Category Archives: competition

May 12: Missy Loewe Judges Monochrome

Our judge for May’s black & white / monochrome competition is Missy Loewe, who returns to SSCC by popular demand. Last April, Missy judged our B&W competition, and we were all impressed with the clarity and helpfulness of her critiques. So this year we’ve invited her back. Missy Loewe has been the executive director of the Washington School of Photography since 1999. She is also president and CEO of Washington ArtWorks – home to WSP in its new location in Rockville.

missy-loeweAt WSP, Missy teaches courses on such topics as figure photography and business and legal topics at both introductory and advanced levels. Artists and photographers frequently seek her expertise regarding model releases, copyright, contracts, and business issues. This makes a lot of sense, as Missy holds a law degree and a Master’s degree in business, which uniquely qualifies her to speak on these subjects.

Missy is not just sought after as a presenter and instructor. She has been writer and photographer for several books and numerous magazine articles. Her photos of historical artwork have appeared in a number of galleries and private collections. She is also the photographer for the “Virtual Pose” series of art-drawing guides and has authored books on photography, art, and modeling. Her own work has appeared in books, brochures, magazines, government buildings, gallery shows, and museums.

Noted Nature Photographer Judges Landscape Competition

Corey Hilz, well known nature and travel photographer, has graciously agreed to judge our landscape competition this month. While macro nature photography – especially with unusual techniques – is one of Corey’s specialties, his expansive landscapes are breathtaking. He brings a practiced eye to critiquing our competition and a serious approach.

coreyhilzA favorite judge for camera clubs, Corey last judged for us in October 2014 for our annual Nature competition. Some of you may know Corey by having participated in one of the many photo workshops he offers throughout the mid-Atlantic area and up and down the East Coast. Farther afield, Corey leads international photo tours to destinations such as China, Cuba, Ireland, and the Czech Republic. Besides field adventures, Corey also gives software training and photography classes, mainly in northern Virginia but also on line. For image processing, Corey teaches Lightroom, Photoshop, and Aperture. His other classes focus on particular photographic techniques such as composition, macro, or lighting and flash. He even offers one-on-one or specialized small group training.

In Corey’s own photography, he has found that the diversity in nature and in cultures around the world offers boundless opportunities for new images. Never content with straight narrative, he approaches his subjects with an artistic eye, always looking for a fresh perspective. While Corey has created an impressive library of images from his international travel, he declares that he often finds his most interesting subjects close to home.

Corey’s remarkable images can be seen in magazines, books, catalogues, and calendars. His work is also found in private collections and is exhibited in art galleries. Widely recognized as a Lensbaby expert, Corey wrote the first book dedicated to this exciting slant on photography: “Lensbaby: Bending your Perspective,” now in its second edition. He’s also written five other books, including two on digital workflow. You can find out more about Corey Hilz and his work on his web site: www.coreyhilz.com.