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

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KEY EVENTS

The club does not regularly meet in the summer. There will be a Photo Forum on July 23 (see below). Look for announcements and invitations by e-mail, Meetup, and on the club’s Website, should a field trip be scheduled. Information on September’s speaker and competition judge, as well as the subjects to be discussed in September’s Photo Forum, will appear in the September issue of Cable Release.

Club Calendar

The 2026-2027 calendar, with the dates of Speaker Night, Competition Night, Photo Forum, Board Meetings, and Field Trips, will appear in the September Cable Release. The calendar is updated throughout the year as new event details become available.

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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 August 24 for the September issue. Email items or questions to Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at  cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.    

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

 

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MEETINGS AND FIELD TRIPS

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MEETING LOCATION

The club normally meets September – May three times a month on Thursdays, with an end-of-year event held in June. The second Thursday meeting of each month is an in-person meeting; the other two are 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 –  No Speaker in July

Information about the first speaker for the club’s 2026-2027 season will appear in the September Cable Release.

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COMPETITION COLUMN – No Competition in July

Club competitions will resume in September. Here is the schedule for competitions in the 2026-2027 year, beginning in September.

• September 10, Open.
• October 8, Nature.
• November 12, Open.
• December 10, Backlighting.
• January 14, Open.
• February 11, Still Life.
• March 11, Open.
• April 8, Minimalist Photography.
• May 13, Monochrome.
• June 10, End of Year event (tentative). Special rules apply.

To see a definition for the topics listed above, click here.

Members may submit up to two images meeting the month’s 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 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.)

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COMPETITION JUDGE: No Competition in July

Information about September’s competition judge will appear in the September Cable Release.

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PHOTO FORUM

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

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. Send your images to Dennis Freeman before 5:00 p.m., WEDNESDAY, July 22.   (Dennisfreeman4510@msn.com). 
• Presentation: “New Lightroom Capabilities Coming Soon” – Pete Morton
• “The Palouse” – As Seen by the June Photo Tour Attendees
• Open Discussion: What’s on your mind, photographically?  

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

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CLUB NEWS

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CLUB LOGO GETS MAKOVER

The following is from a speech delivered at the annual event by Tanya Riseman, written by Michele Destin van Rijn and Tanya Riseman

Greetings all!

We are very excited about the new logo. Our Camera Club has a rich history, and we have grown together and technology has evolved. We are steeped in tradition, but have embraced the advances in photographic equipment, and have seen interest in photography increase exponentially in recent years. We hope to benefit from that new energy and interest.

Last October, Michele proposed the development of a new, modern logo, and demo-ed the possibilities with a quick generative AI reboot. She pointed out that our original emblem did not seem to capture the vibe of our club.  The original emblem is a line drawing dating from the inception of the Silver Spring Camera Club in 1950, predating ubiquitous photocopiers, PDFs, and even the word “logo”. 

The club constitution narrowed the possibilities by requiring an acorn design. 

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.

Tanya leaned into the graphic design learning curve with innumerable bad designs while Michele made templates for cameras and cellphones and also AI assisted designs. Bruce encouraged us and wrote enthusiastic announcements. Dennis’ daughter offered a couple of potential logo prototype,s which helped in the thinking process. We then reached out to the wider group for more suggestions. 

Karen C. envisioned an acorn in a swirling circular motif that would fit nicely in the lens of a camera. Michele, Bruce, and Tanya liked the simplicity and the flow.  Tanya did the final design work in Photoshop using vector graphics which scale smoothly between different file resolutions. 

We were thrilled with the participation of so many of you in the voting process. The Board was also quite enthusiastic. 

Club members provided important guidance on what they felt represented us by responding to surveys that narrowed down design ideas and fonts. With all that input and enthusiasm, we moved forward to the final selection of our new logo. 

Drum roll ….

The logo with the clear mandate of 62% of the votes… 

You will be seeing our new logo on our website, monthly newsletter, Facebook, emails, Meetup, and other social media starting July 1^s,, 2026.

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CLUB ELECTS NEW OFFICERS

At its year-end event in June (see article below), members of the Silver Spring Camera Club elected a slate of officers who will serve during the 2026-2027 club year. Those officers are:

• Catherine Honigsberg, President
• Dennis Freeman, Vice President
• Bruce Schaefer, Treasurer
• Gerry Woods, Secretary
• Bob Catlett, Director
• Pete Morton, Director
• Sherm Edwards, Director

All of the above served last year except Gerry Woods, who has stepped in to fill the Secretary role.

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DON’T FORGET TO RENEW YOUR CLUB MEMBERSHIP

As our 2025-2026 year concludes, and we look forward to the new club year starting in September. Between now and then, don’t forget to renew your club membership. Dues must be paid no later than the 2nd Thursday in September and before entering any SSCC competition. 

At its May meeting, the board voted to raise dues by $10, from $50 to $60 for individuals, and from $80 to $90 for family memberships. A new level was added — $35 for students and for active duty military. Club expenses have been slightly outpacing income, so the board thought a small increase in dues was warranted. You can renew online by clicking on THIS LINK.

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MAY FIELD TRIP: THE MILKY WAY

By Gerry Woods

Our May 2026 field trip was an overnight trip to the Assateague Island National Park in Berlin, Maryland, near Ocean City. Assateague Island is a long barrier island off the coast of Maryland and Virginia. The island is home to the wild Chincoteague ponies, bald eagles, and various migratory seabirds. It is also a prime East Coast location for night photography due to its relatively dark skies. The field trip was attended by eleven SSCC club members (See group photo in the below slide show) plus several non-photographer family members.

On Saturday, we meet at the Hampton Inn & Suites in West Ocean City for a review of suggested “Milky Way” camera settings by Catherine and Dennis. After a delicious dinner next door at the Carrabas Italian Grill, we drove together to the Assateague Island National Park. We were able to set-up our cameras and tripods near the “Naturalist Shack” which is located adjacent to the park’s parking lot.

On Sunday morning, some camera clubbers (Michele) took photos of Ocean City at sunrise.  While others (Dennis, Catherine, Gerry, Jim & Tanya) went back to Assateague Island National Park to take photos of the wild horses. Kent and Michele also stopped at the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge (Cambridge, MD) on their way back home.  

This was a memorable weekend for me. I learned a lot about night photography, and even got a couple of decent photographs. I want to thank Catherine and Dennis for their excellent assistance with the technical aspects of the trip. A special thanks to Catherine for her “Milky Way Cheat Sheet” handout which I found extremely helpful.  

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JUNE FIELD TRIP: KENILWORTH AQUATIC GARDENS

By Owen Epstein

The trip to Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens on Sunday, June 21st, was a great success. Although the lotus flowers were not in full bloom, they were in a very good state of maturity. One of the exciting parts was seeing a unique bird called a yellow-crowned night heron. I’ve seen lots of blue herons, but never a bird like this. You can see an image of this bird in the photos from the trip.

Several of us who joined went out to IHOP afterward, had a standard pancake and egg breakfast, and socialized for a while. See you folks on the next trip!

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CLUB OUTREACH AT PRO PHOTO FLEA MARKET

On Saturday, June 20, Silver Spring Camera Club participated in Pro Photo’s “Photo Flea Market” in Western Market in Washington. Kay Carkhuff, Frank Gallagher and Diane Sanders staffed a table with our new logo, business cards and handouts, speaking to dozens of photographers about our club. There were a large number of enthusiastic young people, many of whom were interested in finding community with other photo enthusiasts. A surprising number were also experimenting with film.

Other vendors were selling everything from old, large-format cameras to entry-level digital cameras to filters, bags and tripods. 

We were kept busy handing out club flyers, making contacts and answering questions. We hope to see some of these folks at a future club event! 

Many thanks to Sally at Pro Photo for making this all possible and, if you’re in the market for some photography gear or need something repaired, check them out! They are at 2000 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, near George Washington University.

SSCC PARTICIPATES IN 2026 TAKOMA PARK PORCH FEST

By Gerry Woods

Several members of the Silver Spring Camera Club (SSCC) participated as “Official Photographers” of the Takoma Park Porch Fest which was held from 2-6 pm on May 9^th. The “Takoma Park Porch Fest” is a free, live music festival which includes performances by local artists on porches in the Takoma Park neighborhood each year. Attendees can easily walk from one “stage” to the next. The musical lineups include jazz, rock, pop, bluegrass, classical, folk and more.

A representative of the “Takoma Park Porch Fest” asked SSCC for volunteers to take photographs of the performers (and attenders) for use in their social media and advertising.  Maurice B. organized our participation again this year which included: Thomas A., Michele D., Maude S., and me.

This is a great exercise for beginner, intermediate and advanced photographers alike.  You can just use your phone if you wish!  I hope you will consider participating in the event next year in 2027.  Contact Maurice for more information at mauricembelanger@gmail.com.

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NEWS FROM MARYLAND PHOTOGRAPHY ALLIANCE: HELP US BUILD THE FUTURE OF PHOTOGRAPHY

[Editor’s note: The Silver Spring Camera Club is a member of the Maryland Photography Alliance.]

Steve Sattler, President, Maryland Photography Alliance

Whether you live in Maryland or across the country, thank you for being part of the MPA community. While many of our members and supporters reside outside Maryland, they continue to participate in and benefit from our webinars, podcasts, contests, educational programs, and in-person events.

Today, I am asking for your support in one or two ways. 

Option 1: Donate to MPA

Your financial contribution helps us continue and expand the programs that serve photographers at all levels. Donations to MPA directly support:

• Educational webinars and podcasts
• Photography competitions
• Gallery shows
• Judge training programs
• Charitable fundraising
• Our youth engagement initiative

Every contribution, regardless of size, helps MPA invest in the future of photography and the next generation of photographers.

 Option 2: Support MPA Through Service Photo

If you’re planning to purchase photography equipment or accessories, you can support MPA at no additional cost.

Service Photo, Maryland’s last remaining 100% retail camera store, has partnered with MPA and will donate a portion of qualifying purchases back to our organization when your account is identified as being affiliated with MPA.

To Participate:

• Join Service Photo’s email list by clicking the below button and your account will be flagged as an MPA supporter. If you already have an account, click the button to update your account as an MPA supporter.
• Consider Service Photo when making future photography purchases
  

Many photographers automatically turn to large online retailers, but Service Photo offers many of the same advantages—along with several benefits that larger companies simply cannot match.

What Is Exactly the Same?

• Large inventory of the most sought-after camera gear and accessories
• Identical pricing, including guaranteed competitive pricing
• Same-day shipping on the vast majority of in-stock items, with free insured UPS shipping on most orders
  

What Is Slightly Different?

Rather than carrying every accessory brand available, Service Photo carefully evaluates manufacturers and products before offering them to customers. Their focus is on providing products that deliver the best combination of quality, value, warranty support, and customer service.

What Makes Service Photo Different (and We Think Better)?

• Unlimited in-store guidance and instruction for local customers purchasing gear from Service Photo
• Online chat, email, and telephone support for customers everywhere
• Direct access to the business owner and key decision-makers for timely assistance
• Enhanced trade-in opportunities for customers purchasing new equipment
• Flexibility in applying manufacturer rebate programs to help ensure the best possible value
• No sales tax charged on many shipments outside Maryland, subject to applicable state and local tax regulations
• When buying photography equipment and accessories, why not get the same or better deal at Service Photo and support MPA at the same time?

Service Photo Website

 Every Action Helps. Whether you choose to make a donation, purchase through Service Photo, or simply sign up for their email list and explore their website, your support helps MPA continue serving photographers today while investing in the photographers of tomorrow.

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BOARD MEETING

The SSCC Board last met on May 28, 2026. Discussed at this meeting were the club’s year-end event, officer elections, the treasurer’s report, insurance, payment for competition judges, authorization for funds for a membership picnic, club dues and an “adopt-a-camera” program. Normally the Board meets on the 4th Thursday of the month. It will next meet in September. Minutes from all meetings can be found in the board meeting minutes archives when they have been finalized.

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YEAR-END CELEBRATION AND COMPETITION RESULTS

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On June 12, the Silver Spring Camera Club held its annual end-of-year event and awards ceremony. The event kicked off with a pot luck dinner and socializing. Once members were fed, the program began with election of officers for the 2026-2027 club year. (See article above.) The election was followed by the unveiling of a new logo for the club. (See article above.) The new design replaces the original logo from the inception of the club 75 years ago.

Lisa and Marc Auerbach made remarks about the meaning of membership in the club., and they were followed by club President Catherine Honigsberg, who thanked various members of the club for their volunteer efforts that are key to the smooth operation of the club. 

Frank Gallagher, program chair, gave a summary of the past year’s speakers and their topics. Dennis Freeman gave an overview of the photography and club milestone awards that took up much of the rest of the program. See below for articles on those.

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YEAR-END AWARDS, RECOGNITIONS, MILESTONES

The year-end event features the winners of a special competition in the Novice, Intermediate and Advanced categories for Projected Images and Prints. Judging is done prior to our actual year-end event. Images of all the winning entries will appear in the September issue of Cable Release.

The year-end event also includes announcement of the winner of the Len Tuchin Best-in-Show award, which recognizes the best image from the winners of the Novice, Intermediate and Advanced Projected and Print categories in the year-end competition.

The Joyce Bayley Best in Show, Nature was awarded last October in our Nature competition, and is announced at this event.

Members are recognized for various milestones. Significant years of membership in the club are acknowledged with our Milestone Awards. STAR awards represent impressive milestone numbers of cumulative points earned in competitions. Finally, at the event we award our annual Photographer of the Year awards for the Projected and Print categories at the Novice, Intermediate and Advanced levels. These awards go to those members who have earned the most cumulative competition points for the year.

Also at the year-end event, one member is recognized for his or her contributions to the club with our Service Award, going to the member who the Executive Council feels contributed the most during the club year. This year’s Service Award went to Gerry Woods. He is being acknowledged for his efforts to increase the numbers of field trips and in bringing new ideas for places to go. He also has put much work into reenergizing our Facebook page and keeping it current with our trip photos.

Since he took over field trips and the club’s Facebook page, he has injected great new energy into both activities. He now organizes two field trips a month, each followed by a group lunch or dinner and, shortly after, pictures taken by attendees are posted on Facebook. Review and comments on the photos generate more interest in upcoming trips, resulting in greater turnout. Proof of this synergy can be seen in the recent overnight trip to Assateague Island to photograph the Milky Way. It was sold out with 15 sleep-deprived souls. 

As field trips allow members to meet face-to-face and thereby develop and share camera skills, they form a major element in the club’s success. Gerry has done a great job in the first year and deserves this recognition. 

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YEAR-END COMPETITION WINNERS

Galleries for the year-end competition winners will appear in the September Cable Release.

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 THE JOYCE BAYLEY AND LEN TUCHIN AWARDS

The Joyce Bayley Award is presented for the “Best of Show” during the October Nature competition as determined by the judge. This award was named to honor Joyce Bayley after her death in 1997. She joined SSCC in 1981 and was known for her beautiful nature photographs and the prize peonies she developed. She was an active contributor to the club and served as President.

The Len Tuchin Best in Show Award is presented for the Best in Show across Novice, Advanced, and Projected and Prints from the End of Year competition. Len Tuchin joined the SSCC in 1966 and was active in the club for 19 years. He served in several club positions, including Monochrome Program Chairman, Vice President, President and Board Director. Len also served the club as its auctioneer extraordinaire for what used to be the club’s annual equipment auction. Len served in this capacity for at least nine years. His much-loved ad lib humor and quick-witted anecdotes made the auctions memorable events. Tragically, in January 1985 Len died from a massive heart attack suffered while he was presiding over one of the auctions. He was 57. Len’s photography was widely praised for its precision, its beauty, its sensitivity, and at times its humor. Len’s concentration was mostly in monochrome prints. He became SSCC Master of Photography in 1978 and ended his career with 705 points – the highest on record for any SSCC member. 

The winner of the Joyce Bayley Award for October 2026 is: 

David Terao for The Spider and the Fly

The Len Tuchin Best in Show Award is awarded to:

Jim Riley for Budapest Castle with Birds at Night

All of the images from winners of the end-of-year competition will appear in the September issue of Cable Release.

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MILESTONE AND SERVICE AWARDS

Milestone Awards are given to individuals who have been members of SSCC for 5, 10, 15, 20 and higher multiples of five years. This year the following members have milestone anniversaries:

• 5 years: Diane Sanders, Larry Brauer, Catherine Faughnan, William Rabinovich, Charles Farmer, John Diehl, Carmen Petruzzi, and Valerie Brissett
• 10 years: Pete Morton, Joel Rosenfeld, Wendy Kates, and Sherm Edwards
• 15 years: David Blass, Lenore Boulet, Kay Carkhuff, Frank Gallagher, and Elizabeth Koller
• 30 years: Kent Mason
• 65 years: Donald Becker

The Service Award is nominated and voted on by the Executive Council for the member who we feel contributed the most during the club year.

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STAR AWARDS AND PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR

The Photographic Excellence, or STAR, awards are based on the total number of points a member accumulates in competition. A STAR is awarded for each 35 points earned.

• 1 STAR (35+): Marc Auerbach, Kent Morris, and Thomas Allen
• 2 STARS (70+): Diane Sanders
• 3 STARS (105+): William Rabinovich and. Maude Svensson
• 4 STARS (140+): Karen Finkelman, Wendy Kates, and Ilona Linnoila
• 5 STARS (175+): Sherm Edwards

We have several members who are working their way towards the lofty goals of “Master of Photography” (200), “Grand Master of Photography” (400), and “Hall of Fame” (800).

Photographer of the Year is awarded for Projected and Prints for Novice, Intermediate and Advanced levels. Awards are given for the most points earned for that level and category during the club year.  A minimum of 15 points is required.

Photographer of the Year for Novice Projected: Kent Morris (17 points)

Photographer of the Year for Intermediate Projected: Thomas Allen (18 points)

Photographer of the Year for Advanced Projected: Elizabeth Koller (22 points)

No Photographer of the Year for Novice Prints could be awarded.

Photographer of the Year for Intermediate Prints: William Rabinovich (26 points)  

Photographer of the Year for Advanced Prints: Elizabeth Koller (38 points)

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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 August 24. Email items or questions to Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at  cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.    

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

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COMPETITION RESULTS

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COMPETITION: Monochrome – May 14, 2026

May’s competition topic was “Monochrome” for projected and print images. Bidyottam Mittra was our judge. Here is the definition for the field trip image competition, from our website:

The term “Monochrome Photography” encompasses images that use only a single color, including the full array of shades of that color. So, for example, black and white photos, with black as the single color and its multiple shades of gray to white, are monochrome. Other single colors and their shades are equally acceptable. Under this definition, a sepia tone photo is acceptable, but a sepia tone photo containing a red umbrella would not qualify as a monochrome. Any subject matter is acceptable. In addition, a photo is acceptable if it was originally taken as a color image, as long as the image presented for the competition has been rendered into monochrome.

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 May 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. At the Advanced level, first, second, and third place were awarded, with three honorable mentions. In the Print category, all categories were combined due to insufficient entries, and first, and second place were awarded.

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ADVANCED PROJECTED

First Place: Maude Svensson, Looking-for-Love

Second Place: Karen Finkelman, Sam Buckingham

Third Place: Bob Catlett, Camellia

Honorable Mention: David Terao, Shrivelled Leaf

Honorable Mention: David Terao, Wilson Bridge

Honorable Mention: Maude Svensson, 3 Generations of Light

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INTERMEDIATE AND NOVICE PROJECTED (combined)

First Place: Jim Riley, Metal Lamp

Second Place: Diane Sanders, At the Olney Market

Third Place: Thomas Allen, Family Wading

Honorable Mention: Kent Morris, Elephants in the Rain

Honorable Mention: Thomas Allen, Occupations

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COMBINED PRINT COMPETITION

First Place: Sherm Edwards, Tuscan Dawn

Second Place: Beth Koller, Cristate Saguaro

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COURSES, CALLS FOR ENTRY, AND EXHIBITS

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PHOTOGRAPHY COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

The photography courses and workshops listing will return in September.

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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.

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Exhibits and Events

Exhibits and events will return in September.

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