November 2020 

From the Board

It’s been eight months since the Camera Club shut down.  I know we’re all weary of having to wear masks and social distance.  Being with friends to enjoy the activities we’ve always taken for granted is what keeps our lives interesting, and the inability to do so has been difficult.

However, many of the usual Camera Club activities are now taking place online via Zoom. The Multimedia, the Studio and Fine Arts Photography and the B&W Photography SIGS, and the Speaker Series, and Travelogue events have all started or will start this month on Zoom. Even I am starting my Photoshop Elements SIG this month online via Zoom. Classes and other SIGs via Zoom are also in the works.  Our facilitators are working hard to make some of our activities available to you whether you’re here in Green Valley or not. More details on all of this is below in the newsletter.

Your board is holding its first meeting of the season on November 10 via Zoom.  Also on that day, a few of us will be doing a walk-through with GVR personnel to learn what they can do to help us reopen, whenever that is.  You should know that only five of the many clubs with dedicated facilities are open.  The others, such as ours, are continuing to be cautious.  The Board has much to discuss and decide at that meeting about how to safely open the club, whenever that is.  Our primary concern is keeping our members safe.  Once we have more to report, we will send an e-blast to bring you all up to date.

In the meantime, I hope you all are staying well and safe.

Linda Gregory, Interim President

Photo of the Month

The November Photo of the Month is by Peg Robb, a stunningly beautiful photo titled Vertical Flamingo. Congratulations, Peg!

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.

To quote an old song from the sixties, "The times, they are a-changing", and they're certainly changing for the GVR Camera Club! Many of our activities are now being conducted via Zoom meetings. Here’s an update:

The Multimedia SIG meets every Monday at 10:00 am on Zoom. There are about 50 members in the SIG, with about 15 attendees on any given Monday morning. You can register on the GVR Camera Club's website here to join.

The Studio and Fine Art Photography SIG meets Mondays at 1:30 pm on Zoom. Send an email here  to get the Zoom link to attend.

The Photoshop Elements SIG will start on the Club's Zoom platform on Thursday, November 5th at 9:30 am and every week thereafter. To get the Zoom link to attend, send an email here with Elements SIG in the subject line no later than the Wednesday prior to the meeting. If you wish Linda to work on your photo(s), attach it (them) to the email.

The first Speaker Series event on Zoom was last month and was hosted as a "YouTube Live" event. The reviews are in, great job to all. Check out this month’s Speaker Series here.

Travelogue will start online with Zoom this month. It will be held on Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 PM. Check out the details here.

Showtime will start online with Zoom next month on December 7^th at 7:00 pm. Check out the details here. Look for an e-blast announcement later this month to register.

The B+W Photography SIG will be starting on Zoom on Tuesday's at 1:30 pm. Send an email here to get the Zoom link to attend.

The Bird Photography SIG will also be starting soon on Zoom on Wednesday's at 1:30 pm. Send an email here to get the Zoom link to attend.

At this point, you're probably asking how do I join these activities.  Watch for e-blast notices from the Club for event announcements. You can also go to the Club's website and watch for the event you are interested in to go ”Live". Register for the event and the moderator will  send you an email with the Zoom connect information for each session.

Attending a Zoom meeting is easy and is a great way to keep involved with the Club activities. For those of you new to Zoom check out our Tips and Tricks for Camera Club Zoom Meetings next in the newsletter.

Stay safe and stay involved.

Gene Komaromi, Educational Chair

Tips and Tricks for Camera Club Zoom Meetings

In order to participate in a Zoom meeting you must first register for the meeting. You can use the link in the meeting announcement or go directly to the Club website to register. All registrants will then receive an email that provides a link to join the meeting, and if used, the meeting ID and password. If you are a first time Zoom user you may have to download Zoom software on your computer prior to the meeting or get the Zoom app for your tablet or smartphone. If you need help in getting ready for the meeting contact the meeting moderator at least one day prior to the meeting. More information on joining a meeting can be found at the Zoom website Support Center here.

When participating in a Zoom meeting you can help it to go smoothly by:

If you are using a tablet or smartphone: Providing a secure method to hold the device in place and stay in that one place during the meeting, as though you were in the same room as the other participants. Don’t walk around with your tablet or phone.

If you are using a desktop PC or tablet:Turning off your phone during the meeting to avoid the chance that your ringtone will interrupt the meeting. If you want to have a personal conversation or use your phone, mute yourself first so not to interrupt the meeting.

Whatever device you use you always have the choice to turn on your camera or not, and to mute your microphone to avoid unwanted disturbances. Check out additional Tips and Settings at the Zoom website Support Center here.

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

With the exception of the on-line Zoom meetings and presentations, the Camera Club remains closed and in-person club activities remain suspended in accordance with the latest government and GVR guidelines regarding the still evolving Covid-19 pandemic. We value the health and safety of all our members and encourage you to stay safe and sensible during these trying times.

Please check the club calendar here for the latest information on future club activities.

November Travelogue

Paul McCreary

Tuesday, 11/17 7:00 pm

Paul McCreary will be presenting this month's Travelogue via Zoom. 

If you have a program to share please email it to Paul McCreary at traveloguecc@gmail.com, or drop off your thumb drive with a .mov or .mpeg4 show in the Travelogue Drop Box outside the Club. This box is on the window to the right of the door, at eye level. Flip the top open, drop in your thumb drive and Paul will collect it later in the day.

Register to join this presentation on the Club website here, or via your Travelogue e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

Field Trip Review of the Month

This month I have a new field trip in mind. If it sounds interesting to you, maybe you would like to volunteer to lead the trip. Email me if you’re interested.

Steven Derks' Gallery 801

This field trip is to the artist studio of Steven Derks’ Gallery 801, located in an area just north of downtown known as Dunbar/Spring. It's a quiet, ethnically diverse neighborhood known for its artsy vibe and colorful murals. It is home to the Dunbar Pavilion, an African-American community center hosting workshops and cultural events, and Whistle Stop Depot, a converted 1950's warehouse used for art shows and concerts. People don’t just live in Dunbar/Spring, they nest. In this Tucson neighborhood yards bristle with salvaged scrap metal, along with solar panels and water harvesting tubes. Many houses resemble art installations.

Dunbar/Spring was Tucson’s first black neighborhood. It is named after two prominent citizens, the African-American poet Paul Laurence Dunbar and the Swiss-born John Spring, who became Arizona’s first bilingual public-school teacher in 1872. Today, it is a haven for artists, environmentalists and local foods activists. In this neighborhood, overflowing with street art, the largest mural (on North Ninth Avenue) stretches a full block and depicts Dunbar/Spring’s rich history as well as an All Soul’s Day procession. Elsewhere, Arizona artist Mary Lucking’s striking vinyl-and-metal signs mark several intersections, referencing the neighborhood’s various landmarks. Check out more about the history of Dunbar/Spring here.

Phil and I were scoping out the Dunbar/Spring Neighborhood of Tucson one day when we happened upon Steven Derks’ Gallery 801, a wonderful collection of his multi-media art including outdoor sculptures, paintings, furniture, photos, body jewelry, and much more.

From Steven Derks Bio on his website: 

“Finding and collecting curiosities in thrift stores and junkyards is a lifelong preoccupation and a passionate experience for me, rather like going to church. Three or four times a month I visit one of Tucson's four junkyards. I walk around alone, looking at the forlorn piles of bent, twisted and rusted metal lying all over the place. Now things start to happen very fast; everywhere I look I begin to see metal transformed into finished sculpture.”

“When I discard something, I betray it. When I find it, conceive a vision of it renewed, and make art from it, I redeem it. All objects have the potential to be redeemed through art, to be transformed through human vision. So do all people. If a person were to be discarded like a piece of rusted steel, it would be a profound experience. But if it happens to an object, everyone takes it to be insignificant. I can't accept that. Art makes my own personal redemption possible.”

Both Phil and I believe this would be a great Camera Club field trip. Steve even indicated that he may be interested in speaking at a Camera Club Speaker Series.

The Anita Street Market in the nearby Anita Neighborhood is a good spot for lunch with a side stop to the bike church nearby. I’ll have more on the Anita Street Neighborhood another time.

Here are my pictures from the Dunbar/Spring neighborhood. And here are my pictures from Studio 801.

Enjoy!

Sue Rock, Field Trip Facilitator

November Photo Opportunities

Welcome back, Snow Birds. I wish I had a full list of Fall activities that provide excellent photo opportunities for us all. But the lingering Corona virus has caused many events to remain closed. Sadly, in addition to just one open event listed below, I have compiled a partial list of canceled events, just in case one or more are favorites that you would otherwise have wanted to attend.

Even so, places like the Botanical Gardens, the Desert Museum, Tohono Chul and the Tucson Presidio are opening with with restrictions such as calling ahead to make a reservation, and of course, wearing a mask and keeping socially distant. The one event listed below at the Botanical Gardens is still worth checking out before it closes this month. Hopefully 2021 will be a much better year for all of us.

Patricia Ferguson, Photo Op Coordinator

La Calavera Catrina at the Tucson Botanical Gardens

• A parade of rich history and iconography through colorful and joyful large-scale skeleton sculptures. Note: The cafe Botanica is temporarily closed. Masks required, limited capacity.
• September 17 – November 29, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. Check for special evening hours also.
• More info here.

Events that have been canceled due to the Covid-19 pandemic

• Tucson Celtic Festival and Scottish Highland Games
• All Souls Procession
• Tubac Fall Arts and Crafts Festival
• Empire Ranch Roundup
• Open Studio Tours Tucson- virtual format only
• Tour de Tucson (Postponed to April 10, 2021)
• Pecan Festival
• Fall Toy Train Show
• Procession of Little Angels

Also of note:

• Old Tucson Theme Park has closed permanently.
• Tumacacori National Historical Park  is open but the visitor center and museum are closed.

Showtime Coming Soon

Get out the popcorn and drinks! One of the most popular events at the GVR Camera Club is coming back! Some of the best video presentations that the Club's members have to offer will be shown on the big screen.

Oops wait, the presentations won’t be on the big screen, they will be shown on your screen via Zoom starting next month!. I have hosted this popular event at the Camera Club for quite a while. But now my arm has been twisted and I have agreed to host Showtime on Zoom. The first Zoom presentation will be on Monday, December 7th at 7:00 pm.

Members can register at the GVR Camera Club's web site to get the information needed to sign in to Showtime.

Register to join this presentation on the Club website here, or via your Speaker Series e-blast e-mail announcement.

Chuck Hill, Showtime Coordinator

November Speaker Series

Grace Pitzer

Intro to Basic Photography Features of Your iPhone

Thursday, 11/19/2020 1:30 pm

Grace Pitzer’s iPhone Photography classes at the Camera Club have been quite popular. For most of you, your iPhone is the camera you are frequently using these days. Until in person classes resume, Grace will be sharing some photo features and techniques via Zoom meetings that you can use to improve your phone photos. She will include the following topics:

Tips for taking good pictures: There are a number of things you can easily do to make your phone photos look better than a quick snapshot.

Editing your photos, right on your phone: Sometimes a photo may need to be cropped a little or have the exposure fixed. Your iPhone now has a number of tools you can use to edit your photos.

Be creative by making a short video using iMovie: Putting together a video is possible by using the iMovie app. Grace will demonstrate how this works as you watch. You will be surprised how easy it is.

Android Users can also benefit from this session and find these features on their phones.

Register to join this presentation on the Club website here, or via your Speaker Series e-blast announcement. The Zoom link to attend will be provided in your confirmation email after you register.

Special Interest Groups are fun and informative. Any member of the Camera Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs. Many are meeting on-line during the pandemic closures. Details below.

• Multimedia SIG - Gene Komaromi, moderator.
• Mondays @ 10:00 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Register here on the GVR website to join and get the Zoom link to attend.
• Learn what it’s all about. Bring your video project to share for comments & suggestions.

• B&W SIG - Wendell Werner, moderator.
• Tuesdays @ 1:30 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Send an email here to get the Zoom link to attend.
• Who knew black and white could be so complicated?

• Studio and Fine Art Photography SIG - Sandy Ostroff, moderator.
• Monday's @ 1:30 pm - Meetings are online via Zoom. Send an email here to get the Zoom link to attend.
• Explore new techniques and broaden your skills.

• Hit me with Your Best Shot SIG - Jerry Marrion, moderator.
• Tuesdays at 9:30 am - Meetings suspended until further notice.
• Bring five examples of your best efforts to show.

• Photoshop/Lightroom SIG - Al Crawford, Moderator.
• Wednesdays @ 9:30 am - Meetings suspended until further notice.
• Study techniques found in Photoshop CS and Lightroom that are not found in other photo processing tools.

• Field Trip SIG - Sue Rock, moderator.
• Wednesdays @ 4:00 pm - Meetings starting via Zoom soon.
• Plan, arrange, guide and advertise field trips.

• Photoshop Elements SIG - Linda Gregory, moderator.
• Thursdays @ 9:30-11:00 am - Meetings are online via Zoom. Send email here with Elements SIG in the subject line no later than the Wednesday prior to the meeting. If you wish Linda to work on your photo(s), attach it (them) to the email. 
• Learn how to use the magic of Photoshop Elements post processing on your photos. This SIG is an excellent way to learn Photoshop Elements.

• Bird Photography SIG - Mike McMinn, moderator.
• Wednesdays @ 1:30 pm - Meetings are online via Zoom. Send an email here to get the Zoom link to attend.
• Improve your bird photography skills and share your best shots of our feathered friends.

Monitor Notes

Help us provide all the benefits the Club offers to its members by volunteering as a monitor. 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.

Monitors typically check in club members, answer the phone, and welcome those seeking information about the Club. 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 GreenValleyCameraClub@wildapricot.org 

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