starting in September 2024. The new levels are Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced. To see a list of all 2023-2024 Club members with their tentative competition level assignments (as of September 2025), separately for Projected and Print, click here. For details on what this change means for you, click here.

Here’s the schedule for the remainder of the year:

• May – Monochrome
• June – End of Year Competition (special rules apply) 

Details about the End of Year Competition, including how, what, and when to submit, may be found here.

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APRIL COMPETITION JUDGE: Ron Peiffer — Topic: Images from SSCC Field Trips

April 16, 2026, 7:30 p.m., at Christ the King Presbyterian Church

Ron Peiffer is the Vice President for Contests for Arundel Camera Club, the Vice President of the Creative Photography Society of Baltimore, and Member-at-Large for the Maryland Photography Alliance.

His work has appeared in Maryland Photography Alliance gallery shows over the past several years, and he has received the Frederick R. Kelly Photographer of the Year award from the Arundel Camera Club 4 times in 5 years. Ron achieved a Master’s Certificate in Black and White Photography with the Arundel club in 2020. He is an MPA-certified judge and serves on several MPA committees, including the contest, judging, and finance committees.

He has traveled extensively in the U.S. — in southeast Utah and northern New Mexico to document ancient puebloan sites and desert landscape and up and down the East Coast, where cities and small towns and landscapes provide an array of subjects with interesting colors, forms and histories. Ron aims to have his images “produce emotion, to evoke a memory, or to associate an image with something in the viewer’s life.”

Ron shot film for many years before moving to digital. Favorite subjects include travel photography, nature, youth sports, and family.

To see his work, visit his website, ronpeiffer.com.

Please note: For the month of April, our regularly-scheduled meetings are pushed back one week, because the first Thursday is a religious holiday. Competition night this month is the 16th (the third Thursday), not April 9.

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PHOTO FORUM

Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m. (on Zoom)

March planned discussions and presentations:

• Critiques and Image Sharing – Members may send up to 2 images to share and receive critiques, if they want. This month’s theme is Open.
• Presentation: “Guide to Milky Way Photography” – Dennis Freeman
• Open Discussion: What’s on your mind, photographically?  

We are soliciting presenters. Contact Dennis ( dennisfreeman4510@msn.com ) if you’d like to present something!

Please note: For the month of April, our regularly-scheduled meetings are pushed back one week, because the first Thursday is a religious holiday. Photo Forum this month is the 23rd (the fourth Thursday), not April 16.

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APRIL FIELD TRIP — Great Falls Park (Virginia side)

Leader: Owen Epstein

Date/time: Sunday, April 26. 7:00 a.m. Meet at the Visitor Center.

Address: 200 Old Dominion Dr., McLean, VA. Please ensure you are on the Virginia side (National Park Service) of the falls. Be careful not to confuse this with the Maryland entrance located at 11710 MacArthur Blvd, Potomac, MD.

To Photograph: Nature, Waterfalls, and Wildlife.

Breakfast: Following the shoot, we will meet at Katie’s Coffee House, located at 760 Walker Rd Great Falls, VA 22066

Bring: Your camera gear, a sturdy tripod, and a variety of lenses. A wide-angle lens is excellent for capturing the expansive falls, while a telephoto lens is ideal for isolating details in the water or photographing birds and other wildlife. Don’t forget a circular polarizer and neutral density (ND) filters if you want to experiment with long-exposure water effects.

More Info: The Virginia side of Great Falls Park offers a dramatic experience of the Potomac River, known for its sheer cliffs and close-up views of the falls. While the Maryland side (C&O Canal) is often described as a more leisurely historical experience, the Virginia side is the go-to for adventure seekers, featuring 15 miles of trails, rock climbing, and some of the best overlooks in the region.

Share your images from the trip: With the SSCC Facebook Group, on Meetup, and/or send to cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org for inclusion in the next month’s Cable Release.

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FEEDBACK SESSION

Thursday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m.on Zoom.

Our second Feedback Session will be a welcoming and constructive space where members can receive personalized feedback on their photographs. Frank Gallagher will lead the discussion.

Submit up to 3 images for feedback to Lisa Auerbach at membership@ssccphotography.org by April 23. Even if you don’t submit images, please come to offer your thoughts and learn from others’ photos and comments.

Questions? Contact Lisa Auerbach at membership@ssccphotography.org.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Frank Gallagher
Lisa Auerbach
Pete Morton

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PLAN AHEAD: MAY FIELD TRIP — Assateague Island National Seashore

Leader: Gerry Woods (gerrywoodsdc@gmail.com)

Date/time: May 16 and 17. This will be an overnight trip.

To Photograph: Nature and Milky Way photography.

What: We will visit Assateague Island, a long barrier island off the coast of Maryland and Virginia, to photograph landscapes and night photography. You have the option of staying out until the wee hours of the morning to photograph the Milky Way as it rises or you may return to the motel earlier at the time of your choice. 

Essential Gear:

• Camera: Full-frame or crop sensor mirrorless/DSLR – good high-ISO performance is better. 
• Lenses: Wide-angle prime/zoom lens (14–24mm range) with a fast aperture (f/1.4–f/2.8). Ultra-wide prime lenses are ideal (e.g., Rokinon/Samyang 14mm f/2.8).
• Support: Sturdy tripod – essential for long (e.g. 25-30 seconds) exposures, tripod ball head with Arca-Swiss plate for precise framing.
• Power & Storage: Extra camera batteries, extra memory cards (UHS-II recommended).
• Optional But Helpful Accessories: Remote shutter release or intervalometer (to avoid camera shake) or camera self-timer, portable power bank and camera power cord, light/headlamp (red preserves night vision), lens heater strap (inexpensive USB-powered) to prevent condensation on lens, microfiber cloth for cleaning lens.

Bring: Weather appropriate clothing, windbreaker or waterproof jacket, hat, hiking boots (or other shoes for walking in the sand), a flashlight, a long sleeve shirt and mosquito & tick repellent.

Preparation: There will be a special zoom meeting approximately 7-10 days prior to the field trip to discuss Astrophotography tips & techniques, suggested camera equipment, camera settings, carpool options and the overall trip logistics. The April Photo Forum on April 23 will include a presentation on photographing the Milky Way.

Share your images from the trip: With the SSCC Facebook Group, on Meetup, and/or send to cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org for inclusion in the next month’s Cable Release.

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CLUB NEWS

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TREASURER NEWS

Our esteemed treasurer, Bruce Schaefer, has relocated, so we need one or more volunteers to help manage Club finances. If you are interested, contact Club President Catherine Honigsberg, president@ssccphotography.org.

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SSCC LOGO VOTE – HELP SELECT THE FACE OF OUR CLUB

The final logo showdown is here! We have a ballot with three new logos plus the original one. Join your fellow club members now in electing the one that will represent our club for years to come.

Why an acorn, you ask? Francis Preston Blair proposed to his wife under a white oak. He celebrated the event with an acorn inspired gazebo near the mica-flecked spring in his estate and future city of Silver Spring. The acorn has been part of Silver Spring’s identity ever since. 

Please vote only once, even though you may get multiple reminders. Note: Only Silver Spring Camera Club members may vote. The deadline is 11:59 PM May 7th, 2026, our speaker night.

The voting link is 

https://forms.gle/uaPwVWUjuWNF47dq6

Curious about the results of Quiz One and Quiz Two? Here is the summary: http://www.ssccphotography.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Logo-Quiz-Summary-and-Short-List-20260326.pdf

Thank you so much for your input!

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ARE YOU ONE OF US?

Check out SSCC’s new recruiting poster! You can download it from this page if you want to use it yourself.

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IMAGE BY CLUB MEMBER KAREN COMSTOCK SELECTED FOR JURIED EXHIBIT IN ANNAPOLIS

Club member Karen Comstock had one of her photographs, Morning Reflections, chosen for an exhibit sponsored by the Maryland Federation of Art in Annapolis. The title of the exhibit is Reflecting. The exhibit opens on April 1st and closes on April 25th at the MFA’s Circle Gallery on 18 State Circle in downtown Annapolis. A Virtual Awards Ceremony will take place on April 1, from 5:30 – 6:30 p.m. via Zoom. There will be a closing reception at the gallery on April 25 between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.

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MARCH FIELD TRIP: Great Falls National Park

by Gerry Woods

The March SSCC Field Trip was held on Sunday, March 22. Nine people (seven club members plus two guests) participated in the field trip to the Great Falls National Park in Potomac, Maryland. We met at 7:00 am to catch the sunrise and the early morning light. The Maryland side of Great Falls offer dramatic, close-up views of the falls via the Olmsted Island Bridge, the popular Billy Goat Trail and the historic C&O canal towpath.  

We had the opportunity to practice shooting long exposures to capture the flowing water, as well as composing waterscapes and landscape photos of the falls.  After the field trip, we had a delicious brunch at the Tally Ho Diner in Potomac. Below are images submitted by those who were on the trip.

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LATE MARCH FIELD TRIP TO THE TIDAL BASIN

Our field trip to the Tidal Basin was held on Monday, March 30. We meet at 7:30 am to catch the early morning light.  Five early birds (four club members and one guest) participated in the field trip to photograph the Cherry Blossoms.  

We enjoyed photographing the Tidal Basin, the Jefferson Memorial, the Washington Monument, The Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and the FDR Memorial all framed in iconic Cherry Blossoms.  

After the field trip, we had a delicious snack at the Whole Foods located in nearby Foggy Bottom. Below are images from the group.

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LOOKING AHEAD: UPCOMING FIELD TRIPS

By Gerry Woods

Field trips are a great way to make new friends and learn from other club members.  We attempt to schedule at least one field trip per month.  Most field trips are open to both member and non-members.  However, we must occasionally limit participation to members only (usually due to space limitations).  When possible, field trips end with a group lunch.  

Ride Sharing 

Ride sharing is encouraged to reduce the size of our vehicle presence and enhance the traveling experience.  If you need transportation to a field trip, or if you are willing to provide transportation, please send an email to gerrywoodsdc@gmail.com.

Please note that SSCC does not have insurance for carpooling arrangements and assumes no liability for them. Carpooling, ride sharing, or anything similar is strictly a private arrangement among the participants who shall assume the risks associated with this travel.

Tentative Schedule of Field Trips into the Summer

• April 18: We will visit both the B&O Railroad Museum and the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, followed by lunch in “Little Italy.”

• May 16 and 17: There will be an overnight field trip to the Assateague Island National Seashore. We will have an opportunity to learn and/or improve our “Astrophotography” skills. In preparation, Dennis Freeman will give a presentation, “A guide to Milky Way Photography” at the Photo Forum on April 23rd. The presentation will include equipment needed, suggested camera settings, etc.

• May 30: There will be a second May field trip to Mount Vernon on May 30, which will include a “Revolutionary War Encampment” with participants in period costume.

• June 20: Trip to the Glenstone Art Museum & Gardens in Potomac, Maryland. 

The current field trip schedule is always posted in the Cable Release. However, the schedule is subject to last minute changes due to the weather and other unforeseen factors.  For the latest news about field trips, you may also check the Meetup App, or the SSCC Facebook Group.

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MARYLAND PHOTOGRAPHY ALLIANCE

by Lisa Auerbach

MPA’s 4th Annual Black & White Photo Contest: The awards ceremony will be online on Sunday, May 3, at 11:00 a.m. For more information go to https://www.mdphotoalliance.org/2026-bw-photo-contest.

Please take time to visit the MPA website for all the information about what MPA achieves. If you have questions, contact membership@ ssccphotography.org

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BOARD MEETING

The SSCC Board last met on March 26, 2026. The date for the next meeting via Zoom is yet to be announced. Normally the Board meets on the 4th Thursday of the month. Minutes from all meetings can be found in the board meeting minutes archives when they have been finalized.

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FEATURES

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CONFERENCES AND EXPOS

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2026 ODYSSEY OF LIGHT

Tickets are now on sale for Maryland Photographic Association’s premier event of the year. It will take place on the afternoon of Sunday, April 11. This is an in-person event in Bowie, MD. Two great speakers will inspire, motivate, and educate. Annie Griffiths and Michael Yamashita are both icons at National Geographic, and the theme of their talks will be “The Power of Visual Storytelling”. General Admission tickets are $70, however, when using your club’s Promo Code, you will pay only $50. Contact membership@ssccphotography.org for the Promo Code.  Plus, all ticket holders will receive a $20 Nations Photo Gift Card. For more information and to purchase your tickets go to https://www.mdphotoalliance.org/odyssey-of-light-2026. 

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MEMBER ARTICLES

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PLEASE CONSIDER PROVIDING MATERIALS FOR THE NEXT CABLE RELEASE:

If you’d like to share an article, announcement, or Letter to the Editor about anything photographic please email them by April 24. Email items or questions to Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at  cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.    

DEADLINE: BY April 24th TO  cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.

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COMPETITION RESULTS

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OPEN COMPETITION – March 12, 2026

March’s competition topic was “Open” for projected and print images. Ed Palaszynski was our judge. Here is the definition for open competitions, from our website:

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 (excluding nudes), created using any photographic or post-processing methods or techniques, are acceptable. However, all “significant components” of the image must be taken by the photographer and not AI generated. 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.

Awards are generally given for first, second, and third place, with the number of honorable mentions (HM) dependent on the total number of entries in the respective Advanced, Intermediate, and Novice levels. For the March competition, in the Projected category, Novice and Intermediate were combined due to insufficient entries, and first, second, and third place were awarded, with two honorable mentions. In the Print category, all categories were combined due to insufficient entries, and first, second, and third place were awarded (with no honorable mentions).

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ADVANCED PROJECTED

First Place: Beauty in Repetition, Wendy Kates

Second Place: Fanciful, Beth Koller

Third Place: Beam Me Up, Karen Finkelman

Honorable Mention: Cowboy Silhouette, Karen Finkelman

Honorable Mention: Oaxaca Discussion, Larry Gold

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INTERMEDIATE PROJECTED (combined with Novice Projected)

First Place: Curved and Straight, Will Rabinovich

Second Place: Jazz Singer, Tom Allen

Third Place: Walking on Clouds, Diane Sanders

Honorable Mention: Buns of Steel, Jim Riley

Honorable Mention: RGB, Tanya Riseman

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NOVICE, PROJECTED, ADVANCED PRINT COMBINED

First Place: Light Jewels, Beth Koller

Second Place: Mist on the River with Empty Chairs, Kay Carkhuff

Third Place: Curiosity, Sherm Edwards

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COURSES, CALLS FOR ENTRY, AND EXHIBITS

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

By Karen Finkelman

The following list describes various photography classes and workshops in the Maryland, Northern Virginia, Washington DC area. Specific workshop offerings may be held in the classroom, in-field, online or via Zoom. Please see individual classes for the instruction format.

The list is organized into three categories:

• Classes and Workshops in the Washington DC area
• Online Courses
• Multi-Day Photography Workshops Within & Beyond the DMV

Please feel free to recommend any classes or workshops you have taken.  Email the Cable Release Editors at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org and we will forward the recommendations.

Note: Inclusion in this list is not an endorsement of the provider or a particular course/workshop.

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CALLS FOR ENTRY

by Dennis Freeman

The link below offers a number of competitions for your consideration this month. Some of these sources have standing calls for entry, and others are one-time calls. Some offer cash and prizes, and others don’t. One notable local call is below the link.

The Appalachian Nature Art & Photography Competition & Exhibition is organized by the Arcadian Gallery in Cumberland, Maryland, to celebrate the beauty of nature across the Appalachian region. Artists and photographers age 18 and older who reside in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, or Washington DC are eligible to enter. Eligible work includes any two-dimensional artwork or photography depicting nature in Appalachia—from any Appalachian state—including landscapes, plants, wildlife, and other natural subjects. Submission deadline is April 7, 2026. More info at https://arcadiangallery.com/prospectus-appalachian-nature-art-photography-competition-exhibition/.

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Exhibits and Events

by Karen Finkelman

For a list of current museum and gallery exhibits, and a list of photogenic events taking place in the area in the coming weeks, click on the button below.

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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

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