Member, Photographic Society of America
Winner of the 2008, 2011, and 2012 PSA Henricks Award for best newsletter!
Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger, 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.
- November 6 – Speaker Night: (7:30 on Zoom)
- November 13 – Competition: Open (7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Presbyterian Church, formerly Northwood Presbyterian Church)
- November 16 – Field Trip: Union Station (4:00 p.m.)
- November 20 – Photo Forum (7:30 on Zoom)
- November 27 – Thanksgiving: 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 November 24. Email items or questions to Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
DEADLINE: BY November 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 – Hazel Meridith – Creativity with Your Smart Phone
Thursday, November 6, 2025, at 7:30 p.m.
Creative processing isn’t limited to our desktop computers! Learn to create exciting, creative images on your smart phone! We’ll explore some of my favorite apps for creative processing including Snapseed, DistressedFx+, Image Blender, Retouch, and the JixiPix suite of apps. (Many apps are both iPhone/Android).
COMPETITION COLUMN
Our November topic is Open:
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.
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:
- December – Leading Lines
- January – Open
- February – Night Photography
- March – Open
- April – SSCC FIeld Trips
- May – Monochrome
- June – End of Year Competition (special rules apply)
JUDGE Paul Biederman – Open
November 13, 2025, 7:30 p.m. at Christ the King Presbyterian Church
Paul Biederman is an awarding-winning photographer who has earned degrees in Master of Photography, Master Photographic Artist, and Photographic Craftsman with the PPA (Professional Photographers of America). Just recently his image of two spiders was a finalist in the Wildlife category of the Photoshop World 2025 Guru Awards.
Paul loves to share his experiences and knowledge. His main genre is nature photography, and more specifically, birds and macrophotography. Paul is accomplished in macrophotography, floral and animal photography, digital artistic painting, compositing and sports photography.
He enjoys critiquing and editing photographic images, competing in and judging photographic contests, and teaching. He developed a passion for photography as a Cub Scout. He then learned and studied forensic photography during his dental residency and pediatric dental practice. Using the same camera equipment, he advanced to nature and macrophotography and taking pictures of his growing family.
Paul created a darkroom in 1970. He learned to load his own film, develop and print. His mentors were certified professional hospital photographers. There was no internet. He learned through trial and error, at the University of Hard Knocks, reading literature, asking questions of photographers at the photo store, and two all day programs with Nikon.
He continues to learn and apply the science and art of photography daily. Paul has no secrets and is both objective and subjective when critiquing his own work and that of others.
PHOTO FORUM
Thursday, November 20, 2025, from 7:30 – 9:30 p.m.
November’s planned discussions and presentations:
- What’s on your mind, photographically?
- “Fun with Garden Photography” – Sherm Edwards
- “Autumn in the Smokies“ – Dennis Freeman
- 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.”
NOVEMBER FIELD TRIP – Union Station
Leader: Owen Epstein
When: November 16, 2025, 4:00 p.m
Where: Union Station
Subject: Architecture, Beaux-Arts
Meet Up: Meet in the Main Hall, near the main entrance within the station building.
Bring: Your camera gear, with wide angle lens and telephoto lens. Tripods are not allowed at Union Station without a permit.
More Information:
Union Station was commissioned by Congress in 1903 to be the new, monumental gateway to the nation’s capital. Its primary purpose was to consolidate the two separate and inconvenient railroad terminals that were then located on the National Mall.
Designed by the famous architect Daniel Burnham in the Beaux-Arts style, the station was conceived as a “city within a city.” No expense was spared, with the Main Hall (once the “General Waiting Room”) featuring a 96-foot-high barrel-vaulted ceiling, extensive gold leaf, and 36 statues of Roman legionnaires.
The station opened on October 27, 1907, and was completed in 1908.
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
OCTOBER FIELD TRIP: HILLWOOD ESTATE
By Gerry Woods
On October 25, 2025, SSCC had a field trip to the Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens located in Northwest D.C. Eleven SSCC members participated in the field trip.
Hillwood Estate is the former residence of socialite and philanthropist Marjorie Merriweather Post. We spent the morning photographing the fall colors in the various gardens, including the formal “French Parterre,” the Rose Garden, and the Japanese Garden. We also photographed orchids, and various plants, in the greenhouse. Inside the mansion, we photographed artwork including tapestries from the 1730’s, a table service by Catherine the Great, Russian Orthodox church icons and jeweled liturgical vessels, Wedgewood ceramics, diamond tiara’s and Faberge Eggs. And, Marjorie Post’s grave which is located in the Rose Garden. After about two hours of photographing the Estate, we met up for lunch at the Hillwood Café.
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: The winners of the 2025 Annual Photo Contest will be announced on November 9, at 7:00 p.m. The presentation will be zoomed. Use this link to join the presentation.
- Artist Spotlight – The Podcast: Episode 49, published on October 15, was an interview with Jerome Brunet, a Los Angeles based music photographer.
- Artist Spotlight – The Webinar: On November 25th, Loli Kantor, a photo-artist and documentarian, will be talking about her professional life as a photographer in a program titled, “Photography, Identity, and Memory. You can learn more and register for the program using this link.
- Adventures in Light: MPA partners with independent professionals to run photography workshops around the world. The next workshop, sponsored by EMS Photo Adventures will be in Panama, December 3-11. Learn more at this link.
- Money raised for charities: Through its contests and webinars, MPA raises money for the Maryland Food Bank and for Flashes of Hope—a national photography program that, in partnership with pediatric hospitals and summer camps for children with cancer, creates portraits for these children and their families. As of this Cable Release publication, the Maryland Foodbank has received nearly $84,000, and Flashes of Hope has received more than $55,000.
Please take time to visit the website for more information about MPA. If you have questions, contact membership@ssccphotography.org.
More than Flowers: David Terao’s Images Featured in The Brooksider
The Fall 2025 issue of The Brooksider—the newsletter published by Friends of Brookside Gardens—features images by club member David Terao (whose image, The Spider and the Fly was the winner of the Joyce Bayley Nature Award in our October nature photo competition). The accompanying article gives insight into his approach to photography. His images taken at Brookside feature the flowers, of course, but also the landscapes, birds, and other interesting subjects that can be found in the gardens through the four seasons. The newsletter can be found at THIS LINK. The article starts on page 8.
BOARD MEETING
The SSCC Board last met on October 28, 2025. The date for the next meeting via Zoom is to be announced. Minutes from all meetings can be found in the board meeting minutes archives when they have been finalized.
FEATURES
CONFERENCES AND EXPOS
Mid-Atlantic Photo Visions will be held at George Mason University, Mason Square, located in Arlington, Virginia. Entrance to the event, its vendor area, and gallery of juried images is free. Presentations and workshops require tickets that can be purchased in advanced or at the door. More info here.
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 November 24. Email items or questions to Sherm Edwards and Maurice Belanger at cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
DEADLINE: BY November 24th TO cablereleaseeditor@ssccphotography.org.
COMPETITION RESULTS
BEST IN SHOW – NATURE – OCTOBER 12
Joyce Bayley Award for Best in Show, Nature:
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 winner of the Joyce Bayley Award for the 2025-2026 Club year is:
NATURE COMPETITION – October 16, 2025
October’s competition was Nature for projected and print images. Emily J. Carter 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.
ADVANCED PROJECTED
1st Place: David Terao ~ The Spider and the Fly
2nd Place: Wendy Kates ~ Dancing Tulips
3rd Place: Ilona Linnoila ~Total Eclipse with Blood Moon in 2025
HM: Karen Finkelman ~ Leaf Buddies
HM: Larry Gold ~ Mind Your Beeswax 2
David Terao ~ The Spider and the Fly
I shot this image at the Agricultural History Farm Park in Derwood, Maryland this summer where they have a public, trial dahlia garden. While shooting the dahlias, I found a jumping spider in a white dahlia. While I was shooting the spider, a hover fly landed on the petal above the spider. I quickly focused on the fly’s eyes and got one shot before it flew away. I focus-stacked the image with the one I took moments before that was focused on the spider’s eyes to get the final image.
INTERMEDIATE AND NOVICE PROJECTED (COMBINED)
1st Place: Gerry Woods ~ Butterfly
2nd Place: Thomas Allen ~ Gulls on the Rocks
3rd Place: Will Rabinovich ~ Fall Surprise
HM: Cathy Faughnan ~ Harvestmoth
HM: Tanya Riseman ~ Teen and Parent Yellow-Crowned Night Herons
Gerry Woods ~ Butterfly
ADVANCED PRINTS
1st Place: Sherm Edwards ~ Birch Reflections, Maine
2nd Place: David Terao ~ Great Southern White
Sherm Edwards ~ Birch Reflections, Maine
This reflection shot was taken in Acadia National Park, Maine, where I was attending a NANPA workshop the week before the competition. The original includes the trees themselves, but the more I cropped, the better I liked the image. While there wasn’t a lot of foliage color at the time, this was one of the better spots. Taken with my Canon R5, RF 70-200 f2.8 lens, 153 mm, 1/160 sec. at f11.
NOVICE AND INTERMEDIATE PRINTS (COMBINED)
1st Place: Will Rabinovich ~ Confluence
Will Rabinovich ~ Confluence
This image was taken while at an Out of Chicago Workshop in the Smoky Mountains. It was in the Tremont area are along the stream there. I was drawn to the meeting of water at this point, and I took many different compositions at different shutter speeds. This one was at 70mm and 1/5 seconds. The processing was pretty basic, and was done in Lightroom. I printed the image with an Epson P800 printer on Red River Ultra Pro Satin Paper
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
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.
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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