February 2025

From the President... 

First of all, I am sad to announce that we recently lost a great photographer and one of our active members, Marilyn Gaizband. She and Sam Schaen had been together for many years. There will be a Celebration of Life at the GVR East Center February 28th at 2PM. Marilyn will be missed by all of us.

As we move into the middle of our winter season, there are several issues I want to bring to your attention.

We’ve recently had issues with GVR’s projectors and audio systems at Desert Hills. GVR has assured us that this is fixed. GVR, though, does intend to eventually replace the projector there with a large TV. The club board feels this is not adequate! If you know anyone on GVR’s board, please let them know that GVR needs a second auditorium with the same capabilities as the West Center. The Desert Hills auditorium is a great fit for us – but not if we can’t adequately show our programs there.

For 2025 we have updated the club’s Bylaws to allow electronic voting. This will ensure your vote counts, even if you are not able to attend the Members Meeting in person. The Bylaws vote will be via a survey that we will send out by email.

Recently, another GVR club, the Travel Club, almost folded due to low membership. We were in discussions with them about, if they closed, their remaining members joining the Photography Club and forming a Special Interest Group within our club. But they are currently on track to remain an active club, so now that is not under consideration.

Mark your calendars! Our Annual Club Social Dinner is on March 25, 2025 at 6 PM at the Desert Hills Recreation Auditorium. The Longhorn Saloon did a great job for us last year and is catering for us again. The cost will be $35.00, which includes non-alcoholic drinks, coffee and the tip for the serving staff. You will be welcome to bring your own alcoholic drink. A signup email should be out soon!

The Photography Club will be open on Saturday, February 8th, from 9am to Noon as part of the Santa Rita Springs Open House. The other clubs at Santal Rita Springs, the Computer Club, Glass Artists Club, Clay Studio and the Santa Rita Art League will also be open.

Volunteers – We have a large membership and need a few more people to help out. We still need support in the following areas:

• An expert for occasional review of our forms and legal documents.
• A backup person for computer and software support.
• A backup person for website maintenance. They will need to learn or be knowledgeable on the Wild Apricot software.
• A new Education Director will be needed in the fall of 2025.
• A backup person for each: Showtime, Travelog and Speaker Series.
• A backup person for Special Interest Group leaders.
• Field Trips. If you sign up for a field trip, let Monica Parker know if you are willing to take attendance, pass out maps and ensure everyone makes it to the trip site. Without this a field trip may need to be cancelled.
• We have one person who volunteered to be on our list of photographers who are willing to support requests to do Photo/Video shoots. It would be good to have two or more available for these requests. Some of these pay a photographer’s fee.

If you volunteer during the season, there is a FREE luncheon to honor those who have helped. This year it will be held on March 6th at 11:30 in the Anza room. This luncheon is the Photography Club's Board of Directors way of saying "Thank you" to all those who gave their time last year to support the Club.  Volunteers will be receiving a personal invitation to the event via email.

Finally, we need your photos! We have a display coming up at Las Campanas in March and need your framed photos! We also need photos to show on Club Lobby TV! Save your photos in JPG format and label them with your initials in the filename, for example, “RS-Madera Canyon.jpg”. You can then send them to gvrphotosubmissions@yahoo.com.

On a personal note, my wife, Sandy, and I recently did an RV trip to San Diego and stayed at the Military RV Park, Fiddler’s Cove. It is nice and well run but…. it is not a quiet place! Noise from the shipyard across the bay filters over making a low hum during the day, later we heard loud booms and other strange noises. We realized it was training hand grenades and machine guns! They were training Navy Seals just across the road from us. Here are two photos.

Kirk Hively, President

In Loving Memory of Marilyn Gaizband

Marilyn Gaizband passed away earlier this month following a fall and traumatic brain injury.

Marilyn's journey into photography began when her freelance photojournalist sister gifted her a Nikkormat camera for her 30th birthday. This thoughtful gift sparked a passion that would define much of Marilyn's life. She immersed herself in the art of black and white and infrared photography, meticulously developing and printing her work in a friend's darkroom.

In 1983, Marilyn met Sam Schaen, and their bond quickly deepened. They married in 1986, embarking on a life filled with shared passions and mutual learning. Marilyn taught Sam the intricacies of photography, while Sam introduced Marilyn to the world of computers. Together, they found joy in wildlife photography, with a particular fondness for capturing the beauty of birds.

Marilyn's creativity knew no bounds. She developed a unique technique using Photoshop to transform segments of animal photographs into captivating abstract art. These creations, named Kaleidimals by Sam, resembled the mesmerizing patterns seen through a kaleidoscope, blending art and nature in a truly innovative way.

In 2017, the couple moved to Arizona and joined the Green Valley Recreation Photography Club. Their shared love for photography led them to explore 29 countries, capturing the wonders of the natural world and enjoying the marvels of National Parks.

A celebration of Marilyn's life will be held on February 28th, 2025, at 2 PM in the Green Valley Recreation East Center Auditorium. For those unable to attend in person, the celebration will also be streamed via Zoom. Marilyn's legacy will live on in her beautiful photographs and the memories she created with her loved ones.

Two Photography Exhibitions

by

Sandy Ostroff

Photography Club member and Fine Art Photography SIG leader, Sandy Ostroff, will be showing his work in two exhibitions this month.

As I See Them

February 1st  thru February 28th
Opening reception February 1st from 3:00-5:00pm

Desert Hill Recreation Center

2980 S Camino del Sol

Green Valley, AZ

As I See It...Places

Ongoing  thru February 28th

Desert Hills Lutheran Church
2150 S Camino del Sol
Green Valley, AZ

Sandy’s work embodies the concept that a photograph is an amazing thing, magically allowing the viewer to see through another’s eyes. A photograph can capture a moment in time, the image of a loved one or a sight of beauty, triumph, ugliness or pain. It can appeal to our emotions and allow us to experience what the photographer saw and how they interpreted it. These exhibitions of Sandy’s photographs will allow the viewer a glimpse of his work and what he sees when he looks through the lens.

Keep Our Facebook Page in Mind

Thanks to members who have been sending in photos from their recent field trips and winter adventures. Keep them coming, we have enjoyed them all.

Be sure to send me your favorite photos so I can post them in Facebook. Those photos are also where I get to choose the Photo of the Month featured  in the newsletter each month. Your photo could be chosen next!

Sue Ready, Facebook Coordinator

Photo of the Month

The February Photo of the Month is by Dave Erickson, titled Sunrise at Mesa Arch in Canyonlands National Park.

Dave recalls, "While visiting Canyonlands National Park in August 2018, I saw Mesa Arch the afternoon before I took this photo and decided to come the next day before daybreak too get a sunrise photo.  The following morning, I left my camp while it was still dark (I couldn't believe how cold it was).  After reaching the parking area, I was surprised to see so many cars.  Still, I grabbed my camera gear and flashlight and headed up the trail.  Arriving at the arch, I picked a spot amongst the 30 or so other people there and waited.  Luckily, everyone was staying well back from the arch.  I got this shot after the sun was well up and behind the arch.

My camera was on a tripod.  It was a Canon 5D Mark IV.  Settings were ISO 100, 24 mm, f14, 1/60th sec, compensation -1.0."

Congratulations, Dave!

The Photo of the Month is chosen from new and archived photos submitted to Sue Ready, the Club's Facebook Coordinator. Keep sending the best of your work to Sue at suready@yahoo.com so we may continue to showcase the refined capabilities of GVR Photography Club members. Photos should be submitted in .jpg format and please include its title and location. -ed

“The Times, They Are Changing” by Bob Dylan seems appropriate in photography recently. That’s one of the reasons that we changed the name of our club to “Photography Club”. According to the Photographic Society of America’s PSA Journal, the following facts stand out: 

• 92% of photos are now being taken with a phone rather than a camera.
• The average number of photos taken on a smartphone is 20 per person per day.
• Over a billion photos are shared on the Internet each day.

The GVR Photography Club is attempting to change with the times by offering information on using smartphones, drones, and video cameras. We would like to survey our membership regarding some of these offerings currently in the planning stage. You can help us out by clicking on the link below to take a short 3 question survey.

GVR Photography Club Survey

The Club also needs facilitators and instructors to assist with some of the smartphone activities. If you’d like to share your smart phone photography skills, contact me at genek6@gmail.com to volunteer.

At this time of the year, educational activities tend to pop up as facilitators volunteer for classes and events. We are often faced with short notices for some of those events. We suggest you watch emails from the Photography Club for updates. We’ve had some activities fill up within a few minutes of posting.

Gene Komaromi, Education Chair

Library News

Great portraits go beyond a mere record of a face.

What draws you to a portrait? Whether it is a faded photo in a family album, a black and white Depression-era photo of a migrant worker, or a Great Masters portrait, something grabs and holds our attention and we return to that image, even if only in memory. Why?

Think of the work of Richard Avedon, Yousuf Karsh, Dorothea Lange, Edward S. Curtis. What is it that makes their photographs of all subjects, be they rich or poor, famous or infamous, compelling and timeless? They capture the character of their subject.

Looking through your photos, how many people pictures have the quality of what you were trying to show when you clicked the shutter? Or were you just documenting the moment, which is okay too. But maybe you want to show more about the person. It is the writer’s mantra; show, don’t tell.

There are books in the Photography Club Library that have tips and techniques to create better portraits. A new addition is Understanding Portrait Photography: How to Shoot Great Pictures of People Anywhere by Bryan Peterson. The Portrait: Professional Techniques and Practices in Portrait Photography by Don Blair is an older book (1998), but the lighting and techniques essential in portrait photography is covered.

Becky McCreary, Librarian

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 for the latest information on all club activities. Photography Club members are also welcome and encouraged to attend the Club’s monthly Board of Directors meetings. Check the Club Calendar for the date of the meeting and attend in-person at the Club, or remotely by registering using this link. The Board is always interested in comments and new ideas from the members.

Need help with your digital camera, smartphone camera, slide/print scanning, photo printing or a photo editing software application? Photography Club Volunteer Helpers are available to help. Log in to the Club’s website. Click on the three bars at the far right of the home page menu bar and select Volunteer Helpers. Once you've found a helper, scroll down to see their contact email listed. Help is just a few clicks away.

Showtime

Tuesday, 2/4 at 7:00 pm

Before I get into the great program I’ve put together I want to bring you up to date about the A/V system at Desert Hills. I am optimistic to report the system appears to be working properly. After several meetings with GVR IT, A/V and resident attendant the A/V system has been repaired. I went to Desert Hills after I was told the system was working. Trust but verify. I did and everything seemed to be functioning. We even balanced the large speakers on the wall with the smaller speakers in the ceiling. All is good and hopefully it will still be working for all our events.

SHOWTIME will start with my continuing series of Directors at War. Frank Capra, famed director of “It’s A Wonderful Life”, is my featured Director this month. He had an interesting assignment from General George Marshall.

Because of the technical issues last month I am starting February's SHOWTIME with the two videos left over. Both are worthy, a quick sail to Cuba followed with Arlene’s AI infused video. “Very Interesting” in your best Arte Johnson. I will follow up with several regional videos from Quilting in Tucson, a moving story and Ruby, a local ghost town. A couple amazing stops in Hawaii and “poof” it’s a wrap.

I hope to see you at Desert Hills on Tuesday. Don’t forget to bring your beverage of choice to go with our FREE POPCORN.

Hope to see you there!!!

Todd F Taylor, Showtime Host

Travelogue

Tuesday, 2/11 at 7:00 pm

Malta

Larry Springfield

Travels in Spain

Kirk Hively

Longwood Gardens

Todd Taylor

Monument Valley

Kirk Hively

Paul McCreary, Travelogue Coordinator

Speaker Series

Tuesday, 2/18 at 2:00 pm

Capturing Extreme Weather and Extraordinary Skies

Presented by: Lori Grace Bailey

Have your tried to capture storms during our Monsoon season? Come listen to a presentation by storm chaser Lori Grace Bailey. Lori is a Arizona native. She is a professional photographer who also enjoys chasing extreme weather and extraordinary skies. Lori was featured on CBS Sunday Morning about the science of lightning. Her work has appeared in major publications and TV outlets including the 2022 Issue 3 of Cosmopolitan Magazine. She is featured in a new book, 100 Photographers to Watch. Whether chasing supercells and tornadoes in the Midwest or haboobs in the southwest, she has a passion for pursuing extreme weather. She is also a lightning strike survivor. Her website is lorigraceaz.com Take a look at her amazing images.

Kim Holmes, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

We received a request to include the day of the week as well as the date a trip is scheduled in field trip announcements. Thanks for the suggestion – we’re implementing it right away.

Most important, however, is that we urgently need members to step up! We have several field trips just waiting for someone to take the lead, especially the birding and nature trips. Leading a trip includes the following:

• Deciding which trip you would like to lead. Most have been visited in the past, so background information is readily available.
• Arranging the trip with the site being visited, if necessary -- birding/nature trips generally don’t require reservations.
• Deciding whether you’d like to do a no-host lunch such as a picnic or at a nearby restaurant.
• Keeping signed-up participants informed of late-breaking news.
• Checking in participants and helping organize carpools on the morning of the trip,
• Generally overseeing the group during the trip.

Most of this administrative process is “in the can” and easy to do. Members of the field trip committee and I will do everything we can to guide you through the process so you can successfully plan and lead trips. Step up, you’ll find it’s much easier than it sounds.

Thank you for your continued support.

As always, for questions or comments, email me at mparker582@aol.com or text (618) 304-1164.

 Monica E. Parker, Field Trip Facilitator

Photo Opportunities

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 educational. Any member of the Photography Club is welcome to attend any of the SIGs.

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

On Assignment SIG

Photoshop/Lightroom SIG

Canon R Series SIG

Photoshop Elements 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 Photography 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 three hours.

Contact: gvrcameramonitors@gmail.com for more information.

Photography Items

Wanted

or

For Sale

For Sale

• Nikon Z50 DX Mirrorless Camera Body, 20.9mp
• Nikkor 50-250 DX f/4.5-6.3 VR lens w/ front & rear lens caps and hood
• Nikkor 18-140 DX f/3.5-6.3 lens w/ front & rear lens caps and hood
• 2 batteries and battery charger
• Scandisk Ultra PLUS 64GB  SD card
• Printed copy of the camera manual

All in excellent condition. Not sold separately.

Price: $ 1,150

Contact Danny Valenzuela at  602-568-5759 or dvsundevil@gmail.com.

CAMERA INVENTORY OF TOBY HOLTER

For any item listed below please contact Barb Holter at  701-238-0845 or at barbholter.65@gmail.com.

CAMERAS

• Canon EOS Rebel T3i 600D camera body - $150
• • with bag, charger & battery
• Canon 90D camera body, 2 batteries & charger - $75
• Canon 40D camera body - $90
• Vizio Camcorder 20x zoom, 3-6mm, with case - $5

LENSES

• Tamron 18-400 - $550
• Sigma 50-500 with optical stabilizer - $550
• Canon 100mm Ultrasonic - $200
• Canon 100mm - $275
• Sigma Teleconverter - $45
• Bower Teleconverter - $50
• 3 Opteka lens filters in case - $50
• • High Definition 52mm UV
  • HIGH Definition 52mm FD
  • High Definition 52mm Polarizer

TRIPODS

• Davis and Sanford Traverse - $70
• Camquip - $25

MONOPODS

• Targus - $17
• Dynex - $15
• Altura 62 inch - $15
• Altura 72 inch - $20

MISCELLANEOUS ACCESSORIES

• Backpack - $100
• Harness - $100
• Sling - $50
• Telescope - $20
• USB Doc - $50
• Vello Remote - $50
• Macro light - $10

Do you have any used photography equipment that you want to sell or are looking for to buy? List those items in the newsletter.

All items:

• May be placed only by current, past or families of past members.
  
• Must be for used photography related equipment.
  
• Must include your name, or the name of the past member, and contact information.
• Should be submitted to neilwicai@gmail.com.
• Must be placed by the 25th of the month prior to the month of listing.
• Will run for one month, but may be resubmitted up to three times to be listed again.

GVR Photography Club

The GVR Photography Club is one of the largest photography clubs in the U.S. with over 600 active members. Regardless of your skill level, you'll have fun honing your skills in taking, editing, and presenting photos and videos. Share your photographic passion with others. Take FREE courses and join our Special Interest Groups to get the most from your digital camera, smartphone, action camera, or drone. Learn the ins and outs of post-processing software. Use our state-of-the-art equipment to digitize and edit photos, slides, and videos. Go on Club Field Trips to practice your photographic skills. Exhibit your photos/videos at our Showtime and Travelogue events. Come make friends and photographs!

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  gvrphotographyclub@gmail.com. 

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