May 2025

From the President... 

As the song from Bob Dylan goes, “The times they are a-changin.” As the new president of the Photography Club I want to send out a thank you for all those members that took the time to vote for the new board. I know that we ran into some issues with the on-line voting, with some members unable to cast their votes. Next year we will most likely go back to the previous website system that we used for voting.

Just to let you know a little about myself. My husband and I both retired and moved here from Indianapolis in June 2020. Right during the Covid lockdown. It made for an interesting cross country trip. I worked as a Nuclear Medicine Technologist for 35 years, the last 20 doing strictly cardiac imaging. So you ask, “What does a Nuclear Medicine Technologist do”? Let’s just say that I was a picture taker for all of those years, with my “chemicals” being radioactive materials. I used film, developed those images in a darkroom and just like photography, developing eventually went digital. I just happened to be taking images of the inner workings of the human body instead of the exterior. I will admit that because of this, I have no interest in learning portrait photography.

Our board will remain much the same. All six members that were running were voted in. The new members that joined the board are Patty Ferguson and Sam Schaen. Patty has been on the board before and Sam is our website manager. I want to thank Gene Komaromi and Danny Valenzuela for the time that they have served on the board and for all of the expertise that they provided. I also want to thank Kirk Hively for his guidance as President last year.

As many of our club members head back to cooler climates for the summer, have you ever wondered where many of them are from? I did a very brief search for the area codes of members (25 to be exact) and there were 21 different states represented. Some of those states are Colorado, Washington, New Mexico, S. Carolina, Minnesota and Alaska. As all of you head back to your “other” homes I wish you safe travels and a wonderful summer. For those of you sticking around for the summer, Monica is working on coming up with some field trips. So stay tuned for those.

We have a great board once again and have a 50th club anniversary to celebrate this coming year. If any of you have photos from days gone by in the club, would you be willing to share them? Look through your archives and see what you have. I look forward to serving as your president and hope to meet many of you over the coming year.

Kim Holmes, President

First Place Winner

in

CPAC's Picture Perfect Competition

Photography Club member Denise LeCount-O’Brien won First Place in CPAC's 2025 Picture Perfect photography competition. Her winning three-panel submission is titled This Grandma's Quilt. It was featured in CPAC's Picture Perfect Art Show exhibition in their Harry and Ann Paxton Gallery & Theater Lobby that featured work by Arizona photographers from March 31st thru April 30th.

Congratulations, Denise. We are all proud of your achievement.

Photography Club member Mike O'Brien was also an award winner in the competition. His entry, Canyon Echoes, took Honorable Mention. See all Picture Perfect award winning entries at CPAC's website here.

Adobe Premiere Elements Class 4/25/25

For those who attended the Adobe Premiere Elements Class, did we have fun or what?!

The first hour flew by so fast we were all shocked! We covered so many ways to do things with our videos it was a bit overwhelming. I got to learn new tricks from class attendees, in addition to the skills I was privileged to share.  To those of you who attended, if you want an email version of the handout, please email me, and I will send back a copy. I will be out of the country May 2-18, so your patience is appreciated.

Also, if anyone would like to attend additional classes in the fall/spring with more specific topics in Premiere Elements, please let me know and we will do our best to get it scheduled.

Sherrie Lee Lucia

Keep Our Facebook Page in Mind

Thanks to all those members who submitted their spring and field trip photos for the Facebook page. As we transition from spring into the summer months, 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 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

Library News

The desert is waking up! Already there are a few cacti blooming, ocotillo have a few green leaves, and cholla are fluffing up. Desert Meadows Park will soon be a wonderland of color and a gift to photographers.

To enhance your skills with creative ideas and techniques, stop by the Photography Club and browse the books in the Library. There are nature, landscape and wildlife books, along with those on shooting macro. While you are there, pick up a free magazine. Arizona Highways publications are always good inspiration.

If you are leaving for the summer, be sure to return any Photography Club Library books which you have checked out. Thanks you!

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

Returning in November

Greetings to all.

I’m pleased to report that the A/V system at Desert Hills worked for the last two club presentations. It’s been a frustrating year to say the least, but all seems in order now. Hopefully it will remain like that when we resume our presentations in November.

In the meantime, take photos, make videos and come to our Multimedia SIG that continues on Monday mornings at 10 am through the summer and fall. I always need new videos and we are willing to assist you in producing them.

Don’t forget the challenge I put out for you to create videos titled, “My Home Town”, a three to five minute video telling us a little something about where you grew up. It will be my focus for our February 2026 SHOWTIME!

Enjoy your summer.

Todd F Taylor, Showtime Host

Travelogue

Returning in October

Thank you to all who attended our first escapade into hosting the Photography Club Travelogue event in April.  It was such a great turn out and so much fun, focusing on Islands and enjoying macadamia nuts and dried pineapple.

We will start up again in the fall. Our hope is to create thematic adventures. Of course this will depend on the travel videos you send to us. What do you have for us?  Road Trips?  How about African Safaris?  Have you been on any recent cruises?  What other countries have you visited?  We are looking forward to receiving your travel videos and putting together GREAT evenings for us all! Videos will ideally be less than 20 minutes each with a little bit of wiggle room.

Please send your travel videos free via WeTransfer.com or Filemail.com to me at  sherrie.LCBG@gmail.com as soon as possible. Anne and I are eager to receive them and assemble them into spectacular shows.  

Our fall season will begin in October. We look forward to seeing you then, but please send your videos now.

Thank you so much!!

Sherrie Lee Lucia & Anne Karakatsoulis

Travelogue Co-Coordinators

Speaker Series

Returning in November

Kim Holmes, Speaker Series Coordinator

Field Trips

Many thanks go out to Denise LeCount-O’Brien for getting three field trips ready to go in May, June and August. So if you’re in Green Valley over the summer, be sure to look for the announcements.

May is when we normally take a break from field trips, but not this year. Since many of us live in Green Valley year ‘round, we’re looking at conducting field trips through the summer months. I just went through total knee replacement surgery and am undergoing physical therapy, but I expect to resume field trips in June. If you have any suggestions for places we should visit or if you’d like to volunteer to be a field trip leader this summer, please let me know.

Thank you for your continued support. I’m looking forward to bringing you the best in field trips in the coming year.

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

No listings this month

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 Photography 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