SEE UPDATED INFO ABOUT FIELD TRIP TO BROOKSIDE GARDEN OF LIGHTS ON SUNDAY DECEMBER 17 AT 6:30 PM
Member, Photographic Society of America
Winner of the 2008, 2011, and 2012 PSA Henricks Award for best newsletter!
Sherm Edwards and Tanya Riseman, Editors, Cable Release, at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
Contents
KEY EVENTS
The following scheduled events will be conducted online as Zoom teleconferences, except for the Contest and Field Trip. Look for announcements and invitations by e-mail, Meetup, and on the club’s Website.
- December 7 – Speaker (7:30 p.m.)
- December 14 – Competition Night: Macro/Close-up (7:30 p.m. at Northwood Presbyterian Church)
- December 17 – Field Trip UPDATE– Brookside Gardens Garden of Lights (Meet at 6:30 p.m. Sunday)
- December 21 – Photo Forum (7:30 p.m.)
- December 28 – Board Meeting
2023-2024 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.
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!
For general information about the club, contact us at: info@ssccphotography.or
A list of the club officers and committee chairs, and their emails, is located here:
More information is available in the Silver Spring Camera Club (SSCC) Member Handbook: SSCC-Member-Handbook-2023-2024.
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 December 24. Email items or questions to Tanya Riseman and Sherm Edwards at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
DEADLINE: BY DECEMBER 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS
MEETING LOCATION
For the 2023-2024 club year, the second Thursday meeting of each month will be in person, at Northwood Presbyterian Church (https://www.northwoodchurch.com/). Other meetings will be on Zoom. The 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.
SPEAKER NIGHT WITH F.M. KEARNEY – CITYSCAPES: FINDING AND CREATING COMPOSITIONS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENTS
Thursday, December 7, 2023, at 7:30 p.m.
F.M. Kearney’s interest in photography began many years ago when his mother bought him his first camera – a Kodak Keystone 126 Instamatic (which he still owns today). As he got older and his equipment got better, his interests shifted to photographing nature. He took great pleasure in capturing the colorful, natural world through his lens and enhancing it with special effect filters. His professional career began as a freelance photojournalist for a number of local newspapers, but he eventually reverted back to nature, reasoning, “You can only get so creative when shooting the news.”
His creativity – as well as his passion for bright, vivid colors – is clearly evident in much of his floral work. Some of these photographs are the products of a compilation of as many as six or seven different techniques he’s learned over the years. Through software, and a considerable amount of artistic flair, these images straddle the line between photography and Impressionist painting.
Living in New York, a city with some of the most iconic subjects in the world, has given him virtually unlimited opportunity to capture amazing cityscapes under the best possible lighting conditions. Just as his natural subjects, most of these images are also enhanced through a variety of special effects – usually digital in nature.
His work has been exhibited in galleries in Montreal and New York, as well as a fine art museum in Florida. He’s been published in numerous books and magazines, and is currently a member of NANPA (The North American Nature Photography Association) and a regular contributor to their monthly blog.
COMPETITION COLUMN
Our November topic is Macro/Close-up:
The term “Macro/Close-up Photography” encompasses images made from close-up range, in which the subject of the photograph is very small or is a very small detail of a larger object.
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 previous Thursday. Usually, this is the day of the month’s Speaker Night.
Members may also submit up to two images meeting this 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.)
JOEL HOFFMAN – JUDGE – MACRO/CLOSEUP
Thursday, December 14, 2023, at 7:30 p.m., at Northwood Presbyterian Church
Joel Hoffman has had a dual vocation for the past 35 years. He is an attorney concentrating his practice in the area of business law construction litigation. At the same time he has had an active event photography business photographing weddings, bar mitzvahs, baptisms and other family and corporate events. He has been a Canon shooter for his entire career. Because of his Construction litigation experiences he has had the opportunity to photograph architectural interiors and exteriors for many architectural and engineering firms. He has photographed fashion catalogues and has worked on numerous projects with a variety of graphic designers, both locally and in New York.
Mr. Hoffman is a past president of the North Bethesda Camera Club and he has been an active member of the Club for more than 30 years. He is a Maryland Photographic Alliance certified judge and has judged many local camera clubs and others around the United States.
He has been teaching photography to developmentally challenged individuals for many ears and regularly teaches courses on portraiture and on the equipment used to create beautiful artificial light.
After completing a 10 year project shooting every architectural structure on the famous 6.5 mile road known as Sixteenth Street in the District of Columbia, he is now working on two projects, photographing all of the fire stations in the District of Columbia and all the Courthouses in the 24 counties of the State of Maryland.
More of Joel Hoffman’s work can be viewed on his website at www.joelhoffmanphotography.com
PHOTO FORUM
Thursday, December 21, 2023, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Join us for discussion on topics including: What do you enjoy shooting in winter? Outdoors? Indoors?
We have three presentations this month:
- “Cropping In Lightroom Classic” by Dave Mullen
- “Evoke Depth with Vanishing Point Perspective – Plus Seven Other Techniques” by Tanya Riseman.
- “Some of the New Features in Lightroom and Photoshop” by Pete Morton.
We wrap the evening up with Photo Sharing. Send 1 or 2 of your images to share if you wish; this month’s theme is Open.
In November’s Photo Forum, Lisa Auerbach and Wendy Kates presented on the Basics of Intentional Camera Movement. Check out the presentation here.
FIELD TRIP – GARDEN OF LIGHTS AT BROOKSIDE GARDENS
Sunday, December 17, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Brookside Gardens, Glenallen Avenue, Wheaton MD
Meet in front of main Visitor Center. Reserve your spot early! Tickets sell out fast. Learn more and purchase tickets here.
TICKETS: 10.00 Each for Timed Entry from 5.00 to 9.00
IMPORTANT: TIMED ENTRY ONLY: TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED IN ADVANCE FOR TIMED ENTRY AT 7.30. EACH TIMED ENTRY IS LIMITED, SO BUY NOW!!!!!
Note: Saturday night and earlier times on Sunday are already sold out
Carpool: Meet at Forest Glen Metro—Must contact Leader in advance
Overview: Walk through the outdoor twinkling lights and glimmering displays that dot the paths and flowerbeds throughout the 50 acres in Wheaton. More than one million dazzling and colorful LED lights are handwoven into original works depicting animals, flowers, and other natural elements. The Walk is about a mile and a half; no limit to your pace but park closes at 0930.
Notes: Dress warm!!!!
Outdoor concessions available, if you don’t mind eating in the Cold.
To Bring: Your sense of wonder and holiday spirit. Oh, and a camera if you wish.
Leader: Phil Boyer –301-204-5549, philboyer60@gmail.com
Directions— Take Georgia Avenue north, right on Randolph Road, right on Glenallen Avenue; OR University Blvd to Arcola Avenue to Kemp Mill Road to Glenallen Avenue.
REMEMBER: BUY YOUR TICKETS IN ADVANCE AND SOON!!!
CLUB NEWS
MPA ANNUAL PHOTO CONTEST
Winners of the 2023 Photo Contest were announced October 22, 2023. Club members submitting under the SSCC banner did very well, with one First Place, seven Honorable Mentions, and one Runner-up across the four MPA categories.
- David Blass: Porcupine in the Flowers, First Place, Wildlife
- David Blass: Cougar, Reflected. Honorable Mention, Wildlife
- David Blass: Green Stripes. Honorable Mention, Wildlife
- David Blass: The Fox’s Tail. Runner-up, Wildlife
- Lisa Auerbach: Montgomery County Fair. Honorable Mention, Maryland After Dark
- Sherm Edwards: Capybara and Smooth-billed Ani, Pantanal, Brazil. Honorable Mention, Wildlife
- Sherm Edwards: Architexture, Porto. Honorable Mention, Architecture
- Thomas Allen: Boomerang Kardashian Building, London. Honorable Mention, Architecture
- Wendy Kates: Adams Morgan Impressions. Honorable Mention, Architecture.
Club member David Terao also was awarded two Honorable Mentions for images submitted as a member of the North Bethesda club. Congratulations to all! See all of the contest winners here.
David Blass ~ Porcupine in the Flowers
BOARD MEETING
The SSCC Board last met in November. Minutes from all meetings can be found in the board meeting minutes archives when they have been finalized. December’s board meeting will be on the 28th.
FEATURES
WINTER PHOTO CHALLENGE: “WORDS AND IMAGES”
In past years, the Cable Release has had a winter photo challenge with the theme “Words and Images,” where club members send in a pairing of words and images. This is not a contest! We again ask you for your “Words and Images” for the January 2024 Cable Release.
The idea is to use the text and the image together to create an artistic composite that is greater than the sum of the parts. The text does not have to be long and can range from a longer poem or prose, to a Haiku (Write-a-Haiku-Poem), or to a one line phrase. The intent is for you to be creative in using both the text and the image together. You can either place the text on your image or send it separately as a caption that we’ll add for you. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Examples are worth a thousand words. See previous submissions in these Cable Release issues:
Please send your jpeg entry(s) and paired text for each one. Your jpg images can be up to 1 MB size each. Please use our digital Competition specifications: ssccphotography.org/competitions/digital-entry-specifications/. Follow the naming convention as follows:
“Words and Images~FirstName LastName~Title.jpg”
Please submit these to cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org by Friday, December 15 (earlier than usual).
MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS
Edited by Marc Auerbach
In our club SSCC, the membership runs from beginner to professional. Every member has a story to tell. Each month the Cable Release will shine the spotlight on some of our members. Read their spotlight biographies here.
MPA NEWS YOU CAN USE
The Maryland Photography Alliance has many FREE opportunities available for you to consider, so take a peek and register for as many of those events that are of interest.
Artist Spotlight – The Webinar
A free virtual event Monday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m.
Pioneering photographer, author and educator Susan Middleton offers us a rare glimpse into the mysterious world of marine invertebrates. A unique blend of art and science, Spineless: Portraits of Marine Invertebrates, the Backbone of Life reveals the hidden beauty and remarkable diversity of hundreds of sea creatures–many seen here for the first time. Register here.
Artist Spotlight – The Podcast
Listen here.
- Episode 1 – Art Wolfe, Legendary Photographer
- Episode 2 – Jeff Lipsky, Hollywood Celebrity Photographer
- Episode 3 – Shawn Hubbard, Baltimore Ravens Team Photographer
Instagram
MPA has an active Instagram site with all the latest news and activities of interest to photographers who are interested in improving their skills and who want to be inspired? Why Not Join Today? Check it out here.
Lisa Auerbach, MPA Representative
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
MEMBER ARTICLES
Are We Ready for Artificial Intelligence in SSCC Competitions?
By David Terao
This article provides my thoughts on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in SSCC competitions and how its use complies with SSCC’s current competition rules. Because we as photographers already use AI in image-editing software, and many club members might not even realize it, my hope is that the club will (1) review the different categories of AI relevant to our club’s photographic competitions and (2) consider the extent to which the different categories of AI may be used (or restricted) when creating photographic images for club competitions.
Read full article here.
COMPETITION RESULTS
OPEN COMPETITION – NOVEMBER 9
November’s competition was Open for projected and print images. Ron Peiffer was our judge.
Four categories were judged: Advanced Projected (i.e., digital images), Novice Projected, Advanced Print, and Novice Print. There were no Beginner entries. 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 and Novice categories.
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1st Place: Maude Svensson ~ All Onboard Cripple Creek Mine Train
2nd Place: David Blass ~ Northern Lights, Greenland
3rd Place: Catherine Honigsberg ~ The Dove and Milky Way
HM: David Blass ~ Jumping to Warp Speed
HM: Beth Koller ~ Not Toy 3
HM: Renee Schaefer ~ After the Rain
Maude Svensson ~ All Onboard Cripple Creek Mine Train
I took this picture onboard the Cripple Creek steam train in Colorado last year. My imagination was running a little wild with many thoughts of what had happened in this stunningly beautiful area at the time when one of the richest gold strikes was discovered in the late 1800s. Almost overnight, about 50,000 settlers from all over the US sold everything they owned and made the trip to this remote and isolated area seeking their fortunes. Some got rich, while others were not so lucky – I fantasized about their spirits lurking around each bend of the railway. When an elderly gentleman took a firm grip on the train's rod, I thought this could be one of those hardworking miner's calloused and wrinkled hands scattered with lines and sunspots. Click!
NOVICE PROJECTED
1st Place: Charlie Farmer ~ Botanical
2nd Place: Bruce Schaefer ~ Long Pier
3rd Place: Bruce Schaefer ~ Surf is up
ADVANCED PRINT
1st Place: Sherm Edwards – Dawn Shoot
2nd Place: Larry Gold ~ There’s a Person in There
3rd Place: Beth Koller ~ Frog on Bromeliad
Sherm Edwards ~ Dawn Shoot
NOVICE PRINT
1st Place: Jim Riley ~ Beggar Woman
2nd Place: Renee Schaeffer ~ Ready to Deliver
Jim Riley ~ Beggar Woman
The "Beggar Woman" photograph was taken in October 2004 while I waited in a museum entry line in Seville Spain. The woman was very still and obviously waiting for some donation to be placed into her small bag. Luckily my one shot was enough for a good image because I did not want to take many intrusive pictures. The camera was in auto-exposure mode without flash, settings became F2.2 at 1/60 second.
COURSES, CALLS FOR ENTRY, AND EXHIBITS
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.
CALLS FOR ENTRY
by Dennis Freeman
The following 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.
See the full Calls for Entry article here.
EXHIBITS AND EVENTS
An occasional column by Karen Finkleman
The following is a list of current exhibits and events in the Washington DC metro area, many taking place over several months.
Highlight: The exhibit Dorothea Lange: Seeing People at the National Gallery of art was the topic of discussion by Sarah Greenough at a recent Maryland Photography Alliance Artist Spotlight.
See the full Exhibits and Events article here.
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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