March 2022

From the President...

Greetings, fellow club members.

The next couple of months are transition months for Green Valley and the Camera Club. It is a time when many of our members begin preparations to begin their journey to their summer place of residence. Yet for others, like myself, an Arizona native, Arizona is our home and we’re not going anywhere.

For the Camera Club, our transition happened many months ago when we transitioned to offering our Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings and other events from in-person sessions to Zoom. This transition has allowed us to continue offering our SIG’s, Travelogue, Speaker Series, Camera Class, and other club activities on-line. The result has been an overwhelming success as attendance has remained high. Although I must say, one drawback to the virtual sessions is that you must provide your own coffee and doughnut(s).

Of course, we hope that soon we will once again be able to extend our club hours to full day opportunities, gather in person and get back to the camaraderie we so much miss. While meeting on-line has its advantages and it is fun trying to figure out where in the world our Zoom participants are joining us from, it’s always good to shake a member’s hand or give a good friend a hug.

Next month is board election time, and a nominating committee is busy putting together a strong slate of candidates for you to consider. We are looking for new ideas and a strong commitment to keep your camera club financially stable and of value to you. More on this in the April newsletter.

So, whether you’re staying or physically leaving us for a short while, you will be able to continue accessing the many benefits available to you by joining us online. We thank you for continuing your membership in the Camera Club. Thank you for sticking with us, and thank you, volunteers, for making it all happen.

Stay safe.

Danny Valenzuela, President

Club Closed on Wednesday, March 2nd

Please note that the Anza Building and the Camera Club will be closed on Wednesday, March 2nd, for the installation of two new HVAC systems. The parking lot will be cordoned off for safety reasons and no one will be allowed inside the building.

Remembering Don Spear

Many of our long term club members were saddened with the news of the passing of Don Spear as we remembered him in last month's newsletter. Since then, Don's family has informed us of the memorial service for Don which can be attended remotely on YouTube. The memorial service is scheduled for Saturday, March 12, at 10am EST (8am Arizona time) at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. You may attend the service remotely  here.

You may also view his on-line obituary and leave your condolences here.

Photo of the Month

The March Photo of the Month is by Phil Rock, titled South Haven, MI Lighthouse, an excellent study in photographic perspective and time-lapse technique. Congratulations, Phil.

The Photo of the Month is chosen from the Photo of the Day series published on the Club's Facebook page from the 26th of the previous month to the 25th of last month. Keep sending the best of your work to Judith Pollard at jmp7741@gmail.com.

Macro, Landscape and Wildlife Books

Spring in the desert is a photographer’s paradise. It is a great time to visit Desert Meadows Park or the Arid Gardens to get some good macro shots of blooming cactus, garden veggies, and birds and bunnies who inhabit the gardens.

The monthly display on the library bookcase is focused on macro, landscape, and wildlife. Stop in and check out a book to inspire you and maybe refresh you about something that you had forgotten.

If you have books to donate, please set them on top of the refrigerator at the club so that I will know that they are ready to catalog. Thank you.

Also, if you have books that were checked out before we closed for Covid-19, please return them to the library. Please contact me if you have questions.

Becky McCreary, Librarian

It seems that the threat of the Corona Virus is lessening, giving the GVR Camera Club hope of returning to some sense of normalcy. Like educational institutions all across the country, we’re facing a challenge. Some instructors and SIG leaders can’t wait to get back to in-person activities, while others still want to supervise activities from home with Pjs and coffee. Participants face the same challenge, the convenience of participating at home against the  hugs and handshakes of in-person activities.

Schools across the country have devised a system that just may satisfy all learners, called Blended Learning. In Blended Learning, participants can attend activities in-person or online. They can even watch a recording of the activity at a later date.

The GVR Camera Club’s Multimedia SIG is experimenting with some Blended Learning meetings, The SIG meets on the 2^nd and 4^th Monday of the month on ZOOM. Some members meet at the same time in the Ansel Adams Room. The live participants simply use a lap top, linked to a big TV as a ZOOM  hub. It is a simple set up that allows both types of participation. The meetings are also shared on YouTube for members who wish to watch the SIG meeting at a later time.

The Blended Meetings are an experiment that we are watching closely and may be in the GVR Camera Club’s future.

We are always looking for more instructional activities, Let me know if you have a photographic skill to share.

This Month's Club Activities

Jump to SIGs

Jump to Travelogue

Jump to Field Trips

Jump to Photo Ops

Jump to Showtime

Jump to Speaker Series

Check the club calendar here for the latest information on all club activities.

Travelogue

Monday, 3/21 at 7:00 pm

This month's travelogue will show two beautiful presentations and possibly more. Join us via Zoom.

Grand Canyon Raft Trip

by Kirk Hively

More People, Places and Patterns

by Becky McCreary

Find more information and register to join this presentation on the Club's website here or via your Travelogue e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

If you have a program to share, drop off your thumb drive with a .mov or .mpeg4 show in the Travelogue Drop Box located outside the Camera Club door, or email it to me at traveloguecc@gmail.com.

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Coordinator

Showtime

Monday 3/7 at 7:00 pm

Have you missed the Camera Club annual catered and potluck dinner over the past two years? Fear not…..it is back for 2022! But sadly, it's virtual only. But better than no potluck at all! The date is Monday, March 7, and festivities begin at 7:00 PM.

So here's the deal. You are requested to virtually bring a dish to pass. Assignments are…..

Last name A-B:      Appetizer

Last name C-D:     Salad

Last name E-F:      Main Dish

Last name G-P:      Dessert

Last name Q-Z:      Liquid refreshment – Pepsi, beer, wine, hard liquor, etc.

As you can see we are concentrating on a non-healthy menu for this year. You may be asked to display your contribution to the dinner, so be prepared. Name tags will not be provided, so it is requested that you make arrangements to provide your own. Make one or check the inventory of tags that you already have. It is important that we be able to see your tag so that other participants can recognize you. And finally, please bring paper and pencil. There will not be a test but there may be a ‘mixer’ type game.

This is the last SHOWTIME until December so don’t miss it! 

Below is your entertainment scheduled immediately after the short virtual potluck dinner. 

• Alaska – Ron Barry
• Cincy Zoo & Botanical Garden – Kevin May
• Summer 2021 – Doug Stenerson
• Back Roads Pima County – Kirk Hively
• 40 Photographs – Jerry Marrion
• Courses Camarguaises – Larry Springford
• Monument Valley – Denis Crawford
• Scavengers Revisited

Find more information and register to join this presentation on the Club's website here or via your Travelogue e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

Speaker Series

Thursday, 3/17 at 2:00 pm

Andy Glavac

Event Photography

Tune in and meet new Camera Club member, Andy Glavac! We’re pleased to have him join us in the Green Valley Community and jump right in to volunteer as the March Speaker Series presenter.

Andy will share a quick video of people from his Havana Cuba trip. His presentations are done with a manual slideshow and he will discuss his process for event photography. See how the expertise shown in January and February, along with Andy’s, can be put together to result in a show depicting photogenic events.

Find more information and register to join this presentation on the Club's website here or via your Travelogue e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

Holly Chorba, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

2021/2022 Season

Join the group, meet some new friends and add to the fun. Find more information and register for one or more of the field trips here or with the links in one of our Field Trip e-blasts.

Bird/Nature Trips

03/08/22 – Paton Center for Hummingbirds - One opening
03/22/22 – Tubac Bridge / Anza Trail / Hawk Watch - Wait list only
04/05/22 – Madera Canyon Santa Rita Lodge for Hummingbirds-Wait list only

Tucson Windows and Doors Trips

03/08/22-| A walking tour of several blocks. Explore the area on either side

04/12/22-| of the Tucson Convention Center. Always a fun trip.

Special Interest and Outright Fun Trips

03/15/22 – Bisbee by Bus - Wait list only

03/19/22 – Equine Voices Horse Sanctuary and Rescue - Lots of openings

Photo Opportunities

The weather is starting to warm up, cabin fever has peaked, and folks are ready to get out and enjoy the outdoors and one another’s company. This month’s photo opportunities run the gamut, from a renaissance festival to the largest western-themed steampunk convention in the nation, a bicycle road race through Green Valley and Sahuarita, book festivals and artists markets galore, a bird walk, a garden rail tour, and a car show. And may the road rise up to meet you at the St Patrick’s Day festival. We’ve also tossed in the Pima Air and Space Museum and a Reid Park Zoo event that you can enjoy while the weather is moderate. Make sure you take extra camera batteries!

Gadsden-Pacific Division Toy Train Operating Museum

• Ongoing, Sundays 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm – $5
• 3975 N. Miller Ave, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Pima Air and Space Museum

• Ongoing thru May, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily - Ticket prices vary
• 6000 East Valencia Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

34th Annual Arizona Renaissance Festival & Artisan Marketplace

• Ongoing thru Apr. 3, Saturdays & Sundays 10:00 am to 6:00 pm - Ticket prices vary
• 12601 East US Hwy 60, Gold Canyon, AZ
• Find more information here.

Dinosaur Discovery

• Ongoing thru May 15, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily – Free with Zoo admission
• Reid Park Zoo, 3400 Zoo Court, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention 10

• Mar.4-6, 9:00 am to 6:00 pm Fri, Sat, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm Sun – Ticket prices vary
• Westward Look Resort, 245 East Ina Road, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Bicycle Road Race - Stage 2 of the 34th Annual Tucson Bicycle Classic

• Mar. 5, 7:00 am to 2:00 pm - Free to view
• See course map on page 15 (PDF sheet 18) of race Technical Guide here.
• Find more information here.

18th Annual Rails in the Garden Tour

• Mar. 5-6, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - Free
• Nine garden railroads throughout the Tuscon area
• Find more information here.

TMA Spring Artisans Market

• Mar. 11-13, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm – Free
• Tucson Museum of Art, 140 North Main Avenue, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Open Studio Tour

• Mar.11-13, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm – Free
• Art Galleries in Green Valley, Amado, Tubac, Tumacacori and Rio Rico
• Find more information here.

St. Patrick's Day Parade & Festival

• Mar. 12, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm (Parade begins at 10:30 am) - Free
• Armory Park in downtown Tucson
• Find more information here.

Santa Gertrudis Day / Anza Day

• Mar. 12, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm - Free
• Tubac Presidio State Park, Tubac, AZ
• Find more information here.

Tumacacori Bird Walk

• Mar. 12, 8:00 am – Free with entrance fee to the park
• Tumacacori National Historical Park, Tumacacori, AZ
• Find more information here.

Tucson Festival of Books

• Mar.12-13, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm – Free, tickets must be reserved
• University of Arizona campus, Tucson, AZ
• Find more information here.

Sahuarita Creative Arts Market

• Mar. 12-13, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - Free
• Sahuarita Town Hall Complex, 375 W. Sahuarita Center Way, Sahuarita, AZ
• Find more information here.

Marana Founders Day and Obsessions Car Club Car show

• Mar. 19, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm - Free
• Marana Town Square, 11555 West Civic Center Drive, Marana, AZ
• Find more information here.

14th Annual Tombstone Wild West Days

• Mar. 19-20, 10:00 am to 3:00 pm – Free
• 311 East Allen Street, Tombstone, AZ
• Find more information here.

We are always looking for recommendations for future photo opportunities. Please feel free to contact me If you have suggestions for upcoming events of interest.

Tom Parker, Photo Op Coordinator

Special Interest Groups are fun and informative. Any member of the Camera Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs. Most all are meeting only via Zoom.

Click on any of the links listed to get more information on each one.

Multimedia SIG
Black and White SIG

Studio and Fine Art SIG

Hit Me with Your Best Shot SIG

Photoshop/Lightroom SIG

Field Trip SIG

Photoshop Elements SIG

Bird Photography SIG

Rebel Rousers SIG

Monitor Notes

Monitors typically welcome and check in club members, answer the phone, and inform those seeking information about the Club. We are all indebted to the dedicated team of monitors who volunteer to keep the Camera Club open. Many thanks to all of you.

We are always looking for additional monitors. Help us provide all the benefits the Club offers to its members. As you take advantage of the Club's activities and its extensive digital processing equipment, consider sharing the effort in providing these services by volunteering as a monitor.  You are not expected to know how to use the equipment. Training takes about an hour.

Contact: gvrcameramonitors@gmail.com for more information.

Green Valley Recreation Camera Club

The GVR Camera Club was established in the early 1970’s as one of many Green Valley Recreation organizations to serve its members and our community. Our main interest is photography, both still and video imaging. The Club has grown into one of the largest camera clubs in the country with over 750 active members.

The Club is located on the 2nd floor of the west wing at the Santa Rita Springs GVR Recreation Center. You may contact us at:

PO Box 1423, Green Valley, AZ 85622 or gvrcameraclub@gmail.com. 

Neil Wicai, Newsletter Editor - neilwicai@gmail.com - 575-224-1238