South Jersey Camera Club Monthly Presentations
2024-2025 Presentation Schedule – The 2nd Thursday of each month at 7PM on Zoom
Presentation meetings will be held online to afford us the opportunity to learn from a wide range of photographers without regard to geographic location.
Thursday, September 12, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Keeping Your Photography Fresh by Bert Sirkin
Learn to recognize and eliminate stagnation in your photography
Over time, most photographers naturally develop a unique style or rhythm with their photography. It's where we feel most comfortable.
This presentation is all about using what we've learned so far, and exploring the endless possibilities to add fresh sparks to our creativity. We'll dive into some exciting techniques to breathe new life into our images and discover fresh perspectives. Together, we'll explore how to stay inspired and keep growing in our photographic journey!
The topics we cover are:
- The Signs of Stagnation
- Evolution is the Cure for Stagnation
- Obstacles to Evolution
- Freshness Matters!
- New Subjects
- New Techniques
- Things to Think About
- Getting Inspiration
- Getting Feedback
- Continuous Learning
- Putting it all together
Bio
Bert Sirkin has been a professional photographer and educator for over 40 years. He helps people understand their cameras and editing software in simple English. He teaches various photography topics, Lightroom and Photoshop. Bert has put all of his expertise in our online courses. He wants to help you produce the very best pictures you can - pictures that you will be proud to show.
Website: Photo Bert
Thursday, October 10, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Photography at Night, Not Night Sky Photography by Richard Lewis
There are many great presenters who teach how to photograph the night sky, the Milky Way and star trails. That is astrophotography. This presentation looks beyond the Milky Way. Actually, this presentation explores how to photograph the things below the Milky Way. The world is very different at night. Familiar places like your own backyard become ominous and otherworldly. Your town or local park may not seem photogenic during the day, but at night the ordinary can become extraordinary.
This presentation is designed to inspire and instruct. Learn how to use your camera in the dark when most automatic camera settings do not work. Learn to find and work with the little bit of light that night affords like moonlight, twilight and the lights in towns and cities. These and other tips and tricks will help you get out of the dark about photographing in the dark.
Bio
Richard Lewis has been a professional and fine art photographer since the 1970’s with a passion for landscapes, abandoned history, and interesting people. While he travels to find unique landscapes, his favorite location is the New Jersey Pine Barrens. He uses both a professional digital camera, drone, and an iPhone to create his work.
Richard’s inspiration comes from landscape painters and has developed a style he calls "Painting with a Camera”. This involves equal effort in both creating and post processing an image.
Richard is an active photography blogger, lecturer, instructor and conducts workshops in the New Jersey Pine Barrens and other places to help photographers find their unique creative voice. He also has published a book titled “Photographing the New Jersey Pine Barrens, the Ultimate Guide”.
Website: Richard Lewis Photography
Thursday, November 14th, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Wildlife and Birds by John Scalara
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Bio:
Website: John Scalara Photography
Thursday, December 12, 2024 @ 7:00pm
Capture to Final Image—An Exploration Before and After by Robert Rodriguez
During this presentation, landscape photographer and artist Robert Rodriguez Jr will share his approach to making meaningful images that resonate with others. He'll discuss his mindset and workflow from capture to a final image in Lightroom.
Bio
Robert Rodriguez Jr is a professional landscape photographer, teacher, and author based in the Hudson Valley region of New York. His focus is conveying the beauty and presence he experiences in nature. Robert is the founder of CreativePath Workshops, which offers photography and creativity workshops, and on-line training courses. He has also written three books on photography: Insights Into the Art & Craft of Landscape Photography, Digital Fine Art Printing Field Guide, and Insights From the Creative Path. Robert is also a Canson Infinity ambassador, and teaches printing workshops at his studio in Beacon, NY.
Website: RobertRodriguezJr.com
Thursday, January 9, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Photographing Exotic Macro Wildlife by Karen Campbell
Nature photographer and naturalist Karen Campbell will take us on an exciting photographic journey to discover the exotic wildlife inhabiting our yards, gardens and local wild places! With her stunning photographs of insects and their environment, Karen will share a diversity of macro and close-up styles, tips for finding and photographing our tiny local wildlife, and some approaches for overcoming special challenges of up-close nature photography.
Bio
Karen Campbell is an award-winning nature photographer and virtual instructor through the MN Arboretum. She combines her passions as a lifelong naturalist and photographer to capture our local nature. Karen got serious about macro photography in 2009 with a goal of documenting bees that had discovered her 4-acre property, a native plant restoration from a corn field. She participates in citizen science, is a Certified Pollinator Steward, and has built an image catalog of several thousand species of arthropods and native plants. Karen uses photojournalism to share the stories of her images and subjects in articles, on her blog at FocusOnNatives.com, and on Instagram @KarenInNature.
Website: Karen Campbell
Thursday, February 13, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Creative by Henry Rowan
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Website: Henry Rowan Photography
Thursday, March 13, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Chasing Wyeth by Betsy Wilson
PLEASE NOTE: This presentation will not be recorded so attend this exciting and engaging photographer.
Something very different for Betsy as she goes on a photographic journey. It is actually both an artistic journey and a photographic journey. And there will be a few twists and turns along the way as she celebrates the magic of the paintings of Andrew Wyeth and family, and infuses the locations and feelings into her own photography. This lively presentation weaves landscapes, still lifes and portraits along with some new techniques, while enriching her photography with the benefits derived from immersing oneself into a project, or in this case, a journey.
Bio
Betsy began learning photography after retiring from a career as a newspaper publisher. Her husband Jim gave her his hand-me-down camera and a lot of encouragement, and he now says he created a monster. Her passion for photography includes a wide variety of types including macro, landscape and nature photography. In addition to being honored as Photographer of the Year Award at the Chester County Camera Club, she has received numerous recognitions for her artistic photography including a Silver Medal awarded at the Wilmington International Exhibition of Photography, and First Place Award in Photography at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Betsy is an active member of the Chester County Camera Club, and has given numerous presentations for camera clubs in many states.
Website: Capture the Moment
Thursday, April 10, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Abstract Photography by Frank Smith
People often think of a photograph as a moment in time, a memory - something specific- a baby, a wedding, landscape, sports etc. Often times when Frank is on a photo shoot he sees beyond the bigger picture and is captivated by some of the details.
Frank will see the 12 X 12 panel of rust on a train car versus the image of the train car itself. Or maybe a portion of a chandelier light that creates an entirely different visual. Frank says, "Some of the abstracts Sometimes I don’t see the abstract until I am studying a portion of the image on my computer."
Frank is often looking for the reflections or a picture within a picture. Many people only see the big picture. Looking for the details allows, Frank to creatively capture textures, details and elements that often are overlooked.
There are several key elements in photographing abstracts including: reflections, light & shadows, curves and texture. Frank has learned to move around from one location to the next and is amazed at the photographing opportunities he finds. Frank describes the abstracts as something he wasn’t looking for and their uniqueness create the image.
Bio
Frank T. Smith, a self-taught photographer with a lifelong passion for the art,
discovered his love for photography at an early age. Specializing in outdoor and
architectural photography, Frank has traveled on global journeys to capture the
essence of remote locations, documenting both the people and their cultures, often
supporting philanthropic causes.
As a proud member of the OM Ambassador program, affiliated with OM System
(formerly Olympus), Frank utilizes the OM-1 and the OM-1 Mk II as his preferred
cameras. When not venturing into distant locations, he explores local landscapes
and seeks out unique architectural and urban decay sites for his photography.
Beyond his photography endeavors, Frank generously shares his time and expertise
through in-person and online forums, delivering engaging presentations to diverse
audiences nationwide. Recognized for his gift of communication and passionate
approach, he inspires others through workshops, classes, and mentoring. Frank also
serves as a judge for camera clubs and photography events, aiming to foster
creativity and reveal the unnoticed.
In addition to his photography, Frank has been creating a series of videos
showcasing his photo shoots and providing insights into the details of each shot,
accessible on his YouTube page.
Widely respected in the commercial architectural photography community, Frank
collaborates with developers, architects, engineers, and owners to capture the
essence of their projects. His work has been featured in various media, marketing
campaigns, print, exhibits, and philanthropic awareness initiatives.
Website: Frank Smith Photography
Thursday, May 8, 2025 @ 7:00pm
Travel & Landscape by Robert Zurfluh
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Website: Outdoor Travel Photography
Thursday, June 12, 2025 @ 7:00pm
SJCC’s Behind The Lens Presentation
South Jersey Camera Club members nominate their favorite photographs of the year and the photographers who created them get to speak about how they were inspired, captured and processed.