Member, Photographic Society of America
Winner of the 2008, 2011, and 2012 PSA Henricks Award for best newsletter!
Maurice Belanger and Sherm Edwards, Editors, Cable Release, at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
Contents
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.
- December 4 – Speaker Night: (7:30 p.m. on Zoom)
- December 7 – Field Trip: Zoo Lights, National Zoo (4:45 p.m.)
- December 11 – Competition: Leading Lines (7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Presbyterian Church, formerly Northwood Presbyterian Church)
- December 18 – Photo Forum (7:30 p.m. on Zoom)
- December 25 – Christmas: No Board Meeting
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.
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.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.
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 Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
DEADLINE: BY December 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS
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, January, 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.
SPEAKER NIGHT – Jennifer King – Image Design: Using the Principles of Design to Create More Dramatic Photos
Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Understanding how the principles of design affect our visual response to an image can help us to communicate with our photos, and is the key to improving our photography.
Jennifer King is an internationally-acclaimed, award-winning landscape and fine art photographer with a passion for teaching and inspiring photographers around the world. She draws on her fine art and design background to bring an artistic perspective to nature photography.
You can learn more about her, her photography, where she might be speaking or take a look at her books, tutorials, webinars and videos, not to mention her workshops at jenniferkingphoto.com.
COMPETITION COLUMN
Our December topic is Leading Lines:
Leading lines in photography are lines within an image that visually guide the viewer’s eye through the picture from one part to another. These lines can be curved, straight, diagonal, or converging, act as a path, directing attention and enhancing the overall composition.
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.
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, 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:
- January – Open
- February – Night Photography
- March – Open
- April – SSCC FIeld Trips
- May – Monochrome
- June – End of Year Competition (special rules apply)
Roz Kleffman – Leading Lines
December 11, 2025, 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Presbyterian Church
Roz Kleffman has been judging for local camera clubs for decades. During covid years via Zoom, Roz found new clubs to judge in New York, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Washington state. She has been an active member of The Bowie-Crofton Camera Club for over 40 years; holding every office in that club during that time. Roz continues to wear many hats for the Maryland Photo Alliance in judge training, nominating committee and helper for other events.
You may be wondering what type of photos this judge prefers. Roz looks for something uniquely different, maybe something that stretches the imagination, perhaps a different perspective. Creativity is a huge plus in her judging style.
Be creative!
Roz continues her nursing assignment as Parish Nurse for her church and volunteers at Anne Arundel Medical Center in radiation oncology. She is an avid sewer, embroiderer and quilter too. She also works as a nurse/medic for films and TV series filmed in Maryland.
PHOTO FORUM
Thursday, December 18, 2025, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
November’s planned discussions and presentations:
- What’s on your mind, photographically?
- “The Great Smoky Mountains” – Dennis Freeman and Wendy Kates
- “Photoshop AI Update” – Pete Morton
- We are soliciting presenters. Contact Dennis ( dennisfreeman4510@msn.com ) if you’d like to present something!
You may send up to 2 images you would like get feedback on or just share. This month’s theme will be “Open.”
DECEMBER FIELD TRIP – Zoo Lights
Leader: Gerry Woods – (202) 494-2131
When: Sunday, December 7, 2025, 4:45 p.m.
Where: Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
Cost: Tickets are $9. The proceeds are used to help fund the zoo.
Meet Up: At the Main Zoo Entrance on Connecticut Avenue
To Photograph: Night Photography. This is not a traditional Christmas light display of Santa Claus and Nativity scenes. These are zoo animals.
Bring: Tripods are allowed, but I find I don’t need one. I suggest a wide-angle lens such as a 14-24mm. Your phone will also take great photos of the Zoo Lights!
Dinner (after the field trip): Fat Pete’s BBQ, 3407 Connecticut Avenue NW. Washington, DC.
More Information: https://nationalzoo.si.edu/visit/events/zoolights
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.
CLUB NEWS
NOVEMBER FIELD TRIP: UNION STATION
by Owen Epstein
Our November field trip was to Union Station in D.C. It was a very good turnout, with about 16 folks showing up, and several stayed for dinner.
We had great light that evening coming in through the front façade with lots of interesting shadows that gave us the opportunity to make great compositions. In the station itself, there is always an opportunity to photograph the beautiful Roman columns and the statues that sit above them.
One of our members found a way to go all the way to the top, which is actually blocked off to the public. They took a great shot that captured the beautiful statues looking down into the station itself.
Thanks to everyone who came out and contributed!
Here are a few images from the photo shoot:
MARYLAND PHOTOGRAPHY ALLIANCE
by Lisa Auerbach
Several exciting events hosted by MPA will be presented in the upcoming months. We hope you take advantage of them. You will find more in-depth information on the MPA Website. The Silver Spring Camera Club is a member of MPA.
- Photo Contest Winners: On November 9, the winners of the 2025 Annual Photo Contest were announced. Use this link to view the winning photographs.
- Artist Spotlight – The Podcast: In the latest episode, Episode 51 published on November 15, Lauren Welles discusses compositions on the fast-paced streets of NYC.
- Artist Spotlight – The Webinar: The next MPA webinar will feature Betsy Wilson, in a presentation titled, “Capturing Motion.” You can learn more and register for the program using this link.
- Workshops: MPA members receive a discount on workshops offered by MPA partners. Coming up on February 14-15 is a workshop offered by Liz Guertin, Winter Wings and Coastal Things, where you will photograph at the Jersey Shore and visit the New Jersey Pine Barrens.
- Maryland Masters offers web-based educational opportunities by Maryland-based speakers and raises money for many Marylanders.
Please take time to visit the website for more information about MPA. If you have questions, contact membership@ssccphotography.org.
Waverly Gallery will feature image of club member Karen Comstock
Club member Karen Comstock reports that one of her images (“Twilight Afterglow”) has been selected for a juried exhibit judged by Fred Zafran. The theme of the exhibit is “The Magic of Light” and the opening reception will be January 9, between 6:00 and 9:00 p.m. at the Waverly Gallery in Bethesda, 4600 East-West Highway #102 (east of Wisconsin Avenue). The exhibit will be on view for the month of January.
BOARD MEETING
The SSCC Board last met on October 28, 2025. The date for the next meeting via Zoom is to be announced. Normally the Board meets on the 4th Thursday of the month. The 4th Thursday in November was Thanksgiving, while this year the 4th Thursday of December is Christmas Day. Minutes from all meetings can be found in the board meeting minutes archives when they have been finalized.
FEATURES
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
MEMBER ARTICLES
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 Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
DEADLINE: BY December 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
COMPETITION RESULTS
OPEN COMPETITION – November 13, 2025
November’s competition was “Open” for projected and print images. Paul Biederman was our judge.
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 November competition, there were insufficient entries in the Novice Projected category, so Novice and Intermediate were combined. All three levels were combined in the Print category, due to. insufficient entries.
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1st Place: Maude Svensson ~ The Sparks of Tradition
2nd Place: Beth Koller ~ Ribbon Candy Fun
3rd Place: Beth Koller ~Lunch V3
HM: Kate Woodward ~ Staircase in Madrid
HM: Sherm Edwards ~ Yellow Dahlia Fire and Surf
Maude Svensson ~ Sparks of Tradition
During the recent PSA festival in Portland, Oregon I visited Fort Vancouver’s historic blacksmith shop. As some of my ancestors were blacksmiths, this tour held deep personal meaning for me, and I also had some minimal knowledge of the subject. A master craftsman welcomed us into his workshop and took time to demonstrate his techniques, proudly explaining the traditional methods he preserves. His passion for the craft was evident in every movement. As those sparks exploded from his anvil, I realized I was photographing more than a moment; I was capturing a bridge between my past and present, between Sweden and America, between memory and living tradition.
INTERMEDIATE AND NOVICE PROJECTED (COMBINED)
1st Place: Thomas Allen ~ Bowling Alley Bar
2nd Place: Marc Aurbach ~ Under the Bay Bridge
3rd Place: Catherine Honigsberg ~ MN Reflected Skyscrapers
HM: Gerry Woods ~ Laurel Races
HM: Kent Morris ~ Frosty Foggy Morning
Thomas Allen ~ Bowling Alley Bar
I have always loved including people in my photography engaged in natural activities in interesting settings,. In this photo, my family visited a bowling alley in Los Angeles. And, while we were not lucky enough to get a lane in which to bowl, we were able to stop for a beverage at the rather seedy, darkened bar. A great spot for a candid view telling an interesting story about the bowling alley, as well as its patrons. I am thoroughly enjoying my new Ricoh G3 camera. So light, small enough to fit in my pocket, and an abundance of megapixels in a wide 28mm format. Also, less intrusive than even my iPhone, and a treat to use for Black and White shots.
NOVICE, INTERMEDIATE AND ADVANCED (COMBINED)
1st Place: Sherm Edwards ~ Autumn at Brookside
2nd Place: Will Rabinovich ~ Flow
3rd Place: Beth Koller ~ Emerald Eye Tree Frog
Sherm Edwards ~ Autumn in Brookside
COURSES, CALLS FOR ENTRY, AND EXHIBITS
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.
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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